Chapter Summaries

Key events

• Chen Mu and Qin Tieya loot Ma San’s hidden wealth—nearly 5,000 taels in gold and banknotes—and disguise themselves as members of the White Horse Salt Gang to enter the Ghost Market auction.
• They hope to buy Qingluo, their captured junior sister, at the second session. If they cannot afford her, they are prepared to seize her by force.
• At the lavish auction house, Chen Mu reflects on why the authorities have not crushed the island stronghold: its many stockades, difficult terrain, and large fighting force make an invasion costly.
• Chen Mu buys an incomplete Alchemy Canon for 800 taels, hoping to identify the pills he receives from his system settlements.
• The final lot of the first session is the Mysterious Womb Pearl, advertised as a relic from an ancient tomb. A familiar, hoarse-voiced bidder in private box seven wins it for 1,200 taels.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Mu stays cautious and observant. He doubts their money will be enough for Qingluo and recognizes that the pearl’s dramatic history is likely salesmanship. He also notices the martial strength of a silent monk-robed attendant.
• Qin Tieya shares Chen Mu’s resolve to rescue Qingluo and expresses a desire to punish Mu Sanniang. He is surprised when Chen Mu spends his own money on the Alchemy Canon.
• Huyan Zhuo, a grassland visitor, approaches Chen Mu, but evades questions about his powerful monk-robed companion, calling him merely a servant. After speaking to the man in a foreign tongue, he draws the attendant’s hostile attention toward Chen Mu.
• Mu Sanniang (Lady Hongxiao) opens the auction with a warning that buyers are responsible for their own fate once they leave the island. Her flattering response to the bidder in box seven suggests he is an important or powerful guest.

Significant themes

• Lawlessness and fragile safety: The Ghost Market openly trades in contraband, while its isolation and defenses keep authorities at bay.
• Pragmatism and risk: Chen Mu and Qin Tieya weigh a costly purchase against the possibility of using force to save Qingluo.
• Appearances and concealed power: The pearl’s legend may be fabricated, while the “servant” beside Huyan Zhuo is a formidable expert and the anonymous bidder commands immediate deference.
• Knowledge as an investment: Chen Mu buys the Alchemy Canon not to become an alchemist, but to make better sense of the pills he encounters.

Chapter Summary: Auction Turmoil, Making an Enemy in Public

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Mu recognizes the familiar voice of Daoist Li, who is seated in private room seven. Qin Tieya also identifies him, and both realize that Li may know more about the supposedly ordinary Mysterious Female Pearl than they initially believed.
• During the auction’s second half, Mu Sanniang unveils nine young female captives being sold as slaves. The auction house openly treats them as commodities, emphasizing their age, beauty, purity, and usefulness for domestic or cultivation purposes.
• Several girls are sold while buyers inspect and mistreat them publicly. Qin Tieya becomes furious, and Chen Mu also develops strong killing intent, though he remains outwardly composed.
• Daoist Li unexpectedly bids for and purchases three of the girls, receiving no competition because the crowd fears or respects him.
• Cage number eight contains Liu Qingluo, a young woman Chen Mu and Qin Tieya had been trying to find. She is shackled, injured, and dirty but remains defiant.
• Mu Sanniang advertises Qingluo’s Qi Accumulation Realm cultivation and combat potential, causing the bidding to rise sharply.
• Following Chen Mu’s instructions, Qin Tieya bids 1,300 taels. Qingluo recognizes their voices and begins to cry, realizing that they have come to rescue her.
• Just before the sale is finalized, Daoist Li raises the bid to 1,500 taels, claiming Qingluo has a connection with him.
• Chen Mu counters with 2,000 taels, announcing that the amount represents all his worldly possessions. Daoist Li then recognizes him and openly threatens his life.
• Chen Mu refuses to back down, calmly stating that auctions are decided by money and challenging Daoist Li to bid higher. The crowd is shocked by his boldness and expects Daoist Li to retaliate.

Character Developments

• Chen Mu: Remains controlled despite the horrific treatment of the captives and Daoist Li’s provocation. He demonstrates strategic patience, waiting specifically for Qingluo’s appearance, and then publicly risks everything to save her. His calm response to Li’s threat establishes him as fearless and willing to confront powerful enemies.
• Qin Tieya: Shows intense anger and compassion toward the enslaved girls, nearly losing control when he sees them abused. He restrains himself at Chen Mu’s command and eagerly participates in the effort to rescue Qingluo.
• Liu Qingluo: Despite being imprisoned, shackled, and mistreated, she retains her pride and resistance. Her emotional reaction upon recognizing Chen Mu and Qin Tieya reveals both her fear and her relief.
• Daoist Li: Reveals himself as a ruthless and influential figure. His repeated purchase of female slaves, apparent knowledge of the Mysterious Female Pearl, and willingness to threaten Chen Mu publicly suggest that he is dangerous, arrogant, and accustomed to getting his way.
• Mu Sanniang: Conducts the auction with cheerful detachment, reducing the captive girls to merchandise. Her enthusiasm increases when bids rise, highlighting her complete acceptance of the auction’s cruelty.
• Huyan Zhuo and the crowd: Serve as observers of the growing confrontation. Their reactions show that Daoist Li is widely feared and that Chen Mu’s defiance is viewed as reckless.

Significant Themes

• Dehumanization and exploitation: The auction treats young women as objects or livestock, exposing the brutality and moral corruption of the Ghost Market.
• Moral restraint versus righteous anger: Qin Tieya’s fury and Chen Mu’s controlled killing intent show different responses to injustice. Chen Mu’s patience is presented as necessary for achieving their goal.
• Courage and defiance: Chen Mu openly challenges Daoist Li despite the danger, while Qingluo maintains her dignity under humiliating conditions.
• Power and intimidation: Daoist Li relies on reputation and threats, while the auction house enables him by ignoring his intimidation tactics.
• The cost of loyalty: Chen Mu spends all his worldly possessions to rescue Qingluo, demonstrating the depth of his commitment and willingness to endanger himself publicly.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Mu and Qin Tieya work together silently, coordinating their plans and waiting for the right moment to act.
• Chen Mu restrains Qin Tieya when the latter is provoked by the treatment of the enslaved girls.
• Liu Qingluo recognizes Qin Tieya and Chen Mu by their voices, creating an emotional reunion despite their hidden faces.
• Daoist Li directly contests Chen Mu’s bid and threatens him, turning the rescue into a public confrontation.
• Chen Mu answers Li’s threat with calm defiance, transforming the auction from a rescue operation into the beginning of an open feud.

Chapter Summary: “Dividing Forces, Gaining Martial Arts Manuals”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Mu successfully outbids Daoist Li for Liu Qingluo at the auction, paying two thousand taels of silver.
• After Qingluo is brought out, Chen Mu prevents Qin Tieya from immediately freeing her. Using his Divine Sense, he discovers that Daoist Li has placed a dangerous Baleful Intent mark on her.
• To conceal Qingluo’s relationship with them and avoid exposing her as a weakness, Chen Mu has Qin Tieya treat her like an ordinary slave and escort her away through a side passage.
• Chen Mu instructs Qin Tieya to take Qingluo by boat to White Horse Shoal, reunite with their companions, protect A-Ning, and then return to the city.
• Chen Mu remains behind to draw Daoist Li away from the others. He fears that Daoist Li may track them and endanger A-Ning as well.
• While the auction continues, Huyan Zhuo purchases several rare medicinal treasures, including a three-hundred-year-old mountain ginseng. Chen Mu wants it for A-Ning but cannot afford it.
• Chen Mu buys two martial arts manuals:
  • “Eight-Step Chasing Cicada,” a Yellow Grade High-Tier lightness technique.
  • “Golden Bell Shield,” a Yellow Grade Mid-Tier body-tempering technique.
• These manuals are especially valuable to Chen Mu because he can fuse and deduce them with his existing techniques, improving his movement speed and physical defense.
• Huyan Zhuo warns Chen Mu that Daoist Li is dangerous and implies that Chen Mu has disrupted dealings between Huyan Zhuo’s group and the White Horse Salt Gang.
• Daoist Li suddenly disappears from his private room. Realizing he may have gone after Qingluo, Chen Mu immediately pursues him.

Character Developments

• Chen Mu: Demonstrates caution, strategic thinking, and loyalty. Rather than impulsively confronting Daoist Li, he divides the group to protect Qingluo and A-Ning. His acquisition of the two manuals also shows his continued focus on strengthening both mobility and defense.
• Liu Qingluo: Is traumatized by her captivity but recognizes Chen Mu’s command and suppresses her emotional reaction. Her reunion with her senior brothers is delayed for her own safety.
• Qin Tieya: Shows trust in Chen Mu’s judgment. Although worried about leaving him behind, he obeys and takes responsibility for escorting Qingluo to safety.
• Daoist Li: His reputation as a ruthless, lawless killer is reinforced. His ability to secretly mark Qingluo and vanish without notice establishes him as a serious and unpredictable threat.
• Huyan Zhuo: Appears to possess hidden connections and coded dealings with the White Horse Salt Gang. He avoids further involvement after Chen Mu provokes Daoist Li, suggesting caution and self-interest.

Significant Themes

• Strategic sacrifice and protection: Chen Mu deliberately separates himself from his companions to prevent Daoist Li from locating the entire group.
• Power and reputation: Daoist Li’s fearsome reputation allows him to intimidate the auction crowd and operate beyond ordinary rules.
• Concealment and deception: Chen Mu hides Qingluo’s true identity and relationship to the group, understanding that visible attachments can be exploited.
• Growth through martial arts: The two manuals represent Chen Mu’s practical approach to advancement—combining existing skills to improve his speed, endurance, and combat ability.
• Hidden alliances and political intrigue: Huyan Zhuo’s remarks hint at larger connections between the auction participants, the White Horse Salt Gang, and possibly the Esoteric Sect.

Character Interactions

• Chen Mu confronts Daoist Li indirectly through the bidding, refusing to yield despite the priest’s intimidation.
• Chen Mu silently commands Qingluo not to reveal their relationship, and she obeys despite her fear and desire to speak.
• Chen Mu entrusts Qin Tieya with Qingluo’s safety, while Qin Tieya promises to return and support him.
• Huyan Zhuo offers Chen Mu a guarded warning about Daoist Li, while also implying a possible future meeting through a coded invitation.
• The chapter ends with Chen Mu pursuing Daoist Li, setting up an imminent confrontation.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points

• Chen Mu follows Daoist Li’s aura from the auction house to a guarded stockade on Mysterious Pearl Island.
• He overhears Mu Sanniang offering Li captives from the stockade’s water prison. Li intends to refine a “Human Pill” and specifically mentions two girls—likely Liu Qingluo and A-Ning.
• Furious, Chen Mu decides Li must die, but delays his attack while Li remains in the stockade. He plans to improve his chances first by practicing his newly acquired martial arts and investigating Lady Hongxiao.
• Back at the White Salt Hall, Chen Mu studies Golden Bell Shield and Eight-Step Chasing Cicada. Using the Slaughter Register, he spends 500 Karmic Slaughter points to fuse the latter with his existing Grass-Top Flight, retaining its prior proficiency.
• After experiencing the technique’s inherited memories, Chen Mu tests it: he moves far faster and more efficiently than before, and can skim across water while his true qi holds.
• Finding Daoist Li still in place, Chen Mu turns toward Floating Waves Reef and sets out to confront Lady Hongxiao.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Mu’s concern for Liu Qingluo and A-Ning becomes a direct motive for killing Daoist Li. He responds strategically rather than rushing into a dangerous fight.
• Mu Sanniang, formerly commanding at the auction, behaves submissively before Li, revealing her connection to the trafficking of captives.
• Daoist Li’s callous plan to use people as ingredients establishes him as a severe threat. His presence also appears to keep him occupied, giving Chen Mu time to prepare.
• Chen Mu’s interaction with the Slaughter Register advances his combat abilities and confidence; his successful trial of the new art leads him to act against Hongxiao’s operation.

Significant themes

• Human exploitation and moral resolve: The stockade treats people as livestock, prompting Chen Mu’s determination to intervene.
• Preparation over impulse: Chen Mu chooses to strengthen his position before confronting a powerful enemy.
• Progress through effort and tools: The contrast between Golden Bell Shield’s slow training and the Register-assisted mastery of Eight-Step Chasing Cicada highlights Chen Mu’s unusual path to advancement.
• Growing capability: The water-running technique marks a striking expansion of Chen Mu’s martial skill—and raises his ambitions toward even greater arts.

Chapter Summary: “Hongxiao’s Night Banquet, Saber Slays the Masses”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At Misty Rain Gallery, Mu Sanniang hosts a banquet for Wu Dao, leader of the Thirty-Eight Water Strongholds and Mysterious Pearl Island.
• Wu Dao and the other water bandit leaders secretly resent Daoist Li, who controls them with the agonizing Three-Corpses Pills. They are forced to obey him or suffer increasingly severe attacks.
• Daoist Li has ordered them to locate Xu Chen, the missing Young Master of Azure Sun Temple and Li’s fellow disciple’s nephew. Li believes Xu Chen is already dead and wants his corpse for refining Human Pills.
• Most of the bandits reluctantly agree to search for Xu Chen’s body in exchange for their monthly antidote pills.
• After the others leave, Wu Dao proposes killing Daoist Li that very night. Mu Sanniang agrees to help, though both fear Li’s supernatural abilities.
• Chen Mu suddenly enters the banquet hall and offers to help them kill Daoist Li, revealing that he has overheard their conversation.
• Mu Sanniang orders her Red-Clad Guards to attack Chen Mu. He waits until they are close, then draws the Dragon-Slayer Saber and uses Ghost-Shadow Step and Eight-Step Chasing Cicada.
• In a single burst of movement, Chen Mu creates multiple afterimages and kills sixteen guards, each with one precise slash. The chapter ends with Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang shocked by his true ability.

Character Developments

• Wu Dao: Though feared as a ruthless bandit chief, he is revealed to be controlled and humiliated by Daoist Li’s poison pills. His resentment finally develops into a serious plan to rebel.
• Mu Sanniang/Hongxiao: She remains outwardly cautious and submissive toward Daoist Li, but privately supports Wu Dao’s desire to resist him. Her quick decision to attack Chen Mu shows her reliance on force when threatened.
• Chen Mu: He demonstrates growing confidence, tactical patience, and lethal mastery of his saber techniques. Rather than striking immediately, he deliberately waits for the guards to commit, then annihilates them effortlessly.
• Daoist Li: Although absent, he dominates the chapter through fear and coercion. His control over the water bandits and his use of Human Pills establish him as a powerful and sinister antagonist.
• Xu Chen: His apparent death triggers the chapter’s conflict, though his actual fate remains uncertain.

Significant Themes

• Coercion and rebellion: The water bandits’ obedience to Daoist Li illustrates how fear and dependence can enslave powerful people, while Wu Dao’s plotting marks the beginning of resistance.
• Hidden strength and mistaken identity: Chen Mu’s youthful appearance and seemingly low cultivation cause the bandits to underestimate him, with disastrous results.
• Power and terror: Daoist Li rules through supernatural punishment, while Chen Mu establishes his own dominance through swift, overwhelming violence.
• Life, death, and exploitation: Xu Chen’s corpse is treated as a resource for alchemy, emphasizing the chapter’s brutal worldview and the dehumanizing methods of cultivation.

Character Interactions

• Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang discuss their shared hatred and fear of Daoist Li, revealing the oppressive relationship binding the bandit leaders.
• The other bandits show collective cowardice and pragmatism, choosing to obey Daoist Li in exchange for survival rather than risk open rebellion.
• Chen Mu interrupts Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang’s conspiracy, turning their discussion into a confrontation.
• Mu Sanniang responds to Chen Mu’s intrusion with immediate hostility, while Wu Dao instinctively senses the danger and attempts to stop the attack.
• Chen Mu’s slaughter of the Red-Clad Guards dramatically shifts the balance of power and leaves both island leaders stunned.

Chapter Summary: The Demon Daoist’s True Colors, Heavenly Thunder Intimidates the Enemy

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Mu swiftly kills sixteen female guards in the banquet hall, terrifying the water-bandit leaders Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang.
• He seizes control of the situation, takes the seat of honor, and forces the two bandits to explain Daoist Li’s background and abilities.
• Mu Sanniang and Wu Dao reveal that Daoist Li comes from the heretical Three Corpses Temple, whose disciples refine human blood essence and souls into pills.
• Daoist Li is reportedly the temple’s last surviving member. His fellow disciples were turned into human pills and buried to eventually produce “Immortal Fruits.”
• They describe his terrifying powers:
  • A Copper-Coin Sword capable of seizing souls.
  • Three-Corpses Fiends, each as powerful as a Meridian Opening expert.
  • These fiends can transform into black smoke or human skin and slaughter victims with extraordinary speed.
• Chen Mu realizes that Daoist Li’s methods resemble the evil beings he has encountered before. Although his Violet Lightning is highly effective against yin and baleful entities, defeating these fiends may be difficult outside the Feng River Old Estate, where he can no longer draw upon its Baleful Intent.
• Wu Dao reveals a secret involving Xu Chen of Azure Sun Temple. Xu Chen allegedly selected women with special constitutions and sent them to the water stronghold for Daoist Li.
• Wu Dao had secretly acquired large quantities of Heaven-Shaking Thunder, intending to use the women—or false news about Xu Chen’s corpse—to lure Daoist Li into a prepared ambush.
• His plan is to deceive Daoist Li into coming to Mysterious Pearl Island, detonate the buried explosives, and attack him if he survives.
• Chen Mu agrees to let Wu Dao carry out the plan, intending to use it to test Daoist Li’s abilities while secretly planning to eliminate Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang as well.

Character Developments

• Chen Mu: Demonstrates overwhelming speed, ruthlessness, and control. He appears calm and cooperative but remains wary of everyone present. He recognizes that Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang are themselves evil criminals and has no intention of sparing them permanently.
• Wu Dao: Reveals himself to be more calculating than his savage appearance suggests. Rather than immediately fighting Chen Mu, he yields, provides information, and unveils a carefully prepared explosive trap for Daoist Li.
• Mu Sanniang: Initially driven by rage over the deaths of her guards, she quickly becomes fearful and submissive after witnessing Chen Mu’s strength. She helps explain Daoist Li’s origins and abilities.
• Daoist Li: Becomes established as a powerful and depraved antagonist who uses human sacrifice, soul-seizing weapons, corpse fiends, and blood-refining techniques in pursuit of immortality.
• Xu Chen: Though absent, he is implicated as a corrupt Daoist who exploited women with special constitutions under the respectable guise of granting fertility.

Significant Themes

• Deception and hidden motives: Nearly every character conceals their true intentions. Wu Dao proposes cooperation while unaware that Chen Mu already intends to kill him.
• The appearance of respectability masking evil: Azure Sun Temple’s reputation for granting children conceals Xu Chen’s immoral practices, while Daoist Li’s pursuit of immortality is built on murder and human refinement.
• Power and intimidation: Chen Mu’s effortless slaughter establishes his dominance, forcing even ruthless bandits to submit and bargain.
• Using evil against evil: Chen Mu temporarily cooperates with the bloodstained water bandits because their trap may help him defeat the even more dangerous Daoist Li.
• Limits of strength and preparation: Daoist Li’s supernatural abilities cannot be dismissed, so strategy, terrain, and military explosives become essential to overcoming him.

Character Interactions

• Chen Mu intimidates Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang into answering his questions after killing their guards.
• Wu Dao cautiously abandons his seat and treats Chen Mu as an ally, while ordering Mu Sanniang to serve him wine.
• Mu Sanniang explains Daoist Li’s origins and powers, with Wu Dao supplying additional details.
• Wu Dao then privately shares his secret plan with Chen Mu, attempting to recruit him into an alliance.
• Mu Sanniang realizes that Wu Dao’s purchase of Heaven-Shaking Thunder was specifically intended to ambush Daoist Li.
• Chen Mu outwardly accepts their proposal but inwardly regards both bandits as future targets, ordering them to lure Daoist Li out and test his strength.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the third quarter of the Hour of the Pig, Chen Mu prepares for his confrontation with Daoist Li on Cold Moon Reef in White Mist Lake.
• Using the lake’s accumulated corpse qi, resentment, and baleful miasma—formed from centuries of deaths and submerged corpses—he infuses the Dragon-Slayer Saber with powerful black-and-crimson Killing Intent. This increases his confidence in defeating Daoist Li.
• Chen Mu uses his strengthened Divine Sense to observe events on shore, where Wu Dao, Mu Sanniang, and their men lure Daoist Li to three floating corpses. One of them is Xu Chen’s body, with Heaven-Shaking Thunder hidden among the corpses as part of the ambush.
• Daoist Li identifies Xu Chen’s corpse from a distance and unexpectedly orders it taken away for medicinal refinement, refusing to inspect it closely. Wu Dao’s attempts to make him examine the bodies instead arouse his suspicion.
• Daoist Li senses an omen of death and realizes a larger force is behind the trap. He summons three Skin Baleful Ghosts from his shadow, revealing that he never intended to approach the corpses.
• When Wu Dao orders his men to attack, Daoist Li uses a Divine Fire Talisman to release violet flames. The fire cannot be extinguished by water and burns most of the bandits alive, while the Skin Ghosts drain the remaining victims of their blood, flesh, bones, and marrow.
• Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang flee toward the lake, but Daoist Li leisurely pursues them. Cornered, Wu Dao reveals Chen Mu’s involvement and calls for him to join the battle.

Character Developments

• Chen Mu: Demonstrates greater preparation, confidence, and tactical awareness. By exploiting the lake’s accumulated baleful energy, he strengthens his saber before confronting Daoist Li and secretly observes the ambush from the lake.
• Daoist Li: Reveals himself to be far more perceptive, ruthless, and powerful than expected. He immediately detects the trap, avoids the hidden explosive, and effortlessly massacres the attackers with talismans and Skin Ghosts.
• Wu Dao: Begins as an organizer of the ambush but becomes increasingly frightened when Daoist Li refuses to cooperate. His fear turns into desperation, and he ultimately sacrifices secrecy by exposing Chen Mu to save himself.
• Mu Sanniang: Participates in luring Daoist Li but, like Wu Dao, is overwhelmed by his strength and forced into flight.
• Daoist Li’s Skin Ghosts: Their abilities are established as terrifyingly lethal: they transform from human skins into yaksha-like creatures and consume victims’ vitality and marrow.

Significant Themes

• Preparation versus deception: Chen Mu carefully prepares the battlefield, while Daoist Li sees through the apparent trap and counters it with superior cunning.
• The danger of underestimating an enemy: Wu Dao and the others assume the corpses and explosives will force Daoist Li into range, but he recognizes the danger immediately.
• Cruelty and unnatural cultivation: Daoist Li’s use of corpses, human skins, corpse refinement, and blood-draining ghosts emphasizes the grotesque nature of his path to immortality.
• Fear and betrayal under pressure: Once the ambush fails, survival instinct overwhelms loyalty, leading Wu Dao to reveal Chen Mu’s presence.
• Baleful power and death: The lake’s miasma, the corpses, the violet Divine Fire, and the Skin Ghosts all reinforce the chapter’s atmosphere of accumulated death and murderous spiritual energy.

Character Interactions

• Mu Sanniang leads Daoist Li to the corpses while Wu Dao presents the supposed evidence of Xu Chen’s death.
• Daoist Li’s calm response unsettles Wu Dao, whose attempts to persuade him to inspect the bodies expose his nervousness.
• Daoist Li confronts Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang, demanding to know who is orchestrating the attack.
• Wu Dao’s men attack Daoist Li but are annihilated by his Divine Fire Talisman and Skin Ghosts.
• After fleeing, Wu Dao stops Daoist Li by promising information about Xu Chen’s killer, then openly summons Chen Mu to face him.

Chapter Summary: “Thunder Stokes Flame, Slaying the Demon Daoist”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Daoist Li attacks Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang as they attempt to flee. His powerful palm strikes shatter Wu Dao’s defenses and severely injure both of them.
• Daoist Li senses someone across White Mist Lake and discovers Chen Mu waiting on Cold Moon Reef.
• Chen Mu confronts him, using the Blazing Yang Palm to unleash the lake’s century-old Baleful Intent. Daoist Li avoids the attack and retaliates with his Copper-Coin Sword.
• The sword splits into three attacking sword lights, but Chen Mu evades them with Ghost-Shadow Step and counterattacks using the Dragon-Slayer Saber and Demon-Banishing Violet Lightning.
• Daoist Li blocks Chen Mu’s lightning with a powerful talisman, then summons five violet flames that merge into a pursuing fire serpent. Combined with the attacks of three baleful corpses, the serpent prevents Chen Mu from approaching.
• Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang lose hope as Chen Mu is forced into retreat. Wu Dao even begins trying to escape secretly.
• Chen Mu changes tactics, throwing three drops of blood essence into the lake and summoning black lightning through the technique “Thunder, Come!” The lightning disrupts the fire serpent, allowing him to rush toward the shore.
• Rather than directly defeating Daoist Li, Chen Mu deliberately maneuvers him toward a prepared trap. Daoist Li notices the danger too late.
• Chen Mu detonates the Heaven-Shaking Thunder buried near the corpses, engulfing Daoist Li and his three baleful ghosts in a devastating explosion.
• Although Daoist Li survives the blast, he is horribly burned and weakened. Chen Mu finishes him with “Nine-Nether Profound Thunder, Lightning Draws Light,” reducing him to ash.

Character Developments

• Chen Mu: Demonstrates tactical intelligence and resilience. Though initially overpowered, he adapts instead of forcing a direct confrontation, using the lake, his lightning techniques, and a concealed explosive trap to turn the battle around. His body-tempering cultivation also allows him to survive a direct graze from the Copper-Coin Sword.
• Daoist Li: Begins the fight arrogantly, confident in his superior cultivation and magical treasures. His confidence turns to alarm once he realizes Chen Mu has lured him into a trap. Even after suffering catastrophic injuries, he remains defiant until Chen Mu’s final strike kills him.
• Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang: Both are badly wounded and emotionally broken by Daoist Li’s attack. Their initial hope that Chen Mu might save them fades as he is suppressed, while Wu Dao’s desperation leads him to consider abandoning Mu Sanniang and escaping.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over brute strength: Chen Mu cannot overpower Daoist Li directly, so he relies on positioning, deception, and preparation.
• Arrogance and reversal: Daoist Li’s contempt for Chen Mu blinds him to the danger and allows Chen Mu to control the battlefield.
• Persistence under pressure: Chen Mu repeatedly retreats and absorbs setbacks without losing focus, waiting for the right moment to counterattack.
• Justice and demon-slaying: The battle culminates in the destruction of Daoist Li and his sinister corpse-manipulating techniques, reinforcing the conflict between righteous force and demonic methods.
• Despair versus hope: Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang’s despair contrasts with Chen Mu’s calm determination and hidden plan.

Character Interactions

• Daoist Li treats Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang as helpless captives, attacking them without mercy.
• Chen Mu openly challenges Daoist Li, calling him a “Demon Daoist” and refusing to be intimidated by his mockery.
• Daoist Li repeatedly belittles Chen Mu, but his attitude shifts to shock and fear when Chen Mu’s trap is revealed.
• Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang watch Chen Mu’s battle from the shore, initially hoping he will defeat Daoist Li, then believing all hope is lost.
• The chapter ends with Chen Mu decisively overpowering and killing Daoist Li, transforming the apparent underdog into the battle’s victor.

Chapter Summary: Dongyang Mountain, the Heaven Corpse Daoist

Key Plot Points and Events

• After killing the Earth Corpse at Three Corpses Temple, Chen Mu receives Karmic Slaughter and discovers an Earth-Fiend Remnant Soul. He spends 800 Karmic Slaughter to refine it.
• Refining the remnant soul greatly enhances Chen Mu’s Divine Sense and grants him insight into Daoist techniques, including the Violet-Yang Fire Talisman, Three-Corpse Elixir Method, and especially the Three-Corpse Soul Refining Art.
• Chen Mu learns that the Daoist he fought was only the Earth Corpse, one of three bodies created by dividing a soul through the Heaven, Earth, and Human Three-Corpse Immortal-Seeding Method. Daoist Li’s true existence therefore remains intact.
• Chen Mu pursues the fleeing water stronghold chiefs, Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang, and catches them in a reed marsh.
• Wu Dao attempts to bargain with information about the Three-Corpses Pills and hidden wealth, while Mu Sanniang begs for mercy. Chen Mu rejects both pleas and kills them instantly, gaining additional Karmic Slaughter.
• He destroys the bodies and evidence before returning toward the city.
• At Dongyang Mountain, Daoist Li’s Heaven Corpse emerges from a burial mound. Furious that Chen Mu destroyed his Earth Corpse and damaged his path to immortality, he vows revenge.
• The Heaven Corpse decides to seek the support of the Dark-Moon Devil Lord and join the Demon Sect, despite the danger of attracting the Demon Suppression Bureau.
• Daoist Li’s Human Corpse, possessing an independent consciousness, questions this plan but ultimately agrees to cooperate. He dissolves into blood and departs to carry out Daoist Li’s instructions.
• Daoist Li declares that he will slaughter Chen Mu’s entire clan before spring.
• Unaware of the impending threat, Chen Mu travels south and catches up with Qin Tieya’s group near White Horse Shoal by noon the next day.

Character Developments

• Chen Mu becomes significantly stronger through the remnant-soul refinement, gaining sharper perception and a deeper understanding of Daoist techniques. He also shows increasing decisiveness and ruthlessness, killing Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang without hesitation.
• Daoist Li is revealed to be far more dangerous than previously believed. His soul and body are divided among three corpse forms, each with its own consciousness and function.
• The Heaven Corpse displays intense hatred and ambition, abandoning the failed immortal path in favor of demonic alliances.
• The Human Corpse demonstrates caution and strategic awareness, recognizing that large-scale blood sacrifices could provoke intervention from the Demon Suppression Bureau.

Significant Themes

• Fragmented identity and divided souls: Daoist Li’s three corpse bodies possess separate wills, raising questions about individuality, madness, and the nature of immortality.
• The cost of power: Chen Mu’s growth comes through killing and refining remnants of his enemies, while Daoist Li pursues increasingly dangerous methods to preserve his power.
• Ruthlessness and survival: Mercy has little place in the chapter. Chen Mu eliminates threats decisively, while Daoist Li prepares revenge through even darker means.
• Conflict between orthodox and demonic forces: Daoist Li’s planned alliance with the Demon Sect introduces the wider threat of blood sacrifices, demonic power, and intervention by the Demon Suppression Bureau.
• Hidden dangers and unfinished battles: Although Chen Mu believes he has defeated Daoist Li’s faction, the survival of the Heaven and Human Corpses ensures that the conflict is far from over.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Mu gains knowledge from the Earth-Fiend Remnant Soul, effectively turning Daoist Li’s own techniques against him.
• Wu Dao and Mu Sanniang plead with Chen Mu for their lives, but their submission and bargaining fail.
• The Heaven Corpse and Human Corpse debate whether allying with the Dark-Moon Devil Lord is worth the danger, revealing different approaches to revenge and survival.
• Daoist Li’s final threat against Chen Mu’s clan establishes the next major conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Return to the City, Where Joy Awaited—Courtesy Name Anning”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Mu, A-Ning, Liu Qingluo, Qin Tieya, and the others return to Everlasting Prosperity Town after a dangerous journey. Along the way, Chen Mu kills several Water Ghosts, raising his Karmic Slaughter beyond 1,500 and bringing his cultivation close to another breakthrough.
• The city is unexpectedly decorated for a grand wedding rather than preparing for war. The celebration is for Commander Zhao Dong, who is supposedly taking Li Bingyan—the second daughter of the Li Residence—as a favored concubine.
• Chen Mu is shocked because he personally killed Li Bingyan and burned down the Red Chamber. He suspects that the woman identified as Li Bingyan may be an impostor or that a larger conspiracy is unfolding.
• He sends Liu Meng and several observant disciples to investigate the Li Residence.
• At the academy, Chen Mu settles A-Ning in his room and learns the truth about her identity and past.
• Qin Tieya reports that their master has reached Swallow Return Pass and will return soon. The master has ordered the academy to prepare for patrols outside the city.
• The chapter ends when Liu Meng returns and confirms that the woman marrying Zhao Dong is indeed the same Li Bingyan he remembers, leaving the mystery unresolved.

Character Developments

• Chen Mu: His strength and karmic points continue to rise, but he remains cautious about the political and supernatural dangers surrounding him. His suspicion deepens when Li Bingyan seemingly reappears. He also demonstrates tenderness and responsibility toward A-Ning, planning to secure a private residence and marry her once their master returns.
• A-Ning/Song Anning: She finally reveals her real identity. Her childhood name is Anning, her family name is Song, and she comes from Youzhou. Her father, a clerk in the Protector-General’s Office, was falsely imprisoned after a dispute with a superior; the family’s property was confiscated, and she became separated from her mother and younger brother while fleeing bandits. Her confession shows both her trust in Chen Mu and her fear of bringing him trouble.
• Qin Tieya: He remains a dependable senior brother, protecting the returning group and gathering information about the city’s situation. He also conveys the master’s instructions and notices Chen Mu’s unease.
• Liu Meng: He eagerly investigates the Li Residence and confirms Li Bingyan’s identity, becoming an important source of information.
• Liu Qingluo: She returns injured and is cared for by the group, though Qin Tieya attends to her while Chen Mu stays with A-Ning.
• Li Bingyan/Zhao Dong: Their impending marriage creates the chapter’s central mystery, since Li Bingyan should be dead while Zhao Dong’s public wedding suggests an organized deception or hidden survival.

Significant Themes

• Identity and secrecy: A-Ning’s hidden name and family history parallel the uncertainty surrounding Li Bingyan’s apparent return.
• Trust and intimacy: A-Ning confesses because Chen Mu has treated her with patience and acceptance. Their relationship grows from a practical arrangement into a genuine emotional bond.
• Political instability and danger: The city’s festive appearance masks deeper unrest involving military orders, powerful officials, the Protector-General’s Office, and the mysterious command token sent to Swallow Return Pass.
• Survival amid disorder: A-Ning’s family tragedy reflects how quickly ordinary people can be destroyed by official injustice, banditry, and social upheaval.
• Appearance versus reality: The city’s wedding celebrations conceal a disturbing mystery, while apparent peace at the border may merely signal more complicated developments.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Mu and A-Ning share an intimate conversation in which she reveals her origins and emotional burdens. He reassures her that he does not consider her a source of trouble and promises to marry her.
• Chen Mu gently cares for A-Ning, while Qin Tieya takes responsibility for the injured Liu Qingluo.
• Chen Mu and Qin Tieya discuss the city’s strange celebrations and the possible return of Li Bingyan.
• Chen Mu orders Liu Meng to investigate the Li Residence, and Liu Meng later confirms that the woman is unmistakably Li Bingyan.
• Chen Mu reflects on Qin Xiangjun, Youzhou, and the wider implications of the command token, suggesting that A-Ning’s past may eventually intersect with powerful figures and larger conflicts.

Chapter Summary: Tales of Returning Souls, Zhao Dong’s Sudden Death

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Meng reports that Li Bingyan, believed to be dead, has been seen alive leaving the Li Residence in a sedan chair. She is apparently about to marry Zhao Dong.
• Chen Mu and Qin Tieya decide to attend the wedding feast, recognizing that the event may conceal a larger mystery.
• Chen Mu returns alone to his old home in Rubble Ward to retrieve valuables and prepare to move into a new residence. He plans to improve A-Ning’s status and formally marry her once Liu Qingcang returns.
• At the old house, Chen Mu discovers that the well containing the corpses from his past killings has been disturbed. He burns the bodies and fills in the well to prevent future trouble.
• Chen encounters Old Wu, who claims that his dead daughter Xi’er has returned and intends to cook for her. Chen’s Heavenly Eye reveals a sinister ghostly aura around the old man, confirming that something supernatural has affected him.
• Chen connects Xi’er’s apparent return with Li Bingyan’s resurrection, realizing that the city is experiencing multiple cases of the dead “returning.”
• Chen visits Tiger Boy’s home and learns that Tiger Boy has taken up martial arts, joined an escort agency, and left the city on a job. Chen is pleased that his friend has begun building an independent future.
• Qin Tieya tells Chen about a desirable residence for sale near the yamen. The owner, Scholar Pan, supposedly plans to move south, though the reason for the sale remains uncertain.
• Before Chen can investigate further, Liu Meng arrives with shocking news: Zhao Dong has suddenly died, throwing the planned wedding into question.

Character Developments

• Chen Mu becomes increasingly cautious and suspicious as supernatural disturbances multiply. He remains practical, concealing evidence from his past while also planning a stable future with A-Ning.
• Chen Mu and A-Ning’s relationship advances toward marriage. Chen intends to secure her social status and provide her with safety before the worsening regional chaos reaches the city.
• Old Wu appears mentally broken by Xi’er’s death, but his claim that she has returned suggests possession or ghostly influence rather than genuine recovery.
• Tiger Boy shows meaningful growth by practicing the martial arts Chen gave him, leaving his dock job, and entering the escort profession.
• Liu Meng continues serving as an important source of urgent information, bringing news about both Li Bingyan and Zhao Dong.
• Qin Tieya supports Chen’s plans and helps search for a suitable home, demonstrating his concern for Chen’s personal welfare.

Significant Themes

• The return of the dead: Li Bingyan and Xi’er both appear to have returned after death, suggesting a spreading supernatural phenomenon.
• Hidden danger beneath ordinary life: Weddings, house purchases, and neighborhood routines conceal ghosts, murders, and unexplained deaths.
• The need for security amid chaos: Chen’s plans to marry A-Ning and obtain a safer home reflect the growing instability in the north and the threat of invasion and social disorder.
• The persistence of the past: The disturbed well symbolizes Chen’s violent history resurfacing, while Old Wu’s grief shows how unresolved death continues to haunt the living.
• Human ties and responsibility: Despite his increasing power, Chen remains concerned about A-Ning, Old Wu, and Tiger Boy, seeking to protect or aid those connected to him.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Mu and Liu Meng: Liu Meng’s eyewitness account convinces Chen that Li Bingyan’s survival is genuine—or at least convincing enough to demand investigation.
• Chen Mu and Qin Tieya: They discuss attending Zhao Dong’s wedding, then later consider purchasing Scholar Pan’s residence.
• Chen Mu and Old Wu: Their meeting reveals the most direct evidence of supernatural corruption. Chen confirms Old Wu’s strange condition but chooses not to confront him openly.
• Chen Mu and Tiger Boy: Though they do not meet, Chen learns that his guidance has helped Tiger Boy begin a new life.
• Chen Mu and A-Ning: A-Ning is absent, but Chen’s retrieval of her jewelry and plans for marriage emphasize his commitment to her.
• Chen Mu and Liu Meng at the conclusion: Liu Meng’s announcement that Zhao Dong is dead transforms the wedding from a spectacle into a possible supernatural crime or mystery.

Chapter Summary

• Zhao Dong is discovered dead, shocking Qin Tieya, Chen Mu, and Liu Meng. Given Zhao Dong’s high cultivation, military protection, and access to heavily armed troops, his assassination seems nearly impossible.
• Liu Meng explains that rumors began spreading from the East Gate Drill Ground. Zhao Dong and a woman from the Li family—identified as his lawful wife—were allegedly murdered in their private residence.
• Soldiers break into Zhao Dong’s home and find the entire household slaughtered, including servants, maids, and guard dogs. The victims were killed with extreme precision and brutality, while Zhao Dong and Lady Li were found in bed with their throats pierced through by a sword.
• The massacre throws the military camp and the city into panic. Zhao Dong’s death paralyzes the city’s defenses, government operations, armory access, and transport of military supplies, since all depended on his authority.
• Chen Mu and Qin Tieya leave the martial academy to investigate. Along the way, they witness frightened crowds gathering outside Zhao Dong’s residence.
• Zhao Zhendong, Zhao Dong’s fellow townsman and a Hundred-Captain, struggles with grief and fear, suspecting that whoever killed Zhao Dong may target others next. He orders the area secured and worries about a possible military mutiny.
• Wu Yue, another Hundred-Captain and head of patrols, remains unusually calm. He reports that the armory is secure and instructs Zhao Zhendong not to disturb the corpses or allow anyone inside until officials from Military Command arrive. His controlled behavior and hidden reaction suggest he may know more than he admits.
• Using his Divine Sense, Chen Mu confirms the presence of immense Blood Essence and lingering yin energy inside the residence. When he examines the bedroom, he is suddenly shocked by the identity of one of the dead women, ending the chapter on a major cliffhanger.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chen Mu shifts from skepticism to serious concern as he confirms the supernatural or highly unusual nature of the massacre. His Divine Sense makes him central to the investigation.
• Qin Tieya acts as Chen Mu’s trusted companion and immediately recognizes the political danger created by Zhao Dong’s death.
• Liu Meng provides the critical information, having organized the search for Li Bingyan and gathered reports from the disciples.
• Zhao Zhendong is portrayed as loyal but frightened, revealing his close bond with Zhao Dong and his anxiety over the consequences of the killing.
• Wu Yue contrasts sharply with Zhao Zhendong: he is calm, authoritative, and possibly suspicious. His exchange with Zhao Zhendong hints at concealed motives or knowledge.
• Chen Mu’s final reaction implies that the identity of the supposed victim—or the connection to Li Bingyan and her Returning Soul—may not be what everyone believes.

Significant Themes

• Panic and social collapse: The unexplained murder of a powerful commander destabilizes the entire city.
• Power and authority: Zhao Dong’s death exposes how dependent the military, government, armory, and transport systems are on one individual.
• Mystery and deception: Conflicting rumors, supernatural signs, hidden motives, and the unclear identity of the victim create an atmosphere of conspiracy.
• Loyalty and fear: Zhao Zhendong’s grief and fear show how Zhao Dong’s death affects those bound to him through military brotherhood and shared secrets.
• The supernatural: The overwhelming Blood Essence and yin energy suggest that the massacre may involve forces beyond an ordinary assassination.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Mu and Qin Tieya investigate the disturbance at Zhao Dong’s residence and discover two corpses: Zhao Dong and a woman initially believed to be Lady Li.
• Through his Divine Sense, Chen Mu realizes the woman is actually Li Bingyan, whose body has been inhabited by a Skin-Painting Ghost. Her face appears intact, but her skin has been sewn onto a skull.
• This creates a disturbing contradiction: the Skin-Painting Ghost posing as Li Bingyan is dead inside Zhao Dong’s residence, while another “Li Bingyan” is still alive and preparing to marry the next day.
• Chen Mu suspects the Li family knew that the woman who returned was no longer human and may be involved in a larger conspiracy targeting Everlasting Prosperity Town.
• Rather than investigate the heavily guarded Zhao Residence, Chen Mu and Qin Tieya return to the Azure Dragon Martial Academy to strengthen its defenses.
• Liu Meng is ordered to monitor the Li Residence from a distance, while Qin Tieya sends people to investigate the army and government offices.
• With the city thrown into chaos and its defenses weakened, Chen Mu decides to use the waiting period to improve his cultivation.
• He combines the Yin Extremity Profound Baleful Art with Wei Chen’s Crimson Blood Blazing Sun Art, spending 1,000 Karmic Slaughter points to create the new Profound Grade Mid-Tier technique, the Heaven-Earth Infinite Art.
• The fusion causes an agonizing transformation: yin and yang true qi clash within Chen Mu’s body, while his Blood Essence surges and his physical body begins to strengthen dramatically.

Character Developments

• Chen Mu remains cautious and analytical, relying on Divine Sense to uncover the ghost’s disguise. He recognizes that the incident is likely part of a broader scheme rather than an isolated murder.
• His priorities shift from personal plans, such as purchasing a residence, toward protecting A-Ning and securing the martial academy during the city’s instability.
• Chen Mu also takes a major step forward in cultivation by successfully fusing two opposing internal arts into the Heaven-Earth Infinite Art.
• Qin Tieya demonstrates strong trust in Chen Mu’s judgment and immediately helps organize investigations and defensive preparations.
• Liu Meng is given greater responsibility as an intelligence gatherer, while Liu Qingluo, though still recovering from earlier trauma, is stable enough to participate in the academy’s discussions.
• A-Ning remains under Chen Mu’s protection and safely sleeps at the academy while the crisis unfolds.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The Skin-Painting Ghost embodies the danger of judging identity by outward appearance.
• Hidden conspiracies and social disorder: A wedding celebration turning into a murder scene suggests that unseen forces are exploiting the city’s political and military weaknesses.
• Caution amid uncertainty: Chen Mu avoids reckless investigation, recognizing that the truth is unclear and that exposing his abilities could create further danger.
• Yin and yang, destruction and transformation: The fusion of two contradictory cultivation arts reflects the chapter’s title. When yin reaches its limit, yang emerges, producing both danger and new power.
• Protection and responsibility: Chen Mu places the safety of A-Ning and the martial academy above personal advancement or comfort, even while continuing to cultivate.

Character Interactions

• Chen Mu and Qin Tieya discuss the corpses and the possibility of a Skin-Painting Ghost; Qin Tieya is shocked but accepts Chen Mu’s conclusion.
• Chen Mu questions Liu Qingluo about Li Bingyan, though she has little useful information because she barely knew the woman.
• Chen Mu gives Liu Meng explicit surveillance orders, emphasizing distance and caution.
• Qin Tieya coordinates with military and government contacts to determine whether the city’s authorities are compromised.
• Chen Mu protects A-Ning by keeping her at the martial academy and personally checks that she is asleep before beginning his cultivation breakthrough.

Chapter Summary: “Strength Soars, Body Tempering Reaches Great Completion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Mu successfully fuses yin and yang true qi through the Heaven-Earth Infinite Art, despite the intense pain caused by the conflicting energies tearing apart and reshaping his body.
• His cultivation rapidly advances from the third level to the seventh level of Qi Accumulation, increasing his true qi to twenty-one strands.
• His blood essence rises dramatically to 16,200, but his body initially struggles to withstand the sudden growth, with blood leaking from his skin and his muscles swelling dangerously.
• Chen Mu spends all 850 Karmic Slaughter to refine and fuse his body-tempering techniques. He comprehends the Yellow Grade High-Tier Golden Bell Iron Cloth Shirt, reaching Mastery immediately.
• The new martial art stabilizes and strengthens his body, preventing his rapidly increasing blood essence from tearing him apart.
• Chen Mu tests the Heaven-Earth Infinite Art and discovers that even a tiny amount of his yin-yang true qi can simultaneously burn and freeze objects, while a breath of qi can reduce a wooden table to dust.
• Confident in his new strength, he believes he could defeat Daoist Li with a single palm strike and plans to investigate the mysterious Li Bingyan at the Li Residence.
• Before he can finish stabilizing his cultivation, an intruder enters the courtyard. Chen Mu detects the person with Divine Sense, gives chase, and pursues him across the street using Eight-Step Chasing Cicada.

Character Development

• Chen Mu becomes significantly stronger and more confident. His successful cultivation breakthrough proves that he can control and combine the previously conflicting yin and yang energies.
• His physical body undergoes a major transformation, becoming far more resilient through the Golden Bell Iron Cloth Shirt.
• His attitude toward Daoist Li changes from cautious concern to complete confidence, as he now believes his Heaven-Earth Infinite Art gives him overwhelming offensive power.
• Chen Mu also demonstrates greater vigilance and decisiveness by immediately detecting and pursuing the mysterious intruder.

Significant Themes

• Power through balance: The chapter emphasizes the successful harmony of yin and yang rather than the destruction of one force by the other.
• The cost of rapid advancement: Chen Mu’s enormous gains nearly destroy his body, showing that cultivation power must be matched by physical strength.
• Transformation and refinement: The fusion of martial arts and true qi represents Chen Mu’s continued evolution toward a more complete and versatile fighting style.
• Confidence versus danger: Although Chen Mu reaches a new level of power, the sudden intrusion reminds him that hidden threats remain.
• Preparation for confrontation: His breakthroughs directly prepare him for future conflicts involving Daoist Li and the Li Residence.

Character Interactions

• Chen Mu has no direct conversation with other major characters in the chapter, but his thoughts remain focused on Daoist Li and Li Bingyan, whom he intends to investigate.
• He encounters an unidentified intruder in his courtyard. After their eyes meet, the stranger flees, and Chen Mu immediately pursues him, setting up the next confrontation.

Chapter Summary: Night Raid on the Military Camp, Spies of the Military Command

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Mu pursues a mysterious man in black across the city after the man infiltrates the martial arts school at night.
• The fugitive, Jia Qi, demonstrates extensive knowledge of the city and the military camp, eventually slipping through a gap in the camp’s defenses.
• Chen Mu follows him into the camp using his Ghost-Shadow Step and secretly listens outside a barracks.
• Jia Qi reports to “Zhao Dong,” revealing that he failed to deliver a sealed letter because Chen Mu discovered him.
• Chen Mu realizes that the Zhao Dong who supposedly died earlier was only a substitute. The real Zhao Dong had faked his death and planned to escape north and return to the Beiliang Military Prefecture.
• Zhao Dong is exposed as a spy planted by the Military Command, with Jia Qi and likely other agents serving under him. His position in Everlasting Prosperity Town allowed him to monitor important routes and gather intelligence.
• Zhao Dong senses Chen Mu listening and forces him to reveal himself. He then displays Blood Essence taking physical form, proving that he has reached the Blood Exchange, or Innate, Realm.
• Rather than flee, Chen Mu enters openly and confronts Zhao Dong. Their conversation reveals mutual recognition of each other’s hidden abilities.
• Zhao Dong offers Chen Mu a dangerous assignment, originally intended for Liu Qingcang, involving the sealed letter and military intelligence.

Character Developments

• Chen Mu: Demonstrates superior pursuit skills, caution, investigative ability, and confidence. He correctly deduces Zhao Dong’s fake death and infiltrates a military camp without detection. Although shocked by Zhao Dong’s true cultivation, he remains composed and confronts him directly.
• Zhao Dong: Is revealed to be far more capable and important than previously believed. He is not merely a corrupt local commander but a Military Command operative and an Innate Realm expert. His apparent greed and conflicts with the Red Whale Gang may have been deliberate cover.
• Jia Qi: Identified as one of Zhao Dong’s Military Command spies. He is skilled in lightness techniques but clearly fears Zhao Dong and feels responsible for failing his mission.
• Liu Qingcang: Though absent, his importance is emphasized through Zhao Dong’s comparison of Chen Mu’s abilities with those of his master and through the assignment Zhao Dong originally planned to give him.

Significant Themes

• Deception and hidden identities: Zhao Dong’s fake death and use of a double reveal how appearances can conceal larger political schemes.
• Espionage and military strategy: The chapter expands the conflict beyond local martial rivalries into organized intelligence operations involving the Military Command.
• Power concealed beneath appearances: Both Chen Mu and Zhao Dong have hidden their true strength, creating a confrontation between two people who have underestimated one another.
• Loyalty and duty: Jia Qi’s obedience and Zhao Dong’s mission emphasize the discipline and danger of military espionage.
• Moral and political ambiguity: Zhao Dong’s motives remain unclear, especially because he previously issued the Blood-Character Order against Chen Mu’s group despite serving a larger military organization.

Character Interactions

• Chen Mu and Jia Qi engage in a prolonged pursuit, with Chen Mu gradually overpowering him through superior explosive speed.
• Jia Qi reports his failure to Zhao Dong and identifies Chen Mu as Liu Qingcang’s youngest disciple.
• Zhao Dong and Chen Mu exchange veiled accusations and compliments, each acknowledging the other’s concealed strength.
• Zhao Dong reveals that he has been observing Chen Mu since their earlier meeting in Rubble Ward.
• The chapter ends with Zhao Dong proposing that Chen Mu undertake a potentially fatal mission in place of Liu Qingcang, setting up a major new conflict.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Mu meets Zhao Dong, who has faked his death and is secretly preparing to leave the city.
• Zhao Dong reveals that the Azure Dragon Martial Academy and the Beiliang Military Prefecture share a common origin. Their founder, Liu Yunji, became an Elixir Realm grandmaster after slaying a Flood Dragon and later left behind two separate lineages.
• The two branches developed different inheritances:
  • The Azure Dragon Martial Academy preserved the Azure Dragon Body Tempering Art.
  • The Military Prefecture preserved the Azure Dragon Seven Slaughter Fist.
• The two lineages have recently become hostile because rumors claim that combining their inheritances is the key to reaching the Elixir Realm.
• Zhao Dong explains that members of the Military Prefecture’s Azure Dragon remnant lineage are plotting against Liu Qingcang and the academy to seize the Body Tempering Art and reunite the two traditions.
• More seriously, certain Military Prefecture figures have allied with the Demon Sect. They plan to exploit the coming northern war and attack Everlasting Prosperity Town, capturing Liu Qingcang amid the chaos.
• The ghosts and suspicious figures active in the city are identified as Demon Sect vanguards preparing for the larger operation.
• Zhao Dong intends to return north to report the conspiracy and lead troops against the northern threat, but he cannot openly reveal his strength without attracting pursuit.
• He asks Chen Mu and the Azure Dragon Martial Academy to eliminate the Demon Sect’s hidden bases in and around the city and delay the enemy until reinforcements arrive.
• Chen Mu initially doubts Zhao Dong, suspecting that he may be manipulating the academy into fighting his political enemies. After Zhao Dong explains the broader military situation and speaks openly about the coming war, Chen Mu accepts the mission.
• Zhao Dong gives Chen Mu a map of nearby Demon Sect intelligence bases and urges him to act quickly and destroy them completely.

Character Developments

• Chen Mu demonstrates caution and political awareness. Although shocked by the revelations about his martial academy, he does not blindly accept Zhao Dong’s claims and challenges him about his identity and motives.
• Chen Mu’s loyalty to the academy becomes clear: because it has aided and sheltered him, he considers himself one of its members and agrees to defend it despite the danger.
• Zhao Dong is revealed to be an undercover agent of the Military Prefecture rather than a simple military official or political conspirator. His false death was intended to conceal his movements and prevent enemies from tracking him.
• Zhao Dong recognizes Chen Mu’s composure and independent judgment, praising him for not being dazzled by the promise of an Elixir Realm cultivation method.
• Liu Qingcang remains an important target and potential victim, though he does not appear directly in the chapter.

Significant Themes

• Hidden histories and divided inheritances: The academy’s origins are tied to a larger military legacy, and old ideological divisions have created present-day conflict.
• Power and ambition: The rumored path to the Elixir Realm motivates betrayal, factional struggle, and attempts to seize forbidden or incomplete knowledge.
• Trust and skepticism: Chen Mu must decide whether Zhao Dong is genuinely warning him or manipulating the academy. His willingness to investigate rather than trust blindly emphasizes the importance of discernment.
• Duty and loyalty: Chen Mu accepts the mission because of his bond with the academy, showing that personal allegiance can outweigh fear and political uncertainty.
• War and internal betrayal: The coming northern invasion creates an opportunity for the Demon Sect and corrupt military figures to strike from within, suggesting that the greatest danger may come from divided loyalties rather than an external enemy alone.

Character Interactions

• Chen Mu and Zhao Dong engage in a tense but controlled conversation. Zhao Dong’s display of Innate-level power establishes his authority, while Chen Mu responds cautiously instead of showing fear.
• Zhao Dong gradually reveals increasingly serious secrets, testing Chen Mu’s judgment and drawing him into the crisis.
• Chen Mu repeatedly questions Zhao Dong’s identity and motives, forcing Zhao Dong to clarify his connection to the Military Prefecture and the Demon Sect conspiracy.
• Their exchange ends with mutual recognition: Zhao Dong gains confidence in Chen Mu’s reliability, while Chen Mu accepts the mission and receives the intelligence needed to begin the counterattack.

Key plot points and events

• Zhao Dong gives Chen Mu a map marking three nearby threats: the Mangdang Mountains, Azure Sun Temple, and Dongyang Mountain.
• The Mangdang Mountains are ruled by a powerful tiger demon known as the Mangdang Mountain Lord. Past military campaigns failed to kill it, and Zhao suspects the Demon Sect plans to provoke its beasts into attacking Everlasting Prosperity Town.
• Zhao reveals that the Azure Sun Temple is a stronghold of the Yin-Yang Demon Church, a brutal branch of the Demon Sect that uses blood sacrifices and conspires with demons.
• Dongyang Mountain is also dangerous: its ridges shelter demons, ghosts, heretical cultivators, and possibly Northern Barbarian agents. Its proximity to the town’s important land and water routes makes the town strategically valuable.
• Zhao plans to head north and report the threat to the Military Command. Until a commander arrives, Wu Yue will oversee the town. Chen’s academy may fill an open patrol post, giving its fighters grounds to hunt bandits and demons.
• Chen returns to the academy with the map and intends to report to Qin Tieya and his master. He learns that Qin has just captured one of the fiends.
• After Chen leaves, Zhao’s wife reveals that she is a Demon Suppression Bureau spy. Zhao explains that he is also a covert agent, but believes the Military Command—not the Bureau—is the force the north can rely on.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Mu moves from surprise to grave understanding as Zhao explains the scale of the danger. He asks practical questions, accepts the warning, and prepares to alert his academy.
• Zhao Dong proves to be a guarded, experienced intelligence operative. He entrusts Chen with sensitive information but cautions him against rushing into the Demon Sect’s stronghold.
• Zhao’s wife questions why he withheld his identity from Chen and whether he is following Qin Xiangjun’s instructions. Their exchange exposes Zhao’s divided loyalties and his distrust of the Bureau’s influence in the north.
• Qin Tieya’s capture suggests the academy is already taking action against the local fiends, though the details are left for the next chapter.

Significant themes

• The danger of human schemes: Zhao argues that human ambition and cruelty can be more destructive than monsters.
• Conspiracy and divided loyalties: Hidden identities, spies, and competing institutions shape the response to the crisis.
• Strategic vulnerability: Everlasting Prosperity Town’s transport links make it a target whose fall could endanger the wider region.
• Escalating threats: Demons, the Demon Sect, and Northern Barbarians may be converging on the same town, raising the stakes beyond ordinary bandit or monster attacks.

Chapter Summary: “Joyful Bodhisattva, Hunting Demonfolk”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Tieya captures a demonfolk spy hiding outside Azure Dragon Martial Academy. Under interrogation, the spy reveals that he belongs to the Demon Sect and was sent to watch the academy by someone called the “Joyful Bodhisattva.”
• Chen Mu and Qin Tieya discuss the threat privately. Chen Mu reveals that Zhao Dong is still alive and gives Qin Tieya a detailed military map of the city’s strongholds, along with the secrets Zhao Dong disclosed.
• Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Qin Tieya decides that the academy should begin sweeping the city for Demon Sect members while awaiting Liu Qingcang’s return. Liu Qingcang will ultimately decide how to handle the larger conspiracy.
• Chen Mu spends a quiet night watching over A-Ning as she sleeps. She dreams of her parents and instinctively clings to him, creating a brief moment of warmth before the coming turmoil.
• The next morning, Chen Mu and Qin Tieya dispatch academy disciples throughout the city to investigate the Joyful Bodhisattva.
• Chen Mu visits the garrison office to seek official intelligence. He meets Wu Yue, who is temporarily managing the city after Zhao Dong’s departure.
• Chen Mu asks about the Joyful Bodhisattva and the disappearance of Li Bingyan. Wu Yue orders the coroner and a list of recent deaths to be brought in, implying that the corpses may reveal a connection to the Demon Sect.
• Wu Yue also asks Chen Mu whom the academy will assign to help manage patrols and city affairs while Zhao Dong is away.

Character Developments

• Chen Mu becomes increasingly responsible and strategic. Rather than acting impulsively, he shares intelligence with Qin Tieya, organizes a citywide investigation, and seeks cooperation from the authorities.
• Qin Tieya proves capable and dependable. Though his movement skills are inferior to Chen Mu’s, he successfully captures and interrogates a demonfolk spy and helps coordinate the academy’s response.
• A-Ning remains emotionally vulnerable after her traumatic experiences. Her dream about her parents and her instinctive reliance on Chen Mu show the growing trust and attachment between them.
• Wu Yue is revealed as pragmatic and politically perceptive. Though corrupt and willing to accept bribes, he is efficient, keeps his promises, and understands the importance of working with Chen Mu and the martial academy.
• Zhao Dong’s influence continues despite his staged death. His hidden arrangements and apparent trust in Wu Yue shape the city’s administration and the investigation.
• Liu Qingcang’s importance is emphasized: both the academy and Wu Yue view his imminent return as a major source of security and authority.

Significant Themes

• Impending turmoil: The peaceful night with A-Ning contrasts with the rapidly approaching conflict involving the Demon Sect.
• Cooperation amid danger: The martial academy and government must work together despite differences in status, morality, and past dealings.
• Hidden identities and conspiracies: Zhao Dong’s survival, Wu Yue’s possible military affiliation, and the Joyful Bodhisattva’s influence reveal that appearances cannot be trusted.
• Responsibility versus personal attachment: Chen Mu cares deeply for A-Ning but forces himself to remain focused on the wider threat.
• Pragmatism over morality: Wu Yue is not portrayed as virtuous, yet his effectiveness makes him a useful ally, suggesting that results matter greatly in a crisis.

Character Interactions

• Qin Tieya informs Chen Mu about the captured spy and collaborates with him on the academy’s response.
• Chen Mu entrusts Qin Tieya with Zhao Dong’s secrets and the military map, showing growing confidence in his senior brother.
• Chen Mu comforts A-Ning silently as she sleeps, reinforcing their developing bond.
• Chen Mu asks Liu Qingluo to care for A-Ning while he investigates the Demon Sect.
• Chen Mu and Wu Yue speak as practical equals, using candid conversation rather than formal ceremony.
• Wu Yue acknowledges Chen Mu’s connection to Zhao Dong’s secret mission and offers governmental assistance.
• Their conversation ends with Wu Yue attempting to involve the academy directly in city patrols, setting up a further alliance between the two forces.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wu Yue explains that Chen Mu and Qin Tieya cannot formally command military troops because of their backgrounds and Chen Mu’s low social status. Qin Tieya is assigned to lead a hundred-man patrol unit outside the city, while Chen Mu remains behind to investigate demonic activity.
• Wu Yue gives Qin Tieya a Black Iron Token, allowing him to mobilize one hundred armored soldiers before the new garrison commander arrives.
• Chen Mu is temporarily placed in charge of the Patrol Office’s duties, including suppressing thieves and preventing fires. Wu Yue promises to seek credit for him if he performs well, possibly helping him gain official status or enter the army.
• Chen Mu uses the opportunity to raise the issue of his lowly status. Wu Yue agrees to report it to his superiors, suggesting that meritorious service may eventually allow Chen Mu to shed that status.
• Coroner Zhou presents records of thirty-two recent deaths across the city. The victims came from wealthy families and died under bizarre circumstances: men died with unnatural smiles and drained vitality, while women often had their faces expertly skinned.
• Chen Mu identifies a pattern: the targeted households had recently held weddings, married off daughters, or taken concubines. Some families were completely wiped out, while others lost only their women or had their male heads disappear. Several surviving women had become mentally vacant.
• Wu Yue reveals that the “Joyful Bodhisattva” is not one individual but an elite branch of the demonic sects, descended from the Yin-Yang Demon Sect. Its members cultivate through harvesting women’s Primordial Yin, use skinning and face-changing techniques, and can disguise their gender and aura.
• Wu Yue orders the Patrol Office to assist Chen Mu. Chen Mu gathers nearly thirty people, including Liu Meng’s martial artists and Lü Liang’s constables.
• The constables initially mock Chen Mu and question his authority. Chen Mu suppresses them with his powerful aura and threatens death to anyone who disobeys.
• He orders the men to secretly compile a list of every household that has recently held a wedding celebration, establishing the first step in tracking the demonic practitioners.

Character Developments

• Chen Mu demonstrates political awareness by turning Wu Yue’s vague promise of credit into a possible path toward official recognition. He also shows increasing decisiveness and authority, refusing to tolerate incompetence when lives are at stake.
• His concern for A-Ning strengthens his personal motivation. The Joyful Bodhisattva’s habit of targeting beautiful women makes Chen Mu fear for her safety and intensifies his determination to destroy them.
• Wu Yue acts as a pragmatic administrator. He delegates military and investigative responsibilities while offering Chen Mu limited but useful support.
• Qin Tieya is entrusted with a dangerous scouting and patrol assignment outside the city, establishing him as the martial academy’s field commander for the operation.
• Lü Liang and the Patrol Office personnel are revealed to be complacent and disrespectful toward outsiders. Chen Mu’s display of strength forces them to recognize his authority.
• Coroner Zhou provides crucial evidence through his careful examination records, enabling Chen Mu and Wu Yue to identify the pattern behind the killings.

Significant Themes

• Authority versus social status: Chen Mu possesses considerable strength but lacks formal rank and hereditary military standing. The chapter shows how official identity and social position limit even powerful individuals.
• Merit as a path to advancement: Chen Mu’s opportunity to gain status depends on proving himself through dangerous service.
• Hidden demonic evil: The killings occur quietly among respectable households, showing how supernatural threats can infiltrate ordinary society while concealing their presence.
• Justice and personal protection: Chen Mu’s investigation is both an official duty and a personal mission, especially because A-Ning could become a target.
• Strength and leadership: Chen Mu earns obedience not through titles but by demonstrating overwhelming power and imposing strict discipline.

Character Interactions

• Chen Mu and Wu Yue negotiate responsibilities and benefits. Wu Yue assigns Chen Mu the unpleasant investigative work, while Chen Mu presses him for assistance with his status.
• Wu Yue and Qin Tieya are connected through the Black Iron Token, which grants Qin Tieya temporary authority over armored soldiers.
• Wu Yue and Coroner Zhou interact formally as Zhou submits the death records and Wu Yue investigates the evidence.
• Chen Mu and Lü Liang clash when Lü Liang questions Chen Mu’s authority. Chen Mu resolves the conflict by displaying his strength and issuing uncompromising orders.
• Chen Mu and his martial academy companions, including Liu Meng, are shown as a united group. They resent the constables’ disrespect and support Chen Mu’s leadership.
• By the end of the chapter, Chen Mu has transformed a reluctant and disorderly group into a frightened but obedient investigative force.

Chapter Summary: Night Visit to Pan Residence, the Scholar Weeps for His Daughter

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Mu returns to the martial hall and continues cultivating despite the demonfolk threat within the city and the military crisis beyond the pass.
• He condenses another strand of true qi but remains far from a breakthrough, recognizing that forcing his cultivation could damage his foundation.
• Chen Mu considers hunting demon beasts to obtain essence blood for medicinal baths using the Azure Dragon Body Tempering Art. Combined with his Karmic Slaughter ability, this could rapidly improve both his physique and internal cultivation.
• Liu Meng and Lü Liang return with reports of two disturbing cases:
  • Another household whose members were massacred after a wedding. The men were found smiling, the bride’s face had been flayed off, and even the children were tortured and killed.
  • Strange activity at Scholar Pan’s residence. Pan purchased paper servants and large quantities of spirit money, neighbors heard crying from inside, and the household then closed itself off.
• Chen Mu orders his men to monitor recently married or betrothed households, especially anyone involved in delivering or receiving brides.
• That night, Chen Mu, Liu Meng, and Lü Liang visit Pan Residence. Using Divine Sense, Chen Mu detects only one living person inside, along with a strong aura of death.
• He sends Liu Meng and Lü Liang to guard the exits before entering the residence alone.
• Chen Mu finds Scholar Pan attempting to feed medicinal soup to his daughter, Qiao Yun, whose corpse lies in a wedding robe with her face brutally flayed away.
• Chen Mu confronts Pan, telling him that keeping his daughter’s corpse exposed and refusing to bury her only prolongs her suffering.
• Pan, mentally broken by grief, mistakes Chen Mu for a bandit and says that his family and associates abandoned him. He offers Chen Mu his possessions—or even his life—so that he can reunite with his daughter.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Mu: Becomes increasingly aware of his vulnerability amid powerful enemies, but remains disciplined and pragmatic. He balances cultivation with investigation, uses his Divine Sense effectively, and takes command of the citywide response to the murders.
• Liu Meng and Lü Liang: Demonstrate greater diligence in gathering intelligence. Lü Liang, in particular, is now careful and respectful in reporting after earlier shortcomings, contributing an important clue about Pan Residence.
• Scholar Pan: Is revealed as a grieving, psychologically shattered father. Unable to accept Qiao Yun’s death, he hides her corpse and behaves as though she is still alive, blaming himself for bringing her back to the old residence.
• Qiao Yun: Although dead, she becomes central to the chapter as another apparent victim of the wedding-related killings. Her mutilated corpse reinforces the connection between her death and the wider pattern of murders.

3. Significant Themes

• Grief and the refusal to accept death: Scholar Pan’s treatment of Qiao Yun shows how unbearable sorrow can distort reality and prevent proper mourning.
• The brutality of the supernatural threat: The repeated massacres reveal a deliberate and horrifying pattern targeting newly married women and their families.
• Duty versus personal weakness: Chen Mu continues investigating and preparing for danger even while feeling that his own cultivation is insufficient.
• The limits of power and preparation: Chen Mu’s desire to strengthen himself through demon-beast essence reflects the escalating danger and the need to improve quickly without undermining his foundation.
• Death and proper burial: Chen Mu emphasizes that preserving Qiao Yun’s corpse is not an act of love but an extension of her suffering, highlighting the importance of letting the dead rest.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen Mu receives intelligence from Liu Meng and Lü Liang, then directs them to expand surveillance across the city.
• He commands both men to guard Pan Residence while he investigates inside.
• Chen Mu confronts Scholar Pan over his treatment of Qiao Yun, directly challenging Pan’s delusion and grief.
• Pan responds with resignation rather than resistance, revealing his despair, resentment toward those who abandoned him, and desire for death.