Recaps

Mo Yun was forced to guide the gravely wounded woman in red toward the Tiger-Crouching Ladder, where her accomplices awaited. When she coughed up black blood and loosened her grip, he seized the chance to attack her and then rushed to press his advantage.

• The wounded woman in red dragged Mo Yun into the bushes and threatened to kill him unless he led her to the Tiger-Crouching Ladder.
• Mo Yun pretended to comply while plotting to escape or kill her, but she caught him trying to lead her off course and forced him northeast.
• As they neared the Tiger-Crouching Ladder, the woman in red coughed up black blood and loosened her hold on Mo Yun.
• Mo Yun struck the woman in red in the chest with a powerful Tiger-Crouching Fist, sending her crashing into a tree.
• The woman in red retaliated with a streak of force energy, but Mo Yun dodged it and lunged at her before she could recover.

Mo Yun killed the gravely wounded woman in red, hid the silver and Emerald Pill he looted, and reported her accomplices to Commander Li. He returned to the dormitory injured, planning to retrieve the pill once the danger passed.

• Mo Yun endured the woman in red’s counterattack and killed her with a final punch.
• Mo Yun found ten taels of silver and an Emerald Pill on the corpse, then hid them in a crevice after realizing her accomplices might come looking.
• Mo Yun found Commander Li and reported the woman’s death and the accomplices waiting at the Tiger-Crouching Ladder, concealing the loot.
• Commander Li led First-Class Guards toward the Tiger-Crouching Ladder while Mo Yun returned to the dormitory.
• Xiao Liu and Tang Yin questioned Mo Yun about his injuries, but he brushed them off and resolved to retrieve the hidden pill the next day.

Mo Yun practiced the test fist technique before dawn and found that his mastery of the Tiger-Crouching Fist had greatly improved his training efficiency. He expected to reach the next level within ten days, then joined Xiao Liu and the others on their way to the Spirit Herb Garden.

• Mo Yun arrived alone at the Martial Training Ground and found that his test fist technique flowed with far greater power and ease than the day before.
• Mo Yun realized his Minor Accomplishment in the Tiger-Crouching Fist had deepened his understanding of the related test fist technique, and he estimated he could reach Integrated Mastery within ten days.
• Mo Yun inspected the White Mark and concluded that a breakthrough in his improved test fist technique should provide substantial energy.
• Xiao Liu arrived and asked about Mo Yun's bloodied return the previous night, but Mo Yun assured him it was nothing serious and told him not to ask.
• Han Tang, Luo Shan, Zhang Qiang, Tie Zhu, and Tang Yin joined Mo Yun and Xiao Liu at the Martial Training Ground, and they practiced until the hour of the Dragon before heading to the Spirit Herb Garden.

After the Spirit Herb Garden thieves were caught, Mo Yun learned that the Hundred Blossoms Palace had arranged the plot and that the Crouching Tiger Manor would reward him while keeping his identity secret. That night, he retrieved an Emerald Pill he had hidden and found that the Black Seal reacted to it with a powerful longing.

• Liu Niang thanked Mo Yun for saving her, then assigned the workers their tasks in the Spirit Herb Garden.
• Mo Yun learned from Zhou Bo that the Hundred Blossoms Palace had poisoned the garden and tried to steal the Fire Spirit Fruit, but the Crouching Tiger Manor had captured its accomplices and demanded compensation.
• Zhou Bo told Mo Yun that the Village Master had promised him a reward and would keep his killing of the Dark Force Martial Artist secret to protect him.
• Mo Yun finished his work, practiced at the Rear Mountain, and retrieved the silver and porcelain bottle he had hidden.
• Mo Yun opened the bottle and took out an Emerald Pill, causing the Black Seal on his wrist to grow warm and its longing to surge.

Mo Yun swallowed the Emerald Pill and guided its fierce medicinal power through his body, filling the Black Seal and gaining a Black Point. He left the mountain expecting that continued cultivation could advance his Tiger-Crouching Stance and help him reach Mid Bright Strength before the Guard Examination.

• Mo Yun decided the Emerald Pill was not poisonous and swallowed it beneath a tree.
• Mo Yun used the Tiger-Crouching Stance breathing method to guide the pill's violent medicinal power through his body as the Black Seal rapidly filled.
• The Black Seal filled completely, then absorbed enough remaining medicinal power to reach about fifteen percent again.
• Mo Yun checked his panel and saw that he had gained one Black Point, while his White Mark had passed halfway.
• Mo Yun planned to cultivate toward another Black Point before the Guard Examination, then left the mountain to rest.

Mo Yun received the Village Master's rewards, including silver, Dragon-Tiger Pills, and the internal art Tiger-Crouching Force. He resonated with its Spirit-Intent Diagram at a glance, and Commander Li told him that reaching Hidden Strength was now only a matter of time.

• Commander Li brought Mo Yun twelve Dragon-Tiger Pills and warned him to wait until his Stance Training reached Minor Accomplishment before taking them.
• Mo Yun received one hundred taels of silver and planned to check whether his elder sister needed money.
• Commander Li gave Mo Yun the rare Tiger-Crouching Force manual and told him to study it but wait until late Bright Strength before practicing it.
• Mo Yun saw the Tiger's Roar in the Mountains Spirit-Intent Diagram and experienced its tiger's roar, resonating with it on his first look.
• Commander Li revealed that he had needed three years to resonate with the diagram and said Mo Yun had the potential to reach Hidden Strength and higher realms.
• Mo Yun tucked away the manual and painting, then planned to try Tiger-Crouching Force at the Rear Mountain that night.

Mo Yun studied the Tiger-Crouching Force manual and endured the Spirit-Intent Diagram’s tiger roars until he grasped the art’s martial truth. After realizing independent cultivation would take years, he chose to focus on the Nameless Fist Technique and pursue progress through adding points.

• Mo Yun read the Tiger-Crouching Force manual and tried its Tiger-Breath Method, but found that it converted blood qi into force energy very slowly.
• Mo Yun studied the Tiger's Roar in the Mountains diagram and endured three mental roars, catching the tiger’s supreme, awe-inspiring aura.
• Mo Yun realized he had grasped the essence of the Tiger-Crouching Force, then cultivated it until he judged that gaining initial mastery on his own would take years.
• Mo Yun decided to focus on the Nameless Fist Technique, which he practiced under the moonlight as he aimed to reach integrated mastery and earn another white point.

Mo Yun filled the Black Seal and spent two Black Points to advance the Tiger-Crouching Stance to Minor Accomplishment, raising his cultivation to mid bright strength. After testing his newfound strength, he decided to focus on martial arts and leave pill dao for later.

• Mo Yun's Black Seal nearly filled as he practiced, and he anticipated advancing his stance and cultivation.
• The next morning, Mo Yun filled the Black Seal and used his two Black Points to advance the Tiger-Crouching Stance.
• Mo Yun's physique and defense increased, and his cultivation rose from early bright strength to mid bright strength.
• Mo Yun punched a tree hard enough to leave a deep imprint in its trunk and felt his strength had more than doubled.
• Mo Yun noticed he still had not gained initial mastery of pill dao, then chose to keep practicing martial arts.

Mo Yun took the Guard Examination at Crouching Tiger Manor, where five candidates would be chosen for the Guard Team. As the first round began, his practiced Tiger-Crouching Stance drew Qin Hu’s attention.

• Mo Yun’s companions wished him luck, and he reassured them that becoming a guard would not change their friendship.
• Mo Yun arrived at the examination venue and learned from Liu Zhuang that passing the cultivation threshold did not guarantee a guard position.
• Qin Hu explained the three examination rounds: Stance Training, fist techniques, and actual combat, with five candidates to be selected.
• The candidates began holding the Tiger-Crouching Stance, and Qin Hu noticed Mo Yun’s steady form.

Mo Yun passed the Guard Examination’s stance test and stunned the other candidates with his Tiger-Crouching Fist. The chapter ended with Qin Hu and the servants watching in disbelief as Mo Yun displayed a trace of intent from the Tiger-Crouching Force.

• Qin Hu tested the twelve candidates’ stances for the length of an incense stick, and nine, including Mo Yun and Liu Zhuang, endured until the end.
• Qin Hu announced that the second round would test Tiger-Crouching Fist forms, power, and use of force energy on a ten-point scale.
• A burly young man earned seven points with a forceful routine, while the tall, thin fellow earned six and Liu Zhuang earned five.
• Mo Yun performed the full routine with precise forms, powerful punches, and a faint aura drawn from the Tiger-Crouching Force.
• The servants and Qin Hu stared in shock as Mo Yun’s performance surpassed the others, and the tall, thin fellow wondered aloud what level of Tiger-Crouching Fist he had reached.

Mo Yun impressed the examiners with his Tiger-Crouching Fist and won his combat bout, earning first place in the Guard Examination. He was accepted into the Guard Team and would be free of his menial servant status.

• Mo Yun demonstrated Tiger-Crouching Fist at minor mastery and received nine points, the highest score in the second round.
• Qin Hu began the combat round, and Mo Yun drew number three against the tall, thin man.
• Mo Yun defeated the tall, thin man with a powerful Tiger-Crouching Fist strike and earned nine combat points.
• Qin Hu announced Mo Yun as the first-place finisher with eighteen points and told him to report to the Guard Team the next morning.
• Mo Yun celebrated his new freedom and planned to tell his sister the good news on his next day off.

After passing the Guard Examination in first place, Mo Yun told Liu Zhuang he had reached Mid Bright Strength in less than two months, though Liu Zhuang refused to believe him. Mo Yun left to visit Zhou Bo and Liu Niang at the Spirit Herb Garden before reporting to the Guard Team the next morning.

• Mo Yun celebrated his first-place result and spoke with Liu Zhuang, who had ranked fifth, about the other successful examinees.
• Liu Zhuang described Zhao Gang, Zhou Ping, and Li Wei, then told Mo Yun that his own progress toward Mid Bright Strength had been slow.
• Mo Yun revealed that he had been at the manor for a little over two months, and Liu Zhuang realized he had practiced martial arts for less than two months.
• Liu Zhuang questioned Mo Yun's claim that he had a lower-middle Bone Root, then decided Mo Yun was merely keeping a low profile.
• Liu Zhuang reminded Mo Yun to report to the Guard Team between seven and nine the next morning before they parted ways.
• Mo Yun headed to the Spirit Herb Garden to say goodbye to Zhou Bo and Liu Niang and thank them for their kindness.

Mo Yun returned to the Spirit Herb Garden after taking first place in the Guard Examination, where Zhou Bo and Liu Niang gave him books to help him study the Pill Dao. He invited his friends to dinner and a visit to a pleasure house, then left to prepare for the evening.

• Mo Yun told Xiao Liu and the others that he had taken first place in the Guard Examination, and they congratulated him.
• Mo Yun told Zhou Bo he hoped to keep studying the Pill Dao, and Zhou Bo gave him True Explanations of the Pill Dao.
• Liu Niang gave Mo Yun her Pill Dao notebook and warned him not to neglect his Martial Dao cultivation.
• Mo Yun invited Xiao Liu and the others to dinner and a pleasure house, and Xiao Liu joked that he wanted three.
• After eating with his friends during their break, Mo Yun said goodbye and promised to pick them up that evening.

Mo Yun studied True Explanations of the Pill Dao alongside Liu Niang’s notes and found that his Virtual Panel could record progress in the Pill Dao. After deciding to prioritize martial cultivation while setting aside time for study, he practiced the Nameless Fist Technique and prepared to try a Dragon-Tiger Pill.

• Mo Yun returned to an empty dormitory, then began studying True Explanations of the Pill Dao.
• Mo Yun found Liu Niang’s beginner-friendly notes clarified the book, and his Virtual Panel showed progress toward initiating the Pill Dao.
• Mo Yun decided to study the Pill Dao for two to four hours a day without letting it interfere with martial training.
• Mo Yun practiced the Nameless Fist Technique and felt close to breaking through to solid proficiency.
• Mo Yun took out his Qi-Blood Pills and Dragon-Tiger Pills, then planned to take one of each to test their effects.

Mo Yun used a Dragon-Tiger Pill to strengthen his bones and advance the Black Seal, then celebrated with Xiao Liu and the others before joining the Guard Team. The next morning, he trained before preparing to report to the Inner Court.

• Mo Yun swallowed a Qi-Blood Pill and a Dragon-Tiger Pill, guided their power through his body, and saw the Black Seal advance by about twelve percent.
• Mo Yun practiced the Nameless Fist Technique and calculated that Qi-Blood Pills and Dragon-Tiger Pills would let him form a Black Point in seven or eight days.
• Mo Yun picked up Xiao Liu and the others, treated them to dinner and songs, and shared a farewell gathering before joining the Guard Team.
• Mo Yun walked back with his friends and reassured them that he would visit after moving to the Inner Court.
• The next morning, Mo Yun trained at the Servants' Court Martial Training Ground before planning to report to the Guard Team.

Mo Yun reported to the Inner Court as a newly selected guard of Crouching Tiger Manor, eager to tell his sister Mo Yiyi about his new status. Qin Hu welcomed the new recruits and began explaining their duties and monthly pay.

• Mo Yun practiced the Nameless Fist Technique and sensed that he was close to a breakthrough.
• Mo Yun planned to visit Mo Yiyi on his day off and headed to the Inner Court to report for duty.
• The entrance guards checked Mo Yun's token and directed him to the courtyard where Qin Hu was waiting.
• Mo Yun joined Zhao Gang, Zhou Ping, Li Wei, and Liu Zhuang, and Liu Zhuang warned him that Qin Hu had a bad temper.
• Qin Hu addressed the recruits as members of the Guard Team and began explaining their duties and monthly pay.

Qin Hu explained the Guard Team’s duties, ranks, pay, and promotion requirements to Mo Yun and the other new guards. Before their tour could begin, Commander Li told Mo Yun that something had happened at home, and Mo Yun hurried back to check on his sister.

• Qin Hu outlined the guards’ duties, ranks, monthly pay, and cultivation requirements for promotion.
• Qin Hu warned that promotion assessments could cause serious injuries or deaths, and Mo Yun resolved to improve his strength for next month’s assessment.
• Qin Hu promised to show the new guards where they could buy pills and weapons before giving them a tour of the manor.
• Commander Li arrived and told Mo Yun that something had happened at home, though the messenger had said it was not too serious yet.
• Mo Yun thanked Commander Li and left for home, while Commander Li told Qin Hu to continue the tour and promised to show Mo Yun around when he returned.

Mo Yun returned to Yellow Maple Town after learning that the Sky Wolf Gang was threatening Mo Yiyi’s shops. He met the fighters she hired to protect them, but doubted they could stop the gang when it came tomorrow.

• Mo Yun hurried from the Mountain Manor to Yellow Maple Town after hearing that Mo Yiyi was in trouble.
• Mo Yiyi told Mo Yun that the Sky Wolf Gang wanted her cloth, grain, and tea shops and had threatened to drive her out of town if she did not sell them within three days.
• Mo Yiyi explained that the authorities had refused to intervene, so she had hired fighters to guard the shops.
• Five fighters arrived, and their leader promised to do what he could while warning that the Sky Wolf Gang might not heed him.
• Mo Yun judged that the fighters were probably too weak to hold the Sky Wolf Gang back, while Mo Yiyi hoped they could help her keep the shops.

Mo Yiyi faced Zhao Si’s demand that the Sky Wolf Gang take ninety percent of her shops’ profits or seize the businesses, while Mo Yun promised to protect her. After breaking through to mid bright strength, Mo Yun dressed in black and slipped out into the night.

• Zhao Si arrived at Mo Yiyi’s shop and falsely claimed her three days to decide had expired.
• Ye Wuyou proposed that Mo Yiyi give the Sky Wolf Gang thirty percent of her profits, but Zhao Si demanded ninety percent and threatened to take the shops the next day.
• Mo Yiyi sent Ye Wuyou and his fighters away, then apologized to Mo Yun for failing to protect their family business; Mo Yun reassured her that no one would take what was theirs.
• Mo Yun practiced the Nameless Fist Technique in the courtyard and broke through, raising his cultivation to mid bright strength and increasing his physique and defense.
• Mo Yun changed into dark clothes, covered his face, and slipped out through the back door into the night.

Mo Yun tracked Zhao Si of the Sky Wolf Gang to the Fragrant Pavilion and ambushed him in an alley after he left. After killing Zhao Si and taking his silver, Mo Yun headed for the Sky Wolf Gang.

• Mo Yun questioned an old beggar, learned Zhao Si usually left the Fragrant Pavilion around Chou Hour, and gathered lime for his ambush.
• Mo Yun waited outside the Fragrant Pavilion until Zhao Si emerged, then followed him through the streets into an alley.
• Mo Yun threw lime into Zhao Si’s eyes and beat him severely when Zhao Si tried to defend himself.
• Mo Yun removed his mask, and Zhao Si recognized him as the young man from the shop before Mo Yun killed him with a final punch.
• Mo Yun searched Zhao Si’s body, took his silver, and set off toward the Sky Wolf Gang.

Mo Yun infiltrated the Sky Wolf Gang’s headquarters to confront its leader, Black Wolf, over Zhao Si’s attack on his sister’s shops. After testing Black Wolf’s speed and strength, Mo Yun overwhelmed him and left him crashed into a rockery.

• Mo Yun entered the Sky Wolf Gang’s headquarters and suspected his second uncle had prompted Zhao Si to seize his sister’s shops.
• Mo Yun searched the compound and found Black Wolf reading poetry in his room.
• Black Wolf sensed Mo Yun outside, pursued him, and caught up with him in the grounds.
• Mo Yun deliberately tested Black Wolf’s speed, confirmed he could outrun him, then attacked.
• Mo Yun’s punches drove Black Wolf backward and sent him smashing into the ornamental rockery.

Mo Yun defeated Black Wolf in a fight, then negotiated compensation and protection for his sister and her shops after learning that Zhao Si had seized the shop and was already dead. Black Wolf agreed to the terms and ordered the Sky Wolf Gang to protect the Mo Lineage shops and keep watch over Mo Yun’s sister.

• Black Wolf realized Mo Yun was stronger and offered to negotiate rather than continue fighting.
• Mo Yun explained that Zhao Si had seized his shop, and Black Wolf apologized and agreed to pay a hundred taels after learning Zhao Si was dead.
• Mo Yun demanded that the Sky Wolf Gang protect his sister’s shops and secretly guard her, while Black Wolf asked Mo Yun to help the gang once if it faced a crisis.
• Mo Yun accepted the deal and left, while Black Wolf reflected on his strength and ordered the gang to protect the Mo Lineage shops and watch over Boss Mo.

Mo Yun practiced the Nameless Fist Technique and learned that reaching its next stage would take much longer, then tried to reassure Mo Yiyi about the Sky Wolf Gang’s demand for their shop. As the gang’s arrival seemed imminent, Mo Yun expected its men to apologize after his fight with Black Wolf.

• Mo Yun woke without soreness after fighting Black Wolf and practiced the accomplished Nameless Fist Technique, realizing that further progress would be slow.
• Mo Yiyi took Mo Yun to breakfast and suggested reporting the Sky Wolf Gang to the authorities, but Mo Yun explained that most officials beyond their area could not help.
• Mo Yiyi worried about losing her shop, while Mo Yun told her to wait and hoped circumstances might improve.
• Mo Yiyi opened the shop, but no customers came; Mo Yun practiced his stance and considered asking his sister whether she needed money.
• After about an hour of practice, Mo Yun heard a commotion in the front courtyard and recognized that the Sky Wolf Gang’s men had arrived.

Mo Yun helped his sister Mo Yiyi’s shop gain the Sky Wolf Gang’s protection, then investigated whether his second uncle had orchestrated the trouble. After learning Zhao Si had acted alone, Mo Yun declined Black Wolf’s offer to become the gang’s Guest Advisor.

• Black Wolf apologized to Mo Yiyi, compensated her, and promised the Sky Wolf Gang would protect her shops, drawing customers back to the store.
• Mo Yun told Mo Yiyi that he had reached mid bright strength and become a Manor Guard at Crouching Tiger Manor, and she tearfully celebrated his growth.
• Mo Yun visited Black Wolf and asked him to investigate whether Mo Feng had been involved in Zhao Si targeting the shop.
• Black Wolf reported that Zhao Si had acted on his own, and Mo Yun decided to leave Mo Feng alone unless he caused trouble again.
• Black Wolf offered Mo Yun the Sky Wolf Gang’s Guest Advisor position for ten taels of silver a month, but Mo Yun declined.

Mo Yun spent a lively day with Mo Yiyi, shared ideas to improve her shop, and prepared to return to Crouching Tiger Manor. After discovering the twenty taels she had secretly packed for him, he headed to Commander Li to complete his guard formalities and ask about buying pills.

• Mo Yun returned to the busy shop, practiced martial arts in the backyard, and told Mo Yiyi about his achievements at the Mountain Manor.
• Mo Yun suggested marketing and management ideas, and Mo Yiyi eagerly began planning how to use them in her shop.
• Mo Yun told Mo Yiyi he would return to Crouching Tiger Manor the next morning and declined her offer of money for his training.
• Mo Yiyi gave Mo Yun new clothes and food for the journey, then watched him leave before dawn.
• Mo Yun reached Crouching Tiger Manor, found twenty taels hidden among his clothes, and went to Commander Li to complete his guard formalities and ask where to buy pills.