Chapter Summaries

Lin Yue demanded that the Lin Family kill Lin Mo before she would ask Zhu Wenjun to help them deal with Li Xiao. The family agreed to the demand, and Third Master volunteered to carry out the execution.

• Lin Yue told Third Master she would not help the Lin Family unless Lin Mo died, while sparing Lin Zhi because she was already crippled and was Lin Yuanshan's daughter.
• Third Master brought Lin Yue's condition to the Lin Family's main hall, where Second Elder and the Steward objected to killing a crippled elder.
• Third Master reminded the family that it had ignored Lin Mo's wrongdoing and argued that Lin Yue was their only bridge to the Zhu Family.
• Lin Yuanshan accepted the demand as necessary for the family's interests and asked who would carry it out.
• When no one else volunteered, Third Master offered to handle Lin Mo's execution, and Lin Yuanshan agreed.

Third Master Lin killed Lin Mo at Lin Yue’s demand and delivered his severed head to her. Lin Yue accepted the Patriarch’s show of sincerity and said she would find a way to deal with Li Xiao.

• Third Master Lin visited Lin Mo in confinement and told him Lin Yue wanted him dead.
• Third Master Lin stabbed Lin Mo, killed the two maidservants, and arranged for the deaths to be hidden in a fire.
• Third Master Lin brought Lin Mo’s head to Lin Yue, who calmly examined it and acknowledged her vengeance.
• Lin Yue told Third Master Lin to inform the Patriarch that she had received his sincerity and that she would find a way regarding Li Xiao.

Lin Yue returned to the Zhu Mansion and considered how to use the family’s power against Li Xiao. She decided to bring Li Xiao’s growing reputation to Zhu Wenjun’s attention and hoped he would intervene.

• Lin Yue arrived at the Zhu Mansion, where Martial Master constables bowed to her as Madam Lin.
• Lin Yue resented Li Xiao for crippling Lin Zhi and threatening her position, and resolved to have him eliminated.
• Lin Yue heard Zhu Wenjun entertaining women but avoided confronting him, choosing to wait for an opportunity to raise Li Xiao’s case.
• Lin Yue asked Aunt Qing about Li Xiao and learned he had become Qian Li’s true disciple while gang clashes in West City worsened.
• Lin Yue concluded that Zhu Wenjun might find Li Xiao’s rise and turmoil interesting, and decided to present the matter to him.

Lin Yue persuaded Zhu Wenjun to retaliate against Li Xiao by portraying him as a threat to her and her unborn child. Zhu Wenjun agreed to send someone to warn Li Xiao, while Lin Yue secretly looked forward to the trouble escalating.

• Lin Yue prepared herself and welcomed Zhu Wenjun when he arrived to visit her and their unborn child.
• Lin Yue told Zhu Wenjun that Li Xiao had crippled her cousin at the Martial Arts Tournament and might threaten her next.
• Zhu Wenjun hesitated because Li Xiao had Qian Li's support and was a True Disciple of Iron Wire Fist Martial Arts School.
• Lin Yue pleaded with Zhu Wenjun to act for her and the child's sake, and he agreed to have someone remind Li Xiao to behave.
• Lin Yue concealed her satisfaction as Zhu Wenjun considered how to make Li Xiao suffer.

Zhu Wenjun sought Zhu Wenhuan's advice about Lin Yue's request to target Li Xiao, and Zhu Wenhuan brought the matter to Zhu He. Zhu He warned that Qian Li might have comprehended Martial Way True Intent, then ordered a covert attempt on Li Xiao that could also earn the Zhu Family his gratitude.

• Zhu Wenjun reconsidered his promise to Lin Yue and went to Zhu Wenhuan for advice.
• Zhu Wenhuan agreed that attacking Li Xiao could endanger the Zhu Family's plans and went to ask Zhu He about Qian Li.
• Zhu He explained that Qian Li might be the only one among the Five Great Martial Arts School masters to have comprehended Martial Way True Intent.
• Zhu He decided that Zhu Wenjun could proceed, sending two Second-Turn Martial Masters to kill Li Xiao if possible or save him and gain his favor if the attempt failed.

Zhu Wenhuan arranged for Zhu Wu and Zhu Qi to target Li Xiao, with orders to kill him if possible or stage a rescue to win his favor. Li Xiao sensed two Second-Turn Martial Masters following him through Willow City, escaped them in a crowded market, and headed home wary but confident in his impending breakthrough.

• Zhu Wenhuan explained his father Zhu He's martial prowess and considered the careful strategy behind the Zhu Family's plans for Li Xiao.
• Zhu Wenhuan ordered Zhu Wu to attack Li Xiao and Zhu Qi to intervene with a staged rescue if the attack failed or became too risky.
• Li Xiao continued training and receiving Qian Li's instruction at the Iron Wire Fist Martial Arts School, though he remained wary of Qian Li's motives.
• Li Xiao sensed two Second-Turn Martial Masters following him after he left the school and diverted into the crowded South Market.
• Li Xiao shook off the pursuers, suspected the Lin Family or Feiyan Martial Arts School, and resolved to grow stronger before confronting whoever was targeting him.

Li Xiao perfected the Chasing Wind Arrow Technique and advanced to the Bone Refining Realm, strengthening his body and expanding Wind Listening’s range. After noticing two men tailing him from the martial arts school, he led them into a secluded dead-end alley.

• Li Xiao used his final Skin Refining Pill and practiced archery until the Chasing Wind Arrow Technique reached Perfection.
• Li Xiao’s Qi and Blood tempered his bones, allowing him to enter the Bone Refining Realm.
• Li Xiao tested his new strength and found that Wind Listening now covered forty zhang, while the Panel showed five Limit-Breaking Points but no eligible Cultivation Method.
• Li Xiao went to the Iron Wire Fist Martial Arts School and noticed that Zhao Wenfeng and several familiar faces were absent.
• Li Xiao realized two men were following him, tested their patience with stops at stalls and a teahouse, then led them into a dead-end alley in West City.

Li Xiao confronted Zhu Wu and Zhu Qi, who had ambushed him under a plan to stage a rescue and win his goodwill. After revealing his greater strength, Li Xiao killed Zhu Wu and struck down Zhu Qi, leaving both men dead in the alley.

• Zhu Wu attacked Li Xiao while Zhu Qi hid nearby, and Li Xiao pretended to fight evenly to learn their plan.
• Zhu Qi rushed in to stage a rescue as Zhu Wu feigned an opening, but Li Xiao seized Zhu Wu by the throat and killed him.
• Zhu Qi realized Li Xiao had concealed his strength and fled toward the alley entrance.
• Li Xiao caught Zhu Qi and broke his saber with an Iron Sand Palm strike, then blasted him through an earthen wall.

Li Xiao interrogated Zhu Qi and learned that Zhu Wenhuan had sent Zhu Qi and Zhu Wu to kill him or pose as his rescuer. After promising to spare Zhu Qi during their first meeting, Li Xiao killed him at their second meeting and cleaned up the scene.

• Li Xiao freed the badly wounded Zhu Qi and demanded to know who had sent him.
• Li Xiao broke Zhu Qi’s finger until he confessed that Zhu Wenhuan had ordered the ambush and that the Zhu Family had other martial masters like them.
• Zhu Qi revealed that he and Zhu Wu were meant to kill Li Xiao if possible, or have Zhu Qi pretend to rescue him and gain his trust.
• Li Xiao let Zhu Qi leave, then blocked his path and declared that their second meeting was the one in which he would kill him.
• Li Xiao killed Zhu Qi with a punch and carefully dealt with the scene.

After Zhu Qi and Zhu Wu attacked him, Li Xiao investigated the Zhu Family’s motives and scouted the Lin Family estate in the Inner City. He decided not to target the Lin Family alone, instead planning a wider series of killings to muddy the waters and distract the Zhu Family.

• Li Xiao concluded that the Zhu Family had likely targeted him because he crippled Lin Zhi and embarrassed the Lin and Zhu families.
• Li Xiao entered the Inner City disguised as an ordinary passerby and learned where the Lin Family estate was located.
• Li Xiao surveyed the estate’s gates and surrounding streets, memorizing the nearby routes and layout.
• Li Xiao rejected a direct attack on the Lin Family because it would draw suspicion from Zhu He and invite further investigation.
• Li Xiao planned to strike the Lin Family, Zhao Kun’s faction of the Golden Sand Gang, and other carefully chosen Martial Masters to make the killings look like a broader conspiracy.

Li Xiao infiltrated the Lin Family residence and killed its Second Elder, making the attack appear to come from a Third-Turn Martial Master. He left the concubine alive to spread the news and headed toward Patriarch Lin Yuanshan’s courtyard.

• Li Xiao secretly killed several First- and Second-Turn Martial Masters in Zhao Kun’s Golden Sand Gang, stirring fear and unrest.
• Li Xiao crossed the Inner City wall and slipped past patrols to reach the Lin Family residence.
• Li Xiao captured an attendant, learned where the Lin Family’s Martial Masters lived, and killed him.
• Li Xiao confronted the Second Elder in his bedroom and killed him with overwhelming force.
• Li Xiao knocked the Second Elder’s concubine unconscious rather than killing her, then hurried toward Lin Yuanshan’s courtyard.

Li Xiao broke into Lin Zhi's room and attacked Lin Yuanshan, revealing overwhelming strength with two different techniques. Lin Yuanshan was left paralyzed below the neck and demanded to know who Li Xiao was.

• Madam Wang demanded that Lin Yuanshan secure revenge against Li Xiao, while Lin Yuanshan insisted they had to wait for the Zhu Family and the County Lieutenant to act.
• Li Xiao entered Lin Zhi's room in black clothing and attacked Lin Yuanshan without revealing his identity.
• Li Xiao's Iron Sand Palm overwhelmed Lin Yuanshan's Cotton Palm, scorching his hand and injuring him.
• Li Xiao followed with a piercing Chasing Wind punch that shattered Lin Yuanshan's bones and left him paralyzed below the neck.
• Lin Yuanshan recognized Li Xiao's Third Turn cultivation and asked who he was.

Li Xiao revealed his identity to the Lin Family after Lin Zhi recognized him and accused him of hiding his strength. He killed Lin Yuanshan, while Lin Zhi raged at both Li Xiao and Lin Yue.

• Lin Zhi recognized Li Xiao and accused him of crippling her and targeting the Lin Family.
• Li Xiao removed his face covering and confirmed his identity to Lin Yuanshan and Madam Wang.
• Lin Yuanshan begged Li Xiao to spare his wife and daughter and blamed Lin Yue for the family's misfortune.
• Li Xiao recalled how the Lin Family had abused him and his father, then killed Lin Yuanshan with a palm strike.
• Lin Zhi crawled toward Li Xiao, screaming threats and cursing both him and Lin Yue.

Li Xiao killed Lin Zhi, Madam Wang, and the Lin Family's Patriarch, but the Third Elder was absent, so he escaped the mansion before the alarm closed in. After lying low and spreading confusion among Willow City's factions, Li Xiao attacked the Golden Sand Gang's gambling den and discovered he had walked into a trap.

• Li Xiao killed Lin Zhi and Madam Wang, then left the Second Elder's courtyard when the Lin Mansion raised the alarm.
• Li Xiao searched the Third Elder's residence, found it empty, and escaped the Inner City.
• Li Xiao kept a low profile as news of the Lin Family deaths spread, while Zhu Wenhuan also wondered whether Li Xiao was involved in the disappearance of Zhu Wu and Zhu Qi.
• Li Xiao killed four Martial Masters from the Wild Dog Gang, enraging Tu Gang and prompting him to strengthen his defenses.
• Li Xiao killed the headman at Zhao Kun's gambling den, then sensed several powerful Martial Masters closing in and realized the Golden Sand Gang had set a trap.

Li Xiao tried to escape the Golden Sand Gang’s encirclement but was stopped by Zhao Kun, whose Wave Palm proved difficult to counter. As the battle continued, Zhao Kun’s stacking force grew stronger and began to suppress Li Xiao.

• Li Xiao broke through a window and charged at a Second-Turn headman, killing him with one punch and scattering the lackeys.
• Zhao Kun struck Li Xiao from behind, and their first clash left Li Xiao injured and forced back several steps.
• Li Xiao assessed Zhao Kun’s strength while gang members regrouped and formed a second encirclement around them.
• Li Xiao attacked Zhao Kun, and the two fought through the rear courtyard, breaking walls and scattering rubble.
• After more than ten exchanges, Zhao Kun’s Wave Palm grew stronger with each strike and began to overwhelm Li Xiao.

Li Xiao escaped Zhao Kun after a fierce clash, then treated his injuries and concluded he needed to improve another Cultivation Method before challenging Zhao Kun again. Zhao Kun wrongly identified the mysterious attacker as a Yellow Robe Cult Master, prompting the Golden Sand Gang to tighten security and drawing Gang Leader Wang Jinshan into the crisis.

• Li Xiao struck Zhao Kun head-on, used the rebound to escape through the encirclement, and vanished into the night.
• Zhao Kun ordered the gang to identify Li Xiao after finding the Gambling Den wrecked and several subordinates dead.
• Li Xiao returned home injured, recovered with Mountain Imp jerky, and decided he needed to raise another Cultivation Method to Perfection.
• Zhao Kun and Zhao Wenfeng speculated about the attacker’s identity, then settled on the Yellow Robe Cult as the culprit.
• Zhao Kun ordered Wang Jinshan to be informed and told his men to avoid going out alone, putting the Golden Sand Gang on alert.
• Wang Jinshan received the report of Zhao Kun’s losses and the suspected Yellow Robe Cult attack.

Li Xiao recovered from his injuries while rumors blamed the Yellow Robe Cult for his fight with Zhao Kun, worsening tensions among Willow City’s factions. At the Iron Wire Fist Martial Arts School, Wang Hai warned Li Xiao about the unrest and began explaining why Fourth-Turn Great Martial Masters were so rare.

• Rumors spread that Zhao Kun had fought a Yellow Robe Cult Master, prompting the Golden Sand Gang and Wild Dog Gang to jointly pressure the cult.
• After several days of recovery, Li Xiao returned to the Iron Wire Fist Martial Arts School and met a visibly slimmer Wang Hai.
• Wang Hai told Li Xiao that Zhao Kun’s faction had suffered further losses and warned him that Willow City was becoming dangerous.
• Li Xiao asked why Zhao Kun had failed to advance beyond Third Turn, and Wang Hai said Wave Palm was difficult to use to reach Fourth Turn.

Wang Hai explained that reaching Fourth Turn required a Viscera Refining Pill or a Divine Intent Diagram to comprehend Martial Way True Intent. Li Xiao decided to reveal his Second Turn cultivation to Qian Li and seek access to the Iron Wire Fist inheritance.

• Wang Hai told Li Xiao that Zhao Kun was stuck at Third Turn Peak because Wave Palm likely lacked a Divine Intent Diagram and Viscera Refining Pills were rare.
• Wang Hai explained that Fourth Turn breakthroughs depended on complete inheritances, Divine Intent Diagrams, or rare pills, clarifying Willow City's martial power structure.
• Li Xiao wondered whether Iron Wire Fist had a Divine Intent Diagram and concluded he needed Qian Li's trust to learn the school's deeper inheritance.
• Li Xiao considered using his Limit-Breaking Points as a fallback but decided they were too precious to spend without first pursuing the orthodox path.
• Li Xiao resolved to reveal his Second Turn cultivation to Qian Li at a suitable opportunity and ask about his future training.

Li Xiao used his apparent breakthrough to Second Turn to ask Qian Li about advancing Iron Wire Fist and the Divine Intent Diagram. Qian Li explained that comprehending the diagram’s Martial Way True Intent was necessary to break through to Fourth Turn, leaving Li Xiao with a clearer understanding of the path ahead.

• Li Xiao displayed a breakthrough to Second Turn while practicing Iron Wire Fist, and Qian Li recognized his solid foundation and praised his progress.
• Li Xiao asked Qian Li how to cultivate Iron Wire Fist beyond Second Turn and offered sincere thanks for his guidance and the martial arts school’s Exotic Beast Meat.
• Li Xiao asked why many Cultivation Methods stalled at Third Turn and what the Divine Intent Diagram was, including whether it related to Iron Wire Fist.
• Qian Li explained that a Divine Intent Diagram preserved a martial art’s spiritual will and Martial Way insights, which cultivators had to comprehend to reach Fourth Turn and Viscera Refining.

Li Xiao persuaded Qian Li to let him glimpse the Iron Wire Fist Divine Intent Diagram despite the danger, and he recorded it with his panel. Qian Li sent him away to perfect the fist art before seeking the diagram again.

• Qian Li warned Li Xiao that viewing the Divine Intent Diagram before reaching Perfection could damage his mind and throw his Qi and Blood into disorder.
• Li Xiao pleaded to see the diagram briefly, promising not to attempt visualization, and Qian Li agreed after judging his will and talent.
• Qian Li retrieved the old Iron Wire Fist Divine Intent Diagram from a locked chest and unfurled it for Li Xiao.
• Li Xiao felt the diagram resonate with his body and internal force, gained a clearer sense of Iron Wire Fist, and recorded it with his panel.
• Qian Li ordered Li Xiao to remember the diagram's impression, study his internal force and body movements, and return after reaching Perfection.