Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “An Extra Thirty Years of Life”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun completes the appraisal of eight treasures and discovers that the Jade Ruyi contains a rare Primordial Spirit Pearl, a low-grade treasure capable of gathering spiritual energy, tempering the body, strengthening a Dao Foundation, and extending lifespan.
• Although the treasure belongs to the scar-faced man surnamed Peng, Chen Shaojun decides to secretly absorb its power. He justifies this by remembering that Peng obtained it through murder and that the Jade Ruyi does not truly belong to him.
• Chen channels the pearl’s energy into his body. The process is extremely painful, destroying and rebuilding his flesh, meridians, bones, and internal foundation.
• After absorbing nearly all the pearl’s power, Chen achieves Body Tempering, gaining “Golden Bones and Jade Flesh,” while also establishing a strong Dao Foundation.
• His physical strength increases dramatically. Even without formally cultivating martial arts or True Qi, he can produce powerful shockwaves with his fists.
• The Primordial Spirit Pearl also grants Chen an additional thirty years of lifespan, increasing his potential lifespan from one hundred to one hundred and thirty years.
• Chen suppresses his excitement, cleans the appraisal room, and returns to the storeroom with all eight treasures.
• Shen Lang is surprised that Chen completed the appraisals in less than two hours. He begins registering the treasures, including the Jade Ruyi, while Chen anxiously watches to ensure the nearly drained Primordial Spirit Pearl does not break.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun grows substantially stronger in both body and cultivation potential. He gains a foundation that will make future cultivation easier and removes many obstacles from his path.
• Chen also demonstrates increased decisiveness and pragmatism. Though he knows secretly taking the pearl’s energy is morally questionable, he prioritizes his own survival and advancement because Peng is a murderer.
• Despite his excitement, Chen shows restraint and composure by hiding his transformation from others and maintaining his usual dull, unremarkable appearance.
• Shen Lang continues to view Chen as unusually capable, comparing him to something destined for greatness. His surprise at Chen’s speed reinforces Chen’s growing reputation within the pawnshop.
• Peng, though not directly present in the chapter, remains an important source of tension as he waits outside to reclaim the treasure.

Significant Themes

• Power gained through risk and opportunity: Chen seizes a rare chance to improve himself, accepting tremendous pain and potential danger to obtain long-term strength.
• Moral ambiguity and survival: Chen’s decision to drain the pearl raises questions about ownership and justice, but he rationalizes it because Peng acquired the treasure through violence.
• Transformation and rebirth: The painful destruction and reconstruction of Chen’s body symbolize his transition from an ordinary appraiser toward a genuine cultivator.
• Concealment and restraint: Chen must hide his newfound abilities, showing that survival depends not only on strength but also on secrecy and self-control.
• Longevity and cultivation: The extra thirty years of life emphasize the immense value of spiritual treasures and Chen’s expanding future potential.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Shen Lang: Shen greets Chen after the appraisal and is astonished that he completed all eight treasures so quickly. Chen calmly reports his success while concealing the pearl’s absorption.
• Chen and Peng: Their interaction remains indirect, but Peng’s murderous past and expectation of reclaiming the Jade Ruyi create the chapter’s central conflict.
• Chen and the Primordial Spirit Pearl: The pearl effectively becomes the catalyst for Chen’s transformation, providing both severe physical suffering and extraordinary benefits.

Chapter Summary: “Finally in Hand”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun collects his appraisal rewards: eight red tally slips and two bamboo slips, totaling 860 copper coins, a respectable daily income but still insufficient for serious martial cultivation.
• He returns to the pawnshop courtyard, where the apprentices have gathered around the corpse of Big Black Dog, Liu Two-Leg’s vicious dog. The dog apparently dies suddenly after letting out a terrified howl.
• The apprentices mock the dog’s death as heavenly retribution, revealing how deeply they resented its past cruelty.
• Chen reflects on the many treasures and techniques he has gained through appraisal, including:
  • The Spirit-Nurturing Pill
  • Horse-taming methods
  • Medical diagnostic knowledge
  • Eight-Step Cicada Catcher
  • Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique
  • Baleful Severing Ruler
  • Tai Shang Perception Scripture
  • The previously consumed Primordial Spirit Pearl
• He realizes that his rapidly improving essence, qi, spirit, and physical strength could attract the attention of powerful observers. To disguise his growth, he decides to begin learning martial arts openly.
• Chen abandons the idea of studying under Xu Hongtao, fearing the experienced martial artist would notice inconsistencies in his development. Instead, he plans to join a martial arts school and use his existing knowledge of Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist as a cover.
• He continues cultivating the Tai Shang Perception Scripture, drawing strands of qi into his dantian.
• The chapter then shifts to Peng Dongcheng, who has finally acquired the Jade Ruyi after waiting more than six months.
• Peng reveals that he recognized the Ruyi as a Peng Family heirloom and suspected that the pearl set into it was the legendary Primordial Spirit Pearl.
• Six months earlier, he had attempted to buy it from Zhao Quan. When Zhao refused, Peng murdered Zhao and the other six members of his family, but fled before he could retrieve the sealed treasures because the authorities arrived quickly.
• After the public notice period ended, Peng tracked the Ruyi to the Lin Family Pawnshop and obtained it through a carefully arranged transaction. He is thrilled that the heirloom—and potentially the Primordial Spirit Pearl—has finally returned to his family.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun becomes increasingly cautious and strategic. He recognizes that power brings danger and that concealing his abilities is as important as developing them.
• He grows more independent, choosing not to rely on Xu Hongtao and instead planning a controlled public explanation for his martial progress.
• Peng Dongcheng is established as the murderer of the Zhao Family and as a ruthless, patient, and highly knowledgeable antagonist. His obsession with reclaiming the Jade Ruyi has driven him to murder and months of calculated waiting.
• The apprentices’ reactions to Big Black Dog reveal their shared resentment and the oppressive environment created by Liu Two-Leg and his animal.

Significant Themes

• Power and secrecy: Chen’s growing abilities create both opportunity and risk; strength must be hidden until he can protect himself.
• Greed and obsession: Peng’s desire for the Jade Ruyi and Primordial Spirit Pearl leads directly to mass murder.
• Retribution: The apprentices interpret the dog’s sudden death as punishment for its cruelty, reflecting their longing for justice.
• Patience and delayed consequences: Peng waits six months to reclaim the treasure, while Chen carefully plans how to conceal his advancement.
• The burden of extraordinary gains: Treasures and techniques improve Chen’s prospects but also make him more vulnerable to discovery.

Character Interactions

• Chen speaks with Zhao Hu and the other apprentices about Big Black Dog’s death, observing their hostility toward the animal.
• The apprentices collectively celebrate the dog’s demise, while Liu Two-Leg angrily curses over the loss.
• Chen mentally contrasts his own approach to martial training with the possibility of learning from Xu Hongtao, ultimately deciding to avoid the older man’s scrutiny.
• In the flashback, Peng Dongcheng confronts Zhao Quan over the Jade Ruyi. Zhao’s refusal triggers Peng’s murderous attack, setting in motion the chain of events that eventually returns the treasure to Peng’s hands.

Chapter Summary: “Hating Heaven’s Unfairness, Hating Earth’s Unevenness”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Peng Dongcheng attempts to use the Primordial Spirit Pearl, believing it will strengthen his body, increase his lifespan by more than twenty years, and help him break through from the seventh level of the Body Tempering Realm toward the Qi Sea and potentially Innate Realm.
• When he draws on the pearl’s power, he discovers that it is completely empty. The pearl immediately shatters, destroying his hopes of improving his cultivation and extending his life.
• Peng Dongcheng concludes that someone must have recently absorbed the pearl’s primordial spirit energy. He becomes consumed by regret, resentment, and anger at both the person responsible and his own failure to discover the pearl’s secret sooner.
• At the pawnshop, Zhang Ke enters Zhang Gao’s Water Cloud Retreat, unaware that he is being used as a test subject. Chen Shaojun knows the truth but chooses not to warn him, believing Zhang Ke would misunderstand his intentions.
• Chen completes two appraisal assignments, gaining a carpenter’s inheritance and a Blood-Qi Pill.
• He asks Shopkeeper Liu for leave so that he can find a martial arts school and begin training.
• Shopkeeper Liu approves of his decision, explains that martial arts and strong qi and blood are essential foundations for appraisers, and gives Chen ten taels of silver to support his studies.

Character Developments

• Peng Dongcheng: His ambition and confidence collapse when the Primordial Spirit Pearl proves empty. His disappointment turns into bitterness and hatred, revealing how heavily he has invested his hopes in rapid advancement and longevity.
• Chen Shaojun: He becomes increasingly practical and purposeful. Rather than involving himself in Zhang Ke’s dangerous situation, he focuses on improving his own abilities and recognizes the importance of martial training.
• Zhang Ke: He eagerly enters Water Cloud Retreat, unaware of the danger awaiting him and of his role as Zhang Gao’s experimental subject.
• Shopkeeper Liu: He begins to show genuine respect for Chen, recognizing his talent, intelligence, and rapid progress in the Divine Gaze Technique. He also reveals himself to be supportive and perceptive.
• Chief Appraiser Qin: Although absent from the chapter’s events, he is revealed to be a powerful martial artist known as “Copperhide Iron Hands.”

Significant Themes

• The fragility of ambition: Peng Dongcheng’s grand plans disappear instantly when the treasure he depended on is found to be empty.
• Resentment toward fate and inequality: The title reflects Peng’s anger at perceived unfairness—he blames heaven, earth, others, and himself for his lost opportunity.
• The connection between martial arts and appraisal: Spiritual strength, which appraisers rely on, is linked to qi and blood; therefore, martial training is presented as essential even for those who do not primarily fight.
• Pragmatism versus misplaced concern: Chen understands Zhang Ke’s danger but refuses to interfere, choosing to conserve his effort and pursue his own advancement.
• Support and recognition: Shopkeeper Liu’s financial assistance signals that Chen is gaining status and trust within the pawnshop.

Important Character Interactions

• Peng Dongcheng’s interaction is primarily with the Primordial Spirit Pearl; its failure transforms his excitement into despair and resentment.
• Chen and Zhang Ke do not directly interact, but Chen’s knowledge of Zhang Ke’s fate contrasts with Zhang Ke’s ignorance.
• Chen and Shopkeeper Liu have the chapter’s central conversation. Liu validates Chen’s decision to study martial arts, reveals Chief Appraiser Qin’s martial prowess, and provides Chen with ten taels of silver.
• This exchange marks an important step in Chen’s relationship with the pawnshop and in his transition toward formal martial cultivation.

Chapter Summary: Martial Arts School

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun leaves the Lin Clan Pawnshop for the first time, exploring Shengjing City and observing its shops, streets, vendors, and unfamiliar surroundings.
• He searches for a martial arts school, needing a believable explanation for his sudden improvement and growing strength.
• He discovers the Iron Wire Fist School, enters, and meets Mao Qiuyang, a senior disciple.
• The school charges three taels of silver per month, with a discounted six-month payment of fifteen taels. Chen pays the full amount immediately and officially becomes an apprentice.
• Mao explains that apprentices will learn the school’s foundational technique, the Ironwood Stake Skill, which trains qi, blood, and the ability to generate internal force.
• The school also sells Snake-Blood Spirit Salve, a medicinal aid for cultivation, though Chen considers it inferior to the Blood-Qi Pills provided by the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror.
• Chen learns the school’s rules, including the prohibition against teaching the Ironwood Stake Skill to outsiders and the schedule for instruction from the master.
• After returning to the pawnshop, Chen reflects on what he learned and notices that the school’s martial arts seem different from the Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist he already possesses.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Demonstrates increased confidence and decisiveness. Although he joins the school mainly as a cover for his mysterious transformation, he genuinely becomes interested in understanding martial arts theory and cultivation methods. His first trip outside the pawnshop also reveals his curiosity about the wider world.
• Mao Qiuyang: Introduced as the school’s fifth-ranked senior disciple. He is practical, businesslike, and somewhat talkative, but provides Chen with a thorough explanation of the school’s training system and expectations.
• Qian Feng: Identified as the second senior disciple who leads the daily practice sessions.
• Hong Zhankong: Established as the master of the Iron Wire Fist School, though he rarely appears except during scheduled guidance sessions.

Significant Themes

• Identity and concealment: Chen needs martial arts training as a plausible explanation for his hidden abilities and rapid growth.
• Knowledge versus appearances: Though his stated reason for joining is deceptive, Chen gains real knowledge from the school and begins comparing its methods with his superior, mysterious techniques.
• Martial arts hierarchy and discipline: The chapter explains the distinction between ordinary physical strength and the formation of “force,” which marks the transition into true martial cultivation.
• Exploration and discovery: Chen’s first journey through Shengjing emphasizes his unfamiliarity with the city and his expanding awareness of the world beyond the pawnshop.
• Secret techniques and ownership: The Ironwood Stake Skill is treated as protected knowledge, highlighting the exclusivity and rivalries of martial arts schools.

Character Interactions

• Chen speaks with Mao Qiuyang at the school entrance, negotiates no terms but immediately pays the required tuition, impressing through his decisiveness.
• Mao explains the school’s fees, medicines, training structure, rules, and the importance of cultivating force.
• Mao warns Chen not to reveal or teach the Ironwood Stake Skill to outsiders and offers to guide him through force transmission during his first three days.
• Chen observes the other apprentices practicing under Qian Feng but has not yet formed personal relationships with them.
• The chapter ends with Chen privately comparing the school’s techniques to the Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist, suggesting that the differences between the two systems will become important later.

Chapter Summary: Shen Lang Is Dead

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun compares the Iron Wire Fist School’s body-tempering techniques with the more comprehensive Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist granted by the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror.
• He decides to practice the Iron Wire techniques openly while secretly cultivating the superior Tiger Demon Fist in the appraisal room.
• Using his enormous accumulated medicinal foundation, Chen rapidly advances the Ironwood Stake Skill from beginner level to perfection. His punch releases force more than three zhang outward, far surpassing the usual major-achievement standard.
• Over the next two days, Chen continues cultivating and makes astonishing progress in the Body Tempering Realm:
  • He reaches the Sixth Layer, Blood Exchange, in one day.
  • By the second day, he advances to the Eighth Layer, Six Bowels Tempering.
  • He is now only one step away from the Ninth Layer, Inner Sight.
• Daily life at the pawnshop remains mostly uneventful. Zhang Ke continues boasting about his association with Third Master Zhang Gao, while Chen quietly cultivates and avoids revealing his true abilities.
• On the third day, Appraiser Shen Lang fails to appear for work. Shopkeeper Liu announces that Shen has been murdered and introduces Constable Ye, who questions the pawnshop employees.
• Shen’s corpse was found that morning. He had apparently been tortured before death, and the murderer had carefully erased much of the evidence.
• Chen admits that he knows little about Shen’s personal affairs. Although he remembers the scar-faced man previously connected to Shen, he says nothing because he lacks proof.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: His hidden strength and cultivation continue growing at an extraordinary pace due to the medicinal energy accumulated in his body. He becomes increasingly cautious about concealing his abilities, separating his public cultivation from his private, superior techniques.
• Zhang Ke: He remains boastful and envious, repeatedly flaunting his connection with Third Master Zhang Gao while pretending to inquire about Chen’s progress.
• Shen Lang: His sudden murder introduces a major mystery. His death suggests that he had enemies or was involved in dangerous matters unknown to most of his colleagues.
• Constable Ye: He appears as the investigator, methodically questioning the pawnshop workers about Shen’s relationships and recent behavior.
• Shopkeeper Liu and the apprentices: They react with shock and disbelief, revealing that Shen’s death was unexpected and unsettling to the entire pawnshop.

Significant Themes

• Accumulation and delayed growth: Chen’s previous consumption of powerful pills and treasures had not immediately produced breakthroughs, but the stored energy now allows him to advance at an incredible rate.
• Concealed strength: Chen deliberately hides his true cultivation, practicing ordinary techniques in public while reserving his most powerful martial art for private use.
• Superiority of opportunity and inheritance: The Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist is portrayed as far more profound than the ordinary techniques of the Iron Wire Fist School, emphasizing the value of extraordinary treasures and fortuitous encounters.
• Murder and hidden danger: Shen Lang’s death hints that unseen conflicts and threats exist beneath the pawnshop’s routine daily life.
• Caution and discretion: Chen’s decision not to mention the scar-faced man shows his awareness that revealing unverified information—or exposing his own knowledge—could place him in danger.

Character Interactions

• Chen internally compares his cultivation methods rather than openly discussing his true abilities.
• Zhang Ke continues provoking or indirectly competing with Chen by boasting about Third Master Zhang Gao’s favor.
• Shopkeeper Liu gathers the employees and introduces Constable Ye, shifting the pawnshop from an ordinary workplace into the scene of a murder investigation.
• Constable Ye questions each worker about Shen Lang’s enemies, contacts, and unusual behavior. Chen responds cautiously, withholding his suspicion regarding the scar-faced man.

Chapter Summary: “Who Says the Case Is Closed?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Constable Ye investigates the murder of Shen Lang and his family at the pawnshop. Initial questioning reveals no clear suspect, though Shen’s involvement with valuable transactions and his enemies raises the possibility of revenge.
• Shopkeeper Liu mentions an absent kitchen helper, Liu Two-Leg, who has been bedridden for two days. Constable Ye investigates him but discovers that Liu has been consumed by Killing Intent and is near death, making him unlikely to be Shen’s murderer.
• At the pawnshop, servants and apprentices speculate about Shen’s death. They recall his harsh, petty, and vengeful nature, as well as the mysterious death of Liu Two-Leg’s dog and Zhang Wang’s earlier affliction by Killing Intent.
• Xu Hongtao discusses ghosts, ghost domains, and supernatural phenomena. Chen Shaojun privately realizes that the dog’s death was caused by his own Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique, though no one suspects him.
• Chen remains more concerned about the scarred man, whom he believes may have targeted Shen Lang and could eventually come after him because Chen appraised the Jade Ruyi.
• At the crime scene, Chief Constable Xing examines the bodies of Shen Lang’s entire family. He identifies similarities between the murders and an unsolved family massacre from six months earlier.
• Xing reveals that the earlier case was not truly solved: the authorities executed a death-row prisoner to close it after failing to find the real murderer. He suspects the same killer has resurfaced.
• The murderer appears to be a highly skilled swordsman of roughly the seventh or eighth Body Tempering level, who carefully erases evidence and kills without an obvious motive.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun remains cautious and secretive. He recognizes the danger posed by the scarred man and successfully conceals his use of sorcery.
• Constable Ye investigates methodically but avoids becoming involved in the dangerous problem of Killing Intent afflicting Liu Two-Leg.
• Chief Constable Xing emerges as experienced and pragmatic, exposing the yamen’s willingness to fabricate a case closure and execute a scapegoat.
• Shen Lang is portrayed through others’ comments as cruel, vindictive, and widely feared rather than mourned.
• Xu Hongtao entertains the workers with stories of supernatural encounters, reinforcing his role as a worldly storyteller.
• Liu Two-Leg is shown to be physically wasting away under the effects of Killing Intent, removing him as a serious suspect.

Significant Themes

• False justice and institutional corruption: The authorities previously “solved” a case by blaming an innocent death-row prisoner, revealing the gap between official closure and truth.
• Hidden motives and unresolved crimes: The current murderer kills without an apparent motive, making the investigation more difficult and suggesting a larger mystery.
• Supernatural danger: Killing Intent, ghosts, and sorcery exist alongside ordinary criminal investigation.
• Fear and moral ambiguity: The workers feel little sympathy for Shen because of his cruelty, while Chen himself hides morally questionable actions behind careful deception.
• The danger of unfinished business: The earlier massacre was never truly resolved, and the scarred man’s connection to Shen’s death may place Chen in danger.

Character Interactions

• Constable Ye questions Shopkeeper Liu about the pawnshop staff and follows the lead concerning Liu Two-Leg.
• The pawnshop workers discuss Shen’s personality, his possible enemies, and the strange deaths surrounding the shop.
• Xu Hongtao engages the workers with tales of ghosts and supernatural realms, while Chen listens silently and evaluates what Xu may understand.
• Constable Ye reports to Chief Constable Xing, who challenges the assumption that the older massacre was solved and links it to the new killings.

Chapter Summary: “Clang”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Calm returns to the Lin Clan Pawnshop after the earlier disturbance involving the Primordial Spirit Pearl.
• The three official appraisers are present, including the silent and imposing chief appraiser Qin Wenshan, known as “Copperhide Iron Hands.”
• The shopkeeper introduces Lin Qi, a refined young man who replaces the deceased Shen Lang as ticket clerk. Lin Qi’s fan bears the words “Second Under Heaven,” provoking curiosity about his identity, abilities, and ambitions.
• Chen Shaojun suspects Lin Qi may have a connection to the powerful Lin Family, though probably not as a direct descendant.
• That night, Chen practices martial arts openly because his recent association with a martial arts school gives him a legitimate explanation for his abilities.
• Using the Spirit Eye Technique, Chen examines the blood qi of the pawnshop’s senior figures:
  • Zhang Gao appears the weakest.
  • Dai Ming and Shopkeeper Liu are stronger.
  • Xu Hongtao is unexpectedly weaker than Qin Wenshan, likely because of an old injury near his dantian.
  • Lin Qi has relatively weak blood qi but detects Chen’s observation, revealing that he is highly perceptive and dangerous.
• Near midnight, the assassin Peng Dongcheng attacks the pawnshop. Driven mad by the loss of the Primordial Spirit Pearl, he intends to kill everyone in the establishment.
• Peng recognizes neither Chen’s importance nor his identity, seeing him merely as another target.
• Chen calmly confronts him with a mysterious straight ruler. When Peng strikes with a high-quality longsword, Chen’s ruler shatters the blade, leaving Peng stunned.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Becomes increasingly confident in his martial abilities while remaining cautious and observant. He realizes the Spirit Eye Technique has limitations when used against experts and demonstrates unexpected combat strength.
• Lin Qi: Introduced as elegant, self-assured, and enigmatic. His “Second Under Heaven” inscription suggests immense confidence. His ability to sense Chen’s Spirit Eye Technique establishes him as far more formidable than his blood qi suggests.
• Peng Dongcheng: Revealed to be consumed by rage and obsession after failing to obtain the Primordial Spirit Pearl. His grief over losing his carefully prepared plan transforms into indiscriminate murderous vengeance.
• Xu Hongtao: His apparent strength is called into question. His unstable blood qi and injury near the dantian suggest that his past may include a serious defeat or hidden weakness.
• Qin Wenshan: Remains silent and unreadable, but his strong blood qi and reputation imply considerable power.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deceptive appearances: Lin Qi looks like a refined scholar but possesses extraordinary perception, while Chen appears to be only an apprentice yet can destroy a powerful weapon.
• Caution versus overconfidence: Chen learns to remain vigilant, whereas Peng’s rage and assumptions cause him to underestimate his target.
• Consequences of obsession: Peng’s fixation on extending his lifespan and reaching the Innate Realm leads him into madness and indiscriminate violence.
• Uncertainty and concealed identities: Lin Qi’s origins, the meaning of “Second Under Heaven,” and the full extent of Chen’s mysterious ruler remain unresolved.
• The limits of perception: Chen’s Spirit Eye Technique can reveal blood qi, but truly skilled individuals may detect it, forcing him to refine his methods.

Character Interactions

• The shopkeeper formally places Lin Qi above the apprentices and beneath only the shopkeeper and chief appraisers, creating immediate curiosity and tension.
• Chen silently observes Lin Qi and the pawnshop’s senior figures rather than directly engaging them.
• Lin Qi indirectly notices Chen’s supernatural inspection, creating an unspoken exchange and mutual wariness.
• Peng Dongcheng launches a surprise attack on Chen, believing him insignificant.
• Chen counters Peng’s sword with his ruler, dramatically reversing the power dynamic and ending the chapter on Peng’s shock at Chen’s hidden strength.

Chapter Summary: “This Is All It Took to Die?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Peng Dongcheng attacks Chen Shaojun, intending to kill him.
• Chen immediately uses the Baleful Severing Ruler, his only available weapon, to block and shatter Peng’s longsword.
• Before Peng can react, Chen strikes him on the head, killing him instantly.
• Chen is shocked by how easily the battle ends. Because he remembers Peng slaughtering Zhao Quan’s family, he had expected a formidable martial expert.
• Worried that the authorities will discover the corpse and question how an Appraiser Apprentice could kill a trained assassin, Chen drags the body and broken sword over the courtyard wall into the alley.
• The following morning, a corpse is discovered, drawing servants, apprentices, onlookers, and constables.
• A servant reveals that the dead man had previously purchased a Jade Ruyi from the pawnshop, creating a possible connection between Peng and the establishment.
• Chen denies knowing anything about the murder, claiming that he slept through the night and only learned of the death when people began shouting.
• The constables identify the corpse as a Seventh-Stage Body Tempering Martial Warrior and likely the killer responsible for the slaughter of Shen Lang’s family.
• After examining the broken sword, Chief Constable Xing concludes that the murderer must be a powerful Qi Sea Realm expert or stronger, greatly overestimating Chen’s cultivation.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates remarkable combat ability and decisiveness. Despite his fear, he attacks first and kills Peng before the assassin can respond.
• Chen remains unaware of his own strength. He assumes Peng must have been weak rather than accepting that his rapid martial progress and the Baleful Severing Ruler made him vastly more powerful.
• His practical and cautious side emerges as he quickly considers how to conceal the body and avoid attracting official suspicion.
• Chen also shows growing confidence in handling danger, successfully deceiving the constables while maintaining the appearance of an ordinary Appraiser Apprentice.
• Peng Dongcheng is revealed to be far less formidable than Chen expected, dying almost instantly despite being a trained killer.
• Chief Constable Xing and Constable Ye display strong investigative abilities, correctly reconstructing the battle from the corpse, witnesses, and broken weapon, though they misjudge the killer’s identity and power.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and mistaken self-perception: Chen’s extraordinary power contrasts with his belief that he is weak and inexperienced.
• Appearances versus reality: The constables assume an ordinary apprentice could not possibly defeat Peng, while Chen’s true abilities remain concealed.
• Survival and self-preservation: Chen’s immediate concern shifts from victory to hiding the body and avoiding legal consequences.
• Consequences of violence: Even justified self-defense creates practical problems, especially when the killer’s identity and the circumstances cannot easily be explained.
• Cultivation and power escalation: The broken Hundred-Forged Steel sword becomes evidence of a much stronger expert, emphasizing how martial strength is interpreted through cultivation realms.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Peng’s brief confrontation is one-sided: Chen destroys Peng’s weapon and kills him before Peng can retaliate.
• Chen interacts with the pawnshop servants and apprentices, silently relying on their assumptions that he is weak and insignificant.
• A servant’s nervous statement links Peng to the pawnshop through the Jade Ruyi purchase.
• Chen gives the constables a carefully crafted denial, presenting himself as an uninformed, exhausted apprentice.
• Constable Ye questions witnesses and rebukes Chen for asking too much, while Chief Constable Xing analyzes the evidence and declares that the killer must be a Qi Sea Realm expert.

Chapter Summary: Fish Essence Stone (Asking for Monthly Tickets)

Key Plot Points and Events

• After recent disturbances, a constable concludes that the culprit is unlikely to be a powerful Qi Sea Realm expert. Chen Shaojun is relieved, realizing that the investigation will not lead back to him.
• Despite the pawnshop’s reduced business, Chen receives an orange, heart-shaped gemstone to appraise. It is covered in Killing Intent and feels unnaturally cold.
• Chen performs the appraisal rituals and uses the Divine Gaze Technique. His strengthened spiritual power completely purges the gemstone’s Killing Intent.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror reveals the stone’s origins:
  • A green fish swallowed a spiritually infused aquatic plant and gradually transformed into a large fish demon.
  • After killing several fishermen, it was hunted and slain by a young swordsman.
  • A fisherman discovered the orange stone in the demon’s throat, after which it was carved into a heart shape and passed through many owners before reaching the pawnshop.
• The treasure is identified as a Fish Essence Stone, a Lower Dharma Grade item. It can ward off misfortune and evil, attract blessings and fortune, and, when ground with water and consumed, dispel Killing Intent.
• Chen receives a Body-Fixing Talisman as his appraisal reward. When activated, it can immobilize an opponent and potentially save his life.
• Chen continues cultivating the Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist. He has progressed from the Seventh Stage to the Eighth Stage of Body Tempering, tempering his six bowels and preparing to reach the perfected Body Tempering Realm and eventually the Qi Sea Realm.

Character Development

• Chen Shaojun is increasingly confident in both his safety and abilities. His enhanced vitality, blood and qi, and spiritual power allow him to cleanse Killing Intent far more efficiently than before.
• He gains his first clear vision of a demon’s existence and development, broadening his understanding of the supernatural world.
• The discovery of the Fish Essence Stone gives him a potentially valuable means of treating Killing Intent, one of the greatest dangers faced by pawnshop appraisers.
• His cultivation continues at a rapid pace, and he expects to perfect the Eighth Layer within two days and attempt the Ninth Layer soon afterward.

Significant Themes

• Growth through cultivation: Chen’s physical and spiritual strength have advanced dramatically, making previously dangerous appraisals easier.
• Hidden supernatural history: Ordinary objects may conceal extraordinary origins involving demons, spiritual plants, violence, and forgotten struggles.
• The danger of Killing Intent: The chapter emphasizes how lethal and difficult to cure Killing Intent is, making the Fish Essence Stone especially valuable.
• Preparation and survival: The Body-Fixing Talisman and Chen’s steady training reflect his growing focus on protecting himself against future threats.
• Fortune concealed within danger: A frightening, Killing Intent-laden gemstone ultimately proves to be a beneficial Dharma treasure.

Character Interactions

• Chen observes the constable’s investigation but does not directly confront him, relying on the conclusion that no powerful expert was involved.
• Through the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror, Chen witnesses the fish demon’s conflict with the young swordsman, as well as the fisherman’s discovery of the stone.
• No major direct conversations occur in the chapter; the focus is on Chen’s appraisal, internal reactions, and cultivation.

Chapter Summary: Martial Hero Marquis

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun reflects on his rapid progress in martial arts. Although he has reached the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, he lacks an inner cultivation method and therefore cannot easily advance to the Qi Sea Realm, also known as the Martial Master realm.
• Since the Iron Wire Fist School will not teach him its inner techniques without him becoming a true disciple or making major contributions, Chen decides to rely on the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror and continue appraising treasures in hopes of receiving useful rewards.
• He continues cultivating the Tai Shang Perception Scripture, accumulating a mysterious inner “qi” that he believes may eventually transform and further strengthen him.
• After appraising a Fish Essence Stone, Chen explains that it is the throat bone of a powerful fish or aquatic demon. It can ward off misfortune and evil and is more valuable than ordinary jade.
• Chen deliberately conceals the stone’s ability to dissolve and neutralize Baleful Intent, knowing that revealing such advanced knowledge could attract unwanted attention.
• Lin Qi praises Chen’s mastery of the Divine Gaze Technique and his exceptional appraisal abilities. Chen responds modestly, attributing his skill to reading and luck, while remaining wary of Lin Qi’s perceptiveness.
• Chen returns to the pawnshop and then heads back to the Iron Wire Fist School, maintaining the appearance of an ordinary, diligent apprentice despite his hidden strength.
• On the way, he listens to a storyteller recount the legendary exploits of the Martial Hero Marquis, particularly his solitary charge against a vast Barbarian Tribe army.
• The story inspires Chen but also reminds him how insignificant his current strength is compared with the world’s true martial elites.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Becomes increasingly cautious and strategic. He recognizes that his extraordinary abilities must remain hidden and that continued treasure appraisal is central to his survival and advancement. His confidence after reaching the Eighth Layer of Body Tempering is tempered by hearing of far stronger figures.
• Lin Qi: Reveals himself to be observant and difficult to deceive. His comment that he does not believe in luck suggests he suspects Chen’s abilities are more unusual than Chen admits.
• Martial Hero Marquis: Though absent from the scene, he is characterized as a legendary Martial Saint, a peerless warrior whose military achievements and future potential command widespread admiration.

Significant Themes

• Concealment and self-preservation: Chen carefully hides the true extent of his knowledge and abilities to avoid attracting danger.
• The limits of personal strength: His recent achievements seem impressive to him, but the legend of the Martial Hero Marquis places them in a much larger hierarchy of power.
• Accumulation and patience: Chen relies on steady cultivation, treasure appraisal, and the gradual accumulation of mysterious qi rather than rushing recklessly toward a breakthrough.
• Reputation versus reality: Chen appears to be an inexperienced apprentice, while privately possessing remarkable martial and appraisal abilities.
• Aspirations and the wider world: The story of the Martial Hero Marquis expands Chen’s awareness of the powerful figures and vast realms beyond his immediate surroundings.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shaojun and Lin Qi: Lin Qi questions and praises Chen’s appraisal skill, while Chen responds with humility and guardedness. Their exchange establishes mutual observation and possible suspicion.
• Chen Shaojun and the pawnshop staff: Chen explains the Fish Essence Stone to Lin Qi, retrieves his tally token from Xu Hongtao, and apologizes to the shopkeeper before leaving.
• Chen Shaojun and the public crowd: He listens among ordinary townspeople to a discussion about the Martial Hero Marquis, gaining both inspiration and perspective from their admiration of legendary martial power.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun continues secretly cultivating at the martial arts hall while pretending to be a beginner. He practices the Ironwood Stake Skill and receives guidance from Fifth Senior Brother Mao Qiuyang, who believes Chen has only recently developed strength.
• After three days, Chen tells Mao that he has learned enough to practice independently at home, allowing him to stop attending the hall without revealing his true cultivation.
• Returning to the pawnshop, Chen discovers that more than twenty new Appraiser Apprentices from the Lin Family have arrived, filling the previously vacant rooms.
• The newcomers have been sent because Shengjing City’s annual Treasure Fair is approaching. The fair gathers countless rare treasures and requires large numbers of Appraisers to cleanse Baleful Intent and appraise them.
• Ayong explains that the Treasure Fair is extremely dangerous. Unlike the carefully screened items normally handled by apprentices, the sheer volume of treasures at the fair means apprentices will face much stronger Killing Intent. Many may become seriously ill or die, with fewer than five of the twenty newcomers expected to survive.
• Despite the danger, the fair also offers extraordinary opportunities. Treasures containing spiritual energy, vital essence, primordial energy, or Auspicious Aura can greatly improve an Appraiser’s abilities and constitution. Some apprentices may even advance directly to Certified Appraiser or gain the favor of powerful figures.
• The apprentices become torn between fear and ambition, each wondering whether they might be among the fortunate few who survive and rise in status.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Demonstrates careful concealment and strategic thinking by hiding his true martial strength. His desire to improve and escape his lowly pawnshop status becomes stronger after hearing about the opportunities at the Treasure Fair.
• Mao Qiuyang: Appears responsible and supportive, personally guiding Chen’s early martial practice and offering practical advice.
• Ayong: Acts as the most experienced and realistic apprentice. He warns the others about the fair’s deadly risks, though his own fear and longing for advancement are also evident.
• The other apprentices: Shift from shock and anxiety to cautious excitement when they learn that surviving the fair could lead to promotion, wealth, or influence.

Significant Themes

• Risk versus opportunity: The Treasure Fair may bring death, but it may also provide the only path to advancement.
• Ambition and hope: Even after hearing grim survival odds, the apprentices cling to the possibility that they could be the lucky exception.
• Hidden strength and survival: Chen’s concealed cultivation reflects the broader need to hide one’s abilities and carefully navigate dangerous environments.
• Social inequality and aspiration: Chen’s dissatisfaction with communal living and his servant status motivates his desire to become stronger and advance.
• Fate versus personal ability: Success at the fair appears to depend partly on skill, but luck will determine who survives the deadly treasures.

Character Interactions

• Mao Qiuyang guides Chen through martial practice, unaware that Chen is far stronger than he appears.
• Chen questions the experienced apprentices about the sudden influx of newcomers.
• Ayong explains the Treasure Fair’s dangers and opportunities to Chen, Zhao Hu, and the others.
• Zhao Hu reacts fearfully to Ayong’s description of the apprentices’ likely deaths, while the group later becomes excited by the possibility of promotion.
• The apprentices collectively confront the same dilemma: whether the chance to become Certified Appraisers is worth risking their lives.

Chapter Summary: “A Kind Heart”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ayong and the other Appraiser Apprentices learn about the upcoming Treasure Fair, which offers even newcomers a chance to gain extraordinary benefits. A previous apprentice reportedly transformed his constitution after appraising a rare treasure and eventually became a Certified Appraiser.
• The news creates mixed reactions among the apprentices. Some are excited by the possibility of advancement, while others fear the Treasure Fair’s extremely high death rate. However, their contracts prevent them from escaping.
• Chen Shaojun views the Treasure Fair as an ideal opportunity to achieve Minor Mastery of the Divine Gaze Technique, the requirement for becoming a Certified Appraiser. He hopes this will allow him to escape his slave status and regain his freedom.
• The pawnshop increases the apprentices’ workload instead of reducing it. Old treasures stored in the vault are brought out for practice, though their Killing Intent is weaker than that of newly acquired items.
• Because there are too few appraisal rooms, apprentices must work in groups. Veteran apprentices are also ordered to train the new arrivals.
• Chen is assigned three apprentices—Guo Haiwang, Sun Ming, and Li Dan—three impoverished boys from Chu Commandery.
• Guo explains that their homeland was devastated by a demon-related disaster at Zhou Lake. The boys became refugees, were taken in by the Lin Family, and were eventually sold or assigned to the pawnshop as Appraiser Apprentices.
• Chen recognizes that the Lin Family is not acting out of charity. The apprentices are being used as expendable “cannon fodder,” with the family hoping that even one survivor will become a Certified Appraiser.
• Chen patiently teaches the three boys how to appraise treasures, explaining the importance of candles, incense, and especially the Divine Gaze Technique.
• After sending the exhausted apprentices to rest, Chen begins appraising his own treasure. Unlike the newcomers, he directly uses the Divine Gaze Technique without ceremonial preparation and quickly completes the appraisal.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Becomes increasingly determined to use the Treasure Fair to advance his cultivation and break free from slavery. Despite recognizing the danger, he remains composed and focused. His treatment of the new apprentices reveals compassion and a sense of responsibility.
• Ayong: Shows ambition and hope, believing he might be one of the lucky apprentices whose fate changes through the appraisal of a remarkable treasure.
• Guo Haiwang, Sun Ming, and Li Dan: Are introduced as young, malnourished refugees forced into the dangerous appraisal profession. Their difficult pasts and mature acceptance of their circumstances emphasize their vulnerability.
• Guo Haiwang: Acts as the spokesman for the group. Though aware of the profession’s dangers, he accepts that they have little choice but to continue.
• The Lin Family and pawnshop: Their exploitative motives become clearer. They treat the apprentices as disposable investments rather than people.

Significant Themes

• Hope amid exploitation: The Treasure Fair offers a genuine chance for advancement, but that opportunity is built upon the apprentices’ willingness to risk death.
• Fate and luck: The possibility of a miraculous treasure changing someone’s constitution gives the apprentices hope that fortune may overturn their circumstances.
• Class oppression and lack of freedom: The poor are forced into dangerous work because they have no viable alternatives, while powerful families profit from their suffering.
• Compassion and kindness: Chen’s willingness to teach the new apprentices contrasts sharply with the Lin Family’s cold calculations. His kindness does not erase their danger, but it gives them a better chance of surviving.
• Survival and sacrifice: The apprentices understand that they are being used as expendable tools, yet desperation leaves them no option except to proceed.

Character Interactions

• Ayong discusses the Treasure Fair’s potential with other apprentices, revealing their shared hopes and anxieties.
• Chen speaks with Guo Haiwang about the boys’ origins and learns about the disaster that drove them from Chu Commandery.
• Chen empathizes with the three newcomers but does not offer empty reassurance; instead, he provides practical instruction to improve their survival chances.
• He teaches them the appraisal process in detail, demonstrating both his growing expertise and his willingness to help those placed under his supervision.

Chapter Summary: Minor Mastery of Divine Gaze Technique

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun continues appraising treasures after receiving the Basic Herb Identification technique, realizing it has made him capable of diagnosing and treating common illnesses.
• He appraises five treasures in total, deliberately stopping to avoid attracting suspicion. The rewards include:
  • A

Blood-Qi Pill

• A

Spirit-Communing Pill

Detailed Bare-Handed Climbing Knowledge

• The Spirit-Communing Pill acts as an experience-enhancing item. Chen Shaojun consumes it to accelerate his understanding of the Divine Gaze Technique.
• His Divine Gaze Technique breaks through from the proficient level to minor mastery.
• After the breakthrough, his activation speed improves from two breaths to one, and his mental power becomes capable of physically affecting objects.
• He tests the new ability by pushing the five treasures on a nearby table from a distance of three feet.
• Chen Shaojun decides not to reveal his breakthrough immediately. He plans to wait until the upcoming Treasure Fair, when he can use his improved abilities to escape his slave status and gain a better position.
• He then consumes a Blood-Qi Pill and begins practicing the Tiger Demon Body-Tempering Fist.

Character Development

• Chen Shaojun becomes increasingly versatile, gaining medical knowledge alongside his appraisal abilities and martial training.
• His caution and strategic thinking are emphasized. Although he now possesses skills comparable to a Certified Appraiser, he chooses not to expose them prematurely.
• His confidence grows after mastering the Divine Gaze Technique, but he remains aware of his limitations and understands that greater strength will require continued cultivation.
• He shows ambition for the future, imagining abilities such as long-distance mental attacks, sword flight, and extraordinary movement.

Significant Themes

• Accumulation and gradual growth: Chen Shaojun views every appraisal reward as a small gain that may eventually lead to powerful abilities.
• Concealment and survival: His decision to limit appraisals and hide his true strength reflects the dangers of living under another’s control.
• Power through knowledge: Medical expertise, climbing skills, appraisal techniques, and martial cultivation all contribute to his growing independence.
• Patience and timing: Rather than immediately seeking recognition, Chen Shaojun waits for the Treasure Fair, believing the right opportunity will maximize his advantage.
• Progress from the mundane to the supernatural: His abilities evolve from identifying herbs and appraising objects to using mental power to physically move items.

Character Interactions

• There are no direct conversations or major interpersonal encounters in this chapter.
• Chen Shaojun’s decisions are influenced by his relationship with Lin Qi, whose status and methods make Chen cautious about revealing his abilities.
• His interaction with the appraisal shop’s resources—especially the stored treasures and the rewarded pills—drives the chapter’s progression.

Chapter Summary: “Eight Beds, Nine People”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The growing number of apprentices makes the rear courtyard and dining hall more lively. The new apprentices are especially grateful for the pawnshop’s free meals, having previously suffered severe hunger and poverty.
• Zhao Hu and Du Hao discuss their appraisal work and progress in the Divine Gaze Technique. Zhao Hu expects to earn silver, while Du Hao recounts narrowly surviving contact with a dangerous Poisonous Baleful Intent.
• Zhang Ke behaves unusually withdrawn and distressed. Instead of joining the others as he normally would, he isolates himself, appearing pale, defeated, and lifeless.
• That night, after martial arts training, Chen Shaojun senses a dangerous, freezing aura in the communal sleeping area.
• Using the Spirit Eye Technique, Chen discovers something horrifying: although there are eight beds, nine people are present. A ghostly child is lying beside Zhang Ke, clinging to his neck and repeatedly sucking away his vitality.
• Chen is caught unprepared. His previous method of dealing with ghosts—the Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique—requires preparation, while his martial arts and Spirit Eye Technique may be ineffective against supernatural beings.
• When the ghost briefly turns toward him, Chen prepares for a desperate confrontation. However, it soon loses interest and returns to feeding on Zhang Ke, leaving Chen confused but temporarily safe.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun remains cautious and observant. His strengthened body and heightened senses allow him to detect the ghost, but the encounter exposes his uncertainty and lack of reliable methods against spirits.
• Zhao Hu appears optimistic and satisfied with his progress, believing he may earn a respectable amount through appraising antiques.
• Du Hao shows growing confidence in his Divine Gaze Technique, though his account of nearly being harmed by Poisonous Baleful Intent reveals the dangers of the work.
• Zhang Ke undergoes a sharp change from his usual arrogant, boastful personality to a pale, frightened, and isolated state. His strange condition is revealed to be connected to the ghost feeding on him.
• The ghost child is introduced as a sinister supernatural presence that drains Zhang Ke’s human vitality while remaining indifferent to Chen for the moment.

Significant Themes

• Poverty and gratitude: The apprentices’ joy over free food highlights their desperate pasts and the pawnshop’s importance to them.
• Hidden danger: Ordinary daily life conceals supernatural threats, emphasizing the unpredictable risks of appraisal work.
• Limits of strength: Despite Chen’s physical advancement, martial power alone may not be enough to handle ghosts.
• Isolation and vulnerability: Zhang Ke’s withdrawal reflects how supernatural danger separates him from the others, while Chen faces the threat alone and cannot openly act without understanding the situation.
• Uncertainty and helplessness: Chen’s hesitation shows that knowledge and preparation are as important as cultivation when confronting unfamiliar enemies.

Character Interactions

• Zhao Hu and Du Hao compare their appraisal experiences and Divine Gaze progress, with Zhao Hu expressing surprise at Du Hao’s improvement.
• Du Hao notices Zhang Ke’s abnormal behavior and asks if something is wrong, but Zhang gives an evasive reply and deliberately avoids the group.
• Zhao Hu and Chen both recognize that Zhang’s behavior is unusual, though Chen initially chooses not to involve himself.
• Chen later observes Zhang in secret and discovers the ghost attached to him, creating a tense connection between the two despite their lack of direct interaction.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun struggles with how to deal with the ghost haunting his roommate, Zhang Ke. He cannot attack it openly without exposing his extraordinary martial abilities, and he rejects the idea of pretending to exorcise it.
• After reasoning that Zhang Ke was likely chosen as a substitute by Third Appraiser Zhang Gao, Chen realizes the ghost is connected to Zhang Gao’s practice of using apprentices to absorb or endure the Killing Intent of cursed treasures.
• Fearing that Zhang Gao may eventually target him as well, Chen decides to use the Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique to transfer the ghost’s danger from Zhang Ke back to Zhang Gao.
• Chen spends the night awake, cultivating the Tai Shang Perception Scripture. He gains twenty threads of spiritual “qi,” bringing him close to the point where he can properly mobilize it. The qi also slightly strengthens his Spirit Eye and Divine Gaze techniques.
• By morning, the ghost has vanished, but Zhang Ke appears severely weakened: pale, exhausted, and visibly drained of vitality. Chen confirms that the haunting was real by discovering a lingering chill and strands of hair beneath Zhang Ke’s pillow.
• Chen proceeds with his plan to use Zhang Ke’s and Zhang Gao’s hair as mediums for the substitution technique, hoping either to make Zhang Gao deal with the ghost or at least weaken it.
• At the pawnshop, the apprentices receive several valuable “large items” for appraisal: a bronze cauldron, two metal Buddha statues, and a lacquerware object shaped like a golden alms bowl.
• While the other apprentices avoid these difficult and dangerous treasures, Chen deliberately takes all four, viewing them as an opportunity to gain more power and protective methods.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun becomes increasingly cautious, pragmatic, and proactive. Though he is not motivated by selfless heroism, he refuses to let Zhang Gao’s schemes endanger him and chooses to manipulate the situation in his own favor.
• His cultivation advances significantly as he spends the night practicing the Tai Shang Perception Scripture. He is approaching the threshold needed to control his accumulated qi more effectively.
• Zhang Ke suffers the physical consequences of the ghost’s attack. His weakened appearance confirms that the haunting is draining his vitality.
• Zhang Gao is further established as a manipulative and dangerous figure who sacrifices apprentices to protect himself from cursed treasures and their Killing Intent.

Significant Themes

• Self-preservation and moral ambiguity: Chen helps Zhang Ke primarily because the ghost may eventually threaten him, making his actions practical rather than altruistic.
• Using evil against evil: The Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique is itself sinister, but Chen considers it appropriate for countering Zhang Gao’s equally wicked methods.
• Hidden danger and manipulation: The apprentices are unknowingly used as expendable shields by the appraisers, while cursed objects and supernatural forces remain concealed beneath ordinary pawnshop work.
• Power through cultivation: Chen’s growing spiritual qi and supernatural perception provide him with the means to survive increasingly dangerous situations.
• Opportunity within danger: Rather than avoiding the large treasures, Chen sees their risks as chances to strengthen himself.

Character Interactions

• Chen silently observes Zhang Ke’s condition and later confirms the haunting by inspecting his bed and pillow.
• Du Hao notices Zhang Ke’s terrible appearance and asks whether he slept, prompting Zhang Ke to describe his nightmares.
• Chen internally recognizes that Zhang Ke’s symptoms are the result of being tormented and drained by the ghost.
• At the storeroom, the apprentices collectively avoid the large treasures because of their difficulty and potential danger, while Chen shocks them by claiming all four for himself.

Chapter Summary: “Bronze Cauldron”

• Warnings about dangerous treasures: While registering large treasures, Lin Qi warns Chen Shaojun that even items cleansed of Baleful Intent three years earlier can accumulate it again, especially larger objects. Chen acknowledges the danger but remains determined to improve his Divine Gaze Technique before the approaching Treasure Fair.
• Zhang Ke’s worsening condition: Outside the appraisal rooms, Ayong tells Chen that Zhang Ke’s pale complexion suggests his mind has been injured by Killing Intent. Chen knows the truth is worse: Zhang Ke is also being haunted by a Yin ghost and may be completely drained within two days. Ayong suspects Zhang Gao deliberately lured Zhang Ke to Water Cloud Retreat and fears that the apprentices will be targeted one by one.
• Threat from the Certified Appraisers: Ayong explains that the Certified Appraisers view apprentices as expendable tools, particularly with the Treasure Fair approaching. He believes Zhang Gao and the others may become even more reckless because the Fair’s rankings and the pawnshops’ reputations are at stake. Chen reflects that without becoming a Certified Appraiser, one remains powerless.
• Ayong’s breakthrough plan: Ayong reveals that he secretly reached the proficient level of the Divine Gaze Technique long ago but concealed it to avoid attracting the Certified Appraisers’ attention. He plans to ask the shopkeeper for permission to enter seclusion and attempt a breakthrough to Minor Mastery. He has spent his savings on Spirit-Calming Incense and other preparations, hoping either to advance or at least avoid persecution until the Treasure Fair begins. He urges Chen to join him.
• Chen refuses: Chen declines, claiming that he has only recently reached the proficient level and is still far from Minor Mastery. In reality, he has already achieved Minor Mastery but does not want to reveal his full strength prematurely. He also needs to continue appraising treasures through the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror to obtain rewards and grow. The unresolved danger surrounding Zhang Ke’s ghost is another reason he cannot withdraw into seclusion.
• Appraisal of the bronze cauldron: Returning to Appraisal Room Seven, Chen waits until Guo Haiwang and the others finish before beginning his own work. He uses the Spirit Eye Technique and detects a large amount of Yin Baleful Intent within the treasures, with the bronze cauldron containing enough to approach the ominous phenomenon of Killing Intent crowning the head. After lighting candles and burning incense, Chen activates the Divine Gaze Technique. His spiritual power disperses the cauldron’s Killing Intent, allowing the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror to reveal its history.
• History revealed: The bronze cauldron was forged roughly a century earlier by a black-robed sorcerer, who shaped it in intense flames, carved fire dragons onto its surface, and quenched it with spiritual water. It later belonged to an elderly monk who used it for refining medicinal pills. After decades, the cauldron passed to the monk’s disciple, who eventually died in an accident, causing it to be sealed away. Years later, blood-robed attackers destroyed the temple and forced its disciples to flee. A fat monk escaped with the cauldron and other Buddhist treasures, eventually pawning them in Shengjing City.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chen Shaojun appears increasingly confident and cautious. He hides the true extent of his cultivation while independently investigating the dangers surrounding Zhang Ke.
• Ayong is revealed to be more capable than he previously admitted. His weariness and distrust of the Certified Appraisers show how long he has endured their exploitation, but he still tries to protect Chen by proposing they advance together.
• Lin Qi offers practical but limited protection, warning Chen about the dangers of large treasures without trying to stop him.
• Zhang Gao is portrayed as a manipulative and dangerous figure, while Zhang Ke becomes the apparent victim of his schemes.
• Chen’s interactions with Ayong emphasize mutual concern, shared danger, and differing strategies: Ayong seeks safety through seclusion, while Chen chooses to remain active and continue appraising.

Significant Themes

• Powerlessness within a rigid hierarchy: Apprentices are treated as expendable until they become Certified Appraisers.
• Ambition versus self-preservation: Ayong risks a dangerous breakthrough to gain protection, while Chen balances concealment, growth, and immediate threats.
• Hidden strength and deception: Chen conceals his true cultivation, just as Ayong previously hid his own progress.
• The lingering danger of Baleful Intent: Even cleansed treasures can regain harmful power, making appraisal both valuable and hazardous.
• Exploitation and survival: The approaching Treasure Fair intensifies competition and causes powerful figures to treat weaker practitioners as disposable resources.

Chapter Summary: “Magical Artifact”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun appraises a bronze cauldron and discovers that it is a Green-Copper Alchemy Cauldron, a mid-grade Dharma-rank treasure capable of gathering fire, stabilizing medicinal properties, and slightly improving pill-formation success.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror rewards him with Hui Neng’s Alchemy Manual, giving him a complete foundational inheritance in alchemy, including fire-control methods, pill-collecting techniques, and other essential knowledge.
• The manual contains only one pill formula: the Dragon-Tiger Vitality Pill. Although its ingredients are available, they would cost at least a thousand taels of silver, far beyond Chen Shaojun’s means. He nevertheless recognizes that the pill could be highly profitable, especially among wealthy and powerful men.
• Chen then appraises a metal Buddha statue. Its history reveals that it came from Fangyuan Temple, a temple that combined Buddhist teachings with martial arts and cultivation. The temple gradually declined and was eventually destroyed by red-clothed attackers.
• The Buddha statue is judged to be a lower Dharma-rank treasure, and Chen receives the Diamond Sutra as his reward.
• A second Buddha statue is appraised as a mid-grade Dharma-rank treasure, rewarding Chen with the powerful Buddhist martial art Mighty Vajra Palm.
• Chen is excited because the Vajra Palm gives him his first true offensive martial technique, allowing him to better use the strength of his Body Tempering Realm, Eighth Layer.
• Finally, he appraises a lacquered gold alms bowl containing over seventy strands of Killing Intent. The process severely drains his mental strength, forcing him to use the Baleful Severing Ruler to cut the dangerous connection between the Killing Intent and his spiritual will.
• After resting, Chen completes the appraisal and learns that the alms bowl was actually a magical artifact once wielded by the powerful Old Monk Fangyuan.

Character Developments

• Chen’s understanding of cultivation-related treasures expands significantly. He moves beyond merely identifying historical objects and begins receiving actual cultivation inheritances.
• His potential career broadens: with Hui Neng’s Alchemy Manual, he could become an alchemist, although poverty currently prevents him from practicing.
• He gains both mental and martial resources through the Diamond Sutra and Mighty Vajra Palm.
• Chen becomes more cautious about concealing his newly acquired Buddhist abilities, aware that revealing the Vajra Palm could attract suspicion or danger.
• His experience appraising the alms bowl demonstrates both the limits of his mental endurance and his growing ability to respond calmly to dangerous situations.

Significant Themes

• Hidden value and forgotten history: Ordinary-looking objects conceal powerful origins, inheritances, and connections to lost temples and ancient cultivators.
• Opportunity versus poverty: Chen receives valuable knowledge but lacks the money to make practical use of the alchemy manual’s pill formula.
• Power and secrecy: His new Buddhist techniques offer strength, but displaying them openly could expose him to unwanted attention.
• Inheritance and decline: Fangyuan Temple’s rise and destruction emphasize how powerful traditions can disappear, leaving only artifacts and fragments of knowledge behind.
• Risk in pursuing power: Appraising treasures can exhaust Chen’s mind and expose him to Killing Intent, requiring both skill and protective tools.

Character Interactions

• Chen’s primary interactions are with the treasures themselves and the information revealed through the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror.
• His imagined plans to sell the Dragon-Tiger Vitality Pill show his practical, profit-minded attitude toward newly acquired knowledge.
• He mentally contrasts his abilities with those of monks, worrying that the Diamond Sutra and Mighty Vajra Palm could cause others to mistake him for a Buddhist cultivator.
• The chapter also establishes an indirect connection between Chen and the historical figures Hui Neng and Fangyuan through their cauldron, statues, temple, and magical alms bowl.

Chapter Summary: “Deliverance Talisman”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun uses the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror to appraise a damaged Alms-Gathering Golden Bowl, discovering that it was once an upper-grade magic artifact with tremendous power.
• The appraisal reveals a detailed restoration method requiring:
  • A junior artifact refiner
  • A junior rune-pattern master
  • Rare materials such as mithril, manganese iron, and life-transforming water
• Although Chen cannot repair the bowl yet, he recognizes a potential business opportunity: restoring damaged treasures and selling them for enormous profits.
• His appraisal reward is a Tribulation-Crossing Talisman, a powerful life-saving talisman capable of helping its user survive many kinds of calamity, provided the danger does not exceed its limits.
• Chen reflects on his recent rewards, including Hui Neng’s Alchemy Manual, the Diamond Sutra, the Mighty Vajra Palm, and the new talisman. He is especially relieved that he now has better protection against the ghost haunting Zhang Ke.
• Rather than returning to the storeroom, Chen goes upstairs toward the chief appraisers’ rooms. He deliberately takes a servant’s tea to the third appraiser, Zhao Gao, using the opportunity to approach him directly.
• Chen suspects Zhao Gao is seeking scapegoats to absorb Baleful Intent during treasure appraisals. Since Zhang Ke may not be the only victim, Chen plans to act before he becomes Zhao Gao’s next target.
• He intends to use the Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique to transfer or redirect the danger to someone else, setting up a confrontation with Zhao Gao.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun becomes more ambitious and pragmatic. He begins thinking beyond immediate survival, recognizing treasure restoration as a possible path to wealth.
• His confidence grows after acquiring the Mighty Vajra Palm and Tribulation-Crossing Talisman. He is no longer helpless against supernatural threats.
• Despite his newfound strength, Chen remains cautious and strategic. Instead of waiting for Zhao Gao to attack, he takes the initiative and carefully engineers a way to meet him.
• Zhao Gao is presented as increasingly suspicious and dangerous. His practice of using others to bear Baleful Intent suggests that he is willing to sacrifice subordinates for his own safety.
• Zhang Ke remains an indirect focus of concern because of the ghost attached to him and his possible role as Zhao Gao’s previous victim.

Significant Themes

• Power and opportunity: Damaged treasures may appear worthless, but proper restoration can reveal immense hidden value.
• Survival through preparation: Chen’s new talisman represents the importance of having protection before disaster strikes.
• Exploitation and sacrifice: Zhao Gao’s apparent use of others as shields highlights the cruel hierarchy within the pawnshop.
• Transformation and advancement: Chen is gradually moving from a poor, vulnerable appraiser toward someone capable of influencing the supernatural and economic worlds around him.
• Strategic action versus passivity: Rather than waiting to be targeted, Chen chooses to confront the danger on his own terms.

Character Interactions

• Chen speaks with the servant Xiaozheng and persuades him to hand over Zhao Gao’s tea, using familiarity with Zhao Gao’s daily routine to gain access.
• His planned interaction with Zhao Gao is deliberately engineered, not accidental. Chen hopes to address the threat of being used as a substitute victim and possibly employ the Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique.
• The chapter ends as Chen enters the pawnshop’s second floor, approaching the area where Zhao Gao and the other chief appraisers work, setting the stage for their confrontation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun visits the appraisal rooms of the three Certified Appraisers and heads toward Zhang Gao’s Water Cloud Retreat.
• Before entering, he overhears a secret conversation between Zhang Gao and Xu Hongtao. They discuss appraising multiple batches of treasures for an unnamed outside party and earning extra money through the transactions.
• The conversation reveals that Zhang Gao intends to recruit Appraiser Apprentices to help with the work. He specifically identifies Chen Shaojun as a suitable target because of his improved Divine Gaze Technique, while warning that Lin Qi should not be provoked.
• Chen hides as Xu Hongtao leaves, confirming the visitor’s identity and realizing that Zhang Gao and Xu have been repeatedly involved in suspicious dealings.
• Chen also learns that Zhang Gao plans to use him in the next batch of appraisals, possibly exposing him to dangerous treasures and Killing Intent.
• After waiting, Chen enters Water Cloud Retreat under the pretense of delivering tea for A Zheng.
• Zhang Gao immediately orders Chen to report to him the next day with Zhang Ke to appraise treasures.
• When Chen attempts to refuse by citing mental injury from Killing Intent, Zhang Gao offers calming incense and a high daily payment, then threatens him with the warning, “Don’t refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit.”
• Chen outwardly submits but secretly decides that Zhang Gao’s hostility justifies using the Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique against him.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Becomes more cautious and politically aware after uncovering Zhang Gao’s secret activities. His anger and sense of self-preservation overcome his previous moral hesitation about harming another person. He resolves to act first rather than wait passively for Zhang Gao to target him.
• Zhang Gao: Is revealed as manipulative, coercive, and involved in clandestine appraisal work. He tries to disguise exploitation as an opportunity by offering Chen money and guidance, but his final threat exposes his true intentions.
• Xu Hongtao: Is confirmed to be Zhang Gao’s associate and intermediary in the suspicious treasure transactions. His guarded behavior suggests that he knows the work may be illegal or dangerous.
• Lin Qi: Though absent, he is characterized as unusually capable and potentially connected to a powerful family, making even Zhang Gao cautious about involving him.
• Zhang Ke and A Zheng: A Zheng provides Chen with a convenient excuse to enter the room, while Zhang Ke is apparently another apprentice Zhang Gao intends to recruit.

Significant Themes

• Self-preservation versus morality: Chen struggles with the ethics of harming Zhang Gao but decides that defending himself is necessary once he realizes he is being deliberately targeted.
• Power and exploitation: Zhang Gao uses his superior status to pressure weaker apprentices, presenting dangerous work as a valuable opportunity while concealing its risks.
• Hidden corruption: The secret appraisal operation suggests that the pawnshop contains concealed networks of illegal or questionable dealings.
• Appearances and deception: Chen lies about delivering tea, while Zhang Gao disguises coercion as generosity. Both characters conceal their true intentions.
• The danger of standing out: Chen’s growing ability makes him valuable but also attracts unwanted attention from those who want to exploit or eliminate him.

Character Interactions

• Chen secretly overhears Zhang Gao and Xu Hongtao negotiating the appraisal of suspicious treasures.
• He avoids being seen by Xu, then returns and enters the room under a false pretext.
• Zhang Gao attempts to recruit and control Chen, offering money and guidance before resorting to intimidation.
• Chen outwardly obeys Zhang Gao but internally turns against him, setting up a likely confrontation through the Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun visits Zhang Gao under the pretense of brewing tea and discreetly investigates a black cloth bag believed to contain Xu Hongtao’s second batch of treasures.
• Using the Spirit Eye Technique, he detects an immense amount of Killing Intent, blade and sword imagery, and a blood-colored ribbon emanating from the bag, suggesting that its contents are extremely dangerous.
• He also discovers the ghostly entity from Water Cloud Retreat hiding in a rusted container and command banner. This confirms that the ghost haunting Zhang Ke originated from the retreat.
• Chen secretly cuts off a strand of Zhang Gao’s hair and leaves Water Cloud Retreat after obtaining what he needs.
• In Appraisal Room Seven, he binds Zhang Ke’s and Zhang Gao’s hair to two wooden figurines and successfully casts the Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique. Any harm or life force taken from Zhang Ke will now be transferred to Zhang Gao.
• That night, the ghost returns to Zhang Ke and displays an unsettling degree of attachment toward him. However, it still begins draining his vital breath.
• Chen activates the substitution technique, causing the ghost’s attack to affect Zhang Gao instead. Zhang Gao repeatedly loses vital energy and qi, becoming weak, pale, and terrified.
• Realizing that he has likely encountered a ghost, Zhang Gao rushes to the appraisal room in his home, where he keeps equipment and formations for dealing with supernatural entities.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Demonstrates growing confidence and skill in using the Spirit Eye Technique and Plum-for-Peach Substitution Technique. He acts cautiously and strategically, successfully protecting Zhang Ke while redirecting the danger toward Zhang Gao.
• Zhang Gao: Initially unaware of Chen’s plan, he becomes increasingly frightened as his vitality is drained. His knowledge as an appraiser eventually allows him to recognize that a ghost is attacking him.
• Zhang Ke: Remains unconscious and vulnerable, having already been severely weakened by repeated attacks from the ghost.
• The ghost: Appears emotionally attached to Zhang Ke, showing a calm and intimate demeanor, but remains bound by its instinct to consume human vitality.

Significant Themes

• Human and supernatural conflict: The chapter emphasizes that humans and ghosts cannot truly coexist, regardless of emotional attachment.
• Strategy and manipulation: Chen uses knowledge, preparation, and supernatural techniques to turn the ghost’s attack against Zhang Gao.
• The danger hidden in objects: The mysterious treasures at Water Cloud Retreat radiate overwhelming Killing Intent, foreshadowing further threats.
• Ambiguous attachment: The ghost’s apparent feelings for Zhang Ke raise questions about whether genuine emotion can exist within a creature driven by predatory instincts.
• Cause and consequence: Zhang Gao’s earlier involvement with dangerous artifacts and spirits begins to produce direct consequences.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Zhang Gao interact under the guise of tea and appraisal, while Chen secretly steals Zhang Gao’s hair.
• The ghost embraces Zhang Ke and drains his life force, creating an eerie contrast between apparent affection and lethal behavior.
• Chen intervenes invisibly through the substitution technique, redirecting the ghost’s attack to Zhang Gao.
• Zhang Gao’s concubine witnesses his distress, but he initially dismisses the incident as a nightmare before realizing that a ghost is attacking him.