Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Learning Martial Arts”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun, a low-ranking servant of the Li Family, longs to learn martial arts while performing exhausting chores such as sweeping, chopping firewood, and carrying water.
• He is a transmigrator who recovered memories of a previous life after nearly starving during a famine. Using wilderness knowledge, he brought his younger sister, Chen Qingqing, to Cloudflow County after the rest of their family died in a flood.
• His attempt to profit from his previous-life knowledge failed when the Wild Wolf Gang robbed him and stole his techniques. To protect himself and support his sick sister, he sold himself to the Li Family for ten years.
• The Li Family announces that ten servants will be selected to learn martial arts. Old Huang examines their natural aptitude, which ranges from Low Grade D to High Grade A.
• Chen Xun is judged to have Low Grade C aptitude, barely meeting the requirement for martial arts training. He becomes the tenth selected servant.
• Steward Li Yuan bribes the Third Steward to add his son, Li Peng, to the selection. To make room, the Third Steward unfairly expels Chen Xun from the group, replacing him with Li Peng.
• Two additional openings are unexpectedly created. Chen Xun is reinstated, and his friend Sun An receives the other slot.
• The selected servants are told they have one month to cultivate their qi and blood. Those who fail will return to menial labor.
• At the training ground, Chen Xun discovers that he can see detailed information about objects. When he touches a stone lock, he learns that it is suited for practicing the Primordial Unity Stance.
• He also discovers a mysterious internal storage space, realizing that this may be his long-awaited “cheat” or special advantage.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Despite poverty, exploitation, debt, and repeated setbacks, he remains determined to improve his fate. His resentment toward the Wild Wolf Gang and the Li Family’s corruption deepens, but his discovery of the stone lock’s information gives him new hope.
• Chen Qingqing: Though she appears only in Chen Xun’s thoughts, her illness and medical expenses explain much of his financial hardship and motivate his sacrifices.
• Sun An: Chen Xun’s familiar servant friend, who is also selected for martial arts training after the additional openings appear.
• Liu Feng: Revealed to possess rare Low Grade B aptitude. His talent immediately earns him the Third Steward’s favor and the attention of the other servants.
• Li Peng: Steward Li Yuan’s son, whose privileged position allows him to take Chen Xun’s place. His smugness and deliberate shove reveal his entitlement and cruelty.
• The Third Steward: Demonstrates his authority, harshness, and susceptibility to bribery. He treats servants as disposable but becomes warm and accommodating toward talented or well-connected individuals.
• Old Huang: A detached examiner who evaluates aptitude mechanically and without sympathy.

Significant Themes

• Social inequality and corruption: Martial training opportunities are controlled by the powerful, and bribery allows Li Peng to displace Chen Xun despite Chen Xun’s qualification.
• The struggle for upward mobility: Martial arts represent Chen Xun’s only realistic path out of servitude, poverty, and vulnerability.
• Persistence amid injustice: Chen Xun suffers repeated losses but continues pursuing opportunities rather than surrendering.
• Talent versus privilege: Natural aptitude matters, but family connections and wealth can override merit.
• The value of knowledge and hidden potential: Chen Xun’s previous-life memories initially fail to bring him success, but his new ability to identify an object’s properties may give him a more reliable advantage.
• Hope after despair: His reinstatement and discovery of the mysterious system transform the chapter from one of humiliation into one of renewed possibility.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun assists fellow servant Qingshan with a heavy stone, showing his cooperative nature.
• Servants gather anxiously before the Third Steward and Old Huang, revealing their fear of authority and desperation for advancement.
• The Third Steward publicly punishes an applicant who questions his failed evaluation, intimidating the rest.
• Liu Feng’s high aptitude causes the Third Steward to treat him with unusual kindness, while the other servants react with envy.
• Steward Li Yuan discreetly bribes the Third Steward so Li Peng can receive a training slot.
• Li Peng replaces Chen Xun and smugly orders him to move, while the surrounding servants watch with pity and schadenfreude.
• Another servant comforts Chen Xun after his expulsion, but Chen Xun can only offer a bitter acknowledgment.
• Chen Xun and Sun An ultimately join the training group together, sharing the relief and excitement of gaining a second chance.
• The chapter ends with Chen Xun alone at the training ground, discovering the stone lock’s hidden information and the storage space within himself.

Chapter Summary: Primordial Stance Technique

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun examines his newly awakened status panel. He has a Lower C Grade Constitution, Middle-Tier C Grade Comprehension, and no cultivation or martial arts.
• He learns that Universal Points can strengthen his Constitution and Comprehension, advance martial arts, and unlock additional equipment slots. He can obtain them by cultivating a martial art to the Perfection realm.
• Chen discovers that the stone lock in the Small Martial Arena is a special piece of equipment. Placing it into one of his three equipment slots grants him proficiency in the Primordial Stance Technique and improves his cultivation of it.
• Instructor Jia begins training Chen Xun and ten other recruits in the Primordial Stance Technique, a nine-movement beginner stake stance designed to help practitioners condense Blood Qi.
• Liu Feng, who possesses a Lower Yi Grade Constitution, performs the best publicly, mastering several movements in a single day. Chen Xun deliberately conceals his true progress and appears to have learned only four movements.
• One recruit laughs at Instructor Jia and is punished by being forced to hold two twenty-pound stone locks beneath the sun for the entire day.
• At the Martial Artist dining hall, the recruits receive a rich meat-based meal. Chen Xun and several others eagerly devour it after years of poverty and inadequate food.
• Li Peng mocks the recruits for eating like peasants and reveals his hostility toward Chen Xun, blaming him for preventing Li Peng’s father from benefiting from a corrupt transaction.
• During the midday break, Chen Xun secretly returns to the Small Martial Arena and equips the special stone lock. He immediately gains a deep understanding of the Primordial Stance Technique and can perform its movements with great fluidity.
• That evening, Instructor Jia gives everyone Blood-Strengthening Soup and orders them to practice while its medicinal effects remain active. Chen Xun absorbs the medicine unusually efficiently, experiences clear bodily strengthening, and secretly completes all nine movements.
• Li Peng attempts to embarrass Chen Xun by challenging him to seek Liu Feng’s guidance. Chen Xun calmly refuses without openly confronting either of them.
• Li Peng, Liu Feng, and several others leave together for dinner, while the recruits gradually distance themselves from Chen Xun to avoid angering Li Peng. Sun An remains loyal and friendly.
• Chen Xun decides to leave the estate through the servants’ back gate to visit his younger sister, an opportunity he normally receives only once every ten days.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Becomes increasingly aware of the power and potential of his system. He demonstrates caution, patience, and strategic concealment, hiding his true mastery so that others will not view him as a threat. His equipment dramatically improves his understanding of the Primordial Stance Technique, and his body begins to strengthen through training and medicinal nourishment.
• Sun An: Continues to act as Chen Xun’s sincere and dependable friend. Unlike the others, he does not distance himself from Chen Xun despite Li Peng’s hostility.
• Instructor Jia: Establishes himself as a strict, intimidating, but competent instructor. His harsh punishment enforces discipline, while his detailed corrections show that he is genuinely invested in teaching the recruits properly.
• Liu Feng: Emerges as the most talented public performer because of his superior Constitution. He gains popularity among the recruits and is treated as a leader, though he appears less hostile than Li Peng and tries to prevent conflict.
• Li Peng: Develops into Chen Xun’s primary antagonist. Humiliated by his father’s failed attempt to gain an advantage, he redirects his resentment toward Chen Xun and uses social influence to isolate him.
• The other recruits: Initially form a general group, but many become wary of Chen Xun after Li Peng targets him. Their willingness to follow social pressure contrasts with Sun An’s loyalty.

3. Significant Themes

• Hidden potential and strategic restraint: Chen Xun’s greatest advantage is not merely his system, but his ability to conceal his true strength and avoid premature attention.
• Class inequality and privilege: The recruits’ poverty, hunger, communal living conditions, and exclusion from the Martial Artists’ social circle contrast with Li Peng’s privileged upbringing and access to better food.
• Discipline and hierarchy: Instructor Jia’s punishment and training methods establish the rigid authority structure of the estate and the harsh standards required to become a Martial Artist.
• Talent versus opportunity: Liu Feng possesses natural physical talent, while Chen Xun’s advantage comes from his system, equipment, improved comprehension, and determination. The chapter suggests that both innate ability and external resources shape advancement.
• Food, medicine, and bodily transformation: Meat and Blood-Strengthening Soup symbolize access to resources that allow the recruits to develop physically. Chen Xun’s unusually efficient absorption hints at his exceptional future potential.
• Loyalty amid social pressure: Sun An remains close to Chen Xun even as others withdraw, emphasizing the value of genuine friendship in a competitive and status-conscious environment.

4. Important Character Interactions

• Chen Xun and Sun An: Sun An notices Chen Xun’s unusual behavior, checks on him, shares living quarters with him, and remains supportive despite Chen Xun’s growing isolation.
• Chen Xun and Instructor Jia: Jia publicly evaluates Chen Xun as an ordinary trainee, while Chen Xun secretly surpasses the level he displays. Their relationship is currently that of instructor and student, but Chen Xun is intentionally keeping his true progress hidden.
• Chen Xun and Li Peng: Li Peng openly provokes and insults Chen Xun because of his resentment over the failed bribery arrangement. Chen Xun refuses to rise to the bait, choosing patience over confrontation.
• Li Peng and Liu Feng: Li Peng attaches himself to Liu Feng, using Liu’s popularity and talent to strengthen his own social position. Liu Feng appears uncomfortable with Li Peng’s hostility and attempts to defuse the situation.
• Chen Xun and the other recruits: Their shared training initially creates a sense of community, but Li Peng’s targeting causes most of them to distance themselves from Chen Xun.
• Instructor Jia and the recruits: Jia teaches them the Primordial Stance Technique, corrects their physical errors, punishes disrespect, and provides medicinal support to accelerate their cultivation.

Chapter Summary: “Gale Gang”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After leaving the Li Estate, Chen Xun returns to his home in Bamboo-Wood Ward with a roasted chicken for his younger sister, Chen Qingqing.
• He tells Qingqing that he has begun learning martial arts, omitting the more troubling details and emphasizing the hope that he will one day be strong enough to protect them.
• After dinner, Chen Xun practices the Primordial Stance Technique in their cramped living room. His progress rises from 5/100 to 15/100, though he pushes himself until he develops a cramp.
• The next morning, Chen Xun meets his neighbor, Sister Ye, who helps care for Qingqing when he is away. She informs him that the Gale Gang is collecting cash gifts for the birthday of its leader’s third son.
• Chen learns that the gang repeatedly pressures local residents for money, having already demanded payment for another son’s birthday the previous month.
• On his way to work, several Gale Gang members threaten him directly and remind him to pay. One even pats his cheek mockingly, provoking Chen Xun’s silent anger.
• Chen leaves for the Li Family, privately marking the Gale Gang as a future problem.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Shows strong devotion to Qingqing, spending his limited money on her health and food despite his own poverty. His martial training is progressing rapidly, and his increased appetite reflects the physical demands of cultivation. He remains outwardly cautious and submissive toward the gang but develops a growing determination to become powerful enough to resist them.
• Chen Qingqing: Recovers from her illness and remains affectionate, thoughtful, and concerned about her brother’s finances. She is excited by Chen Xun’s martial ambitions and believes his future strength will protect their family.
• Sister Ye: Establishes herself as a reliable and compassionate neighbor who supports the siblings despite receiving little compensation. Her assistance provides Chen Xun with some security while he works.
• Gale Gang members: Are portrayed as arrogant local enforcers who exploit ordinary residents through repeated “gifts” and intimidation.

Significant Themes

• Family responsibility and sacrifice: Chen Xun prioritizes Qingqing’s health and happiness, even while struggling financially himself.
• Hope through martial arts: Martial cultivation represents Chen Xun’s path toward changing his social position and protecting his family.
• Class oppression and helplessness: The Gale Gang’s extortion shows how vulnerable ordinary people are to organized violence and corruption.
• Hidden resentment and future conflict: Chen Xun conceals his anger beneath a submissive exterior, suggesting that the gang may eventually become an antagonist he confronts.
• Poverty and community support: The small apartment, limited food, and reliance on Sister Ye emphasize the siblings’ difficult circumstances, while also showing the importance of mutual aid.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun and Qingqing share a warm sibling relationship centered on care, encouragement, and shared hardship.
• Chen Xun and Sister Ye interact with mutual trust: she cares for Qingqing, while he sincerely appreciates and compensates her as best he can.
• Chen Xun’s encounter with the Gale Gang contrasts sharply with his family interactions. The gang treats him with contempt and intimidation, but he suppresses his anger, choosing to remember the insult and leave rather than provoke an immediate confrontation.

Chapter Summary: Breakthrough to Mastery

Key Plot Points and Events

• Twelve trainees practice the Primordial Stance Technique under the blazing sun. Even the previously lagging Zhang Shitou has learned all nine movements.
• Instructor Jia stops attending, explaining that his responsibility is only to teach the technique; becoming a Martial Artist depends on each person’s talent and effort.
• Chen Xun checks his progress and discovers he is at Beginner 95/100, only five experience points away from Mastery. His physical strength has also increased from lifting a fifty-pound stone lock to a sixty-pound one.
• Chen Xun remains puzzled because he has not yet sensed Blood Qi, wondering whether he must first reach a higher level of mastery.
• Li Peng and Liu Feng grow close. Li Peng flatters Liu Feng, whose Lower Yi Grade aptitude makes him one of the fastest learners. Liu Feng predicts that he will reach Mastery within three days.
• When Li Peng asks Chen Xun about his progress, Chen Xun replies curtly that a breakthrough is near, irritating Li Peng.
• During continued training, Chen Xun suddenly achieves Unified Force, realizing that his Primordial Stance Technique has entered the Mastery realm.
• Mastery allows him to unify his bodily strength and establishes the foundation for condensing Blood Qi. However, his progress now slows dramatically, and he lacks money for cultivation resources.
• At lunch, Li Peng mocks Chen Xun for eating excessively. Sun An defends Chen Xun, and Chen Xun responds by publicly criticizing Li Peng for relying on his father’s bribery to obtain his position.
• Humiliated and enraged, Li Peng vows revenge. Ye Feng offers to help him, though Li Peng privately views Ye Feng with concealed contempt.
• Chen Xun and Sun An laugh about the exchange afterward, but Chen Xun understands that the conflict has only begun. He later separates from Sun An under the pretense of going to the latrine in order to retrieve a long-desired green item.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Makes a major martial breakthrough, reaching Mastery and gaining Unified Force. He becomes more confident in his strength and more assertive in defending himself and Sun An, while remaining cautious about the consequences of provoking Li Peng.
• Sun An: Demonstrates loyalty and courage by defending Chen Xun publicly, strengthening their friendship.
• Li Peng: Becomes increasingly arrogant and antagonistic. His insecurity about his father’s bribery is exposed, causing him to react with anger and seek retaliation.
• Liu Feng: Reveals strong talent and confidence, enjoying the attention and praise of the others.
• Ye Feng: Aligns himself with Li Peng, believing their relationship to be brotherly, though Li Peng does not share the same sincerity.
• Zhang Shitou: Shows steady improvement by catching up enough to learn all nine movements despite starting a day behind.

Significant Themes

• Talent versus effort: Liu Feng’s superior aptitude contrasts with Chen Xun’s reliance on persistence, discipline, and systematic progress.
• The cost of advancement: Becoming a Martial Artist requires not only talent but also resources, endurance, and sometimes social connections or bribery.
• Self-reliance and perseverance: Chen Xun continues progressing despite poverty, debt, and uncertainty about Blood Qi.
• Friendship and loyalty: Sun An’s defense of Chen Xun shows genuine friendship, while Ye Feng’s alliance with Li Peng highlights the difference between sincere and opportunistic relationships.
• Pride and social status: Li Peng’s resentment stems from his dependence on his father’s influence and his fear of being exposed as undeserving.
• Controlled confrontation: Chen Xun chooses to defend himself forcefully but leaves before the argument can escalate, showing both courage and practical judgment.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun and Sun An: Their friendship deepens through shared training and mutual defense. Sun An supports Chen Xun, while Chen Xun prevents him from becoming involved in a physical confrontation.
• Chen Xun and Li Peng: Their rivalry becomes openly hostile after Chen Xun exposes Li Peng’s reliance on bribery.
• Li Peng and Liu Feng: Li Peng flatters and courts Liu Feng because of his talent, while Liu Feng enjoys the praise.
• Li Peng and Ye Feng: Ye Feng pledges support after the insult, but Li Peng’s private thoughts reveal that he does not truly regard Ye Feng as an equal brother.
• Chen Xun and the wider group: Chen Xun’s breakthrough places him among the strongest trainees, though he keeps his progress relatively understated.

Chapter Summary: Mountain-Splitting Saber Technique and Charging Bull Step

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun returns to the Grand Martial Arena, where he previously noticed a green-glowing item but could not enter because he was not a Martial Artist.
• He tricks the guard, Zhou Tong, by giving him a meat-filled steamed bun laced with laxative. After Zhou Tong rushes to the latrine, Chen Xun sneaks into the arena.
• He discovers and equips two green-quality items:
  • Ironwood Saber, which grants the Mountain-Splitting Saber Technique at Minor Accomplishment and improves his understanding of the Primordial Stance Technique.
  • Iron Shoes, which grant the Charging Bull Step at Minor Accomplishment and the Light Body attribute, making him lighter and faster.
• Chen Xun also finds several inferior white-quality items but ignores them.
• After Chen Xun leaves, the Martial Artists notice that their training saber and iron shoes are missing. However, the Li Estate treats the loss as insignificant and replaces them the following day.
• At the Small Martial Arena, Li Peng confronts Chen Xun over an earlier insult and attacks him with Liu Feng and several others.
• Chen Xun easily defeats Li Peng and Liu Feng, then intimidates the remaining group into backing down.
• He continues practicing the Primordial Stance Technique and makes more than 10% progress in a single afternoon.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun becomes significantly stronger after acquiring the two green items. His combat knowledge, footwork, speed, and force application improve dramatically.
• He demonstrates increasing confidence, calmly challenging multiple opponents at once and recognizing that they cannot threaten him.
• Chen Xun also shows cunning and willingness to use underhanded methods, drugging Zhou Tong to gain access to the arena.
• Zhou Tong remains unaware that Chen Xun deliberately caused his stomach trouble and continues to appreciate the meat he received.
• Li Peng and Liu Feng are defeated quickly, humiliating them and deepening their resentment toward Chen Xun.
• Sun An becomes more impressed by Chen Xun after witnessing his effortless victory.

Significant Themes

• Power gained through equipment and opportunity: The green items dramatically accelerate Chen Xun’s martial development.
• Resourcefulness and deception: Chen Xun uses observation, bribery, and trickery to bypass restrictions imposed by the Li Estate.
• Hidden strength and rising confidence: Chen Xun’s abilities are still concealed from most people, but his growing power allows him to confront bullies without fear.
• Progress toward martial advancement: His rapid improvement in the Primordial Stance Technique brings him closer to condensing Blood Qi and reaching the next stage of cultivation.
• Class and access restrictions: As a lowly servant, Chen Xun is barred from important areas, forcing him to exploit loopholes to obtain opportunities normally reserved for Martial Artists.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun manipulates Zhou Tong with a friendly conversation and a meat-filled bun, using their previous shift arrangement as a cover for his actions.
• He briefly interacts with the Martial Artists indirectly when he steals their training equipment, though they do not suspect him.
• Li Peng confronts Chen Xun aggressively, while Liu Feng joins the attack after Li Peng is defeated.
• Chen Xun counters both effortlessly and challenges the rest of the group, causing them to hesitate.
• Sun An praises Chen Xun afterward, reinforcing Chen Xun’s growing reputation among his peers.

Chapter Summary: “Short of Money”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Peng, still resentful after losing to Chen Xun, intensifies his training and spends heavily on extra bowls of Blood-Strengthening Soup in hopes of becoming a Martial Artist first.
• Most of the other trainees also purchase additional soup, while Chen Xun cannot afford any because he has no money.
• By the tenth day, several trainees reach proficiency in the Stake Stance and begin sparring to stimulate their Blood Qi. Chen Xun declines Sun An’s invitation, knowing the gap between them is too large.
• Chen Xun secretly progresses rapidly. His Primordial Stance Technique nears Minor Accomplishment, and he becomes the first among the group to sense Blood Qi, though the others mistakenly assume he is falling behind.
• After training, Chen Xun eats at the poorer servants’ dining hall, then leaves the Li Estate during his permitted visit home to see his younger sister.
• He learns that Li Estate Martial Artists are hunting a powerful mutant tiger responsible for killing and injuring members of a previous hunting party. The hunt is being led by the formidable Fourth Master of the Li Family.
• In Bamboo-Wood Ward, Chen Xun witnesses the Gale Gang brutally beating a middle-aged man for failing to pay extortionate protection and “gift” money.
• Chen Xun recognizes the gang leader as the man who previously threatened him. Seeing the man’s terrified family—and noticing his sister Chen Qingqing among the onlookers—causes Chen Xun’s restrained anger to turn into murderous intent.
• Rather than immediately approach his sister, Chen Xun follows the gang members back to their headquarters.
• That night, after the gang members become drunk while celebrating, a mysterious black-clad figure vaults over the wall and enters the courtyard, strongly implying that Chen Xun has begun his retaliation.

Character Development

• Chen Xun: Remains outwardly quiet and humble but makes the greatest hidden progress among the trainees. His poverty forces him to train without Blood-Strengthening Soup, yet his discipline and natural efficiency allow him to sense Blood Qi first. Witnessing the Gale Gang’s cruelty awakens a more dangerous, vengeful side of him.
• Li Peng: Channels his humiliation into obsessive training and financial sacrifice. Although he no longer confronts Chen Xun directly, he continues to belittle him behind his back.
• Sun An and the other trainees: Become increasingly competitive and eager to display their progress. Their assumptions about Chen Xun reveal how easily they judge advancement by visible results.
• Chen Qingqing: Is shown to be frightened by the gang’s violence but remains hopeful that Chen Xun will return to visit her.
• The Gale Gang leader: Reveals himself to be cruel but cautious. He allows the beating to stop not out of mercy, but because killing the victim could bring legal and financial consequences.

Significant Themes

• Hidden strength versus outward appearance: Chen Xun appears to be the slowest trainee, but he is actually ahead of everyone else.
• Poverty and inequality: Chen Xun’s lack of money prevents him from buying resources and even limits his ability to enjoy food, while others can accelerate their cultivation through spending.
• Power and exploitation: The Gale Gang uses violence and extortion to prey on vulnerable families, showing the harsh social order outside the Li Estate.
• Restraint and revenge: Chen Xun does not act impulsively when he sees the gang’s brutality. Instead, he follows them and waits for a more advantageous opportunity.
• Family protection: Chen Xun’s concern for Chen Qingqing and the suffering of the beaten family motivates his decision to confront the gang.

Character Interactions

• Li Peng watches Chen Xun from afar and privately mocks his supposed lack of talent.
• Sun An invites Chen Xun to spar, but Chen Xun politely refuses because of their overwhelming difference in strength.
• The trainees spar among themselves after reaching proficiency, hoping combat will help condense Blood Qi.
• The Gale Gang violently intimidates the middle-aged man and his family over unpaid or insufficient protection money.
• Chen Xun observes the gang rather than confronting them publicly, then secretly follows them to their headquarters.
• Chen Qingqing briefly sees what may be Chen Xun passing by, while he avoids revealing himself.
• The chapter ends with an unidentified black shadow entering the gang’s drunken gathering, setting up Chen Xun’s likely attack.

Chapter Summary: “Making Money”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun secretly enters a courtyard where the Gale Gang members are drunk and incapacitated.
• He kills the gang members one by one, including their burly leader, who briefly awakens but is caught off guard while relieving himself.
• Afterward, Chen Xun searches the bodies and house for valuables. He finds:
  • A small amount of copper coins
  • Thirty-six taels of silver collected as protection money
  • Additional broken silver hidden beneath a floor tile
  • A bottle of unidentified red powder that he suspects is a concentrated ingredient in Blood-Strengthening Soup
• He stores the valuables and powder in his Inventory before leaving without evidence.
• Returning home, Chen Xun reassures his sister, Chen Qingqing, and gives her one hundred copper coins, claiming they are reward money from the estate.
• The next morning, he repays Sister Ye and gives her extra money to buy meat for Qingqing.
• Chen Xun resumes rigorous training at Li Estate, steadily improving his Blood Qi and Stake Stance technique.
• Li Peng mocks his effort, believing Chen Xun lacks the resources needed to practice successfully.
• News spreads that the Gale Gang members were murdered. Authorities classify the deaths as a martial-world vendetta and suspect the killer was a First Blood-Qi Transformation Martial Artist.
• Chen Xun calmly listens to the discussion while concealing the fact that he is the murderer.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Becomes more decisive and ruthless, committing multiple murders without hesitation. At the same time, he shows practical intelligence by disguising his actions, gathering resources, and investigating the red powder. His main motivation remains strengthening himself and improving life for Qingqing.
• Chen Qingqing: Continues to be affectionate and supportive, showing concern for her brother and providing emotional warmth in their difficult life.
• Sister Ye: Acts as a trusted neighbor who helps care for Qingqing; Chen Xun strengthens their relationship by repaying her and providing additional money.
• Li Peng: Reveals resentment and class prejudice toward Chen Xun, believing poverty will prevent him from advancing in martial arts.
• The Gale Gang: Their exploitation of Bamboo-Wood Ward is exposed through the protection money Chen Xun steals, reinforcing their role as predatory criminals.

Significant Themes

• Survival and resourcefulness: Chen Xun treats wealth as essential to martial advancement and uses every opportunity to secure money and supplies.
• Moral justification: He frames robbing the Gale Gang as “robbing the rich to aid the poor,” though the “poor” person he primarily helps is himself. This highlights his flexible morality.
• Concealed identity and double life: Chen Xun appears to be an ordinary, hardworking martial trainee while secretly acting as a killer and thief.
• Poverty and social inequality: The chapter contrasts Chen Xun’s financial struggles with the Gale Gang’s extortion and Li Peng’s contempt for the poor.
• Effort versus resources: Chen Xun’s intense training challenges the belief that hard work alone is insufficient, while Li Peng assumes a lack of money will eventually destroy him.
• Family responsibility: Despite his increasingly violent path, Chen Xun prioritizes Qingqing’s safety, comfort, and future.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun interacts warmly with Qingqing at home, concealing his criminal activities while ensuring she has food and money.
• He respectfully compensates Sister Ye for caring for Qingqing, showing gratitude and responsibility.
• His silent rivalry with Li Peng grows as Chen Xun trains harder and Li Peng privately waits for him to fail.
• Chen Xun listens unnoticed as other Martial Artists discuss the murders, creating dramatic irony: they speculate about the killer while he sits among them, fully aware of the truth.

Chapter Summary: “Breakthrough, First Blood-Qi Transformation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun deciphers the label on a porcelain bottle and realizes it contains Blood-Strength Powder, a concentrated medicinal substance made from Mutant Beast blood and herbs.
• He dilutes the powder into hot water, drinks it, and practices the Primordial Stance Technique to refine its effects. The medicine produces a much stronger and more comfortable reaction than the diluted Blood-Strengthening Soup he previously consumed.
• After returning to the Small Martial Arena, Chen Xun is reprimanded for arriving late. Sun An defends him, and several others reluctantly confirm that Chen Xun is usually diligent.
• An inner-courtyard attendant arrives to select four people to serve as sparring partners—or “punching bags”—for young masters. Li Peng, Sun An, Zhao Qing, and Bai Zhen are chosen.
• Chen Xun deliberately avoids volunteering, fearing that his impulsive temperament might cause trouble. His caution prevents him from being selected.
• Li Peng mocks those who were not chosen, provoking an argument with Ye Feng and damaging their formerly close relationship.
• Chen Xun continues practicing alone. His cultivation reaches the breakthrough point, and he successfully condenses his first thread of genuine Blood Qi, entering the First Blood-Qi Transformation.
• After attempting to circulate the Blood Qi through his body, Chen Xun becomes intensely hungry. He realizes that martial cultivation consumes enormous amounts of energy and that training requires substantial food and medicine.
• He drinks more Blood-Strengthening Soup, condenses over thirty additional threads of Blood Qi, and finally notices a slight increase in physical strength, although his cultivation progress remains at 1%.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun demonstrates resourcefulness by secretly identifying and using the Blood-Strength Powder. His cautious, strategic personality is evident when he avoids volunteering as a sparring partner.
• He achieves his first major cultivation breakthrough and officially becomes a Martial Artist, gaining a clearer understanding of the physical costs of martial training.
• Sun An continues to show loyalty and concern toward Chen Xun, defending him publicly and worrying when Chen Xun suddenly looks pale.
• Li Peng remains jealous and malicious toward Chen Xun, while his arrogance and desire to impress the young masters become more apparent.
• Ye Feng and Li Peng fall out after Li Peng’s mocking remarks, ending their previously close friendship.
• Liu Feng’s strong aptitude ironically causes him to be overlooked for the sparring role, since his talent would make the young masters look inferior.

Significant Themes

• Resourcefulness and hidden advantage: Chen Xun uses knowledge and careful observation to obtain a powerful cultivation aid without attracting attention.
• The harsh social hierarchy: Servants and lower-status martial trainees compete for even humiliating opportunities because proximity to the young masters may lead to advancement.
• Caution versus ambition: Chen Xun values survival and steady progress over chasing recognition, unlike those eager to become sparring partners.
• The cost of cultivation: Martial advancement requires not only technique but also medicinal resources, food, and physical endurance.
• The first step toward transformation: Chen Xun’s breakthrough marks his transition from ordinary trainee to genuine Martial Artist, though his progress remains fragile and limited.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun is confronted by the inner-courtyard attendant but is saved from punishment partly through Sun An’s testimony.
• The attendant questions Chen Xun’s refusal to volunteer, leading Chen Xun to give a cautious explanation that earns him a reprieve.
• Li Peng boasts about being selected and mocks others, causing a heated dispute with Ye Feng.
• Sun An supports Chen Xun both publicly during the reprimand and privately when Chen Xun suffers from sudden hunger.
• Chen Xun largely avoids the surrounding conflicts, focusing instead on cultivation and his breakthrough.

Chapter Summary: “Revealing His Cultivation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Zhen, Zhao Qing, and Li Peng return from serving Li Family young masters and boast about the rewards and benefits they received. Bai Zhen was given Blood-Strengthening Soup, Zhao Qing received guidance on his Stake Stance, and Li Peng served the patriarch’s fourteenth son.
• The group discusses Sun An, who was seriously injured while sparring with the Twelfth Young Master. Despite coughing blood, Sun An received five taels of silver, medical treatment, and the promise of becoming the young master’s personal attendant after reaching the Martial Artist realm.
• Chen Xun worries about Sun An but lacks the status and connections to investigate his condition. He returns to the communal quarters and focuses on cultivation instead.
• Over seven days, Chen Xun consumes nearly all of his Blood-Strength Powder. His cultivation reaches 8% of the First Blood-Qi Transformation, while his strength increases from lifting 100-pound stone locks to lifting 150 pounds.
• Chen Xun considers revealing that he is already a Martial Artist so he can access the estate pharmacy and purchase more cultivation resources. He has concealed his progress because an exceptionally talented servant who advanced in only seven days was assassinated after attracting too much attention.
• Liu Feng suddenly breaks through and becomes a Martial Artist, earning the admiration of the other servants. His breakthrough intensifies competition in the Small Martial Arena.
• Liu Feng’s former friend and rival, Li Peng, reacts bitterly, believing he will soon surpass Liu Feng through superior resources.
• The following day, Chen Xun deliberately imitates Liu Feng’s announcement and reveals that he too has broken through.
• Li Peng angrily confronts Chen Xun, unable to accept that someone he considers a “mud-legged nobody” advanced before him. Chen Xun intimidates him with a cold stare and challenges him to fight, but Li Peng retreats.
• Chen Xun leaves to register his Martial Artist identity, shocking the others and completely overturning their expectations.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Demonstrates rapid cultivation progress and increasing physical strength. Though cautious about exposing himself, he decides that access to resources is worth revealing his breakthrough. His confidence and dominance become clear when he effortlessly intimidates Li Peng.
• Liu Feng: Successfully becomes a Martial Artist ahead of schedule, gaining attention and status. His rivalry with Li Peng hardens, and his pride grows after being publicly recognized.
• Li Peng: Becomes increasingly jealous and resentful. His confidence collapses when Chen Xun advances before him, revealing that much of his arrogance depends on believing himself superior.
• Bai Zhen and Zhao Qing: Grow closer to Li Peng after their shared experiences serving the young masters. They flatter and encourage him, reinforcing his confidence.
• Sun An: Though absent, his misfortune and unexpected opportunity establish him as another servant whose fate has dramatically improved through contact with the Li Family’s young masters.

Significant Themes

• Hidden talent and strategic patience: Chen Xun conceals his strength to avoid becoming a target, balancing secrecy against the need for greater cultivation resources.
• Social hierarchy and opportunity: Rewards, personal-attendant positions, and access to medicine can radically change a servant’s status.
• Jealousy and rivalry: Liu Feng and Li Peng’s conflict shows how pride and competition can turn minor disagreements into lasting hostility.
• Strength as social power: Becoming a Martial Artist immediately changes how others view a servant, while Chen Xun’s breakthrough gives him the confidence to reject Li Peng’s intimidation.
• Hard work versus talent and resources: Liu Feng’s Grade B aptitude, the others’ rewards, and Chen Xun’s relentless cultivation all raise questions about what truly determines advancement.

Character Interactions

• The servants admire and envy Bai Zhen, Zhao Qing, and Li Peng for the benefits they received from the Li Family young masters.
• Chen Xun shows genuine concern for the injured Sun An, contrasting with the others’ focus on Sun An’s good fortune.
• Liu Feng and Li Peng’s rivalry remains tense, with Li Peng muttering that he will surpass Liu Feng and Liu Feng privately vowing to make Li Peng submit.
• Bai Zhen and Zhao Qing flatter Li Peng by predicting that he will be the next to break through.
• When Chen Xun reveals his breakthrough, Li Peng confronts him in anger, but Chen Xun’s confidence forces him to back down.

Chapter Summary: “Purchasing Blood-Strength Powder”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After becoming a Martial Artist, Chen Xun is moved from the servants’ communal quarters into a private four-person room in the Martial Artist Courtyard.
• He packs his belongings and leaves his former quarters without regret, reflecting on how poorly he had lived there.
• The courtyard guards treat him with newfound respect and even help arrange his belongings. Chen Xun rewards them with ten copper coins each.
• He changes into his new Martial Artist training clothes and receives an identity token, two outfits, and an increased monthly stipend of three taels of silver.
• Chen Xun learns that one bottle of Blood-Strength Powder also costs three taels, meaning his entire monthly allowance can only buy one bottle. The high cost of resources makes cultivation slow for most Martial Artists.
• Since his previous supply of Blood-Strength Powder ran out the day before, Chen Xun seeks permission to enter the Li Family’s inner courtyard and visits the pharmacy.
• At the inner-courtyard gate, stronger Martial Artists inspect his token and warn him not to enter restricted areas.
• In the pharmacy, Chen Xun encounters the Li Family’s Third Young Master and respectfully introduces himself after being reprimanded by the young master’s attendant.
• Chen Xun purchases one bottle of Blood-Strength Powder and notices that the Third Young Master’s attendant is collecting a large quantity of medicinal herbs, suggesting that the young master may be attempting alchemy.
• Returning to his room, Chen Xun immediately resumes cultivation with the newly purchased medicine. The chapter ends when a familiar person enters his room that evening.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: His new Martial Artist status significantly improves his living conditions and social position. Despite receiving greater respect, he remains cautious, humble, and practical. He is focused on obtaining cultivation resources and does not become distracted by the privileges of his new rank.
• The courtyard guards: Their deferential behavior toward Chen Xun demonstrates the social hierarchy of the Li Estate. They quickly shift from treating him as an ordinary servant to serving him as a superior.
• The Third Young Master: He is introduced as proud, cold, and accustomed to receiving respect. His possible interest in alchemy hints at future ambitions or complications.
• The Third Young Master’s attendant: He is highly protective of his master’s status and speaks harshly to Chen Xun when Chen Xun fails to greet him immediately.

Significant Themes

• Social hierarchy and status: Chen Xun’s transformation from servant to Martial Artist immediately changes how others treat him, showing the importance of rank within the Li Family.
• Resource inequality: Cultivation depends heavily on expensive medicines. Even Martial Artists may struggle to progress because their stipends barely cover essential resources.
• Practical ambition: Chen Xun remains focused on improving his strength rather than being dazzled by his new residence, clothing, or privileges.
• Caution within a powerful estate: The guarded inner courtyard, restricted areas, and hidden surveillance emphasize the danger and strict control surrounding the Li Family’s domain.
• Possible future conflict: The Third Young Master’s alchemical activities introduce a subplot that may later intersect with Chen Xun’s development.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun receives fawning assistance from the Martial Artist Courtyard guards and rewards them for their service.
• The inner-courtyard gatekeepers question and caution him before allowing him entry.
• The Third Young Master’s attendant forces Chen Xun to show respect, while the young master responds with brief, distant acknowledgment.
• Chen Xun interacts with the pharmacy attendant to purchase Blood-Strength Powder.
• The chapter closes with an unidentified familiar figure arriving while Chen Xun is cultivating, setting up the next scene.

Chapter Summary: “Allocation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun encounters Liu Feng in the cultivation area. Liu Feng is surprised that Chen Xun, despite having inferior Grade C-low aptitude, has also advanced to the Martial Artist realm. Chen Xun dismisses his provocation and leaves to eat.
• At the Martial Artist cafeteria, Chen Xun eats an enormous meal and secretly stores extra food in his inventory to prepare for hunger during nighttime cultivation.
• Upon returning to the Martial Artist courtyard, Chen Xun meets Wu Jie, an older and experienced Martial Artist. Wu Jie attempts to establish dominance by calling him “Little Chen,” but Chen Xun firmly insists on being addressed by his full name.
• Wu Jie takes offense and influences the others to isolate and gossip about Chen Xun. Chen Xun avoids the confrontation by returning to his room.
• Liu Feng visits and criticizes Chen Xun for offending Wu Jie. He defends Brother Zhao and rejects Chen Xun’s warning that the older Martial Artists may exploit newcomers.
• Chen Xun cultivates with Blood-Strength Powder, while Liu Feng becomes envious. Liu Feng later borrows a bottle from Zhao Qing and deliberately boasts about Zhao’s generosity, indirectly insulting Chen Xun.
• The following morning, Chen Xun’s cultivation reaches 9% in the First Blood-Qi Transformation. Blood-Strength Powder restores his progress to roughly 1% per day, though his Primordial Unity Stance advances much more slowly without the trait’s enhancement.
• After three days, Li Family Fifth Master Li Mingbo assigns the four newly promoted Martial Artists to official duties:
  • Chen Xun and Li Peng join the Medicine Escort Team.
  • Liu Feng and Zhao Qing join the more physically demanding Ore Escort Team.
• The assignments create mixed reactions. Li Peng resents working with Chen Xun, while Liu Feng and Zhao Qing worry that ore escorting will interfere with their cultivation.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Demonstrates confidence, independence, caution, and social awareness. He refuses to let Wu Jie or Liu Feng belittle him and prioritizes cultivation over gaining approval. His ability to use his inventory and Blood-Strength Powder shows increasing preparation and resourcefulness.
• Liu Feng: Becomes more envious and hostile toward Chen Xun. He seeks approval from established figures such as Zhao Qing and tries to boast about their relationship, revealing insecurity and a desire to distinguish himself from Chen Xun.
• Wu Jie: Establishes himself as a domineering senior Martial Artist who uses status and social pressure to control newcomers. His immediate hostility toward Chen Xun suggests he views Chen Xun’s independence as a challenge.
• Li Peng: Though outwardly respectful, he looks down on Chen Xun because of his humble background and is unhappy about being assigned to work alongside him.
• Zhao Qing: Remains neutral and amicable with everyone. He recognizes the tension among the others but avoids taking sides.
• Li Mingbo: Acts as the Li Family authority, assigning responsibilities to the newly promoted Martial Artists and emphasizing that increased pay comes with increased obligations.

Significant Themes

• Pride and social hierarchy: Chen Xun refuses to accept a lower position simply because of his background or aptitude, bringing him into conflict with status-conscious Martial Artists.
• Resourcefulness and survival: His hoarding of food and use of cultivation supplements show his practical approach to overcoming limited resources.
• Envy and competition: Liu Feng’s jealousy highlights the rivalry created by differences in cultivation speed, wealth, and perceived talent.
• Responsibility accompanying advancement: Becoming a Martial Artist brings higher pay but also mandatory service to the Li Family.
• Isolation versus neutrality: Chen Xun’s unwillingness to compromise earns him enemies, while Zhao Qing remains relatively safe by avoiding conflicts.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun and Liu Feng’s relationship deteriorates further, shifting from rivalry into open resentment.
• Chen Xun immediately clashes with Wu Jie after refusing to accept a belittling nickname.
• Liu Feng attempts to turn Zhao Qing’s support against Chen Xun, but Chen Xun refuses to engage.
• Chen Xun and Li Peng are assigned together despite mutual hostility.
• Liu Feng and Zhao Qing are placed together in the Ore Escort Team, creating shared frustration over their more difficult assignment.

Chapter Summary: Martial Repository Pavilion

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Li Family’s martial artists follow either internal paths—serving in the Guard Team or as attendants to direct descendants—or external paths in the Medicine Escort, Ore Escort, and Hunting Teams.
• The Medicine Escort Team transports herbs from the Li Family’s medicinal fields to pharmacies across nearby counties. Its members receive a monthly discount on Blood-Strength Powder and one free martial technique.
• Chen Xun and Li Peng report to the Medicine Escort Team and are received by Xie An, a Li Family steward familiar with Li Peng’s father.
• Li Peng expects Xie An to favor him and help him deal with Chen Xun, but Xie An warmly accepts both newcomers and treats Chen Xun with genuine friendliness.
• The two are assigned to the third squad under Luo Shan, a powerful Blood-Qi Third Transformation martial artist with a sharp and intimidating presence.
• Luo Shan tests them through his gaze. Chen Xun remains calm, while Li Peng becomes frightened and embarrassed. Luo Shan approves of Chen Xun’s composure but considers Li Peng timid.
• Luo Shan offers five martial techniques: Mountain-Splitting Saber Technique, Charging Bull Step, Iron Cloth Shirt, Berserk Ox Fist, and Python-Locking Grappling Hand.
• Li Peng chooses the Mountain-Splitting Saber Technique, while Chen Xun deliberately chooses Iron Cloth Shirt because he already knows the saber technique and Charging Bull Step and wants to improve his defensive strength.
• Luo Shan is disappointed by Chen Xun’s choice and becomes colder toward him. Li Peng privately mocks Chen Xun for what he considers a foolish decision.
• The two receive Hidden Martial Tokens and are sent to the Martial Repository Pavilion to select their techniques. Since the squad recently completed a mission, they have ample time to train.
• Li Peng angrily confronts Chen Xun for casually calling Xie An “Uncle Xie,” but Chen Xun simply leaves before hearing him out.
• Li Peng plans to turn Xie An against Chen Xun, but Xie An instead reprimands Li Peng and advises him to maintain a good relationship with Chen Xun.
• Li Peng outwardly agrees but inwardly remains hostile, while Chen Xun independently returns to the Xie Estate and begins choosing a martial technique.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Displays confidence, composure, and strategic thinking. He ignores Li Peng’s hostility, chooses Iron Cloth Shirt for long-term defensive benefits, and remains unaffected by Luo Shan’s pressure or disapproval.
• Li Peng: Reveals himself to be jealous, petty, and insecure. He is intimidated by Luo Shan, resents Chen Xun’s closeness with Xie An, and continually plots to undermine him. Xie An’s reprimand temporarily restrains him but does not change his feelings.
• Luo Shan: Establishes himself as a strict and formidable captain. He respects Chen Xun’s courage but judges Li Peng harshly for his timidity. His attitude toward Chen Xun cools after Chen Xun rejects the saber technique.
• Xie An: Acts fairly and warmly toward both newcomers. Although Li Peng expects favoritism, Xie An recognizes Chen Xun’s value and advises Li Peng to avoid impulsive conflict.

Significant Themes

• Strength versus insecurity: Chen Xun’s calm under pressure contrasts sharply with Li Peng’s fear and emotional instability.
• Long-term strategy over appearances: Chen Xun chooses a defensive technique based on his own development rather than following the more obvious or prestigious option.
• Jealousy and social rivalry: Li Peng’s resentment grows because Chen Xun earns respect without seeking it.
• Mentorship and judgment: Luo Shan evaluates the newcomers through both physical pressure and their choices, while Xie An offers guidance based on experience and fairness.
• Family influence and reputation: Li Peng benefits from his father’s connection to Xie An, but Chen Xun quickly earns a favorable impression through his behavior.

Character Interactions

• Xie An warmly welcomes Li Peng because of his father but also extends kindness to Chen Xun.
• Luo Shan tests both recruits, praising Chen Xun’s composure and criticizing Li Peng’s fearfulness.
• Chen Xun and Li Peng clash indirectly throughout the chapter, with Chen Xun remaining indifferent while Li Peng grows increasingly frustrated.
• Xie An rejects Li Peng’s attempt to gain an ally against Chen Xun and instead urges him to cooperate.
• The chapter ends with Chen Xun moving ahead independently to study martial techniques in the Martial Repository Pavilion.

Chapter Summary: Purple Item, Human Skin Book

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun enters the Martial Repository Pavilion and is stunned by the large number of glowing martial-art “items” visible through his system.
• He discovers a purple-grade manual, the Iron Garment Art, made from the tanned skin of someone who had reached major accomplishment in the technique.
• Although disturbed by the human-skin book, Chen Xun chooses it over the pavilion’s other manuals, including the weaker Iron Cloth Shirt.
• He pays one tael of silver for the pavilion’s translation service so he can study the manual without exposing his unusual ability to instantly understand item manuals.
• After leaving, Chen Xun encounters Li Peng, who has learned of his choice and threatens to report him to Captain Luo Shan for supposedly betraying Luo Shan’s expectations.
• Chen Xun ignores Li Peng’s provocation and returns to his room, where he removes his Ironwood Saber from his Inventory and equips the purple manual.
• The manual floods his mind with knowledge about the Iron Garment Art, briefly overwhelming him. Once he recovers, he realizes the item grants extraordinary cultivation and defensive benefits.
• Chen Xun decides that he must find a way to keep the manual permanently instead of returning it, though he has not yet devised a plan.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun demonstrates practical judgment by selecting the strongest manual despite its disturbing material and by paying for translation to avoid suspicion.
• His calm response to Li Peng shows growing confidence and emotional control. He refuses to panic even when threatened with exposure.
• Chen Xun’s priorities become clearer: he is willing to bend rules and plan carefully to obtain power and security, but he remains cautious about revealing his system.
• Li Peng is portrayed as petty, vindictive, and eager to exploit Chen Xun’s situation. He spends money to obtain information and hopes to see Chen Xun suffer.
• The pavilion staff are shown as strict but professional, enforcing borrowing rules, fines, and restrictions on teaching martial arts.

Significant Themes

• Power versus morality: Chen Xun is repulsed by the human-skin manual but accepts it because of its immense value.
• Secrecy and survival: He must conceal his Inventory and item-based abilities while navigating the rules of the Li Family.
• Opportunity and risk: The purple manual offers enormous benefits, but keeping it could bring severe punishment.
• Social inequality and practical hardship: One tael of silver represents a month’s wages to Chen Xun, emphasizing his poverty and the cost of advancement.
• Hidden potential: Ordinary-looking or restricted resources may possess extraordinary value when viewed through Chen Xun’s system.

Character Interactions

• The pavilion guard explains the borrowing restrictions, warns Chen Xun against unauthorized teaching, and later recommends the translation service.
• Li Peng confronts Chen Xun after discovering his choice of the Iron Garment Art. He attempts to intimidate him by threatening to inform Luo Shan, but Chen Xun dismisses him and walks away.
• Chen Xun’s relationship with Li Peng becomes openly antagonistic, while the threat of Luo Shan’s reaction creates a future source of conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Rapid Progress”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun cultivates the Iron Garment Art in a medicinal bath using the Wolf Medicinal Bath, which strengthens the body by combining medicinal power with Blood Qi.
• Thanks to his Perfect Iron Garment Art entry, he masters the required breathing method in only one breath, despite the manual claiming it normally takes days or months.
• After just seven days of cultivation, his Iron Garment Art reaches Proficient 380/500, nearing Minor Accomplishment. His skin has become hard enough to resist blunt attacks.
• Chen Xun thanks his neighbors, Sister Ye and Ye Qingqing, for helping prepare his medicinal baths, then treats them to a large meal. His increased appetite reflects his growing martial strength.
• At the restaurant, Chen Xun encounters Yu Sheng, an old enemy who previously exploited him, stole his money and business, beat him, and contributed to Qingqing’s illness and their debt.
• Yu Sheng attempts to intimidate and abduct Chen Xun with the help of two thugs. Chen Xun effortlessly resists their attack, demonstrating that he has become a Martial Artist.
• Chen Xun defeats the thugs, breaks Yu Sheng’s hand, and forces the restaurant owner to receive compensation. He leaves with Qingqing and Sister Ye, while the frightened diners clear a path for him.

Character Development

• Chen Xun: Experiences rapid physical and psychological growth. He is stronger, more confident, and more imposing than before. Although he initially intends only to defend himself, his encounter with Yu Sheng awakens a desire for revenge and a growing willingness to use violence.
• Chen Qingqing: Remains lively and fearless. She openly celebrates her brother’s strength and expresses anger toward Yu Sheng for the suffering he caused their family.
• Sister Ye: Continues to support Chen Xun and Qingqing despite her own poverty. She notices Chen Xun’s changed temperament and becomes frightened by his brutality, though she remains composed.
• Yu Sheng: Revealed as a cruel former oppressor. His confidence collapses into fear once he realizes Chen Xun has become a Martial Artist.
• The two thugs: Serve as evidence of Chen Xun’s overwhelming defensive and offensive power; both are quickly incapacitated.

Significant Themes

• Rapid growth and extraordinary talent: Chen Xun’s system-assisted cultivation allows him to progress far beyond normal expectations.
• Transformation through martial power: His improved body changes not only his appearance but also how others perceive him and how he responds to threats.
• Justice and revenge: Chen Xun views his attack on Yu Sheng as collecting “interest” for past suffering, blurring the line between self-defense and retaliation.
• Protection and family responsibility: Chen Xun’s strength is closely tied to his desire to protect Qingqing and repay those who have helped them.
• Power and social status: Once vulnerable to intimidation, Chen Xun now commands fear and respect through his physical strength.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun warmly interacts with Sister Ye and Qingqing, thanking Sister Ye and treating both to a generous meal.
• Sister Ye comments on his changed demeanor, recognizing that he is no longer an ordinary person.
• Yu Sheng provokes Chen Xun and tries to force him to leave, but Chen Xun rejects him and physically asserts his dominance.
• Qingqing enthusiastically supports her brother and reminds him of Yu Sheng’s past crimes.
• Chen Xun reassures both Qingqing and Sister Ye after the confrontation, showing concern for their emotional safety despite his harsh treatment of the attackers.

Chapter Summary: “Chen Xun, Marked by Others”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun buys medicinal supplies from an apothecary and then visits the county town’s butcher street in search of python bones, which he needs to continue cultivating the Iron Garment Art.
• His martial progress has been extraordinarily rapid. In only ten days, he has advanced from beginner to Minor Accomplishment, aided by the blue traits Iron Vest Training Boost and Absorption Acceleration.
• The absorption trait also improves his Blood Qi cultivation. His progress has risen from roughly 1% per day to over 2%, bringing him closer to the bottleneck of the Second Blood-Qi Transformation.
• At the butcher shop, the clerk informs Chen Xun that they have no python bones, but the shopkeeper, Zhu Lin, knows someone who can provide them.
• Zhu Lin returns with a fresh set of python bones and reveals that their supplier raises pythons and can slaughter them whenever needed. Chen Xun pays for the bones and obtains the supplier’s address for future purchases.
• Chen Xun visits the location and discovers the imposing Dragon-Tiger Butcher Shop, whose name refers to its access to pythons and wildcats.
• The chapter then shifts to the shop’s inner courtyard, where the owner and his son discuss Chen Xun. The father has deliberately allowed Chen Xun to obtain the bones because he intends to let Chen Xun cultivate the Iron Garment Art further.
• Their plan is horrifying: once Chen Xun reaches Major Accomplishment or Perfection, they intend to capture him, skin him, and graft his skin onto the son to give the son powerful defensive abilities.
• They hope this will help the son pass the upcoming Qingyun Martial Academy recruitment and restore the Old Li Family’s status, possibly allowing them to defeat the family’s main branch.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Xun demonstrates remarkable martial talent and efficiency. His Iron Garment Art reaches Minor Accomplishment, while his physical strength improves enough to lift a 300-jin stone lock and shatter thick wooden boards.
• He remains practical and observant, accepting a higher price for rare resources and investigating the source of the python bones rather than leaving the matter entirely to Zhu Lin.
• Chen Xun is unknowingly being cultivated as a future target. His rapid progress, which appears entirely beneficial, attracts the attention of people who plan to exploit his body.
• Zhu Lin acts as an intermediary, using the rarity of python bones to increase their value while connecting Chen Xun to the Dragon-Tiger Butcher Shop.
• The Dragon-Tiger Butcher Shop owner is revealed to be calculating and ruthless. He sacrifices valuable python bones to establish a connection with Chen Xun and prepare a trap for him.
• The owner’s son is less capable and frustrated with his slow Iron Garment Art progress. He depends on his father’s sinister method to overcome his own limitations.

3. Significant Themes

• Talent and accelerated cultivation: Chen Xun’s unique traits allow him to advance at an impossible speed, emphasizing the gap between ordinary practitioners and those with extraordinary advantages.
• Resources as the foundation of power: Medicinal baths, Blood-Strength Powder, and rare monster materials are essential to martial advancement. Chen Xun’s progress depends not only on talent but also on securing increasingly unusual resources.
• Predation and exploitation: Chen Xun’s success makes him valuable to others. The chapter contrasts his sincere cultivation with the butcher family’s plan to treat him as a source of usable skin.
• Hidden danger beneath opportunity: The python bones seem like a fortunate acquisition, but they are actually part of a larger scheme. Chen Xun’s apparent good fortune places him in greater danger.
• Family ambition and rivalry: The Old Li Family hopes to regain influence by using the son’s advancement to enter Qingyun Martial Academy and defeat their main branch.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen Xun negotiates with the butcher shop clerk and Zhu Lin, politely but firmly expressing his need for python bones.
• Zhu Lin takes advantage of the bones’ rarity but also provides Chen Xun with valuable information about their reliable source.
• Chen Xun questions the meaning of the Dragon-Tiger Butcher Shop’s name and learns about its owner’s ability to obtain wildcats.
• In the private conversation between the shopkeeper and his son, the father reveals the true purpose behind helping Chen Xun: he intends to use Chen Xun’s perfected body as a resource to strengthen his son and revive the family.

Chapter Summary: Chen Qingqing in Someone’s Sights

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Xun prepares a medicinal bath for cultivating the Iron Garment Art. He carefully brews python bones and herbs into a concentrated black medicinal liquid.
• Sister Ye helps by heating a large tub of water. Chen Xun’s increased strength impresses her, as he can now carry the heavy tub with ease.
• Chen Xun combines the entire basin of medicinal liquid with the bathwater and cultivates for an hour. Thanks to his special traits, he absorbs far more medicinal power than ordinary practitioners.
• His Iron Garment Art proficiency rises by ninety points, reaching Minor Success, 110/800. He estimates that he can reach major success in under ten days if his progress continues.
• Chen Xun becomes concerned that he must soon return the book—or purple equipment—that has greatly aided his cultivation. He decides to visit its owner soon.
• As he leaves Green Bamboo Alley, Chen Xun notices two suspicious men watching the area.
• The men, Yu Qiang and Yu Sheng, plan to abduct Chen Qingqing. One disguises himself as a peddler and intends to lure her close while the other uses knockout drugs.
• Chen Xun secretly follows the scheme. When the kidnappers fail to find a suitable opportunity, he intercepts the disguised peddler at their meeting point.
• Chen Xun quickly defeats and knocks out the peddler, then tracks him back to the hideout, where the second man is already bound.
• After discovering that the kidnappers had attempted to escape or resist, Chen Xun kills both men. He identifies them as members of the Wild Wolf Gang and takes a short blade from their hideout before leaving.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: His physical strength and martial cultivation improve dramatically. He demonstrates superior control over medicine, exceptional endurance, keen observation, and effective use of the Charging Bull Step. His protective instincts toward Chen Qingqing become more intense, and he shows a willingness to kill decisively when her safety is threatened.
• Chen Qingqing: She remains unaware of the danger around her but acts naturally and trustingly, helping Chen Xun with his daily routine.
• Sister Ye: She notices Chen Xun’s rapid improvement and growing strength. Her admiration and wistfulness deepen, and she continues to support him by preparing his bathwater.
• Yu Qiang and Yu Sheng: The two kidnappers are revealed to be reckless agents connected to the Wild Wolf Gang. Their plan fails because Chen Xun detects their movements and turns the ambush against them.

Significant Themes

• Rapid growth through disciplined cultivation: Chen Xun’s expertise and unique advantages allow him to progress far faster than ordinary martial artists.
• Protection and family loyalty: The threat against Chen Qingqing triggers Chen Xun’s strongest emotions and motivates his ruthless response.
• Predator and prey reversal: The kidnappers believe they are stalking Chen Qingqing, but Chen Xun is actually watching them and ultimately becomes the hunter.
• Hidden danger beneath ordinary life: A peaceful neighborhood scene involving a peddler conceals a carefully planned abduction.
• Moral pragmatism and violence: Chen Xun treats the kidnappers as enemies who knowingly endangered his sister, choosing execution rather than leaving them alive to threaten her again.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun and Chen Qingqing share a familiar sibling relationship, with Qingqing helping him and casually directing him to collect the bathwater.
• Chen Xun and Sister Ye interact warmly and cooperatively. She assists his cultivation, while he sincerely thanks her; her reactions also suggest growing admiration for him.
• Chen Xun has no direct confrontation with the kidnappers until he reveals himself at their meeting point. His calm, confident demeanor terrifies the disguised peddler.
• The final confrontation between Chen Xun and the kidnappers is one-sided: he quickly overpowers them, interrogates the situation, and eliminates them to protect Chen Qingqing.

Chapter Summary: “Forced Kill”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In a private room at River-Mountain Tower, Wild Wolf Gang branch master Yu Qiang and his crippled younger brother Yu Sheng plot revenge against Chen Xun.
• They plan to abduct Chen Xun’s sister and use her as bait to lure him away from the Li Estate, allowing them to kill him without provoking the Li Family.
• Chen Xun arrives disguised as a waiter and kills Yu Sheng instantly with a blade. When Yu Qiang attacks in fury, Chen Xun withstands his punch and fatally stabs him through the heart.
• Chen Xun decapitates Yu Qiang to ensure he is dead, then loots the bodies, finding thirty taels in banknotes, additional silver, and copper coins. He leaves disguised as a waiter before the murders are discovered.
• The authorities later arrive at River-Mountain Tower and begin investigating the brutal killings.
• Upon returning to the Li Estate, Chen Xun learns that his medicine escort team will soon travel to Blackwater Town. His superior, Li Peng, warns that the team captain dislikes him, but Chen Xun ignores the provocation.
• The chapter notes that eight members of Chen Xun’s original martial-training group have become Martial Artists. Sun An has also recovered, advanced as a Martial Artist, and become an attendant to the Li Family’s Twelfth Young Master.
• That night, Chen Xun visits the Black Market outside Cloudflow County while disguised in a monkey mask and black robes. He is searching for Ghost-Hand Jin, a skilled forger capable of creating convincing documents and seals.
• Chen Xun eventually locates Ghost-Hand Jin, but several other people are already seeking the forger.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Demonstrates increased confidence, combat ability, ruthlessness, and strategic planning. He successfully carries out an assassination, disguises himself afterward, loots the victims, and immediately resumes his normal identity. His search for Ghost-Hand Jin suggests he is preparing for a larger plan involving forged documents or seals.
• Yu Sheng: Becomes consumed by hatred after losing the use of his arm. His cruelty is evident in his desire to abuse Chen Xun’s sister, but his arrogance and impatience leave him vulnerable to Chen Xun’s ambush.
• Yu Qiang: Revealed as a powerful Wild Wolf Gang branch master with Second Blood-Qi Transformation cultivation. Despite his greater strength and status, his rage causes him to leave himself open, allowing Chen Xun to kill him.
• Sun An: Has recovered from his injuries and successfully become a Martial Artist. His new position as a young master’s attendant has increased his confidence and ambition, suggesting a change in status and outlook.
• Li Peng: Continues to resent or look down on Chen Xun, taking pleasure in warning him about the captain’s poor opinion.

Significant Themes

• Revenge and its consequences: Yu Sheng and Yu Qiang’s desire for revenge leads directly to their deaths. Their attempt to exploit Chen Xun’s family ultimately provokes a decisive and lethal response.
• Cunning versus brute force: Chen Xun defeats opponents with greater status and cultivation through disguise, surprise, and exploiting Yu Qiang’s momentary lapse in defense.
• Violence and survival: The chapter presents killing as a practical necessity in Chen Xun’s dangerous world, emphasizing the importance of finishing wounded enemies and eliminating future threats.
• Identity and concealment: Chen Xun repeatedly uses disguises, while the masked Black Market represents a society built around secrecy, illicit dealings, and hidden identities.
• Social advancement: Becoming a Martial Artist opens new opportunities, but characters such as Chen Xun and Sun An still rely on powerful families, organizations, or patrons to improve their position.
• Preparation and ambition: Chen Xun’s visit to Ghost-Hand Jin indicates that the assassination is only one part of a broader strategy.

Character Interactions

• Yu Qiang and Yu Sheng bond over their hatred of Chen Xun and encourage each other’s violent intentions.
• Their interaction also reveals a power imbalance: Yu Qiang is disciplined and experienced, while Yu Sheng is impatient and emotionally unstable.
• Chen Xun’s brief confrontation with the brothers is entirely one-sided; he uses surprise to kill Yu Sheng, then exploits Yu Qiang’s emotional reaction to kill him as well.
• Li Peng attempts to unsettle Chen Xun by warning him about the captain, but Chen Xun refuses to engage with him.
• Chen Xun and Sun An exchange only a few words, yet the encounter highlights Sun An’s changed position and growing ambition.
• At the Black Market, Chen Xun approaches Ghost-Hand Jin while several other unknown individuals are already competing for the forger’s services, setting up a new conflict.

Plot points and events

• Chen Xun visits the black market and hires Ghost-Hand Jin to counterfeit the Iron Garment Art manual. He pays thirty taels, outbidding a masked customer who had arrived first.
• Ghost-Hand Jin identifies the manual’s unusual material as resembling human skin. Given the deadline, he offers to make a copy about eighty percent similar that night; with more time and human skin, he could make it far closer.
• Working quickly, Ghost-Hand Jin reproduces the manual’s binding, writing, and illustrations. In under three hours, he completes a twenty-eight-page counterfeit that Chen Xun finds convincing. Chen pays him with three banknotes taken from Yu Qiang’s body.
• After leaving the black market valley, where violence is forbidden, Chen Xun is ambushed in a forest. A net drops over him as two attackers strike from opposite sides.
• Chen Xun’s saber and extraordinary durability let him survive the coordinated attack. He kills both assailants, first cutting down the swordsman and then disarming and beheading the other.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Xun is decisive and willing to spend heavily to protect his plans. He stays composed during the ambush and uses his toughness and fighting skill to turn the attackers’ trap against them.
• Ghost-Hand Jin proves both highly skilled and openly motivated by money. He and Chen Xun negotiate directly, then work together efficiently; Jin also warns Chen to be careful outside the market.
• The masked customers yield when Chen offers thirty taels, revealing how unusually high his bid is.
• The two ambushers rely on timing and surprise, but panic when their weapons fail to harm Chen.

Significant themes

• Secrecy and deception: Chen’s counterfeit manual and masked dealings reflect a world where people conceal their identities and intentions.
• Pragmatism and money: Chen pays whatever is necessary, while Jin treats the source of payment as irrelevant so long as it is genuine.
• Survival and danger: The black market’s rules offer only temporary protection; outside its boundaries, ambush and violence are immediate threats.
• Hidden strength: Chen’s ability to withstand a blade transforms what should have been a lethal attack into a decisive advantage.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After defeating two enemies, Chen Xun searches their bodies and discovers pig and tiger masks, realizing they are the same men who previously targeted him after seeing his wealth. He also recovers over a dozen taels of silver.
• Unable to enter the city because the gates are closed, Chen Xun stays at an inn outside the city. He takes Blood-Strength Powder, cultivates his Blood Qi, and studies the progression of martial cultivation:
  • The First Blood-Qi Transformation strengthens the body and increases physical strength.
  • The Second Transformation requires opening a Blood Pool Acupoint to store and control Blood Qi.
• The next morning, Chen Xun returns to Cloudflow County and successfully submits his forged copy of the Iron Garment Art at the Martial Repository Pavilion. The manual passes inspection, greatly relieving him.
• He then reports to the Third Medicinal Escort Squad. The squad has weakened after two Second Transformation members transferred to the Hunting Team, leaving Captain Luo Shan as the only Third Transformation Martial Artist.
• Li Peng arrives and receives a much warmer welcome from the squad. He insinuates that Chen Xun spent the previous night in a disreputable place, but Chen Xun calmly denies owing him an explanation.
• Captain Luo Shan assigns Li Peng to stay close to him but ignores Chen Xun, reinforcing the squad’s unfavorable view of Chen Xun.
• The squad travels to Hundred Medicines Estate, collects three carts of medicinal herbs, and begins escorting them toward Blackwater Town.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Demonstrates practical intelligence and caution by identifying the assassins, recovering their money, avoiding the closed city gates, and concealing his visit to the Black Market. His cultivation is progressing steadily, and he remains composed despite social hostility. His successful submission of the forged martial manual marks an important step in securing his position within the Li Estate.
• Li Peng: Gains confidence from the squad’s approval and Captain Luo’s favoritism. He deliberately attempts to embarrass Chen Xun, suggesting growing rivalry and resentment.
• Luo Shan: Reveals a clear preference for Li Peng and indifference toward Chen Xun. His attitude influences the rest of the squad.
• Third Medicinal Escort Squad: The group’s morale and status have declined because of the departure of two stronger members. Most members now favor Li Peng and disregard Chen Xun.

Significant Themes

• Concealed strength and identity: Chen Xun hides his true activities and abilities while quietly building power.
• Social favoritism and reputation: The squad judges Chen Xun based on Luo Shan’s attitude and Li Peng’s popularity rather than his actual capabilities.
• Steady cultivation and self-improvement: Chen Xun’s visible progress through disciplined effort contrasts with the squad’s superficial judgments.
• Fortune gained through danger: The enemies’ deaths, recovered silver, and successful submission of the forged manual all show Chen Xun turning risky situations to his advantage.
• Hierarchy and martial power: The distinctions between Blood-Qi Transformations establish the importance of strength within the martial world and the escort squad.

Character Interactions

• Chen Xun responds curtly but calmly when Li Peng questions where he spent the night, refusing to reveal sensitive information.
• Li Peng privately mocks Chen Xun, while Chen Xun internally dismisses him, believing he has obtained a greater opportunity.
• Luo Shan warmly instructs Li Peng to remain near him but gives Chen Xun only an indifferent glance, causing the others to treat Chen Xun even more coldly.
• The squad cooperates with Steward Li Fei at Hundred Medicines Estate to receive the medicinal shipment before departing for Blackwater Town.

Chapter Summary: First Hearing of Qingyun Martial Academy

Key Plot Points and Events

• The caravan travels from Cloudflow County toward Blackwater Town, passing through cultivated farmland, villages, mountains, streams, and a gorge.
• The journey highlights the danger of the world: bandits are widespread and difficult for the imperial authorities to suppress, explaining why the Li Family’s medicine caravans are guarded by martial artists.
• After leaving the official road, the group stops at the Three Fork Inn, a prosperous establishment owned by the powerful Fang family.
• While resting, the caravan members discuss the upcoming Qingyun Martial Academy recruitment tournament, which will accept candidates no older than eighteen.
• They recall that the Li Family’s Fourth Miss previously astonished everyone by placing in the top ten and becoming an academy disciple.
• The group then continues toward Blackwater Town along increasingly rough roads, with Chen Xun frequently assigned to push the carts.
• At dusk, the caravan camps in an abandoned forest cabin near a river. The group eats a crude stew made from dry rations, fox, and snake meat.
• Li Peng vomits from the unpleasant food and becomes the target of ridicule, while Chen Xun calmly finishes his portion.
• During the first watch of the night, Chen Xun cultivates while guarding the camp, prompting a fellow guard—discouraged by his own cultivation bottleneck—to question the value of such effort.

Character Developments

• Chen Xun: Remains calm and disciplined despite mockery, hard labor, rough travel, and poor food. He becomes interested in the academy tournament and privately resolves to improve enough within a year and a half to participate. His composure impresses Luo Shan.
• Li Peng: Shows insecurity, pride, and resentment. He is humiliated when others dismiss his chances of entering the academy and grows jealous of Chen Xun. However, seeing Chen Xun endure the food motivates him to swallow it despite his disgust.
• Luo Shan: Acts as a practical and respected caravan leader. He manages the journey, silences unnecessary teasing, and notices Chen Xun’s unusual composure.
• Other caravan members: Their teasing reveals the group’s rough, competitive culture and their low expectations of Chen Xun and Li Peng.

Significant Themes

• Perseverance and ambition: Chen Xun’s steady cultivation contrasts with those who have abandoned their goals after encountering bottlenecks.
• Social hierarchy and prejudice: The discussion reflects distinctions between wealthy clans, tenant farmers, and common martial artists. Chen Xun is also belittled because of his background.
• Hidden potential: The Fourth Miss’s unexpected success suggests that ability can be concealed and that underestimated individuals may surprise others.
• Harshness of the martial world: Bandits, difficult travel, primitive camps, and constant physical hardship emphasize the dangers of the setting.
• Comparison and resentment: Li Peng’s mood improves only when Chen Xun is treated worse than he is, revealing how insecurity fuels rivalry.

Character Interactions

• The caravan members mock Chen Xun and Li Peng as unlikely candidates for the Qingyun Martial Academy.
• Li Peng silently resents being grouped with Chen Xun and privately insults him as a commoner.
• Chen Xun ignores Li Peng’s provocations, viewing him as more irritating than threatening.
• Luo Shan interrupts the mockery and later observes Chen Xun’s unusual emotional control.
• At camp, the others ridicule Li Peng after he vomits, while Chen Xun’s endurance unintentionally pressures him to continue eating.
• A fellow night guard contrasts Chen Xun’s determination with his own loss of motivation after becoming stuck at the Qi-Blood Second Transformation.