Chapter Summaries

Li Bufan returned to Huaiyuan County and reunited with Doctor Liu and Li Ping'an. He told them he had bought a courtyard in the Prefectural City and planned to bring them there, then celebrated his homecoming with a family feast.

• Li Bufan arrived in Huaiyuan County with Lin Gong and Yang Kai, then went to find Doctor Liu and Li Ping'an.
• Li Bufan reunited with Doctor Liu outside the Academy and joyfully embraced Li Ping'an after school.
• Uncle Zhong and Xiao Cui welcomed Li Bufan and hurried to buy more food and wine for a feast.
• Li Bufan showed Doctor Liu the deeds to a courtyard he had bought for 2,900 taels and explained he had earned the money honestly.
• Li Bufan told Doctor Liu and Li Ping'an that he planned to bring them to live in the Prefectural City, and they celebrated together over dinner.

Li Bufan told Doctor Liu that danger in the Prefectural City had prompted him to move his master and Ping An, along with the Lin Family, to safety. As Lin Gong arranged for them to stay at Lin Manor until the move, Li Bufan retrieved the original owner's parents' memorial tablets and then prepared to spar with Lin Gong and Yang Kai.

• Doctor Liu pressed Li Bufan to explain why he was moving them, and Li Bufan admitted that disputes in the Prefectural City made it safer to relocate them and the Lin Family.
• Lin Gong and Yang Kai arrived, and Lin Gong respectfully greeted Doctor Liu and said the Lin Family needed five days to prepare for departure.
• Lin Gong offered to move Li Bufan, Doctor Liu, and Ping An into Lin Manor the next morning, while reassuring Doctor Liu that the move was for the Lin Family's growing business.
• Li Bufan told Doctor Liu that Ping An would take leave from the Academy while they packed for the journey.
• Li Bufan retrieved the original owner's parents' memorial tablets from his small courtyard, then returned and agreed to spar with Lin Gong and Yang Kai.

Yang Kai, Lin Gong, and Li Bufan began a nighttime hunting contest in the forest outside the city. Li Bufan captured a rare silver-crowned Snow Fox with red stripes and suspected its appearance was connected to something he remembered, so he headed deeper into the forest with it.

• Yang Kai, Lin Gong, and Li Bufan agreed to hunt in the forest until dawn, with the loser carrying the winner's luggage back to the Prefectural City.
• Lin Gong obtained hunting bows and arrows from the Lin Manor armory, and the three traveled to the forest where the Lin Family had held its Winter Hunt.
• Li Bufan entered the forest alone and reflected on how far he had come since working as a guard in Huaiyuan County.
• Li Bufan chased a swift white creature through the woods, dodged its evasive movements, and caught it with his hands.
• Li Bufan recognized the creature as a rare Silver-Crowned Snow Fox marked with faint red stripes and, suspecting its appearance was no accident, carried it deeper into the forest.

Li Bufan found a Cinnabar Fruit tree bearing fruit far sooner than expected and discovered a mysterious crystal stone buried beneath it. He took the stone and remaining fruits, then left the cave to resume hunting against Lin Gong and Yang Kai.

• Li Bufan followed the Snow Fox to a cave and found the Cinnabar Fruit tree bearing more than a dozen fruits.
• Li Bufan ate three fruits, refined their Blood Qi, and gave the Snow Fox about half of the harvest.
• Li Bufan uprooted the tree and dug deep beneath it, eventually uncovering a warm, dark-red crystal stone with Cloud Patterns.
• Li Bufan failed to activate the crystal stone with Blood Qi, suspected it needed true qi, and stowed it away for later study.
• Li Bufan filled in the pit, took the remaining Cinnabar Fruits, and left the cave to hunt alongside Lin Gong and Yang Kai.

Li Bufan joined Yang Kai and Lin Gong as they fought Sen Ran, a gigantic python protected by powerful true qi. Yang Kai broke a small patch of its defense, allowing Li Bufan’s arrows to pierce its scales, but the battle remained unresolved.

• Li Bufan hunted several animals, refined Cinnabar Fruits, and headed back toward the meeting place as dawn approached.
• Li Bufan heard Yang Kai call out and rushed to find Yang Kai and Lin Gong facing Sen Ran beside a lake.
• Yang Kai’s punches and Lin Gong’s arrows failed to penetrate Sen Ran’s protection, and Sen Ran struck Yang Kai hard with its tail.
• Li Bufan arrived and shot three arrows at the same spot on Sen Ran’s head, leaving a pale mark in its protection.
• Yang Kai used Black Tiger Collapses the Cliff to shatter part of Sen Ran’s protective light, and Li Bufan’s next three arrows pierced its exposed scales.

Yang Kai, Li Bufan, and Lin Gong fought the Boa Constrictor until they brought it down, but the dying beast unleashed a freezing counterattack that trapped Yang Kai and Lin Gong in ice. Li Bufan was left watching helplessly as both men were caught in the blast.

• Yang Kai evaded the Boa Constrictor's bite while Li Bufan shot arrows into its mouth and Lin Gong fired his remaining arrows to disrupt it.
• Yang Kai struck the Boa Constrictor's jaw, exposing its throat, and Li Bufan attacked its wounds with the Po Jun Saber Technique.
• Yang Kai hit the beast's seven-inch vital spot, allowing Li Bufan to drive the Zhan Yue saber into the wound and pummel it until it stopped moving.
• Lin Gong pulled the saber free and swung at the Boa Constrictor's neck, but the apparently dead beast fired a freezing true-qi counterattack.
• Yang Kai pulled Lin Gong aside from the direct blast, but its icy aftershock encased both of them in ice as Li Bufan cried out helplessly.

Li Bufan killed Sen Ran and struggled to melt the ice encasing Yang Kai and Lin Gong, then carried them back to Lin Manor for treatment. Doctor Liu began treating the two men in a secluded guest room while their condition remained critical.

• Li Bufan severed Sen Ran's head, then used his qi and blood to melt the ice around Yang Kai and Lin Gong until exhaustion made him collapse.
• Li Bufan woke to find Yang Kai and Lin Gong still cold and barely breathing, so he swallowed a Qi and Blood Pill and regained enough strength to move.
• Li Bufan carried the two unconscious men to Lin Manor and called for help at the gate.
• The attendants brought Yang Kai and Lin Gong inside, and Doctor Liu examined them and recognized the severe cold in their bodies.
• Doctor Liu ordered medicinal herbs, hot and warm water, and a private room, then had Li Bufan assist him as he began treatment.

Doctor Liu treated Yang Kai and Lin Gong with the Spring and Autumn Needle Technique while teaching it to Li Bufan. After the two recovered from danger, Li Bufan told Doctor Liu how they had fought Sen Ran, and they went out to meet the anxious crowd.

• Doctor Liu removed Yang Kai and Lin Gong's cold-soaked clothing and began teaching Li Bufan the incomplete Spring and Autumn Needle Technique.
• Doctor Liu used three needles to draw the cold qi from Yang Kai, then taught Li Bufan the technique's circulation routes and needlework.
• Li Bufan raised the room's heat and humidity and wiped Yang Kai and Lin Gong with warm water for two hours, helping stabilize their breathing and color.
• Doctor Liu withdrew the needles and declared Yang Kai and Lin Gong out of danger, adding that the treatment might help their cultivation advance.
• Li Bufan recounted how he, Yang Kai, and Lin Gong had fought and killed Sen Ran, while Doctor Liu praised him and urged him not to blame himself.
• Doctor Liu and Li Bufan opened the door and went out to meet the anxious people gathered outside.

After helping Doctor Liu save Lin Gong and Yang Kai, Li Bufan fainted from exhaustion and woke two days later with improved cultivation. Doctor Liu explained how he had rescued him from dangerous energy buildup, and Li Bufan resolved to be more careful with pills.

• Lin Gong's mother thanked Doctor Liu for saving Lin Gong and Yang Kai and offered him precious needles and blood ginseng as a reward.
• Li Bufan fainted from exhaustion, and Doctor Liu examined him and ordered servants to carry him to a quiet room.
• Lin Gong's mother ordered the servants to provide Li Bufan with any medicine he needed.
• Two days later, Li Bufan awoke feeling stronger, and Doctor Liu warned him that taking too much blood-and-qi medicine while depleted could have killed him.
• Li Bufan discovered that his Pine Crane Overflowing Qi Skill proficiency had risen sharply while he was unconscious, then bowed to Doctor Liu in thanks.

Li Bufan arranged for Li Ping'an to become Doctor Liu's disciple, and the two brothers offered him their home deeds as a token of filial devotion. Doctor Liu refused the deeds and entrusted Li Bufan with his medical legacy and old books, including a mysterious black booklet, leaving the family united and hopeful for the future.

• Doctor Liu and Li Bufan visited Li Ping'an, who happily told them he was being cared for at Lin Manor.
• Li Bufan explained that Doctor Liu would become Li Ping'an's master, and Li Ping'an kowtowed and served him tea.
• Li Bufan offered Doctor Liu the house and land deeds, but Doctor Liu refused to take the brothers' hard-won home.
• Doctor Liu entrusted Li Bufan with three martial arts manuals and spoke of his medical teachings and hopes for Li Bufan's future.
• Doctor Liu showed Li Bufan a mysterious, indestructible black booklet that his Liu family had never understood.
• Li Bufan and Li Ping'an reassured Doctor Liu that he would live to see them thrive, and Doctor Liu embraced Li Ping'an cheerfully.

Lin Gong and Yang Kai both awakened after Doctor Liu treated them, and Yang Kai used the crisis to condense his Crimson Tiger Cultivation Body. After thanking Doctor Liu, Yang Kai and Li Bufan went to see Lin Gong.

• Doctor Liu examined Lin Gong and found him recovering, then prescribed nourishing food and Four Substances Decoction.
• A servant reported that Yang Kai had awakened with a feverish body and roaring qi and blood, so Li Bufan recognized his cultivation breakthrough and guarded him through the night.
• At dawn, Yang Kai’s Crimson Tiger Cultivation Body successfully condensed, and he learned that Lin Gong had also awakened and was recovering.
• Yang Kai thanked Doctor Liu for saving his life and met Li Ping'an in the courtyard.
• A servant reported that Lin Gong wanted to see them, and Yang Kai and Li Bufan returned to his courtyard.

Li Bufan and Yang Kai visited Lin Gong as he recovered, and learned that he had reached Blood Tempering after their battle with the Boa Constrictor. Lin Gong said the Lin Family had nearly finished preparing to leave Huaiyuan County, with the main group expected to depart early the day after tomorrow.

• Madam Lin warmly welcomed Li Bufan and Yang Kai, then left them alone to talk with Lin Gong.
• Lin Gong revealed that he had reached Blood Tempering, and the three friends joked about their breakthroughs and recalled fighting the Boa Constrictor.
• Lin Gong thanked Li Bufan for the battle that taught him to grow stronger, and vowed they would be able to fight side by side next time.
• Lin Gong celebrated his breakthrough by proposing a trip to Tianxiang Tower, while Yang Kai teased him and explained that he had formed the Crimson Tiger Cultivation Body but had not yet reached Qi Condensation.
• Li Bufan asked about the Lin Family's preparations, and Lin Gong said the main group would likely leave Huaiyuan County early the day after tomorrow.

Li Bufan realized the Boa Constrictor may have guarded a treasure and persuaded Lin Gong and Yang Kai to revisit the lake where they encountered it. The three friends set out for the mountains after Lin Gong reassured his worried mother.

• Li Bufan asked Lin Gong to recount how he and Yang Kai had encountered the Boa Constrictor near a lake.
• Li Bufan suggested the Qi Condensation Realm beast had stayed by the lake because it was guarding a treasure, and Lin Gong recalled a Boa Constrictor fighting a giant bear during a Winter Hunt half a year earlier.
• Yang Kai was astonished to learn Li Bufan had advanced from Skin Tempering to the Blood Tempering Realm in less than a year.
• Li Bufan proposed investigating the lake again, and Lin Gong and Yang Kai agreed to go with him.
• Lin Gong told Madam Lin they were going out, then led Li Bufan and Yang Kai from the manor toward the mountains.

Li Bufan, Lin Gong, and Yang Kai searched the lake where they had killed the Boa Constrictor and discovered a hidden cavern containing Stone Nan Orchids. They divided the four flowers and returned to Lin Manor, planning to refine them.

• Li Bufan, Lin Gong, and Yang Kai searched the lakeshore but found no treasure, so they decided to investigate the lake itself.
• Li Bufan spotted an underwater passage, and the three swam through it into a hidden cavern beneath the mountain.
• Following a faint fragrance deeper into the cave, the three discovered several glowing Stone Nan Orchids.
• Li Bufan identified the orchids and explained that they could cleanse the body and improve martial cultivation; he carefully harvested four flowers.
• Lin Gong and Yang Kai insisted Li Bufan take two flowers, while each of them took one.
• The three returned to shore and headed toward Lin Manor to refine the Stone Nan Orchids.

Li Bufan, Lin Gong, and Yang Kai replenished their strength with Madam Lin’s medicinal cuisine and sparred in Lin Gong’s courtyard. Afterward, they agreed to refine the Stone Nan Orchid separately, while Li Bufan headed to check on Doctor Liu and Ping'an before taking his share.

• Lin Gong brought Li Bufan and Yang Kai to his courtyard, where Madam Lin had prepared an expensive medicinal meal that restored their strength and boosted Li Bufan’s Pine Crane Overflowing Qi Skill proficiency.
• Li Bufan and Yang Kai sparred, and Yang Kai explained that Li Bufan had about thirty percent of his normal combat strength because a cultivation body greatly increased his power.
• Lin Gong sparred with Yang Kai, who kept the recovered young man’s injuries in mind while letting him fight and learn.
• Li Bufan reminded them to refine the Stone Nan Orchid, then told Lin Gong and Yang Kai to take theirs in quiet rooms while he went to check on Doctor Liu and Ping'an.

Li Bufan consumed two Stone Nan Orchids, cleansing and strengthening his body until his Blood Tempering Realm and both main cultivation skills reached Minor Mastery. After practicing through the night, he set out to check on Lin Gong and Yang Kai and ask when they would leave Huaiyuan County.

• Li Bufan returned to Doctor Liu and Li Ping'an with two Stone Nan Orchids and prepared hot water in the courtyard for cultivation.
• Li Bufan consumed the first Stone Nan Orchid, endured its painful cleansing effects, and expelled impurities from his body.
• Li Bufan consumed the second Stone Nan Orchid and broke through to Minor Mastery in Blood Tempering, Pine Crane Overflowing Qi Skill, and Iron Wall Skill.
• Li Bufan tested his improved martial techniques, then ate dinner with Doctor Liu and Li Ping'an before practicing through the night.
• Doctor Liu noticed Li Bufan had practiced all night and urged him to balance exertion with rest; Li Bufan said he needed to grow stronger to protect them.
• After breakfast, Li Bufan told Doctor Liu he would visit Lin Gong to ask when they would leave Huaiyuan County.

Li Bufan teased Lin Gong and Yang Kai over the embarrassing effects of the Stone Nan Orchid, then began saying farewell to people in Lin Manor before the Lin Family's move. He learned Lin Fu would stay behind to care for the ancestral residence, while the locally recruited guards were dismissed with severance pay.

• Li Bufan found Lin Gong and Yang Kai hiding after the Stone Nan Orchid's cleansing effects had left their rooms foul, and joked with them about it.
• Lin Gong and Yang Kai refused Li Bufan's offer to spar, and he left them to keep hiding.
• Li Bufan thanked Lin Fu for giving him a chance to join the Lin Family, and Lin Fu said he would remain in Huaiyuan County to watch over the ancestral residence.
• Qin Shi announced that the Lin Family Guards were disbanded because the locally recruited guards would not be taken to the Prefectural City, and he sent them to collect double severance pay.

Li Bufan reunited with Coach Qin Shi, learned how Qin had lost his cultivation and spent twenty years serving the Lin Family, then told him that his younger brother Qin Lie had become Guanshan City's garrison commander. Qin Shi set out to return home, while Li Bufan returned to Doctor Liu and prepared to study martial arts manuals before the Lin Family's departure.

• Qin Shi tested Li Bufan's Tiger Roar Fist after learning he had reached the Blood Tempering Realm, and praised his progress.
• Qin Shi explained that Lin Zhennan and Lin Zhentian had saved his life and helped restore his cultivation, though damaged meridians had ended his hope of reaching the Meridian Opening Realm.
• Li Bufan recognized Qin Shi's younger brother as Qin Lie and told Qin Shi that he commanded Guanshan City's Garrison Army.
• Qin Shi, moved by the news, decided to return to Guanshan City after twenty years away, and Li Bufan bid him farewell.
• Li Bufan returned to Doctor Liu and confirmed that they would leave early the next morning, then asked to study the martial arts manuals in the afternoon.

Li Bufan studied the three fist manuals and discovered that Flying Crane Fist was a Blood Tempering method linked to Pine Crane Overflowing Qi Skill. After practicing it through the afternoon, he joined Doctor Liu and Li Ping'an for dinner before resting ahead of their journey the next day.

• Li Ping'an asked to learn martial arts so he could protect Li Bufan and Doctor Liu, and Li Bufan promised to teach him later.
• Li Bufan examined Savage Bear Fist, Spirit Monkey Fist, and Flying Crane Fist, realizing the manuals formed connected stages for tempering skin, muscle, and blood.
• Li Bufan compared Flying Crane Fist with Pine Crane Overflowing Qi Skill and found similarities in their qi and blood circulation methods.
• Li Bufan practiced Flying Crane Fist, initiated the art, and sensed a sharp, drilling force gathering in his fists and fingertips.
• Li Bufan trained until evening, then ate with Doctor Liu and Li Ping'an, shared stories about the Prefectural City, and went to sleep before their journey.

Li Bufan, Li Ping'an, and Doctor Liu joined the Lin Family convoy for a five-day journey from Huaiyuan County to Yingtian Prefecture City, where rumors of tension between the Lin Family and the Xiong Family greeted their arrival. The chapter left them entering the bustling city with the convoy.

• Li Bufan learned that the Lin Family convoy was ready to depart and returned to gather Doctor Liu and Li Ping'an.
• Yang Kai told Li Bufan that Lin Gong had arranged a carriage for Doctor Liu and Li Ping'an, and Steward Lin Fu led the convoy out of Huaiyuan County.
• During five days on the road, Li Bufan sparred with Yang Kai and Lin Gong, improving his Flying Crane Fist, Stacking Waves Palm, and Heart-Piercing Palm.
• The convoy reached Yingtian Prefecture City, and Li Bufan announced their arrival to Doctor Liu and Li Ping'an.
• A Lin Family steward paid the entry tax, and the convoy entered the city as passersby whispered about the Lin Family's troubles with the Xiong Family.