Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng, a man from Earth, wakes up in a strange, barbaric world.
• He encounters a hunter-like man who tries to sell him, leading to a fight where Du Chengfeng emerges victorious and takes the man's clothes.
• Du Chengfeng finds a nearby village, Yang Family Fort, and starts working as a laborer.
• He faces trouble from local hooligans who resent his competition in labor work.
• After saving money, Du Chengfeng plans to build a house with the help of Carpenter Li.
• A horn call signals an impending attack on the fort, disrupting Du Chengfeng's plans.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Initially confused and disoriented, he adapts to his new environment, works hard, and saves money to build a house. He is strong, kindhearted, and determined to create a peaceful life.
• The Hunter-like Man: Weak and greedy, he tries to sell Du Chengfeng but is easily defeated.
• Carpenter Li: Kind and helpful, he offers to help Du Chengfeng build a house and later warns him about the impending attack.

Significant Themes

• Survival and Adaptation: Du Chengfeng must adapt to his new environment and find ways to survive.
• The Struggle for a Better Life: Du Chengfeng's primary goal is to build a peaceful, stable life for himself.
• The Harshness of Society: The hunter's attempt to sell Du Chengfeng and the hooligans' aggression highlight the harsh realities of this world.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng and the Hunter-like Man: Their encounter leads to a fight, with Du Chengfeng emerging victorious and taking the hunter's clothes.
• Du Chengfeng and the Hooligans: They pick a fight with Du Chengfeng due to his competition in labor work, but he defeats them.
• Du Chengfeng and Carpenter Li: Carpenter Li offers to help Du Chengfeng build a house, showing kindness and support. He later warns Du Chengfeng about the impending attack.

Chapter Summary: “A Blade That Kills”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Xuan, head of Yang Family Fort, worries that another raid by the Hu light cavalry will leave the village unable to deliver its required grain and military payments to Commander Liu.
• The fort cannot easily relocate because Commander Liu protects it, but also controls it through taxes and military obligations. His fortified manor offers shelter, yet the surrounding crops and homes remain vulnerable to raiders.
• Yang Family Fort has only forty-six trained or able-bodied fighters, potentially rising to about one hundred with the refugees. Yang Xuan doubts that such an inexperienced force can withstand mounted Hu cavalry.
• Yang Sanlang proposes using the Yang Clan’s ancestral treasured blade, a weapon once used to kill over a hundred Hu warriors. However, the blade has accumulated dangerous “Killing Intent,” which could enter its wielder’s body and cause serious harm.
• Unable to afford a professional grinding craftsman and unwilling to wait for Commander Liu’s costly reinforcements, Yang Sanlang suggests using refugees and whetstones to grind the Killing Intent away, despite the likelihood that the process may kill them.
• Du Chengfeng is pulled into the fortified manor and conscripted with the other able-bodied men. Expecting to fight with a crude wooden spear, he realizes that his peaceful life has abruptly turned into a struggle for survival amid war.
• Local thugs who previously fought Du Chengfeng join his group, hoping his superior physical strength will improve their chances of survival. Du Chengfeng accepts their protection because fighting within a group is safer than standing alone.
• Yang Sanlang selects Du Chengfeng as the strongest man present, but instead of sending him to battle, leads him to the ancestral hall and orders him to grind the treasured blade.
• When Du Chengfeng touches the weapon, an overwhelming Killing Intent surges through his arm and into his mind, leaving him stunned and revealing that the blade possesses supernatural danger.

Character Developments

• Yang Xuan: Shown as a responsible but increasingly desperate leader. He understands the military and financial pressures threatening the village and fears sacrificing his people through reckless use of the blade.
• Yang Sanlang: Established as fiercely brave, pragmatic, and willing to make ruthless sacrifices to preserve the Yang Clan. His past killing of a villager and his readiness to risk refugees’ lives demonstrate his uncompromising resolve.
• Du Chengfeng: Moves from viewing his new life as a possible peaceful rebuilding opportunity to accepting that he must fight to survive. He displays practical self-preservation, confidence in his physical strength, and a willingness to cooperate with former enemies. His contact with the blade marks his first direct encounter with the world’s supernatural forces.
• The local thugs: Though previously antagonistic toward Du Chengfeng, they show pragmatism by setting aside their pride and seeking his protection. Their actions reveal that they are frightened but not foolish.

Significant Themes

• Survival under constant threat: The village is trapped between Hu raids, military obligations, poverty, and the cost of seeking outside help.
• The price of protection: Commander Liu’s protection comes with taxes and obligations, while the ancestral blade may preserve the village only by endangering those who use or cleanse it.
• Sacrifice and moral compromise: Yang Sanlang is prepared to sacrifice refugees’ lives to save the clan, raising questions about whether communal survival justifies exploiting the vulnerable.
• Strength and leadership: Physical power, courage, and the ability to organize others determine who survives, but raw strength alone may not be enough against cavalry or supernatural forces.
• Hidden supernatural danger: The blade’s Killing Intent suggests that the setting’s warfare is connected to mysterious forces beyond ordinary martial skill.

Character Interactions

• Yang Xuan and Yang Sanlang debate whether to rely on reinforcements or risk using the ancestral blade. Their exchange contrasts caution and responsibility with decisive, ruthless action.
• Du Chengfeng’s former enemies join him in the defensive formation, transforming their relationship from hostility into uneasy cooperation.
• Yang Sanlang recognizes Du Chengfeng’s strength and removes him from the battlefield, assigning him the seemingly safer task of grinding the blade.
• The chapter ends with Du Chengfeng discovering that the blade is far more dangerous than an ordinary weapon, as its Killing Intent attacks his consciousness the moment he touches it.

Chapter Summary: “What Was It Like to Become a Blade?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng, once a human refugee fascinated by fantasy transformations, awakens as a newly forged greatsword. He experiences the entire forging process—hammering, heating, quenching, and polishing—as agonizing physical torment.
• The sword is sold for only two hundred coins to Fatty Yang, an outsider and butcher in Ji Town. Though Du Chengfeng considers himself a magnificent weapon, Fatty Yang dismisses him as poorly made and mostly decorative.
• Fatty Yang purchases the oversized sword to distinguish himself from other butchers. Instead of bleeding pigs conventionally, he uses the greatsword to sever their heads in a single stroke.
• His dramatic technique makes him famous, attracting customers and allowing him to establish a successful butcher shop and pig farm. Du Chengfeng learns the method through repeated use and names it “Butcher Ding’s Pig Slaughtering.”
• Fatty Yang’s reputation reaches the Governor of Jizhou, who summons him to demonstrate. The event is secretly a trap arranged by rival butchers, who have tampered with the pig so that its neck bones cannot be cut normally.
• The pig escapes, injures the governor, and causes Fatty Yang to be accused of attempted assassination. He is imprisoned, his fortune is confiscated, and his wife and children are driven to their deaths. Du Chengfeng is locked away as evidence.
• After a period of lonely confinement, Fatty Yang returns, consumed by grief and rage. Using Du Chengfeng, he massacres everyone in the governor’s residence.
• Du Chengfeng discovers that he, too, takes pleasure in the sensation of cutting through flesh. His consciousness merges with Fatty Yang’s murderous frenzy until a towering man stops them by seizing the blade bare-handed.
• The man disperses the Killing Intent that has entered both the sword and Fatty Yang’s mind, restoring Fatty Yang’s sanity. He is later revealed to be the future founding emperor of Great Chen.
• Fatty Yang abandons killing people, joins the emperor’s rebel army as a provisions manager, and later retires to Ji Town to live peacefully with his family. Du Chengfeng remains in the Yang family and is passed down through generations.
• The sword’s accumulated Killing Intent is repeatedly cleansed by grinding craftsmen. After many years of being used in battle, Du Chengfeng’s identity becomes increasingly confused.
• During a later battle, a Yang descendant uses him to slaughter nearly a hundred Hu cavalrymen. Overwhelmed by bloodlust, Du Chengfeng nearly loses himself completely.
• Remembering Fatty Yang and his own long-held desire for an ordinary, peaceful life, Du Chengfeng resists the Killing Intent and realizes that he is not truly a blade—he is still human.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Begins as a self-important but peaceful man who struggles to adapt to life as a weapon. He develops technical awareness and combat instincts through repeated use, but the sword’s Killing Intent gradually threatens his personality and moral identity. Ultimately, he reclaims his humanity by recognizing that his true desire is to “settle down and work in peace.”
• Fatty Yang: Demonstrates intelligence and adaptability by turning an apparently useless reputation into a successful business. His family’s destruction transforms him into a vengeful killer, but intervention restores his reason. He later rejects violence, chooses a quiet family life, and wisely withdraws from political power after helping establish Great Chen.
• The future Founding Emperor of Great Chen: Appears as a powerful, disciplined figure capable of resisting and cleansing Killing Intent. His intervention saves Fatty Yang and reveals his extraordinary willpower.
• The Yang descendants: Continue using Du Chengfeng for family protection and warfare, while generally respecting the danger of his Killing Intent and arranging for him to be regularly cleansed.

Significant Themes

• Identity and selfhood: The chapter repeatedly questions whether consciousness and desire define someone more than their physical form. Du Chengfeng’s body is a blade, but his memories, values, and wish for peace prove that he remains human.
• The corrupting nature of violence: Killing Intent is portrayed as a force that can empower a weapon and its wielder while gradually consuming their reason and personality.
• The bond between weapon and wielder: Du Chengfeng’s experiences are shaped by those who use him. His emotions and instincts increasingly mirror Fatty Yang’s, showing how tools can absorb the purposes and violence of their users.
• Adaptability and survival: Both Du Chengfeng and Fatty Yang begin as displaced outsiders. Fatty Yang succeeds by using an unconventional strategy, while Du Chengfeng survives by repeatedly adapting to life as a weapon.
• The value of ordinary life: Despite warfare, fame, and political upheaval, Fatty Yang and Du Chengfeng ultimately value family, stability, and peaceful work above ambition or glory.
• Justice and exploitation: Fatty Yang’s downfall exposes how powerful people and business rivals manipulate the law to destroy an outsider, while his later revenge reveals the destructive consequences of unchecked injustice.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng’s internal commentary contrasts sharply with Fatty Yang’s practical and opportunistic personality, though the two gradually develop a deep, almost instinctive connection.
• Fatty Yang’s slaughtering technique teaches Du Chengfeng how to understand his own physical structure and capabilities.
• The governor’s interaction with Fatty Yang demonstrates the danger of social power and hidden political schemes.
• Fatty Yang and Du Chengfeng become united in revenge, both temporarily embracing the joy of killing.
• The towering future emperor interrupts this union, suppresses their Killing Intent, and restores Fatty Yang’s humanity.
• Du Chengfeng’s memories of Fatty Yang later help him resist the bloodlust of the Yang descendant’s battlefield slaughter, allowing him to distinguish his own peaceful wishes from the violent impulses imposed on him as a weapon.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Xuan, Yang Sanlang, and a group of armed clansmen wait outside the ancestral hall, prepared to kill Du Chengfeng if the saber’s Killing Intent drives him mad.
• Yang Sanlang forces open the hall door and encounters Du Chengfeng, whose frightening gaze makes him feel like a helpless animal awaiting slaughter.
• Du Chengfeng remembers that Yang Sanlang deliberately tricked him into sharpening the dangerous saber, knowing it could kill or drive him insane. Enraged, Du Chengfeng raises the blade and prepares to massacre the Yang Clan.
• Yang Xuan stops the descending saber with his bare hands, ordering the clansmen to attack if necessary. However, Du Chengfeng recognizes the old man from his long existence as the Yang Clan’s ancestral saber.
• Memories of Yang Xuan growing up—and of Fatty Yang, the saber’s former wielder—restore some of Du Chengfeng’s reason. His Killing Intent remains powerful, but he does not immediately kill Yang Xuan.
• Yang Xuan realizes that Du Chengfeng has resisted the saber’s influence and is still rational. He attempts to flatter and placate him, but Du Chengfeng angrily exposes the Yang Clan’s betrayal.
• Du Chengfeng grabs Yang Xuan and prepares to kill him. Yang Sanlang attempts to intervene but collapses in terror after meeting Du Chengfeng’s gaze.
• Yang Xuan begs Du Chengfeng to delay revenge because the Hu cavalry is about to attack. Before Du Chengfeng can decide, the sound of thousands of approaching hooves announces the enemy’s arrival.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Awakens with both the saber’s instinctive bloodlust and his own personal anger. Though initially overwhelmed by Killing Intent, his memories and emotional connection to Yang Xuan help him retain his humanity. He shifts from indiscriminate murderous rage to deliberate vengeance against those who betrayed him.
• Yang Xuan: Demonstrates courage by physically stopping the saber, despite his age. He quickly recognizes Du Chengfeng’s unusual resistance to Killing Intent and shifts from fear to desperate negotiation, acknowledging the Yang Clan’s wrongdoing.
• Yang Sanlang: His earlier confidence collapses into fear when confronted by Du Chengfeng. He is exposed as the person who deliberately lured Du Chengfeng into the dangerous task and is unable to defend himself when the consequences arrive.
• The Yang Clan clansmen: Armed and ready to sacrifice Du Chengfeng for the clan’s survival, they nevertheless hesitate when Yang Xuan’s life is threatened, revealing their loyalty and familial bonds.

Significant Themes

• Humanity versus murderous instinct: Du Chengfeng struggles between the saber’s natural urge to kill and his own memories, emotions, and moral judgment.
• Betrayal and retribution: The Yang Clan treated Du Chengfeng as expendable, and his survival transforms their calculated sacrifice into a demand for justice.
• Memory and identity: Du Chengfeng’s existence as both a human refugee and an ancestral saber creates a conflict between his past and present selves.
• Family, history, and legacy: As the saber, Du Chengfeng has witnessed generations of the Yang family. His memories make Yang Xuan more than an enemy, complicating his desire for revenge.
• Pragmatism in crisis: Yang Xuan attempts to postpone internal conflict in order to face the larger threat of the Hu invasion.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng and Yang Sanlang: Their encounter is dominated by fear and resentment. Du Chengfeng remembers Sanlang’s deliberate deception, while Sanlang is unable to withstand Du Chengfeng’s presence.
• Du Chengfeng and Yang Xuan: Their confrontation evolves from attempted murder to an uneasy recognition shaped by shared history. Yang Xuan physically restrains him, while Du Chengfeng recalls watching him grow up and demands an explanation.
• Yang Xuan and the clansmen: Yang Xuan orders them to kill Du Chengfeng if necessary, but later commands them to hold back after realizing that Du Chengfeng remains rational.
• The Yang Clan and the Hu: The approaching Hu cavalry interrupts the confrontation and forces the clan to consider cooperation with the very man they betrayed.

Chapter Summary: “Killing Intent Enters the Body, Inhuman Power”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Carpenter Li guards the Yang Clan’s fort during another raid by Hu cavalry.
• He fears killing because he believes excessive bloodshed can cause “Killing Intent” to corrupt a person, turning them into a mindless, bloodthirsty monster.
• His fear is rooted in a past attack on Yang Family Village. The former Yang Clan head once killed over a hundred Hu riders with the ancestral saber, but became consumed by Killing Intent and slaughtered several of his own clansmen before regaining control and killing himself.
• Carpenter Li initially reassures himself that the fort’s thick walls and exceptionally sturdy wooden gates will protect everyone.
• His confidence collapses when he notices an armored Hu warrior carrying a massive battle-axe, with bloodstains on the weapon and a terrifying red gleam in his eyes.
• Carpenter Li orders the defenders to use logs and stones to stop the warrior before he reaches the gates.
• The warrior effortlessly cleaves a falling log in half, then destroys the fort gates with a single blow.
• He leads the Hu cavalry into the fort, revealing overwhelming, seemingly inhuman strength.
• Seeing the warrior’s eyes, Carpenter Li recognizes the same terrifying aura as the former Yang Clan head and collapses in terror, identifying it as “Killing Intent entering the body.”

Character Developments

• Carpenter Li: His gentle, virtuous nature and fear of violence are emphasized. His memories of the previous massacre explain his deep trauma and belief in the dangers of killing. His confidence in the fort’s defenses is shattered when he witnesses the armored warrior’s power.
• The former Yang Clan head: Though absent in the present events, his tragic history establishes the danger of Killing Intent. He was both a heroic defender and a victim of the violence he unleashed.
• The armored Hu warrior: Introduced as a terrifying, possibly corrupted figure. His immense strength, bloodstained weapon, red eyes, and emotionless destruction of the gates suggest that he has been overtaken by Killing Intent.
• The fort’s defenders: Initially confused by Carpenter Li’s panic, they quickly recognize the warrior’s abnormal aura but are powerless to stop him.

Significant Themes

• The corrupting nature of violence: Killing may begin as an act of defense, but repeated bloodshed can destroy the killer’s humanity.
• Trauma and memory: Carpenter Li’s past experience shapes his present fear, making the new attack feel like a repetition of an old nightmare.
• False security: The fort, carefully built to protect the village, represents human efforts to create safety; its gates are instantly destroyed by overwhelming individual power.
• Human versus inhuman strength: The armored warrior’s ability surpasses ordinary physical limits, marking him as a monstrous threat rather than a normal soldier.
• Virtue versus survival: Carpenter Li’s belief that good deeds can protect him is challenged by the brutal reality of war.

Character Interactions

• Carpenter Li urgently commands the defenders to attack the armored warrior with logs and stones.
• The defenders respond to his warning, but their efforts prove useless.
• The armored warrior does not directly speak with Carpenter Li; instead, a single glance creates a powerful psychological confrontation.
• That glance links the warrior to Carpenter Li’s memories of the former Yang Clan head and causes Carpenter Li to collapse in terror.

Chapter Summary: “That Blade”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The young men defending Yang Family Fort prepare to kill for the first time, believing that following the ruthless Yang Sanlang will give them courage and victory.
• Before they can engage the attacking Hu warriors, they are struck by a close-range volley of arrows. More than half of the front ranks are killed immediately.
• The Hu light cavalry then charges into the disorganized defenders. The inexperienced young men struggle to use their spears effectively, while the blood-seasoned Hu slaughter them with axes, sabers, and maces.
• The Hu become more exhilarated as they kill. One young warrior nearly attacks his own ally in his frenzy, but the armored Hu commander restrains him and redirects him toward the fort’s interior.
• The commander reflects that conquering the fort has been unexpectedly easy. He concludes that the peaceful southern people have grown weak behind their walls and decides to return with this intelligence.
• Hearing an ominous humming and seeing Hu warriors thrown from inside the fort, the commander realizes that a powerful opponent has appeared. He orders his men to stay back and confronts the threat alone.
• A red-eyed man wielding the legendary great saber emerges. He asks whether the commander killed Carpenter Li, though the commander does not understand the question.
• The commander and the saber-wielder exchange attacks. Believing his immense axe has won, the commander soon discovers that he has been decapitated. The sound he heard was the saber cutting through his neck, not his axe striking the opponent.

Character Developments

• The young defenders: They begin as frightened, inexperienced men who view killing as a terrifying crime. Their fear and hesitation leave them helpless against warriors accustomed to bloodshed. Some eventually find the courage to resist, but their lack of combat experience proves fatal.
• The Hu warriors: Their identity as hardened raiders is emphasized. Killing intensifies their aggression rather than weakening them, and the bloodshed transforms the younger Hu into even more dangerous fighters.
• The armored Hu commander: Initially confident and dismissive of the southern defenders, he recognizes that the situation has changed when he senses the hidden opponent. Although he respects the saber-wielder’s courage, his confidence causes him to misread the outcome and die suddenly.
• The mysterious saber-wielder: He appears as the fort’s true trump card. His blood-red eyes and use of the great saber suggest that he is affected by the weapon’s Killing Intent, but he remains powerful and decisive enough to defeat the Hu commander in a single exchange.

Significant Themes

• The difference between killing and having killed: The chapter contrasts inexperienced people, who hesitate because they still understand killing as morally and emotionally significant, with seasoned warriors who treat it as instinctive and ordinary.
• Experience versus training: The defenders have likely practiced with weapons, but training cannot replace the psychological transformation that comes from surviving real combat.
• Violence as a source of power: The Hu draw strength and excitement from bloodshed, while the southern defenders are psychologically overwhelmed by it.
• False security and decline: The fort’s walls have protected the villagers but also allowed them to grow complacent and weak. Their defenses create an illusion of safety rather than genuine strength.
• The danger of underestimated power: The Hu commander assumes the fort contains only helpless civilians, but the appearance of the saber-wielder reveals that a single exceptional warrior can overturn an otherwise decisive massacre.
• The blade as a symbol: The great saber represents both the fort’s last defense and the frightening power of accumulated Killing Intent, foreshadowing the weapon’s importance in the conflict.

Character Interactions

• The young defenders rely emotionally on Yang Sanlang’s reputation, using his ruthlessness as a substitute for their own courage.
• The Hu commander controls the blood-crazed young Hu warrior, demonstrating his authority and keeping the attack focused on the fort’s objectives.
• The commander’s final confrontation with the saber-wielder shifts from confidence to cautious recognition, as he realizes that the battle is no longer one ordinary soldiers can influence.
• The saber-wielder’s accusation concerning Carpenter Li introduces a personal connection or motive that the Hu commander does not understand, before their brief duel ends with the commander’s death.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng, a former butcher, single-handedly turns the tide of battle against the Hu warriors at Yang Family Fort.
• He kills the Hu general and inspires the young men of the fort to fight back, leading to a slaughter on both sides.
• Du Chengfeng becomes increasingly bloodthirsty and loses himself in the killing, craving more deaths.
• Carpenter Li, despite his fear, intervenes and snaps Du Chengfeng out of his bloodlust, causing him to collapse.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Initially a skilled butcher, Du Chengfeng demonstrates extraordinary combat prowess and becomes a one-man army. However, he becomes consumed by bloodlust and loses his sense of self, highlighting the dangers of uncontrolled power and violence.
• Carpenter Li: Despite his fear, Li shows bravery and concern for Du Chengfeng's well-being, ultimately saving him from further bloodshed.

Significant Themes

• The corrupting influence of power and violence: Du Chengfeng's transformation illustrates how power can corrupt and consume individuals, leading to loss of self-control and morality.
• The impact of fear and desperation on human behavior: Both the young men of Yang Family Fort and the Hu warriors act out of fear and desperation, leading to a brutal slaughter.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng and Carpenter Li: Their interaction underscores the theme of power's corrupting influence. Li's intervention highlights the importance of human connection and intervention in preventing destructive behavior.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Family Fort survives a brutal attack by the Hu, with over two hundred enemy casualties.
• The villagers gather and bury their dead, while the Hu corpses are burned and their ashes scattered on the fields.
• Du Chengfeng, who single-handedly killed most of the Hu, is found unconscious on the ground.
• Yang Sanlang attempts to kill Du Chengfeng but is stopped by an unseen force, and his spear is broken by Du Chengfeng's ancestral saber.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Proves to be a formidable fighter, killing over two hundred Hu single-handedly. His actions save Yang Family Fort, but his unconscious state and potential threat to the villagers cause concern.
• Yang Xuan: The aged clan leader, he is grateful for Du Chengfeng's actions but also understands the villagers' fear and concern about keeping him alive.
• Yang Sanlang: Despite Du Chengfeng's heroics, Yang Sanlang is determined to eliminate him due to the threat he poses to the Yang Clan.
• Carpenter Li: He unknowingly stops Du Chengfeng from further violence, showing empathy and understanding towards the young man.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty vs. Self-Preservation: The villagers grapple with their loyalty to Du Chengfeng as their savior and their self-preservation instincts, fearing his potential threat.
• Heroism and Its Consequences: Du Chengfeng's heroic actions save the village, but his unconscious state and the villagers' fear of him highlight the complex consequences of heroism.
• The Burden of the Past: The villagers' decision to bury the dead and burn the Hu corpses according to their customs emphasizes the weight of their past traditions and beliefs.

Character Interactions

• Yang Xuan and Du Chengfeng: The clan leader is grateful for Du Chengfeng's actions but also understands the villagers' fear of him.
• Yang Sanlang and Du Chengfeng: Yang Sanlang attempts to kill Du Chengfeng while he is unconscious, highlighting the tension between the two.
• Carpenter Li and Du Chengfeng: Carpenter Li unknowingly stops Du Chengfeng from further violence, showing empathy and understanding towards the young man.

Chapter Summary: “I Sorted It Out”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng awakens after possibly one or two days of unconsciousness. The corpses of the more than two hundred people he killed have been removed.
• He finally distinguishes reality from illusion. The memories he experienced belonged to the great saber, accumulated over more than a century, and entered his mind when he placed the weapon on a whetstone.
• Du Chengfeng reflects on the saber’s “Killing Intent”: its vast memories and bloodlust can overwhelm a wielder’s identity, causing madness or total loss of self.
• He recognizes that the saber is still influencing his thoughts, encouraging him to view killing as the ultimate form of power. He tries to resist, reminding himself that some people—such as Carpenter Li—must not be killed.
• Carpenter Li approaches with water and medicine but refuses to come near. Instead, he constructs a long bamboo tube to give Du Chengfeng water from a safe distance.
• Carpenter Li explains that the great saber has been protecting Du Chengfeng. Weapons aimed at him—including spears, arrows, and darts—were stopped or cut apart, and no one dared approach him directly.
• Du Chengfeng is skeptical, since he believes the saber is merely a steel weapon, but he senses it tremble in his hand. He and the saber both appear to be “hungry,” suggesting that its influence and danger remain active.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Gains a clearer understanding of the distinction between his own experiences and the saber’s memories. He realizes that resisting the weapon requires maintaining a firm sense of identity and morality. Although he remains wary of its influence, he is increasingly bonded to the saber and can perceive its condition almost as if it were part of himself.
• Carpenter Li: Demonstrates kindness and ingenuity by caring for Du Chengfeng while he is unconscious. However, he is deeply frightened of the saber and cautiously keeps his distance, revealing how terrifying Du Chengfeng and the weapon have become to outsiders.

Significant Themes

• Identity and madness: The saber’s memories threaten to overwhelm Du Chengfeng’s human identity, raising the question of whether one can remain oneself after inheriting another being’s accumulated experiences.
• The corrupting power of violence: Killing provides an intoxicating sense of absolute authority, making the weapon’s bloodlust seductive rather than merely frightening.
• Willpower and self-control: Du Chengfeng’s survival depends on resisting the saber’s influence and remembering his own values.
• The relationship between weapon and wielder: Though the saber is technically an inanimate object, its memories and apparent instincts make it seem almost alive, blurring the boundary between tool, companion, and dangerous entity.
• Fear and trust: Carpenter Li trusts Du Chengfeng as a person but fears the saber, creating a humorous yet uneasy distance between the two men.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng speaks to the saber as though it has desires, reprimanding it for trying to influence him.
• He reassures Carpenter Li that they know each other and that he is not inherently dangerous.
• Carpenter Li responds that he is not afraid of Du Chengfeng himself, but of the saber protecting him.
• Their exchange combines comic awkwardness—especially the improvised bamboo drinking tube—with the serious revelation that the saber may possess defensive instincts beyond ordinary physical explanation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng, the blade's wielder, kills a pig from the Yang family to satisfy the blade's hunger, using his Butcher's Pig Dissection skill.
• The Yang family invites Du Chengfeng to their victory feast but he declines. They send food and wine, which Du Chengfeng refuses to touch.
• Du Chengfeng prepares a braised pork dish using the pig he slaughtered, recalling his past life's skills.
• Yang Xuan, the Yang family's patriarch, visits Du Chengfeng to ask for the return of their ancestral treasured blade. Du Chengfeng refuses.
• Du Chengfeng asks for whetstones to maintain the blade and requests all the weapons left from the battle to sharpen his blade.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: He shows no fear or hesitation in dealing with the Yang family, indicating his growing confidence and assertiveness. He also displays a nostalgic attachment to his past life's skills and knowledge.
• Yang Xuan: He demonstrates his peacemaker's temperament and willingness to make amends, but also shows deference to Du Chengfeng's power.

Significant Themes

• Trust and betrayal: Du Chengfeng does not trust the Yang family, despite their attempts to make amends, highlighting the theme of trust being hard to earn and easy to lose.
• Power dynamics: Du Chengfeng's refusal to return the blade and his demand for weapons showcase the power dynamics at play, with Du Chengfeng holding the upper hand due to his martial prowess.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng and Carpenter Li: They share a bond of trust, with Du Chengfeng warning Li not to touch the Yang family's food and wine.
• Du Chengfeng and Yang Xuan: Their interaction is tense, with Du Chengfeng refusing Yang Xuan's request to return the blade and demanding weapons instead. Despite this, Yang Xuan remains respectful and accommodating.

Chapter Summary: “The Story of the Curved Saber”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng’s peaceful home in Yang Family Fort has been destroyed, forcing him to recognize that diligence alone cannot protect an ordinary life in a violent world.
• He decides to pursue strength through the mysterious power of Killing Intent, which allows him to absorb the memories and skills associated with weapons that have taken lives.
• Before beginning, he warns Carpenter Li to flee—or shoot him—if Du Chengfeng becomes dangerous and loses the ability to distinguish friend from foe.
• Sitting in the ruins of his courtyard, Du Chengfeng begins sharpening weapons taken from dead Hu warriors and other fighters.
• He chooses a crude curved saber carrying intense Killing Intent, expecting to learn the battlefield techniques of its former owner.
• Instead, the saber reveals the bizarre history of a blacksmith who repeatedly sold it to Hu warriors. Each buyer quarreled with the blacksmith, who was mysteriously driven to kill them with the saber. After nine such incidents, the blacksmith joined the Azure Sheep Tribe’s invasion of the south and was ultimately killed during the attack on Yang Family Fort—by Du Chengfeng himself.
• The saber does not provide the martial knowledge Du Chengfeng wanted, but its memories teach him valuable blacksmithing and metalworking skills.
• After examining the remaining weapons, Du Chengfeng can now immediately judge their quality and construction. His attention finally settles on the great axe belonging to the armored Hu general he killed.

2. Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng shifts from a passive, peace-seeking commoner into someone deliberately seeking power and practical survival skills. He remains cautious and humane, making arrangements to protect Carpenter Li’s family before risking the effects of Killing Intent.
• His understanding of weapons expands significantly. He gains insight not only into their memories but also into their craftsmanship, materials, strengths, and weaknesses.
• Du Chengfeng’s humor and self-awareness remain intact; he is embarrassed by the curved saber’s absurd history and jokingly considers giving it to someone he dislikes as a “lucky” gift.
• Carpenter Li is shown as someone Du Chengfeng trusts and feels responsible for, though Du Chengfeng realistically recognizes that Li may be unable to help in a crisis.
• The blacksmith is portrayed as both skilled and temperamentally unstable. His craftsmanship is sound, but his repeated anger and impulsive violence cause him to lose every home and community he enters.
• The mysterious power of the weapons becomes clearer: the saber’s history can grant knowledge, but not necessarily the specific combat abilities Du Chengfeng seeks.

3. Significant Themes

• Peace requires strength: Du Chengfeng’s desire for an ordinary life cannot be fulfilled through hard work alone in a chaotic age.
• Violence leaves traces: Every weapon carries the history, intent, and consequences of the lives it has taken.
• Unexpected gains: Even a failed attempt can produce useful knowledge; the curved saber teaches Du Chengfeng craftsmanship rather than martial arts.
• Fate and bad luck: The saber’s repeated trail of quarrels and deaths gives it an almost cursed quality, while the blacksmith’s choices also show how temperament and circumstance shape disaster.
• Craftsmanship versus appearance: Du Chengfeng learns that a weapon’s appearance is deceptive—some imposing weapons are poorly made, while plain ones may be highly reliable.
• The cost of survival: Du Chengfeng’s pursuit of strength is practical and necessary, but it brings him closer to the violence he originally wished to avoid.

4. Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng speaks seriously with Carpenter Li, asking him to prioritize his family’s safety if Du Chengfeng becomes corrupted by Killing Intent.
• He treats the weapons almost like living companions, humorously reassuring the broadsword that he has not forgotten it while focusing on the curved saber.
• Through the saber’s memories, Du Chengfeng observes the blacksmith’s repeated confrontations with Hu warriors, each escalating from complaints about the saber into murder.
• The blacksmith’s final encounter with the Azure Sheep Tribe’s army connects the saber directly to Du Chengfeng’s own recent battle and reveals that Du Chengfeng killed the saber’s last wielder.

Chapter Summary: “Hexi Xuan”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Hexi Qing and Hexi Xuan are orphaned mixed-blood brothers abandoned by their tribe after their father is executed by the chieftain. Left with only their family axe, they struggle to survive the brutal winter.
• When Xuan is close to death, Qing hunts and kills a bear, using its meat, hide, and a cave fire to save them. The brothers survive and eventually leave their tribe.
• The chieftain is later mysteriously beheaded, with rumors blaming an “evil ghost,” strongly implying Qing’s revenge.
• As they grow older, Qing becomes a daring fighter and leader, while Xuan develops immense physical strength and becomes a terrifying axe-wielding warrior.
• The brothers gather followers and are recruited as generals by the powerful Azure Sheep Tribe, which is preparing to invade the warmer lands of the Chen Kingdom.
• Xuan worries that their warriors lack shamans to control “Killing Intent entering the body,” a state in which excessive slaughter causes warriors to lose their sanity.
• Qing instead treats the danger as a way to forge stronger soldiers. He leads increasingly violent raids, deliberately exposing their warriors to killing and Blood Qi.
• Xuan embraces this strategy completely, becoming one of the most savage fighters in the army. Their force grows increasingly feared, and their status within the Azure Sheep Tribe rises.
• The brothers attack Yang Family Fort as a preliminary strike before the larger war. Xuan breaks through the fort’s gates and allows his troops to slaughter the defenders as a trial meant to transform them into hardened warriors.
• Xuan then notices an enemy possessing the same blood-red eyes and monstrous killing aura as himself. Realizing this opponent is exceptionally dangerous, he intervenes—but discovers that even he may be unable to stop the figure.

2. Character Development

• Hexi Qing: Develops from a resourceful child into a fearless commander. His survival experience hardens him and gives him an uncompromising belief in strength, sacrifice, and military merit. He is also highly influential over Xuan, who accepts nearly all of his judgments without question.
• Hexi Xuan: Begins as the physically weaker younger brother but grows into a massive, extraordinarily powerful warrior. His devotion to Qing defines his worldview: he is willing to become a killer or even a monster if it protects and serves his brother.
• The brothers together: Their shared trauma creates intense loyalty and mutual dependence. Qing provides direction and strategy, while Xuan provides overwhelming force and trains the army. Their methods gradually blur the distinction between disciplined warriors and bloodthirsty monsters.

3. Significant Themes

• Survival through violence: The chapter presents violence as both a means of survival and a method of social advancement in the harsh grasslands.
• Brotherly loyalty: Xuan’s devotion to Qing is absolute, shaping his choices and willingness to sacrifice his humanity.
• Nature versus civilization: The freezing wilderness and tribal society are equally unforgiving, rewarding strength while abandoning the weak.
• The corruption of warfare: Killing Intent is initially described as a dangerous madness, but Qing and Xuan reinterpret it as a gift that makes warriors stronger. This suggests a troubling normalization of brutality.
• Identity and destiny: Their names symbolize sky and earth, reflecting their father’s hope that they would become pillars of the world. The brothers strive to fulfill this ideal, though their path increasingly involves cruelty and destruction.
• Foreshadowing: The mysterious enemy at Yang Family Fort, with eyes and power resembling Xuan’s own, suggests the emergence of an equally formidable—and possibly more dangerous—opponent.

4. Character Interactions

• Qing and Xuan share a deeply protective relationship rooted in the moment Qing saved Xuan from winter and starvation.
• Xuan repeatedly seeks Qing’s judgment, while Qing reassures him and persuades him to accept increasingly ruthless strategies.
• Qing acts as the visionary leader, explaining the military value of exposing warriors to slaughter; Xuan serves as the executor who carries out these plans.
• Their relationship is affectionate but also unequal: Xuan reveres Qing almost completely, treating his brother’s words as unquestionable truth.
• At Yang Family Fort, Xuan’s interaction with the mysterious red-eyed enemy shifts the chapter from conquest to confrontation, ending on the revelation that he may have finally encountered someone capable of matching him.

Chapter Summary: “This Mad World”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng reflects on the memories contained in the great axe he sharpened. He learns that the Hu general he previously killed had an even more powerful elder brother, Hexi Qing, who is likely to seek revenge.
• The axe reveals Hexi Qing’s philosophy regarding Killing Intent: while it can drive ordinary people insane, those with sufficiently strong wills can harness it as a source of power. Killing Intent makes warriors stronger, tireless, resistant to pain, and extraordinarily effective in battle.
• Du Chengfeng realizes that Killing Intent functions much like an experience system: killing people strengthens the weapon that absorbs their Killing Intent.
• Carried away by this idea, he begins imagining a path of mass slaughter—killing the Yang Clan, the people of Yang Family Fort, and eventually attacking Ji Town to accumulate overwhelming strength.
• The great saber suddenly falls on his foot, interrupting his murderous thoughts and jolting him back to reality. He recognizes that the axe had been influencing his mind and pushing him toward madness.
• Du Chengfeng rejects the axe and concludes that the Killing Intent path is extremely dangerous despite its apparent simplicity.
• He reviews the abilities gained from the axe’s memories. Although he learns no sophisticated martial arts or battlefield formations, he gains knowledge of excellent horsemanship and Bökh wrestling, the traditional wrestling style of the Northern Desert Grasslands.
• Before he can test his new wrestling skill, Yang Sanlang throws a spear that lands beside his feet and appears outside the courtyard, setting up their next interaction.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng becomes more aware of both the potential and danger of weapon-based Killing Intent. He is tempted by the prospect of gaining power through killing but ultimately recognizes that the influence threatens his identity and moral judgment.
• His experience shows that his will is not as immune to Killing Intent as he had believed. He now understands that simply relying on self-control is insufficient.
• Du Chengfeng also continues adapting to this world by extracting practical skills from weapon memories, particularly horsemanship and Bökh wrestling.
• Hexi Qing is established as a major future threat: a powerful Hu chieftain, hardened from childhood, who is expected to pursue vengeance for his brother.
• Yang Sanlang reappears at the end of the chapter, apparently ready to challenge, train with, or confront Du Chengfeng.

Significant Themes

• Power versus sanity: Killing Intent offers extraordinary strength but risks eroding the user’s mind and personality.
• The corruption of violence: Du Chengfeng’s sudden desire to slaughter innocents demonstrates how easily violence can transform a person, even one who considers himself morally stable.
• Survival in a brutal world: The chapter emphasizes that this society rewards strength and killing, making peaceful values difficult to preserve.
• The danger of shortcuts: Killing Intent provides a rapid path to power, but its hidden cost is madness and loss of self.
• Human life reduced to numbers: Du Chengfeng’s comparison of killing to gaining experience points reveals how disturbing and unnatural this world’s advancement system is.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng’s interaction is primarily with the memories embedded in the great axe, especially Hexi Qing and Hexi Xuan. Through them, he gains insight into Hu culture, combat, and Killing Intent.
• The great saber indirectly intervenes by falling on his foot, breaking the axe’s psychological influence and helping him regain clarity.
• The chapter ends with Yang Sanlang confronting Du Chengfeng from outside the courtyard by throwing a spear at his feet, creating an immediate sense of tension and anticipation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Sanlang, a skilled javelin thrower, attempts to assassinate Du Chengfeng but fails.
• Du Chengfeng, despite being unarmed, easily evades Yang Sanlang's javelins and defeats him.
• Yang Sanlang begs Du Chengfeng to kill him, but Du Chengfeng refuses and walks away.
• Yang Sanlang, enraged and humiliated, shouts at Du Chengfeng, who turns back and tells him to go home.

Character Developments

• Yang Sanlang: Initially confident and aggressive, Yang Sanlang is humbled and left confused after his defeat. He becomes desperate for Du Chengfeng's acknowledgment or death.
• Du Chengfeng: Du Chengfeng demonstrates exceptional combat skills and calm composure, even when faced with certain death. He shows no desire to kill Yang Sanlang, instead treating him dismissively.

Significant Themes

• Hubris: Yang Sanlang's overconfidence in his javelin skills leads to his downfall.
• Mercy and Forgiveness: Du Chengfeng's refusal to kill Yang Sanlang, despite the latter's repeated attempts, shows mercy and understanding.
• Humiliation and Dignity: Yang Sanlang's inability to accept his defeat and live with the humiliation drives him to desperation.

Character Interactions

• Yang Sanlang vs. Du Chengfeng: The interaction between the two highlights the power imbalance and the emotional turmoil Yang Sanlang experiences after his defeat.
• Yang Sanlang's Internal Struggle: Yang Sanlang's inability to accept his defeat and his desperate pleas for death showcase his internal conflict and confusion.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng discovers the effectiveness of the wrestling techniques he gained from the axe's memories.
• He realizes the gap between his skills and those of Hexi Qing, the humanoid monster who killed a giant bear in childhood.
• Du Chengfeng decides to train using the experiences and wisdom attached to more than two hundred weapons to fight Hexi Qing.
• The next morning, Yang Xuan brings gifts to apologize for Yang Sanlang's actions and finds Du Chengfeng surrounded by sharpened weapons, demonstrating his ability to command their baleful aura.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Realizes his limitations, becomes determined to improve his skills to protect his life and the fort.
• Yang Xuan: Recognizes Du Chengfeng's power and decides to make amends to keep him in Yang Family Fort.

Significant Themes

• Power and strength: Du Chengfeng's realization of his limitations and his desire to improve.
• Fear and respect: Yang Xuan's reaction to Du Chengfeng's display of power, showing the fear and respect that can come from such displays.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng and Yang Xuan: Yang Xuan brings gifts to apologize, while Du Chengfeng expresses his need for more weapons to improve his skills.
• Du Chengfeng and the weapons: Du Chengfeng interacts with the weapons in the courtyard, demonstrating his ability to command their baleful aura.

Chapter Summary: The Yang Clan of Jizhou

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yang Xuan accepts Du Chengfeng’s request to help him, despite Du being an outsider who previously held a grudge against the Yang Clan.
• He explains to the clan’s younger members that Du’s ability to wield weapon Killing Intent proves he is an exceptionally powerful and determined warrior—someone the small Yang Family Fort cannot afford to antagonize.
• Yang Xuan argues that Du’s need for the Yang Clan’s assistance is actually an opportunity. If they can persuade him to remain at the fort, he could protect them from enemies in the dangerous, conflict-ridden region of Jizhou.
• The clan realizes that Du is also a rare weapon-polishing master. Martial artists, especially wandering warriors and criminals, desperately need such craftsmen because official weapon polishers serve the imperial court and would likely arrest them.
• The example of the swordsman Liu Qingyun is raised: he reportedly paid five hundred strings of cash to have a sword worth only one string polished, demonstrating how profitable Du’s skills could be.
• The Yang Clan members become excited at the prospect of attracting countless martial artists to the fort and making a fortune. They enthusiastically support Yang Xuan’s plan to retain Du, even suggesting they should honor him like an ancestor.
• Yang Sanlang appears despite his serious injuries and objects, arguing that Du still possesses the Yang Clan’s ancestral treasured blade, making the situation a humiliation.
• Another clan member dismisses Sanlang’s objection, claiming that possession of the blade proves Du is worthy of it. Sanlang is forcibly returned to his room under the pretense of recuperation.
• The clan accepts that keeping Du—and allowing him to retain the ancestral blade—is preferable to reclaiming it. The weapon now actively protects the fort rather than merely sitting enshrined.
• Yang Xuan briefly feels conflicted about Sanlang but quickly refocuses the clan on taking action.

Character Developments

• Yang Xuan emerges as a pragmatic and politically shrewd leader. He is willing to endure the clan’s criticism and set aside old grudges because he recognizes Du’s value and the potential benefits of cooperation.
• Du Chengfeng, though absent from the chapter, gains greater importance through others’ descriptions. His mastery of weapon Killing Intent and blade polishing establishes him as both a dangerous warrior and a valuable economic asset.
• Yang Sanlang remains attached to the clan’s honor and ancestral traditions. His opposition shows that he views Du’s possession of the treasured blade as an intolerable disgrace, but his influence within the clan has sharply declined.
• The younger Yang Clan members shift from suspicion and concern to enthusiastic opportunism. They begin viewing Du less as an enemy and more as a potential protector, revered guest, and source of immense wealth.
• The Yang Clan as a whole changes its priorities, placing survival, prosperity, and strategic advantage above rigid notions of honor and ownership.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism versus honor: The clan debates whether retaining its ancestral blade and accepting Du’s presence is humiliating or strategically wise. Practical benefits ultimately outweigh traditional pride.
• Power and survival: The Yang Clan recognizes that strength determines security in a dangerous region. Du’s presence could shield the fort from powerful enemies.
• Economic value of martial skill: Weapon polishing is presented as a rare and highly profitable profession, revealing how deeply weapons are tied to martial artists’ identities and livelihoods.
• Transformation of tradition: The ancestral blade’s meaning changes from a ceremonial relic into an active source of protection. The clan is willing to redefine tradition to preserve itself.
• Mutual benefit as the basis for trust: Yang Xuan believes cooperation founded on shared needs is more reliable than superficial forgiveness or reconciliation.

Character Interactions

• Yang Xuan addresses the clan in the ancestral hall, persuading them that Du’s presence represents an opportunity.
• The younger members respond to his reasoning and discuss the enormous profits that could come from advertising Du’s services.
• Yang Sanlang confronts the clan and condemns their willingness to tolerate Du’s possession of the treasured blade.
• A younger clan member directly rebukes Sanlang, claiming Du deserves the blade and effectively silencing the traditionalist viewpoint.
• The clan members collectively marginalize Sanlang by carrying him back to his room, while Yang Xuan silently reflects on the conflict before ordering the clan to act.

Here is a concise summary of the chapter:

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Weapon Gathering and Limitations: Du Chengfeng tidies up his courtyard after the previous night's events, realizing that his collection of sharpened weapons (mostly from fallen Northern Desert enemies) is still insufficient to defeat the formidable Hexi Qing. Furthermore, many items like maces and war hammers cannot be easily sharpened.
• The Custom Wooden Bench: Carpenter Li delivers a custom-made wooden bench designed specifically to hold Du Chengfeng's whetstone, perfectly tailored to his posture and habits. This greatly increases his weapon-sharpening efficiency.
• Financial Wealth vs. Survival: Having reluctantly accepted several chests of gold, silver, and treasures from the Yang Clan as "compensation," Du Chengfeng realizes that wealth is useless if he cannot survive Hexi Qing's impending vengeance. He resolves to rapidly convert his newfound riches into combat power.
• Refusing to Flee: Carpenter Li suggests that Du Chengfeng simply flee south to escape the threat, but Du Chengfeng knows from the memories absorbed through his sharpening that Hexi Qing will hunt him to the ends of the earth.
• Preparing for the Market: Brushing off the suggestion to run, Du Chengfeng pays Carpenter Li for his work (forcibly pressing extra silver into his hands) and asks for directions to the weapons market so he can acquire more materials.

2. Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Shifts his mindset entirely from seeking mundane financial freedom to prioritizing raw survival and combat readiness. He accepts that his wealth is merely a resource to fund his preparations against Hexi Qing.
• Carpenter Li: Demonstrates exceptional craftsmanship and deep loyalty/gratitude toward Du Chengfeng for saving his family, though he remains naive to the true, inescapable nature of the threat posed by Hexi Qing.

3. Significant Themes

• Wealth vs. Survival: The chapter contrasts material wealth (gold, silver, and treasures) with life and power, emphasizing that money is meaningless without the strength to protect it.
• Preparation and Adaptability: The necessity of continuous improvement (upgrading tools and seeking diverse combat techniques) in the face of an inevitable, overwhelming threat.
• Inescapable Fate: The realization that running away is a false hope; true conflict must be met head-on through preparation.

4. Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng and Carpenter Li: Their interaction is warm, respectful, and cooperative. Carpenter Li shows his gratitude through dedicated craftsmanship, while Du Chengfeng tries (though somewhat unsuccessfully) to protect the carpenter by keeping him informed of danger and financially compensating him generously, viewing him as a valued elder brother.

Chapter Summary: Ji Town

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng seeks an independent source of weapons rather than relying entirely on the Yang family.
• He recalls Carpenter Li mentioning rumors of a hidden market in Ji Town where people sell old weapons that have killed others.
• Du Chengfeng reasons that such a market must exist because weapon Killing Intent makes weapons dangerous to ordinary people, encouraging owners to sell or discard them. However, soldiers, martial artists, and blade grinders like himself may still value these weapons.
• He persuades Carpenter Li to take him to Ji Town’s market. Carpenter Li agrees and drives a horse cart, though Du Chengfeng takes over the reins and demonstrates surprising skill with horses.
• They arrive in Ji Town, which Du Chengfeng finds larger than Yang Family Fort but still relatively bleak and underdeveloped.
• Carpenter Li warns him about the town’s anonymity and the danger of being cheated by strangers.
• Du Chengfeng detects someone trying to grab his clothing and confronts the suspicious figure.
• The disguised person reveals more than ten bloodstained knives hidden beneath their clothes. Each weapon carries a strong Killing Intent, confirming that the rumored market in old, murderous weapons is real.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Shows strategic thinking by maintaining multiple sources for weapons and recognizing the commercial value of weapons infused with Killing Intent. His confidence and physical ability are emphasized when he drives the horse expertly and immediately detects a pickpocket or suspicious stranger. He also displays growing combat readiness and a willingness to exploit dangerous opportunities.
• Carpenter Li: Acts as Du Chengfeng’s guide and practical supporter. Though cautious and somewhat concerned for Du’s safety, he trusts him enough to make the trip and praises his talent with horses. His warnings reveal familiarity with the dangers of Ji Town and perhaps past unpleasant experiences there.

Significant Themes

• Opportunity arising from danger: Weapons feared by ordinary people become valuable to soldiers, martial artists, and individuals capable of grinding away or resisting Killing Intent.
• Pragmatism and resourcefulness: Du Chengfeng looks beyond superstition and evaluates the rumored knife market logically, identifying an actual supply-and-demand system.
• Trust and independence: Although Du accepts help from the Yang family and Carpenter Li, he deliberately keeps control over his own avenues for advancement.
• Civilization versus lawlessness: Ji Town is larger and more populated than Yang Family Fort, but its anonymity creates new dangers, including fraud, theft, and hidden markets.
• The influence of violence: The bloodstained weapons embody the lingering consequences of past killings and introduce the possibility that their Killing Intent may strengthen Du Chengfeng.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng uses friendly persuasion to convince Carpenter Li to take him to Ji Town.
• Carpenter Li praises Du’s driving ability, while Du internally rejects the idea of serving a wealthy household, preferring to work alongside his own brothers.
• Carpenter Li cautions Du about the risks of Ji Town, but Du remains confident in his ability to detect deception and defend himself.
• Du confronts a heavily disguised stranger attempting to approach him. The encounter shifts from suspicion to opportunity when the stranger reveals a concealed collection of blood-marked knives.

Chapter Summary: “Knife Seller”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng and Carpenter Li encounter a furtive knife seller before reaching the fair. Carpenter Li immediately warns Du not to buy anything, explaining that weapon sellers in town are notorious swindlers.
• Carpenter Li recounts how he once bought an unusually cheap kitchen knife from a cloaked seller. The seller claimed it was a bloodstained pig-slaughtering knife, but the blood was actually connected to the weapon’s Killing Intent.
• After bringing the knife home, Carpenter Li’s family experienced terrifying visions of blood and murder. The fear nearly overwhelmed them, especially because Carpenter Li was extremely frightened of blood. Yang Xuan later identified the knife as a genuine murder weapon whose Killing Intent had traumatized the family.
• Carpenter Li buried the knife outside the village, only to encounter the same seller later. The knife was hanging among the seller’s other wares, revealing the seller’s dishonest business model: he repeatedly sold cursed or murderous weapons to ordinary people, recovered them after the victims discarded them, and sold them again.
• Although Carpenter Li urges Du to stay away, Du is unaffected by Killing Intent. He decides to punish the seller and claims that he will buy every knife the man has.
• Du throws the seller a silver ingot, grabs the oversized robe containing the knives, and literally tosses the seller aside while taking the entire bundle. He tells the seller to keep the change and departs wearing the robe.
• The seller initially thinks he has made an excellent profit, but soon realizes that Du took the silver ingot along with the robe. Left with nothing, he angrily vows revenge.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng demonstrates his immunity to weapon Killing Intent, as well as his confidence, boldness, and willingness to defend those who have helped him. His response to the seller is both a practical acquisition of weapons and an act of revenge on Carpenter Li’s behalf.
• Carpenter Li is shown as cautious but deeply superstitious and psychologically vulnerable to blood and murderous aura. His past experience makes him protective of Du and eager to prevent him from suffering the same fate.
• The knife seller is exposed as a manipulative, predatory profiteer. His greed and confidence collapse when Du turns his own deceptive sales tactic against him.

Significant Themes

• Exploitation and deception: The seller profits by preying on ordinary people who cannot withstand the supernatural aura of murderous weapons.
• The danger of weapons with Killing Intent: Objects retain the fear and violence associated with their past use, making them dangerous even when they appear to be ordinary household tools.
• Strength versus vulnerability: Ordinary people such as Carpenter Li and his family are helpless before Killing Intent, while Du’s unusual abilities allow him to treat these weapons as harmless.
• Justice and retribution: Du uses the seller’s own greed and trickery to punish him for exploiting others.
• Appearances versus reality: The knives are presented as cheap, useful goods, but their true nature is revealed through the terror they create.

Character Interactions

• Carpenter Li tries to protect Du by warning him and recounting his frightening experience.
• Du reassures Carpenter Li, acknowledging his past suffering and deciding to help him obtain revenge.
• Du confronts the seller directly, deceptively offering a large payment before taking the knives and robe.
• The seller mistakes the encounter for a profitable transaction until he realizes that Du has taken the silver along with his merchandise, ending the chapter with the seller shouting threats after him.

Chapter Summary: “This Is What Living Is”

Key plot points and events

• Du Chengfeng enjoys a rare peaceful day in the market after buying new clothes. He eats braised pork, drinks wine, and reflects that being able to purchase food and necessities is what ordinary living should feel like, unlike the dangerous survival he has recently endured.
• He shops with Carpenter Li, buying toys for Li’s children and household supplies—including cookware, bedding, and cleaning tools—for his own courtyard. Their cart quickly becomes overloaded, and Carpenter Li passes out after drinking only a small amount of wine.
• Du Chengfeng fails to locate the rumored weapons seller. He reasons that someone dealing in weapons infused with Killing Intent would not operate openly in an ordinary market, since such weapons and their buyers are far from ordinary.
• He considers abandoning his earlier idea of starting a business or convenience store. The dangers of the era and the existence of powerful, Killing Intent-tainted weapons convince him that gaining strength must come first.
• Among his purchases are numerous kitchen knives, which he conceals inside the lining of his new robe. Their combined steel provides a crude layer of protection against ordinary weapons, though Du Chengfeng recognizes that armor would be nearly useless against powerful Killing Intent weapons.
• He returns to Yang Family Fort, gives Carpenter Li’s children their toys, borrows Li’s cart, and takes his household goods home.
• At his courtyard, he discovers Yang Sanlang kneeling outside. Sanlang begs Du Chengfeng to return the Yang Clan’s ancestral treasured blade, the weapon Du Chengfeng had taken.

Character developments

• Du Chengfeng briefly reconnects with ordinary pleasures and realizes that he genuinely wants a stable, comfortable life rather than constant fighting. However, he accepts that the troubled world requires strength before comfort can be secured.
• His understanding of Killing Intent deepens. He recognizes that it can grant unnatural physical power, act unpredictably through weapons and their wielders, and render conventional armor ineffective against elite opponents.
• His practical and resourceful nature is emphasized as he turns kitchen knives and a thick robe into improvised protection, while also steadily furnishing his home.
• Carpenter Li is shown as a friendly but extremely poor drinker, collapsing after only two liang of cheap wine. His relationship with Du Chengfeng appears warm and trusting.
• Yang Sanlang shifts from an earlier aggressor to a submissive petitioner, humbling himself publicly to recover his family’s ancestral weapon.

Significant themes

• The meaning of living: Food, clothing, shopping, domestic comforts, and family connections represent a normal life that Du Chengfeng has been denied by violence.
• Survival versus comfort: The chapter contrasts the peaceful life Du Chengfeng desires with the harsh reality that strength and preparation are necessary to preserve it.
• Adapting to troubled times: Ordinary ambitions such as commerce may not be enough in a world shaped by powerful weapons, violence, and hidden networks.
• Security and illusion: Du Chengfeng’s robe and concealed knives offer psychological and practical protection, but he knows they cannot truly defend him against supernatural or Killing Intent-infused attacks.
• Power and submission: Yang Sanlang’s kneeling plea demonstrates how quickly social positions can reverse when one person possesses overwhelming power.

Character interactions

• Du Chengfeng and Carpenter Li share food, wine, shopping, and domestic errands, reinforcing their brotherly relationship.
• Du Chengfeng shows affection toward Li’s family by buying toys for his children and helping transport supplies.
• His final encounter with Yang Sanlang is tense but brief: Du Chengfeng assumes Sanlang may want another fight, while Sanlang instead begs for the return of the Yang Clan’s treasured blade.