Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: The Unluckiness of the Unlucky Curved Blade

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng reflects on Yang Sanlang’s reputation as a fearless local hero, comparing him to Qin Wuyang from the story of Jing Ke. However, after witnessing Yang’s cowardice and panic in the face of death, Du realizes that such “heroes” are ordinary, flawed people.
• Yang Sanlang comes to Du’s residence demanding the return of the ancestral treasured blade. Du recognizes that Yang originally attempted to steal it, but was unable to lift the heavy broadsword because of the weapon’s overwhelming Killing Intent. Yang then resorted to begging.
• When Yang challenges Du to kill him, claiming he would rather die than lose the blade, Du prepares to strike. However, Yang’s fear causes him to soil himself, disgusting Du and making him unwilling to let the broadsword touch him.
• Du throws Yang into the darkness, removes the contaminated patch of ground, and pours liquor over it to eliminate the smell. He then discovers the Unlucky Curved Blade among his weapons and throws it outside the courtyard, believing its Baleful Intent has caused his recent misfortune.
• Du begins experiencing another supernatural phenomenon: an old kitchen knife embedded among his weapons appears to spray blood from his body. The illusion continues even after he removes the knife, but vanishes instantly when he picks up the heavy broadsword.
• While sharpening the kitchen knife under the moonlight, Du senses memories hidden within it. He discovers that the blade once belonged to a beautiful woman and had witnessed an astonishing amount of bloodshed.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Becomes increasingly practical, detached, and confident. He no longer respects Yang Sanlang’s reputation and treats him as a pathetic ordinary man. Du also grows more aware of the supernatural properties of weapons and begins investigating their histories by sharpening them.
• Yang Sanlang: His heroic image is thoroughly destroyed. His greed drives him to attempt theft, while his fear causes him to collapse, soil himself, and beg for mercy despite his bold words. He remains obsessed with reclaiming the ancestral blade.
• Hexi Qing: Though absent from the immediate events, he serves as the standard against which Du judges Yang Sanlang. His terrifying strength makes Yang seem especially weak and unimpressive.
• The kitchen knife’s former owner: Introduced indirectly as a beautiful woman whose past was marked by intense bloodshed, creating a mystery for future chapters.

Significant Themes

• The collapse of heroic reputations: Public fame and violent reputation do not necessarily reflect true courage. Under threat, even feared figures may reveal themselves as weak and terrified.
• Human vulnerability: The chapter emphasizes that people who appear ruthless or heroic are still subject to fear, panic, and humiliation.
• Supernatural weaponry and accumulated violence: Weapons retain Killing Intent, Baleful Intent, and even fragments of their former owners’ experiences. Their histories influence the present.
• Practicality versus superstition: Du claims to believe in science, yet the undeniable supernatural effects of the weapons force him to accept that these phenomena are real and dangerous.
• The contamination of violence: The blood, filth, and hostile intent surrounding the weapons suggest that violence leaves a lasting physical and spiritual stain.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng and Yang Sanlang: Their confrontation exposes the gap between Yang’s arrogant words and cowardly behavior. Du dismisses Yang’s demands, humiliates him by throwing him aside, and refuses to take him seriously.
• Du Chengfeng and the weapons: Du treats the broadsword as a trusted trump card against Hexi Qing, while viewing the Unlucky Curved Blade and kitchen knife as troublesome objects whose supernatural effects must be controlled.
• Du Chengfeng and the kitchen knife: Through sharpening the blade, Du establishes a form of contact with its past and begins uncovering the mysterious history of its former female owner.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A beautiful woman runs a breakfast stall with her husband, attracting customers due to her appearance.
• Her husband suggests she stop working out front for safety reasons, but she wants to continue to increase their earnings.
• A notorious bandit, Ximen Yuan, tries to abduct the woman. Her husband intervenes and is killed.
• The woman is taken to Ximen Yuan's hideout. The next morning, she poisons his food and kills him using a kitchen cleaver, then slaughters his lackeys.
• She returns to her breakfast stall, kills herself, and Du Chengfeng learns the martial art she used, the Crimson-Piercing Art.

Character Developments

• The woman's beauty drives the stall's success but also attracts danger.
• Her husband is protective but ultimately unable to save her.
• The woman is resourceful and deadly when cornered, using her cooking skills and martial arts to take revenge.
• Du Chengfeng learns a new martial art from witnessing the woman's actions.

Significant Themes

• Beauty and Danger: The woman's beauty brings her success but also puts her in harm's way.
• Greed and Regret: The woman's desire for more profit leads to her husband's death and ultimately her own.
• Revenge and Redemption: The woman's actions are driven by a desire to avenge her husband and redeem her mistakes.

Character Interactions

• The woman and her husband have a loving but tense relationship due to their differing views on safety and profit.
• The woman's interactions with Ximen Yuan and his lackeys are marked by fear, cunning, and ultimately, violence.
• Du Chengfeng observes the woman's actions, leading to his learning of the Crimson-Piercing Art.

Chapter Summary: “The More Skills, the Better”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng reflects on the obscure Crimson-Piercing Art, a martial technique designed for women with limited physical strength. Rather than relying on strength, forms, or internal energy, it teaches practitioners to memorize the body’s vital points and use short blades to inflict rapid, lethal wounds.
• The technique emphasizes striking first, targeting vital areas, and immediately retreating to regain distance. Even ordinary objects such as hairpins can become deadly weapons when used by a skilled practitioner.
• Du Chengfeng recalls the tragic woman who ran a breakfast stall. Her confidence in the technique led her to hesitate, but once her wrist was seized and her husband was killed by Ximen Yuan, she lost the opportunity to fight back. Her home and family were destroyed in an instant.
• He senses lingering regret connected to the kitchen knife and recognizes that possessing martial skill is meaningless if hesitation prevents one from using it.
• Du Chengfeng realizes that Crimson-Piercing Art does not suit his heavy two-handed greatsaber, since the saber’s strength lies in powerful blows rather than precise short-blade attacks. He therefore buries the Unlucky Curved Blade, performs a cleansing ritual by stepping over a brazier, and changes clothes to rid himself of its ominous influence.
• He concludes that the art can still complement his fighting style: he can begin with the greatsaber, switch to short-blade attacks at close range, use Bökh Wrestling to control opponents, and retreat before launching another attack.
• Du Chengfeng then sharpens and studies the remaining knives hidden in his robe. Each blade grants him knowledge or skills:
  • Several knives teach him refined cooking techniques.
  • Hunters’ weapons provide knowledge of tracking animals and concealing his presence.
  • Ruffians’ blades teach him intimidation and extortion tactics.
  • Bandits’ daggers reveal suitable robbery routes and checkpoints near Ji Town.
  • Merchants’ knives convey lessons in ruthless commercial competition.
  • A melon-cutting knife offers the grim warning that overcharging customers may lead to violence.
• By dawn, Du Chengfeng has acquired numerous miscellaneous skills and jokingly regards them as an education in Jizhou’s customs.
• Just as he prepares to sleep after staying awake all night, an unfamiliar man knocks on his gate. The stranger’s sword radiates an overwhelming killing intent, immediately signaling that he may be dangerous.

Character Development

• Du Chengfeng becomes more thoughtful about the relationship between skill, weapon choice, and practical combat. He recognizes that martial arts are valuable only when suited to the practitioner’s equipment and circumstances.
• His reflection on the breakfast-stall woman deepens his understanding of hesitation and overconfidence. He sees that a single mistaken judgment can destroy an entire life.
• He begins assembling a more versatile combat system by combining the greatsaber, short-blade techniques, and Bökh Wrestling.
• His knife-sharpening ability continues to broaden his knowledge beyond combat, granting him culinary, hunting, criminal, and commercial skills. However, he recognizes that these everyday blades offer limited direct battle strength compared with specialized weapons.
• Du Chengfeng also shows caution toward ominous weapons, choosing to bury the Unlucky Curved Blade and cleanse himself rather than continue using it.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus hesitation: The breakfast-stall woman possessed a deadly technique but failed to act decisively when circumstances changed.
• The importance of adaptability: Strength comes not only from mastering one weapon but from combining different skills according to the situation.
• Weapon and technique compatibility: A martial art’s effectiveness depends on whether it matches the weapon and fighting style of its user.
• Consequences of misplaced confidence: The woman’s belief that the authorities would resolve the conflict prevented her from acting before it was too late.
• Knowledge from ordinary objects: Even common tools and weapons can preserve useful skills, local information, or life lessons.
• The lingering influence of violence: Weapons retain emotional and murderous associations, particularly the kitchen knife and the Unlucky Curved Blade.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng’s thoughts center on the tragic breakfast-stall woman, her husband, and Ximen Yuan, whose swift killing stroke ended the couple’s resistance.
• He refers to Carpenter Li, who had previously buried the kitchen knife and whose buried-blade location becomes the site where Du Chengfeng disposes of the Unlucky Curved Blade.
• He compares his relationships with familiar figures such as Carpenter Li, Yang Xuan, and Yang Sanlang, noting that they normally enter his courtyard without knocking.
• The chapter ends with the arrival of an unknown swordsman whose weapon carries intense killing intent, setting up a likely confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Three-Foot Azure Edge”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng encounters a fearsome, sheathed sword whose killing intent immediately distinguishes it from ordinary weapons. He recognizes that sharpening it could help him obtain the martial arts technique he currently needs.
• The sword’s owner, a scar-faced man dressed like a scholar but carrying himself like a seasoned swordsman, arrives seeking the sharpening master Du Chengfeng.
• The man doubts that the young, tired-looking Du Chengfeng is truly a master and suddenly attacks him to test his skill.
• Du Chengfeng narrowly evades the first strike, uses dirt and stones to obscure his opponent’s vision, and then employs his unusual physical strength and grappling ability to throw him.
• Though the swordsman recovers in midair and places his blade against Du Chengfeng’s neck, Du Chengfeng simultaneously holds a bloodstained kitchen knife to the man’s throat. The confrontation ends in a draw.
• The swordsman acknowledges Du Chengfeng’s ability and admits that he was testing him rather than intending to kill him. He introduces himself as Cui Yuan of Youzhou and formally asks Du Chengfeng to sharpen his sword.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Demonstrates sharp instincts, courage, improvisational combat ability, and considerable hidden strength despite having only recently begun handling weapons. His irritation and bluntness remain evident, especially when Cui Yuan questions his identity and skills. He also shows practical judgment by ending the fight once the danger has passed.
• Cui Yuan: Initially appears arrogant and distrustful, judging Du Chengfeng by his appearance and testing him with a potentially lethal attack. After being matched by Du Chengfeng, he becomes respectful and accepts that Du is no ordinary craftsman. His formal introduction and request show a shift from suspicion to recognition.
• Du Chengfeng’s reputation as a sharpening master appears to be spreading through the Yang family’s connections, bringing him his first serious customer.

Significant Themes

• Skill beyond appearances: Neither man resembles what the other expects. Du Chengfeng looks too young and inexperienced to be a master, while Cui Yuan’s scholar-like clothing conceals a dangerous swordsman.
• The relationship between craftsmanship and martial ability: Cui Yuan believes a precious sword should only be entrusted to someone capable of understanding it. The chapter suggests that exceptional weapon craftsmanship reflects exceptional martial insight.
• Practicality versus formal martial tradition: Cui Yuan relies on trained swordsmanship and refined technique, while Du Chengfeng wins ground through dirt, grappling, strength, and an ordinary kitchen knife.
• Testing and respect: In this martial world, trust is established through confrontation. The duel transforms Cui Yuan’s skepticism into respect, though his initial “test” also highlights the danger and violence of the setting.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng and Cui Yuan begin with mutual misunderstanding: Du wants to sleep and begin work, while Cui Yuan doubts his identity and qualifications.
• Their verbal exchange quickly becomes a life-threatening duel, with Cui Yuan using a sword and Du Chengfeng improvising with the environment and a kitchen knife.
• After reaching a stalemate, both recognize the other’s unusual abilities. Cui Yuan apologizes, identifies himself, and respectfully entrusts his sword to Du Chengfeng, establishing their future working relationship.

Chapter Summary: “Swordsman Cui Yuan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng examines and sharpens Cui Yuan’s longsword, Wind-Riding, recognizing its exceptional craftsmanship and deadly sharpness.
• While sharpening it, Du Chengfeng learns the sword’s history. Fifteen years earlier, Cui Yuan’s teacher gave him the sword before leaving on a dangerous mission, urging him to become an upright and accomplished man.
• After being abandoned by his teacher, Cui Yuan devoted himself obsessively to sword training. For fifteen years, he practiced relentlessly and challenged renowned saber wielders across Jizhou and Youzhou.
• Cui Yuan killed 135 notable opponents, each with a single stroke, insisting that these battles were simply part of his cultivation rather than acts of revenge.
• His brutality caused the martial world to unite against him. Roughly a hundred saber wielders surrounded and attacked him, but Cui Yuan slaughtered them all, regarding the victory as proof that his swordsmanship had reached “minor success.”
• To achieve “great success,” Cui Yuan now seeks to defeat Liu Qingyun, the Swift Saber, a legendary warrior who once killed Cui Yuan’s parents and destroyed a bandit stronghold.
• Although Liu Qingyun is connected to his family’s deaths, Cui Yuan insists that his goal is not revenge. He wants to overcome the fear and psychological obstacle Liu represents.
• After Du Chengfeng finishes sharpening Wind-Riding, Cui Yuan challenges him, sensing that Du Chengfeng had not previously used his true weapon or full ability.
• Cui Yuan launches a rapid series of attacks. Du Chengfeng initially evades every strike, having become familiar with Cui Yuan’s sword techniques while sharpening the blade.
• When Du Chengfeng finally takes up his heavy two-handed saber, the two weapons clash. Cui Yuan appears to win by cutting across Du Chengfeng’s neck.
• However, the chapter ends with Cui Yuan realizing that half of Wind-Riding’s blade has disappeared, implying that Du Chengfeng’s saber either destroyed or severed it during the exchange—and that Cui Yuan’s apparent victory may not have been genuine.

Character Development

• Cui Yuan is revealed as an intensely disciplined but psychologically damaged swordsman. His life has been shaped by abandonment, trauma, and an obsessive need to become stronger.
• He retains ordinary habits and social manners, but his fixation on combat and strength has surpassed normal morality. He treats killing as a method of self-improvement rather than personal hatred.
• His relationship with Wind-Riding is deeply symbolic. The sword represents his teacher’s hopes that he would become upright and powerful, but it has also become the instrument of his increasingly ruthless path.
• Cui Yuan’s confidence grows after defeating large numbers of opponents, yet his encounter with Du Chengfeng exposes the limits of his understanding and possibly the danger of his overconfidence.
• Du Chengfeng appears calm, perceptive, and highly skilled. Though he presents himself as a sword sharpener, he can quickly analyze weapon quality and sword techniques. His heavy saber possesses overwhelming Killing Intent, suggesting that his true combat ability is far greater than he initially reveals.
• Du Chengfeng also views Cui Yuan with a mixture of disbelief, irritation, and concern, recognizing that Cui Yuan is not merely influenced by a murderous weapon—he actively controls and exploits it.

Significant Themes

• Obsession versus humanity: Cui Yuan’s pursuit of strength has consumed his moral judgment, raising the question of whether his dedication is admirable discipline or madness.
• The meaning of a weapon: Wind-Riding embodies the teacher’s ideals, but its history becomes distorted as Cui Yuan uses it to kill increasingly powerful opponents.
• Trauma and self-mastery: Cui Yuan believes every victory cuts through the fear left by his childhood, suggesting that his violence is an attempt to conquer psychological wounds.
• Strength and identity: Cui Yuan defines himself through combat and seeks to become “unmatched beneath heaven.” His worth, confidence, and sense of purpose all depend on proving superiority over stronger opponents.
• Appearance versus reality: Cui Yuan seems polite and rational in daily life, yet his behavior reveals profound instability. Likewise, Du Chengfeng appears to be a simple sharpener but possesses formidable hidden strength.
• The danger of certainty: Cui Yuan interprets every victory as proof of progress, but the broken blade at the end suggests that his assumptions—and perhaps his entire understanding of the duel—may be mistaken.

Character Interactions

• Cui Yuan and his teacher: Their farewell established the ideals and emotional wound guiding Cui Yuan’s life. The teacher’s blessing and departure motivated Cui Yuan’s relentless training.
• Cui Yuan and his past opponents: He treats them as tests rather than enemies, killing them without personal hatred or grievance. This detachment emphasizes his disturbing belief that slaughter is merely cultivation.
• Cui Yuan and the martial community: His disregard for conventional rules turns other saber wielders against him, leading to the mass attack that he answers with overwhelming violence.
• Cui Yuan and Liu Qingyun: Their future confrontation is presented as the decisive test of Cui Yuan’s life. Liu is simultaneously a legendary opponent, a symbol of childhood fear, and the man responsible for his parents’ deaths.
• Cui Yuan and Du Chengfeng: Their encounter begins with Du Chengfeng sharpening Wind-Riding but escalates into a serious duel. Cui Yuan is thrilled to meet a powerful opponent, while Du Chengfeng remains composed and evasive. The damaged sword at the end strongly suggests that Du Chengfeng concealed the true power of his saber and that the battle’s outcome is not what Cui Yuan believes.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng discovers he's stronger than he thought after defeating a skilled swordsman with one stroke.
• Cui Yuan, the defeated swordsman, is devastated when his master-gifted sword, 'Wind-Riding', is cut in two by Du Chengfeng.
• Cui Yuan becomes emotionally unstable and begs Du Chengfeng to kill him.
• Du Chengfeng, after some thought, decides not to kill Cui Yuan and instead advises him to consider the sword's breakage as part of his cultivation journey.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Realizes his hidden strength and decides to explore new paths in his cultivation.
• Cui Yuan: Experiences a crisis of confidence and emotional breakdown after his sword breaks, but receives guidance from Du Chengfeng to reflect on his cultivation.

Significant Themes

• The importance of self-discovery and understanding one's true strength.
• The impact of loss and failure on an individual's mental state.
• The concept of 'cultivation' as a journey of growth and adaptation.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng and Cui Yuan: Du Chengfeng initially intends to kill Cui Yuan but ultimately decides to help him overcome his emotional crisis, demonstrating a shift in his character from a pacifist to a more empathetic and guiding figure.
• Du Chengfeng and Yang Sanlang (mentioned): Du Chengfeng compares Cui Yuan's situation to that of Yang Sanlang, another individual who experienced a mental breakdown, suggesting a pattern of emotional instability among those around him.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng wakes up at night, inspired by Cui Yuan's relentless sword practice.
• He decides to 'polish' himself by swinging a heavy saber, mimicking Fatty Yang's technique.
• He then attempts to 'polish' a spiked war hammer by wiping it with deerskin, immersing himself in the life story of its former owner, a grassland warrior.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: He gains a new perspective on self-improvement, inspired by Cui Yuan's dedication. He begins to 'polish' himself and weapons through physical actions, rather than traditional methods.
• Cui Yuan (mentioned): His relentless sword practice serves as an inspiration for Du Chengfeng.
• Fatty Yang (mentioned): His technique of chopping pig heads with a single stroke influences Du Chengfeng's approach to 'polishing' himself.

Significant Themes

• Perseverance: Du Chengfeng is inspired by Cui Yuan's dedication to daily practice, highlighting the importance of perseverance in self-improvement.
• Transformation through action: Du Chengfeng's 'polishing' method emphasizes the idea that physical actions can lead to personal growth and understanding.
• The life of a weapon: Du Chengfeng's experience with the spiked war hammer explores the history and stories embedded in objects, reflecting the lives of those who used them.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng interacts with the memories and techniques of Cui Yuan and Fatty Yang, learning from their experiences and incorporating them into his own 'polishing' process.
• Du Chengfeng also connects with the former owner of the spiked war hammer through his imagination, understanding the warrior's life and desires.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng spends a night polishing war hammers and maces, gaining insights into weapon maintenance and the warriors who used them.
• He learns about the loyalty and fervor of the Northern Desert Grasslands warriors towards Hexi Qing.
• Du Chengfeng realizes he needs to improve his strength faster to face Hexi Qing.
• Yang Xuan brings Du Chengfeng a long saber that once belonged to Swift Blade Liu Qingyun, who was killed by a single sword strike from Cui Yuan.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng gains a deeper understanding of his enemy, Hexi Qing, and the enemy's army. He also discovers new methods to temper his body and improve his combat strength.
• Du Chengfeng's desire to face Hexi Qing grows stronger, but he also feels the pressure of facing such a powerful enemy.

Significant Themes

• The importance of understanding one's enemy and their weapons.
• The need for continuous self-improvement and tempering to face stronger opponents.
• The power of loyalty and fervor in an army.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng interacts with the weapons he's polishing, gaining insights into their former users.
• Du Chengfeng has a brief internal struggle with his desire to kill and see blood, which he suppresses.
• Du Chengfeng interacts with Yang Xuan, who brings him a valuable saber.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng remembers Liu Qingyun, a renowned blade fighter.
• Du Chengfeng sharpens a blade and recalls Liu Qingyun's past.
• Liu Qingyun obtains a long blade and becomes a blade fighter.
• Liu Qingyun encounters horse bandits and develops his unique blade-drawing technique, Tiger-and-Dragon Two Forms.
• Liu Qingyun is challenged by Cui Yuan, a swordsman seeking revenge.
• Cui Yuan defeats Liu Qingyun due to his faster sword-drawing speed.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Recalls past events and gains insight into other sharpeners.
• Liu Qingyun: Develops his blade-drawing technique and gains recognition as a blade fighter, but ultimately falls to Cui Yuan.

Significant Themes

• The bond between a martial artist and their weapon.
• The importance of speed and technique in combat.
• The consequences of underestimating one's opponent.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng and Liu Qingyun: Du Chengfeng learns about Liu Qingyun's past and his defeat at the hands of Cui Yuan.
• Liu Qingyun and Cui Yuan: Liu Qingyun underestimates Cui Yuan and pays the ultimate price for it.

Chapter Summary

Plot and Key Events

• At midnight, Du Chengfeng rises and practices the saber art “Tiger-and-Dragon Two Forms” with the long saber Broken Horse.
• He reflects on the technique’s principle: the spine alternates between contraction and expansion, turning force from the feet into the power of a saber strike.
• He recalls several techniques based on this principle, including:
  • Tiger Leap, which allows a rapid advance of five paces.
  • Flying Dragon Blade, which extends the reach of an upward slash.
  • Dragon-Form Great Cleave, an exceptionally powerful downward strike.
• Du realizes that Liu Qingyun could not perform Dragon-Form Great Cleave because Broken Horse’s excessive length made it likely to shatter under the force of the attack. Liu had therefore abandoned the technique rather than replace his long saber.
• Du believes this decision reflects Liu Qingyun’s cautious, hesitant nature and may have contributed to his eventual death in a duel.
• He compares Liu with the swordsman Cui Yuan, whose ruthless determination allowed him to control the killing intent of his sword and prepare himself fully for life-and-death battles.
• While examining the newly sharpened Broken Horse, Du notices that its memories of slaughter and sharpening are unusually obscured or absent.
• He concludes that this was not caused by sharpening itself, since his own sharpening does not erase a weapon’s memories. Instead, the previous craftsman must have used a fundamentally different method.
• By studying the marks left on the blade under the moonlight, Du attempts to reconstruct that method. He finally senses an image of a bowl of ink and an inkstone.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng continues developing his understanding of saber techniques, moving beyond simply using Broken Horse to analyzing its history and construction.
• He displays increasing insight into Liu Qingyun’s strengths and weaknesses, particularly the way excessive caution can become fatal during a decisive battle.
• Du’s ability to perceive memories through weapons is shown to be more sophisticated: he can now infer hidden events not directly revealed through ordinary memory impressions.
• Liu Qingyun is portrayed as talented and accomplished but indecisive. His choice to preserve the advantages of his long saber over pursuing Dragon-Form Great Cleave reveals both strategic wisdom and a fatal reluctance to commit.
• Cui Yuan is established as Liu’s opposite: extreme and possibly mad, but possessing the willpower to dominate his weapon’s murderous nature.

Significant Themes

• Caution versus decisiveness: Prudence may be valuable in ordinary life, but hesitation in a life-or-death duel can lead directly to defeat.
• Weapon and wielder: A weapon’s length, strength, history, and killing intent all shape the techniques its owner can use.
• The price of specialization: Broken Horse grants extraordinary reach but prevents the use of the most powerful cleaving technique.
• Memory and concealment: Weapons retain traces of their past, yet those memories can be obscured or altered by different sharpening methods.
• Limits and sacrifice: Liu Qingyun’s decision to abandon Dragon-Form Great Cleave shows how choosing one advantage often means surrendering another path to mastery.

Character Interactions

• There is no direct conversation between characters in the chapter, but Du Chengfeng engages deeply with the legacies of Liu Qingyun and Cui Yuan.
• His comparison of the two men becomes a moral and strategic judgment: Liu represents caution and compromise, while Cui Yuan represents overwhelming will and decisive commitment.
• Du’s interaction with Broken Horse is central; through handling, sharpening, and observing the blade, he gradually uncovers clues about its concealed past and the unknown sharpening craftsman.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng witnesses an unusual blade-sharpening method using ink, an inkstone, and recitation.
• He tries to replicate the process with a heavy broadsword, using random inscriptions and reciting a poem himself.
• The broadsword's edge improves and even seems to heal minor damage, defying normal blade-sharpening principles.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Becomes more curious and open-minded about unconventional methods, even when they defy his understanding.

Significant Themes

• Unorthodox methods can yield unexpected results.
• The power of words and recitation.
• The relationship between a warrior and their weapon.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng interacts with the heavy broadsword, treating it as a partner and considering its needs (e.g., using wine instead of a book for the final step).

Chapter Summary: “Wine Does Not Intoxicate”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng, who normally avoids alcohol because it gives him headaches and affects his judgment, realizes he needs liquor for his great saber rather than for drinking.
• Because he has no suitable alcohol at home, he visits Carpenter Li late at night to borrow some. Carpenter Li provides several jugs of cheap, locally stored liquor and accompanies Du Chengfeng, assuming he intends to drown his worries.
• Du Chengfeng cooks two dishes, drinks with Carpenter Li beneath the moon, and briefly relaxes from the pressure of his impending battle with Hexi Qing.
• He pours an entire jug of liquor over his great saber. The weapon’s terrifying Killing Intent appears to quiet, though Carpenter Li senses that the danger has merely been contained and is gathering beneath the surface.
• Carpenter Li becomes drunk after only a few cups but uses the opportunity to ask why Du Chengfeng is so convinced the Hu people will attack and why he refuses to seek help.
• Du Chengfeng explains that the Yang family and other ordinary people cannot assist in a battle of his level. Worse, Hexi Qing can grow stronger by killing, meaning civilians could become fuel for his power.
• Carpenter Li suggests that Du Chengfeng seek help from Commander Liu, who has governed Jizhou for many years and may know how to deal with the Hu threat.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: His outward calm is shown to conceal deep fear and uncertainty about facing Hexi Qing. He recognizes that preparing his saber may reflect a lack of confidence, comparing himself to Liu Qingyun before a past duel. Drinking and spending time with Carpenter Li briefly ease his tension, reminding him that his life still contains warmth and companionship.
• Carpenter Li: He demonstrates genuine loyalty by opening his home in the middle of the night and sharing his liquor. Though an ordinary craftsman who fears Du Chengfeng’s saber, his trust in Du Chengfeng gradually overcomes that fear. His drunken suggestion that Du Chengfeng consult Commander Liu shows practical concern and unexpected insight.
• Hexi Qing: Though absent, he remains a powerful threat. His ability to strengthen himself by killing makes him especially dangerous and prevents Du Chengfeng from relying on allies or civilians.

Significant Themes

• Fear beneath composure: Even those who appear calm may be preparing for the possibility of failure or death.
• Self-reliance versus seeking aid: Du Chengfeng believes the coming battle is beyond the reach of ordinary people, while Carpenter Li argues that experienced authority figures such as Commander Liu may offer assistance.
• Friendship and ordinary comfort: A simple night of food, drink, and conversation provides Du Chengfeng with emotional relief amid overwhelming danger.
• Weapons and inner state: The liquor softens the saber’s outward Killing Intent without eliminating its danger, symbolizing how tension can be suppressed without truly disappearing.
• The cost of power: Hexi Qing’s ability to gain strength through killing turns other people into potential victims and highlights the destructive consequences of unchecked strength.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng and Carpenter Li share a warm, brotherly relationship built on trust and mutual concern.
• Carpenter Li initially misunderstands Du Chengfeng’s purpose, thinking he wants to drink away his troubles, but later realizes the liquor is meant to temper or sharpen the saber.
• During their conversation, Carpenter Li challenges Du Chengfeng’s isolation and encourages him to seek help from Commander Liu, introducing a possible new direction for Du Chengfeng’s preparations.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng, having learned about the impending Hu invasion, attempts to warn Commander Liu, the governor of Jizhou.
• He is initially dismissed by the guards at the Commander's residence due to the frequency of such warnings.
• Du Chengfeng presents the Hu commander's axe as evidence, but the guards are frightened and retreat.
• Commander Liu is not present, and the grinding craftsmen are also absent.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Shows initiative and responsibility by trying to warn the commander about the impending invasion. He also demonstrates his skills and knowledge in weapon crafting and intelligence gathering.
• Commander Liu: Absent from the scene, but his reputation and status are established. His soldiers' behavior suggests he may not be the iron-blooded general Du Chengfeng expected.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility and Initiative: Du Chengfeng takes it upon himself to warn the commander, showing responsibility and initiative, while the soldiers at the Commander's residence seem to lack these qualities.
• Trust and Communication: The lack of trust and communication between Du Chengfeng and the soldiers at the Commander's residence hinders the transmission of crucial information.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng and the Commander's residence guards: Du Chengfeng tries to convey vital information, but the guards dismiss him due to the frequency of such warnings and their own fear of the Hu commander's axe.
• Du Chengfeng and Yang Xuan: Yang Xuan seeks Du Chengfeng's help in a matter involving a weapon, leading to a potential exchange of ideas between Du Chengfeng and the Commander's residence grinding craftsman.

Chapter Summary: “Recruitment”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Through Yang Xuan’s introduction, Du Chengfeng meets Commander Liu and the Wang-surnamed sharpening craftsman, both of whom have come to his courtyard.
• Commander Liu first attempts to recruit Du Chengfeng into the Jizhou army, recognizing his rare talent for sharpening weapons. Du Chengfeng politely refuses, sensing a subtle distance and lack of trust between them.
• Commander Liu then explains that he has come to claim the Broken Horse saber. Since the saber was originally a military weapon and its former owner, Liu Qingyun, is dead, the Governor’s Office believes it should no longer remain in private hands.
• The Wang craftsman adds a personal demand: the saber was sharpened by his master, Ruan Shantao, and allegedly contains secrets of their lineage. He asks Du Chengfeng to surrender it.
• Rather than give up the saber, Du Chengfeng presents a Hu-style great axe obtained from Hexi Xuan, believing the weapon’s origins and history will reveal the seriousness of the coming threat to Jizhou.
• Du Chengfeng discovers that the Wang craftsman cannot perceive a weapon’s past through its sharpening marks. This ability appears to be unique to Du Chengfeng rather than a normal skill among sharpening craftsmen.
• The Wang craftsman challenges Du Chengfeng to identify the history of his sword. Because the sword has never drawn blood, Du Chengfeng cannot use his special ability to read it.
• When the craftsman mocks him, Du Chengfeng nearly attacks, realizing he could kill both visitors quickly.
• Commander Liu intervenes—but instead of merely calming the situation, he suddenly kills the Wang craftsman by stabbing him in the throat with the very sword the craftsman had thrown down.
• Commander Liu then hands Du Chengfeng the bloodstained sword, telling him that it has now “seen blood” and can be sharpened.

2. Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng remains independent and cautious. He refuses military service because he does not trust the relationship or believe the army would be a reliable ally. He also shows that he values the Broken Horse saber as an essential weapon against the coming Hu cavalry threat.
• Du Chengfeng’s confidence in the uniqueness of his ability is shaken when he learns that other sharpening craftsmen cannot perceive weapon histories. He also reveals a dangerous, increasingly instinctive side when provoked, nearly resorting to violence.
• Commander Liu initially appears refined, courteous, and respectful toward talented individuals. His sudden execution of the Wang craftsman exposes a ruthless and unpredictable nature beneath that polished exterior.
• The Wang craftsman is portrayed as proud and defensive. He invokes his master’s lineage to pressure Du Chengfeng, but his skepticism and mockery ultimately lead to his death.
• Du Chengfeng gains a clearer understanding that his weapon-related ability is extraordinary and possibly unprecedented.

3. Significant Themes

• Power beneath appearances: Commander Liu and the Wang craftsman look like elegant scholars rather than soldiers, yet Commander Liu demonstrates terrifying decisiveness and violence.
• Independence versus political alliance: Du Chengfeng rejects the apparent advantages of serving Commander Liu, believing a poorly matched ally may be more dangerous than an enemy.
• Hidden abilities and exceptional identity: Du Chengfeng’s capacity to read a weapon’s history distinguishes him from ordinary craftsmen and suggests that his path is unique.
• Violence as a tool of authority: Commander Liu resolves a dispute through immediate execution, showing that political power can transform a minor disagreement into a matter of life and death.
• Weapons as carriers of history: A blade’s bloodshed, sharpening, and past use are treated as meaningful sources of knowledge. The newly bloodied sword now becomes something Du Chengfeng can potentially examine and understand.
• Impending catastrophe: The Hu-style axe serves as evidence of a broader threat approaching Jizhou, though the visitors fail to recognize its significance.

4. Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng and Yang Xuan: They silently compare themselves with the two elegant visitors, emphasizing the social and visual gap between them and the Governor’s representatives.
• Du Chengfeng and Commander Liu: Their exchange is polite but guarded. Liu offers military service, while Du Chengfeng declines without open confrontation. Their interaction reveals mutual assessment and underlying distrust.
• Du Chengfeng and the Wang craftsman: Their discussion begins as a possible meeting between fellow craftsmen but deteriorates when the Wang craftsman dismisses Du Chengfeng’s claims and challenges him publicly.
• Du Chengfeng and Commander Liu during the confrontation: Du Chengfeng nearly attacks, but Liu acts first and kills his own companion. By presenting the bloodied sword to Du Chengfeng, Liu turns the execution into both a demonstration of power and a test of Du Chengfeng’s extraordinary skill.

Chapter Summary: The Imperial Ceremonial Class Sword

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng receives and sharpens a bloodstained imperial Ceremonial Class Sword, after Wang Gaocheng is killed by Commander Liu.
• While sharpening it, Du Chengfeng perceives the sword’s history: it was an exquisitely crafted blade made in a large batch by the Great Chen court to reward newly appointed officials. Though beautiful and symbolically martial, such swords were usually ceremonial and rarely used.
• The chapter recounts Wang Gaocheng’s background. A scholar and disciple of Ruan Shantao, he was unexpectedly assigned to accompany the army to the dangerous Jizhou frontier.
• Wang initially resents the assignment, but his teacher harshly insists that scholarship means serving the nation rather than pursuing comfort and prestige.
• At Jizhou, Wang is secretly tasked with monitoring Commander Liu and becomes close friends with him. However, he spends more time discussing philosophy than maintaining the army’s weapons.
• Believing Commander Liu to be an idle, refined gentleman, Wang assumes the commander lacks ambition and military capability. He decides to take Liu’s prized Broken Horse saber as a gift.
• Wang confronts Du Chengfeng at Yang Family Fort and challenges his claim that sharpening weapons allows him to perceive their experiences. Du sharpens Wang’s sword and, through the blade, recognizes the truth behind Wang’s situation.
• Commander Liu suddenly kills Wang by stabbing him through the neck. Wang dies believing he acted for Liu’s benefit.
• Du realizes that Commander Liu had likely manipulated Wang from the beginning and deliberately allowed him to become complacent and useless. Liu’s apparent refinement and weakness were largely an act.
• After Wang’s death, Liu asks Du to take over responsibility for the army’s equipment. Du refuses to serve directly in the army, sensing something familiar and dangerous in Liu.
• Liu instead offers Du a private contract to maintain military equipment for the Commander’s Office. Since this arrangement preserves Du’s independence and offers significant benefits, Du accepts—or at least can no longer find a reason to refuse.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Remains detached and pragmatic about violence, showing that his past slaughter of Hu warriors has made ordinary killing seem insignificant. His ability to read a sword’s history reveals more of his unusual powers and deepens his understanding of people through their weapons. He also becomes more wary of Commander Liu and firmly protects his independence.
• Commander Liu: Is revealed to be far more calculating and capable than he appears. His cultivated image as an idle, scholarly gentleman conceals his awareness of political threats and his willingness to eliminate liabilities. He treats Wang’s death strategically, planning to portray it as a heroic death against the Hu so Wang’s family can gain honor.
• Wang Gaocheng: Develops from a proud but frightened scholar into a misguided frontier official. Despite his formal duty as a military inspector and sharpening artisan, he is complacent, idealistic, and easily deceived by Liu’s flattery. His failure to understand Liu ultimately leads to his death.
• Ruan Shantao: Though absent, he is characterized as a stern, uncompromising teacher who believes scholarship must serve the nation, even if that means sending his disciple into danger.
• Yang Xuan: Acts as Du’s subordinate and follows his practical orders, including arranging the cleanup after Wang’s death.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Ceremonial swords, scholarly manners, and refined reputations conceal practical truths. Liu appears weak but is politically shrewd, while Wang appears learned but fails to understand the realities around him.
• The conflict between ideals and duty: Wang believes scholarship promises comfort and status, while Ruan Shantao insists that true learning requires service and sacrifice.
• Political control of the military: The court’s use of sharpening artisans as inspectors reflects its fear of both weak and overly powerful frontier armies.
• Usefulness versus ornament: The ceremonial sword represents prestige without practical purpose, contrasting with Du’s focus on weapons that are genuinely useful.
• Perception through objects: Du’s sharpening ability allows him to uncover the history and emotional truth attached to swords, making weapons a means of understanding people and hidden events.
• Independence and distrust of power: Du refuses direct service under Liu because he senses a dangerous similarity between Liu and other powerful figures. He prefers an arrangement that gives him material benefits without placing him under the commander’s control.

Important Character Interactions

• Du and Wang: Their confrontation begins as a dispute over Du’s abilities and Wang’s authority. Wang mocks Du’s claim to read a sword’s past, but Du’s sharpening exposes Wang’s mistaken understanding of Liu.
• Wang and Commander Liu: Their friendship is based on mutual appearances rather than genuine equality. Wang believes Liu is a fellow refined gentleman, while Liu uses Wang’s trust and complacency to control and ultimately dispose of him.
• Du and Commander Liu: Their exchange after Wang’s death becomes a cautious negotiation. Liu recognizes Du’s talent and tries to recruit him, but Du senses hidden danger and refuses direct military service. Their relationship is marked by mutual calculation and guarded respect.
• Wang and Ruan Shantao: Their earlier confrontation establishes the chapter’s central debate over scholarship. Wang seeks protection and comfort, but his teacher responds with violence and demands that he fulfill his duty.

Chapter Summary: “The Mindset of a Madman”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng reflects on Commander Liu’s decision to kill Wang Gaocheng, realizing that Liu had been secretly preparing to launch an unauthorized campaign against the Hu.
• Commander Liu’s strategy is essentially: if the Hu can invade southward, Jizhou should be willing to fight northward and seize advantages before the court can interfere.
• Wang Gaocheng was killed because his incompetence delayed the preparations and made Liu fear that the imperial court had discovered his plans.
• Du asks whether Liu truly believes that Du can perceive a weapon’s memories while sharpening it. Liu replies that belief is irrelevant: Du’s information helped, but Liu alone made the decision.
• Du gains a higher opinion of Liu, recognizing that despite his reckless ideas, Liu may become a valuable commander if Hexi Qing attacks.
• With access to the Jizhou Governor’s Office arsenal, Du prepares to polish the weapons and uncover the killing arts and memories embedded within them. He exercises, bathes, and sleeps to restore his strength before beginning.
• Meanwhile, Yang Family Fort panics after learning that Du has established a relationship with Commander Liu. Du will now likely work directly for the Governor’s Office, leaving the Yang family with little benefit from hosting him.
• Yang Sanlang argues that the family must recover their ancestral treasured saber before Du leaves with it. Though considered insane by the clan, his warning exposes the family’s precarious position.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Becomes more perceptive about Commander Liu’s motives and begins to respect Liu’s decisiveness. He remains cautious, believing that in a real battle he must ultimately rely on his own strength. His confidence increases now that he has access to a large supply of weapons to polish.
• Commander Liu: Reveals himself as bold, politically calculating, and willing to act independently of the imperial court. He accepts responsibility for his decisions rather than hiding behind Du’s information.
• Yang Sanlang: His supposed madness appears increasingly rational. He identifies the danger of allowing Du to leave with the Yang Clan’s ancestral saber and insists that recovering it is essential, regardless of the personal cost.
• Yang Family Clan: The family’s confidence collapses when they realize Du’s alliance with Commander Liu undermines their plans to profit from his presence. They also recognize that they may lose their most valuable possession without gaining anything in return.

Significant Themes

• Madness versus rationality: Commander Liu and Yang Sanlang are both labeled “mad,” yet their extreme viewpoints may be more practical and clear-sighted than the cautious or self-serving behavior of others.
• Independence and responsibility: Commander Liu refuses to blame Du for his actions, emphasizing that he alone is responsible for choosing to challenge the court’s policies.
• Power and political alignment: Du’s connection to the Governor’s Office shifts the balance of power and threatens the Yang family’s plans.
• Tradition and possession: The ancestral saber represents the Yang Clan’s identity, authority, and future. Its possible loss exposes how dependent the family has become on an outsider.
• Unorthodox knowledge: Du’s ability to access weapon memories through sharpening stands outside conventional martial practice, raising questions about whether unfamiliar methods must be believed before they can be useful.

Important Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng and Commander Liu: Their conversation establishes mutual respect. Du questions Liu’s trust in his supernatural information, while Liu stresses that he makes his own judgments.
• Du Chengfeng and the Yang Family: Though Du does not directly appear in the clan’s discussion, his growing relationship with Commander Liu threatens to sever the Yang family’s control over him.
• Yang Sanlang and the Yang Clan: Sanlang confronts the clan’s complacency, accusing them of surrendering their future to an outsider and demanding that they reclaim the ancestral saber at any cost.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng, a skilled fighter, is awakened in the middle of the night by Yang Sanlang, a young man seeking his clan's ancestral blade.
• Yang Sanlang begs Du Chengfeng to return the blade, even offering his life, but Du Chengfeng refuses.
• Disheartened, Yang Sanlang attempts suicide but fails. He then finds an old curved blade in the mud, reminiscent of his ancestors' weapons.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: He remains calm and assertive, refusing to be manipulated or coerced. He believes in earning respect through one's actions, not words.
• Yang Sanlang: Initially impulsive and desperate, Yang Sanlang experiences a crisis of confidence. After failing to take his own life, he finds renewed determination, symbolized by the discovery of the old curved blade.

Significant Themes

• Respect Earned Through Action: Du Chengfeng believes one must prove their worth through deeds, not empty words or titles.
• Legacy and Ancestral Pride: Yang Sanlang's struggle to live up to his ancestors' legacy and the Yang Clan's reputation drives his actions.
• Redemption and Second Chances: Yang Sanlang's failure and subsequent discovery of the old blade suggest a chance at redemption and a new beginning.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng and Yang Sanlang: Their interaction is tense and confrontational, with Du Chengfeng refusing to yield to Yang Sanlang's pleas. However, Du Chengfeng's words push Yang Sanlang to reassess his actions and find a new path.
• Yang Sanlang and His Ancestors: Though not physically present, Yang Sanlang's ancestors serve as a driving force for his actions and a source of inspiration, represented by the discovery of the old curved blade.

Chapter Summary: “Jizhou Arsenal”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng learns that Yang Family Fort’s ancestral hall burned down during a rainstorm, an incident he finds suspicious but chooses not to investigate.
• He prepares to begin work at the Ji Town Governor’s Office as an outsourced weapons sharpener. Excited by the prospect of accessing Jizhou’s vast arsenal, he reminds himself to control his emotions and avoid being overwhelmed by the weapons’ killing intent.
• He leaves his greatsword soaking in wine for several more days, following the mysterious instinct that tells him this is necessary, and carries lighter weapons for protection.
• On the road, Du encounters starving highway robbers led by a hunter he previously humiliated by stealing his trousers. When the robbers attack, Du instinctively uses the body method from the Dragon-Form Great Cleave and kills their leader with a single slap.
• The remaining bandits flee, but Du pursues and captures them. Rather than punish them, he claims they have “turned over a new leaf” and brings them to the Governor’s Office, where they are recruited as laborers for the weapons workshop. Du is rewarded with five hundred cash coins.
• At the Governor’s Office, Commander Liu urgently takes Du to the arsenal. He explains that Wang Gaocheng neglected his duties while drawing his salary, leaving serious problems within the arsenal.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng: Shows increasing confidence in his martial abilities. His instinctive use of the Dragon-Form technique reveals that his physical strength and combat instincts are developing rapidly, perhaps beyond what Liu Qingyun originally intended. Despite his power, Du remains practical and compassionate, choosing rehabilitation over killing when dealing with the starving bandits.
• Commander Liu: Appears unusually anxious and angry, suggesting that the arsenal’s condition is more serious than Du expected. His hostility toward Wang Gaocheng becomes clear.
• The bandit leader: Revealed to be a former hunter who has fallen into banditry through poverty and desperation. His hostility toward Du stems from their previous encounter, but his circumstances also highlight the social collapse in Jizhou.
• Wang Gaocheng: Though absent, he is characterized as corrupt and negligent for collecting pay without fulfilling his responsibilities.

Significant Themes

• Lawlessness and poverty: The starving bandits, wooden weapons, and casual human trafficking-like treatment of prisoners reflect Jizhou’s disorder and hardship.
• Power and restraint: Du’s growing strength is dangerous, but he actively tries to remain calm and avoid being consumed by killing intent.
• Compassion amid chaos: Du treats the bandits as desperate people rather than irredeemable criminals, helping place them in productive work.
• Institutional corruption: Wang Gaocheng’s negligence has created a crisis in the arsenal, suggesting that governmental failure is contributing to Jizhou’s instability.
• Mystery and foreshadowing: The ancestral hall’s impossible fire and the unusual behavior of Du’s greatsword hint at hidden supernatural or political developments.

Character Interactions

• Du questions Carpenter Li about the fire at Yang Family Fort.
• He confronts the hunter-turned-bandit, who recognizes him and attacks out of resentment.
• Du captures the bandits and negotiates their transfer to the Governor’s Office, presenting them as reformed workers.
• The Governor’s Office soldiers reward Du and take custody of the bandits.
• Commander Liu meets Du with urgency and anger, immediately leading him toward the arsenal and revealing the consequences of Wang Gaocheng’s neglect.

Chapter Summary: “An Aberration in the Arsenal”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jizhou Arsenal lies beneath the Governor’s Office and is normally accessible only to the chief armorer. This restriction exists because arsenals accumulate dangerous Killing Intent, which can infect people and drive them into violent madness.
• Commander Liu recounts the disaster at Youzhou, where the chief armorer disappeared. After roughly seven or eight days, the Governor opened the arsenal and was corrupted by Killing Intent, transforming into a monster who slaughtered half the Governor’s Office and destroyed Youzhou’s defenses.
• The resulting chaos allowed grassland forces to invade and seize Youzhou.
• In response, arsenals were rebuilt underground, divided into separate chambers, and placed under the supervision of court-appointed chief armorers. However, the true cause of the arsenals’ abnormalities remains unknown.
• Du Chengfeng questions how sealed, unused weapons could accumulate such immense Killing Intent. Commander Liu suggests that the Youzhou chief armorer may have been wrongly blamed and that an unknown aberration may be responsible.
• Commander Liu stops before Jia-Character No. 7 Armory, warning Du Chengfeng to retreat immediately if he cannot suppress the danger. Du Chengfeng proceeds alone.
• The Killing Intent becomes increasingly intense, carrying the scent of blood and seeming even more powerful than that of Du Chengfeng’s battle-tested saber.
• Upon entering the armory, Du Chengfeng is surprised to find that the weapon producing the ominous aura appears to have no Killing Intent at all.
• He selects the object that draws his attention: an old general’s banner.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng demonstrates both caution and growing confidence. He understands the risks of weapon-induced madness but is also excited by the prospect of gaining something valuable from an exceptionally dangerous weapon.
• His ability to sense Killing Intent allows him to recognize that the aura in the armory is abnormal and does not correspond to the weapon’s apparent history.
• Commander Liu is shown to be knowledgeable about the dangers of arsenals but not immune to them. He sensibly withdraws rather than risk becoming corrupted and entrusts the investigation to Du Chengfeng.
• The chapter also reassesses the reputation of Youzhou’s chief armorer, suggesting that he may have been a scapegoat rather than the perpetrator of the disaster.

Significant Themes

• The danger of Killing Intent: Weapons retain or generate a baleful force capable of corrupting minds and causing mass slaughter.
• The limits of human understanding: Authorities have established safety procedures after the Youzhou disaster but still do not know what causes arsenals to become abnormal.
• Institutional control and blame: The imperial court’s decision to appoint all chief armorers reflects both a security response and a means of tightening control over frontier military forces.
• Curiosity versus danger: Du Chengfeng willingly approaches a potentially deadly mystery because greater danger may bring greater power or reward.
• Hidden threats and appearances: The most dangerous presence in the armory does not appear to be the weapon with the greatest visible Killing Intent, suggesting that the true aberration may be concealed.

Character Interactions

• Commander Liu explains the history of the Youzhou catastrophe to Du Chengfeng while escorting him through the underground passage.
• Du Chengfeng challenges Liu’s explanation by pointing out the inconsistency between sealed weapons and the Killing Intent they possess.
• Their exchange leads Liu to reconsider the official version of events and acknowledge that the chief armorer may have been unjustly blamed.
• At the armory entrance, Liu cautions Du Chengfeng to prioritize survival, while Du Chengfeng confidently accepts the risk and enters alone.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Du Chengfeng finds an old Phoenix command banner in the Jizhou Arsenal and decides to sharpen its spearhead.
• While doing so, he discovers the banner dates back to the ancient Great Chu dynasty, before Great Yu and the current Great Chen.
• The banner once belonged to Long Yan, the defender of Yuyang, a legendary Great Chu general known for unmatched bravery.
• Long Yan, frustrated by an era of peace that offered him no battlefield worthy of his ambition, launched an unauthorized campaign into the grasslands.
• His Chu army initially overwhelmed the grasslanders, but the Northern Desert Royal Court countered with superior tactics. Rather than fight Long Yan directly, their cavalry bypassed him and slaughtered the soldiers following behind.
• Long Yan eventually found himself alone. Although he realized the campaign’s strategic error, he was impaled by five cavalry lances, and Yuyang fell with him.
• The Phoenix Banner was taken as spoils, later recovered when Great Yu reclaimed the region, and eventually stored and forgotten in the Jizhou Arsenal.
• After sharpening it, Du Chengfeng realizes the powerful Killing Intent he sensed did not come from the banner alone, but from the combined presence of every weapon in the arsenal.
• Despite its general’s death and its years of neglect, the banner still retains an unbroken desire to gather troops and return to battle.

Character Developments

• Du Chengfeng demonstrates practical ingenuity by treating the banner’s spearhead as something that can be sharpened, but he also becomes increasingly perceptive about the weapon’s history and spiritual presence.
• His initial suspicion that the banner might relate to a rebellion is corrected as he uncovers its true ancient origin.
• Long Yan is portrayed as a heroic but dangerously aggressive general. His courage and martial strength are extraordinary, yet his ambition and inability to adapt to changing circumstances lead to disaster.
• Long Yan’s fate reveals that personal valor cannot compensate for poor strategy or reckless military objectives.

Significant Themes

• Courage versus strategy: Long Yan’s bravery allows him to break enemy lines, but his army collapses because he fails to protect his troops and understand the enemy’s tactics.
• The cost of ambition: His desire for glory and promotion drives him to invade without necessity, resulting in the destruction of his army and the loss of Yuyang.
• Weapons as vessels of memory and will: The Phoenix Banner preserves the spirit of its former purpose, retaining its Killing Intent and longing for battle even after centuries of abandonment.
• The dangers of outdated traditions: Great Chu’s wildfire-style warfare once brought repeated victories, but its aggressive doctrine becomes a liability against evasive cavalry tactics.
• Glory and death: The chapter emphasizes that the triumph of one celebrated general may rest upon the deaths of countless ordinary soldiers.

Character Interactions

• Du Chengfeng interacts primarily with the Phoenix Banner and the arsenal’s weapons, gradually recognizing that they possess more than historical value.
• Long Yan’s relationship with his soldiers is defined by his role as a vanguard: he charges ahead, expecting them to follow, but his isolation exposes the danger of a commander whose valor separates him from his army.
• The grassland cavalry deliberately avoid confronting Long Yan directly, instead attacking the troops behind him. Their tactical interaction with him highlights the contrast between individual strength and coordinated warfare.