Chapter Summaries

Xu Yang left the Zhang Family Mine determined to pursue martial arts despite his friends’ doubts and his lack of money. Near home, Li Hu extorted twenty copper coins from him and hinted that the Three Harmonies Gang wanted Xu Yang’s sister.

• Xu Yang concealed that he had earned over six hundred copper coins and reflected on how the Martial Dao Longevity panel had improved his aptitude and mining skill.
• Zhang Daniu announced he was leaving the mine to apprentice at a smithy, while He Laosan planned to marry and work his family’s land.
• Xu Yang told his friends he wanted to practice martial arts, but Zhang Daniu and He Laosan warned him against it and left without making their usual plans together.
• Li Hu confronted Xu Yang near his home and demanded twenty copper coins as a birthday gift for the Three Harmonies Gang leader’s mother.
• Li Hu suggested Xu Yang sell his fourteen-year-old sister to the gang, then took the coins Xu Yang had prepared and moved on to the next house.

Xu Yang and Xu Qing went to Xu Lao'er’s birthday dinner hoping for help with Xu Yang’s martial arts training, but Xu Lao'er demanded that Xu Yang give half his mining wages to support Yang Jun instead. The chapter ended with Xu Yang facing his father’s demand and Zhang Cuiting and Yang Jun’s insistence that he contribute.

• Xu Yang gave Xu Qing his six hundred copper coins and warned her not to offer herself for sale to fund his training.
• Xu Qing persuaded Xu Yang to attend Xu Lao'er’s birthday dinner at Zhang Cuiting’s house, hoping their father would help him afford martial arts school.
• Xu Yang and Xu Qing arrived to find Xu Lao'er, Zhang Cuiting, and Yang Jun already eating, though their hosts acted unusually welcoming.
• After the meal, Xu Lao'er told Xu Yang to give half his mining wages to support Yang Jun’s martial arts training.
• Xu Qing objected, but Zhang Cuiting and Yang Jun argued that Xu Yang should contribute so the family could benefit from Yang Jun’s future success.

Xu Yang refused to fund Yang Jun’s martial arts training and left Xu Lao’er’s home with Xu Qing. His uncle Zhou Shunchang then offered him a chance to have his aptitude tested for Huang Family sponsorship, leaving Xu Yang to hope his improved aptitude would qualify.

• Xu Qing angrily defended Xu Yang, but Xu Lao’er urged him to give Yang Jun money and warned he might regret refusing.
• Xu Yang rejected the request and took Xu Qing away, then agreed to seek loans from their relatives so he could learn martial arts and protect her from the Three Harmonies Gang.
• Zhou Shunchang arrived at Xu Yang’s home with Zhou Xia and explained that the Huang Family would sponsor outsiders with suitable aptitude in exchange for their service as Attendants.
• Zhou Shunchang gave Xu Yang silver for presentable clothes and told him to report to the Huang Family estate for a bone examination the next morning.
• Xu Qing celebrated the opportunity, while Xu Yang wondered whether his aptitude of twenty-two would meet the Huang Family’s requirements.

Xu Yang went to the Yellow Family Estate for a bone assessment and learned that he had C-Grade Lower aptitude. He joined the selected boys, while Zhou Shunchang celebrated the result that could improve both their prospects.

• Xu Yang saw that his Martial Dao Longevity Points had risen to two, then left White Stone Ward for the Yellow Family Estate.
• Luo Dehu approached Xu Yang but lost interest after noticing his rough, laborer's hands.
• The old examiner required D-Grade Upper aptitude or better, and the assessments selected only a few boys, including one with B-Grade Upper aptitude.
• The examiner assessed Xu Yang as having C-Grade Lower aptitude, and Zhou Shunchang eagerly recorded his details.
• Xu Yang joined the selected boys as Zhou Shunchang urged him to train hard.

After the Huang Family selected ten boys for martial training, Xu Yang accepted its support and future service condition and arrived at Mighty Far Hall. As Huang Jin went to meet Master Lin, the boys began sizing one another up, and Luo Dehu’s attempt to organize them was interrupted by an angry trainee.

• Huang Ping explained the Huang Family’s training support and required the boys to become its Attendants once they became martial artists, and all ten accepted.
• Zhou Shunchang gave Xu Yang a tael of silver and urged him to train diligently before Huang Jin led the boys to Mighty Far Hall.
• The boys admired the training ground, and Luo Dehu proposed that they unite while Xu Yang and several others remained skeptical.
• Luo Dehu tried to enlist Lu Ren and start introductions, but an angry trainee told him to stop disrupting practice.
• Huang Jin returned with Lin Cheng, the master of Mighty Far Hall, just as Luo Dehu struggled to respond to the trainee.

Lin Cheng taught Xu Yang and the other new disciples that food and money were essential to martial training, then introduced them to the Turtle-Snake Great Stance. After correcting their first attempts, he left them with Sun Tao, who explained that initiation depended on comprehension as well as bone aptitude.

• Lin Cheng told the disciples that they needed to eat well to build their bodies and urged them to spend their money on nourishing food.
• Lin Cheng demonstrated the Turtle-Snake Great Stance and taught the group its breathing and posture; Xu Yang's Martial Longevity Panel recorded the stance as not yet initiated.
• The disciples tried the stance, and Lin Cheng corrected their postures before leaving them with Sun Tao for further guidance.
• Sun Tao explained that the disciples would need to gain initiation before Lin Cheng taught them again and described the signs of initiation.
• Sun Tao warned that initiation could take only days for the exceptionally talented or remain out of reach for life, and clarified that comprehension mattered alongside bone aptitude.

Xu Yang trained in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, ate his first meal at the Mighty Far Hall, and paid for extra Body-Strengthening Soup. As the recruits rested, Luo Dehu tried to rally them around Lu Ren, but disagreements over teaching the stance exposed growing tensions among the ten.

• Xu Yang practiced the Turtle-Snake Great Stance until exhaustion, but his progress panel still showed zero.
• Sun Tao led the recruits to the dining hall, where Xu Yang noticed his body absorbing the nutrient-rich food unusually quickly.
• Xu Yang registered for Body-Strengthening Soup and paid one tael for extra portions, while Luo Dehu said he would bring money the next day.
• The recruits compared how much of the Turtle-Snake Great Stance they had memorized, and Lu Ren remained energetic while the others rested.
• Luo Dehu urged Zhang Yong and Zhang Hong to help teach the stance, but they refused, and Xu Yang recognized that divisions had already begun forming among the recruits.

Xu Yang and the other Huang Family-sponsored disciples learned that their limited resources gave them only a ten percent chance of becoming martial artists. The chapter ended with Zhou Yang urging them to sell their training resources rather than continue a path he considered doomed.

• When Sun Tao failed to appear, Zhang Hong, Zhang Yong, and Xu Yang trained on their own while Lu Ren tried teaching the others before abandoning the effort to focus on himself.
• Xu Yang found that his stance training improved when he had eaten well, while Zhou Yuan criticized Lu Ren for wasting time teaching others.
• Zhou Yang told the newcomers that the Huang Family would fund them for only three months and explained that failed first attempts at the martial dao barrier were unlikely to succeed later.
• Zhou Yang estimated that ordinary trainees had a thirty percent chance of becoming martial artists, but the ten Huang Family-sponsored disciples had only a ten percent chance because they lacked resources.
• Zhou Yang advised the disciples to sell their training resources and take what money they could get.

Xu Yang began training at the Mighty Far Hall, refused Zhou Yang’s offer to buy his provisions, and returned home to tell Xu Qing he had been selected. After keeping his training secret from the neighborhood, he woke refreshed and discovered that his Martial Longevity Panel had awarded him fifty points.

• Zhou Yang offered to buy the trainees’ meat and Body-Strengthening Soup, but Xu Yang refused to give up his martial arts practice.
• Xu Yang trained through the afternoon, improved his Turtle-Snake Great Stance, and ate dinner with the exhausted trainees, none of whom sold their provisions.
• Xu Yang and Qian Jiaxing walked out of the city together before parting ways, and Xu Yang returned to White Stone Ward after dark.
• Xu Yang told Xu Qing he had been selected for training and asked her to keep it secret, saying he had gone to work in the city if anyone asked.
• Xu Yang woke during the fifth night watch feeling rested and saw that his Martial Longevity Panel had awarded him fifty points for the previous day.

Xu Yang used martial Dao longevity points to raise his innate constitution while training the Turtle-Snake Great Stance and left the mine for work in the city. At the Mighty Far Hall, Liu Guangfa was effectively eliminated for failing to memorize the stance, while Lu Ren became the first newcomer to gain initial mastery.

• Xu Yang raised his Turtle-Snake Great Stance progress by one point, then spent fifty points to increase his innate constitution to twenty-seven.
• Xu Yang told He Laosan to inform his third uncle that he had quit the mine and found work in the city.
• Xu Yang and the other newcomers trained early at the Mighty Far Hall as veteran disciples and the Zhou Brothers predicted their enthusiasm would fade.
• Sun Tao ended his instruction in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance and warned that newcomers who had not memorized it should stop wasting their time; Liu Guangfa had not memorized it.
• Three days later, Lu Ren gained initial mastery of the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, impressing the veteran disciples.

Lu Ren reached initiation in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance and gained recognition and rewards from the Inner Court and the Huang Family. The next day, Xu Yang also reached initiation, surprising Zhang Yong.

• Lu Ren reached initiation, and Luo Dehu praised him while Zhang Yong and Xu Yang continued training.
• Lu Ren learned that the fist techniques were more difficult than the stance and received wild ginseng and a Body-Refining Medicinal Pack from Gu Fang and Jiang Ping.
• Huang Jin congratulated Lu Ren and increased his training resources from eight taels to ten.
• Xu Yang practiced the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, rested to recover the breakthrough state, and then felt strength rise from the ground as he reached initiation.
• Zhang Yong saw Xu Yang's breakthrough and asked in disbelief whether he had reached initiation.

After Xu Yang reached the beginner level of the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, Zhou Yang argued that his poverty would still leave him with little chance of becoming a martial artist. Xu Yang entered the Inner Court to learn boxing, where its disciples learned of his progress but hesitated to offer him support because of his C-Grade Lower aptitude.

• Xu Yang reached the beginner level of the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, surprising Zhang Yong and the other outer disciples.
• Zhou Yang said that Xu Yang’s lack of money would make his chances of becoming a martial artist only ten percent, despite his talent and the Huang Family’s sponsorship.
• Xu Yang left for the Inner Court rather than listen to Zhou Yang, and Sun Tao brought him to Lin Cheng to learn boxing.
• Sun Tao told the Inner Court disciples that Xu Yang had reached the beginner level in six days.
• Jiang Ping said Xu Yang’s C-Grade Lower aptitude would give him only a thirty percent chance of success even with Lu Ren’s level of investment, while Gu Fang said they should wait until he could stand before them.

Lin Cheng taught Xu Yang the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist and warned him that martial training required costly nutrition. The Huang Family refused to increase its overall support for Xu Yang, instead shifting one tael of Zhang Yong’s resources to him.

• Lin Cheng praised Xu Yang’s progress, cautioned him about the cost of food, and demonstrated the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist before giving him its manual.
• Xu Yang studied the manual, handed it to Sun Tao, and returned to the outer courtyard, where Zhou Yang claimed the inner-courtyard disciples agreed with him.
• Huang Ping rejected increasing Xu Yang’s support, reasoning that the Huang Family could not afford another martial artist and was counting on the gifted Lu Ren instead.
• Huang Ping told Huang Jin to transfer one tael of Zhang Yong’s resources to Xu Yang, bringing Xu Yang’s allocation to four taels.
• Zhou Yang explained that the Huang Family had effectively abandoned the other trainees after Lu Ren’s arrival, and Huang Jin’s reassignment of Zhang Yong’s soup confirmed the family had added no new resources.

Xu Yang confronted Xu Lao'er after he stole Xu Qing's laying hen, fought off Xu Lao'er, Zhang Cuiting, and Yang Jun, then declared that he and Xu Qing were severing ties with their father. He left with Xu Qing after asking their neighbors to witness the break, while Xu Lao'er and Zhang Cuiting stayed behind with the recovering Yang Jun.

• Zhang Yong withdrew from the group after Xu Yang's progress reduced his training allowance, while Liu Guangfa also stopped eating with them.
• Xu Qing told Xu Yang that Xu Lao'er and Zhang Cuiting had taken their laying hen by force for Yang Jun.
• Xu Yang kicked down Xu Lao'er's courtyard gate, seized the hen, and restrained Xu Lao'er when he tried to strike him.
• Xu Yang kicked Zhang Cuiting away and knocked Yang Jun unconscious with one punch when Yang Jun attacked him.
• Xu Yang warned Xu Lao'er to stay away from him and Xu Qing, announced that they were severing ties, and asked the neighbors to bear witness.
• Xu Yang left with Xu Qing as Zhang Cuiting and Xu Lao'er tended to Yang Jun, who regained consciousness.

Xu Yang raised his bone root to C-Grade Upper and continued cultivating while protecting Xu Qing from Li Hu’s scheme. After Liu Guangfa was expelled for selling his meat portions, Zhou Yang confronted Xu Yang and the others, but Sun Tao disciplined the Zhou brothers and summoned Xu Yang and Lu Ren to meet Huang Jin.

• Xu Yang spent thirty Martial Dao Longevity Points to raise his bone root to 30, then trained and ate to keep up with his increased cultivation needs.
• Xu Yang publicly severed ties with Xu Lao'er, foiling Li Hu’s plan to buy Xu Qing; Li Hu ordered men to kill Xu Yang at the Mine.
• Qian Jiaxing told Xu Yang that someone wanted to sell his meat portions, but Xu Yang refused to risk angering the Huang Family after Liu Guangfa’s sale was exposed.
• Huang Jin terminated Liu Guangfa’s sponsorship and expelled him from the Mighty Far Hall, leaving Zhou Yang out one tael of silver.
• Zhou Yang demanded that Xu Yang reveal Liu Guangfa’s home and insulted the group, prompting Lu Ren and the others to protest.
• Sun Tao ordered Zhou Yang and Zhou Yuan to stand at the Plum Blossom Stance posts for two hours, then took Xu Yang and Lu Ren to meet Huang Jin in the Inner Court.

Xu Yang advanced rapidly in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance and Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist, widening the rift between himself and Lu Ren as the Huang Family favored Lu Ren with more resources. After demonstrating his growing strength and refusing Zhou Yang’s challenge, Xu Yang was approached by Li Hu on his way home.

• Huang Jin gave Xu Yang and Lu Ren shares of the fees taken from the Mighty Far Hall, allocating Xu Yang’s portion to Body-Strengthening Soup.
• Zhang Yong, Zhang Hong, and Qian Jiaxing reached the beginner level of the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, and the group moved on to the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist.
• Lu Ren reached the beginner level of the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist, but Xu Yang reached it the next day, and the two openly fell out.
• Xu Yang’s training progress and strength increased, and he lifted a hundred-and-fifty-jin stone weight overhead with one hand.
• Xu Yang refused Zhou Yang’s invitation to spar, then encountered Li Hu and two lackeys after entering the White Stone Ward.

Xu Yang concealed his strength when Li Hu threatened him for a few taels of silver and used He Shicai's family as a warning. After He Shicai died from the shock of the gang's attack, Xu Yang rested through the day and slipped out into the darkness that night.

• Li Hu demanded a few taels of silver from Xu Yang and agreed to collect them in a few days after Xu Yang promised to borrow the money from his uncle.
• Li Hu and his two lackeys smashed He Shicai's home, beat his wife, and frightened his children to pressure Xu Yang.
• Xu Yang visited He Shicai's ruined home, then sent two bowls of coarse rice after He Shicai died during the night.
• He Shicai was buried without a coffin, while Xu Yang trained at the Mighty Far Hall and slept through the afternoon and evening.
• During the second night watch, a figure darted out of Xu Yang's home and disappeared into the darkness.

After learning that He Shicai’s family had not reported his death, Li Hu left his hiding place with Li Jian and Li Liang. Xu Yang ambushed the three men on their way to Big Tree Village and killed them all.

• Li Liang told Li Hu that He Shicai’s family had not reported the killing, so Li Hu decided they could leave hiding and visit his mistress.
• Li Hu, Li Jian, and Li Liang headed toward Big Tree Village while Li Hu drank and asked whether Xu Yang had brought the money.
• Xu Yang, who had waited in ambush for three days, charged the group and drove a sharpened wooden pole through Li Liang.
• Xu Yang smashed Li Jian’s arms and head with the pole, killing him.
• Li Hu tried to call for help, but Xu Yang struck him with the broken pole and snapped his neck.

After killing Li Hu, Li Liang, and Li Jian, Xu Yang concealed their bodies and used the points he gained to improve his Bone Root. A month later, his martial arts had advanced, and Qiu Wenjie invited him to a banquet where his father wanted to discuss helping Xu Yang train.

• Xu Yang buried Li Hu, Li Liang, and Li Jian in the mountains, cleaned the murder scene, and returned home unnoticed.
• Xu Yang saw that killing the three men had earned him ten Martial Dao Longevity Points and spent all his points raising his Bone Root to 34.
• The Three Harmonies Gang and the villagers initially assumed the three missing men were hiding, then searched for them before eventually replacing Li Hu in his affairs.
• A month later, Xu Yang had advanced in Turtle-Snake Great Stance and Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist, and he defeated Zhang Hong in a sparring match.
• Qiu Wenjie invited Xu Yang to a banquet and revealed that his father wanted to discuss helping Xu Yang train in martial arts.

Xu Yang accepted Qiu Yongqiang’s offer to fund his martial training, easing his doubts about conflicting loyalties with the Huang Family. Back home, he learned the Three Harmonies Gang was still asking about him and planned to spend his savings on food and medicines to prepare for a breakthrough.

• Qiu Yongqiang treated Xu Yang and Qiu Wenjie to a large meal, then offered to support Xu Yang’s training with three taels of silver each month.
• Xu Yang accepted the money after Qiu Yongqiang explained that the Qiu Family only hoped to earn his goodwill and would not demand that he serve them.
• After Xu Yang left, Qiu Wenjie questioned whether the investment was worth the risk, and Qiu Yongqiang defended his decision by comparing it with his spending on Wenjie’s training.
• Xu Qing told Xu Yang that Xu Lao'er had asked to borrow a chicken and that the Three Harmonies Gang’s men had been asking about him in the village.
• Xu Yang decided to pay the Residence Fee, have Xu Qing buy him pork each morning, and use his remaining silver for training supplies and medicines before attempting a breakthrough.