Chapter Summaries

Blind erhu player Li Ping'an earned a little money in the snow and relied on his system to improve his health while trying to live quietly. After dealing with street bullies and meeting Niu Er, he returned with Old Ox to his ruined temple and warmed himself by cultivating his self-taught Body-Warming Divine Art.

• Li Ping'an played the erhu in the snow, gaining lifespan and system progress before setting off with Old Ox.
• Da Hu and his companions tripped Li Ping'an and stole his walking stick, but Miss Wang drove them away and gave him tofu and five copper coins.
• Li Ping'an ate at a noodle stall, where Niu Er complained about gambling and suggested selling Old Ox; Li Ping'an refused and left.
• Li Ping'an returned to the ruined temple and practiced his Body-Warming Divine Art to keep warm.

Li Ping'an's erhu playing helped him earn food and make a living, while his senses and cultivation improved over the year. When Miss Wang disappeared, he learned that her husband Niu Er had fled after incurring usurious debts, and found her facing the collectors; the chapter ended as Da Hu and his thugs arrived to collect.

• Li Ping'an played a lively tune at the Zhang Family's scholar-feast and earned food, while Miss Wang gave him leftovers to take home.
• Over the next year, Li Ping'an's cultivation reached LV2, his senses sharpened, and his erhu work expanded to weddings and funerals around town.
• After noticing Miss Wang had stopped selling tofu, Li Ping'an asked the bookkeeper and learned that Niu Er had fled after mortgaging their home to cover gambling debts.
• Li Ping'an visited Miss Wang and ate the food she offered as he asked what she planned to do about the debt.
• Da Hu arrived with five or six thugs and jeered at Li Ping'an before preparing to collect from Miss Wang.

Li Ping'an intervened when Da Hu threatened Miss Wang over her debt, disarmed him, and drove him off. Da Hu returned with Zhang Wu and more than twenty armed men, who spotted Li Ping'an in a nearby alley.

• Da Hu pressured Miss Wang to repay her debt or submit to him, while threatening her and her son.
• Li Ping'an mocked Da Hu, seized his cleaver, and struck him hard enough to make him spit blood before ordering him to leave.
• Miss Wang warned Li Ping'an that Da Hu would return, and Li Ping'an hid in a nearby alley with Old Ox.
• Da Hu came back with Zhang Wu and more than twenty armed men, then pointed out Li Ping'an as they passed the alley.

Li Ping'an fought Zhang Wu’s gang and confronted Guo Yu at the Mandarin Duck Tower to protect Niu Er’s mother and son from Guo Yu’s trafficking scheme. He battled Guo Yu’s guards in the dark, and the fight remained underway as Yi Xuan’s formation faced him.

• Li Ping'an defeated Zhang Wu’s thugs and ordered Zhang Wu to take him to their boss.
• At the Mandarin Duck Tower, Li Ping'an asked Guo Yu to leave Niu Er’s mother and son alone and offered to repay Niu Er’s debt.
• Guo Yu refused and ordered his men to kill Li Ping'an, who wounded several guards and took a Hu Saber.
• Li Ping'an used the Turtle Breath Technique to knock out the gambling house’s flames and plunged the room into darkness.
• Yi Xuan formed a defensive position with his guards as Li Ping'an fought through the melee and killed an attacker who struck at him.

Li Ping'an killed Guo Yu and the others at the Mandarin Duck Tower after Guo Yu targeted Miss Wang, then fled with Old Ox as the authorities put him on a wanted list. Months later, he reached Luoshui City, where he heard news of another wanted man and struggled to afford food.

• Blind Man used the Wind-Listening Saber Technique to kill Yi Xuan and Guo Yu at the Mandarin Duck Tower, then left the building in flames with a note demanding justice.
• The authorities identified the blind street musician as Li Ping'an and issued a bounty, while Miss Wang waited for him to return.
• Li Ping'an traveled through the snow with Old Ox, reflecting that he had killed Guo Yu because Miss Wang once gave him tofu when he was starving.
• In mid-March, Li Ping'an and Old Ox stopped at a tea stall, where he heard that the wanted criminal Ma Sandao had come nearby.
• Li Ping'an reached Luoshui City, played his erhu, and bought two meat buns with his last money.

Xiao Wu pursued the wanted criminal Ma Sandao, only to discover that Li Ping'an, calling himself Blind Man, was far more dangerous than either of them expected. Blind Man negotiated a share of the bounty with Xiao Wu and then attacked Ma Sandao, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Xiao Wu spotted Ma Sandao and followed him into an alley, where Ma Sandao swiftly killed four attackers.
• Ma Sandao wounded Xiao Wu as he tried to escape, but Xiao Wu urged Li Ping'an to summon the authorities and identified the wanted man.
• Li Ping'an recognized Ma Sandao from a bounty notice and dodged the killer's knives, revealing his skill as Blind Man.
• Blind Man offered Xiao Wu a thirty-seventy split of the bounty in exchange for taking Ma Sandao to the authorities, and Xiao Wu agreed.
• Ma Sandao attacked with five throwing knives, and Blind Man met him with a decisive strike of his walking stick.

After capturing Ma Sandao with Xiao Wu, Li Ping'an collected his share of the bounty, enjoyed a rare feast, and gained the Life-Pulse Powder formula by playing his erhu. He settled in an inn and improved his skills over the next two months, then heard someone call out to him at the morning market.

• Xiao Wu brought the captured Ma Sandao to Captain Zhang and split the bounty with Li Ping'an, who introduced himself as Blind Man.
• Li Ping'an spent his share on food and wine, then gained the Life-Pulse Powder formula when The Moon's Reflection on the Second Spring reached level 2.
• Li Ping'an failed to find the formula's rare ingredients and rented an inn room for himself and Old Ox.
• Over two months, Li Ping'an improved his cultivation and gained Aura Lock, which let him detect living creatures' thermal images within ten meters.
• At the morning market, someone hurriedly called Li Ping'an a hero.

Xiao Wu recruited Li Ping'an to help capture Liu Bo, and Li Ping'an arranged to obtain ingredients for Life-Pulse Powder through Wang Dali of Tong Ren Tang. As they watched the imperial treasure ship arrive, it was struck by a devastating attack, leaving Li Ping'an and Xiao Wu fleeing as Xiao Wu spotted someone in the water.

• Xiao Wu sought Li Ping'an's help with dangerous bounty commissions and offered him the full reward.
• Li Ping'an asked Xiao Wu to find ingredients for Life-Pulse Powder, and Xiao Wu connected him with Wang Dali of Tong Ren Tang.
• Wang Dali agreed to provide the ingredients cheaply and offered more medicine if Li Ping'an helped capture fugitive Liu Bo.
• Li Ping'an and Xiao Wu went to the river to search for Liu Bo and learned that Princess Liu Yun's treasure ship was approaching.
• Old Ox sensed danger, and the treasure ship was engulfed in flames and blasted apart by a powerful attack.
• Li Ping'an pulled Xiao Wu away to avoid being arrested, and Xiao Wu spotted someone in the water.

Li Ping'an avoided the chaos after the princess's treasure ship was attacked, while Xiao Wu rescued Liu Yun and was killed by assassins disguised as Brocade-Clad Guards. As authorities cracked down and blamed Xiao Wu, Li Ping'an settled into a detached courtyard with Old Ox, where he heard the ox moo as if something had happened.

• Li Ping'an killed two soldiers who blocked his way, while Xiao Wu rescued Liu Yun from the water and learned she wanted to see the prefect.
• Xiao Wu brought Liu Yun to men he believed were Brocade-Clad Guards, but they were assassins who killed him and pursued her.
• Li Ping'an returned to the inn, rested, and stayed there as soldiers and officials flooded Luoshui City after the attack.
• Li Ping'an learned Xiao Wu had been labeled a suspect and that his family and friends had been arrested.
• Li Ping'an moved into a detached courtyard, where the innkeeper waived his rent in exchange for sweeping, and Old Ox mooed after Li Ping'an returned with vegetables.

Li Ping'an treated the wounded Liu Yun after Old Ox brought her home, then gave her shelter and shared a meal and music with her. Liu Yun remained at his courtyard, intrigued by Li Ping'an and his performance of "The Moon's Reflection on the Second Spring."

• Old Ox brought an unconscious, blade-wounded woman to Li Ping'an, who agreed to save her after Old Ox insisted.
• Li Ping'an treated the woman’s wounds, and she woke and revealed in her thoughts that she was Liu Yun, a princess who had lost her guards.
• Li Ping'an used a joke to distract Liu Yun while treating her, then told her to rest as her injuries healed.
• Li Ping'an prepared dinner for Liu Yun, who ate with him while dressed in bandages and an undergarment.
• Li Ping'an played "The Moon's Reflection on the Second Spring," and Liu Yun asked him what the piece was called.

After three quiet days, Li Ping'an renewed Wang Dali's commission to find Liu Bo and helped Liu Yun hide from the innkeeper while she recovered. That night, Li Ping'an captured Liu Bo alive, while Wang Dali waited for the Wang Family Manor's help, unaware the fugitive had already been caught.

• Li Ping'an heard that the princess had died in the treasure ship explosion, then asked Wang Dali to continue searching for Liu Bo.
• The innkeeper visited Li Ping'an's courtyard, where Liu Yun hid after being surprised while bathing; Li Ping'an checked her rapidly healing wounds.
• Li Ping'an told Liu Yun he would be home late the next day, and she found breakfast waiting after he left in the morning.
• That night, Li Ping'an confronted Liu Bo on a boat and knocked him into the river, capturing him alive.
• Wang Dali mourned his murdered nephew and was told that the Wang Family Manor's people would arrive the next day to help capture Liu Bo.

Wang Dali hired Wang Family Manor operatives to capture Liu Bo, but Li Ping'an arrived with the captive before they could act. Li Ping'an collected his promised payment and herbs, then returned home with food for Liu Yun and Old Ox.

• Man Guang and his two companions demanded a thousand taels from Wang Dali to capture Liu Bo, and Wang Dali agreed to find the money.
• A servant reported that a blind man had brought Liu Bo, and Li Ping'an entered carrying the captive in a sack.
• Liu Bo attacked Li Ping'an with a hidden blade, but Li Ping'an struck him with his walking stick and stopped him.
• Li Ping'an reminded Wang Dali about their agreed payment and medicinal herbs, then left as the Wang Family Manor operatives warned against provoking him.
• Li Ping'an returned home with wine, roast ducks, and pickled vegetables, and Liu Yun ate with him while Old Ox got a duck too.

Liu Yun shared a vulnerable night with Li Ping'an, who later collected ingredients for Life-Pulse Powder and used the medicine to recover from cultivation. After two men from Wang Family Manor ambushed him, Li Ping'an killed them and made their deaths look like they had slain each other; he then resumed cultivating with the powder’s aid.

• Liu Yun drank with Li Ping'an, told him about her unhappy childhood, and promised to find a doctor for his eyes when she returned home.
• Wang Dali paid Li Ping'an double and gave him bundles of ingredients for Life-Pulse Powder.
• Zhao Lin and Yao Guang followed Li Ping'an into an alley and tried to kill him, but Li Ping'an disarmed Zhao Lin and arranged their deaths to look like mutual slaughter.
• Li Ping'an prepared Life-Pulse Powder and used it to recover after four hours of cultivating the Turtle Breath Technique.
• Li Ping'an continued cultivating after the Life-Pulse Powder restored his strength.

Li Ping'an agreed to guard a three-day overland shipment for Qian Sheng after Wang Dali recommended him, giving him a way to earn money for his cultivation. The chapter left Li Ping'an preparing to take the job while Liu Yun remained at home.

• Liu Yun struggled with washing clothes and cooking, while Li Ping'an cared for her and made their dinner.
• Li Ping'an continued cultivating with Life-Pulse Powder, but worried that its ingredients would drain his savings.
• During a scorching summer in Luoshui City, Li Ping'an earned money playing music and bought a watermelon after Old Ox helped him negotiate the price.
• Liu Yun and Li Ping'an shared the chilled watermelon in their courtyard before Wang Dali and Qian Sheng arrived.
• Qian Sheng asked Li Ping'an to protect a three-day shipment from bandits, and Li Ping'an accepted after Wang Dali offered ten more sets of medicinal ingredients.

Li Ping'an joined the Peace Escort Agency to protect Qian Sheng's caravan, then advised it to avoid the Redwood Forest after sensing danger. Chen Shun and Yin Yin doubted his warning as the group chose how to proceed.

• Li Ping'an left Liu Yun with seven days of food and traveled with Old Ox to meet Qian Sheng's caravan.
• Qian Sheng introduced Li Ping'an to Chen Shun and Yin Yin as an additional guard, prompting them to question why he had been hired.
• Yin Yin recognized Li Ping'an as a street singer, while he repeated that Boss Qian had asked him to come.
• The caravan passed several gangs by paying token tolls, then learned that its planned main road was closed.
• Chen Shun proposed taking the Redwood Forest, but Li Ping'an advised detouring through Peach Blossom Town after Old Ox's call.
• Yin Yin and Chen Shun challenged Li Ping'an's warning, and Li Ping'an said it was only a guess.

Li Ping'an’s warning about Redwood Forest proved true when a massive tiger demon ambushed the caravan in a storm. As the escorts fell into panic, Li Ping'an confronted the beast and asked Chen Shun to lend him his saber.

• Hu Er chose to take the caravan through Redwood Forest after Chen Shun objected to Li Ping'an’s suggestion to detour through Peach Blossom Town.
• The caravan reached Redwood Forest, and Li Ping'an stayed alert because Old Ox had warned him of danger there.
• A sudden storm forced the caravan to continue along the muddy mountain path, where a huge tiger attacked and killed or injured several escorts.
• Chen Shun and Yin Yin tried to fight the tiger but were knocked aside, while the other escorts froze in fear.
• Li Ping'an walked toward the tiger, and Chen Shun realized Li Ping'an’s warning had been right.
• Li Ping'an asked Chen Shun to lend him his saber.

Li Ping'an killed a tiger that attacked the caravan, saving Chen Shun and the remaining escorts, and later demonstrated a saber technique that astonished Chen Shun. After reaching their destination and resting, the caravan returned safely to Luoshui City.

• Li Ping'an drew Chen Shun's saber and killed the tiger as it lunged at him, though the attack killed three escorts and gravely wounded Yin Yin.
• The caravan escaped the Redwood Forest and reached a relay station, where Yin Yin received treatment and Chen Shun and Yin Yin apologized to Li Ping'an.
• Chen Shun brought Li Ping'an two flasks of Hundred-Mile Fragrance, and Li Ping'an and Old Ox shared drinks while he played the erhu and fell asleep.
• Li Ping'an awoke to a system reward for the saber technique Saber Draw * Diagonal Rising Unsheathe and tested it by precisely slicing a falling leaf with his wooden stick.
• Chen Shun witnessed Li Ping'an's display and wished to learn from him, and the caravan returned to Luoshui City four days later.

Li Ping'an returned to Luoshui City and settled back into life with Liu Yun, training and working as the months passed. As winter arrived and the New Year approached, the pair shared an easy domestic routine, and Liu Yun had bought him a new cane.

• Li Ping'an returned home with Old Ox, and Liu Yun welcomed him before serving a badly cooked dinner.
• Li Ping'an took over cooking and then resumed his ordinary routine of training, preparing meals, and singing on the streets.
• Wang Dali offered to supply Li Ping'an with ingredients for Life-Pulse Powder over the long term.
• Nearly half a year passed as Li Ping'an cultivated and improved his techniques, while Liu Yun learned to cook and grew more comfortable with him.
• Li Ping'an asked Liu Yun what she wanted for the New Year, and she told him she had bought him a new cane.

Li Ping'an learned that the Flying Eagle Gang was extorting his landlord, Chang Si, and threatening tenants who lived in Chang Si's house. Despite Chang Si offering him money to move, Li Ping'an asked where the gang was based so he could confront them.

• Li Ping'an tried to buy jewelry or fabric for Liu Yun but found he could not afford either.
• Li Ping'an noticed a group of armed men at Chang Si's inn, then returned home and was ordered by the men to leave his rented house.
• Li Ping'an learned that the men were creditors and asked them for a day to pack, then told Liu Yun he would speak with Chang Si.
• Chang Si explained that the Flying Eagle Gang had taken over territory in Luoshui City and was repeatedly demanding protection money from him.
• Chang Si offered Li Ping'an enough money to rent a house for a year, but Li Ping'an asked where the Flying Eagle Gang's base was so he could talk to them.

Li Ping'an confronted Liang Chenggang and forced the Flying Eagle Gang to stop harassing Chang Si. After Chang Si brought gifts to thank him, snow began falling over Luoshui City as a secret letter raced toward the capital of Great Sui.

• Li Ping'an went to the Flying Eagle Gang's territory to ask Liang Chenggang to leave Chang Si alone.
• Li Ping'an defeated Liang Chenggang's two subordinates and subdued Liang Chenggang with his bamboo staff, making the leader agree to his request.
• Liang Chenggang warned his subordinate to avoid Li Ping'an if they met again.
• Chang Si visited Li Ping'an after the Flying Eagle Gang returned his protection fees and compensated him, and Li Ping'an accepted Chang Si's gifts.
• Li Ping'an and Liu Yun welcomed the snow, while a secret letter from Luoshui City was carried toward the capital of Great Sui.