Chapter Summaries

After discovering that Li Family Village was inhabited by corpses and haunted by a ghostly tax collector, Xie An escaped with Zhao Hu. On the road, he considered the dangers of this world and saw his Ten-Thousand Questions Martial Arts Model awaiting activation.

• Xie An investigated why tenants had fled Li Family Village and learned that a nightly grain collector had driven them away.
• After nightfall, Li Degui collapsed, and Zhao Hu discovered that the steward had been dead for seven days.
• A ghostly tax clerk approached the residence and demanded grave tax, but Xie An and Zhao Hu stayed silent behind the protective yellow lantern.
• Xie An and Zhao Hu fled the village with the lantern and saw that its lively inhabitants were long-dead corpses.
• On the road, Xie An saw that his Ten-Thousand Questions Martial Arts Model was awaiting activation.

Plot points and events

• Xie An returns to Qingwu County at night with his servant Zhao Hu. Hungry refugees approach their fine carriage, but Zhao Hu’s drawn saber drives them back.
• Because the city gates are closed under curfew, Xie uses a legitimate pretext—urgent military intelligence—and a real letter from Constable Li to gain entry through Dongyang Gate. Gate Officer Wei Dian, an old friend, verifies the documents; Xie also gives the soldiers money.
• Back home, Xie tells his father, Xie Zhengtang, and the household steward, Uncle Shui, about the terrifying events at Li Family Village. His father dismisses them as the work of an evil cult and hallucinogenic drugs, then urges Xie to stay inside the city.
• Suspecting his father is concealing the truth, Xie searches the family library. A county gazetteer describes several past supernatural attacks in the region, each followed by a Daoist priest from Returning Dragon Abbey performing a ritual and hanging a Yellow Lantern.
• The lantern Xie brought back from Li Family Village appears connected to those accounts. His mysterious martial-arts interface then offers an activation prompt. With his Spirit stat having risen to 1.0, Xie activates it.

Character developments

• Xie An shows growing caution and resourcefulness: he handles the refugees, uses procedure and personal connections to enter the city, and begins investigating the supernatural dangers for himself.
• His experience at Li Family Village has changed his understanding of the world. He no longer assumes that inheriting his family’s wealth will be enough to protect him.
• Xie Zhengtang reveals his protectiveness through his warning, but his forceful denial of the supernatural makes Xie suspect he knows more than he admits.
• Uncle Shui remains a formidable but quiet presence, while Wei Dian demonstrates both loyalty to Xie and practical willingness to accept a gratuity.

Significant themes

• Survival in a collapsing society: famine, refugees, raiders, and strict security make ordinary travel dangerous.
• Power and self-reliance: wealth and inheritance may not protect Xie; he needs personal strength and knowledge.
• The hidden supernatural: official records and the lantern suggest that Specters are real, despite Xie’s father’s denials.
• Knowledge versus shelter: Xie’s sheltered upbringing left him unprepared, and he now seeks answers independently.
• Law, connections, and pragmatism: Xie navigates rules while relying on documents, relationships, and money.

Character interactions

• Xie directs Zhao Hu to protect the carriage, then negotiates entry with Wei Dian through a mix of official procedure and old friendship.
• Wei Dian’s warm greeting and Xie’s gift reinforce their familiarity, while preserving the appearance of proper gate inspection.
• Xie reports his findings to his father, but carefully watches his reaction; his father’s denial deepens their distrust.
• Xie leaves without confronting him further and turns instead to the library, choosing investigation over reliance on family assurances.

Plot points and events

• Xie An activates the Ten Thousand Questions martial-arts model. It can analyze and improve martial arts and, most strikingly, transplant their techniques directly into his body.
• The model’s calculations consume Xie An’s vitality. A few questions drain him from 0.8 to 0.2, leaving him so weak that he collapses. He concludes he should conserve its power and use it mainly to analyze martial arts.
• He wakes the next day after his household searched for him. His maid, Qiu Lan, explains that his father had sent more than forty guards to find him.
• Xie An restores his vitality with ginseng chicken soup, returning it to his apparent current maximum of 0.8.
• He visits the training ground and asks his father’s sworn brother, Uncle Shui, to teach him martial arts. Uncle Shui doubts his resolve and warns that ordinary martial arts cannot protect him from Specters.
• Rather than promise to endure arduous training, Xie An asks to borrow a manual. Uncle Shui offers him Taishan Fist, an especially difficult introductory style, expecting that the challenge will quickly discourage him.

Character developments

• Xie An shifts from complacently expecting to inherit his father’s wealth to seeking martial arts after the events in Li Family Village changed his outlook. He remains wary of hardship, but now has a practical route to learning through the model.
• Uncle Shui is protective but skeptical, judging Xie An by his history of short-lived enthusiasms. He tries to steer him away from training by choosing a difficult manual.
• Qiu Lan shows affection and attentiveness, caring for Xie An while he recovers and promptly arranging his special meal.
• Xie An’s father is shown as deeply concerned: he mobilizes a large search party when Xie An fails to return.

Significant themes

• Power and cost: The model offers extraordinary help, but its use consumes the user’s vitality.
• Ambition versus effort: Xie An wants strength without suffering, while martial training traditionally demands sustained hardship.
• Changed priorities: A frightening experience pushes Xie An to reconsider relying solely on family wealth and protection.
• Skepticism and potential: Others see Xie An as weak-willed, creating a contrast with his newly serious intentions.

Character interactions

• Qiu Lan nurses Xie An and helps him recover, reinforcing their close, familiar relationship.
• Xie An treats Uncle Shui as family and approaches him respectfully for instruction.
• Uncle Shui cautions him about the risks and doubts his commitment, while Xie An sidesteps the issue of arduous training by requesting a manual.
• The guards show respect for Uncle Shui’s authority, while they greet Xie An deferentially as their young master.

Key plot points and events

• Uncle Shui teaches Xie An the basics of martial arts, warning that training is dangerous and explaining the progression from five stages of external conditioning to the Inner Martial Realm.
• He outlines the realm’s three levels—Manifest Force, Dark Force, and Transformation Realm—and explains that Dark Force can penetrate a possessed body to destroy the Yin-Baleful Essence inside. It cannot harm unpossessed ghosts, however, and true Dark Force masters are extremely rare.
• Xie An receives a booklet on Taishan Fist, an art built around grounding the body and delivering crushing, full-body strikes. Its first level, Mountain-Suppressing Stance, is unusually complex, with more than three hundred variations.
• Believing Uncle Shui chose the difficult art to discourage him, Xie An initially considers giving up. He then uses his Ten-Thousand Questions Martial Arts Model to try transplanting the whole art, but the attempt fails because the model lacks computing power.
• Xie An revises his approach and asks it to analyze and transplant only the first level. This attempt succeeds in beginning: the stance’s movements unfold and reorganize in his mind as the model starts the transplant.

Character developments

• Xie An’s interest in martial arts deepens from curiosity into ambition, especially after learning Dark Force offers some defense against Specters. Though frustrated by failure, he adapts rather than quits.
• Uncle Shui is stern and realistic, emphasizing the risks and immense effort involved. His desire to discourage Xie An is tempered by genuine warmth at the boy’s enthusiasm.

Significant themes

• Persistence and problem-solving: Xie An overcomes a failed attempt by narrowing the task.
• Limits and trade-offs: Martial advancement requires years of discipline and personal sacrifice, while even powerful techniques have limits against supernatural threats.
• Hope amid discouragement: Others doubt Xie An, but he remains determined to pursue a path they consider unlikely.

Character interactions

• Uncle Shui warns Xie An about martial arts, explains its stages and dangers, and lends him the Taishan Fist booklet.
• Xie An eagerly questions him about Dark Force and its ability to combat ghosts; Uncle Shui answers candidly, correcting his expectations.
• Back at the West Courtyard, Xie An asks Qiu Lan to prepare ginseng and hen soup before studying and attempting to use his martial-arts model.

Chapter Summary: “One Step to Mastery”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie An successfully undergoes the transplantation of more than three hundred Mountain-Suppressing Stance postures from Taishan Fist. The knowledge and techniques immediately become embedded in his body as muscle memory equivalent to several years of practice.
• The process causes severe physical backlash, including weakness, nausea, cramps, headache, and dizziness. After drinking four bowls of ginseng soup and resting, he fully recovers by dusk.
• His Blood and Qi recover from their depleted state to 0.4. The martial arts panel also records Taishan Fist: Mountain-Suppressing Stance (Mastery).
• Xie An tests his newly acquired mastery. His body has become noticeably stronger and more stable, and he can sink his weight into the ground deeply enough to leave footprints.
• He successfully demonstrates the three major aspects of the stance:
  • Footwork, making his lower body nearly impossible to knock down.
  • Waistwork, allowing force to travel efficiently from his legs through his spine and upper body.
  • Intent training, in which he visualizes himself as an immovable mountain.
• Realizing that the Ten-Thousand Questions Martial Arts Model can grant instant mastery, Xie An plans to recover his Blood and Qi and transplant the second layer of Taishan Fist the next day.
• He decides to conceal his progress and continue secretly until he reaches the Dark Force realm, which Uncle Shui had identified as the minimum level for defending against ghosts.
• Meanwhile, Xie Zhengtang returns home after arranging for Daoist Li Yunfeng of Returning Dragon Abbey to perform protective rites at Li Family Village in seven days. The ritual costs eight hundred taels and is intended to protect the Xie household from supernatural danger.

2. Character Developments

• Xie An makes a major breakthrough, moving from having no martial arts realm to mastering the foundational stance of Taishan Fist in a single transplantation. His body, balance, strength, and martial understanding all improve dramatically.
• He gains confidence in the Ten-Thousand Questions model and revises his earlier belief that it is useless or “brain-dead.” He now sees it as a powerful shortcut to martial advancement.
• Xie An also becomes more strategic and cautious. Rather than displaying his newfound abilities, he plans to lie low and secretly cultivate until he can protect himself.
• Xie Mingxi/Xie An’s public identity is viewed by his family as undisciplined and incapable of enduring martial training, creating a sharp contrast with the progress he is actually making in secret.
• Xie Zhengtang remains a concerned father. He wants his son to become sensible but does not wish to force him into a difficult path he may not tolerate.
• Uncle Shui is established as an experienced martial artist and a trusted adviser, though his description of Taishan Fist unintentionally emphasizes how extraordinary Xie An’s instant mastery is.

3. Significant Themes

• Instant knowledge versus painstaking practice: Xie An’s supernatural system compresses years of physical training into a single moment, contrasting with Uncle Shui’s nearly two years of effort even after having a martial foundation.
• The cost of power: Although mastery is granted immediately, the transplantation produces intense physical suffering, showing that advancement is not entirely effortless.
• Hidden strength and deception: Xie An must maintain the appearance of an idle, inexperienced young master while secretly developing into a capable martial artist.
• Martial arts as body, technique, and intent: The chapter stresses that true mastery requires more than movements; it includes rooted footwork, integrated waistwork, and a powerful mental image or artistic conception.
• Supernatural danger and preparation: The household’s concern over ghosts and ritual protection parallels Xie An’s decision to cultivate martial arts before confronting the dangers surrounding him.
• Family expectations and misunderstood potential: Xie An’s family sees him as frivolous, while the reader knows he is undergoing a profound transformation.

4. Character Interactions

• Xie An and Qiu Lan: Qiu Lan assists him by bringing ginseng soup while he suffers the backlash from the transplantation.
• Xie Zhengtang and Uncle Shui: They discuss the expensive ritual arranged with Returning Dragon Abbey, the possibility that Mingxi or Zhao Hu may have answered the Grain-Collecting Ghost, and Mingxi’s sudden interest in martial arts.
• Xie Zhengtang and Uncle Shui on Mingxi: Xie Zhengtang doubts Mingxi can endure martial training, while Uncle Shui explains that he lent him Taishan Fist. Both expect him to abandon the effort quickly, unaware that he has already mastered its first layer.
• Xie Zhengtang’s concern for his son: His comments reveal guilt over having wronged Mingxi’s mother and a desire to protect and guide his son, even as he misjudges the boy’s true abilities.

Chapter Summary: “Nightmare Begins”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie An experiences a vivid nightmare about investigating the mass flight of tenant farmers from Li Family Village. The dream contains heavy snow, tax collection, hanging corpses, a Daoist ritual, and villagers behaving as though nothing is wrong.
• He awakens in fright and checks the martial-arts panel, discovering that his Qi and Blood have risen to 1.0, the normal baseline for an adult man. He realizes that completing the first stage of Taishan Fist—Mountain-Suppressing Stance—has repaired his previously weak body.
• Xie An learns that his bodyguard, Zhao Hu, is ill and has gone to purchase medicine. Xie An kindly orders that Zhao Hu’s expenses be covered.
• He goes to the central courtyard for the required family meal and reunites with his six-year-old half-sister, Xie Xiaoyu. She eagerly embraces him and worries about his health.
• During the meal, Xie An observes the affectionate and harmonious relationship within his family. His father, Xie Zhengtang, Second Mother Zhou Lan, and Xiaoyu interact without the bitter rivalry common in wealthy households.
• Xie Zhengtang questions Xie An about studying martial arts and warns him not to be arrogant or careless. He explains that Daoist Li Yunfeng from Returning Dragon Abbey will perform a ritual at Li Family Village in six days to pacify the dead tenant farmers and end the troubling incident.
• After lunch, Xie An returns to the West Courtyard and prepares to cultivate the second level of Taishan Fist, Mountain-Taming Fist.

2. Character Developments

• Xie An: Becomes increasingly aware of his improved physical condition and growing martial potential. He remains cautious about revealing his true abilities, accepts his father’s criticism respectfully, and shows greater concern for family and servants. His nightmare also suggests that the Li Family Village incident may involve forces more serious than ordinary unrest.
• Xie Xiaoyu: Demonstrates deep affection for Xie An, innocence, and a desire to protect him. Though young and unruly, she has already been taught that she may one day help defend him and manage the family.
• Zhou Lan: Is portrayed as gentle, restrained, and highly conscious of the social hierarchy between legitimate and concubine-born children. Her conduct shows loyalty to the family and a deliberate refusal to compete with Xie An’s position.
• Xie Zhengtang: Reveals himself as a stern but caring father. He emphasizes humility and perseverance in martial arts while reassuring Xie An that he can rely on his father’s protection. He also takes practical, ritual-based action regarding Li Family Village.
• Zhao Hu: His sudden illness is noted, potentially establishing a point of concern or suspicion.

3. Significant Themes

• The contrast between domestic warmth and supernatural dread: The loving family meal stands in sharp contrast to Xie An’s disturbing nightmare and the unresolved deaths at Li Family Village.
• Filial duty and family hierarchy: The household follows strict distinctions between legitimate and concubine-born family members, yet genuine affection allows the family to remain harmonious.
• Growth through martial arts: Xie An’s cultivation improves not only his combat potential but also his physical health, suggesting martial arts may be essential to surviving future dangers.
• Hidden danger beneath ordinary life: The villagers’ normal behavior in the nightmare, the corpses, the tax collection, and the upcoming ritual imply that Li Family Village conceals a deeper supernatural crisis.
• Humility and parental guidance: Xie Zhengtang’s lesson emphasizes that talent must be balanced with discipline, patience, and respect for experienced teachers.

4. Character Interactions

• Xie An and Qiu Lan: Qiu Lan assists him with his morning routine, worries about his health, and affectionately discusses Xiaoyu. Their relationship is comfortable and loyal.
• Xie An and Xie Xiaoyu: Their reunion is warm and playful. Xiaoyu clings to him, kisses him, and expresses concern, while Xie An indulges and reassures her.
• Xie An and Zhou Lan: Zhou Lan reprimands Xiaoyu for being too familiar with the legitimate heir, but Xie An protects the child from further scolding. This interaction shows both Zhou Lan’s caution and Xie An’s acceptance of her and Xiaoyu.
• Xie An and Xie Zhengtang: Xie Zhengtang lectures him about martial arts, while Xie An responds respectfully rather than arguing. Their exchange reveals mutual care beneath the formal father-son relationship.
• The family as a whole: The meal illustrates a rare atmosphere of affection and unity, reinforcing Xie An’s belief that he has been fortunate in his new family.

Summary: “Mountain-Taming Fist Mastered”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie An studies the second level of the Mountain-Taming Fist, known as the Mountain-Taming Fist, which consists of five forms:
  1. Mount Dai Descent – an opening move that suppresses the opponent.
  2. Surging Sea of Clouds – a defensive technique that redirects force.
  3. Pillar Holding Up Heaven – a blocking move.
  4. Yin-Yang Dawn-Split – a dual-purpose attack and defense technique.
  5. Mountain-Shaking, Peak-Suppressing – the ultimate killing move, concentrating all strength into one blow.
• Impressed by the art’s complexity and power, Xie An uses Ten Thousand Questions to analyze and transplant the technique directly into himself.
• The transplantation severely drains his qi, blood, and energy. He loses consciousness and remains asleep for two days and two nights.
• Qiu Lan cares for him anxiously, while Xie An’s family summons physicians and provides nourishing medicine.
• After recovering through ginseng soup and medicinal nourishment, Xie An discovers that his qi and blood and spirit have both increased by 0.2, and that the Mountain-Taming Fist has been fully mastered.
• Testing the technique, he finds that his strength and agility have greatly improved. He then challenges Zhao Hu to spar.
• Zhao Hu initially assumes Xie An is joking and holds back, but Xie An’s opening punch numbs both of his arms and sends him staggering backward into the snow.

Character Developments

• Xie An demonstrates growing confidence in his supernatural martial-learning ability. He recognizes that Ten Thousand Questions allows him to bypass years of conventional training, though he also realizes that the process can endanger his health.
• He becomes more cautious and analytical, questioning why Ten Thousand Questions cannot estimate the resources required for transplantation. He plans to add such an instruction in the future.
• Xie An’s physical transformation becomes evident: he is stronger, more agile, and capable of using advanced martial techniques with the familiarity of someone who has practiced for years.
• Qiu Lan reveals her deep concern and affection for Xie An. She becomes emotional upon seeing him awaken and diligently nurses him back to health.
• Zhao Hu shifts from disbelief to shock and respect after witnessing Xie An’s unexpected strength. His reaction confirms that Xie An is no longer the weak, idle playboy others believed him to be.

Significant Themes

• The price of shortcuts: Ten Thousand Questions grants Xie An instant mastery, but the process extracts a severe physical cost and nearly exhausts him.
• Power and responsibility: Xie An begins to understand that possessing great abilities requires caution, preparation, and awareness of their limitations.
• Transformation and hidden potential: His outward identity as a lazy young master contrasts sharply with his emerging martial prowess.
• Family and loyalty: The concern shown by Qiu Lan and Xie An’s family highlights the support surrounding him and the emotional consequences of his dangerous experimentation.
• Mastery through understanding: The chapter emphasizes that martial arts are not merely collections of movements but systems involving force, qi, defense, and attack.

Character Interactions

• Qiu Lan’s tearful relief after Xie An awakens creates an affectionate and emotionally vulnerable exchange between servant and master.
• Xie An’s discussion with Qiu Lan also shows his dependence on others during recovery, particularly for food and medical care.
• His confrontation with Zhao Hu provides the chapter’s main demonstration of his new power. Zhao Hu’s disbelief, cautious restraint, and eventual defeat establish that Xie An’s martial ability has surpassed ordinary expectations.
• Zhao Hu’s final praise—calling the punch excellent—signals the beginning of genuine recognition for Xie An’s strength.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie An spars with Zhao Hu to gain practical combat experience. Zhao Hu initially goes easy on him, warning him before attacks and flattering his techniques, but Xie An’s increasingly powerful and refined movements force Zhao Hu to use more strength.
• Xie An demonstrates the Mountain-Taming Fist, including its defensive and offensive forms. His final technique, Mountain-Shaking, Peak-Suppressing, sends Zhao Hu crashing into a pomelo tree and leaves him buried in snow.
• Uncle Shui arrives and reveals that he has witnessed the sparring. Impressed by Xie An’s rapid progress, he praises him as possessing “divine martial talent” and even compares him to the reincarnation of a Martial Saint.
• Uncle Shui examines Xie An’s bones but finds his physical development inconsistent with his extraordinary mastery. He suggests that Xie An has experienced Awakening Enlightenment, a rare phenomenon in which people suddenly gain wisdom or abilities beyond their normal capabilities.
• Xie An accepts this explanation to conceal the truth of his reincarnation and claims that his recent fainting spells awakened an innate affinity for martial arts.
• Convinced, Uncle Shui agrees to formally teach Xie An martial arts.
• Uncle Shui explains the Skin-Tempering Realm, in which the skin becomes as tough as cowhide, resisting ordinary injuries and harsh temperatures while greatly increasing physical strength.
• Xie An begins a medicinal bath using Tiger-Skin Essence Decoction. The medicine strengthens his skin membranes, and Uncle Shui orders Zhao Hu to continue sparring with him afterward to accelerate his breakthrough.

Character Developments

• Xie An: Shows remarkable martial talent, composure, and seriousness toward real combat. Although physically weak by ordinary standards, he uses his mastery of the Mountain-Taming Fist to overwhelm expectations. He also becomes more adept at concealing his reincarnation by using the concept of Awakening Enlightenment as an explanation.
• Zhao Hu: Initially treats Xie An delicately because of his status as the eldest young master, but gradually recognizes that Xie An’s strength is genuine. His disbelief turns into admiration, and he willingly takes on the role of sparring partner.
• Uncle Shui: Moves from cautious observation to enthusiastic support. Xie An’s progress deeply shocks him, causing him to temporarily lose his usual calm and accept Xie An as a true martial prodigy.
• Qiu Lan: Remains supportive and attentive, helping Xie An after the spar and witnessing the dramatic change in his abilities.

Significant Themes

• Innate talent versus physical limitations: Xie An’s frail body contrasts sharply with his extraordinary understanding and execution of martial arts.
• The importance of practical experience: Xie An recognizes that mastering forms is different from fighting a living opponent, emphasizing the necessity of actual combat.
• Concealment and identity: Xie An must disguise the true source of his abilities, using the culturally accepted idea of Awakening Enlightenment to explain his transformation.
• Mentorship and recognition: Uncle Shui’s decision to teach Xie An marks the beginning of his formal martial path.
• Progress through disciplined training: The chapter presents martial advancement as a combination of technique, combat practice, medicinal support, and physical tempering.

Character Interactions

• Xie An and Zhao Hu develop a teacher-student-like sparring dynamic, with Zhao Hu feeding him techniques while carefully avoiding serious injury.
• Qiu Lan demonstrates concern and loyalty by tending to Xie An after the fight.
• Uncle Shui evaluates Xie An’s abilities, questions the source of his talent, and ultimately becomes his mentor.
• Zhao Hu is entrusted with supporting Xie An’s advancement by administering sparring sessions during his medicinal skin-tempering treatment.

Key plot points and events

• Xie An trains intensely with Zhao Hu throughout the day, finding that his strength and stamina keep increasing. He rewards Zhao Hu with silver and grants him evening leave to care for his pregnant wife, while arranging for the residence to cover her medicine.
• In the evening, Xie An meets Zhou Ji, a disciplined young guard from Wuqiao Town whose family fell into hardship after his father was injured. Impressed by Zhou Ji’s manner and training, Xie An hires him to spar at night and adds twenty taels to his monthly pay.
• Sparring with Zhou Ji reveals that he is much faster and stronger than Zhao Hu, leaving Xie An puzzled about Zhao Hu’s stiffness.
• After four days of training and medicinal baths, Xie An reaches the Skin-Tempering Realm, ahead of the expected schedule. He realizes that his martial-arts model can analyze and transfer techniques but cannot grant a realm directly; progress still requires training and medicinal support.
• Qiu Lan reports that Xie An’s father has organized a guard convoy to accompany a Daoist from Returning Dragon Abbey on a ritual outside the city. Xie An recognizes it as the ritual at Li Family Village intended to appease the dead and ward off disaster. Hoping to learn how Daoists deal with Specters, he sets out to join the expedition with Zhou Ji.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie An shows growing strength, discipline, and practical kindness. He supports Zhao Hu’s family and recognizes that his rapid advancement still leaves him vulnerable to Specters.
• Zhao Hu is devoted and grateful to Xie An, but his repeated exhaustion and unusually stiff movements raise questions, especially after Zhou Ji proves far more capable in sparring.
• Zhou Ji is introduced as hardworking, direct, and proud without being flattering. His family circumstances explain why he works as a guard, and Xie An’s offer gives him a chance to train more closely.
• Qiu Lan remains loyal and affectionate toward Xie An. Their exchange about her future wedding reveals their warm, familiar relationship, while she also helps arrange Zhao Hu’s reward and care.
• Xie An’s offer to accompany the Daoist shows his determination to investigate the threat of Specters firsthand.

Significant themes

• Hard work and accelerated growth: Xie An’s model helps him learn quickly, but physical cultivation still depends on effort, training, and medicine.
• Loyalty and reciprocal care: Xie An repays Zhao Hu’s years of service with generosity, while Zhao Hu’s gratitude is sincere.
• Discipline and opportunity: Zhou Ji’s relentless practice earns him Xie An’s attention and a path to greater advancement.
• Knowledge versus danger: Xie An is eager to learn how the ritual works, despite knowing that his current level offers little protection from Specters.

Chapter Summary: “Return to Li Family Village”

Key Plot Points and Events

• On September 17, after the snow has stopped and the temperature has fallen sharply, Xie An discovers that his father, Xie Zhengtang, has arranged for Daoist Li Yunfeng of Returning Dragon Abbey to conduct a ritual for the Xie Household.
• The ritual convoy includes three carriages filled with jars and bottles and more than twenty armed guards. Xie An secretly follows after realizing his father would likely forbid him from leaving the city.
• He meets up with Zhou Ji, rides out of the city, and then sneaks into the carriage carrying Uncle Shui and Daoist Li Yunfeng.
• To persuade Uncle Shui to let him remain with the group, Xie An gives him Peach Blossom Brew and Osmanthus Cake from Five Fragrances Studio. Uncle Shui reluctantly agrees, provided Xie An stays close.
• Li Yunfeng explains that the ritual requires yellow lanterns, a living human sacrifice, and a “human candle.” Uncle Shui reveals that they brought a captured bandit to serve as the sacrifice.
• To reassure Xie An, Li Yunfeng recounts a previous ritual in Wuqiao Town, where a supernatural creature disguised as a baby caused all fifteen members of the Li family to have their brains eaten. According to Li Yunfeng, his ritual successfully stopped further deaths.
• Near Li Family Village, Li Yunfeng orders the convoy to stop and drives the ritual supplies toward the village alone, telling Xie An and Uncle Shui to wait for roughly half an hour.
• Uncle Shui jokes grimly that if anything goes wrong, they should immediately flee—suggesting that the ritual is extremely dangerous despite Li Yunfeng’s confidence.
• Xie An looks toward the village and sees the same horrifying scene from his previous visit: tax collection continues normally beneath an old locust tree covered with upside-down corpses, while another yellow-robed Daoist performs a ritual.
• Li Yunfeng appears not to notice the abnormal scene and drives directly toward the village entrance. Xie An is overcome by an intense, inexplicable chill, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Xie An: Demonstrates increasing curiosity, courage, and resourcefulness by secretly leaving the city and inserting himself into the ritual expedition. He remains wary of supernatural dangers but is willing to investigate them personally.
• Uncle Shui: Shows a protective but indulgent relationship with Xie An. Although he initially objects to Xie An’s presence, the offered food and wine soften him. His warning to run if the ritual fails reveals that he understands the danger better than he admits.
• Daoist Li Yunfeng: Presents himself as confident, experienced, and professional, emphasizing his previous success with similar rituals. However, his apparent inability to perceive the grotesque reality at the village entrance raises doubts about his awareness, competence, or motives.
• Xie Zhengtang: Remains mostly in the background, but his decision to hire Li Yunfeng and forbid Xie An from leaving the city suggests he is seriously concerned about the threat facing the Xie Household.

Significant Themes

• The conflict between ordinary life and supernatural horror: Tax collection, travel, food, and conversation continue normally despite the corpses hanging from the village tree.
• Hidden danger beneath appearances: Li Yunfeng appears like a capable Daoist, yet the village’s horrific state contradicts his confident assurances.
• Curiosity versus obedience: Xie An ignores his father’s restrictions because he wants to understand the danger firsthand.
• Ritual and sacrifice: The chapter raises questions about whether supernatural threats can truly be controlled through religious ceremonies and whether sacrificing a criminal can be morally justified.
• Perception and reality: Xie An clearly sees the dead hanging from the tree, while Li Yunfeng behaves as though nothing is wrong, suggesting that different characters may be experiencing or perceiving the village differently.

Character Interactions

• Xie An secretly observes Xie Zhengtang and Li Yunfeng before departing, showing his cautious approach.
• His exchange with Uncle Shui combines manipulation, affection, and humor: Xie An uses wine and pastries to gain permission to stay, while Uncle Shui reluctantly takes responsibility for him.
• Li Yunfeng flatters Xie An and treats him politely because of the Xie Household’s payment, creating a surface-level atmosphere of trust.
• Uncle Shui and Li Yunfeng discuss the ritual’s procedures and dangers, while Xie An’s questions expose the disturbing requirement of a human sacrifice.
• The chapter closes with Xie An watching Li Yunfeng approach the horrifying village entrance, creating tension between the Daoist’s confidence and the ominous reality only Xie An seems to recognize.

Chapter Summary: “The Same Incantation”

Key Plot Points and Events

Seven days after Xie An and Zhao Hu first visited Li Family Village, Xie An notices that the village entrance and surrounding scene are exactly as they were before. Remembering that every tenant farmer and the old yellow-robed Daoist had later been found dead—but that the grain-collecting tax official’s corpse was never discovered—Xie An becomes suspicious and worries that Daoist Li Yunfeng may be walking into a trap.
Xie An alerts Uncle Shui, who tries to stop Li Yunfeng from approaching the village entrance. However, Li Yunfeng appears deaf to Uncle Shui’s calls and moves stiffly, suggesting that his mind has already been bewitched. Uncle Shui is unable to cross an invisible boundary roughly fifty meters from the entrance and orders the convoy to retreat and prepare to flee.
At the entrance, Li Yunfeng behaves as though nothing is wrong. He speaks with the old Daoist and the grain official, unloads ritual supplies, and brings out a bound bandit to use in the ceremony. He then constructs an altar using spirit money, black dog blood, a human candle, and a yellow lantern.
While waiting, Xie An presses Uncle Shui about the existence of supernatural beings. Uncle Shui finally admits that demons, monsters, and sinister spirits truly exist, contradicting the explanations previously given by Xie An’s father. He explains that Li Family Village was likely destroyed by a corrupt grain official, whose massacre created overwhelming resentment and eventually formed a “Grain-Collecting Ghost.” Such ghosts can follow connections from slaughtered villages to the landlords responsible for the land, potentially placing the Xie Household in danger.
Li Yunfeng begins chanting the same strange incantation previously used by the old Daoist beneath the locust tree. The identical words and rhythm deeply unsettle Xie An, suggesting that the two rituals—and perhaps the two Daoists—are connected.

Character Developments

• Xie An: Becomes increasingly observant, suspicious, and willing to challenge the explanations given by adults. His martial ability has advanced to the Skin-Tempering Realm, giving him enough confidence to demand the truth about supernatural forces. He also begins to understand that his family may be directly threatened by the village’s curse.
• Uncle Shui: Shifts from secrecy and dismissal to honesty. He acknowledges the existence of demons and ghosts and explains the origins and danger of Grain-Collecting Ghosts. Despite his calm appearance and drinking, he recognizes the seriousness of the situation and prepares the convoy for an emergency retreat.
• Li Yunfeng: Appears unnaturally rigid and unresponsive, indicating that he may have been bewitched before reaching the village entrance. Nevertheless, he proceeds with the ritual and demonstrates disturbing methods involving a bandit, a human candle, and an invocation associated with the earlier Daoist.
• The old Daoist and grain official: Their presence at the village entrance remains suspicious. The missing corpse of the grain official raises the possibility that he is not an ordinary dead victim, but may be tied to the supernatural phenomenon.

Significant Themes

• The supernatural roots of social injustice: The chapter links ghosts and curses to oppression, corruption, and massacres. Uncle Shui explains that “tyrannical rule is fiercer than a tiger,” suggesting that political violence creates the resentment from which monsters are born.
• Truth versus concealment: Xie An’s growing strength and awareness allow him to challenge the adults’ evasions. Uncle Shui’s confession marks a turning point in their relationship and gives Xie An a clearer understanding of the world.
• Cycles and repetition: The identical scene, repeated events, and repeated incantation create the impression that Li Family Village is trapped in a supernatural cycle or ritual loop.
• Hidden danger beneath normality: Li Yunfeng’s actions look ordinary from a distance, but his strange behavior and the ritual’s grotesque details reveal that the apparent normality is deceptive.
• Inherited responsibility and danger: The Xie Household’s ownership of the farmland connects it to the village’s tragedy, showing how the consequences of injustice can spread beyond the original victims.

Character Interactions

• Xie An and Uncle Shui: Xie An notices the danger and persuades Uncle Shui to take it seriously. He later confronts Uncle Shui about ghosts, forcing him to reveal the truth.
• Uncle Shui and Li Yunfeng: Uncle Shui urgently tries to stop Li Yunfeng, but Li Yunfeng cannot—or will not—respond. Their failed interaction emphasizes Li Yunfeng’s bewitchment.
• Li Yunfeng and the village figures: Li Yunfeng calmly speaks with the old Daoist and grain official before beginning the ritual, implying that they may be participants in or manifestations of the supernatural event.
• Xie An and his family’s legacy: Though his father is not present, Xie An’s conversation with Uncle Shui reveals that the family’s land ownership may have made them a target of the Grain-Collecting Ghost.

Ending Significance

The chapter ends with Li Yunfeng chanting the exact incantation used by the old Daoist. This confirmation intensifies the mystery: the two rituals may be part of the same supernatural scheme, and Li Yunfeng may be repeating a role or event that has already occurred.

Chapter Summary: “Dark Force Strikes Ghosts”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Uncle Shui identifies Li Yunfeng’s ritual as a sacrificial chant associated with Returning Dragon Abbey, suggesting that the mysterious old Daoist also had ties to the abbey.
• While Li Yunfeng performs the ritual in Li Family Village, unnatural events unfold: oppressive heat, dark clouds, torrential rain, motionless “farmers,” and a tax collector endlessly striking a gong.
• Xie An notices that Li Yunfeng and the old Daoist beneath the locust tree perform identical chants, gestures, and movements, appearing almost merged. He fears Li Yunfeng may suffer the same fate as the old Daoist.
• After roughly half an hour, Li Yunfeng stops and leaves the village, while the old Daoist continues the ritual. Xie An is relieved, believing Li Yunfeng has escaped safely.
• Uncle Shui warns Xie An not to respond to anything Li Yunfeng says after entering the carriage, treating this as a ritual taboo.
• Li Yunfeng returns drenched and claims that the old Daoist was a fraud who impersonated a Returning Dragon Abbey disciple and died as a result. He also says the ritual has secured the Xie Residence’s safety.
• Li Yunfeng offers Xie An a protective talisman and attempts to attach it to him. Uncle Shui stops him and attacks.
• Using a powerful internal technique, Uncle Shui sends force through Li Yunfeng’s body, killing him instantly while damaging the carriage.
• Uncle Shui reveals that Li Yunfeng was already dead when he exited the village. His body had been possessed by a malicious entity, and the attack merely expelled the resentful energy inhabiting him.
• Once the possession ends, Li Yunfeng’s corpse begins to emit the same stench as Li Degui’s body, confirming the supernatural nature of the incident.
• The chapter ends with Xie An realizing that if Li Yunfeng died upon leaving the village, he and Zhao Hu—who also previously exited the village—may be in danger or may already be dead.

Character Developments

• Xie An becomes increasingly perceptive and fearful as he recognizes the ritual’s supernatural dangers. He follows Uncle Shui’s instructions but begins questioning whether his own survival is genuine.
• Uncle Shui is revealed to be a highly powerful Dark Force Martial Master. His calm behavior masks both deep supernatural knowledge and formidable combat ability.
• Li Yunfeng initially appears to have successfully completed the ritual, but is revealed to have been possessed and dead all along. His false normality demonstrates how deceptive the village’s evil forces are.
• Zhou Ji remains unaware of the village’s true nature, continuing ordinary tasks such as eating, practicing saber techniques, and driving the carriage.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: Li Yunfeng looks and speaks normally despite being a corpse controlled by resentful energy.
• The persistence of the dead: The village’s victims continue functioning after death, blurring the boundary between life and death.
• Ritual and taboo: Correct rites, inherited incantations, and rules about speech appear essential for surviving supernatural forces.
• Hidden power: Uncle Shui’s casual demeanor conceals extraordinary martial strength and specialized knowledge.
• Uncertainty and paranoia: Xie An’s belief that the danger has passed collapses, leaving him to question whether he and Zhao Hu are truly alive.

Character Interactions

• Uncle Shui reassures Xie An about the ritual but later gives him the crucial warning not to answer Li Yunfeng.
• Xie An orders Zhou Ji to stop practicing and drive the convoy away from the village.
• Li Yunfeng speaks confidently to Xie An about the ritual’s success and tries to give him a protective talisman.
• Uncle Shui intercepts Li Yunfeng, kills him with Dark Force, and explains the possession afterward.
• Xie An’s final realization connects Li Yunfeng’s fate to his own and Zhao Hu’s, ending the chapter on a major supernatural cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• After Li Yunfeng’s death, Uncle Shui explains that his Dark Force lets him sense when a person’s Vital Breath has stopped. He says the resentment in Li Family Village has grown much stronger since Xie An and Zhao Hu escaped seven days earlier.
• Uncle Shui orders Li Yunfeng’s body buried. When Xie An closes the corpse’s eyes, they suddenly snap open and stare at him. Xie An feels a sharp pain in his eyes, but the group leaves the village after burying Li Yunfeng.
• Uncle Shui says the failed ritual will require a fully initiated Daoist from Returning Dragon Abbey. He advises Xie An to concentrate on martial training, while Xie An reflects on how dangerous spirits are and how fortunate he is to have a wealthy family and Uncle Shui’s protection.
• Back in the city, Xie An runs into Xu Wenjie, a wealthy friend and owner of Red Sleeve House. Xu invites him to a poetry gathering in a month, where a prominent young Daoist from Returning Dragon Abbey will attend. Xie An agrees, interested in meeting the Daoist.
• At home, Xie An checks his eyes and discovers a new entry on his martial arts panel: Spirit Sight (awaiting activation). Realizing the earlier eye pain may mark the awakening of a talent, he attempts to activate it.

Character developments

• Xie An is shaken by the encounter with Li Yunfeng’s corpse and gains a more realistic sense of the danger posed by spirits. His martial training has begun, and he awakens the mysterious Spirit Sight talent.
• Uncle Shui is shown to be perceptive and formidable: he recognized Li Yunfeng’s death through his Dark Force, waited for the right moment to act, and remains protective of Xie An.
• Xu Wenjie appears as Xie An’s sociable, pleasure-loving acquaintance, but his invitation also provides a possible connection to influential young scholars and Daoists.

Significant themes

• The danger of the supernatural: Li Yunfeng’s uncanny behavior and the village’s growing resentment show that spirits can threaten even trained Daoists.
• Protection, privilege, and preparation: Xie An recognizes that his family’s wealth and Uncle Shui’s strength give him an advantage in a violent, uncertain world.
• Power and potential: Xie An’s martial progress and newly awakened Spirit Sight suggest that he may develop abilities beyond ordinary training.

Character interactions

• Uncle Shui explains his actions to Xie An and reassures him after the frightening burial.
• Xie An quietly honors Li Yunfeng by closing his eyes, only for the corpse to reopen them and fix its gaze on him.
• Xu Wenjie teases Xie An about his absence from Red Sleeve House and persuades him to attend the upcoming gathering.
• Xie An’s interest shifts from Xu’s social invitation to the prospect of meeting a fully initiated Daoist.

Plot points and events

• Activating the newly acquired Spirit Sight: Qi-Gazing drains Xie An’s blood and vitality to a dangerously low level. He realizes the talent’s activation cost is high and decides he needs a way to predict such costs.
• Rather than wait for nourishing soup, Xie An asks Zhou Ji about restorative medicines. Zhou Ji explains that the wealthy use pills to recover quickly, and Xie An obtains a bag of Vital Blood Pills from the residence storehouse.
• One pill restores Xie An’s blood and vitality almost immediately. He gives two pills to Zhou Ji as a reward for his dedication to training.
• Xie An tests Qi-Gazing. He sees motionless qi around objects, slowly rising qi around plants, and dense, surging qi around Zhou Ji. Crushing an ant makes its rising qi stop, confirming that the sight distinguishes living things from dead ones.
• He concludes that Qi-Gazing can reveal Vital Breath and may help him judge danger. Checking his reflection reassures him that he is alive and unpossessed.
• As he studies his own qi, he notices an unfamiliar wisp descending among the rising currents.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie An grows more confident in his ability to survive. He reasons methodically about the talent’s effects, tests its limits, and recognizes its potential value in a dangerous world. He also shows generosity by rewarding Zhou Ji.
• Zhou Ji appears as a hardworking, martial-arts-obsessed subordinate. His training has left him struggling to maintain his vitality, and Xie An’s pills may help him pursue a breakthrough.
• Xie An asks Zhou Ji for practical advice, then trusts him to retrieve medicine. Their exchange reinforces a respectful, supportive relationship.

Significant themes

• Power and cost: New abilities can be valuable but exact a physical price, requiring careful management.
• Knowledge through observation: Xie An tests Qi-Gazing against objects, plants, animals, and people to understand how it works.
• Life, death, and danger: Vital Breath offers a way to distinguish living beings from the dead and assess threats—especially useful amid supernatural dangers.
• Power shared: Xie An’s gift of restorative pills shows that his resources can also support others.

Chapter Summary: “White Goddess Shrine”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie An discovers that, unlike all other living or dead things he has observed, a strange wisp of qi within himself is steadily descending. He tests himself through the Mountain-Suppressing Stance and Mountain-Taming Fist, but the phenomenon does not change.
• By comparing qi in food, Qiu Lan, and the household guards, Xie An determines that:
  • The density of qi reflects a person’s vitality and martial strength.
  • Living beings’ qi rises, while dead things’ qi remains still.
  • His own descending qi is abnormal.
• Xie An decides to consult Uncle Shui, whom he regards as the most knowledgeable martial master available to him.
• He then asks Zhou Ji to spar with him. Zhou Ji attacks without warning or encouragement, forcing Xie An to endure a fierce, exhausting assault. Xie An accepts the harsh training because he believes Zhou Ji’s brutality will accelerate his growth.
• Uncle Shui travels to the secluded Qingping Lane, a district filled with funeral-related businesses, and enters the Xie Clan White Goddess Shrine.
• Inside, he joins Xie Zhengtang in worship before a mysterious, veiled statue associated with the White Jade Goddess. The shrine contains disturbing signs—bones and dried blood beneath the red cloth—suggesting that the object or entity being worshipped is dangerous or supernatural.
• Uncle Shui reports the incident at Li Family Village, where an evil entity appears to have formed from overwhelming resentment.
• Xie Zhengtang and Uncle Shui discuss how to deal with it. They reject involving the authorities and hesitate to summon Xie An’s supposedly deceased elder sister, Yu’er. Instead, they plan to seek help from a formal outer disciple of Returning Dragon Abbey.
• Xie Zhengtang ultimately considers asking the White Jade Goddess herself to intervene if the rites fail. As he and Uncle Shui pray for protection, the incense smoke suddenly reverses direction and sinks into the red cloth, implying that the veiled entity has responded—or awakened.

Character Developments

• Xie An becomes more analytical and proactive. Rather than ignoring the strange qi within him, he investigates it methodically and immediately plans to seek expert advice.
• His martial development continues through punishing practice with Zhou Ji, showing that he is willing to tolerate pain and exhaustion to become stronger.
• Qiu Lan remains attentive and caring toward Xie An, bringing him soup and helping him prepare for the cold.
• Zhou Ji is characterized as a severe, unsentimental instructor who tests Xie An through relentless attacks rather than reassurance.
• Uncle Shui is revealed to be deeply trusted by the Xie family and experienced in handling supernatural threats, though even he is concerned about the danger posed by Li Family Village.
• Xie Zhengtang appears devout but pragmatic. He is worried about the family’s safety, conceals sensitive matters from outsiders, and knows that the White Goddess may be both a protector and a frightening power.

Significant Themes

• The abnormal and the unknown: Xie An’s descending qi introduces a mystery that challenges his established understanding of life force.
• Growth through hardship: Xie An’s brutal training with Zhou Ji reflects the idea that strength requires endurance and pain.
• Hidden supernatural forces: The shrine, the veiled statue, Li Family Village’s resentment, and the reversed incense all point to a world where unseen entities influence human affairs.
• Secrecy and control: Xie Zhengtang avoids involving the authorities, preferring to keep supernatural matters within the family’s control.
• Life, death, and spiritual boundaries: The funeral district and shrine emphasize the blurred line between the living and the dead, reinforced by the strange qi and the evil entity born from accumulated resentment.
• Faith mixed with fear: The Xie family worships the White Goddess for protection, yet the shrine’s bloodstains and concealed statue suggest that their deity is not entirely benevolent or safe.

Character Interactions

• Xie An and Qiu Lan: Their interaction is domestic and caring, though Qiu Lan becomes embarrassed when she notices his prolonged gaze.
• Xie An and Zhou Ji: Their relationship is defined by demanding martial practice. Zhou Ji offers no comfort, forcing Xie An to confront his weaknesses directly.
• Uncle Shui and the shrine guards: The guards show him respect, indicating his high standing within the Xie household.
• Uncle Shui and Xie Zhengtang: They interact as trusted partners, exchanging information about Li Family Village and weighing dangerous solutions together.
• Xie Zhengtang and the White Goddess: His fervent prayers show dependence on the deity, while the incense’s unnatural movement suggests the relationship may involve genuine supernatural communication rather than symbolic worship alone.

Plot points and events

• After two hours of sparring, Xie An proves he is training seriously and earns the respect of Zhou Ji, who had initially underestimated him. Xie An rewards him with a valuable dose of Tiger-Viscera Essence Decoction, strengthening their arrangement as training partners.
• Xie An takes a medicinal bath after training and worries about the Grain-Collecting Ghosts that have appeared in other counties—and whether one might come to the Xie Residence. He hopes to learn Dark Force to improve his ability to protect himself.
• While being dressed, Xie An learns that Zhao Hu has requested leave because his wife is about to give birth. Remembering Zhao Hu’s loyalty during the danger at Li Family Village, Xie An orders fifty taels of silver given to him.
• Xie An visits Uncle Shui and asks whether Dark Force masters can sense the direction of a person’s Vital Breath. Uncle Shui cannot, confirming that Xie An’s Spirit Sight and Qi-Gazing reveal something unusually precise.
• Xie An uses Qi-Gazing on Uncle Shui, whose Vital Breath is immense and surges upward. He then asks Uncle Shui to examine him, still troubled by the single wisp of his own breath that had sunk.
• Uncle Shui probes Xie An with Dark Force, first through his wrist and then at the crown of his head. His grave reaction leaves Xie An fearing that he may truly be possessed.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie An shows discipline, generosity, and growing caution. He rewards Zhou Ji for honest sparring and Zhao Hu for past loyalty, while privately seeking greater strength and certainty about his unusual abilities.
• Zhou Ji shifts from skepticism to respect after seeing Xie An’s relentless effort; Xie An’s reward also improves their trust.
• Uncle Shui remains a trusted mentor, answering Xie An’s questions and examining him. His unexpected concern creates suspense about Xie An’s condition.
• Qiu Lan continues her attentive role in caring for and dressing Xie An, and relays Zhao Hu’s request.

Significant themes

• Security in a dangerous world: The threat of Specters and ghostly tax collectors drives Xie An to train and seek stronger defenses.
• Effort and earned respect: Xie An’s persistence changes Zhou Ji’s opinion of him.
• Loyalty and generosity: Xie An repays those who support him, especially Zhao Hu after their shared ordeal.
• The limits of knowledge: Xie An’s rare perception gives him insight beyond ordinary Dark Force users, yet his own strange Vital Breath remains unexplained.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Uncle Shui examines Xie An’s Vital Breath and discovers a slight disorder around his Baihui acupoint. Xie An explains that he has been dreaming about the frightening events at Li Family Village. Uncle Shui reassures him that the disturbance is merely the result of lingering fear and will resolve with rest.
• When Xie An asks how the Xie family plans to deal with Li Family Village, Uncle Shui refuses to disclose the details, telling him instead to focus on martial arts and reach the Dark Force realm.
• Back at the West Courtyard, Xie An investigates the cost of implanting the third form of Taishan Fist, Five Mountains Collapse, using Ten Thousand Questions. Deconstruction and implantation together require 1.8 blood and qi units, while Xie An currently possesses only 1.4. He realizes he must raise his vitality to at least 1.9 before attempting it.
• Rather than wait, Xie An decides to obtain other martial arts that may be cheaper or more useful to implant. He orders Qiu Lan to have guards request all martial arts below the Three Gates Bone Tempering level from Yongsheng Martial Arts Hall.
• The next morning, Yongsheng’s young master Chen Bin and his older sister Chen Mo deliver three chests filled with martial arts manuals to the Xie Residence.
• During the journey, Chen Bin complains that Xie An is abusing the Xie family’s influence by demanding the manuals be delivered directly to him. Chen Mo explains that Yongsheng Martial Arts Hall’s status depends heavily on Xie Zhengtang’s patronage and that social connections and political influence are as important as martial strength.
• After waiting outside Xie An’s residence for two hours while he takes a medicinal bath, Chen Mo and Chen Bin are admitted. Xie An examines the manuals for an hour, rejecting most of them because implantation consumes valuable blood and qi.
• He finally finds a manual titled Five Animal True Form Diagram, but notices that it contains no cultivation method. The chapter ends with him asking Chen Mo where the missing portion is.

Character Developments

• Xie An becomes more strategic and pragmatic. Instead of recklessly attempting to implant Five Mountains Collapse, he recognizes his current limitations and seeks alternative martial arts to improve his strength efficiently.
• His fear from Li Family Village still affects him through recurring nightmares, although Uncle Shui assures him that the reaction is normal.
• Uncle Shui remains protective and secretive, withholding the family’s plans regarding Li Family Village while encouraging Xie An to prioritize his cultivation.
• Chen Bin is introduced as talented but arrogant and inexperienced in worldly affairs. His confidence is shaken when Chen Mo reveals how much Yongsheng depends on the Xie family’s support.
• Chen Mo is practical, mature, and socially aware. She understands the importance of influence, favors, and hierarchy, and repeatedly restrains and instructs her younger brother.
• Xie Zhengtang’s influence is emphasized: his support helped determine Yongsheng Martial Arts Hall’s ranking and protected its founder from political and martial-world opposition.

Significant Themes

• Power beyond physical strength: The chapter stresses that influence, wealth, patronage, and political relationships can matter as much as martial ability.
• Class and unequal starting points: Chen Mo highlights the enormous social and economic gap between the Chen siblings and Xie An, whose family’s wealth and influence shape the entire county.
• Pragmatism and resource management: Xie An carefully calculates blood and qi costs instead of wasting his limited vitality.
• Hidden knowledge and incomplete techniques: The incomplete Five Animal True Form Diagram introduces a mystery and suggests that valuable martial arts may require further investigation or acquisition.
• Fear and recovery: Xie An’s nightmares show the psychological consequences of the Li Family Village incident, even as he attempts to move forward.

Character Interactions

• Uncle Shui reassures Xie An about his nightmares but redirects questions about Li Family Village toward martial cultivation.
• Xie An uses Qiu Lan to arrange the acquisition of martial manuals.
• Chen Bin challenges the propriety of obeying Xie An’s demands, while Chen Mo explains the realities of their dependence on the Xie family.
• Chen Mo repeatedly disciplines Chen Bin and teaches him humility before the Xie household.
• Xie An maintains a detached, authoritative manner toward the siblings, making them wait and then immediately directing them to bring in the chests.
• The chapter closes with Xie An questioning Chen Mo about the missing cultivation method for the Five Animal True Form Diagram, setting up the next development.

Chapter Summary: “Transplanting Conceptual Martial Arts”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Bin and Chen Mo present Xie An with several martial arts manuals. Chen Mo explains that the Five Animal True Form Diagram is an unusual conceptual martial art created by frontier hunters who imitated primordial beasts. It contains profound intent but no conventional cultivation method, making it nearly impossible for ordinary martial artists to practice.
• Xie An realizes that, because of the Ten Thousand Questions system, he may be able to bypass the normal requirements and directly cultivate the conceptual martial art. He chooses the Five Animal True Form Diagram and returns the other manuals.
• Using aura sight, Xie An examines the Chen siblings’ cultivation:
  • Chen Bin is stronger than Zhou Ji and appears to have reached Organ Tempering.
  • Chen Mo possesses more than five times Chen Bin’s vital energy and reveals that she recently broke through to Manifest Force, an extraordinary achievement for someone her age.
• Xie An instructs Qiu Lan to prepare Zhou Ji for a sparring session later and begins studying the Five Animal True Form Diagram in seclusion.
• The martial art consists of five primordial beast forms, each linked to one of the Five Elements:
  • White Tiger—Metal, slaughter and destructive power
  • Azure Deer—Wood, vitality and recovery
  • Earth Bear—Earth, defense and stability
  • Fire Ape—Fire, agility and adaptability
  • Water Crane—Water, speed and evasive movement
• Xie An asks Ten Thousand Questions whether the first form, White Tiger Sky-Roar, can be transplanted. The system calculates that it requires only 1.2 units of blood and vitality.
• He successfully transplants the form, receiving a complete understanding of its true intent and immediately reaching the Perfected level. After practicing it, he discovers that its overwhelming force rivals the Mountain-Taming Fist while remaining flexible and difficult to predict.
• Encouraged by this breakthrough, Xie An begins calculating the transplantation requirements for the second form, Azure Deer Life-Attraction.
• Meanwhile, Chen Bin and Chen Mo leave Xie Residence with the unused martial arts. Chen Bin mocks Xie An for choosing an art he believes cannot be cultivated, though Chen Mo acknowledges that Xie An correctly recognized it as the best manual.
• Chen Bin warns Chen Mo that Xie An may intend to send her to investigate the supernatural incident at Li Family Village, where a Daoist priest recently died while attempting to perform an exorcism. Chen Mo becomes troubled by the possibility.

Character Developments

• Xie An demonstrates growing confidence in the advantages provided by Ten Thousand Questions. He realizes that conceptual martial arts, normally inaccessible to ordinary practitioners, can be directly implanted into his body and mind.
• His martial arts potential expands dramatically: with White Tiger Sky-Roar perfected instantly, he gains a powerful and versatile new technique and sees a much faster path to advancement.
• Chen Mo is revealed to be an exceptionally talented martial artist who reached Manifest Force before the age of twenty, though her future remains uncertain because of her gender and her position within Xie Residence.
• Chen Bin remains skeptical and somewhat dismissive of Xie An, viewing him as an inexperienced young master who overestimates himself. He is also protective of Chen Mo and distrustful of the dangers associated with Xie Residence.
• Chen Mo’s attitude is more balanced. She considers Xie An sheltered and inexperienced but recognizes his unusually good judgment in selecting the Five Animal True Form Diagram.

Significant Themes

• Technological or supernatural advantage over conventional limits: Ten Thousand Questions allows Xie An to overcome barriers that have defeated generations of martial artists.
• The difference between knowledge and understanding: Ordinary practitioners need years of observation and experimentation to create a method for a conceptual art, while the system can convert pure principles directly into perfected ability.
• Hidden talent and mistaken judgment: The Chen siblings underestimate Xie An because of his reputation, while Xie An is beginning to recognize Chen Mo’s remarkable strength.
• The danger beneath wealth and privilege: Although Xie An is sheltered and wealthy, his household is connected to deadly supernatural events that money alone may not resolve.
• Comprehensive cultivation: The Five Animal True Form Diagram symbolizes a complete martial system, combining offense, recovery, defense, agility, perception, and speed through the Five Elements.

Character Interactions

• Xie An and Chen Mo: Their exchange is formal and respectful. Xie An is impressed by Chen Mo’s cultivation and briefly considers recruiting her as a guard, but ultimately lets her leave without making the offer.
• Xie An and Qiu Lan: Xie An calmly gives Qiu Lan instructions before entering seclusion, establishing his intention to continue testing and improving his martial abilities.
• Chen Bin and Chen Mo: On the journey home, Chen Bin ridicules Xie An’s choice and warns Chen Mo not to risk herself for the Xie Household. Chen Mo does not fully agree with his criticism, especially regarding Xie An’s judgment, but becomes concerned about the possibility of being sent to Li Family Village.
• Xie An and the Five Animal True Form Diagram: Through Ten Thousand Questions, Xie An effectively transforms a theoretical, incomplete martial concept into a perfected practical technique, marking a major turning point in his cultivation.

Chapter Summary: Muscle-Tendon Tempering

Key Plot Points and Events

• After successfully implanting the second of the Five True Forms, Azure Deer Life-Attraction, Xie An experiences physical and mental discomfort because its artistic conception conflicts with that of White Tiger Sky-Roar. He realizes that although Ten Thousand Questions can implant techniques instantly, he must gradually digest and harmonize them.
• Xie An spars with Zhou Ji, combining his Mountain-Taming Fist with the White Tiger’s fierce artistic conception. His sudden transformation of fighting style shocks Zhou Ji and forces him to retreat.
• Zhou Ji recognizes that Xie An is already using an artistic-conception martial art, something normally beyond a Skin-Tempering martial artist’s level. He becomes deeply impressed by Xie An’s rare talent.
• After the sparring session, Xie An learns about Zhou Ji’s injured father. He rewards Zhou Ji with three hundred taels of silver and orders Physician Li Yuqiao to accompany him home and treat the injury.
• In return, Xie An assigns Zhou Ji a secret task: investigate when Uncle Shui next travels to Li Family Village and discover what really happened concerning Li Yunfeng’s death.
• Half a month later, Xie An has mastered the entire

Five Animal True Form Diagram

• Black Bear Mountain-Tamer strengthens bone density and power.
• Scarlet Ape Heaven-Stealer provides explosive movement and lethal attacks.
• Mystic Crane Shadow-Scour improves agility, lightness, and evasive movement.
• Through relentless training, Xie An compensates for his previous weaknesses in mobility, defense, recovery, and escape techniques.
• He begins bathing in Tiger-Tendon Essence Decoction to prepare for Muscle-Tendon Tempering. During the treatment, the tendon in his right arm suddenly emits a distinct hum, signaling that he has broken through into the Muscle-Tendon Tempering Realm.

Character Developments

• Xie An grows from a talented but incomplete martial artist into a well-rounded fighter capable of attack, defense, agility, recovery, and survival. His discipline increases sharply as he abandons his former indulgent lifestyle and dedicates himself entirely to cultivation.
• His understanding of martial arts also deepens. He recognizes the need to properly digest conflicting techniques rather than relying solely on instant implantation.
• Zhou Ji shifts from merely admiring Xie An’s perseverance to sincerely respecting his extraordinary martial talent. His gratitude and loyalty intensify after Xie An offers aid to his family.
• Qiu Lan observes Xie An’s dramatic physical and behavioral transformation. She becomes concerned for his health because of his extreme training schedule, while continuing to support him.
• Xie An displays growing strategic awareness by using Zhou Ji’s loyalty to investigate the suspicious circumstances surrounding Li Yunfeng’s death.

Significant Themes

• Discipline and transformation: Xie An’s progress comes from sustained effort and harsh training rather than relying only on supernatural abilities.
• The limits of instant power: Techniques may be implanted quickly, but true mastery requires time to harmonize and digest them.
• Martial artistry and talent: Xie An’s ability to wield artistic-conception martial arts at the Skin-Tempering Realm marks him as an exceptional prodigy.
• Benevolence and loyalty: His assistance to Zhou Ji’s family is both genuinely compassionate and a means of earning dependable loyalty.
• Investigation and hidden danger: Xie An’s concern over Li Yunfeng’s death suggests unresolved secrets involving Uncle Shui and Li Family Village.
• Holistic cultivation: The Five Animal True Forms demonstrate that strength, defense, agility, movement, and recovery must all be developed together.

Character Interactions

• Xie An and Zhou Ji: Their sparring session establishes Xie An’s superiority and shocks Zhou Ji with the unpredictable power of the White Tiger technique. Later, Xie An earns Zhou Ji’s devotion by arranging medical treatment for his father.
• Xie An and Qiu Lan: Qiu Lan assists with his training and medicinal baths, worries about his excessive exertion, and helps carry out his orders.
• Xie An and Uncle Shui: Although Uncle Shui is not directly present, Xie An’s distrust of his secrecy motivates the investigation into Li Family Village.
• Xie An and Li Yuqiao: Xie An directs the respected physician to treat Zhou Ji’s father, demonstrating both his authority within the estate and his willingness to use its resources for others.

Chapter Summary: Taishan Fist Perfected

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie An breaks through from Skin-Tempering to Muscle-Tendon Tempering, gaining a powerful new source of strength.
• Using the Five Animal True Form Diagram and medicinal baths, he opens seventy-seven major tendons immediately—already half of the one hundred sixty required for Full Muscle-Tendon Tempering.
• He tests his enhanced strength by practicing the Mountain-Suppressing Stance, Mountain-Taming Fist, and the Five Animal True Forms. Their power increases dramatically compared with their performance in the Skin-Tempering Realm.
• His martial panel shows:
  • Qi and Blood: 1.9
  • Spirit: 1.9
  • Realm:

Muscle-Tendon Tempering

• Mountain-Suppressing Stance, Mountain-Taming Fist, and Five Animal True Form Diagram:

Perfected

• With sufficient Qi and Blood, Xie An uses the Ten-Thousand Questions Martial Arts Model to transplant the third and final form of Taishan Fist: Five Mountains Collapse.
• The transplant temporarily drains almost all his Qi and Blood, but a Vital Blood Pill restores him.
• After practicing the new technique, he rapidly opens more tendons, increasing from seventy-seven to one hundred sixty, effectively reaching Full Muscle-Tendon Tempering.
• Xie An tests Five Mountains Collapse on a large Taihu stone. The five successive layers of force—Mount Dai, Sea of Clouds, Heavenly Pillar, Yin and Yang, and Mountain Shatter—destroy the stone completely.
• He orders Qiu Lan to have a replacement stone brought, then wonders whether his newfound power is enough to injure Zhou Ji with one punch.
• At that moment, Zhou Ji arrives with news: after waiting half a month near Li Family Village, he has finally seen Uncle Shui’s carriage. Xie An immediately asks what Uncle Shui did about the Li Family Village matter.

Character Development

• Xie An makes a major advancement in cultivation. He moves from basic skin tempering to Full Muscle-Tendon Tempering in a short time, demonstrating extraordinary talent and benefiting from both Taishan Fist and the Five Animal True Forms.
• His understanding of martial arts deepens as he experiences the difference between merely knowing a technique and wielding it with a higher physical realm.
• He becomes increasingly confident and eager to measure himself against stronger opponents, particularly Zhou Ji.
• Qiu Lan is shown as loyal but easily stunned by Xie An’s overwhelming strength. Her surprise at the destroyed stone emphasizes how abnormal his progress is.
• Zhou Ji continues serving as Xie An’s informant and arrives with important intelligence regarding Uncle Shui and Li Family Village.

Significant Themes

• Rapid cultivation and exceptional talent: Xie An’s ability to open tendons far faster than ordinary martial artists highlights his unusual potential.
• The relationship between body and technique: Powerful martial arts require a body strong enough to endure them; Five Mountains Collapse is dangerous because its repeated force places immense stress on the muscles and bones.
• Accumulation leading to transformation: The earlier Taishan Fist forms and Five Animal True Forms serve as foundations for mastering the ultimate technique.
• Testing power through action: Xie An repeatedly verifies his advancement through practice and physical demonstrations rather than relying solely on theoretical knowledge.
• The cost of power: Transplanting Five Mountains Collapse nearly empties his Qi and Blood, showing that advancement through the martial model carries significant physical consequences.

Character Interactions

• Xie An interacts playfully with Qiu Lan, pinching her cheek after she is left speechless by his destruction of the Taihu stone.
• He gives Qiu Lan a practical order to replace the ruined stone, revealing his calm, almost casual attitude toward his extraordinary strength.
• Zhou Ji’s arrival shifts the chapter from cultivation and testing back to the unresolved external plot surrounding Uncle Shui and Li Family Village.
• The chapter ends with Xie An urgently questioning Zhou Ji, setting up the next development in the conflict involving Uncle Shui.