Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the martial hall, Liu Fei regrets losing the chance to compete for Zhang Shaojiu’s support because Shen Ao has already backed him. Meanwhile, Ma Pengcheng grows increasingly resentful after learning that Zhou Chen has also become a First-Rank Martial Artist. He attributes Zhou Chen’s breakthrough to Master Zheng’s Blood Vitality Soup and believes Zhou Chen has taken opportunities that should have belonged to him.
• After the hall closes, Zhou Chen returns home and discovers that his father, Zhou Tian, has been seriously injured while fishing in the upper reaches of the Black River.
• Zhou Tian explains that several enormous ships from Azure City—likely belonging to Inner City clans fleeing the city—nearly crushed the fishing boats. The ships’ waves disturbed a Mist Monster, whose barbed tentacle tore Zhou Tian’s back. Another fishing boat was destroyed, killing its crew.
• The incident reveals the growing danger and tension caused by Azure City’s refugees entering Black City. Master Zheng and Lian Taoze were absent because they had likely gone to respond to the changing political situation.
• Zhou Tian fears losing his Fishery position while recovering and tells Zhou Chen that the Fishery Chief offered Zhou Chen priority for a fishing job. Zhou Chen reassures him by revealing that he has become a First-Rank Martial Artist and can now support the family.
• The family celebrates Zhou Chen’s achievement. He gives his father Blood-Boiling Powder to accelerate his recovery and promises to handle the household expenses.
• The next day, the Fishery’s boat chief visits with gifts and announces that Zhou Tian’s job will be preserved. Instead of fishing, Zhou Tian can recover while sorting the catch safely onshore.
• The neighbors, previously indifferent to Zhou Tian’s injury, suddenly become warm and attentive after learning of Zhou Chen’s advancement. They bring food, including rare sugar, Gray Meat, and ma shi. Zhou Yu recognizes that their kindness is motivated by Zhou Chen’s new strength and status.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen demonstrates increased maturity, responsibility, and confidence. His breakthrough as a Martial Artist allows him to protect and support his family, and he takes pride in finally making his parents happy.
• Zhou Tian shifts from worrying about his son’s future to feeling immense pride in Zhou Chen. Even while injured, he remains concerned about maintaining the family’s finances and saving for Zhou Chen’s marriage.
• Zhang Fang is initially devastated by her husband’s injury but becomes joyful and proud upon learning that Zhou Chen has advanced.
• Zhou Yu remains innocent and practical, focusing on whether Zhou Chen can now buy her candied hawthorns. She also perceptively understands that the neighbors’ sudden kindness comes from Zhou Chen’s new power.
• Ma Pengcheng becomes more consumed by jealousy and resentment. His belief that Zhou Chen’s success came unfairly hints at future hostility.

Significant Themes

• Power changes social status: Once Zhou Chen becomes a Martial Artist, the Fishery officials and neighbors immediately treat his family with greater respect and generosity.
• The vulnerability of ordinary people: The fishermen suffer because powerful Inner City clans show no concern for Outer City lives, while the Mist Monsters add another constant danger.
• Family responsibility and pride: Zhou Chen’s advancement is meaningful because it allows him to protect his parents and provide security, not merely because it increases his personal strength.
• Class inequality and injustice: The wealthy and powerful can endanger ordinary fishermen without consequence, exposing the harsh divide between the Inner and Outer Cities.
• The cost of advancement: Zhou Chen’s success brings benefits, but it also intensifies Ma Pengcheng’s envy and places him within the wider conflict surrounding Azure City’s arrival.

Character Interactions

• Ma Pengcheng’s thoughts contrast his bitterness with Zhou Chen’s quiet progress, establishing growing rivalry.
• Zhou Chen comforts Zhang Fang after Zhou Tian’s injury and listens carefully to the family’s troubles.
• Zhou Chen reassures Zhou Tian, reveals his breakthrough, and promises to take responsibility for the household.
• Zhou Tian and Zhang Fang react with overwhelming pride and immediately begin imagining a better future for their son, including finding him a suitable wife.
• Zhou Chen gives Zhou Tian medicinal powder and encourages him to rest.
• The Fishery’s boat chief changes his treatment of the family, preserving Zhou Tian’s job because of Zhou Chen’s new status.
• Zhou Chen gives Zhou Yu permission to eat the rare food brought by the neighbors, while Zhang Fang confirms that she should now follow her brother’s instructions.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Yu shares the delivered ma shi with her injured father Zhou Tian, mother Zhang Fang, and brother Zhou Chen. The family is deeply moved by the rare sweetness and abundance of food.
• A neighborhood woman arrives hoping to marry her daughter into the family, but Zhang Fang angrily rejects her after recalling how the woman mocked Zhou Tian’s injury and claimed Zhou Chen’s martial training had been a waste of money.
• Zhang Fang’s newfound confidence reflects the family’s changed circumstances now that Zhou Chen has become a First-Rank Martial Artist.
• The family enjoys a lavish meal of meat and mixed-flour buns. Zhou Chen notices that his improved martial cultivation has greatly increased his appetite and digestion, allowing him to consume more Black Meat and convert more Miasma Poison into Mist Incense.
• Zhou Chen thinks about the ten taels of silver taken from him by his relatives and resolves to reclaim it—with interest—now that he possesses enough strength.
• News of Zhou Chen’s advancement reaches the old Zhou residence, where Old Master Zhou and the eldest branch remain convinced that Zhou Ping, not Zhou Chen, is destined for success.
• The eldest branch discusses Zhou Ping’s position at the Chen Residence and imagines that he will eventually bring the family wealth and status.
• Old Master Zhou and his eldest son openly justify having taken Zhou Tian’s money to support Zhou Ping, dismissing Zhou Chen’s martial training as useless.
• They also show little concern for Zhou Tian’s injury and potential loss of his Fishery job, prioritizing their own finances and Zhou Ping’s future.
• A messenger arrives excitedly announcing that “your grandson has made something of himself.” Old Master Zhou assumes the news concerns Zhou Ping and eagerly gives the messenger celebratory coins.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen gains confidence from becoming a Martial Artist but remains disciplined and aware that martial cultivation requires constant progress. His motivation is tied not only to personal advancement but also to protecting and supporting his family.
• His increased appetite and improved digestion reveal a practical benefit of cultivation and strengthen his ability to gather resources through Black Meat and Mist Incense.
• Zhou Chen’s resentment toward the relatives who exploited his family hardens into a clear desire for revenge and repayment.
• Zhang Fang becomes outspoken and assertive after seeing Zhou Chen’s success. Her willingness to confront and insult those who once looked down on the family shows that she has regained dignity and confidence.
• Zhou Yu displays innocent joy at eating sweet food and meat, emphasizing how deprived the family has been.
• Zhou Tian remains quiet and restrained, but his family’s improved situation contrasts sharply with the disrespect he has long endured from his father and elder brother.
• Old Master Zhou, Zhou Tao, and Feng Yuyun remain arrogant, biased, and self-satisfied. They continue to favor Zhou Ping while minimizing Zhou Tian’s family and rationalizing their past exploitation.
• Zhou Ping is presented as the favored grandson whose apparent success at the Chen Residence has inflated his family’s hopes, though the messenger’s announcement creates suspense about whose achievements are actually being celebrated.

Significant Themes

• Family loyalty and protection: Zhou Chen’s advancement is meaningful because it allows him to support his parents and sister, not merely because it increases his own status.
• Poverty and dignity: The family’s emotional response to sweetness, meat, and plentiful food shows the severity of their deprivation, while their improved circumstances restore confidence and self-respect.
• Merit versus favoritism: Old Master Zhou assumes Zhou Ping will succeed because of his charm and favored position, while dismissing Zhou Chen’s genuine martial achievement.
• Reversal of social status: Those who once mocked Zhou Chen’s family may soon be forced to acknowledge his success. Zhang Fang’s confidence marks the beginning of this reversal.
• Resentment and justice: Zhou Chen’s determination to reclaim the stolen money reflects the chapter’s growing emphasis on settling old wrongs.
• False assumptions and dramatic irony: The old household assumes the good news concerns Zhou Ping, while readers know Zhou Chen has recently made a major breakthrough, creating anticipation for the revelation.

Character Interactions

• Zhou Chen and Zhou Yu share a tender moment over the ma shi, with Zhou Chen encouraging her to enjoy food that was once beyond the family’s reach.
• Zhang Fang protects the family’s dignity by rejecting the insulting matchmaker and verbally defending Zhou Chen and Zhou Tian.
• Zhou Chen silently observes his family’s happiness and becomes more determined to improve himself for their sake.
• At the old residence, Old Master Zhou, Zhou Tao, and Feng Yuyun reinforce one another’s favoritism toward Zhou Ping and contempt for Zhou Tian’s branch.
• Their conversation exposes the selfish manipulation behind the household division and the misuse of Zhou Tian’s money.
• The messenger’s arrival interrupts their celebration and sets up the chapter’s cliffhanger: they believe Zhou Ping has risen, but the true “grandson” who has made something of himself may be Zhou Chen.

Chapter Summary: “Repaying Kindness or Seeking Revenge?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• News arrives that Zhou Chen, previously scorned as an ineffectual member of the family, has become a First-Rank Martial Artist.
• Old Master Zhou, Zhou Tao, and Feng Yuyun are stunned. Their disbelief turns into humiliation when they learn that the Fishery’s boat boss has personally visited Zhou Chen, offered him gifts, and arranged a safer, respected job.
• A crowd of neighbors gathers to welcome Zhou Chen and flatter him now that he has gained status.
• Zhou Tao and Feng Yuyun mistakenly assume that Zhou Chen has come to honor the family and bring them gifts. They immediately begin planning to borrow his money to help their son, Ping.
• Old Master Zhou understands the truth: Zhou Chen is unlikely to repay a family that mistreated him. He realizes that Zhou Chen may have come to sever ties and seek revenge, and he regrets having favored the eldest branch while believing a fortune-teller’s predictions.
• Zhou Chen deliberately brings the neighbors as witnesses so that he can publicly cut off his relationship with the Zhou Household and prevent them from exploiting his reputation.
• When Zhou Tao approaches him with false warmth, Zhou Chen violently kicks him through the main hall doors. He then kicks Feng Yuyun through another doorway after confronting her for stealing his registration money and helping beat his father.
• The neighbors enthusiastically support Zhou Chen, portraying his violence as justified punishment for the family’s long-standing cruelty.
• With Zhou Tao and Feng Yuyun defeated, Old Master Zhou remains and tries to save face by praising Zhou Chen as the family’s promising descendant.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen reveals a dramatic transformation from a mocked and powerless young man into a confident Martial Warrior capable of defending himself and his father. His anger remains intense, but it is focused on exposing injustice and preventing further exploitation.
• Zhou Tao and Feng Yuyun are exposed as opportunistic and shameless. Even after humiliating Zhou Chen’s family, they instantly assume his new success will benefit them. Their confidence collapses into fear once Zhou Chen retaliates.
• Old Master Zhou experiences shock, regret, and belated self-awareness. He recognizes that his favoritism toward the eldest branch helped create their arrogance and that he may have permanently lost Zhou Chen and Zhou Tian.
• The neighbors quickly change sides, demonstrating how readily people flatter the powerful. They pretend they have always supported Zhou Chen, despite previously failing to defend his family.

Significant Themes

• Power changes social relationships: Once Zhou Chen becomes a Martial Warrior, those who mocked him immediately seek his favor.
• Justice versus family loyalty: Zhou Chen rejects the idea that blood ties excuse abuse. To him, true family loyalty must be earned through kindness and protection.
• Consequences of favoritism: Old Master Zhou’s favoritism has encouraged the eldest branch’s cruelty and ultimately destroyed family unity.
• Revenge and public vindication: Zhou Chen uses the gathered neighbors to make his break with the family undeniable and to publicly reverse the humiliation his family suffered.
• Hypocrisy and opportunism: The family and neighbors display affection only after Zhou Chen becomes powerful, revealing that their “kindness” is motivated by self-interest.

Important Character Interactions

• The messenger’s announcement humiliates Zhou Tao, Feng Yuyun, and Old Master Zhou while confirming Zhou Chen’s newfound status.
• Zhou Tao and Feng Yuyun discuss how to exploit Zhou Chen’s success, unaware that Old Master Zhou suspects revenge.
• Zhou Chen confronts Zhou Tao over his past abuse of Zhou Tian and physically punishes him.
• Feng Yuyun invokes family ties to protect Zhou Tao, but Zhou Chen rejects her appeal and reminds her of her own cruelty.
• The neighbors publicly endorse Zhou Chen, while Old Master Zhou attempts to acknowledge his achievement despite the collapse of the family’s former hierarchy.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Chen demands repayment from Old Master Zhou for the seven taels of silver stolen from his family in the past. Old Master Zhou can produce only four taels, claiming the rest was spent supporting Zhou Chen’s younger brother.
• Refusing to accept this excuse, Zhou Chen orders the old family residence sold to cover the remaining debt. Neighbors search the house, find the hidden property deed beneath the rice vat, and help seize the residence.
• Old Master Zhou protests that selling the house will leave him homeless, but Zhou Chen coldly rejects responsibility for his fate, arguing that the Zhou family would have destroyed him had he not become a Martial Warrior.
• A broker takes possession of the deed to sell the house. Zhou Chen leaves satisfied, having finally eased the resentment he has carried toward his former family.
• The Feng Household arrives with Zhou Ping, Zhou Chen’s cousin, brutally beaten and with all four limbs broken. Their steward explains that Zhou Ping had taken the money Zhou Chen needed for school. Old Master Feng sends both punishment and a ten-tael congratulatory gift to curry favor with Zhou Chen after learning of his breakthrough.
• Zhou Chen accepts the gift and chooses not to pursue conflict with the Feng Household, recognizing their pragmatic attempt to sever ties with Zhou Ping.
• Zhou Tao and Feng Yuyun, who are unconscious, are carried from the house and thrown into a filthy street puddle. Old Master Zhou is left to drag them away alone, mourning the loss of the residence.
• Zhou Chen calculates that, together with the ten taels from the Chen Household, he has gained fourteen taels that day, with another ten expected from selling the house.
• At the market, Zhang Ying is unexpectedly confronted by the previously hostile “mung-bean-eyed woman” and her son. They kneel, kowtow, beg forgiveness, and publicly apologize, leaving Zhang Ying shocked and confused.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen becomes increasingly assertive and vengeful after attaining Martial Warrior status. He no longer accepts humiliation from the Zhou family and uses his new power to reclaim money and punish those who wronged him. At the same time, he shows practical restraint by forgiving the Feng Household once they compensate him and lower themselves appropriately.
• Old Master Zhou is reduced from an authority figure to a powerless, humiliated old man. His desperate pleas and loss of the family home reveal the collapse of his control and the consequences of his past exploitation.
• The Feng Household demonstrates political opportunism. Old Master Feng immediately changes his attitude toward Zhou Chen, punishes Zhou Ping, and offers money to avoid offending a newly powerful Martial Warrior.
• Zhou Ping suffers severe punishment for taking Zhou Chen’s school money, becoming a symbol of the family’s reversal of fortune.
• Zhang Ying remains unaware of why her former antagonists suddenly fear her, ending the chapter in bewilderment.
• The mung-bean-eyed woman and her son shift from hostility and arrogance to extreme submission, suggesting that Zhou Chen’s growing reputation has frightened or pressured them into seeking forgiveness.

Significant Themes

• Power reverses social relationships: Zhou Chen’s breakthrough transforms him from an exploited family member into someone others fear and court.
• Retribution and justice: Those who stole from, mistreated, or opposed Zhou Chen are forced to repay him or suffer punishment.
• Pragmatism and opportunism: The Feng Household does not act from morality but quickly adjusts its behavior to protect its interests.
• Family betrayal and emotional release: Selling the old residence symbolizes Zhou Chen severing himself from painful memories and reclaiming control over his past.
• Humiliation and status: Public kneeling, kowtowing, and punishment emphasize how quickly social standing changes when backed by strength.
• Material relief: The recovered silver is not merely compensation; it directly eases Zhou Chen’s financial hardship and supports his future ambitions.

Character Interactions

• Zhou Chen confronts Old Master Zhou and forces him to repay the stolen silver, then takes control of the family residence.
• Neighbors enthusiastically assist Zhou Chen, reflecting their recognition of his new status and their willingness to side with power.
• The Feng steward respectfully flatters Zhou Chen while presenting both Zhou Ping and a ten-tael gift, negotiating peace between the households.
• Zhou Chen and the steward exchange polite words, establishing a temporary understanding rather than escalating the conflict.
• The neighbors help Zhou Chen humiliate Zhou Tao and Feng Yuyun by dumping them in a filthy puddle.
• Old Master Zhou is left to care for the disgraced members of his household alone.
• Zhang Ying’s former market rival and her son publicly beg for mercy, creating a comic and mysterious cliffhanger about what has caused their sudden fear.

Key plot points and events

• After Zhou Chen becomes a First-Rank Martial Artist, his relatives’ fortunes improve. Zhang Ying is promoted to a lighter supervisory job with better pay, and Sun Yang is reassigned from deliveries to warehouse work. Both households also receive congratulations from local Lineages, who hope to build goodwill with Zhou Chen.
• Zhou Chen receives several letters and gifts of silver, then gives his mother money to buy more meat for the family, including his younger brother Zhou Tian.
• The leader of the Evil Tiger Gang, Wang Ming, visits Zhou Chen with ten pounds of lightly contaminated beef and waives the family’s protection payments.
• Wang Ming brings up the deaths of Zhang Mingfei and his four men, noting that Zhang Mingfei was related to the leader of the Clear Moon Gang. The Clear Moon Gang is investigating the deaths.
• Zhou Chen realizes the gang may connect him to the killings. He resolves to advance his cultivation, improve his Wild Bull Fist, and gain practical combat experience before confronting a powerful rival.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhang Ying and Sun Yang move from hardship and uncertainty to relief and improved circumstances. Sun Yang also feels ashamed of having argued with Zhang Ying over a small matter.
• Zhang Fang is delighted that her relatives’ lives have improved, but remains cautious about buying more food so as not to attract trouble or burden Zhou Chen.
• Zhou Chen takes satisfaction in helping his family, but his confidence gives way to renewed vigilance when he learns about the Clear Moon Gang’s interest.
• Wang Ming presents himself as friendly and generous, yet his pointed remarks serve as a warning—and possibly an attempt to use Zhou Chen against a rival gang. Zhou Chen recognizes both the danger and the political subtext.

Significant themes

• Status and social influence: Zhou Chen’s new rank changes how local households treat his family.
• Family loyalty and mutual aid: His success brings relief to relatives, and he uses his resources to support his household.
• Power and reputation: Martial prowess opens doors but also draws attention and expectations.
• The cost of violence: Killing Zhang Mingfei’s group has created a threat beyond Zhou Chen’s immediate neighborhood.
• Preparation and experience: Zhou Chen understands that disciplined training alone may not be enough; survival may require real combat skill.

Chapter Summary: “Taisui Meat!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After delivering the meat home, Zhou Chen returns to the martial hall, where fellow disciples treat him with greater respect because he has broken through and become a Martial Warrior.
• Lian Taoze congratulates Zhou Chen and takes him to the waterside pavilion to explain the dangers and limitations of martial cultivation.
• Nearby, Shen Ao boasts to Sun Yingying that he has obtained a fortuitous opportunity that may allow him to cultivate Copper Sinew-Flesh, helping him surpass Lian Taoze.
• Lian Taoze warns Zhou Chen that ordinary food contains Miasma Poison, which gradually blocks the meridians and restricts the circulation of Blood Vitality.
• Martial Warriors are advised to avoid Black Meat, limit Gray Meat, and eat White Meat whenever possible. Excessive Miasma Poison can cripple cultivation, rupture the meridians, or even cause death.
• Lian Taoze explains that the Outer City’s martial artists cannot normally advance beyond the Third-Rank Martial Artist realm because of Miasma Poison. The Inner City possesses methods to expel it and reach the Fourth Rank.
• Inner-City aristocratic families also feed their talented descendants Taisui Meat, which contains less Miasma Poison and greatly accelerates cultivation.
• Zhou Chen learns that the Qi-Blood Soup he drank was made from White Taisui Meat. Black Taisui Meat is extraordinarily expensive, costing ten thousand taels of silver per jin.
• Realizing how dangerous it would be for an ordinary person to possess such a treasure, Zhou Chen wonders whether Master Zheng purchased the Taisui Meat and asks Lian Taoze about it.

Character Development

• Zhou Chen gains confidence and social recognition after becoming a Martial Warrior, though he remains modest and careful about concealing his advantages.
• His awareness of the Divine Statue’s power deepens, as he realizes it may have protected him from the effects of Miasma Poison.
• Zhou Chen also demonstrates prudence by recognizing that possessing valuable Taisui Meat could bring disaster and that Master Zheng’s generosity was significant.
• Lian Taoze acts as a supportive senior brother and mentor, providing Zhou Chen with crucial knowledge about cultivation, food, and the class divide between the Outer and Inner Cities.
• Shen Ao reveals increasing insecurity and competitiveness toward Lian Taoze. His boast about reaching Copper Sinew-Flesh reflects his desire to regain superiority.
• Sun Yingying flatters Shen Ao and reinforces his confidence, while dismissing Zhou Chen and other ordinary disciples.

Significant Themes

• Social status and recognition: Zhou Chen’s breakthrough changes how others treat him, showing the martial hall’s emphasis on talent and strength.
• Class inequality: Access to White Taisui Meat and advanced cultivation methods is concentrated among Inner-City aristocrats, while Outer-City martial artists are limited by contaminated food.
• Hidden costs of survival: Food is not merely nourishment; its quality determines one’s cultivation potential and long-term fate.
• Power and opportunity: Fortuitous encounters, rare resources, and secret methods can determine whether a martial artist breaks through or remains trapped.
• Caution and concealed strength: Zhou Chen understands that displaying or possessing too much power or wealth can attract danger.

Character Interactions

• Lian Taoze warmly congratulates Zhou Chen, then guides him through the dangers of Miasma Poison and the importance of eating high-quality meat.
• Shen Ao and Sun Yingying speak arrogantly about Zhou Chen and other ordinary disciples while praising Shen Ao’s supposed opportunity.
• Lian Taoze’s friendly mentorship contrasts with Shen Ao’s contempt, highlighting the differing attitudes among the senior disciples.
• Zhou Chen listens attentively to Lian Taoze but privately reassesses Master Zheng’s gift and the dangerous value of Taisui Meat.

Chapter Summary: “Taking a Post!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lian Taoze explains the Outer City’s Flesh-Cutting Tournament, held every few years. The winning martial arts hall earns the right to control the city’s flesh-cutting quota for three years.
• Exceptional fighters may attract the attention of Inner City powers and gain entry into the Inner City. Zheng Family Martial Arts Hall previously won through Gongsun Wuyang, who later entered the Inner City and rose in status.
• The hall’s current hope is the Third Senior Brother, a powerful Second-Rank Martial Artist nearing the Golden Tendon Flesh stage.
• Zhou Chen learns that advancing through martial cultivation requires high-quality resources and pushing each stage to its limit. Reaching Golden Skin would cost at least a thousand taels, far beyond his current means.
• After breaking through to the First Rank, Zhou Chen is advised to choose a paid post. Several offers appear, but he selects a warehouse-guarding position with the Lian Household because it is safer and provides time for cultivation.
• Lian Taoze teaches him the Wild Bull Fist, which appears on Zhou Chen’s cultivation panel, confirming that he can use Mist Incense to accelerate its progress.
• Zhou Chen formally registers with the Lian Household and receives a datewood waist token, officially becoming a martial guard under their employment.
• He is assigned to guard Warehouse Number Two in Qingtian District, storing valuable goods such as medicinal materials. The position requires only two patrols a day and leaves him ample time to practice.
• Lian Taoze asks his uncle, Lian Yunfeng, to provide Zhou Chen with five additional doses of Blood-Boiling Powder each month. Lian Yunfeng initially refuses, criticizing Taoze’s tendency to support people out of loyalty, but ultimately approves three doses.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen becomes more aware of the economic and political realities surrounding martial cultivation. He remains ambitious, intending to perfect each stage, but recognizes that resources are his greatest limitation.
• He also develops a stronger sense of justice after realizing Ma Pengcheng exploited his ignorance by demanding valuable Qi-Blood Soup for free.
• By accepting the warehouse post, Zhou Chen secures his first stable livelihood and gains a practical foundation for future cultivation.
• Lian Taoze demonstrates genuine concern for Zhou Chen, recommending him for a safe position and attempting to improve his monthly resources. His loyalty and generosity are also shown to be habitual, sometimes to the frustration of his family.
• Lian Yunfeng is revealed as a cautious, burdened family head. Though stern and financially pragmatic, he ultimately compromises by granting Zhou Chen three extra doses of medicine.
• Zhou Chen’s senior brothers and the Zheng Family Martial Arts Hall are placed within a broader competitive structure, with their strength tied to the upcoming tournament and the hall’s survival.

Significant Themes

• Resources and social inequality: Martial advancement depends heavily on expensive meat, medicine, and other supplies, making wealth nearly as important as talent.
• Loyalty versus responsibility: Lian Taoze favors personal kindness, while Lian Yunfeng insists that the Lian Household’s survival must come first.
• The divide between Outer and Inner City: The tournament is portrayed as the main route by which Outer City fighters can escape their low status, highlighting the rigid hierarchy of the world.
• Preparation amid instability: Lian Yunfeng’s warning that Azure City is heading toward chaos suggests growing political tension and competition between Outer City groups and Inner City rulers.
• Building a foundation: Zhou Chen’s new post represents a modest but important step toward independence, stability, and greater martial power.

Character Interactions

• Lian Taoze patiently explains the tournament system, cultivation stages, and opportunities in the Inner City to Zhou Chen.
• Zhou Chen carefully questions Taoze, using the opportunity to clarify the cultivation system and assess his prospects.
• Various employers approach Zhou Chen, but their offers are less attractive or more dangerous than the Lian Household’s warehouse position.
• Lian Taoze recommends Zhou Chen to Lian Yunfeng and argues that his diligence makes him worth supporting.
• Lian Yunfeng reprimands Taoze for spending family resources on mediocre prospects, yet his eventual approval of three doses shows reluctant trust in Zhou Chen’s potential.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lian Taoze tells Zhou Chen that he will marry the following month and invites him to the wedding banquet. He explains that, after realizing his martial potential is limited, he wants to start a family and hopes his children will go farther in martial cultivation.
• Zhou Chen declines the idea of early marriage, choosing to focus on martial arts and family protection first.
• At Warehouse No. 2, Zhou Chen meets his new colleague, Chen He, who has become a guard. Chen He is shocked to discover that the previously unremarkable Zhou Chen has broken through to become a Martial Warrior. He now behaves obsequiously rather than arrogantly.
• Lian Taoze introduces Zhou Chen to Du Ruming, a capable martial artist from Plum Rain Martial Hall. Du is at the same Skin Tempering level as Lian Taoze and has reached Minor Accomplishment in the Plum Blossom Saber Technique.
• Du explains the warehouse’s security procedures: he and Zhou Chen must each conduct two irregular patrols daily while preventing theft and fires. He encourages Zhou Chen to prioritize cultivation.
• Zhou Chen settles into a small residence beside the warehouse and begins practicing the Wild Bull Fist intensively.
• After selling his former residence, Zhou’s savings rise to forty-two taels. He begins buying expensive Blood Deer meat, which offers more Blood Vitality and allows him to accumulate Mist Incense more efficiently, despite its high cost.
• Zhou Chen also starts using Blood-Boiling Powder regularly. The medicine greatly accelerates his Blood Vitality circulation and improves his training efficiency, though the limited household allotment is insufficient.
• Over the next month, Zhou spends more than twenty taels on meat and medicine, dramatically increasing his martial progress.
• Du Song fails to achieve Initiation and leaves the martial path. While drinking with Zhou Chen, he mourns his failed ambitions, his inability to repay his aging parents, and his modest future with Xiaocui selling sesame cakes.
• Moved by Du Song’s despair, Zhou Chen trains with renewed determination. After a month, his Wild Bull Fist reaches 578/1000, his Skin Tempering progress reaches 268/2000, and his Mist Incense accumulates to three chi. He finally burns the incense and prepares to receive experience from the Divine Statue.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen: Becomes increasingly disciplined and pragmatic. He rejects marriage for now, prioritizes strength and family security, and willingly spends much of his savings to accelerate cultivation. His progress shows that he is becoming significantly stronger and more committed to the martial path.
• Lian Taoze: Reveals a more personal and mature side through his marriage plans. Though limited in martial advancement, he accepts his situation and seeks fulfillment through family.
• Chen He: Has changed from a proud, ambitious youth into a cautious and ingratiating guard after being humbled by society. His reaction highlights Zhou Chen’s unexpected rise.
• Du Ruming: Appears rough and sociable but proves observant, organized, and responsible. He treats Zhou Chen warmly and offers practical guidance.
• Du Song: Suffers a major emotional setback after failing to achieve Initiation. He accepts a humble future but remains burdened by guilt toward his parents and grief over abandoning his martial ambitions.

Significant Themes

• Martial ambition versus ordinary life: Lian Taoze and Du Song represent different responses to limited talent—one embraces marriage and family, while the other struggles with failure and lost aspirations.
• The cost of advancement: Zhou Chen’s rapid growth requires considerable financial sacrifice, emphasizing that power depends not only on talent but also on resources.
• Transformation through hardship: Chen He’s humility and Du Song’s defeat show how social and personal hardships reshape people.
• Family responsibility: Both Lian Taoze’s hopes for future children and Du Song’s concern for his parents show how martial ambitions are tied to family obligations.
• Persistence and opportunity: Zhou Chen’s unusual progress, aided by the Divine Statue, contrasts with those whose efforts alone cannot overcome their limitations.

Character Interactions

• Lian Taoze and Zhou Chen discuss marriage, ambition, and the different stages of life.
• Chen He greets Zhou Chen with exaggerated respect after realizing he has surpassed him.
• Du Ruming welcomes Zhou Chen as a partner, explains the warehouse duties, and offers him companionship and support.
• Zhou Chen shares drinks with Du Song and listens to his regrets, responding with sympathy rather than empty consolation.
• The chapter closes with Zhou Chen alone in training, turning to the Divine Statue for another boost in cultivation.

Chapter 29 Summary: Minor Achievement in Fist Technique and the Medicine Rat

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Chen burns Mist Incense and successfully advances his Wild Bull Fist to minor accomplishment, reaching 178/2000 progress.
• He reflects on his unusually rapid martial progress, having achieved minor accomplishment in both his stance training and fist technique within only two and a half months.
• Zhou decides that revealing some of his talent to Master Zheng would help him gain greater attention and resources. He plans to conceal only his true limits rather than deliberately appear weak.
• He realizes that martial arts cultivation is extremely expensive, requiring more than twenty taels of silver each month, with additional costly medicines needed for skin tempering. This creates pressure for him to find new sources of income.
• During his regular warehouse patrol, Zhou instructs Chen He and the workers to maintain fire-prevention measures, increase phosphorus-lamp use, and burn wormwood regularly to guard against mutated medicine rats and the Mist Monster known as Seven-Step Fragrance.
• A medicine rat, mutated by the Black Mist and as large as a wild dog, attacks Zhou. He effortlessly dodges its bite, grabs it by the tail, and kills it with a single powerful blow from Wild Bull Fist.
• The rat’s death shocks Chen He and the other guards, especially because even the stronger Du Ruming had previously failed to kill it.
• Zhou orders the rat to be dismembered and its valuable parts sold, seeing the opportunity to earn several taels of silver.
• At the accounting room, Du Ruming is supervising the warehouse accounts while cooking tofu. Chen He reports Zhou’s achievement, leaving Du astonished.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen: Demonstrates a major increase in combat ability after reaching minor accomplishment in Wild Bull Fist. He becomes more confident in his strength but remains cautious about exposing all his abilities. His practical nature is shown by his concern over money, resources, and turning the medicine rat’s corpse into profit.
• Chen He: Continues to act as a loyal subordinate and becomes increasingly impressed by Zhou’s abilities. His alarm during the rat’s attack highlights his concern for Zhou’s safety, while his enthusiastic praise afterward shows growing respect.
• Du Ruming: Appears responsible for warehouse accounts and is comfortable interacting with Zhou as an equal or friendly colleague. He is stunned when told that Zhou killed the medicine rat with one punch, suggesting that Zhou’s strength has surpassed his expectations.
• Master Zheng: Does not appear directly, but Zhou begins considering how to present his progress to gain the master’s support and investment.

Significant Themes

• The cost of martial advancement: Martial strength requires substantial money, medicine, and material resources. Zhou’s rapid progress intensifies his awareness of financial pressure.
• Strategic self-presentation: Zhou rejects both reckless boasting and excessive concealment, believing that displaying appropriate talent is necessary to receive opportunities and protection.
• Strength proven through action: Zhou’s single punch against the medicine rat provides concrete evidence of his advancement and establishes his superiority over more experienced fighters.
• Danger in a corrupted world: The Black Mist has transformed both beasts and supernatural entities, making ordinary warehouse work hazardous.
• Practical survival and resourcefulness: Zhou treats the monster’s remains as a source of income and remains focused on cultivation rather than indulgence or social flattery.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhou gives Chen He detailed instructions about fire prevention, phosphorus lamps, wormwood, and warehouse security.
• Chen He warns Zhou about the medicine rat, but Zhou ignores the warning and kills it with one punch.
• Zhou orders Chen He to process and sell the rat’s valuable remains.
• Du Ruming warmly invites Zhou to eat his braised tofu, but Zhou declines because he must finish patrolling.
• Chen He publicly reports Zhou’s feat to Du Ruming, prompting Du’s shocked reaction and setting up further recognition of Zhou’s growing strength.

Chapter Summary: “Catching Ghosts at Night!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The men praise Zhou Chen for killing a tough Medicine Rat with a single punch. Du Ruming compliments him but privately dismisses the feat as luck.
• Du Ruming and Old Li discuss their scheme to replace genuine medicinal herbs with inferior ones and falsify the inspection records so that Zhou Chen will take the blame when the Lian Household discovers the fraud.
• Du plans to continue smuggling herbs and intends to defect to the Shen Clan once their larger scheme—centered around a mysterious object in the storeroom—comes to fruition.
• That night, Chen He secretly enters the warehouse through a hidden ventilation opening and removes a sack of medicinal herbs. He convinces himself that this will be his final criminal act before joining Du Ruming and the Shen Clan.
• At the back gate, Chen He meets the supposed recipient of the stolen herbs. When the firelight reveals the man’s face, he discovers that it is Zhou Chen. Chen He is terrified and collapses in shock.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen: Demonstrates impressive martial strength and composure. Although Du Ruming underestimates him, Zhou’s presence at the back gate reveals that he is alert to the corruption around him and may have deliberately allowed the plot to unfold.
• Du Ruming: Revealed as the mastermind behind the embezzlement and the framing of Zhou Chen. His confidence becomes arrogance, as he assumes Zhou is inexperienced and poses no threat.
• Chen He: Shown as morally conflicted but ultimately driven by greed and desperation. His family’s poverty and desire for status make him vulnerable to Du’s manipulation, though his guilt and fear remain evident.
• Old Li: Acts as Du’s accomplice, handling the ledgers and helping conceal the fraud. He is more cautious than Du and worries about planning their escape.
• Du Ruming’s subordinates: Exaggerate Zhou’s achievement, contributing to Du’s mistaken belief that Zhou’s strength is insignificant.

Significant Themes

• Deception and scapegoating: Du’s group manipulates records to shift blame onto Zhou while secretly profiting from stolen and inferior goods.
• Greed versus morality: Chen He’s financial hardships are used to justify increasingly corrupt actions, illustrating how desperation can erode conscience.
• Underestimation and hidden strength: Du mistakes Zhou’s calmness for weakness and attributes his victory to luck, creating dramatic irony.
• Ambition and social inequality: Chen He’s longing to escape poverty and enter a higher social world drives him toward criminality.
• Exposure and accountability: The final confrontation suggests that the conspiracy may soon be uncovered.

Character Interactions

• Chen He and the other men enthusiastically praise Zhou, while Zhou responds modestly and attributes his victory to fortunate timing.
• Du Ruming privately questions Old Li about Zhou’s movements, revealing their plot and their confidence that Zhou can be framed.
• Du manipulates Chen He by promising wealth and a better future, while using him to transport stolen herbs.
• Chen He’s secret meeting with Zhou at the back gate reverses their usual relationship: the subordinate becomes the exposed culprit, while Zhou appears to have anticipated the theft.

Chapter Summary: “The Confrontation!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Chen catches Chen He sneaking around the medicinal-herb warehouse after discovering that the guards’ rotations have been manipulated to create opportunities for theft.
• Chen He attempts to flee, but Zhou Chen easily intercepts him and defeats him with the powerful Blood Bull Charge technique.
• Under threat of death, Chen He confesses that Du Ruming ordered the theft and substitution of the medicinal herbs.
• Du Ruming appears and proposes that Zhou Chen join the scheme. He suggests they blame Chen He for the theft and offers Zhou Chen half the profits, while also threatening him by emphasizing his own greater experience with the Plum Rain Saber Art.
• Zhou Chen pretends to accept the offer and invites Du Ruming for drinks, but secretly plans an attack.
• Using a pouch of poisonous powder, Zhou Chen blinds and disorients Du Ruming before striking him with a deceptive attack. Du Ruming expects a sweeping leg but instead receives a devastating punch.
• Zhou Chen’s blow breaks Du Ruming’s ribs and sends him crashing through a wall. Du Ruming realizes that Zhou Chen has already reached minor accomplishment in fist arts and may even possess Copper Skin, far beyond what anyone believed possible.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen is revealed to be highly observant, decisive, and unwilling to tolerate betrayal or corruption when it threatens those who trust him. He combines moral resolve with cunning, using deception rather than accepting Du Ruming’s offer.
• Zhou Chen’s martial progress is shown to be extraordinary. His Wild Bull Fist has reached a terrifying level, and his physical body appears to have been tempered to Copper Skin.
• Chen He changes from a conspirator trying to escape punishment into a broken and regretful informant. His final expression suggests remorse, either for being exposed or for betraying Lian Taoze.
• Du Ruming is exposed as the mastermind behind the warehouse thefts. His confidence in his experience and martial superiority turns into shock and humiliation when Zhou Chen defeats him.
• Du Ruming’s underestimation of Zhou Chen highlights how inaccurate the rumors about Zhou Chen’s background and recent breakthrough are.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus corruption: Zhou Chen refuses to participate in the theft despite the financial benefits, especially because Lian Taoze had treated him sincerely.
• Hidden strength and underestimated talent: Zhou Chen conceals the true extent of his cultivation, allowing him to surprise enemies who judge him by his apparent status.
• Cunning versus experience: Du Ruming relies on intimidation and years of martial training, while Zhou Chen wins through preparation, deception, and superior ability.
• Loyalty and betrayal: Chen He betrays Lian Taoze, while Zhou Chen chooses to honor the trust placed in him.
• Appearance versus reality: Zhou Chen pretends to surrender, but his apparent compliance is actually a tactical maneuver.

Character Interactions

• Zhou Chen interrogates and intimidates Chen He, forcing him to reveal Du Ruming’s involvement.
• Du Ruming attempts to recruit Zhou Chen through promises of wealth and martial guidance, while subtly threatening him.
• Zhou Chen deceives Du Ruming into lowering his guard, then attacks him with poisonous powder and a disguised punch.
• Du Ruming’s final realization—that Zhou Chen has mastered advanced fist techniques and possibly Copper Skin—emphasizes the dramatic reversal of power between them.

Chapter Summary: “Flesh Lingzhi!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Chen defeats Du Ruming almost instantly through an ambush and decisive martial techniques. Du is enraged that Zhou used deception rather than fighting honorably, but Zhou considers survival and victory more important than martial etiquette.
• Du reveals that a rare Flesh Lingzhi has grown in the warehouse. He planned to offer it to Shen Ao, the eldest young master of the Shen Clan, in exchange for protection.
• Realizing that the Flesh Lingzhi could help him temper his body and break through toward the Golden Skin realm, Zhou decides he cannot allow anyone else to learn of it. He kills Du Ruming by snapping his neck.
• Chen He, dying from his earlier injuries, asks Zhou to report that he died protecting the medicinal herbs from Du. He also reveals the Lingzhi’s location and warns Zhou that Old Li must be killed to preserve the secret. Chen then commits suicide.
• Zhou alters the evidence by slashing Chen’s throat and kills the unconscious Zhao Yong as well. He then kills Old Li, eliminating everyone who knows about the Flesh Lingzhi aside from the Shen Clan.
• Zhou notices that the mysterious Blood Incense grows after he kills people, especially stronger opponents. He also observes that the Divine Statue associated with it is beginning to resemble him.
• He searches the bodies and Du’s residence, finding some silver but no major valuables. In the storeroom, he locates the mature Flesh Lingzhi growing among the medicinal herbs.
• The Lingzhi is revealed to possess a spirit: when exposed to fire, it cries like an infant, sprouts tiny legs, and attempts to flee. Zhou captures it with iron chopsticks and seals it in an iron box, as the creature fears both fire and iron.
• Zhou then rings the emergency gong and presents the bodies to the warehouse workers. He claims that Du Ruming and Zhao Yong had been secretly selling medicinal herbs, that Chen He discovered them and was murdered, and that Zhou killed Du while intervening.
• He orders the workers to secure the warehouse, inventory the medicines and records, report to the Lian Household, and check for missing personnel. The crowd accepts the explanation, while the head guard becomes wary of Zhou’s hidden ruthlessness and competence.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen demonstrates that his true strength, combat instincts, and willingness to kill are far greater than others believed. His guiding principle—scheme, strike, and retreat—emphasizes pragmatism over honor.
• He becomes increasingly calculating and morally ruthless, killing not only his enemy but also witnesses and potential threats to protect the Flesh Lingzhi. At the same time, he shows practical compassion by honoring Chen He’s final request and arranging a respectable explanation for his death.
• Zhou also shows growing curiosity and concern about the Blood Incense and Divine Statue, recognizing that his killings may be connected to their development.
• Du Ruming, initially confident in his connections to Shen Ao, becomes terrified when he realizes Zhou intends to kill him despite his threats. His attempt to save himself by revealing the Flesh Lingzhi instead gives Zhou a reason to eliminate him.
• Chen He shifts from a defeated victim to a desperate informant. His final actions reflect concern for his family’s future and a willingness to sacrifice his reputation and life for their benefit.
• The warehouse guards and workers begin to see Zhou not as a quiet martial trainee but as a powerful, experienced, and dangerous leader.

Significant Themes

• Pragmatism versus honor: Zhou rejects formal notions of honorable combat, believing that victory and survival matter more than the method used.
• Power and secrecy: The Flesh Lingzhi’s value makes information dangerous. Zhou’s willingness to eliminate witnesses shows how rare resources can drive betrayal and violence.
• Moral ambiguity: Zhou protects himself and gains a powerful treasure through murder and deception, yet he also fulfills Chen He’s final wish and maintains order afterward.
• Hidden strength and appearances: Zhou’s quiet exterior conceals both exceptional martial ability and a ruthless strategic mind.
• Supernatural consequences of violence: The Blood Incense grows through killing, while the Divine Statue increasingly resembles Zhou, suggesting that his actions may be transforming or binding him to a mysterious power.
• Social reputation and family duty: Chen He’s final request reflects the importance of preserving one’s name and securing opportunities for one’s family, even after death.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhou and Du clash over both martial strength and the meaning of honor. Du tries to intimidate Zhou through Shen Ao’s influence, but the Flesh Lingzhi instead seals his fate.
• Chen He pleads with Zhou to preserve his reputation and protect his family’s future. Zhou responds coldly but grants the request by manipulating the evidence.
• Zhou’s actions indirectly challenge Shen Ao and the Shen Clan by taking the Flesh Lingzhi intended for them, giving him satisfaction because of Shen Ao’s longstanding hostility.
• Zhou assumes control over the warehouse workers after the killings, presenting a convincing account and issuing clear orders. His calm authority frightens the guards and establishes him as someone far more formidable than they had assumed.

Chapter Summary: “Rewards!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Du Ruming attempts to flee, Zhou Chen discovers that the storehouse accountant, Old Li, has been killed. Liu Aofei claims Old Li helped falsify the accounts, conveniently shifting blame onto the dead men.
• An overnight audit reveals that Storehouse Number Two is missing more than a thousand taels of silver in medicinal materials.
• At the Lian Household, the family learns that Du Ruming embezzled and sold medicinal materials, conspired with the accountant, and attempted to escape.
• The family initially fears that Zhou Chen, who has only recently begun martial training, was injured or killed while confronting Du.
• The servant then reveals that Zhou Chen killed Du Ruming, recovered the evidence, and brought back the corpses and account books.
• Zhou explains that his Wild Bull Fist had reached Minor Accomplishment and that he killed Du by striking when Du was off guard.
• The Lian Household rewards Zhou with twenty taels of silver and an additional three packets of Blood-Boiling Powder each month. Combined with money taken from the criminals, Zhou now has over fifty taels saved.
• Zhou leaves to refine the Flesh Lingzhi, while Lian Taoze goes to meet Jing Yue for their promised flower-viewing outing.
• Afterward, the Lian elders discuss Zhou’s remarkable comprehension but worry that his inferior innate aptitude will limit his future progress. They contrast him with Lian Taofei, whose superior aptitude and growing favor with the Plum Rain Martial Hall’s master make him a stronger long-term prospect, though potentially a dangerous one.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen: Demonstrates unexpected combat ability, killing the experienced Du Ruming and rapidly cultivating his fist technique to Minor Accomplishment. He handles the incident calmly, reports events honestly, and accepts his reward modestly. His financial position and cultivation resources improve significantly.
• Lian Taoze: Shows genuine concern for Zhou’s safety and is astonished by his junior brother’s rapid progress. His earlier decision to assign Zhou to the storehouse is vindicated.
• Lian Yunfeng: Moves from anger and anxiety to admiration and delight after learning that Zhou protected the household’s reputation. He increases Zhou’s monthly support as both a reward and an investment.
• Lian Yunhe and Lian Yunfeng: Reveal their pragmatic views of martial cultivation. They admire Zhou’s comprehension but believe his poor innate aptitude places a ceiling on his achievements.
• Lian Taofei: Although absent, he becomes more prominent through discussion. His superior aptitude and favor with the Plum Rain Martial Hall’s master make him the family’s preferred martial prospect, though Lian Yunfeng suspects his current prominence may bring trouble.
• Du Ruming and Old Li: Both are posthumously blamed for the embezzlement. Liu Aofei’s account suggests that Old Li helped falsify the books, though the convenient distribution of blame leaves possible manipulation in the background.

Significant Themes

• Reward and recognition: Zhou’s successful defense of the storehouse earns him money, medicinal resources, and greater standing within the Lian Household.
• Talent versus innate aptitude: The chapter contrasts Zhou’s extraordinary comprehension and rapid technique mastery with his supposedly inferior innate aptitude, raising questions about whether natural limits can truly define his future.
• Reputation and loyalty: Recovering the stolen goods matters, but preserving the Lian Household’s honor matters just as much. Zhou’s actions strengthen the family’s trust in him.
• Pragmatism in martial society: The elders evaluate people according to their future cultivation potential, financial cost, and usefulness to the family.
• Hidden danger beneath success: Though the household celebrates Zhou and Lian Taofei’s prospects, the final warning suggests that favor, prominence, and political connections may carry risks.

Character Interactions

• Zhou’s confrontation with Du Ruming establishes his growing strength and decisiveness.
• Liu Aofei helps direct suspicion toward Du and Old Li, supporting the official explanation of the theft.
• Lian Taoze’s concern for Zhou contrasts with Lian Yunfeng’s initial anger over assigning an inexperienced fighter to the storehouse.
• The elders’ discussion after Zhou’s departure reveals their differing assessments of martial talent and family priorities.
• Lian Yunfeng’s increased allowance strengthens the bond between Zhou and the Lian Household, while his remarks about Lian Taofei foreshadow possible future conflict.

Chapter Summary: A Game of Power

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Lian brothers discuss the political crisis caused by Azure City’s collapse and the rise of the Heaven-Breaking Sect.
• The Li and Shang families are negotiating with Black City’s rulers, hoping to secure favorable treatment after fleeing Azure City.
• Black City’s leaders intend to absorb Azure City’s survivors:
  • The Li and Shang elites and their relatives will settle in Black City’s Inner City.
  • Other affiliated families and martial academies will be placed in the Outer City.
  • The current Outer City Lord has reportedly been transferred, and Azure City’s refugees may choose his replacement.
• Lian Yunfeng warns that the new city lord will need money, supplies, and powerful martial artists, meaning Xiao Fei may be recruited.
• The Lian brothers debate whether their household should support the incoming city lord. They conclude that openly choosing a side is dangerous because the Four-Family Alliance will resist the newcomer, while Black City’s Inner City rulers may secretly support that resistance.
• Meanwhile, Zhou Chen encounters a large procession bearing the Li and Shang banners. The procession’s riders violently force Outer City residents out of the way.
• When a rider nearly tramples an elderly woman and her granddaughter, Zhou Chen intervenes and pulls them to safety. He is covered in mud but ignores his own humiliation to help them.
• The chapter ends as Zhou Chen notices something significant about one of the carriages, creating a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Lian Yunfeng demonstrates political insight, recognizing that Azure City’s defeat has much broader implications and that Black City is preparing for a possible attack by the Heaven-Breaking Sect.
• Lian Yunhe reveals his practical caution. He understands that supporting the new city lord could protect the Lian Household’s interests, but it could also lead to their destruction if the official is overthrown.
• The Lian Household is shown to be wealthy but militarily vulnerable. Without elite martial artists, it must survive through careful neutrality and political maneuvering.
• Zhou Chen displays courage, compassion, and a strong sense of justice. Although angered by the procession’s arrogance and personally drenched in mud, he risks himself to save two defenseless civilians.
• The Li and Shang representatives are characterized as powerful, arrogant, and contemptuous of the Outer City populace.

Significant Themes

• Political instability and power struggles: Black City’s seemingly calm surface hides an impending conflict between the incoming city lord and the Four-Family Alliance.
• The danger of neutrality: Families must choose their alliances carefully, since supporting either side may bring ruin if the political balance shifts.
• Class oppression and privilege: The Li and Shang procession treats ordinary Outer City residents as obstacles rather than people, while its martial strength allows it to act without fear of consequences.
• Moral courage versus social fear: Though bystanders are too frightened to help the endangered woman and child, Zhou Chen acts despite the procession’s power.
• The consequences of war and displacement: Azure City’s refugees are not merely victims; their arrival threatens to reshape Black City’s government, economy, and military balance.

Character Interactions

• Lian Yunfeng and Lian Yunhe engage in a tense strategic discussion, weighing the risks of pledging allegiance to the new city lord.
• Zhou Chen and the old woman share a brief but meaningful encounter: he rescues her and her granddaughter, while she expresses gratitude and fear.
• Zhou Chen and the Li/Shang procession clash indirectly. Their reckless cruelty provokes his anger, but the procession ignores him even after endangering civilians and soaking him with mud.
• The chapter closes with Zhou Chen’s attention fixed on a carriage, suggesting that he may soon become directly involved in the larger political conflict.

Chapter Summary: The Shang Family’s Young Lady and Crimson Baleful Transformation!

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Chen encounters a lavish carriage from Azure City traveling through Black City’s Outer City toward the Inner City. The carriage’s veiled female passenger briefly uses a powerful, soul-affecting technique on him through eye contact.
• The Divine Statue protects Zhou Chen, allowing him to break free. He realizes the woman’s strength is far beyond Master Zheng’s and that she possesses an eerie aura unlike the surrounding Black Mist.
• Zhou Chen infers that Azure City has allied with Black City’s ruling powers, likely because the Heaven-Breaking Sect is preparing to attack Black City. He recognizes that the world is approaching greater chaos and resolves to increase his strength quickly.
• Inside the carriage, the woman identifies Zhou Chen as unusual because he resisted her technique and showed no trace of “ruins.” She orders her guards to kill the riders who had recklessly driven through civilians, despite her otherwise ruthless attitude toward commoners.
• After returning to Warehouse Number Two, Zhou Chen eats the flesh reishi raw. Its enormous medicinal power nearly overwhelms him, but he uses the Coiling Python Stance and Stake-Standing Exercise to control and absorb it.
• The flesh reishi advances his body from bronze skin toward pale-gold skin, greatly increasing his physical defense and strength. His cultivation rises to First-Rank Skin Tempering Realm, Minor Accomplishment, with a progress value of 368/2000.
• Zhou Chen activates the newly formed blood incense in the Divine Statue. Its power transforms him into a monstrous, enlarged state with dramatically increased strength, speed, and defense.
• He names this secret ability Crimson Baleful Transformation. It lasts roughly fifteen minutes per inch of incense and appears to have no immediate backlash or exhaustion.
• During testing, Zhou Chen destroys a wooden training dummy with one punch. His transformed strength is comparable to the full-power attack of a First-Rank Major Accomplishment Martial Warrior.
• He resumes training immediately afterward, determined to advance his blood and vitality to Major Accomplishment.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen becomes more alert to the political and military danger surrounding Black City. His encounter with the mysterious woman reinforces his awareness that he remains weak compared with true experts.
• His physical cultivation improves substantially through the flesh reishi, advancing his skin-tempering ability and granting him pale-gold skin.
• He gains a powerful trump card in Crimson Baleful Transformation, which more than doubles his combat abilities without apparent side effects.
• Zhou Chen’s disciplined personality is emphasized: even after undergoing painful cultivation and testing his new power, he immediately returns to training.
• The mysterious carriage woman is revealed to be extremely powerful, perceptive, and ruthless, but also capable of enforcing discipline and punishing those who harm civilians.

Significant Themes

• Power and inequality: The luxurious carriage moving through mud-bound civilians illustrates the extreme class division of this world, where elites treat ordinary people as insignificant.
• Survival through strength: Zhou Chen understands that political upheaval is imminent and that only sufficient personal power will allow him to survive.
• Cultivation and controlled risk: The flesh reishi offers tremendous benefits but could have been fatal if mishandled, highlighting the danger accompanying rapid advancement.
• Hidden powers and mystery: The woman’s aura, her references to “ruins,” and the Divine Statue’s blood-based ability suggest deeper secrets about the world and its history.
• Discipline versus complacency: Zhou Chen’s relentless practice contrasts with the guards’ reflections on how ordinary people abandon ambition for comfort and family life.

Character Interactions

• Zhou Chen and the carriage woman: Their brief eye contact becomes a silent confrontation. She attempts to influence his mind, but the Divine Statue protects him. Both recognize that the other is unusual.
• The carriage woman and her guard: She rebukes her entourage for failing to maintain a low profile, then orders the reckless riders killed. The guard obeys immediately, showing her authority.
• Zhou Chen and the Divine Statue: The statue protects him from the woman’s mental technique and later grants him the Crimson Baleful Transformation through the blood incense.
• Zhou Chen and the courtyard guards: Though they do not speak directly with him, the guards admire his relentless training and deliberately keep quiet so they will not disturb him.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Chen returns to the Zheng Family Martial Arts Hall and finds Zhang Shaojiu being praised for reaching Minor Accomplishment in his fist technique.
• Zhou Chen remains unimpressed, confident that his own “cheat” and rapid progress make him superior to ordinary geniuses.
• He speaks with Ye Lingtian, a fellow disciple and friend from a poor background. They discuss gifts for their Eldest Senior Brother’s upcoming wedding.
• Old Zheng announces that the Outer City’s City Lord is being replaced and that the new City Lord will hold an inauguration banquet. Disciples may attend and register.
• The banquet is politically significant: attending would effectively signal allegiance to the new City Lord.
• Old Zheng declares that the Zheng Family Martial Arts Hall will not choose a side, though individual disciples may attend if they wish.
• Several disciples, including Zhang Shaojiu, eagerly register. Su Mengyao and Lian Taoze refuse to take sides, while Shen Ao privately looks down on their caution.
• Zhou Chen initially intends to stay out of the banquet because of his limited strength and his connection to the neutral Lian Household.
• Instead, he approaches Old Zheng to report that his Wild Bull Fist has reached Minor Accomplishment.
• After watching Zhou Chen perform a few movements, Old Zheng confirms his achievement and praises his remarkable progress, comparing him favorably to Zhao Tianhong.
• Old Zheng is pleased but also regretful, believing Zhou Chen’s weak physical realm will limit his future despite his exceptional comprehension.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen: Demonstrates extraordinary martial talent, reaching Minor Accomplishment in just over a month. He remains calm, politically cautious, and confident in his hidden advantages.
• Zhang Shaojiu: Gains recognition for his own breakthrough but is portrayed as eager for status and political opportunity. His pride contrasts with Zhou Chen’s composure.
• Ye Lingtian: Continues to act as Zhou Chen’s sensible friend and sparring partner. He avoids the banquet, preferring to focus on training.
• Old Zheng: Reveals himself to be politically cautious and far-sighted. He understands that the banquet is a loyalty test rather than a simple social opportunity.
• Lian Taoze: Follows the Lian Household’s cautious policy and refuses to commit prematurely.
• Su Mengyao: Remains neutral because of her ties to the Su Household and the Four-Family Alliance.
• Shen Ao: Shows ambition and disdain for caution, believing early allegiance is the best way to gain rewards.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus innate limitations: Zhou Chen’s rapid mastery proves his exceptional comprehension, but Old Zheng emphasizes that a low martial realm still creates an overwhelming power gap.
• Hidden strength and confidence: Zhou Chen’s calmness comes from knowing his concealed advantages, contrasting with disciples who seek recognition openly.
• Political caution versus ambition: The banquet represents a dangerous political turning point. Old Zheng values neutrality and long-term survival, while others rush to secure immediate benefits.
• Appearance versus reality: What looks like an opportunity is actually a test of allegiance, and the disciples’ reactions reveal their judgment, ambitions, and maturity.
• Class and social background: Zhou Chen and Ye Lingtian share humble origins, while the chapter contrasts their disciplined caution with the arrogance of those who gain influence or status.

Character Interactions

• Zhou Chen and Ye Lingtian speak amicably about the wedding gift and their decision not to attend the banquet.
• Old Zheng instructs the disciples about the banquet and advises Lian Taoze to avoid committing too early.
• Zhou Chen surprises Old Zheng by reporting his breakthrough instead of registering for the banquet.
• Old Zheng’s praise establishes Zhou Chen as one of the fastest learners in the martial arts hall, while his concern foreshadows the difficulty Zhou Chen will face in advancing beyond the First Rank.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Old Zheng praises Zhou Chen’s rapid progress in fist techniques, recognizing his impressive comprehension despite his average aptitude and poor background.
• Although the martial hall cannot provide him with extra cultivation resources because it is supporting Zhao Tianhong for the upcoming Flesh-Cutting Tournament, Old Zheng makes an exception by allowing Zhou Chen to receive Qi-Blood Soup for another three months free of charge.
• Zhou’s breakthrough shocks the other disciples. Sun Yingying and Shen Ao dismiss him as a poor, physically limited martial artist, while Zhang Shaojiu feels threatened and jealous that Zhou surpassed him in fist comprehension.
• Ma Pengcheng becomes deeply alarmed by Zhou’s growth. Fearing that Zhou will eventually become powerful and seek revenge for their previous conflict, he plans to hire assassins from the Clear River Gang or Evil Tiger Gang.
• Zhou secretly follows Ma and realizes that Ma is likely preparing to arrange his murder. He decides to strike first.
• Zhou approaches Ma while pretending to apologize and gives him Qi-Blood Powder, then claims he will also give Ma his extra Qi-Blood Soup. Ma becomes complacent, believing Zhou has accepted his inferior position and is willing to serve him.
• Zhou then lures Ma into a secluded alley and presents a fake “Blood-Boiling Pill”—actually a poison sac filled with pufferfish poison. He throws the poison into Ma’s eyes, causing intense pain and dizziness.
• Zhou warns Ma that water worsens the poison, causing Ma’s attempt to wash his eyes to make the injury worse.
• Ma tries to intimidate Zhou and then attacks with his strongest Wild Bull Fist technique. However, his fists shatter on contact with Zhou, revealing that Zhou’s physical strength and defensive ability are far beyond what anyone expected.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen: Demonstrates exceptional comprehension, patience, deception, and strategic thinking. He deliberately hides his true strength and manipulates Ma’s greed and arrogance before counterattacking. His willingness to kill preemptively shows his increasingly ruthless survival mentality.
• Old Zheng: Shows limited but meaningful support for Zhou by extending his access to Qi-Blood Soup, despite believing Zhou’s aptitude is only average.
• Ma Pengcheng: Shifts from confident would-be predator to frightened victim. His arrogance and greed make him vulnerable to Zhou’s deception, while his attempt to assassinate Zhou confirms his hostile intentions.
• Sun Yingying and Shen Ao: Reveal their elitist attitudes by looking down on Zhou because of his poverty and ordinary physique.
• Zhang Shaojiu: Becomes jealous and insecure after Zhou surpasses him in fist-technique comprehension, though Shen Ao’s flattery restores his confidence.
• Liu Fei: Remains observant and politically cautious, avoiding close alignment with either faction.
• Ye Lingtian: Offers Zhou genuine congratulations, contrasting with the mockery and contempt of the others.

Significant Themes

• Hidden potential and underestimated individuals: Zhou’s achievements challenge the assumption that family background and physical aptitude determine a martial artist’s future.
• Arrogance versus caution: Ma’s contempt for Zhou prevents him from recognizing the danger until it is too late.
• Deception as survival: Zhou uses humility, gifts, and false submission to disarm Ma before launching his attack.
• Class and factional prejudice: Several disciples judge Zhou based on his poverty and ordinary origins rather than his actual abilities.
• Preemptive violence and moral ambiguity: Zhou believes Ma intends to kill him, so he chooses to act first, framing his brutality as necessary self-defense.
• The danger of greed: Ma’s excitement over the supposed Blood-Boiling Pill causes him to ignore obvious warning signs.

Character Interactions

• Old Zheng and Zhou interact as master and disciple, with Zhou showing gratitude while quietly hoping for greater support.
• Sun Yingying, Shen Ao, and Zhang Shaojiu collectively belittle Zhou, while Liu Fei stays neutral and politically cautious.
• Ye Lingtian congratulates Zhou, providing one of the few positive responses to his progress.
• Zhou and Ma’s final interaction is built around manipulation: Zhou pretends to apologize and submit, while Ma smugly accepts the role of superior.
• The confrontation ends with Ma’s failed counterattack and the dramatic revelation that Zhou possesses overwhelming physical strength.

Chapter Summary: Record of Concealed Blades

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Chen reveals that he has successfully tempered Golden Skin, combining its extraordinary defensive power with Crimson Baleful Transformation. His body becomes immensely strong and resilient, allowing him to withstand Ma Pengcheng’s full-power attack without serious injury.
• He challenges Ma Pengcheng to withstand three moves, but his first punch is already overwhelming. The blow crushes Ma Pengcheng’s chest, breaks his ribs, and kills him instantly.
• Zhou Chen searches Ma Pengcheng’s body and discovers a martial manual, later identified as the Record of Concealed Blades, along with more than ten taels of silver.
• To conceal the evidence and prevent anyone from identifying Ma Pengcheng’s use of the Wild Bull Fist, Zhou Chen destroys the corpse’s appearance before leaving.
• Returning home, Zhou Chen carefully reviews the ambush and recognizes that his crude use of a poison sac could be improved with better concealed-weapon techniques.
• At home, he reunites with his parents and younger sister. His family’s living conditions have improved since he became a Martial Warrior: his father can afford wine, his mother has bought new cloth, and his sister is healthier.
• Zhou Yu gives him a handmade green pouch meant to protect him during his dangerous martial training. Zhou Chen warmly accepts it and wears it.
• After hiding the stolen silver, Zhou Chen reads the recovered manual. He discovers that it contains both concealed-weapon techniques and methods for crafting such weapons.
• He is especially fascinated by the section on “verbal concealed weapons,” which teaches fighters to manipulate an opponent psychologically through speech, false surrender, feigned respect, and deliberate misdirection.

Character Development

• Zhou Chen demonstrates a major leap in physical power. His Golden Skin makes him nearly impervious to Ma Pengcheng’s attack, while his strength is sufficient to kill an opponent of comparable cultivation with a single punch.
• He is increasingly cautious and calculating. Rather than simply celebrating his victory, he examines the battle for weaknesses, worries about leaving clues, and seeks ways to make future assassinations more efficient.
• His morality and methods are shown to be ruthless. He deliberately destroys Ma Pengcheng’s corpse and exploits psychological openings, prioritizing survival and secrecy over honor.
• At the same time, Zhou Chen remains affectionate toward his family. His concern over his mother’s eyesight, delight in his sister’s gift, and relief upon returning home reveal a gentler side beneath his violent exterior.
• Zhou Yu has become healthier, livelier, and less timid because of the family’s improved circumstances. Her handmade pouch reflects both her affection for Zhou Chen and her growing confidence.
• Zhou Tian and Zhang Fang enjoy greater security and comfort because of Zhou Chen’s advancement, though Zhang Fang still worries about conserving money and not burdening her son.

Significant Themes

• Strength and transformation: Zhou Chen’s Golden Skin represents his rapid rise from an ordinary youth to a formidable Martial Warrior.
• Secrecy and survival: Concealing evidence, hiding one’s true abilities, and eliminating witnesses are essential in Zhou Chen’s dangerous world.
• Deception as a weapon: The manual emphasizes that the most advanced attacks are invisible—not merely hidden weapons, but words and psychological manipulation that cause enemies to lower their guard.
• Family as refuge: After violence and danger, Zhou Chen’s humble home provides emotional safety and reminds him what he is fighting to protect.
• Pragmatism versus honor: Zhou Chen’s methods—ambushes, poison, corpse mutilation, and verbal traps—contrast with traditional ideas of fair combat, highlighting his practical and increasingly ruthless worldview.

Character Interactions

• Zhou Chen and Ma Pengcheng engage in a brief but decisive confrontation. Ma Pengcheng is stunned by Zhou Chen’s Golden Skin and fatally underestimates the power of his punch.
• Zhou Chen’s interactions with his family reveal warmth and protectiveness. He gently scolds his mother for saving lamp oil, speaks affectionately with his sister, and praises her poorly sewn pouch despite its rough appearance.
• The manual effectively becomes Zhou Chen’s new teacher, introducing him to more sophisticated forms of concealed combat, including poison dispersal, deceptive attacks, feigned surrender, and psychological manipulation.

Chapter Summary: “Things Had Changed, and Nothing Was the Same!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Chen studies a book on concealed weapons and creates “Heaven and Earth Within the Sleeves,” a hidden sleeve mechanism that sprays powder into an opponent’s face during combat. He also makes more than a dozen coin darts, though the expense pains him.
• He continues training diligently, returning only at noon for Qi-Blood Soup and spending the rest of his time practicing martial arts.
• The new City Lord holds a grand inauguration banquet. He publicly promises tax reductions, increased patrols, and stronger defenses against Mist Monsters, winning temporary support from the common people.
• Azure City’s forces begin moving into the Outer City. Two aristocratic families and two martial arts halls, each backed by Third-Rank Martial Artists, arrive as the City Lord’s allies and threaten the existing local powers.
• The Four-Family Alliance remains unusually silent, while the original aristocratic families and martial arts halls grow increasingly uneasy.
• Ma Pengcheng’s body is discovered. Master Zheng determines that he was killed by a First-Rank Martial Warrior at the peak of the realm, possibly someone close to breaking into the Second Rank. This clears Zhou Chen of suspicion.
• Because Ma Pengcheng had many enemies and little importance to the main Ma Family, Master Zheng dismisses the investigation. Ma Pengcheng’s parents are forced to accept the loss without support.
• Wealthy merchants begin visiting Shen Ao and Zhang Shaojiu, hoping to gain access to the new City Lord through them. Shen Clan and Flying Eagle Martial Arts Hall have openly pledged loyalty to the new regime.
• Ye Lingtian explains that the new City Lord is demanding large shares of Outer City profits and forcing newly arrived martial arts halls to participate in the Flesh-Cutting Tournament, greatly increasing tensions.
• A poor woman visits Zhang Shaojiu, believing his former promise that he would return for her after becoming successful. Zhang publicly slaps and humiliates her, rejects her, and claims that their social statuses are now different.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen becomes more resourceful and dangerous by learning to use concealed weapons, while remaining cautious about the political struggle among powerful factions. He recognizes that his current strength is insufficient to enter the conflict directly.
• Master Zheng is shown as pragmatic and uninterested in pursuing justice for a low-status victim when larger political dangers are emerging.
• Ye Lingtian acts as Zhou Chen’s source of information, explaining the new City Lord’s alliances, economic demands, and likely effect on the Flesh-Cutting Tournament.
• Zhang Shaojiu reveals himself as arrogant, opportunistic, and ruthless. After gaining status and favor with the new City Lord, he discards the woman he once promised to marry and treats her as an embarrassment.
• Ma Pengcheng’s parents are powerless collateral relatives who must swallow their grief because neither Master Zheng nor the main Ma Family will defend them.
• The unnamed woman is shown as vulnerable and heartbroken, having risked public shame only to be cruelly rejected.

Significant Themes

• Power and political upheaval: The new City Lord uses popular reforms to establish legitimacy while quietly seizing economic control and expanding his influence.
• Survival amid factional conflict: Local powers must decide whether to submit, resist, or remain neutral as Azure City’s forces reshape the Outer City.
• Social hierarchy and exploitation: Status determines whose grievances matter. The powerful can evade consequences, while ordinary people are left helpless.
• Betrayal and moral decline: Zhang Shaojiu’s rejection of the woman shows how ambition and rising status can erase former promises and human compassion.
• Pragmatism versus justice: Zhou Chen and Master Zheng both recognize that survival may require caution, while Ma Pengcheng’s death demonstrates how justice is often secondary to political necessity.
• Preparation for future conflict: Zhou Chen’s weapons training and the growing importance of the Flesh-Cutting Tournament foreshadow escalating violence.

Character Interactions

• Zhou Chen and Ye Lingtian spar together and discuss the new City Lord’s policies, alliances, and political influence.
• Master Zheng questions those connected to Ma Pengcheng’s death but quickly dismisses the case, indirectly protecting Zhou Chen.
• Merchants and prominent families approach Shen Ao and Zhang Shaojiu, trying to use their connection to the new City Lord for political and economic advantage.
• Zhang Shaojiu humiliates the woman from his past in front of the martial arts hall, while the watching disciples remain silent.
• Zhou Chen and Ye Lingtian exchange a silent look, both recognizing that Zhang’s cruel behavior is entirely consistent with his character.

Chapter Summary: “Marriage!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the hall closes, Ye Lingtian warns Zhou Chen that Black City will remain unstable as various forces divide up new interests. Zhou Chen recognizes the danger and resolves to work harder on his cultivation.
• Zhou Chen and Ye Lingtian attend Lian Taoze’s lavish wedding banquet at the Lian estate. The large turnout demonstrates Lian Taoze’s extensive connections throughout Black City.
• Ye Lingtian introduces Zhou Chen to several notable guests, including Gale Blade, a renowned saber expert, and a short man famous for his exceptionally broad information network.
• Zhao Tianhong, their Third Senior Brother, arrives and reveals that his Blood Vitality has reached Perfection. He is preparing to attempt a breakthrough to the Third-Rank Martial Artist realm.
• Lian Taofei, Lian Taoze’s cousin, personally thanks Zhou Chen for uncovering the theft and shortages at Warehouse No. 2. Though he admires Zhou Chen’s diligence and perseverance, he privately believes Zhou’s poor natural physique will limit his future achievements.
• Lian Taoze eventually finds time to toast Zhou Chen and Ye Lingtian despite being occupied with his many guests. He apologizes for neglecting them, while the two junior brothers assure him that they have been treated well.
• Two months pass after the wedding. Zhou Chen devotes himself intensely to martial training through the changing seasons.
• By early winter, Zhou Chen’s First-Rank Skin Tempering cultivation has reached 1871/2000, just short of Major Accomplishment. He uses another foot of Mist Incense and commands himself to break through.

Character Developments

• Zhou Chen: Becomes increasingly aware of the dangers of Black City and responds through greater discipline. He trains relentlessly despite his weak natural physique, demonstrating exceptional perseverance. His cultivation advances rapidly and approaches Major Accomplishment in the Skin Tempering Realm.
• Ye Lingtian: Acts as Zhou Chen’s guide into Black City’s social and martial circles, showing his extensive knowledge and connections. He remains supportive and protective toward his junior brother.
• Zhao Tianhong: His Blood Vitality has reached Perfection, and he is nearing a major breakthrough. Although uncomfortable with social gatherings and flattery, he patiently fulfills his responsibilities as a senior figure in the martial arts hall.
• Lian Taoze: Reveals himself as a well-connected and hospitable host. Though overwhelmed by wedding obligations, he makes a point of greeting Zhou Chen and Ye Lingtian personally.
• Lian Taofei: Appreciates Zhou Chen’s sense of duty and determination but judges him primarily by his limited physical talent, showing the prejudice Zhou Chen faces because of his constitution.

Significant Themes

• Diligence versus natural talent: Zhou Chen’s progress challenges the assumption that poor innate ability determines one’s limits, even though others continue to underestimate him.
• Preparation amid instability: The looming disorder in Black City motivates Zhou Chen to strengthen himself before greater conflicts arise.
• Social relationships as part of martial advancement: Zhao Tianhong’s experience shows that success requires not only combat ability but also the ability to manage alliances and human relationships.
• Respect and hierarchy: The banquet emphasizes social status, seniority, and proper conduct, while Zhou Chen’s humble behavior earns him respect.
• Persistence and self-discipline: Zhou Chen’s training through the freezing winter underscores his determination to overcome his disadvantages.

Character Interactions

• Ye Lingtian advises Zhou Chen and introduces him to influential figures at the banquet.
• Zhou Chen and Ye Lingtian greet Zhao Tianhong, who treats them warmly as fellow members of the martial arts hall.
• Lian Taofei thanks Zhou Chen for protecting the warehouse and briefly evaluates his character and potential.
• Lian Taoze shares a friendly toast with the two junior brothers before being pulled away to attend to other guests.
• The chapter ends with Zhou Chen alone in training, using Mist Incense in an attempt to break through to First-Rank Major Accomplishment.