Chapter Summaries

He Ming decided the Clear Water Gang would avoid acting against Li Xiao, but he sent him a letter and one hundred silver taels to apologize and prevent future conflict. Meanwhile, Li Xiao sparred with Wang Hai at the Iron Wire Fist Martial Arts School, where a messenger arrived looking for him.

• He Ming told Mr. Wu to leave Li Xiao alone and keep the Clear Water Gang focused on its own territory.
• He Ming privately considered Li Xiao’s possible role in Chen Long’s death and sent him an apology letter with one hundred silver taels.
• Li Xiao and Wang Hai sparred in the Inner Courtyard, and Wang Hai praised Li Xiao’s rapid progress.
• Li Xiao reflected that his training could let him reach the level needed for a Second-Turn Martial Master breakthrough within a month and a half.
• A martial arts hall servant brought an unfamiliar attendant to the training ground, where the attendant looked toward Li Xiao and Wang Hai.

Li Xiao received a letter and one hundred taels from He Ming, the Clear Water Gang’s Vice Gang Leader, who apologized and warned him about Sun Hong. Li Xiao and Wang Hai resolved to grow stronger, and after two days of training, Li Xiao was invited to a banquet hosted by Escort Leader Zhou.

• An attendant delivered Li Xiao a sealed letter and one hundred taels from He Ming, who apologized and explained that Sun Hong was acting under Zhao Wenfeng’s influence.
• Li Xiao and Wang Hai discussed He Ming’s calculated goodwill and the danger posed by Sun Hong and Zhao Wenfeng, then resumed sparring.
• Li Xiao reflected that strength would give him more choices, and Wang Hai agreed that the Iron Wire Fist Martial Arts School was their best shelter.
• Li Xiao spent the next two days training with Wang Hai, improving his Iron Wire Fist through practice, Qi Replenishing Powder, and Exotic Beast Meat.
• A menial worker told Li Xiao that Escort Leader Zhou had invited him to a banquet at Ke Man Lou, and Li Xiao agreed to go after training.

Li Xiao met Zhou Kun at Ke Man Lou, where Zhou asked him to lead an escort run from Willow City to Black Stone City. Li Xiao accepted the job for its generous pay and prepared to leave early the day after tomorrow.

• The steward and waiter welcomed Li Xiao and led him to Zhou Kun's private room at Ke Man Lou.
• Zhou Kun congratulated Li Xiao on becoming a Martial Master and asked him to take over an urgent Sihai Escort Agency shipment to Black Stone City.
• Zhou Kun offered Li Xiao fifty taels, agency-paid expenses, and two experienced Escort Guards to accompany him.
• Li Xiao accepted the escort assignment, which was scheduled to depart early the day after tomorrow and take around eight or nine days.
• Zhou Kun explained the route and escort precautions while Li Xiao listened, then Li Xiao left Ke Man Lou and walked home.

Li Xiao trained his Chasing Wind Arrow Technique and learned more about the dangers of escorting a shipment to Black Stone City. The journey was set to begin the day after tomorrow, with Falling Eagle Ravine and possible bandit attacks posing the main risks.

• Li Xiao ate Exotic Beast Meat and practiced the Chasing Wind Arrow Technique by moonlight, steadily hitting the target and gaining experience.
• After training, Li Xiao washed and observed how his body had grown stronger since becoming a Martial Master.
• The next morning, Li Xiao practiced Iron Wire Fist at the martial arts school, where Wang Hai asked about Zhou Kun’s commission.
• Li Xiao told Wang Hai he would escort a shipment to Black Stone City with the Sihai Escort Agency, and Wang Hai described the agency and the dangers along the route.
• Wang Hai warned Li Xiao to stay alert for bandits and take special care at Falling Eagle Ravine; Li Xiao said he would leave the day after tomorrow.

Li Xiao joined Zhou Kun’s escort convoy as one of four Martial Masters and led the shipment out of Willow City toward Black Stone City. On the road, he saw the devastation and poverty beyond the city walls as Zhao Meng and Sun Cheng described the worsening unrest.

• Li Xiao arrived at the Sihai Escort Agency and met the Martial Masters Zhao Meng, Sun Cheng, and Zheng Tong.
• Zhou Kun briefed the convoy on its cargo and route, gave Zheng Tong the travel pass and cargo list, and sent the group toward Black Stone City.
• Li Xiao led the convoy through Willow City’s west gate and onto the official road.
• Li Xiao saw ruined villages, scattered bones, and a corpse along the road, realizing the countryside was in far worse condition than he had known.
• Zhao Meng lamented the divide between city and countryside, while Sun Cheng blamed droughts, floods, grain taxes, and the Government Office’s neglect for the growing misery.

Li Xiao and the Sihai Escort Agency convoy encountered starving refugees blocking the road, and he tried to disperse them without bloodshed. The refugees faltered under the guards’ show of force, but the standoff remained unresolved.

• Sun Cheng warned the convoy that suspicious footprints and unnatural silence marked a sparse woodland ahead, so Zheng Tong halted the wagons and arranged a defensive formation.
• Several dozen starving refugees emerged from the woods and blocked the official road, eyeing the convoy’s covered cargo wagons.
• Hu San stopped two young Escort Guards from offering the refugees flatbreads and ordered them to keep their weapons ready.
• Li Xiao asked Zheng Tong and Zhao Meng how to handle the standoff, then proposed warning the refugees to clear the road while the guards displayed their weapons.
• Zhao Meng shouted that the convoy belonged to the Sihai Escort Agency, and the guards aimed their blades at the refugees’ leaders, throwing the crowd into disarray.

Li Xiao recognized that the starving refugees were bait for an ambush by routed soldiers led by Wu Tiexiong, and the convoy prepared to defend itself. After the attackers charged, both sides clashed, and an armored spearman advanced on Li Xiao.

• Sun Cheng warned Li Xiao that armed men were hiding in the woods, and Li Xiao alerted the convoy to the ambush.
• Wu Tiexiong ordered the refugees to distract the convoy while his armored routed soldiers prepared to attack.
• Li Xiao ordered Zhao Meng to drive the refugees back, and Wu Tiexiong's soldiers charged from the woods when their ruse failed.
• Zheng Tong ordered the crossbowmen to fire, while Zhao Meng engaged Wu Tiexiong and Zheng Tong and Sun Cheng fought other attackers.
• Li Xiao spotted an armored spearman charging toward him and readied an arrow infused with Chasing Wind Force.

Li Xiao used his Chasing Wind Arrow Technique to kill Scarface Deputy, whose attempt to flee using a refugee as a human shield failed. The remaining soldiers routed, while Wu Tiexiong broke away from Zhao Meng and fixed his attention on Li Xiao.

• Scarface Deputy charged Li Xiao, but Li Xiao's first arrow pierced his shoulder armor and left his right arm useless.
• Scarface Deputy fled toward the refugees, seized an old man, and threw him into Li Xiao's arrow path as a shield.
• Li Xiao's second arrow pierced the old man, Scarface Deputy, and a tree, killing both men and terrifying the routed soldiers.
• The surviving soldiers abandoned their weapons and scattered, while Wu Tiexiong faltered after seeing Scarface Deputy's death.
• Wu Tiexiong took Zhao Meng's punch on his shoulder armor, leaped back to make distance, and locked his bloodshot gaze on Li Xiao.

Li Xiao defeated Wu Tiexiong in a fierce fight, using his Dual Force to break through the Iron Armor and kill him. The surviving Iron Armor Martial Masters fled into the Dense Forest, and Zheng Tong and Sun Cheng pursued them.

• Wu Tiexiong charged Li Xiao and attacked him with an Iron Armor-wrapped fist, while Zhao Meng could not reach them in time.
• Li Xiao met Wu Tiexiong's punch head-on with his Dual Force, injuring him and driving him backward.
• Li Xiao pressed his attack, broke through Wu Tiexiong's defenses, and killed him with a blow to the neck.
• The surviving soldiers and escort guards watched in shock as Li Xiao stood over Wu Tiexiong's corpse.
• The two remaining Iron Armor Martial Masters fled into the Dense Forest, and Zheng Tong and Sun Cheng chased after them.

Li Xiao helped Zheng Tong and Sun Cheng defeat the remaining Martial Masters, killing one with a punch and another with a precisely planned arrow shot. After the routed soldiers surrendered, he ordered the Escort Agency to interrogate the captives, search for further threats, and clear the blood-soaked battlefield.

• Li Xiao killed the Martial Master Sun Cheng had pinned with a single Iron Wire Force punch, while Zheng Tong fought the last Martial Master.
• The final Martial Master fled toward the forest, but Li Xiao shot him through the chest with an arrow and killed him.
• The remaining routed soldiers surrendered, and Zheng Tong's men bound them as Sun Cheng recovered Li Xiao's arrow.
• The Escort Guards gathered the dead, treated the wounded, guarded the captives, and cleared the battlefield while warily watching Li Xiao.
• Li Xiao ordered Zheng Tong to interrogate the captives, Sun Cheng to search the area, and Zhao Meng to tally casualties and spoils.

Li Xiao searched the defeated soldiers and found the Iron Sand Palm cultivation manual, then trained Iron Wire Fist at the convoy’s mountain camp. The convoy settled in for the night with guards and prisoners secured, while Li Xiao checked that the sentries were in place.

• Li Xiao searched Wu Tiexiong and the other Martial Masters, finding the Iron Sand Palm manual and more than eighty taels of silver.
• Zheng Tong reported that the routed soldiers had spent most of their stolen wealth, leaving few valuable spoils behind.
• The convoy camped in a concealed mountain hollow, where Zheng Tong arranged guards for the prisoners and Zhao Meng and Sun Cheng checked the carts.
• Li Xiao ate Exotic Beast Meat, then practiced Iron Wire Fist while trying to blend in the swift force of Chasing Wind.
• Zheng Tong assured Li Xiao that hidden sentries had been posted in every direction and the prisoners were securely tied up.

Li Xiao recovered from the day’s battles by eating a large amount of bacon, then studied and recorded the Iron Sand Palm technique. The chapter left him with a new martial skill at Entry Level and the idea of eventually combining its explosive force with Iron Wire Force.

• Li Xiao ate three bowls of bacon stew to restore his depleted Qi and Blood, then ordered the remaining food shared with wounded Escort Guards and those on watch.
• After digesting his meal and regulating his Qi and Blood, Li Xiao opened the Iron Sand Palm booklet and studied its cultivation method and techniques.
• Li Xiao considered combining Iron Sand Force with Iron Wire Force but set the idea aside because he could not yet wield both at once.
• Li Xiao confirmed the system prompt to record Iron Sand Palm, and his Panel listed it at 0/200 Entry Level.

Li Xiao considered the costs and risks of cultivating multiple martial arts, then decided to prioritize Iron Wire Fist while seeking resources to support his training. As the escort convoy approached Falling Eagle Ravine, he volunteered to scout ahead.

• Li Xiao recognized that his Panel helped him manage multiple Internal Forces but could not solve his growing need for Exotic Beast Meat.
• Li Xiao planned to strengthen Iron Wire Fist first, acquire iron sand and a medicinal formula for Iron Sand Palm, and keep improving Chasing Wind Arrow.
• The next morning, Li Xiao asked whether there were bandit strongholds along the route, hoping to find a source of money, but Zheng Tong said the convoy avoided such dangers.
• The escort convoy resumed its journey and reached Falling Eagle Ravine, where Zheng Tong warned that the narrow pass was especially dangerous.
• Li Xiao told the group to stay alert and move quickly, then entered the ravine ahead of the convoy to scout the way.

Li Xiao and the escort party traveled through Falling Eagle Ravine and camped for the night, but a pack of Mountain Imps ambushed them. As the beasts charged, Li Xiao ordered the guards to protect the fires and horses and keep their formation.

• Li Xiao scouted Falling Eagle Ravine and led the escort party safely into its dangerous, winding passage.
• Zheng Tong suggested stopping at a sheltered bend for the night, and Li Xiao approved the camp.
• Li Xiao practiced Iron Wire Fist while the Escort Guards rested and watched the routed-soldier captives.
• A Mountain Imp seized one captive from behind a rock, and dozens of Mountain Imps emerged from the mist to surround the camp.
• Zheng Tong recognized the attackers and ordered the guards to form up as Li Xiao warned them to protect the fires and horses.
• Several large Mountain Imps charged the Escort Guards on the outskirts of the camp.

Mountain Imps overwhelmed the escort convoy, and the Gray-eyed Mountain Imp badly wounded Zheng Tong, Sun Cheng, and Zhao Meng. Li Xiao struck the beast with a powerful arrow, but it caught the shaft in its bare hand, leaving the battle unresolved.

• Mountain Imps attacked the convoy from the fog, and Li Xiao used his arrows to protect the struggling Escort Guards.
• A roar announced the arrival of the Gray-eyed Mountain Imp, which drove the Mountain Imps into a more coordinated assault.
• The Gray-eyed Mountain Imp charged Zheng Tong, Sun Cheng, and Zhao Meng, overpowering all three First-Turn Martial Masters in one exchange.
• Li Xiao shot the Gray-eyed Mountain Imp in the head, but the beast caught the arrow and was only forced back a few steps.

Li Xiao battled a Gray-eyed Mountain Imp while Zheng Tong, Sun Cheng, and the Escort Guards struggled against the ordinary Mountain Imps. After trading heavy blows and narrowly avoiding the beast’s attacks, Li Xiao realized it relied on extraordinarily sharp hearing to fight.

• The Gray-eyed Mountain Imp charged Li Xiao after he wounded it, and he ordered Zheng Tong and Sun Cheng to hold off the ordinary Mountain Imps.
• Li Xiao struck the beast’s arm and discovered its hide was tough and its reactions were guided by its sharp hearing.
• Li Xiao feinted at the Mountain Imp’s empty eye sockets, then damaged its left knee with a kick, but its tail sweep forced him to retreat.
• The Escort Guards suffered mounting casualties as Zhao Meng lay wounded and the defensive line neared collapse.
• Li Xiao resumed a fierce exchange of blows with the Mountain Imp and realized that it relied on its exceptional hearing to sense and counter his attacks.

After Sun Cheng was killed, Li Xiao exploited the Gray-eyed Mountain Imp’s sensitive hearing to disorient it and strike its head with a devastating punch. The wounded beast fled into a secluded cave, and Li Xiao pursued it inside.

• Sun Cheng tried to ambush the Gray-eyed Mountain Imp, but it seized his spear and tore him apart.
• Li Xiao ordered the Escort Guards to shout and make noise, disrupting the Mountain Imp’s sensitive hearing.
• Li Xiao struck the confused Mountain Imp in the temple with a powerful punch, badly injuring it.
• The Mountain Imp fled toward the mountain wall, and Li Xiao took up his Iron-Fetal Bow and chased it.
• Li Xiao followed the beast to a vine-hidden cave entrance and pursued it into the dark, foul-smelling passage.

Li Xiao killed the Gray-eyed Mountain Imp and discovered that an Exotic Insect called Listening Wind had enhanced its hearing and recovery. He captured the insect and carried the beast’s corpse back to camp, where he learned Zhao Meng was badly injured but out of danger as the group prepared to leave.

• Li Xiao entered the Mountain Imp’s cave and finished it with a punch to its shattered skull.
• A Listening Wind insect crawled from the Mountain Imp’s ear, and Li Xiao captured it after the Panel revealed its fusion ritual and effects.
• Li Xiao searched the cave, found nothing else of value, and carried the Mountain Imp’s corpse back to camp.
• Zheng Tong and the Escort Guards reacted with shock when Li Xiao arrived carrying the corpse.
• Zheng Tong told Li Xiao that Zhao Meng had three broken ribs and internal injuries but was not in danger, and that the other wounded had been treated.

Li Xiao and the battered escort party reached Blackwater City after surviving the Mountain Imp attack in Falling Eagle Ravine. As Zheng Tong handled the delivery, Li Xiao settled into an inn with Mountain Baboon Meat and continued weighing the risks of completing the Wind Listening insect ritual.

• Li Xiao considered the Wind Listening insect’s abilities and the danger of obtaining four more Martial Master's Ears, then decided to weigh the means and price carefully.
• The escort party set out the next morning and traveled several peaceful days through Falling Eagle Ravine while tending to their wounded and grieving their losses.
• On the fifth day, Zheng Tong led the group into Blackwater City after they passed inspection at the guarded gate.
• Zheng Tong took the wagons and escort guards to Huichun Hall to deliver the goods, while Li Xiao found an inn to rest.
• Li Xiao gave the inn kitchen Mountain Baboon Meat he had salvaged from the Mountain Imp’s corpse and had it prepared as a stew.

Li Xiao returned to Willow City after the Mountain Imp escort mission and received extra payment from Zhou Kun. He began cultivating Iron Sand Palm by soaking his hands in medicinal broth and striking heated iron sand.

• Li Xiao found the Mountain Imp meat tough and foul-tasting, drank the broth, and rested in Blackwater City with the escort party.
• Zheng Tong and the others set out for Willow City by a safer detour and arrived several days later without further trouble.
• Li Xiao returned home, preserved the Mountain Imp corpse, and received two hundred taels of silver from Zhou Kun for the escort mission.
• Li Xiao prepared medicinal broth and heated iron sand in his courtyard to begin cultivating Iron Sand Palm.
• Li Xiao soaked his hands, then repeatedly struck and stirred the hot iron sand as the Panel recorded slow gains in Iron Sand Palm experience.