Chapter Summaries

Jiang Xiaobai accepted the role of Blade-Guarding Envoy for the Dragon-Tiger Contest and began addressing the gathered martial artists. His introduction was interrupted when a man hurled a stone at him, prompting Chen Jian to attack the thrower.

• Yu Shangwu told Xu Yuehua that Jiang Xiaobai would preside over the contest, and Jiang agreed to try the role for the first day.
• As more than three hundred martial artists gathered, Zhongli Chen told Jiang that it was time to begin, and Jiang crossed the river to the contest site.
• Tang Ningshuang quieted the crowd, and Jiang announced that he would oversee contests and settle disputes as Blade-Guarding Envoy.
• Jiang introduced himself as the Heir Apparent of the Duke of the State's Estate, but a middle-aged man hurled a stone at him.
• Chen Jian caught the stone and charged at the middle-aged man, shouting that he would use his Star-Absorbing Great Technique.

Jiang Xiaobai killed a hidden attacker and invited everyone who opposed his appointment as Blade-Guarding Envoy to step forward. More martial artists, including the Free-and-Easy Sword School, gathered against him, leaving Xu Yuehua worried about whether he could face them all.

• Chen Jian dragged a middle-aged attacker out of the crowd, and Tang Ningshuang held him at swordpoint.
• Jiang Xiaobai shot the middle-aged man dead after learning he had secretly attacked him.
• Jiang Xiaobai warned the crowd that he would kill anyone who used underhanded tricks, and a Clearwind Gate elder challenged his authority.
• Helian Zhaoyue stopped Teng Zixiu from objecting after pointing out the cannons near Jiang Xiaobai.
• Li Jingxing called on the Free-and-Easy Sword School to avenge an elder, and its sword-wielding elder emerged with four others.
• Jiang Xiaobai asked the crowd to reveal every objection, prompting more martial artists to step forward as Xu Yuehua grew worried.

Jiang Xiaobai drew the Martial World opponents into one place, then revealed cannons as his backup plan and demonstrated their destructive power. The soldiers aimed every cannon at Li Jingxing and the others who opposed him.

• Jiang Xiaobai invited those opposing his appointment as Blade-Guarding Envoy to gather where he had been standing, and Li Jingxing led them there.
• Li Jingxing criticized Jiang Xiaobai and urged the Martial World to reject him, drawing more opponents into the group.
• Helian Zhaoyue noticed soldiers turning the covered weapons toward Li Jingxing and the others, but they did not realize the danger.
• Jiang Xiaobai had Zhang Xinnian bring over a cannon and fired it, blasting a crater into the rock face above the gathered opponents.
• Jiang Xiaobai ordered the soldiers to aim every cannon at the opposition, and they uncovered the row of muzzles.

Jiang Xiaobai used his cannons to silence opposition to his appointment as Blade-Guarding Envoy and take control of the gathering. He began the Dragon-Tiger Contest by ordering Li Jingxing and his eldest brother to fight first, with a cannon aimed at Li Jingxing.

• Jiang Xiaobai’s cannons drove Li Jingfeng and the other opponents away, and the crowd fell silent when the weapons turned toward them.
• Xu Yuehua, Zhongli Chen, Yu Shangwu, Peng Xiao, and Chen Songhan reacted with shock as they realized how powerful Jiang Xiaobai’s weapons were.
• The White-Dressed Woman said she could rest easy and left, prompting Chen Songhan to wonder whether she knew Jiang Xiaobai.
• Jiang Xiaobai challenged the crowd to object to his appointment, and the Clearwind Sect Elder, Li Jingxing, and others agreed that he could be Blade-Guarding Envoy.
• Jiang Xiaobai declared that the Dragon-Tiger Contest would begin and ordered Li Jingxing and his eldest brother to go first.
• Zhang Xinnian aimed a cannon at Li Jingxing as Jiang Xiaobai asked whether he had a problem with the order.

Jiang Xiaobai used the cannon to force the Dragon-Tiger Contest participants to fight and keep the gathered martial artists in line. After Li Jingfeng defeated his younger brother, Jiang ordered the Free-and-Easy Sword School to fight, and Chen Jian overwhelmed its leader and pinned him against the cannon.

• Li Jingxing and Li Jingfeng fought under Jiang Xiaobai’s threat, first holding back and then exchanging serious blows.
• Li Jingfeng defeated Li Jingxing, and Jiang Xiaobai declared that their fight had settled their supposed grudge.
• Jiang Xiaobai ordered the Free-and-Easy Sword School to fight among themselves, but its leader refused.
• Chen Jian fought the school’s leader, struck him with One Yang Finger, and drained much of his internal energy with the Star-Absorbing Great Technique.
• Chen Jian seized the weakened leader and slammed him against the cannon.

Jiang Xiaobai ordered his cannons to destroy three Western Desert Experts who intervened to save the Free-and-Easy Sword School elder. With the Rear Mountain subdued and Chen Jian having comprehended One Yang Palm, the frightened elder agreed to fight.

• The Free-and-Easy Sword School elder appealed to He Chang Geng for help, but He Chang Geng refused to intervene and warned himself that the elder had provoked Jiang Xiaobai.
• Jiang Xiaobai ordered Zhang Xinnian to fire the cannon at the elder, but three Western Desert Experts arrived and one of them attacked Chen Jian with a silver needle.
• Chen Jian shattered the needle with his newly comprehended One Yang Palm, and the elder broke free while Zhang Xinnian stopped the fuse.
• Jiang Xiaobai ordered the soldiers to aim every cannon at the Western Desert Experts, and repeated volleys blasted them out of the sky.
• Chen Jian told Jiang Xiaobai that the silver needle had helped him comprehend One Yang Palm, then turned toward the elder, who agreed to fight rather than face the cannons.

Jiang Xiaobai watched Elder fight four Free-and-Easy Sword School disciples as Martial World groups arrived at Rear Mountain. A confident Western Desert youth and a ruthless Free-and-Easy Sword School elder approached the mountain together, unaware of what had caused the thunderous commotion.

• Elder fought four Free-and-Easy Sword School disciples while Jiang Xiaobai watched.
• A Western Desert youth rode atop a log carried by a burly man and declared that he would claim the top spot when the Hidden Edge Sect opened its gates.
• Three elderly men caught up with the Western Desert group, and their broad-sword-carrying leader admitted that they had killed people to take their Hidden Edge Tokens.
• The Western Desert youth praised the Free-and-Easy Sword School elder's ruthlessness, and both groups said they had sent people ahead to clear the way.
• The Western Desert youth ordered the gong bearers to strike louder as the group continued toward the mountain.

Qin Zhaoye joined Cui Shengyou and Fu Yuanzong on their way to the Hidden Edge Sect's gathering. There, Cui Shengyou found Pang Guanming and four disciples fighting under Jiang Xiaobai's orders, and Jiang Xiaobai refused to let them come down.

• Fu Yuanzong nearly sent Yan Bei to attack Qin Zhaoye, but Cui Shengyou recognized him and introduced him to Fu Yuanzong.
• Qin Zhaoye joined Cui Shengyou's group as they continued up the mountain to the Rear Mountain.
• Cui Shengyou found Pang Guanming and four Free-and-Easy Sword School disciples fighting each other beneath the cliff.
• Cui Shengyou ordered Pang Guanming and the disciples to come down, but Jiang Xiaobai said he had ordered them to fight and would not let them come down.

Jiang Xiaobai confronted Cui Shengyou and the Free-and-Easy Sword School at the Hidden Edge Sect, sparking a fight between their fighters and his allies. He then told Fu Yuanzong that the three men he was searching for had been blasted to bits.

• Jiang Xiaobai recognized Qin Zhaoye and suspected Fu Yuanzong's group came from the Western Desert.
• Jiang Xiaobai ordered Pang Guanming and the other workers to continue despite Cui Shengyou's demand that they stop.
• After Qin Zhaoye identified Jiang Xiaobai as the Duke of the State's Heir Apparent, Cui Shengyou attacked him, and Chen Jian intercepted the blow.
• Two Free-and-Easy Sword School elders attacked Jiang Xiaobai, while Tang Ningshuang, the Elder Princess, and Xu Yuehua joined the fight against them.
• Fu Yuanzong sent Yan Bei to find Yan Zhou and the other missing men, and Jiang Xiaobai said they had been blasted to bits.

Jiang Xiaobai ordered the cannons fired at Fu Yuanzong’s party, scattering and killing several of its members. As he prepared another volley, an elder from the Hidden Edge Sect arrived and demanded an explanation, but Jiang Xiaobai told him to mind his own business.

• Jiang Xiaobai ordered Zhang Xinnian to fire a cannon at Fu Yuanzong’s party, sending nearby fighters fleeing.
• Cui Shengyou struck the first cannonball with his sword, but the explosion hurled him away, while a burly man carried Fu Yuanzong clear and was injured by the blast.
• Jiang Xiaobai ordered the soldiers to fire several cannons, killing several Western Desert men and scattering Fu Yuanzong’s remaining party.
• After the cannon smoke cleared, Jiang Xiaobai saw that Cui Shengyou, Fu Yuanzong, and four others had survived with injuries.
• An elder from the Hidden Edge Sect arrived, questioned Yu Shangwu about the destruction, and Jiang Xiaobai told him to mind his own business.

Jiang Xiaobai faced down Hidden Edge Sect Heavenly Elder Feng Jitong, who had come to intervene. After Jiang Xiaobai demonstrated the cannons’ destructive power, Feng Jitong and his companions fled.

• Feng Jitong angrily challenged Jiang Xiaobai, while Yu Shangwu warned him to stay out of the conflict and urged him to speak less.
• Jiang Xiaobai asked the Elder Princess what to do, and she left the decision to him.
• Jiang Xiaobai ordered Zhang Xinnian to fire a cannon at a distant mountain, and the blast shattered the mountaintop.
• Feng Jitong realized the cannons could threaten him, claimed he had urgent business, and hurried away with his companions.

Jiang Xiaobai drove Fu Yuanzong and the others from the mountain with devastating iron weapons, then forced Pang Guanming and four disciples to keep fighting one another. Fu Yuanzong’s surviving party retreated to recover and planned to return when Hidden Edge Mountain officially opened.

• After Feng Jitong and the others fled, Jiang Xiaobai turned his attention to Pang Guanming and four disciples, who drew their swords and resumed fighting each other.
• Fu Yuanzong escaped with Cui Shengyou, Qin Zhaoye, and three Western Desert men, then spat blood and mourned the loss of most of his group.
• Cui Shengyou and Fu Yuanzong discussed the deadly iron weapons, while Qin Zhaoye argued that their size would make them difficult to bring up Hidden Edge Mountain.
• Cui Shengyou vowed revenge for the two junior brothers killed by Jiang Xiaobai, and Fu Yuanzong decided the group would return when Hidden Edge Mountain officially opened.
• Fu Yuanzong rejected an offer to be carried down the mountain and hurried away with the others.

Feng Jitong returned to the Hidden Edge Sect after being frightened by Jiang Xiaobai’s cannon, but he claimed he had handled the situation with ease. At a meeting, Chu Qingci announced new rewards for Hidden Edge Mountain’s opening in three days, ending the discussion by declaring that objections would not change his decision.

• Feng Jitong told Cheng Yanqiu that he had settled matters below the mountain and dismissed the cannon blasts as noise from little toys.
• Feng Jitong and Cheng Yanqiu joined the elders in the Main Hall, where Feng Jitong gave only a brief answer about his investigation.
• Chu Qingci announced that Hidden Edge Mountain would open in three days and that anyone holding more than twenty Hidden Edge Tokens could receive a transmission of Hidden Edge Force.
• Chu Qingci added that anyone reaching twenty-four Hidden Edge Tokens could enter the Mysterious Dragon Gate once.
• Chu Qingci insisted that the conditions were final and said he would not listen to objections.

Chu Qingci dismissed Feng Jitong’s proposal to capture Jiang Xiaobai, and Feng Jitong argued with Nie Qianwen over who would face the cannons. Nie Qianwen went down to challenge Jiang Xiaobai, but after a cannon blast he returned to the cliff in disarray and claimed he had urgent business.

• Feng Jitong told Chu Qingci that Jiang Xiaobai and his soldiers had blasted the Rear Mountain with cannons, and Chu Qingci told him not to interfere.
• Cheng Yanqiu and the other elders left the Main Hall, while the Purple-Robed Elder mocked Feng Jitong for running back.
• Nie Qianwen accepted Feng Jitong’s challenge and leaped down to the Rear Mountain to confront Jiang Xiaobai.
• Nie Qianwen asked Jiang Xiaobai to fire the cannons at him, and Jiang Xiaobai signaled Zhang Xinnian to light one.
• After the cannon exploded, Nie Qianwen returned to the cliff with his robe disordered and his face blackened, then claimed he had urgent business.

Feng Jitong watched the other elders retreat after seeing the power of the cannons, while Jiang Xiaobai continued the Dragon-Tiger Contest and then headed to the Hidden Edge Sect with the Elder Princess. The Elder Princess carried him up the mountain, where he teased her about being afraid of a toad.

• Feng Jitong mocked Nie Qianwen and urged Cheng Yanqiu and the other elders to test the cannons, but they refused and left.
• Jiang Xiaobai called out the remaining opponents, including Helian Zhaoyue and Helian Mingchuan, then ended the Dragon-Tiger Contest for the day and announced it would continue tomorrow.
• The Elder Princess proposed taking Jiang Xiaobai to the Hidden Edge Sect, and Zhang Xinnian aimed the cannons at Yu Shangwu until he agreed it was appropriate.
• The Elder Princess carried Jiang Xiaobai up the mountain, and he clung to her waist until they reached the summit.
• Jiang Xiaobai teased the Elder Princess about her strength, then pretended there was a huge toad and watched her hide behind him.

Jiang Xiaobai and the Elder Princess arrived at the Hidden Edge Sect and were assigned rooms in Clearheart Courtyard. After exploring his room, Jiang Xiaobai found a lake where a mysterious woman was resting, and he pretended to be blind when she opened her eyes.

• The Elder Princess tricked Jiang Xiaobai into stumbling with her, and Chen Jian, Tang Ningshuang, and Yu Shangwu arrived to see them on the ground together.
• The group admired the Hidden Edge Sect’s mountain scenery as Yu Shangwu led them to Clearheart Courtyard at the Elder Princess’s insistence.
• The Elder Princess let Jiang Xiaobai choose a room first, then assigned Chen Jian and Tang Ningshuang to other rooms.
• Jiang Xiaobai discovered a corridor behind his room that led to a lake, where he saw a woman resting on the water.
• When the woman opened her eyes and met Jiang Xiaobai’s gaze, he pretended to be blind and said he had wandered in by accident.

Jiang Xiaobai fled after stumbling upon Chu Qingci bathing, then became lost in the Hidden Edge Sect. The Elder Princess searched for him, unaware that he had wandered toward a secluded path where a candle was burning.

• Jiang Xiaobai pretended to be blind and ran from Chu Qingci, who dressed and returned to the Clearheart Courtyard.
• The Elder Princess met Chu Qingci, learned Jiang Xiaobai had run off, and was told he was blind.
• The Elder Princess left the Clearheart Courtyard to search for Jiang Xiaobai while he wandered through unfamiliar paths and became lost.
• Jiang Xiaobai spotted candlelight at the end of a secluded path and went to find someone who could direct him back.
• The Elder Princess arrived where Jiang Xiaobai had been, noticed the path, dismissed the chance that he had gone down it, and continued searching.

Jiang Xiaobai was trapped by a ruthless old man who demanded he solve a game or lose a finger. Unable to understand the five-colored pieces, Jiang Xiaobai proposed teaching the old man Chinese Chess and making him solve a puzzle instead.

• Jiang Xiaobai followed a path to a secluded courtyard, where a powerful suction pulled him into a room with an eerie old man.
• The old man threatened to break Jiang Xiaobai’s legs if he tried to escape and demanded that he solve the game on the table or leave a finger behind.
• Jiang Xiaobai tried to bargain over the stakes, but the old man countered that Jiang Xiaobai could wager fingers and toes for portions of his cultivation.
• The old man dragged Jiang Xiaobai back into the room when he tried to flee and ordered him to decide immediately.
• Jiang Xiaobai admitted he could not understand the five-colored game and proposed teaching the old man Chinese Chess, then setting a puzzle for him to solve.

Jiang Xiaobai taught the old man Chinese chess and used their games to win a wager for the old man’s power. After a night of play, Jiang Xiaobai claimed he had won enough to take all the old man’s power, but generously asked for only eighty percent.

• Jiang Xiaobai drew a Chinese chessboard and made paper pieces, then explained the game to the initially skeptical old man.
• The old man solved two beginner puzzles and became eager to play a more difficult round.
• Jiang Xiaobai and the old man wagered the old man’s power against Jiang Xiaobai’s fingers, then played a series of chess positions through the night.
• Jiang Xiaobai won more games overall, sometimes giving the old man easier positions so he would stay engaged.
• At dawn, Jiang Xiaobai counted his wins and asked the old man to transfer eighty percent of his power, presenting the remaining share as a gift.

Jiang Xiaobai survived the Elder’s transfer of cultivation and discovered he had absorbed most of it. As they resumed playing chess, he learned the Elder was collecting a debt from the Hidden Edge Sect and was stunned to hear he had been unconscious for two days.

• The Elder transferred eighty percent of his cultivation to Jiang Xiaobai, who passed out as the energy forced open his meridians.
• Jiang Xiaobai woke to find the Elder still there and learned he had absorbed sixty percent of the Elder’s cultivation.
• Jiang Xiaobai agreed to keep playing chess and set up a moderately difficult endgame for the Elder.
• The Elder revealed he was not part of the Hidden Edge Sect and had come to collect a debt from it.
• Jiang Xiaobai offered to provide the Elder with chess manuals and a chess set, then learned two women had visited while he was unconscious.
• Jiang Xiaobai realized he had been unconscious for two days and asked the Elder to confirm it.