Chapter Summaries

Zhou An left the search for the mysterious man to the Demon Suppression Division and spent the day forging concealed armor, a saber, and a small Frying Pan. The chapter ended with Division Magistrate Zhang’s team uncovering a suspicious clue in their records.

• Zhou An suggested that Division Magistrate Zhang investigate the mysterious man’s wives and concubines, including Feng Ye, but declined to join the search himself.
• Zhou An returned to the yamen with Yu Hang, then resumed practicing the Butchering Ox Technique while Ye Shuang told him the Demon Suppression Division was investigating Clear Stream Village.
• Zhou An visited Zhao Blacksmith and forged soft armor, a black iron saber, and a palm-sized Frying Pan, each gaining a ten-percent boost through Fusion +1.
• Zhou An practiced with his new equipment and raised the Butchering Ox Technique to 1882/60000 proficiency.
• Division Magistrate Zhang and the Demon Suppression Division reviewed their intelligence records until one member announced that they had found something suspicious.

Zhou An joined Division Magistrate Zhang’s investigation into the villagers of Clear Stream Village and suggested their memories might have been altered. Ye Shuang used a talisman to send Zhou An into an elderly villager’s memories, where he appeared in a village resembling Clear Stream and saw a sturdy child reading a scroll.

• Division Magistrate Zhang investigated Clear Stream Village’s missing household registry entry for Li Gouwa, then arrested the villagers after deciding their identical accounts suggested they were covering something up.
• Ye Shuang told Zhou An that the villagers had passed the Surveillance Division’s truth-detecting methods, and Zhou An agreed to inspect them that night.
• Zhou An questioned the detained villagers and proposed that someone might have altered their memories, explaining why they all sincerely gave the same account.
• Ye Shuang revealed a memory-searching talisman that required a virgin boy or girl to activate, and Zhou An volunteered to enter the memories.
• Ye Shuang activated the talisman on an elderly villager, and Zhou An appeared in a village resembling Clear Stream, where he saw a sturdy child carefully reading a scroll.

Zhou An uncovered County Magistrate Chen as the mastermind behind the Water Burial Method and devised a plan to draw him away from An Ding County. After Chen received a message suggesting Little Flower’s memories were returning, he went to Clear Stream Village, where Zhou An and the others waited in ambush.

• Zhou An watched Li Gouwa’s memories and learned how the village had supported his childhood, while he resolved to take the Imperial Examination and left to pursue it.
• Zhou An saw County Magistrate Chen erase the villagers’ memories and learned that Chen used the Water Burial Method out of resentment and ambition; Chen’s First Madam and the Fire Prayer Master and Insect Master confronted him.
• Back in the prison, Zhou An stopped Division Magistrate Zhang from attacking Chen in the city and proposed using a woman in custody as bait to lure Chen away.
• Zhou An and the Demon Suppression Division released the villagers and let word spread that the investigation had found nothing, while Zhou An waited for the news to reach Chen.
• Chen received a message from Little Flower saying she remembered things and missed him, then left his home as Zhou An, Ye Shuang, Head Constable Xie, and Division Magistrate Zhang waited in Clear Stream Village.
• A figure appeared at the entrance to Clear Stream Village.

Zhou An and his allies confronted County Magistrate Chen, whose grievances and ambition drove him to use the Water Burial Method and a transcription of the Book of the Great Trend of the World to overpower them. With Division Magistrate Zhang and Head Constable Xie badly injured and Chen preparing to kill the survivors, Zhou An remained confident and declared he would cut off Chen’s head.

• County Magistrate Chen arrived at Clear Stream Village, recognized the trap, and revealed his resentment over the unfairness he believed had thwarted his ambitions.
• Zhou An ordered the group to attack, but County Magistrate Chen protected himself with a transcription of the Book of the Great Trend of the World and unleashed powerful characters from its pages.
• County Magistrate Chen intensified his attacks, severely injuring Division Magistrate Zhang and Head Constable Xie before Ye Shuang used a talisman to help Zhou An evade and destroy the pursuing characters.
• County Magistrate Chen planned to kill Zhou An and Ye Shuang and frame them as masterminds, while Division Magistrate Zhang urged them to flee.
• County Magistrate Chen surrounded the area with characters, but Zhou An remained calm and declared that he would cut off Chen’s head.

Zhou An defeated and killed County Magistrate Chen, surviving his lethal attack with his forged soft armor and defeating his defense with compressed saber light. Afterward, he left the village with Ye Shuang, who questioned whether the world was fair; the next morning, she told Zhou An she was leaving tomorrow.

• Zhou An and Ye Shuang attacked County Magistrate Chen together, and Zhou An pierced his defense with a compressed saber strike.
• County Magistrate Chen struck Zhou An with the character for kill, but Zhou An survived using his soft armor and Soaring Dragon Steps.
• Zhou An told County Magistrate Chen that the saber light had already killed him, and County Magistrate Chen died after discussing fairness with Zhou An, Ye Shuang, Division Magistrate Zhang, and Head Constable Xie.
• Zhou An asked Ye Shuang whether she believed the world was fair, then cheered her up by promising to buy her buns.
• The next morning, Zhou An met Ye Shuang at a bun stall, where she told him she was leaving tomorrow.

After County Magistrate Chen’s crimes were exposed, Zhou An began improving his Fusion Forging Method under Zhao Blacksmith’s guidance while preparing to see Ye Shuang off. The next morning, Zhou An headed to An Ding County’s specialty street to treat Ye Shuang to breakfast.

• Ye Shuang agreed to let Zhou An see her off the next morning in exchange for a feast before she left An Ding County.
• Yu Hang told Zhou An that County Magistrate Chen had been exposed as the culprit behind the Clear Stream Village children’s murders, and that the Demon Suppression Division had publicly announced his crimes.
• Zhao Blacksmith forged memorial tablets for the children of Clear Stream Village and taught Zhou An to improve his forging by matching the grain of two pieces of iron.
• Zhou An practiced the finer forging method, gained Fusion Forging Method proficiency, and learned to make part of two iron bars fit together.
• Zhou An returned to the yamen, spent the afternoon there, practiced his knife technique at home, and went to An Ding County’s specialty street early the next morning.

Zhou An spent the morning helping Ye Shuang shop for food and received a space pouch from her, then continued improving his skills over the following days. The new county magistrate, Wu Youde, arrived in An Ding County and ordered the constables to patrol, including Zhou An, who objected to being reassigned from kitchen work.

• Zhou An took Ye Shuang around Specialty Street, where she bought a large bundle of local food before leaving for training.
• Ye Shuang gave Zhou An a pink space pouch made by her teacher's artifact-refiner friend, and Zhou An hung it at his waist.
• Over the following days, Zhou An raised his Butchering Ox Technique and Fusion Forging Method proficiency through intensive practice.
• Wu Youde arrived as An Ding County's new county magistrate and found the constables pretending to work while he assessed the yamen.
• Wu Youde ordered the constables to patrol the streets, warned Constable Captain Sun to perform his duties, and told Zhou An to stop working in the kitchen and join the patrols.
• Zhou An acknowledged that he had a problem with Wu Youde's order.

Zhou An quit his constable job after Wu Youde tried to discipline him, and Yu Hang resigned as well so he could focus on studying. On his way to the blacksmith shop, Zhou An saw the Hengtong Merchant Guild’s people gathered outside and found the entrance blocked, then heard a voice from inside.

• Zhou An told Wu Youde he was quitting rather than accept a salary deduction, and Wu ordered him to collect his pay and leave.
• Yu Hang also resigned, saying he wanted to study for the Imperial Examination and had no reason to stay after Zhou An left.
• Zhou An and Yu Hang completed the departure procedures, and Zhou An retrieved his forged blade and Frying Pan before handing in his uniform and equipment.
• After Yu Hang left to study, Zhou An headed toward the blacksmith shop and overheard that the Hengtong Merchant Guild had come to An Ding County with the county magistrate’s support.
• Zhou An found a carriage and its guards blocking the blacksmith shop entrance; when he waited outside, a voice came from inside.

Zhou An learned about Zhao Blacksmith’s Spirit Blacksmith lineage after Qi Shuo of the Hengtong Merchant Guild failed to recruit Zhao. Zhao invited Zhou An to become his disciple, but Zhou An refused and continued forging in the shop.

• Zhao Blacksmith beat Qi Shuo, who had come to recruit him for the Hengtong Merchant Guild, and Qi Shuo introduced himself to Zhou An before leaving.
• Zhou An told Zhao Blacksmith that he had quit being a constable, and Zhao praised his forging talent and explained the Spirit Blacksmith and Origin Blacksmith disciplines.
• Zhao Blacksmith revealed that Zhou An’s pouch had been made by his senior uncle, an Origin Blacksmith, and explained that he had come to An Ding County to overcome a bottleneck.
• Zhao Blacksmith invited Zhou An to abandon his martial path and become his disciple, but Zhou An declined.
• Zhao Blacksmith explained that the Hengtong Merchant Guild wanted him to forge weapons and other goods, then warned Zhou An to be wary of Qi Shuo.
• Zhou An went into the inner room of the blacksmith shop to grind proficiency.

Qi Shuo told Wu Youde that Hengtong Merchant Guild wanted to support An Ding County’s development through the newly permitted iron-mining rights. That evening, Yu Hang gave Zhou An a book called the Water Burial Method and began explaining how County Magistrate Chen had given it to him.

• Qi Shuo met Wu Youde at the county yamen and proposed developing An Ding County through its iron ore.
• Qi Shuo showed Wu Youde an edict allowing merchants to obtain mining rights, then explained the benefits of exploiting the county’s iron resources.
• Wu Youde complained that Zhou An had quit being a constable, while Qi Shuo judged him shortsighted during their talks and welcoming banquet.
• Yu Hang brought Zhou An food and wine, saying he would soon leave for the selection examination and wanted to share a meal with him.
• Yu Hang gave Zhou An the Water Burial Method and said County Magistrate Chen had given it to him.

Yu Hang told Zhou An that he had refused to learn the Water Burial Method, and Zhou An later read the forbidden technique himself. As a Crafting Dao competition and Qi Shuo’s plans came to light, Zhou An declined to participate, but reading the Water Burial Method triggered a new proficiency skill.

• Yu Hang explained that County Magistrate Chen had offered him the Water Burial Method to gain leverage over Zhou An, but he had refused it because it was cruel and dishonorable.
• Yu Hang said he would use the Imperial Examination to test whether ordinary people could earn respect, and Zhou An agreed to work for him if he passed.
• Zhou An returned to his routine of grinding skills and met Qi Shuo, who invited him to a meal after being punched by Zhao Blacksmith again.
• Zhao Blacksmith told Zhou An that Qi Shuo wanted him to train a competitor for Great Chu’s upcoming Crafting Dao Grand Competition, but Zhou An refused to take part.
• Zhou An read Yu Hang’s copy of the Water Burial Method, recognized that it used other people’s lives, and decided to burn it.
• As Zhou An prepared to destroy the book, a mist appeared before him and began forming the familiar signs of a newly triggered proficiency skill.

Zhou An gained the Reading skill, discovered that leveling it up improved his alertness and mental defense, and began renting storybooks to grind its proficiency. As he focused on reaching level four in the Fusion Forging Method, Qi Shuo and Wu Youde visited a senior who beat them both.

• After finishing the Water Burial Method, Zhou An gained Reading and reached level two overnight, which increased his Spirit and reduced his need for sleep.
• Zhou An rented several storybooks so he could raise Reading proficiency with books he enjoyed.
• Qi Shuo told Wu Youde that a senior had punched him twice when he tried to recruit him, and Wu Youde persuaded Qi Shuo to let him come along on another visit.
• Zhou An continued forging at the blacksmith shop and decided to focus on getting the Fusion Forging Method to level four before returning to other skills.
• Zhou An arrived at the blacksmith shop and heard four thuds, realizing that someone else was being beaten alongside Qi Shuo.

Zhou An encountered Qi Shuo and Wu Youde at the blacksmith shop, where his former conflict with Wu Youde led the merchant to warn the magistrate against troubling him. Zhou An declined Zhao Blacksmith’s renewed attempt to recruit him for a craftsmen’s competition, reached Level 4 in the Fusion Forging Method, and went home to read.

• Zhou An met Qi Shuo and Wu Youde outside the blacksmith shop, and Wu Youde reacted with shock when he recognized the former constable.
• Wu Youde praised Zhou An and apologized after Qi Shuo called Zhou his good friend and warned Wu not to cause him trouble.
• Qi Shuo offered to host Zhou An for a meal, but Zhou declined and returned inside to forge.
• Zhao Blacksmith urged Zhou An to enter the craftsmen’s competition, but Zhou refused to pursue status and continued forging.
• Zhou An raised the Fusion Forging Method to Level 4, gaining Fusion +2 and a twenty-percent power increase for the things he forged.
• Zhou An went home to read while Zhao Blacksmith marveled at his forging talent, and the Prefect of Yunlai Prefecture worked late elsewhere.

Yunlai Prefect Sun Zhisui visited An Ding County, publicly rebuked Wu Youde for neglecting his duties, and then learned that Zhou An carried a distinctive pink money pouch. Sun hurried to find Zhou An, while Sun BuTou mistakenly tried to have him arrested and was ordered beaten instead.

• Sun Zhisui prepared security measures for the Crafting Dao Grand Competition and decided to inspect An Ding County.
• Zhou An visited Zhao Blacksmith, returned home, and went with Yu Hang to watch Sun Zhisui scold Wu Youde at the county office.
• After Zhou An and Yu Hang left, Wang Meng told Sun Zhisui he had spotted someone carrying a distinctive pink money pouch.
• Sun BuTou identified Zhou An as the pouch's owner, and Wu Youde offered to take Sun Zhisui to him.
• Sun BuTou suggested arresting Zhou An, so Wu Youde ordered guards to drag Sun BuTou away and give him ten strokes of the board.

Sun Zhisui visited Zhou An to invite him to the Crafting Dao Grand Competition, but Zhou An refused. Sun then followed Wu Youde to Zhao Blacksmith's smithy, where Wang Meng revealed his connection to Zhao, and Zhao confirmed that Zhou An was stubbornly unwilling to join.

• Sun Zhisui arrived at Zhou An's home with Wu Youde and asked him to enter the Crafting Dao Grand Competition after Wang Meng identified Zhou An's pouch as an Origin Blacksmith's work.
• Zhou An declined Sun Zhisui's invitation, and Sun accepted his decision before leaving.
• Wu Youde offered to keep persuading Zhou An, but Sun Zhisui warned him to manage his jurisdiction properly and then agreed to visit another forging expert.
• Sun Zhisui and Wu Youde went to Zhao Blacksmith's smithy, where Wang Meng greeted Zhao as his martial uncle.
• Zhao Blacksmith told Sun Zhisui that Zhou An was stubborn and would not be persuaded to join the competition.

Zhou An reached level three in Read a Hundred Scrolls and gained the ability to perceive weaknesses, then struggled to discover how to advance the skill further. When Yu Hang disappeared, Head Constable Xie arrived at night and told Zhou An that Yu Hang was being held by the Demon Suppression Division after beating up a tradesman.

• Zhao Blacksmith showed Sun Prefect and Wang Meng the unusually hard, precisely joined iron strips Zhou An had forged, convincing them that Zhou An was a rare talent who would overwhelm the competition.
• Zhou An chose Read a Hundred Scrolls at level three, gaining Spirit and Comprehension, which let him see the weaknesses of someone one level above him and increase attacks against those weaknesses by ten percent.
• Zhou An found that reading poetry and other books did not raise his proficiency, so he decided to ask Yu Hang for advice, but Yu Hang was absent from home.
• After returning home, Zhou An grew concerned that Yu Hang had not come back and went out to search for him.
• Head Constable Xie found Zhou An and said Yu Hang was being held at the Demon Suppression Division after beating up a tradesman during an argument.

Zhou An learned that Yu Hang had beaten crafting practitioner Long Xing and went to the Demon Suppression Division to resolve the dispute. Wu Youde’s attempt to curry favor by arranging a crafting challenge angered Zhou An, while Long Xing’s insistence on challenging him left the confrontation unresolved.

• Head Constable Xie told Zhou An that Yu Hang had blinded Long Xing with lime powder and beaten him after Long Xing insulted Yu Hang’s dead parents.
• Wu Youde persuaded Long Xing not to pursue the matter if Zhou An came, hoping to repair his relationship with Zhou An.
• Zhou An offered compensation for Yu Hang striking first, but Long Xing refused it and asked to compete with Zhou An in crafting.
• Zhou An rejected the challenge, said the matter should be settled according to the law, and warned Wu Youde against interfering again.
• Long Xing threatened to tell people in Yunlai Prefecture that Zhou An had avoided the Crafting Dao Grand Competition, then explained that his master had urged him to challenge experts.
• Zhou An called Long Xing an idiot.

Zhou An resolved his dispute with Long Xing and considered joining the Crafting Dao Grand Competition after Zhao Blacksmith urged him to gain a useful identity. Meanwhile, Mi Mo abducted Yu Hang, leaving Zhou An unaware as the story ended.

• Zhou An prepared to kill Long Xing for threatening to reveal his information, but Zhao Blacksmith arrived and showed Long Xing the seamless iron bars Zhou An had forged.
• Long Xing admitted defeat and promised not to reveal Zhou An's information, though he still intended to challenge him once he reached the same skill level.
• Zhao Blacksmith urged Zhou An to enter the Crafting Dao Grand Competition and join the Craftsmen's Bureau for protection, but Zhou An left without deciding.
• Mi Mo secretly listened to Zhou An and Zhao Blacksmith, then decided to make Zhou An participate in the competition.
• While Yu Hang studied at home, Mi Mo knocked him unconscious with smoke, left a letter, and used a metal humanoid to carry him away.

Mi Mo kidnapped Yu Hang to force Zhou An to enter the Crafting Dao Grand Competition. After the Demon Suppression Division failed to find Yu Hang, Zhou An agreed to compete and vowed to rescue his friend and kill the kidnapper, deciding to stop keeping a low profile.

• Mi Mo had her metal humanoid servant knock Yu Hang unconscious after explaining that she wanted to force Zhou An into the Crafting Dao Grand Competition.
• Zhou An found Yu Hang missing and read a letter demanding that he compete in Yunlai Prefecture to ensure Yu Hang's safety.
• Zhou An showed the letter to Zhao Blacksmith and Qi Shuo, who offered their help and suspected the kidnapper had access to a special crafting-path item.
• Zhou An asked Division Magistrate Zhang to investigate, but the Demon Suppression Division found no trace of Yu Hang and concluded the kidnapper had left An Ding County.
• Zhou An told Division Magistrate Zhang he would enter the competition, rescue Yu Hang, and kill the kidnapper, declaring that he would no longer keep a low profile.

Zhou An set out for Yunlai Prefecture to enter the Crafting Dao Grand Competition and investigate Yu Hang’s kidnapping, traveling with Qi Shuo as a representative of the Hengtong Merchant Guild. At a deserted relay station, they smelled blood and heard a warning whisper just as an oil lamp went out.

• Zhou An accepted Division Magistrate Zhang’s offer of help and learned he could seek assistance from the Demon Suppression Division in Yunlai Prefecture or the Falcon Hunting Sect.
• Zhao Blacksmith gave Zhou An an address and letter of introduction for a blacksmith shop in Yunlai Prefecture, while Qi Shuo asked him to represent the Hengtong Merchant Guild in the competition.
• Zhou An agreed to travel with Qi Shuo, and Zhao Blacksmith escorted them to the city gate before they departed An Ding County.
• During the journey, Qi Shuo explained why the Miscellaneous Sect had no leader and told Zhou An that the founder of the Five Elements Burial Sect had once seemed likely to unite it before his sect was wiped out.
• Zhou An, Qi Shuo, and their guards arrived at an empty relay station, where they smelled blood and felt an icy wind; Qi Shuo warned everyone to stay alert as an oil lamp went out.