Recaps

Chen Cheng visited Fatty Fang and discussed repaying his support, but Fatty Fang urged him to save his money and focus on tempering his third wisp of Blood Qi. Chen Cheng then went to Yongsheng Trading Firm to oversee the caravan’s return and unloading, where Zhao Hai watched him closely.

• Chen Cheng visited Fatty Fang, who warmly congratulated him on condensing his second wisp of Blood Qi.
• Chen Cheng offered Fatty Fang ten taels of silver in repayment, but Fatty Fang refused and advised him to use the money to strengthen his physique for his third wisp of Blood Qi.
• Fatty Fang revealed that Chen Cheng’s progress could earn him greater rewards and perhaps help him return to the Inner Hall.
• Chen Cheng put the money away, deciding not to reveal his new wealth to avoid attracting suspicion.
• Chen Cheng oversaw the caravan’s cargo inventory and unloading at Yongsheng Trading Firm while Zhao Hai watched him and berated the hired hands.

Shen Mi bought Elder Wen’s mature Treasure Medicine for three hundred taels so he could use the money to protect his son Qingzhi from the front lines. Chen Cheng learned about Treasure Medicines and discovered the box held a Five-Claw Golden Ray Dragon Claw Herb, while Shen Mi’s gaze toward him seemed to change.

• Elder Wen privately offered Shen Mi a mature Treasure Medicine and explained that he needed money to arrange safer military service for his son, Qingzhi.
• Shen Mi agreed to pay three hundred taels and asked Elder Wen to guide Chen Cheng in martial arts in the future.
• Chen Cheng efficiently helped unload the caravan and later paid Elder Wen three hundred taels in official silver notes.
• Shen Mi explained the rarity, value, and dangers of Treasure Medicines to Chen Cheng.
• Shen Mi opened the box and identified the medicine as a Five-Claw Golden Ray Dragon Claw Herb that greatly increased cultivation efficiency.
• Chen Cheng realized Shen Mi had paid extra out of compassion, and he noticed her expression toward him had changed.

Shen Mi gave Chen Cheng a secret medicinal recipe and access to Elder Wen’s martial guidance, while warning him that Zhao Hai might cause trouble. She then learned that Fuchang Firm had forced an early Merchant Charter Duel, and Chen Cheng prepared his decoction while practicing his arts until a commotion announced Senior Brother Lin’s success.

• Shen Mi gave Chen Cheng five packets of medicinal ingredients and Dragon Claw Herb, and explained how to make the Shen Family’s supplementary broth.
• Shen Mi warned Chen Cheng that Zhao Hai might target him and arranged for Elder Wen to advise him on martial arts.
• Shen Mi told Chen Cheng he could focus on cultivation instead of guarding the warehouse, then Chen Cheng left with the medicine.
• Mother Ding reported that Fuchang Firm had named Yongsheng Firm as its rival for an early Merchant Charter Duel, putting the northern trade route at risk.
• Chen Cheng bought supplies, brewed Five Dragon Decoction, and alternated between cultivating Moon Breath of Avici and practicing Health-Preserving Taiji.
• A commotion outside announced that Senior Brother Lin had succeeded, causing Chen Cheng to pause as he poured the decoction.

Chen Cheng used the Five Dragon Decoction to accelerate his cultivation, then noticed and evaded a tracker sent by Zhao Hai. The tracker reported his failure to Zhao Hai and Zou Kui, who had been planning to kill Chen Cheng once they found a pretext.

• Chen Cheng drank the Five Dragon Decoction and realized it more than doubled his cultivation gains, though it greatly increased his physical strain and need for nourishing food.
• Chen Cheng noticed Ding Sanshui following him as he traveled toward Zhao Hai's home and deliberately made Ding Sanshui lose his trail.
• Chen Cheng reappeared from the shadows and followed Ding Sanshui to Zhao Hai's residence.
• Zhao Hai told Zou Kui that he would wait for Chen Cheng to expose a flaw before striking, since he lacked irrefutable evidence and wanted to avoid trouble with Dragon Mountain Hall and Shen Mi.
• Ding Sanshui arrived and admitted that he had lost Chen Cheng, leaving Zhao Hai deeply alarmed.

Chen Cheng infiltrated the residence, killed Ding Sanshui, and attacked Zhao Hai before Zou Kui could stop him. After Chen Cheng badly injured Zhao Hai, Zou Kui launched a ruthless counterattack that exposed Chen Cheng’s lack of experience in direct combat.

• Chen Cheng slipped into the courtyard undetected while Ding Sanshui, Zhao Hai, and Zou Kui drank in the side hall.
• Ding Sanshui went outside to urinate, and Chen Cheng silently killed him with a strike to the throat.
• Zou Kui sensed something was wrong and rushed into the courtyard with Zhao Hai, where they found Chen Cheng disguised in Zhao Hai’s clothes.
• Chen Cheng charged Zhao Hai and broke his left shoulder with a Crushing Fist, hurling him into the side hall’s doorframe.
• Zou Kui attacked Chen Cheng with a concealed poisoned Water-Splitting Spike, catching him off guard with a fighting style he had never faced.

Chen Cheng defeated Zou Kui and Zhao Hai, took their valuables, and returned to the Martial Hall with a box of Treasure Snake Jerky. He discovered the box held nineteen pieces and reacted with surprise when he picked one up.

• Zou Kui's fatal attack failed when Chen Cheng used Perfect Harmony and the Dragon Scale Vest to evade and disperse its force.
• Zou Kui and Zhao Hai attacked Chen Cheng together, but Chen Cheng unleashed his self-created Taiji Force and made them collide.
• Chen Cheng struck Zou Kui down with a powerful punch, then killed the poisoned Zhao Hai with the Poison Thorn.
• Chen Cheng took the money pouches, the Poison Thorn, and the Treasure Snake Jerky before returning to the Martial Hall.
• Chen Cheng counted nineteen pieces of jerky, and his expression changed when he picked one up.

After discovering that dried meat greatly accelerated his recovery, Chen Cheng pushed his training to the limit while others speculated about how he could sustain it. At the firm, he learned that two key workers had been murdered, leaving Yongsheng Firm in danger of collapse.

• Chen Cheng bit into the dried meat and found that it restored his strength far more intensely than Venison Medicinal Meal, so he planned to train for longer each day.
• Lin Fengxiao and Chen Cheng trained before dawn, while Luo Boqing, Dong Li, and Sun An discussed Chen Cheng's stamina and praised Xiao Yi's prospects and connections.
• Chen Cheng went to the firm and overheard that Head Pot-Master Zhao and Head Porter Ding had been killed at the Zhao Family Courtyard alongside a Caotou Mountain Bandit.
• The workers feared the deaths had left Yongsheng Firm without leadership and that the firm might fail.

Chen Cheng overheard Shen Mi and Shen Chongnian discuss the firm’s financial troubles and the coming contest with Fuchang Firm, then sought Elder Wen’s advice on real combat. Elder Wen explained that fighting meant using every means to kill efficiently, and began a sparring lesson with Chen Cheng at the warehouse.

• Chen Cheng overheard Shen Chongnian warn Shen Mi that Yongsheng Firm could be ruined if it lost the year-end Merchant Charter contest against Fuchang Firm, and demand a thirty-percent spending cut.
• Shen Mi protected Chen Cheng’s position by explaining that his salary came from her own money, and Shen Chongnian agreed to leave him alone for now.
• Chen Cheng visited Elder Wen and asked for guidance after his life-or-death fight with Zou Kui.
• Elder Wen told Chen Cheng that martial arts ultimately served the purpose of killing and that he should use every means at his disposal.
• Elder Wen brought Chen Cheng to the warehouse and told him to attack with the single thought of killing him.

Chen Cheng trained against Elder Wen for nearly two hours, improving enough to earn his praise before returning to Dragon Mountain Hall. There, he encountered Xiao Yi, whose growing hostility toward him led him to consider how to eliminate the perceived threat.

• Chen Cheng exploited Elder Wen’s brief distraction to attack, but Elder Wen repeatedly countered his strikes and threatened his vital points during their sparring.
• After more than a hundred attacks, Chen Cheng’s rapid improvement impressed Elder Wen, who ended the training and learned that the Proprietor’s medicinal broth helped restore Chen Cheng’s stamina.
• Chen Cheng returned to Dragon Mountain Hall and saw Xiao Yi preparing to leave in a carriage associated with an Inner City noble.
• Xiao Yi greeted Chen Cheng as the carriage passed, then dismissed him to a young woman as an Outer Hall disciple with limited prospects.
• Xiao Yi privately considered how to crush Chen Cheng’s threat and asked Miss Manqing whether she would attend next month’s Middle Academy assessment.

Chen Cheng condensed his third incense of Blood Qi and strengthened his concealment as rumors of searches and suspicious deaths spread through South Outer City. He continued weighing where to hide the Red Moon Original Vow Sutra while preparing for the danger to reach him.

• Xiao Yi told Wu Manqing that he expected to condense Three-Incense Blood Qi before the Middle Academy assessment, and Wu Manqing hinted that the Wu Family might increase its support.
• After half a month of intense training and surveillance, Chen Cheng condensed his third incense of Blood Qi and consolidated his Crouching Dragon Fist.
• Chen Cheng learned that authorities were investigating Zhao Chuan's associates and that book-buyers' inquiries were followed by burglaries, so he considered planting the Red Moon Original Vow Sutra at the Fuchang Firm Proprietor's home, under Xiao Yi's pillow, or in both places.
• Chen Cheng ate with Qian Baolu, then greeted Shi Lei, who explained that he had refused Chen Cheng's offer to pay off his Death-Pledge Contract.
• Chen Cheng discovered that Moon Breath of Avici now concealed some of his life force and that Health-Preserving Taiji had reached Major Mastery.

Chen Cheng discovered that his new trait reduced the energy he spent and strengthened the effects of his training, while Ye Yang dismissed his potential and arranged special instruction for Xiao Yi because of the Inner City Wu Family's backing. Chen Cheng then went to train with Elder Wen and asked him to use fifty percent of his strength.

• Chen Cheng tested his new trait and found it reduced physical and mental energy use by about thirty percent while making Health-Preserving Taiji's benefits thirty percent stronger.
• Ye Yang learned that Chen Cheng had missed his monthly guidance session, but judged his low-grade bones had exhausted his potential and dismissed his chances of advancing.
• Ye Yang told Ye Qiluo to summon Xiao Yi for personal instruction, explaining that the Inner City Wu Family supported him and he might soon rise beyond Ye Yang's influence.
• Chen Cheng visited the Yongsheng Trading Firm warehouse, where he asked Elder Wen to train him using fifty percent of his strength.

Chen Cheng fought Elder Wen after breaking through again, and Elder Wen introduced him to Dark Force. Meanwhile, Lu Song and Xu Chengfeng searched Chen Cheng’s room at Longshan Middle Academy and noticed a medicinal smell.

• Chen Cheng revealed that he had broken through again, and Elder Wen began their sparring session using fifty percent of his strength.
• Chen Cheng dodged Elder Wen’s attacks and nearly found an opening before Elder Wen used Dark Force to strike him internally.
• Elder Wen explained the difference between Clear Force and Dark Force and advised Chen Cheng to study it before reaching Four-Incense Blood Qi.
• Chen Cheng connected Elder Wen’s explanation to his own experiments with Taiji Force and eagerly resumed their fight.
• Lu Song and Xu Chengfeng searched Chen Cheng’s room after Ye Yang approved the search, while Zhuang Zhuang watched.
• A constable reported finding nothing improper, but Lu Song remarked on the medicinal smell in the room, making Zhuang Zhuang tense.

Chen Cheng dismissed the search of his room and refused an invitation from Xiao Yi and Liang Guang, while Qian Baolu shared his romantic interest and praised Chen Cheng for keeping his distance from Xiao Yi. On the way to a restaurant, Xiao Yi turned Liang Guang against Chen Cheng, who did not know the two were disparaging him.

• Lu Song identified a faint, pure trace of Treasure Medicine in the medicinal fragrance, and he and Xu Chengfeng withdrew their search team after joking about the erotic picture booklets found during the search.
• Qian Baolu told Chen Cheng that Xiao Yi's room had contained erotic picture books, a portrait of Third Senior Sister, and a red dudou, while Chen Cheng regretted not having planted the Red Moon Original Vow Sutra there.
• Qian Baolu described the gentle, frail girl he liked, and Chen Cheng declined his offer to introduce him to prospective wives.
• A disciple told Chen Cheng that Liang Guang and Xiao Yi were inviting him to a restaurant, but Chen Cheng refused and claimed he had urgent business in the Inner Hall.
• Qian Baolu praised Chen Cheng for refusing to join Xiao Yi, while Xiao Yi told Liang Guang that Chen Cheng had forgotten their friendship and Liang Guang agreed to disown him.

Chen Cheng confronted the Inner Hall after Xiao Yi’s faction retaliated against him and Qian Baolu, then registered his successful condensation of Three-Incense Blood Qi. Meanwhile, Lin Fengxiao defended Qian Baolu from Xiao Yi’s followers, and the confrontation paused when Chen Cheng arrived.

• Chen Cheng stopped Qian Baolu from blaming the food-delivery disciple and went to the Inner Hall after their meal portions were cut down.
• Chen Cheng told Zhuang Zhuang that he had condensed Three-Incense Blood Qi, and she congratulated him and directed him to register before meeting Master Ye.
• Sun An, Dong Li, and Luo Boqing pressured Qian Baolu to stop associating with Chen Cheng in exchange for restoring his standard meals.
• Lin Fengxiao stood beside Qian Baolu and confronted Dong Li, but Su Ziyang and Guo Chun challenged him to a spar.
• A General Affairs Room disciple warned the group that Chen Cheng had arrived, and Su Ziyang and Guo Chun dismissed the need to fear him.

After learning that Chen Cheng had condensed Three-Incense Blood Qi, disciples and staff treated him and those close to him with sudden deference. The chapter leaves Fatty Fang about to discuss something with Madam Li after protecting her during a constable search.

• A disciple announced that Chen Cheng had exchanged for an Inner Hall Gold-Letter Waist Token and would soon meet Master Ye, prompting Su Ziyang, Guo Chun, and the other disciples to flee.
• Chen Cheng returned to Qian Baolu, and the kitchen served them unusually generous meals while Lin Fengxiao kept his distance to avoid involving him in trouble.
• The steward stopped making Shi Lei clean the latrines and reassigned him to the back kitchen, explaining that Chen Cheng had condensed his third incense of Blood Qi.
• Lu Song and Xu Chengfeng searched Madam Li's residence and left without finding anything, while Fatty Fang's presence reassured her.
• Fatty Fang assured Madam Li that he would help her whenever needed, then said he had something to discuss with her.

Fatty Fang encouraged Madam Li to consider a match between his cousin and Chen Cheng, citing Chen Cheng’s martial progress and the upcoming assessment. Ye Yang examined Chen Cheng, accepted him as an Inner Hall disciple, and asked him not to compete with Xiao Yi at the assessment.

• Fatty Fang proposed introducing his seventeen-year-old cousin to Chen Cheng, and Madam Li cautiously agreed to a meeting if the girl accepted the family’s circumstances.
• Zhuang Zhuang brought Chen Cheng to Ye Yang’s meditation chamber, where Ye Yang examined his bones, Blood Qi, and physique.
• Ye Yang found Chen Cheng’s visible traits ordinary and concluded that Treasure Medicine and relentless training had enabled his rapid progress.
• Ye Yang made Chen Cheng an official Inner Hall disciple and asked about his plans for the annual assessment in three days.
• Ye Yang told Chen Cheng that he and Xiao Yi were the only Inner Hall disciples with three incenses of Blood Qi, then asked Chen Cheng not to compete with Xiao Yi.

Chen Cheng refused Ye Yang’s warning to avoid competing with Xiao Yi, then settled into his new Inner Hall residence and learned what benefits and opportunities came with the promotion. Zhuang Zhuang revealed that Xiao Yi had rapidly strengthened and could defeat several Martial Artists at the same stage.

• Ye Yang warned Chen Cheng that challenging Xiao Yi would bring humiliation and future trouble, but Chen Cheng said he valued clarity of mind and left without changing his resolve.
• Zhuang Zhuang escorted Chen Cheng to his new Inner Hall room and explained that Fifth Senior Brother Lu Changning was recovering from injuries.
• Chen Cheng inspected his spacious room and learned that Inner Hall disciples received better meals, three Blood-Boosting Pills each month, and opportunities for patronage and advancement.
• Chen Cheng asked about Xiao Yi’s strength, and Zhuang Zhuang said Xiao Yi had condensed his third strand of Blood Qi, stabilized it quickly with his patrons’ resources, and could likely fight two or three opponents at that level.

Chen Cheng prepared for the annual assessment by focusing on physical training after losing access to Five Dragon Decoction. Meanwhile, Chen Hao refused to marry into the Wang family despite his family’s desperate poverty, and Chen Yong confronted him with the consequences of their debts and rising taxes.

• Zhuang Zhuang explained that the annual assessment tested force, endurance, and combat, warning Chen Cheng that the dangerous arena bouts had caused casualties.
• Chen Cheng relied on medicinal meals and Blood-Boosting Pills while intensifying his Crouching Dragon Fist and Health-Preserving Taiji training.
• Chen An and Madam Bai brought coarse rice and wild vegetables to Old Chen’s family, where they heard Chen Hao furiously refuse to marry into another family.
• Chen Hao condemned the proposed marriage to Squire Wang’s daughter, citing her age and the deaths of her two previous husbands.
• Chen Yong told Chen Hao that the family had run out of food, Chen An’s wife could no longer provide money, and they faced severe consequences if they could not pay the approaching winter tax.

As the Winter Tax collectors threatened to seize the shack’s occupants, Chen Yong begged Chen Hao to marry into the Wang family to save them. Chen Hao’s relatives seized Chen An’s last savings instead, but the one and a half taels they found were far short of what they needed.

• Chen Yong slapped Chen Hao after he refused to care about his family’s fate, and Chen Hao threatened them with his furious behavior.
• Chen An and Madam Bai arrived with food, but Chen Hao accused them of bringing hypocritical charity and ordered them out.
• Old Chen warned the family that the tax collectors had arrived, and the collectors demanded five hundred coins per person or threatened to drag people away.
• Chen Yong knelt and begged Chen Hao to marry into the Wang family, while Old Chen and Madam Wang joined him in pleading.
• Chen An offered his savings to help, but Madam Wang searched his clothes and took his money pouch.
• Chen Yong, Old Chen, and Madam Wang counted the money and found only one and a half taels, then wailed in despair.

Madam Bai refused to give the Chen family the last five mace needed to protect Chen Yong from the Winter Tax, and the Patrol Office runners seized him. The next day, Chen Cheng visited Madam Li amid fears of murders in South Outer City and learned that Instructor Fang’s cousin wanted to meet him at his annual assessment.

• Madam Bai kept the last five mace of silver hidden after the Chen family treated Chen An harshly, and Chen An presented proof that he and Madam Bai had already paid their Winter Tax.
• The Patrol Office runners counted the Chen family’s money, found it insufficient, and dragged Chen Yong away to cover the tax.
• Chen Cheng heard people discussing killings blamed on remnants of Red Moon Nunnery and hurried to check on Madam Li.
• Chen Cheng brought food and gifts to Madam Li, who offered him a winter coat that had become too small for him.
• Madam Li told Chen Cheng that Instructor Fang’s cousin had agreed to meet him at his annual assessment, and Chen Cheng objected to marrying yet.

Chen Cheng reassured Madam Li about his Third Uncle’s family and returned to the academy, where a large public assessment began the next morning. As disciples were tested, Shen Chongnian and the Shen family’s younger members questioned Shen Mi about the money and medicine she had spent supporting Chen Cheng, who had not appeared.

• Chen Cheng told Madam Li to stay in Peaceful Lane because South Outer City was unsettled, then left to eat at the Inner Hall.
• Longshan Middle Academy held a large assessment of its Outer Hall disciples, testing striking force, endurance, and practical combat.
• Dong Li received the lowest C rating after failing to dent the treated cowhide, and Shi Lei learned how the ratings and rewards worked.
• Shen Chongnian questioned Shen Mi about Chen Cheng’s absence and the seven taels of silver she paid him each month.
• Shen Xingguo revealed that Shen Mi had also given Chen Cheng five batches of valuable Five Dragon Decoction, prompting Shen Chongnian to criticize her spending.

Song Yingzhi watched the Outer Hall assessment in search of a promising Martial Artist to support for the Song Family. Lin Fengxiao impressed her with two top A ratings, and she focused her attention on him.

• Shen Mi persuaded Shen Chongnian to wait and prioritize finding promising Martial Artists for the Third Branch.
• Song Yingzhi explained that she was looking for a candidate with at least two of three qualities: innate frame, comprehension, and temperament.
• Song Yingzhi and Yue'er watched the Silver-Letter Rank disciples, but found their performances mediocre.
• Lin Fengxiao earned a top A rating by breaking through five layers of Stone Skin.
• Lin Fengxiao lifted an eight-hundred-jin stone block and held it for six breaths, earning a second top A rating and drawing the crowd's attention.

Song Yingzhi and the Shen Family recognized Lin Fengxiao’s talent, while the Inner Hall assessment began with Xiao Yi setting a new Clear Force record. Chen Cheng then struck the Iron Skin with controlled strength, leaving everyone staring at the fourth layer as Ye Yang was asked how to judge the result.

• Song Yingzhi praised Lin Fengxiao and promised to ask the Song Family to support him, while Shen Chongnian ordered Shen Mi to stop backing Chen Cheng and recruit the other top-ranked talent instead.
• Lin Fengxiao accepted congratulations from disciples and instructors but remained focused on the Inner Hall, believing his success came from someone else’s kindness.
• The distinguished guests gathered for the Inner Hall assessment, and Xiao Yi volunteered to go first before the young man in white.
• Xiao Yi pierced three Iron Skin layers and cracked a fourth, earning a Top Grade rating and the best result in previous years.
• Chen Cheng politely waited for Ye Yang’s permission, then struck the Iron Skin without using his full strength or Taiji Force.
• The inspectors found that Chen Cheng had pierced the first three layers and examined the fourth as the gathered disciples and guests watched in disbelief.

Chen Cheng broke the iron-skin record and then outlasted Xiao Yi in the cauldron endurance test, drawing praise and offers of support from the Inner Hall’s guests. The practical combat assessment remained ahead, and Xiao Yi’s jealousy hardened into a plan to kill Chen Cheng in the arena.

• Chen Cheng’s punch pierced four layers of iron skin, earning him a Superior A grade and revising Xiao Yi’s score to Middle A.
• Chen Cheng held a thirteen-hundred-jin bronze cauldron steady for nine breaths, beating Xiao Yi’s eight and setting another record.
• Xu Linyuan praised Chen Cheng as a true genius, and several guests offered him monthly support or a place in their organizations.
• Wu Ziyu’s guard questioned her decision to sponsor Xiao Yi instead of Chen Cheng, while Wu Ziyu concealed her regret.
• Xiao Yi grew furious at Chen Cheng’s success and resolved to kill him in the upcoming practical combat assessment.

The Inner Hall assessment continued as disciples displayed their Dark Force, while Chen Cheng and Xiao Yi prepared for their practical combat test. Xiao Yi braced for Chen Cheng’s rushing attack, but Chen Cheng’s forward momentum abruptly stopped, leaving the outcome uncertain.

• Ye Yang canceled the Four-Incense Blood Qi assessment because Lu Changning was recovering from injuries, then oversaw the Dark Force tests.
• Zhu Mingyuan penetrated three layers of Copper Skin, Ye Qiluo penetrated four, and Cao Zhao and Chu Meng each penetrated six; Xu Linyuan offered Chu Meng and Cao Zhao side posts at his Commandant’s Mansion.
• Zhuang Zhuang warned Chen Cheng that Xiao Yi seemed emotionally unstable and told him to be careful during their fight.
• Song Yingzhi praised Lin Fengxiao’s decision to forgo combat and sent Yue'er to find her cousin so she could ask where Chen Cheng was.
• Shen Mi learned that Chief Inspector Wu had only advanced the Merchant Charter deadline, but the clan head refused to lend her an Inner City retainer; Shen Chongnian agreed to wait while she searched for Chen Cheng.
• Chen Cheng and Xiao Yi began their combat assessment, and Chen Cheng’s apparent rush suddenly halted before reaching Xiao Yi.