Recaps

Yang Ling stopped Macaque from bullying the miners, treated Officer Chen’s wound, and subdued Macaque when he tried a sneak attack. Steward Niu settled the dispute, and Yang Ling lent Chen Xu a liang of silver, leaving Lin Guoliang and Wu Meng asking for medicine he no longer had.

• Yang Ling offered a liang of silver to settle the miners’ dispute, and Uncle Wang helped distribute it among them.
• Yang Ling treated Officer Chen’s forehead with Healing Ointment and realized Officer Chen had lost much of his Health Points.
• Macaque tried to attack Yang Ling with a pickaxe, but Yang Ling caught it and lifted Macaque by the throat.
• Steward Niu stopped Yang Ling from killing Macaque and ordered Macaque to hand over ten jin of Fire Crystal Rock Ore before receiving his next pay.
• Yang Ling lent Chen Xu a liang of silver, then told Lin Guoliang that he had run out of Healing Ointment.

Yang Ling registered as a resident of Qingshan City and wondered whether becoming a Constable could give him a class transfer path. He approached Captain Lin to seek the vacant position, but Captain Lin challenged his qualifications.

• Supervisor Wu told Yang Ling that they would travel to another Fire Crystal Mine for a mining contest after stopping in Qingshan City.
• Yang Ling checked the Divine Realm Rank List and saw new classes, including Swordsman, Blade Guard, and Bandit.
• Yang Ling registered at the Qingshan City Prefectural Office, then overheard Supervisor Wu and Captain Lin discussing the vacant position intended for Wu Que's brother-in-law.
• Yang Ling realized becoming a Constable might let him transfer classes, and he tracked down Captain Lin after Supervisor Wu left the inn.
• Yang Ling offered Captain Lin ten taels of silver for the position, but Captain Lin refused and questioned whether a former mine worker was qualified to become a Constable.

Wu Que told Yang Ling about the Mountain River Sect’s mining profits and blamed him for a three-thousand-jin Fire Crystal Rock shortfall. He lured Yang Ling to a site where miners, including Uncle Wang, had been killed, and claimed he would make Yang Ling take the fall as a Mine Gang leader.

• Wu Que explained that the Mountain River Sect controlled several mines and that Mine Bandits stole ore for profit.
• Wu Que revealed that three thousand jin of Fire Crystal Rock Ore was missing and that the sect would soon inspect the accounts.
• Wu Que admitted he had brought Yang Ling out to kill him and his men, then accuse him of being the biggest Mine Bandit under his supervision.
• Yang Ling saw more than twenty slain miners, including Uncle Wang, and questioned whether the Mountain River Sect would believe he was a Mine Gang leader.
• Wu Que said he knew Yang Ling belonged to the Yang Family of Hongkun City, while a masked man said Steward Niu had recognized Yang Ling’s background.

Yang Ling killed Wu Que and the masked brutes after discovering their role in the mine's crimes, then buried the bodies and tried to preserve his Constable plans. Finding eight Silver Notes on Wu Que made him suspect that a buyer of stolen ore in Qingshan City was connected to him.

• Yang Ling used the Vajra Mingwang Technique and killed Wu Que with a barrage of punches.
• The masked brutes fled, but Yang Ling caught and killed every one of them.
• Yang Ling weighed how to avoid the Black List and decided he could still return to Qingshan City to pursue his Constable identity while Wu Que's disappearance was blamed on flight.
• Yang Ling dug a pit and buried the innocent miners along with Wu Que and his men.
• Yang Ling found eight 100-tael Silver Notes hidden on Wu Que and suspected he had been dealing with a regular buyer of stolen ore in Qingshan City.

Captain Lin explained the Iron Clothes Department’s authority and promotion system to Yang Ling, then gave him a uniform, saber, and Thief-Catching Saber Technique. Yang Ling met his future colleagues, who resented that he would be exempt from regular shifts while staying at the Red Gold Mine.

• Captain Lin told Yang Ling that the Iron Clothes Department oversaw lawbreaking across Zhao State and that constables could earn promotions through merit and martial ability.
• Yang Ling said he might serve as an inspector at the Red Gold Mine, and Captain Lin approved the arrangement, requiring him to return only when Iron Clothes Department officials visited.
• Captain Lin explained the promotion assessment and gave Yang Ling a constable uniform, an official saber, and the Thief-Catching Saber Technique.
• Yang Ling changed into his uniform, and Captain Lin remarked that his bearing made him look like a higher-ranked constable.
• Captain Lin introduced Yang Ling to the constables in the neighboring courtyard and told Old Zhao to show him the ropes.
• The constables learned Yang Ling would not take regular shifts, and they looked at him with resentment.

Yang Ling discovered that his Insight skill could reveal a person’s recent wrongdoing and used it on Old Zhao, then checked his place on the Divine Realm Rank List. He learned the Thief-Catching Saber Technique and found that mastering it would unlock the Tiger Catching Saber Technique.

• Yang Ling inspected Insight and learned that it could reveal a person’s bad deeds from the past three days, but could only be used once a day.
• Yang Ling used Insight on Old Zhao and discovered that Zhao Er had kept a tael of silver he found the previous day.
• Yang Ling checked the Divine Realm Rank List and saw himself in seventh place at Level 13 as a Constable.
• Yang Ling comprehended the Thief-Catching Saber Technique and learned that its stages increased Agility and that reaching Perfected Skill would let him train in the Tiger Catching Saber Technique.

Zhang Wei learned that becoming a constable could be a class-transfer path, but the local government office turned him away because it had no openings and he lacked a recommendation. At the Fire Crystal Mine, Chen Xu and Officer Chen spotted Yang Ling on the Divine Realm Rank List and considered whether becoming constables could help the rescue team, while Lin Guoliang and Wu Meng asked them for food.

• Zhang Wei went to the local government office to become a constable but was rejected because the office was full and he lacked Captain Lin's approval.
• Players noticed Yang Ling and Wu Xiaochen on the Divine Realm Rank List and realized that becoming a constable could be a class-transfer path.
• Chen Xu and Officer Chen saw Yang Ling's name on the list and discussed whether he was a Player and whether constable service could help the rescue team.
• Lin Guoliang admitted he had been wrong, and Wu Meng asked Chen Xu and Officer Chen to give them noodles.
• Chen Xu refused to feed them, and Lin Guoliang complained that he and Wu Meng lacked the strength to mine for long.

Yang Ling explained to Chen Xu and Chen Guoqing how becoming Martial Artists could unlock their Attribute Panels and offered to help them level up by mining. After Steward Niu learned Yang Ling had become a Constable, he allowed him to keep mining at the Fire Crystal Rock Mine for the usual rates.

• Yang Ling told Chen Xu and Chen Guoqing that he had kept his Player identity secret because of his conflict with Zhang Wei.
• Yang Ling explained that they needed to become Martial Artists to access their Attribute Panels and said becoming Constables could help them reach that goal.
• Chen Guoqing resolved to keep striving to become a Constable, and Yang Ling invited both men to mine with him and gain levels.
• Steward Niu congratulated Yang Ling on becoming a Constable and asked why he had returned to the mine.
• Yang Ling said he would mine in his free time, and Steward Niu agreed to pay him the same rates as the other miners.

Yang Ling balanced mining with training, then advanced to Level 14 and saw the Thief-Catching Saber Technique’s power when he split a tree with one strike. After he chose to focus on the saber technique, a Mine Guard summoned him to Supervisor Wu’s residence.

• Yang Ling trained with the Official Saber and cultivated the Vajra Mingwang Technique, finding that both had daily limits on their gains.
• Yang Ling spent several days mining and training, largely ignoring the new Players and keeping company with Chen Xu and Chen Guoqing.
• Yang Ling Leveled Up to Level 14 and added his Free Attribute Point to Spirit.
• Yang Ling used the Vajra Mingwang Technique alongside the Thief-Catching Saber Technique and split a thick tree with one strike.
• Yang Ling decided to prioritize the Thief-Catching Saber Technique over the Collapse Mountain Fist.
• Chen Xu told Yang Ling that an important figure had arrived, and a Mine Guard later summoned Yang Ling to Supervisor Wu’s residence.

Xu Qing revealed that Wu Que had fled after stealing three thousand jin of Fire Crystal Rock and took control of the investigation and the mine. He appointed Yang Ling to supervise the Red Gold Mine, and Yang Ling set out with Xu Qing and several helpers.

• Yang Ling told Steward Li that he had heard Wu Que return at dawn after staying out all night.
• Steward Niu reported that the mine was short three thousand jin of Fire Crystal Rock, and Steward Li tried to bring Yang Ling to Mountain River Sect for questioning.
• Xu Qing said Steward Niu had been spying on Wu Que and that Wu Que had likely fled to avoid punishment for stealing the ore.
• Xu Qing appointed Steward Niu acting supervisor and told Steward Li to report the matter truthfully to the sect.
• Xu Qing said Yang Ling would supervise the Red Gold Mine, then agreed to let him bring trusted helpers.
• On the carriage ride, Yang Ling told Xu Qing that mining made money and he wanted to work while he was young.

Yang Ling advised Xu Qing on improving the Fire Crystal Mine’s productivity, then asked about the Iron Clothes Department’s ranks and the Jianghu’s sect hierarchy. Xu Qing explained that earning the Tiger Catching Saber Technique required reaching Eighth Rank and that the Mountain River Sect was only Third-rate.

• Yang Ling suggested giving steel pickaxes to diligent miners and replacing those who deliberately slacked off, while Xu Qing doubted that these measures could solve the mine’s problems.
• Xu Qing told Yang Ling that mastering the Thief-Catching Saber Technique, becoming an Eighth-Rank Iron Clothes Constable, and passing an assessment were required to obtain the Tiger Catching Saber Technique.
• Xu Qing compared Ninth-Rank Iron Clothes Constables to outer disciples and Eighth-Rank Constables to inner disciples, emphasizing the difficulty of advancing.
• Yang Ling prompted Chen Guoqing to ask Xu Qing about the Jianghu’s sects, and Xu Qing explained that the Mountain River Sect was Third-rate, below Second-rate and First-rate sects.

Xu Qing explained the four First-rate Sects, their influence across Zhao State, and how Spirit Nurturing Pills helped Martial Artists advance their skills. Yang Ling learned that his unusual aptitude let him master Martial Skills far faster than ordinary practitioners and wondered how skill grade affected required Proficiency.

• Xu Qing told Yang Ling, Chen Xu, and Chen Guoqing that Zhao State had four First-rate Sects: Divine Sect, Arhat Temple, Nine Immortal Dao Palace, and Extreme Flame Sword Mansion.
• Xu Qing explained that each First-rate Sect held regional power rivaling the imperial court, while the Mine Gang and Ku Jue Temple remained subordinate to Arhat Temple.
• Yang Ling said he dreamed of joining the Mountain River Sect, and Xu Qing suggested he might arrange it if the group distinguished themselves at the Red Gold Mine and helped secure his position.
• Xu Qing described the five levels of Martial Skills and explained that Spirit Nurturing Pills helped young disciples master several skills more quickly.
• Yang Ling compared his rapid progress in Black Tiger Fist with ordinary Martial Artists and wondered whether higher-grade Martial Skills required more Proficiency.

Xu Qing appointed Yang Ling as supervisor of the Red Gold Mine and left him to learn about its problems. Yang Ling discovered that production had fallen because dangerous mine shafts kept miners underground, and he ended the chapter without a solution.

• Xu Qing introduced Yang Ling as the new supervisor to Fang Qingyang and the other stewards, then said he would stay briefly before returning to the sect to deal with Wu Que.
• Yang Ling settled into his courtyard, cultivated the Vajra Mingwang Technique, and practiced the Thief-Catching Saber Technique through the night.
• Yang Ling toured the mine with Fang Qingyang, Chen Xu, and Chen Guoqing while he counted the Players among the miners.
• Fang Qingyang told Yang Ling that monthly production had fallen from three thousand catties to two thousand because of Mine Worms, cave-ins, and mine bandits.
• Yang Ling learned that the mine needed to produce three thousand five hundred catties monthly, but the miners refused to enter the dangerous shafts, and he saw no immediate way to resolve the problem.

Yang Ling took control of the Red Gold Mine’s tools and map, then entered Mine Tunnel No. 1 with Chen Xu and Chen Guoqing to mine Red Gold Ore himself. The miners remained wary of entering the dangerous tunnels as Yang Ling prepared to strike an ore deposit.

• Yang Ling claimed the Red Gold Crane Beak Hoe and ordered Fang Qingyang to send him all 103 Fine Steel Crane Beak Hoes and the mine map.
• Yang Ling told Xu Qing he would distribute the tools to hardworking miners and test whether they increased production over three months.
• Yang Ling took Chen Xu and Chen Guoqing to the mine, where managers mocked his plan to mine personally and some miners refused to enter the tunnels.
• Yang Ling led Chen Xu and Chen Guoqing into Mine Tunnel No. 1 and found a glowing Red Gold Ore deposit.
• Yang Ling swung his Red Gold Crane Beak Hoe at the ore.

Yang Ling discussed the growing number of Players and their mining progress with Chen Xu and Chen Guoqing at the Red Gold Mine. Their conversation ended when Yang Ling sensed Mine Worms approaching and prepared to face them.

• Yang Ling, Chen Xu, and Chen Guoqing discussed changes to the Divine Realm Rank List and the growing number of Players entering the game.
• Chen Guoqing said the government could not stop the game’s spread and feared the missing Players would cause chaos in the real world.
• Yang Ling reported mining about ten pounds of Red Gold Mine a day and explained that more Players could help them approach their mining target.
• Yang Ling resolved to level up quickly for future rewards and planned to improve his Strength to mine faster.
• Chen Xu heard a noise, and Yang Ling sensed Mine Worms approaching and positioned Chen Xu and Chen Guoqing behind him.

Yang Ling and his companions defeated a swarm of Mine Rats, then learned from Wang Haodong that the outside world was in chaos and that Players had been disappearing. Yang Ling gathered the Ore Vein Players to make an announcement.

• Yang Ling killed Mine Rats with the Thief-Catching Saber Technique while Chen Guoqing and Chen Xu helped, and both companions leveled up.
• After about an hour, the three killed the last Mine Rat and carried the rat heads outside to reassure the miners.
• Yang Ling handed the rat heads to Fang Qingyang, then returned home with Chen Xu and Chen Guoqing.
• Wang Haodong told Yang Ling that cults had appeared, many people had gone missing, and rumors claimed special forces had entered the Divine Domain.
• Yang Ling told his companions to gather all the Players from the Ore Vein, and they assembled them about two hours later.

Yang Ling encouraged the players with the prospect of leveling up and joining a Sect, then led them toward the mine. At the ore vein, Xu Qing and Fang Qingyang were discussing the mine’s production target when they saw Yang Ling arrive with a large group of miners and Yang Zhiwen, a powerful Mountain River Sect Martial Artist.

• The players discovered that their Fine Steel Crane Beak Hoes increased their strength, and Yang Ling explained that only Martial Artists could view Attribute Panels.
• Li Tianye argued that rapid leveling could attract the Major Sects, and Yang Ling recognized his unusually promising attributes.
• Chen Xu urged the group to enter the mine, and Yang Ling led the players toward the Ore Vein.
• Xu Qing refused to lower his promised monthly Red Gold Mine output from three thousand five hundred catties, while Fang Qingyang said the mine could produce just over two thousand at most.
• Fang Qingyang and Xu Qing saw Yang Ling arrive with a huge group of miners, and Yang Ling checked Yang Zhiwen’s attributes and felt wary of his strength.

Yang Ling led more than a hundred Players into Mine Tunnel No. 1, where they found abundant Red Gold and began mining. After working through the night, they gathered to count their haul, and Yang Ling gave them six hours to rest before meeting him at the mine entrance.

• Miners at the Red Gold Mine watched Yang Ling enter Mine Tunnel No. 1, while Fang Qingyang and the managers discussed the dangers keeping miners from increasing output.
• Yang Ling thought about Yang Zhiwen’s strength and his own plans to grow stronger, then led Chen Xu, Chen Guoqing, and the Players deeper into the mine.
• Li Tianye and the other Players discovered plentiful Red Gold and mined it with their Fine Steel Crane Beak Hoes.
• The Players watched Yang Ling mine relentlessly through the day and night, growing impressed by his speed and endurance.
• Yang Ling counted the Players’ haul, explained why they had mined more than ordinary miners, and told them to rest for six hours before meeting him at the entrance.

Yang Ling’s mining success earned the Players a large payment and drew the local miners’ interest. Fang Qingyang and the other managers suspected Yang Ling was deceiving them, but some miners still agreed to join his next trip into the mine.

• Yang Ling told Fang Qingyang he could mine more than ten catties of Red Gold Ore in a day, and Fang paid him forty-four taels for his twenty-two catties.
• Fang Qingyang weighed the Players’ ore and paid them for more than thirty catties in total, startling the managers and miners.
• The Players returned to the village with their Copper Coins, excited about their earnings.
• A miner asked to join Yang Ling’s next mining trip, and Yang Ling agreed as more miners followed suit.
• Fang Qingyang and the managers suspected Yang Ling had brought the ore in beforehand and urged the miners to distrust him.
• Some miners hesitated, while others proposed joining Yang Ling to see for themselves.

Yang Ling and his team mined extraordinary amounts of Red Gold, inspiring the ordinary miners to increase their own output. Yang Ling revealed that the mine had to meet Mountain River Sect’s monthly quota or he would lose his position, leaving the players determined to work harder.

• Yang Ling and his team continued mining through the night, astonishing the ordinary miners with their focus and speed.
• Yang Ling delivered thirteen jin of Red Gold, while Chen Xu, Chen Guoqing, and Li Tianye also brought in substantial amounts.
• Ordinary miners reported higher-than-usual yields, and Fang Qingyang grew uneasy as their output rose.
• Chen Xu and Chen Guoqing recognized that the players could build a foothold at the mine by helping the miners increase production.
• Yang Ling told Li Tianye and Wang Haodong that the mine had to produce three thousand five hundred jin monthly or he would lose his position.
• Fang Qingyang tallied twenty-seven jin mined by Yang Ling’s team in one day, and the players resolved to work harder.

Yang Ling led hundreds of miners into Mine Tunnel No. 1 and mined Red Gold Mine, gaining enough experience to reach level 16. Meanwhile, a miner secretly left Red Gold Ore Essence in a side passage for black mantises, while Fang Qingyang prepared a plan to stop the miners from entering the mine.

• Yang Ling led four or five hundred miners into Mine Tunnel No. 1 after they agreed to follow him.
• Fang Qingyang told a steward that Senior Brother Yang had taught him a final method to keep miners out of the mine.
• Yang Ling and the miners dug for Red Gold Mine, impressing the newcomers with his speed.
• A young miner placed Red Gold Ore Essence in a side passage, where black mantises gathered to feed on it, then returned without Chen Xu suspecting him.
• Yang Ling leveled up to 16, assigned his new Attribute Point to Spirit, and checked the Divine Realm Rank List.

Yang Ling led the miners through a Red Gold Mantis attack in the mine and used the Insight Technique to uncover Wang Er’s role in causing it. The miners were still surrounded by danger when Yang Ling identified the culprit.

• Hundreds of miners fled Red Gold Mantises, and Chen Guoqing gathered them in a chamber where Yang Ling learned that ten had died and one Player was missing.
• Yang Ling killed an approaching Red Gold Mantis, and an old miner explained that the creatures lived deep underground and attacked when they smelled blood.
• Chen Xu told Yang Ling that he had seen someone mining alone, then identified the nervous young miner in the crowd.
• Yang Ling used the Insight Technique on the young miner and learned that Wang Er had hidden Red Gold Ore Essence and used pig blood to lure the mantises into killing ten miners.

Yang Ling trapped the Red Gold Mantises in a narrow tunnel and led the miners and Players in killing them, while promising to turn Fang Qingyang and Wang Er over to the authorities. The waves of mantises dwindled, but Yang Ling’s saber broke, so he continued the fight with his crane beak hoe.

• The miners sided with Yang Ling, who told them to prioritize the Red Gold Mantises and said he would escort Fang Qingyang and Wang Er to the Iron Clothes Department afterward.
• Yang Ling sealed the side tunnels and left one nearly blocked passage, then used blood drawn from Wang Er to lure the mantises.
• Yang Ling killed the mantises as they entered one at a time and let a few through so Li Tianye, Chen Xu, and Chen Guoqing could practice fighting them.
• As the mantises grew less frequent, Yang Ling drew more blood from Wang Er, bringing a larger wave into the tunnel.
• Yang Ling’s Official Saber shattered after a durability warning, so he switched to his Red Gold Crane Beak Hoe and kept killing mantises.

Yang Ling bonded with Little White, a Great Mother Red Gold Mantis whose speed and Find Gold skill helped him locate Red Gold Ore. After discovering that he had gained the secondary profession Beast Tamer and risen to fifth in the Divine Realm rankings, he confronted Fang Qingyang over a plot to lure Red Gold Mantises into the mine and cause a disaster.

• Yang Ling named the newly hatched Great Mother Red Gold Mantis Little White and learned that it could move at remarkable speed and locate Red Gold Ore.
• Yang Ling used Little White to mark dozens of ore deposits and let it hide inside his collar.
• Yang Ling discovered that his profession now included Beast Tamer and saw that he had risen to fifth place in the Divine Realm rankings, ahead of Hui Wu.
• Fang Qingyang rushed to Mine Tunnel No. 1 after hearing a report of Mine Worms, but found the miners gathered around Yang Ling.
• Yang Ling accused Fang Qingyang of having Wang Er use Red Gold Ore Essence and pig's blood to lure Red Gold Mantises and cause a mining disaster, presenting the ore essence and the mantis corpses as evidence.

After Yang Ling helped expose the killings at the Red Gold Mine, Captain Lin told him that Wu Que’s stolen Fire Crystal Rock Ore had been sold to the Rong Tribe, prompting an Iron Clothes Department investigation that could implicate the Mountain River Sect. The next morning, Yang Ling encountered Wu Man of the Giant Spirit Sect, and the chapter ended as Yang Ling struck first with his Red Gold Crane Beak Hoe.

• Yang Ling reported that he had killed the red gold mantises and brought the surviving miners to Captain Lin, who sent Fang Qingyang and Wang Er to prison for killing ten miners.
• Captain Lin told Yang Ling that Wu Que had sold the embezzled Fire Crystal Rock Ore to the Rong Tribe and that an Iron Clothes Department official would investigate the case.
• Captain Lin asked Yang Ling to stay at the Prefectural Office and meet the investigating official with him the next day.
• Yang Ling returned the miners to the Red Gold Mine, told them mining would pause, and spent the evening practicing his martial arts.
• The next morning, Wu Man confronted Yang Ling outside the Prefectural Office, and Yang Ling sent Old Zhao away before attacking with his hoe and Furious Ten-Hit Combo.