Chapter Summaries

Mo Yun excelled at tending blood-stopping grass and earned Zhou Bo’s trust, leading to an assignment in the Precious Herb Plot. There, he discovered the Black Seal reacted to a Fire Spirit Fruit, and he ended the day heading to the Rear Mountain to train for the Guard Examination.

• Zhou Bo criticized Xiao Liu and Tang Yin’s watering, praised Mo Yun’s flawless work, and made the weaker workers redo their mistakes.
• Mo Yun explained how soil color and leaf condition revealed each plant’s watering needs, and the group improved at their afternoon work.
• Zhou Bo took Mo Yun to the Precious Herb Plot and assigned him to help there each afternoon, explaining that Commander Li had asked him to look after Mo Yun.
• Mo Yun noticed the Black Seal trembling near the Fire Spirit Fruit and wondered how much energy the fruit could restore, but he left without touching it.
• After returning to the dormitory, Mo Yun headed to the Rear Mountain to practice martial arts before the Guard Examination.

Mo Yun settled into a steady routine of work and cultivation, earning Liu Niang’s approval and a bundle of mind-calming herbs. After discovering a veteran worker secretly spreading corrosive powder around spirit-herb roots, he alerted Commander Li, who took charge and warned Mo Yun to stay out of it.

• Mo Yun condensed a Black Point, but learned that improving either his Tiger-Crouching Fist or Tiger-Crouching Stance required two points.
• Liu Niang took over the Precious Herb Plot while Zhou Bo was away, and Mo Yun impressed her by carefully watering the snow spirit flowers.
• Liu Niang rewarded Mo Yun with mind-calming herbs and invited him to ask her for help while she supervised the plot.
• Mo Yun caught a veteran worker sprinkling corrosive powder around lingzhi roots and identified the substance as a threat to the herbs.
• Mo Yun reported the sabotage to Commander Li, who told him to leave the matter alone and focus on cultivation.

As the poisoning of the Spirit Herb Garden worsened and Liu Niang faced a deadly deadline, Mo Yun kept quiet about what he had seen and focused on growing stronger. He spent two black points to advance the Tiger-Crouching Fist, gaining a powerful combat boost while his stance and limited reserves of force energy remained behind.

• Mo Yun followed Commander Li's warning and said nothing about the figure he had seen while several spirit herbs withered from corrosive poison.
• The poison spread into the Precious Herb Plot, and the Village Master gave Liu Niang three days to find the culprit or face death.
• Mo Yun saw that Liu Niang had prepared a knife to kill herself if she failed, strengthening his resolve to gain enough power to survive.
• After eight days, Mo Yun received two black points and spent them on the Tiger-Crouching Fist, advancing it to Minor Accomplishment and raising his physical stats.
• Mo Yun realized his stronger punches could exhaust his limited force energy quickly, but resolved to advance his stance once he gained another black point.

Mo Yun saw Liu Niang devastated after her investigation into the poisoned spirit herbs stalled and her only captured suspect died, but she had been pretending to despair. When a masked attacker rushed into the Rare Herb Garden at night, Liu Niang confronted him while Mo Yun hid nearby.

• Mo Yun learned that Liu Niang had caught an odd-job servant spreading Poison Powder, but the servant died from a delayed poison before revealing who hired him.
• Mo Yun and the other servants worked late harvesting spirit herbs, and Mo Yun finished the delicate work alone.
• Mo Yun asked Liu Niang why she was still in the garden, and she said she needed to keep watch.
• A masked, burly man leaped over the garden fence and charged toward the Rare Herb Garden.
• Liu Niang revealed that she had been feigning despair and attacked the intruder with Tiger-Crouching Fist.
• Mo Yun hid in the shadows, wary that the attacker might have accomplices outside.

Mo Yun witnessed Liu Niang defeat the masked attacker while a red-dressed woman tried to steal the Fire Spirit Fruit, only to be stopped by the powerful Zhou Bo. After leaving the garden, Mo Yun was dragged into the woods by a bloodied hand.

• Liu Niang defeated the burly man in black and chased him into the forest, leaving the herb plots unguarded.
• A red-dressed woman tried to take the Fire Spirit Fruit, but Zhou Bo appeared and struck her down.
• The wounded woman escaped with a lime-powder trick and a secret art that consumed her blood and vitality.
• Commander Li arrived with household guards and pursued the red-dressed woman while Zhou Bo stayed to guard the garden.
• Mo Yun left for the Servants' Court, but a bloodied hand seized his ankle and dragged him into the woods.

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.