Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Bone Like Iron, Tendons Like Cords, Perfect Bone Tempering Realm

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Fei ignores the fleeing Rat Demon and charges toward Liu Chief Constable, who is about to be used as a living blood meal by the Great Immortal.
• Several Rat Demons attack Gao Fei’s vulnerable areas, but his Perfect Skin Tempering defense allows him to endure their strikes. He reaches Liu, takes the bead from him, and returns without attempting to rescue or kill him.
• Gao Fei reunites with Zhang Constable and Lu Xiaoliu. Rather than flee alone, he insists on staying with them, secretly motivated both by loyalty and by the Merit Points gained from killing demons.
• Using all available Merit Points, Gao Fei advances his Iron Shirt to the True Return Realm. His body loses its visibly muscular appearance but gains greatly increased, evenly distributed defense and the ability to alter his flesh. He also develops the Disguise Art.
• Gao Fei takes Lu Xiaoliu’s large spear and leads the group through the Rat Demons. He kills one Bone Tempering Rat Demon with Yaksha Probes the Sea and Mount Tai Crashes Down, then cuts through the surrounding enemies with powerful spear techniques.
• The group breaks through the encirclement. Gao Fei’s kills raise his Merit Points to 75.
• While fleeing, he spends 50 Merit Points to cultivate the Purple Tendon Bone-Tempering Art, reaching the Perfect Bone Tempering Realm. His tendons and bones become as dense and resilient as metal, and he senses that an even higher realm exists.
• He spends another 20 Merit Points on Form-Intention Fist, mastering Bright Force and doubling the force of his strikes. His saber and spear techniques also benefit from this improvement.
• Zhang Constable and Lu Xiaoliu continue toward the city gate, but Gao Fei stays behind to confront the pursuing Rat Demons and give them a chance to escape.

Character Development

• Gao Fei becomes significantly stronger, progressing from Perfect Skin Tempering to Perfect Bone Tempering while refining his Iron Shirt and martial techniques. His fighting style grows more confident and aggressive, and he is now capable of defeating Bone Tempering demons in a single move.
• His decision to remain behind demonstrates courage and responsibility, though his motives are mixed with practical self-interest, especially his desire to collect Merit Points.
• His new ability to manipulate his flesh leads to the creation of the Disguise Art, expanding his potential for infiltration and deception.
• Liu Chief Constable is shown as helpless and desperate after betraying humanity. Despite his earlier treachery, he is abandoned to the demons as a future blood meal.
• Zhang Constable and Lu Xiaoliu grow more trusting and emotionally attached to Gao Fei, insisting that they will wait for him at the city gate. Their willingness to continue alongside him highlights their loyalty.
• Honey Rat becomes more alarmed and aggressive as Gao Fei kills several of its subordinates and escapes their encirclement.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and consequences: Liu Chief Constable’s betrayal has not saved him; he is still treated as disposable food by the demons.
• Strength through refinement: Gao Fei’s advancement emphasizes not merely greater muscular power, but the strengthening of tendons, bones, defense, and technique.
• Loyalty versus self-interest: Gao Fei protects his companions, but privately admits that gaining Merit Points is also a major reason he refuses to flee.
• Evolution and adaptation: His Iron Shirt develops from simple physical toughness into a deeper transformation of flesh and blood, allowing disguise and greater versatility.
• Sacrifice and leadership: Gao Fei deliberately stays behind so Zhang and Lu can escape, taking responsibility for holding off the pursuing demons.

Character Interactions

• Gao Fei shows contemptuous sympathy toward Liu Chief Constable, recognizing that betrayal has only made Liu’s fate worse.
• He coordinates with Zhang Constable and Lu Xiaoliu during the escape, instructing them to follow his lead and later ordering them to run ahead.
• Lu Xiaoliu’s exaggerated praise and affectionate looks embarrass Gao Fei, who sharply tells him to stop staring.
• Zhang and Lu both try to pull Gao Fei along and promise to wait for him, reinforcing their mutual loyalty before he turns back to face the Rat Demons alone.

Chapter Summary: Tendon-Bone True Return Realm

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Fei, Zhang Constable, and Lu Xiaoliu attempt to escape a growing horde of Rat Demons. Their retreat repeatedly fails as every route becomes blocked.
• Gao Fei’s wooden spear breaks after enduring too many attacks. He continues fleeing until he receives another Beast Core and orders the system to invest it all into the Purple Tendon Bone-Tempering Art.
• After thirty years of simulated cultivation, Gao Fei successfully reaches the Tendon-Bone True Return Realm. His tendons become “like dragons,” his bones become jade-like, and his body gains extraordinary defensive power. He also discovers that his damaged internal organs are now the main weakness in his cultivation.
• With the new realm’s strength, Gao Fei turns around and attacks the pursuing Rat Demons. He kills several Skin Tempering demons instantly and overwhelms the Bone Tempering demons.
• His saber proves inefficient against the tougher demons, so he abandons it and begins using his hands—grabbing Rat Demons and smashing them against one another. His body takes numerous cuts, but his True Return defense prevents serious injury.
• Gao Fei kills or helps kill twenty-three Rat Demons, earning 262 Merit Points. The remaining demons flee in terror.
• Zhang Constable and Lu Xiaoliu return after scouting the area and report that all directions are surrounded. Gao Fei realizes the group has been trapped.
• More than a thousand Rat Demons surround them, led by a powerful Weasel demon carried in a sedan chair. The Weasel declares the humans excellent “blood food.”
• Gao Fei recognizes that he probably cannot defeat the Weasel, especially because he has not yet cultivated an Organ Refinement technique. Nevertheless, he charges forward to test its strength.
• The Weasel launches a powerful crescent-shaped saber qi attack. Gao Fei deflects it with his spear, but the strike carves a massive gash into the ground, proving the overwhelming difference in power.
• Rather than attack from a distance, the Weasel chooses close combat. Gao Fei is relieved that it will fight within his reach and prepares to confront it with a sweeping spear technique.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei advances from a defensive Bone Tempering fighter to someone possessing overwhelming physical strength and nearly flawless bodily defense. His completed tendon-and-bone tempering allows him to fight fearlessly against groups of enemies.
• His fighting style becomes more instinctive and unconventional. He shifts from spear and saber techniques to using living Rat Demons as weapons, enjoying the brutal efficiency of the method.
• Gao Fei also becomes more aware of his limitations. His reinforced body cannot compensate for his damaged and unrefined internal organs, and he realizes that Organ Refinement is now essential.
• His confidence grows, but he remains practical: he knows the Weasel is stronger and avoids directly meeting its saber qi unless forced to.
• Zhang Constable remains focused on finding an escape route and repeatedly returns to coordinate with Gao Fei.
• Lu Xiaoliu shows initiative by retrieving a spear for Gao Fei, despite his comical and somewhat irreverent attitude toward Gao Fei’s transformation.

Significant Themes

• Strength and specialization: Gao Fei’s defense has reached an extraordinary level, but his lack of offensive power and Organ Refinement creates a new imbalance in his cultivation.
• Progress through sacrifice and resource management: Using the Beast Core gives Gao Fei a major breakthrough but leaves him with little lifespan and fewer future cultivation resources.
• Adaptability in combat: Gao Fei abandons conventional weapons when they prove inadequate and turns his body, enemies, and surroundings into tools.
• Overconfidence versus survival: Gao Fei enjoys dominating the Rat Demons, yet the appearance of the Weasel reminds him that a higher realm can still render his new strength insufficient.
• Monstrous transformation and spectacle: His golden skin, immense strength, and violent fighting style make him resemble a giant ape or the Hulk, blurring the line between human cultivator and monster.

Character Interactions

• Gao Fei repeatedly criticizes Zhang Constable and Lu Xiaoliu for running back toward him, while they depend on him to hold off the Rat Demons.
• Lu Xiaoliu reacts humorously to Gao Fei’s golden appearance and later retrieves a spear from a fallen constable for him.
• Zhang Constable reports the blocked escape routes and asks Gao Fei to buy them more time, reinforcing Gao Fei’s role as the group’s main protector.
• The Weasel speaks to its Rat Demon followers with arrogant confidence, treating the humans as food and viewing Gao Fei’s resistance as a source of entertainment.
• The chapter ends with Gao Fei and the Weasel directly facing one another, setting up a confrontation between Gao Fei’s superior physical strength and the Weasel’s higher-level saber qi and cultivation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Fei battles a powerful weasel demon that uses exceptional aerial mobility and saber qi. Although Gao Fei’s physical strength exceeds the weasel’s, its spiritual techniques gradually overwhelm him and cause internal injuries.
• The weasel identifies Gao Fei’s defensive cultivation as a flawed version of the Iron Shirt technique. Confident in victory, it orders the Rat Demons to capture Gao Fei, Lu Xiaoliu, and Zhang Constable alive.
• Gao Fei retreats to protect the two constables. He fights successive waves of Rat Demons, using his body to shield them while secretly hoping they might help distract the enemy if he escapes.
• As the battle worsens and the three are nearly captured, Gao Fei spends all 431 Merit Points to investigate whether the Purple Tendon Bone-Tempering Art can be extended to the internal organs.
• Through centuries of simulated experimentation, he creates the Purple-Viscera Organ-Tempering Art. The method repairs his damaged organs, restores his lifespan to 125 years, and allows him to enter the Early Organ Refinement Realm.
• Gao Fei awakens amid the battle with blades embedded in his body. He rescues Lu Xiaoliu and Zhang Constable after the Rat Demons seize them, killing or throwing aside several enemies with his newly enhanced strength.
• With his Beast Core depleted, Gao Fei realizes he cannot immediately advance through spiritual cultivation. He therefore invests his remaining 52 Merit Points into Form-Intention Fist.
• The simulated training develops his internal “heart force” into Dark Force, eventually giving him precise control over its power. He also begins to sense the existence of the higher Transforming Force stage.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei: Demonstrates determination, combat experience, and a willingness to protect his companions despite his own survival instincts. His breakthrough into the Organ Tempering Realm dramatically improves his stamina, lifespan, and physical strength. He also expands his cultivation path by inventing a new organ-tempering technique and deepening his understanding of martial force.
• The Weasel Demon: Reveals itself as a clever and confident spiritual cultivator. It conserves its spiritual qi during the fight, recognizes the weakness of Gao Fei’s supposed Iron Shirt, and treats the battle as entertainment before ordering his capture.
• Lu Xiaoliu and Zhang Constable: Their grim, joking conversation shows their fear and helplessness. Despite this, Lu Xiaoliu displays concern for Gao Fei and urges him to flee when Gao Fei repeatedly protects them.
• Rat Demons: Function as a coordinated force, attacking in waves and attempting to take the three men alive rather than kill them outright.

Significant Themes

• Survival versus heroism: Gao Fei admits that his protection of the constables is partly self-serving, yet his actions still amount to genuine courage and sacrifice.
• Cultivation through experimentation: Advancement is shown as a process of trial, failure, injury, and careful discovery rather than simple inheritance or luck.
• Adaptability under pressure: When spiritual cultivation reaches a temporary limit, Gao Fei turns to martial techniques and develops new methods to survive.
• The value of life and purpose: The characters confront imminent death, with Gao Fei urging them to make their deaths meaningful by killing demons.
• Hidden potential in established techniques: The bone-tempering method unexpectedly leads to organ cultivation, while Form-Intention Fist reveals deeper stages of martial power.

Character Interactions

• The weasel and Gao Fei exchange attacks while assessing each other’s strengths, with the weasel mocking his incomplete defensive art.
• Gao Fei, Lu Xiaoliu, and Zhang Constable share bleak humor about their likely deaths, revealing both fear and camaraderie.
• Gao Fei protects the two constables during the Rat Demons’ assault, while Lu Xiaoliu protests that Gao Fei should abandon them.
• After the constables are captured, Gao Fei forcefully breaks through the Rat Demons and rescues them, setting the stage for his newly acquired Organ Tempering strength and Dark Force technique.

Chapter Summary: “Escape”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Fei continues fighting the Rat Demons and successfully uses a Half-Step Inch Punch infused with Dark Force, killing a Bone Tempering Realm Rat Demon. However, the technique strains his organs and can only be used about five times consecutively.
• Surrounded by an endless stream of demons, Gao Fei can only delay them rather than defeat them all.
• County Magistrate Xue arrives and changes his plan from killing the trapped humans to rescuing them, hoping to create conflict among the demon leaders over the available human corpses.
• Xue ambushes and kills a newly advanced Spirit-Absorption Realm Weasel, taking its Demon Core for cultivation.
• He throws Lu Xiaoliu and Zhang Constable out of the encirclement and orders them to flee to the county town and protect the people. He then rescues Gao Fei and carries him away.
• Gao Fei reports that Liu Chief Constable has betrayed humanity and that the two dead yamen runners had been used as blood food. Before Gao Fei can ask for the Beast Core, Xue departs rapidly with Liu Chief Constable.
• Three perfected Spirit-Absorption Realm demons arrive and discover that one of Yellow Great Immortal’s sons has been killed. The demons argue over the two corpses left behind as blood food, creating the discord Xue intended.
• Gao Fei catches up with Lu Xiaoliu and Zhang Constable. He smashes through Rat Demon interceptors and uses Dark Force to kill those that continue pursuing them.
• After running roughly thirty li, the group escapes the Rat Demons but encounters more than thirty Dog Demons. Though the outcome is uncertain, they continue fleeing.
• They finally reach Tao Hua Village. Gao Fei warns the village chief that Rat Demons are attacking and orders the villagers to evacuate to the county town.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei demonstrates significant combat growth by successfully using Dark Force and relying on his strengthened body to break through the demon pursuit. He becomes more pragmatic, prioritizing escape and the protection of civilians over collecting Merit Points.
• County Magistrate Xue reveals himself as a calculating and capable protector. He kills the Weasel for its Demon Core, rescues the surviving humans, and deliberately manipulates the demons’ greed and rivalry to buy time.
• Lu Xiaoliu and Zhang Constable show discipline and survival instinct, immediately following Xue’s orders and fleeing toward safety.
• Yellow Great Immortal becomes enraged by the death of another son and shows increasing concern about the loss of blood food and the failure of his subordinates.
• The Fox, Civet, and Cat-related demons display selfishness and rivalry, placing cultivation and access to human blood above cooperation.

Significant Themes

• Survival and retreat: Victory is temporarily defined as escaping alive rather than defeating every enemy.
• Strategic intelligence over brute force: Xue’s manipulation of demon rivalries and Gao Fei’s use of physical momentum demonstrate the value of tactics.
• Humanity versus demonic exploitation: Humans are treated as “blood food,” emphasizing the demons’ predatory view of humanity.
• Leadership and public trust: Xue stresses that the government must protect the people and avoid losing their confidence.
• Greed and internal conflict: The demons’ competition over corpses and cultivation resources weakens their alliance.
• Growth through danger: Gao Fei’s developing Dark Force and physical abilities show his rapid advancement under pressure.

Character Interactions

• Xue rescues Gao Fei, Lu Xiaoliu, and Zhang Constable while instructing them to protect the people.
• Gao Fei informs Xue of Liu Chief Constable’s betrayal, though Xue gives no verbal response.
• Xue and Gao Fei briefly discuss cultivation; Gao Fei tries to request the Beast Core, but Xue leaves before he can finish.
• The demon leaders argue over the dead yamen runners, with Yellow Great Immortal attempting to assert ownership while the Fox and Civet demons claim their share.
• Gao Fei repeatedly protects and urges Lu Xiaoliu to run faster, ultimately leading the escape to Tao Hua Village.
• Gao Fei orders the village chief to evacuate the villagers, extending the chapter’s focus from personal survival to collective protection.

Summary: “The Hall Master’s Disciples”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Fei, Lu Xiaoliu, and Zhang Constable return to the county seat after killing several Rat Demons. Their combined victories raise Gao Fei’s Merit Points to 376, enough to reach the Spirit-Absorption Realm if he does not spend them on further deductions.
• Lu Xiaoliu jokingly questions Gao Fei’s sudden strength and suggests he may have been secretly practicing for centuries—or even harboring an interest in men. Gao Fei humorously threatens to kill him for the teasing, and Lu Xiaoliu quickly apologizes.
• Back home, Gao Fei learns from his second uncle, Gao Linyue, that he is still officially a disciple of the martial arts hall master. A tournament will be held the next day, with Five-Viscera Stabilizing Pills awarded to the top three contestants.
• Gao Linyue explains that the pills are valuable resources for practitioners of the Organ Tempering Realm, nourishing the organs, supplying spiritual energy, and harmonizing qi and blood. Gao Fei decides to participate, both for the reward and to establish his strength.
• Gao Fei tells his second uncle about Liu Chief Constable’s betrayal, though he conceals the truth about how dramatically his own cultivation has increased. Gao Linyue responds cautiously but continues to hide the seriousness of the demonic threat.
• Gao Fei persuades Gao Linyue to show him an Organ Tempering martial art. The system identifies it as the Viscera Tempering Art, which Gao Fei compares with his own Purple-Viscera Organ-Tempering Art.
• He discovers that the conventional technique relies on medicinal nourishment and spiritual replenishment, while his own method uses qi and blood to violently temper the organs before restoring them with spiritual energy.
• Gao Linyue reveals that ordinary body-tempering techniques are widely available because the Great Wu Kingdom wants its citizens to learn martial arts during the age of demonic chaos. Only Spirit-Absorption techniques remain difficult to obtain.
• Food prices rise sharply after rumors spread that demons have devoured nearby villages and may soon besiege the city.
• Gao Linyue’s family returns carrying large quantities of grain. Qiu Mei and Xiaocui then practice Iron Shirt alongside Gao Yan, surprising Gao Fei with their willingness to endure the difficult training.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei continues hiding the true extent of his strength and rapid cultivation. He becomes increasingly suspicious of the adults around him, recognizing that they minimize or conceal the danger posed by the demons.
• He also shows greater strategic awareness, seeking existing martial arts to avoid wasting Merit Points and considering how to obtain a Spirit-Absorption technique.
• Lu Xiaoliu remains playful and irreverent, but his jokes also reveal his admiration and confusion regarding Gao Fei’s transformation.
• Zhang Constable remains stern and quiet but is shown to possess a sense of humor when Lu Xiaoliu teases Gao Fei.
• Gao Linyue acts as both guardian and gatekeeper of martial knowledge. He cares about Gao Fei’s safety but continues treating him somewhat like a child, withholding information and downplaying threats.
• Qiu Mei and Xiaocui are introduced as physically resilient and willing to train seriously, challenging Gao Fei’s assumptions about women practicing Iron Shirt.
• Gao Yan contributes to the family’s preparations by carrying grain and participating in martial training.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and deception: Gao Fei conceals his extraordinary cultivation, while his elders conceal the true severity of the demonic crisis.
• Preparation amid social collapse: Rising grain prices, refugee-like anxiety, and rumors of demon attacks show society beginning to destabilize.
• Martial arts as public necessity: In a world threatened by demons, the government encourages widespread cultivation rather than restricting basic techniques.
• Tradition versus innovation: Gao Fei’s self-created Organ Tempering method is more aggressive and fundamentally different from established techniques based on medicinal nourishment.
• Family and survival: The family’s stockpiling of grain and collective training demonstrate practical preparations for worsening danger.
• Humor amid danger: Banter between Gao Fei and Lu Xiaoliu, as well as Gao Fei’s exaggerated reaction to female Iron Shirt practitioners, lightens an otherwise increasingly ominous chapter.

Character Interactions

• Gao Fei and Lu Xiaoliu exchange teasing remarks about Gao Fei’s strength and romantic preferences, ending with Gao Fei mock-threatening him.
• Gao Fei and Gao Linyue discuss the tournament, Five-Viscera Stabilizing Pills, the betrayal of Liu Chief Constable, and the differences between martial arts techniques. Their conversation highlights Gao Fei’s growing independence and Gao Linyue’s guarded nature.
• Gao Fei’s questioning exposes that Gao Linyue has previously cheated slightly while purchasing Qi-Blood Soup, giving Gao Fei leverage to force him to reveal the Organ Tempering manual.
• Gao Fei observes Qiu Mei, Xiaocui, and Gao Yan training together, prompting a humorous conversation with Gao Linyue about whether female Iron Shirt practitioners will become heavily muscled.

Chapter Summary: Since We’re Already Here

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Fei and his relatives attend the martial arts hall’s annual tournament, which is unusually crowded because participants are competing for the Five-Viscera Stabilizing Pill and potential recruitment into powerful households.
• Gao Linyue explains the tournament rules: certain attacks are forbidden, and weapon users must be at least in the Mid Skin Tempering Realm. The opening hour consists of free challenges.
• Lin Shaokun arrives with several inner-courtyard students and a group of flattering prospective guards. He publicly demands that Gao Fei repay the three thousand taels borrowed by his younger brother.
• Gao Fei refuses to acknowledge the debt and becomes the subject of gossip because of his former reputation as a prodigy with the Four-Pillar Pure-Yang Body who ruined his cultivation prospects by abandoning his virginity too early.
• A young martial artist challenges Gao Fei, apparently intending to provoke him on behalf of the Lin Family. Gao Fei deliberately delays joining the match, leaving the challenger waiting.
• Another opponent defeats the challenger. Furious and humiliated, the young man attacks Gao Fei from below the platform, but Gao Fei effortlessly catches his kick and sends him back onto the stage.
• Gao Linyue declares the defeated youth the loser and warns that anyone refusing to follow the rules will be expelled. Gao Fei’s restrained display of strength silences most of the crowd and discourages further provocation.
• After the exhibition period ends, Gao Fei is announced as the first official participant, facing Lin Yong. Both men select spears and take their positions for the upcoming match.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei demonstrates increasing confidence, composure, and physical strength. Rather than reacting impulsively to insults, he toys with his challenger and defeats him with minimal effort.
• He also shows a more cynical and opportunistic side, openly refusing to repay the Lin Family’s money and considering taking wealth from the rich instead.
• Gao Linyue acts as tournament organizer and referee, using his authority to maintain order. His presence protects Gao Fei indirectly, though he refuses to interfere in minor disputes.
• Gao Yan is revealed as talkative and somewhat cowardly. He knows the hall’s social gossip, warns Gao Fei about potential enemies, and immediately seeks help when violence seems likely.
• Lin Shaokun is portrayed as arrogant and contemptuous, relying on followers and social influence rather than directly confronting Gao Fei.
• The young challenger begins confidently but is left humiliated after Gao Fei defeats him effortlessly.
• Gao Fei’s former romantic behavior is exposed: he once pursued nearly every attractive woman he knew, including Yue Qinghe and Zhang Xinyu. His embarrassment contrasts with his current indifference.

Significant Themes

• Reputation versus reality: Gao Fei is still judged by his past as a fallen genius and former womanizer, but his current strength challenges those assumptions.
• Social hierarchy and opportunism: Many participants attend not only to compete but also to curry favor with powerful families and secure guard positions.
• Public humiliation and face: The challenger attacks Gao Fei after losing because he cannot accept embarrassment, while Gao Fei maintains control and gains status by responding effortlessly.
• Power and restraint: Gao Fei’s ability to defeat an opponent without seriously injuring him shows that true strength can be expressed through control rather than brutality.
• Changing identity: Gao Fei is increasingly separating himself from the original owner’s reckless past, especially his romantic pursuits and careless reputation.

Character Interactions

• Gao Fei and Gao Linyue discuss the tournament, with Gao Linyue explaining the rules and arrangements.
• Gao Fei rejects Lin Shaokun’s demand for repayment, escalating their ongoing hostility.
• Gao Yan teases Gao Fei about his former pursuit of women and offers—reluctantly—to help against the challenger.
• Gao Fei humiliates the young challenger by catching his kick and returning him to the platform.
• Gao Linyue publicly enforces the rules and dismisses the challenger’s continued defiance.
• The chapter ends with Gao Fei and Lin Yong preparing to fight one another with spears, establishing the next major confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Come at Me Together”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The martial contest begins with a gong rather than a formal announcement.
• Gao Fei defeats his first opponent, Lin Yong, in a single move with his spear and deliberately sends him toward Lin Shaokun, provoking the Lin Family.
• Gao Fei mocks Lin Shaokun and the Lin Family for producing a weak fighter, intensifying the hostility between them.
• Yue Qinghe and Lin Shaokun also defeat their opponents instantly, leading Gao Fei to suspect that the matchups have been arranged to favor certain competitors.
• During the next stage, Gao Fei refuses to fight cautiously and challenges the remaining competitors to attack him together.
• The instructor approves the unusual arrangement, declaring that the last three people remaining on the arena will rank in the top three.
• Lin Shaokun, Yue Qinghe, Zhang Xinyu, and Zhang Mingfei join the black-clad youth against Gao Fei.
• When the gong sounds, the black-clad youth and Lin Shaokun attack Gao Fei in coordinated fashion. Gao Fei uses Half-Step Collapse Fist to send the black-clad youth off the arena, then defeats Lin Shaokun with a body-penetrating punch and a slap to the face.
• Lin Shaokun is shocked that Gao Fei has advanced so quickly despite supposedly having crippled talent. He accuses Gao Fei of lying and reveals his own suspicion that Gao Fei has reached Bone Tempering Perfection Realm.
• Gao Fei reflects on the blood-offering conspiracy and realizes that Lin Shaokun and the Lin Family are likely connected to the destruction of his Four-Pillar Pure-Yang Body and his use as a sacrifice.
• Zhang Mingfei then attacks with the powerful Giant Ape Body-Tempering Art. Despite his tremendous strength and defense, Gao Fei exploits his vulnerable lower body, uses a slide tackle, and knocks him off the arena with a relatively simple punch.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei becomes increasingly confident, aggressive, and willing to disregard conventional rules. He demonstrates exceptional combat instincts, rapid cultivation progress, and an unconventional fighting style.
• His arrogance grows more apparent, and he recognizes that the original owner’s personality may be influencing him. Nevertheless, his provocations are also connected to his desire to confront the Lin Family.
• Lin Shaokun changes from an apparently dominant contender into a humiliated and injured opponent. His disbelief confirms that Gao Fei’s former weakness was likely connected to deliberate sabotage.
• Zhang Mingfei is revealed to possess an impressive body-tempering technique and extraordinary strength, but his reliance on power leaves him vulnerable to tactical attacks.
• Yue Qinghe and the Zhang siblings appear disciplined and coordinated, treating Gao Fei as a serious threat.
• The black-clad youth proves capable of coordinated teamwork but is eliminated immediately by Gao Fei’s first decisive counterattack.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus technique: Gao Fei repeatedly defeats physically powerful opponents through timing, positioning, and exploiting weaknesses rather than relying only on raw force.
• Hidden betrayal and revenge: The contest becomes tied to Gao Fei’s investigation of the destruction of his body and his use as a blood offering. His conflict with Lin Shaokun is personal and connected to a broader conspiracy.
• Reversal of status: Gao Fei, once regarded as talentless and weak, suddenly dominates contestants who were believed to be far superior.
• Unconventional thinking: Gao Fei’s willingness to challenge multiple opponents and use methods such as a slide tackle contrasts with the formal martial traditions expected in the competition.
• Pride and humiliation: Gao Fei openly taunts his opponents, while Lin Shaokun’s disbelief and anger reveal how deeply Gao Fei’s transformation threatens his former position.

Character Interactions

• Gao Fei deliberately humiliates Lin Shaokun by sending Lin Yong toward him and mocking the Lin Family.
• He makes a provocative remark about Yue Qinghe, prompting hostility from her and concern from Gao Yan.
• Gao Fei reassures Gao Linyue before challenging four opponents at once.
• Lin Shaokun, Yue Qinghe, Zhang Xinyu, Zhang Mingfei, and the black-clad youth temporarily cooperate against Gao Fei.
• Lin Shaokun’s defeat exposes his resentment and suspicion regarding Gao Fei’s supposedly crippled talent.
• Zhang Mingfei takes command of the final coordinated assault, with Yue Qinghe and Zhang Xinyu supporting him, but Gao Fei defeats him before their strategy can unfold.

Chapter Summary: “Crown Axis”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Mingfei is knocked out of the arena by Gao Fei. Though he lands badly and remains in his transformed, hulking state, he reacts with stunned silence rather than anger.
• Gao Fei then faces Yue Qinghe and Zhang Xinyu. The two women use the Golden Silk Coiling Snake Hand to neutralize his punch and restrain his arms, but Gao Fei overpowers them through sheer force and throws them off the stage.
• His accidental physical contact with the women enrages both them and the spectators, who accuse him of being a pervert. Gao Fei’s awkward attempt to explain only makes the situation worse.
• Zhang Xinyu attacks recklessly and is defeated, while Yue Qinghe recognizes the danger and concedes before being forcibly removed.
• The hall master’s wife officially announces the results:

Gao Fei

Yue Qinghe

Zhang Xinyu

• Gao Fei receives five Five-Viscera Stabilizing Pills, while Yue Qinghe and Zhang Xinyu receive three and one respectively.
• The hall master’s wife encourages Gao Fei to visit the rear courtyard and teach Yue Qinghe martial techniques. She criticizes both women for losing to someone only in the Middle Skin Tempering Realm.
• Yue Qinghe dismisses physical martial techniques as inferior to spirit-grade techniques, but her mother explains that such techniques require a much higher cultivation level and that Yue may not even reach the Spirit-Absorption Realm.
• After the competition, the Zhang siblings congratulate Gao Fei and invite him to spar in the inner courtyard.
• On the way home, Gao Fei worries whether the pills will benefit his unusual form of Organ Refinement. Gao Linyue, meanwhile, schemes to obtain some of the pills for his own breakthrough.
• Gao Linyue first asks for three pills, then increases the request to four when Gao Fei questions him. Gao Fei asks whether four will truly be enough.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei demonstrates overwhelming physical strength and increasingly refined combat instincts. Although he relies on tricks and physical techniques, his victory over five stronger opponents confirms his exceptional martial comprehension.
• His victory also reveals that, despite the possible loss of his Four-Pillar Pure-Yang Body, he may possess extraordinary learning ability and talent.
• Zhang Mingfei is left shocked and humiliated after being defeated, unable to respond emotionally.
• Yue Qinghe shifts from confidence to caution. She begins the fight aggressively but concedes once she realizes Gao Fei will not pursue her recklessly.
• Zhang Xinyu proves less composed, attacking emotionally after being thrown off the stage.
• Gao Linyue feels intense pride in Gao Fei and sees his victory as proof that his nephew’s future is promising. However, he also immediately becomes opportunistic, attempting to claim Gao Fei’s medicinal rewards for himself.
• The hall master’s wife emerges as a practical and authoritative figure. She recognizes Gao Fei’s talent, defends the legitimacy of his prize, and tries to correct Yue Qinghe’s unrealistic assumptions about cultivation.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus cultivation level: Gao Fei defeats opponents with higher realms through superior technique, physical power, and tactical understanding.
• Talent and adaptability: His ability to master techniques quickly suggests that comprehension may compensate for his damaged or altered constitution.
• The limits of arrogance: Yue Qinghe’s confidence in future spirit-grade techniques is challenged by her mother’s warning that higher-level abilities are useless without the cultivation foundation to support them.
• Family loyalty and exploitation: Gao Linyue genuinely supports and admires Gao Fei, but his pride is mixed with self-interest as he tries to obtain the pills for his own advancement.
• Declining martial power: The discussion of Yueyang County’s former strength versus its current weakness establishes a broader setting in which martial experts are increasingly valuable and heavily courted.
• Public judgment and misunderstanding: Gao Fei’s accidental contact with the two women causes the crowd to condemn him, highlighting how easily appearances and awkward explanations can turn into scandal.

Important Character Interactions

• Gao Fei’s clashes with Yue Qinghe and Zhang Xinyu combine combat with comic embarrassment, especially when the crowd misinterprets his actions.
• The hall master’s wife treats Gao Fei warmly and asks him to guide Yue Qinghe, creating a potential future mentor-student or rival relationship.
• She also admonishes Yue Qinghe and Zhang Xinyu for underestimating practical martial techniques.
• The Zhang siblings leave on friendly terms, proposing a future sparring match with Gao Fei.
• Gao Linyue’s conversation with Gao Fei at home reveals both their familial closeness and the uncle’s willingness to bargain aggressively for the pills.

Summary: “Night Raid on the Lin Family”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Fei consumes a Five-Viscera Stabilizing Pill and uses the spiritual energy within it to temper his internal organs. After eighteen years of cultivation within the system’s accelerated time, the pill’s energy is exhausted after only partially tempering his heart.
• Realizing that Beast Cores would be more compatible with his cultivation technique, Gao Fei asks his uncle, Gao Linyue, about obtaining them. The apothecary refuses to sell on credit, so the pair decide to raid the Lin Family, which is suspected of colluding with monsters.
• That night, Gao Fei and Gao Linyue infiltrate the wealthy Lin estate in disguise. They follow a visiting doctor to a side room where Lin Shaokun is being treated for internal injuries.
• While eavesdropping, they discover that Lin Shaokun and a fox demon are plotting to destabilize Yueyang County. Their plan is to manipulate grain prices, impoverish the population, and cause the people to lose faith in the Great Wu Kingdom, thereby weakening the county magistrate’s cultivation.
• The fox demon reveals that the plot is connected to the Azure Hill Fox Ruins and promises to protect Lin Shaokun after the scheme succeeds.
• Gao Fei and Gao Linyue ambush the fox demon as it leaves the room. Gao Linyue distracts it with a saber strike, while Gao Fei delivers a full-force Dark Force punch to its chest, killing the Early Spirit-Absorption Realm monster. Gao Fei receives forty-two Merit Points.
• They enter Lin Shaokun’s room. Lin Shaokun, wounded and without his guards, attempts to negotiate for his life, but Gao Linyue warns Gao Fei not to kill him because Lin Shaokun’s father is the county registrar.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei demonstrates growing strength and tactical awareness. Although his internal-organ tempering remains incomplete, he successfully kills a Spirit-Absorption Realm monster through teamwork and a surprise attack.
• He also becomes more proactive and pragmatic, choosing to investigate the Lin Family rather than passively search for Beast Cores.
• Gao Linyue shows resourcefulness and courage by joining the nighttime raid despite initially preferring to buy supplies through the apothecary. His experience and combat skill are crucial to creating the opening for Gao Fei’s attack.
• Gao Linyue also displays a cautious, politically aware side. After the fox demon’s death, he immediately reminds Gao Fei that Lin Shaokun’s family has influence in the county.
• Lin Shaokun is revealed to be injured, frightened, and dependent on his family’s protection. His confidence collapses once he realizes his guards have been dismissed and the infiltrators have killed his ally.
• The fox demon is exposed as a conspirator working with the Lin Family rather than merely an isolated monster.

Significant Themes

• Cultivation through patience and precision: Gao Fei learns that tempering the internal organs is delicate work that cannot be rushed, emphasizing the difficulty of long-term advancement.
• Wealth and inequality: The Lin Family’s luxurious manor contrasts sharply with the Gaos’ poverty and inability to afford Beast Cores, highlighting the power of family resources and social status.
• Corruption and political manipulation: The Lin Family and the demon faction plan to weaponize food prices and public suffering to undermine the state and weaken official power.
• Human-monster collaboration: The chapter complicates the conflict between humans and monsters by showing humans willingly cooperating with demons for wealth, protection, or political advantage.
• Strength versus strategy: Gao Fei and Gao Linyue defeat a stronger enemy not through brute force alone but through stealth, teamwork, timing, and exploiting surprise.
• Moral and political consequences: Killing the fox demon may be justified, but dealing with Lin Shaokun risks provoking a powerful family and entangling Gao Fei in larger political conflicts.

Character Interactions

• Gao Fei and Gao Linyue maintain a humorous but practical uncle-nephew relationship. Gao Fei teases his uncle about the difficulty of maintaining a mansion, while Gao Linyue worries about his modest income and family responsibilities.
• Their cooperation during the ambush shows increasing trust: Gao Linyue draws the demon’s attention, allowing Gao Fei to land the decisive blow.
• Lin Shaokun and the fox demon discuss their plan with apparent mutual confidence, but their alliance is primarily transactional—the demon offers protection, while Lin Shaokun helps create disorder.
• After the attack, Lin Shaokun tries to bargain with Gao Fei, while Gao Linyue attempts to restrain him from acting rashly because of the Lin Family’s official connections.

Summary: “Killing and Arson”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During Lin Shaokun’s coughing fit, Gao Fei attacks and kills him, striking the same chest wound he had suffered earlier and then hitting him in the head. The system rewards him with 31 Merit Points, while also revealing that Lin Shaokun’s sin value was extremely high.
• Gao Fei and his second uncle, Gao Linyue, extract the Fox Demon’s Demon Core and search Lin Shaokun’s room. They discover hidden banknotes totaling 2,350 taels but find little else of value.
• To conceal the murder, Gao Linyue places the Fox Demon’s corpse beside Lin Shaokun’s body, pours lamp oil over the room, and sets the estate on fire. They dispose of their bloodstained clothing in a pond before returning home.
• The two divide the money, pills, and Beast Cores. Gao Linyue estimates that he needs roughly ten pills to advance from Organ Tempering to Spirit-Absorption, though someone with better aptitude might need fewer. He begins a month of seclusion to absorb the medicinal effects.
• Gao Fei uses his Merit Points and the Fox Demon’s Beast Core to advance his Purple-Organ Tempering Art. He completes the tempering of several organs—heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine—and reaches the Late Organ Tempering Realm. However, he runs out of Merit Points before completing the bladder, gallbladder, and triple burner.
• The fire devastates the Lin estate. The Lin family discovers Lin Shaokun’s charred body beside the Fox Demon’s corpse. Believing the county magistrate may be responsible, the family patriarch orders the direct family line to flee to Qing Province while vowing revenge.
• The next morning, Gao Fei leaves the city to investigate monster activity, concerned that Spirit-Absorption Realm monsters may soon enter the county town. He visits the county yamen, takes a mission concerning Dog Demons near Tao Hua Village, replenishes his spears, and heads out.
• At Tao Hua Village, he finds large holes in the defensive fence and several unintelligent Dog Demons entering and leaving the settlement.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei becomes more ruthless and decisive, directly killing Lin Shaokun despite his uncle’s warning. He also grows stronger through the system, reaching the Late Organ Tempering Realm, but recognizes that his lack of Merit Points limits further advancement.
• Gao Linyue demonstrates practical cunning and caution. Although he helps Gao Fei commit the murder and arson, he remains concerned about retaliation from the Lin family. He begins a long period of secluded cultivation and warns Gao Fei to remain careful.
• Lin Shaokun is revealed to have possessed a remarkably high sin value, suggesting serious crimes or immoral conduct. His death is disguised as part of the fire.
• The Lin family patriarch responds to the killings with suspicion, fear, and anger. He assumes a powerful enemy—possibly the county magistrate—is targeting the family and decides to evacuate while planning revenge.
• Gao Fei also becomes increasingly aware of the broader monster threat and the county’s military vulnerability, shifting his attention from personal cultivation and revenge toward survival and reconnaissance.

Significant Themes

• Moral ambiguity and retribution: Gao Fei’s killing of Lin Shaokun is rewarded by the system because of Lin’s great sin value, blurring the distinction between justice and murder.
• Concealment and political danger: The arson and staged scene show how violence between powerful families is hidden through deception, while suspicion immediately turns toward political authorities.
• Cultivation through resources: Pills, Demon Cores, and Merit Points are essential to advancement, emphasizing the material cost of power and the limits imposed by scarce resources.
• Escalating external threat: The growing presence of monsters, including Spirit-Absorption Realm creatures and organized groups of Dog Demons, suggests that the county is approaching a larger crisis.
• Survival versus loyalty: Gao Linyue and Gao Fei cooperate for mutual benefit, while the Lin family abandons its estate to preserve its bloodline and prepare for revenge.

Important Character Interactions

• Gao Fei ignores Gao Linyue’s initial warning and kills Lin Shaokun, establishing tension between Gao Fei’s aggression and his uncle’s caution.
• The two cooperate closely in looting the estate, destroying evidence, dividing their gains, and planning their cultivation.
• Gao Linyue explains cultivation requirements and supports Gao Fei by giving him the weak Demon Core from Lin Shaokun.
• The Lin patriarch questions his son about whether the family should continue destabilizing the county, then reverses course and orders an evacuation after recognizing their vulnerability.
• Gao Fei’s decision to investigate Tao Hua Village demonstrates his growing independence and his willingness to confront the monster threat directly.

Chapter Summary: Spirit-Absorption Realm Dog Demon

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Fei openly approaches a group of dog demons outside a village, knowing their keen sense of smell makes stealth pointless.
• He kills one with a thrown spear, drives the others into the village, and follows them while searching for missing villagers.
• At the village’s main building, he discovers dog demons roasting and eating human remains. The sight enrages him, causing his blood and qi to surge with golden light.
• Gao Fei attacks and kills several demons. The surviving dog demons flee toward the back mountain, where he pursues them across cliffs and several mountains.
• He eventually discovers more than twenty villagers tied up and being held by the dog demons. A gigantic dog demon leader holds a young girl hostage and challenges Gao Fei.
• Gao Fei attacks immediately, preventing the demons from using the villagers as an effective shield. His Armor-Piercing Spear initially fails against the leader’s powerful white defensive barriers.
• Combining the spear with his amplified physical strength and Bright Force, Gao Fei nearly penetrates the demon’s defenses, but the spear shaft breaks.
• Forced into close combat, Gao Fei and the dog demon collide head-on. Gao Fei’s Tiger-Leopard Thunder Roar accompanies his punch, which kills the leader despite injuring and numbing Gao Fei’s hand.
• The system recognizes the leader as an Early Spirit-Absorption Realm demon guilty of heinous crimes and awards Gao Fei 100 Merit Points.
• With their leader dead, the remaining dog demons panic and flee rather than fight. Gao Fei frees one villager, pursues and kills four more demons, then returns to protect the survivors.
• He cuts open the leader’s skull and extracts a thumb-sized Beast Core. His total remaining Merit Points become 223.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei: Demonstrates increasing confidence, decisiveness, and combat power. He no longer hesitates to confront demons openly and uses strategy—attacking before they can harm the hostages—to neutralize their advantage. His anger at the villagers’ deaths reveals a strong moral opposition to demonic cruelty, while his willingness to risk injury shows his determination to rescue survivors.
• Dog demon leader: Initially appears overwhelmingly confident, relying on powerful defensive barriers and physical toughness. However, his arrogance causes him to underestimate Gao Fei, and his inability to survive Gao Fei’s final close-range strike leads to the collapse of the entire pack.
• The villagers: Initially appear hopeless and resigned to death, but Gao Fei’s victory restores their hope. Their reactions emphasize the psychological impact of seeing the demon leader defeated.

Significant Themes

• Justice and righteous anger: The gruesome treatment of the villagers transforms Gao Fei’s mission from a search-and-rescue effort into an act of vengeance against the demons.
• Courage versus arrogance: Gao Fei’s willingness to fight alone contrasts with the leader’s overconfidence. The demon assumes its defenses make it invincible, while Gao Fei adapts when his weapon fails.
• Strength and resourcefulness: Physical power alone is not enough; Gao Fei combines weapon technique, Bright Force, timing, and his roar-enhanced punch to defeat a stronger opponent.
• Hope amid despair: The villagers believe they are doomed until Gao Fei kills the leader, showing how quickly courage and hope can return when oppression is challenged.
• The animalistic nature of demons: The dog demons behave as a pack, flee once their leader dies, and briefly revert to pleading canine behavior when threatened, emphasizing both their instinctive nature and their brutality.

Important Character Interactions

• Gao Fei confronts the dog demons directly, killing several and forcing the rest into a retreat.
• The dog demon leader attempts to intimidate Gao Fei while holding a young girl, but Gao Fei attacks before the threat can become meaningful.
• Gao Fei and the leader engage in a close-range contest between defensive barriers and overwhelming force, ending when Gao Fei kills the leader with a fist-driven spear thrust and follow-up collision.
• The villagers witness the leader’s death, shifting from despair to hope, while the surviving demons lose their courage and scatter.

Chapter Summary: “Cat Demon”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Fei encounters sixteen villagers—ten young adults and six children—who have been held by demons and are weak from hunger.
• He kills a Spirit-Absorption Realm Dog Demon, has the villagers roast and eat its meat, and instructs them to carry the corpse back with them.
• Gao Fei spends 200 Merit Points to complete the tempering of his remaining internal organs. His Organ Tempering Realm reaches perfection, and his Four-Pillar Pure-Yang Body advances to 90/100.
• The intense tempering makes his organs and body abnormally rigid, slowing his reactions and reducing bodily flexibility. He realizes he must use Blood-Qi to restore suppleness.
• While escorting the villagers, Gao Fei encounters fleeing Dog Demons. He kills two that attack him, then orders the villagers to avoid their village and go directly to the county seat.
• A powerful white-pawed Cat Demon appears, claiming Gao Fei interrupted the Dog Demons that were fleeing from her. She attacks him, intending to kill him quickly.
• Gao Fei struggles against the Cat Demon’s superior speed and reflexes. Realizing that direct attacks will fail, he devises a feinting strategy: force her to dodge his blade, then strike during the opening.
• He throws his sword toward her eyes, follows with a powerful fist, and uses Dark Force to destroy her brain. The Cat Demon, an Organ Tempering Realm expert, is killed, earning Gao Fei 20 Merit Points.
• Gao Fei catches up with the villagers, while another, much larger tabby Cat Demon arrives at the battlefield and discovers the corpse of her son, “Xiao Si.”
• Grieving and enraged, the older Cat Demon vows to kill whoever murdered him. She is joined by the Fox Demon, who urges her to focus on a larger plan: capturing the Yueyang County Magistrate and extracting the Great Wu dynasty’s destiny and Incense and Fire Prayer Power.
• The two demons investigate the Dog Demons’ territory and find a mass of human bones. The Fox Demon detects a familiar scent on the white stone left behind by Gao Fei’s exhausted Demon Core, suggesting they may be able to track him.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei: Becomes stronger by perfecting the Organ Tempering Realm, but discovers that excessive physical hardening creates weaknesses by making him stiff and slow. His battle with the Cat Demon demonstrates his growing tactical intelligence: instead of relying purely on strength, he studies his opponent’s instincts and engineers a counterattack.
• The villagers: Though traumatized and terrified, they regain enough strength to travel after eating demon meat. The older villagers instinctively protect the children, emphasizing their solidarity and vulnerability.
• The Cat Demon: Initially confident and predatory, she underestimates Gao Fei’s ability to adapt. Her death reveals that even a powerful demon can be defeated through strategy rather than direct competition.
• The older tabby Cat Demon: Introduced as Xiao Si’s mother, she is driven by grief and revenge but is also tempted to prioritize her cultivation and the Fox Demon’s larger scheme.
• The Fox Demon: Remains calculating and manipulative. She minimizes the Cat Demon’s loss and pushes her toward the plan involving the county magistrate, destiny, and incense power.

Significant Themes

• Adaptation over brute strength: Gao Fei wins because he identifies the Cat Demon’s reliance on speed and exploits her predictable evasive reactions.
• The costs of cultivation: Perfecting Gao Fei’s body gives him greater strength and control but also creates rigidity and slower responses, showing that power can produce new weaknesses.
• Predation and survival: Humans and demons treat one another as food, while Gao Fei turns a demon’s corpse into nourishment for the starving villagers.
• Grief versus ambition: The Cat Demon mourns her son and seeks revenge, while the Fox Demon argues that personal loss should be sacrificed for greater power and longevity.
• Human suffering under demonic rule: The bones at the demons’ camp and the captive villagers reveal the widespread exploitation and slaughter of humans.
• Larger political and supernatural stakes: The demons’ plan to seize the county magistrate’s Great Wu destiny and Incense and Fire Prayer Power suggests that the conflict extends beyond isolated attacks into a broader struggle over authority and cultivation resources.

Character Interactions

• Gao Fei protects and directs the villagers, prioritizing their survival even when doing so limits his ability to investigate the fleeing Dog Demons.
• The villagers depend on Gao Fei but remain frightened and physically weakened, while the adults protect the children during the demon attack.
• Gao Fei and the Cat Demon engage in a tactical battle in which each studies the other’s movements; Gao Fei ultimately defeats her through deception.
• The older Cat Demon mourns Xiao Si and threatens revenge, but the Fox Demon redirects her anger toward their shared objective.
• The Fox Demon manipulates the Cat Demon by presenting the loss of one son as insignificant compared with the chance to break through and extend her lifespan.
• At the chapter’s end, the demons’ discovery of Gao Fei’s scent establishes a new pursuit and foreshadows a confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Crisis Escalates”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Fox Demon recognizes its father’s scent near the site where the Cat Demon’s son was killed. It wants to investigate, but the Cat Demon urges it to prioritize their larger plan.
• The Cat Demon orders the Fox Demon to regroup with the Weasel Demon and mobilize the Minor Monsters. They intend to surround the city with Dog Demons and test its defenses.
• The Fox Demon discovers that the mysterious “stone” carries the scent of the human responsible for the Cat Demon’s son’s death. It identifies this human as Xue and vows to find him.
• Gao Fei escorts the villagers from Tao Hua Village toward Yueyang County City, then remains outside the city to patrol the surrounding villages.
• He kills numerous Dog Demons and clears several villages, encouraging survivors to flee toward the city walls. The devastation reveals that many communities have lost their young people to demon attacks.
• Villagers respond with numbness and despair until Gao Fei displays the corpses of the demons he has killed, which restores some hope and motivates them to evacuate.
• Gao Fei also encounters Cat Demons occupying villages. Areas controlled by Rat Demons and Fox Demons are relatively safer, but the villagers have begun worshipping the demons instead of recognizing the Great Wu government.
• By the time Gao Fei returns to Yueyang County City, refugees have overcrowded the gates and streets. Poverty, disorder, and armed conflicts are spreading, showing that the crisis is escalating inside the city as well as outside it.
• Gao Fei’s patrol earns him 243 Merit Points, but he remains uncertain how to advance beyond Organ Tempering Perfection because he lacks a Spirit-Absorption Realm cultivation technique.
• His damaged saber is no longer adequate, so Gao Linyue helps him redeem a powerful spear and Tang Saber from a pawnshop. Gao Fei uses the proceeds from the Spirit-Absorption Realm Dog Demon to contribute toward their cost.
• Gao Fei demonstrates his growing strength by destroying a wooden support with a single punch. He explains the principles of Dark Force to Gao Linyue, then escapes before Second Aunt can blame him for the damage.
• Gao Linyue examines the newly retrieved weapons and explains their construction, weight, balance, and combat capabilities. He reveals that he spent all his military merit obtaining them and urges Gao Fei to use them well.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei becomes increasingly burdened by the suffering of ordinary people. Although he cannot rescue everyone, he takes responsibility for clearing villages and guiding survivors to safety.
• His growing strength is evident: he has advanced to Organ Tempering Perfection, killed numerous demons, and can now wield Dark Force powerful enough to launch a wooden post with one punch.
• Gao Fei also shows greater emotional maturity. He is deeply affected by the villagers’ suffering and recognizes Gao Linyue’s concern when his uncle provides money for the weapons.
• Gao Linyue is revealed to be supportive despite his frugal and somewhat gruff manner. His reluctance to hand over the Dog Demon’s payment comes from concern over Gao Fei’s future expenses, especially costly cultivation pills.
• Gao Linyue remains eager to improve himself, asking Gao Fei how he killed the Fox Demon and studying the principles of Dark Force.
• The Fox Demon becomes personally invested in hunting Gao Fei after recognizing his scent at the scene of the Cat Demon’s son’s death.
• The Cat Demon acts as a calculating strategist, suppressing personal grief in favor of organizing the demons’ military response.
• The villagers are shown shifting from passive despair toward action once Gao Fei proves that the demons can be defeated.

Significant Themes

• The human cost of war and demonic occupation: Villages are emptied, families destroyed, and survivors reduced to fear and numbness.
• The collapse of government authority: In demon-controlled regions, villagers no longer trust or identify with the Great Wu Kingdom and instead worship local demons for protection.
• Hope through resistance: Gao Fei’s victories do not solve the larger crisis, but visible resistance gives ordinary people the courage to act.
• Duty versus personal priorities: The Cat Demon chooses strategic goals over revenge, while Gao Fei repeatedly postpones his own advancement to protect civilians.
• Growth through responsibility: Gao Fei’s power increases alongside his awareness of the consequences of failing to act.
• Weapons as extensions of cultivation: The new spear and saber symbolize Gao Fei’s transition toward higher-level combat and the increasing seriousness of the coming conflict.

Character Interactions

• The Cat Demon and Fox Demon argue indirectly over whether to pursue the scent of the dead Cat Demon’s son or regroup for the broader assault. The exchange highlights the tension between revenge and strategy.
• Gao Fei interacts with displaced villagers by urging them toward safety, though their initial emotional numbness makes communication difficult.
• Gao Fei and Gao Linyue discuss the need for better weapons, money, cultivation expenses, and the limits of their current resources.
• Gao Fei demonstrates Dark Force for Gao Linyue, while humorously leaving his uncle to deal with Second Aunt’s anger over the damaged courtyard.
• Gao Linyue’s detailed presentation of the weapons emphasizes both his martial expertise and his personal investment in Gao Fei’s future.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Fei gives the lighter spear to his Second Uncle, Gao Linyue, while keeping a black-bladed saber that suits his fighting style better. Gao Linyue is delighted and carefully stores the spear, leading to another round of his exaggerated battlefield stories.
• Qiu Mei reveals that she has entered the Blood-Qi Realm and asks to become an unpaid yamen runner so she can repay Gao Fei’s hospitality and gain protection while working outside. Because demons have begun appearing near Yueyang County, Gao Fei postpones the appointment and instead hires Qiu Mei and Xiaocui to help Second Aunt in the kitchen.
• Qiu Mei’s rapid cultivation impresses Gao Linyue and Gao Fei. Gao Yan, embarrassed by his slower progress, returns to training and insists that he will eventually catch up.
• Lu Xiaoliu arrives with urgent news: Dog Demons have appeared outside the city, and Zhang Constable has summoned Gao Fei.
• Before leaving, Gao Fei spends all his Merit Points deriving a new cultivation method from the Purple-Viscera Organ-Tempering Art. After centuries of simulated research, he completes the Golden Body Art, reaches Foundation Establishment Complete (True Return), and greatly strengthens his physical body.
• Gao Fei’s new abilities include extraordinary bodily control, the restoration of his Four-Pillar Pure-Yang Body, and the ability to transform into any human or animal no larger than half his own size. His physical strength is more than twice what it was at Organ Refinement perfection.
• Gao Fei gives the depleted Demon Core to Gao Yan and prepares to confront the demons. Gao Linyue warns him not to act recklessly, while Gao Fei jokes about drinking together after the battle.
• Gao Fei and Gao Yan head toward the eastern city gate. The city is tense, with armed residents gathering to watch or join the fight. Although some robberies occur, the community suppresses them quickly because martial arts are widespread and the magistrate maintains strict order.
• The guards refuse to open the heavily barricaded gate because Dog Demons are swarming outside. Gao Fei commands them to open it, making clear that he intends to leave regardless of the danger.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei becomes significantly more powerful, completing Foundation Establishment and developing the Golden Body Art. His confidence increases, but he remains practical, choosing a saber that fits him and preparing carefully before battle.
• Gao Linyue receives a spear suited to his preferred technique and shows strong attachment to it because of his military past. He continues to act as a protective, cautious elder despite his tendency to boast.
• Qiu Mei demonstrates gratitude, social intelligence, and strong cultivation talent. Her rapid advancement suggests she may soon reach Blood-Qi Realm perfection.
• Gao Yan remains behind Qiu Mei in cultivation but is motivated by the comparison and vows to catch up. He accompanies Gao Fei despite being warned not to overreach.
• Xiaocui joins Qiu Mei and Gao Yan in courtyard training and begins contributing to the household.
• Lu Xiaoliu serves as the messenger bringing news of the demonic threat.
• The city guards and residents display fear but also collective discipline, showing that Yueyang County remains organized under pressure.

Significant Themes

• Preparation before danger: Gao Fei refuses to rush into battle until he has maximized his strength and completed his cultivation breakthrough.
• Cultivation through persistence: The Golden Body Art results from centuries of slow experimentation, emphasizing that major breakthroughs may come from patient refinement rather than immediate combat techniques.
• Responsibility and protection: Gao Fei supports his family and household while taking responsibility for confronting the demons threatening the city.
• Social order in a martial society: Because ordinary people possess martial skills and the magistrate depends on public support, the county has little room for petty crime or uncontrolled gangs.
• Reciprocity and trust: Qiu Mei seeks work to repay Gao Fei, while Gao Fei supports her cultivation. Gao Linyue’s gift of the spear and Gao Fei’s promise to return it reinforce their familial loyalty.
• Humor amid danger: Battlefield boasting, teasing about unpaid weapons, and Gao Fei’s casual promise of a post-battle drink balance the growing tension.

Character Interactions

• Gao Fei and Gao Linyue bond over weapons, though Gao Linyue’s stories about his military service become repetitive. Their exchange also highlights Gao Fei’s confidence and his uncle’s protective nature.
• Qiu Mei respectfully negotiates with Gao Fei for a yamen position. Gao Fei recognizes her maturity but prioritizes her safety because of the unstable situation.
• Gao Fei teases Gao Yan about his slow cultivation, prompting Gao Yan to reaffirm his determination.
• Gao Fei and Gao Linyue discuss lending Qiu Mei cultivation resources and charging interest, blending family support with practical financial concerns.
• Before departing, Gao Fei and Gao Linyue exchange affectionate threats and jokes about returning weapons, revealing their familiar and lively relationship.
• At the city gate, Gao Fei asserts authority over the frightened guards, setting up his imminent confrontation with the Dog Demons.

Chapter Summary: “Leaving the City”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Fei forces open the city gate by killing the white-clad yamen runner guarding it, allowing more than a hundred villagers trapped outside to enter.
• He immediately charges into the surrounding Dog Demons, killing several with his spear and creating a path for the villagers.
• To help the impoverished villagers, Gao Fei tells them to take the corpses of the Dog Demons into the city as food and payment for their courage.
• As the villagers retreat, Gao Fei remains outside to delay the approaching demons and protect the closing gate.
• He kills the fat constable standing on the wall, earning eight Merit Points. The constable had apparently betrayed humanity, though Gao Fei suspects Little Fatty Liu was also complicit.
• Once the gate is sealed, Gao Fei turns from defense to offense and begins slaughtering the Dog Demons. The system grants him Merit Points for some kills but not others, leading him to conclude that certain human opponents are considered evil by the system.
• Gao Fei discovers Zhang Constable surrounded and badly beaten by the demons. He fights through the horde to reach him, finding that Zhang’s bones have been broken and that he is barely alive.
• Despite exhaustion and the presence of two Spirit-Absorption Realm Dog Demons, Gao Fei continues battling with his spear and fists.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei demonstrates remarkable strength, combat skill, decisiveness, and endurance. His actions show that he is not merely fighting for personal gain: he risks himself to rescue villagers and gives them demon corpses so they can survive.
• His ruthless side remains evident. He kills enemies—including human officials—without hesitation when he believes they have betrayed humanity.
• Gao Fei’s transformation shocks everyone who knew his former reputation as a useless, corrupt, pleasure-seeking dandy. His precise spearwork and courage suggest that he may have hidden his abilities or undergone a profound change.
• The villagers shift from frightened, helpless outsiders to grateful survivors who help themselves by collecting demon corpses.
• Gao Linyue recognizes Gao Fei’s extraordinary skill and begins to feel hope while watching him fight.
• Gao Yan, Qiu Mei, Xiaocui, and the people on the wall are stunned by Gao Fei’s unexpected prowess. Their view of him changes from contempt or familiarity to suspicion and admiration.
• Zhang Constable is revealed as a severely injured but possibly important survivor, while the actions of the fat constable and other officials expose the extent of human treachery during the crisis.

Significant Themes

• Survival and sacrifice: Gao Fei risks being surrounded so that ordinary villagers can escape safely.
• Moral ambiguity: The Merit Point system distinguishes between righteous and evil people, suggesting that not all human beings are allies in the fight against the demons.
• Hidden potential and transformation: Gao Fei’s astonishing abilities contradict his former reputation, raising questions about his true identity and past.
• Human betrayal versus solidarity: Some officials cooperate with or exploit the demons, while poor villagers and Gao Fei support one another.
• The collapse of social order: The city gate, officials, and defenders fail to protect the people, forcing individuals like Gao Fei to take responsibility themselves.

Character Interactions

• Gao Fei orders Xiao Liu to secure the gate and meet him from the wall, showing his ability to command under pressure.
• He encourages and rewards the villagers by offering them demon corpses, earning their gratitude.
• He confronts the fat constable indirectly by killing him with a thrown spear after the man helps endanger the people outside.
• Gao Fei fights through the Dog Demons to recover Zhang Constable’s body.
• Gao Linyue warns Gao Fei to conserve his strength after identifying two stronger demons, while the family and defenders watch anxiously from the wall.
• The people who once knew Gao Fei as a wastrel openly question whether his former behavior was an elaborate disguise.

Summary

Gao Fei helps repel a demon assault outside the city. After deflecting a wind blade, he kills two Spirit-Absorption Realm dog demons—one by punching through its chest with Dark Force and the other by crushing its head with his spear. The remaining demons lose their courage and flee, prompting cheers from the city’s defenders. However, Gao Fei ignores the celebration and carries Zhang Constable’s corpse into the city, grieving the man’s needless death. The townspeople, who once looked down on Gao Fei, now praise him and claim they always recognized his potential.
The brief victory ends when the dog demons return with rat demons and a perfected Spirit-Absorption Realm Yellow Weasel known as Yellow Great Immortal. Gao Linyue realizes the city wall cannot withstand such an enemy and urges everyone to retreat into the city. Knowing he cannot survive by waiting, Gao Fei spends all 525 of his Merit Points to strengthen the Golden Body Art. Through centuries of simulated cultivation, his physical strength, speed, flexibility, and toughness increase dramatically, and the technique finally reaches the Initial Stage of its First Transformation.
As the group passes through the city gate, Yellow Great Immortal attacks Gao Fei. Their weapons clash in a fierce battle: the demon’s spiritually empowered short blade repeatedly cuts Gao Fei, while Gao Fei’s saber is badly damaged. Although he suffers many wounds, his newly enhanced body prevents the cuts from being fatal. Yellow Great Immortal is shocked by his resilience and suspects that Gao Fei may be a human-demon descended from an exceptionally powerful race.
Gao Fei deliberately reveals and retracts a rhinoceros-like horn, allowing Yellow Great Immortal to mistake him for an “Archaic Rhinoceros Hybrid.” When the demon lowers its guard and approaches to question him, Gao Fei uses the insult as a pretext for a close-range ambush. He unleashes Half-Step Collapse Fist, channeling Dark Force through the demon’s spiritual shield and sending Yellow Great Immortal crashing through a wall. Though he receives no Merit Points because the blow does not directly injure the demon’s body, Gao Fei orders Gao Linyue and the others to flee while he stays behind to continue the fight.

Key Developments and Themes

• Gao Fei’s growth: His combat ability and physical durability rise sharply after investing his Merit Points in the Golden Body Art.
• Resourceful combat: He combines weapons, body cultivation, deception, and Dark Force rather than relying solely on brute strength.
• Changing social status: The villagers’ attitude shifts from contempt and avoidance to admiration and flattery after Gao Fei proves himself in battle.
• Sacrifice and grief: Gao Fei’s refusal to celebrate and his care for Zhang Constable’s body emphasize the human cost of victory.
• Survival against overwhelming power: The city faces a stronger enemy, forcing Gao Fei to risk himself so others can escape.
• Identity and deception: Gao Fei exploits Yellow Great Immortal’s assumptions about human-demon bloodlines, using a false rhinoceros identity to create an opening.

Chapter Summary: “Instantly Recovering from Injuries”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Gao Fei helps the group escape after fighting the Yellow Great Immortal, a perfected Spirit-Absorption Realm monster. Although Gao Linyue is shocked that someone at the peak of Body Tempering can withstand such an opponent, Gao Fei’s true strength remains unexplained.
• Rather than enter the damaged house and risk a sneak attack, Gao Fei waits outside. The system awards him thirteen Merit Points, suggesting that some members of the fleeing crowd were morally corrupt.
• Gao Fei spends one Merit Point on the Golden Body Art. His injuries rapidly heal, leaving only faint scars, and his stamina returns to its peak.
• He confronts the Yellow Great Immortal, who emerges after pretending to be dead. The two exchange explanations for their earlier attacks and agree that they are even.
• Gao Fei claims he entered Yueyang County Seat to eat and observe human behavior. His words unintentionally reinforce the monster’s belief that he is a human-eating demon.
• The Yellow Great Immortal reveals that the demons entered the city to kill officials and create panic before fleeing toward the southern district. Gao Fei chooses not to pursue it because its speed and reactions are superior to his own.
• Gao Fei returns home, killing five Bone Tempering Rat Demons along the way. His family is safe, though Gao Linyue is badly injured.
• Learning that the martial arts hall may be under attack, Gao Fei rushes there, partly out of concern for his family’s connections and partly hoping to obtain a Spirit-Absorption cultivation technique as a reward.
• He discovers the hall devastated, with many students and instructors dead. In the inner courtyard, fifteen Rat Demons surround the surviving members, including Yue Qinghe, Zhang Mingfei, and Zhang Xinyu.
• Gao Fei overwhelms the Rat Demons with his immense strength and improved speed, killing most in a single strike. When the surviving demons flee, he immediately pursues them because each represents a potential Merit Point.
• The wounded survivors beg Gao Fei to stay and protect them, having recognized how powerful he has become.

2. Character Developments

• Gao Fei: Gains confidence after recovering almost completely from serious injuries. He becomes more capable in combat, moving faster and fighting efficiently with the damaged sawtoothed blade. His priorities are increasingly clear: protect his family, eliminate threats, gain cultivation resources, and eventually avenge the Fox Demon’s attack.
• Gao Linyue: Demonstrates significant combat ability by using Dark Force and helping cover the group’s retreat, but suffers a serious abdominal injury. His concern for Gao Fei and the family remains evident.
• Yellow Great Immortal: Shifts from direct hostility to cautious negotiation. It accepts Gao Fei’s explanation for the ambush and discloses the demons’ larger plan to attack the city officials.
• Gao Fei’s Family: Their safety becomes Gao Fei’s central motivation. Unlike in his previous life, when he could live passively and alone, he now feels responsible for keeping others alive.
• Martial Arts Hall Survivors: Their view of Gao Fei changes from uncertainty to dependence after witnessing him effortlessly destroy the Rat Demons. They plead for his protection.

3. Significant Themes

• Hidden strength and misunderstanding: Gao Fei’s unusual abilities are unexplained to others, allowing them to form their own often-wrong assumptions. His honest statements can sound sinister because of his disguise and reputation.
• Survival versus morality: Gao Fei prioritizes safety, avoids unnecessary risks, and treats Merit Points as valuable resources, even while trying to protect innocent people.
• Responsibility and personal change: His former desire to “lie flat” is replaced by a willingness to work harder because he now has family and relationships to protect.
• Power and opportunism: Gao Fei sees defeated Rat Demons not only as enemies but also as sources of Merit Points and potential cultivation progress.
• The widening conflict: The demon attacks are organized rather than random, involving coordinated efforts to kill officials and spread panic throughout Yueyang County.

4. Character Interactions

• Gao Fei and Gao Linyue: Gao Linyue is startled by Gao Fei’s ability to fight a much stronger monster and later silently urges him to check on the martial arts hall. Their interaction shows mutual trust and family loyalty.
• Gao Fei and the Yellow Great Immortal: They move from violent confrontation to a tense but humorous conversation. Gao Fei’s complaint about being unable to sleep after being attacked is accepted as a reasonable justification, leading them to declare the conflict even.
• Gao Fei and his family: Second Aunt teases Gao Linyue about Gao Fei’s supposed affection for someone at the martial arts hall, while Gao Linyue subtly communicates the real importance of Gao Fei’s visit.
• Gao Fei and the martial arts hall survivors: After Gao Fei rescues them by killing the attacking Rat Demons, Zhang Mingfei and the others ask him to remain nearby because they are wounded and see him as their strongest protection.

Chapter Summary: “Transforming Force”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After rescuing a group of victims from the Rat Demon, Gao Fei earns five Merit Points, suggesting that many of the rescued people had been considered doomed to die.
• He pursues the Rat Demon through the city but cannot find it. Although concerned about encountering the powerful Peak Spirit-Absorption Realm Yellow Great Immortal, Gao Fei is willing to fight if necessary, especially if he can exploit another opening for a sneak attack.
• Gao Fei returns home, bringing his Merit Points to 385. Because Merit Points can heal injuries and are difficult to replenish without demon cores, he decides to conserve them.
• He spends 300 Merit Points to comprehend Form-Intention Fist, advancing his martial abilities into the Transforming Force realm:
  • His force can now travel through and be released from any part of his body.
  • His Tiger-Leopard Thunder Roar becomes fully controllable.
  • He develops the Bone-Melting Palm, a vibrating palm strike capable of reducing an ordinary person’s body to blood and bone fragments.
• Gao Fei tests the Bone-Melting Palm on a wooden board. The strike leaves a palm print while converting the board into dust without releasing outward force. It requires about one second to charge, though charging too long risks injuring himself.
• Upon returning home, Gao Fei discovers that Gao Linyue, her husband, and the martial hall master’s wife and daughter are present, while Gao Yan, Qiu Mei, Xiaocui, and the other surviving martial hall members are absent.
• News arrives that the Perfected Spirit-Absorption Realm Yellow Great Immortal attacked the Zhang Family and wiped it out. Other officials throughout the city have also been killed.
• Lin Family guards announce that Registrar Lin has assumed control of the county’s affairs. Every household must send a representative to the county yamen for an official announcement.
• The crowd discusses how the Rat Demons entered the city: they apparently dug tunnels beneath the walls, with major entrances discovered near both the southern and northern walls. Most powerful fighters in the city are now gathered in Gao Fei’s courtyard, while the Lin Family remains the only faction known to have successfully held its position.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei becomes more cautious and strategic. He recognizes the importance of preserving Merit Points for healing and advancement rather than spending them recklessly.
• His martial power increases dramatically with his mastery of Transforming Force. He can now direct Dark Force through his entire body and has gained a devastating new technique, the Bone-Melting Palm.
• Gao Fei also shows increasing concern for his second uncle’s family and feels relieved when returning home, revealing his emotional attachment to them.
• Zhang Xinyu remains composed despite her injuries and attempts to pay Gao Fei for saving her household, but he leaves before answering.
• Gao Linyue is unable to act openly against the powerful Yellow Great Immortal and is placed in a tense, defensive position.
• Gao Fei’s second aunt becomes visibly jealous of the martial hall master’s wife, whose beauty and gentle demeanor create an awkward atmosphere in the courtyard.
• The martial hall master’s wife maintains a consistently pleasant expression, contrasting with the fear and tension surrounding the demon invasion.

Significant Themes

• Power and restraint: Gao Fei’s growing strength is balanced by the need to manage limited Merit Points and spiritual energy carefully.
• The gap between ordinary martial arts and supernatural cultivation: The chapter emphasizes how difficult Spirit-Absorption Realm opponents are for normal Body Tempering practitioners, who must rely on numbers and sacrifice.
• Violence and survival: The city’s collapse, mass killings, and destruction of the Zhang Family demonstrate the danger posed by the invading demons.
• Human attachment amid chaos: Though Gao Fei is powerful and pragmatic, his concern for his relatives motivates his return home.
• Social control of power: The Great Wu Kingdom restricts Spirit-Absorption Realm cultivation manuals because uncontrolled supernatural cultivators would threaten political stability.

Character Interactions

• Gao Fei and Zhang Xinyu: Zhang Xinyu offers to pay Gao Fei for rescuing her family, but he ignores the offer while pursuing the Rat Demon.
• Gao Fei and his family: His return reveals an uneasy household atmosphere, with relatives gathered and missing martial hall members still unaccounted for.
• Gao Fei and the martial hall master’s wife: Their interaction is polite but strained by his second aunt’s jealousy.
• Gao Fei and Gao Linyue: Though they do not engage in a major conversation, Gao Fei’s awareness of Gao Linyue’s inability to intervene highlights the political and supernatural danger surrounding them.
• The townspeople: Their anxious discussions piece together the Rat Demons’ method of entering the city and confirm the widespread collapse of official authority.

Chapter Summary: “Murder on the Spot”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The people of the county gather outside the yamen after surviving the Rat Demon attack. Registrar Lin, an elderly official and apparent leader of the Lin Family, addresses them from the gate.
• Lin claims that humans and demons can coexist and argues that the county should offer sacrifices to the demons in exchange for protection from plagues, droughts, and other disasters. He presents submission as a practical way to preserve peace.
• Gao Fei challenges Lin’s vague definition of “sincere” sacrifice, pointing out that such demands could gradually escalate from chickens to children and adults. Lin cleverly insists that even a single chicken can represent sincerity if it is valuable to the person offering it.
• Realizing that Lin’s speech is designed to normalize cooperation with demons, Gao Fei approaches him and secretly uses a lethal martial technique. With a seemingly light touch near Lin’s heart, he causes the registrar’s body to dissolve into blood and remains.
• Gao Fei receives Merit Points, confirming that Lin was indeed an enemy or traitor deserving of death.
• He immediately twists Lin’s death into a public demonstration, loudly declaring that the registrar has offered his own flesh as the greatest possible sacrifice. This shocks the crowd and persuades most civilians to flee.
• Lin Family guards and hidden supporters attack Gao Fei. He defeats them effortlessly with kicks empowered by Dark Force, earning additional Merit Points.
• The remaining guards hesitate, caught between loyalty to the Lin Family and fear of attacking someone acting in the name of the government. Gao Fei exploits this uncertainty, ordering them to disperse and appointing one to record Lin’s “death.”
• Gao Fei invents an official-looking explanation: Lin supposedly sacrificed his body to the Demon God for peace between humans and demons. He forces a reluctant guard to write down this false account.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei becomes increasingly decisive, ruthless, and politically clever. Rather than debate Lin’s propaganda, he eliminates him publicly and immediately, then manipulates the aftermath to undermine demon worship and maintain plausible deniability.
• Gao Fei also shows strong awareness of public psychology. By presenting Lin’s death as the ultimate sacrifice, he turns the registrar’s own rhetoric against him and prevents the crowd from accepting the proposed offerings.
• Registrar Lin is revealed as a manipulative collaborator who disguises surrender to demons as enlightened governance and mutual coexistence. His confidence collapses when Gao Fei unexpectedly attacks him.
• The Lin Family guards are shown to be loyal mainly to survival and authority rather than ideology. Once Lin dies, their unity disappears, and they submit to Gao Fei’s governmental status.
• The civilians are portrayed as cautious rather than foolish. They initially listen because Lin’s proposal seems limited and practical, but they quickly abandon it when Gao Fei exposes its likely consequences.

Significant Themes

• Propaganda and moral manipulation: Lin uses lofty language about peace and coexistence to disguise collaboration and human sacrifice.
• The danger of gradual compromise: The chapter highlights how apparently harmless offerings can normalize increasingly severe demands.
• Authority versus legitimacy: Gao Fei uses the prestige of the government to control the situation, even while fabricating evidence and acting outside normal legal procedure.
• Pragmatism and survival: Both the civilians and the guards prioritize staying alive once the balance of power changes.
• Turning rhetoric against the speaker: Gao Fei defeats Lin not only physically but also by reinterpreting Lin’s sacrificial logic in a way that exposes its absurdity.
• Truth as a political tool: The official account of Lin’s death is deliberately false, showing how records and public narratives can be shaped by whoever controls the scene.

Character Interactions

• Gao Fei and Registrar Lin: Their exchange begins as a public debate over the meaning of sacrifice, but Gao Fei ends it with a concealed killing. Their interaction contrasts Lin’s verbal manipulation with Gao Fei’s direct action.
• Gao Fei and the townspeople: Gao Fei challenges their willingness to accept Lin’s proposal, then frightens them into recognizing the danger by declaring that Lin’s own body should be the sacrifice.
• Gao Fei and the Lin guards: The guards attempt to avenge Lin but are defeated immediately. Gao Fei then intimidates and commands the survivors by invoking governmental authority.
• Gao Fei and the recorder: Gao Fei forces a reluctant guard to document an implausible explanation, demonstrating his control over both events and their official interpretation.

Chapter Summary: “Grain Shortage”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the county registrar’s death and the disappearance of the county magistrate, Gao Fei becomes Yueyang County’s highest surviving official by law.
• A white-uniformed runner reports that the official granaries have only three days of food remaining. Although the Lin and Zhang families may possess private grain stores, importing supplies from nearby counties would take seven days, while Qing Province is more than two months away.
• Gao Fei orders all available white-uniformed runners to assemble, preparing to manage the crisis and secure grain for the city.
• Gao Linyue advises him to “borrow” grain politely rather than seize it, especially from the Zhang family, whose remaining members owe Gao Fei their lives.
• While waiting for the runners, Gao Fei discusses the stages of the Spirit-Absorption Realm with Gao Linyue:
  • Early stage: the twelve primary meridians are opened.
  • Mid stage: the extraordinary meridians begin storing spiritual power.
  • Late stage: the Ren and Du meridians form a Lesser Celestial Circuit.
  • Perfected stage: all eight extraordinary meridians form a Greater Celestial Circuit.
• Lu Xiaoliu arrives and reports selling the Dog Demon’s corpse for 1,580 taels. Gao Fei gives him 80 taels to arrange a proper burial for his deceased father.
• Gao Fei gives Second Aunt 500 taels to support the household, then agrees to let Gao Linyue use the remaining money to pay the tuition of poor but talented martial students.
• Gao Fei reflects that wealth is temporary and personal strength matters more, helping his family believe he has matured.
• He leaves to begin addressing the grain shortage.

Character Developments

• Gao Fei is forced to accept responsibility as the county’s acting leader, despite wanting only to rest. His practical judgment appears when he rejects unrealistic grain-import plans and mobilizes the remaining officials.
• He demonstrates increasing generosity by supporting Lu Xiaoliu’s funeral, assisting his own family, and funding martial education for disadvantaged children.
• Gao Fei also worries that his repeated use of Merit Points and exposure to otherworldly experiences are making him emotionally detached. He consciously tries to preserve his humanity and relationships.
• Gao Linyue is revealed to be compassionate and self-sacrificing. He secretly spends his earnings helping talented poor children attend martial academies, while his wife attempts to keep his finances under control.
• Second Aunt shows practical concern for the household and affection for her husband, scolding him while also protecting the family’s resources.
• Lu Xiaoliu begins taking on greater responsibility after his father’s death and remains useful to Gao Fei in managing the demon corpse and recovering money.
• Gao Fei’s family now sees him as more mature and responsible, while he feels increasingly able to interact with them naturally.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility amid collapse: With the county’s officials dead or missing, authority falls to whoever remains capable, forcing Gao Fei into leadership.
• Humanity versus detachment: Gao Fei fears that power, reincarnation-like experiences, and martial cultivation may turn him into someone indifferent to ordinary human concerns.
• Wealth versus strength: The chapter emphasizes that money is temporary and less valuable than the ability to protect oneself and others.
• Compassion and hidden sacrifice: Gao Linyue’s charitable actions and Gao Fei’s decision to support them show that kindness often exists quietly beneath ordinary family tensions.
• Social order in crisis: The legal succession of officials and the desperate search for grain show how fragile institutions become when demons destroy local leadership.

Character Interactions

• Gao Fei questions the frightened white-uniformed runner and reluctantly accepts his new authority.
• He turns to Gao Linyue for help, but Gao Linyue refuses to act as an official, leaving Gao Fei to assume responsibility.
• Gao Linyue advises Gao Fei to negotiate for grain rather than rob the wealthy families.
• Gao Fei and Gao Linyue discuss cultivation theory, strengthening their familial and intellectual connection.
• Gao Fei rewards Lu Xiaoliu for his work and encourages him to care for his father’s burial.
• Gao Fei and Second Aunt exchange money-related concerns, while she exposes Gao Linyue’s secret generosity.
• Gao Fei’s decision to fund the students earns the approval of Gao Linyue and his wife, helping repair his relationship with them.