Chapter Summaries

After passing the promotion examination, Mo Yun and his companions registered as Third-Class Guards and learned about their new duties and benefits. During his last patrol shift with Zhao Gang, Mo Yun reassured him about demon risks, then visited the Spirit Herb Garden, where Zhou Bo noticed Mo Yun had advanced his cultivation.

• Mo Yun, Huang Shan, Huang Wenjie, and Zhao Gang registered as Third-Class Guards, received new uniforms, and learned that their pay would rise and their pill-buying privileges would begin the next afternoon.
• Mo Yun checked his dwindling pills at his lodgings, then joined Zhao Gang for their final patrol shift as Fourth-Class Guards.
• Zhao Gang worried that their new duties might bring more encounters with demons, and Mo Yun explained that Blackstone Stronghold had been an unlikely accident.
• Mo Yun visited the Spirit Herb Garden and congratulated Xiao Liu and Luo Shan while encouraging them to cultivate toward the Inner Court.
• Mo Yun met Zhou Bo in the Precious Herb Plot, and Zhou Bo noticed that Mo Yun's cultivation had broken through.

Mo Yun learned enough Pill Dao theory from Zhou Bo to begin refining Qi-Blood Pills, with Zhou Bo offering free ingredients in exchange for any finished pills. After completing his patrol duty and training at North Mountain, Mo Yun began the next morning’s practice, where Commander Li arrived with news of the Village Master’s reward.

• Mo Yun asked Zhou Bo about Pill Dao techniques, and Zhou Bo explained the furnace heat changes and encouraged him to start practicing pill refinement.
• Zhou Bo offered Mo Yun free ingredients for practice, keeping any pills Mo Yun successfully made.
• Mo Yun and Zhao Gang finished their final patrol shift and left to become third-class guards the next day.
• Mo Yun trained at North Mountain, then planned to visit his sister after completing his guard formalities and buying pills.
• Mo Yun practiced at North Mountain the next morning until Commander Li arrived, prompting him to expect the Village Master’s reward.

Commander Li gave Mo Yun an Origin-Ascent Pill, which Mo Yun consumed to strengthen his body and gain cultivation points. He used a black point to grasp Tiger-Crouching Force, improving his control and power, but found that fully tempering his force energy naturally would take months.

• Commander Li gave Mo Yun an Origin-Ascent Pill from the Village Master and urged him to save it for a dark-force breakthrough.
• Mo Yun sensed that the Black Seal craved the pill, ate it immediately, and endured its violent effects as it cleansed his body.
• The pill filled the Black Seal, reset it, and charged it again, giving Mo Yun the equivalent of one and a half black points while raising his constitution and defense.
• Mo Yun spent a black point to gain an initial grasp of Tiger-Crouching Force, increasing the White Mark's charge and improving his force energy's control and power.
• Mo Yun estimated that tempering his force energy to its limit through practice would take six months to a year.

Mo Yun advanced to late bright strength and bought his monthly pills, including specially authorized Marrow-Washing Pills, from the Logistics Office. He collected ingredients for five Qi-Blood Pill refining attempts from Zhou Bo and returned home ready to begin.

• Mo Yun contemplated the Tiger's Roar in the Mountains illustration and realized his improved Tiger-Crouching Force had strengthened his resonance with its intent.
• Mo Yun visited the Logistics Office, where Old Qin discovered his promotion to Third-Class Guard and his late bright strength.
• Old Qin explained the benefits of Qi-Blood Pills, Dragon-Tiger Pills, and Marrow-Washing Pills, then sold Mo Yun two bottles of each type along with his free Qi-Blood Pills.
• Mo Yun went to the Spirit Herb Garden, and Zhou Bo gave him five sets of ingredients for refining Qi-Blood Pills.
• Mo Yun returned home, arranged his pills, and prepared to take them.

Mo Yun used three pills while practicing the Nameless Fist Technique, strengthening his body and accelerating his progress toward a breakthrough to Dark Force, though the cost of pills made him worry about money. He traveled to Yellow Maple Town to visit Mo Yiyi, reassured her that he was well, and waited while she prepared him a meal.

• Mo Yun swallowed Qi-Blood Pills, a Dragon-Tiger Pill, and a Marrow-Washing Pill, then practiced the Nameless Fist Technique as their powers tempered his body.
• Mo Yun estimated that the pills would let him form a black point in four or five days, bringing him closer to mastering Tiger-Crouching Force, but worried that his monthly pill expenses had reached eighty-five taels.
• Mo Yun packed clothes, traveled to Yellow Maple Town, and learned that Mo Yiyi lived in a residence across from the Mo Trading House.
• Mo Yiyi welcomed Mo Yun and worried that he had lost weight, but he showed her his stronger muscles and assured her that he wanted to remain at the Mountain Manor to practice martial arts.
• Mo Yiyi stopped pressing Mo Yun about marriage and went to cook for him, while he stepped outside to explore the neighborhood.

Mo Yun visited his sister, saw how hard she had worked to prepare warm clothes for him, and then went to the Sky Wolf Gang to meet Black Wolf. After sharing wine, Mo Yun asked Black Wolf for help with a plan to make money, leaving the details unspoken.

• Mo Yun discovered that Sky Wolf Gang members were secretly watching over Mo Yiyi’s home and shop, and he appreciated Black Wolf’s loyalty.
• Mo Yun ate with Mo Yiyi, who told him her shop was thriving and gave him padded clothes and shoes she had sewn for him.
• Mo Yun noticed the needle-prick wounds on Mo Yiyi’s fingers and told her not to rush to make things for him again.
• Mo Yun ran to the Sky Wolf Gang headquarters and presented Black Wolf’s token to the guards.
• Black Wolf welcomed Mo Yun, and they drank together while Black Wolf spoke about the gang’s mounting troubles.
• Mo Yun thanked Black Wolf for protecting Mo Yiyi, then said he had come to ask for help.

Mo Yun enlisted Black Wolf to deal with Mo Feng and borrowed an Alchemy Furnace from the Sky Wolf Gang. He failed at refining Qi-Blood Pills three times but improved with each attempt, then practiced the Nameless Fist Technique and went to sleep.

• Mo Yun asked Black Wolf to deal with his second uncle's family and collect protection money from Mo Feng, and Black Wolf promised to settle the matter the next day.
• Mo Yun borrowed an Alchemy Furnace from Black Wolf after revealing that he had been studying pill refining.
• Mo Yun tried to refine Qi-Blood Pills three times, learning to control the heat more precisely but failing to finish a pill.
• Mo Yun put away the furnace and remaining ingredients, practiced the Nameless Fist Technique for about an hour, then washed and went to sleep.

Mo Yun spent market day with Mo Yiyi, giving her a carefree outing and new silver hairpins. After Black Wolf delivered 160 taels collected from Mo Feng’s household, Mo Yun agreed to fight for the Sky Wolf Gang in its boxing contest against the Giant Whale Gang, scheduled for the afternoon after tomorrow.

• Mo Yiyi invited Mo Yun to the market, where he bought her two silver hairpins and accompanied her to performances, a garden, and a storytelling hall.
• Mo Yiyi returned home to check on the shop, and Black Wolf arrived with 160 taels collected from Mo Feng’s household.
• Black Wolf told Mo Yun that Mo Feng had been beaten and explained that the Sky Wolf Gang was disputing a commercial street with the Giant Whale Gang.
• Black Wolf asked Mo Yun to serve as the Sky Wolf Gang’s third fighter in a three-match boxing contest, offering him thirty taels whether they won or lost.
• After confirming the Giant Whale Gang had no dark force experts, Mo Yun agreed to fight but said he would concede if his opponent was clearly stronger.

Mo Yun celebrated his growing fortune and trained, while Mo Feng and Mo Huaishan planned to use his position at Crouching Tiger Manor to recover the silver taken by the Sky Wolf Gang. When Third Granduncle Mo Huairen ordered Mo Yun to help, Mo Yun refused and made clear he held no obligation to the family.

• Mo Yun counted his silver, looked forward to having enough money for months of pill purchases, and practiced the Nameless Fist Technique with his increased strength.
• Mo Feng lamented the Sky Wolf Gang’s theft of a hundred and sixty taels, and Mo Huaishan urged him to endure until Mo Fan returned from the Chaos Blade Sect.
• Mo Huaishan proposed asking Mo Yun to intervene, and Mo Feng agreed to send Third Granduncle Mo Huairen to summon him.
• Mo Huairen found Mo Yun at his courtyard and demanded that he return to help Mo Feng recover the stolen silver.
• Mo Yun refused, reminded Mo Huairen that Mo Feng had seized his family’s property, and sent him away with an oppressive martial presence that left the old man shaken.

Mo Yun finally refined his first batch of Qi-Blood Pills, advancing his Pill Dao and raising the White Mark’s charge to seventy percent. After refusing Mo Huairen’s renewed appeal, he left with a Sky Wolf Gang leader to attend the Arena Battle.

• After seven failed attempts, Mo Yun refined six Qi-Blood Pills from his final set of ingredients and realized successful pill-making could earn him money.
• Mo Yun’s Pill Dao advanced to Grade One, and the White Mark’s charge rose to seventy percent.
• Over the next two days, Mo Yun practiced, helped at the shop, and refused Mo Huairen’s request to intervene for his second uncle.
• When a Sky Wolf Gang leader arrived to escort him to the Arena Battle, Mo Yun told Mo Yiyi he was leaving and followed the man out.

Mo Yun represented the Sky Wolf Gang in its arena matches against the Giant Whale Gang, where the first two bouts left the gangs tied. Mo Yun then overwhelmed Qin Xinghai with his fists, leaving Qin Xinghai shaken and wondering what powerful force had produced such a young monster.

• Mo Yun arrived at River-Guard Martial Hall with Black Wolf, who warned him that the Giant Whale Gang had hired the peak Bright Force fighter Qin Xinghai.
• Qian Cheng defeated Li Chenyi in the first bout after both fighters suffered wounds, giving the Giant Whale Gang an early lead.
• Black Wolf defeated Luo Batian in the second bout, forcing the match into a deciding third fight.
• Mo Yun ignored Black Wolf's warnings and stepped onto the platform to face Qin Xinghai, who resolved not to seriously injure the young fighter.
• Mo Yun's punches drove Qin Xinghai back and overwhelmed his Stone-Splitting Fist, leaving him alarmed by Mo Yun's strength and possible powerful backing.

Mo Yun defeated Qin Xinghai in the arena, securing the Sky Wolf Gang’s victory and leaving Luo Batian’s attempt to claim the street in ruins. Qin Xinghai stormed out after Luo Batian insulted him and offered to pay his fee, while Luo Batian realized he had made a dangerous enemy.

• Mo Yun overwhelmed Qin Xinghai with a series of powerful punches and knocked him unconscious on the arena platform.
• The Giant Whale Gang reacted in disbelief while the Sky Wolf Gang cheered Mo Yun’s victory.
• Black Wolf praised Mo Yun and privately felt relieved he had made peace with him and protected his sister.
• Luo Batian cursed at the injured Qin Xinghai, who sprang up and vowed to remember the insult.
• Qin Xinghai rejected Luo Batian’s thirty-tael fee and left the martial hall, telling him to keep it to buy his own coffin.

After Mo Yun helped the Sky Wolf Gang defeat Qin Xinghai, Black Wolf rewarded him and promised to protect his sister. Mo Yun returned to Crouching Tiger Manor, where he prepared for his new guard duties and anticipated gaining another black point.

• Luo Batian mourned his defeat as Black Wolf ordered him to withdraw his men from the Sky Wolf Gang's territory.
• Black Wolf gave Mo Yun fifty taels, vowed to protect Mo Yiyi, and invited him to a banquet, but Mo Yun declined so he could go home.
• Mo Yun said goodbye to Mo Yiyi and left Wutong Alley for Crouching Tiger Manor after she urged him to bring home a girl he liked.
• At his courtyard, Mo Yun found the padded clothes, shoes, dried meat, and ten taels Mo Yiyi had packed for him.
• Mo Yun inspected the six Qi-Blood Pills he had refined and planned to show them to Zhou Bo, then noticed the Black Seal was nearly full and hoped to condense a black point the next day.

Mo Yun gained a black point after training and learned he could cultivate freely between missions as a Third-Class Guard. Assigned to lead an escort to Clearwind Town, where demon activity had been reported, he planned to visit the Spirit Herb Garden before the journey.

• Mo Yun practiced the Nameless Fist Technique in the rain after taking three pills, and the Black-and-White Seal granted him a black point.
• Mo Yun saw that Tiger-Crouching Force needed one more black point for its next advancement and looked forward to reaching Dark Force.
• At the Manor Guard Administration, Mo Yun learned that Third-Class Guards had flexible duties and was appointed squad leader for a weapons escort to Clearwind Town.
• Mo Yun read that the route through Ping'an County was dangerous and that suspected demon activity had been reported, though the manor had assigned only three newly promoted guards.
• Mo Yun hoped to encounter a demon during the mission and decided to visit the Spirit Herb Garden before the shipment departed.

Mo Yun showed Zhou Bo six high-quality Qi-Blood Pills he had refined after using eight batches of ingredients, astonishing the old man. Zhou Bo accepted the pills and gave Mo Yun a Bone-Strengthening Pill formula before Mo Yun headed to the east gate, where Zhao Gang and Huang Shan were waiting for a caravan expedition.

• Mo Yun visited the Spirit Herb Garden and presented Zhou Bo with six Qi-Blood Pills he had refined.
• Zhou Bo was astonished that Mo Yun had succeeded after only eight batches and praised the pills’ quality.
• Mo Yun persuaded Zhou Bo to accept the pills as payment for his guidance and the ingredients he had provided.
• Zhou Bo gave Mo Yun a Bone-Strengthening Pill formula and told him to study it before attempting to refine it.
• Mo Yun arrived at the east gate, where Zhao Gang recognized him as the team leader for the caravan.

Mo Yun led the weapon convoy toward Clearwind Town and learned about a demon hunting near the Qilin County–Ping'an County border, as well as the powerful White Shark Gang. At the border, he chose to stop for the night at a Crouching Tiger Manor tenant’s home, leaving the party to travel through the darkness toward a nearby village while fearing a demon encounter.

• Mo Yun checked the three carriages of refined-steel weapons and set out with Zhao Gang and Huang Shan toward Clearwind Town.
• Zhao Gang told Mo Yun that a demon had been attacking villages near the county border, and Huang Shan reassured him that the party could defend itself.
• Huang Shan described the White Shark Gang’s role in maintaining order in Ping'an County and explained that its leader, Bai Xiongtian, was a peak dark force expert.
• After considering the dangers of nighttime travel, Mo Yun decided the group would rest at a nearby village and continue at daybreak.
• Huang Shan remembered a Crouching Tiger Manor tenant nearby and led the party toward the home as night fell, while Zhao Gang worried about demons in the darkness.

Mo Yun and his companions arrived in Sanyuan Village, where the villagers welcomed them with an elaborate meal. The evening ended with Mo Yun watching the village head hurry a hungry little girl named Nannan away from the table.

• Mo Yun's group reached Sanyuan Village, and the village head welcomed them and arranged lodging.
• Huang Shan told Mo Yun that she and Huang Wenjie were cousins from a once-prosperous martial arts family that had fallen into poverty.
• The villagers prepared eleven dishes and rice wine for Mo Yun, Huang Shan, and Zhao Gang, who ate and drank together.
• Nannan appeared beside the table, refused Huang Shan's offered chicken leg, and said she had eaten wild vegetable porridge and could not take food prepared for the guests.
• The village head led Nannan away, and Mo Yun watched her disappear into the night with a furrowed brow.

Mo Yun and his companions stayed in Sanyuan Village, where the village chief explained how the Crouching Tiger Manor had protected and supported the villagers. After practicing with Huang Shan and studying a Bone-Strengthening Pill recipe, Mo Yun set out with his companions the next morning and expected to reach the White Shark Gang before noon.

• The old village chief thanked Mo Yun for the Crouching Tiger Manor's generous rents and protection, and credited Huang Shan with helping the village delay its rent payment.
• Mo Yun practiced the Nameless Fist Technique at night, and Huang Shan joined him after briefly returning to her room for her Willow-Leaf Sword.
• Nannan brought Mo Yun and Huang Shan crisp pears, objected to being called Er Ya, and left the courtyard.
• Mo Yun and Huang Shan practiced their martial arts in the courtyard before Mo Yun studied Zhou Bo's Bone-Strengthening Pill recipe; Huang Shan was surprised to learn he could refine pills.
• The old village chief sent Mo Yun and his companions off with dried sweet potatoes and rice wine, and Mo Yun estimated they would reach the White Shark Gang before noon.

Mo Yun’s party reached the White Shark Gang’s Clearwind Town branch and discovered it had been attacked by a demon. After sensing that the demon’s presence was faint, Mo Yun ordered Zhao Gang and the others to wait outside while he went in to investigate, but Huang Shan offered to accompany him.

• Mo Yun asked Huang Shan about the strength of the White Shark Gang’s Clearwind Town branch, and she described its Dark Force branch master and Bright Force members.
• Mo Yun’s party arrived at the branch and found its gates ajar, its guards missing, and signs of fighting outside.
• Mo Yun stopped Zhao Gang at the entrance after detecting blood, and Huang Shan confirmed a strong smell of blood came from inside.
• Mo Yun sensed feeble signs of life and a demon’s stench inside the fortress, concluding that a demon had attacked the branch and was probably gone.
• Mo Yun ordered Zhao Gang and Huang Shan to retreat with the goods while he investigated, and Zhao Gang offered to go with him.
• Huang Shan then volunteered to accompany Mo Yun, saying she was fast and would not hold him back.

Mo Yun entered the Earthen Fortress and found that a demon had slaughtered the White Shark Gang branch. Before dying, Han Lie told him the wounded beast was hiding on Snowpeak Mountain and gave him the Body-Guarding Art, leaving Mo Yun determined to hunt it down.

• Mo Yun refused Huang Shan's offer to accompany him, asking her to protect Zhao Gang and the servants while he checked the fortress.
• Mo Yun searched the Earthen Fortress and found the White Shark Gang members dead among the ruins.
• Mo Yun sensed faint breathing, uncovered the mortally wounded Han Lie, and used his force energy to briefly stabilize him.
• Han Lie told Mo Yun that the beast responsible was hiding on Snowpeak Mountain and had been badly wounded, then gave him the Body-Guarding Art before dying.
• Mo Yun followed the demon's lingering scent toward the mountains and vowed to kill it while it was injured.