Chapter Summaries

Selling Fried Chicken in Douluo: Hextech Grants Seven Picks, Choose Four
46 summaries

Ch. 41Heaven Dou's First Branch

Chapter Summary: Heaven Dou’s First Branch

Key Plot Points and Events

  • After Su Mu’s encounter with the healing-type Titled Douluo, the military camp enters high alert. Soldiers harvest edible meat from the Soul Beast corpses, treating the unexpected bounty as valuable.
  • Princess Vina arranges for Su Mu to return to Heaven Dou City and gives him ownership of a prime storefront in the city’s central commercial district. She leaves soon after bringing him there.
  • Su Mu inspects the luxurious but empty shop and realizes that renovation will require professional help. He decides to ask the Modification Factory in the Outer City.
  • At the factory, Old James enthusiastically agrees to renovate the shop, promising to use high-quality materials and make it superior to the nearby KFC.
  • Old James introduces several workers: Monkey, also known as Water Monkey, a skilled shipbuilder; Chang Wei, a carpenter; Lai Fu, a blacksmith; and himself, a Rank Three Soul Engineer specializing in Soul Tools and machinery.
  • The workers transport their equipment and construction materials to Heaven Dou City in a battered but surprisingly fast modified vehicle. The city guards allow it through despite its appearance.
  • Renovation begins. Old James is especially impressed by the storefront’s strong glass, which can resist ordinary ranged Soul Tools and weaker projectiles.
  • While the workers handle construction, Su Mu walks through the city and considers his future plans. He is close to Level 20 Soul Power, possesses over three thousand Gold Soul Coins, and debates whether to invest in Hextech upgrades or strengthen his Martial Soul with an additional Soul Ring.
  • Su Mu envisions opening the shop successfully, delegating its management to Remiel or Elysia, and expanding into branches throughout the Douluo Continent.

Character Developments

  • Su Mu becomes more business-minded and strategically ambitious. He moves beyond running small food operations and begins planning a large-scale commercial network.
  • He also shows growing awareness of the importance of delegation, infrastructure, and cultivation. Rather than personally managing everything, he considers assigning employees to operate the shop while he focuses on increasing his strength.
  • Old James is established as an enthusiastic, capable, and resourceful craftsman. Though only a Rank Three Soul Engineer, he is confident in his practical abilities and values his team.
  • Monkey, Chang Wei, and Lai Fu are presented as specialized workers whose varied skills make the Modification Factory effective.
  • Princess Vina continues to support Su Mu indirectly by providing him with a valuable commercial location, though her role in the chapter is brief.

Significant Themes

  • Expansion and entrepreneurship: Su Mu’s business evolves from a small venture into the foundation of a continent-wide chain.
  • Strength through cooperation: The chapter emphasizes that successful enterprises depend on skilled collaborators, not just a single talented leader.
  • Resourcefulness and innovation: The Modification Factory’s unusual vehicle, construction expertise, and Soul Tool knowledge demonstrate the value of creativity and practical technology.
  • Balancing wealth and power: Su Mu must decide whether to spend his resources on business improvements, Hextech, or personal cultivation.
  • Long-term planning: The new shop is not merely a business location but the first step in Su Mu’s broader strategy for establishing branches across the continent.

Character Interactions

  • Princess Vina escorts Su Mu to the shop before departing, showing her continued support.
  • Su Mu and Old James interact familiarly, with Old James immediately accepting the renovation job and boasting about the factory’s abilities.
  • Old James introduces Su Mu to the factory workers and explains their individual talents, strengthening Su Mu’s connection to the team.
  • Su Mu observes and directs the renovation while trusting Old James and his workers to manage the practical work.
  • Su Mu mentally considers assigning Remiel or Elysia to run the shop, highlighting his growing reliance on his companions and employees.
Read chapter

Ch. 42Branch Opening

Chapter Summary: “Branch Opening”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Su Mu realizes that Wallace’s Level One Access will eventually allow him to summon many employees, making multiple stores and branches necessary. He even considers founding his own faction.
  • He continues looking for additional “cheats,” especially with the future appearance of Huo Gua and his extraordinary abilities in mind.
  • While cultivating beneath Bei Bei’s pavilion, Su Mu experiments with his Text Decree Martial Soul. He discovers that a new decree—granting an additional 20% of cultivation gains—can stack with his existing cultivation-speed and efficiency buffs because it affects the final result rather than the cultivation process.
  • Su Mu concludes that this ability could significantly improve his long-term growth, especially when combined with his other Hextech effect that may trigger extra breakthroughs.
  • He plans to earn Hextech through daytime business operations while using his free time to cultivate. He considers attending Shrek Academy, Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineering Academy, or Zheng Tian Academy, with the Sun Moon academy appearing especially attractive because of its wealthy customers and strong interest in soul tools and pills.
  • Old James completes the Heaven Dou City branch’s renovation in two days. After allowing the paint fumes to dissipate, Su Mu officially opens the store with firecrackers in the commercial center.
  • Princess Vina visits the newly opened branch and admires both the shop and Su Mu’s apparent network of business contacts.
  • Su Mu tests whether his summoned employees can independently operate the Wallace system. Remi and Elysia successfully manage the store, use Copper Soul Coins to purchase supplies, and generate Gold Soul Coins that are added to Su Mu’s own resources.
  • Su Mu confirms that the system supports independent branch operation and does not require him to personally guard every store.
  • Before leaving, he remembers that he still needs to pay Old James for the renovation. Princess Vina, curious about the mysterious Soul Engineer involved in the work, decides to accompany him to the Old City.

Character Developments

  • Su Mu: Becomes more ambitious and strategic. He begins planning a broader business empire, possible faction, branch network, and future education. His experimentation with the Text Decree also shows growing creativity and understanding of how to exploit seemingly weak abilities.
  • Princess Vina: Develops greater interest in Su Mu’s business and associates. She becomes more curious about his employees and the unknown Soul Engineer who renovated the store, choosing to investigate personally.
  • Remi and Elysia: Demonstrate that Wallace-recruited employees can operate independently and efficiently. Their powerful Soul Master physiques allow them to work tirelessly, making them ideal branch employees.
  • Cyrene: Remains absent from the store because her previous appearance as a Titled Douluo may have exposed her identity to Heaven Dou City’s hidden observers.
  • Old James: Successfully completes the renovation, proving his value as Su Mu’s dependable construction and engineering contact.

Significant Themes

  • Expansion and entrepreneurship: Su Mu shifts from operating a single shop to envisioning a large-scale commercial network.
  • Accumulation and long-term growth: Even a modest 20% cultivation bonus becomes powerful when sustained over time and combined with breakthrough-enhancing abilities.
  • Innovation through experimentation: Su Mu discovers that differently worded abilities can bypass stacking restrictions, emphasizing clever interpretation over raw power.
  • Power and secrecy: Cyrene’s absence highlights the danger of revealing powerful identities in a politically watched city.
  • Automation and delegation: The chapter establishes that Su Mu’s system can function through independent employees, freeing him to cultivate, study, and expand elsewhere.

Character Interactions

  • Su Mu and Princess Vina discuss the new branch, its renovations, and the people responsible for it. Vina teasingly comments on Su Mu’s unusual but attractive employees.
  • Vina observes Remi and Elysia, sensing Remi’s strength but failing to detect Elysia’s Soul Power, which makes Elysia seem mysterious and potentially extraordinary.
  • Su Mu internally evaluates the employees’ performance and confirms that they can manage the store and generate resources without his direct supervision.
  • Vina’s curiosity about the Soul Engineer leads her to accompany Su Mu to the Old City, setting up the next stage of the story.
Read chapter

Ch. 43Thirteenth Sister Hong Xing

Chapter Summary: “Hong Xing Thirteenth Sister”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Su Mu and Princess Vina arrive near the Modification Factory and find the Gao Family blocking its entrance.
  • Gao Huazhishou claims that Saifeier will soon become his sister-in-law and says he has come on her orders to demolish the factory and replace it with a nightclub.
  • Brother Monkey attempts to defend the factory, refusing to let the Gao Family destroy it while Saifeier is absent.
  • Old James unexpectedly reveals far greater abilities than his supposed status as a Level-Two Soul Engineer suggests. He deploys sophisticated Soul Tool artillery platforms and drives the attackers back.
  • Princess Vina realizes that Old James may be concealing his true expertise, since his equipment resembles advanced Level-Four Soul Tool technology.
  • Angered that such a minor family is causing trouble in Heaven Dou City, Vina decides to investigate the city’s hidden corruption. She disguises herself and invites Su Mu to join her.
  • Vina uses an electric shock Soul Tool and a powerful spiritual attack to incapacitate several thugs. Su Mu joins the fight under the alias “Jade-Faced Little Flying Insect,” while Vina adopts the name “Hong Xing Thirteenth Sister.”
  • Old James, Brother Monkey, Chang Wei, Su Mu, and Vina quickly defeat the attackers. Chang Wei’s chains restrain the remaining thugs, including Gao Huazhishou.
  • Vina pins Gao Huazhishou to the ground and demands to know the real purpose behind the attack.

Character Developments

  • Princess Vina: Demonstrates her strong sense of justice and growing willingness to act independently. She enjoys disguising herself and punishing wrongdoing, viewing the incident as an opportunity to uncover corruption within her father’s empire.
  • Su Mu: Remains cautious and observant at first, but ultimately supports Vina’s investigation and joins the battle. His playful alias highlights his willingness to participate in her vigilante-style adventure.
  • Old James: Reveals that he is likely much more skilled than he claims. His ability to operate advanced artillery Soul Tools suggests hidden experience and expertise.
  • Brother Monkey: Shows loyalty and courage by standing alone against the Gao Family to protect the factory.
  • Gao Huazhishou: Becomes increasingly arrogant and aggressive, relying on his family’s supposed authority while attempting to seize the factory’s valuable location.

Significant Themes

  • Justice versus abuse of power: The Gao Family exploits its connections and attempts to destroy another group’s property, while Vina seeks to punish such abuses.
  • Hidden identities and concealed abilities: Vina and Su Mu disguise themselves, while Old James appears to be hiding his true Soul Engineer level.
  • Corruption beneath a prosperous kingdom: Vina suspects that Heaven Dou City’s outward order conceals widespread wrongdoing.
  • Loyalty and protection: Brother Monkey, Old James, and the factory workers defend Saifeier’s property in her absence.
  • Role reversal and adventure: A princess temporarily abandons her formal identity to act like a wandering hero, while Su Mu plays along as her masked partner.

Character Interactions

  • Su Mu restrains Vina’s initial impulse to intervene, encouraging her to observe the situation first.
  • Vina and Su Mu cooperate as masked vigilantes, though she is mildly annoyed by Su Mu’s dramatic alias.
  • Brother Monkey confronts Gao Huazhishou directly, while Old James protects him and the factory with artillery fire.
  • Vina uses her authority and combat ability to overpower the Gao Family’s men, ultimately questioning Gao Huazhishou herself.
Read chapter

Ch. 44Scrap It?

Chapter Summary: “Scrap It?”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Princess Vina interrogates and beats Gao Huazhishou after overpowering him and his men at the Modification Factory.
  • Gao reveals that his brother ordered the factory demolished and converted into a nightclub, which would be placed under Gao Huazhishou’s management.
  • Su Mu exposes himself as the “fried chicken seller” Gao believed had been killed in the earlier Soul Beast attack.
  • Gao panics, revealing that the Soul Beast siege on the wilderness camp was arranged by the Gao Family to assassinate Su Mu.
  • He explains that his brother purchased a black pouch containing a powder that attracts nearby Soul Beasts and drives them into a frenzy when the scent is activated by heat.
  • Princess Vina decides to confront the entire Gao Family. She orders Old James to summon imperial soldiers and prepares to take Gao to his family estate.
  • Gao secretly believes he is luring Vina and Su Mu into a trap, expecting the Gao Family’s experts to kill them.
  • Su Mu follows Vina because he fears that her death would make him the prime suspect and endanger his position in the Heaven Dou Empire.
  • Old James, despite believing the factory will be destroyed, chooses to follow them using his Soul Power-enhanced cart.
  • At the Gao Residence, Gao breaks free and alerts the family. The household mobilizes, offering a reward of one hundred Gold Soul Coins for the deaths of Vina and Su Mu.

Character Developments

  • Princess Vina becomes increasingly ruthless and decisive. Her anger intensifies after learning that the Gao Family endangered imperial troops and nearly killed her through the Soul Beast attack.
  • Gao Huazhishou changes from a confident gang leader into a terrified captive. Under pressure, he confesses the family’s involvement and reveals the Soul Beast-attracting weapon, though he still attempts to use the Gao Residence as a trap.
  • Su Mu is revealed to be alive and far more capable than Gao expected. He remains cautious and observant, following Vina both out of concern for her safety and to protect himself from suspicion.
  • Old James is exposed as a Level Four Soul Engineer. Though saddened by the likely destruction of his workshop and retirement life, he ultimately chooses to support Vina and Su Mu.
  • Black Tiger Hak Foo establishes himself as a fast agility-type Soul Master and volunteers to deliver Vina’s summons to the imperial soldiers.

Significant Themes

  • Retribution and justice: The Gao Family’s attempted assassination leads directly to Vina’s decision to eliminate their influence.
  • Hidden identities and underestimated strength: Su Mu’s humble identity as a fried chicken seller conceals his survival and capabilities, while Old James has also concealed his true power.
  • Abuse of power and criminal ambition: The Gao Family uses Soul Beasts as weapons and seeks to transform the Modification Factory for its own interests.
  • Loyalty and responsibility: Su Mu follows Vina to protect himself but also refuses to let her face the danger alone; Old James abandons his passive retirement to help.
  • False confidence and reversal: Gao believes he has turned the situation around by leading Vina to the estate, but his apparent trap may instead expose the Gao Family to imperial retaliation.

Character Interactions

  • Princess Vina dominates Gao through physical intimidation and interrogation, forcing him to reveal the Gao Family’s crimes.
  • Su Mu and Vina work together, with Su Mu providing caution and Vina supplying authority and force.
  • Vina reassures Old James that the Gao Family can be destroyed, while Old James responds by joining the pursuit.
  • Gao attempts to manipulate Vina and Su Mu by pretending to cooperate, but his confidence returns only once he reaches the protection of his family.
  • The chapter ends with the protagonists facing the Gao Family’s armed resistance at the estate.
Read chapter

Ch. 45Exterminate Nine Generations, Leave No One Alive

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

  • Princess Vina and Su Mu confront the Gao Family after discovering their involvement in crimes against civilians and the Heaven Dou Empire.
  • Gao Huazhishou attempts to threaten them with several powerful Soul Masters, including a Five-Ring Soul King, but the Soul King pretends to be unconscious. Vina’s reaction suggests she may have unintentionally overwhelmed or frightened the attackers.
  • Douluo Zhi Cong of the Body Sect suddenly arrives to protect Vina. She easily kills Gao Huazhishou and restrains the situation while royal guards surround the Gao Residence.
  • Investigators discover a black substance hidden in the residence. Zhi Cong identifies it as an Evil Soul Master drug capable of driving people insane and attracting Soul Beasts.
  • Vina reveals that Gao Huazhishou’s sons used the drug in a military camp, causing a Soul Beast tide that nearly killed her and others. The family had also oppressed Outer City merchants, stalked and murdered people, and arranged forced marriages.
  • After hearing the crimes, Vina orders the entire Gao Family exterminated “to the ninth generation,” leaving no survivors.
  • Vina thanks Zhi Cong and asks her to convey gratitude to the mysterious healing-type Titled Douluo who supposedly saved her in the military camp. Zhi Cong is confused because she does not know of such a member, leading her to speculate that the Body Sect may possess a hidden powerhouse.
  • Zhi Cong becomes suspicious of Su Mu after sensing his unusual spiritual presence and discovering that, despite being only six years old, he possesses seventeen levels of Soul Power. Vina quickly removes Su Mu from the scene before Zhi Cong can investigate him further.

Character Developments

  • Princess Vina: Reveals a forceful, uncompromising side. She is concerned not only with her own attempted murder but also with the Gao Family’s exploitation of ordinary citizens. Her final punishment demonstrates the severity of her justice and her willingness to use royal authority decisively.
  • Su Mu: Remains outwardly calm while secretly concealing his exceptional abilities. He is frightened by Zhi Cong’s repeated spiritual examinations, showing that even he recognizes the danger posed by a high-level spiritual Soul Master.
  • Douluo Zhi Cong: Establishes herself as a powerful and perceptive Body Sect elder, capable of effortlessly killing Gao Huazhishou and detecting hidden spiritual forces. Her curiosity about Su Mu and the supposed healing Titled Douluo suggests that she may become a threat to his secrecy.
  • Gao Family: Their image as wealthy merchants collapses as their crimes are exposed. Gao Huazhishou proves cowardly and vicious, while the patriarch responds with submission and attempts to buy forgiveness through apologies and promised compensation.

Significant Themes

  • Justice versus cruelty: Vina punishes the Gao Family for abusing power, exploiting the poor, and endangering soldiers and civilians. However, the total extermination of the family raises the theme of justice becoming extreme and absolute.
  • Protection of the powerless: Vina explicitly challenges the idea that ordinary Outer City residents’ lives matter less than those of nobles or elites.
  • Hidden power and secrecy: Su Mu’s abilities, the mysterious healing Titled Douluo, and the Body Sect’s possible secret forces all emphasize concealed identities and political intrigue.
  • Class exploitation: The Gao Family’s wealth enables them to dominate merchants, force marriages, and treat common people as disposable.
  • Perception and misunderstanding: Vina believes an unknown Body Sect expert saved her, while Zhi Cong mistakenly interprets the situation and begins constructing theories about a hidden Titled Douluo.

Character Interactions

  • Gao Huazhishou taunts Vina and Su Mu, but his arrogance collapses when Zhi Cong appears and kills him.
  • Zhi Cong treats Vina protectively and shows immediate interest in her Brain Martial Soul, viewing her as a potential successor or disciple.
  • Vina respectfully thanks Zhi Cong but deliberately avoids explaining Su Mu’s true identity or abilities.
  • Zhi Cong repeatedly examines Su Mu, sensing something unusual but failing to uncover the source of his hidden spiritual power.
  • Vina takes Su Mu away before Zhi Cong can question him further, preserving his secret and leaving Zhi Cong suspicious.
Read chapter

Ch. 46Grinding Blue Silver Grass Proficiency

Chapter Summary: “Grinding Blue Silver Grass Proficiency”

Key Plot Points and Events

  • After leaving the Outer City, Su Mu returns to his newly opened shop, where Remiel and Elysia successfully serve customers and keep business running smoothly.
  • He retreats to his courtyard to experiment with the Book Martial Soul, which now contains two “memory instances”: Blue Silver Grass and the veiled old woman with the Brain Martial Soul.
  • Su Mu enters the Blue Silver Grass memory space and takes on Tang Ya’s form, gaining access to her Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul and Soul Rings.
  • He tests Tang Ya’s first soul skill, Blue Silver Entanglement, experiencing the Martial Soul’s enhanced sensory feedback and precise control.
  • Curious whether he can permanently absorb a Soul Ring’s abilities, Su Mu attempts to destroy and fuse the Soul Ring into his meridians.
  • The experiment fails catastrophically. The Soul Ring’s energy overwhelms his body, rupturing his meridians and killing him in the simulated world.
  • After returning to reality, Su Mu realizes the attempt was not entirely useless. The Soul Ring’s power can be partially transferred into his body, and the Ring itself gradually regenerates.
  • He repeatedly re-enters the memory space and attempts the process again, using the virtual environment to safely practice a form of Ring Explosion, a secret technique associated with Tang Hao.
  • Though he dies each time, his survival time increases from three seconds to four, demonstrating gradual improvement.
  • His repeated practice also improves his Blue Silver Grass control, speed, poison, and overall effectiveness.

Character Developments

  • Su Mu demonstrates growing confidence, curiosity, and willingness to take risks in pursuit of stronger abilities.
  • He applies analytical thinking to his failures, recognizing that the method is fundamentally viable even though his meridians cannot yet withstand the energy.
  • His ability to learn from repeated deaths reflects the effects of his innate talents, Learning Behavior and Practice Makes Perfect.
  • Su Mu’s compatibility with Blue Silver Grass begins to improve. He senses that the Martial Soul may even be developing a faint form of intelligence, or at least responding more closely to him.
  • Remiel and Elysia continue functioning effectively as shop assistants, showing that Su Mu’s business has become stable.

Significant Themes

  • Growth through repetition: Su Mu treats failure and death as opportunities to refine his technique.
  • Risk-free experimentation: The simulated memory world allows him to attempt dangerous methods that would be impossible in reality.
  • Persistence and gradual mastery: Even tiny improvements in control and survival time confirm that consistent practice produces results.
  • The relationship between human and Martial Soul: Su Mu’s increasing synchronization with Blue Silver Grass suggests that mastery depends not only on power, but also on compatibility and understanding.
  • Knowledge through experience: Rather than merely using Tang Ya’s abilities, Su Mu seeks to understand and internalize the principles behind them.

Character Interactions

  • Remiel and Elysia work together in the shop, repeatedly preparing and serving Wallace combos, reinforcing the shop’s successful operation.
  • Su Mu interacts directly with the inherited experience and abilities of Tang Ya through the Book Martial Soul, using her body, Martial Soul, and Soul Rings as tools for experimentation.
  • His interaction with Blue Silver Grass becomes increasingly intimate and responsive as he senses its feedback and apparent emotional reaction.
  • No direct confrontation with other characters occurs in the chapter; the main “interaction” is between Su Mu, Tang Ya’s inherited power, and the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul.
Read chapter
Show
Page 3 of 3