Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Xie An visits Yongsheng Martial Arts Hall with Zhou Ji, Li Dao, and Chen Mo. After checking Chen Bin with Qi-Gazing, he confirms the young man is unharmed.
• Xie An asks to consult the hall’s martial arts library, seeking techniques with strong, outward-flowing yang energy.
• He studies the internal styles Windfire Palm and Thunderfire Fist, then examines the external technique Five-Venom Blazing Sun Hand.
• Chen Lutang warns that the technique’s creator, Five-Venom Sage, was a villain, and that his blood-fed saber can corrupt its wielder. Xie An nevertheless inspects the sinister Five-Venom Blood Saber.
• Troubled by recent supernatural attacks at Red Sleeve House and the Xu Residence, Xie An decides he must develop a way to kill specters quickly.
• Using his Ten Thousand Questions ability, he extracts useful principles from the three techniques and combines them with previously learned Taishan Fist, Red Sun Saber Technique, and Five Animal True Form Diagram. He begins constructing a powerful external martial art centered on yang venom and designed to have no harmful side effects.

Character developments

• Xie An grows more urgent and proactive in response to the specter threat. Rather than simply learning existing martial arts, he sets out to create a new one tailored to his needs.
• Chen Lutang is deferential and protective of Xie An, warning him about the dangers of the blood saber.
• Chen Mo shows concern for Xie An by promptly bringing the saber and standing watch outside the study.

Significant themes

• Innovation through synthesis: Xie An’s ability works by analyzing and combining existing principles, not inventing knowledge from nothing.
• Dangerous power and its costs: Five-Venom Blazing Sun Hand promises strength against specters but demands hazardous ingredients, conditions, and bodily transformation.
• Urgency against the supernatural: Recent attacks push Xie An toward drastic preparation.
• Risk versus responsibility: Xie An knowingly handles a weapon said to corrupt its user, while the martial arts hall tries to protect him.

Character interactions

• Xie An reassures Chen Lutang and Chen Mo about Chen Bin, then persuades Chen Lutang to let him study the library’s rare techniques.
• Chen Lutang cautions Xie An against the blood saber; Xie An dismisses the warning and examines it anyway.
• Chen Lutang leaves Chen Mo to guard Xie An while he studies and begins designing his new specter-fighting martial art.

Plot points and events

• Xie An uses Ten Thousand Questions to create a martial art that can help him resist specters before he reaches the inner-school level. The system combines principles from the Five Animal True Form Diagram, Taishan Fist, Red Sun Saber Technique, Thunderfire Fist, and Windfire Palm.
• After repeated testing and revisions, it creates the Great Sun Five-Venom Astral Baleful Force True Treatise. The art draws on poisonous baleful energies associated with the five elements, using animal forms to channel them into the organs and combining astral and baleful forces.
• Relieved by this breakthrough, Xie An renames it the Great Sun Baleful Force Art.
• Transplanting the complete art would cost 4.2 units of vital blood—more than he has. Its first stage costs 2.2 units, so he takes a Vital Blood Pill and orders the system to transplant that stage.

Character development

• Xie An’s fear and pressure after several deadly hauntings give way to relief and renewed confidence. Rather than accepting that he is helpless against specters, he believes he has found a way forward.
• He learns to use Ten Thousand Questions more creatively, combining techniques to develop something new instead of merely transplanting existing martial arts.
• The new art is personally meaningful to him: he chooses its name himself and takes pride in having devised it.

Significant themes

• Innovation and perseverance: Xie An challenges the accepted belief that only inner-school practitioners can fight specters.
• Knowledge through synthesis: The new art grows from combining the strengths of several established techniques.
• Cost and gradual progress: Xie An cannot afford the full transplant, so he advances by beginning with the first stage.
• Fear transformed into resolve: Recent tragedies motivate Xie An to seek a means of protecting himself rather than surrendering to despair.

Character interactions

• Xie An relies on Ten Thousand Questions as a martial-arts collaborator, watching it test and refine the new art, then discussing the name and transplant cost with it.
• Memories of advice from Uncle Shui and his elder sister sharpen the stakes: both had emphasized how helpless lesser practitioners were against specters. Xie An’s breakthrough is a direct answer to their warnings.

Chapter Summary: “Divine Might of an Evil Art”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie An sacrifices vitality to implant the Great Sun Baleful Force Art, successfully condensing its initial Baleful Seed.
• After replenishing his vitality with a Vital Blood Pill, he circulates the art and discovers that poisonous baleful qi has gathered within his five viscera and spread throughout his body.
• The new art greatly enhances his physical strength and can be integrated into other techniques, including:
  • Taishan Fist
  • Five Animal True Form Diagram
  • Red Sun Saber Technique
• Xie An tests the art by punching through a solid redwood table, confirming that it both increases his power and infuses his attacks with poisonous qi.
• The technique also accelerates his cultivation. While practicing the Five Animal True Form Diagram, he opens more than 120 bones and moves closer to completing Bone Opening and Organ Tempering.
• He discovers that the Five-Venom Blood Saber resonates perfectly with him. Unlike Chen Lutang’s warnings about its dangers, Xie An can control it without suffering backlash.
• Xie An challenges Chen Mo to a sparring match to test his newly created martial art. His saber attacks, empowered by the Baleful-Yang Poison, clash directly with Chen Mo’s Inner Force.
• Chen Mo increases her Inner Force to sixty percent but is still gradually forced backward. She concludes that Xie An’s martial art is exceptionally powerful and contains no obvious flaws.
• On the journey home, Xie An sees Xu Martial Academy being attacked and dismantled following the destruction of the Xu Household. He initially decides to have the Xie Household protect it.
• Before Chen Mo can intervene, Mai Qiuyun arrives with Li Wenyu, the son of the county deputy magistrate, and a group of martial artists who have already taken control of the situation.
• Mai Qiuyun treats Xie An coldly while behaving warmly toward Li Wenyu. Learning Li’s status and achievements, Xie An becomes jealous and suspicious of Mai Qiuyun’s motives.

Character Developments

• Xie An: Makes a major breakthrough by creating and mastering the Great Sun Baleful Force Art. His strength rises far beyond what would normally be expected from someone at his cultivation level, allowing him to contend with a Manifest Force Martial Master. He also gains complete control over the dangerous Five-Venom Blood Saber. His confidence grows, though he becomes visibly jealous and resentful upon seeing Mai Qiuyun with Li Wenyu.
• Chen Mo: Initially doubts Xie An’s ability to create a viable martial art and plans to warn him about possible dangers. After fighting him, she is shocked by the technique’s power and coherence and develops genuine apprehension toward his growing strength.
• Mai Qiuyun: Appears distant and aloof toward Xie An but charming and familiar with Li Wenyu, suggesting that her loyalties or romantic interests may have shifted.
• Li Wenyu: Introduced as a highly talented young nobleman who cultivated at Returning Dragon Abbey and reached Dark Force at eighteen. His family status and potential make him a powerful ally for the Canal Gang.
• Zhou Ji and Li Dao: Witness Xie An’s astonishing combat ability and are left dumbfounded by how quickly he has advanced.

Significant Themes

• Power through innovation: Xie An’s ability to create a new martial art demonstrates the extraordinary benefits of combining different cultivation principles.
• Control over corruption and danger: The Five-Venom Blood Saber and poisonous baleful qi are dangerous forces, but Xie An’s unique cultivation allows him to command them without suffering their usual backlash.
• Rapid growth and hidden potential: Xie An’s progress challenges conventional assumptions about cultivation, shocking those around him.
• Political and social power: The collapse of the Xu Household leaves Xu Martial Academy vulnerable, showing how quickly rivals exploit weakness. Protection depends as much on influential alliances as on martial strength.
• Jealousy and changing relationships: Mai Qiuyun’s coldness toward Xie An and closeness with Li Wenyu introduce emotional tension and suggest competition for status, affection, or influence.

Important Character Interactions

• Xie An and Chen Mo: Their sparring match proves the effectiveness of Xie An’s new art and changes Chen Mo’s view of him from an inexperienced young master to a frightening martial prodigy.
• Xie An and the Five-Venom Blood Saber: Their resonance suggests that the weapon may be uniquely suited to Xie An’s poisonous cultivation.
• Xie An and Mai Qiuyun: Their distant exchange reveals Xie An’s wounded pride and growing suspicion of her intentions.
• Mai Qiuyun and Li Wenyu: Their friendly, seemingly intimate interaction contrasts sharply with her treatment of Xie An and fuels his jealousy.
• Xie An and Xu Martial Academy: Xie An demonstrates a desire to protect Xu Wenjie’s former academy, though Mai Qiuyun’s intervention makes his involvement unnecessary.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Tieniang returns to the Xu Residence after learning the household has been massacred. Finding the bodies but not her husband Xu Zhengyang, she rushes to Returning Dragon Abbey to confront her master, Hua Qianxiong.
• Hua reveals that Xu Zhengyang’s body is in a coffin and explains the events leading to the tragedy. Su Hongxiu’s attempt to secure a destined marriage with Xie An led her to become an evil entity, which then attacked the Xu Household. Hua says Xu Zhengyang was forced to take his own life during a failed mediation with the Xie Residence, and A Shan was also driven to her death.
• Overcome by grief and guilt, Tieniang mourns Xu and recalls how he saved her from starving refugees, supported her martial training, and loved her despite her inability to have children. After A Shan’s disappearance, Xu’s death compounds her sense of loss.
• Tieniang vows to bury her family and then seek justice from the Xie Residence. Hua warns her not to act rashly, promising to demand justice at the Xie family’s ceremony on the twenty-third.
• Mai Qiuyun and Li Wenyu visit Tieniang with a register, explaining that they protected Xu Martial Academy’s people, manuals, and weapons after the household’s destruction. Tieniang’s initially cold manner softens as she accepts their report.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Tieniang shifts from shock and grief to focused, vengeful resolve. Her memories reveal deep gratitude and love for Xu Zhengyang, alongside guilt over her inability to bear children and her failure to protect her family.
• Hua Qianxiong comforts his disciple, admits his own failure to protect Xu Zhengyang, and urges restraint while offering to seek justice through formal channels.
• Xu Zhengyang is shown through Tieniang’s memories as compassionate, loyal, and self-sacrificing: he rescued her, supported her ambitions, and refused to take a concubine.
• Mai Qiuyun and Li Wenyu demonstrate practical loyalty by protecting the academy after the Xu Household’s fall. Their responsible intervention earns Tieniang’s appreciation.

Significant themes

• Grief, love, and loyalty: Tieniang’s mourning emphasizes the strength of her bond with Xu and their adopted daughter, A Shan.
• Debt and guilt: Xu’s past kindness shapes Tieniang’s devotion, while her childlessness and the family’s losses deepen her self-reproach.
• Justice and revenge: Tieniang seeks vengeance against the Xie Residence, while Hua advocates patience and formal redress.
• Consequences of selfishness and abuse of power: The tragedy is traced back to Xie An’s womanizing and the Xie family’s coercive behavior.

After mastering the Great Sun Baleful Force Art, Xie An joined his family’s grand ritual at Li Family Village and learned that his father intended to challenge the Returning Dragon Abbey’s hold over exorcism rites. The gathered crowd expected the Xie Household to drive out evil spirits for the county, leaving Xie An to realize the ritual was about far more than his own safety.

• Xie An completed the Great Sun Baleful Force Art and assessed his strength as comparable to a peak Manifest Force expert, with a chance against a newly advanced Dark Force Martial Master.
• Xie An prepared to leave with Uncle Shui, Chen Mo, Li Dao, and Zhou Ji, while Xie Zhengtang stayed behind and told him to remain beside Uncle Shui at Li Family Village.
• Uncle Shui praised Xie An’s growth and said the Xie Household would depend on him in the future.
• Xie An arrived at Li Family Village and found thousands of refugees, Yongsheng Martial Arts Hall disciples, and soldiers gathered around the Xie Household’s porridge stalls and ritual platform.
• Wei Dian told Xie An that the Xu Household had been wiped out and asked whether a Specter had latched onto him, while Mai Qiuyun, Li Wenyu, Mai Wenshan, and groups from the Returning Dragon Abbey arrived.
• An old man explained that the Xie Household was holding its own rite to drive out evil, bypassing the Returning Dragon Abbey and potentially offering the county a cheaper alternative.

Xie An learned that his family planned to challenge Qingwu County’s three established exorcist powers, then encountered a mysterious woman in Li Family Village whose presence matched the abyss he had sensed in the Xie Household’s shrine. He drew his saber and considered pursuing her to learn whether she was the household’s goddess.

• Xie An realized Xie Zhengtang, Uncle Shui, and Xie Yu had spent thirteen years preparing to make the Xie Household a new exorcism option in Qingwu County.
• Uncle Shui reassured Xie An that the household had planned for the ceremony’s dangers, and Xie Yu said their goddess had arrived and could not be opposed unless the Big Three’s gods appeared.
• Xie An entered Li Family Village alone and revisited the places where he had once been helpless against Specters.
• A veiled woman in a tattered red wedding dress hung a Dragon King's Blessing lantern above Li Degui’s home, and Xie An saw only a bottomless abyss when he used Qi-Gazing on her.
• Xie An connected the woman to the Red-Cloth Statue and the Xie Household’s goddess, then drew his saber and considered catching up with her.

Plot points and events

• Xie An encounters the red-clad Evil God who taught him the Spirit Preservation Method. Though curious, he restrains himself, wary of her power.
• At the Li residence, he learns that Dragon King Stronghold distributes the yellow “Dragon King’s Blessing” lanterns found throughout the villages. He realizes the lantern he took from Li Degui’s doorway is the one the Evil God herself hung.
• Xie An brings the lantern to his sister, Xie Yu. Using the Spirit Preservation Method, she confirms its unusual nature and interprets the Evil God’s appearance as a sign of favor. She offers to tell him more about Dragon King Stronghold—an organization that worships the Dragon Queen—after the festival, and possibly bring him into it.
• At the village entrance, thousands of refugees gather for porridge. Xie An worries that the crowd may riot, but Uncle Shui treats unrest as an ordinary danger in the struggle for power.
• Mai Wenshan arrives with his daughter, Mai Qiuyun. He offers help if the Xie Household’s guards cannot control the crowd and jokes about his long-standing wish to marry Qiuyun to Xie Mingxi.
• Afterward, Qiuyun reveals that she expects the Xie Household to fall: Li Wenyu and Daoist Master Hua are plotting against them because the Xie Household has challenged the Inner City Big Three. Mai Wenshan warns her not to abandon the Xies before the outcome is clear, since the Canal Gang is allied with them.
• At sunset, a bell sounds, and the festival begins.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie An shows caution toward the Evil God but is increasingly drawn into her sphere of influence. He also begins to grasp the political and social dangers surrounding the festival.
• Xie Yu is impressed by Xie An’s apparent favor with the Dragon Queen and invites him to learn more about Dragon King Stronghold.
• Uncle Shui offers a cynical view of violence and political upheaval, emphasizing that rising powers often do so at a cost.
• Mai Wenshan maintains formal goodwill toward the Xie Household and urges his daughter to remain prudent. His growing unease suggests he suspects the Xies may have plans beyond what Qiuyun assumes.
• Mai Qiuyun dismisses Xie An and sides with Li Wenyu, believing the Xies are doomed. Her confidence puts her at odds with her father, who fears her judgment could endanger the Canal Gang.

Significant themes

• Faith and divine favor: Xie An’s encounter with the Evil God may mark him as specially chosen.
• Power and political risk: The Xie Household’s challenge to the established powers makes the festival potentially decisive.
• Loyalty versus opportunism: Mai Wenshan urges patience and loyalty, while Qiuyun is eager to side with the apparent winner.
• Public unrest and danger: The swelling refugee crowd foreshadows possible violence as the festival begins.

Plot points and events

• Xie Yu stages a ritual at Li Family Village’s entrance, using burial earth, banners, lanterns, rice, and copper coins to summon and question the village’s dead.
• The tenant farmers gather as she directs them, and a coin in the incense burner responds to her questions—convincing Xie An and the crowd that she can genuinely hear the dead.
• Through the spirits’ testimony, Xie Yu reveals that tax clerk Zhu Youcai and his yamen runners massacred Li Family Village under an order from outside the court. The villagers were bound to a Yin Cloth Doll and transformed into ghosts.
• Hua Qianxiong and Li Wenyu initially dismiss the ceremony as a stunt, but grow alarmed as Xie Yu’s revelations become specific.
• Xie Yu publicly names Granny Gu of Spring Breeze House as the doll-maker and Hua Qianxiong as the instigator. She vows, in the Dragon Queen’s name, to avenge the villagers and bring the guilty to justice.

Character developments

• Xie Yu emerges as a composed and formidable spiritual medium, using ritual, performance, and the dead’s testimony to expose powerful perpetrators.
• Xie An shifts from skepticism to awe as he realizes Xie Yu’s ability is genuine.
• Hua Qianxiong moves from confidence and contempt to fear when Xie Yu names him publicly.
• Li Wenyu becomes increasingly anxious, recognizing that the accusation could endanger their plans and expose their crimes.

Significant themes

• Justice versus corrupt authority: The massacre was carried out under a false or extrajudicial order, while the authorities failed to protect the villagers.
• The persistence of injustice: Death has not erased the victims’ grievances; their “account” remains unsettled.
• Truth and accountability: Publicly naming the perpetrators turns hidden crimes into a challenge that can no longer be dismissed as rumor.
• Faith and spiritual power: Xie Yu invokes the Dragon Queen as both a religious authority and a source of hope for the powerless.

Character interactions

• Xie Yu addresses the dead as witnesses, offering to hear their grievances and guide their testimony.
• Xie An watches Xie Yu’s ritual and reassesses her abilities.
• Hua Qianxiong and Li Wenyu discuss the risks of the ceremony, revealing their shared knowledge of the crimes and their belief that the Xie household would not dare accuse them.
• Xie Yu’s final public denunciation directly confronts Hua Qianxiong, transforming the ritual into an open declaration of retribution.

Key plot points

• Xie Yu reveals that Zhu Youcai carried out the Li Family Village massacre at the urging of Hua Qianxiong, abbot of Returning Dragon Abbey. The crowd also learns that the abbey allegedly manufactured spirit troubles and charged villagers to deal with them.
• Xie Household Guards in the crowd turn public anger into a coordinated chant demanding Hua’s death. Grateful for the Xie Household’s porridge and furious at corrupt officials and Daoists, thousands of refugees join in.
• Xie An recognizes that his family is using Hua as a public demonstration of its power. He joins the spectacle, offers large rewards for Hua’s capture or injury, and leads Xie Household Guards, martial-arts disciples, and refugees in the charge.
• Terrified of being overwhelmed, Hua orders Li Wenyu to target Xie An, then flees. He tries disguises—discarding his red robe, changing clothes, and cutting off his beard and eyebrows—but pursuing refugees keep identifying him. He kills several people to escape and uses a decoy horse to evade pursuit.
• Believing he has finally shaken his pursuers, Hua pauses in a field. Xie An and Uncle Shui appear behind him, asking where he is going.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie An moves from astonishment at his family’s political maneuvering to actively participating in it. He combines public accusations, promises of charity, and cash rewards to mobilize the crowd.
• Hua Qianxiong shifts from a powerful, arrogant abbot to a desperate fugitive. His attempts to disguise himself fail, and his contempt for the refugees becomes explicit as he attacks them.
• Uncle Shui remains calm and supports Xie An’s pursuit, taking the rear while Xie An leads.
• Xie Household Guards deliberately inflame the crowd, while the refugees’ anger, gratitude, and hope of reward turn the gathering into a mass pursuit. Hua also tries to enlist Li Wenyu and Chen Tieniang in his scheme against Xie An.

Significant themes

• Mob justice and public anger: Long-standing resentment toward neglectful authorities makes the refugees ready to act when they hear of the massacre.
• Power and political theater: The Xie Household uses the ceremony, charity, planted shouts, and public rewards to establish itself as a major force.
• The vulnerability of the powerful: Hua’s status and martial skill matter little once he is surrounded by thousands.
• Moral ambiguity: The pursuit is framed as vengeance for the victims, but it is also carefully engineered for the Xie Household’s political advantage.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Hua Qianxiong confronts Xie An and Uncle Shui after their escape from the refugees. He mocks Uncle Shui as merely a servant of the doomed Xie Household.
• Uncle Shui reveals his true identity as Su Shuibo and declares that he and Xie Zhengtang have spent thirteen years preparing for this night. He refuses to retreat because of the Xie Household’s long struggle and the suffering caused by past events.
• Su Shuibo engages Hua Qianxiong in a fierce battle. Using the completed Dark Force and the Eight Extremes Sect’s Taishan Fist, he overwhelms Hua with a series of increasingly powerful strikes.
• Hua Qianxiong retaliates with his blood-red horsetail whisk, transforming its strands into piercing steel wires. Su Shuibo blocks them with his extraordinarily durable red arms, revealing himself as the legendary “Iron-Armed Copper Gong,” a martial expert who once destroyed the Cloudflight Gang.
• Hua realizes that the battle is taking place beyond the range of his Spirit Preservation Method and attempts to flee. Su Shuibo pursues him into the cornfield, leaving their final outcome unresolved.
• Xie An returns to the roadside, where Chen Mo has guarded the horses. The two travel toward the manor entrance while the surrounding refugees massacre Daoists from Returning Dragon Abbey.
• Xie An feels frustrated that, despite his recent training, he has not yet had the opportunity to contribute directly to the Xie Household’s struggle.
• Before he can reach the manor, Xie An encounters Mai Qiuyun and Li Wenyu. Li Wenyu confidently predicts the Xie Household’s destruction and claims that neither Xie Zhengtang nor Su Shuibo can defeat their opponents.
• Mai Qiuyun avoids openly taking sides, politely bidding Xie An farewell. Li Wenyu then reveals that he intends to kill Xie An. After jokingly claiming he wants to “borrow” Xie An’s head, he provokes Xie An into drawing the Five-Venom Demon Saber and attacking him.

Character Developments

• Su Shuibo/Uncle Shui is revealed to be far more powerful and significant than Xie An understood. His loyalty to the Xie Household is rooted in thirteen years of preparation, personal grief, and an unwavering commitment to the family’s survival.
• Xie An gains a clearer understanding of the strength of the older generation, particularly Su Shuibo’s martial ability. At the same time, he becomes increasingly dissatisfied with his own inability to participate in the decisive battle.
• Hua Qianxiong, initially confident in his superiority, is shocked by Su Shuibo’s strength and forced to retreat. His reliance on the Spirit Preservation Method is also limited outside the county seat.
• Li Wenyu openly reveals his hostility toward Xie An and the Xie Household. His arrogant provocation transforms their verbal conflict into a direct confrontation.
• Mai Qiuyun remains emotionally distant and politically cautious. Although present with Li Wenyu, she does not directly threaten Xie An and instead withdraws from the confrontation.
• Chen Mo demonstrates continued loyalty and practical support by safeguarding the horses and urging Xie An to return to the manor entrance.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and sacrifice: Su Shuibo’s willingness to risk his life reflects the Xie Household’s determination to fight for survival rather than retreat.
• Generational struggle: The older generation carries the burden of past grievances and long-term plans, while Xie An represents the younger generation waiting to prove himself.
• Hidden strength and identity: Su Shuibo’s true martial status is concealed beneath his humble role as a servant, emphasizing that appearances can hide immense power.
• Family survival and honor: The night’s conflict may determine whether the Xie Household rises, falls, or is destroyed entirely.
• Arrogance versus resolve: Li Wenyu dismisses the Xie Household as doomed, while Xie An and Su Shuibo respond through action rather than surrender.
• The limits of power: Hua Qianxiong’s abilities are formidable but dependent partly on his location and spiritual connection, giving the Xie Household a rare tactical advantage.

Character Interactions

• Su Shuibo and Xie An: Su Shuibo reassures Xie An and tells him to seek his elder sister if necessary, but his emotional speech makes clear that he intends to fight to the death.
• Su Shuibo and Hua Qianxiong: Their exchange shifts from insults to a dramatic martial duel, with Su Shuibo initially gaining the upper hand and Hua ultimately fleeing.
• Xie An and Chen Mo: Chen Mo informs Xie An of the danger and guides him back toward the manor, while Xie An expresses concern over Su Shuibo’s battle.
• Xie An and Mai Qiuyun: Xie An questions whether Mai Qiuyun stands against his family; she avoids answering directly and gives him a formal farewell.
• Xie An and Li Wenyu: Their conversation begins with political taunts and ends with Li Wenyu threatening Xie An’s life. Xie An responds immediately by drawing his saber, setting up the chapter’s next battle.

Plot points and events

• Chen Mo recognizes that Yongsheng Martial Arts Hall and the Xie Household are now bound together. With both families committed to the confrontation, she chooses to support Xie An and challenges Mai Qiuyun.
• Mai Qiuyun, eager to prove her loyalty to Li Wenyu and secure a place in Returning Dragon Abbey, ignores her father’s warnings and sides with him. She and Chen Mo clash with swords.
• As their fight begins, Xie An’s battle with Li Wenyu takes a decisive turn. Li Wenyu discovers that Xie An is far stronger than expected and has poisonous power capable of damaging him.
• Li Wenyu unleashes Dark Force, but Xie An’s Withered Abyss corrodes and disperses it, then travels through Li Wenyu’s sword and withers his hand and arms.
• Xie An presses the attack with his fists, overwhelming the frightened Li Wenyu despite his superior martial training. He kills him with the Five-Venom Blood Saber.
• Afterward, the saber absorbs Li Wenyu’s blood and vital essence, trembling as if eagerly feeding.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Mo makes a deliberate choice to stand with Xie An, accepting the danger to her own household. Her duel with Mai Qiuyun reflects their opposing loyalties.
• Mai Qiuyun acts out of ambition and infatuation with the prestige of the Inner-City powers. She mistakes taking Li Wenyu’s side for a path to independence and status, but is left terrified and unable to help him.
• Li Wenyu shifts from arrogant confidence to disbelief, fear, and desperation as Xie An’s strength and strange power defeat him. His family and master’s influence cannot save him.
• Xie An demonstrates that his apparent inexperience conceals extraordinary strength. He treats the killing as part of the Xie Household’s struggle for power and takes grim satisfaction in the clarity he feels afterward.

Significant themes

• Ambition and allegiance: Characters choose sides in a dangerous struggle, often driven by hopes of power or survival.
• Power overturning status: Li Wenyu’s elite connections and Dark Force prove useless against Xie An’s abilities.
• Family and collective stakes: The conflict is portrayed as a generational effort, with older and younger members of the Xie Household each risking themselves.
• Violence and transformation: Xie An’s killing marks a decisive step in the family’s rise, while the saber’s reaction hints that the violence may have consequences beyond the immediate battle.

Key plot points and events

• Xie An kills Li Wenyu with the Five-Venom Blood Saber. The blade drains Li’s blood essence, leaving him a desiccated corpse, and gains a new blood-mark—apparently growing stronger with each victim.
• Xie An gives the saber to Chen Mo and leaves without acknowledging Mai Qiuyun, who collapses in shock.
• Mai Wenshan arrives with Canal Gang forces. After learning that Xie An killed Li Wenyu, he realizes the young man’s abilities—and possible Spirit Preservation Method—are far beyond what he had assumed.
• Mai Wenshan begins to believe the Xie Household may succeed in its dangerous confrontation that night. Fearing his daughter’s choices could endanger the Canal Gang, he disowns her, cuts a strip from his robe as a symbolic break, and follows Xie An to show the Xie Household goodwill.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie An appears calm after killing Li Wenyu and shows growing fascination with the blood saber’s power. He pointedly ignores Mai Qiuyun.
• Chen Mo attends to Xie An with increasing ease and accompanies him as they leave together.
• Mai Qiuyun is devastated by Li Wenyu’s death and by Xie An’s strength, especially after realizing her contempt for him was misplaced. She clings to her father, but her anger and fear deepen the family conflict.
• Mai Wenshan shifts from concern for his daughter to cold political calculation. Though he comforts her at first, he ultimately rejects her to protect the Canal Gang and pursue an alliance with the Xie Household.

Significant themes

• Hidden strength and mistaken judgment: Xie An’s sudden victory overturns assumptions about his weakness, prompting Mai Wenshan to reassess the Xie Household.
• Power and its cost: The saber’s strength grows by consuming lives, linking power to bloodshed.
• Family loyalty versus political survival: Mai Wenshan sacrifices his bond with his daughter to safeguard his gang.
• Reversal and consequence: Mai Qiuyun’s choice to stake her future on Li Wenyu, and her disdain for Xie An, culminate in shock, rejection, and loss.

Chapter Summary: “Cutting Off the Canal Gang’s Retreat”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chaos erupts outside Li Family Village as starving rioters become violent looters, attacking wealthy estates and caravans.
• Several rioters target Xie An, but Chen Mo swiftly kills their leaders and protects him.
• Xie An searches for Chen Tieniang, a powerful outer-sect priest of Returning Dragon Abbey, believing Hua Qianxiong may have incited her to disrupt his elder sister’s ritual.
• Mai Wenshan arrives with more than a hundred Canal Gang disciples, claiming he has come to escort and protect Xie An.
• Xie An notices that Mai Wenshan has abandoned his daughter, Mai Qiuyun, after she attacked him. Mai Wenshan even offers to have her killed to appease Xie An.
• Recognizing Mai Wenshan’s attempt to profit regardless of which side wins, Xie An openly challenges his neutrality.
• Xie An orders Mai Wenshan to lead the Canal Gang in attacking Returning Dragon Abbey, especially Chen Tieniang and Hua Qianxiong. This would force the Canal Gang to permanently break with the abbey and commit to the Xie Household.
• Mai Wenshan hesitates, revealing that his supposed loyalty was largely opportunistic. Xie An leaves rather than continue arguing, declaring that the Canal Gang will have no place in the Xie Household’s future if it refuses to stand with them now.
• Xie An and Chen Mo ride off to intercept Chen Tieniang. They eventually spot her moving toward the route taken by Uncle Shui, who is pursuing Hua Qianxiong.
• Xie An realizes Chen Tieniang may have been summoned to aid Hua Qianxiong, creating a possible chance to locate both men.

Character Developments

• Xie An: Displays increasing ruthlessness, strategic insight, and political maturity. Instead of accepting vague promises, he forces Mai Wenshan to prove his loyalty through action. He also recognizes that the Xie Household’s survival depends on eliminating high-level threats quickly.
• Chen Mo: Continues to serve as Xie An’s loyal protector and demonstrates her formidable swordsmanship. She gains confidence and emotional attachment after Xie An praises her and promises to reward the Yongsheng Martial Arts Hall.
• Mai Wenshan: Revealed as a calculating opportunist who initially intended to wait and support whichever side prevailed. His willingness to disown and sacrifice Mai Qiuyun shows his ruthlessness, while his hesitation to attack Returning Dragon Abbey exposes the limits of his loyalty.
• Mai Qiuyun: Her reckless attack against Xie An places the Canal Gang in a precarious position and forces her father to reveal his stance prematurely.
• Chen Tieniang: Established as one of Returning Dragon Abbey’s most powerful outer-sect experts and a significant threat to the Xie Household.
• Hua Qianxiong: Remains a central enemy and Xie An’s primary target, though he has escaped with Uncle Shui in pursuit.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty versus opportunism: Mai Wenshan claims friendship and shared interests with the Xie Household, but Xie An recognizes that his allegiance is conditional and profit-driven.
• Political commitment and forced choices: Xie An deliberately removes the Canal Gang’s ability to remain neutral, demanding that they commit themselves through decisive action.
• Ruthlessness in times of crisis: Both Xie An and Mai Wenshan show that survival during the household’s life-or-death struggle requires sacrificing individuals and relationships.
• Strategic vision and power: Xie An focuses on neutralizing the few elite fighters capable of changing the battle’s outcome rather than wasting effort on ordinary rioters.
• Trust earned through action: Chen Mo’s loyalty deepens because Xie An has protected her family, supported her martial arts hall, and recognized her abilities.

Character Interactions

• Chen Mo warns Xie An about the danger of the rioters and remains beside him as his guard.
• Xie An questions Mai Wenshan’s motives and exposes his attempt to hedge between the Xie Household and Returning Dragon Abbey.
• Mai Wenshan tries to flatter Xie An and distance himself from Mai Qiuyun, even offering her life as proof of submission.
• Xie An counters Mai Wenshan’s empty declarations by ordering him to attack the abbey’s forces.
• After leaving Mai Wenshan, Xie An explains to Chen Mo why neutrality is unacceptable and reassures her that she and the Yongsheng Martial Arts Hall will be rewarded if the Xie Household triumphs.
• The chapter ends with Xie An and Chen Mo pursuing Chen Tieniang, potentially leading them to Hua Qianxiong and Uncle Shui.

Key plot points

• Xie An and Chen Mo follow Chen Tieniang’s horse and tracks toward Wuqiao Town, fearing Hua Qianxiong may be seeking help from Granny Gu.
• They find Uncle Shui badly wounded after fighting Hua Qianxiong. Hua is injured too, but has Su Hongxiu—now transformed into a terrifying ghost—and Chen Tieniang on his side.
• Hua reveals his ambition: killing Uncle Shui and Daoist Master Yusu will earn him a return to the Inner-City Returning Dragon Abbey. He taunts Uncle Shui, who charges him despite his injuries.
• Su Hongxiu’s ghostly power overwhelms Uncle Shui. Hua explains that Uncle Shui’s perfected Dark Force cannot break her defenses because he lacks the Spirit Preservation Method. He orders Chen Tieniang to finish Uncle Shui, but she chooses to watch instead.
• Xie An’s thrown saber, charged with astral baleful force, drives Su Hongxiu away. He catches Uncle Shui and tries to treat him with Vital Blood Pills, but Uncle Shui is near death.
• Uncle Shui urges Xie An to flee and offers to hold off the enemies. Xie An refuses, declaring that martial arts are not only for killing but also for protecting others. He takes up the Five-Venom Blood Saber and challenges all three opponents.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie An shifts from anxious pursuit to resolve, risking his life to protect Uncle Shui and uphold his responsibility to the Xie Household. He draws on the lesson Uncle Shui taught him about martial arts.
• Uncle Shui remains devoted to the Xie family even while mortally wounded. His grief over the family’s past injustice and fear for Xie An’s safety reveal the depth of his loyalty and affection.
• Hua Qianxiong is exposed as calculating and ambitious: he sees the Xie family’s crisis as a chance to regain status and resources.
• Chen Tieniang remains composed and detached, withholding help and preferring to watch the fight.
• Su Hongxiu is now a hostile, monstrous ghost, though Xie An’s astral baleful force makes her recoil for the first time.
• Chen Mo helps Xie An by supporting the wounded Uncle Shui.

Significant themes

• Protection and responsibility: Xie An rejects survival at others’ expense and sees strength as a means of protecting those close to him.
• Loyalty and sacrifice: Uncle Shui’s willingness to die buying time reflects his devotion to the Xie family.
• Ambition and betrayal: Hua exploits the family’s crisis for his own advancement.
• Power and its limits: Martial cultivation alone cannot overcome supernatural defenses; Xie An’s astral baleful force offers a possible counter to ghosts.

Key plot points and events

• Xie An confronts Hua Qianxiong, Uncle Shui, Chen Tieniang, and the Specter Su Hongxiu, confident that his Spirit Preservation Method and anti-Specter Great Sun Baleful Force Art give him an advantage.
• Hua reveals that Chen Tieniang had been sent to hunt Xie An earlier, though Xie An is puzzled that he never noticed her pursuit.
• Su Hongxiu attacks using Cocoon Force, which distorts perception and stirs fear. Xie An’s Spirit Preservation Method lets him see through it and evade her claws, convincing Hua that the Xie Household may truly be protected by the legendary Dragon Queen.
• Chen Tieniang joins the fight. Xie An meets her immense strength with his own unusual physical power, while his poisonous, yang-charged baleful force threatens both her and Su Hongxiu.
• Though Xie An appears to dominate the two opponents, his baleful force is running low. He exploits an opening, severs Su Hongxiu’s hand, and burns away the force controlling her with Great Sun True Force and yang poison.
• Freed from the influence, Su Hongxiu regains her senses. She tells Xie An she never wished to harm him and reveals that she had once hoped to marry him and serve at his side.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie An demonstrates greater mastery and confidence, combining mental clarity, extraordinary physical conditioning, and his custom anti-Specter technique. He is formidable but not invulnerable: his limited supply of baleful force forces him to seek a decisive opening.
• Su Hongxiu changes from a terrifying, controlled attacker into a lucid and remorseful woman. Her confession reveals an affectionate past connection to Xie An and deepens the tragedy of her condition.
• Chen Tieniang, previously confident in her strength, becomes wary of Xie An after feeling his power and recognizing the danger of his poison.
• Hua Qianxiong moves from mocking confidence to alarm when Xie An resists the Specter’s Cocoon Force. He urges Chen to attack, believing brute force can still overcome Xie An.
• Uncle Shui recognizes the significance of Xie An’s Spirit Preservation Method, understanding how it counters the Specter’s influence.

Significant themes

• Clarity versus manipulation: Xie An’s disciplined mind lets him resist Cocoon Force and perceive reality accurately.
• Power and limitation: His astonishing strength nearly overwhelms his foes, but finite resources make strategy essential.
• The tragedy of lost agency: Su Hongxiu’s confession shows that her violence came from being controlled, not from her true intentions.
• Human and monstrous nature: Chen Tieniang calls herself a “human beast,” while Xie An’s ferocity makes him seem one too—blurring the boundary between humanity and beastliness.

Key plot points and events

• True Astral Yang Fire burns Su Hongxiu, freeing her from Hua Qianxiong’s control before killing her. Before dying, she gives Xie An a black brocade pouch.
• Xie An takes in the refined Five-Poison Essence from Chen Mo’s bundle, replenishing his poison-based power. Hua Qianxiong, frightened by Xie An’s ability to destroy Granny Gu’s restraints, tries to flee to Wuqiao Town for help.
• Chen Tieniang pretends to assist Hua, then reveals she has long suspected his connection to Granny Gu. She strikes him with her axe and explains that she learned the truth about Su Hongxiu and Hua’s betrayal through her investigation and Daoist Master Yusu.
• Hua admits he is willing to kill anyone—even his family—to regain standing with the powerful Inner City Big Three. He offers Chen a place among them if she kills Xie Mingxi.
• Chen rejects him, declaring their values incompatible, and kills him with a blow that cleaves his body in two.
• As Chen apologizes to Xie An for helping wear Hua down at Uncle Shui’s expense, Hua suddenly revives in a monstrous form and stabs her through the chest, threatening to make her nonhuman too.

Character developments

• Xie An demonstrates the power of his Astral Baleful Force Art, but has little time to react to the consequences of Hua’s defeat.
• Chen Tieniang emerges as a conflicted avenger: she used Xie An and Uncle Shui to weaken Hua, yet her actions stem from loyalty to her murdered husband and family. She chooses justice over her former master and accepts the moral burden of killing him.
• Hua Qianxiong reveals his ambition and contempt for ordinary attachments. His apparent death does not end the threat; he returns as a monstrous creature.
• Su Hongxiu briefly regains her own will, confirming that Hua’s control over her was part of Granny Gu’s scheme.

Significant themes and interactions

• Betrayal and loyalty: Chen turns against the master who raised her to avenge her husband, while Hua dismisses the bonds of family and discipleship as worthless.
• Ambition versus human connection: Hua’s desire to rejoin the Inner City Big Three drives his willingness to sacrifice anyone; Chen rejects that worldview.
• Moral ambiguity and the cost of revenge: Chen’s strategy helped expose Hua but also contributed to Uncle Shui’s injuries, leaving her to seek forgiveness from Xie An.
• Master and disciple: Their relationship shifts from trust and gratitude to accusation, rejection, and violence—and Hua’s final attack makes the conflict even more personal.

Plot and key events

• Hua Qianxiong, revealed to be a powerful Specter with only half his body, uses Cocoon Force to distort everyone’s senses and attack Chen Tieniang from behind.
• Chen Tieniang’s Dark Force cannot harm him. He breaks both her arms and leaves her helpless.
• Xie An recognizes the danger and attacks with his saber, combining Great Sun True Force with Withered Abyss Power. The strike makes Hua release Chen and exposes Xie as his target.
• Hua’s Cocoon Force nearly overwhelms Xie, but the yellow lantern strengthens Xie’s Spirit Preservation Method and clears his mind.
• Xie and Hua fight through dozens of exchanges. Hua’s black liquid neutralizes ordinary attacks, but Withered Abyss Power steadily corrodes him.
• After a hundred moves, Hua grows rigid and loses much of his black liquid. Xie unleashes a full-force saber strike, pins him to the ground, and pours the rest of his Withered Abyss Power into him.

Character developments

• Xie An shows tactical discipline and stamina, relying on the lantern and patiently building the Withered Abyss’s effect rather than expecting a quick victory. He ends the chapter committed to killing Hua.
• Hua Qianxiong is revealed as a terrifying Specter, consumed by hatred toward Xie, but even his strength has a vulnerability in the Withered Abyss.
• Chen Tieniang is physically formidable, yet her lack of the Spirit Preservation Method leaves her vulnerable to Specters; she is badly injured.
• Uncle Shui and Chen Mo witness the battle from a distance and are shaken by Hua’s ghostly power.

Themes

• Preparation and specialized knowledge: Xie’s defenses, lantern, and understanding of Hua’s abilities make survival possible.
• Persistence over brute force: Xie wins ground by sustaining pressure until the Withered Abyss reaches a decisive threshold.
• The danger of the supernatural: Martial skill and Dark Force alone cannot protect people from a Specter’s altered senses and power.
• Transformation and loss: Hua’s resentment stems from becoming something inhuman and losing his former life.

Character interactions

• Hua ambushes Chen and maims her; Xie intervenes to draw him away.
• Hua blames Xie for his transformation and attacks him with overwhelming Cocoon Force.
• Xie answers Hua’s taunts with a prolonged, calculated fight, using the lantern to resist mental distortion and the Withered Abyss to weaken him.
• The chapter ends at the height of Xie’s finishing attack, with Hua engulfed in fire and Xie channeling the last of his power into him.

Key plot points

• Xie An kills the specter Hua Qianxiong by overwhelming him with withered abyss power and great-sun true force. Hua dies insisting that he has not lost and that the Xie Household will still fail.
• After confirming Hua’s death with Qi-Gazing, Xie An is left severely exhausted. He reflects that Hua’s black liquid could neutralize his power and repeatedly restore him, and that his own exceptional physical conditioning was crucial to surviving.
• Xie An sends Chen Mo to take the wounded Uncle Shui to a physician, then recovers using Vital Blood Pills and replenishes the poisons in his organs, knowing Li Family Village may still be in danger.
• Chen Tieniang warns that the crisis is not over: Hua’s missing right half may have gone to Granny Gu for help. Xie An recognizes Granny Gu as the true mastermind behind the events at Li Family Village and the Red Sleeve House, and judges her a threat beyond his current ability.
• Xie An tells Chen Tieniang to leave the matter to the Xie Household, then senses a strange resonance from Hua’s corpse. His status panel reveals that Qi-Gazing can evolve into Truth-Listening.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie An proves himself a formidable warrior despite having practiced martial arts for only two months. Uncle Shui is astonished and proud, seeing him as the Xie Household’s “young qilin”; Xie An, in turn, recognizes how much the household’s support contributed to his growth.
• Uncle Shui is badly injured but relieved and delighted by Xie An’s victory. Chen Mo obeys Xie An’s instructions and carries him to safety.
• Chen Tieniang, newly freed from her grievances against Hua, warns Xie An about the larger danger and shows respect for him.
• Xie An is increasingly committed to his adopted family, but remains cautious, focused on restoring his strength and protecting its interests.

Significant themes

• Growth and belonging: Xie An’s strength comes from personal effort and special advantages, but also from the acceptance and support of the Xie Household.
• Victory amid lingering danger: Hua’s defeat brings relief, yet his escape route and Granny Gu’s influence leave the conflict unresolved.
• Power and limits: Xie An has become formidable, but recognizes that Granny Gu is beyond his present reach and that the household must confront her collectively.
• Evolving perception: The revelation that Qi-Gazing may become Truth-Listening hints at a new stage in Xie An’s abilities.

Plot points and events

• After killing Hua Qianxiong, Xie An meets the conditions to evolve his Qi-Gazing talent. He waits until he is away from Chen Tieniang, then spends 2.5 units of blood and qi to transform it into Truth-Listening. A Vital Blood Pill restores his strength.
• Truth-Listening lets Xie An hear Specters’ whispers within roughly 200 meters. He overhears two beings discussing Hua Qianxiong’s death and warning that part of Hua’s body has fled to Water Lantern Wharf to report to Granny Gu.
• Following the voices, Xie An discovers the “Specters” are two tiny wooden puppets, likely Yin Cloth Dolls left by Granny Gu to carry messages. He captures them, though he cannot understand or speak their language.
• On his way to Li Family Village, Xie An encounters widespread looting and death among displaced refugees. He fights off several would-be robbers and reaches the village, where the ritual is still underway and guards are keeping order.
• Xie An learns that Uncle Shui survived but is badly injured; the physician fears he may never regain his martial arts. Xie An asks the physician to do everything possible to preserve his abilities, then heads to the altar to warn his sister about Hua’s escape and the puppets.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie An gains a new supernatural talent and quickly learns to test its range and use deception to catch the spies. He feels deep guilt and sorrow over Uncle Shui’s sacrifice, and becomes more alert to threats surrounding the ritual.
• Chen Tieniang is left grieving beside Hua Qianxiong’s remains. Though she has avenged her husband and household, killing her revered former master leaves her overwhelmed by grief.
• Uncle Shui is revealed to have risked his martial future for the Xie Household’s cause. His quiet, relieved smile—he had witnessed Xie An’s growing strength—deepens Xie An’s distress.
• The two wooden puppets prove to be poor at detecting danger and easy to capture, but their mission signals that Granny Gu may soon retaliate.
• Li Yuqiao reports Uncle Shui’s condition and promises to treat him with every effort. Chen Mo stands guard over the injured man, while Zhou Ji and Li Dao welcome Xie An back.

Significant themes

• Power and its cost: Xie An’s new ability drains his vitality, while Uncle Shui’s service may cost him his martial prowess.
• Loyalty, grief, and sacrifice: Chen Tieniang’s grief after avenging her family and Uncle Shui’s devotion to the Xie Household both show the emotional price of loyalty.
• The limits of new abilities: Truth-Listening reveals hidden voices, but Xie An must learn to interpret them and cannot communicate with the Specters.
• Order amid chaos and looming danger: The village’s organized relief contrasts with the surrounding violence, while the fleeing remnant of Hua Qianxiong and Granny Gu’s agents threaten to disrupt the ritual.

Plot points and events

• After escaping the mountains, the mutilated Hua Qianxiong slithers toward Wuqiao Town, vowing revenge on Xie Mingxi and the Xie Household. He hopes his wife, Granny Gu, can turn him into a corpse puppet; her stored specter yin blood is what let him survive as a corpse specter.
• On the way, Hua overhears two refugees discussing the bounty on his head. One, a fat man, kills his companion Xiaowu for his share of the money and boasts about claiming the bounty. Hua kills him and drinks his blood to recover strength.
• Hua sneaks into Spring Breeze House, a flower boat where Granny Gu operates. He arrives while she is advising a prostitute on a spell to make her beloved devoted to her.
• Hua begs Granny Gu to transform him and take revenge on Xie Mingxi and the Daoist nun. Instead, she calls him useless and kills him, draining him into a dried corpse.
• Granny Gu recognizes that an Evil God is connected to the Xie Household and is nearby in Wuqiao Town. Fearing she has been exposed, she packs to flee and seek protection from her superior.

Character developments and interactions

• Hua Qianxiong is reduced from a powerful figure to a desperate, inhuman fugitive. His hopes of starting anew as a corpse cultivator collapse when Granny Gu betrays and kills him.
• Granny Gu is revealed as a calculating practitioner of Yin Sect arts who uses her skills for profit and self-preservation. Her cold rejection of Hua shows that their marriage means less to her than survival.
• The fat refugee exposes the desperation and brutality of famine, murdering his companion for money before becoming Hua’s victim. Xiaowu’s final remark hints that the fat man has survived by preying on others.
• The scene between Granny Gu and the prostitute shows her manipulating people’s romantic desires for payment, while Hua’s arrival and death reveal how little loyalty she offers even her husband.

Significant themes

• Survival and moral decay: Famine and fear drive people to betray, exploit, and kill one another.
• Power, vulnerability, and betrayal: Hua’s former status offers no protection once he becomes monstrous and helpless; Granny Gu abandons him when he is no longer useful.
• Supernatural danger and fear: Granny Gu’s flight signals that even a capable occult practitioner fears the Evil God associated with the Xie Household.
• Ambition and revenge: Hua’s fixation on Xie Mingxi persists to the end, but his plans are overwhelmed by his own decline and the larger powers at work.