Chapter Summary: Chivalrifying the Jianghu

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Fan Gao's Recovery: Duan Yun uses electrotherapy to purge the final remnants of poison from Fan Gao's body (aided by fire-natured antidotes from Jade Guanyin's secret chamber). Though the poison is cleared, it has already damaged some of Fan Gao's organs.
• Revenge Plan: When asked what outcome he wants, Fan Gao says he's still furious but doesn't want anyone killed. Duan Yun sets the bottom line: "take their money, then take their lives" — amended, at Fan Gao's plea, to making those responsible lose an arm and a leg. Duan Yun comments that people who don't treat workers as humans should be hanged from streetlamps.
• Duan Yun's Grand Idea: Reflecting on why the jianghu is so sick, Duan Yun concludes that the problem lies in evil cultivation arts. He formulates his master plan: "Chivalrification of Cultivation Arts" — infiltrating the jianghu as an ordinary sect disciple, displaying world-shaking talent, and "reinterpreting" the sect's arts so that others will naturally adopt his improved, chivalric versions. His vision: a jianghu where more than half its people strive to be heroes.
• Shen Ying's Near-Exposure: Duan Yun notices something "different" about Shen Ying (her chest reverted from its battle-expanded state) but can't pinpoint it. She deflects, telling him his eyes are broken.
• Journey to Springwatch City: Half a month of travel brings them near Springwatch City. Duan Yun goes with Fan Gao to confront Screen Door (the intelligence sect that had wronged him).
• Convenient "Suicide": Before they even arrive, Screen Door's branch master and manager greet them, having anticipated their arrival. They claim the culprit, Zhu Guangyu, "committed suicide by stabbing himself in the back multiple times" — an obvious murder to appease the terrifying Young Hero Duan. The corpse is produced with over ten knife wounds to the back.
• Resolution: Screen Door repays Fan Gao's three hundred taels of gold and offers his old job back. Fan Gao refuses, having witnessed how cold-bloodedly they disposed of their own man.
• Parting: Fan Gao decides to settle in Jade Town, vowing loyalty to Duan Yun and offering his intelligence-gathering skills for any future investigations.
• Duan Yun's Frustration: The Springwatch City region has become too peaceful — bandits, hooligans, and even marriage scammers have vanished, all fearing "Duan Old Devil." This pure land offers no soil for his reform plans. He concludes he must go somewhere filthy and chaotic to truly begin transforming the jianghu.

2. Character Developments

• Duan Yun: Demonstrates his "normal man who cherishes justice" persona while remaining an unpredictable force others fear as "Duan Old Devil." He develops his life's ambition: chivalrifying the world's cultivation arts by secretly infiltrating sects and spreading his "world-shaking wisdom." He also shows a sense of class resentment ("people who don't treat workers as humans ought to be hanged from streetlamps"). He genuinely accepts Fan Gao as a trusted friend — rare for him.
• Fan Gao: The poison is fully purged. He chooses integrity over revenge, refusing to let Duan Yun kill anyone. He declines the position at Screen Door after seeing their cold-blooded nature. He regains his gold but, more importantly, finds purpose and loyalty — settling in Jade Town to serve Duan Yun's future needs.
• Shen Ying: Still hiding her true appearance for a "secret thrill," narrowly avoids being exposed. She remains sharp and deflective.

3. Significant Themes

• Corruption of the Jianghu: The jianghu and its cultivation arts are "sick" — killers kill endlessly, evil arts corrupt minds, and people consider being murdered a natural part of life. Duan Yun sees himself as the sole normal man in a mad world.
• Exploitation of the Weak: Screen Door treated Fan Gao as disposable, showing how institutions trample on lower-level workers. Duan Yun's sympathy for laborers ("people who don't treat workers as human beings") gives his character a social-justice edge.
• Hypocrisy and Fear: Screen Door "suicides" their own man to appease Duan Yun — a perverse act of feigned justice that demonstrates how power operates through convenient scapegoats.
• The Irony of the Hero: Duan Yun longs for a "flourishing age of the heroic way" while being feared as a demon. The peace he brings terrorizes people into virtue; he's rejected by those he wants to save. His method ("chivalrification") is itself an act of subterfuge — changing the jianghu from within by deception.
• Dual Identities & Deception: Duan Yun plans to hide his identity to spread ideology; Shen Ying hides her body for a "secret thrill" — the chapter is full of people not being what they appear.

4. Character Interactions

• Duan Yun & Fan Gao: A bond of genuine trust forms — medical care (the electrotherapy scene), playful banter (the "Ah?" exchange), and mutual loyalty at the end. Fan Gao essentially becomes Duan Yun's first true ally.
• Duan Yun & Shen Ying: Comic, guarded interaction. Duan Yun senses something was different about her during the Jade Guanyin fight but can't identify it; Shen Ying: "I think there's something wrong with your eyes."
• Duan Yun, Fan Gao & Screen Door: A one-sided confrontation. The branch master and manager are drenched in terrified sweat, flatter Duan Yun profusely, offer gold, and claim the "suicide" of Zhu Guangyu as proof of good faith. Duan Yun accepts once Fan Gao is satisfied. The cold-bloodedness of Screen Door (killing their own without hesitation) disgusts Fan Gao into leaving.
• Fan Gao & Screen Door: He sees through their lies ("I don't believe it") and refuses their job offer — a moment of integrity after years of surviving in a corrupt system.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duan Yun returns to Jade Pearl Manor in high spirits after successfully rescuing Ning Qing and defeating Jade Guanyin’s family.
• The group discovers the Murong Brothers hiding under a bed, unconscious and sleep-talking. His green hair has transformed into two separate forces: one resembling dangerous snakes and the other a graceful woman in green.
• The two halves of his hair attack the group using a bizarre saber technique called the Crescent Moon Saber, Twelvefold Spring Rain. Duan Yun counters with his Body-Breaking Sword Pillar.
• Their clash sends the Murong Brothers, bed and all, crashing through a wall. He wakes after landing in a mud pit—and getting covered in Da Bai’s droppings.
• Murong tries to express his joy at Ning Qing’s return, but Duan Yun’s Chivalric Aura has mixed with his saber intent, causing Murong to repeatedly shout, “I Want to Be a Great Hero!” instead of speaking normally.
• Duan Yun realizes that Murong’s saber intent contains two conflicting influences: romantic “pure love” and malicious jealousy/cuckolding intent. The same energy temporarily affects Duan Yun, causing him to kiss both Shen Ying and Feng Ling’er.
• Shen Ying and Feng Ling’er initially react with embarrassment and jealousy before joining forces to beat Duan Yun.
• Murong’s hair is revealed to have been cut into a bald patch when he used it as a weapon. He panics about losing his handsome appearance, while Duan Yun jokingly promises to restore it through “science” and electricity.
• Murong embraces Duan Yun gratefully, recognizing that Duan Yun risked his life to rescue Ning Qing. The manor celebrates with a large banquet, though everyone refuses Murong’s infamous West Lake Vinegar Fish.
• During the celebration, the group discusses Duan Yun’s plan to reform the martial world. They choose Qing Prefecture, where the White Socks Cult and Jade Maiden Sword Sect have severely weakened each other, leaving the region in chaos.
• Everyone volunteers to accompany Duan Yun. He resolves to cleanse Qing Prefecture and, if necessary, overturn the corrupt martial world before rebuilding it.

Character Developments

• Duan Yun is further established as a powerful, confident leader whose sense of justice inspires the others. He also continues behaving mischievously toward Shen Ying and Feng Ling’er, though he genuinely values both relationships.
• Murong Brothers demonstrates unusual martial talent but also instability, unconsciously cultivating and fighting with his hair while dreaming. His love for Ning Qing and gratitude toward Duan Yun become especially clear.
• Ning Qing is reunited with Murong Brothers after their separation. Her immediate embrace shows that her affection and concern for him remain strong despite his ridiculous condition.
• Shen Ying and Feng Ling’er become more openly competitive over Duan Yun’s attention. Their contrasting reactions to his kisses highlight both their jealousy and their growing familiarity with one another.
• Zi Yu continues providing cynical and comedic commentary, but her experience on Yellow Jade Island has strengthened her desire to uphold justice.
• The entire group increasingly sees itself as a heroic force capable of reshaping the martial world.

Significant Themes

• Heroism and justice: The characters move beyond isolated adventures and commit themselves to correcting widespread corruption and disorder.
• Love and absurdity: Murong’s romantic reunion with Ning Qing is repeatedly undermined by his involuntary heroic declaration, blending sincere emotion with comedy.
• Duality and conflicting desires: Murong’s two forms of saber intent represent pure romance and destructive jealousy. These conflicting forces also temporarily influence Duan Yun.
• Friendship and loyalty: Murong’s gratitude reflects the strength of the group’s bonds, especially Duan Yun’s willingness to risk everything for his friends.
• Rebuilding through destruction: Duan Yun recognizes that the martial world may need to be dismantled before it can be reformed.
• Comedic inversion of heroic conventions: Dangerous techniques, emotional reunions, and grand declarations are constantly undercut by baldness, droppings, bad cooking, and romantic chaos.

Character Interactions

• Duan Yun and Murong Brothers clash directly, with Duan Yun suppressing Murong’s hair-based attack through his sword technique and Chivalric Aura.
• Murong and Ning Qing share an emotional reunion, though Murong’s altered speech makes it comically awkward.
• Duan Yun kisses Shen Ying and Feng Ling’er under the influence of Murong’s mixed saber intent, provoking both women and leading to a playful beating.
• Murong and Duan Yun share an affectionate embrace, emphasizing their deep brotherly loyalty.
• The group bonds over the banquet and jointly discusses their next mission, ultimately agreeing to follow Duan Yun to Qing Prefecture.

Chapter Summary: “Comprehending a New Technique! Tidecall!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fan Gao settles in Jade Town after recovering from the poison he suffered on Yellow Jade Island. He is impressed by the town’s unusual peace, which he attributes to Duan Yun’s influence.
• Though comfortable, Fan Gao feels unfulfilled by an idle life. When Duan Yun asks him to find a secluded residence in Qing River City, Fan Gao eagerly accepts, preparing to help the group expand into Qing Prefecture.
• While Fan Gao searches for a house, Duan Yun and the others spend their time practicing martial arts, fishing, eating, and relaxing.
• Duan Yun studies the Yellow-Yellow-Yellow-Yellow Intent Skill but cannot cultivate it normally because he lacks Yellow Jade and fears its mutating effects. He instead studies the underlying principle of Jade Guanyin’s Armor-Burst Art: resonance.
• Duan Yun experiments with synchronizing his true qi with the humming of Murong Brothers. He discovers that the frequency of his Spring Thunder power can resonate with the humming and emotional state of others.
• The resulting technique spreads powerful sound-like vibrations through the group. Everyone begins humming involuntarily and experiences vivid, dreamlike romantic visions involving Duan Yun.
• The resonance disrupts their true qi. Feng Ling’er suffers internal injuries and coughs up blood, while the others narrowly regain control after Zi Yu and Shen Ying warn them.
• Duan Yun realizes he has created a new resonance-based technique, later associated with the idea of a powerful, unstoppable tide and tentatively resembling “Tidal Roar Fang.”
• He attempts to add Chivalric Aura to make the technique more righteous and normal, but everyone panics and flees before seeing what will happen.

Character Developments

• Fan Gao demonstrates his loyalty, professionalism, and continued desire to work as an intelligence operative. Despite enjoying Jade Town’s peaceful life, he eagerly accepts Duan Yun’s mission.
• Duan Yun proves once again to be an inventive martial arts prodigy. Rather than copying Jade Guanyin’s technique, he derives a new method by combining resonance, Spring Thunder, emotional states, and sound.
• Murong Brothers remains deeply in love with Ning Qing and is eager to improve his martial arts. His romantic happiness unintentionally provides the emotional and vocal “frequency” needed for Duan Yun’s breakthrough.
• Ning Qing reveals that Murong Brothers was also the person she imagined during the resonance, strengthening their relationship.
• Feng Ling’er is especially vulnerable to the technique because she becomes absorbed in its romantic illusion. Her attraction to Duan Yun leaves her both embarrassed and physically injured.
• Zi Yu, with Qing Yu’s awareness within her consciousness, is the first to detect the danger and warn the others.
• Shen Ying reacts quickly and helps the group stabilize their qi.

Significant Themes

• Peace as a consequence of virtue and influence: Jade Town’s tranquility is presented as an indirect result of Duan Yun’s presence and character.
• Loyalty and purpose: Fan Gao’s willingness to wait patiently for a chance to serve highlights genuine devotion and the need for meaningful work.
• Innovation through adaptation: Duan Yun develops a powerful new technique by extracting the principle of resonance from an existing demonic art and applying it in a different way.
• The danger of uncontrolled power: What begins as an amusing experiment quickly becomes harmful, demonstrating that even a seemingly harmless technique can injure people when its effects spread uncontrollably.
• Emotion as martial power: Happiness, desire, and romantic imagination directly affect the strength and frequency of the resonance.
• The contrast between chivalry and perversity: Duan Yun insists that his technique is not demonic because he created it himself and considers adding Chivalric Aura, while everyone else views its forced romantic visions as shameless and disturbing.

Character Interactions

• Duan Yun and Fan Gao establish a stronger bond of trust when Duan Yun assigns him the Qing River City mission.
• Duan Yun uses Murong Brothers as an unwitting test subject, repeatedly ordering him to hum and encouraging him to recreate his lovestruck mood.
• The other characters misinterpret Murong Brothers’ humming as evidence of a bizarre fetish, creating comic embarrassment.
• The resonance links the entire group emotionally and mentally, causing them to envision intimate scenes with Duan Yun.
• Ning Qing’s confession that she imagined Murong Brothers restores his confidence and makes him even happier, intensifying the humming.
• Feng Ling’er angrily calls Duan Yun’s technique wicked after being injured, though her continued romantic vision of him reveals her own conflicted attraction.
• The group’s alarm at Duan Yun’s attempt to add Chivalric Aura reinforces their shared view that his “righteous” techniques are often just as dangerous and perverse as demonic arts.

Chapter Summary: “Chivalric Aura Reformation: Let the First Victim Come Forward!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duan Yun continues practicing his new ultimate technique, “Tidecall.” The move emits vibrating waves that can induce lustful dreams, make people hum, and cause internal injuries. Those affected can only resist by kneeling and circulating their qi, creating an embarrassing spectacle for everyone nearby.
• The residents of Jade Pearl Manor avoid Duan Yun until he promises not to use Tidecall casually. After several uneventful days, they gradually relax.
• Fan Gao finds the house Duan Yun wanted in Qing Prefecture, though it is a haunted house. Duan Yun is delighted, since he prefers eerie and chaotic surroundings.
• The Jade Pearl Manor group sets out for Qing River City: Duan Yun, four women, two men, Da Bai the bear, and a donkey. During the journey, they are attacked by robbers four times, but the defeated bandits’ possessions increase the group’s luggage.
• Along the way, Duan Yun reflects on his past adventures and how he has evolved from an ordinary gynecologist into someone with enough power to influence the martial world.
• Fan Gao explains the history of Qing River City, Gold Mountain, and the mysterious Gold Palace, which is rumored to contain supreme martial arts manuals.
• Gold Mountain has been linked to the legendary Martial Gods, especially the undefeated Goddess of War, who supposedly still resides within Gold Palace despite having lived over a century ago.
• Wei Sanxun, who once entered Gold Palace, claimed to have seen the Goddess of War and the divine manuals on a blood-red tree. He escaped only by sacrificing eight followers, later went mad, gouged out his eyes, and died.
• Qing River City has long been dominated by the brutal White Socks Cult, but its prolonged war with the Jade Maiden Sword Sect weakened both factions. The city is now once again a chaotic battleground for sects seeking territory and access to Gold Mountain.
• Duan Yun is pleased by the disorder, seeing Qing River City as the perfect place to carry out his self-styled “Chivalric Aura Reformation.”
• While stopping for food in the forest, two groups of martial artists—bald men roasting game and saber-wielding men braising pork—start a bloody fight over a trivial insult.
• Duan Yun recognizes that the bald men’s green blood identifies them as members of the Ironblood Sect, the same sect connected to his earlier martial-arts origins. He decides to begin reforming the martial world with them.

Character Developments

• Duan Yun becomes increasingly confident in both his abilities and his mission to reshape the martial world. His bizarre methods remain dangerous, but he views them as tools for heroic reform.
• He shows a more reflective side while traveling, remembering his lonely early adventures and appreciating that he now has dependable companions.
• Zi Yu remains fascinated by Duan Yun’s humiliating and absurd techniques, mentally turning Tidecall’s effects into material for her imaginative stories.
• Da Bai proves useful as both a powerful transportation animal and a vigilant guard, despite being forced to work through the night.
• Shen Ying and the others embrace the benefits of being “great heroes,” cheerfully accepting the spoils taken from defeated robbers.
• Fan Gao establishes himself as a reliable guide and information source, successfully finding the haunted house and explaining Qing Prefecture’s complicated history.
• The unnamed members of the Ironblood Sect are introduced as aggressive, irrational martial artists whose violent behavior makes them ideal targets for Duan Yun’s reform.

Significant Themes

• Parody of martial-world conventions: Sect rivalries, legendary treasures, divine arts, and heroic journeys are treated with irreverent humor and absurdity.
• Chivalry versus chaos: Duan Yun claims to be reforming the martial world, but his methods are unconventional, often humiliating, and morally questionable.
• The allure of power and mystery: Gold Mountain and Gold Palace attract martial artists despite the danger, madness, and lack of guaranteed rewards.
• The absurdity of sect ideology: Both the White Socks Cult and Jade Maiden Sword Sect are portrayed as extreme organizations whose conflicts produce bizarre consequences.
• Companionship and belonging: Duan Yun’s growing group of allies contrasts with his earlier isolation and makes his dangerous travels more enjoyable.
• Violence over trivial matters: The fight between the two cooking groups highlights how irrational and unstable the martial world has become.

Character Interactions

• The manor residents fear and avoid Duan Yun because of Tidecall, while he tries to reassure them that he will use it responsibly.
• Zi Yu questions Duan Yun’s promise and privately imagines the technique’s humiliating effects.
• The group travels, cooks, guards one another, and jokes together, showing their increasing familiarity and camaraderie.
• Duan Yun relies on Fan Gao for information and praises his ability to locate exactly the kind of dangerous residence he wants.
• The two martial-artist groups demonstrate how quickly minor insults can escalate into deadly conflict.
• Upon recognizing the Ironblood Sect, Duan Yun turns the encounter into a personal opportunity, deciding that they will become the first subjects of his “Chivalric Aura Reformation.”

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• A violent clash breaks out between the Great-Head Saber Sect, recognizable by their red-tasseled swords, and the Ironblood Sect. The Ironblood men quickly overwhelm their opponents because they fear neither injury nor blood; their green blood can be weaponized, blinding enemies.
• The Ironblood Sect massacres most of the swordsmen, captures two attractive survivors as “Star Rage,” and drives the rest away. The defeated swordsmen had been traveling to Qing River City to seek fame and challenge the Goddess of War, but are destroyed before arriving.
• The Murong Brothers appear after the battle and boldly take a pot of braised pork. Rather than fight them, an Ironblood leader allows them to leave, judging them either powerful or insane. The brothers take the food because Ning Qing likes it.
• Duan Yun observes the Ironblood Sect and decides that their savage, pointed-headed members would be ideal targets for his “Chivalric Aura Reformation.”
• The group reaches Qing River City, a sprawling, chaotic settlement without walls. Its architecture reflects the many forces gathered there, ranging from Jiangnan-style houses to desert-like buildings and the Red Pagoda Mountain’s crimson tower.
• Fan Gao explains that Qing River City has become a center for martial artists seeking Gold Palace, divine arts, fame, profit, or recruits. Four major forces control the city and regulate open violence to preserve the ordinary population and maintain their economic interests.
• The city’s economy is dominated by martial sects. The Grey Eagle Sect earns large profits building houses and mixing plaster, while other groups operate businesses such as smokehouses and entertainment venues.
• The group settles in a supposedly haunted residence formerly owned by Deadman Blade. He and eight disciples allegedly tore out and roasted their own hearts in a single night, though Duan Yun suspects murder disguised as a haunting.
• Despite the eerie surroundings, the group decides to stay. Fan Gao becomes housekeeper and night watchman, assisted by Da Bai the panda. The first night passes peacefully.
• The next morning, Duan Yun disguises himself and begins gathering information and scouting potential targets for reformation. He sees Red Pagoda Mountain’s smoking business and the Blissful Union Sect’s provocative advertising, deciding both groups may eventually need reforming.
• The chapter ends as Duan Yun and the others arrive at the Ironblood Sect’s base, preparing for their next major confrontation or reformation attempt.

2. Character Developments

• Duan Yun grows increasingly enthusiastic about Qing River City because its many morally dubious sects provide abundant opportunities for his reforming mission. He views the city’s chaos not as a danger but as a “paradise” for a young hero.
• The Murong Brothers display their characteristic boldness and irreverence by stealing food directly from the victorious Ironblood Sect. Their relationship with Ning Qing also advances: they arrange to sleep under the same roof as her, though the brothers remain beneath her bed.
• Ning Qing is shown to have a fondness for braised pork and appears comfortable enough with the Murong Brothers to share sleeping quarters, although the arrangement remains restrained and comedic.
• Fan Gao becomes the group’s practical caretaker and remains nervous about the haunted residence. His fear contrasts with Duan Yun’s confidence and the others’ heroic bravado.
• Da Bai the panda is entrusted with night watch and proves reliable, remaining awake throughout the night. Once the danger appears to have passed, she immediately sleeps.
• Feng Ling’er reveals her unease with the haunted residence and chooses to share a room with Xia Touying.
• Zi Yu remains unusually fearless and views the haunted surroundings as potentially beneficial to her writing.
• The Ironblood Sect is established as brutal, eccentric, and highly resistant to pain, but its leader also demonstrates pragmatic restraint by avoiding an unnecessary fight with the Murong Brothers.

3. Significant Themes

• Chaos as opportunity: Qing River City is dangerous and morally distorted, but Duan Yun sees its disorder as an ideal environment for heroic intervention.
• Satire of the martial world: Martial sects behave like modern businesses, profiting from construction, smoking, entertainment, recruitment, and housing while still pursuing divine arts and martial prestige.
• The corruption of ordinary life: Commoners are treated as resources supporting the martial artists, and even daily necessities such as water, housing, and labor are affected by sect competition.
• Violence and commercialization: Sect conflict, property control, advertising, and exploitation coexist, making Qing River City both a battlefield and a marketplace.
• Heroism versus madness: The characters’ fearless behavior often resembles recklessness or insanity. The chapter humorously suggests that in this world, a “great hero” may be indistinguishable from a lunatic.
• Appearance versus reality: The haunted residence may not actually be supernatural, while the seemingly absurd sects and businesses conceal real danger and exploitation.
• Reformation as social transformation: Duan Yun believes his Chivalric Aura can convert violent and greedy sects into benevolent forces, turning a “no man’s land” into a harmonious human realm.

4. Character Interactions

• The Great-Head Saber Sect’s confidence collapses when they encounter the Ironblood Sect, emphasizing the gap between boasting and actual strength.
• The Murong Brothers casually confront the Ironblood Sect over the braised pork, and the Ironblood leader chooses restraint rather than escalating the encounter.
• Duan Yun silently marks the Ironblood Sect as future reform targets while his companions enjoy watching the conflict.
• Fan Gao warns the group about the haunted residence, but Duan Yun, Shen Ying, and the others dismiss the danger and insist on staying.
• The group negotiates sleeping arrangements according to personal comfort and relationships, revealing both their camaraderie and differing levels of fear.
• The Murong Brothers help Fan Gao cope with his anxiety by assigning Da Bai to accompany him on night watch.
• On the next morning, Duan Yun reacts critically to the Red Pagoda Mountain smokehouse and Blissful Union Sect dancers, mentally adding them to his list of groups requiring reform.

Chapter Summary: Blood Surge Method, World-Shaking Wisdom, Enlighten Me!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duan Yun discovers that the Ironblood Sect has established a stronghold in Qing River City and is recruiting almost anyone willing to pay. Like many factions in the area, it needs manpower for territory-building and expeditions into dangerous Gold Mountain.
• Deciding that the sect requires “Chivalric Aura Reformation,” Duan Yun disguises himself and recruits the Murong Brothers to accompany him. Feng Ling’er creates masks, making Duan Yun appear muscular and scarred while giving the Murong Brothers a more handsome appearance.
• They join the Ironblood Sect as outer disciples by paying one hundred taels each. Senior Brother Zhu assigns them menial labor instead of immediately teaching them martial arts: Duan Yun washes dishes, while the Murong Brothers wash filthy clothes.
• The sect’s training involves bizarre blood-based techniques, including carving the body, spraying blood, and using blood as a weapon. Its members believe that cultivating “Greenblood” grants great physical power and sensual pleasure.
• The sect’s food is bland boiled vegetables and chicken. Angered by the miserly, pockmarked food server, the Murong Brothers secretly cause him to fall into the latrine and break both hands.
• Two disciples openly obsess over sexual gratification rather than martial cultivation. Duan Yun judges this to be an ideological corruption of the sect. The Murong Brothers then sabotage them as well, causing severe injuries and forcing their expulsion.
• Rumors spread that the latrine is haunted, making it increasingly feared by the sect’s members.
• On the fourth day, Second Senior Brother Zhu Dakai finally teaches Duan Yun and the Murong Brothers the sect’s basic qi-and-blood technique, the Blood Surge Method.
• Despite the claim that ordinary disciples need ten days to see results, the two exceptional cultivators succeed after only two attempts. The technique causes their blood and bodies to become unnaturally stimulated, convincing Duan Yun that the method is sinister and must be reformed.

Character Developments

• Duan Yun: Takes on the role of an undercover reformer, approaching the Ironblood Sect with confidence, humor, and ruthless “chivalric” methods. He becomes increasingly convinced that the sect’s teachings are morally and ideologically defective, not merely unusual.
• Murong Brothers: Enthusiastically join Duan Yun’s reform campaign, partly out of curiosity and partly because they dislike the Ironblood Sect. Their loyalty to Duan Yun is emphasized through their willingness to endure labor and carry out his schemes. They also show a strong attachment to Ning Qing before leaving.
• Feng Ling’er: Continues to support Duan Yun by creating disguises. Her fascination with Duan Yun’s disguised appearance highlights his unusual natural charisma.
• Ning Qing: Shares a close, affectionate relationship with the Murong Brothers. Their temporary separation is treated comically as though they are star-crossed lovers.
• Senior Brother Zhu and Zhu Dakai: Represent the Ironblood Sect’s exploitative and crude leadership. They recruit disciples for money, impose hard labor, justify poor food through ideology, and delay instruction while promising future advancement.
• The Ironblood disciples: Are portrayed as physically tough but intellectually and morally misguided, accepting the sect’s harsh practices and equating power with sexual indulgence.

Significant Themes

• Satire of corrupt sects: The Ironblood Sect disguises exploitation as cultivation, charging recruits large fees while using them as laborers.
• Ideological reform versus martial tradition: Duan Yun believes the sect’s problems come from its values and teachings, especially its glorification of violence, bloodshed, and lust.
• Appearance and identity: The disguises alter the characters’ faces but cannot conceal their underlying charisma, talents, or personalities.
• Power and bodily excess: The Ironblood Sect’s cultivation system treats blood, physical strength, and sexual desire as interconnected sources of power.
• Food and material hardship: The terrible meals and high prices reflect the broader desperation of Gold Mountain, where people endure exploitation to survive.
• Comedic “justice”: Duan Yun and the Murong Brothers punish wrongdoing through absurd accidents, particularly involving the latrine, turning reform into a mixture of vigilantism and slapstick revenge.

Character Interactions

• Duan Yun and the Murong Brothers work as comedic partners, sharing his enthusiasm for reform and helping carry out increasingly outrageous punishments.
• The Murong Brothers’ emotional farewell with Ning Qing presents them as deeply attached despite the humorous romantic framing.
• Senior Brother Zhu treats the newcomers as profitable recruits, inspecting their physiques and assigning them labor while promising eventual instruction.
• Duan Yun challenges the sect’s values internally, especially when Senior Brother Zhu praises sexual gratification as the reward for cultivation.
• After mastering the Blood Surge Method almost instantly, Duan Yun and the Murong Brothers expose their extraordinary talent—and give Duan Yun another reason to believe the Ironblood Sect’s cultivation system needs radical reform.

Summary: Brothers, You Smell So Good!

Key Plot Points

• Duan Yun and Murong Brothers, now low-ranked outer disciples of the Ironblood Sect, receive a shoddy, error-filled, eighteenth-hand copy of the Blood Surge Method.
• Murong Brothers is furious after spending the whole day scrubbing chamber pots; the two feel exploited and resent the martial world’s hierarchy.
• Duan Yun uses his World-Shaking Wisdom to compensate for the manual’s flaws, improvising the missing steps.
• He triggers the “blood surge” by visualizing multiple beautiful women, then solves the impossible “visualize men” gathering step by visualizing himself (narcissism).
• Murong Brothers can’t make it work on himself, so Duan Yun slaps him repeatedly and convinces him that he is handsome and that Ning Qing’s love proves it, allowing Murong to succeed through self-worship.
• Murong Brothers almost suffers a qi deviation, feeling a violent urge to shed blood, but calms himself with the Iceheart Art.
• Duan Yun fully comprehends the technique and produces a new kind of “Greenblood,” but keeps it suppressed for now.
• The chapter ends with Murong Brothers noticing Duan Yun smells like medicine, saying: “Brother, you smell so good.”

Character Developments

• Duan Yun: Shows off his genius-level adaptability and darkly humorous pragmatism. He is willing to use any method—including narcissism—to advance, and he becomes more protective of Murong Brothers.
• Murong Brothers: Struggles with self-esteem and inferiority, but is manipulated/encouraged by Duan Yun into a narcissistic breakthrough. He becomes calmer but remains emotionally dependent on Duan Yun’s validation.
• Both deepen their bond through shared misery, banter, and resentment toward the sect system.

Significant Themes

• Exploitation of lower-tier martial disciples and the oppressive nature of sect hierarchies.
• Genius vs. ordinary talent: Duan Yun’s World-Shaking Wisdom lets him rewrite flawed manuals, while Murong needs external support.
• Cultivation as “filling in the blanks,” improvisation, and mental visualization.
• Self-deception and narcissism as legitimate tools for growth.
• Dark comedy and the absurdity of martial-arts training methods.

Character Interactions

• Murong Brothers complains about the manual; Duan Yun declares he likes incomplete manuals.
• Murong writes down revenge targets in his notebook at Duan Yun’s suggestion.
• Duan Yun slaps Murong ten times to convince him he is handsome.
• After Murong nearly loses control, Duan Yun calms him down; Murong’s final line—“Brother, you smell so good”—underscores both their odd intimacy and Duan Yun’s breakthrough.

Chapter Summary: “Duan Yun’s New Demonic Art, Activated!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duan Yun discovers that the blood produced through his modified cultivation technique has a strong medicinal fragrance and a faint green tint.
• He tests the blood on the Murong Brothers’ scalp. By the next morning, the Murong Brothers’ sparse hair has grown into a thick, curly mane.
• After drinking some of the blood, the Murong Brothers experiences tremendous energy, emotional calm, and an unusual sense of benevolence. He becomes eager to work rather than complain or threaten violence.
• Duan Yun worries that the technique may accidentally turn his body into a “Great Medicine,” an evil cultivation concept in which humans are cultivated as medicinal resources for others to consume.
• The Murong Brothers explains the history of Great Medicine Methods, including how major sects eventually united to suppress the practice after elite disciples were also turned into human medicine.
• Duan Yun rejects the idea that his technique is merely an evil Great Medicine Method. He reimagines it as a benevolent “Blood Bodhi” technique capable of treating many different ailments rather than benefiting only one specific cultivation path.
• Duan Yun proposes transforming Ironblood Sect members into divine physicians, creating competition with medical sects such as the Jiangzhong Sect and making treatment more affordable.
• The Murong Brothers becomes the first test subject and deliberately advertises the medicinal effects of Duan Yun’s blood to the Ironblood Sect.
• His sudden enthusiasm for labor causes the entire outer sect to compete desperately, making the previously filthy Ironblood Sect unusually clean.
• Vice Sect Master Li Chun mistakes the Murong Brothers’ behavior for exemplary loyalty and orders that he receive the complete outer-sect manual early.
• Rather than slowing down, the Murong Brothers works even harder, worrying the sect that its valuable “beast of burden” may die from exhaustion.
• He finally tells Senior Brother Zhu about his medicinal fragrance and improved hair, successfully baiting him into asking how he cultivated.
• The Murong Brothers then passes along Duan Yun’s cultivation “experience,” hoping that Senior Brother Zhu or another Ironblood disciple will become the next test subject for the unpredictable technique.

Character Developments

• Duan Yun: Becomes increasingly inventive and ambitious. He shifts from merely experimenting with his blood to imagining a large-scale medical revolution. At the same time, he remains wary that his technique may have sinister consequences.
• The Murong Brothers: His personality temporarily changes from violent, lazy, and constantly resentful to peaceful, energetic, benevolent, and obsessively hardworking after consuming Duan Yun’s blood. However, he retains his cunning and desire for revenge, using his transformation to manipulate the Ironblood Sect.
• Li Chun: Revealed as a ruthless but practical sect leader who values outer disciples primarily as laborers and loyal tools. He sincerely admires the Murong Brothers’ work ethic without realizing it is caused by Duan Yun’s blood.
• Senior Brother Zhu: Though previously harsh toward the Murong Brothers, he becomes concerned that the unusually productive disciple may work himself to death. His curiosity about the medicinal effects makes him the likely next victim of the experiment.
• Ironblood Outer Disciples: Driven by jealousy and fear of falling behind, they begin working far harder than before, turning the sect’s labor system into a ruthless competition.

Significant Themes

• Benevolence emerging from demonic methods: Duan Yun’s disturbing blood cultivation may produce genuinely healing results, blurring the line between evil technique and compassionate medicine.
• Exploitation and labor: The Ironblood Sect treats outer disciples as disposable labor, while the chapter satirizes how institutions praise “loyalty” when it actually means self-destructive productivity.
• Competition and reform: Duan Yun believes medical competition could break the monopoly of established physician sects and lower the cost of healthcare.
• Unintended consequences: Duan Yun’s modifications produce effects neither he nor the Murong Brothers fully understands, making every new experiment potentially dangerous or absurd.
• Manipulation and survival: Both Duan Yun and the Murong Brothers use the sect’s greed and curiosity against it, turning oppressive systems into opportunities for personal advancement and revenge.

Character Interactions

• Duan Yun and the Murong Brothers test the blood together, with the Murong Brothers serving as the initial subject.
• Their discussion of Great Medicine Methods leads Duan Yun to reinterpret his technique as a universal healing art rather than a sinister cultivation method.
• Duan Yun encourages the Murong Brothers to advertise the blood’s effects, while the Murong Brothers deliberately spreads information to lure Ironblood disciples into experimenting.
• Li Chun praises the Murong Brothers as an ideal laborer and rewards him with the complete outer-sect manual, unaware that the disciple’s behavior is artificially induced.
• Senior Brother Zhu confronts the Murong Brothers out of concern and curiosity. The Murong Brothers exploits the interaction to pass on Duan Yun’s dangerous “experience,” setting up the next stage of the experiment.

Summary: Chapter — “Ox-Horse Method, Everyone’s World-Shaking Wisdom?”

1. Key Plot Points

• Zhu Xiaoming, a “Pale Green” disciple and loyal lackey of Ironblood Sect’s Second Sect Master Li Chun, reports that the Murong Brothers have obtained a powerful new cultivation method from the outer disciple Duan Yun.
• Li Chun decides to test the method on Zhu Xiaoming rather than risk cultivating it himself.
• Zhu Xiaoming practices day and night, visualizing himself as a creature that is half-ox, half-horse (an “ox-horse man”). He succeeds spectacularly: his hair grows back, his blood purifies, and he emits a medicinal fragrance.
• Zhu Xiaoming becomes vastly stronger, defeating five inner disciples in a row and even fighting ten at once — a shocking rise from the bottom rank.
• Li Chun, convinced by Zhu Xiaoming’s transformation, secretly begins cultivating the method himself. His hidden motive: revenge against Ironblood Sect Master Xue San, who had sold Li Chun’s wife into a brothel years earlier.
• The technique spreads rapidly through the sect after the Murong Brothers are pressured into revealing it.
• The chapter ends with an ironic twist: Zhu Xiaoming, once a slavedriver, now enthusiastically fights to scrub chamber pots and clean latrines — fully embracing the role of an ox-horse.

2. Character Developments

• Zhu Xiaoming: Transforms from a bitter, bottom-ranked disciple into a confident, powerful cultivator. His success is built on an absurd realization: servitude and humiliation feel good to him. He fully internalizes the “ox-horse” identity.
• Li Chun: Shrewd but opportunistic. He tests dangerous techniques on underlings, then eagerly adopts the method when he sees results. His deeper motivation — murdering his sect master for personal betrayal — drives him to desperate ambition.
• Murong Brothers & Duan Yun: Play the role of hidden schemers, deliberately allowing the flawed/derived technique to spread, treating the disciples like crops ready for harvest.
• Ironblood Sect disciples: Show envy and hostility toward Zhu Xiaoming’s rise, but quickly abandon their pride once they realize the technique’s power. Their behavior highlights the sect’s brutal, blood-rank hierarchy.

3. Significant Themes

• The power of submission: The “ox-horse method” suggests that embracing servitude, suffering, and even self-abasement can unlock extraordinary power — a dark satire of cultivation clichés.
• Hierarchy and hypocrisy: Those who looked down on Zhu Xiaoming suddenly grovel and seek his favor. The sect’s obsession with blood purity is mocked by the fact that a “trash” disciple becomes a prodigy through a ridiculous method.
• Revenge and obsession: Li Chun’s buried trauma and hatred toward Xue San drive him to gamble everything on an untested technique.
• False confidence and delusion: Zhu Xiaoming believes he possesses “World-Shaking Wisdom,” but his breakthrough is actually engineered by Duan Yun and the Murong Brothers for their own purposes.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Chun and Zhu Xiaoming: A master-disciple relationship built on exploitation, but Zhu Xiaoming is completely devoted — even sexually infatuated — with Li Chun. Li Chun uses him as a test subject while pretending to care.
• Zhu Xiaoming and inner disciples: Once despised and treated as livestock, he now earns their grudging respect and fear. Their sudden friendliness highlights their shallow, power-worshiping nature.
• Murong Brothers and Duan Yun: They act as observers and manipulators, gleefully watching the technique spread. Their dialogue reveals that Duan Yun’s blood and method are the true source of the miracle.
• Li Chun and Xue San (offstage): Li Chun’s buried grudge against his master gives his cultivation drive emotional weight, suggesting future conflict.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhu Xiaoming becomes so devoted to serving as an “ox and horse” that he bites down on a chamber pot to claim the task of washing it. Murong Brothers watches jealously, experiencing intense anguish that strengthens his Endless Blade of Everlasting Hatred.
• Duan Yun reminds Murong Brothers to maintain his disguise as “Mu Dehua.” Murong instead uses his jealousy and misery as a source of blade cultivation.
• The modified Ox-Horse Sinking Blood Method begins producing dramatic psychological and physical effects. Zhu Xiaoming and Murong Brothers develop curly hair, emit a medicinal fragrance, and become obsessed with exhausting menial labor.
• The method spreads through the Ironblood Sect. Disciples begin fighting over chamber pots, latrine cleaning, and other filthy work—tasks they had previously considered humiliating.
• Duan Yun suggests obtaining chamber pots from brothels, causing several disciples to rush there. They pay the brothel women for the privilege of washing their chamber pots and even ask to be whipped while working.
• The bizarre behavior becomes citywide gossip and severely damages the Ironblood Sect’s reputation.
• Second Sect Master Li Chun initially condemns the disciples for disgracing the sect, but secretly becomes interested in the strongest-smelling chamber pots. He realizes that the more intensely someone embraces being an “ox and horse,” the faster their cultivation improves.
• As work inside the sect becomes insufficient, disciples spread into the city and perform labor for ordinary people, including an elderly woman whose household had previously been exploited by martial artists. Their unexpected helpfulness leaves her terrified and confused.
• Murong Brothers questions whether the experiment has gone completely wrong. Duan Yun insists it has not, then reveals that the latrine now carries a medicinal fragrance because the disciples have begun cultivating “Medicinal Blood.”
• The disciples discover a horrifying side effect: they are urinating blood. Zhu Xiaoming explains that it resembles a woman’s monthly cycle and admits he kept quiet so he would not be humiliated alone.
• Murong Brothers is relieved that he stopped cultivating further, fearing he might have developed the same condition. The chapter ends when the disciples learn that the sect master has returned.

Character Developments

• Murong Brothers: His jealousy and emotional pain over losing the “beloved” chamber pots become a powerful stimulus for sharpening his blade intent. He remains horrified by the method’s consequences and grateful that he did not continue practicing it.
• Zhu Xiaoming: Fully embraces the ox-and-horse mentality, competing fiercely for filthy labor and becoming an early authority on the method’s side effects. He demonstrates both dedication and selfish humor by hiding the truth about the “monthly cycle.”
• Duan Yun: Continues manipulating events through casual suggestions and observations. Though he intended to create a medicinal-blood cultivation method, he is surprised by how badly—or absurdly—the disciples have deviated.
• Li Chun: Moves from anger and concern over the sect’s reputation to secretly adopting the same obsession. His desire for greater strength overwhelms his dignity, making him one of the most advanced practitioners.
• The Ironblood disciples: Transform from proud martial artists who despise menial labor into eager workers who compete to clean the filthiest objects and even seek physical punishment while doing so.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation through perversion and misdirection: A method intended to produce a beneficial “Medicinal Blood” unexpectedly turns practitioners into obsessive servants.
• The cost of strength: Characters repeatedly sacrifice dignity, social reputation, and even bodily normality in exchange for faster cultivation.
• Social inversion: Tasks once associated with humiliation become coveted privileges, while martial artists willingly serve ordinary people.
• Absurdity and satire: The chapter mocks sect pride, martial-arts conventions, and the desire to become stronger at any cost.
• Shared humiliation and solidarity: Zhu Xiaoming’s decision to reveal the blood-related side effect only after others experience it reflects the chapter’s recurring joke that disgrace is more bearable when suffered collectively.

Character Interactions

• Murong Brothers and Zhu Xiaoming embody two different responses to the method: Murong turns jealousy into blade cultivation, while Zhu seeks fulfillment through labor itself.
• Duan Yun repeatedly guides events with seemingly harmless remarks, especially his suggestion about brothels, while Murong questions his increasingly bizarre conclusions.
• Li Chun reprimands the disciples publicly but privately joins their pursuit of stronger medicinal blood, revealing that authority figures are just as vulnerable to the method.
• Zhu Xiaoming’s revelation about the “monthly cycle” shocks the entire sect and causes the disciples to realize that they have collectively cultivated themselves into an embarrassing new condition.

Chapter Summary: “Today, This Very Day!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Chun, the Ironblood Sect’s second sect master, believes he has finally gained the opportunity to surpass and eventually destroy Sect Master Xue San. He resents Xue San for holding back his martial teachings and blames him for his wife’s suffering after she was sold away.
• After cultivating the Ox-Horse Sinking Blood Method, Li Chun experiences a surge of confidence and bizarre enlightenment. He embraces the “ox-horse” philosophy, interpreting it as total dedication, endurance, and self-sacrifice.
• Through visualization and cultivation, Li Chun discovers that he can produce Blood Milk from his chest. Unlike the blood released from other parts of the body, this Blood Milk contains extremely powerful medicinal properties.
• The Blood Milk heals the hidden injuries caused by practicing the Ironblood Art and restores Li Chun’s body. He realizes that the Ironblood Sect’s blood may have healing potential greater than the Jiangzhong Sect’s medicines.
• Li Chun gives some Blood Milk to Zhu Xiaoming. Zhu initially suspects it may be poison, but drinks it without hesitation and confirms its powerful medicinal effect.
• The two begin imagining a new future for the Ironblood Sect: by cultivating the Ox-Horse Sinking Blood Method and using their medicinal blood to heal others, they could become stronger and perhaps rival or surpass the Jiangzhong Sect.
• Sect Master Xue San returns to the manor after an absence of nine days. The disciples kneel in a formal corridor to welcome him, though Duan Yun mocks the sect’s exaggerated displays of authority.
• Xue San questions Li Chun about the sect members’ humiliating work in brothels, including scrubbing toilets and nightsoil buckets. Li Chun takes responsibility but conceals his resentment.
• Xue San cruelly taunts Li Chun about his missing wife, claiming that she is still working in the brothels and offering to reveal her location if Li Chun can make him bleed.
• When Xue San extends a blood-dripping finger, Li Chun appears to submit—but suddenly bites down and snaps off part of the finger. The chapter ends with Xue San realizing that “today” is the day Li Chun has finally chosen to rebel.

Character Developments

• Li Chun: His cultivation of the Ox-Horse Sinking Blood Method radically changes both his physical abilities and worldview. He becomes convinced that serving others, enduring humiliation, and turning his own blood into medicine represent the true meaning of the Ironblood path. Beneath his calm exterior, however, his hatred of Xue San intensifies. His attack marks the transition from suppressed resentment to open defiance.
• Zhu Xiaoming: He remains deeply loyal to Li Chun and willingly drinks the Blood Milk despite suspecting it may be poison. He quickly accepts Li Chun’s vision of transforming the sect and becomes an enthusiastic supporter of the medicinal-blood path.
• Xue San: He is shown to be domineering, petty, cruel, and highly concerned with authority and reputation. His sharp, triangular head reflects his advanced Ironblood cultivation, while his verbal abuse of Li Chun reveals his confidence that Li Chun remains powerless.
• Duan Yun and the Murong Brothers: They continue to view the Ironblood Sect’s rituals and hierarchy with disdain. Their outsider perspective highlights how excessive and tyrannical the sect’s customs appear.
• Xiao Zhao: He tries to befriend Duan Yun and the Murong Brothers for information about the new cultivation method, but quickly distances himself when Duan Yun insults Xue San, showing how deeply the sect fears its master.

Significant Themes

• Reinterpretation of strength and masculinity: The Ironblood Sect traditionally values aggression, bloodshed, and masculine toughness. Li Chun’s new method subverts these ideals by presenting endurance, service, healing, and even bodily vulnerability as forms of strength.
• Humiliation transformed into power: Tasks such as scrubbing toilets and nightsoil buckets are initially degrading, but Li Chun comes to see them as a path to cultivation and a source of profound spiritual insight.
• Blood as both violence and medicine: Iron Blood is associated with combat and brutality, while Medicinal Blood represents healing and benevolence. The chapter suggests that true power may come from using blood to preserve life rather than destroy it.
• Rebellion against abusive authority: Li Chun’s resentment toward Xue San builds throughout the chapter. Xue San’s cruelty, especially his mockery of Li Chun’s wife, finally pushes Li Chun into direct action.
• Comedic absurdity and inversion: The chapter deliberately treats bizarre developments—male menstruation, chest-produced Blood Milk, and toilet cleaning—as serious breakthroughs, satirizing rigid sect traditions and conventional ideas of heroism.

Character Interactions

• Li Chun and Zhu Xiaoming: Their conversation establishes a shared revolutionary vision. Li Chun acts as mentor and visionary, while Zhu Xiaoming responds with loyalty and growing confidence.
• Li Chun and Xue San: Their formal exchange masks deep hostility. Li Chun outwardly obeys and accepts punishment, while privately vowing revenge. Xue San deliberately provokes him by insulting his wife, turning their power struggle personal.
• Xue San and the sect disciples: The disciples kneel and publicly flatter him, demonstrating the fear and hierarchy governing the Ironblood Sect.
• Duan Yun, the Murong Brothers, and Xiao Zhao: Their interaction contrasts outsider mockery with insider fear. Xiao Zhao’s warnings reveal the danger of criticizing Xue San openly.
• Final confrontation: Xue San expects submission, but Li Chun bites off his finger instead. This sudden act signals the beginning of their long-anticipated conflict and ends the chapter on a major cliffhanger.

Here is a concise summary of the chapter:

Summary: Chapter of The World Had Finally Gone Mad Beyond Recognition, Damn It!

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Li Chun's Rebellion: Li Chun, the Second Sect Master, decides he can no longer endure the tyranny of Xue San, the Sect Master. The final straw is Xue San touching his "reverse scale"—specifically, seeing his wife's miserable condition.
• The Battle Begins: Li Chun savagely bites off a section of Xue San's finger and uses this surprise attack to initiate a full-blown fight.
• Xue San's Blood Arts: Xue San counters with his formidable "Ironblood" techniques, using his own green, corrosive blood as projectiles and whips, displaying his Grandmaster-level skill. He gains the upper hand.
• Li Chun's Unorthodox Recovery: After being badly wounded, Li Chun drinks his own "medicinal milk" (produced from his chest) to rapidly heal his wounds and sustain himself in the fight.
• The Turning Point: Despite being outclassed, Li Chun's constant self-healing wears Xue San down. When Xue San mutilates Li Chun's chest to stop him from drinking the milk, Li Chun stoically draws blood from his own crotch and drinks that instead, shocking and disturbing Xue San.
• Observers: Duan Yun and the Murong Brothers watch the chaotic battle from a nearby tree, debating whether to intervene.

2. Character Developments

• Li Chun: Undergoes a massive transformation. He rejects his former subservience and obedience, vowing to never kneel again. He demonstrates immense resilience, a high pain tolerance, and a desperate, resourceful, and shockingly unorthodox will to survive.
• Xue San: His cruelty and arrogance are on full display as a tyrant who uses subordinates as tools for stress relief. As the fight progresses, his confidence shatters, replaced by confusion and disgust as he is rendered unable to defeat his seemingly unkillable opponent, leading to him perceive the world as "going mad."
• Duan Yun: Remains the puppet master, observing the events and expressing a cynical, violent concern for Li Chun as the vessel of his own martial arts modification.

3. Significant Themes

• Oppression and Revolt: The chapter is a classic tale of a suppressed underling finally snapping and rebelling against a tyrannical superior.
• Endurance vs. Brutality: Li Chun's philosophy of endless endurance and self-preservation is pitted directly against Xue San's overwhelming, short-lived brutality.
• The Grotesque and Unorthodox: The battle is defined by the macabre—using blood as a weapon and self-consumption as a healing method. It highlights a gritty, survival-at-any-cost mentality and challenges traditional martial arts norms.
• The "Madness" of Reality: The chapter's title and Xue San's perspective emphasize a theme of reality becoming increasingly bizarre, incomprehensible, and grotesque.

4. Character Interactions

• Li Chun vs. Xue San: The primary interaction is a brutal, life-or-death confrontation that transitions from a master-subordinate dynamic to a vicious battle of equals, filled with disgust and desperation.
• Duan Yun & the Murong Brothers: They act as a spectator chorus, providing commentary and comedic relief, showcasing their hierarchical relationship with Duan Yun as the leader and the Murong Brothers as his compliant followers.
• Ironblood Sect Disciples: The unnamed followers of the sect are shown as bloodthirsty spectators who value the gruesome spectacle, even at the cost of their own safety.

Summary

Key Plot Points & Events

• Li Chun battles Xue San, the Ironblood Sect Master of 56 years, to a near-death standstill. Though Li Chun is outmatched and gravely wounded, Zhu Xiaoming launches a surprise attack, followed by other Ironblood Sect disciples who restrain Xue San.
• Li Chun kills Xue San, ending his decades-long tyrannical reign. Xue San dies cursing the sect's sudden change, speculating it's a curse from Gold Mountain.
• Li Chun takes over the sect, declaring new rules: the Ironblood Sect will no longer restrict disciples from being "ox-horses" and will dedicate itself to serving others.
• Duan Yun (disguised as Duan Cheng Wu) recites an adapted Lu Xun quote—"Brow knit coldly at a thousand accusing fingers, head bowed willingly as an ox for the young"—earned from his "master" in his hometown, which deeply moves the sect.
• Duan Yun and Murong Brothers depart, satisfied with their "chivalrous reformation." They later witness Ironblood Sect disciples force-treating an injured Blackblade Manor swordsman, stripping his pants to administer "medicinal blood" therapy—a bizarre but effective healing method.

Character Developments

• Li Chun: Fully embodies the "ox-horse" ideal, enduring pain gladly. He survives Xue San's onslaught through sheer will and becomes the sect's new leader, genuinely committed to reform.
• Zhu Xiaoming: Risks his life to save Li Chun, proving his loyalty. Rises to become Li Chun's second-in-command.
• Xue San: Dies uncomprehending why his own disciples betrayed him. His tyranny is implicitly the cause of the rebellion.
• Duan Yun: Shows a philosophical side; he reflects on his mission, feeling reluctant to leave his "first reformed sect." He genuinely hopes for the Ironblood Sect's future, while pragmatically noting he'd wipe them out if reform failed.
• Murong Brothers: Remains skeptical but gradually accepts the results, even feeling accomplishment when witnessing the sect help others.

Significant Themes

• Reform vs. control: The chapter contrasts Xue San's oppressive rule with the new "ox-horse" ethos of voluntary service, unity, and healing.
• The absurdity of ideology: The Ironblood Sect's "benevolent" methods are comically violent—forced healing, men having "monthly flows," stripping pants—yet they demonstrably work, blurring the line between noble and ridiculous.
• Chivalry and change: Duan Yun's "chivalric aura" is presented as a practical tool for reshaping the jianghu, with results that are messy but arguably positive.
• Collective action: The sect's unity becomes its strength—many hands providing blood, many bodies standing together—making reform possible.

Character Interactions

• Li Chun & Xue San: Brutal, hate-filled combat. Xue San despises Li Chun's smile and blood-swallowing habit; Li Chun roars the ox-horse mantra at his peak.
• Zhu Xiaoming & Li Chun: Deep loyalty; Zhu Xiaoming worries about Li Chun even while wounded himself.
• Ironblood disciples & Li Chun: They betray Xue San to follow Li Chun, viewing him as their proper "ox-horse" leader.
• Duan Yun & the Murong Brothers: Comic tension—Duan Yun steals Murong Brothers' spotlight by reciting superior poetry, frustrating him. They also share a quiet moment of camaraderie at the noodle stall.
• Ironblood disciples & the swordsman: They aggressively "help" an unwilling stranger, exemplifying the sect's bizarre new philosophy in action.
  Note: The chapter carries a satirical tone, using absurd humor (men menstruating blood, "ox" chants, forced healing) to explore serious ideas about leadership, reform, and what truly benefits the jianghu.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Duan Yun and the Murong Brothers travel through the poorer districts of Qing River City, witnessing widespread poverty, exploitation, opium addiction, disease, and violence among low-level martial artists.
• Duan Yun reflects on the oppressive structure of the martial world, where powerful sects profit from the suffering of those beneath them. He views his reform of the Ironblood Sect—turning its members into people devoted to humble service—as an extreme but necessary form of social treatment.
• The trio encounters diseased and desperate people attempting robbery. The Murong Brothers stop them harshly by aggravating their infected sores rather than killing them.
• They learn that the Ironblood Sect is treating illnesses with medicinal blood, even curing venereal disease. A man refuses treatment because he perversely cherishes the disease he contracted from a prostitute.
• On the way home, Duan Yun notices that food prices are being manipulated. He decides that those responsible must be investigated, reformed, and possibly killed.
• Along the river, they observe Ironblood Sect members performing menial labor and joking about their humiliating duties. Duan Yun finds the ordinary domestic scene peaceful compared with the violent, profit-driven sect districts.
• They notice martial artists from Red Pagoda Mountain entering the mountains during the dangerous summer season, using opium-related substances to protect themselves from venomous creatures.
• Near Jade Willow Manor, Duan Yun and the others meet a seemingly ordinary couple, Li and Lin Yin, whom Duan Yun suspects are disguised experts.
• At their residence, the Gray Eagle Gang demands fifty taels to perform even minor repairs, citing Qing River City’s coercive regulations. Duan Yun pays but secretly decides to investigate the gang leader and the other powerful figures behind the rule.
• He plans to disguise himself and kill the Gray Eagle Gang leader, demonstrating that his “reform” will sometimes be accompanied by lethal punishment.

2. Character Developments

• Duan Yun: Becomes increasingly convinced that Qing River City’s social and martial systems are fundamentally diseased. He embraces the role of a forceful “doctor” treating a mentally ill martial world, while retaining his willingness to kill particularly exploitative figures. His ideals combine reform, absurd humor, and ruthless justice.
• The Murong Brothers: Continue to support Duan Yun’s methods, though they question his decisions and provide comic commentary. They are more experienced in martial-world etiquette and understand the need to investigate before acting.
• Fan Gao: Acts as a reliable subordinate and investigator. He handles money and intelligence gathering, and is expected to identify the powerful people controlling Qing River City.
• Ironblood Sect members: Their transformation is shown through their willingness to perform degrading labor and medical service. Though mocked by outsiders, they now embody Duan Yun’s idea of reform through enforced altruism.
• Brother Wang and other poor martial artists: Represent the ordinary, desperate people forced into dangerous labor or cannon-fodder roles.
• Li and Lin Yin: Appear to be disguised martial experts whose refined bearing does not match their ordinary appearance, hinting at a future mystery.
• The Gray Eagle Gang: Revealed as an exploitative organization using city regulations to monopolize construction and extort residents.

3. Significant Themes

• Reform versus punishment: Duan Yun believes oppressive people should be reformed, but he also argues that some must be killed to make justice effective and “thunderous.”
• Systemic exploitation: Qing River City’s sects, gangs, and wealthy authorities profit by forcing the poor into labor, controlling prices, and monopolizing basic services.
• The martial world as a diseased society: Duan Yun humorously compares martial artists to mental patients, suggesting that violence, selfishness, and cruelty are symptoms of a larger social illness.
• Forced altruism and moral ambiguity: The Ironblood Sect’s transformation improves its members’ behavior but is achieved through manipulation and coercion, raising questions about whether imposed virtue is genuine.
• Survival and dignity: The poor martial artists struggle to maintain their lives and ambitions in a city that treats them as disposable tools.
• Appearance versus reality: The disguised couple demonstrate that identity and status may be hidden beneath ordinary appearances, while temperament and bearing can reveal a person’s true nature.
• Ordinary life amid violence: The peaceful river scene, laundry, food, and household chores contrast with the greed and bloodshed dominating the martial world.

4. Character Interactions

• Poor martial artists discuss exploitative dock work, revealing the worsening conditions faced by Qing River City’s lower classes.
• The Murong Brothers interact harshly with would-be robbers, stopping their crime through painful medical manipulation.
• Duan Yun and the Murong Brothers joke about Brother Yun’s refusal to cure his venereal disease, highlighting the chapter’s dark comedic tone.
• Ironblood Sect members tease one another about washing clothes and chamber pots, showing how completely their priorities have changed.
• Duan Yun, the Murong Brothers, and the disguised Li family exchange polite introductions while privately suspecting one another.
• The Gray Eagle Gang confronts Fan Gao, Da Bai, and the household over unauthorized repairs. Duan Yun pays the extortionate fee but quietly launches a revenge investigation.
• The chapter ends with the Murong Brothers and Fan Gao shocked by Duan Yun’s decision to disguise himself and target the Gray Eagle Gang leader, reinforcing the contrast between his reformist rhetoric and his violent methods.

Chapter Summary: Duan Yun Wipes Out the Gray Eagle Gang

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Duan Yun is wronged when the Gray Eagle Gang charges him unfair "doorstep fees" (50 taels) and requires him to get their permission to paint his own house pink—a classic extortion racket.
• Instead of acting impulsively, he waits until after dinner, asking Feng Ling'er for a disguise before leaving.
• Duan Yun infiltrates the Gray Eagle Gang at night disguised as a doctor from "Jiangzhong Sect," using his quick wits (the gang leader is genuinely ill).
• Inside, he kills the gang leader Chen Huixin using his "Jade Sword Finger" techniques (Romantic Toe Force and Elegant Finger Force), after revealing his motive: the unreasonable fees.
• He proceeds to slaughter the corrupt gang members one by one—about half the gang—while sparing the "true technicians" who genuinely love construction work.
• He kills the "Gray Hawk Four Tigers," who are plotting to rape a girl from the Azure-White Sect.
• Afterward, he collects 550 taels from the corpses (his 50 taels plus "interest"), kills a passing expert who spotted him from the air, and escapes by jumping into the Clear River to wash himself clean.

2. Character Developments

• Duan Yun: Continued demonstration of his "young hero" ideology—decisive, brutal, and businesslike. He kills on the same day he's wronged, spares innocents, collects his "interest," and is increasingly aware of his growing demonic reputation, hence the need for disguises to continue his "heroic reform" work. He maintains a comedic pragmatism (eating well first, calculating interest).
• Feng Ling'er: Shows her aggressive personality, freely cursing, and makes Duan Yun's mask/disguise. She's sexually bold (offers to sleep in Duan Yun's room, unashamed about touching his face), causing jealousy.
• Shen Ying: Clearly jealous of Feng Ling'er's physical proximity to Duan Yun; expresses frustration through punching a wooden post.
• Wang Laohan (old Gray Eagle Gang member): Fanatically devoted to the gang leader—arguably in a homoerotic way. He slaps a fellow member for delaying the leader's "treatment." His grief when the leader dies is so intense that he dies of rage, bleeding from all seven orifices, atop his beloved leader's corpse.
• Chen Huixin (gang leader): Ruthless and corrupt—he digs out and swallows his own eyeball to counter Duan Yun's qi attack. He's a lecherous man with a venereal disease, and his authority is rooted in monopolizing the city's construction business.

3. Significant Themes

• Arbitrary extortion and corruption: The chapter satirizes the absurdity of "exorbitant fees" and monopolistic racketeering—the gang even charges for "doorstep visits" and dictates how you may paint your house.
• Comic heroism / dark humor: The tone is irreverent and darkly funny throughout—women discussing how "one more disease won't matter" to customers, Wang Laohan dying of anger, Duan Yun charging "interest" on his stolen silver, and the "four eyebrows" medicine-man disguise.
• The cost of power and corruption: The gang's ties to city big shots have made them arrogant and predatory; from the gang leader down, they plot murder and assault. Duan Yun kills them as a "living King of Hell."
• Masking and identity: Duan Yun's use of disguises reflects his need to keep his famous (infamous) identity hidden so that people accept his "heroic reform" without knowing who he truly is.
• Moral selectivity: Duan Yun spares the construction technicians who truly love their craft, but kills those whose conversations reveal corrupt and violent intentions.

4. Character Interactions

• Duan Yun & Feng Ling'er: She hands him his new disguise while teasing Shen Ying; their banter is flirtatious and combative.
• Duan Yun & Shen Ying: Tension over Feng Ling'er touching Duan Yun; Shen Ying vents her jealousy physically, while Feng Ling'er provokes her further.
• Duan Yun & Wang Laohan: Duan Yun deceives the loyal old gang member with his doctor act, then kills his beloved leader. Wang Laohan dies of sheer rage when Duan Yun kicks the leader's corpse—perhaps the most absurd moment in the chapter.
• Duan Yun & Chen Huixin: A deceptive "treatment," followed by a brutal brief fight. Chen Huixin nearly reaches Duan Yun but dies after 93 Sword Qi strikes, dumbfounded that his murder stems from unreasonable fees.
• Shen Ying & Feng Ling'er: The two women argue over sleeping arrangements; Shen Ying banishes Feng Ling'er from her room, while Feng Ling'er threatens to use Duan Yun's room instead.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duan Yun secretly swims through the river near Qing River City at night while searching for a suitable target for his “chivalrous reform.”
• He notices a single red lantern outside a house and discovers that it is being used as a signal by a secret lover. Investigating further, he witnesses a young man having an affair with An Hong, the wife of Hong Mingtian, an elder of Red Pagoda Mountain.
• During their conversation, Duan Yun learns that Red Pagoda Mountain is involved in the opium trade and is preparing to enter Gold Mountain. Because he has been looking for a way to infiltrate the sect, he decides to use An Hong.
• After the young lover leaves, Duan Yun enters the house disguised as the woman’s next visitor. An Hong misunderstands his intentions and assumes he wants an illicit sexual encounter. Her shameless eagerness leads to several comic misunderstandings.
• Duan Yun discovers that An Hong suffers from “Green Willow Disease,” a contagious illness apparently worsened or masked by opium use. Disgusted by her behavior and concerned about the disease, he refuses her advances and briefly restrains her.
• Instead of demanding money or exploiting her, Duan Yun asks An Hong to arrange positions in Red Pagoda Mountain for two people. She agrees because he has caught her in adultery and seems extremely dangerous.
• Duan Yun returns to his haunted house, where the Murong Brothers, Ning Qing, Feng Ling’er, and Shen Ying are preparing a late-night barbecue while waiting for him.
• He playfully pretends to be a ghost by floating with one heel raised. The others panic, especially Ning Qing and Feng Ling’er, though Shen Ying immediately sees through the act and embraces him rather than fearing him.

Character Developments

• Duan Yun: Continues to present himself as a righteous, justice-seeking hero, but his methods are unconventional, opportunistic, and often comically excessive. He shows restraint by refusing to exploit An Hong sexually, focusing instead on his larger plan to infiltrate Red Pagoda Mountain. His curiosity and willingness to investigate hidden affairs reveal his mischievous side.
• An Hong: Is portrayed as reckless, shameless, and heavily dependent on opium. She treats adultery and her illness casually, believing her beauty makes her desirable despite her condition. Although initially defiant and flirtatious, she becomes frightened and compliant when confronted by Duan Yun.
• Shen Ying: Demonstrates unusual courage and affection toward Duan Yun. She immediately recognizes his ghost act as fake and embraces him without hesitation, revealing that her feelings for him remain strong.
• Feng Ling’er, Ning Qing, and the Murong Brothers: Their fear of ghosts contrasts humorously with their heroic identities. They become vulnerable and frightened in the haunted-house setting, emphasizing the group’s more human and comedic side.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus personal motives: Duan Yun claims to be upholding justice, but he also uses criminal and morally questionable situations to advance his own plans.
• Corruption and addiction: Red Pagoda Mountain’s recruitment practices and opium trade suggest an organization that controls people through addiction and profit. An Hong’s dependence illustrates the destructive effects of this culture.
• Deception and appearances: The red lantern appears sinister but is merely an erotic signal; Duan Yun disguises himself as a lover but seeks information; and his ghostly appearance is only a prank.
• Sexual immorality and satire: The affair and An Hong’s exaggerated promiscuity are treated comically, parodying melodramatic romance and exposing the absurdity of the characters’ behavior.
• Fear and courage: The supposedly heroic characters are easily frightened by the haunted setting, while Shen Ying’s affection makes her fearless toward Duan Yun.
• Affection and unspoken feelings: Shen Ying still remembers their earlier kiss and continues to care for Duan Yun, even though he appears not to notice or acknowledge it.

Important Character Interactions

• Duan Yun and An Hong: Their encounter combines intimidation, flirtatious misunderstanding, and negotiation. An Hong repeatedly assumes Duan Yun wants her body, while he is only interested in gaining access to Red Pagoda Mountain.
• An Hong and her lover: Their affair reveals jealousy, long-standing attraction, and a shared willingness to deceive Hong Mingtian. Their conversation also provides Duan Yun with information about Red Pagoda Mountain.
• Duan Yun and the haunted-house group: Duan Yun scares the group by pretending to be a ghost, but Shen Ying exposes the deception and physically embraces him, turning the prank into a display of affection.
• Shen Ying and Duan Yun: Their interaction highlights her continued romantic interest and her confidence that she understands him better than the others do.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Duan Yun returns from destroying the Gray Eagle Gang, he and the others barbecue together at the haunted residence. The group discusses his successful infiltration, during which he disguised himself as a doctor and killed the gang leader.
• The Murong Brothers jokingly insist that they should handle the next mission. Since they do not look convincing as doctors, Feng Ling’er and Ning Qing suggest disguising him as a professional back scrubber instead. Duan Yun humorously confirms that such work could technically be considered medical.
• Duan Yun explains that he slaughtered most of the Gray Eagle Gang, sparing only a few members who were occupied with mixing plaster. His actions are treated by the group as an exciting heroic achievement, while the Murong Brothers fantasize about carrying out a similar mission.
• The next day, Duan Yun goes into the city to purchase more paint and lime, since the Gray Eagle Gang confiscated the group’s previous supplies. News of the gang’s destruction has already spread throughout Qing River City.
• Ordinary citizens discuss how the Gray Eagle Gang’s influence had made them too frightened to repair or decorate their own homes. Duan Yun realizes that Qing River City’s people, despite being martial artists, are largely submissive toward stronger powers and only bully those beneath them.
• The Gray Eagle Gang’s death causes chaos because it had monopolized construction-related work while acting as an enforcer for the city’s five major powers. Those powers received much of the gang’s profits and are alarmed that someone powerful enough to annihilate the gang may eventually target them.
• The major factions investigate the massacre and conclude that a single expert killed Chen Huixin and most of his men. The survivor’s account suggests the killer claimed the gang’s fees were unreasonable.
• The factions decide to request help from the Clear Qi Bureau’s Divine Constables, specifically the sisters Leng Yimeng and Leng Yixue, who are currently nearby handling another case.

Character Developments

• Duan Yun is portrayed as highly capable, decisive, and increasingly influential. His destruction of the Gray Eagle Gang demonstrates both his strength and his willingness to act against corrupt powers. He remains practical and unpretentious, returning immediately to mundane tasks such as buying paint and painting the residence.
• The Murong Brothers remain comic relief. He is eager to prove himself as a hero but lacks the appearance and temperament necessary for convincing disguises. His willingness to accept being compared to a back scrubber reveals his childish vanity and admiration for Duan Yun.
• Feng Ling’er and Ning Qing humorously tease the Murong Brothers while also softening the insult by inventing a role he could plausibly perform.
• Zi Yu continues observing events from an outsider’s perspective, gathering material for her writings. Her normally quiet personality gives way to a rare sarcastic remark.
• Lin Mu, the Jade Creek Sect’s Second Sect Master, is exposed as both ambitious and hypocritical. He publicly defends the reputation of the female Divine Constables, but his concern is partly motivated by his own failed romantic pursuit of them and desire for status.
• Liu Aba, leader of the Eight Gods Gate, is characterized as genuinely unstable. Unlike Lin Mu, whose threats against Duan Yun are mostly bravado, Liu Aba actually appears willing to challenge him despite the obvious danger.
• Wang Tieshan acts as a relatively composed observer, helping interpret the evidence and encouraging a thorough investigation.

Significant Themes

• Fear and oppression: The citizens’ reluctance to repair their own homes shows how thoroughly the Gray Eagle Gang’s intimidation shaped daily life. Even after the gang’s destruction, many people remain psychologically controlled by its former rules.
• Corruption and exploitation: The gang’s monopoly was protected by powerful factions that profited from its abuses. Its destruction threatens not only a criminal group but an entire corrupt system.
• Reputation versus reality: The chapter repeatedly contrasts public rumors with the truth. The female Divine Constables are rumored to have been Duan Yun’s slaves, while Lin Mu fiercely insists on their purity. Similarly, Lin Mu boasts about opposing Duan Yun but would likely retreat if confronted.
• Heroism and comedy: Duan Yun’s deadly actions are treated with both admiration and absurd humor. The group’s barbecue, jokes about back scrubbing, and the Murong Brothers’ fantasies make violent events feel comical and informal.
• The unseen enemy: The city’s major powers are disturbed less by the massacre itself than by the identity of the unknown killer. Their decision to involve the Divine Constables reflects the martial world’s fear of an enemy whose strength and motives remain unclear.

Important Character Interactions

• The group teases the Murong Brothers about his inability to pass as a doctor, while Ning Qing and Feng Ling’er try to preserve his dignity by suggesting the role of a back scrubber.
• The Murong Brothers idolizes Duan Yun’s achievement and wants to imitate him, imagining himself carrying out heroic missions while flirting with powerful women.
• City residents argue over whether they are still bound by the Gray Eagle Gang’s rules, revealing how fear persists even after the gang has been annihilated.
• The five major powers discuss the massacre, with Liu Aba reacting angrily to the accusation that the gang’s fees were unreasonable.
• Lin Mu and Wang Tieshan debate how to investigate the killings, while Liu Aba repeatedly boasts that he will defeat Duan Yun.
• Lin Mu’s defense of Leng Yimeng and Leng Yixue exposes his personal interest in them, while the others silently recognize the difference between his empty bravado and Liu Aba’s genuine madness.
• The chapter ends with Lin Mu arranging for the female Divine Constables to investigate the Gray Eagle Gang massacre, setting up their likely confrontation with Duan Yun and the group.

Chapter Summary: “Hero Is Demon, Demon Is Hero!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After destroying the Gray Eagle Gang, Duan Yun prepares to enter Red Pagoda Mountain, a sect notorious for producing and distributing opium.
• Rather than annihilate the sect, Duan intends to “reform” it and cure its members’ addictions through an extreme form of electrotherapy using his lightning techniques.
• Murong Brothers considers accompanying him but becomes frightened after hearing that the treatment may involve the same agonizing lightning attacks Duan previously used on others.
• Zi Yu insists on joining the mission so she can study genuine addicts as material for her writing. Duan warns her that she may have to smoke with the sect members and risk addiction, but she confidently claims her cultivation will protect her.
• Shen Ying and Feng Ling’er initially object, suspecting Zi Yu may have romantic motives toward Duan. Zi Yu swears that she has no intention of stealing him and is only seeking firsthand experience.
• Because Madam Hong can provide only two places, Duan and Zi Yu go alone. Feng Ling’er disguises them as brother and sister, and they enter Red Pagoda Mountain using Madam Hong’s letter of introduction.
• At the sect entrance, they encounter heavy smoke and visibly addicted disciples. They are told that admission requires passing a smoking test.
• The test involves inhaling Red Pagoda Mountain’s powerful “Divine Smoke.” Applicants who demonstrate an aptitude for smoking are accepted, while those who cannot endure it are rejected.
• The test reveals the sect’s exploitative nature: new members are treated as disposable “smoke lances,” forced to inhale toxic smoke to repel insects and protect the sect’s operations in the mountains. Many are expected to become sick or die.
• Zi Yu initially chokes but quickly adapts and displays remarkable talent, even producing elaborate smoke rings.
• Duan Yun first struggles, then uses his control over qi and sword energy to manipulate the smoke with precision. He produces intricate shapes, impressing the examiners.
• Both are accepted as promising recruits. The chapter ends with the revelation that joining Red Pagoda Mountain means surviving its brutal transformation from ordinary person into a “smoking ghost.”

Character Developments

• Duan Yun: Presents himself as a reformer and healer, but his proposed treatment is frighteningly violent. His ability to turn smoking into an artistic, controlled technique demonstrates both his ingenuity and his unsettling “heroic demon” nature.
• Zi Yu: Shows courage, curiosity, and a willingness to expose herself to danger for the sake of writing authentic stories. Her rapid mastery of smoking reveals her adaptability and makes her appear especially valuable to the sect.
• Murong Brothers: Becomes increasingly anxious about accompanying Duan, remembering the pain of his previous lightning punishment. He also feels insecure about his usefulness but reassures himself that he possesses unique abilities of his own.
• Shen Ying and Feng Ling’er: Display protectiveness and jealousy toward Duan, though they eventually allow Zi Yu to go after she convincingly claims she has no romantic intentions.
• Red Pagoda Mountain’s examiners: Treat addicts and recruits as tools rather than people. Their willingness to exploit new disciples exposes the sect’s corrupt and predatory structure.

Significant Themes

• The blurred line between heroism and cruelty: Duan calls his actions reform and healing, but his methods are as terrifying as those of a demon. The chapter repeatedly questions whether good intentions can justify brutal methods.
• Addiction and exploitation: Red Pagoda Mountain creates dependence on opium and then uses addicts as laborers and expendable resources.
• Appearance versus reality: Duan and Zi Yu disguise themselves as siblings, while the sect disguises exploitation as a legitimate admission process.
• Experience as artistic material: Zi Yu believes authentic writing requires firsthand observation, even when that experience is dangerous.
• Talent as a survival mechanism: At Red Pagoda Mountain, the ability to smoke well is treated as a virtue, despite the fact that it destroys the body.
• Satirical reversal of morality: The sect’s “proper” rules are deeply immoral, while Duan’s supposedly heroic intervention is itself grotesque and extreme.

Important Character Interactions

• Duan and Murong Brothers argue over whether Murong should join the mission, with Murong’s fear of electrotherapy undercutting his desire to prove himself.
• Zi Yu challenges Duan’s concerns and insists that she can handle both the smoke and his treatment.
• Shen Ying and Feng Ling’er confront Zi Yu over her motives, creating a comic rivalry centered on their attachment to Duan.
• Duan and Zi Yu cooperate under their false identities, presenting themselves as village siblings to gain entry.
• The examiners praise both candidates for their smoking ability, unknowingly accepting two powerful outsiders into the sect.
• The contrast between Duan and Zi Yu’s playful mastery of the test and the suffering of rejected applicants highlights the chapter’s dark humor and the sect’s cruelty.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duan Yun and Zi Yu successfully become outer disciples of Red Pagoda Mountain, largely because of their remarkable talent for smoking. They receive unusually luxurious accommodations and meals compared with their former sect.
• Over several days, they smoke different varieties of opium and gradually notice its addictive effects. Zi Yu realizes that the sect’s comfortable treatment and free tobacco are likely designed to make disciples dependent on the drug.
• Uncle Wang gives the disciples Red Pagoda Mountain’s cultivation method, the Red Pagoda Breath-Expelling Method, insisting that smoking is only an aid to cultivation rather than its true purpose.
• The disciples practice breathing red smoke while visualizing themselves as red pagodas. Duan Yun recognizes that the technique is genuinely powerful: it strengthens internal breath and eventually allows practitioners to launch breath-arrows without a pipe.
• Uncle Wang announces that Red Pagoda Mountain has discovered something important at Gold Mountain. Outer disciples who demonstrate sufficient talent may assist there, earn merit, enter the inner sect, and receive a share of the profits.
• Motivated by the promise of advancement and wealth, the disciples train obsessively. One overworks himself, becomes injured, and vomits blood.
• Three days later, Uncle Wang tests their progress. Duan Yun and Zi Yu deliberately conceal most of their abilities but still perform among the best. The mountain-entry results will be announced the following day.
• That night, Zi Yu secretly digs a hole through the wall between their rooms so they can talk. She reveals that Red Pagoda Mountain has sent many inner disciples to Gold Mountain because the discovery there is likely connected to the Martial God Vault and a mysterious Goddess of War.
• Their conversation turns into playful and suggestive banter about Zi Yu’s absurd story of a Goddess of War captured by seven evil cultivators. Duan Yun tries to force her to continue the story, but she escapes by tearing her clothing and pretending to go to sleep.

Character Developments

• Duan Yun: Becomes increasingly suspicious of Red Pagoda Mountain while acknowledging that its cultivation methods are genuinely effective. His exceptional talent allows him to master the breath technique almost immediately, though he deliberately hides his true strength. He remains observant, skeptical, and mischievously willing to retaliate against Zi Yu’s provocations.
• Zi Yu: Quickly recognizes the addictive nature of the tobacco and begins investigating the sect’s activities. She is curious about Gold Mountain and the Goddess of War, but also becomes increasingly playful, eccentric, and sexually mischievous in her interactions with Duan Yun.
• Uncle Wang: Presents himself as a caring elder who values cultivation and warns against excessive smoking, yet he continues tempting the disciples with promises of inner-sect status, wealth, and access to Gold Mountain. His actions leave the true motives of Red Pagoda Mountain ambiguous.
• The outer disciples: Initially content with comfortable lives, they become fiercely competitive once offered the chance to enter the inner sect and profit from Gold Mountain. Their reactions demonstrate how effectively the sect’s rewards motivate them.

Significant Themes

• Addiction and manipulation: Red Pagoda Mountain provides luxury and free opium, gradually encouraging dependency before tying advancement to the sect.
• Moral ambiguity: The sect appears exploitative because it sells addictive tobacco, yet it treats its disciples well and teaches a legitimate, powerful cultivation method.
• Ambition and temptation: Promises of status, wealth, inner-sect access, and even marriage into the leader’s family drive the disciples to extreme effort.
• Appearance versus reality: Smoking seems like indulgence, but it also forms part of a serious martial technique. Likewise, Uncle Wang’s benevolence may conceal ulterior motives.
• Mystery and foreshadowing: Gold Mountain, the Martial God Vault, and the Goddess of War introduce larger secrets and suggest that Red Pagoda Mountain’s recruitment campaign is connected to a major hidden event.

Character Interactions

• Duan Yun and Zi Yu function as close partners, sharing observations about the sect and deliberately concealing their abilities.
• Zi Yu teases Duan Yun about potentially marrying the sect leader’s daughter, while he mocks her for imagining such an unlikely future.
• Their playful argument over her Goddess of War story becomes a physical comedy scene, with Duan Yun punishing her teasing and Zi Yu escaping through deception and outrageous jokes.
• Their exchanges also highlight the uncertainty over whether Zi Yu is truly herself or partly acting as her alter ego, Qing Yu.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Duan Yun and Zi Yu are unexpectedly chosen to join Red Pagoda Mountain’s inner-sect disciples on a dangerous expedition into Gold Mountain. The journey may lead to the legendary Golden Palace and the Martial God Vault.
• Duan Yun accepts eagerly, hoping to investigate the mountain’s secrets and eventually reform Red Pagoda Mountain, just as he has attempted with other sects.
• Vice Sect Leader Hong Kaishan explains that Red Pagoda Mountain has fallen behind Jade Creek Sect in Qing River City. He hopes finding the Golden Palace will give his sect access to powerful martial arts and allow it to surpass its rival.
• A disciple named Zhang Yu discovers a hidden Peach Blossom Grove and a mysterious settlement inside a cave called the “Fairy Cave.” The villagers nurse his broken leg and treat him generously, unaware of his violent nature.
• Zhang Yu learns that the Golden Palace lies nearby, supposedly containing an ancient golden tree. He leaves markers so Red Pagoda Mountain can return with a larger force.
• Hong Kaishan organizes a major expedition, promising Zhang Yu a favored marriage position if the Golden Palace is found.
• Duan Yun, Zi Yu, Uncle Wang, and dozens of Red Pagoda Mountain disciples travel discreetly from Qing River City into the mountains. Along the way, they encounter abandoned farmland, corpses, dangerous trails, and widespread evidence of conflict among treasure hunters.
• By evening, the group joins a much larger camp of fifty or sixty people, including nearly all the outer-sect disciples. This reveals that Duan Yun and Zi Yu were not specially honored; the sect has gathered a large force for the expedition.
• The following day, the outer disciples are ordered to smoke a particularly powerful tobacco mixture. When one refuses, he is beaten and threatened with death.
• Duan Yun realizes that the outer disciples were deliberately pampered the previous night so they would be easier to control. The tobacco is poisonous or otherwise chemically potent, apparently intended to influence or incapacitate them.
• Rather than resisting immediately, Duan Yun humorously tests the smoke and remarks on its overwhelming power.

Character Developments

• Duan Yun: His curiosity about the Martial God Vault grows, and he views the expedition as another opportunity to understand and reform a flawed organization. He remains confident, irreverent, and amused even after realizing the sect has manipulated him.
• Zi Yu: She continues to act as Duan Yun’s teasing and observant companion. Her earlier storytelling about the Goddess of War and Gold Mountain helps motivate their interest in the expedition.
• Hong Kaishan: His ambition becomes clear. He is frustrated by Red Pagoda Mountain’s inferior status and dreams of using the Golden Palace’s secrets to destroy Jade Creek Sect and dominate Qing River City.
• Zhang Yu: His discovery makes him temporarily important to the sect. Despite being rescued by peaceful villagers, he remains dangerous and considers attacking them, though he delays because he wants fellow disciples to share in the violence and treasure.
• Uncle Wang: He presents himself as disciplined and cautious but is exposed as a heavy tobacco addict. His friendly treatment of Duan Yun and Zi Yu proves to be calculated manipulation.
• Hong Mingyou: Introduced as the expedition’s elder supervisor, he carries the comic background of being the husband whose wife betrayed him. His presence also connects the expedition to earlier sect scandals and grudges.

Significant Themes

• Manipulation and exploitation: The outer disciples are treated well only to make them compliant, then forced to consume dangerous tobacco. The sect treats its own members as expendable resources.
• Ambition and rivalry: Red Pagoda Mountain’s desire to overtake Jade Creek Sect drives the expedition and justifies increasingly ruthless behavior.
• Danger beneath appearances: The peaceful Fairy Cave may conceal threats, while seemingly benevolent sect leaders manipulate people for their own purposes.
• Addiction and control: Tobacco is both Red Pagoda Mountain’s economic foundation and a tool for binding members together. The chapter suggests that addiction has compromised the sect’s judgment and discipline.
• Treasure hunting and moral decay: The search for the Golden Palace has produced corpses, betrayal, violence, and greed, showing how martial-world ambition corrupts people.
• Satire of sect culture: The chapter mocks martial sect politics, tobacco dependence, exaggerated legends, marriage arrangements, and the gap between heroic rhetoric and selfish behavior.

Important Character Interactions

• Duan Yun and Zi Yu joke about whether he is interested in Red Pagoda Mountain’s eldest young lady, while Duan Yun insists that his true interest is reforming every organization he joins.
• Hong Kaishan receives Zhang Yu’s report and promises him a prestigious marriage arrangement to secure his loyalty.
• The villagers of Fairy Cave welcome and heal Zhang Yu, creating a sharp contrast with his violent intentions.
• Uncle Wang warns the expedition members not to smoke excessively, yet immediately smokes himself, exposing his hypocrisy.
• When an outer disciple refuses the forced tobacco, Red Pagoda Mountain’s leaders respond with violence, revealing the expedition’s authoritarian nature.
• Duan Yun and Zi Yu silently recognize the trap and react with amusement rather than panic, suggesting that they may be far more capable of resisting the sect’s scheme than the leaders expect.