Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Black Jade Bone-Rejoining Paste, Bronze Mask

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun uses the Money Can Move the Gods ability to resolve a question about cultivation. He learns that when his magical power reaches a higher level, his previous cultivation insights will be fully integrated, while also granting him new understanding of spells.
• He laments the ability’s enormous cost: asking a single question consumes one hundred taels of silver. His recent earnings from the Moonlit Flower Boat and Mo Zhu-Xiang allow him to afford it.
• Chen examines the other rewards from a previous appraisal:
  • Blood-Qi Pills, which are now largely useless to him.
  • A Qi-Passing Pill, actually a healing medicine that clears obstructions in the abdomen and meridians.
  • The Bone-Mending Technique, which includes medical knowledge, bone-setting methods, healing ointments, and the recipe for the legendary Black Jade Bone-Rejoining Paste.
  • The martial arts Through-the-Back Fist and Shadowless Leg.
  • The spell Pear-Planting Technique.
• The Black Jade Bone-Rejoining Paste could restore even limbs lost many years earlier, but its ingredients—such as century-old fleeceflower root, millennium ginseng, and a demon snake’s gallbladder—are so rare that preparing it would cost at least ten thousand taels. Chen decides not to pursue it for now.
• Chen studies the Pear-Planting Technique and realizes that it is not merely a farming spell. It can rapidly produce fruit by using nearby materials, effectively functioning as a short-range transportation technique. He considers using it as a stage performance.
• Reflecting on his many skills, Chen considers writing books and treatises to preserve his knowledge rather than personally taking disciples. He believes valuable crafts should not disappear when their owners die.
• He then begins appraising two remaining treasures filled with intense Killing Intent: a bronze mask and a large, rusted key.
• The bronze mask contains the image of a little girl who repeatedly calls for her “big brother.” Chen initially assumes she is a ghost, but his Spirit Eye Technique reveals that she is actually a spiritual afterimage, not a true spirit.
• Divination shows the mask is auspicious and poses no danger. Chen uses his spiritual power to remove its Killing Intent.
• Although he feels pity and guilt while destroying the girl’s lingering image, he completes his duty. The spiritual afterimage dissolves after repeatedly crying out for her brother, and the bronze mask is successfully cleansed.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror then begins revealing the mask’s history.

Character Development

• Chen Shaojun becomes more confident and knowledgeable about his cultivation. He better understands the benefits and limitations of his supernatural abilities.
• He remains practical and financially conscious, feeling genuine pain over the cost of using Money Can Move the Gods.
• His expanding mastery of medicine, martial arts, spells, crafts, and appraisal highlights his versatility. He also develops a desire to preserve and share knowledge for future generations.
• Chen shows strong compassion toward the little girl’s spiritual afterimage. Though he can destroy ghosts without hesitation, he struggles emotionally when the remnant appears innocent and abandoned.
• His sense of professional duty ultimately overcomes his reluctance, demonstrating his commitment to completing an appraiser’s responsibilities.

Significant Themes

• The cost of knowledge: Supernatural insight is powerful but expensive, forcing Chen to balance curiosity with resources.
• Preservation of human knowledge: Chen worries that valuable skills may vanish with their masters and considers recording his knowledge in books.
• Duty versus compassion: Chen sympathizes with the girl’s lingering sorrow but must still eliminate the spiritual imprint contaminating the treasure.
• Appearance versus reality: The Pear-Planting Technique is more than it seems, functioning as transportation; likewise, the bronze mask’s “ghost” is actually only a spiritual projection.
• The limits of power and resources: Even with extraordinary abilities, Chen cannot easily obtain the rare materials required for the Black Jade Bone-Rejoining Paste.

Character Interactions

• Chen’s main direct interaction is with the little girl’s spiritual afterimage. She repeatedly cries out for her missing “big brother,” evoking Chen’s sympathy.
• His spiritual power confronts and gradually erases the afterimage, creating an emotionally difficult interaction despite the absence of a living opponent.
• Chen also mentally engages with the supernatural rewards and their uses, evaluating which abilities and medicines are practical for his future.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter recounts the tragic origins of the Red Dust Fairy. As a child on the grasslands, she and her brother survive a bandit massacre only because he hides her in horse fodder. Their parents and tribe are killed.
• The siblings later join another tribe, where the brother becomes a guard to support his sister but dies in an accident within a year. Left alone and traumatized, the girl treasures the iron mask he forged for her.
• A powerful female cultivator recognizes the girl’s potential and accepts her as a disciple. More than a decade later, the girl returns as the ruthless Red Dust Fairy, massacres the entire tribe, and leaves her brother’s mask on his grave.
• The mask eventually reaches the Great Zhou Dynasty through merchants and is sold at the Treasure Fair. Chen Shaojun’s appraisal confirms the mask’s connection to the Red Dust Fairy, revealing her extraordinary spiritual talent and terrifying reputation.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror identifies the mask as a High-Grade Treasure and rewards Chen Shaojun with the Five Elements Escape Art.
• Chen tests the new technique, successfully passing through a table with Wood Escape and sinking underground with Earth Escape. He learns that underground movement consumes arcane power quickly, limits spiritual perception, and becomes increasingly dangerous at greater depths.
• Chen then appraises a large, rust-covered bronze key filled with killing intent. After purging the intent, he discovers through the appraisal vision that it opens a secret treasury belonging to a powerful Vice Minister of Rites.
• The treasury contains enormous quantities of gold, silver, antiques, spirit medicines, weapons, and other valuables—likely millions of taels of silver accumulated through corruption and political patronage.

Character Developments

• Red Dust Fairy: Her childhood suffering, attachment to her brother, and later transformation into a merciless immortal are revealed. Her tragedy explains both her ruthlessness and her lasting connection to the mask.
• Chen Shaojun: He gains a new understanding of the vast gap between his abilities and those of true prodigies like the Red Dust Fairy. The Five Elements Escape Art greatly expands his survival and travel capabilities, though he wisely recognizes its risks.
• Chen’s attitude: His excitement over acquiring a powerful technique is tempered by practical caution. He realizes that careless use of Earth Escape could result in being trapped and dying underground.

Significant Themes

• Trauma and vengeance: The Red Dust Fairy’s slaughter of the tribe reflects the lasting psychological effects of losing her family and brother.
• Talent shaped by hardship: Her extraordinary spiritual gift emerges alongside extreme suffering, producing both immense power and cruelty.
• The dangers of power: Chen’s new escape technique is highly useful but potentially lethal if misunderstood or overextended.
• Corruption and hidden wealth: The treasury exposes the enormous illicit fortunes accumulated through political influence, bribery, and official exploitation.
• Memory and objects: The mask serves as a symbol of familial love, grief, and the transformation of personal memory into legend.

Character Interactions

• The brother protects his younger sister during the bandit attack and supports her until his death.
• The immortal woman shows compassion toward the orphaned girl and becomes her mentor.
• The Red Dust Fairy’s later massacre represents a violent reckoning with the tribe and the world that failed her.
• Chen interacts primarily with the appraised objects and the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror, interpreting the histories they reveal and testing the abilities granted by them.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun finishes appraising ten treasures and receives a Treasure-Seeking Spirit Talisman. Although the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror ranks the item only as a low-grade treasure, Chen recognizes its immense value: it can automatically locate ownerless treasures within a one-kilometer radius, allowing him to seek wealth without risking accusations of theft.
• He stores the talisman for future use and resumes cultivation. Through the Sitting-in-Oblivion Scripture, his spiritual power increases slightly, reinforcing his belief that steady, long-term cultivation will eventually produce major results.
• While practicing the Tai Shang Perception Scripture, Chen hears a violent battle near the auction house. He suspects that the Red-Clad Cult has begun executing its “Kill Five” plan.
• From a rooftop, he observes Red-Clad Cult members attacking the Fifth Prince of Great Zhou. Among the attackers are powerful figures such as Liu Yuhuan, Painted-Face Old Ou, Steward Zhang, the fox demon Mingyue, the Three-Corpse Daoist, and several other Daoist experts.
• The Fifth Prince is protected by a smaller but highly trained group of military experts. The fiercest confrontation involves three Red-Clad Cult Innate Realm experts battling two black-robed experts, destroying nearby buildings in the process.
• As reinforcements arrive, including Mo Zhu-Xiang, the Ghost-God Swordmaster and president of the Mo Clan Trading House, the Red-Clad Cult begins suffering heavy losses. Mo Zhu-Xiang personally enters the battle and kills several attackers.
• Realizing that the situation has turned against them, the Red-Clad Cult orders a retreat. The Fifth Prince commands his forces to prevent any enemies from escaping.
• Chen briefly considers joining the battle, eager to test his own strength, but the brutality and danger of the battlefield convince him to remain an observer.
• He then notices the Black-and-White Fiends, two Golden Token Killers from the Phoenix Sparrow Tower, waiting at the edge of the battlefield. Remembering evidence from a previous appraisal vision, Chen realizes that the Red-Clad Cult and Phoenix Sparrow Tower are cooperating: the cult attacks openly while the assassins wait for the decisive moment to strike.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates practical judgment and caution. Though tempted to participate in the battle, he recognizes that reckless involvement could cost him his life and chooses to focus on cultivation and appraisal.
• He also becomes more confident in evaluating political and criminal schemes, quickly connecting the Phoenix Sparrow Tower assassins to the Red-Clad Cult’s larger plan.
• Mo Zhu-Xiang reveals both his formidable combat power and his self-interest. He intervenes to protect the Fifth Prince because the prince’s death at his auction would bring disastrous consequences upon him and his trading house.
• The Fifth Prince appears shocked and enraged that assassins would dare attack him in Shengjing City. His fear and anger become evident as he orders the complete destruction of the enemy forces.
• The Red-Clad Cult is shown to be ruthless and fanatical, with its members willing to exchange their lives for even a chance to kill the prince.
• The Black-and-White Fiends are established as dangerous, patient assassins who rely on teamwork and concealment rather than direct confrontation.

Significant Themes

• The profitability of power and official status: Chen reflects that government officials enjoy far greater “pure profit” than merchants because they do not carry the same household and bribery expenses.
• Caution versus ambition: Chen’s desire to test himself in battle conflicts with his practical understanding of the risks, reinforcing his preference for steady growth over reckless heroics.
• The value of accumulation: His cultivation advances only slightly, but Chen recognizes that persistent effort is the foundation of meaningful progress.
• Hidden alliances and political danger: The assassination attempt reveals the complex cooperation between the Red-Clad Cult and Phoenix Sparrow Tower, showing that major conflicts often involve unseen forces operating behind the scenes.
• Order versus chaos: The battle demonstrates the instability beneath Shengjing’s outward security, while the rapid arrival of reinforcements shows the strength of the empire’s defensive network.

Character Interactions

• Chen observes but does not directly participate in the confrontation between the Red-Clad Cult and the Fifth Prince’s protectors.
• The Fifth Prince’s guards coordinate closely to defend him, while the Red-Clad Cult attacks with suicidal determination.
• Mo Zhu-Xiang joins the defenders and dramatically shifts the battle through his superior swordsmanship.
• The black-robed experts engage the Red-Clad Cult’s Innate Realm leaders, attempting to prevent their escape.
• The Black-and-White Fiends remain outside the main conflict, positioning themselves to deliver a surprise killing blow at the most advantageous moment.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun identifies the two disguised assassins as the Black-and-White Fiends, notorious Golden Token Killers. He realizes their appearance means they are about to attack the Fifth Prince.
• While guards battle members of the Red-Clad Cult on Three-River Street, Chen watches from a rooftop and explains the situation to Dai Ming, a fellow appraiser.
• The Black Fiend begins playing the qin. The initially beautiful music calms and fascinates everyone nearby, causing many people—including Dai Ming and some fighters—to become entranced.
• Chen recognizes that the music is not entertainment but a concealed sound-wave martial technique. He remains partially alert, knowing the qin melody is intended to create an opening.
• The music suddenly changes into a violent sonic assault, shaking listeners’ blood and qi and briefly disrupting their minds. Those closest to the battlefield are especially affected, with several guards suffering severe internal injuries.
• At the exact moment of this disruption, the White Fiend emerges from concealment and launches Sword Ascending to Immortality, an extremely fast and concentrated sword strike aimed at the Fifth Prince.
• Chen analyzes the technique and understands that it unites the swordsman’s essence, qi, and spirit into one direct, overwhelming attack.
• The beardless palace eunuch guarding the Fifth Prince recovers quickly despite the sonic attack. Revealing his Innate Realm strength, he transforms his hand into powerful black claws and blocks the sword.
• However, the Sword Qi has already left the blade before the sword is stopped, and it pierces toward the Fifth Prince’s neck, leaving his fate uncertain at the chapter’s cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates exceptional perception through his Spirit Eye Technique and deep understanding of swordsmanship, immediately recognizing both the assassins’ identities and the danger of their coordinated attack.
• His cultivation of vigilance improves: although the qin music affects him, he resists complete mental immersion and remains capable of observing the battlefield.
• Dai Ming is portrayed as curious, excitable, and easily captivated. He becomes completely absorbed in the qin music, imagining himself with the performer Miss Red Sleeve.
• Black Fiend displays mastery of qin-based sound-wave martial arts, using beauty and emotional influence to conceal a lethal technique.
• White Fiend reveals extraordinary swordsmanship and timing, attacking at the precise instant when the sonic assault leaves the enemy vulnerable.
• The beardless palace eunuch is established as an Innate Realm expert whose reflexes and defensive ability surpass those of the surrounding guards.

Significant Themes

• Beauty concealing danger: The enchanting qin music initially appears soothing but is actually the first stage of a deadly attack.
• Coordination and timing: The Black-and-White Fiends’ strength lies in the seamless combination of sound-based disruption and sword assassination.
• Perception versus illusion: Chen’s heightened senses and awareness allow him to see through the apparent entertainment and understand the true threat.
• Concentration and unity: White Fiend’s sword strike symbolizes the fusion of essence, qi, spirit, and weapon into a single decisive attack.
• Hidden power in a chaotic world: Even amid a large battle, the most dangerous movements occur subtly and depend on concealment, timing, and deception.

Character Interactions

• Chen briefly explains the battlefield to Dai Ming, who is frustrated that he cannot climb to the rooftop and see clearly.
• Dai Ming loudly praises the qin music, irritating those around him who are immersed in it.
• Chen silently evaluates Black Fiend’s technique while remaining wary, contrasting with Dai Ming’s helpless intoxication.
• Black Fiend and White Fiend work in perfect partnership: the qin performance weakens and distracts the battlefield while White Fiend uses the opening to strike at the Fifth Prince.
• The palace eunuch directly confronts White Fiend’s sword, successfully stopping the blade but failing, at least initially, to prevent the Sword Qi from reaching the Fifth Prince.

Chapter Summary: “A Missed Strike, a Thousand-Mile Flight”

Key Plot Points and Events

• White Fiend launches a deadly Sword Qi attack at the Fifth Prince’s neck. Although the strike contains his full essence, energy, and spirit, a mysterious transparent Qi barrier suddenly appears and blocks it.
• Realizing the assassination has failed, White Fiend immediately retreats, following the assassin’s rule: if the first strike misses, flee without hesitation.
• The beardless old man, responsible for protecting the Fifth Prince, pursues White Fiend. However, Black Fiend uses her zither and powerful sonic martial arts to interfere with the pursuit.
• Black Fiend’s sound blades disrupt the old man’s thoughts, blood, and True Qi. She then redirects the attack toward the Fifth Prince, injuring his guards and forcing the old man to abandon the chase and return to protect him.
• The Fifth Prince blocks the remaining sonic blades himself. Though powerful enough to contend at the peak of the Qi Sea Realm, he is enraged by the repeated attacks.
• After being threatened by the beardless old man, Mo Zhu-Xiang stops pursuing the red-clad martial warriors and instead chases White Fiend.
• The Black-and-White Fiends and Mo Zhu-Xiang disappear into the distance, leaving their eventual fate uncertain.
• Chen Shaojun explains that the red-clad martial warriors were part of the Red-Clad Cult and that their target was the Fifth Prince. The attack causes widespread shock because it occurred during the Treasure Auction.
• Chen reflects that the assassination was likely only one part of the Red-Clad Cult’s larger “Kill Five” plan, whose true purpose may be to implicate the Ninth Prince and intensify the imperial princes’ struggle for the throne.
• Choosing caution, Chen decides to remain inside the Appraisal Hall rather than become involved in the political turmoil.
• That night, the appraisers stay alert because of the rumored Red-Clad Female Ghost. Chen secretly knows it has already been sealed inside his Ghost-Repelling Talisman, but he pretends to share everyone’s caution.
• Chen cultivates through the night while Guanshan Daoist and Five-Powers Daoist continue searching the Appraisal Hall for the real ghost. Five-Powers is especially motivated because eliminating the ghost will earn him additional payment.

Character Developments

• White Fiend: Demonstrates extraordinary assassination skill and discipline by immediately retreating after his unexpected failure. His confidence is shaken when the Fifth Prince’s protective barrier nullifies his strongest strike.
• Black Fiend: Reveals the exceptional power and versatility of her zither-based sonic martial arts. She can attack, disrupt an enemy’s internal state, and create openings for her partner.
• The Fifth Prince: Shows that he is not helpless, possessing peak Qi Sea Realm strength, powerful physical defenses, and enough sword skill to block Black Fiend’s attacks. His anger and fear also reveal his sensitivity to threats against his life.
• The Beardless Old Man: Acts with fierce loyalty and urgency, prioritizing the Fifth Prince’s safety over capturing the assassin. His concern over punishment highlights the immense pressure of serving the imperial family.
• Mo Zhu-Xiang: Is compelled to intervene after the beardless old man’s threat, demonstrating both her strength and her political vulnerability as head of the Mo Clan Trading House.
• Chen Shaojun: Remains observant and politically cautious. He understands the hidden motives behind the attack but deliberately avoids revealing too much and chooses safety over curiosity.
• Five-Powers Daoist: Becomes highly motivated by the prospect of increased payment, approaching the ghost-hunting task with renewed enthusiasm.

Significant Themes

• Failure and immediate retreat: The chapter emphasizes the assassin’s principle that a missed strike must be followed by instant withdrawal rather than a dangerous second attempt.
• Hidden defenses and uncertainty: The Fifth Prince’s unseen protective barrier demonstrates that appearances can be deceptive and that powerful figures often possess concealed safeguards.
• Political intrigue: The attack is not merely an assassination attempt but part of a broader scheme to manipulate the imperial succession struggle and frame the Ninth Prince.
• Duty versus survival: The beardless old man and Mo Zhu-Xiang must balance personal safety, political consequences, and responsibility to those they serve.
• Caution amid chaos: Chen’s decision to remain in the Appraisal Hall reflects the value of avoiding unnecessary involvement in conflicts that are larger and more dangerous than they appear.
• Public ignorance versus hidden knowledge: The appraisers only gradually learn the truth of the attack, while Chen understands its deeper implications and carefully conceals his knowledge.

Important Character Interactions

• White Fiend’s failed attack and escape create a direct conflict with the beardless old man.
• Black Fiend supports White Fiend by using sonic attacks to obstruct the old man and protect their retreat.
• The beardless old man’s threat forces Mo Zhu-Xiang to abandon her previous pursuit and chase White Fiend.
• Black Fiend’s redirected attack forces the old man to choose the Fifth Prince’s safety over pursuit.
• Chen answers Dai Ming’s questions but limits his explanation to avoid exposing his deeper understanding.
• Guanshan Daoist and Five-Powers Daoist continue cooperating in their search for the Red-Clad Female Ghost, motivated by both responsibility and financial reward.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Treasure Fair is nearing its end. After three uneventful nights without the Red-Clad Female Ghost or other spirits appearing, Five-Powers Daoist and the others finally abandon their watch around the Appraisal Hall.
• Chen Shaojun has spent the past several days almost entirely inside the Appraisal Hall, appraising treasures and cultivating.
• His spiritual power increases by more than ten percent through the Sitting-in-Oblivion Scripture, expanding its range from roughly ten to eleven meters.
• His arcane cultivation advances dramatically from one year to three years after absorbing more than thirty points of Merit Golden Light. He now believes he could independently suppress opponents such as the Red-Clad Female Ghost and the Bronze-Armored Zombie.
• His martial cultivation barely improves because he refuses to absorb Killing Intent into his Creation True Qi, considering it impure and harmful to the quality of his cultivation. He is waiting to obtain Spirit-Sealing Stones, whose spiritual energy is more suitable for his martial advancement.
• Chen appraises another batch of ten treasures. Nine are successfully appraised, producing modest rewards: Merit Golden Light, basic martial arts, a spell, life skills, and spiritual pills.
• Among the rewards is the Wall-Piercing Light-Stealing Technique, which redirects light through a mirror. Though less powerful for illumination than the Nightglow Technique, it is more useful for concealment because it allows Chen to see without revealing his location.
• The final treasure is an iron bowl containing a highly intelligent, lifelike rat-shaped ghost. Chen recognizes it as the demon soul of a Rat Demon—the first Demon Ghost he has encountered.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun becomes substantially stronger, especially in spiritual and arcane cultivation. His confidence rises as he realizes he can now deal with powerful supernatural enemies without relying entirely on talismans.
• He grows increasingly experienced and emotionally composed as an appraiser. Repeatedly witnessing the true histories contained within treasures gives him a deeper understanding of human nature, worldly affairs, kindness, and betrayal.
• His practical judgment also improves. Rather than dismissing the seemingly weak Wall-Piercing Light-Stealing Technique, he identifies its value for stealth and survival.
• Chen continues to show restraint in cultivation, refusing shortcuts involving Killing Intent and prioritizing the long-term quality of his power.

Significant Themes

• Accumulation and transformation: Persistent cultivation and repeated appraisal gradually turn Chen from a capable practitioner into a much stronger arcane cultivator.
• Quality over speed: Chen’s refusal to use Killing Intent emphasizes the importance of pure foundations and sustainable progress rather than rapid advancement.
• Knowledge through experience: Appraising treasures exposes Chen to genuine human stories, giving him insights that surpass those gained from fictional entertainment.
• Hidden utility: The chapter highlights how abilities that appear ordinary or weak can possess specialized value when understood correctly.
• The boundary between humans, beasts, and spirits: The discovery of the Rat Demon’s ghost expands the story’s supernatural world beyond human ghosts and zombies.

Character Interactions

• Chen has little direct interaction with others during the chapter, remaining isolated in Room Yi-137 while attendants deliver treasures.
• His only immediate contact is with an attendant who brings him another batch of items.
• The absent Red-Clad Female Ghost and Bronze-Armored Zombie remain important reference points for measuring Chen’s growth, while the appearance of the Rat Demon’s soul introduces a new supernatural presence and likely future threat.

Chapter Summary: “Treasure-Seeking Ability and the Five-Ghost Transport Technique”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun appraises an iron bowl containing a Rat Demon Ghost. Though wary of its origins, his divination indicates that the situation is auspicious.
• Using the Divine Gaze Technique, Chen suppresses and destroys the Killing Intent surrounding the bowl. The Rat Demon resists with a spiritual attack, but Chen’s powerful spiritual energy overwhelms it.
• Realizing it cannot win, the Rat Demon begs for mercy and uses an unknown technique to produce ten taels of genuine silver inside the bowl.
• While Chen is distracted by this display of power, the Rat Demon attempts to flee and attacks him with a beam of spiritual light. Chen easily destroys the attack and burns the Demon Ghost’s soul with a fire spell.
• Chen completes the appraisal and uses the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror to witness the iron bowl’s history.

History of the Iron Bowl and Rat Demon

• The bowl originally belonged to Qingxuan Temple, founded by the capable Daoist Qingxuan, who was skilled in exorcism, feng shui, and other mystical arts.
• After Qingxuan was killed while traveling to a Cultivators’ Trade Fair, the temple fell into ruin and became a shelter for beggars.
• A young beggar began dreaming of a rat calling itself Immortal Venerable Ling. The rat used its treasure-seeking ability to reveal locations where silver could be found, helping the boy escape poverty.
• The rat eventually demanded that the beggar retrieve the iron bowl in Qingxuan Temple’s rear courtyard. The bowl contained the remains of the rat’s original body.
• The rat had once been an ordinary mountain rat that gained intelligence after consuming a spiritual herb. It awakened a natural treasure-seeking ability and learned cultivation and spells.
• Daoist Qingxuan originally spared the rat after discovering its talent, using it to locate treasures. He also taught it techniques such as the Five-Ghost Transport Technique.
• The rat eventually tried to escape Qingxuan’s control. Qingxuan sealed it inside the iron bowl before leaving to seek a spell that could control spirit beasts, but he died before returning.
• Trapped for years, the rat eventually died and its soul attached itself to the bowl. Unable to travel far from it, the Rat Demon manipulated the beggar into becoming its disciple.
• The beggar prospered with the rat’s help, becoming a wealthy local beggar leader. However, he used the treasure-seeking ability to rob rich households and was eventually caught and beaten to death.
• The iron bowl entered the government treasury, was later redeemed by a pawnshop, and ultimately reached the Treasure Fair where Chen encountered it.

Character Development

• Chen Shaojun: Demonstrates increased confidence in his spiritual strength and spell mastery. He remains cautious toward the Demon Ghost but quickly recognizes its weakness and uses fire magic decisively once it leaves the bowl. His curiosity is aroused by the rat’s ability to create genuine silver.
• The Rat Demon: Revealed to be intelligent, fearful, opportunistic, and highly manipulative. It possesses a natural treasure-seeking ability, the Rat-Eye Glare, and knowledge of the Five-Ghost Transport Technique, but its soul is ultimately too weak to challenge Chen.
• The Little Beggar: Changes from a cautious, impoverished child into a prosperous but reckless criminal. His dependence on the Rat Demon leads him to exploit its powers, resulting in his death.
• Daoist Qingxuan: Shown as a skilled but controlling cultivator. He recognizes the rat’s value and uses it for treasure hunting, eventually sealing it when it attempts to escape.

Significant Themes

• Power and control: Qingxuan controls the Rat Demon, while the Rat Demon later controls and exploits the beggar. The cycle ends when Chen overpowers the demon.
• Greed and moral decline: The beggar’s rise from poverty becomes corruption through excessive wealth and theft, ultimately causing his downfall.
• Cunning versus strength: The Rat Demon relies on deception, bargaining, and escape techniques, but Chen’s superior cultivation and direct spells prevail.
• Hidden origins and appraisal: The treasure’s history reveals how seemingly ordinary objects can contain complex stories of cultivation, betrayal, and tragedy.
• Limits of supernatural power: Although the Rat Demon possesses rare abilities, its soul remains fragile, showing that specialized techniques cannot replace fundamental strength.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen confronts and spiritually suppresses the Rat Demon.
• The Rat Demon begs Chen for mercy, offers him silver, and then attempts to escape.
• Daoist Qingxuan first subdues the mountain rat, then exploits its treasure-seeking talent and teaches it spells.
• The Rat Demon bargains with and manipulates the little beggar through prophetic dreams.
• The beggar and Rat Demon cooperate for years, but their greed eventually brings about the beggar’s death and the bowl’s return to circulation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun realizes that the Rat Demon may have been a legendary Treasure-Seeking Rat, capable of instinctively locating hidden treasures.
• He concludes that the Rat Demon’s soul had been the most valuable part of the iron bowl. Once destroyed, the bowl became little more than an ordinary object.
• His appraisal of the iron bowl earns him the Stone-to-Gold Technique, a high-grade treasure-rank reward.
• Chen studies the technique and discovers that it does not truly create gold from nothing. Instead, it extracts tiny gold particles from the surrounding environment and recombines them into usable gold.
• The spell can theoretically create various metals, including gold, silver, copper, iron, and zinc.
• Chen tests the technique by using ten taels of silver as a medium. He successfully converts roughly twenty percent of it into gold, producing about two taels of gold, but nearly exhausts his Arcane Cultivation in the process.
• He realizes that the technique’s effectiveness depends on both his cultivation level and the amount of gold available in the surrounding area. Using an existing piece of gold as a source would make future conversions more efficient.
• After restoring his spiritual power and cultivation with pills and meditation, Chen resumes work.
• By afternoon, he receives another batch of four treasures for appraisal, while the Appraisal Hall’s remaining stock begins to run low. Pawnshop owners waiting outside are preparing to reclaim their appraisers.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun gains a powerful new technique and becomes increasingly aware of both its potential and limitations.
• His past poverty makes the Stone-to-Gold Technique especially meaningful to him, giving the reward strong emotional significance.
• He demonstrates practical experimentation rather than blindly trusting the technique’s apparent power.
• Chen’s cultivation has improved considerably, but the test reveals that three years of Arcane Cultivation are still insufficient for large-scale use of the spell.
• He remains financially cautious and highly interested in methods that can secure future wealth.

Significant Themes

• Wealth and cultivation: Financial resources are portrayed as essential to a cultivator’s progress, second only to cultivation methods themselves.
• Appearance versus reality: The Stone-to-Gold Technique seems like creation from nothing, but is actually a sophisticated process of extraction and replacement.
• Power and limitation: Even a seemingly miraculous ability is constrained by spiritual energy, available materials, and the user’s cultivation.
• Past hardship shaping ambition: Chen’s memories of hunger and poverty influence his intense excitement over obtaining a wealth-generating technique.
• Hidden value: The Rat Demon, the iron bowl, and the Stone-to-Gold Technique all demonstrate that ordinary-looking objects may conceal extraordinary power.

Character Interactions

• The chapter mainly focuses on Chen Shaojun’s interaction with the appraisal treasures, particularly the iron bowl and the silver.
• The Rat Demon’s past actions are explained: it used the Five-Ghost Transport Technique to steal silver from the government treasury and intended to secure a new host after escaping.
• Chen later summons a servant to remove the completed appraisals and bring him four new treasures.
• The servant’s deliveries and the presence of pawnshop owners emphasize the organized, increasingly depleted state of the Appraisal Hall.

Chapter Summary: The Appraisal Ends, Freedom from Slavery

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Treasure Fair finally concludes, bringing an end to the dangerous appraisal assignments.
• Chen Shaojun appraises four final treasures using the Divine Gaze Technique. Though they are only mid-grade items at best, he receives:
  • Ten points of Merit Golden Light
  • The Dust-Cleansing Technique
  • A Protective Talisman that automatically forms a defensive barrier when he faces mortal danger.
• The Protective Talisman reminds Chen Shaojun of the mysterious defensive protection that once saved the Fifth Prince from the Black-and-White Fiends.
• After the final bell, the exhausted appraisers celebrate their survival. Many apprentices are overcome with relief because numerous colleagues died during the fair.
• The appraisers collect their wages. Chen Shaojun is revealed to have appraised 172 treasures, nearly the highest number in the Appraisal Hall, earning 170 taels of silver.
• Shopkeeper Liu informs Chen Shaojun that the Lin Clan Pawnshop suffered severe losses:
  • Only about three in ten newly arrived apprentices survived.
  • More than half of the older apprentices accompanying Chen Shaojun also died.
  • Only eight apprentices remain in the pawnshop besides its three Certified Appraisers and Chief Appraiser.
• Ayong has made significant progress and is close to becoming a Certified Appraiser. Chen considers giving him one of his unused Spirit-Nourishing Pills.
• Shopkeeper Liu reveals that Chen Shaojun’s slave status will soon be officially removed. In exchange, Chen must sign a new employment contract and remain with the Lin Clan Pawnshop for at least three years.
• Chen happily accepts, since gaining freedom is far more important to him than the employment requirement. He also plans to remain with the pawnshop because its access to treasures allows him to continue using the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror and strengthening himself.
• At the Appraisal Hall entrance, Chen reunites with Xu Hongtao and Lin Qi. He immediately notices that Lin Qi has recovered from the Killing Intent previously lodged in his body, evidently because of the Baleful Intent Dissolution Method Chen had secretly provided earlier.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Becomes increasingly powerful and wealthy through appraisal rewards and treasures obtained from the Moonlit Flower Boat. He gains a valuable defensive artifact and is finally on the verge of escaping his slave status. He also shows concern for Ayong and remains committed to helping those who assisted him.
• Shopkeeper Liu: Demonstrates appreciation for Chen’s contributions and formally arranges his emancipation. He also provides a grim account of the pawnshop’s losses.
• Ayong: Has survived the Treasure Fair and advanced dramatically in cultivation, standing just short of becoming a Certified Appraiser.
• Lin Qi: Has fully recovered from the Killing Intent afflicting him. His vitality, appearance, cultivation, and confidence have all returned, revealing his true potential as a Daoist cultivator.
• The Appraiser Apprentices: Their relief and emotional celebrations show how deeply traumatized they were by the deadly appraisal work.

Significant Themes

• Freedom and dignity: Chen’s imminent release from slavery is the chapter’s central emotional victory.
• Survival amid danger: The celebrations highlight the heavy death toll and the constant risks faced by the appraisers.
• Rewards for perseverance: Chen’s immense appraisal gains, wages, and improved status reflect the benefits of enduring hardship.
• Loyalty and mutual obligation: Chen remains with the Lin Clan not because he is forced to, but because the pawnshop offers resources and because he recognizes its role in supporting him.
• Growth through adversity: The survivors, especially Ayong and Lin Qi, emerge stronger after enduring the Treasure Fair.
• Preparedness and protection: The Protective Talisman reinforces the importance of safeguards in a world where sudden attacks and hidden dangers are common.

Character Interactions

• Chen and the chief steward discuss his unusually high appraisal total and wages, with the steward recognizing his exceptional performance.
• Shopkeeper Liu warmly welcomes Chen back, praises his contribution, and explains the pawnshop’s losses and Chen’s upcoming emancipation.
• Chen and Liu agree that Chen will remain with the pawnshop under a new three-year contract.
• Chen observes Lin Qi’s transformed condition and understands that the earlier treatment for Killing Intent was successful, though Lin Qi has not yet directly discussed it with him in this scene.

Chapter Summary: “I Came, I Saw, I Conquered”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Wenshan, Dai Ming, and eight surviving appraiser apprentices emerge from Appraisal Hall. Of the more than twenty apprentices from Lin Clan Pawnshop who entered, only eight survive.
• Chen Shaojun recognizes that Guo Haiwang, Sun Ming, and Li Dan—three apprentices who worked under his guidance in Appraisal Room Seven—have all survived and improved significantly.
• The group returns to Lin Clan Pawnshop, where everyone feels the weight of the casualties, especially Chen Shaojun, who mourns Zhao Hu, someone he had known since his early days with the Lin Family.
• Shopkeeper Liu grants everyone three days of leave instead of immediately sending them back to work.
• Lin Family steward Lin Youdong personally delivers Chen Shaojun’s rewards:
  • His original contract of sale
  • Seven feet of silk
  • Fifty taels of silver
  • A three-year employment contract
• Chen Shaojun tears up the contract of sale, officially ending his status as a slave and becoming a free commoner.
• He signs the new contract and becomes Lin Clan Pawnshop’s third appraiser, replacing Zhang Gao. He will earn ten taels of silver per month, plus appraisal fees.
• Chen Shaojun declines to live in the pawnshop’s prepared lodging, explaining that he wants greater privacy for cultivating martial arts and practicing spells. Shopkeeper Liu readily agrees.
• The next day, Chen hires a real estate broker, Sun Quan, to find him a residence.
• While waiting, Chen spends the day exploring Shengjing City, visiting major landmarks and forbidden or restricted areas with the aid of his Spirit Eye Technique.
• He reflects that, although he had technically already arrived in this world, this is the first time he has truly experienced and “seen” it.
• Upon returning to the pawnshop, Chen finds Sun Quan waiting with three possible residences to inspect. Xu Hongtao is also present, though it is unclear why he has returned during the holiday.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Gains freedom, social status, financial security, and professional recognition. He transitions from slave and apprentice to an official certified appraiser. His desire for an independent residence reflects his growing confidence and need to protect his secrets. His exploration of Shengjing also marks an emotional shift from mere survival toward genuine appreciation of his new world.
• Shopkeeper Liu: Becomes more respectful and cordial toward Chen after his promotion, addressing him as “Appraiser Chen” and offering help with housing expenses.
• Lin Youdong: Acts as the Lin Family’s representative, personally delivering Chen’s rewards and formalizing his new appointment.
• The surviving apprentices: Their survival, particularly that of Guo Haiwang, Sun Ming, and Li Dan, highlights their progress under Chen’s guidance.
• Zhao Hu and Zhang Gao: Zhao Hu is remembered as one of the casualties of Appraisal Hall, emphasizing the cost of the recent ordeal. Zhang Gao’s former position is inherited by Chen, while his uncertain fate remains irrelevant to Chen.
• Sun Quan: Introduced as a deferential but capable real estate broker who has already located several suitable homes for Chen.

Significant Themes

• Freedom and social advancement: Chen’s destruction of the sale contract symbolizes his liberation from slavery and his rise in status.
• The cost of survival: The celebration of the survivors is tempered by grief for the many apprentices and appraisers who died or disappeared.
• Transformation through adversity: The Appraisal Hall crisis reshapes the pawnshop’s personnel and elevates Chen from a low-ranking apprentice to a respected professional.
• Independence and secrecy: Chen’s wish to live outside the pawnshop reflects his need for privacy as his abilities and ambitions grow.
• Exploration and belonging: By walking through Shengjing City, Chen moves beyond simply surviving in the new world and begins to experience it as a place he genuinely inhabits.
• The vastness of the world: The city’s grand architecture, hidden secrets, and restricted sites convince Chen that this world is far larger and more mysterious than his previous life.

Character Interactions

• Shopkeeper Liu organizes the survivors’ return and grants them leave, later showing Chen increased respect after his promotion.
• Chen observes and silently evaluates the surviving apprentices, recognizing the improvement of those he previously supervised.
• Lin Youdong formally transfers Chen’s rewards and contract, marking the change in Chen’s relationship with the Lin Family.
• Chen and Shopkeeper Liu discuss housing, with Liu offering financial assistance that Chen politely declines.
• Chen commissions Sun Quan to find a house, and the broker later returns with three options.
• Xu Hongtao’s unexplained presence at the pawnshop suggests that a further interaction or development may follow.

Chapter Summary: “Demon Trouble”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun meets property broker Sun Quan to inspect three residences. He rejects the first house because its location near the busy street is too noisy for cultivation and meditation.
• The second estate, located near Baigeng Mountain and East Spirit Lake, immediately appeals to him. It is spacious, secluded, surrounded by fresh air and natural scenery, and contains a three-story viewing platform.
• Using the Spirit Eye Technique, Chen discovers that the estate has exceptionally rich spiritual energy—far greater than both the Lin Clan Pawnshop and Three-River Street—and excellent feng shui. He decides to purchase it for twelve hundred taels.
• During the transfer, Chen meets the seller, Wu Instructor, an academy teacher who claims he is selling because he obtained an official appointment.
• Suspicious of Wu’s incomplete explanation, Chen secretly steals and appraises the white jade hairpin in Wu’s hair using Empty-Handed Sleight and the Divine Gaze Technique.
• The appraisal reveals the real reason for the sale: Fragrant Garden Academy has been haunted by a dangerous Cat Demon that has harmed people. Wu later saw a similar white cat in his own backyard, prompting him to flee the estate and seek an official position elsewhere.
• Although briefly alarmed, Chen decides the demon may be no stronger than Mingyue, the transformed Two-Tailed Demon Fox, and concludes that his current abilities are sufficient to face it.
• Before signing the transfer, Chen confronts Wu about the academy’s demon problem and claims that he and Sun Quan saw a human-sized white cat at the estate. Wu becomes visibly frightened and tries to dismiss the matter as coincidence.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates increasing confidence in his cultivation and supernatural abilities. Rather than abandoning the estate immediately after learning about the Cat Demon, he weighs the danger against the location’s immense spiritual advantages.
• He also shows greater caution and investigative skill, using his appraisal techniques to uncover Wu Instructor’s hidden motives without being detected.
• Wu Instructor is revealed to be frightened and deceptive. His supposed career advancement is only part of the truth; he is actually escaping a possible demon infestation while using his connections to secure a safer official post.
• Sun Quan remains a practical and enthusiastic broker, focused on completing the sale and unaware of the danger surrounding the property.
• Xu Hongtao appears briefly at the beginning, explaining his prior dealings with Sun Quan and showing interest in Chen’s unexpectedly strong finances, though Chen avoids engaging with him.

Significant Themes

• Risk versus opportunity: The estate is both an ideal cultivation site and potentially dangerous because of the Cat Demon. Chen must decide whether its spiritual benefits justify the threat.
• Hidden truths and investigation: The apparent reason for the sale conceals a more serious supernatural problem, which Chen uncovers through appraisal.
• Growing confidence: Chen’s willingness to confront a demon reflects his increasing strength and belief in his own abilities.
• Appearance versus reality: Wu’s official explanation, the estate’s attractive price, and the peaceful surroundings all conceal the presence of danger.
• Cultivation and environment: The chapter emphasizes the importance of spiritual energy, feng shui, quiet surroundings, and suitable living conditions for advancing one’s practice.

Character Interactions

• Chen politely but firmly dismisses Xu Hongtao’s probing remarks and turns his attention to finding a residence.
• He works closely with Sun Quan, rejecting one property and approving another based on his cultivation needs rather than ordinary convenience.
• Chen’s secret appraisal of Wu Instructor’s hairpin creates an information imbalance: Chen learns Wu’s true circumstances while Wu remains unaware.
• During the final negotiation, Chen deliberately pressures Wu by mentioning the Cat Demon and claiming to have seen a white cat. Wu’s panic confirms that Chen’s suspicions are correct, setting up a likely confrontation over the estate’s supernatural danger.

Chapter Summary: “Xu Hongtao’s Past”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun negotiates with Wu Instructor to purchase White-Stem Mountain Manor. Instead of paying the requested 800 taels, he offers 500 taels plus a painting by the influential Hermit of Tea Mountain.
• Wu Instructor accepts, recognizing the painting’s considerable monetary and political value. The property transfer is arranged for the following day through the broker Sun Quan.
• Chen returns to the pawnshop and discovers that someone has searched his room. Since he keeps his valuables in his Storage Ring, nothing important appears to be missing, but the incident reinforces his decision to move away from the crowded pawnshop.
• The next morning, while heading to retrieve and transplant his Spirit Tea Tree, Chen senses that someone is following him. He identifies the pursuer as Xu Hongtao, an unpacker at the pawnshop.
• Suspecting Xu’s involvement with the Red-Clad Cult, Chen disguises himself, steals Xu’s jade pendant using Empty-Handed Sleight, and uses his spiritual techniques to view the pendant’s memories.
• Through the visions, Chen learns that Xu searched his room the previous night and intended to follow him, report back to the Red-Clad Cult, and have him interrogated.

Xu Hongtao’s Past and Character Development

• Xu often exaggerates his former status in the jianghu, claiming to have been Shen Jinglei’s right-hand man. In reality, he was merely a dock steward of the Jinghong Gang, elevated partly because his cousin was Shen Jinglei’s concubine.
• His stories about accompanying Shen Jinglei to the Celestial Master Hall were fabricated from experiences belonging to Zhao Shanhe, Shen’s actual trusted subordinate.
• After the Thunderclap Gang was destroyed in an official crackdown, Xu fled to Shengjing City and entered the Lin Clan Pawnshop through relatives.
• A former gang hall master later told Xu that Shen Jinglei had survived, grown stronger, and begun planning a rebellion. Xu’s old dreams of power and adventure resurfaced, leading him to join the Red-Clad Cult.
• Xu is only a minor member because his martial strength declined after serious injuries. He remains at the pawnshop mainly because the cult has little use for him.
• Although fearful of being implicated after Third Appraiser Zhang Gao’s arrest or disappearance, Xu still obeys the cult when ordered to investigate Chen.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Wu Instructor engage in a sharp but mutually beneficial negotiation. Chen uses his knowledge of Wang Vice Minister and the Hermit of Tea Mountain to make the painting more valuable than its simple market price.
• Chen’s interaction with Xu is indirect and covert: rather than confronting him, Chen evades him, disguises himself, steals his jade pendant, and investigates his memories.
• Xu’s past connections link the pawnshop to the Red-Clad Cult and reveal that Chen is being watched because of a treasure allegedly connected to a powerful, elderly Treasure Unsealer.

Significant Themes

• Belonging and stability: Purchasing the manor gives Chen his first true sense of having a home and becoming rooted in the world.
• Deception and appearances: Wu’s fear, Xu’s exaggerated gang stories, and Chen’s disguise all highlight the gap between public identities and reality.
• Power through connections: The Hermit of Tea Mountain’s paintings carry value not only as art but also because of his influence over officials and the emperor.
• Hidden conspiracies: The search of Chen’s room and Xu’s surveillance reveal that the pawnshop contains dangerous political and criminal entanglements.
• Pragmatism and vigilance: Chen remains cautious, protects his valuables, detects surveillance, and chooses investigation over rash confrontation.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun realizes that Wang Xinyuan and the Red-Clad Cult have traced him after he stole a mysterious cone-shaped object during the chaos on the Moonlit Flower Boat.
• He assesses the threat: Wang Xinyuan is dangerous because of his spiritual power and treasure-unsealing abilities, while Chen Dong, a Red-Clad Cult steward and former gang hall master, is likely around the sixth or seventh stage of the Qi Sea Realm.
• Confident in his own martial and arcane abilities, Chen decides not to flee. Instead, he plans to lure his enemies into revealing themselves, adopting the strategy that “the true hunter often appears in the form of prey.”
• Chen deliberately allows Xu Hongtao to follow him to his rented residence on Three-River Street.
• At the residence, Chen discovers that the Spirit Tea Tree has grown rapidly and is gathering spiritual energy, making the courtyard attractive to animals. He realizes the tree must be moved and protected.
• He uses the Insect-Repelling Technique to drive away the animals, kills an attacking venomous snake, uproots the Spirit Tea Tree, and stores it in his Storage Ring.
• He also collects valuable medicinal ingredients intended for refining Dragon-Tiger Vitality Pills.
• Shortly afterward, Xu Hongtao, Wang Xinyuan, Chen Dong, and two Red-Clad Martial Warriors break into the residence and confront Chen.
• Wang Xinyuan demands the return of his stolen item. Chen pretends to be frightened and denies taking anything, preparing to manipulate the situation.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun displays increasing confidence in his strength and strategic intelligence. Rather than passively waiting for an attack, he deliberately sets a trap for his pursuers.
• He also shows practical foresight by relocating the Spirit Tea Tree, protecting his valuable resources, and salvaging the expensive medicinal ingredients.
• Wang Xinyuan is portrayed as cautious but determined. Although he suspects Chen, he remains uncertain about how Chen escaped the Moonlit Flower Boat and personally leads the confrontation.
• Xu Hongtao remains aggressive and vindictive, but his reduced cultivation leaves him dependent on Wang Xinyuan and the Red-Clad Cult for support.
• Chen Dong is introduced as a physically imposing and potentially formidable Red-Clad Cult authority figure.

3. Significant Themes

• Hunter and prey reversal: Chen appears vulnerable while secretly controlling the encounter and luring his enemies into a prepared situation.
• Strategic deception: Feigned fear and denial become weapons as important as martial strength.
• Growing power and cultivation: The Spirit Tea Tree symbolizes Chen’s expanding resources and connection to spiritual cultivation.
• Preparation and resourcefulness: Chen prioritizes preserving valuable treasures, medicinal materials, and cultivation resources before facing danger.
• Hidden danger beneath appearances: The seemingly ordinary courtyard contains a spiritually significant tree, while Chen’s frightened appearance conceals his true abilities.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen manipulates Xu Hongtao into following him without realizing that he is being led.
• Xu Hongtao confronts Chen aggressively and demands the mysterious item.
• Wang Xinyuan takes command of the encounter, questioning Chen and pressuring him to surrender what was taken.
• Chen responds with calculated panic and denial, attempting to maintain the illusion that he is weak and cornered while assessing his opponents.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group realizes that the mysterious box left in the ship’s cabin was a stage-magic trick known as “Man-in-the-Box.” However, they remain baffled about how the person who used it managed to escape from the moving ship.
• Wang Xinyuan and his allies confront Chen Shaojun, demanding that he hand over a mysterious cone-shaped object. Chen pretends not to know what they mean, though he is genuinely curious about the object himself.
• Xu Hongtao attempts to seize Chen, while two Red-Clad Cult martial warriors move to search the cabin. Chen effortlessly defeats all three:
  • He cripples Xu Hongtao with a single movement.
  • He kills the two Body Tempering experts with one palm strike each.
• Wang Xinyuan and Chen Dong are shocked to discover that Chen is far stronger than expected. They had believed him to be an inconspicuous young pawnshop appraiser who had only recently begun practicing martial arts.
• Chen Dong attacks Chen with his sword. Thanks to Swordheart Clarity, Chen instantly identifies weaknesses in Chen Dong’s technique and avoids every attack with ease.
• Chen disarms Chen Dong, criticizes his swordsmanship, and kills him with a single devastating slash that severs his neck and limbs.
• Chen reveals that he is at the Sixth Stage of the Qi Sea Realm, though he admits he is technically weaker than Chen Dong in cultivation. His superior physical strength, perception, and sword mastery allow him to dominate the fight.
• Wang Xinyuan, realizing that conventional martial arts cannot defeat Chen, resorts to his greatest ability as a Treasure Unsealer: a powerful spiritual attack formed through his immense spiritual energy.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun reveals his true strength. Once dismissed as harmless and insignificant, he demonstrates overwhelming physical power, extraordinary speed, and complete confidence in combat.
• His mastery of Swordheart Clarity allows him to analyze sword techniques instantly, perceive flaws, and respond with perfect precision.
• Chen also shows a ruthless side: he does not hesitate to cripple or kill those who threaten him, though he remains calm and even casually critical during battle.
• Wang Xinyuan shifts from arrogance to alarm after witnessing Chen’s strength. However, he regains his composure by relying on his spiritual abilities and status as a Treasure Unsealer.
• Chen Dong, initially confident as a skilled martial expert, becomes increasingly desperate when none of his sword attacks can touch Chen. His death demonstrates the gulf between ordinary expertise and Chen’s extraordinary combat perception.
• Xu Hongtao is exposed as both opportunistic and foolish. He tries to curry favor with Wang Xinyuan by attacking Chen but is immediately incapacitated.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and mistaken identity: Chen’s humble occupation and young age cause others to underestimate him, but his actual abilities far exceed their expectations.
• Superiority of mastery over cultivation level: Chen’s stated realm is not the highest present, yet his physical power, insight, and technical mastery allow him to defeat stronger or more experienced opponents.
• Knowledge as power: Chen’s Swordheart Clarity enables him to understand and dismantle Chen Dong’s swordsmanship, while Wang Xinyuan depends on his specialized spiritual knowledge as a Treasure Unsealer.
• Arrogance and consequences: Wang Xinyuan and his followers assume Chen is helpless because of his background, and their overconfidence leads to disastrous losses.
• Different forms of combat: The chapter contrasts brute strength, martial technique, and spiritual power, setting up a confrontation between Chen’s physical and swordsmanship abilities and Wang Xinyuan’s mystical spiritual attack.

Character Interactions

• Wang Xinyuan attempts to intimidate Chen through threats and authority, while Xu Hongtao reinforces the pressure by pretending to offer “Uncle Xu’s advice.”
• Chen responds with sarcasm and refuses to submit, exposing their supposed concern as hypocrisy.
• Chen’s battle with Chen Dong becomes partly instructional: while defeating him, Chen points out the flaws in his sword positioning, timing, and use of True Qi.
• After Chen Dong’s death, Wang Xinyuan and Chen exchange a final confrontation of abilities. Wang relies on spiritual power to prove that martial strength is not the only kind of danger, ending the chapter with his spiritual attack about to strike.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wang Xinyuan launches a powerful spiritual attack against Chen Shaojun. His spiritual strength is strong enough to kill Qi Sea Realm warriors and seriously threaten even Innate Realm experts.
• Chen Shaojun counters with his own spiritual attack, surprising Wang Xinyuan with his strength. However, Wang’s specialized technique overwhelms Chen’s attack.
• Chen reveals the Baleful Severing Ruler, which can cut through and interrupt invisible forces such as spiritual power. The ruler shatters Wang Xinyuan’s attack, leaving him stunned.
• Chen quickly kills Wang with his sword. Wang attempts to bargain by offering to teach him the Divine Unsealing Technique, but Chen rejects the offer because spiritual oaths prevent Wang from passing it on.
• Chen considers using the Soul-Summoning Technique to interrogate Wang’s spirit after death and possibly learn the technique indirectly.
• Chen searches the corpses and finds weapons, money, personal belongings, and two poor-quality martial manuals, which he dismisses with amusement.
• Xu Hongtao, the only surviving enemy, begs for mercy and argues that his role in the pawnshop makes him indispensable. Chen refuses, blaming him for betraying Chen and bringing the attackers to his residence.
• Chen kills Xu Hongtao as well, deliberately allowing him to experience hope before destroying it.
• Realizing the bodies could connect him to the deaths and attract official investigation, Chen decides to burn the corpses and erase all evidence.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates composure, strategic preparation, and growing confidence. Although he recognizes that Wang surpasses him in spiritual power, he has anticipated Wang’s abilities and possesses a countermeasure.
• Chen’s morality becomes more ruthless. He kills both Wang and Xu without hesitation and deliberately prolongs Xu’s fear, showing that betrayal has hardened him.
• Chen also reveals greater resourcefulness through his knowledge of spiritual oaths, the Soul-Summoning Technique, and the Baleful Severing Ruler.
• Wang Xinyuan, initially confident in his overwhelming spiritual attack, becomes shocked and desperate when Chen neutralizes it. His final attempt to survive by offering the Divine Unsealing Technique fails.
• Xu Hongtao shifts from threatening accomplice to terrified supplicant. His excuses and claims of usefulness cannot overcome Chen’s judgment.

Significant Themes

• Preparation overcoming superior strength: Chen survives because he understands Wang’s abilities and has prepared an effective countermeasure.
• The value of hidden knowledge and artifacts: The Baleful Severing Ruler turns an apparently impossible defense into a decisive victory.
• Betrayal and punishment: Xu Hongtao’s betrayal determines his fate, and Chen views his death as deserved.
• The limits of oaths and forbidden knowledge: The Divine Unsealing Technique cannot simply be taught because spiritual vows impose real consequences.
• Pragmatism and concealment: After winning, Chen must manage the practical consequences by destroying the bodies and eliminating evidence.
• Dark humor and detachment: Chen’s mockery of the martial manuals provides comic relief amid the violence and reflects his unusual experiences and broad knowledge.

Character Interactions

• Chen and Wang engage in a battle of spiritual force, with Wang relying on superior power and Chen relying on a specialized artifact and careful preparation.
• Wang tries to intimidate Chen, then begs for mercy once his attack fails; Chen responds calmly and explains why Wang cannot truly teach him the Divine Unsealing Technique.
• Xu Hongtao appeals to their former acquaintance and threatens Chen with possible investigation, but Chen dismisses both arguments and executes him.
• The chapter ends with Chen alone, dealing with the aftermath and planning to erase all traces of the confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Soul Becoming a Ghost, Strike the Ox Across the Mountain”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun completely erases the evidence of his battle with Xu Hongtao, Chen Dong, and the two Red-Clad Cult martial warriors by burning their corpses with the Fireball Technique.
• He uses the Three-Soul Separation Technique on most of the victims, scattering their souls and destroying their memories so that soul-summoning arts cannot easily reveal how they died.
• Chen summons Wang Xinyuan’s soul, hoping to learn the Divine Unsealing Technique. However, Wang’s spiritual oath prevents him from revealing the technique’s secrets.
• Wang Xinyuan’s intense resentment causes his soul to rapidly transform into a ghost. Chen restrains him with the help of the Red-Clad Female Ghost and interrogates him.
• Wang can only provide limited information: the Divine Unsealing Technique came from a Golden Core cultivator called Void True Person of the Mount Wu Sect, who has a mysterious connection to the Red-Clad Cult’s leader.
• Chen recites the Soul-Deliverance Scripture to remove Wang’s resentment, then scatters his soul with the Three-Soul Separation Technique to prevent future investigation or summoning.
• He burns Wang’s corpse and conceals the remaining traces, demonstrating his cautious and methodical approach to eliminating threats.
• Chen examines the spoils from the battle, including weapons, valuables, jewelry, books, and 730 taels of silver.
• Through the Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror, he learns that the two Red-Clad Cult warriors maintained respectable public identities while secretly serving the cult. Their backgrounds reveal how the organization recruits martial artists by providing cultivation resources and concealing its members behind legitimate identities.
• Appraising their two sabers yields the martial arts Twin-Saber Technique and Strike the Ox Across the Mountain.
• Chen tests Strike the Ox Across the Mountain by punching the upper of two stacked bricks without damaging it, while completely pulverizing the lower brick. He realizes the technique can transfer force through an object or person, making it ideal for concealed attacks.
• He then begins examining Chen Dong’s longsword, discovering that it contains intense killing intent and remnants of Chen Dong’s True Qi and will, making it dangerous for ordinary users.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun is shown to be extremely cautious, ruthless when necessary, and highly skilled at covering his tracks. He not only kills his enemies but also prevents their souls, corpses, and possessions from exposing him.
• His curiosity and ambition remain evident in his attempt to obtain the Divine Unsealing Technique, though he accepts that Wang’s oath makes this impossible for now.
• Chen also demonstrates growing combat versatility by acquiring and immediately testing new techniques suited to different situations, especially group combat and covert assassination.
• Wang Xinyuan becomes a vengeful ghost after death, but his fear of the Red-Clad Female Ghost forces him to cooperate. Once his resentment is removed, he loses his remaining agency when Chen scatters his soul.
• The Red-Clad Female Ghost acts as Chen’s enforcer, intimidating Wang and ensuring that the interrogation succeeds.
• The two Red-Clad Cult martial warriors are revealed to be ambitious but ordinary martial artists who joined the cult after reaching the limits of their natural advancement. Their loyalty was secured by access to cultivation resources and the cult’s Conversion Art.
• Void True Person is introduced as a potentially important future figure connected to both the Divine Unsealing Technique and the Red-Clad Cult’s leader.

Significant Themes

• Erasing evidence and concealing identity: Chen’s destruction of bodies, souls, and traces emphasizes the dangers of exposure and the importance of secrecy in the cultivation world.
• Death, resentment, and transformation: Wang’s rapid transformation from soul to vengeful ghost illustrates how spiritual power and hatred can alter the dead.
• The limits of oaths and knowledge: Even after death, Wang cannot reveal the Divine Unsealing Technique because of the spiritual oath binding him.
• Hidden organizations and double identities: The Red-Clad Cult operates through members who maintain respectable public lives, making the organization difficult to detect.
• Adaptability and practical strength: Chen values techniques not only for raw power but for their usefulness in specific circumstances, such as group battles or attacks through barriers.
• Power and control: Both the soul-separation methods and Strike the Ox Across the Mountain reflect Chen’s increasing mastery over force, spirit, and indirect attacks.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Shaojun and Wang Xinyuan: Chen summons, interrogates, and ultimately purifies and disperses Wang’s soul. Their exchange reveals the existence of Void True Person but fails to uncover the Divine Unsealing Technique.
• Wang Xinyuan and the Red-Clad Female Ghost: Wang’s hostility and resentment immediately turn into fear when the female ghost appears, allowing her to dominate and discipline him.
• Chen Shaojun and the Red-Clad Cult: Though the cult members are dead, Chen’s appraisal of their weapons reveals the organization’s recruitment methods, hidden network, and connection to powerful figures.
• Chen Shaojun and his acquired techniques: He actively tests the Twin-Saber Technique’s potential and demonstrates Strike the Ox Across the Mountain, recognizing its value as a devastating but deceptive attack.
• Chen Shaojun and Chen Dong’s longsword: The sword retains traces of its former owner’s True Qi and will, foreshadowing the danger and possible challenges involved in controlling or appraising it.

Chapter Summary: “A Rebellion Against His Own House? One-Yang Finger”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun appraises the longsword taken from Chen Dong. Because his strength and Creation True Qi overpower the sword’s killing intent, he is able to cleanse the weapon of its foreign aura and will.
• The Spirit-Seeking Treasure Mirror reveals the sword’s history. It was forged for Chen Dong over a decade earlier and accompanied him through his rise from Thunderclap Gang steward to branch leader and hall master.
• The appraisal uncovers the real cause of the Thunderclap Gang’s destruction. Members of the Abduction Sect kidnapped and murdered the young son of an imperial envoy. In retaliation, the envoy ordered the government to purge Dingzhou City’s gangs and underworld organizations.
• Chen Dong later joined the Red-Clad Cult with the gang leader through the influence of a powerful patron. The gang leader eventually became an Innate Realm branch leader, while Chen Dong was sent to Shengjing City as a steward.
• Chen Dong had attacked Chen Shaojun mainly to curry favor with Wang Xinyuan. He underestimated Chen Shaojun, believing him to be merely a weak appraiser, and brought only two subordinates.
• Chen Shaojun discovers that the patron who helped connect the Thunderclap Gang to the Red-Clad Cult was Prince Qiancheng, Zhou Muzhi, a member of the imperial Zhou family. This raises the possibility that the Red-Clad Cult has powerful support within the royal clan—or that the prince may even be secretly involved in rebellion.
• The sword receives a Low-Grade Treasure appraisal, rewarding Chen Shaojun with the One-Yang Finger martial art.
• Chen Shaojun learns that One-Yang Finger is a peerless technique related to the Six-Meridian Divine Sword. Although he currently lacks enough True Qi to use its highest levels, he can already perform it at approximately the fourth-grade level.
• He tests the technique, firing an invisible finger force that creates a three-foot-deep crater. He concludes that, unless prepared, almost anyone below the Innate Realm would be unable to withstand it.
• Chen Shaojun then turns his attention to Wang Xinyuan’s folding fan, which has come into his possession after Wang’s death.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun demonstrates growing confidence in his overwhelming spiritual power and combat ability. He can suppress powerful killing intent, cleanse foreign energies, and now wield an exceptionally dangerous ranged attack.
• His understanding of his own limitations also develops. Although he comprehends the One-Yang Finger completely, he recognizes that his current cultivation realm restricts how much of its power he can release.
• Chen Shaojun becomes more alert to the larger political implications surrounding the Red-Clad Cult, particularly its possible links to Prince Qiancheng, though he chooses not to involve himself unnecessarily.
• Chen Dong is portrayed as experienced and opportunistic rather than blindly loyal. His history reveals that he joined the Red-Clad Cult for survival and advancement, and later attacked Chen Shaojun to gain Wang Xinyuan’s favor.
• The Red-Clad Cult is revealed to be more deeply connected to powerful figures than Chen Shaojun had previously suspected.

Significant Themes

• Power and control: Superior strength allows Chen Shaojun to neutralize the sword’s killing intent and dominate the remnants of Chen Dong’s will.
• Political corruption and hidden power: The Red-Clad Cult’s connection to a royal prince suggests that supposedly criminal or rebellious organizations may be supported by the ruling elite.
• The unpredictability of fate and consequences: The Thunderclap Gang was destroyed not because of a direct conflict with the authorities, but because it became entangled in a larger tragedy caused by the Abduction Sect.
• Moral ambiguity: Chen Shaojun acknowledges that the gang may have been unfairly caught up in the purge, but also views their violent and criminal lifestyle as making such destruction unsurprising.
• Growth through cultivation: The One-Yang Finger emphasizes the distinction between understanding a technique and possessing the physical strength needed to use it fully.

Character Interactions

• Chen Shaojun’s earlier confrontation with Chen Dong is reflected in the sword appraisal: he must even suppress the traces of his own True Qi left in the weapon.
• Chen Dong’s relationship with Xu Hongtao shows misplaced trust; his confidence in Xu’s assessment of Chen Shaojun contributed to his careless preparation.
• Chen Dong’s connection to Wang Xinyuan motivates the attack and illustrates how lower-ranking cult members seek advancement by serving influential figures.
• The historical relationship between the Thunderclap Gang, its patron Zhou Muzhi, and the Red-Clad Cult broadens the conflict from a personal dispute into a possible imperial conspiracy.
• After gaining the One-Yang Finger, Chen Shaojun mentally connects it to the legendary Six-Meridian Divine Sword, setting up a future goal or anticipated reward.

Chapter Summary: “Eight Consecutive Draws, Realm-Breaking Pill, Wood-Chopping Technique”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun appraises a folding fan that once belonged to Wang Xinyuan. The fan was a gift from a powerful great scholar who had helped Wang rise from an ordinary appraiser to an Appraisal Grandmaster.
• The appraisal reveals Wang Xinyuan’s history:
  • He was born the son of a household servant and entered the pawnshop world through necessity.
  • By cultivating powerful connections and obtaining valuable resources, he eventually became a Grandmaster.
  • After being caught attempting to steal an imperial treasure, he was forced into the Red-Clad Cult through the influence of the great scholar who rescued him.
  • He later learned the Divine Unsealing Technique and became the Red-Clad Cult’s only Treasure Unsealer.
• Wang had come after Chen because Chen stole a precious treasure extracted from a Spirit-Sealing Stone during the Moonlit Flower Boat appraisal. Wang had underestimated Chen, believing him to be only a Certified Appraiser.
• Chen confirms that no one knows Wang and Chen Dong came to find him. Since both men had powerful connections within the Red-Clad Cult, Chen is relieved that killing them will not immediately expose him.
• The incident strengthens Chen’s desire for greater power. He longs to become strong enough to confront enemies openly rather than constantly eliminate threats discreetly.
• Chen plans to attend the Cultivators’ Exchange in two days, intending to obtain several Spirit-Sealing Stones from another cultivator. He hopes to use their spiritual energy to improve his cultivation and acquire the treasures sealed within them.
• He then appraises eight personal accessories belonging to Wang Xinyuan and Chen Dong, including hairpins, pendants, bracelets, and jade ornaments.
• The appraisal rewards include:
  • Three Spirit-Communing Pills
  • Physiognomy Technique
  • Eight points of Merit Golden Light
  • Vajra Leg
  • Eight Trigrams Staff Technique
  • A Realm-Breaking Pill
  • Wood-Chopping Mastery
• Chen’s accumulated Merit Golden Light rises to eighteen points, equivalent to roughly half a year of cultivation. He chooses not to absorb it immediately, preferring to save it for a more dramatic breakthrough.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Becomes more cautious but also increasingly ambitious. He recognizes that his current strength is insufficient to act freely against major factions and becomes more determined to cultivate rapidly. He also demonstrates growing strategic awareness by concealing Wang and Chen Dong’s deaths and planning to exploit the Cultivators’ Exchange.
• Wang Xinyuan: His background is revealed in detail. He is shown as both an ambitious survivor who relied on connections and a morally compromised figure whose greed led him into crime and ultimately into the Red-Clad Cult.
• The great scholar: Though absent, he is established as a highly influential figure whose assistance shaped Wang’s rise and recruitment into the Red-Clad Cult.
• Chen Dong and the Red-Clad Cult: Their deaths remain hidden, preventing Chen from immediately attracting the attention of powerful enemies.

Significant Themes

• The pursuit of strength and freedom: Chen believes true power would allow him to stop acting cautiously and confront enemies directly.
• Connections and social power: Wang’s rise demonstrates that advancement depends not only on talent but also on alliances, resources, and patronage.
• Greed and consequence: Wang’s attempt to steal an imperial treasure leads to imprisonment and his forced involvement with the Red-Clad Cult.
• Hidden identities and secrecy: Chen survives by concealing his actions, while Wang’s public identity as a respected Grandmaster masks his criminal and cult affiliations.
• Accumulation versus immediate use: Chen’s decision to save the Merit Golden Light reflects his preference for maximizing future gains rather than settling for gradual improvement.

Character Interactions

• Wang’s relationship with the great scholar is central to his development: Wang earns the scholar’s favor through treasure appraisal, receives the folding fan, and later becomes indebted to him after being caught stealing from the imperial court.
• Wang’s dealings with Chen are indirect but consequential. He underestimates Chen, sends Chen Dong to assist him, and ultimately becomes a victim of Chen’s countermeasures.
• Chen’s interaction with the treasures serves as his primary means of uncovering hidden histories, assessing threats, and gaining new abilities.

Chapter Summary: Qin Wenshan’s Breakthrough, Chen Shaojun Takes Charge of Appraisal Hall

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun returns to White-Stem Mountain Manor and restores it using cleansing and purification spells.
• He plants the weakened Spirit Tea Tree in the front courtyard and nourishes it with a powerful Minor Cloud-Rain Technique, nearly exhausting his mana. The tree quickly revives and begins attracting spiritual energy.
• Concerned that the tree’s aura will draw insects, rodents, and other creatures, Chen uses an Insect-Repelling Technique. He decides that defensive and concealing arrays will eventually be necessary, though he lacks array-related inheritance and plans to seek such items at the Cultivators’ Exchange.
• Chen remains wary of a possible Cat Demon in the back mountain. He watches the area overnight but sees no sign of it and postpones investigating further.
• The following day, Chen disguises himself as a middle-aged merchant and sells items acquired from the Moonlit Flower Boat, earning eighteen thousand taels. Combined with his existing wealth, he now possesses fifty-three thousand taels of silver.
• When the pawnshop reopens, Shopkeeper Liu announces that Chief Appraiser Qin Wenshan has cultivated the Divine Gaze Technique to the peak of Minor Mastery and is preparing to attempt Greater Mastery, the requirement for advancing to Appraisal Grandmaster.
• Because Qin will be preparing for his breakthrough, more appraisal responsibilities will fall to Chen Shaojun and Second Appraiser Dai Ming.
• Chen officially takes over the position and responsibilities formerly held by Third Appraiser Zhang Gao. He receives a larger and more prestigious second-floor appraisal room, Water Cloud Retreat, but declines the offer of a personal shop-hand attendant.
• Chen’s main duty is to sort incoming treasures according to the severity of their Killing Intent, sending safer items to the Appraiser Apprentices while personally handling the more dangerous ones.
• Using the Spirit Eye Technique, Chen easily identifies dangerous objects and personally appraises several treasures. He earns seven points of Merit Golden Light during the morning.
• The afternoon is quieter, but Chen becomes increasingly aware that rewards from low-grade treasures are no longer particularly useful to him.

Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: His status in the pawnshop rises significantly after becoming a Certified Appraiser. He demonstrates greater responsibility, confidence, wealth, and independence. His Spirit Eye Technique allows him to perform duties others find dangerous, and his focus shifts toward higher-quality rewards such as Merit Golden Light.
• Qin Wenshan: He is nearing a major breakthrough from Minor Mastery to Greater Mastery of the Divine Gaze Technique. Despite his position as Chief Appraiser, he is anxious and uncertain about whether he can succeed, especially because he expects limited assistance from the Lin Family.
• Shopkeeper Liu: He formally entrusts more responsibility to Chen and Dai Ming while supporting Qin’s advancement.
• Dai Ming: He benefits from Qin’s planned seclusion and Chen’s willingness to handle dangerous appraisals. His established private appraisal work suggests he is financially comfortable and not eager to take on extra effort.
• The Appraiser Apprentices: They now depend on Chen to filter out treasures with dangerous Killing Intent, protecting them from spiritual injury or death.

Significant Themes

• Growing power and responsibility: Chen’s advancement brings not only prestige but also the duty of protecting less-experienced apprentices.
• Caution versus ambition: Chen avoids recklessly confronting the Cat Demon, while Qin prepares carefully for a difficult breakthrough.
• The diminishing value of ordinary gains: As Chen grows stronger, low-grade treasures and common rewards lose their usefulness, signaling his progression toward higher realms.
• Wealth as a tool: Chen accumulates silver not for luxury but to support future plans, cultivation, and the Money Can Move the Gods technique.
• Control over dangerous forces: The Spirit Tea Tree and Killing Intent both require management and containment, emphasizing the risks that accompany spiritual power.

Important Character Interactions

• Shopkeeper Liu congratulates Chen and explains that Qin’s upcoming breakthrough will increase Chen’s workload.
• Chen respectfully congratulates Qin, while Qin modestly downplays his chances and expresses concern over the difficulty of advancement.
• Chen refuses a personal attendant, showing his preference for privacy and self-reliance.
• Chen protects the Appraiser Apprentices by sorting out treasures with heavy Killing Intent and personally cleansing the most dangerous objects.
• Although Qin and Dai Ming are largely unavailable or unwilling to handle the increased workload, Chen smoothly assumes the central operational role in the Appraisal Hall.

Chapter Summary: Cultivators’ Exchange

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Shaojun reflects on treasure appraisal and realizes that higher-ranked treasures with stronger Killing Intent could yield far more valuable rewards, such as supreme martial arts, divine abilities, or powerful magic treasures.
• He resolves to improve his appraisal abilities beyond the Appraisal Grandmaster realm and eventually reach the level of a Treasure Unsealer like Wang Xinyuan. He remains especially wary of the mysterious conical object in his Storage Ring, suspecting it may be an Immortal-Rank treasure.
• Despite his interest in high-level treasures, Chen Shaojun still values appraising ordinary items because the Merit Golden Light gained from them benefits his Arcane Cultivation.
• After finishing his work at the pawnshop, Chen notices ticket clerk Lin Qi’s excitement and correctly infers that Lin Qi is preparing to attend the Cultivators’ Exchange.
• Chen disguises himself as the “Kunlun Daoist” using the Face-Shifting Technique. He forges a letter of introduction in the handwriting of the elderly Mr. Qinghe, who originally introduced Lin Qi to the exchange.
• The exchange is held at the declining Wind-and-Cloud General Temple, dedicated to the loyal General Yang Feng. Chen enters the temple after presenting the forged letter and paying a generous donation.
• The temple boy informs him that Zhao Heng, the White Cloud Temple master’s chief disciple, will attend and is skilled in talisman crafting and Thunder Arts.
• Chen discovers that the meeting room is concealed by an isolation and concealment formation. Using the Spirit Eye Technique, he sees six cultivators inside and assesses their cultivation levels: three at Mid-Origin Condensation, two at Late-Origin Condensation, and one at Early Dao Foundation.
• After entering, Chen introduces himself as Kunlun Daoist. Zhao Heng rudely investigates his cultivation, prompting Chen to rebuke him. Temple keeper Zhu Qing confirms the authenticity of the letter and defuses the tension.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Shaojun: Becomes increasingly ambitious regarding treasure appraisal and recognizes the need to advance his cultivation and unsealing abilities. He also demonstrates caution, intelligence, and adaptability by disguising himself and infiltrating the exchange under a false identity.
• Lin Qi: His excitement reveals his enthusiasm for the hidden cultivator community and suggests that he is eager to participate in the exchange and broaden his connections.
• Zhao Heng: Is introduced as skilled but arrogant and suspicious. His immediate attempt to probe Chen’s strength establishes him as a potentially difficult or competitive figure.
• Zhu Qing: The temple keeper is shown to be experienced, composed, and diplomatic. As the only Dao Foundation cultivator present, he appears to hold authority within the gathering.
• Yang Feng: Though long dead, his sacrifice and reputation remain central to the temple’s history, contrasting with the temple’s current decline.

3. Significant Themes

• The pursuit of greater power and knowledge: Chen’s desire to appraise higher-ranked treasures parallels his ambition to reach a higher cultivation realm.
• Risk versus caution: The mysterious conical treasure represents immense potential but also danger, while Chen’s infiltration of the exchange requires careful preparation and concealment.
• Hidden identities and deception: Chen’s forged letter, disguise, and concealed cultivation show how secrecy and manipulation are essential in the cultivator world.
• Decline and remembrance: The General’s Temple’s fading incense reflects how public reverence diminishes over time, even for heroes once honored by the entire dynasty.
• Merit and reward: Chen’s appreciation for Merit Golden Light emphasizes the importance of long-term cultivation gains, even from seemingly insignificant treasures.
• Trust and suspicion among cultivators: The exchange operates through introductions and verification, while Zhao Heng’s probing behavior reveals the wary, competitive atmosphere of the group.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen observes Lin Qi’s excitement but does not reveal that he understands the reason behind it.
• At the temple entrance, Chen interacts with the temple boy, presenting his letter and receiving directions to the meeting. The boy also praises Zhao Heng’s abilities.
• Inside the hidden meeting room, Chen encounters Lin Qi and five other cultivators, including Zhu Qing and Zhao Heng.
• Zhao Heng examines Chen with an investigative technique, leading Chen to criticize his lack of manners.
• Zhu Qing intervenes diplomatically, confirming Chen’s letter and preventing the encounter from becoming openly confrontational.