Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Pawnshop Appraiser Apprentice

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun awakens with a severe headache and realizes he has transmigrated into the Great Zhou Dynasty, a world where cultivation, demons, ghosts, and supernatural objects exist.
• He learns that the reigning Shengde Emperor has lived for more than a century through cultivation, confirming that this is far from an ordinary historical world.
• Chen’s new identity is an appraiser apprentice at the Lin Family Pawnshop in Shengjing City. His job involves evaluating pawned goods, including potentially dangerous supernatural artifacts.
• The profession is extremely hazardous: of the twelve apprentices who joined six months earlier, only seven remain, with some having disappeared or suffered misfortune while appraising items.
• Chen considers escaping and finding a safer occupation, but his legally binding contract of sale prevents him from leaving. If he runs, the Lin family and government authorities will pursue him.
• He accepts that he must remain at the pawnshop for now, acknowledging that his predecessor’s impoverished family sold him out of desperation rather than malice.
• His assigned task is to appraise an unidentified green ancient jade pendant. Though he suspects it may be dangerous, refusing to work would result in punishment.
• Chen uses the pawnshop’s Spirit Sight technique to inspect the jade. The process drains his mental energy and leaves him vulnerable, but no immediate danger occurs.
• Afterward, he experiences a mysterious vision of endless white clouds, a grand palace, and an ancient Eight-Sided Rhombus Mirror bearing strange runes. He instinctively understands the inscription: “Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror.”

Character Development

• Chen begins frightened and disoriented but quickly becomes rational and cautious as he assesses his new circumstances.
• He demonstrates practical judgment by recognizing both the dangers of the pawnshop and the impossibility of escaping his contract.
• Rather than blaming his biological father, he develops a sympathetic understanding of his family’s poverty and the reasons he was sold.
• His first use of Spirit Sight marks his transition from passive survivor to someone actively confronting the supernatural dangers of his new world.
• The appearance of the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror hints that Chen may possess a powerful supernatural advantage.

Significant Themes

• Survival in an unfamiliar world: Chen must adapt quickly to a dangerous society governed by both law and supernatural forces.
• Powerlessness versus opportunity: Although he is an ordinary person trapped in servitude, the strange mirror may offer him a path to change his fate.
• The cost of security: The pawnshop provides food and employment but exposes its workers to deadly artifacts.
• Fate and adaptation: Chen cannot immediately escape his circumstances, so he must endure, learn, and seek opportunities from within them.
• The supernatural hidden within the mundane: Ordinary objects such as pawned jade may contain extraordinary powers or deadly dangers.

Character Interactions

• Chen has no direct conversation with other characters in the chapter, but his relationship with the Lin Family is established through the sale contract and the pawnshop’s harsh hierarchy.
• The Lin family is portrayed as legally powerful and capable of pursuing or punishing escaped apprentices.
• Chen’s reflections on his father reveal an indirect but important familial relationship: despite being sold, he recognizes that the decision was made to prevent the family from starving.
• His interaction with the jade pendant is the chapter’s central “encounter,” culminating in the mysterious appearance of the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror.

Chapter Summary: Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun activates the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror, a mysterious ability that can trace a treasure’s origins and reveal its entire history through spirit communion.
• The mirror examines a green jade carving shaped like a carp biting its tail. It reveals that:
  • The jade was carved by a craftsman named Liu Zhonghe.
  • It was given by a young hunter to his beloved wife.
  • After the hunter disappeared while hunting, his wife died of grief while clutching the jade.
  • She was buried with it, and the jade remained in the tomb for thirty years, absorbing yin energy alongside her lingering spirit.
  • A tomb raider recently recovered it after a violent encounter, and it eventually reached the Lin Family Pawnshop.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror classifies the jade as Lower Mortal Grade, the lowest level in a hierarchy ranging from Mortal to Immortal.
• As a reward for the appraisal, Chen receives an Essence-Nourishing Pill, a spiritual medicine capable of strengthening both cultivators and ordinary people.
• Chen swallows the pill. It cleanses his body, expels impurities, restores the mental energy he spent using Spirit Sight, and more than doubles his physical strength.
• Realizing that the mirror can reward him for appraising treasures, Chen abandons his idea of changing professions. He decides to remain at the pawnshop, where he can safely develop his abilities while gaining access to increasingly valuable treasures.
• He carries the jade to the pawnshop’s side hall to have it registered and stored.

Character Development

• Chen Shaojun discovers that the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror is effectively a powerful advantage or “cheat” unique to him. His excitement and ambition grow as he imagines the rewards that higher-grade treasures might provide.
• His worldview changes after witnessing the jade’s lingering ghostly presence. He becomes more cautious and recognizes that demons, ghosts, and supernatural dangers are genuine threats.
• Chen also demonstrates practical intelligence. Rather than revealing the jade’s yin energy or spiritual history, he reports only an ordinary appraisal to avoid attracting attention.
• After consuming the pill, his physical and mental capabilities improve dramatically, giving him greater confidence and a foundation for surviving in the dangerous world.
• Shen Lang, the pawn-ticket clerk, is introduced as a failed scholar who earned only the status of xiucai after repeated examinations.
• Xu Hongtao, the unpacker, is introduced as a physically powerful former gang member with some martial-arts training.

Significant Themes

• Hidden opportunity and self-advancement: Chen’s discovery suggests that humble work can become the foundation of extraordinary power.
• Caution and concealment: Chen understands that revealing his abilities or the jade’s true nature could make him a target, so he deliberately maintains a low profile.
• Supernatural danger: The jade’s history establishes that objects can absorb yin energy and retain spiritual connections to the dead.
• Transformation through cultivation: The Essence-Nourishing Pill represents Chen’s first major physical evolution, changing him from an ordinary person into someone capable of entering the world of Dao Martial Arts.
• The value of the pawnshop: The Lin Family Pawnshop is presented as both a dangerous workplace and a uniquely safe opportunity, protected by powerful figures and filled with treasures Chen can appraise.

Character Interactions

• Chen briefly interacts with the spiritual remnant connected to the jade through the mirror’s visions, learning about the tragic bond between the deceased wife and the treasured object.
• After completing his appraisal, he greets Shen Lang and Xu Hongtao respectfully, acknowledging the pawnshop’s strict hierarchy.
• Chen reports the jade’s mundane qualities to Shen Lang and Xu Hongtao while concealing its supernatural properties, reinforcing his decision to avoid drawing attention.

Chapter Summary: “Two Paths of Cultivation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shen Lang appraises a piece of green jade while Xu Hongtao seals it and gives Chen Shaojun a bamboo tally representing his wages. Each tally is worth thirty copper coins, emphasizing the apprentices’ low pay and restricted status.
• Chen returns to the pawnshop’s enclosed rear courtyard, reflecting on how apprentices are effectively confined there. Leaving requires permission, searches, inspections, and questioning, so his former self had not gone outside for three months.
• In the communal sleeping quarters, Chen meets Zhao Hu and the other exhausted Appraiser Apprentices. Their condition shows how physically and spiritually draining the Divine Gaze Technique is.
• The apprentices reveal that Zhang Wang, one of the most skilled among them, was contaminated by evil qi during an appraisal and nearly died.
• The group discusses the unusual danger of the current batch of old raw materials. Chen becomes suspicious that Shen Lang may have deliberately assigned Zhang Wang a dangerous item, especially since Zhang Wang had previously offended him.
• After dinner, the apprentices quickly fall asleep. Chen, protected from exhaustion by an Essence-Nourishing Pill, remains awake and considers his future.
• He concludes that the pawnshop is currently the best place to develop his Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror, but he refuses to remain weak or confined forever. He resolves to become stronger by pursuing Dao Martial Arts, through either cultivation of the Dao or martial training.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Demonstrates improved physical and spiritual resilience after consuming the Essence-Nourishing Pill. His awareness of the pawnshop’s dangers deepens, and he develops a clear ambition to gain strength and freedom rather than accept his lowly life.
• Zhao Hu: Shows concern for Chen and acts as a source of information about Zhang Wang’s accident.
• Zhang Wang: Though arrogant, he is recognized as the most capable apprentice in treasure appraisal and Spirit Sight. His near-fatal injury illustrates that even great skill cannot guarantee safety.
• Shen Lang: His possible cruelty and manipulation become a source of suspicion among the apprentices. His authority allows him to assign dangerous appraisal materials without being easily challenged.
• The Appraiser Apprentices: Their exhaustion, fear, and helplessness reveal the vulnerable position of workers exposed to supernatural dangers.

Significant Themes

• The cost of survival: The apprentices endure exhausting work, poor wages, confinement, and constant risk of death.
• Powerlessness under authority: Even when the apprentices suspect Shen Lang of deliberately endangering Zhang Wang, they lack evidence or social power to oppose him.
• The danger of knowledge and cultivation: Spirit Sight and treasure appraisal provide valuable abilities but expose practitioners to evil qi and supernatural threats.
• Freedom versus confinement: Chen realizes that physical freedom and personal safety require genuine power, not merely a place to survive.
• Ambition and self-improvement: The chapter marks Chen’s shift from cautious survival toward actively pursuing strength and a higher destiny.

Character Interactions

• Xu Hongtao formally completes Chen’s appraisal and gives him his wage tally.
• Zhao Hu greets Chen, checks that he is unharmed, and informs him about Zhang Wang’s accident.
• The apprentices exchange fearful theories about the dangerous materials and Shen Lang’s possible involvement, but quickly silence one another to avoid punishment.
• Chen mainly observes rather than participates, using the conversation to assess the pawnshop’s dangers and plan his future.

Chapter Summary: “Mortal Grade, Mid-Tier”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun reflects on his desire to become a powerful Dao cultivator or martial artist. However, the high tuition fees and clean-background requirements of Dao Academies and martial arts schools prevent him from pursuing those paths while he remains a slave.
• He concludes that regaining his freedom is his immediate priority. The most realistic route is to become a Certified Appraiser, since the Lin Family Pawnshop rewards successful apprentices with privileges—including emancipation.
• The pawnshop’s three Certified Appraisers are introduced:
  • Chief Appraiser Qin, who rarely appears.
  • Second Appraiser Dai Ming, cold and stern.
  • Third Appraiser Zhang Gao, approachable and talkative.
• Dai Ming appears in Appraisal Room Seven and reminds the apprentices to use protective methods when examining dangerous treasures. They are advised to place a candle in the southeast corner and burn incense; if either reacts abnormally, they should stop immediately.
• Chen follows these precautions, lighting both a candle and incense before examining a mottled oval bead. The protective materials burn down, but he fails to notice that neither has completely burned away.
• Using the Divine Gaze Technique, Chen activates the bead’s hidden energy and is struck by intense Arrow-Path Killing Intent. He suffers severe pain and dizziness but survives, largely because the Essence-Nourishing Pill he took previously strengthened his body and spirit.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror appears again, despite having been impossible to summon since its first appearance. It traces the bead’s history:
  • The bead was originally an eagle’s eyeball.
  • A hunter’s arrow pierced the eagle’s eye, causing it to fall into a courtyard.
  • A boy found and polished it, but began suffering nightmares and declining health.
  • The boy’s knowledgeable father eventually sold it to the pawnshop.
• The treasure is identified as a Goshawk’s Eye, a Mortal Grade, Mid-Tier item. When soaked in spirit-spring water, it can improve eyesight, sharpen vision, and treat eye diseases.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Becomes more determined to escape slavery and advance as an appraiser. He shows practical caution by using candles and incense, but his appraisal still exposes him to danger. His improved physical and spiritual strength allows him to withstand the bead’s killing intent. The reappearance of the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror confirms that it remains a valuable but unpredictable source of power.
• Dai Ming: Demonstrates a stern but responsible role as the apprentices’ nominal master by warning them about established safety practices.
• Zhang Gao: His earlier explanation of the promotion system becomes important, as Certified Appraiser status represents the apprentices’ primary hope of freedom.
• The former owner of Chen’s body: His debt and slave contract continue to shape Chen’s life, forcing him to carry the consequences of someone else’s choices.

Significant Themes

• Freedom and social status: Chen’s lack of a clean background blocks access to higher forms of cultivation, making emancipation essential to his future.
• Hope amid danger: The possibility of becoming a Certified Appraiser keeps the apprentices from fleeing, even though the profession can kill them.
• Risk versus survival: Appraisal requires confronting dangerous spiritual forces, and even precautions may not eliminate the threat.
• Knowledge and hidden value: The bead appears ordinary but contains a complex history and useful medicinal properties, emphasizing the importance of the appraiser’s insight.
• Inheritance and consequences: Chen must endure the dangers created by the previous body’s owner, while the pawnshop uses the promise of freedom to bind apprentices to the profession.

Character Interactions

• Chen’s thoughts center on the restrictions imposed by his slave status and the prospect of earning freedom through promotion.
• Dai Ming addresses the apprentices collectively, warning them about candles, incense, and signs of danger during appraisals.
• Chen’s interaction with the bead is effectively a confrontation between his spirit and the object’s Arrow-Path Killing Intent.
• The remembered chain of ownership connects the eagle, hunter, boy, boy’s father, and pawnshop, revealing how the treasure moved through different lives before reaching Chen.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun learns that the bead he appraised was transformed from a Goshawk’s Eye, a valuable medicinal ingredient of Mortal Grade, Mid-Tier.
• As a reward from the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror, he receives the Spirit Eye Technique.
• The technique allows him to perceive the spiritual energy within objects, judge their value, and sense potential danger. Unlike the offensive Divine Gaze Technique, it is an auxiliary ability that enhances his vision.
• Using the technique, Chen discovers that the Goshawk’s Eye contains four strands of condensed spiritual energy, while most ordinary objects possess only weak, diffuse spiritual energy.
• He realizes the technique could help him avoid dangerous treasures and identify valuable ones before appraisal. However, it consumes considerable spiritual power: he can maintain it for roughly ten seconds, or only five if he must preserve energy for the Divine Gaze Technique.
• In the storeroom, Chen encounters Du Hao, another Appraiser Apprentice who had previously suffered from killing intent entering his body.
• The workers listen as Xu Hongtao, an unpacker and former gang member, recounts his past martial-world experiences. Chen asks about Xu’s former gang leader, Shen Jinglei, who was an Upper-Grade Great Martial Master at the Ninth Layer of the Qi Sea Realm.
• Xu explains the structure of martial cultivation, revealing the five major realms and their associated titles.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun becomes more confident and strategic. He begins considering how to use the Spirit Eye Technique to maximize his chances of finding valuable treasures while avoiding danger.
• His curiosity about martial arts deepens into genuine ambition and yearning. Learning about the higher realms awakens his desire to enter the martial world.
• Xu Hongtao is shown as proud of his former life in the martial world and especially devoted to Shen Jinglei, despite now working as a pawnshop laborer.
• Du Hao is established as another apprentice interested in martial cultivation and connected to the earlier problem of killing intent.

Martial Cultivation System Revealed

Xu Hongtao explains that martial arts consist of five realms:

Body Tempering Realm — Martial Warriors

• Flesh Tempering
• Sinew Tempering
• Bone Tempering
• Skin Tempering
• Marrow Tempering
• Blood Exchange
• Five Organs Tempering
• Six Bowels Tempering
• Inner Sight

Qi Sea Realm — Martial Masters

Innate Realm — Grandmasters

Spirit Astral Realm — Great Grandmasters

Divine Profound Realm — Martial Saints

The Body Tempering Realm alone requires years of painstaking training, with ordinary practitioners needing at least a decade to reach its ninth transformation.

Significant Themes

• Discovery of hidden value: The Spirit Eye Technique symbolizes Chen’s growing ability to see beyond appearances and recognize the true worth or danger of objects.
• Prudence and survival: Chen must balance opportunity with caution, particularly because treasures can contain dangerous forces and his spiritual power is limited.
• The hierarchy of power: The chapter contrasts the lowly status of pawnshop workers with the immense authority of martial experts and the imperial government, which destroyed powerful gangs such as Lesser Camel Mountain and the Thunderclap Gang.
• Ambition and awakening: Learning about the martial realms opens a new horizon for Chen, stirring his desire to cultivate and rise beyond his current circumstances.
• The fading martial world: Xu Hongtao’s nostalgic stories reflect a vanished age of gang rivalries, now subdued by the stronger power of the authorities.

Character Interactions

• Chen privately analyzes the limitations and uses of his new technique.
• He exchanges greetings with Du Hao while waiting in the storeroom.
• Chen and the other workers question Xu Hongtao about martial cultivation.
• Xu responds proudly, sharing details about his former gang leader and educating them about the five realms of martial arts.

Chapter Summary: The Effect of the Spirit Eye Technique

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Hongtao explains that Dao cultivation is a separate and extremely difficult system, accessible mainly through major Daoist schools. The Great Zhou Dynasty’s Dao Academies teach only basic knowledge.
• When asked about his own martial realm, Xu Hongtao becomes evasive and irritable, hinting at a hidden past or personal misfortune.
• Chen Shaojun decides that martial arts are more realistic for him than Dao cultivation, but he cannot afford the three-tael monthly tuition at the nearby Iron Wire Fist School.
• He considers asking Xu Hongtao to teach him, though Xu’s guarded reaction makes this uncertain.
• Chen reflects on his financial struggles and family obligations. Despite years of work, he has saved only six taels of silver, insufficient for long-term martial training.
• He places his greatest hope in the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror, which has already rewarded him twice and might eventually grant him martial or Daoist techniques.
• Chen tests the newly acquired Spirit Eye Technique on his fellow apprentices. He sees that all of them possess weak or unhealthy spiritual auras, with some apparently close to death.
• He checks himself and discovers that his own complexion and vitality are healthy, likely because of the Essence-Nourishing Pill he previously consumed.
• Chen realizes that repeatedly using the Spirit Eye Technique severely drains vitality and mental energy. Although the technique is essential for becoming a Certified Appraiser, excessive training could damage an apprentice’s health and lifespan.
• At the storeroom, Shen Piaotai distributes treasures taken from the abandoned belongings of a family murdered six months earlier. Chen activates the Spirit Eye Technique to examine the items, preparing to test whether it can improve his appraisal process.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Becomes more practical and determined. He recognizes the financial barriers to martial arts and continues relying on the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror as his best route to advancement. His use of the Spirit Eye Technique also reveals growing awareness of both its power and its dangers.
• Xu Hongtao: His evasiveness about his martial cultivation suggests a concealed history, likely involving a fall from a higher position or a serious setback.
• The apprentices: Their poor spiritual conditions show how physically demanding and dangerous the appraiser profession is. Chen’s superior vitality distinguishes him from the others.
• Shen Piaotai/Shen Lang: Continues managing the appraisal work and distributing treasures to the apprentices, including objects connected to a gruesome murder.

Significant Themes

• Accessibility of cultivation: Martial arts are difficult but available to ordinary people, while Dao cultivation is restricted by wealth, talent, and access to elite schools.
• Poverty and limited opportunity: Chen’s family obligations and low wages prevent him from pursuing formal martial training.
• Power versus personal cost: The Spirit Eye Technique provides valuable insight but consumes vitality, creating a dangerous trade-off between professional advancement and health.
• Hidden pasts and decline: Xu Hongtao’s fall from the martial world into pawnshop labor suggests that status can be lost through misfortune.
• Death and ominous objects: The apprentices’ deathly auras and the treasures taken from a murdered family create an increasingly grim atmosphere.

Character Interactions

• Xu Hongtao answers the servants’ questions about Dao cultivation but refuses to discuss his own martial realm, shutting down the conversation.
• Chen observes Xu’s reaction and privately speculates about his hidden circumstances.
• Chen considers seeking Xu’s instruction but hesitates because of Xu’s guarded personality.
• Chen examines Zhao Hu and the other apprentices with the Spirit Eye Technique, gaining new insight into their fragile health.
• Shen Piaotai assigns each apprentice a treasure for appraisal, while Chen secretly activates his Spirit Eye Technique to inspect the items more carefully.

Chapter Summary: “Yin Energy Crowning the Head”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun examines a new batch of treasures and uses his Spirit Eye Technique to detect hidden yin, ghostly, killing, and blood-baleful energies.
• He realizes that some ordinary or worthless objects may contain extremely dangerous amounts of baleful qi, while the quantity of such energy does not necessarily correspond to a treasure’s value.
• Chen notices a Jade Ruyi surrounded by extraordinarily dense, black yin energy, within which he sees what appears to be a ghostly face. Frightened, he instinctively recoils but conceals his discovery from the others.
• Shen Lang assigns Chen a bamboo flute containing only a small amount of killing intent. Meanwhile, Zhao Hu receives a fan carrying ten wisps of Blood Baleful Qi.
• Knowing Zhao Hu’s weakened blood and qi would not withstand the fan’s danger, Chen persuades him to exchange items.
• Chen appraises the fan. He verifies that its Blood Baleful Qi is powerful enough to cause irritability, illness, or serious bodily harm to anyone who handles it for long.
• Using the Divine Gaze Technique, Chen struggles for ten breaths before completely destroying the fan’s baleful energy. The effort leaves him pale and nearly overextended.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror reveals the fan’s history: it was originally an ordinary fan decorated by the famous calligrapher Xu Chenchang for his friend Zhao Quan. Zhao Quan was later murdered, and blood splashed onto the fan.
• After being confiscated and stored in a government yamen—where intense Fierce Baleful Intent accumulated—the fan’s attached talent transformed into Blood Baleful Intent.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates increasing mastery of his spiritual techniques and a growing ability to judge the danger concealed within treasures.
• He also shows compassion and loyalty by risking injury to protect Zhao Hu, despite recognizing that the fan exceeds his own safe limits.
• Chen becomes more cautious about his abilities, acknowledging that his reliance on the Essence-Nourishing Pill helped him endure the appraisal and that taking such risks could have ended disastrously.
• His discovery of the ghostly presence in the Jade Ruyi reveals that the dangers he faces are escalating beyond ordinary baleful qi.
• Zhao Hu remains trusting of Chen and agrees to exchange appraisal items without questioning his motives.
• Shen Lang treats Chen with indifference and contempt, reinforcing Chen’s low standing among the apprentices.

Significant Themes

• Hidden danger beneath ordinary appearances: Common objects can carry deadly spiritual contamination unrelated to their material value.
• Sacrifice and friendship: Chen risks serious harm to save Zhao Hu, showing that personal loyalty can outweigh professional caution.
• Growth through danger: Chen’s increasing strength allows him to confront stronger baleful energies, but the chapter emphasizes that his abilities still have limits.
• Transformation through violence and environment: The fan’s history shows how talent, bloodshed, and prolonged exposure to a sinister location can alter an object’s spiritual nature.
• The unseen supernatural world: The ghostly image within the Jade Ruyi suggests that Chen’s appraisal work is bringing him closer to genuinely haunted and dangerous artifacts.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Zhao Hu: Chen protects Zhao by proposing an item exchange, while Zhao accepts without suspicion. Their interaction reflects mutual trust and developing friendship.
• Chen and Shen Lang: Shen Lang’s dismissive attitude contrasts with Chen’s growing competence and highlights Chen’s marginalized position in the pawnshop.
• Chen and the fan’s past: Through the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror, Chen indirectly encounters the tragedy of Zhao Quan’s murder and the object’s transformation from a gifted work of art into a baleful artifact.

Chapter Summary: “Breathing Method”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror evaluates the Literary Fan as a Mortal Grade, Mid-Tier treasure. It can supposedly stabilize qi, nurture talent, and enhance wisdom, though Chen Shaojun cannot verify these effects.
• As a reward for appraising the fan, Chen Shaojun receives the Evergreen Breathing Method, a detailed technique governing inhalation, exhalation, rhythm, speed, duration, and frequency.
• He practices one complete cycle of 108 breaths but notices no immediate improvement in his exhaustion, nor does he develop True Qi or spiritual power. He assumes the method may require longer cultivation and remains satisfied that it can be practiced unobtrusively during ordinary activities.
• Chen Shaojun returns the appraised fan to Shen Lang, who records it without questioning who completed the appraisal. Chen receives a tally token and is relieved that Shen does not investigate further.
• Shen Lang allows him to select and appraise three additional treasures. Chen chooses items with minimal Yin Baleful Intent and ghostly qi, conserving his spiritual energy.
• Back in Appraisal Room Seven, Chen uses the Divine Gaze Technique to cleanse one treasure completely. Its hidden brilliance and original luster emerge, demonstrating the appraiser’s role in removing supernatural contamination and restoring a treasure’s value.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror appears again and begins displaying the treasure’s origin and evaluation, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun becomes more aware of the value and potential of the Mirror’s rewards, especially his growing desire to see treasures of higher than Mortal Grade.
• He demonstrates patience and practicality when the Evergreen Breathing Method produces no immediate results, choosing to continue using it rather than dismissing it.
• His cautious nature is emphasized: he understands that unusual behavior could attract rumors, suspicion, or danger in a world inhabited by demons, ghosts, and other supernatural beings.
• Chen also shows increasing confidence as an appraiser. He strategically chooses treasures with weaker contamination so he can continue practicing without exhausting himself.
• Shen Lang remains professional and detached. He cares primarily about completing the shopkeeper’s instructions and does not seem interested in discovering which appraiser handled the fan.

Significant Themes

• Hidden value and restoration: Treasures may contain great worth beneath layers of Yin Baleful Intent and ghostly qi, while appraisers reveal and restore that value.
• Patience in cultivation: Powerful techniques may not show immediate effects; progress requires persistence and repeated practice.
• Secrecy and survival: Chen recognizes that displaying supernatural abilities can invite suspicion and calamity, making discretion essential.
• Growth through practice: The Divine Gaze Technique must be repeatedly used to advance, linking Chen’s professional development to continued risk-taking.
• Unpredictable rewards: The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror provides useful but unexpected abilities and items, leaving Chen uncertain about what it may grant next.

Character Interactions

• Chen respectfully returns the Literary Fan to Shen Lang and receives a tally token after the appraisal is recorded.
• Shen Lang tests whether Chen has enough energy to continue and grants him permission to choose three treasures, provided each is registered.
• Chen responds with gratitude and carefully selects items that will not overtax his spiritual power.
• Their interaction remains formal and practical, with Chen concealing the true nature of his abilities and Shen Lang showing no apparent suspicion.

Chapter Summary: “Spirit-Communing Pill? Experience Pill?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun appraises a treasure and receives a Spirit-Communing Pill, while the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror classifies the treasure as Lower Mortal Grade.
• The pill allows its user to temporarily enter an enlightened state, rapidly understanding cultivation techniques and their deeper principles.
• Chen consumes it and applies its effects to the Divine Gaze Technique, gaining what he regards as years of cultivation experience in a short time.
• His Divine Gaze Technique advances from barely entry level to proficient level. Its casting time decreases from five breaths to three, while its spiritual power more than doubles.
• He realizes that the pill functions like an “Experience Pill” and hopes additional pills will raise his technique to minor accomplishment, enough to qualify him as a Certified Appraiser at the Lin Clan Pawnshop.
• Chen appraises two more treasures. Their rewards are another Spirit-Communing Pill and a Blood-Qi Pill.
• After consuming the second Spirit-Communing Pill, his technique improves further but does not yet reach minor accomplishment. He estimates that two more pills will be needed.
• He then prepares to consume the Blood-Qi Pill, which strengthens qi, blood, and the physical body.

Character Development

• Chen becomes more confident in the value of his appraisal rewards and increasingly treats them as essential tools for rapid advancement.
• His understanding of the Spirit-Communing Pill changes from confusion to amazement as he personally experiences its enlightenment effect.
• He develops a clearer ambition: advancing the Divine Gaze Technique, becoming a Certified Appraiser, and improving his ability to survive the dangerous Killing Intent found in pawned treasures.
• Chen also shows practical judgment by consuming his rewards immediately rather than hiding them in the crowded sleeping quarters, recognizing that his current weakness makes immediate strengthening necessary.
• He remains cautious about revealing his true level, considering whether to conceal his proficient mastery of the technique.

Significant Themes

• Accelerated cultivation and opportunity: The Spirit-Communing Pill dramatically shortens the time needed for cultivation, presenting advancement as a matter of both talent and access to rare resources.
• Knowledge versus experience: The pill does not create entirely new knowledge but accelerates Chen’s understanding of principles he could otherwise learn through years of practice.
• Survival through strength: Chen views cultivation primarily as protection against the lethal Killing Intent encountered by appraisers.
• Status and advancement: Reaching minor accomplishment would allow him to become a Certified Appraiser, demonstrating how personal power is closely tied to social position.
• Practical use of resources: Chen prioritizes immediate growth over secrecy or hoarding, although he still intends to hide his true abilities when advantageous.

Character Interactions

• There are no major direct conversations in this chapter. Chen’s main “interaction” is with the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror, the appraisal system that identifies treasures and provides rewards.
• He mentally compares himself with other Appraiser Apprentices, particularly Zhang Wang, who had reportedly reached the proficient level of the Divine Gaze Technique before being injured by Killing Intent.
• Chen also reflects on his future relationship with the Lin Clan Pawnshop, where improved cultivation could earn him greater authority and status.

Chapter Summary: “Saving Money to Marry a Wife?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun swallows a Blood-Qi Pill, triggering an intense and painful surge of medicinal energy through his body.
• His body initially struggles to withstand the pill’s power, but the Evergreen Breathing Method activates instinctively. Its rhythmic breathing and bodily movements guide the blood and qi, allowing him to absorb the medicine safely.
• After an hour, Chen’s strength has more than doubled. He estimates that he can now lift a two-hundred-jin stone pedestal, though much of the pill’s medicinal energy was expelled because his body could not absorb it all.
• Chen leaves the appraisal room late after successfully appraising three more materials, bringing his total for the day to four.
• Shen Lang and Xu Hongtao are surprised by his speed. Xu jokes that Chen is working hard to save money to marry a wife.
• Chen explains that he is actually saving money to learn martial arts. He claims that stronger blood and qi will improve his Divine Gaze Technique and help him become a Certified Appraiser sooner.
• Shen Lang suspects Chen’s Divine Gaze Technique may have reached the proficient level and plans to have Zhang Gao test him the next day.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Gains a major physical boost from the Blood-Qi Pill and discovers that the Evergreen Breathing Method is far more useful than he had believed. He becomes increasingly confident in his rapid growth but remains cautious about concealing the supernatural source of his improvement. He deliberately presents his desire to learn martial arts as a believable explanation for his improving condition and appraisal ability.
• Shen Lang: Begins taking Chen more seriously after seeing how quickly he completed four appraisals. He shows increased interest in Chen’s progress and intends to arrange an official test of his Divine Gaze Technique.
• Xu Hongtao: Reveals his admiration for martial artists and heroic figures. His attitude toward Chen becomes more favorable after hearing of Chen’s ambition to practice martial arts.

Significant Themes

• Controlled growth and self-preservation: Chen recognizes that rapid advancement can be dangerous if his body cannot withstand or properly absorb medicinal power.
• Hidden abilities and strategic self-disclosure: Rather than conceal all his improvement, Chen carefully reveals enough ambition and progress to make his unusual development appear natural.
• The relationship between martial arts and appraisal: Strong blood and qi are presented as essential to sustaining the Divine Gaze Technique, linking physical cultivation with professional advancement.
• The harshness of the appraiser’s profession: Appraiser Apprentices are physically weak because repeated exposure to baleful intent drains their vitality and threatens their lives.
• Ambition and social mobility: Chen hopes to escape the lowly status of an Appraiser Apprentice by improving his martial ability and becoming a Certified Appraiser.

Character Interactions

• Chen and the Blood-Qi Pill: The pill nearly overwhelms him, but the Evergreen Breathing Method saves him by regulating and absorbing its power.
• Chen and Xu Hongtao: Xu teases Chen about saving money to marry, while Chen awkwardly corrects him and explains his martial ambitions. Xu responds approvingly.
• Chen and Shen Lang: Shen questions Chen about his improved appraisal speed and Divine Gaze Technique. Chen gives a cautious, intentionally vague answer, prompting Shen to arrange a formal evaluation.
• Shen Lang and Chen’s future: Shen warns him not to let martial training interfere with his pawnshop duties, showing both concern for Chen’s development and the importance of his work.

Chapter Summary: Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun collects his appraisal wages, bringing his total to four tally sticks worth 120 copper coins. He realizes that relying on his salary alone will make it difficult to save enough money to obtain martial arts manuals.
• He considers asking Xu Hongtao for help but decides not to act rashly, knowing that revealing his desire for martial arts requires careful timing.
• After dinner, Chen practices the Evergreen Breathing Method while lying in the crowded sleeping quarters. He discovers that the technique greatly accelerates digestion, leaving him hungry soon after eating.
• The next morning, both Second Appraiser Dai Ming and Third Appraiser Zhang Gao unexpectedly appear before the apprentice appraisers. Zhang announces that roughly twenty new apprentices will soon be recruited because the pawnshop’s current numbers are declining.
• Zhang Gao calls for Chen Shaojun after hearing that his Divine Gaze Technique has reached the proficient level.
• Dai Ming tests Chen by giving him a piece of white jade containing a small amount of Killing Intent. Chen secretly uses the Spirit Eye Technique to inspect it, then successfully employs the proficient Divine Gaze Technique to eliminate the Killing Intent.
• Impressed, Dai Ming gives Chen a copy of Appraiser’s Notes and expresses hope that he will eventually become a Certified Appraiser.
• During the appraisal, the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror activates and rewards Chen with the martial art he has long desired: Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist.
• After Dai Ming leaves, Zhang Gao asks the apprentices to help appraise a special treasure. All of them eagerly volunteer, hoping to gain his favor.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun becomes increasingly ambitious and careful. He recognizes the limitations of his current position and seeks a reliable path toward martial arts training while avoiding reckless exposure.
• His progress in the Divine Gaze Technique establishes him as the leading apprentice and draws the attention of senior appraisers.
• Chen’s possession of the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror continues to give him hidden advantages. He gains a valuable body-tempering martial art without needing to purchase or openly request a manual.
• Dai Ming acknowledges Chen’s talent and grants him personal recognition, marking an important step in Chen’s rise within the pawnshop.
• Zhang Gao is presented as outwardly imposing but relatively approachable and kind, contrasting with Dai Ming’s stern and distant personality.
• The other apprentices become envious and anxious after seeing Chen earn Dai Ming’s approval, prompting them to compete more actively for Zhang Gao’s attention.

Significant Themes

• Competition and survival: The apprentices are treated as expendable because prolonged exposure to Killing Intent can destroy them, creating intense pressure to advance.
• Hidden talent and recognition: Chen’s formerly unnoticed abilities suddenly attract powerful figures once his Divine Gaze Technique reaches proficiency.
• Patience and strategic behavior: Chen understands that obtaining martial arts and improving his status requires caution rather than impulsive action.
• Fortune through appraisal: Even an ordinary Lower Mortal Grade treasure can provide Chen with an extraordinary reward through the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror.
• Hierarchy and favoritism: The apprentices’ opportunities depend heavily on gaining the recognition of powerful Certified Appraisers.

Character Interactions

• Chen briefly considers asking Xu Hongtao about obtaining martial arts but holds back.
• Zhang Gao publicly questions Chen about his Divine Gaze Technique, placing him under the attention of the other apprentices.
• Dai Ming tests Chen with the white jade and then rewards his successful performance with Appraiser’s Notes.
• Chen respectfully thanks Dai Ming, while privately celebrating the much greater reward of the Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist.
• After Dai Ming departs, Zhang Gao invites the apprentices to assist with a special appraisal, triggering an enthusiastic scramble to win his approval.

Chapter Summary: “Death Invitation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Third Appraiser Zhang Gao announces that he needs an apprentice to help appraise a dangerous special treasure. Chen Shaojun suspects Zhang Gao is deliberately focusing on him but refuses to volunteer, choosing to remain inconspicuous.
• Zhang Gao selects the eager Zhang Ke instead. Zhang Ke proudly accepts, appearing to believe the invitation is a chance to gain favor and advance.
• Chen notices Ayong reacting with pity rather than enthusiasm, suggesting he knows something about the assignment’s true danger.
• After Zhang Gao and Second Appraiser leave, the apprentices receive their normal appraisal assignments. Chen is troubled by the cursed Jade Ruyi, which is filled with yin energy and ghostly shadows. He expects it will soon reach the apprentices and worries that he cannot yet confront a ghostly entity directly.
• Ayong privately explains the truth behind the “opportunity” to assist Zhang Gao: apprentices summoned by the senior appraisers often disappear or die while testing dangerous treasures.
• Ayong reveals that many apprentices have vanished over the past six months. Some suffered Killing Intent backlash, while others were used as expendable testers to weaken treasures before the Certified Appraisers attempted to appraise them.
• At the worst point, as many as five apprentices died in a single day. The chapter ends with Chen realizing that Zhang Ke has likely accepted an invitation to death.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Demonstrates caution, restraint, and strategic thinking. Although he possesses a stronger-than-advertised Divine Gaze Technique and the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror, he deliberately hides his abilities and avoids unnecessary risks. His concern over the Jade Ruyi shows that he recognizes the limits of his current strength.
• Zhang Gao: Appears outwardly genial but is revealed to be potentially exploitative. His request for an apprentice’s assistance is likely not an honor but a method of using weaker appraisers as shields or test subjects.
• Zhang Ke: Eagerly volunteers and becomes arrogant after being chosen, unaware—or unwilling to consider—that the assignment may be fatal.
• Ayong: Revealed as an experienced and cautious veteran. His knowledge of appraisal dangers and his use of White-Cut Stones and the Four-Square Formation show that he has developed practical methods for survival. His pity toward Zhang Ke reflects his past fear and accumulated experience.
• Other apprentices: Their enthusiasm is shown to stem from ignorance. They view Zhang Gao’s summons as a valuable opportunity rather than recognizing the deadly risks involved.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: A seemingly prestigious opportunity is actually a trap that exposes apprentices to lethal danger.
• Exploitation of the weak: Certified Appraisers protect themselves by sacrificing inexperienced apprentices to reduce a treasure’s Killing Intent.
• Self-preservation and concealment: Chen’s decision to hide his abilities reflects the importance of remaining unnoticed in a dangerous environment.
• Knowledge as survival: Ayong’s experience allows him to recognize threats that newcomers mistake for opportunities.
• The hidden cost of ambition: Zhang Ke’s pride and eagerness blind him to the danger of seeking recognition from Zhang Gao.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Gao scans the apprentices and appears to pay special attention to Chen, but Chen deliberately refuses to respond.
• Zhang Gao selects Zhang Ke, who celebrates the choice and looks down on the others, particularly Chen.
• Ayong’s pitying reaction hints at his knowledge of the assignment’s danger.
• Chen confronts Ayong privately, and Ayong reveals the appraiser masters’ practice of using apprentices to test deadly treasures.
• Their conversation transforms Chen’s vague suspicion into certainty: the summons is not patronage, but an expendable “death invitation.”

Chapter Summary: Mastery of Calligraphy and Painting

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ayong explains to Chen Shaojun that the pawnshop’s dangerous exploitation of its workers has resumed because public attention has faded. The authorities do not protect the workers; instead, they help capture anyone who attempts to escape.
• Chen reflects bitterly on the pawnshop’s brutal hierarchy, realizing that even seemingly respectable figures such as Appraiser Shen and Xu Hongtao possess the power—or temperament—to ruin an apprentice’s life.
• Chen appraises a wolf-hair brush made with warm jade and fox fur. Using the Divine Gaze Technique, he easily disperses its Killing Intent.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror identifies the brush as Lower Mortal Grade and rewards him with Mastery of Calligraphy and Painting, instantly granting him decades’ worth of artistic knowledge.
• Chen studies the Appraiser’s Notes given to him by Dai Ming. The notes recount Certified Appraiser Zhou Chen’s experiences with the Divine Gaze Technique, including several encounters with ghosts and illusions.
• One case describes Zhou Chen being drawn into an illusory marriage with a woman named Xiue, leading Chen to suspect that supernatural entities may attach themselves to appraised objects.
• Chen then turns his attention to the Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist, a foundational martial art capable of helping ordinary people become true Martial Warriors.
• He reviews the stages of the Body Tempering realm, from Flesh Tempering through Inner Sight, and learns that developing martial force—not merely possessing physical strength—is what defines a genuine Martial Warrior.
• Chen begins practicing the fist technique inside the cramped appraisal room. The movements initially exhaust him, disrupt his breathing, and prove far more difficult than simply understanding them intellectually.
• Refusing to give up, he repeatedly practices while combining the fist technique with the Evergreen Breathing Method. The two techniques complement each other, improving his recovery and movement.
• After sustained effort, Chen finally completes the entire Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist smoothly for the first time.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun becomes increasingly aware of the pawnshop’s cruelty and the precariousness of his position, but rather than becoming paralyzed by fear, he focuses on gaining skills and strength.
• His appraisal abilities continue to expand. He now possesses not only supernatural appraisal knowledge but also exceptional artistic understanding through the Mastery of Calligraphy and Painting reward.
• Chen demonstrates growing curiosity and caution regarding ghosts, illusions, and the hidden dangers connected to appraised treasures.
• His determination to become a Martial Warrior strengthens. He shows discipline by continuing to practice despite exhaustion and repeated failures.
• Ayong is portrayed as resigned and fearful, having survived by staying in Appraisal Room Ten while recognizing that escape from the pawnshop is nearly impossible.
• Zhou Chen, through his notes, becomes an indirect mentor to Chen, providing practical knowledge about the Divine Gaze Technique and supernatural incidents.

Significant Themes

• Human life under oppressive systems: The pawnshop treats workers as expendable, while official institutions reinforce rather than challenge the abuse.
• Knowledge versus practical ability: Chen learns that possessing complete theoretical knowledge does not guarantee mastery; real skill requires repeated practice and endurance.
• Self-improvement as survival: In a violent and unjust world, personal strength and specialized abilities are essential forms of protection.
• The supernatural and hidden danger: Ordinary objects may contain Killing Intent, ghosts, illusions, or other unknown threats, emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding the appraisal profession.
• Persistence and transformation: Chen’s repeated attempts to master the Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist symbolize his gradual transition from an appraiser merely surviving in the pawnshop to someone actively forging a stronger future.

Character Interactions

• Ayong warns Chen about the pawnshop’s renewed exploitation and the authorities’ complicity, deepening Chen’s understanding of the danger surrounding him.
• Chen mentally reassesses Appraiser Shen and Xu Hongtao, recognizing that both may be dangerous despite differences in temperament and outward appearance.
• Chen engages indirectly with Zhou Chen through the Appraiser’s Notes, learning from Zhou’s supernatural encounters and methods of dealing with them.
• Chen’s interaction with the Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist is effectively a struggle between his determination and his physical limitations; by combining it with the Evergreen Breathing Method, he begins to overcome those limitations.

Chapter Summary: “You Can’t Take This Jade Yet”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun successfully cultivates the boxing technique to the point of generating “force,” confirming that he has truly mastered the routine. Although he cannot yet control the force, it disperses through his body and strengthens him.
• After practicing for an hour, Chen becomes hungry and leaves the appraisal room.
• In the pawnshop, he notices a scar-faced man in green who seems familiar. He realizes the man appeared in the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror’s vision of the Literary Fan, where he murdered Zhao Quan with a single sword strike.
• Chen connects the man to the murder of Zhao Quan’s entire family and to the treasures later confiscated and placed in the Lin Clan Pawnshop, including the dangerous Jade Ruyi.
• The scar-faced man enters the pawnshop claiming he wants to buy a jade birthday gift for his mother-in-law. He immediately takes interest in the Jade Ruyi.
• Shen Lang tries to sell the item with an exaggerated story about its prestigious origin and initially asks fifty taels. After extensive haggling, the price is reduced to thirty taels.
• Just as the scar-faced man is about to pay and take the Jade Ruyi, Shen Lang suddenly stops the transaction, creating a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun makes progress in martial arts. His ability to generate force marks a transition from merely practicing movements to genuinely entering martial cultivation.
• Chen also demonstrates caution and practical judgment. Although he recognizes the scar-faced man as a murderer, he chooses not to report him because he lacks evidence and fears becoming entangled in the authorities’ investigation.
• Chen’s attitude toward the Jade Ruyi is conflicted: he fears its powerful yin energy and ghostly presence, but feels relieved that someone else may take it away.
• Shen Lang is shown to be an experienced and aggressive shopkeeper. He uses exaggerated claims, confidence, and persistent bargaining to raise the Jade Ruyi’s price.
• The scar-faced man remains composed and calculating. He knows the Jade Ruyi’s true history, sees through Shen Lang’s sales pitch, and appears especially eager to reclaim it.

Significant Themes

• Martial growth and gradual cultivation: Mastery begins with generating force, but true strength will require continuous practice and physical refinement.
• Dangerous knowledge and self-preservation: Chen knows the truth about the murderer but wisely avoids acting without proof, emphasizing the risks of becoming involved in hidden conflicts.
• Greed and concealed motives: The Jade Ruyi is presented as a valuable object, but its connection to the murdered family suggests that the man’s interest may be driven by deeper motives than a simple gift.
• The supernatural hidden beneath ordinary commerce: A seemingly routine pawnshop negotiation involves a jade artifact saturated with yin energy and haunted by ghostly shadows.
• Suspense through incomplete revelations: The chapter ends just before the sale is completed, suggesting that Shen Lang knows or has discovered something that prevents the scar-faced man from taking the Jade Ruyi.

Character Interactions

• Chen observes the scar-faced man from a distance and mentally reconstructs his connection to the Zhao family murders.
• Shen Lang acts as the scar-faced man’s primary negotiating opponent, alternating between flattering salesmanship and price bargaining.
• The scar-faced man challenges Shen Lang’s false claims and successfully negotiates the price down from fifty to thirty taels.
• Their transaction appears complete until Shen Lang unexpectedly intervenes, leaving the reason for his refusal unresolved.

Chapter Summary: “Too Hasty”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A customer with a scarred face purchases a Jade Ruyi from the Lin Clan Pawnshop as a birthday gift for his mother-in-law.
• Shen Lang senses that the Jade Ruyi contains a powerful and dangerous Killing Intent, likely absorbed while it was sealed in a wealthy household.
• Although the customer insists on taking it immediately, Shen Lang refuses to release it before the pawnshop’s appraiser cleanses its Baleful Intent. He warns that the Killing Intent could harm or even kill an ordinary elderly person.
• The customer eventually agrees to wait, provided the cleansing is completed before sunset and the price remains unchanged.
• Shen Lang assigns Chen Shaojun to appraise the Jade Ruyi, identifying him as the pawnshop’s most capable apprentice because he has cultivated the Divine Gaze Technique to the proficient level.
• Chen tries to avoid the task, knowing the jade likely contains a ghost or other supernatural danger. Shen Lang counters by reminding him that he appraised four objects the previous day and offers him increased compensation.
• Realizing refusal is impossible, Chen agrees—but requests permission to bring all the protective materials on the tray into the appraisal room.
• The tray contains eight treasures in total. Chen decides to appraise the other seven first and leave the Jade Ruyi for last, hoping to use the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror to obtain something capable of protecting him.
• He exits the appraisal room to make final preparations before beginning.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Becomes increasingly cautious and determined. Though frightened, he refuses to rely on luck and plans carefully to maximize his chances of survival. His willingness to accept the appraisal only after securing the tray’s materials shows both resourcefulness and growing awareness of supernatural dangers.
• Shen Lang: Demonstrates practical concern and professional responsibility. His insistence on cleansing the jade is motivated less by abstract ethics than by fear of liability and concern that the customer’s elderly mother-in-law could be harmed.
• The scar-faced customer: Reveals impatience and concealed hostility, but restrains himself when Shen Lang’s refusal might expose his true intentions. His determination to obtain the Jade Ruyi before sunset makes him suspicious.
• Chen Shaojun and the pawnshop hierarchy: Chen’s skill has begun to distinguish him from the other apprentices, but his low status leaves him unable to refuse dangerous assignments.

Significant Themes

• Caution versus haste: The chapter’s title reflects the danger of acting too quickly. The customer wants the jade immediately, while Chen regrets revealing his abilities too early and being assigned the dangerous appraisal.
• Hidden danger beneath appearances: The Jade Ruyi appears to be a valuable gift, but it conceals deadly Killing Intent. The chapter emphasizes that treasures may carry supernatural risks invisible to ordinary people.
• Survival through preparation: Chen’s strategy is based on preparation rather than luck. He intends to gather protective tools before facing the jade’s ghostly threat.
• Professional responsibility and self-interest: Shen Lang invokes the pawnshop’s reputation and rules, but his deeper concern is avoiding blame and protecting himself from consequences.
• Power and hierarchy: Chen’s abilities earn him special consideration, yet the pawnshop’s rigid structure still forces him to obey those above him.

Important Character Interactions

• Shen Lang and the scar-faced customer: Their negotiation is tense. Shen uses warnings about Killing Intent and the pawnshop’s rules to delay the customer, while the customer suppresses his anger and agrees under pressure.
• Shen Lang and Chen Shaojun: Shen insists that Chen perform the appraisal because of his superior Divine Gaze Technique. He attempts to motivate Chen with promises of higher pay, misunderstanding that Chen’s reluctance is driven by fear for his life.
• Chen Shaojun and the supernatural threat: Though the ghost within the Jade Ruyi has not yet manifested directly, Chen recognizes the danger and prepares for a likely confrontation, setting up the chapter’s impending suspense.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun prepares to appraise a series of objects, especially the dangerous Jade Ruyi, by learning Ayong’s Four-Square Formation for cleansing Baleful Intent.
• He establishes the formation in his appraisal room and begins with a white jade pendant carved with a divine deer.
• Using the Divine Gaze Technique, Chen confronts and destroys the pendant’s small amount of Baleful Intent. His improved body and spiritual power make the process far easier than before.
• The appraisal reveals the pendant’s history: it belonged to Zhao Quan, a failed scholar who moved to Shengjing after offending a powerful figure and was eventually murdered by assassins.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror grades the pendant as Lower Mortal Grade and rewards Chen with a Spirit-Communing Pill.
• Chen immediately consumes the pill, gaining significant insight and improvement in the Divine Gaze Technique, though he still falls short of reaching the minor achievement realm.
• He continues appraising a hairpin and several other treasures. The rewards include a Blood-Qi Pill, Spirit-Nurturing Pill, horse-taming technique, Traditional Chinese Medicine’s four diagnostic methods—Observation, Auscultation, Inquiry, and Palpation—and the martial art Eight-Step Cicada Catcher.
• None of the rewards provide the ghost-slaying ability or immediate power Chen needs to face the ghostly creature within the Jade Ruyi.
• By the seventh appraisal, Chen grows increasingly desperate. If he cannot obtain something useful, he considers abandoning the Jade Ruyi rather than recklessly confronting the ghost.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates greater confidence and competence. His strengthened body, abundant qi and blood, and improved spiritual power allow him to cleanse Baleful Intent efficiently.
• He becomes more determined to strengthen himself, consuming the Spirit-Communing Pill immediately rather than saving it for later.
• Despite his progress, Chen remains cautious and pragmatic. He refuses to risk his life merely for the sake of completing an appraisal, showing that survival is his priority.
• His Divine Gaze Technique advances considerably, bringing him close to the minor achievement realm, where spiritual power can become visible and affect physical objects.
• Zhao Quan is characterized through the pendant’s memories as an unsuccessful scholar whose attempt to start a new life was cut short by political or personal persecution.

3. Significant Themes

• Preparation versus danger: Chen relies on formations, ritual, cultivation, and careful planning before facing supernatural threats.
• Growth through experience: The Spirit-Communing Pill provides years of cultivation insight, emphasizing the value of accumulated experience in strengthening ability.
• Pragmatism and self-preservation: Chen’s willingness to abandon the Jade Ruyi highlights the conflict between ambition and survival.
• Hidden histories within objects: Appraisal reveals that seemingly ordinary treasures contain the stories, suffering, and fate of their previous owners.
• Power has thresholds: Reaching the minor achievement realm of the Divine Gaze Technique represents a major qualitative transformation, not merely a gradual increase in strength.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen consults Ayong, who teaches him the Four-Square Formation for neutralizing Baleful Intent.
• Through the pendant’s visions, Chen indirectly encounters Zhao Quan’s history and learns of his connections to the Fragrant Letters Academy and calligrapher Xu Chenchang.
• Chen’s interactions with the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror and the appraisal system continue to shape his development, though the rewards remain frustratingly unrelated to the immediate threat.
• The chapter ends with Chen emotionally and strategically at a crossroads: continue appraising in hope of finding a lifesaving reward, or refuse to confront the ghost inside the Jade Ruyi.

Chapter Summary: Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun appraises the seventh treasure, which contains fifteen strands of Killing Intent. Using the Divine Gaze Technique, he completely purifies it and successfully completes the appraisal.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror rewards him with the Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique, an unorthodox Daoist spell capable of transferring fatal attacks from the caster onto another prepared target.
• The spell requires an item connected to the substitute—such as hair, blood, or clothing—and normally requires advance preparation. Humans, animals, and even objects can serve as substitutes, depending on the caster’s level of Daoist mana.
• Because Chen Shaojun lacks Daoist mana and expects to encounter a dangerous ghost, he decides to prepare a substitute to protect his life.
• He considers Liu Two-Leg, a cruel and abusive kitchen worker, but rejects him because Liu, despite being unpleasant, does not deserve death.
• Instead, Chen chooses Liu’s enormous and vicious Big Black Dog, which has bitten many people in the pawnshop’s rear courtyard.
• Chen secretly approaches the dog while it is tied to a tree. When it attacks, he discovers that his recent training and consumption of Essence-Nourishing and Blood-Qi Pills have greatly strengthened him.
• He dodges the dog’s attacks and defeats it with a single powerful punch, frightening it into retreat. He then grabs it and pulls out a tuft of its hair, obtaining the material needed for the substitution technique.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates a pragmatic but morally restrained nature. Although he recognizes the spell’s sinister potential, he believes its morality depends on how it is used.
• His growing strength becomes clear: after practicing the Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist and taking medicinal pills, he can overpower a large attack dog despite not yet being a true Martial Warrior.
• Chen also shows increasing confidence and combat awareness, realizing that an opponent who once terrified him is now much slower and less dangerous than expected.
• His decision to use the dog rather than Liu Two-Leg establishes that he is willing to use ruthless methods for survival but avoids unnecessary murder.
• Liu Two-Leg is characterized as a bullying, exploitative figure who abuses his connections, mistreats the pawnshop workers, and keeps the vicious dog that helps him intimidate others.

Significant Themes

• Morality and the use of power: The chapter questions whether a dangerous technique is inherently evil or whether its morality depends on the user’s intentions.
• Survival versus righteousness: Chen needs an unscrupulous spell to survive an impending supernatural threat, forcing him to balance self-preservation against ethical concerns.
• Growth through cultivation and training: Chen’s physical improvement is highlighted through his effortless victory over the dog, marking his transition from weakness to genuine martial ability.
• Preparation and strategy: The substitution technique is powerful but requires advance planning, emphasizing the importance of foresight rather than relying solely on strength.

Character Interactions

• Chen interacts indirectly with Liu Two-Leg through his reputation and past mistreatment of the pawnshop’s apprentices and servants.
• His main direct confrontation is with Liu’s Big Black Dog. The encounter begins with the dog attacking him but ends with Chen decisively overpowering it and taking its hair for use in the Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique.

Chapter Summary: “When Humans Light Candles, Ghosts Blow Them Out”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun learns the Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique, including its specialized methods for paper effigies and wood carvings.
• Because he lacks the expensive materials needed for paper effigies, he chooses to carve a black dog from wood, attaching dog fur to it as part of the ritual.
• Inscribing the technique’s three mental runes nearly exhausts his mental strength. He consumes a Spirit-Nurturing Pill, which completely restores his energy and even strengthens his mental power.
• Chen Shaojun prepares to appraise the haunted Jade Ruyi, whose appearance has darkened from accumulated Yin energy.
• During the ritual, the candle in the southwest corner is repeatedly blown out by an unnatural wind. The incense also forms the ominous pattern of “two short, one long,” confirming the presence of a ghost.
• The protective Four-Square Formation, created with White-Cut Stones by Ayong, begins turning black under the ghost’s influence. Chen realizes it can only offer limited protection against a true ghost.
• Rather than immediately using the Divine Gaze Technique, Chen activates the Spirit Eye Technique to observe the ghost and understand how it might attack.
• He sees that the Jade Ruyi contains at least a hundred strands of Yin Baleful Intent and identifies the ghost as Zhao Quan, the man killed by the scar-faced owner of the Jade Ruyi.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates increasing mastery of spiritual techniques and careful preparation. Despite exhaustion and fear, he remains rational and proceeds with the appraisal.
• His use of the Spirit-Nurturing Pill not only restores him but significantly improves his mental strength, boosting his confidence before confronting the ghost.
• Chen shows greater spiritual awareness by recognizing the ritual omens and analyzing the ghost’s condition rather than recklessly provoking it.
• He gains some reassurance after identifying Zhao Quan, believing the ghost’s grudge is directed toward the scar-faced man rather than himself.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus danger: Chen relies on knowledge, formations, ritual objects, and spiritual medicine to confront a supernatural threat.
• The limits of protection: Even effective defensive methods may be insufficient against a genuine ghost, emphasizing the difference between ordinary Yin energy and a conscious spirit.
• Cause and effect in vengeance: The idea that “every grievance has its source, every debt has its debtor” suggests that supernatural hostility follows moral and personal connections.
• Human wealth versus spiritual power: Gold and silver can improve ritual techniques, but Chen’s poverty forces him to rely on ingenuity and skill instead.
• Fear of the unknown: Chen’s greatest anxiety comes not simply from the ghost’s strength but from uncertainty about its abilities and intentions.

Character Interactions

• Chen’s primary interaction is with the ghost within the Jade Ruyi, though it remains indirect. The extinguished candle and altered incense reveal the ghost’s presence and hostility.
• His connection to Ayong is reflected through the Four-Square Formation, which provides some protection despite its limited effectiveness.
• Zhao Quan’s death at the hands of the scar-faced man establishes the central unresolved relationship behind the haunting, while Chen positions himself as an observer caught between the victim and the murderer.

Chapter Summary: “Slash the Ghost”

Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun begins appraising the Jade Ruyi by simultaneously using the Spirit Eye Technique and Divine Gaze Technique. His increased mental power allows him to sustain both techniques, though the strain is severe.
• The Jade Ruyi releases an overwhelming amount of Yin Baleful Intent/Killing Intent, which clashes directly with Chen Shaojun’s mental will. He manages to consume some of it, but the sheer quantity—over a hundred strands—pushes him toward his limit.
• The ghost inhabiting the Jade Ruyi finally emerges when it realizes Chen Shaojun is steadily weakening the Yin energy. It appears as a pale scholar with disheveled hair and a nearly severed neck.
• The ghost traps Chen Shaojun inside a supernatural Ghost Wall, transforming the room into a gloomy mountain forest filled with burial mounds and distant lights.
• Chen Shaojun uses preparations made in advance:
  • Black dog blood dissolves the Ghost Wall and restores the room.
  • Boy’s urine severely corrodes the ghost’s body, leaving it covered in holes.
• Enraged, the ghost attempts to use Possession to take control of Chen Shaojun’s body.
• At the critical moment, Chen Shaojun activates the Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique, transferring the ghost and its Yin Baleful Intent into a Black Dog Wood Carving instead.
• The black dog in the rear courtyard suffers the technique’s backlash, howling in apparent agony as the ghost begins trying to escape from its body.
• Chen Shaojun cuts the wood carving in half with a kitchen knife. Black smoke escapes, but he remains uncertain whether the ghost has truly been defeated.
• An Eight-Sided Rhombus Mirror appears in Chen Shaojun’s mind, suggesting that the appraisal may have produced a reward or reached its next stage.

Character Development

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates careful planning, courage, and adaptability. Although his mental power is limited, he compensates through preparation, folklore-based tools, and quick tactical decisions.
• His understanding of ghostly threats develops rapidly. He recognizes the Ghost Wall, anticipates Possession, and uses the Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique at exactly the right moment.
• The ghost is revealed to be more powerful and intelligent than expected. It patiently waits while Chen Shaojun struggles with the Yin Intent, then uses layered supernatural techniques rather than attacking immediately.
• The black dog becomes unwillingly involved in Chen Shaojun’s strategy, serving as the substitute vessel for the ghost and suffering severe pain as a result.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus raw power: Chen Shaojun cannot overpower the ghost directly, so advance planning and the correct tools become decisive.
• Human ingenuity against supernatural danger: Ordinary folk remedies such as black dog blood and boy’s urine prove effective against powerful ghost techniques.
• Risk and sacrifice: The Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique saves Chen Shaojun but transfers the danger to the black dog and the wood carving.
• Mental endurance: The battle is as much a contest of willpower as physical or magical strength, with Chen Shaojun’s mind gradually being worn down by the Yin Baleful Intent.
• Uncertainty and escalation: Even after cutting apart the wood carving, Chen Shaojun cannot be sure the ghost is gone, maintaining suspense as the appraisal’s mysterious reward appears.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shaojun directly confronts the ghost through a battle of mental power, techniques, and countermeasures.
• The ghost attempts to confuse him with the Ghost Wall, injure him with supernatural Yin energy, and ultimately possess his body.
• Chen Shaojun counters each move with prepared materials and strategic techniques.
• Through the substitution spell, the ghost is redirected into the black dog, creating an indirect interaction between the ghost and the animal.
• The chapter ends with Chen Shaojun observing the damaged wood carving and the appearance of the Eight-Sided Rhombus Mirror, hinting at the consequences of the confrontation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun successfully completes the dangerous appraisal of the Jade Ruyi. Using a single decisive strike, he destroys the Yin Soul ghost hidden inside the black dog and disperses the treasure’s baleful intent.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror reveals the Jade Ruyi’s history:
  • It was originally created a century ago as a family heirloom.
  • Twenty years earlier, an inspection guard named Peng accepted bribes and secretly embedded a stolen Spirit Pearl into the Jade Ruyi.
  • After the guard was exposed and his family punished, the treasure eventually came into Zhao Quan’s possession.
  • Zhao Quan displayed it to his acquaintances, allowing Chen Shaojun to recognize the scarred man connected to the treasure’s past.
• The Jade Ruyi is rated Mortal Grade, Upper Rank, while the embedded Primordial Spirit Pearl is separately identified as a Low-Grade Treasure Rank item.
• Chen receives two rewards:
  1. The Baleful Severing Ruler, which can cut off baleful intent during an appraisal and prevent the appraiser from being overwhelmed.
  2. The Tai Shang Perception Scripture, a Daoist cultivation method based on visualizing a cosmic star chart.
• Chen begins practicing the scripture. By visualizing the stars, he draws mysterious energy into his body, forming strands of qi and officially returning to the path of cultivation.

Character Development

• Chen Shaojun survives the most dangerous appraisal of his life and becomes more aware of the limitations of his current abilities. Although relieved, he resolves to avoid unnecessary risks in future appraisals.
• His acquisition of the Baleful Severing Ruler greatly increases his confidence and flexibility, allowing him to interrupt dangerous appraisals instead of being forced to endure them continuously.
• The Tai Shang Perception Scripture marks a major turning point: Chen once again gains access to genuine cultivation and begins building spiritual power through qi.
• His caution remains balanced by ambition; despite recognizing the danger he faced, he immediately begins practicing the new scripture.

Significant Themes

• Danger and preparation: Chen’s survival emphasizes the importance of preparation, but also shows that even careful planning may be insufficient against powerful supernatural threats.
• The hidden value of objects: The Jade Ruyi appears to be an ordinary high-grade mortal treasure, yet the Spirit Pearl concealed within it possesses far greater value, highlighting the difference between outward appearance and true worth.
• Corruption and consequences: The treasure’s history exposes bribery and abuse of power within the imperial inspection system, while the official’s eventual punishment reinforces the consequences of greed.
• Renewal and cultivation: Chen’s receipt of the Tai Shang Perception Scripture symbolizes a new beginning, returning him to a genuine path of spiritual advancement.
• Control over fate: The Baleful Severing Ruler gives Chen a way to stop an appraisal before disaster, representing his growing ability to control risks that once left him helpless.

Character Interactions

• Chen indirectly connects the Jade Ruyi’s history to Zhao Quan, who unknowingly possessed and displayed the treasure.
• During Zhao Quan’s gathering, Chen notices the scarred man, later identified as someone surnamed Peng and possibly linked to the original corrupt owner of the Jade Ruyi.
• Chen’s primary direct “interaction” in the chapter is with the supernatural forces within the treasure: he confronts and destroys the Yin Soul ghost and overcomes the baleful intent.
• The chapter ends with Chen alone, practicing the Tai Shang Perception Scripture and beginning to form qi within his body.