Chapter Summaries

Fang Yong broke through to the Fourth Level and received special treatment, while Jiang Ping decided to reveal his third-layer strength gradually. At the Fist Force test, Sun Qi showed no progress, leaving the rankings and Jiang Ping’s chance to enter the Top Five in play.

• Sun Zheng returned to the dormitory and hurried past Jiang Ping, while Qian Dele returned after breaking through and was encouraged to challenge Jiang Ping for a Top Five spot.
• Fang Yong broke through to the Fourth Level at the Training Ground, and Sun Qi grew resentful as former allies gathered around Fang Yong.
• Jiang Ping decided to reveal his third-layer strength gradually so he could secure a Top Five place and eventually become an escort.
• Head Escort Liang removed Fang Yong from the rankings but continued his rewards and granted him four portions of nutritious food at every meal.
• During the next Fist Force test, Escort Huang reported that Sun Qi had made no progress in six days and tried to console him.

Jiang Ping and Liu Wensheng both demonstrated third-layer Fist Force, but Head Escort Liang rewarded neither, while Escort Huang offered each three portions of nutritious food to build a connection. Jiang Ping accepted the support and reflected on relationships within the Escort Agency, though the food had little effect on his cultivation.

• Jiang Ping displayed third-layer Fist Force, surpassing Sun Qi, but Head Escort Liang gave him no special reward.
• Escort Huang offered Jiang Ping three portions of nutritious food, and Jiang Ping accepted his goodwill.
• Liu Wensheng also broke through to the Nourishing Life Technique's third layer and received the same support from Escort Huang.
• Liu Wensheng spoke with Jiang Ping about making connections in the Escort Agency and explained why he had given up trying to draw close to Fang Yong.
• Jiang Ping practiced the Nourishing Life Technique after eating the extra food and found it had little effect; more than ten days passed.

During the Fist Force test, Head Escort Liang explained that many trainees had stalled because they had reached a cultivation bottleneck. He revealed that Spirit Rhino meat could help them break through, leaving the trainees eager to learn its cost.

• Jiang Ping reflected on his rapid progress and joined Qian Dele on the way to the Fist Force test.
• Fang Yong mocked Sun Qi, Jiang Ping, and Liu Wensheng when their test results showed little improvement.
• Liu Wensheng asked Head Escort Liang why he had not advanced, and Liang explained the nature of bottlenecks.
• Head Escort Liang said perseverance could overcome early bottlenecks and that Spirit Rhino meat could speed the process.
• Liu Wensheng asked how expensive Spirit Rhino meat was.

Head Escort Liang and Escort Huang explained how costly Lingxi Meat and family resources made martial training, while Fang Yong learned that his talent was only average by the standards of Great Li’s aristocratic heirs. The chapter ended with Head Escort Liang introducing Martial Bones as a rare birth trait that could let poor prodigies surpass ordinary geniuses.

• Head Escort Liang explained that Lingxi Meat cost five liang per jin and that even small portions could improve martial training, while Escort Huang said seasoned escorts relied on it instead of ordinary food.
• Sun Qi asked whether secret methods could replace resources, and Head Escort Liang joked that Fang Yong’s exceptional progress came from being reincarnated with great talent.
• Head Escort Liang and Escort Huang praised Fang Yong as first-rate in Yang City but only average across Great Li, where aristocratic heirs had stronger backgrounds and abundant resources.
• Fang Yong realized that family background would limit his future progress, and Head Escort Liang explained that Martial Bones could let prodigies surpass peers and master advanced techniques with astonishing speed.

Jiang Ping heard that Martial Bone prodigies could rise without relying on family resources and suspected he might be one, then learned that Chen Weimin’s Bone Reading claims might have been a fraud. He vowed to investigate and settle his grudge carefully, while he and Liu Wensheng advanced to the fourth layer of the Nourishing Life Technique.

• Head Escort Liang described Martial Bone prodigies, and Jiang Ping wondered whether his own rapid progress meant he possessed Martial Bones.
• Liang said Bone Reading required experts above Fifth Rank, prompting Jiang Ping and others to question Chen Weimin’s claims; Escort Huang warned them to keep quiet about the matter.
• Jiang Ping blamed Chen Weimin for ruining his younger brother’s prospects and vowed to settle the debt, but decided to investigate carefully and grow stronger first.
• Liu Wensheng broke through to the fourth layer of the Nourishing Life Technique and enjoyed the attention of the other trainees.
• Two days later, Jiang Ping also announced his breakthrough to the fourth layer, using Liu Wensheng’s progress to make his own advancement seem less remarkable.

Jiang Ping secretly mastered Flying Snow Saber Qi after less than a month of practice, gaining a new measure of protection in Yang City. He remained cautious and planned to become an escort so he could earn silver for further cultivation.

• Luo Tiegen reassured Fang Yong that Jiang Ping and Liu Wensheng could not catch up, and Fang Yong revealed that his Blade Art was nearing Entry Level.
• Jiang Ping impressed the Training Ground with his Flying Snow Saber Technique, drawing more admiration than Fang Yong because others could learn from his movements.
• After returning to the dormitory alone, Jiang Ping sensed Saber Qi forming and circulated it through his body for Thirty-Six Cycles.
• Jiang Ping released Flying Snow Saber Qi with a swing of his wooden blade and shattered a small table.
• Jiang Ping acknowledged that powerful figures such as the master of Jidao Martial Academy could still defeat him, and he looked forward to becoming an escort to earn silver for cultivation.

Jiang Ping continued deepening his Flying Snow Saber Technique while Fang Yong drew attention by breaking through to Entry Level and demonstrating Blade Light. As Liu Wensheng, Sun Qi, and Qian Dele recognized the unusual insight in Jiang Ping’s blade practice, Jiang Ping revealed that he expected to reach Entry Level within two days.

• Over three days in the Blade Qi Domain, Jiang Ping mastered two more streams of Saber Qi and advanced toward Blood Qi Great Accomplishment.
• Fang Yong broke through to Entry Level with the Flying Snow Saber and demonstrated Blade Light, attracting the Training Ground’s spectators while others compared him favorably to Jiang Ping.
• Jiang Ping decided to reveal his own Entry Level Flying Snow Saber in a few days and become an escort so he could earn silver and improve his strength.
• Luo Tiegen mocked Jiang Ping, while Liu Wensheng, Sun Qi, and Qian Dele defended him and said his blade practice offered them greater insight than Fang Yong’s.
• Jiang Ping stopped practicing and told them that he felt his blade art would reach Entry Level within two days.

Jiang Ping reached Entry Level in the Flying Snow Saber, completed his assessment, and earned admiration at the Four Seas Escort Agency. He stopped demonstrating his saber and waited for Head Escort Liang Sheng to return so he could formally register as an escort.

• Jiang Ping told Sun Qi and Qian Dele that they could watch him practice for a few more days while he waited for Head Escort Liang Sheng to return.
• Jiang Ping’s Flying Snow Saber broke through to Entry Level at the Training Ground, prompting the crowd to congratulate him.
• Jiang Ping held a Sabre Dao Discussion, giving detailed answers to Qian Dele and Sun Qi while offering Luo Tiegen and Sun Zheng perfunctory guidance.
• Jiang Ping stopped practicing his saber in public and focused on the Nourishing Life Technique, explaining that he needed time before pursuing another breakthrough.
• Jiang Ping waited to register as an escort and wondered why Liang Sheng’s important mission had kept him away for more than ten days.

Jiang Ping registered as an escort after learning that Head Escort Liang and Escort Huang had returned injured, then moved into a Single House. He planned to visit Huang Youren to ask about escort missions and thank him for his past kindness.

• Jiang Ping learned that Fang Yong had registered while Head Escort Liang and Escort Huang were recovering from injuries, and he went to the Accounting Room to register.
• The Chief Clerk gave Jiang Ping an escort token, azure robes, and a black saber, and told him he had been assigned under Huang Youren.
• Jiang Ping moved into a Single House and practiced the Nourishing Life Technique, expecting his Blood Qi to reach Great Accomplishment soon.
• Liu Wensheng, Sun Qi, and Qian Dele offered to host a celebration for Jiang Ping and lent him silver.
• Jiang Ping decided to use some of the borrowed money to buy wine and visit Huang Youren to show his gratitude and ask about escort missions.

Jiang Ping visited Escort Huang, who gave him a Stance Technique and ten liang of silver, then shared Lingxi Meat and wine with him. Jiang Ping learned that escort assignments were ranked by difficulty into four categories.

• Jiang Ping borrowed one liang of silver from each of his three companions, then heard that Fang Yong had advanced to the Sixth Layer of the Nourishing Life Technique.
• Jiang Ping visited the injured Escort Huang with a jug of wine and learned that Head Escort Liang had given Fang Yong a Stance Technique.
• Escort Huang gave Jiang Ping a Stance Technique and ten liang of silver, encouraging him to cultivate during his Golden Age.
• Jiang Ping ate Lingxi Meat with Escort Huang and felt its nourishing effect on his qi and blood.
• Jiang Ping asked Escort Huang about escort missions and learned that they were ranked as copper, iron, silver, or gold assignments.

Jiang Ping learned about the dangers and rewards of escort missions from Escort Huang, including the likely corruption behind a Silver Escort disaster. He then discovered that Head Escort Wang's son may have embezzled the two jin of Lingxi Meat awarded to him, leaving Jiang Ping angry.

• Escort Huang explained the pay and risks of Copper and Iron Escort missions, and Jiang Ping agreed to accompany him on future missions.
• Escort Huang described the dangers of Silver Escorts and suspected that the Chenfeng Bodyguard Agency had arranged the attack on the Four Seas Escort Agency.
• Escort Huang recounted how a Gold Drafter nearly destroyed both Yang City escort agencies, and said only Martial Artists who had entered the Fifth Rank should take one.
• As Jiang Ping prepared to leave, Escort Huang told him how to cook his Lingxi Meat and learned that Jiang Ping had not received his two-jin reward from Head Escort Wang.
• Jiang Ping realized that Head Escort Wang's son may have taken the meat, and Saber Qi stirred inside his sleeve.

Jiang Ping refused to let Wang Shengzhu’s failure to pay for the Lingxi meat go unanswered, though Escort Huang advised him to wait three days before escalating the matter. After breaking through to Blood Qi Great Accomplishment, Jiang Ping tested his blood armor and began practicing a stance technique, finding that it accelerated his cultivation.

• Jiang Ping rejected Escort Huang’s offer to cover the ten liang and agreed to wait three days for payment before seeking his help.
• At the accounting room, Wang Shengzhu promised to pay Jiang Ping, then pointedly gave him his name.
• Jiang Ping returned home and broke through to Blood Qi Great Accomplishment while practicing the Nourishing Life Technique.
• Jiang Ping tested his blood armor against his black saber and blade light, confirming its strength and limits.
• Jiang Ping practiced the stance technique and discovered it circulated his blood qi more than twice as fast as the Nourishing Life Technique.

Jiang Ping learned that Sun Zheng was bullying their former companions, then reported Wang Shengzhu’s theft of his Lingxi Meat to Escort Huang and revealed his breakthrough to the Fifth Layer. After another Head Escort secured his silver and compensation, Jiang Ping decided to obtain an Eighth Rank cultivation technique.

• Qian Dele told Jiang Ping that Sun Zheng and Luo Tiegen were using Fang Yong’s influence to trouble Luo Da Niu and others.
• Jiang Ping saw his friends off, sobered up, and continued practicing his stance technique.
• Jiang Ping told Escort Huang that Wang Shengzhu had withheld two jin of Lingxi Meat, then revealed that he had reached the Fifth Layer.
• Escort Huang praised Jiang Ping’s progress and promised to report the theft to Head Escort Liang.
• Escort Huang returned Jiang Ping’s silver and explained that another Head Escort, surnamed Zhu, had secured the resolution and imposed a twenty-tael punishment on Wang Shengzhu.
• Jiang Ping accepted the silver and decided it was time to obtain an Eighth Rank cultivation technique.

After quickly reaching Ninth-Rank Perfection, Jiang Ping visited Yang City's Black Market to find an Eighth Grade technique. He found sellers offering Martial Academy techniques and was left considering a cheaper option after questioning their claims.

• Jiang Ping reached Ninth-Rank Perfection in his Stance Technique and decided to seek an Eighth Grade technique at the Black Market.
• Jiang Ping paid the entrance fee and entered the market in disguise, finding ordinary village goods near its entrance.
• Jiang Ping heard vendors advertise martial goods, including techniques supposedly stolen from Jidao Martial Academy, and saw one seller exposed for peddling fake swordplay.
• Jiang Ping found vendors selling the Still Autumn Technique for twenty taels and Chaoyang Martial Academy's Eighth Grade technique for thirteen taels.
• Jiang Ping questioned why the vendors openly sold Martial Academy techniques, and a stall owner explained that food for training brought in more money than techniques.

Jiang Ping bought and verified the Still Autumn Technique, then was ambushed by the Blood Gang’s second in command and two Black Market stall owners. After fighting the two sellers to a standstill, he faced the second in command’s sudden attack, and a sharper Wind Force swept through the street.

• Jiang Ping chose the Jidao Martial Academy’s Still Autumn Technique, confirmed it was genuine, and bought ginseng after rejecting stale Lingxi Meat.
• Two stall owners recruited the Blood Gang’s second in command to rob and kill Jiang Ping, then followed him out of the Black Market.
• Jiang Ping noticed he was being followed but was caught when he could not escape the pursuers without a Leg technique.
• The stall owners attacked with hidden weapons and swords, but Jiang Ping deflected their weapons and fought them evenly with his Fast Saber, Snowfall.
• Jiang Ping wounded both stall owners, who dismissed his youthful voice as a trick, before the second in command joined the fight with a powerful attack.
• Jiang Ping recognized the second in command as an Eighth-Rank Martial Artist, just as an even sharper Wind Force swept across the street.

Jiang Ping killed the Blood Gang’s second in command and two accomplices with Saber Qi, then returned to the Escort Agency with a fortune and several stolen martial arts manuals. The authorities mistakenly attributed the signature wounds to Zhu Yue, while Jiang Ping planned to use the Riding the Wind Sword to conceal his identity in future fights.

• Jiang Ping used Saber Qi to kill the Blood Gang’s second in command after the man tried to flee and plead for his life.
• Jiang Ping killed the two Stall Owners, searched the three bodies, and escaped before the constables arrived.
• Zhao the Registrar identified the second in command and concluded that Zhu Yue’s Flying Snow Saber had killed him.
• Jiang Ping returned to his Single House with more than fifty taels in broken silver, eight hundred taels in Silver Notes, and several martial arts manuals.
• Jiang Ping decided to focus on the Still Autumn Technique and use the Riding the Wind Sword to avoid drawing attention to the Four Seas Escort Agency.

Jiang Ping studied his new martial arts manuals while Yang City mistakenly credited Zhu Yue with killing the Blood Gang’s Second in Command. As an Iron Escort mission approached, Jiang Ping resolved to use Lingxi Meat to break through to Eighth Rank before setting out.

• Jiang Ping memorized the Seventh-Rank Muscle and Bone Tempering Technique and began studying the Eighth Grade Still Autumn Technique.
• News spread that the Blood Gang’s Second in Command had been slain, and Yang City residents attributed the icy wounds and the kill to Zhu Yue’s Flying Snow Saber Qi.
• Zhu Yue denied killing the Blood Gang members, but the Chief Escort and other Head Escorts credited him with the deed and agreed to let the mistaken reputation stand.
• The Chief Escort revealed that the Chenfeng Bodyguard Agency had started a Silver Escort mission and said the Four Seas Escort Agency would prepare to retaliate against its rival.
• Three days later, Huang Youren told Jiang Ping he would join an Iron Escort mission departing in five days, and Jiang Ping decided to eat two pounds of Lingxi Meat per meal to try to reach Eighth Rank before then.

Jiang Ping’s family learned he had joined the Four Seas Escort Agency, while Jiang Ping traveled on an escort mission outside Yang City. The chapter left him heading toward a post station with Escort Huang, Liu Wensheng, Fang Yong, and their client, Lady Chen.

• Zhang Yun told Jiang Fu and Jiang Xiaoxi that Jiang Ping had been seen leaving Yang City with the Four Seas Escort Agency.
• Jiang An warned that escort work was dangerous, upsetting Zhang Yun and Jiang Xiaoxi, then promised to ask his Martial Arts Hall contacts about bringing Jiang Ping home.
• On the road, Liu Wensheng teased Jiang Ping about his refined appearance and suggested he suited Lady Chen, but Jiang Ping told him to treat her properly as their client.
• Liu Wensheng asked why Fang Yong was on the mission, and Jiang Ping kept secret that Fang Yong had become a Ninth Grade Martial Artist.
• Jiang Ping revealed the fist force of the sixth level of the Nourishing Life Technique to Escort Huang, and Escort Huang told the group to reach the post station before dark.

Jiang Ping traveled with the escort group to a post station, learned the rules behind escort flags, and advanced his Riding the Wind Sword cultivation. The chapter ended with Fang Yong ordering him to stay away from Lady Chen and leave leading her horse to him.

• Jiang Ping's group reached the post station, where Escort Huang explained that their half-mast Benevolence Escort flag signaled for traveling heroes to spare them, usually in exchange for toll money.
• Jiang Ping learned that escorts could accept private work along the same route, and Escort Huang revealed that one of the three carts carried his private cargo.
• Escort Huang described the Mighty Drafter flag, which challenged anyone who wanted to attack, and said powerful head escorts used it for Iron Escorts.
• That night, Jiang Ping practiced Riding the Wind Sword and cultivated a fourth stream of Sword Qi.
• After meeting Lady Chen on his way to bathe, Jiang Ping encountered Fang Yong, who ordered him to stay away from her and said he would lead her horse the next day.

Jiang Ping’s escort group traveled through Yun County and boarded a merchant ship, where Escort Huang warned him about the Water Monkeys and the dangers of their river route. When the Black Water Gang blocked the ship and demanded that the Four Seas Escort Agency come out, Fang Yong moved to confront them.

• Jiang Ping let Fang Yong lead Lady Chen’s horse, but Lady Chen later returned the reins to Jiang Ping because Fang Yong talked too much.
• The group reached Yun County and prepared to continue by boat, while Jiang Ping and Liu Wensheng explored the city.
• Escort Huang privately warned Jiang Ping that water bandits might attack and told him to prioritize saving his life.
• Fang Yong declared that he feared no bandits, while Jiang Ping felt relieved to learn their leader was an Eighth Rank expert.
• The group’s merchant ship was stopped by Black Water Gang vessels, and Fang Yong rushed to confront the bandits after they called out the Four Seas Escort Agency.