Chapter Summaries

Yi Yang killed Lu Cheng and Peng Qing during an attack on Shengcang Martial Hall, then escaped back to Three Trees Village and concealed the evidence. He realized that the blood qi first stage could no longer hold him back.

• Peng Qing fought Yi Yang after finding Lu Cheng dead, while a fire spread through the room and threatened to draw the apprentices.
• Yi Yang used the Nine Peaks Saber’s Strange Peak form to cripple Peng Qing’s arm and smash him through a wall.
• Peng Qing tried to flee and bargain with Yi Yang, but Yi Yang caught up and killed him before he could warn Yang Da.
• Yi Yang took Peng Qing’s silver and medicine, discarded his Shengcang Martial Hall token, and left the burning martial hall amid the apprentices’ alarm.
• Yi Yang returned to Three Trees Village, cleaned his blade, burned his bloodstained clothes, and concluded that the blood qi first stage could no longer restrain him.

After Shengcang Martial Hall burned and Peng Qing and Lu Cheng were found dead, the villagers feared retaliation until Zhou Liang returned with the news. The village believed he had arranged the killings through a friend, while Yi Yang kept his role hidden and resolved to protect Zhou Liang.

• Villagers gathered before dawn, fearing the return of the Shengcang Martial Hall martial artists who had beaten Yang Hui.
• Zhou Liang returned from town and reported that a fire had destroyed part of Shengcang Martial Hall and Peng Qing and Lu Cheng had died.
• Yang Hui questioned Zhou Liang about whether his trip to town was connected to the deaths, and Zhou Liang hinted that an old friend might have acted.
• Villagers praised Zhou Liang, and Yang Hui ordered everyone to keep his search for help and the deaths secret.
• Yi Yang concealed his involvement and resolved to keep Zhou Liang safe.

Yi Zhanzhi told Yi Xun that the Thundercloud Martial Arts Hall’s master would accept him as a final disciple, but the apprenticeship required five hundred taels. After Song Yi urged Yi Xun to sell Yi Yang’s home and land to pay for it, Yi Xun agreed to go to Three Trees Village.

• Yi Zhanzhi told Yi Xun that he had reached the qi-blood second level and been offered a place as the Thundercloud Martial Arts Hall master’s final disciple.
• Yi Zhanzhi said the apprenticeship required five hundred taels, and Yi Xun explained that the family’s money was tied up in business.
• Song Yi proposed selling Yi Yang’s land and house and moving him and the girl to rooms beside the stables.
• Yi Zhanzhi and Song Yi persuaded Yi Xun by appealing to the family’s ambitions and his grandson’s future.
• Yi Xun ordered the steward to prepare a carriage, and the family set off for Three Trees Village.

Yi Xun came to persuade Yi Yang to sell his courtyard and farmland to fund Yi Zhanzhi's martial arts training, but Yi Yang refused and recalled how the family had favored Yi Xun throughout their lives. Yi Xun lost his composure and challenged Yi Yang over whether he had properly cared for Jiang Yuexin.

• Yi Xun arrived in Three Trees Village with Yi Zhanzhi and Liu Fu, and Yi Yang greeted them with dry remarks.
• Yi Xun praised Yi Zhanzhi's martial arts talent and asked Yi Yang to sell his home and farmland to pay for the boy's entry to the Thundercloud Martial Arts Hall.
• Yi Yang rejected Yi Xun's offer to move into his town house, recognizing that they meant to put him and Jiang Yuexin in a room beside the stables.
• Yi Zhanzhi argued that selling the property would benefit the whole Yi Family, and Yi Yang questioned how much the family had spent on his training.
• Yi Yang reminded Yi Xun that their parents had favored him and that Yi Yang had given way throughout his life, then declared that he had had enough.
• Yi Xun angrily accused Yi Yang of failing Jiang Yuexin and asked whether he had honored their younger sister's deathbed request.

Jiang Yuexin defended Yi Yang when Yi Xun and Yi Zhanzhi tried to persuade him to sell his house and fields, and Yi Yang bluntly refused. After the Yi family left with a threat, Yi Yang expected them to return and revealed his Wood-Nurturing Longevity Art had reached 4200/6000 progress.

• Jiang Yuexin confronted Yi Xun and Yi Zhanzhi, accusing them of taking the Yi family property and trying to seize Yi Yang’s remaining home and farmland.
• Yi Yang sent Jiang Yuexin back to the kitchen and recounted how Yi Xun had received the family’s shops, connections, and silver while he was left with the courtyard and poor fields.
• Yi Zhanzhi argued that eighty taels was a generous offer, but Yi Yang refused to sell the land or house or move to town.
• Yi Xun left in anger, and Yi Zhanzhi warned Yi Yang that strength decided who could protect property.
• Jiang Yuexin apologized, and Yi Yang said the Yi family would return before heading to the kitchen and checking his Wood-Nurturing Longevity Art progress.

Yang Shuqing learned that his younger brother Yang Er had been murdered and left the County Office to investigate, carrying his newly awarded pill with him. In Three Trees Village, Yi Yang secretly broke through to the Qi-Blood Third Level just as approaching hoofbeats reached his courtyard.

• Yang Shuqing received three hundred taels of silver, a promotion to Deputy Chief Constable, and a Sinew-Breaking Bone-Pulling Pill for capturing the culprit behind the Wang Family manual theft.
• Yang Shuqing learned that Yang Er had been killed and that a Nine Evil Sect token was found at the scene, then struck the clerk for delaying the report.
• Yang Shuqing ordered Zhao Si and Ma Liu to prepare horses and weapons so they could leave for Three Trees Village immediately.
• Yi Yang used his remaining pills and medicinal baths to reach the Sinew Tempering Realm, the Qi-Blood Third Level, and reflected on his improved saber skill.
• Yi Yang pretended to be frail when Jiang Yuexin questioned him, and hoofbeats sounded beyond the courtyard.

Yang Shuqing returned to Three Trees Village to investigate Yang Er’s murder and questioned the village chief and Yi Yang about the death and the mountain expedition. He remained suspicious of the evidence and Yi Yang’s account, and Zhao Si asked whether they should let the only survivor go.

• Yang Shuqing arrived with Zhao Si and Ma Liu, then went with Village Chief Yang Shuyu to inspect Yang Er’s corpse.
• Yang Shuqing examined the Nine Evil Sect token and the wounds, finding the evidence suspicious despite the token and blade marks appearing genuine.
• Yang Shuyu told Yang Shuqing that Wang Yue had led an expedition up Greenwood Mountain with Yi Yang and that only Yi Yang had returned alive.
• Yang Shuqing questioned Yi Yang about the mountain, and Yi Yang claimed the snake knocked him down a slope before he woke at dawn and climbed back.
• Yang Shuqing left to inspect the snake on the mountain, and Zhao Si asked whether they were letting Yi Yang go despite his being the sole survivor.

Yi Yang overheard Yang Shuqing planning to take him up Greenwood Mountain and kill him, so he ambushed Yang Shuqing and his two men there. After killing them, Yi Yang took a Sinew-Breaking Bone-Pulling Pill, silver, a letter, and a parchment, then left the mountain.

• Yang Shuqing told Zhao Si and Ma Liu that he planned to search the mountain and later force Yi Yang to reveal what happened to Wang Yue and the purplewood.
• Yi Yang heard their plan from his courtyard and decided to deal with them on the mountain that night.
• At the clearing, Yang Shuqing found human blood and drag marks before Yi Yang attacked, killing Zhao Si and Ma Liu.
• Yi Yang defeated Yang Shuqing with the Nine Peaks Saber and killed him after Yang Shuqing recognized him.
• Yi Yang searched the bodies, took silver, a letter, a Sinew-Breaking Bone-Pulling Pill, and a sheepskin parchment, then concealed the bodies and left Greenwood Mountain.

Yi Yang went to Cloud Pattern Town to buy medicine for Yang Hui and gather news, then met Zhao Gang, who explained how the Heaven Patrol Office planned to use the Nine Evil Sect’s activity to expand its influence in Yunlin County. Zhao Gang revealed that he had joined the office as a Patrol Captain.

• Yi Yang bought medicine for Yang Hui from Physician Hu and heard rumors about the Shengcang Martial Hall, the Nine Evil Sect, and recent deaths around the county.
• Yi Yang replenished ingredients for Blood-Strengthening Decoction and reflected that silver alone could not secure the cultivation resources he needed.
• Ren Hao invited Yi Yang to meet Zhao Gang, who noted that Yi Yang’s strength had advanced since their last meeting.
• Zhao Gang explained the county’s major powers and said the Heaven Patrol Office planned to expand into nearby towns and villages under the pretext of combating the Nine Evil Sect.
• Zhao Gang told Yi Yang that he had joined the Heaven Patrol Office as a Patrol Captain.

Yi Yang accepted Zhao Gang’s recommendation to join the Heaven Patrol Office, hoping to gain access to resources and official protection. Two days later, Superintendent Fang Yue approved his appointment but assigned him to the Archive Hall rather than field duty.

• Zhao Gang offered Yi Yang a place in the Heaven Patrol Office, explaining its pay, access to medicinal resources, and loose rules.
• Yi Yang agreed to be recommended, giving Zhao Gang his personal details while claiming to be sixty years old and at the qi-blood second level.
• After Yi Yang left, Zhao Gang told Ren Hao that Yi Yang’s apparent cultivation was all he could see and that he had invited him rather than simply recommended him.
• Two days later, Fang Yue reviewed the candidates submitted to the Cloud Pattern Town branch and questioned whether Yi Yang was fit for field work at his age.
• Fang Yue assigned Yi Yang to the Archive Hall with the treatment of a Patrol Captain.

Yi Yang practiced the Five-Organ Internal Refining Force and gained sixty points of progress before Zhao Gang arrived with news of his Heaven Patrol Office appointment. Yi Yang accepted his low-ranked Archive Hall post and a Water Essence Pill, seeing the quiet job as an opportunity to keep his secrets and explore the office’s records.

• Yi Yang practiced the Five-Organ Internal Refining Force and reached beginner progress of 60/5000.
• Zhao Gang gave Yi Yang Black Iron Token 34 and explained that its number determined his rank and resource share.
• Zhao Gang told Yi Yang he had been appointed Patrol Captain of the Archive Hall, a quiet post with few chances to earn merit.
• Yi Yang accepted the Archive Hall assignment without complaint and listened to Zhao Gang’s warning about competition and office politics.
• Zhao Gang gave Yi Yang a Water Essence Pill and left after Yi Yang agreed to let the favor remain a debt.

After using Zhao Gang’s Water Essence Pill to strengthen his cultivation, Yi Yang registered as a Patrol Captain at the Heaven Patrol Office in Cloud Pattern Town. He received his post and equipment, and planned to bring Jiang Yuexin from Three Trees Village to live with him.

• Yi Yang swallowed Zhao Gang’s Water Essence Pill and practiced the Yi Wood Longevity Stance, raising his Wood-Nurturing Longevity Art progress from 1,245 to 2,000 points.
• Yi Yang decided to trade Yang Shuqing’s Sinew-Breaking Bone-Pulling Pill for medicine better suited to his current cultivation.
• Yi Yang left Jiang Yuexin at home and went to the Heaven Patrol Office, where the guards recognized his Black Iron Token and addressed him as a Patrol Captain.
• Ren Hao showed Yi Yang around and explained that he would manage the Archive Hall’s case files without leading a squad, while retaining the benefits of his rank.
• Yi Yang registered, received his residence token and Patrol Captain equipment, and decided to bring Jiang Yuexin to town in a few days.

Yi Yang took up his new post as Patrol Captain of the quiet Archive Hall and assessed its staff, records, and security. After encouraging Huang Yushu to pursue old Nine Evil Sect cases, Yi Yang left the Heaven Patrol Office for Three Trees Village.

• Ren Hao showed Yi Yang to the Archive Hall, where Yi Yang welcomed the quiet posting and reassured Ren Hao that he was satisfied.
• Yi Yang found Sun Hao asleep on duty, learned who staffed the hall, and allowed Sun Hao to rest as long as he kept proper records and guarded the files.
• Yi Yang read case files about the Nine Evil Sect and learned about its ranks, violent activities, and suspected presence around Yunlin County.
• Yi Yang found Huang Yushu studying recent cult cases, heard how investigating a village massacre had gotten him reassigned, and encouraged him to keep digging through the Archive Hall's records.
• Yi Yang inspected the restricted files and met Li Tong when he returned, then left the office at dusk for Three Trees Village.

Yi Yang returned to Three Trees Village in his Heaven Patrol Office uniform and arranged to move to town with Jiang Yuexin and Yang Hui. Meanwhile, Yi Xun refused to believe his elder brother had become a Patrol Captain, and the County Commandant sent a head constable to find Yang Shuqing and recover the Five-Organ Internal Refining Force.

• Yi Xun ordered Liu Fu to prepare to sell Yi Yang's property, then dismissed reports that Yi Yang wore a Heaven Patrol Office uniform as mistaken identification.
• Yi Yang told Jiang Yuexin to pack for a move to town and visited the recovering Yang Hui, who agreed to come with them.
• Zhou Liang asked whether Yang Er's case had been resolved, and Yi Yang said Yang Shuqing's delay could be explained by county duties.
• The County Commandant learned Yang Shuqing had not returned with the cultivation technique and ordered a head constable to find him and retrieve it, killing him if necessary.

Yi Yang moved into his Heaven Patrol Office quarters in Cloud Pattern Town and bought two Minor Tendon-Refining Pills to advance his cultivation. Meanwhile, Yi Xun mortgaged the Yi Family house to fund Yi Zhanzhi’s bid to become the Thundercloud Martial Arts Hall master’s Personal Disciple.

• Yi Yang, Jiang Yuexin, and Yang Hui left Three Trees Village and settled into the courtyard assigned to Yi Yang by the Heaven Patrol Office.
• Yi Yang visited the Contribution Hall, learned about pill grades, and spent seventy taels on two Minor Tendon-Refining Pills.
• Yi Yang planned to refine the pills with Blood-Strengthening Decoction baths over a month to advance his Wood-Nurturing Longevity Art and reach the qi-blood fourth level.
• Yi Xun gave Yi Zhanzhi one hundred taels from mortgaging the family house so he could buy apprenticeship gifts for the Thundercloud Martial Arts Hall.
• Yi Zhanzhi vowed to become the hall master’s Personal Disciple and dismissed Yi Yang’s new Heaven Patrol Office position as an unimportant post.

Yi Yang received five Water Essence Pills from Zhao Gang while learning that County Commandant men were investigating him and that Tang Hao and Fang Yu posed threats within the Heaven Patrol Office. Lu Neng concluded that Yi Yang was connected to the deaths and missing treasure, and ordered his men to watch for a chance to attack him alone.

• Zhao Gang told Yi Yang that unfamiliar men in town were likely County Office agents investigating Yang Shuqing’s disappearance and warned him about Tang Hao and Fang Yu.
• Zhao Gang gave Yi Yang five Water Essence Pills in exchange for the Sinew-Breaking Bone-Pulling Pill.
• Yi Yang reviewed his cultivation progress and planned to use the pills to advance the Wood-Nurturing Longevity Art toward the Bone Tempering Realm.
• Lu Neng told Zhou Ping and Du Sheng that investigators had found the giant snake’s carcass, Wang Yue’s remains, Yang Shuqing’s body, and evidence pointing toward Yi Yang.
• Lu Neng ordered Zhou Ping and Du Sheng to watch Yi Yang starting the next night and wait until he was alone.

Yi Yang reached qi-blood fourth level in the Bone Tempering Realm, then was ambushed by three County Office men on his way home. He killed them all, including their leader Lu Neng, who revealed that the County Commandant had ordered the attack.

• Yi Yang finished tempering his bones and advanced to qi-blood fourth level while monitoring suspicious activity around the Heaven Patrol Office.
• Yi Yang noticed he was being followed and entered a dark alley, where three County Office men ambushed him.
• Yi Yang broke the narrow-faced attacker’s wrist and drove him into a wall, breaking the encirclement.
• Yi Yang used the Nine Peaks Saber to kill the fleshy-faced man and the narrow-faced man in quick succession.
• Lu Neng recognized Yi Yang’s strength and begged for his life, claiming the County Commandant had ordered the attack.
• Lu Neng attempted to stab Yi Yang with a poisoned blade, but Yi Yang broke his wrist and killed him with a thrust through the skull.

After killing Lu Neng and his two companions, Yi Yang concealed their bodies and considered the County Commandant’s interest in the Five-Organ Internal Refining Force. The next morning, he learned that Yi Zhanzhi had become Mu Fenghai’s Personal Disciple, and left the Yi Family’s banquet invitation noncommittal.

• Yi Yang searched Lu Neng, Zhou Ping, and Du Sheng, took their money and useful weapons, and hid their bodies in an abandoned drainage channel.
• Yi Yang returned home, hid his gains, and concluded that the County Commandant would continue probing for the Five-Organ Internal Refining Force in secret.
• Patrol Guards told Yi Yang that Yi Zhanzhi had reached the qi-blood third level and been accepted as Mu Fenghai’s Personal Disciple at the Thundercloud Martial Arts Hall.
• Yi Yang dismissed questions about whether he was related to the Yi Family and considered the danger posed by Mu Fenghai, a qi-blood sixth-level martial artist.
• Liu Fu invited Yi Yang to the Yi Residence banquet celebrating Yi Zhanzhi’s discipleship and offered him osmanthus cakes.
• Yi Yang accepted the food box but told Liu Fu he would attend only if he had time.

Yi Yang attended Yi Xun’s banquet for Yi Zhanzhi, where the family and guests belittled him for his small gift and humble past. He left without confronting them, passed Yi Zhanzhi and his martial arts companions at the entrance, and continued toward the Heaven Patrol Office.

• Yi Yang decided to attend Yi Xun’s banquet to observe Cloud Pattern Town’s prominent guests and brought five taels of silver as a gift.
• At the Yi Residence, Yi Yang was seated at the last table while guests praised Yi Zhanzhi’s apprenticeship at the Thundercloud Martial Arts Hall and presented lavish gifts.
• Liu Fu announced Yi Yang’s five-tael gift and portrayed Yi Xun as generous for offering to help his elder brother, prompting guests to gossip about Yi Yang.
• Yi Yang ignored the guests’ remarks, drank his wine, and left the banquet without greeting Yi Xun.
• Yi Zhanzhi returned with four fellow disciples from the Thundercloud Martial Arts Hall, ignored Yi Yang as he passed, and went inside while Yi Yang continued toward the Heaven Patrol Office.

Yi Yang reached minor mastery of the Nine Peaks Saber and initiated the Five-Organ Internal Refining Force, which let him glimpse pure yi wood qi and begin to restore his vitality. He hid the dangerous art and reflected on how far his cultivation had advanced while remaining wary of trouble.

• Yi Yang completed the Nine Peaks Saber’s final hurdle and reached minor mastery after three nights of practice.
• Yi Yang reread the Wood-Nurturing Longevity Art and recognized how its nourishment of vitality connected with the saber’s cultivation of qi and blood.
• Yi Yang circulated the Five-Organ Internal Refining Force, reached initiation, and saw black returning to the tips of his white hair.
• Yi Yang compared the two arts and sensed pure yi wood qi despite being only at the qi-blood fourth level.
• Yi Yang concealed the Five-Organ Internal Refining Force and resolved not to tell the Heaven Patrol Office, Zhao Gang, Jiang Yuexin, or Yang Hui.