Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Into the Mountains to Exterminate Wraiths

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tao Yanchen, a nobleman of the Black Flood Dragon Army, brutally kills a pockmarked escort apprentice after the group reaches a village stained by violence and bloodshed.
• He deliberately counts the remaining escort members, revealing that he knows one of the original ten is dead. His behavior exposes him as a cruel, manipulative figure who enjoys frightening and toying with others.
• Wei Yu recognizes that resistance is impossible against Tao Yanchen’s force of more than one hundred martial artists. He submits, offering half of the escort agency’s rosewood cargo in exchange for their lives.
• Tao Yanchen pretends to uphold the Black Flood Dragon Army’s righteous reputation, accepting only half the goods while publicly claiming that he is not a bandit.
• He declares that the murdered apprentice may have been infected by “Bifang Blood,” using this explanation to justify the killing and conceal the true circumstances of the attack.
• Tao then forcibly recruits the escort agency to accompany his group into the mountains to surround and exterminate a Demon Wraith. Wei Yu accepts because refusal would likely mean death.
• The escort agency’s wagons and horses are seized, and its members are assigned to accompany stronger martial artists, including two Marrow Tempering Masters and several Bone and Blood Tempering Masters.
• Jiang Jingnian initially considers using his Psychic Whips to assassinate Tao Yanchen, but abandons the plan when Tao leaves and the situation changes. He decides to wait for a better opportunity, possibly during the confrontation with the Demon Wraith.
• Tao returns to the village to check for survivors. There, a veiled woman named Axu reveals that twenty-three villagers were intentionally allowed to escape.
• The chapter reveals that Tao’s group used Insect Incense, produced by Axu’s Lotus Intent Sect, to confuse or control the villagers and possibly manipulate the entire incident.
• Tao admits that keeping the escort members alive is not strategically necessary. He has retained them simply because he finds the situation entertaining, emphasizing his sadistic nature.

Character Developments

• Tao Yanchen is established as a smiling but vicious predator. He masks cruelty behind politeness, righteousness, and playful conversation, using fear and deception to control others. His actions suggest that amusement, rather than military necessity, motivates much of his behavior.
• Wei Yu becomes increasingly submissive and pragmatic. Though experienced in the martial world, he understands that survival depends on flattering Tao and avoiding confrontation. He prioritizes the lives of the escort members over the loss of their goods.
• Jiang Jingnian distinguishes himself from the others through his willingness to fight back. While outwardly terrified, he secretly plans to kill Tao if an opportunity arises. However, he also demonstrates caution by suppressing his immediate impulse and waiting for a more favorable moment.
• Axu appears calm, competent, and loyal to Tao. Her ability to carry out precise orders and her connection to the Lotus Intent Sect indicate that she is involved in the larger conspiracy involving Insect Incense and the villagers.
• The escort members are portrayed as psychologically broken by the overwhelming difference in strength. Their hope of survival prevents them from making a desperate counterattack.

Significant Themes

• Power and helplessness: The escort agency’s surrender demonstrates how ordinary martial artists are rendered powerless when faced with overwhelming force.
• Cruelty disguised as righteousness: Tao uses the language of justice, public service, and Demon Wraith extermination to legitimize murder, robbery, and coercion.
• Manipulation and manufactured truth: By blaming the apprentice’s death on Bifang Blood and controlling the villagers with Insect Incense, Tao’s faction constructs a false explanation for its actions.
• Survival versus resistance: Wei Yu chooses submission to preserve lives, while Jiang Jingnian believes passive survival may only lead to humiliation and death. The chapter explores the difficult balance between prudence and defiance.
• Amusement through human suffering: Tao’s final revelation shows that the escort members are being kept alive not for practical reasons but because he enjoys treating their fear as entertainment.

Important Character Interactions

• Tao Yanchen and Wei Yu: Tao intimidates Wei Yu while pretending to be honorable; Wei Yu responds with careful flattery and submission.
• Tao Yanchen and Jiang Jingnian: Though they do not openly clash, Jiang secretly identifies Tao as the primary threat and begins planning his assassination.
• Tao Yanchen and Axu: Their conversation reveals a close working relationship. Axu follows Tao’s orders precisely, while Tao praises her abilities and casually discusses the use of Insect Incense.
• The escort agency and Tao’s subordinates: The escort members are treated as coerced auxiliaries and placed under the supervision of stronger martial artists, reinforcing their subordinate status.

Chapter Summary: “Bifang Blood”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tao Yanchen reveals that he ordered the slaughter of Hongfeng Village, killing more than nine hundred villagers while deliberately allowing twenty-three people to escape.
• Axu becomes uneasy about Tao’s cruelty and begins to question whether the Lotus Intent Sect was wise to cooperate with the Tao Family. However, she suppresses her doubts out of obedience and her low status as a lotus maidservant.
• Tao jokingly proposes that he and Axu should “make people” in an empty cabin rather than continue killing. Axu accepts coldly, while the cabin is revealed to be filled with the remains of a murdered family.
• Meanwhile, Wei Yu, Jiang Jingnian, and the escort agency members camp with a group of martial wanderers before entering the mountains.
• The group is tense despite trying to relax through food, liquor, and cigarettes. Night falls under unnaturally dense black clouds, increasing their fear.
• Jiang Jingnian asks Wei Yu about “Bifang Blood,” the Demon Wraith they are preparing to hunt.
• Wei Yu explains that Bifang Blood is not an actual divine bird but a cluster of blue flame capable of parasitizing the human heart. Those who witness it usually die or become insane, making its nature difficult to identify and allowing authorities to use it as a convenient justification for executions.

Character Developments

• Axu: Demonstrates moral discomfort with mass killing, stating plainly that she dislikes killing people. Nevertheless, she remains emotionally detached and obedient to her sect’s mission, viewing her physical body and worldly relationships as temporary burdens.
• Tao Yanchen: Is established as sadistic, manipulative, and dangerously unpredictable. He treats mass murder as entertainment and casually shifts from discussing slaughter to sexual exploitation. His behavior raises doubts about his reliability as an ally.
• Jiang Jingnian: Maintains his disciplined, observant nature. He refuses to smoke because it could harm his martial training and judgment, and he actively seeks practical information about Bifang Blood.
• Wei Yu: Reveals his fear and fatalistic expectations. He believes the escorts will be used as expendable cannon fodder by the Black Flood Dragon Army and smokes because he may not survive the coming hunt.

Significant Themes

• Moral corruption and obedience: Axu recognizes Tao’s actions as disturbing but feels unable to challenge the sect’s decisions because of her subordinate position.
• The dehumanization of victims: Tao views mass slaughter and human reproduction as interchangeable forms of amusement, emphasizing his complete disregard for human life.
• Fear of the unknown: The party knows almost nothing reliable about Bifang Blood, making the upcoming mission especially dangerous.
• Power and exploitation: The Black Flood Dragon Army and Tao Family appear willing to sacrifice weaker groups for their own purposes, while the mysterious Demon Wraith provides a possible pretext for arbitrary violence.
• Mortality and resignation: The escorts’ smoking, drinking, and subdued conversations reflect their awareness that they may soon die.

Character Interactions

• Tao repeatedly tries to provoke and flatter Axu, praising her purity while suggesting marriage and sexual intimacy. Axu rejects the importance of worldly status and remains focused on her sect’s mission.
• Axu’s calm refusal contrasts with Tao’s violent temperament, creating tension between them and hinting that their cooperation may be unstable.
• Wei Yu and Jiang Jingnian share a quiet conversation that exposes the escorts’ fear and introduces the limited information available about Bifang Blood.
• The escort members attempt to socialize with the martial wanderers by offering cigarettes, but the wanderers’ refusal reinforces the atmosphere of distrust and isolation.

Chapter Summary: “Mountainfire Exotic Beast”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Huo Qi, the “Firewind Saber,” and Tang Shiming monitor the Tongda Escort Agency’s group while eating imported canned food near Hongfeng Village.
• Tang Shiming doubts the need for such heavy surveillance, since the escorts appear weak. Huo Qi insists on caution because Butler Wei assigned him the task, and he is deeply loyal to the Tao family—especially Young Master Tao Yanchen, who once saved him from death and gave him the chance to learn martial arts.
• Tao Yanchen arrives around eight in the evening with Butler Wei and a mysterious veiled woman named Axu. He leads more than a hundred soldiers of the Black Flood Dragon Army and the accompanying wanderers toward Hongfeng Mountain.
• Tao explains that a divination predicts the appearance of “Bi Fang’s Fire” at the mountain’s eastern foot. He intends to capture the Demon Wraith’s core and present it to his father, allowing the elder Tao to complete a sacrificial ritual and strengthen the family’s military power.
• Just as the group reaches the mountain, a huge pillar of flame erupts. The ground shakes violently, a flaming pit opens, and dozens of soldiers fall into it and are burned alive.
• The chaos gives Jiang Jingnian an apparent chance to escape. However, Huo Qi has been watching him and the other escorts closely, preventing any movement without risking immediate attack.
• Jiang Jingnian suppresses his impulse to flee, recognizing that Huo Qi is too powerful to fight directly and that Butler Wei remains an even greater threat.
• As the soldiers recover and fire their guns into the flames, a gigantic three-armed creature made of black stones and fire emerges from the burning pit.

Character Developments

• Huo Qi: His loyalty and gratitude toward Tao Yanchen are emphasized. Once a poor fisherman nearly killed by gangsters, he regards Tao Yanchen as his benefactor and is prepared to die for the Tao family. His vigilance also reveals him as a disciplined and capable guardian.
• Tao Yanchen: He presents himself as a filial son, claiming that he seeks no personal reward and only wishes to help his father. However, his goal is tied to expanding the Tao family’s influence through the Black Flood Dragon Army.
• Jiang Jingnian: He remains alert and opportunistic, immediately recognizing the eruption as a possible escape opportunity. His judgment prevents him from making a reckless move against Huo Qi, showing caution and growing awareness of the dangers around him.
• Butler Wei: He continues to support Tao Yanchen and reinforce his confidence, while remaining an intimidating figure whose presence discourages rebellion.
• Axu: Though outwardly cold and silent, she shows a subtle emotional response when Tao Yanchen speaks of his filial devotion, suggesting hidden feelings or doubts.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and indebtedness: Huo Qi’s devotion to Tao Yanchen stems from a life-changing act of kindness, while Tao Yanchen frames his dangerous expedition as filial duty.
• Power and exploitation: The weak escorts and wanderers are being treated as expendable “toys” for Tao Yanchen’s younger brother, revealing the cruelty and hierarchy of the Tao family.
• Caution versus opportunity: Jiang Jingnian must balance the chance to escape against the risk of exposing himself to powerful martial artists.
• Human ambition against supernatural danger: The Tao family’s desire to acquire Bi Fang’s Fire and expand its influence brings them directly into contact with a catastrophic, otherworldly creature.
• Hidden motives: Tao Yanchen’s noble words, Axu’s subtle reaction, and the planned use of the Demon Wraith’s core suggest that personal and political motives may lie beneath the expedition.

Character Interactions

• Tang Shiming questions Huo Qi’s excessive vigilance, while Huo Qi defends his careful execution of Butler Wei’s orders.
• Tao Yanchen speaks with Butler Wei and Axu about the mission and his supposed filial intentions; Butler Wei openly praises him, while Axu silently reacts.
• Jiang Jingnian observes Huo Qi’s surveillance and realizes that the swordsman is specifically prepared to stop him and the other escorts from escaping.
• The chapter ends with the Black Flood Dragon Army opening fire as the enormous three-armed fire-and-stone monster emerges, setting up the expedition’s first direct confrontation with the supernatural threat.

Chapter Summary: “Unforeseen Changes One After Another”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A huge, flame-covered beast attacks the Black Flood Dragon Army in the forest. The soldiers use breech-loading rifles and a dispersed skirmisher formation, but suffer heavy casualties as the creature burns and crushes them.
• Jiang Jingnian observes that the soldiers’ primitive firearms are dangerous in open terrain but much less effective in the obstructed forest. He identifies Butler Wei and Huo Qi as greater threats than the guns.
• The beast’s flames begin to weaken, leading Tao Yanchen’s group to wonder whether it is Bi Fang’s Fire or another powerful Demon Wraith.
• Axu suggests that the creature may be related to the Huan Mountain Stone Demon—possibly an offspring or avatar—though Butler Wei points out that it is far smaller than the legendary monster.
• Axu warns that Tao Yanchen’s divination may have become confused or misleading. Tao struggles between trusting his previously accurate hexagrams and responding to the rapidly changing situation.
• After learning that roughly thirty or forty soldiers have already died, Tao orders the army to switch to enchanted bullets intended for fighting Bi Fang’s Fire, even though Butler Wei warns that the ammunition is valuable and may not suit this creature.
• Before the ammunition can be changed, some soldiers suddenly become possessed and begin shooting their comrades. Blue flames in their eye sockets reveal the parasitism.
• Axu concludes that Bi Fang’s Fire has appeared, meaning the group is now trapped between two Demon Wraiths. Tao initially refuses to accept that the creatures could be cooperating, but the situation quickly becomes impossible to control.
• The mountain-fire beast unleashes another massive wave of flames. Butler Wei transforms into a powerful two-meter-tall combat form, uses inner qi to defend himself, and personally moves to hold back the beast.
• The martial artists attempt to subdue the parasitized soldiers. Jiang Jingnian and Wei Yu exploit the confusion, splitting up to fight the possessed men.
• Jiang Jingnian gradually retreats while pretending to remain engaged in battle. After reaching a less crowded area, he attempts to escape, but a powerful blade attack intercepts him, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Jiang Jingnian demonstrates calm tactical judgment. He accurately assesses the limitations of the army’s weapons and recognizes that the chaotic terrain gives him an opportunity to escape. His decision to “fish in troubled waters” shows resourcefulness and independence.
• Tao Yanchen becomes increasingly unstable as events contradict his divination. His frustration leads him to make reckless decisions, such as ordering the use of precious enchanted ammunition. His confidence gives way to disbelief and near-madness.
• Axu emerges as the most rational and perceptive member of Tao’s group. She recognizes the danger of relying too heavily on divination and urges immediate retreat once the second Demon Wraith appears.
• Butler Wei shifts from protecting Tao and conserving his strength to personally entering the battle. His transformation and use of inner qi reveal his formidable power and sense of responsibility.
• Wei Yu cooperates instinctively with Jiang Jingnian, showing awareness and tactical compatibility amid the chaos.
• The Black Flood Dragon Army suffers devastating losses, first from the beast and later from internal attacks caused by possession.

Significant Themes

• Uncertainty and the limits of prediction: Tao’s divination, once considered reliable, fails to account for the rapidly changing circumstances. The chapter emphasizes that prophecy can be obscured and should not be treated as absolute truth.
• Chaos and loss of control: The battle evolves from a straightforward confrontation into a crisis involving two supernatural threats, possession, friendly fire, and shifting loyalties.
• Technology versus supernatural power: Breech-loading rifles give the army a tactical advantage for the era, but their limitations become obvious against powerful Demon Wraiths and in difficult terrain.
• Survival over loyalty: Jiang Jingnian prioritizes escape once the situation collapses, while the army and martial artists are forced to abandon their original objectives and simply survive.
• The cost of overconfidence: Tao’s faith in his own plans and divination contributes to his inability to respond effectively when reality diverges from expectation.

Character Interactions

• Tao consults Butler Wei about the creature’s identity and later questions him about the army’s casualties and enchanted ammunition.
• Axu challenges Tao’s dependence on divination and repeatedly urges him to retreat, but he hesitates and resists her attempts to lead him away.
• Butler Wei and Axu disagree indirectly about the creature’s nature, with Axu proposing a connection to the Stone Demon while Butler Wei remains cautious.
• Butler Wei commands the martial artists to fight the parasitized soldiers while he confronts the flame beast himself.
• Jiang Jingnian and Wei Yu exchange a silent understanding and coordinate their movements, using the battle’s disorder to avoid danger.
• The chapter closes with Jiang Jingnian’s attempted escape being interrupted by an unidentified attacker wielding a fiery blade.

Chapter Summary: “Solved with Ease”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• After Butler Wei orders a retreat, Axu escorts Tao Yanchen away while Butler Wei, Huo Qi, and the other martial wanderers remain behind to cover them.
• Huo Qi notices several escorts attempting to flee and chooses to pursue Jiang Jingnian, whom he considers the weaker and easier target. He intends to kill Jiang Jingnian before going after Wei Yu.
• Jiang Jingnian activates the Blood Core in his Cinnabar Field, greatly increasing his speed. He escapes into the forest, surprising Huo Qi by moving far faster and enduring much longer than someone of his apparent cultivation level should be able to.
• Huo Qi suspects that Jiang Jingnian has concealed his true strength or possesses a treasure or secret technique. He continues the pursuit despite growing doubts.
• After an extended chase, Huo Qi uses the ultimate move of the Firewind Blade Technique, “Blazing Phoenix Scorches the Plains,” to close the distance. He cleaves through a fallen tree and strikes Jiang Jingnian’s shoulder.
• Jiang Jingnian realizes the wound is painful but far less severe than expected. His shoulder and arm remain functional, causing him to reassess both his own physical durability and Huo Qi’s actual threat.
• Jiang Jingnian turns back and uses Psychic Whip, mentally overwhelming Huo Qi and rendering him helpless.
• While Huo Qi stands dazed, Jiang Jingnian picks up his dropped saber and decapitates him. Still afraid that Huo Qi might somehow recover, Jiang Jingnian cuts the corpse into pieces before finally accepting that the danger has ended.

2. Character Developments

• Jiang Jingnian: Initially panicked and inexperienced, he relies on speed and terrain to survive. Being struck without suffering crippling damage gives him confidence and a clearer understanding of his own strength. He then calmly turns the tables, successfully kills an experienced martial master, and displays a more ruthless survival instinct.
• Huo Qi: Begins the chapter confident and predatory, viewing Jiang Jingnian as an easy victim. His confidence shifts to suspicion as Jiang’s speed and endurance defy expectations. Despite unleashing his strongest technique, Huo Qi is ultimately defeated because he underestimates Jiang Jingnian’s mental abilities.
• Butler Wei and Wei Yu: Their retreat and separation from the group establish the chaotic situation, though they do not directly participate in the central confrontation.

3. Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and mistaken judgment: Huo Qi judges Jiang Jingnian by his apparent cultivation level, failing to account for his extraordinary endurance, durability, and Psychic Whip.
• Growth through real combat: Jiang Jingnian’s understanding of his own abilities changes only after he experiences an actual attack. The encounter marks a transition from theoretical fear to practical confidence.
• Survival and ruthlessness: Jiang’s decision to mutilate Huo Qi’s corpse reflects the brutal rules of the world and his determination to eliminate every possible threat.
• Psychological versus physical power: Huo Qi possesses superior martial skill and physical cultivation, but Jiang’s psychic technique allows him to bypass that advantage completely.
• Fear giving way to composure: Jiang begins by fleeing in terror but ends the chapter calm, deliberate, and in control.

4. Character Interactions

• Huo Qi pursues Jiang Jingnian specifically because he considers him weaker than the other fleeing escorts.
• Their chase becomes a contest of endurance, with Jiang using the forest’s difficult terrain and Huo Qi relying on superior martial speed.
• Huo Qi’s decisive physical attack injures Jiang but fails to incapacitate him.
• Jiang responds by exploiting Huo Qi’s exposed attention with Psychic Whip, leaving Huo Qi mentally defenseless.
• The confrontation ends with Jiang killing Huo Qi and confirming that the immediate danger has been completely eliminated.

Chapter Summary: A Stirring Heart

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Jingnian kills Huo Qi after a fierce exchange between Martial Masters. Although he initially appears composed, the experience unsettles him and awakens an unfamiliar, disturbing excitement.
• He reflects on the battle, recognizing how quickly a fight can turn deadly when a weakness is exposed. Huo Qi’s fiery saber technique seriously wounds his shoulder, but Jiang’s Taiji Vajra Art rapidly slows the bleeding and demonstrates remarkable defensive and regenerative abilities.
• Jiang treats his injury, searches Huo Qi’s remains, and finds only food, medicine, and money. He decides not to take Huo Qi’s distinctive great saber, fearing it would attract attention, and burns the corpse, weapon, and surrounding evidence before disappearing into the forest.
• The scene shifts to a ruined temple, where Tao Yanchen is struggling against Bi Fang’s Fire, a demonic force that threatens to consume his consciousness and turn him into a controlled weapon.
• Axu performs a Lotus Ritual using the blood, hearts, and gallbladders of several corpses—including Escort Master Wei Yu and members of the Black Flood Dragon Army—to suppress the demonic fire.
• The ritual lacks enough heart’s blood and requires three more deaths. Until it is completed, Tao’s consciousness can only be preserved briefly.
• Tao asks Axu to give him a hidden Shijian Pill. Although the medicine cannot cure the possession and will damage his internal organs, it suppresses Bi Fang’s Fire for roughly another hour, allowing Tao to regain control of his body temporarily.

Character Developments

• Jiang Jingnian gains his first experience of killing and discovers an unsettling emotional response to violence. His reaction suggests that beneath his calm exterior, he may possess a growing affinity for combat and danger.
• He also demonstrates greater practical judgment: he analyzes Huo Qi’s technique, makes effective use of his cultivation art, treats his wound, avoids taking suspicious valuables, and eliminates evidence.
• Tao Yanchen is shown fighting desperately to retain his identity while being slowly overtaken by Bi Fang’s Fire. His speech and movements reveal his weakening condition, but he remains capable of making strategic decisions.
• Axu appears emotionally restrained and ruthlessly pragmatic. She kills even Tao’s own subordinates to gather the materials needed for the ritual, yet remains focused on preserving Tao’s consciousness.
• Tao and Axu’s survival depends on cooperation, though their methods and circumstances reveal the brutal moral compromises surrounding them.

Significant Themes

• The psychological impact of killing: Jiang’s first murder does not produce simple fear or remorse; instead, it stirs an unexpected fascination, hinting at possible changes in his character.
• Life and death as instantaneous outcomes: The battle emphasizes how a single exposed weakness can determine survival within moments.
• Power and its costs: Jiang’s advanced cultivation grants defense and healing, while Tao’s supernatural power threatens to destroy his mind and body.
• Moral compromise and survival: Axu’s ritual requires the deaths and mutilation of others, presenting survival as something purchased through horrifying sacrifice.
• Loss of identity: Tao’s struggle against Bi Fang’s Fire centers on whether he can remain himself or become an empty vessel controlled by a demonic force.
• Concealment and evidence: Jiang’s burning of the body and weapon contrasts with the temple’s grotesque ritual, showing both characters attempting to manage the aftermath of violence in different ways.

Character Interactions

• Jiang’s interaction with Huo Qi is entirely martial, but the brief confrontation profoundly affects Jiang’s inner state and understanding of combat.
• Tao relies on Axu to perform the ritual and administer the medicine, while Axu evaluates his condition and acts despite the dangerous consequences of the pill.
• Their relationship is marked by practical dependence: Axu sacrifices others to save Tao, and Tao trusts her with both the ritual and the medicine, even though neither can yet solve the underlying threat.

Chapter Summary: “Beauty? A Pile of Dry Bones, That’s All”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tao Yanchen reflects on the disastrous battle with Bi Fang’s Fire. His reliance on prophecy and divination led him to underestimate the Demon Wraith, which had developed unexpected intelligence after parasitizing a human.
• Tao admits that he may not survive the ritual and jokingly—or ominously—asks Axu to kill him if necessary. Axu continues applying heart’s blood to his back as part of the ritual.
• Axu leaves the ruined temple to search for survivors, intending to lure and kill any of Tao’s former Martial Master subordinates if she encounters them. Tao asks about Butler Wei, but Axu coldly says he is probably dead.
• Jiang Jingnian escapes the forest and encounters Axu on a dirt road. He remains cautious, fearing that Butler Wei may be nearby.
• Axu recognizes Jiang as one of the escort-agency workers and tries to question him about the others. She lies that Butler Wei is nearby and dismisses Jiang as an unworthy escort.
• Jiang detects the contradiction in her statement and realizes that neither Butler Wei nor Tao Yanchen is present. He immediately attacks Axu.
• A fierce battle follows. Jiang’s apparently crude Tai Chi Vajra Fist proves extraordinarily powerful, allowing him to pressure Axu despite his blood-and-qi cultivation appearing to be only at the Bone Tempering Stage.
• Axu, already injured, finds herself at a disadvantage because Jiang possesses greater endurance and unusually strong defenses.
• Desperate to turn the fight around, Axu removes her veil and releases an intoxicating, sweetly scented mist from her lips. Jiang’s body begins to weaken, but he counters with his special ability, Psychic Whip.

Character Developments

• Tao Yanchen: Becomes more fatalistic and reveals how deeply he values Axu and Butler Wei, distinguishing them from the expendable soldiers and Martial Masters under his command. His joking references to death also suggest growing despair and instability.
• Axu: Demonstrates loyalty to Tao through her efforts to complete the ritual, but remains cold and pragmatic toward everyone else. She is confident in her speed and combat ability, yet Jiang’s endurance forces her into panic and desperation.
• Jiang Jingnian: Shows sharp reasoning by identifying Axu’s lie and exploiting it immediately. His honest, harmless appearance is revealed as a façade, while his combat ability, endurance, and tactical judgment are far greater than his apparent cultivation level.
• Bi Fang’s Fire: Is established as an evolving Demon Wraith whose intelligence increased after parasitizing a human, making it far more dangerous than previously believed.
• Butler Wei: Though absent, he remains a major source of fear and uncertainty because of his immense defensive and physical abilities.

Significant Themes

• Misjudgment and hidden growth: Tao’s failure to understand Bi Fang’s Fire demonstrates the danger of assuming that supernatural creatures remain static or predictable.
• Appearance versus reality: Jiang looks like a disheveled, weak escort but possesses remarkable strength and combat skill. Axu’s beauty likewise conceals a lethal weapon.
• Manipulation and deception: Both sides attempt to use lies and misleading appearances, but Jiang successfully sees through Axu’s deception.
• Survival and expendability: Tao views most of his forces as disposable, while only a few individuals hold genuine emotional value for him.
• Beauty as danger: Axu’s unveiled beauty and intoxicating mist present attractiveness as a deadly form of power rather than mere appearance.

Character Interactions

• Tao and Axu share a tense relationship built on trust, dependence, and emotional significance. Tao values her deeply, while Axu serves him with detached efficiency.
• Axu and Jiang begin with mutual suspicion. Her condescending treatment of him prompts no immediate reaction, but Jiang uses her words to expose her lie and launch a surprise attack.
• Their battle contrasts Axu’s speed, technique, and supernatural mist with Jiang’s overwhelming strength, endurance, and psychic ability. The chapter ends with Jiang activating Psychic Whip to resist Axu’s intoxicating attack.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Jingnian battles Axu, relying on his hidden trait, [Psychic Whip], rather than physical strength alone.
• The ability strikes Axu’s mind directly, stunning her before she can attack. Jiang Jingnian takes advantage of the opening and repeatedly punches her into the mud.
• Although Axu has been poisoned by her own sweet-smelling mist and her blood and qi are weakening, Jiang Jingnian continues attacking, knowing that stopping could allow her to recover.
• Axu survives the brutal assault because of the extraordinary vitality of a Marrow Tempering Martial Master. She attempts to use a hidden weapon and later releases more poison mist.
• The mist severely disorients Jiang Jingnian, but he continues beating Axu until she is completely destroyed. When she begs him to stop and promises to cure his poison, he coldly replies that he already knows—and continues until she dies.
• Afterward, Jiang Jingnian nearly succumbs to hallucinations caused by the poison. His [Taotie] trait identifies the mist as Lotus Smoke, allowing him to absorb and refine it.
• The absorption unlocks and upgrades [Psychic Whip (Incomplete)] into [Psychic Whip (Dream)].
• The upgraded trait can be used three times per day and produces dream illusions or beguiling desire based on Jiang Jingnian’s mental will.
• Jiang Jingnian concludes that he is likely unbeatable against opponents from the Blood Tempering to Bone Tempering stages in one-on-one combat, but recognizes that multiple powerful enemies could overwhelm him.

Character Developments

• Jiang Jingnian demonstrates extreme determination, ruthlessness, and battlefield discipline. Even while poisoned and losing consciousness, he refuses to stop attacking.
• His victory increases his confidence, but he avoids becoming arrogant by carefully analyzing the limitations of his new ability.
• His understanding of his traits becomes more strategic: he recognizes that Psychic Whip is strongest in single combat and depends heavily on his own mental will.
• Axu is revealed to be both dangerous and resilient. Despite suffering devastating internal injuries, she remains alive long enough to attempt another attack and use her poison.
• Her elegant, composed demeanor collapses under pressure, leaving her desperate and fearful as Jiang Jingnian overwhelms her.

Significant Themes

• Ruthlessness and survival: Jiang Jingnian prioritizes eliminating a dangerous enemy over mercy or preserving his own condition.
• Hidden strength and adaptation: His greatest advantage comes from his trait abilities and his ability to exploit an enemy’s weakness rather than from conventional martial skill alone.
• Power and its limitations: The upgraded Psychic Whip greatly expands Jiang Jingnian’s combat potential, but the chapter emphasizes that no ability is invincible.
• Confidence tempered by caution: Jiang Jingnian gains a major power boost yet deliberately considers how group attacks and stronger opponents could counter him.
• Transformation through consumption: By devouring Lotus Smoke, Jiang Jingnian converts an enemy’s weapon into a source of personal growth.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Jingnian and Axu engage in a brutal, close-range struggle in which psychological attacks, poison, and physical force are all used.
• Axu attempts to manipulate Jiang Jingnian by offering the antidote, but he refuses to trust or spare her.
• Their final exchange highlights the power imbalance between them: Axu pleads for survival, while Jiang Jingnian remains focused solely on finishing the fight.

Chapter Summary: “Trouble”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After killing the mysterious female martial artist, Jiang Jingnian searches her mangled corpse for useful items.
• He recovers two mechanical hidden weapons, ruined documents and medicine boxes, an unusual bronze ring, and a special token engraved with a drooping lotus.
• The token is identified as a Lotus Attendant Token belonging to a maidservant of the Lotus Intent Sect, apparently a sect from the Chen State. It can track and locate its holder and serves as a sect identity marker.
• Realizing the token could allow the Lotus Intent Sect to track him, Jiang Jingnian devours and fuses it into his Archetype.
• The token increases his Martial Master cultivation progress to 25% Blood Tempering, saving him months of ordinary cultivation. Jiang concludes that collecting similar special items could help him reach the Bone-Tempering stage rapidly.
• The chapter then shifts to the Tongda Escort Agency, where its leaders hold an emergency meeting about a disastrous escort mission.
• The Black Flood Dragon Army forcibly conscripted the escort team during the mission, and the group later encountered Demon Wraiths. Most of the escort personnel suffered severe casualties, though a female escort hand and two apprentices survived.
• The survivors recovered the remaining rosewood cargo after finding it abandoned near Hongfeng Mountain. Around 30–40% of the goods were lost or destroyed, and the agency’s horses disappeared. They purchased replacement horses from a passing merchant caravan and returned with only 60–70% of the original shipment.
• The agency’s leaders are especially worried because the stolen cargo belonged to the Qian Household, yet the Black Flood Dragon Army robbed it even after the Qian Household’s name was invoked.
• They suspect the powerful Tao Family, which controls the Black Flood Dragon Army, is expanding its influence into Peace City and negotiating with local Aristocratic Clans.

Character Developments

• Jiang Jingnian becomes more composed and pragmatic after defeating Huo Qi. He is now willing to search corpses and exploit every available resource without hesitation.
• His confidence in his unique Archetype grows. He recognizes that, unlike ordinary martial artists, he does not depend primarily on innate talent, comprehension, secret medicines, or blood food; instead, he advances by absorbing rare special items.
• Jiang’s immediate ambition shifts toward obtaining more tokens or similar objects so he can quickly advance from Blood Tempering to Bone Tempering.
• The surviving escort hand and apprentices are shown as traumatized and anxious after the massacre, forced conscription, and encounter with Demon Wraiths.
• The Tongda Escort Agency’s leaders become increasingly wary of the Tao Family, recognizing that the organization’s military power makes it far more dangerous than a normal Aristocratic Clan.

Significant Themes

• Power through unconventional means: Jiang’s Archetype allows him to bypass the traditional requirements of martial cultivation, emphasizing the advantage of supernatural traits over natural talent and resources.
• Pragmatism and survival: Jiang treats the corpse as a source of information and advancement, while the escort survivors salvage whatever cargo they can to preserve the agency’s interests.
• Growing political danger: The Tao Family’s military strength allows it to ignore established social hierarchies and challenge even prominent local families.
• Uncertainty and hidden factions: The Lotus Intent Sect, the Tao Family’s negotiations, and the Demon Wraiths all suggest that larger forces are moving beneath the surface.
• The vulnerability of ordinary institutions: The escort agency and local Aristocratic Clans lack the military power to protect themselves against warlord-like organizations.

Character Interactions

• Jiang’s interaction with the dead Lotus Sect maidservant is primarily investigative: he searches her body, identifies her affiliation, and absorbs her tracking token to protect himself.
• At the Tongda Escort Agency, the Second Chief, Chief Escort Master, Duan Escort Chief, and other escort chiefs discuss the failed mission and the threat posed by the Tao Family.
• The surviving female escort hand and two apprentices stand nearby, visibly uneasy, while the leaders question the losses and circumstances of the mission.
• The leaders debate whether the Tao Family has established influence in Peace City and conclude that the local Aristocratic Clans are vulnerable because they possess no comparable military force.

Chapter Summary: “The Young Escort Who Spoke Up”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Tongda Escort Agency holds a meeting to discuss the disastrous escort mission at Hongfeng Mountain.
• The Tao Family’s Sixth Young Master and the Black Flood Dragon Army are accused of seizing goods and massacring villagers, behaving more like bandits than a respected aristocratic clan.
• Li Mincheng, the agency chief’s gifted twenty-five-year-old son, condemns the Tao Family and proposes joining forces with the Qian Household and other aristocratic clans to demand justice.
• The Second Chief and Chief Escort argue that the Tao Family is too powerful for the weakened Tongda Escort Agency to confront directly. They decide instead to explain the losses to the Qian Household, discuss compensation, and prepare defensively in case the Tao Family retaliates.
• The agency has suffered heavy losses: cargo was destroyed or seized, two escorts and many runners and apprentices were killed, and several people—including Escort Wei and Jiang Jingnian—remain unaccounted for.
• Jiang Jingnian unexpectedly returns to Miqiao District alive, dressed in rags and covered in blood and mud. Local constables initially mistake him for a refugee but escort him to the agency after confirming his identity.
• At the agency, Jiang reunites with Chai Li and Duan Escort Chief. He reports that he fled alone and does not know what happened to Escort Wei.
• Duan Escort Chief initially tells Jiang to wash and rest, but then notices a major change in him: Jiang has broken through the Blood Tempering Aperture and become a Martial Master.
• Jiang’s achievement shocks everyone because he is only eighteen, comes from a poor background, and practices the ordinary Iron Body Skill. His rapid advancement marks him as an exceptional martial talent.

Character Developments

• Li Mincheng is established as brave, upright, and quick to oppose injustice. However, his idealism clashes with the agency’s weakened position and the practical danger of challenging the Tao Family.
• The Second Chief and Chief Escort reveal themselves as cautious, politically realistic leaders. They prioritize survival and preparation over revenge, recognizing the imbalance between the agency and a major aristocratic clan.
• Duan Escort Chief shows concern for the surviving escorts, especially Jiang and the missing Escort Wei. He had considered taking Jiang as a disciple and is deeply impressed—and possibly saddened—by the dangers Jiang has endured.
• Chai Li is relieved and emotional at Jiang’s return, while also distressed by the likely fate of Escort Wei and the other missing escorts.
• Jiang Jingnian demonstrates resilience and humility. Despite surviving a massacre and suffering injuries, he remains composed and respectful. His unexpected breakthrough to the Martial Master realm dramatically elevates his status and future potential.

Significant Themes

• Powerlessness before greater powers: The agency recognizes that moral wrongdoing does not guarantee the ability to obtain justice. The Tao Family’s influence forces the agency to endure humiliation rather than retaliate.
• Pragmatism versus idealism: Li Mincheng wants to fight for justice, while the older leaders stress caution, preparation, and protecting the agency from further harm.
• The cruelty and corruption of power: The Tao Family’s use of military force against villagers and escorts highlights how aristocratic status can conceal or enable brutality.
• Survival and resilience: Jiang’s return from the catastrophe emphasizes endurance in the face of overwhelming danger.
• Hidden talent and social mobility: Jiang’s rapid advancement, despite his poor origins and basic martial technique, suggests that extraordinary ability can challenge established social hierarchies.
• The cost of ambition: The chapter contrasts Jiang’s promising future with the deaths and disappearances caused by the escort mission, showing that advancement often comes through dangerous trials.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Mincheng and the Second Chief: Their disagreement illustrates the conflict between moral outrage and political caution.
• The Chief Escort and Li Mincheng: The Chief Escort restrains Li’s desire for action by reminding him of the agency’s declining influence.
• The Second Chief and the escort leadership: Their discussion establishes a defensive strategy and acknowledges the agency’s vulnerability.
• Jiang Jingnian and Chai Li: Their reunion conveys relief over Jiang’s survival but also reinforces the uncertainty surrounding Escort Wei.
• Jiang Jingnian and Duan Escort Chief: Duan initially treats Jiang as a wounded survivor, then reacts with astonishment when he discovers Jiang’s breakthrough. This interaction marks Jiang’s transformation from a promising newcomer into a genuinely exceptional martial artist.

Chapter Summary: Heir to the Mantle

Key Plot Points and Events

• After improving his physical traits, Jiang Jingnian stops suppressing his aura and reveals himself as a Blood Tempering Martial Master.
• Duan Deshun, the escort agency’s chief and an experienced martial artist, quickly recognizes Jiang’s exceptional talent in Iron Body Skills. He believes Jiang could reach the Bone Tempering Stage within three to five years and possibly the Marrow Tempering Stage before age thirty.
• Impressed by Jiang’s potential and humble character, Duan offers to take him as his final disciple. He explains that his two previous disciples died in dangerous circumstances, making Jiang the successor who may inherit his mantle.
• Duan promises to provide Jiang with cultivation guidance, secret medicines, blood food, money, and eventually a recommendation to the Mountain Cloud School if Jiang reaches the Bone Tempering Stage.
• Jiang accepts after considering the benefits and formally acknowledges Duan as his master.
• Overjoyed, Duan gives Jiang more than half of his accumulated cultivation resources, the Copper-Mirror Iron Garment Technique, and several large banknotes. Jiang refuses the additional property deeds because he feels Duan is already giving him too much.
• Jiang returns to his room, bathes, studies the new technique, and considers whether it can be merged with his existing cultivation method. Exhausted from recent events, he falls asleep.
• Several days later, the escort agency still receives no news about its negotiations with the Qian Household. Duan does not mention the issue or demand compensation.
• Duan observes Jiang practicing against a wooden post and praises how rapidly his hard martial arts are advancing, joking that the post may soon need to be replaced.

Character Developments

• Jiang Jingnian: Gains a major change in status. He is no longer merely a poor, overlooked escort worker but a recognized martial prodigy and the direct disciple of the escort chief. His humility and caution remain evident, especially when he hesitates before accepting Duan’s generous gifts.
• Duan Deshun: Shifts from cautious observer to enthusiastic mentor. He sees Jiang as both a gifted student and a potential heir, becoming openly affectionate and generous toward him. Accepting Jiang also renews Duan’s hope for the escort agency’s future after losing his previous disciples.
• Chai Li and the others: Are left stunned by Jiang’s sudden elevation and Duan’s decision to make him his final disciple, highlighting how unexpected Jiang’s rise is.

Significant Themes

• Inheritance and succession: Duan’s “final disciple” is effectively an heir to his martial legacy, resources, and influence.
• Talent recognized and rewarded: Jiang’s rapid progress demonstrates the importance of innate potential when combined with discipline and opportunity.
• Trust and belonging: After enduring neglect and hostility since arriving in the new world, Jiang finds genuine care from Duan, alongside the kindness previously shown by his Fifth Uncle.
• The cost of martial ambition: Duan’s former disciples died in dangerous conflicts, reminding Jiang that advancement in this world carries serious risks.
• Improved status through strength: Jiang’s growing power brings better living conditions, resources, respect, and opportunities.

Character Interactions

• Duan closely examines Jiang’s aura and realizes his unusual talent.
• He publicly offers Jiang discipleship, emphasizing the privileges and responsibilities of becoming his final student.
• Jiang responds respectfully, accepting Duan as his master through a formal salute.
• Duan immediately treats Jiang like family, personally bringing him to the rear courtyard and giving him valuable resources.
• Jiang’s refusal of the property deeds shows restraint and wariness despite his gratitude.
• Later, Duan watches Jiang train and praises his rapid improvement, reinforcing their developing master-disciple relationship.

Summary: “The Hired Fist Business”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Jingnian’s apprenticeship under Duan Deshun becomes widely known throughout the escort agency, along with his recent breakthrough into the Blood Tempering Stage Martial Master realm at age eighteen.
• Because of the escort agency’s difficult circumstances and Duan Deshun’s heavy workload, Jiang’s formal apprenticeship ceremony is postponed. Instead, Duan regularly trains him on the practice grounds.
• Jiang has secretly used the Taotie ability to consume a Copper Essence-containing earring, allowing him to advance the Copper-Mirror Iron Garment Technique to its beginner stage within only a few days.
• His progress is revealed when Duan notices that Jiang’s strikes have become extremely precise and consistently leave two-inch dents in a wooden training post.
• Jiang explains internally that the Copper-Mirror technique conflicts with his main cultivation art, the Taiji Vajra Art. He has discovered that consuming more Metal Essence may allow him to merge the two techniques and avoid future cultivation backlash.
• Duan spars with Jiang to assess his improvement. Jiang remains weaker overall, especially because of the gap between the Blood Tempering and Marrow Tempering realms, but his enhanced perception allows him to identify openings and respond to Duan’s techniques far better than before.
• After their exchange, Duan praises Jiang’s talent and promises to help him reach the Marrow Tempering Stage.
• Duan then clarifies that the escort agency will not hold Jiang heavily responsible for the failed huanghuali furniture shipment. He reveals that several escorts may have died, while the Tao Family’s Sixth Young Master is also missing near Hongfeng Mountain.
• The chapter ends with Duan introducing the real matter he wishes to discuss: the Su Family’s hired-fist business.

Character Developments

• Jiang Jingnian demonstrates extraordinary comprehension and rapid advancement in hard-body techniques. His ability to master the Copper-Mirror Iron Garment Technique gives him superior combat awareness and precision.
• He becomes more confident and capable in battle, progressing from barely following Duan’s movements to actively dismantling and countering some of his attacks.
• Jiang remains cautious and humble despite his rapid growth. He is also anxious about possible retaliation from the Tao Family and worries about compensation for the escort failure.
• Duan Deshun becomes more invested in Jiang as a disciple. He is impressed by Jiang’s talent but hides his shock behind a calm, authoritative demeanor.
• Duan acts protectively, reassuring Jiang that the escort agency will bear most of the financial consequences and that he will personally help if necessary.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus experience: Jiang’s exceptional comprehension allows him to close the gap with an older, more experienced martial artist, though realm differences still matter.
• The importance of perception: The Copper-Mirror technique emphasizes understanding oneself and one’s opponent, making combat precision and adaptability as important as raw strength.
• Cultivation risks and commitment: Combining or changing techniques becomes increasingly dangerous at higher realms, highlighting the long-term consequences of martial choices.
• Mentorship and protection: Duan’s guidance helps Jiang rapidly improve, while his willingness to shield Jiang from responsibility shows the growing trust between master and disciple.
• Troubled times over ceremony: Jiang’s achievement would normally warrant a public celebration, but the escort agency’s crises force everyone to prioritize survival and practical concerns.

Character Interactions

• Jiang respectfully addresses Duan as “Master,” while Duan evaluates and instructs him in the training grounds.
• Their sparring session demonstrates both their developing relationship and the difference in their cultivation levels. Duan controls the fight, but Jiang’s new perception allows him to challenge Duan more effectively.
• Duan praises Jiang’s humility and warns him against arrogance, while Jiang responds with the principle that greater people and higher mountains always exist.
• Their conversation shifts from Jiang’s fears about the Tao Family and financial liability to Duan’s undisclosed plans involving the Su Family’s hired-fist business, setting up the next development.

Chapter Summary: “Beyond Imagination”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Su Household, once a prosperous regional business family and longtime client of Tongda Escort Agency, has fallen into financial decline. It now operates only one restaurant and two shops in Peace City.
• The local gang Garden Celebration Hall has been extorting the Su Household, first demanding protection money and later increasing the fee tenfold.
• After the Su Household refused to pay, the two sides clashed. Duan Deshun intervened, defeated two of Garden Celebration Hall’s deputy hall masters, and mediated a settlement through the customary “having a bowl of tea,” which is meant to resolve disputes peacefully under Jianghu Rules.
• Despite the agreement, Garden Celebration Hall began harassing the Su Household’s other shops instead of directly attacking the restaurant. The gang’s actions remain disruptive but stop short of openly violating Peace City’s unspoken rules or provoking Tongda Escort Agency into a larger conflict.
• Because Duan Deshun must leave Peace City for up to half a month, he assigns the Su Household protection job to his disciple, Jiang Jingnian. Three escort hands will accompany Jiang, and he may bring additional apprentices if needed.
• Duan warns Jiang to retreat and request reinforcements if Garden Celebration Hall attacks with overwhelming numbers.
• After Jiang resumes training, Duan secretly treats bruises on his arms and joints. He reveals that Jiang’s training strength is astonishingly powerful—far beyond what should be expected of someone still in the Blood Tempering Stage.
• Duan privately concludes that Jiang may be an extraordinary martial prodigy, perhaps even more talented than Duan’s deceased brother. He begins considering arranging a place for Jiang at Mountain Cloud School.
• When Manager Li notices the medicine, Duan conceals the truth by claiming he injured himself accidentally. Li remains suspicious because Duan is an experienced hard-martial-arts practitioner who should not easily hurt himself during training.

Character Developments

• Jiang Jingnian demonstrates loyalty, confidence, and a strong sense of responsibility by accepting the assignment without hesitation. His continued practice of the Copper-Mirror Iron Garment Technique also emphasizes his discipline.
• Duan Deshun shifts from viewing Jiang as merely promising to recognizing him as a potentially peerless martial genius. This discovery fills him with pride and excitement but also anxiety over whether he is capable of teaching Jiang properly.
• Duan also becomes more protective and invested in Jiang’s future, considering the Mountain Cloud School as a better place for his disciple’s development.
• Manager Li displays perceptiveness and concern. Though Duan dismisses his injuries, Li recognizes that something about the explanation does not add up.

Significant Themes

• Hidden talent and underestimated potential: Jiang’s true strength greatly exceeds Duan’s initial expectations, suggesting that his abilities may eventually surpass those of ordinary martial artists and even established schools’ elite disciples.
• Mentorship and responsibility: Duan’s pride in Jiang is balanced by fear that inadequate guidance could hinder such a rare talent.
• Jianghu order and restraint: The conflict illustrates the unwritten rules governing local martial society. Mediation, reputation, and the threat of retaliation prevent Garden Celebration Hall from escalating too openly.
• Appearance versus reality: Duan presents himself as calm and capable while privately nursing injuries, and he hides the true cause of those injuries to protect his authority.
• Rising stakes: Jiang’s assignment marks a transition from training under supervision to handling real conflicts independently.

Character Interactions

• Duan explains the Su Household’s predicament and Jianghu customs to Jiang, treating him as both a student and a trusted subordinate.
• Jiang respectfully accepts his master’s orders and expresses concern for Duan’s safety before his departure.
• Duan encourages Jiang but cautions him to avoid reckless confrontation and seek help if necessary.
• In private, Duan reflects on Jiang’s overwhelming strength and his own uncertainty as a mentor.
• Manager Li questions Duan about his injuries, but Duan deflects the concern with a false explanation, leaving Li suspicious.

Chapter Summary: “Unrelated Persons, Stand Aside!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After classes at St. Anna Church Girls’ School, Su Wanzhi prepares to leave by rickshaw.
• Her close friends, Qu Lanlan and Lu Zhishuang, ask to visit the Su Family’s silk shop to purchase fabric for their weaving lessons.
• Wanzhi warns them not to go because Garden Celebration Hall gang members have been harassing the shop and injuring its guards. The girls dismiss the danger and insist on accompanying her.
• At the shop, they find more than a dozen enforcers blocking the entrance and driving away customers. Lanlan and Zhishuang confront them, provoking a fight.
• The Su Family’s assistants and guards are quickly overwhelmed. A powerful young man known as the Garden Celebration Hall’s Young Hall Master defeats the remaining guards with ease.
• The Young Hall Master pressures Wanzhi to accept a marriage proposal previously discussed with her father. She refuses, saying she is focused on her studies and has no desire to marry.
• He then targets Qu Lanlan, mocking her claim of belonging to the Qu Household and grabbing her despite her protests. The gang members ridicule and humiliate her while Wanzhi and Zhishuang try unsuccessfully to intervene.
• Just as the situation turns desperate, members of the Tongda Escort Agency arrive, announcing that they are conducting business and ordering unrelated people to stand aside.

Character Developments

• Su Wanzhi: Demonstrates caution, responsibility, and concern for others. She understands the gangs’ hidden connections and recognizes that provoking them could have serious consequences. Despite being pressured by the Young Hall Master, she remains firm in rejecting his marriage proposal.
• Qu Lanlan: Begins as confident, arrogant, and dismissive of the gang members because of her presumed connection to the Qu Household. Her confidence collapses when she is physically seized and humiliated, revealing her vulnerability and limited experience with real danger.
• Lu Zhishuang: Shares Lanlan’s impulsive courage and belief that family influence and official connections can protect them. She tries to defend Lanlan but is similarly unprepared for the gang’s strength.
• Garden Celebration Hall’s Young Hall Master: Revealed as physically formidable, domineering, contemptuous of women and ordinary families, and confident in his organization’s powerful backing. He treats Wanzhi’s marriage as a business arrangement and sees Lanlan as an object he can seize and “train.”
• Tongda Escort Agency: Their arrival introduces a potentially powerful outside force and suggests that the Su Family has finally obtained meaningful assistance.

Significant Themes

• Class arrogance and social hierarchy: The wealthy girls look down on rickshaw pullers and gang members, while the gang in turn mocks families it considers socially inferior. The chapter exposes how status becomes unreliable when confronted with real power.
• The limits of privilege: Lanlan and Zhishuang assume lineage, wealth, and connections to officials will protect them, but those advantages prove ineffective against entrenched criminal forces.
• Power and exploitation: The Young Hall Master uses violence and social pressure to force Wanzhi toward marriage and treats Lanlan as property, highlighting the vulnerability of women within a patriarchal society.
• Appearance versus reality: The girls’ refined education and aristocratic manners offer no protection in a physical confrontation. Wanzhi’s practical awareness contrasts sharply with her friends’ romanticized view of authority.
• Lawlessness and corruption: The gang’s ability to openly obstruct a business and injure guards suggests that criminal groups operate with influential protection and that official institutions often ignore such abuses.

Character Interactions

• Wanzhi gently but firmly tries to restrain Lanlan and Zhishuang, warning them that the gang is more dangerous than they realize.
• Lanlan and Zhishuang support Wanzhi out of friendship but express their support through arrogance and impulsive confrontation.
• The Young Hall Master attempts to dominate Wanzhi through marriage negotiations, then shifts his attention to Lanlan when Wanzhi refuses.
• Wanzhi and Zhishuang attempt to rescue Lanlan, but the Young Hall Master easily evades them.
• The chapter ends with the Tongda Escort Agency interrupting the gang’s control of the scene, setting up a confrontation between the escort agency and Garden Celebration Hall.

Chapter Summary: “Knocked Down with One Charge”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tongda Escort Agency apprentices arrive at the Su Family silk shop, led by Jiang Jingnian, after Garden Celebration Hall’s men have attacked the shop and injured its assistants and guards.
• Jiang Jingnian confronts Cui Budong, Garden Celebration Hall’s young hall master, and reminds him that the two factions had already settled their previous dispute according to Jianghu Rules.
• He demands that Garden Celebration Hall withdraw, but Cui mocks Jiang Jingnian’s master, Duan Deshun, and insults Jiang’s deceased senior brothers.
• Enraged, Jiang Jingnian attacks despite Chai Li’s warning that the enemy greatly outnumbers them.
• Cui, a Bone Tempering-stage Martial Master, strikes Jiang twice with his Black Tiger Fist. The blows have no effect; instead, Jiang’s charge sends Cui flying and shatters both of Cui’s arms.
• Jiang orders the remaining thugs to take Cui away and warns that he will personally protect the Su Family’s shops. He threatens harsher consequences if they return.
• Terrified by Jiang’s overwhelming strength and killing intent, Garden Celebration Hall’s men retreat. The other gang members also flee without risking further confrontation.

Character Developments

• Jiang Jingnian reveals a dramatic increase in strength and authority. Though recently known as a rickshaw puller and only recently advanced to the Blood Tempering Stage, he now displays power and presence approaching that of Tongda Escort Agency’s young master, Li Mincheng.
• Jiang demonstrates growing ruthlessness. He notices an increasingly strong urge to kill his enemies, possibly caused by his consumption of special items or his recent exposure to violence and blood. Nevertheless, he restrains himself and allows Cui to survive.
• Su Wanzhi is shocked to discover that the humble rickshaw puller she knows is actually a formidable member of Tongda Escort Agency.
• Qu Lanlan is similarly stunned because Jiang resembles the shabby freeloader from her household, though she cannot reconcile that person with the calm and imposing expert before her.
• Cui Budong suffers a humiliating defeat. Despite being a Bone Tempering Martial Master and the strongest of Garden Celebration Hall’s younger generation, he cannot withstand Jiang’s single charge and ends the encounter unconscious with both arms crippled.
• Chai Li becomes aware that Jiang’s strength and intimidating aura have grown far beyond what she expected.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identity and transformation: Jiang’s contrast between his former lowly appearance and his current martial power emphasizes how deceptive appearances can be.
• Strength and authority: Jiang’s victory establishes that overwhelming personal power can instantly reverse a situation in which his side is heavily outnumbered.
• Honor and Jianghu Rules: Jiang frames the conflict as a violation of previously established agreements, presenting his intervention as both defense of the Su Family and enforcement of martial-world rules.
• Restraint versus violence: Jiang’s desire to kill clashes with his decision to let the defeated enemies leave, suggesting an ongoing struggle to control his increasingly violent instincts.
• Fear as power: His calm demeanor, devastating strength, and threatening gaze are enough to scatter multiple gangs without further combat.

Character Interactions

• Jiang formally warns Cui and the Garden Celebration Hall thugs before fighting, giving them an opportunity to retreat.
• Cui provokes Jiang by mocking Duan Deshun and insulting his dead senior brothers, directly triggering Jiang’s attack.
• Chai Li tries to caution Jiang against fighting a much larger group, but he ignores the warning and proves that numbers are irrelevant against his strength.
• Su Wanzhi and Qu Lanlan silently react to Jiang’s unexpected identity and transformation, while Cui mistakenly suspects Jiang and Su Wanzhi of having a romantic relationship.
• After Jiang defeats Cui, his warning causes the remaining enemies to retreat immediately, leaving the Su Family’s shop and the surrounding area under his protection.

Chapter Summary: No Longer What He Once Was

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Jingnian arrives after clearing out the Su Family’s general store and confronts the Garden Celebration Hall thugs.
• His intimidating martial presence alone causes the remaining gang members to retreat. The black-clad young hall master attempts to act arrogantly but is defeated instantly, suffering a broken arm and losing consciousness.
• Chai Li and the escort apprentices are astonished by Jiang Jingnian’s transformation and finally recognize the extraordinary martial talent that Escort Chief Duan had seen in him.
• Su Wanzhi, Qu Lanlan, and Lu Zhishuang are unharmed, though Su Wanzhi’s shop assistants have been injured and are advised to seek medical treatment.
• Jiang Jingnian calmly checks on Su Wanzhi and instructs her to take her injured employees to a clinic.
• Su Wanzhi gradually realizes that the powerful escort master before her is the same Jiang Jingnian who once pulled her rickshaw.
• Qu Lanlan recognizes him as “Jiang Second Dog,” the poor laborer she had previously mocked and despised. She struggles to accept that the refined, formidable young man is truly the same person.

Character Developments

• Jiang Jingnian: Reveals a dramatic transformation from a humble rickshaw puller into a poised and powerful Martial Master associated with the Tongda Escort Agency. He controls his intimidating aura when speaking to Su Wanzhi but retains emotional distance toward Qu Lanlan.
• Chai Li: Gains a new appreciation for Jiang Jingnian’s strength and understands why Escort Chief Duan accepted him as a disciple.
• Su Wanzhi: Moves from uncertainty to recognition. Her curiosity and disbelief grow as she observes Jiang Jingnian’s changed status, bearing, and abilities.
• Qu Lanlan: Experiences shock and emotional disorientation. Her contempt for the impoverished “Jiang Second Dog” collapses when she realizes he has become the person who saved her.
• Lu Zhishuang: Demonstrates greater awareness and restraint than Qu Lanlan, recognizing Jiang Jingnian’s authority and heroism and adjusting her behavior accordingly.
• Escort apprentices: Their earlier skepticism or desire to see Jiang Jingnian fail turns into fear, respect, and admiration.

Significant Themes

• Transformation and hidden potential: Jiang Jingnian’s rise highlights how appearances can conceal exceptional ability and ambition.
• Reversal of social status: Someone once treated as a lowly laborer now commands fear and respect, exposing the superficiality of class-based judgment.
• Recognition and disbelief: Those who knew Jiang before struggle to reconcile his former identity with his present power.
• Respect earned through strength: Jiang’s actions, rather than his words, establish his authority.
• Consequences of prejudice: Qu Lanlan is forced to confront the person she once insulted, now revealed as both powerful and honorable.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Jingnian’s restrained, courteous conversation with Su Wanzhi contrasts with the awe and fear he inspires in the escorts.
• His formal address, “Miss Qu,” immediately triggers Qu Lanlan’s realization that he truly is the person she had mistreated.
• Su Wanzhi and Lu Zhishuang comfort Qu Lanlan, believing she may be traumatized, while Qu Lanlan remains fixated on Jiang’s identity.
• Jiang treats Su Wanzhi with familiar courtesy but remains emotionally detached from Qu Lanlan, offering only practical assistance rather than reassurance.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Jingnian’s brief, polite address to Qu Lanlan causes her extreme embarrassment. Her face changes color, and she faints backward. Su Wanzhi and Lu Zhishuang catch her before she is seriously injured.
• Su Wanzhi checks Qu Lanlan and confirms that she has suffered no internal injuries. She privately suspects that Qu Lanlan and Jiang Jingnian share a mysterious past.
• The injured clerks and guards from the Su Family shop are taken to a nearby clinic. Jiang Jingnian orders his escort-agency apprentices to help with the rescue.
• After the immediate crisis is settled, Su Wanzhi invites Jiang Jingnian and his companions inside for tea. Because the shop has been damaged and emptied of customers, they sit in the main hall rather than using the upstairs room.
• Su Wanzhi learns that the shopkeeper fled through the back door to seek reinforcements and has not returned.
• The conversation turns to Garden Celebration Hall. Su Wanzhi identifies the black-clothed attacker as Cui Budong, the hall’s Young Hall Master and one of its leader’s three adopted sons.
• She explains that Cui Budong has repeatedly harassed her and demanded to marry her. His powerful uncle, a Marrow Tempering expert and Vice Hall Master, makes the Su family reluctant to confront him directly.
• Jiang Jingnian remains calm, believing the Garden Celebration Hall’s forces are not an immediate threat, though he notes the danger of its Inner Qi Realm Hall Master.
• Despite the serious discussion, Jiang unexpectedly asks whether Su Wanzhi is willing to part with the shop’s teapot.

Character Developments

• Jiang Jingnian: Demonstrates increasing confidence, emotional detachment, and hidden strength. He treats Cui Budong as insignificant and carefully assesses the political and martial danger of Garden Celebration Hall. He also secretly uses his special perception ability to inspect the teapot, discovering its unusual nature.
• Su Wanzhi: Acts efficiently and compassionately during the aftermath, organizing aid for the wounded and personally serving tea. She becomes increasingly puzzled by Jiang’s transformation from a talkative, seemingly simple rickshaw puller into a reserved and powerful escort master.
• Qu Lanlan/Yunyi: Her intense reaction to Jiang’s words reveals a past connection between them. Her shame and indignation are so great that she faints, suggesting unresolved emotional tension.
• Lu Zhishuang: Shows concern for Qu Lanlan and helps support her after she collapses.
• Cui Budong: Though absent after the confrontation, his influence remains central. His arrogance and coercive marriage demand have placed the Su Family under pressure.
• The shopkeeper: His disappearance during the attack raises questions about his loyalty and whether he abandoned the shop deliberately.

Significant Themes

• Hidden identities and changing perceptions: Jiang’s former humble image conflicts sharply with his current aloofness and strength, while Qu Lanlan’s reaction hints at concealed history.
• Power and social hierarchy: The Su Family’s inability to openly resist Cui Budong reflects the danger of aristocratic and martial organizations.
• Restraint versus violence: Jiang possesses enough strength to kill Cui Budong but deliberately controls himself, showing discipline and awareness of political consequences.
• The extraordinary hidden within the ordinary: The teapot appears mundane but contains a trace of unusual Metal Nature created through contact with demonic blood.
• Emotional tension and humiliation: Qu Lanlan’s collapse and Su Wanzhi’s uncertainty reveal how personal embarrassment and hidden relationships complicate the larger conflict.

Character Interactions

• Jiang and Qu Lanlan have a tense, unexplained encounter in which his casual politeness devastates her emotionally.
• Su Wanzhi and Lu Zhishuang cooperate to protect Qu Lanlan, then organize aid for the wounded.
• Jiang’s apprentices show complete respect for him and follow his orders without question.
• Su Wanzhi attempts to understand Jiang’s relationship with Qu Lanlan, but he gives only a vague answer.
• Su Wanzhi informs Jiang about Cui Budong and Garden Celebration Hall, while Jiang quietly evaluates the threat.
• The chapter ends with Su Wanzhi bewildered by Jiang’s sudden interest in the teapot, setting up the revelation of its hidden supernatural value.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Jingnian’s intervention successfully frees the Su Family’s two shops from Garden Celebration Hall’s obstruction, allowing business to resume.
• He remains at the silk shop for over an hour, waiting to see whether Garden Celebration Hall will retaliate. When no one appears, he leaves with the escort agency members.
• Su Wanzhi repeatedly invites Jiang and the others to dinner as thanks, but Jiang refuses because he is eager to study the antique teapot he has acquired.
• Jiang pays ten silver dollars for the teapot alone, rejecting the rest of the tea set. Before leaving, he gives Chai Li money to treat the escort agency workers to a better meal at a hotpot restaurant.
• The other escorts admire Jiang’s unusual refinement and strength, noting that his Iron Body Skill seems powerful enough to surpass even many Bone-Tempering martial artists.
• At the Su Family’s silk shop, Qu Lanlan wakes after fainting during the earlier confrontation. Su Wanzhi and Lu Zhishuang care for her and question her connection to Jiang.
• Qu Lanlan admits that she knows him and reveals that Jiang Jingnian is her father’s nephew from the Northern Lands. This shocks Lu Zhishuang and prompts Su Wanzhi to think more deeply about Jiang’s background.
• Jiang secretly enters an alley and refines the teapot through his fusion ability. The system reports that he now needs only one more unit of Metal Nature to complete the next technique fusion.
• He realizes that fusing the Copper-Mirror Iron Garment Technique with the beginner-level Taiji Vajra Art may give him a path toward the Inner Qi Realm. With money now in hand, he decides to visit foreign-owned department stores.

Character Developments

• Jiang Jingnian: Demonstrates authority, generosity, caution, and eccentric personal tastes. He is deeply interested in the teapot because of its value to his cultivation, while also showing confidence in his growing status and martial strength. His fusion progress brings him closer to advancing into the Inner Qi Realm.
• Qu Lanlan: Struggles to reconcile the weak, despised household servant she once knew as “Jiang Second Dog” with the powerful and handsome martial hero he has become. Her emotional confusion suggests that her feelings toward him may be changing.
• Su Wanzhi: Shows gratitude and curiosity toward Jiang. She perceptively notices Qu Lanlan’s unusual attention to him and begins investigating their past relationship.
• Lu Zhishuang: Acts as a caring friend to Qu Lanlan but remains more innocent and straightforward than Su Wanzhi, quickly reacting with surprise when she learns Jiang is Qu Lanlan’s cousin.
• Chai Li and the escorts: Their respect for Jiang increases as they observe his generosity and extraordinary physical ability.

Significant Themes

• Transformation and reversal of status: Jiang’s rapid rise from rickshaw puller and servant to respected martial expert causes those who once looked down on him to reassess him.
• Hidden strength and identity: Jiang conceals the true purpose of the teapot and his cultivation system, while Qu Lanlan’s revelation exposes that his past is more complicated than it appeared.
• Social class and changing fortune: Jiang’s new wealth and position allow him to move beyond his former lower-class life, though he still retains affection for humble foods such as hotpot.
• Cultivation and advancement: The teapot and technique fusion represent Jiang’s steady progress toward the Inner Qi Realm.
• Romantic and interpersonal tension: Qu Lanlan’s shock and emotional turmoil, combined with Su Wanzhi’s teasing questions, hint at developing romantic complications surrounding Jiang.

Character Interactions

• Jiang politely but firmly refuses Su Wanzhi’s dinner invitation, prioritizing the teapot over social courtesy.
• He rewards Chai Li and the escorts for their work, earning their admiration.
• Lu Zhishuang comforts Qu Lanlan after she wakes, while Su Wanzhi provides her with brown sugar water and questions her relationship with Jiang.
• Qu Lanlan’s confession that Jiang is her cousin astonishes both women and reframes the earlier events.
• Jiang’s private refinement of the teapot contrasts with the public image of him as a heroic escort, emphasizing the gap between what others see and his true abilities.

Chapter Summary: “Fusion II”

Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Jingnian visits Nanpu Bund, the wealthy foreign-controlled district of Migallon, contrasting its luxurious modernity with the poverty surrounding Peace City.
• He enters the six-story Barlow Department Store, where he browses the first five floors. The sixth floor is an invitation-only auction venue.
• He purchases three unusual items:
  • A gold-trimmed Kangke fountain pen
  • A can of sea fish
  • A beast-tooth-and-coral hairpin
• None of the items contain traits compatible with his existing abilities or cultivation arts, so he feeds them to his Archetype instead.
• In a restroom, he secretly consumes the items through his supernatural ability. His Martial Master Archetype advances from 31% to 63% Blood Tempering.
• His Blood Core nearly doubles in size, strengthening his muscles, skin, endurance, and defensive power. His body becomes hard enough to produce an iron-like sound when struck.
• Rather than leaving, Jiang Jingnian decides to continue searching the department store for a valuable item possessing Metal Nature, which may further aid his cultivation.

Character Development

• Jiang Jingnian demonstrates confidence and adaptability in an unfamiliar, cosmopolitan environment. Unlike ordinary visitors from Peace City, he is not intimidated by the department store’s luxury.
• His practical and resource-driven nature is emphasized: he spends a large portion of his master’s money without hesitation because strengthening himself is his priority.
• He remains highly impatient regarding cultivation, immediately consuming the purchased goods rather than waiting.
• His understanding of his powers develops as he recognizes that the Blood Core’s growth directly enhances his physical body.
• He begins considering selling surplus secret medicines, showing increasing awareness of how to manage resources and fund future cultivation.

Significant Themes

• Social inequality: Nanpu Bund’s dazzling wealth and foreign influence stand in stark contrast to the primitive living conditions of nearby villagers.
• Modernity versus tradition: The district combines skyscrapers, Western commerce, and imported goods with scholars in traditional clothing and local martial culture.
• Power through resources: Jiang Jingnian’s rapid improvement illustrates how money, medicine, and rare materials can accelerate cultivation.
• Consumption and transformation: Ordinary objects become sources of supernatural advancement when absorbed through his Archetype.
• Pragmatism over sentiment: Jiang Jingnian evaluates possessions almost entirely by their usefulness to his cultivation and future strength.

Character Interactions

• A department-store hostess politely offers to assist Jiang Jingnian, recognizing from his clothing and the “Tongda Escort Agency” insignia that he is a martial artist with significant purchasing power.
• Jiang Jingnian dismisses the assistance courteously but firmly, preferring to browse independently.
• The department-store staff enforce strict commercial rules: fixed prices, no bargaining, no credit, and customers must request items from display cases.
• His interactions are brief and transactional; the chapter focuses primarily on his observations, purchases, and internal cultivation progress.

Fusion III — Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Jingnian continues exploring Barlow Department Store after leaving the restroom.
• He discovers a spiritually aware grand piano, the Flame Demon Netherflower Grand Piano, which contains the Flame Lure trait and can enhance spiritual perception. However, it is protected by a special fiery aura and requires a lengthy ritual before it can be devoured and refined.
• Realizing he is not yet strong enough to obtain the piano, Jiang Jingnian suppresses his desire and resolves to claim it once he becomes more powerful.
• Near closing time, he finds a sapphire necklace containing the Metal Nature he needs for cultivation-method fusion.
• A female dancer attempts to purchase the necklace first, but Jiang Jingnian asserts that he selected it before her. With the clerk’s support, he buys it for 213 silver dollars.
• The dancer complains to her companion, Tang Shiming, who recognizes Jiang Jingnian as one of the survivors of the earlier Demon Wraith incident.
• Jiang Jingnian gives only a brief response, “Just luck,” and leaves without engaging further.
• Once outside and away from observation, he refines the necklace. The system confirms that he has obtained the required amount of Metal Nature—2/2—and he initiates the fusion.

Character Developments

• Jiang Jingnian demonstrates increased self-control and strategic patience. Although deeply attracted to the grand piano, he does not act recklessly and accepts that he must grow stronger first.
• His confidence is tempered by recognizing that powerful foreign nobles and martial experts still surpass him, motivating his ambition to one day make his influence impossible to ignore.
• He also shows practical boldness by spending nearly all his money on the necklace, trusting that he can earn or borrow more later.
• His ability to conceal the necklace’s true purpose and refine it discreetly highlights his growing caution and mastery of his abilities.
• Tang Shiming is established as a survivor and witness of the Demon Wraith battle, while the dancer is portrayed as entitled and frustrated when Jiang Jingnian refuses to yield to her.

Significant Themes

• Strength and restraint: Jiang Jingnian learns that desire must sometimes be postponed until he possesses the power to act.
• Ambition and social hierarchy: The department store’s foreign aristocratic ownership reminds him that greater forces still dominate the city, fueling his determination to rise.
• Pragmatism over attachment: He deliberately abandons emotional fixation on the piano, believing that what he cannot obtain now is not worth brooding over.
• Hidden power and secrecy: Jiang Jingnian conceals his supernatural cultivation methods beneath ordinary shopping behavior.
• Survival and luck: Tang Shiming’s recognition recalls the deadly Demon Wraith incident and emphasizes how unusual Jiang Jingnian’s survival was.

Character Interactions

• The piano guard prevents Jiang Jingnian from approaching the protected instrument, but Jiang Jingnian responds politely and avoids conflict.
• The sales clerk confirms Jiang Jingnian’s priority over the dancer and efficiently completes the sale.
• The dancer complains that Jiang Jingnian is unfairly competing with her, but he ignores her entirely.
• Tang Shiming identifies Jiang Jingnian as a survivor of the Demon Wraith battle. Jiang Jingnian acknowledges him only briefly before leaving, maintaining emotional and social distance.