Chapter Summaries

Li Chen replaced all his blood with spirit blood and discovered that his interconnected qi channels greatly increased his magic power’s speed and reach. He demonstrated newly manifested gang-qi abilities and considered ways to automate his combat defenses, leaving the research decision unresolved.

• Li Chen bought spirit blood and raw mercury, then returned to his lodgings to perform the blood exchange himself.
• Li Chen spent a day and night injecting the spirit blood, overcoming clots and wasted materials until all his blood had been replaced.
• Li Chen found that his magic power could circulate throughout his body and move objects through Qi-to-Gang Condensation.
• Li Chen projected gang qi from his fingers, shattering a teacup, and confirmed that the spirit blood had manifested new abilities.
• Li Chen used the Armored Warrior Puppet to test his gang-qi defense and considered developing mechanical intelligence to improve his combat reactions.

Li Chen expanded and overhauled his puppet arsenal, modifying a Sharp Warrior Type Three and other puppets to work under his control. With his preparations complete, he set out to investigate a matter that had stirred his killing intent.

• Li Chen bought replacement parts for his damaged Combat Puppets and sorted, sold, and modified Storage Bags and Storage Rings taken from dead Rogue Cultivators.
• He bought two Sickle Demons and a peak two-star Sharp Warrior Type Three, bringing his collection of classic humanoid puppets together for research.
• Li Chen studied the Sharp Warrior’s potential as a research subject and planned to compare it with his Wooden Soldiers and Armored Warriors.
• He installed the worker bee system in his newly acquired puppets and covered them in demon hides, spending nearly a hundred thousand Talisman Coins on purchases and modifications.
• After several days, Li Chen stored his Mechanism Puppets in the rented warehouse and prepared to investigate the matter.

Li Chen found Hou San, one of the Earthly Sha Sect lackeys who had ambushed him and You An, and forced him to reveal who ordered the attack and who else took part. After Li Chen killed Hou San and left to pursue the second culprit, Brother Shui learned that Er Gouzi had also been killed.

• Li Chen spotted Hou San among the lackeys in Coldwind Valley and lured him away by asking for places to have fun.
• Li Chen dragged Hou San into an alley, revealed You An's face, and demanded to know who had ordered the ambush.
• Hou San confessed that Master Yi had ordered the attack and identified Er Gouzi as the other lackey.
• Li Chen snapped Hou San's neck and left to find Er Gouzi.
• Brother Shui arrived, realized the stranger had targeted Master Yi, and learned that Er Gouzi had been killed.

Li Chen used disguises and a puppet to avoid detection while watching the Earthly Sha Sect for Yang Haoyi. He found the sect's local headquarters but saw a wealthy merchant enter instead of Yang, leaving him wondering if the man was connected to the merchant guild.

• Li Chen disguised himself as an ordinary Rogue Cultivator and turned away Brother Shui and his thugs when they searched for someone.
• Li Chen made a human-looking puppet with painted skin and tested it in the Octagonal Fort, confirming that its appearance, voice, and mannerisms fooled passersby despite its stiff expression.
• Li Chen followed the Earthly Sha Sect members to their local headquarters and waited nearby, suspecting Yang Haoyi was inside.
• A well-dressed middle-aged merchant with several guards entered the headquarters, and Li Chen wondered whether he belonged to the merchant guild.

Li Chen used his puppets and a hidden explosive attack to kill Yang Haoyi, then escaped without being identified. After the killing went unresolved and Li Chen resumed appearing in public, someone recognized him and called out to him.

• Li Chen sent the Keen Warrior Puppet and two Armored Warrior Puppets to attack Yang Haoyi at the Yang Residence.
• The merchant's guards protected President Qian, leaving Yang Haoyi exposed, and an Armored Warrior Puppet's wrist device unleashed a fire blast that killed him.
• Li Chen stabbed Yang Haoyi to confirm his death, retrieved his puppets, and disappeared into the crowd.
• Yang Haoyi's followers fell into infighting, while the authorities failed to identify Li Chen's role in the killing.
• Li Chen waited several days, returned to his original appearance, and resumed walking openly through the streets.
• A fellow cultivator recognized Li Chen and called out that they had finally found him.

Yan Xiang invited Li Chen to meet his teacher, Master Artisan Zhao Ke, the chief administrative elder of the Octagonal Fort. Zhao Ke became interested in Li Chen’s background and asked him to explain the Swarm of Bees Technique, which had earned him Craftsman status.

• Yan Xiang recognized Li Chen and warmly invited him to visit his teacher, Artisan Zhao.
• Li Chen accepted the invitation and rode his Water Spider with Yan Xiang up to the Octagonal Fort’s fifteenth floor.
• Yan Xiang introduced Li Chen to the disciples and brought him to meet Master Artisan Zhao Ke.
• Zhao Ke asked about Li Chen’s school, and Li Chen explained that he was a Rogue Cultivator who had earned Craftsman status by presenting the Swarm of Bees Technique.
• Zhao Ke asked Li Chen to describe the technique in detail.

Li Chen explained his Swarm of Bees Technique, and Artisan Zhao advised him that the method might be difficult to develop further. Zhao then staged a puppet play that revealed to Li Chen the origins of the Draw Silk, Rejoin Meridians method.

• Li Chen explained the Swarm of Bees Technique he had submitted, and Artisan Zhao praised its promise while cautioning that it lay outside his expertise.
• Artisan Zhao told Li Chen that the sect collected exchanged methods in its library and that future Puppet Masters might build on his work.
• Artisan Zhao invited Li Chen to watch a puppet play and hear his newly composed Puppet Master's Song.
• Yan Xiang and the other disciples prepared wooden puppets, costumes, and instruments for the performance.
• Artisan Zhao and the disciples used spiritual threads to animate the puppets and perform a story about a young Puppet Master and his wife being separated.
• Li Chen recognized the performance as an early form of the Draw Silk, Rejoin Meridians method and the Primeval Mechanism-Performance Art of String-Puppet Theater.

Li Chen learned how Draw Silk, Rejoin Meridians transformed String-Puppet Theater into a cultivation art and gained access to Zhao Bin’s books, materials, and guidance. Yan Xiang and the other disciples discussed the difficult play they had performed, while Li Chen reflected on the opportunities his Craftsman status had opened.

• Li Chen considered how Draw Silk, Rejoin Meridians used Magic Power to connect an operator’s nerves and consciousness to a puppet, allowing it to move like a living being.
• Zhao Ke asked Li Chen whether the puppet play was worth watching, and Li Chen praised it and learned its title was “Zhuo Wudan Bids His Beloved Wife Farewell on a Snowy Night.”
• Zhao Ke invited Li Chen to study with Yan Xiang and the other disciples, use the book collection and material stores, and seek his cultivation guidance.
• Yan Xiang told Li Chen that Zhao Bin had given him unusual access because he was a Craftsman, and Li Chen recognized how the status brought him into the Puppet Masters’ circle.
• Yan Xiang and the other disciples explained that the play’s subtle movements, dual roles, fighting, and singing made it difficult to perform, while Li Chen envied their opportunities to learn.

Li Chen enjoyed Yan Xiang’s hospitality and studied books on String-Puppet Theater, then attended Artisan Zhao’s lesson hoping to learn the art. He was invited to listen, but the chapter left him waiting with He Ran and asking about possible work and ways to earn money.

• Yan Xiang treated Li Chen to an extravagant feast of spirit foods and Snowfire liquor.
• Li Chen borrowed books from Zhao Ke’s collection and studied the foundations of String-Puppet Theater.
• Yan Xiang invited Li Chen to attend Artisan Zhao’s lessons, and Li Chen agreed to learn the art if he had the opportunity.
• Li Chen arrived for the lesson on the ninth day and met He Ran, who said Artisan Zhao had summoned him for possible work.
• Li Chen asked He Ran about earning money, and He Ran advised him to ask Artisan Zhao.

Li Chen attended Artisan Zhao’s lecture on Spirit-Gathering Forming, then learned that Yang Haoyi’s death had stirred a dispute over control of the local Earthly Sha Sect branch. Artisan Zhao warned Li Chen about the cost and difficulty of learning Draw Silk, Rejoin Meridians and agreed to offer him advice, leaving Li Chen ready to listen.

• Artisan Zhao lectured on forming a Spirit Body around a wooden puppet, while Li Chen struggled to follow the material.
• Artisan Zhao summoned He Ran and Li Chen, then asked He Ran about President Qian’s efforts to settle the local branch’s affairs.
• He Ran reported that the Earthly Sha Sect might use Yang Haoyi’s death to bring the local branch under its control.
• Artisan Zhao questioned whether Li Chen intended to learn Draw Silk, Rejoin Meridians and cautioned him about its complexity, cost, and ties to protected industries.
• Li Chen admitted he had not fully considered the commitment, and Artisan Zhao agreed to give him advice.

Li Chen considered what he hoped to gain from learning String-Puppet Theater, then accepted Artisan Zhao’s offer to train him in practical techniques. The agreement required Li Chen to serve as Zhao’s retainer for three years, during which Zhao would teach him the Silk-Threading Art.

• Artisan Zhao pressed Li Chen to explain how much time and effort he would invest in String-Puppet Theater and what he intended to do with it.
• Li Chen reflected on his past choices and admitted that he had no clear answer for his path forward, then asked Artisan Zhao to teach him.
• Artisan Zhao advised Li Chen to learn and practice the Silk-Threading Art for destruction and disruption, and offered to replace his meridians for a fee.
• Artisan Zhao demonstrated how the Silk-Threading Art could numb and move Li Chen’s leg and make him propel a teacup with a tendon tap.
• Artisan Zhao offered Li Chen three years of training and extra private instruction in exchange for serving as his retainer, and Li Chen agreed.

Li Chen agreed to become Artisan Zhao’s Retainer and joined He Ran in meeting other influential retainers in the Coldwind Valley Region. He learned that local magnates funded and supported these cultivators, and He Ran pointed him toward President Qian as the real power behind them.

• Li Chen accepted Artisan Zhao’s offer to become his Retainer while resolving to preserve his desire for freedom.
• He Ran congratulated Li Chen and took him to meet several Master Artisans’ Retainers at a lavish residence.
• Li Chen met Wu Lu, Zhuo Jinzhong, Lu Liang, Zhao Youcai, and the Outer Dao Spell Cultivator Wu Ding.
• He Ran explained that the retainers had become local magnates whose influence sometimes affected Artisan Zhao’s business.
• Li Chen reasoned that the local magnates were those who controlled the money, and identified President Qian as the likely power behind them.

President Qian visited Li Chen with lavish gifts and offered him a house, servants, and a place at a banquet in hopes of securing his goodwill as Artisan Zhao’s retainer. Li Chen refused the residence and servants but accepted cultivation supplies, while President Qian left him under watch and ordered the association to cover his meals and lodging.

• President Qian introduced himself to Li Chen and presented gifts on behalf of the Merchants' Association and local clans.
• President Qian offered Li Chen valuable goods, indentured maids, servants, and a house, hoping he would help the merchants maintain ties with master artisans.
• Li Chen refused the house and servants, explaining that he preferred a quiet life, but accepted the magical artifacts and precious jades for cultivation.
• Li Chen declined President Qian’s banquet invitation because he had an appointment with Artisan Zhao.
• After leaving, President Qian called Li Chen an unwelcome complication and ordered his attendants to cover Li Chen’s food and lodging, watch his movements, and report anything unusual.

Li Chen spent three years studying String-Puppet Theater under Artisan Zhao while avoiding involvement in Coldwind Valley’s power struggles. When Zhao summoned him and He Ran, he announced that the Master Artisans would leave on the third of next month and asked what they planned to do.

• Li Chen resolved to stay in Coldwind Valley for three years to study Silk-Threading Art and String-Puppet Theater, using his savings to support himself.
• The Merchants' Association clashed with another Earthly Sha Sect branch, and Wu Lu became Hall Steward and restored control over Coldwind Valley’s underworld.
• Li Chen accepted President Qian’s modest gifts but refused to risk himself in the struggle over the Hall Steward position.
• Li Chen completed errands for Artisan Zhao and took turns with He Ran guarding Yan Xiang and the other young Puppet Masters on trips outside the city.
• After three years, Li Chen and He Ran returned to the Octagonal Fort and were summoned by Artisan Zhao.
• Artisan Zhao told Li Chen and He Ran that the Master Artisans would leave on the third of next month and asked what they planned to do.

Zhao Ke told Li Chen and He Ran that his term of duty in Coldwind Valley was ending, prompting them to plan their next steps and agree to travel east together. He offered to introduce them to former classmates on the coast by giving them letters to deliver.

• Zhao Ke explained that he and his disciples would return to the Creation Sect for examinations when his term of duty ended.
• Li Chen said he would leave Coldwind Valley and seek an opportunity to establish his Dao Foundation, while Zhao Ke explained the limits of titles for Rogue Cultivators.
• He Ran said he would make a final attempt to reach Foundation Establishment, and Zhao Ke suggested he travel with Li Chen.
• Li Chen and He Ran agreed to head east together after Zhao Ke left.
• Zhao Ke offered to write letters introducing them to former classmates on the coast and asked them to visit on his behalf.

He Ran and Li Chen prepared to leave Octagonal Fort for Suyang City, gathering demon materials to sell along the way. As they went to collect the Demon Cores He Ran had arranged to buy, the hunters told them the goods were already gone.

• He Ran proposed traveling to Suyang City and buying local demon materials to sell in the east, and he and Li Chen set the tenth day of next month as their departure date.
• He Ran and Li Chen hunted demons and bought valuable, durable spirit materials while preparing for the journey.
• Yan Xiang and the others tearfully bade Li Chen farewell, and Li Chen and He Ran saw Artisan Zhao’s group off on the third day of the third month.
• Leopard greeted He Ran and Li Chen with a snide remark as they returned from seeing Artisan Zhao off.
• He Ran led Li Chen to a tavern to collect Demon Cores from hunters, but the men said the goods were gone, prompting Li Chen to laugh bitterly.

He Ran confronted Old Jin after the goods he had arranged to buy were intercepted, and Leopard tried to pressure him into letting the matter go. He Ran and Li Chen threatened Old Jin with their battle puppets, and Old Jin paid them an additional five thousand talisman coins before the dispute was settled.

• Old Jin told He Ran that someone else had taken the goods and offered to return his deposit, but He Ran demanded the goods or repayment with interest and compensation.
• Leopard arrived and accused He Ran and Li Chen of trying to profit before leaving Coldwind Valley, but He Ran reminded him they could remain and contact Artisan Zhao.
• Old Jin pleaded that he was in a difficult position, so He Ran summoned a Sickle Demon Battle Puppet and Li Chen summoned a Keen Warrior Puppet.
• Old Jin handed He Ran the returned deposit and another five thousand talisman coins, and He Ran declared the dispute settled.

Li Chen and He Ran discovered that Qian Wanli had blocked them from buying goods in the market and sent the Earthly Sha Sect to pressure them. When Wu Lu urged them to leave, Li Chen warned that the local snake would face their resistance, and Lu Liang arrived to challenge them.

• Li Chen and He Ran found that every market shop had stopped selling them Demon Cores and spirit materials, which they blamed on Qian Wanli.
• The two spent the day searching for goods to resell in Suyang City but found nothing and noticed the Earthly Sha Sect watching them.
• Earthly Sha Sect members followed them to He Ran's courtyard, where Wu Lu admitted that Qian Wanli had ordered merchants not to sell to them.
• Li Chen warned Wu Lu that they would fight back if Qian Wanli pushed them too far.
• Zhuo Jinzhong, Lu Liang, Zhao Youcai, and others arrived, and Lu Liang mocked Li Chen and He Ran by demanding to see how they would make good on their warning.

Li Chen confronted the Earthly Sha Sect’s assembled branch forces, controlling five puppets with the Silk-Threading Art and overpowering their fighters. The chapter ended with Lu Liang badly wounded by his own Mantis Spider puppet.

• Li Chen and He Ran emerged to find Earthly Sha Sect leaders and their men gathered outside.
• Li Chen summoned two Armored Warriors, two Sickle Demons, and a Keen Warrior, then sent them into the crowd.
• Wu Lu and Lu Liang used their own puppets to resist Li Chen’s attack, but Li Chen deftly controlled his puppets with the Silk-Threading Art.
• He Ran explained that Li Chen had mastered String-Puppet Theater and expanded it with his own secret art.
• Li Chen’s puppets cut down and wounded several attackers while the attackers’ weapons failed to sever his magic-power threads.
• Lu Liang ordered his men to attack Li Chen directly, then discovered that the Mantis Spider had pierced his crotch with one of its legs.

Li Chen used the Silk-Threading Art to defeat Lu Liang and persuaded Wu Lu’s group to withdraw for the night. After the watchers scattered, Li Chen told He Ran that the truce was a ruse and suggested they seize the opportunity to target Qian Wanli.

• Li Chen revealed that his threads had connected to Lu Liang’s Mantis Spider puppet, and Wu Lu warned the others about defending against the Silk-Threading Art.
• Li Chen explained how his precise control of threads and puppet techniques let him take control of opponents.
• Li Chen urged Lu Liang to stop fighting and persuaded Wu Lu that neither side would benefit from a deadly battle.
• Wu Lu ordered his men to disperse and let Li Chen and He Ran stay the night, while a few fighters remained to watch them.
• Li Chen told He Ran the truce was a deception and hinted that they should make a move against Qian Wanli.