Recaps

Qin Geng arranged the handover of Abacus Song’s cart company while Abacus Song realized Third Master Cao’s men were watching him. At the Ye Residence, Xiao Wei struggled with the thought that Qin Geng might take his job, then approached him at lunch carrying food.

• Abacus Song promised Qin Geng a welcome feast and the keys and deeds to twenty new rickshaws, and Qin Geng told him to contact Li Gou if trouble arose.
• After Qin Geng left, Abacus Song spotted Third Master Cao’s men watching from the rooftops and hurried inside.
• Qin Geng tended Red Charcoal and handled the hard chores at the Ye Residence, making Xiao Wei doubt his plans to drive him away.
• Xiao Wei decided to leave the hiring decision to Master Ye, while Qin Geng noticed that he had been sighing.
• At lunch, Xiao Wei approached Qin Geng with a jug and a parcel of food.

Xiao Wei apologized to Qin Geng for trying to drive him away, believing he was competing for his hired-hand position. Master Ye let Xiao Wei keep the job and revealed that Qin Geng had not come to work as a hired hand, leaving Xiao Wei to wonder what Qin Geng was really there for.

• Xiao Wei brought Qin Geng wine and smoked pig's face, then confessed that he had feared Qin Geng would take his job and apologized for his schemes.
• Qin Geng accepted Xiao Wei's apology, saying he judged people by their deeds rather than their thoughts, and the two became brothers over their meal.
• Qin Geng left to report to Hongsheng Cart Company, while Xiao Wei went to speak with Master Ye.
• Master Ye told Xiao Wei that he had seen his laziness and tricks but allowed him to stay and ordered him to ask his father about the rules.
• Xiao Wei asked what would happen to Qin Geng, and Master Ye said Qin Geng had not come to be a hired hand and told Xiao Wei to ask his father why.

Qin Geng arrived at Hongsheng Cart Company to a firecracker welcome, where Abacus Song announced that Qin Geng would control South City and gifted him twenty new rickshaws. The drivers celebrated his rise, while Li Gou watched, realizing the gathering had been far bigger than he expected.

• Drivers from across Ping'an County Town gathered outside Hongsheng Cart Company as rumors spread that Qin Geng had killed the former South City boss.
• Abacus Song and Dragon King Society members greeted Qin Geng with firecrackers and showed him the new rickshaws.
• Abacus Song announced that Qin Geng had the final say over South City and gave him twenty rickshaws for its drivers to use.
• The drivers reacted with awe and excitement as Abacus Song and the Dragon King Society members bowed to Qin Geng.
• Xu Chun, Jin He, and Ma Laifu celebrated Qin Geng's success, while Li Gou reflected on how unexpectedly important his gathering had become.

Qin Geng took control of South City's cart trade and announced three rules that won the carriage drivers' support. The chapter ended with the drivers celebrating him as Fifth Master outside Hongsheng Cart Company.

• Qin Geng honored heaven, earth, and Xi Zhong before the carriage drivers and declared that South City would follow the trade's rules.
• Qin Geng set the company's cut at one tenth and threatened discipline and expulsion for anyone who stole from passengers or damaged the drivers' reputation.
• Qin Geng promised to stand up for drivers facing bullies, the Black Dogs, or stolen work, and called a meeting for the next day to divide twenty new carts and settle future rules.
• The carriage drivers cheered Qin Geng as Fifth Master while Abacus Song lit firecrackers outside Hongsheng Cart Company.

Abacus Song used a new rickshaw and three silver dollars to make Chuanzi accept blame for Liu Huzi’s death, shielding the Dragon King Society from confronting Qin Geng. The drivers left knowing Qin Geng had become the power behind South City’s rickshaw trade.

• Qin Geng left the cart company to bring food home to Master Zhu Xin.
• Abacus Song gave Chuanzi a new rickshaw and three silver dollars, insisting Liu Huzi’s grievance with him was settled.
• Chuanzi understood he was being paid to stay silent and take the blame, but thanked Abacus Song rather than risk his family’s safety.
• Xu Chun, Jin He, Ma Laifu, and the other old hands recalled how Boss Lin had once framed Qin Geng to protect himself.
• Abacus Song dismissed the crowd, while South City drivers celebrated the coming division of twenty rickshaws and drivers from other districts envied their better terms.

After becoming South City's Boss, Qin Geng visited Master Zhu Xin and asked for guidance on managing the carriage drivers under him. He explained his ambitions beyond making money, and Master Xin prepared to teach him everything he knew.

• Qin Geng told Master Zhu Xin that Abacus Song had made him South City's Boss and that he had deposited the hundred silver dollars for Master Xin's old age.
• Qin Geng fed Master Zhu Xin and asked how to manage the roughly three hundred carriage drivers under him.
• Qin Geng explained that he planned to take a thirty percent share to win the drivers' loyalty while earning money for his martial arts training and future ambitions.
• Master Zhu Xin approved Qin Geng's plan and advised that thirty percent balanced the drivers' interests, his expenses, and his larger goals.
• Qin Geng revealed that he wanted loyal followers, capable men who could rise higher, and a network of information through the carriage drivers.
• Master Zhu Xin praised Qin Geng's ambition and began preparing to teach him everything he had learned.

Master Zhu Xin advised Qin Geng on managing his carriage drivers through profit, kindness, and strict rules. Qin Geng left resolved to manage the accounts himself and apply the old man's guidance.

• Master Zhu Xin told Qin Geng to treat the thirty-percent cut as a favor the drivers could not demand.
• Master Zhu Xin advised Qin Geng to explain that two-thirds of the cut paid for his protection and leadership, while the rest went into a Benevolence Fund for the drivers and their families.
• Master Zhu Xin urged Qin Geng to enforce dues by using unattached drivers to report skimming and punishing confirmed offenders harshly.
• Master Zhu Xin warned Qin Geng to entrust the accounts only to himself or someone he trusted, and Qin Geng decided to manage them himself.
• Qin Geng stayed to hear Master Zhu Xin's stories, then quietly left after the old man fell asleep.

Qin Geng drove Li Zhizhen back to his clinic and discovered that his [Carriage Driver] experience surged while carrying the foreign doctor, warning him that Li harbored dangerous intentions. Li revealed that he considered Qin a promising recruit for a job involving old objects, but planned to wait until Qin grew stronger.

• Qin Geng met Li Zhizhen at Xun River Wharf and drove him toward the clinic.
• Li Zhizhen asked where he could find a skilled treasure appraiser, and Qin Geng directed him to Third Master Cao at Hengtong Pawnshop.
• Qin Geng noticed his [Carriage Driver] experience rising rapidly and inferred that Li Zhizhen posed a serious danger, though [Step-Sensing Danger] gave no warning.
• Qin Geng dropped Li Zhizhen at the clinic, where Li paid him with a Silver Sycee.
• Li Zhizhen watched Qin Geng leave and said he wanted someone who could fight and assess old objects, deciding Qin was a promising prospect once he reached Hidden Force.

Qin Geng reached level forty as a Carriage Driver and had to choose between advancing as a Way Cultivator or a Still Cultivator. Unsure which path to take, he asked Zheng Tonghe about higher-level trades and ended by seeking advice on how Carriage Drivers advanced beyond the Fourth Tier.

• Qin Geng noticed that some rickshaw pullers in Jinmen City's inner districts had reached higher levels and considered the potential of training a group of pullers.
• The Book of a Hundred Trades announced that Qin Geng's Carriage Driver trade had reached level forty and offered him the choice of Way Cultivator or Still Cultivator.
• Qin Geng decided to consult Zheng Tonghe at Hundred Herb Hall rather than travel back to Ping'an County Town to ask Shopkeeper Lu.
• Zheng Tonghe explained that some trades were much harder to advance in than others and said only about a dozen Jinmen City pullers had reached the Fourth Tier or higher.
• Qin Geng asked Zheng Tonghe whether diligence and insight were enough to advance a Carriage Driver beyond the Fourth Tier.

Qin Geng considered how the Carriage Driver trade’s paths of movement and steadfastness might shape his martial training, and his insight helped Zheng Tonghe break through a cultivation bottleneck. Zheng Tonghe advised Qin Geng that movement offered greater practical advantages, but Qin Geng had not yet chosen his path.

• Shopkeeper Zheng explained that cultivators could follow established paths while developing skills of their own.
• Qin Geng connected his Book of a Hundred Trades talents to his Xingyi Dragon and Tiger training and considered how different martial arts might unlock different talents.
• Qin Geng described the Carriage Driver paths as movement and steadfastness and asked Zheng Tonghe which suited martial training better.
• Zheng Tonghe praised Qin Geng’s insight, saying it had helped him see how to advance to another level.
• Zheng Tonghe weighed the paths and argued that movement could help Qin Geng escape tough opponents, armed forces, and uncanny techniques.

After weighing Shopkeeper Zheng’s advice, Qin Geng chose the Way Cultivator path and advanced from Carriage Driver. He unlocked the Supernatural Ability Divine Stride Guardian, underwent a powerful bodily transformation, and learned that more supernatural abilities awaited at higher levels.

• Shopkeeper Zheng explained the possible strengths and risks of the Way Cultivator and Still Cultivator paths, and Qin Geng decided the Way Cultivator best suited his need to survive.
• Qin Geng left Hundred Herb Hall, circled Tianjin’s inner city, and chose Way Cultivator through the Book of a Hundred Trades.
• The Book of a Hundred Trades advanced Qin Geng’s Carriage Driver profession to Way Cultivator Level 40 and transformed his former core talents into the Supernatural Ability Divine Stride Guardian.
• Qin Geng’s legs, spine, blood and qi, and digestion were strengthened as the new ability remade his body.
• The Book of a Hundred Trades listed Avert Calamity and Attract Good Fortune, Shrink the Earth to an Inch, and Heaven at the End of an Inch as abilities he could unlock at higher levels.

After gaining the [Way Cultivator] Supernatural Ability, Qin Geng raced across Tianjin and discovered that his instinctive mastery of movement might let him create his own footwork technique. He returned to Xu Jin's Shanty, saw his experience rise, and went outside to find the area packed with people.

• Qin Geng tested his new speed by racing through Tianjin's districts and counties before returning to Xu Jin's Shanty.
• Qin Geng realized that moving on foot had become instinctive and believed he could develop a footwork technique of his own, inspired by Sun Lutang's Eight Steps Chasing the Cicada.
• Qin Geng checked the Book of a Hundred Trades and saw that [Way Cultivator] had gained more than twenty experience points from his journey.
• Qin Geng decided to focus on organizing the newly acquired South City Carriage House territory.
• Qin Geng heard a crowd arriving outside and stepped out to find the open ground packed with people.

Qin Geng welcomed the new rickshaws and established his authority over the carriage drivers by promising his old companions ownership and control of valuable work. He proposed moving them into a shared courtyard after New Year, and Xu Chun said the men had already saved enough to pay for it themselves.

• Jin He presented Qin Geng with twenty new rickshaws and addressed him as “Fifth Master,” prompting Qin Geng to insist on the new hierarchy among his followers.
• Qin Geng gathered the men at Xu Jin's Shanty, took the seat of honor, and distributed one new rickshaw to each of his old companions.
• Qin Geng said the old rickshaws would be put under his name and that his own people would retain Xun River Wharf work and first claim on monthly household contracts.
• Qin Geng proposed renting a larger courtyard after New Year so the drivers could bring their families to live there.
• Xu Chun told Qin Geng that the men had saved enough from their recent work to rent the courtyard without his help.

Qin Geng appointed Xu Chun to collect dues from South City's carriage drivers and arranged for Li Gou to keep the accounts. The next day, he gathered the shanty bosses and independent drivers, announced that the South City Carriage House would charge thirty percent in dues, and warned them not to pay less.

• Qin Geng asked Xu Chun to manage the dues collected from South City's carriage drivers, explaining that Li Gou would record payments and debts.
• Xu Chun accepted the responsibility and vowed to protect the money and collect every debt.
• The next day, Qin Geng assembled South City's shanty bosses and independent carriage drivers at Xu Jin's Shanty.
• Qin Geng announced that the South City Carriage House would take thirty percent in dues instead of the previous sixty percent.
• Qin Geng warned that anyone who secretly paid less would face punishment, and the crowd fell silent.

Qin Geng secured the South City Carriage Drivers’ loyalty by explaining the thirty-percent share, promising protection, and establishing a Benevolence Fund with the remaining ten percent. After giving Li Gou money for his sick mother, he laid down strict rules, and the drivers pledged to follow him.

• Qin Geng told the shed bosses that he would take twenty percent of their earnings in return for protecting South City Carriage Drivers from bullies and thugs.
• Qin Geng said the remaining ten percent would fund help with weddings, funerals, illness, injuries, and holiday provisions.
• Qin Geng gave Li Gou a silver dollar from the Benevolence Fund and told him to get medicine for his sick mother at Hundred Herb Hall.
• Li Gou knelt and thanked Qin Geng, while the gathered drivers praised Qin Geng as a righteous man.
• Qin Geng warned the drivers against cheating or bringing shame on the Carriage House, and demonstrated his strength by breaking the table.
• The shed bosses and drivers promised to enforce Qin Geng’s rules and follow his lead, securing his foothold in South City.

Qin Geng visited the Su Residence to tell his aunt about his rise, but learned she was staying at Cold Mountain Temple to pray to a Child-Blessing Carp. After meeting House Guard Zhou, Qin Geng accepted his invitation to cross hands.

• Qin Geng trained at the Ye Residence, delivered Master Zhu Xin's meal, and gained eight points of Way Cultivator experience from the long walk.
• Qin Geng went to the Su Residence to visit Qin Xiu and found Wang He treating him deferentially as Fifth Master Qin.
• Wang He told Qin Geng that Qin Xiu had gone to Cold Mountain Temple to make offerings to its Child-Blessing Carp and would stay until after the Lantern Festival.
• Qin Geng encountered Zhou Yonghe and a disguised woman pulling an empty cart as he was leaving the Su Residence.
• Zhou Yonghe invited Qin Geng to cross hands, and Qin Geng agreed.

Qin Geng sparred with Zhou Yonghe, who recognized his Dragon Tendons and Tiger Bones and offered to take him as a disciple. After learning that Master Ye was already cultivating Qin Geng, Zhou Yonghe instead warned him that foreigners and others were searching Tianjin for his aunt’s switched heirloom, and urged him to publicly claim her family property to protect her.

• Qin Geng crossed hands with Zhou Yonghe, impressed him with his techniques, and stayed on his feet after Zhou Yonghe used Earth Dragon Turns Over to throw him.
• Zhou Yonghe offered to take Qin Geng as his disciple, but Qin Geng explained that he was being evaluated at the Ye Residence after Shopkeeper Lu recommended him.
• Zhou Yonghe recognized that Master Ye was feeding Qin Geng Blood Fare and decided not to interfere with his training, while allowing him to keep studying Xingyi Dragon and Tiger.
• Zhou Yonghe told Qin Geng that his aunt’s heirloom had been switched and that foreigners and others were searching Tianjin for the genuine article.
• Zhou Yonghe urged Qin Geng to make a public scene at the Su Residence over his aunt’s family property so people would learn she no longer had the heirloom and the danger would shift away from her.

On New Year’s Eve, Qin Geng kept Master Zhu Xin company and learned that greater martial training would require wealth and official connections. He trained through the holiday, received a force-control test and a restorative meal from Ye Lanzen, then discovered that swimming rapidly advanced his Way Cultivator profession and wondered whether river work could unlock a Water Cultivator class.

• Qin Geng spent New Year’s Eve with Master Zhu Xin, shared a meal and a bowl of liquor, and heard that higher-level martial resources required official status or a powerful backer.
• Qin Geng practiced his martial techniques in the courtyard, smashed a wooden stump with Tail Scissor, and gained Martial Artist experience.
• Qin Geng arrived at the Ye Residence on New Year’s Day, where Ye Lanzen ordered him to split elm knots with his fists so he could learn precise control of his force.
• Qin Geng ate a medicinal meal that he realized Ye Lanzen had prepared for him, then left the residence to practice swimming at Xun River Wharf.
• Qin Geng adapted to the river current, gained Way Cultivator experience, reached level forty-one, and wondered whether working as a fisherman or ferryman could unlock a Water Cultivator class.

Qin Geng learned the Fisherman trade on the Xun River and discovered that the Dragon King Society controlled local fishing. After helping the carriage drivers settle into a new courtyard, he reaffirmed the Benevolence Fund’s rules and won their trust.

• Qin Geng practiced fishing at Great Willow Shoal, learned that the Dragon King Society forced fishermen to sell their catches cheaply, and encountered Chuanzi on the river.
• Qin Geng sold his catch to the Fishery Enclosure and unlocked the Fisherman profession, which promised the Water Breathing talent at Level 10.
• Qin Geng spent the following days training as a fisherman and practicing his other skills while working at the Ye Residence and caring for Master Xin.
• Xu Chun, Jin He, and Ma Laifu showed Qin Geng a courtyard in Clothes-Washing Lane that the carriage drivers could rent as a new home, but Qin Geng declined to live there and kept a small room for visits.
• Li Gou returned three hundred coins left over from his mother’s medicine to the Benevolence Fund, and Qin Geng praised him and pledged to protect the fund and support the drivers’ families.

Qin Geng unlocked the Fisherman talent Water Breathing, then braved an underground route to retrieve three mysterious objects for Master Zhu Xin. After identifying them, Master Zhu Xin began explaining how they had brought disaster upon his family.

• Qin Geng refined his Bright Force by splitting an elm post cleanly, then went to Xun River Wharf, where Abacus Song suspected he was scouting the river for officials.
• Qin Geng trained in the Xun River until he reached Fisherman level 10 and unlocked Water Breathing.
• Qin Geng returned to town for Lantern Festival sweet rice balls, then told Master Zhu Xin he would retrieve the objects hidden beyond the well.
• Master Zhu Xin explained the underwater route, and Qin Geng used his new talent to reach a dry cave and recover three wooden boxes.
• Qin Geng brought the boxes back to Master Zhu Xin, who revealed a jade thumb ring, a small tripod cauldron, and a Bronze Lotus Throne, then began recounting their origins.

Qin Geng learned the histories of Master Zhu Xin’s three treasured heirlooms and promised to protect them before Master Zhu Xin died peacefully in his sleep. Qin Geng sought Lu Xingmin’s help to arrange an honorable funeral, and Ye Lanzen granted him leave and sent Xiao Wei to assist.

• Master Zhu Xin showed Qin Geng the Cloud-Pattern Jade Thumb Ring, the mysterious cauldron, and the Bronze Lotus Throne, recounting their histories and the Zhu family’s story.
• Qin Geng promised to guard the heirlooms and never sell them to Foreigners, and Master Zhu Xin entrusted the boxes to him.
• Master Zhu Xin died peacefully before dawn, and Qin Geng bowed to him and decided to arrange a grand funeral.
• Qin Geng asked Lu Xingmin for help and committed two hundred silver dollars to give Master Zhu Xin a dignified send-off.
• Qin Geng asked Ye Lanzen for three days off, and Ye Lanzen approved and assigned Xiao Wei to help with the funeral.

Qin Geng and Lu Xingmin arranged a proper funeral for Master Zhu Xin, following Tianjin’s burial customs and asking whether the funeral band could play “Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.” After Coroner Zhang confirmed that Master Zhu Xin had died peacefully of old age, Qin Geng washed and loosened his body before dressing him in burial clothes.

• Lu Xingmin explained Tianjin’s funeral customs, and Qin Geng asked if they could hire a band to play “Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.”
• Lu Xingmin explained that the prestigious tune was reserved for people of exceptional virtue or service, then suggested asking older musicians about Master Zhu Xin’s past.
• Xiao Wei returned with Coroner Zhang, who examined Master Zhu Xin and confirmed that he had died peacefully in his sleep.
• Lu Xingmin prepared hot water and incense, and Qin Geng washed Master Zhu Xin’s body and carefully loosened his stiff joints.
• Qin Geng and Lu Xingmin dressed Master Zhu Xin in a new silk burial outfit.

Qin Geng arranged Master Zhu Xin’s funeral with Lu Xingmin and learned that the old man had been a selfless hero who helped many people. As Qin Geng kept vigil through the night, Master Xin’s estranged relatives stayed away, but grateful neighbors and acquaintances began arriving at dawn.

• Lu Xingmin arranged an ice coffin and funeral preparations, while Qin Geng stayed beside Master Zhu Xin’s body.
• Suona Sun arrived, mourned his old friend, and revealed that Master Zhu Xin had fought the Foreigners and spent years helping orphans; he ordered his troupe to play the honored Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.
• Suona Sun privately asked Qin Geng about the well, and Qin Geng assured him that its mouth was sealed and no one would fall in again.
• Lu Xingmin explained Master Xin’s many good deeds and helped Qin Geng organize the funeral, while Qin Geng assigned Xu Chun, Jin He, Ma Laifu, and Li Gou to assist.
• Master Zhu Xin’s nephew and niece failed to appear for the night vigil, so Qin Geng kept watch alone until dawn, when grateful neighbors and acquaintances began arriving.

Qin Geng held an elaborate funeral for Master Zhu Xin, drawing support from Tianjin’s powerful figures and earning the public’s respect. Madam Cui arrived intending to seize the house, but Qin Geng forced her to kneel as a mourner while the funeral banquet continued.

• Lu Xingmin told Qin Geng he had found a burial site in Origin Mountain, and neighbors and people helped by Master Zhu Xin came to pay their respects.
• South City cart-stand foremen and prominent visitors, including Zheng Tonghe, Third Master Cao, and Daoist Miaoxuan, attended the mourning ceremony.
• Qin Geng placed Master Zhu Xin in a century-old Cypress Coffin, and Qi Hongsheng arrived to offer condolences.
• Ye Lanzen paid his respects and took the seat of honor, causing Abacus Song to conclude that Qin Geng was Ye Lanzen’s final disciple.
• Suona Sun performed “Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix,” and Madam Cui arrived with the House Guard and Black Dogs to claim the house.
• After seeing the assembled dignitaries, Madam Cui abandoned her claim and pretended to mourn; Qin Geng ordered her to kneel by the coffin while he returned to the banquet.

Qin Geng kept Madam Cui kneeling through the night, then prepared Master Zhu Xin’s funeral with Lu Xingmin. The grand procession left Ping'an County Town for Origin Mountain, establishing Master Zhu Xin’s charitable legacy and Qin Geng’s loyalty in the eyes of the town.

• Qin Geng forced Madam Cui to continue kneeling at the mourning hall while he kept vigil and practiced through the cold night.
• Lu Xingmin arranged eight experienced porters, a river route, a memorial portrait, and elaborate paper offerings for Master Zhu Xin’s funeral.
• Qin Geng ordered Madam Cui to carry Master Zhu Xin’s portrait, and Master Zhu Xin’s former beneficiaries arrived to mourn him.
• Qin Geng sealed the coffin and broke the Yin-Yang Basin before the Eight Great Bearers lifted the coffin and the Sun Family Troupe played “Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.”
• The funeral procession crossed Ping'an County Town amid a crowd of onlookers, who praised Master Zhu Xin’s generosity and Qin Geng’s loyalty.
• Qin Geng led the procession beyond the town toward the Seven Mountains of Tianjin, accompanying Master Zhu Xin to his final resting place.