Chapter Summaries

Old Zhou and Chou Wansen died in the fight, but Blackheart was left gravely wounded after saving Viper. Li Changfeng returned with the others to the inn, where they sought help for Blackheart and Ziyi kept the blood-red saber.

• Blackheart took a blow meant for Viper, and Old Zhou died after Qingyi struck him and his old injuries erupted.
• Killer Bee killed Chou Wansen after Li Changfeng's thrown staff forced him to stagger back, while Li Changfeng's wounds reopened.
• Viper stopped Blackheart's bleeding temporarily, and Li Changfeng ordered everyone to take him back to Northern Di City for better medicine.
• Li Changfeng found two hundred thousand taels on the bodies, warned Ziyi not to show killing intent toward him again, and let her keep Chou Wansen's blood-red saber.
• Viper carried Blackheart to the inn, where Li Changfeng told the elderly man they had fought Northern Di People on the road.

Li Changfeng bought a hundred-year Snow Ginseng from the Round-Faced Shopkeeper to treat Blackheart, despite being forced to pay an inflated price. After Li Changfeng left, the shopkeeper sent guards after him to steal the ginseng and decided to send Venerable Xu as backup.

• Li Changfeng learned that North Mountain Pharmacy sold Snow Ginseng and promised Xiao Qing candied hawthorn skewers before leaving to buy medicine for Blackheart.
• Li Changfeng inspected the pharmacy's hundred-year Snow Ginseng, and the Round-Faced Shopkeeper demanded two hundred thousand taels for it.
• The Round-Faced Shopkeeper raised the price to two hundred and fifty thousand taels, and Li Changfeng paid and took the Snow Ginseng.
• The Round-Faced Shopkeeper ordered two guards to track Li Changfeng with a Man-Seeking Bee and rob him of the Snow Ginseng.
• The Round-Faced Shopkeeper grew uneasy and decided to send Venerable Xu, a first-rate expert, with the guards.

Li Changfeng killed the North Mountain Pharmacy assassins who tried to steal the Snow Ginseng, then returned to the inn and saved Blackheart. Ziyi volunteered to deal with North Mountain Pharmacy, and Li Changfeng sent her off.

• Li Changfeng killed two North Mountain Pharmacy men who demanded he hand over the Snow Ginseng, then snapped Venerable Xu's neck after catching him spying.
• At the inn, Viper and Qingyi took turns using true qi to keep Blackheart alive while they waited for Li Changfeng to return.
• Li Changfeng fed Blackheart three pieces of century-old Snow Ginseng, stabilizing his injuries and restoring his color.
• Viper explained that he and Blackheart had grown close after fighting side by side and Blackheart took a blade for him.
• Li Changfeng told Ziyi that North Mountain Pharmacy had overcharged him and sent assassins after him, and Ziyi volunteered to deal with it.

Killer Bee killed the Round-Faced Shopkeeper, looted North Mountain Pharmacy, and returned with money and Snow Ginseng. Li Changfeng decided to establish an organization called Hidden Dragon of Cold Mountain and told the others to use codenames, choosing Hidden Dragon for himself.

• Killer Bee entered North Mountain Pharmacy and killed the Round-Faced Shopkeeper after finding its guards dead.
• Killer Bee searched the pharmacy and found one million three hundred thousand taels and five century-old Snow Ginseng roots in a hidden chamber.
• Killer Bee returned to the inn and gave the money and Snow Ginseng to Li Changfeng, who rewarded her with one hundred thousand taels.
• Killer Bee suggested establishing a force at North Mountain Pharmacy, and Li Changfeng proposed starting an organization instead of a gang or sect.
• Li Changfeng named the organization Hidden Dragon of Cold Mountain and told everyone to choose codenames, choosing Hidden Dragon for himself.

Li Changfeng formed the Hidden Dragon of Cold Mountain and began replacing North Mountain Pharmacy while keeping his identity hidden. Seven days later, Blackheart awoke and joined the force as Shān Xīn, and Ziyi opened Cold Mountain Pharmacy to the wary people of Northern Di City.

• Viper, Green Butterfly, Ziyi, and Xiao Qing chose codenames, and Li Changfeng named their organization Hidden Dragon of Cold Mountain.
• Ziyi agreed to lead the force as it recruited subordinates and planned to replace North Mountain Pharmacy and dominate Northern Di City.
• Li Changfeng removed the Life and Death Talisman from Ziyi, Viper, and Green Butterfly, trusting them to remain loyal.
• Seven days later, Blackheart woke, joined Li Changfeng's force, and took the codename Shān Xīn.
• Ziyi replaced North Mountain Pharmacy's sign with Cold Mountain Pharmacy's and announced the shop's opening in Northern Di City.
• Ziyi slashed the faces of women who insulted her and ordered servants to drive them away.

Tie Niu and other allies brought their wealth and support to Cold Mountain Pharmacy while seven major forces plotted against it with the City Lord’s backing. The seven leaders attacked the pharmacy at night, only to find their fire ambush thwarted as Ziyi and the others prepared to fight them.

• Experts watched Ziyi display her speed and left after warning one another that Cold Mountain Pharmacy was formidable.
• Tie Niu arrived with carts carrying his saved wealth, gave Ziyi a letter from Li Changfeng, and joined Li Changfeng with the Three Fools.
• Seven faction leaders agreed to unite against Cold Mountain Pharmacy, and the City Lord ordered them to capture its proprietress alive.
• The seven forces surrounded Cold Mountain Pharmacy at night and threw torches inside, but the flames went out and the pharmacy’s people surrounded them.
• The attackers charged, and Ziyi and the other three mocked them as they prepared to fight.

Ziyi’s group defeated the seven faction leaders, learned the City Lord had ordered them to capture her, and executed them before raiding their factions. At the City Lord’s Residence, Li Changfeng killed the City Lord and declared that Northern Di City was under his control before preparing to leave.

• Ziyi and the other three overwhelmed the seven leaders, whose men were slaughtered by Cold Mountain Pharmacy’s forces.
• The captured leaders revealed that the City Lord had sent them to capture Ziyi, so she ordered them killed and their factions raided.
• Ziyi noticed Qianlong was missing and suspected he had gone to confront the City Lord.
• Li Changfeng infiltrated the City Lord’s Residence and challenged the City Lord, who attacked him with a lightning palm.
• Li Changfeng endured the attack unharmed, killed the City Lord with a palm strike, and said Northern Di City was under his control.

Li Changfeng killed Northern Di City's City Lord and worked with his allies to conceal the death by having Tie Niu impersonate him. With the city under their control, Li Changfeng planned to use its recovered wealth to build businesses and improve the city without exploiting its people.

• Li Changfeng showed Ziyi, Blackheart, and Viper the City Lord's head, and Ziyi proposed making a mask so someone could take his place.
• Blackheart suggested Tie Niu as the City Lord's double, and Li Changfeng agreed after Ziyi made a lifelike mask.
• Viper volunteered to advise Tie Niu, and Li Changfeng sent them to the City Lord's residence while Ziyi and Qingyi searched for the treasury.
• Li Changfeng gave Tie Niu a cultivation manual found on the City Lord, and Tie Niu shared it with Blackheart and Viper.
• Ziyi and Qingyi found three million taels in banknotes, weapons, spiritual medicines, and other goods in the treasury.
• Li Changfeng ordered his allies to use the money to establish shops and pharmacies, build up Northern Di City, and avoid exploiting its people.

Li Changfeng left Northern Di City to continue cultivating alone, despite Ziyi and Qingyi trying to persuade him to stay. The next morning, Xiao Qing cried over his departure, while Qingyi and Ziyi comforted her and urged her to study.

• Li Changfeng told Ziyi, Qingyi, Viper, and Blackheart that he had to leave because he could not cultivate in Northern Di City.
• The group held a farewell feast, and Li Changfeng left after Qingyi and Ziyi drunkenly tried to stop him.
• Li Changfeng resisted his desire for Qingyi and Ziyi because his demonic qi and personal troubles remained unresolved, then departed without looking back.
• The next morning, Tie Niu and the others discovered Li Changfeng was gone, and Xiao Qing began crying.
• Qingyi comforted Xiao Qing, while Ziyi told her that Li Changfeng would ignore her if she still could not read when he returned.

Three years after his defeat, Ghost Shadow began reforging his body while Li Changfeng wandered the imperial city, weighed down by doubts about his beliefs. Remembering a villain whose cruelty had followed the murder of his family, Li Changfeng was left questioning whether he had judged the man too simply.

• Ghost Shadow blamed Li Changfeng for his defeat, and Shadow promised to find powerful wandering souls to reforge his tendons and bones.
• Three years later, Li Changfeng arrived in the imperial city after years of travel and gave away his wealth to poor commoners.
• A cheerful young man advised Li Changfeng to follow his heart and keep a clear conscience, but Li Changfeng remained troubled and recalled a past encounter.
• One year earlier, Li Changfeng had hunted down a villain who tortured an entire village and beat him nearly to death.
• The villain explained that he was the sole survivor of a beast-taming family murdered by villagers, then killed himself before Li Changfeng could help him.

Li Changfeng confronted his doubts about Buddhism and released his obsession over a past killing, but chose not to abandon his personal attachments and become a monk. After Old Drunkard left, Li Changfeng trained with the Muscle/Tendon Change Classic, strengthened his True Qi, and received quests to enter the Heroes Assembly Tournament and explore the Free and Unfettered Sect Ruins.

• Li Changfeng told Old Drunkard that he still could not accept learning the man he had killed had taken his own life after killing others.
• Old Drunkard explained the circumstances and guided Li Changfeng to recite the Diamond Sutra, helping him let go of his obsession.
• Li Changfeng recalled his ties to Zhou Zhiruo, Ziyi, and Princess Minmin, then chose to follow his heart rather than become a monk.
• Old Drunkard left after telling Li Changfeng that his Buddhist cultivation was sufficient to train in the Muscle/Tendon Change Classic.
• Li Changfeng dissolved the demonic qi in his body and strengthened his True Qi, but could not break open the True Qi Seed.
• The system assigned Li Changfeng quests to place in the top three at the Heroes Assembly Tournament and obtain the Free and Unfettered Sect's secret manual inheritance method.

At Princess Minmin’s manor, Zhang Xuandao, Ouyang Duha, Leng Xue, and the Buddha Child waited for Li Changfeng and stopped Princess Minmin and Ouyang Duha from fighting. Princess Minmin proposed a group competition at the Free and Unfettered Sect ruins, where Li Changfeng might also be present, and the gathering turned to a meal.

• Zhang Xuandao asked why Li Changfeng had not arrived, and Ouyang Duha mocked him as too weak to come.
• Princess Minmin defended Li Changfeng and attacked Ouyang Duha, who met her strike with poisonous true qi.
• Zhang Xuandao and Leng Xue intervened to stop the fight, and the Buddha Child agreed to wait for Li Changfeng.
• Zhang Xuandao asked Princess Minmin to serve food, and the group discussed the ruins of the Free and Unfettered Sect.
• Princess Minmin proposed a group competition at the ruins, and the others agreed after Zhang Xuandao guessed Li Changfeng would be there.
• Maidservants brought food, and Zhang Xuandao eagerly welcomed the meal before saying he needed to restrain himself to enjoy its flavor.

Li Changfeng returned to the imperial city and learned that Princess Minmin was waiting for him at the Free and Unfettered Sect Ruins. He arrived at the ruins as the gathered factions prepared to enter, where enemies recognized him and turned on him.

• Li Changfeng reached the imperial city and learned from a palace guard that Princess Minmin was at the Free and Unfettered Sect Ruins.
• Several alliances gathered outside the bamboo forest’s illusory formation, while Tie Rushan searched for Li Changfeng and argued with Zuo Bufan over him.
• Zuo Kangcheng confided in Yue Hanhai and Sun Hongwen about his brother’s contempt, and they reassured him of their friendship.
• Hua Xinglian spoke privately with Zhou Zhiruo about their past conflict as the leaders of the alliances discussed how to approach the formation.
• Li Changfeng appeared in the clearing, and people who held grudges against him recognized him and reacted with killing intent.

Li Changfeng faced the martial artists gathered in the bamboo forest and showed overwhelming strength, killing Zhang Ye and defeating three allies. Tie Rushan publicly declared that Ironclad Gate stood with Li Changfeng, while the leading elder of Medicine God Valley also moved to his side.

• Li Changfeng caught Zhang Ye’s sword between his fingers, shattered it, and pursued him as he fled.
• Zhang Ye threw a sword at Li Changfeng and tried to trade his life for the attack, but Li Changfeng smashed his head and blocked the sword with his Indestructible Body.
• Li Changfeng’s counterattack sent Zhang Ye’s three allies flying and left them injured.
• Zuo Bufan watched Li Changfeng’s display and suspected Tie Rushan had previously lost to him.
• Tie Rushan praised Li Changfeng, embraced him, and declared that anyone who opposed him would be an enemy of Ironclad Gate.
• The leading elder of Medicine God Valley moved to Li Changfeng’s side.

The Mount Song Sect joined the Ironclad Gate and Medicine God Valley in defending Li Changfeng, while the rival alliances sent three mid-stage Grandmasters to attack him. Li Changfeng faced their assault eagerly and met Leader Wang’s opening strike with his newly learned technique.

• Zuo Kangcheng urged Elder Yang Feng to support Li Changfeng, and Yang Feng joined him while Zuo Bufan sought to win Li Changfeng’s favor.
• The rival alliances sent Elder Song, Fist Elder, and Zhou Tieqiang to engage Yang Feng, Zhong Leshan, and Ding Mingxu, while Leader Wang, Cai Yucheng, and Wu Fengyi attacked Li Changfeng.
• Jingling Shitai refused Zhou Zhiruo’s plea to save Li Changfeng and warned her against caring for him, while Gong Dongyi also declined to intervene.
• Leader Wang attacked Li Changfeng with the Iron Palm Divine Skill, and Li Changfeng countered with the Burning Wood Saber Technique using his palms as sabers.

Li Changfeng fought off three mid-stage Grandmasters in the bamboo forest, demonstrating that he could withstand their combined attacks despite being a half-step Grandmaster. The rival groups withdrew into the forest, leaving Li Changfeng and the other factions behind.

• Li Changfeng and Wang exchanged powerful palm attacks, each forcing the other back.
• Cai Yucheng and Wu Fengyi joined the fight, but Li Changfeng countered their attacks with the Bodhidharma Divine Sword.
• Wang, Cai Yucheng, and Wu Fengyi launched their strongest techniques together, and Li Changfeng met them with the Flame Saber before being blasted through the bamboo.
• Li Changfeng rose unharmed, and the three Grandmasters stopped attacking rather than reveal more of their abilities.
• The rival alliance members entered the bamboo forest, and Gong Dongyi led Flower Shifting Palace and the Emei Sect into it as well.

After Li Changfeng recovered from his fight, he helped the group navigate a deadly bamboo formation by force. They emerged with many disciples missing, then split up to search the ruins, leaving Li Changfeng to wonder how many would survive.

• Li Changfeng took a healing pill from Zhong Leshan, and Zuo Bufan watched him with jealousy and possessive ambition.
• Ding Mingxu explained that the bamboo formation changed every incense stick, and Li Changfeng suggested following the simplest route while breaking through difficult sections by force.
• The group blasted paths through the formation and rushed along them, but many weaker disciples were trapped or left behind during their escape.
• After breaking through the formation seven times, the survivors reached the other side with a third of the disciples left behind alive.
• Yang Feng ordered the disciples to split up and search for treasures, offering rewards for spirit herbs and manuals they brought back.
• Li Changfeng watched the disciples disperse and wondered how many would return alive.

Li Changfeng watched Tie Rushan and Zuo Bufan clash before Zhong Leshan and Yang Feng stopped them. He declined to travel with Zuo Kangcheng, Sun Hongwen, and Yue Hanhai, gave them distress signal fireworks, and left to train alone.

• Zuo Bufan invited Li Changfeng to travel with him, but Tie Rushan objected and argued with Zuo Bufan.
• Tie Rushan attacked Zuo Bufan, and their fist and palm strikes collided, injuring both and forcing them back.
• Li Changfeng tried to calm them, but Tie Rushan and Zuo Bufan prepared to fight again until Zhong Leshan and Yang Feng intervened.
• Zuo Kangcheng, Sun Hongwen, and Yue Hanhai asked Li Changfeng to travel with them, but he urged them to train together and gave them distress signal fireworks.
• Li Changfeng left to train alone, and Tie Rushan also departed to train on his own.

Li Changfeng found a long-abandoned medicine garden and began collecting its century-old spiritual herbs, but Tang Yushi of the Tang Clan appeared and tried to rob him. The Tang Clan disciples’ barrage of poisoned hidden weapons failed to injure Li Changfeng, and they prepared to use mechanisms against him.

• The four major sects and the Noble Clan Alliance agreed to ambush and rob members of Medicine God Valley’s alliance when they encountered them.
• Li Changfeng discovered a medicine garden whose formation had preserved its spiritual herbs and began storing them in his Storage Ring.
• Tang Yushi introduced himself as an elder of the Tang Clan from the Western Shu Province and demanded Li Changfeng’s Storage Ring and herbs.
• Tang Yushi sent his disciples to surround Li Changfeng and attack him with poisoned projectiles.
• The hidden weapons bounced off Li Changfeng without harming him, so the Tang Clan disciples scattered into the shadows and launched another barrage while preparing to restrain him with mechanisms.

Li Changfeng turned the Tang Sect’s hidden weapons against its disciples, survived their mechanical puppet trap, and killed the disciple leading the ambush. Tang Yushi attacked him in revenge, but Li Changfeng used the Indestructible Divine Skill to withstand the barrage, leaving their fight ongoing.

• Li Changfeng seized the Tang Sect disciples’ hidden weapons with his Dragon Grasp Hands and hurled them back, killing or poisoning many of them.
• Five Tang Sect disciples trapped Li Changfeng in mechanical puppets, but he escaped unharmed when the puppets exploded and killed the attackers around him.
• Li Changfeng shattered the leading disciple’s legs with a Draconic Elephant palm strike and crushed his head despite Tang Yushi’s demand to spare him.
• Furious Tang Yushi attacked Li Changfeng with a barrage of hidden weapons, but Li Changfeng’s Indestructible Divine Skill deflected them without piercing his defenses.