Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Yang Xiao and Xu Qingshan accept the Heishui County Painted-Skin case, despite the disappearance of several Qi Gathering Realm Demon Suppression Guards.
• Xu explains that he chose the dangerous task because claiming the lead contribution on a Liquid Condensation Realm assignment would let him obtain a breakthrough cultivation technique quickly. He hopes Yang, near the peak of Qi Gathering, can take the lead while he provides support.
• Xu warns Yang that Painted-Skin Demons can wear victims’ faces, imitate their appearance and mannerisms, and conceal their Demonic Qi. They are most vulnerable to detection while changing skins, and the pair should trust no one until identities are confirmed.
• After traveling to Heishui County, they find its streets surprisingly lively despite the disappearances. At the yamen, Magistrate Chen recounts that young women have vanished every seven or eight days for two months, later found dead with their faces removed.
• Two Demon Suppression Guards also disappeared after separately pursuing clues. Yang and Xu suspect they were ambushed or deliberately lured away.
• As Yang asks whether anyone at the yamen has acted strangely, a runner arrives with news of another incident: someone has spotted traces of a “Straw-Cloak Ghost” by the river west of town.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Xiao accepts the mission and agrees to pursue the lead contribution. He remains alert, notices Xu’s concealed tension, and quickly recognizes the pattern behind the missing guards.
• Xu Qingshan reveals his personal motive for choosing the case: he wants the internal technique required to break through to Liquid Condensation. Though not a strong fighter, he pledges to support Yang and shares crucial knowledge about Painted-Skin Demons.
• Yang and Xu establish a cautious partnership, exchanging observations and agreeing—implicitly—to proceed carefully.
• Magistrate Chen appears exhausted and anxious, relieved that the Demon Suppression Division has arrived. He provides the case history but has no clear leads about the missing guards.

Significant themes

• Trust and deception: A demon able to copy faces makes appearances unreliable, and the warning to trust no one underscores the danger.
• Ambition and risk: Xu’s desire to advance his cultivation motivates him to accept a mission others avoid.
• Investigation amid uncertainty: Missing investigators, concealed demonic energy, and the new river clue suggest the case may involve more than a straightforward hunt.

Plot points

• At the County Yamen, Yang Xiao and Xu Qingshan suspect the sudden Demon Plague may be connected to their arrival. Yang investigates the river while Xu stays behind to review records and missing-person reports.
• At the mist-covered Black Water River, Head Constable Zhao Peng points Yang toward a body, then abruptly leaves. Yang finds several motionless, straw-cloaked figures fishing on the bank.
• The figures reveal themselves as waterlogged, demonic corpses and attack. Yang’s Qi Condensation Crystals tear them apart, but most regenerate from straw and palm-fiber stuffing.
• The last ghost, an early Liquid Condensation Realm enemy, also heals rapidly. Yang switches to his Spring Embroidery Saber: its Demon-Slaying Blade Technique severs the creature’s limbs and prevents its wounds from healing.
• The ghost claims its elder brother is a powerful River Inspection Envoy and offers Yang a cushy post in exchange for its life. Yang kills it anyway and collects its vital essence.
• Yang realizes Zhao lured him into an ambush and heads back to the County Yamen, intending to deal with the constable.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Xiao is alert to suspicious circumstances and quickly recognizes both the trap and the limits of his usual attacks. He adapts his tactics and remains unmoved by threats or bribery.
• Xu Qingshan shows caution and initiative, dividing the investigation so he can search official records for clues.
• Zhao Peng behaves suspiciously: he directs Yang to the ambush, then slips away. Yang concludes he deliberately betrayed him.
• The Straw-Cloak Ghost relies on regeneration, intimidation, and bribery, but underestimates Yang’s resolve and blade technique.
• Yang and Xu coordinate efficiently, while Yang’s confrontation with the ghost pits the Demon Suppression Division’s duty against alleged corruption among local officials.

Significant themes

• Corruption and complicity: The ghost’s claim that its brother is a high-ranking official hints at possible links between demons and the authorities.
• Adaptation and resolve: Yang overcomes the enemy by changing weapons and tactics rather than persisting with ineffective attacks.
• Deception and vigilance: The mist, the disguised corpses, and Zhao’s sudden departure all reinforce the danger of trusting appearances.
• Duty over self-interest: Yang rejects the ghost’s offer of comfort and status, choosing to kill a dangerous enemy instead.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Qingshan reviews case files and the missing-person register when a Heishui County Yamen Runner approaches. The runner quietly begins drawing his saber, but stops when Yang Xiao arrives.
• Yang reports that he killed the Straw-Cloak Ghost by the river. The runner praises him and leaves, though Xu and Yang remain wary.
• Xu suspects the Painted-Skin Demon is inside the County Yamen. He and Yang trace the disappearances: first young women, then working men, then guards and Yamen Runners, and finally Demon Suppression Guards Zhou An and Li Yueze.
• They conclude the demon has been growing stronger by taking victims’ skins, identities, and memories. It may have lured Zhou An using the face of someone he trusted.
• Xu believes the suspicious runner may already be a replacement; County Magistrate Chen Bonian’s status remains uncertain.
• Yang proposes baiting the demon by making Xu appear alone in the records room while Yang is visibly away. Xu agrees despite his fear.
• Later, a runner arrives at Xu’s door with hot tea, apparently taking the bait. The chapter ends before his intentions are revealed.

Character developments

• Xu Qingshan proves observant and analytical, piecing together the demon’s pattern. Though frightened by the plan, he accepts the risk.
• Yang Xiao is decisive and protective, turning their suspicions into a deliberate trap. His confidence suggests he is prepared to confront the demon directly.
• The Yamen Runner behaves politely but is strongly implied to be hostile or compromised: he nearly draws his saber on Xu and later appears at Xu’s door while Xu is alone.
• County Magistrate Chen Bonian remains an unresolved suspect.

Significant themes

• Predation and escalation: The demon targets increasingly capable victims as it grows stronger.
• Identity and deception: By taking skins and memories, it can impersonate trusted people and infiltrate institutions.
• Trust and vigilance: Courtesy and familiar faces offer no guarantee of safety.
• Courage despite fear: Xu acknowledges his fear but chooses to help expose the threat.

Character interactions

• Xu and Yang collaborate closely, sharing evidence and reasoning through the disappearances.
• Yang’s arrival interrupts the runner’s apparent attempt to attack Xu; afterward, both men conceal their suspicions behind polite conversation.
• Xu questions Yang’s plan to use him as bait, but ultimately agrees.
• The final encounter places Xu alone with a seemingly helpful runner, creating a tense cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: “The Bait”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xu Qingshan recognizes Yamen Runner Liu as the man who served tea in the County Yamen.
• Liu attempts to assassinate Xu by attacking his face with claw-like fingers. Xu reacts quickly, drawing his sword and severing Liu’s wrist.
• Liu reveals himself to be a Painted-Skin Ghost Clone, shedding his human skin and exposing a grotesque gray-green body with bone spikes and a monstrous face.
• The clone attacks Xu with unnatural, flexible movements. Although Xu possesses stronger spiritual cultivation at the Liquid Condensation Early Stage, his limited martial experience leaves him at a disadvantage.
• Yang Xiao suddenly enters through the window and attacks with his Spring Embroidery Saber. His Demon-Slaying Entry prevents the clone from regenerating.
• Yang kills the clone by severing its limbs and piercing its chest, but the creature warns that several people in the County Yamen have already been replaced.
• The clone’s corpse shrivels into lifeless skin, confirming that it was only a copy and contained no Inner Core.
• Xu and Yang realize that at least three people connected to the yamen—including Zhao Peng, another yamen runner, and Liu—may have been replaced. Since the demon has operated for three months, many more replacements are possible.
• They decide to remain awake and take turns guarding one another through the night.
• The next morning, they meet Magistrate Chen Bonian in the main hall. They are introduced to Assistant Magistrate Wang, an unfamiliar scholar-like official.
• Wang proposes sealing Heishui City’s gates to prevent the demon from escaping, arguing that trapping it is the best way to eliminate it.

Character Developments

• Xu Qingshan demonstrates sharp instincts and strong spiritual power by detecting Liu’s attack and defending himself. However, his weak martial techniques are exposed, forcing him to rely heavily on his cultivation and sword energy.
• Yang Xiao proves highly capable and decisive. His surprise attack and specialized demon-slaying saber technique severely damage the clone and prevent its regeneration.
• Xu Qingshan and Yang Xiao become more cautious and cooperative after learning that the yamen may be infiltrated. Their decision to keep watch shows their growing mistrust and awareness of the danger.
• Chen Bonian appears increasingly exhausted and worried, suggesting the crisis is placing great pressure on him.
• Assistant Magistrate Wang is introduced as calm, composed, and strategically minded, though his unfamiliarity and sudden proposal make him a potentially suspicious figure.

Significant Themes

• Deception and infiltration: The Painted-Skin Demon can replace people while concealing its identity, turning familiar allies into possible enemies.
• Trust and paranoia: Even officials confirmed to lack Demonic Qi cannot be fully trusted, since the presence of a clone does not reveal the extent of the demon’s replacements.
• Strength versus technique: Xu’s cultivation is impressive, but his lack of combat experience leaves him vulnerable, while Yang’s refined saber techniques allow him to defeat the clone efficiently.
• Hidden danger beneath appearances: Liu’s harmless yamen-runner identity conceals a monstrous creature, reinforcing the danger of judging people by their outward appearance.
• Containment versus pursuit: Wang’s suggestion to seal the city introduces a tactical dilemma: trapping the demon may prevent its escape, but it could also intensify the danger within the already compromised city.

Character Interactions

• Xu Qingshan and Yamen Runner Liu: Liu initially acts polite and helpful by offering tea, then abruptly attacks Xu and reveals his true identity.
• Xu Qingshan and Yang Xiao: Xu struggles against the clone until Yang intervenes. Xu reacts with surprise and relief, while Yang focuses entirely on eliminating the threat.
• Yang Xiao and the Painted-Skin Ghost Clone: Yang’s saber techniques overwhelm the clone, and his Demon-Slaying Entry blocks its regenerative abilities.
• Xu Qingshan and Yang Xiao after the fight: They discuss the clone’s warning and recognize that the County Yamen may be filled with infiltrators.
• Yang Xiao, Xu Qingshan, and Chen Bonian: Their tense meeting the next morning reflects the uncertainty surrounding the yamen’s officials.
• Assistant Magistrate Wang and the others: Wang presents the plan to seal the city, positioning himself as a strategic adviser while drawing attention because of his recent introduction and potentially suspicious presence.

Key plot points and events

• Assistant Magistrate Wang argues that Heishui County should seal its gates and search every household to stop the Painted-Skin Demon from escaping.
• Yang Xiao questions the disappearance of Zhao Peng, the guard who accompanied him to the river. He reveals that Zhao Peng was a puppet impersonating a human and that the demon had lured him into an ambush.
• Rather than immediately seal the city, Yang Xiao orders everyone in the County Yamen gathered in the main hall, reasoning that the demon may have infiltrated the compound and could escape amid the confusion.
• Detecting Demonic Qi near the inner courtyard, Yang Xiao leads Xu Qingshan and County Magistrate Chen toward the room where Chen’s ill wife is staying. He notices Wang’s reaction when Chen mentions her.
• As the others enter the room, Wang attacks Xu Qingshan with bone spikes. Yang Xiao intercepts him, cuts off his arm, and exposes him as a Painted-Skin Ghost Clone. His second strike badly wounds the demon, whose body withers into a sheet of skin.
• A powerful surge of Demonic Qi erupts from inside the wife’s room, suggesting a more dangerous threat remains.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Xiao demonstrates patience and keen observation, refusing to accept Wang’s seemingly sensible proposal at face value. He uses Zhao Peng’s disappearance, his own senses, and Wang’s subtle reactions to uncover the trap.
• Assistant Magistrate Wang shifts from urging a broad city search to revealing himself as a demon when he attacks Xu Qingshan. His apparent concern for public safety serves as a disguise.
• Chen Bonian initially weighs Wang’s proposal but cooperates with Yang Xiao, gathering the Yamen staff and allowing him to inspect his wife’s room.
• Xu Qingshan accompanies Yang Xiao into the courtyard and becomes Wang’s target, but Yang Xiao protects him.
• Yang Xiao’s exchanges with Chen are measured and purposeful; his restrained manner contrasts with Wang’s increasingly urgent insistence on sealing the city.

Significant themes

• Appearances and deception: The demon can imitate people convincingly, making ordinary appearance and scent unreliable.
• Caution over panic: Yang Xiao resists a sweeping lockdown until he has secured the County Yamen and identified the infiltrator.
• Observation and trust: Small behavioral clues—especially Wang’s reaction to Chen’s wife—help expose the hidden danger.
• Escalating threat: Defeating one demon clone does not end the danger; the eruption of Demonic Qi signals that a larger confrontation is imminent.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Xiao and Xu Qingshan confront the Painted-Skin Demon in the county magistrate’s residence. It has reached the Liquid Condensation Realm and reveals that its beautiful appearance is only a human-skin disguise.
• A maid is exposed as one of its clones and attacks Magistrate Chen Bonian. Xu Qingshan cuts the clone down, saving Chen.
• The demon shrieks, triggering more than twenty hidden Painted-Skin Ghosts throughout the County Yamen to shed their human disguises and surround the courtyard.
• Yang Xiao unleashes Qi Condensation Crystals, devastating the weaker ghosts. He then pursues the true demon as it tries to escape and slashes away half its body.
• The demon coils around Yang Xiao and begins stripping his skin, overpowering his Iron Cloth Technique. Yang Xiao stuns it with the Ape Demon skill’s roar, then cleaves it apart and destroys most of its remains with another crystal attack.
• Though it dies, the demon’s final fragment warns that someone behind the monsters will not let Yang Xiao go. It leaves behind dried skin, as the Straw-Cloak Ghost did.

Character developments

• Yang Xiao displays extraordinary progress: despite learning the cultivation art only the previous day, he uses abundant, highly refined Spirit Crystals with remarkable control. He is decisive under pressure, but the demon’s attack reveals that even his defenses have limits.
• Xu Qingshan protects Chen Bonian and is astonished by Yang Xiao’s talent. He serves as a capable ally, though Yang Xiao ultimately handles the main fight.
• Chen Bonian is reduced to terrified helplessness, unable even to speak, and depends on Xu Qingshan for protection.
• The Painted-Skin Demon is cunning as well as powerful: it sends clones to attack and tries to escape before resorting to a desperate attempt to replace Yang Xiao.

Significant themes

• Appearance and deception: Demons hide beneath human skin, making familiar faces and trusted surroundings dangerous.
• Talent and rapid growth: Yang Xiao’s sudden mastery of cultivation techniques astonishes even experienced allies.
• Escalating hidden threats: The demon’s final warning suggests the attacks are part of a broader scheme involving an unseen power.
• Vulnerability amid strength: Yang Xiao can overwhelm the enemy, but close combat exposes him to a frightening threat that his defensive technique cannot fully stop.

Character interactions

• Yang Xiao taunts the demon and takes the fight to it, while the demon mocks him as a “hound” of the Demon Suppression Division and threatens to wear his skin.
• Xu Qingshan shields Chen Bonian and kills the attacking maid-clone; Chen can only stammer his gratitude.
• Xu Qingshan’s amazement at Yang Xiao’s abilities underscores Yang Xiao’s exceptional advancement.
• The demon’s dying warning leaves Yang Xiao reflecting bitterly that, unlike his enemies, he seems to have no powerful figure backing him.

Plot points and events

• Yang Xiao kills the Painted-Skin Demon, whose final words suggest that a powerful figure stands behind it—just as the Straw-Cloak Ghost had claimed. Yang Xiao suspects Heishui County may be part of a larger scheme.
• He and Xu Qingshan discover a hidden alcove in the magistrate’s wife’s room containing the preserved skins of missing women, yamen staff, and two Demon Suppression Guards, including Zhou An.
• Magistrate Chen Bonian insists he did not know his wife was a fiend. The surviving yamen personnel are gathered, the dead are dealt with, and Chen says he will submit a formal self-accusation.
• Yang Xiao and Xu Qingshan return to Qingzhou with the case report and evidence. The Painted-Skin case is declared closed, though the enemies’ claim of having a backer remains unresolved.
• Yang Xiao receives first merit—600 points—for leading the fighting; Xu Qingshan receives 400. Yang Xiao is advised to apply for a Liquid Condensation Realm cultivation manual.
• As Yang Xiao departs, he sees several powerful captains confront Xu Qingshan. Their mocking remarks reveal that Xu is looked down upon within the collateral branch of the Xu Family.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Xiao remains alert to the wider threat and shows little sympathy for Chen, believing the magistrate cannot escape responsibility for the deaths under his watch.
• Xu Qingshan recognizes Yang Xiao’s decisive contribution and offers to partner with him on future missions. Their mutual respect and easy exchange mark a strengthening bond.
• Chen Bonian’s grief and guilt contrast with Yang Xiao’s judgment that his negligence carries responsibility.
• Xu Qingshan’s humiliation by the other captains exposes his difficult standing within his family, complicating the capable, cooperative image he showed during the mission.

Significant themes

• Responsibility and accountability: Ignorance does not erase Chen’s duty as magistrate.
• Trust and merit: Yang Xiao gives Xu credit for his support, while the official record recognizes their different contributions.
• A larger hidden conspiracy: Both demons’ references to a backer suggest the Heishui County case may be part of a broader threat.
• Status and exclusion: Xu’s treatment by fellow captains hints at family politics and the prejudice he faces.

Plot points and events

• Xu Qingshan is confronted by Xu Mingting and other direct-line Xu Family youths, who accuse him of taking credit for Yang Xiao’s work on their recent mission. Though they humiliate him, Qingshan stays silent because of the family’s hierarchy—and because their criticism has some truth.
• Yang Xiao arrives and challenges Xu Mingting to explain what he was saying. Mingting pretends he was merely catching up with a fellow family member, then tries to recruit Yang Xiao as an Xu Family Attendant.
• The offer includes protection, better accommodations, resources, safer missions, and a path to advancement. Yang Xiao refuses and leaves with Qingshan.
• Afterward, Yang Xiao exchanges Merit for the Myriad Rivers Return to the Sea Qi-Condensing Method, a manual for entering the Liquid Condensation Realm. Back at his courtyard, he begins studying how spiritual energy is compressed into Spirit Liquid and used to refill the Twelve Major Apertures.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Qingshan feels anger and shame at the Xu youths’ insults but remains restrained, reflecting his vulnerable position as a collateral-line member. Yang Xiao’s intervention gives him a way to leave the confrontation without having to answer them.
• Yang Xiao stays composed, stands up for Qingshan indirectly by confronting Mingting, and firmly rejects the family’s attempt to control him. He prioritizes independence and cultivation over comfort or connections.
• Xu Mingting shifts from contemptuous bullying toward Qingshan to exaggerated politeness toward Yang Xiao, revealing that his respect is driven by Yang Xiao’s strength and potential usefulness. After the rejection, he becomes resentful but decides not to act rashly.

Significant themes

• Family hierarchy and exploitation: The Xu Family’s direct-line members look down on collateral relatives and use status to intimidate them.
• Power, patronage, and independence: The Xu youths offer security and advancement in exchange for allegiance, but Yang Xiao refuses to trade autonomy for protection.
• Merit and genuine achievement: Qingshan’s reward is legitimate, yet the gap between his contribution and Yang Xiao’s makes him vulnerable to accusations of riding another’s success.
• Progress through discipline: The new cultivation method marks Yang Xiao’s next stage, which requires painstakingly compressing spiritual energy before building power again.

Key events

• Yang Xiao equips the Myriad Rivers Return to the Sea Qi-Condensing Method, instantly mastering it and gaining the blue trait Qi Sea Expansion, which doubles his reserves and improves endurance.
• After two hours of refining his spiritual energy into spirit liquid, he breaks through to the early liquid condensation stage, filling four apertures.
• He equips and absorbs the essence cores of the Straw-Cloak Ghost and Painted-Skin Demon. Their powers replenish his spirit liquid and grant:
  • Flesh Cloak (purple): greatly improved resilience and rapid healing, demonstrated when he cuts his wrist and watches it heal within moments.
  • Thousand Faces (blue): lets him copy the appearance and physique of people he has seen, briefly fooling demons’ senses. He successfully disguises himself as Xu Qingshan.
• The extra spirit liquid from the cores helps him break through again, reaching mid-stage liquid condensation with six apertures.
• As he prepares to leave, a new system feature activates: Fusion. Three traits of the same grade with compatible affinities can be combined into a trait one grade higher, though the result cannot be undone.

Character development and interactions

Yang Xiao’s confidence grows as his cultivation and abilities advance, but he remains alert to his weaknesses. Reflecting on how the Painted-Skin Demon injured him, he recognizes the need for a stronger body and more powerful offensive techniques. He sees Thousand Faces as a tool for infiltration and evasion, and imagines how useful demon impersonation could be—though he cannot yet imitate demons.
The chapter is largely focused on Yang Xiao’s solo cultivation and experimentation; his impersonation of Xu Qingshan is the main direct reference to another character.

Significant themes

• Power gained through disciplined cultivation and adaptation: Yang Xiao steadily turns new techniques and spoils into greater strength.
• Progress tempered by self-awareness: His breakthroughs do not erase his vulnerabilities, especially against stronger demons.
• Identity and deception: Thousand Faces offers new possibilities for disguise, reconnaissance, and infiltration.
• Escalating potential and risk: Trait fusion promises greater power, but its irreversible nature makes the choice of traits consequential.

Plot points and events

• Yang Xiao discovers that three prefixes of the same rank with matching or similar properties can be synthesized into one stronger prefix.
• He combines his collected prefixes, upgrading them into a more focused combat set:
  • Green: Rock Body and Shadow Hunter, improving defense, stability, speed, and stamina.
  • Blue: Mountain-Crushing Strength, a powerful close-combat technique, and Wind-Chasing Scent Tracking, which boosts tracking and mobility.
  • Purple: Demon-Slaying Crystal Edge, enhancing his saber and attacks against Demons, and Myriad Rivers Spirit Sea, greatly increasing his spiritual capacity, absorption, and endurance.
• Yang Xiao concludes that his refined abilities now cover close and ranged attacks, defense, recovery, tracking, disguise, and sustained combat.
• Xu Qingshan arrives with urgent news: hundreds of people were found dead along the Guanlan River, drained of blood and vital essence, and three merchant ships have disappeared. The Demon Suppression Division’s investigation points to Jiang Chen, the Guanlan Prefecture River Inspection Envoy, as being implicated.

Character developments

• Yang Xiao eagerly tests the new synthesis feature and turns his accumulated trophies into a deliberately balanced arsenal.
• Xu Qingshan is unusually grave and uneasy, signaling the seriousness of the river case.

Character interactions

• Yang Xiao welcomes Xu Qingshan into his courtyard, offers him tea, and asks for details.
• Xu recounts the evidence and the investigation’s startling lead, prompting Yang Xiao to recognize that the killings likely exceed an ordinary Demon’s abilities.

Significant themes

• Growth through refinement: Yang Xiao transforms individual gains into a stronger, coordinated set of abilities.
• Power carries purpose: His new capabilities are shaped around hunting Demons and surviving prolonged conflict.
• Corruption and hidden threats: The apparent connection between horrific deaths and a high-ranking official suggests danger within the authorities themselves.

Plot points and events

• Yang Xiao learns that Jiang Chen, Guanlan Prefecture’s River Inspection Envoy, secretly worked with the Guanlan River Dragon Lord to raise Water Demons, move corpses, and feed victims to the Dragon Lord. The scheme spanned hundreds of miles and more than a dozen counties.
• The conspiracy was exposed after a flood washed hundreds of victims’ bodies onto a riverbank. Jiang Chen escaped into the river with surviving demons.
• Guanlan’s Demon Suppression General, Pei Xuance, has sealed off the river with local forces. Qingzhou has been ordered to send reinforcements, and Yang Xiao’s team may be conscripted.
• Yang Xiao spends 500 Merit on the advanced Demon-Subduing Soul-Calming Saber, equips it, and instantly masters its three moves. The art can frighten demons, weaken their demonic defenses and healing, and strike at their souls. Testing it, Yang Xiao splits a stone and senses its power far exceeds his previous blade technique.
• Deputy General Zhou Zheng arrives with an immediate order for Yang Xiao to join the Guanlan mission. Yang Xiao accepts without hesitation and prepares to leave.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Xiao remains calm about the dangerous operation but is eager to go. He weighs the risks realistically, then prepares by acquiring a powerful new technique. His confidence in fighting demons grows.
• Xu Qingshan is anxious about the mission and hopes their assignments will be manageable. He admires Yang Xiao’s decisiveness and feels reassured when working alongside him; he bids him a sincere farewell.
• Zhou Zheng presents the conscription order firmly, then appears somewhat reassured by Yang Xiao’s readiness.
• Yang Xiao and Xu Qingshan discuss the case and likely deployment; later, Zhou Zheng personally informs Yang Xiao that departure is immediate.

Significant themes

• Corruption and institutional danger: A trusted court official’s collaboration with demons turns a local threat into a broad crisis.
• Preparation and measured ambition: Yang Xiao improves his abilities while recognizing that the river operation is beyond his current power to approach recklessly.
• Duty and courage: Despite the danger, Yang Xiao accepts the order promptly.
• Power against evil: The new saber art embodies both physical force and spiritual suppression, giving Yang Xiao a potential edge against demons.

Plot points and events

• After two days of travel, Yang Xiao and Zhou Zheng reach Guanlan Commandery, where Demon Suppression forces are preparing for a major battle against the Flood Dragon Lord.
• Zhou Zheng brings Yang Xiao and the other Qingzhou Captains to a temporary camp at Stone Spring Township, a quiet stretch of river with a shallow channel. He leaves them under Squad Leader Ye’s command.
• Ye explains that their post is expected to be relatively safe: the flood dragon is unlikely to reach the shallow channel, though lesser river demons may try to break through. In return for following orders, the Captains will receive substantial Merit, pay, leave, medicine, and a martial art. Disrupting the operation could bring punishment from General Pei.
• Ye records the newcomers’ names, cultivation levels, and specialties. Yang Xiao reports that he is at mid Liquid Condensation and says his specialty is, “I’m good at killing demons,” provoking skeptical remarks from the other Captains.
• Yang surveys the assembled group, noting a cluster led by the privileged young Captain Li Mao and a more varied group that includes the fierce-looking monk Yuantong and a friendly, stout man. The stout man approaches Yang Xiao, beginning a conversation.

Character developments

• Yang Xiao remains self-assured and unconventional. His youth and mid Liquid Condensation cultivation make him stand out, while his broad claim about killing demons hints at confidence in his abilities.
• Squad Leader Ye comes across as experienced, practical, and direct. He balances reassurance about the posting with a clear warning about discipline and responsibility.
• Li Mao is presented as a young, well-connected fighter whose family sword art and followers suggest status and influence.
• Zhou Zheng acts as Yang Xiao’s escort and transfers responsibility to Ye before returning to command duties.

Character interactions

• Zhou Zheng briefs Yang Xiao on the journey and introduces the Qingzhou group to Ye.
• Ye addresses the Captains, outlines their mission and rewards, and questions them about their abilities.
• Yang Xiao’s answer draws teasing and disbelief from fellow Captains, while Ye responds with curiosity rather than ridicule.
• The chapter closes as the stout, amiable Captain approaches Yang Xiao to make his acquaintance.

Significant themes

• Risk and reward: The Demon Suppression Division offers generous advancement and material benefits for a dangerous assignment.
• Duty and discipline: Even a seemingly safe post carries serious consequences if someone’s mistake compromises the larger battle.
• Status and ability: The group includes both privileged fighters with family backing and individuals whose reputations must be established through their own skills.
• Confidence and reputation: Yang Xiao’s bold, vague specialty sets him apart and leaves others wondering what he can actually do.

Plot points and events

• Yang Xiao arrives with a group of Demon Suppression Division Captains assigned to guard the mouth of Green Creek River, a tributary of the Guanlan River. Their orders are to seal the waterway, report any Demon Traces, and not act without authorization.
• The assignment proves uneventful: for two days, no Demon Traces appear, and the group earns no merit.
• Frustrated by the passive post, Li Mao proposes that several Captains search upstream. Yang Xiao refuses to join, citing their orders.
• That night, Li Mao leads seven or eight Captains out to patrol without permission. Yang Xiao watches them leave but neither follows nor stops them, then returns to cultivation.

Character developments

• Yang Xiao is disciplined and cautious. Though he has considered investigating on his own, he prioritizes the Division’s orders and worries that an unauthorized search could disrupt a larger plan. He remains patient, conserving his strength for a better opportunity.
• Li Mao becomes increasingly restless and ambitious. Concerned about earning merit and proving himself to his lineage, he dismisses the risks and chooses to act without orders.
• Fatty Sun is friendly toward Yang Xiao but persistently keeps him company and watches him, limiting Yang Xiao’s ability to investigate independently.
• The other Captains share Li Mao’s frustration and ultimately follow his lead.

Character interactions

• Fatty Sun befriends Yang Xiao and asks about his background. Yang Xiao says he comes from Xiangyun County and has no lineage.
• Li Mao initially looks down on Yang Xiao’s lack of family backing. Later, he approaches politely to recruit him for the unauthorized search; Yang Xiao’s refusal leaves Li Mao displeased.
• Li Mao rallies the other lineage-born Captains by arguing that a brief patrol offers potential merit with little risk.

Significant themes

• Duty versus ambition: Yang Xiao follows orders, while Li Mao risks disobedience to gain recognition.
• Patience and opportunity: Yang Xiao believes careful preparation is better than acting impulsively.
• Status and merit: The contrast between Yang Xiao’s lack of lineage support and Li Mao’s desire to build standing in his family highlights the influence of social position and official rewards.

Key plot points and events

• Li Mao leads seven or eight Qi Gathering Realm Captains away from the river mouth, hoping to find a Water Demon and claim credit before the others.
• Though one Captain urges caution, Li Mao presses on, confident that his group could handle a weak demon.
• They find what appears to be a sleeping Water Wraith and surround it. When it suddenly rises, its true strength is revealed: Liquid Condensation Mid Stage.
• The Water Wraith kills the Captains one by one. Li Mao abandons them and flees, but the demon pursues him.
• Li Mao’s sword strike misses; the Water Wraith knocks him down and leaves him badly hurt. As it mocks him, he fears he may die.

Character developments

• Li Mao begins confident and ambitious, dismissing danger and treating the Captains as tools for earning glory. When the threat becomes real, he abandons them and is reduced to fear and despair.
• The Captains are uneasy but defer to Li Mao because of his rank and family standing. They fight desperately but are overwhelmed.
• The Water Wraith is revealed to be intelligent, powerful, and amused by the hunters’ mistake. It deliberately concealed its strength before attacking.

Significant themes

• Pride and recklessness: Li Mao’s desire for credit blinds him to warning signs.
• Rank and responsibility: The Captains obey their superior despite their doubts, while Li Mao fails them when danger arrives.
• Misjudging appearances: The seemingly weak, sleeping demon is far more powerful than expected.
• The limits of status: Li Mao’s prestigious lineage offers no protection against a stronger opponent.

Character interactions

• The Captains flatter Li Mao and endorse his plan, but one voices concern as the group ventures farther along the river.
• Li Mao shuts down the warning and orders the party onward.
• When the Water Wraith attacks, the Captains call for help, but Li Mao runs. The demon ignores him briefly to slaughter them, then catches up and taunts him as he lies injured.

Key plot points and events

• Yang Xiao senses a powerful demonic presence near the river and rushes to help Li Mao and the other captains. Fatty Sun and the monk Yuantong follow, though they arrive after the fight.
• A mid-stage Liquid Condensation Water Wraith has badly wounded Li Mao and killed the other captains who came with him.
• Yang Xiao kills the demon with a single strike of his Demon-Subduing Soul-Calming Saber, then takes its Inner Core. He returns to the outpost with Li Mao, Fatty Sun, and Yuantong.
• Back in his hut, Yang Xiao discovers that killing the Water Wraith permanently fixed the effects of both his cultivation method and saber technique. He equips its Inner Core, gaining the green trait Water-Binding Entanglement, which lets him form water into ropes to restrain opponents.
• Absorbing the Inner Core’s spiritual energy raises Yang Xiao to the eighth aperture of Liquid Condensation.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Xiao demonstrates exceptional combat strength and composure, defeating an opponent of his own cultivation stage almost instantly. He is also increasingly confident in how his equipment and abilities work.
• Li Mao shifts from reckless confidence to terror and shame. Though Yang Xiao saves him, Li Mao avoids explaining what happened to the other captains; Fatty Sun warns that the incident will be reported to Squad Leader Ye.
• Fatty Sun and Yuantong arrive too late to fight. Both are impressed by Yang Xiao’s speed and skill, especially Yuantong, who recognizes that the feat surpasses what he could confidently accomplish so quickly. Their banter reveals familiarity and a competitive friendship.

Significant themes

• Strength and responsibility: Yang Xiao’s power saves Li Mao, while the deaths of the other captains show the cost of underestimating danger.
• Power gained through combat: Defeating demons strengthens Yang Xiao’s techniques and cultivation, turning each encounter into further advancement.
• Accountability and consequences: Li Mao’s survival does not erase the losses, and Fatty Sun’s planned report signals that the failed expedition will be scrutinized.

Plot points and events

• Fatty Sun and Yang Xiao report to Ye Jinkai that Li Mao disobeyed orders and led a search for demons. His group was ambushed by a mid-stage Liquid Condensation Water Wraith; seven or eight captains died, and Yang Xiao saved Li Mao by killing the demon.
• Ye Jinkai condemns Li Mao’s recklessness and promises to report Yang Xiao’s feat for merit. Fatty Sun warns that the Water Wraith’s unusual presence near the bank may signal that demons from Guanlan River are entering its tributaries.
• The next morning, Deputy General Zhou Zheng arrives, orders a wider patrol and more sentries, and sees unusually thick mist and disturbances on the river.
• A small, magically shielded boat rises from the water carrying Jiang Chen, the wanted River Inspection Envoy accused of conspiring with the Dragon Lord. Zhou Zheng recognizes him and challenges him.
• When the guards move to attack, Jiang Chen summons more than a dozen water demons. The guards fight them while Zhou Zheng confronts the Blackwater Mystic Flood Dragon, now at Perfected Liquid Condensation. Jiang Chen watches the battle and fingers a jade Gilt Phoenix Hairpin, briefly showing tenderness and remembrance.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Xiao proves stronger than Ye Jinkai expected by killing a mid-stage Water Wraith alone. He also finds himself facing Jiang Chen, a target with whom he has a history.
• Ye Jinkai shifts from anger over Li Mao’s misconduct to taking Fatty Sun’s warning seriously, then organizes the response under Zhou Zheng’s command.
• Fatty Sun shows sound judgment by recognizing that the Water Wraith’s location may indicate a larger threat.
• Zhou Zheng responds decisively, reinforcing the outpost and taking on the powerful flood dragon himself.
• Jiang Chen remains calm and mocking in the face of the guards, presenting himself as unconcerned with escape and provoking a direct confrontation.
• The chapter establishes tensions between Yang Xiao and Jiang Chen, Zhou Zheng and the dragon, and the Demon Suppression Guards and the invading demons.

Significant themes

• Duty versus recklessness: Li Mao’s unauthorized pursuit costs lives and draws official condemnation.
• Growing danger and vigilance: The strange Water Wraith and unnatural river mist foreshadow a broader demonic incursion.
• Loyalty and corruption: Jiang Chen’s betrayal of his official role contrasts with the guards’ duty to protect the people.
• Power and looming conflict: The sudden arrival of numerous demons, including a perfected flood dragon, turns a patrol into a major battle.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Zheng battles the Blackwater Mystic Flood Dragon on the river. Their powerful attacks clash repeatedly, leaving them evenly matched.
• On the riverbank, Ye Jinkai leads the Demon Suppression Division’s Captains against the water demons. Ye, Fatty Sun, Yuantong, and the others fight effectively; Yang Xiao uses the Demon-Subduing Soul-Calming Saber to save a Captain from a tentacled demon and kill it.
• Yang Xiao leaves the general melee to confront Jiang Chen, who watches from a black skiff. He asks whether Jiang Chen knows the Straw-Cloak Ghost and Painted-Skin Demon from Heishui County.
• Jiang Chen admits he arranged for the two demons to raise human victims as “ingredients” for the Dragon Lord. He dismisses ordinary people as nourishment for the strong.
• Yang Xiao, now free of doubt about Jiang Chen’s guilt, attacks. Jiang Chen strikes first with a Flood Dragon clan claw technique, but Yang Xiao counters with Mountain-Crushing Strength. The blow sends Jiang Chen backward and leaves his arm numb, with its acupoints sealed.
• Jiang Chen is shocked, then gathers his strength and prepares to continue the fight.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Xiao shifts from fighting on the battlefield to pursuing personal justice. He stays outwardly calm despite Jiang Chen’s contempt for the victims, then demonstrates that his strength can challenge a Perfected Liquid Condensation expert.
• Jiang Chen openly reveals his role in the atrocities and his contempt for ordinary people. His confidence falters after Yang Xiao’s counterattack, but he responds with renewed hostility.
• Zhou Zheng and the Blackwater Mystic Flood Dragon are established as near-equals in a fierce duel.
• The Demon Suppression Division’s Captains fight in coordinated but varied styles, with Ye Jinkai leading and Yang Xiao, Fatty Sun, and Yuantong each showing their combat abilities.

Significant themes

• Justice and accountability: Jiang Chen’s confession gives Yang Xiao clear grounds to confront him.
• The devaluation of human life: Jiang Chen’s “strong versus weak” worldview sharply contrasts with Yang Xiao’s concern for the victims.
• Hidden strength and overconfidence: Jiang Chen assumes Yang Xiao is no threat, only to discover that the younger fighter can hurt and hinder him.
• Collective duty and individual vengeance: The Captains defend the riverbank together, while Yang Xiao pursues the person responsible for a separate chain of suffering.

Key plot points and events

• Jiang Chen, despite reaching the peak of Liquid Condensation, is swiftly defeated by Yang Xiao. Yang’s Demon-Slaying Crystal Edge leaves Jiang badly wounded.
• Yang asks why Jiang betrayed his duties as river patrol envoy and helped the demons. Jiang explains that the Little Dragon King once abducted his sister, Jiang Qing, promising peace for the Guanlan River in return. Jiang later agreed to return to her when she said she was about to give birth, but the current Flood Dragon Lord drew him into further crimes.
• Jiang admits his actions were unforgivable but argues that his sister’s forced marriage had helped spare local people from the river clan’s violence. Yang, moved by the story, decides to take him ashore and leave his fate to Deputy General Zhou Zheng.
• Before Yang can secure Jiang, the Blackwater Mystic Flood Dragon resurfaces and attacks, intent on taking Jiang away. Yang wounds it with his saber and then uses crystal shards to hold it back.
• Yang gets Jiang to the riverbank. Ye Jinkai and the monk Yuantong arrive to join the fight as the flood dragon attacks all three.

Character developments

• Yang Xiao remains decisive in combat but shows compassion after learning the reason behind Jiang’s betrayal. He chooses custody and due process over killing him.
• Jiang Chen is revealed as a conflicted older brother whose love for Jiang Qing and desperation to see her again led him back into wrongdoing. His defeat leaves him resigned to judgment.
• The Blackwater Mystic Flood Dragon is fiercely determined to seize Jiang, suggesting Jiang’s sister is important to the Little Dragon King.
• Ye Jinkai and Yuantong arrive as reinforcements, strengthening Yang’s side for the ongoing battle.

Significant themes

• Duty versus family loyalty: Jiang’s personal devotion to his sister clashes with his obligations to protect the people.
• Coercion and moral responsibility: Jiang’s choices were shaped by force and desperation, but he acknowledges that they do not excuse his crimes.
• The cost of “peace”: The Guanlan River’s calm was purchased through Jiang Qing’s abduction and sacrifice.
• Compassion and justice: Yang recognizes Jiang’s suffering while still intending to place him under guard and let his superiors decide his fate.

Character interactions

• Yang defeats Jiang, questions his motives, and listens as Jiang explains his past.
• Jiang’s mention of Qing’er’s hairpin and his final words to her reveal his grief and longing.
• The Blackwater Mystic Flood Dragon interrupts Yang’s decision to take Jiang into custody, forcing Yang to protect him.
• Ye Jinkai and Yuantong join Yang against the dragon, setting up a three-on-one confrontation.

Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Ye Jinkai and the gray-robed monk Yuantong attack the Blackwater Mystic Flood Dragon, but its powerful scales barely absorb their strikes. Its tail sends both men crashing into the riverbank, leaving Ye severely injured and forcing the other Demon-Suppressing Captains to withdraw.
• The dragon demands that Yang Xiao hand over Jiang Chen, threatening him with the power of the Little Dragon King and warning that all of Qingzhou could suffer if he interferes.
• Yang Xiao refuses to retreat and engages the dragon alone. His Demon-Subduing Soul-Calming Saber cuts through the dragon’s abdomen, exposing its flesh and causing it to bleed corrosive dark-green blood.
• Although the dragon’s tail tears deep wounds into Yang Xiao’s arm, chest, and thigh, his body rapidly regenerates, astonishing and frightening the dragon.
• Yang Xiao follows with Demon-Slaying Crystal Edge, unleashing a dense storm of azure crystal rays that pierce through the dragon’s scales and flesh. The dragon is badly wounded and begins considering escape.
• Jiang Chen watches Yang Xiao’s resistance and is reminded of his own helplessness when the Little Dragon King took his younger sister Qing’er. He regrets being unable to protect her in the past.
• Just as the dragon attempts to flee, a silver-white figure erupts from the river and pins down its tail with a powerful halberd, preventing its escape.

2. Character Developments

• Yang Xiao demonstrates exceptional courage, confidence, and combat ability by challenging an opponent at the Perfected Liquid Condensation stage despite being at a disadvantage in cultivation and physical strength.
• His rapid healing reveals an extraordinary bodily power, allowing him to withstand attacks that would incapacitate ordinary martial artists. His confidence grows as he realizes the dragon cannot easily injure or exhaust him.
• The Blackwater Mystic Flood Dragon begins the confrontation arrogant and threatening, relying on its superior cultivation and dragon physique. After Yang Xiao wounds it repeatedly and regenerates from its attacks, it becomes cautious, frightened, and desperate to escape.
• Jiang Chen experiences renewed grief and self-reproach over losing his sister. Yang Xiao’s defiance inspires him while also reminding him of his own past weakness.
• Ye Jinkai and Yuantong are established as powerful fighters, but the battle shows that even they cannot contend with the dragon directly.

3. Significant Themes

• Courage against overwhelming power: Yang Xiao refuses to surrender even when facing a vastly stronger enemy.
• Resilience and regeneration: Yang Xiao’s physical recovery symbolizes his ability to endure suffering and continue fighting.
• Protection and regret: Jiang Chen’s memories of Qing’er emphasize the pain of helplessness and the desire to protect loved ones.
• Pride and reversal of power: The dragon initially assumes victory is certain, but Yang Xiao’s abilities overturn its expectations and force it into retreat.
• Teamwork and hidden reinforcements: Although Yang Xiao fights alone for most of the battle, the sudden appearance of the halberd-wielding ally suggests that the confrontation is part of a larger coordinated effort.

4. Character Interactions

• Ye Jinkai and Yuantong cooperate against the dragon but are quickly overwhelmed.
• The dragon attempts to intimidate Yang Xiao by invoking the Little Dragon King’s authority, but Yang Xiao answers through action rather than words.
• Yang Xiao and the dragon exchange attacks in a tense battle: the dragon relies on brute strength and its tail, while Yang Xiao combines saber techniques, ranged crystal attacks, evasive movement, and regeneration.
• Jiang Chen silently watches Yang Xiao, emotionally connecting his courage to Jiang Chen’s own past failure to save Qing’er.
• At the climax, an unidentified silver-white warrior intervenes, pinning the dragon’s tail and shifting the battle decisively in Yang Xiao’s favor.

Plot points and events

• Zhou Zheng pins the Blackwater Mystic Flood Dragon with his halberd, allowing Yang Xiao to trap it with crystal blades and kill it with his Demon-Subduing Soul-Calming Saber.
• Yang Xiao retrieves the slain peak Liquid Condensation Demon’s valuable Inner Core. The watching captains are astonished, especially since Yang Xiao’s severe wounds have already healed.
• Zhou Zheng asks about Jiang Chen, whom Yang Xiao left badly injured on the riverbank. Jiang Chen is alive and is taken into custody.
• Zhou Zheng tells Jiang Chen he will bring him before General Pei and plead on behalf of Jiang Chen’s sister. Jiang Chen refuses, warning that the Little Dragon King is too powerful for Guanlan Commandery to challenge.
• As the Division clears the battlefield, Zhou Zheng invites Yang Xiao to see General Pei and promises to seek recognition for his Merit. He is stunned to learn Yang Xiao joined the Demon Suppression Division less than a month ago.

Character developments and interactions

• Yang Xiao demonstrates exceptional combat ability, resilience, and composure, defeating a powerful Demon while also subduing Jiang Chen. His rapid recovery puzzles Yuantong and deepens the others’ respect.
• Zhou Zheng recognizes Yang Xiao’s achievement and offers to advocate for him, while remaining conflicted about his own role in the battle and his history with Jiang Chen.
• Jiang Chen is captured but remains defiant and resigned, believing the Little Dragon King’s influence makes resistance futile. He is briefly grateful for Zhou Zheng’s offer, then rejects it.
• The other captains, including Fatty Sun and the injured Ye Jinkai, react with admiration, shock, or disbelief at Yang Xiao’s strength.

Significant themes

• Merit and advancement: Zhou Zheng sees Yang Xiao’s achievement as a chance to gain recognition and promotion.
• Power and vulnerability: Yang Xiao’s performance challenges assumptions about what someone of his cultivation level can accomplish, while Jiang Chen’s warning shows how political power can outweigh personal justice.
• Loyalty and compassion: Zhou Zheng’s willingness to help Jiang Chen’s sister complicates the capture, even as Jiang Chen refuses his aid.