Chapter Summaries

After killing the Wedding Dress Woman, Mu Yang equipped her corpse and two External Training martial arts, testing their effects and strengthening his soul, Yin Qi, speed, and defense. He filled his remaining Equipment Slots, spent the next day preparing, and rode out of the city when the agreed gathering day arrived.

• Mu Yang equipped Drowned Corpse Ghost, nearly doubling his divine soul strength and gaining Yin Qi resistance and the ability to convert True Qi into cold, corrosive Yin Qi.
• Mu Yang equipped Wind Force Body and Hardwood Body, increasing his leg strength and greatly improving his skin’s defense and recovery.
• Mu Yang filled his remaining Equipment Slots with a Qi-Replenishing Pill and his largest Small Sleeve Bag.
• Mu Yang visited Dai Wang, registered Merit at the Demon Slayer Bureau, and learned he needed six more Merit to apply for promotion to Second-Class Demon-Seeking Captain.
• Hu Deshui told Mu Yang that Water Transport Gang members had heard strange cries and fighting in Guaizi Alley, but Mu Yang gave no explanation.
• On the agreed gathering day, Mu Yang changed into his Demon Slayer Bureau uniform and rode Little Black out of the city.

Mu Yang joined Qin Yuan and the others as they prepared to investigate disappearances in Linhe Village, while Zhou Yao learned that Mu Yang had slain the Wedding Dress Woman ghost. Qin Yuan also gave Mu Yang details of two additional missions and explained how Demon-Seeking Captains reported leads on demons.

• Zhou Yao told Lei Sai that Guaizi Alley was haunted, and Lei Sai revealed that Mu Yang had killed the Wedding Dress Woman ghost there.
• Lei Sai described the ghost as a powerful Fourth Rank Perfection spirit that Mu Yang defeated with one punch, and Mu Yang dismissed the feat as so-so when Zhou Yao asked him about it.
• Qin Yuan briefed the group on Linhe Village, where people had vanished at night and young men had disappeared while fishing in the river by day.
• Qin Yuan sent Lei Sai, Zhou Yao, and Ma Xuan to make preparations, then asked Mu Yang to study two more mission reports.
• Qin Yuan explained that the additional missions came from Demon-Seeking Captains who had found signs of demons but could not pursue them, and that accurate reports could earn rewards and Merit.

Mu Yang left Qin Yuan’s squad to investigate demon activity near Linhe Village and found a Rat Demon in the mountains. After killing it, he let Little Black eat the remains and continued his mission, while Bao Tian learned that Mu Yang and Lei Sai had left the city and vowed revenge.

• Qin Yuan assigned Mu Yang two tasks near Linhe Village, and Mu Yang rode out with Little Black while Qin Yuan’s squad gathered separately at the south gate.
• Bao Tian received Zhou An’s message that Mu Yang’s squad had left the city and swore to make the Lei Family suffer for protecting his son’s killer.
• Mu Yang reached the mountain forest, used the Demon-Seeking Compass and Tracking Technique to find demon activity, and followed it into a valley full of holes.
• A White-Haired Rat Demon lunged at Mu Yang and Little Black, and Mu Yang killed it with a strike from his Black Gold Four-Edged Mace.
• Mu Yang stored the Rat Demon’s corpse and allowed Little Black to eat its remains, then joked about slaughtering him if he ever became a great demon.

Mu Yang fed the White-Haired Rat Demon's remains to Little Black, helping it advance to Second-Rank Steed, and discovered that damaging a demon corpse reduced the quality of its entries. He then rode north to hunt a fast, ambush-specialist Deer Demon and rushed toward the sound of a fight near its territory.

• Mu Yang fed the White-Haired Rat Demon's hind legs to Little Black, which advanced to Second-Rank Steed, then gave it the forelegs to help it stabilize.
• Mu Yang damaged the rat demon's corpse in stages and observed its entries weaken or disappear as the remains became less intact.
• Mu Yang kept one section of the corpse as mission proof and let Little Black eat the rest before setting out for his second mission.
• Mu Yang traveled to the hills north of Linhe Village to hunt a Fourth-Rank Perfection Deer Demon known for ambushing travelers and fleeing at great speed.
• After searching the area with the Demon-Seeking Compass and Keen Sense of Smell, Mu Yang heard a battle ahead, dismounted, and ran toward it.

Li Xiulian and her badly wounded team struggled against a powerful Deer Demon that attacked with rapid Wind Blades. Mu Yang arrived alone and shattered the demon’s Wind Blades with his bare hand, leaving both the Deer Demon and Li Xiulian stunned.

• Li Xiulian’s team encountered a Deer Demon attacking a merchant caravan, and the demon’s speed and Wind Blades left the team gravely wounded.
• Li Xiulian tried to protect her retreating subordinates, but the Deer Demon struck another recruit and broke her blade.
• The Deer Demon sent a Wind Blade toward Li Xiulian’s neck, but Mu Yang’s Long Mace shattered it.
• Li Xiulian recognized Mu Yang and waited in vain for Qin Yuan to arrive with him.
• The Deer Demon launched three Wind Blades at Mu Yang, and he shattered them with his bare hand.

Mu Yang chased down and killed the Fourth Rank Deer Demon that had nearly wiped out Li Xiulian’s team, then discovered its four blue traits. Li Xiulian thanked him and began to gesture toward her chest, leaving Mu Yang startled by what she meant to offer.

• The Deer Demon fled after Mu Yang shattered its Wind Blade, and Mu Yang pursued it while Li Xiulian watched in disbelief.
• The Deer Demon used Wind Treading to increase its speed, but Mu Yang activated Wind Force Body and caught up.
• Mu Yang seized the Deer Demon by its antlers and killed it with three punches.
• The system permanently solidified several of Mu Yang’s equipped items, and he inspected the Deer Demon corpse’s four blue traits.
• Li Xiulian hurried over, thanked Mu Yang for saving her life, and reached toward her chest as Mu Yang paused in surprise.

Mu Yang accepted the Fish Demon corpse from Li Xiulian, then equipped it and the Deer Demon corpse while traveling to Linhe Village, greatly increasing his strength and true qi. At Linhe Village, Qin Yuan and his team celebrated defeating a Toad Demon until a villager reported a fire at the village’s eastern end.

• Li Xiulian gave Mu Yang the Fourth Rank Fish Demon corpse and returned his Black Gold Four-Edged Mace before he departed.
• Mu Yang rejoined Little Black and headed toward Linhe Village, equipping the Deer Demon and Fish Demon corpses along the way.
• The two corpses increased Mu Yang’s physical strength to 190,000 jin in each arm and his true qi to 3,500 strands.
• Qin Yuan and his team celebrated their easy victory over the Fourth Rank Toad Demon at the Linhe Village chief’s home.
• A villager rushed in and warned the village chief that a fire had broken out at the eastern end of the village.

Qin Yuan and his team followed a masked man who had abducted a child to the riverbank, where the man attacked them with murky true qi and icy water. As Zhou Yao tried to rescue the girl, a horde of Drowned Corpses crawled out of the river.

• Qin Yuan recognized that the village fire had been deliberately set, and the Demon-Seeking Compass pointed toward the river.
• Qin Yuan sent Ma Xuan to guard the village while he, Lei Sai, and Zhou Yao followed a masked man carrying an unconscious girl.
• The masked man tossed the girl onto the riverbank and attacked Qin Yuan, while Lei Sai covered him and Zhou Yao moved to rescue her.
• A freezing water column struck Qin Yuan, slowing his arm and true qi, but he took pills and recovered as Lei Sai drove off the attacker with arrows.
• Qin Yuan warned Zhou Yao to watch the river, and numerous Drowned Corpses with blue-black scales crawled ashore.

Zhou Yao and Lei Sai fought off Drowned Corpses while Qin Yuan faced a hidden Fifth Rank demon and Fan Lang, the Water Transport Gang’s Third Gang Master. Just as the group seemed trapped by the Catfish Minion’s attacks, Mu Yang arrived at the riverbank.

• Zhou Yao identified the advancing creatures as Drowned Corpses and told Lei Sai to target their heads, and the two killed them.
• A stronger water column struck Qin Yuan and sent him flying into a tree, leaving him injured and slowing his True Qi with cold.
• The Catfish Minion emerged from the river, revealed itself as a Fifth Rank demon, and ordered Fan Lang to capture the group.
• Fan Lang attacked Qin Yuan while the Catfish Minion summoned three Water Ghost Minions to attack Lei Sai and Zhou Yao.
• As the group faced the demons, Mu Yang rode out of the forest and landed in front of Qin Yuan.

Mu Yang arrived as Qin Yuan, Lei Sai, and Zhou Yao faced Fan Lang and the Water Ghost Minions, killing Fan Lang and destroying the ghosts. Catfish Minion then attacked with a Water Flood Dragon, leaving the group trapped in the confrontation.

• Mu Yang seized Fan Lang, broke his wrist, revealed his Drowned Corpse features, and smashed his head.
• Mu Yang’s system permanently solidified several equipped items after Fan Lang’s death, and he inspected the Semi-Corpse Transformation Drowned Corpse corpse.
• Mu Yang fired three Yin Wind Blades that destroyed the Water Ghost Minions before they could reach Lei Sai and Zhou Yao.
• Catfish Minion roared over the loss of its minions and Fan Lang, while Qin Yuan urged Mu Yang to escape with Lei Sai and Zhou Yao.
• Catfish Minion refused to let anyone leave and used Demon Blood Spell—Water Control to form a Water Flood Dragon that attacked Mu Yang.

Mu Yang shattered the Catfish Minion’s Water Flood Dragon with one punch, then pursued the demon into the Clearwater River. The Catfish Minion prepared to fight him underwater, confident that the river gave it the advantage.

• Mu Yang destroyed the Water Flood Dragon with a single punch, shocking Qin Yuan, Zhou Yao, Lei Sai, and the Catfish Minion.
• The Catfish Minion pretended to challenge Mu Yang, then fled beneath the river’s surface.
• Mu Yang immediately leaped into the river after the Catfish Minion, while Qin Yuan and the others stayed on shore and waited.
• As it fled along the riverbed, the Catfish Minion recalled its failed plot to abduct the girl and decided to abandon the Water Transport Gang.
• The Catfish Minion noticed Mu Yang catching up underwater and resolved to kill him, believing the river gave it the advantage.

Mu Yang defeated the Catfish Minion underwater and killed it on the riverbank, then inspected the abilities of its corpse. The battle permanently solidified his equipped Detoxification Pills and Healing Pills, leaving five empty Equipment Slots.

• The Catfish Minion used Chilling Corpse Poison and water barriers against Mu Yang, but he dodged and smashed through them while closing in.
• Mu Yang caught the Catfish Minion's tail and repeatedly struck its abdomen until it begged for its life.
• Qin Yuan, Lei Sai, and Zhou Yao watched as the Catfish Minion burst from the river and landed on the shore.
• Mu Yang followed the Catfish Minion out of the water and killed it with a True Qi-powered punch through its chest.
• The system permanently solidified Mu Yang's equipped Detoxification Pills and Healing Pills after he slew the Fifth Rank Fish Demon.
• Mu Yang inspected the Fish Demon Corpse's equipment panel and learned its traits, including Chilling Corpse Poison, Water Ghost Minion, and Water Control.

Mu Yang studied the Catfish Minion’s abilities, earned potential Merit for killing it, and learned that the Water Transport Gang might be involved. Qin Yuan planned to report Fan Lang’s death, and Mu Yang was eager to join the Bureau’s thorough investigation of the gang.

• Mu Yang examined the Catfish Minion’s entries and suspected the Wedding Dress Woman might have been a Water Ghost Minion.
• Lei Sai asked how Mu Yang had killed a Fifth Rank demon underwater, and Qin Yuan credited Mu Yang’s imagined years of hard training.
• Mu Yang stored the Catfish Minion’s corpse and realized its Fifth Rank status could earn him enough Merit to advance to Second-Class Demon-Seeking Captain.
• Qin Yuan identified Fan Lang as the Water Transport Gang’s third gang leader and suspected the gang was involved in the events.
• Mu Yang recalled that a Taboo Mantra had spread within the Water Transport Gang and considered whether its leaders had been controlled.
• Qin Yuan said he would report Fan Lang’s involvement to the Demon Slayer Bureau and invited Mu Yang to apply to join an investigation of the Water Transport Gang.

After returning safely from Linhe Village, Mu Yang and the others rode toward Qinghe Prefecture, where Bao Tian and members of the Pingwei Escort Agency ambushed them. Bao Tian identified Mu Yang as his target and ordered his men to attack so he could avenge his dead son.

• Mu Yang and the others returned the rescued girl to Linhe Village, rested overnight, and left the next morning as the village chief and villagers saw them off.
• Lei Sai noticed that Little Black had grown stronger after Mu Yang fed it demon flesh and blood, and Zhou Yao warned that advancing horses could become violent or turn into demons.
• As the group rode toward Qinghe Prefecture, Lei Sai detected hidden arrows, and Mu Yang caught three and hurled them back into the forest.
• Qin Yuan and the others dismounted and formed a defensive line as Bao Tian and more than ten members of the Pingwei Escort Agency emerged from the woods.
• Qin Yuan warned Bao Tian that attacking Demon Slayer Bureau captains could bring ruin on his clan, but Bao Tian declared that he would avenge his son and ordered his men to attack Mu Yang.

Mu Yang fought Bao Tian and killed him after overpowering him with a soul attack and a final boosted punch. Bao Tian’s death threw the ongoing battle into chaos.

• Qin Yuan signaled Lei Sai and the others to retreat while he prepared to cover them, but Mu Yang charged Bao Tian first.
• Mu Yang shattered Bao Tian’s curved blade with his bare fist and held his ground against Bao Tian’s True Qi-enhanced attacks.
• Mu Yang’s frigid martial art slowed Bao Tian’s True Qi circulation as they exchanged more than a dozen blows.
• Mu Yang struck Bao Tian with Soul Howl, stunned him, and smashed his head with a boosted punch.
• Bao Tian’s corpse fell, and the forest battle fell silent before chaos erupted.

After Mu Yang killed Bao Tian and the Pingwei Escort Agency fighters who ambushed him, he looted their belongings and discovered a Fifth-Rank wind-based meridian-opening method. He returned toward the city with his companions, planning to use the method to break through to the Channel-Opening Realm.

• Mu Yang swiftly killed Bao Tian and the fleeing Pingwei Escort Agency fighters, leaving Lei Sai, Zhou Yao, Qin Yuan, and Ma Xuan stunned.
• The five returned to the city in silence while Mu Yang examined the five sleeve bags he had looted.
• Mu Yang found Fourth-Rank weapons, armor, pills, and several Dantian Construction Methods, leaving him with four of the five common elemental attributes.
• Mu Yang discovered the Fifth-Rank Strong Wind Pulse-Opening Method, which required wind-attributed True Qi.
• Mu Yang planned to return to his courtyard and equip the method to break through to the Channel-Opening Realm.

Qin Yuan and the others reported their missions to Elder Liang, who confirmed Fan Lang’s demonic taint and awarded Merit for the group’s accomplishments. Elder Liang was astonished that Mu Yang had also killed Bao Tian, and the chapter ended with Mu Yang asking to take the Toad Demon corpse while his teammates offered it for free.

• Qin Yuan told Elder Liang that Mu Yang had completed two missions and slain a Fifth Rank Fish Demon at Linhe Village.
• Qin Yuan explained Fan Lang’s crimes, and Elder Liang used the Demon-Appraising Mirror to confirm demonic aura in the corpse before deciding to report the Water Transport Gang to Slayer Commander Yuan Yin.
• Elder Liang awarded Merit for Fan Lang, then learned that Mu Yang had killed Bao Tian and praised Mu Yang’s ability.
• Elder Liang calculated the group’s Merit, awarding Mu Yang one Earth Grade Inferior Merit and three Mystic Grade Superior Merits, with Lesser Merit for Qin Yuan and the others.
• Mu Yang asked Qin Yuan for the Toad Demon corpse, but Qin Yuan, Zhou Yao, Lei Sai, and Ma Xuan offered to give it to him for free.

Mu Yang became a Second-Class Demon-Seeking Captain after earning Merit, then joined the Demon Slayer Bureau’s raid on the Pingwei Escort Agency. He killed the agency’s remaining leaders and reached its warehouse to claim spoils with his companions.

• Mu Yang refused to give away Merit and was promoted to Second-Class Demon-Seeking Captain because he had not yet reached the Channel-Opening Realm.
• Elder Liang proposed confiscating the Pingwei Escort Agency’s estate, and Mu Yang and the others agreed to raid it that night.
• Mu Yang arrived at the agency and killed Zhou An after announcing the Demon Slayer Bureau’s operation.
• Mu Yang used the personnel roster to track down and kill the agency’s remaining mid- and upper-level personnel, then took Zhou An’s storage pouch.
• Mu Yang joined Lei Sai, Zhou Yao, and Ma Xuan at the warehouse, where they were inventorying the supplies and invited him to choose spoils.

Mu Yang searched Pingwei Escort Agency’s warehouse and found maps marking demonic creature territories, including seven confirmed Fourth Rank creatures. After returning to the Prefecture Office residence, he prepared to study the martial arts manuals for a breakthrough.

• Mu Yang inspected the escort agency’s supplies and discovered route maps detailing dangerous roads and demonic creature sightings around Qinghe Prefecture and neighboring prefectures.
• Mu Yang stored the maps in his sleeve bag and calculated how much strength he could gain by hunting the creatures they marked.
• Mu Yang realized he could accept a mission and hunt nearby demonic creatures to earn Merit while increasing his strength.
• Qin Yuan checked the recorded supplies, showed the group two Extra-Large Sleeve Bags, and rode back to the Demon Slayer Bureau.
• Mu Yang returned to the Prefecture Office residence, washed and changed, then took out his martial arts manuals to prepare for a breakthrough.

Mu Yang equipped several Dantian Construction Methods and discovered that Earth-Breath True Qi, combined with the Source of Life trait, greatly accelerated his True Qi recovery. With his reserves reaching 4,500 strands, he equipped the Strong Wind Pulse-Opening Method to begin opening his major meridians.

• Mu Yang equipped the Scorching Fire Dantian Construction Method and tested its fiery True Qi by casting a crimson Wind Blade.
• Mu Yang equipped the Earth-Breath Source Dantian Construction Method and found that its Source of Life trait nearly doubled his True Qi recovery speed.
• Mu Yang equipped the Glittering Gold Dantian Construction Method and Black Water Dantian Construction Method, raising his True Qi to 4,500 strands.
• Mu Yang examined the Strong Wind Pulse-Opening Method, which could improve his speed and reactions as he opened major meridians.
• Mu Yang equipped the Strong Wind Pulse-Opening Method and prepared to test its limits.