Recaps

Commander Li toured Mo Yun around Crouching Tiger Manor’s Inner Court, explaining its facilities and forbidden areas as he settled into his new role as a Manor Guard. The tour ended with Commander Li preparing to take Mo Yun to the Logistics Office, while Mo Yun asked where he could buy pills.

• Mo Yun told Commander Li that the misunderstanding with the Sky Wolf Gang was resolved and his sister’s shop was safe, and Commander Li urged him to invoke Crouching Tiger Manor’s name if trouble arose again.
• Commander Li showed Mo Yun the Inner Court’s Spirit Herb Garden, restricted Pill Room, Forge Room, and Martial Training Ground, explaining their purposes and rules.
• Commander Li warned Mo Yun to stay out of the Main Court without permission and explained that the Village Master was in secluded cultivation.
• Commander Li identified North Mountain as forbidden ground, but recommended practicing at its foot; Mo Yun said he would go there that night to practice.
• After touring the Inner Court, Commander Li offered to take Mo Yun to collect his uniform and Waist Token and see his lodgings, and Mo Yun asked where to buy pills.

Mo Yun learned the limits and safe use of the pills available to him, then registered as a Fourth-Class Guard and received his equipment and a private courtyard. When he asked Commander Li about rumors of danger at Crouching Tiger Manor, Commander Li confirmed they were true.

• Commander Li explained that Mo Yun could buy Qi-Blood Pills and, by special authorization, Dragon-Tiger Pills, and warned him not to take them too often or together.
• At the logistics office, Mo Yun registered and received his Waist Token, uniforms, Inner Court map, and residence keys, learning the pills’ prices and monthly collection schedule.
• Commander Li brought Mo Yun to his private courtyard, the only one assigned to a Fourth-Class Guard, and said someone would deliver his duty schedule the next day.
• Mo Yun asked Commander Li whether rumors of dangers and casualties at Crouching Tiger Manor were true, and Commander Li confirmed that they were.

Commander Li told Mo Yun that demons had begun emerging as the empire weakened, and that Crouching Tiger Manor protected the region by hunting them. After moving into his private courtyard, Mo Yun felt newly resolved to strengthen himself and protect his sister.

• Commander Li explained that demons caused Crouching Tiger Manor’s casualties and that its guards and selected servants joined demon purges to protect the surrounding region.
• Commander Li warned Mo Yun that demons might return and urged him to train for survival.
• Mo Yun packed his belongings, left the Servants’ Court, and settled into his private courtyard residence.
• Mo Yun ate at the guards’ Dining Hall and began practicing the Nameless Fist Technique with renewed urgency.
• Mo Yun saw that the White Mark was more than eighty-five percent full, then resumed training until his mind quieted.

Mo Yun began his Manor Guard duties and received special attention from Qin Hu, who aimed to help him advance his martial arts. Paired with Liu Zhuang, Mo Yun started a patrol route that included the Spirit Herb Garden.

• Commander Li gave Mo Yun his patrol schedule and said he could visit his companions in the Spirit Herb Garden while on duty, provided his work was not affected.
• Mo Yun arrived early at the Manor Guard Administration, where Qin Hu greeted him warmly after learning of his talent and the Village Master's regard for him.
• Qin Hu imposed daily morning training on the Manor Guards and gave Mo Yun detailed guidance on improving his Tiger-Crouching Fist.
• Liu Zhuang was assigned an extra thirty pounds during training after calling Qin Hu his brother, while Qin Hu continued treating Mo Yun as a favored colleague.
• Mo Yun and Liu Zhuang were paired for patrol duty, and their route included the Servants' Court and the Spirit Herb Garden.

Mo Yun settled into his Manor Guard routine, trained under Qin Hu, and condensed another Black Point. After several more days of patrols, he left work with Liu Zhuang, who tried to convince him to sample another unusual dish.

• Mo Yun spent three days learning the Mountain Manor’s layout while his martial arts improved through daily practice and Qin Hu’s instruction.
• Mo Yun practiced the Nameless Fist Technique until the Black Seal filled and gave him one available Black Point.
• Qin Hu corrected Mo Yun’s Tiger-Crouching Fist during morning training, helping him make the moves more powerful.
• Mo Yun and Liu Zhuang continued patrolling for six more days before signing out at the administration office.
• Liu Zhuang invited Mo Yun to try rice braised with pomegranate and cured pork, but Mo Yun refused and walked away.

Mo Yun visited the Logistics Office after running out of pills and bought his monthly allowance along with extra Qi-Blood Pills and Dragon-Tiger Pills. He left eager to cultivate, while the old pill seller wondered what made him a martial arts prodigy.

• Mo Yun hurried to the Logistics Office after dinner to replenish his pills and claim his free monthly Qi-Blood Pills.
• A young steward fetched the old pill seller from upstairs, and the old man allowed Mo Yun to come up and buy pills.
• The old man checked Mo Yun's register, confirmed he could buy Dragon-Tiger Pills, and warned him not to resell any pills he could not use.
• Mo Yun bought one free bottle of Qi-Blood Pills, another bottle of Qi-Blood Pills, and two bottles of Dragon-Tiger Pills for twenty-five taels.
• Mo Yun inspected the pills, took them away, and looked forward to cultivating Tiger-Crouching Fist, while the old man mused about his unusual talent.

During a patrol stop at the Spirit Herb Garden, Mo Yun caught up with his former coworkers and discussed herb cultivation and martial arts with them. The chapter left Mo Yun anticipating another Black Seal point while Tang Yin remained curious about the strange martial arts Mo Yun had mentioned.

• Liu Zhuang reflected on Mo Yun's close friendship with his former coworkers and envied their bond.
• Mo Yun checked the Black-and-White Seal and saw that the Black Seal had gained another point toward filling.
• Han Tang asked Mo Yun about growing Seven-Star Vine, and Mo Yun suggested acidic soil enriched with pine needles and leaf mold.
• Luo Shan challenged Mo Yun to spar, and Mo Yun agreed to exchange moves with him.
• Tang Yin asked Mo Yun about Blue Silver Entanglement and Invincible Golden Body, and Mo Yun advised him to jump off a cliff if he ever felt like it.

Mo Yun continued his routine patrols and training while learning about the Pill Dao from Zhou Bo. After six uneventful days, his Black Seal filled once again during morning training.

• Tang Yin rejected Mo Yun's suggestion that he jump off a cliff and hurried away.
• Mo Yun sparred with Luo Shan, encouraged his progress toward bright force, and asked Zhou Bo detailed questions about the True Explanations of the Pill Dao.
• Mo Yun and Liu Zhuang resumed their uneventful patrol, and Liu Zhuang complained that the work was wasting his life.
• Over six days, Mo Yun steadily practiced the Nameless Fist Technique and studied the Pill Dao with Zhou Bo.
• During morning training, Mo Yun saw black radiance swirl around his right wrist and realized the Black Seal was full again.

Mo Yun spent three black points to advance Tiger-Crouching Fist to established mastery, then completed the White Mark and used its point on life. The increase sharpened his senses and comprehension and seemed to improve his innate aptitude, prompting him to test the change.

• Mo Yun spent three black points to advance Tiger-Crouching Fist to established mastery and felt his strength and physique improve.
• Mo Yun completed the White Mark and saw that white points could raise constitution, life, and defense, while spiritual power remained locked.
• Mo Yun spent his white point on life, which sharpened his mind and senses and let him perceive mysterious energies.
• Mo Yun found that martial arts techniques and the True Explanations of the Pill Dao made more sense, and suspected his aptitude had improved.
• Mo Yun decided to test whether his innate aptitude had changed.

Mo Yun discovered that raising his Life attribute had greatly improved his Bone Root and helped him reach greater mastery in the Tiger-Crouching Fist, while Qin Hu mistook his rapid progress for enlightenment. The White Mark began accumulating energy again, and Mo Yun was assigned to join a rent-collection team with Zhao Gang.

• Mo Yun tested his Bone Root through stance training and found that his training efficiency had improved by a little over thirty percent after raising his Life attribute.
• Qin Hu saw Mo Yun demonstrate greater mastery in the Tiger-Crouching Fist and was stunned when Mo Yun said he had broken through after suddenly feeling inspired.
• Qin Hu decided Mo Yun had experienced enlightenment, while Mo Yun resolved to let others believe he was a rare genius to explain his rapid progress.
• Mo Yun noticed the White Mark had filled to about one-tenth after his breakthrough and considered whether starting the pill dao could charge it as well.
• Qin Hu assigned Mo Yun to help a short-handed team collecting rent and rejected Liu Zhuang as too weak for the job.
• Qin Hu selected Zhao Gang to accompany Mo Yun after recalling his strength and Tiger-Crouching Fist skill.

Mo Yun and Zhao Gang waited to join a rent-collection trip while Zhao Gang explained how Crouching Tiger Manor controlled the region through its land and leases. As the third-class guards finally arrived, Mo Yun realized his pill dao had reached the initiated stage and considered his progress toward future breakthroughs.

• Zhao Gang explained that Crouching Tiger Manor leased its forests, hot springs, lake, and farmland to nearby communities for substantial rent.
• Zhao Gang asked Mo Yun to spar, and Mo Yun agreed to fight him during morning practice the next day.
• While waiting at the south gate, Mo Yun studied pill-making and advanced his pill dao from uninitiated to initiated.
• Mo Yun checked his White Mark, estimated that it had gained five percent, and calculated his remaining time before the third-class guard promotion assessment.
• The third-class guards arrived to take Mo Yun and Zhao Gang down the mountain to collect rent.

Mo Yun and Zhao Gang joined Zhou Tieshan, Sun Yi, and Wang Daniu to collect rent, but Blackstone Stronghold’s people surrounded them with iron hammers as soon as its gates opened. The group faced an unexplained confrontation, with Zhou Tieshan and the others preparing for a fight.

• Zhou Tieshan introduced Sun Yi and Wang Daniu to Mo Yun and Zhao Gang before leading the group down the mountain to collect rent.
• Zhou Tieshan warned Mo Yun and Zhao Gang that the people of Blackstone Stronghold were fierce, united, and dangerous to provoke.
• The group reached Blackstone Stronghold, where a crowd of armed men suddenly poured through the gates and surrounded them.
• Zhou Tieshan reached for his saber, Sun Yi surveyed the crowd, and Wang Daniu moved toward his hammers as the standoff threatened to turn violent.

Mo Yun stopped Blackie from killing Zhou Tieshan after the people of Blackstone Stronghold suddenly turned violent. Xu Zhenyue revealed that the miners had uncovered a strange stone coffin, and Zhou Tieshan hurried back to the Mountain Manor.

• Xu Zhenyue pleaded for more time to pay Blackstone Stronghold’s rent, but Zhou Tieshan refused and warned that the Crouching Tiger Manor would reclaim the ore vein.
• Blackie attacked Zhou Tieshan with his hammer, and Mo Yun knocked Blackie and his hammer away with a single punch.
• Xu Zhenyue calmed the agitated residents, who could not remember why they had become violent, and Zhou Tieshan suspected they had been influenced by something strange.
• Xu Zhenyue said the miners had dug up a strange stone coffin, and Zhou Tieshan ordered his men to return to the Mountain Manor.

After discovering signs of a demon at Blackstone Stronghold, Zhou Tieshan led the group back to the Mountain Manor to report the danger. On the way, he explained what he knew about demons, then was stunned when Mo Yun revealed he had reached Mid Bright Strength.

• Zhou Tieshan told Sun Yi that Blackstone Stronghold might have encountered a demon, and warned Wang Daniu not to rush back to fight it.
• Zhou Tieshan thanked Mo Yun for saving his life and promised to repay him whenever he needed help.
• Mo Yun asked Zhou Tieshan about demons, and Zhou Tieshan explained their tiers, human-eating habits, common traits, and varied weaknesses.
• Zhou Tieshan said demons had begun appearing more often as order collapsed and the imperial court struggled to respond.
• Zhou Tieshan asked whether Mo Yun had reached Late Bright Strength, and Mo Yun revealed he was at Mid Bright Strength, leaving Zhou Tieshan stunned.

After Mo Yun explained his strength, Zhou Tieshan reported the suspected mind-controlling demon at Blackstone Stronghold to Qin Hu and Commander Li. Commander Li led a group toward the mine to confront it, leaving Qin Hu to strengthen the Mountain Manor's patrols.

• Mo Yun told Zhou Tieshan that his Tiger-Crouching Fist had reached major mastery and credited his strength to diligent training.
• Wang Daniu arranged to spar with Mo Yun the next morning, while Zhao Gang backed out after realizing how wide the gap between them had become.
• Zhou Tieshan described Blackstone Stronghold's strange villagers, Blackie's attack, and the stone coffin at the mine to Qin Hu.
• Qin Hu judged the suspected mind-controlling demon dangerous and took the group to seek Commander Li's decision.
• Commander Li decided to attack the demon before it grew stronger, ordered Qin Hu to reinforce patrols, and set out with Zhou Tieshan, Sun Yi, Wang Daniu, Mo Yun, and Zhao Gang.

Commander Li led the Crouching Tiger Manor party to investigate a demon in Blackstone Stronghold’s mine, while Xu Zhenyue described the coffin and disappearances linked to it. The party headed toward the mine after Commander Li identified the threat as a weak Corpse Charm.

• Blackstone Stronghold’s people begged Commander Li to spare them, but he said the party had returned to investigate the mine rather than punish them.
• Xu Zhenyue led Commander Li and the others toward Rear Mountain and explained that miners had uncovered a cold, carved stone coffin six days earlier.
• Xu Zhenyue reported that quarrels had increased and three people, including his sixteen-year-old grandnephew, had disappeared after the coffin was unearthed.
• Commander Li identified the demon as a Corpse Charm that manipulated people’s minds and secretly devoured its victims.
• Blackie realized a demon had influenced his earlier attack and felt grateful to Mo Yun for stopping him; Commander Li asked whether the coffin was still in the mine.

Commander Li and Mo Yun entered the mine to destroy a Corpse Charm, but found the coffin empty and were ambushed by Xu Zhenyue and the charm’s controlled victims. Mo Yun’s Tiger’s Roar in the Mountains Intent broke the miners’ enchantment, and he pointed Commander Li toward the fleeing Corpse Charm as the Black Seal began glowing intensely.

• Commander Li led Mo Yun, Xu Zhenyue, and the others into the mine, where he smashed the stone coffin and found only black powder inside.
• Xu Zhenyue attacked Commander Li, while the Corpse Charm’s eerie laughter drove the group into a frenzy and made them attack him.
• Commander Li knocked down the controlled fighters but was surrounded by twenty or thirty possessed miners emerging from the tunnels.
• Mo Yun sprang up and used his Tiger’s Roar in the Mountains Intent to incapacitate the miners and free them from the charm’s control.
• Mo Yun told Commander Li that the Corpse Charm was escaping through the third tunnel on the right, then followed as the Black Seal began shining brightly.

Mo Yun and Commander Li confronted the injured second-tier Corpse Charm in the mine, and Commander Li killed it after a fierce fight. When Mo Yun touched its remains, the Black Seal absorbed the demon’s energy and gave him two Black Points, revealing that demons could be another source of points.

• Mo Yun and Commander Li found the wounded Corpse Charm in a cavern, where Mo Yun felt an intense yearning and the Black Seal on his wrist grew hot.
• The Corpse Charm lunged at Commander Li, who severed its claws and drove it back with his saber.
• Commander Li wore the Corpse Charm down and split it in half with a final strike, exhausting his force energy.
• Mo Yun touched the corpse despite Commander Li’s warning, and the Black Seal absorbed a ball of energy from the remains.
• The Black Seal filled twice and reset twice, awarding Mo Yun two Black Points as he supported Commander Li and concealed his excitement.

Mo Yun learned about demon cores and asked Commander Li to let him join future demon-clearing missions. After Commander Li cleared the Blackstone Stronghold residents of blame for the corpse charm’s attack, the party collected the rent and returned to the Manor with the stronghold’s gratitude.

• Mo Yun planned to build his strength and asked Commander Li about demon cores, learning that only Fourth Tier demons could form true ones and that corpse charm remains were poisonous.
• Mo Yun asked to join future demon-clearing missions, and Commander Li agreed but warned him to follow the dark force martial artists and never act alone.
• Commander Li reassured Zhou Tieshan, Sun Yi, Wang Daniu, Zhao Gang, and the Blackstone Stronghold fighters that the corpse charm had controlled them, then confirmed Blackstone Stronghold had not conspired with it.
• Commander Li ordered the mine sealed until the corpse charm’s remains and poison could be dealt with, then let the party leave for Blackstone Stronghold.
• Xu Zhenyue paid the rent with an extra ten percent, and the people of Blackstone Stronghold knelt to thank the party for saving them.
• The party bid farewell to Blackstone Stronghold and set out for the Mountain Manor.

After returning from Blackstone Stronghold, Mo Yun resolved to grow stronger by hunting demons and practicing at North Mountain, where training was said to be more effective. The next day, he sparred with Wang Daniu at the Martial Training Ground and defeated him in two moves, shocking the watching guards.

• Commander Li treated Mo Yun, Zhou Tieshan, Sun Yi, and Wang Daniu to a late-night feast, where Zhou Tieshan and Sun Yi thanked Mo Yun.
• Mo Yun practiced the Nameless Fist Technique, assessed the Black-and-White Seal, and resolved to seize chances to slay demons and train at North Mountain.
• The next morning, Mo Yun practiced before joining the other guards at the Martial Training Ground.
• Wang Daniu arrived and challenged Mo Yun to the sparring match he had promised.
• Mo Yun dodged Wang Daniu's first hammer strike, countered his second, and stopped a punch just short of his face, winning in two moves.

After defeating Wang Daniu in training, Mo Yun joined Zhou Tieshan, Sun Yi, Zhao Gang, and Wang Daniu on a rent-collecting trip to two impoverished villages. The group returned to the Mountain Manor in subdued silence, while Mo Yun resolved to visit his elder sister after the promotion assessment.

• Wang Daniu conceded defeat to Mo Yun, called him his big brother, and offered him homemade jerky.
• Qin Hu sent Mo Yun and Zhao Gang to collect rent from Zhang Family Village and Little Creek Village, and Wang Daniu joined them.
• Zhou Tieshan and Sun Yi accompanied the group to Zhang Family Village, where headman Zhang Youtian paid the rent and invited them to share a meal.
• Mo Yun and the others declined Zhang Youtian's invitation and continued to Little Creek Village, where its headman also paid the rent and invited them to eat.
• The group collected Little Creek Village's rent and headed back to the Mountain Manor in silence as Mo Yun worried about his elder sister and planned to visit her after the promotion assessment.

After returning to the Mountain Manor, Mo Yun visited North Mountain at night and discovered that its peculiar pressure improved his Tiger-Crouching Fist practice. He measured an efficiency gain of just over twenty percent at the mountain’s foot, then began testing the Nameless Fist Technique.

• Wang Daniu gave Mo Yun another packet of dried meat before leaving with Zhou Tieshan and Sun Yi.
• Mo Yun went to the foot of North Mountain and sensed that its pressure grew stronger toward the summit and stirred his force energy.
• Mo Yun concluded that North Mountain’s terrain resonated with the Tiger-Crouching Fist’s Tiger's Roar in the Mountains intent, but obeyed the rule forbidding him to climb it.
• Mo Yun practiced the Tiger-Crouching Fist at the mountain’s foot and found that the pressure helped his blood qi circulate and clarified his technique.
• Mo Yun estimated that practicing there improved his efficiency by a little over twenty percent, then began practicing the Nameless Fist Technique.

Mo Yun discovered that North Mountain boosted the Nameless Fist Technique and practiced it through the night, intent on growing stronger. An old man watched from the mountainside, recognized Mo Yun’s refined version of a trial technique he had created, and left to observe him further.

• Mo Yun tested the Nameless Fist Technique at North Mountain and found that it improved his blood qi circulation by just over twenty percent.
• Mo Yun practiced the technique with renewed determination, focused on becoming strong enough to survive in a world with demons.
• An old man hiding in a pine grove recognized Mo Yun’s fist technique as a refined version of his trial technique.
• The old man admired Mo Yun’s martial talent but decided to watch him longer before revealing himself.
• The old man quietly departed, reflecting that only a genius who matured could truly count as one.

Mo Yun spent seven days training and patrolling while preparing for the Third-Class Guard Examination, and encouraged Zhao Gang to take the test with him. At North Mountain, the Black Seal filled and gave him three black points, leaving him ready to advance his Tiger-Crouching Stance.

• Mo Yun and Zhao Gang returned to patrol duty and discussed taking the Third-Class Guard Examination in seven days.
• Mo Yun encouraged Zhao Gang to train hard and believe he could pass the examination.
• Liu Zhuang eagerly dragged Mo Yun off to patrol together.
• Over the next seven days, Mo Yun followed his routine, practiced the Nameless Fist Technique, and studied pill dao with Zhou Bo when he visited the Spirit Herb Garden.
• After morning practice at North Mountain, Mo Yun found that the Black Seal had filled and gained three black points.
• Mo Yun prepared to use the points to advance his Tiger-Crouching Stance and reach late Bright Strength.

Mo Yun spent three black points to reach late bright strength by mastering Tiger-Crouching Stance, greatly increasing his power and endurance. He discovered that Tiger-Crouching Force required one black point to initiate and then checked the cost of advancing Tiger-Crouching Fist.

• Mo Yun used three black points to master Tiger-Crouching Stance and break through to late bright strength.
• Mo Yun saw his constitution rise to 10.3 and his defense to 7.0, then tested his stronger Tiger-Crouching Fist techniques.
• Mo Yun found that the White Mark had filled to about forty percent and calculated that another sixty percent would earn him a white point.
• Mo Yun checked Tiger-Crouching Force and found that initiating it required one black point.
• Mo Yun focused on Tiger-Crouching Fist to find out how many points its next advancement would cost.