Chapter Summaries

Li Rui defeated and killed Xu Hua, an eighth-rank Copper Bone Realm expert, while the surviving fighters regrouped after the battle. Dao Xiong and Kong Xiannian identified the remains as Xu Hua and declared the assignment complete.

• Li Rui countered Xu Hua’s concealed dagger and crushed him to death with repeated broadsword strikes.
• Li Rui found no valuables on Xu Hua and left as the fighting ended.
• Liang He awoke after playing dead, and Wu Tu praised him and invited him to Chengnan Gambling House.
• Wu Tu realized Li Rui had tried to warn him about the operation and praised Li Rui as a man of principle.
• Dao Xiong and Kong Xiannian identified Xu Hua’s remains by his Huaqing Sect token and declared the traitor executed.

After the Ghost Underworld Sect’s attack, Wu Tu told Li Rui about the deadly Ghost Demon and the losses in Clear River, while Li Rui realized the chaos had also erased the trail to his secret art. Heaven One Hall returned to quiet, and Li Rui received an invitation from Vice Branch Master Zhang.

• Liang He and Zhou Shulin discussed the Heaven and Earth Alliance’s heavy losses, including Eagle Six’s death, and agreed to stay safely in Heaven One Hall.
• Wu Tu visited Li Rui and explained that Xu Hua had allied with the Ghost Underworld Sect, whose Ghost Demon was slain by an expert from the Huaqing Sect.
• Wu Tu said a Huaqing Sect disciple named Kong Xiannian had reported only a hand bone as evidence, and Li Rui realized this helped conceal Xu Hua’s identity and end the search for the secret art.
• Heaven One Hall remained understaffed after the deaths, while Han Peng transferred to a dangerous venue and Zhou Shulin and Liang He became even more devoted to Li Rui.
• Li Rui read Daoist scriptures until Liang He told him that Vice Branch Master Zhang had invited him to drink that night.

Li Rui met with Zhang Yang at the Education Office, where Zhang tried to recruit him from Heaven One Hall into the Civil and Martial Hall. Li Rui left the offer undecided, with Zhang making a Great Offering position conditional on Li Rui placing in the top eight at next month’s assessment.

• Li Rui and Wu Tu met Zhang Yang at the Education Office and listened to a performance by Miss Chun Nuan.
• Zhang Yang praised Li Rui for dealing with Eagle Six, while Li Rui maintained that Eagle Six had died carrying out a mission.
• Zhang Yang offered Li Rui the position of Great Offering in the Civil and Martial Hall, equal in status to a Hall Master.
• Zhang Yang made the offer conditional on Li Rui placing within the top eight in next month’s assessment.
• Li Rui called himself too old for such matters, and Zhang Yang did not press him to accept.

Zhu Yue returned to the Zhu Family with Han Qin and Jiang Yan, and the family welcomed them with a grand reception. As the visitors discussed their mission against the Ghost Underworld Sect, Jiang Yan said they needed stronger allies than the Zhu Family could provide.

• Wang Zhao learned from Yang Yong that Zhu Yue had returned from Huaqing Sect with fellow disciples.
• Zhu Ping welcomed Zhu Yue, Han Qin, and Jiang Yan outside the Zhu Family gates, while Zhu Yue asked him not to set off firecrackers again.
• Zhu Ping worried that Zhu Yue might lose interest in inheriting the family, but decided his son's happiness mattered more.
• Han Qin told Zhu Ping that they had come to help Elder Jiang handle matters involving the Ghost Underworld Sect.
• Zhu Yue offered the Zhu Family's government connections to help, but Jiang Yan said they needed more and stronger allies.

Jiang Yan led the Huaqing Sect disciples to seek the Heaven and Earth Alliance's help against the Ghost Underworld Sect, using her strength and an offer of a sect position to win its cooperation. As the group left, Li Rui unexpectedly gained Jiang Yan's focused attention.

• Han Qin and Zhu Yue agreed to approach the Heaven and Earth Alliance after deciding the Zhu Family could not handle the Ghost Underworld Sect alone.
• Dao Xiong initially refused to commit the Qinghe Branch, citing losses from its previous battle, and suggested that the Huaqing Sect ask the Blood Tiger Gang instead.
• Jiang Yan struck a vase from a distance to demonstrate her power, then promised Clear River one Huaqing Sect opportunity for someone up to age thirty-five next year.
• Dao Xiong agreed to help the Huaqing Sect search for Ghost Underworld Sect demon fiends after Jiang Yan made her offer.
• Li Rui walked toward the Medicine Hall and received an achievement notification for gaining Jiang Yan's focused attention when their gazes met.

Li Rui gained Outstanding Comprehension after Jiang Yan’s visit helped him complete the Childhood Sweethearts achievement. He encouraged Liang He and Zhou Shulin to prepare for the upcoming assessment, then settled down to read in Heaven One Hall.

• Jiang Yan recognized Li Rui as the Zhu Family’s old groom, but she and the others left without questioning his new position in the Heaven and Earth Alliance.
• Li Rui received the Childhood Sweethearts achievement, gained two years of age, and improved his comprehension.
• Li Rui considered how comprehension differed from martial bones and wondered how his new ability would affect his training.
• Liang He defeated Zhou Shulin in their practice, then encouraged him about the upcoming assessment.
• Li Rui praised Liang He and Zhou Shulin for practicing diligently and told them to uphold Heaven One Hall’s name.
• Li Rui chose a copy of the Nanhua True Explanation and relaxed with a book and tea.

As the Great Examination approached, Zhao Wei sought a high ranking with the help of a Vajra Pill, while Li Rui avoided drawing attention and focused on his cultivation. The Huaqing Sect disciples investigated the Ghost Underworld Sect affair, and Jiang Yan learned Li Rui’s name as he found a more balanced direction for his martial arts.

• Zhao Wei swallowed Kong Xiannian’s Vajra Pill and aimed to rank second in the examination to earn a chance at a Huaqing Sect recommendation.
• Li Rui decided to seek only a respectable examination ranking and returned to reading Taoist scripture rather than pursue Zhang Yang’s offer.
• Han Qin said Huaqing Sect men had been sent out to investigate, and Zhu Yue agreed to search for clues with him.
• Jiang Yan asked Zhu Yue about the old groom, learned that he was now Heaven and Earth Alliance Hall Master Li Rui, and asked for his name.
• Li Rui’s study of Taoist scripture helped him understand the White Ape Mantle Blade as a balance of hardness and softness, and he resolved to cultivate toward harmony and longevity.

Li Rui had an epiphany and refined the White Ape Mantle Blade into a personal technique he called the Yin Yang Nine Revolutions Art. Liu Tong visited Heaven One Hall with news that Han Peng had died during a mission, leaving Liang He and Zhou Shulin stunned.

• Li Rui spent an hour in an epiphany and refined the White Ape Mantle Blade into a technique suited to himself.
• Liang He asked about Li Rui's slow saber practice, and Li Rui named it the Yin Yang Nine Revolutions Art and offered to teach him.
• Zhou Shulin teased Liang He about his improved strength and demanded that Liang He call him godfather if he succeeded in the Great Examination.
• Liu Tong arrived and said his brother-in-law had taught him the Tiger Brave Saber, then mentioned that several people had died on a branch division mission.
• Liu Tong said one of the dead men, Han Peng, had once stayed at Heaven One Hall, shocking Liang He and Zhou Shulin.

Li Rui gave Wu Tu a Nurture Bone Pill after learning that the Ghost Underworld Sect was feeding demons and that Han Peng had died. As the Huaqing Sect trio planned to continue searching for the sect, Li Rui successfully practiced the improved breathing method.

• Wu Tu told Li Rui that Han Peng had died during the effort to investigate the Ghost Underworld Sect, which had been feeding demon beasts.
• Li Rui gave Wu Tu a Nurture Bone Pill to help him recover and prepare for the Heaven and Earth Alliance assessment.
• Han Qin, Zhu Yue, and Jiang Yan decided to search for the Ghost Underworld Sect's den and planned to recruit help by offering two sect-entry competition spots at the Alliance assessment.
• Li Rui practiced the improved breathing method, sensed a change after expelling the turbid qi, and exclaimed that he had succeeded.

Li Rui broke through to the Eighth Rank, mastered Blade Qi Infusion, and decided to compete for a better position without revealing all his strength. At the Qinghe Branch's Great Examination, Vice Alliance Master Tang Sheng arrived to supervise, and the top two contestants were offered a chance to compete for a Huaqing Sect disciple slot.

• Li Rui completed the Thirty-Six Celestial Cycles, reached the Eighth Rank, and used Blade Qi to shatter a table.
• Li Rui assessed the realms above him and decided to pursue a lucrative position while keeping his full strength hidden.
• The Qinghe Branch's Great Examination began with Vice Alliance Master Tang Sheng overseeing it alongside Branch Master Dao Xiong and the Huaqing Sect guests.
• Zhu Yue reflected on his honored place on the platform and his status as a Huaqing Sect member.
• Dao Xiong told Tang Sheng that the top two in the examination could compete for Clear River's Huaqing Sect disciple slot, and Tang Sheng ordered the assessment to begin.

The Heaven and Earth Alliance began its Great Examination, where fighters challenged one another for Waist Tags and a chance at two Huaqing Sect trial slots. As the bouts continued, Liu Tong impressed Tang Sheng, and Liang He finally stepped onto the stage.

• Zhao Wei announced that two people under thirty-five could compete for places in the Huaqing Sect's entry trial, while Li Rui and Wu Tu realized they were too old to qualify.
• Jiang Yan planned to use the selection process to recruit capable fighters to search for the Ghost Underworld Sect before choosing a younger candidate for the trial.
• The Great Examination began, and contestants fought arena bouts to take one another's Waist Tags.
• Zhou Shulin won a close match, while Liu Tong defeated his opponent and raised his Waist Tag from 217 to 41.
• Tang Sheng praised Liu Tong's bone structure and comprehension after Zhang Yang identified him as his wife's younger brother.
• Liang He leaped onto the stage as Li Rui was growing bored.

Li Rui entered the Heaven and Earth Alliance Great Examination’s contests for hall masters and stewards, where Sha Jinliang challenged him, expecting an easy victory. Li Rui used his experience to defeat Sha and returned to the crowd, leaving Zhu Yue and others impressed by his skill at seventy.

• Liang He won his match with an underhanded blow, and Han Qin praised his willingness to exploit an opponent’s weaknesses.
• Zhou Shulin and Liang He chose to remain in Li Rui’s Heaven One Hall despite being offered the chance to transfer.
• After the ordinary disciples’ contests ended, Sha Jinliang challenged Li Rui, whom he mistook for an easy opponent because of his age.
• Li Rui stayed close to Sha Jinliang, restricted his twin hammers, and knocked him off the stage after a prolonged fight.
• Tang Sheng and Zhu Yue learned that Li Rui was seventy and marveled at his ability, while Zhu Yue doubted he could defeat him.

The Qinghe Branch’s assessment brought a major reshuffle as newcomers challenged established leaders, and Ge Hong defeated Deputy Branch Master Qian Cai with his Willow Leaf Saber. After Wu Tu narrowly improved his rank, Li Rui entered the arena to challenge the holder of Waist Tag 11.

• Li Rui defeated Sha Jinliang, while Wu Tu worried that the other Dark Eight Gates leaders had already lost their positions.
• Ge Hong challenged Qian Cai, cut through his defenses, and forced him to concede and relinquish his Deputy Branch Master position.
• Wu Tu recovered his peak strength with Li Rui’s pills and defeated his opponent after more than a hundred exchanges, raising his Waist Tag from 18 to 17.
• Li Rui accepted Wu Tu’s question about fighting again and stepped onto the arena to challenge a scar-faced man with Waist Tag 11.

Li Rui defeated the Blade Wielder Xu Tai and won the "11" Waist Tag, earning admiration from the spectators. The system then congratulated Li Rui for completing the beginner scenario of the Make a Name for Oneself achievement.

• Xu Tai challenged Li Rui, while the spectators and Dao Xiong doubted Li Rui could overcome the younger Blade Wielder.
• Xu Tai attacked from a distance, but Li Rui used his heavy greatsaber to control Xu Tai’s blade and wear down his grip.
• Xu Tai conceded, abandoned his blade, and leaped off the stage, giving Li Rui the victory and the "11" Waist Tag.
• Tang Sheng and Dao Xiong recognized that Li Rui had planned his strategy after watching Xu Tai’s earlier match, while Han Qin resolved to meet Li Rui after the competition.
• Li Rui accepted the attention of the crowd, and the system announced that he had completed the beginner scenario of the Make a Name for Oneself achievement.

After Li Rui earned rewards for showing his talent and winning a Childhood Sweethearts girl's heart, the vice helmsmen's contests continued. Qian Cai defeated Zhou Rui to keep his position, and Zhao Wei challenged Zhang Yang, whose defeat Li Rui anticipated.

• Li Rui received 50 Achievement Points for completing the Show One's Talent and Women Admire Heroes tasks.
• Qian Cai chose Zhou Rui as his opponent, and they fought cautiously for half an hour.
• Qian Cai pierced Zhou Rui's right shoulder and retained his vice helmsman position, upsetting Zhou Shulin.
• Zhao Wei challenged Zhang Yang for his Waist Tag, and the two began fighting with saber and spear.
• Li Rui watched Zhang Yang and Zhao Wei clash and concluded that Zhang Yang had been defeated.

Zhao Wei and Liu Tong won the Qinghe Branch’s two slots for Huaqing Sect’s admission trials, and the branch later divided its posts and businesses among its leaders. Li Rui kept his position in Heaven One Hall and control of the Black Market, avoiding a risky promotion while preserving a profitable foothold.

• Zhao Wei defeated Zhang Yang in the arena, impressing Tang Sheng with his strength.
• Jiang Yan selected Zhao Wei and Liu Tong for Huaqing Sect’s admission trials, and Tang Sheng announced their names.
• Two days later, Zhao Wei gained control of the Discipline Hall, Civil and Martial Hall, and Medicine Hall, while Zhang Yang and Zhou Rui received less influential posts.
• Wu Tu questioned Li Rui about passing up a hall master position, and Li Rui chose to remain in Heaven One Hall and oversee the Black Market.

Zhao Wei toasted the Huaqing Sect disciples and promised to handle the Ghost Underworld Sect matter, while privately warning that he would not tolerate tricks. Li Rui began his first day overseeing the Black Market, bringing Liang He along, and arrived at its tallest building to meet the steward.

• Zhao Wei hosted Han Qin, Zhu Yue, and Jiang Yan, congratulated them on securing a place in Huaqing Sect, and agreed to put more effort into the Ghost Underworld Sect matter.
• After the guests left, Zhao Wei revealed that he had only pretended to be drunk and warned his subordinate that he would not tolerate anyone playing tricks.
• Liang He asked to accompany Li Rui to the Black Market, and Li Rui accepted, telling him he would not receive double wages.
• Li Rui and Liang He entered the Black Market, where guards recognized Li Rui's waist tag and escorted him toward the rear market.
• A guard explained that an alley held people being kept as merchandise, and Li Rui continued to the Black Market's tallest building without intervening.
• A potbellied steward hurried out to greet Li Rui at the five-story building.

Li Rui took control of the Black Market’s accounts and secretly began plotting Sun Ming’s removal. After assigning Liang He to gather evidence, he studied a martial arts book and learned about the Copper Bone Realm’s refinements, including the legendary Jade Bone.

• Li Rui ordered Sun Ming to hand the Black Market’s account books to Liang He and warned him that hiding them was a serious crime.
• Li Rui told Liang He that Sun Ming was Zhao Wei’s informant and planned to have him killed by gathering airtight evidence and involving the authorities.
• Li Rui explained that Sun Ming’s removal would clear an obstacle to making money and reduce Zhao Wei’s ability to monitor him.
• Li Rui read about the martial arts realms and learned that the Copper Bone Realm had Copper, Iron, and Gold refinements, followed by the Willow Tendon Realm and three Innate Realms.
• Li Rui reflected that his martial bones had already advanced much of his body to Iron Bone and read of a legendary fourth refinement called Jade Bone.

Li Rui considered the resources needed to reach the Jade Bone realm and learned from Liang He about Sun Ming’s many crimes in the Black Market. Sun Ming tried to win Li Rui over with gold, but Li Rui rejected the bribe because Sun Ming served Zhao Wei.

• Li Rui reflected on the importance of wealth, connections, cultivation methods, and Spirit Soil, and decided he still needed to make money for Jade Bone pills.
• Liang He reported that Sun Ming trafficked people, sold counterfeit goods, and committed other crimes, including selling smuggled salt.
• Li Rui showed interest only in the smuggled salt, while Liang He grew frustrated that he took no apparent action against Sun Ming.
• Sun Ming mistook Liang He’s polite greeting and hurried departure for signs that Li Rui feared him, and he planned to learn Li Rui’s preferences.
• Li Rui found a box containing about a hundred taels of gold, recognized it as Sun Ming’s bribe, and refused to accept Sun Ming as an ally because he served Zhao Wei.

Li Rui exposed Sun Ming’s smuggled-salt deal and had him arrested with Captain Deng. Sun Ming died in prison, while Li Rui returned to his usual routine in the Black Market.

• Sun Ming met the Salt Gang to buy smuggled salt, inspected the goods, and prepared to pay eighty taels.
• Li Rui and Captain Deng appeared with constables, and Li Rui confronted Sun Ming for selling private salt.
• Captain Deng arrested Sun Ming and his men, while the Salt Gang members fought the constables and were killed.
• Sun Ming died in his prison cell before he could be taken to the execution ground, and Zhao Wei never intervened.
• Li Rui resumed reading in the Black Market and regretted not asking Sun Ming for more of his excellent tea.