Chapter Summaries

Xu Yang faced coercion from Qian Ming of the Three Harmonies Gang, who tried to recruit him and buy his sister, but Xu Yang refused while invoking the Huang Family's protection. As Qian Ming plotted to attack him later, Xu Yang resolved to confront the gang sooner, and Zhou Xia brought him a loan from her father to support his martial training.

• Xu Yang visited the Three Harmonies Gang's branch to pay the peacekeeping fee, but Qian Ming summoned him and urged him to join the gang.
• Xu Yang refused Qian Ming's offer to recruit him and then refused to sell his sister, citing his work for the Huang Family.
• Qian Ming let Xu Yang leave but ordered his men to prepare to kill him after a few days.
• Xu Yang considered the gang's numbers and weapons on his way to the Mighty Far Hall and concluded he could not wait until he gathered qi to deal with them.
• Zhou Xia brought Xu Yang about two taels of silver from her father as a loan, and Xu Yang accepted it and vowed to succeed in gathering qi.

Xu Yang declined Zhang Hong’s invitation to hunt Exotic Beasts and obtained Muscle-Softening Powder from Qiu Wenjie. He spent his Martial Dao Longevity Points improving Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist as he prepared to kill more than a dozen people.

• Zhang Hong invited Xu Yang to join an Inner Court senior brother and others on an Exotic Beast hunt, but Xu Yang refused.
• Zhang Yong and Luo Dehu criticized Xu Yang for turning down the expedition, while Tang Ruiyang said they had meant to help him.
• Xu Yang asked Qiu Wenjie about Drowsiness Smoke, and Qiu Wenjie gave him Muscle-Softening Powder and its antidote.
• Xu Yang checked his panel and decided to improve Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist before killing the people he had targeted.
• Xu Yang spent all 31 of his Martial Dao Longevity Points on Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist, raising its progress to 94/150.

Xu Yang killed Qian Ming and his two escorts on the road, then raided the Three Harmonies Gang's local hall and slaughtered everyone inside. He left the words “Four Rivers” written in blood, hid his stolen money, and the hall's destruction became known across the nearby villages the next morning.

• Xu Yang waited outside the Three Harmonies Gang's hall until Qian Ming left drunk with two sober subordinates.
• Xu Yang ambushed the three men on the road, killed Qian Ming and both escorts, and searched their bodies.
• Xu Yang entered the hall, used Muscle-Softening Powder on the sleeping gang members, and killed everyone inside.
• Xu Yang wrote “Four Rivers” in blood on the wall and hid the stolen money before returning home.
• A villager discovered the bodies and the slaughtered hall at dawn, spreading news of the Three Harmonies Gang's destruction.

After killing the Three Harmonies Gang branch, Xu Yang tried to provoke a gang war but instead bought himself time while training the Turtle-Snake Great Stance. He refused Zhang Yong’s offer to join an exotic-beast hunt, and the group left for the mountains again without him.

• Xu Yang warned Xu Qing to stay cautious, then left White Stone Ward as the dead gang members’ families mourned outside the branch.
• At the Mighty Far Hall, Qiu Wenjie warned Xu Yang about Li Sanhe and predicted the Three Harmonies Gang and Four Rivers Gang would avoid open conflict.
• Xu Qing told Xu Yang that the gangs had not clashed, though the Three Harmonies Gang was searching White Stone Ward without finding evidence.
• Zhang Yong and the others returned from an exotic-beast hunt with two taels each, and Zhang Yong offered Xu Yang a place on their next trip.
• Xu Yang refused the offer, dismissed the others’ taunts, and focused on training the Turtle-Snake Great Stance.
• Seven days later, Tang Ruiyang, Zhang Yong, and the others went into the mountains with Xue Fangsheng again and had not returned after three days.

Xue Fangsheng lured a leopard Exotic Beast into eating poisoned bait, then used the hunting party as decoys when a tiger Exotic Beast appeared. Zhang Hong escaped alone, unsure whether anyone else survived.

• Xue Fangsheng led Zhang Yong, Luo Dehu, Tang Ruiyang, Yang Dacai, and the others deeper into the Heavenly Prosperity Mountains to hunt Exotic Beasts.
• Xue Fangsheng baited a leopard Exotic Beast with meat, Ten-Fragrance Muscle-Softening Powder, and blood drawn from Luo Dehu, Tang Ruiyang, and Yang Dacai.
• Xue Fangsheng paralyzed the leopard and struck its forehead, but a tiger Exotic Beast with scaled growths on its back suddenly appeared.
• Xue Fangsheng fled and left the hunting party behind as the tiger killed one man and attacked Tang Ruiyang.
• Luo Dehu, Yang Dacai, and others ran for their lives, while Zhang Hong escaped and realized he was the only one of the eight he could find.

Xu Yang watched as Xue Fangsheng returned alone from the hunt, but Luo Dehu, Zhang Yong, Zhang Hong, and Qian Jiaxing survived his attempt to kill them and exposed his scheme. Xue Fangsheng handed over their share of the money after Sun Tao intervened, while the survivors feared his retaliation and regretted ignoring Xu Yang’s warning.

• Xu Yang saw Xue Fangsheng return without the others and suspected that the mountain trip had gone wrong.
• Lu Ren confronted Xue Fangsheng, who denied responsibility and dismissed the possibility that Lin Cheng would hold him accountable.
• Luo Dehu, Zhang Yong, Zhang Hong, and Qian Jiaxing arrived injured and accused Xue Fangsheng of using them as bait for an exotic beast and trying to kill them afterward.
• Xue Fangsheng claimed the two dead men had been killed by an exotic beast and denied having the survivors’ share of the money.
• Sun Tao warned Xue Fangsheng not to bring trouble into the martial arts school, so Xue Fangsheng handed Zhang Yong and the others their share before leaving.
• Luo Dehu and Zhang Hong worried about Xue Fangsheng’s retaliation, and Zhang Hong regretted not listening to Xu Yang.

Xu Yang watched Lu Ren break through Qi Gathering and receive an escort into the Inner Court, then saw the Huang Family hire him as an Attendant martial artist. Xu Yang’s own techniques had reached the threshold, leaving him one step from his breakthrough.

• Qiu Wenjie rebuked Luo Dehu for blaming Xu Yang, while Zhang Yong and the others used their winnings to hide from Xue Fangsheng in the Mighty Far Hall.
• Xu Yang defeated Zhang Hong in a spar, and Zhang Yong and Zhang Hong continued improving with their new money.
• Lu Ren announced that he had succeeded in Qi Gathering, drawing congratulations from Outer Court disciples and an escort from Inner Court disciples led by Sun Tao.
• Zhou Yang challenged Xu Yang about his progress, and Xu Yang retorted that Zhou Yang was still short of the breakthrough threshold after two and a half months of training.
• The Huang Family’s Fifth Master and Second Master hired Lu Ren for fifteen taels of silver a month and took him away to his new residence.
• Xu Yang checked his panel and saw that his Bone Root was Grade B and both techniques were one point short of their thresholds.

Xu Yang attended Lu Ren’s celebration, learned that the Huang Family would not hire him as an Attendant martial master, and chose to delay his breakthrough until he was fully prepared. After mastering the Turtle-Snake Great Stance and Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist, he began gathering qi before the watching disciples.

• Luo Dehu invited Xu Yang and the others to Lu Ren’s banquet, where Huang Jin welcomed the guests.
• After the banquet, Huang Jin told Xu Yang and the others that the Huang Family would not hire them if they reached Qi Gathering.
• Qiu Wenjie gave Xu Yang the Qiu Family’s monthly financial support, and Xu Yang said he needed a few more days before breaking through.
• Xu Yang reached minor mastery in the Turtle-Snake Great Stance, then used his panel to bring the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist to minor mastery.
• Xu Yang told Qiu Wenjie to stand guard and began gathering qi, as his qi flowed through his meridians and the Martial Training Ground’s disciples watched in shock.

Xu Yang successfully broke through to Qi Gathering, then confronted Luo Dehu for disparaging his achievement and clashed palms with Lu Ren. Their exchange left both recognizing the other's strength, and Lu Ren returned to the Inner Court with Luo Dehu and Qian Jiaxing.

• Xu Yang completed his Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist training and reached Qi Gathering Initiation as the onlookers gathered around to congratulate him.
• Luo Dehu argued that Xu Yang's breakthrough was luck and that his potential remained inferior to Lu Ren's.
• Xu Yang struck Luo Dehu after hearing his remarks, and Lu Ren intervened but failed to stop the blow.
• Lu Ren attacked Xu Yang, and their palm strikes collided with enough force to make both men stagger back.
• Sun Tao arrived from the Inner Court, and Xu Yang lowered his palm before Lu Ren helped Qian Jiaxing lift Luo Dehu and leave.

Xu Yang gathered qi and became a martial artist, then weighed his options for support and work. He left the Mighty Far Hall with the Qiu Family’s continued stipend and revealed his breakthrough to Zhang Daniu, who was stunned.

• Sun Tao congratulated Xu Yang on gathering qi, brought him to meet Lin Cheng, and introduced him to the Inner Court disciples.
• Lin Cheng advised Xu Yang to seek work carefully, while Xu Yang discovered that his displayed remaining lifespan had risen to sixty years.
• Zhou Shunchang and Huang Jin congratulated Xu Yang, and Huang Jin gave him five taels of silver despite the Huang Family refusing to hire him.
• Qiu Yongqiang told Xu Yang that the Qiu Family could not afford to hire him but would continue giving him three taels of silver each month for training.
• Xu Yang left the city and told Zhang Daniu that he had become a martial artist; Zhang Daniu was left speechless.

After Xu Yang became a martial artist, he celebrated with Xu Qing and visited Zhou Shunchang to repay his loan, while Xu Lao'er regretted losing his relationship with his son. Xu Yang decided to send Xu Qing to school, and the chapter ended as they headed to Old Scholar Li’s home.

• Xu Yang showed Xu Qing his new strength by shattering a large rock and told her he would take her to visit Zhou Shunchang.
• News that Xu Yang had become a martial artist spread through White Stone Ward, and Xu Lao'er and Zhang Cuiting confirmed it and regretted their estrangement from him.
• Xu Yang thanked Zhou Shunchang, repaid the money he had borrowed, and decided to send Xu Qing to school before she could begin martial arts training.
• Xu Yang spent 30 Martial Dao Longevity Points to raise his comprehension to 24 and bone root to 43.
• Xu Yang took Xu Qing to buy school supplies and set out for Old Scholar Li’s home, where she teased him about once admiring Li Yao.

Xu Yang arranged for Xu Qing to study under Old Scholar Li, then faced Li Sanhe’s attempt to test whether he would seek revenge on the Three Harmonies Gang. He rejected Xu Lao’er’s effort to reconcile and went to Mighty Far Hall to train, where others criticized his late arrival.

• Old Scholar Li accepted Xu Qing as his pupil, and Xu Yang greeted Li Yao before leaving; she learned who he was and hurried after him but missed him.
• Li Sanhe brought Xu Yang a bound gang member who had threatened him and his sister, then tested Xu Yang by offering to punish the man and compensate him.
• Xu Yang left the punishment to Li Sanhe, who had the man’s arm cut off and gave Xu Yang two taels of silver.
• Xu Lao’er tried to reconcile with Xu Yang, but Xu Yang warned Zhang Cuiting that he would kill Yang Jun if she kept pushing Xu Lao’er to claim ties with him.
• At Mighty Far Hall, Xu Yang practiced the Turtle-Snake Great Stance while others criticized him for arriving late after achieving qi gathering.

Xu Yang learned that improving his martial arts would take years, but he remained confident that he had time to improve his abilities. He rejected the Liu Family’s marriage alliance offer before agreeing to join them as an ordinary Attendant, while Wu Yongfeng accepted the same terms.

• Xu Yang estimated that his slow cultivation would take years to advance his techniques, then reminded himself that he could improve his bone root and comprehension over time.
• Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng sparred for practice while senior brothers gave Lu Ren guidance, and Sun Tao advised them to seek help from more experienced martial artists.
• Sun Tao told Xu Yang that the Liu Family offered fifteen taels a month and access to its inherited martial arts if he married into the family.
• Xu Yang refused to marry into the Liu Family, and Sun Tao explained that the family would instead pay five taels a month for him to serve as an ordinary Attendant.
• Wu Yongfeng accepted the ordinary Attendant position, and Xu Yang agreed to join him after Sun Tao reassured him that the Liu Family would not take his refusal personally.
• Sun Tao gave Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng a letter to report to the Liu Family, while Lu Ren told Sun Tao he would accept a marriage alliance with the Huang Family but would not marry into it.

Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng accepted jobs as martial artist attendants for the Liu Family and were taken to the family’s Inner City estate. They settled into the Attendant Courtyard, where Xu Yang realized the Liu Family employed dozens of attendants.

• Wu Yongfeng regretted that Xu Yang had refused to marry into the Liu Family, but Xu Yang said he had no regrets.
• Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng entered the Inner City for the first time and reached the Liu Family’s grand residence with Sun Tao’s letter of introduction.
• Liu Yong explained the attendants’ pay, duties, and rules, and Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng accepted the jobs.
• Liu Yong brought them to the Attendant Courtyard and introduced them to Zhang Bo, who would lead the attendants.
• Zhang Bo showed Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng their rooms, and they changed into the Liu Family’s attendant uniforms.

Xu Yang settled into his routine as a Liu Family Attendant while watching several fellow trainees fail their breakthroughs and reconsidering how to improve his cultivation. His uncle Zhou Shunchang then invited him to discuss a possible marriage to a young lady from the Huang Family, whose motives Xu Yang doubted.

• Xu Yang wondered why the Liu Family had replaced so many Attendants at once, but his inquiries over the next seven days revealed nothing.
• Zhou Yang, Zhou Yuan, and Luo Dehu all failed their breakthroughs, and Lu Ren abandoned Luo Dehu to return to ordinary life.
• Xu Yang mocked Luo Dehu and rejected Qian Jiaxing's attempt to reconcile, then advised Zhang Hong and Zhang Yong not to rush their breakthroughs.
• Xu Yang spent his accumulated points raising his comprehension, recognizing that his slow cultivation progress came from poor resources and limited comprehension.
• Zhou Xia brought Xu Yang to a meal at Zhou Shunchang's home, where Zhou Shunchang proposed a marriage match with a young lady from the Huang Family.
• Xu Yang suspected the Huang Family wanted him to serve them through marriage, while Zhou Shunchang believed the match honored him.

Xu Yang rejected the Huang Family’s marriage proposal and focused on cultivation, while his estranged father’s attempt to move in was rebuffed. At the Liu estate, news of the dangerous bandit Jade Butterfly prompted the Attendants to guard the young ladies, and Zhang Bo assigned Xu Yang to escort the Fifth Young Lady.

• Xu Yang asked Zhou Shunchang to refuse the Huang Family’s proposal, explaining that he had no plans to marry and that the Liu Family had previously offered him a marriage arrangement.
• After Qian Jiaxing failed to gather qi, Zhang Yong and Zhang Hong succeeded, joined Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng’s group, and Xu Yang’s comprehension reached 30.
• Xu Qing complained that Yang Jun had become a Martial Artist, and Xu Lao'er later came to Xu Yang for help after Yang Jun beat him and threw him out; Xu Yang sent him away.
• Wang Yun told Xu Yang that Jade Butterfly, a bandit who targeted wealthy households’ young ladies, had appeared in the city, prompting Zhang Bo to order the Attendants to stay ready and guard them.
• Zhang Bo assigned Xu Yang to escort the Fifth Young Lady on her visit to the Pure Maiden Hall.

Xu Yang escorted the Liu residence’s Fifth Miss to Pure Maiden Hall, then joined the family’s heightened security after Jade Butterfly attacked another wealthy household. On his way home after a late patrol, he found a bloodied person by the road, who suddenly attacked him.

• Bao Gang tried to take the assignment escorting the Fifth Miss, but Zhang Bo chose Xu Yang, who accompanied Cui'er and the Fifth Miss to Pure Maiden Hall.
• After Xu Yang left, the Fifth Miss praised his looks and encouraged Cui'er to get closer to him, while Cui'er doubted he would be interested.
• Xu Yang returned to Mighty Far Hall and learned that its other disciples had stayed away because families were guarding their women from Jade Butterfly.
• After another woman from the Huang Family was attacked, the Liu Family barred its young ladies from leaving and assigned Xu Yang to patrol the residence.
• Walking home after his patrol, Xu Yang found a person lying in the grass beside White Stone Ward and approached cautiously after noticing blood.
• The person sprang up and clawed at Xu Yang's throat.

Xu Yang killed a gravely wounded Qi Gathering expert who tried to seize him and found a manual called Vajra Skill on the corpse. After returning home, he read the manual and began cultivating it.

• Xu Yang fought and killed a wounded expert who attacked him, then searched the corpse.
• Xu Yang found silver and a concealed Vajra Skill manual, hid the book, and carried the corpse into the nearby mountains.
• Xu Yang returned home and chatted with Xu Qing, who was practicing her writing.
• Xu Yang read Vajra Skill and learned it could transform ordinary true qi into vajra true qi that strengthened attacks and the body.
• Xu Yang saw Vajra Skill appear on his panel as uninitiated, hid the manual, and began practicing.

Xu Yang secretly kept Jade Butterfly’s death hidden, continued cultivating the Vajra Skill, and eventually reached its entry level. Back at the Mighty Far Hall, he provoked Lu Ren over his fiancée before sparring with the newly advanced Qiu Wenjie.

• Xu Yang recognized Jade Butterfly’s portrait and decided not to claim the reward, fearing retaliation over the stolen Vajra Skill manual.
• Xu Yang kept patrolling and practicing as Qingyuan’s families gradually ended their search for Jade Butterfly.
• After ten days, Xu Yang reached the entry level of the Vajra Skill, gaining a trace of vajra true qi and increased physical defense.
• Xu Yang and Wu Yongfeng returned to the Mighty Far Hall, where Zhang Hong told Xu Yang that Jade Butterfly had violated Lu Ren’s fiancée.
• Lu Ren challenged Xu Yang, but Xu Yang taunted him about his fiancée until Sun Tao stopped Lu Ren from attacking.
• Xu Yang began sparring with Qiu Wenjie, who had recently reached Qi Gathering.

Xu Yang sparred with Qiu Wenjie, then comprehended Explosive Bear Force during training, surprising his fellow disciples. As others doubted he could reach great accomplishment of qi gathering in time for the Martial Examination, Xu Yang remained confident that his improving abilities and the Vajra Skill would let him surpass their expectations.

• Xu Yang sparred with Qiu Wenjie, who surrendered after a dozen exchanges, then refused the three taels of silver Qiu Wenjie offered on his father's behalf.
• Qiu Yongjian confronted Qiu Yongqiang about sponsoring Xu Yang and ordered him to end the payments, arguing the Qiu Family should focus on nurturing Qiu Wenjie.
• Xu Yang trained in the Mountain-Shaking Bear Fist and comprehended Explosive Bear Force, startling Zhang Hong and impressing the other disciples.
• Jiang Ping and Gu Fang doubted Xu Yang could reach great accomplishment of qi gathering in time for the Martial Examination, citing his limited resources and weaker bone root.
• Xu Yang reflected that the Vajra Skill and his improving bone root and comprehension would let him advance rapidly, and believed he might even reach marrow cleansing within a year.