Recaps

Zhang Xiaohua confronted the bronze-masked elder in the sect’s underground hall after being discovered among the coffins. Their fight revealed that both were formidable martial artists, and the chapter ended with them drawing swords and charging at each other.

• The bronze-masked elder found Zhang Xiaohua by the coffins and questioned how he had entered the hall.
• Zhang Xiaohua claimed he had come through a ventilation opening, while the elder tried to recruit him before attacking him by surprise.
• Zhang Xiaohua evaded the attack and threatened the coffins, prompting the elder to reveal that they were connected to a formation.
• Zhang Xiaohua and the elder traded powerful blows, each recognizing the other as a formidable opponent.
• After dozens of rounds, the elder identified Zhang Xiaohua’s movement technique as Misty Sect’s Misty Steps and accused him of trespassing.
• The elder drew a short sword, and Zhang Xiaohua drew his own small sword to meet him.

Zhang Xiaohua fought the Old man with bronze mask and was driven into danger by his superior swordsmanship and movement technique. He turned the battle with his flying sword, but the old man suddenly enlarged his hand and caught it.

• Zhang Xiaohua used his divine sense to find openings in the Old man with bronze mask's swordsmanship, but the old man unleashed a faster technique and stabbed him beneath the arm.
• The old man pressed Zhang Xiaohua with swift sword attacks and a lightness skill that rivaled the Misty Steps, leaving Zhang Xiaohua's face and throat exposed.
• As the old man's short sword neared his throat, Zhang Xiaohua used the Art of Earth Evasion to vanish and reappear elsewhere.
• Zhang Xiaohua threw his little sword, then controlled it with divine sense as a flying sword, forcing the Old man with bronze mask onto the defensive.
• Zhang Xiaohua guided the little sword toward the old man's forehead, but the old man enlarged his left hand and caught it.

Zhang Xiaohua faced a choice between helping the mysterious old man exploit the Jianghu or exposing himself to pursuit by the entire Jianghu. He rejected both options and declared he had found a third path: killing the old man, then launched an attack with a secret weapon.

• The mysterious old man captured Zhang Xiaohua's flying sword and realized he cultivated the Immortal Path.
• The old man threatened to reveal Zhang Xiaohua's Immortal Path inheritance and Misty Steps to the Jianghu unless he joined him and shared his cultivation techniques.
• Zhang Xiaohua considered the danger to his family and acquaintances, but refused to help the old man commit evil or risk exposing them.
• Zhang Xiaohua reached into his robes, announced his third path was to kill the old man, and vanished with his movement technique.
• The old man turned to meet Zhang Xiaohua's reappearance, and Zhang Xiaohua leaped up and swung his right hand at him.

Zhang Xiaohua used a jade talisman’s fire to defeat the masked Token Lord in the underground hall and recovered a mysterious plaque from his remains. He reflected on the danger of revealing his Immortal Path inheritance and resolved to seek proper cultivation methods while keeping his abilities secret.

• Zhang Xiaohua threw a jade talisman at the Token Lord, whose sword struck it and triggered a powerful fireball.
• The fireball engulfed the Token Lord’s hands and spread across his body as Zhang Xiaohua dodged his attempt to pass the flames to him.
• Zhang Xiaohua killed the suffering Token Lord with his little sword and extinguished the remaining flames with true qi.
• Zhang Xiaohua burned the corpse, found an indestructible patterned plaque among the ashes, and took it.
• Zhang Xiaohua concluded that he needed Immortal Path attack and defense methods and must conceal his inheritance from the Jianghu.

Zhang Xiaohua rescued Xiao Juzi from the underground hall and joined Yu Deyi’s attack on the manor after the government soldiers struggled against its gang members. He began cutting through the gang’s leaders, killing Steward Gao and crippling Steward Qi as the battle continued.

• Zhang Xiaohua hid in a jade coffin overnight, then used his divine sense to discover Yu Deyi’s reinforcements battling the manor’s gang members.
• Zhang Xiaohua carried Xiao Juzi out through the earth, placed her on Huanhuan the Four Unlike, and returned to the front gate.
• Yu Deyi asked Zhang Xiaohua for help, and Le Zhichun challenged his claims before both men apologized to keep him from leaving.
• Zhang Xiaohua flew into the battle and killed Steward Gao with one sword strike.
• Zhang Xiaohua struck Steward Qi next, shattering his right arm.

Zhang Xiaohua defeated the gang’s strongest fighters, left the cleanup to Yu Deyi and Le Zhichun, and carried the unconscious Xiao Juzi back toward Pingyang City. He brought Xiao Juzi to Nie Qianyu, but their reunion began with an awkward misunderstanding when he entered her room without warning.

• Zhang Xiaohua knocked down the gang’s strongest fighters, then told Yu Deyi and Le Zhichun that Yu Deyi’s niece and several dozen girls were beneath the estate’s main hall.
• Zhang Xiaohua left after Yu Deyi mistook his hint about the Lotus Escort Agency for a reference to Fourth Master Wen.
• Zhang Xiaohua found Xiao Juzi still unconscious, carried her on Huanhuan, and hurried to Pingyang City rather than risk treating her blocked meridians himself.
• Zhang Xiaohua rushed into Nie Qianyu’s room after hearing her frightened voice and saw her partly undressed.
• Nie Qianyu dressed and opened the door, realizing Zhang Xiaohua had returned with Xiao Juzi.

Zhang Xiaohua and Nie Qianyu discovered that Xiao Juzi had been drugged and her acupoints sealed, but neither knew how to release them. Zhang Xiaohua remembered something and left the room, telling Nie Qianyu to close the door without barring it.

• Zhang Xiaohua brought Xiao Juzi to Nie Qianyu and explained what had happened to her.
• Nie Qianyu diagnosed Xiao Juzi as drugged and acupoint-sealed, then gave her a Hui Chun Valley Awakening Spirit Pill.
• Nie Qianyu asked Zhang Xiaohua to release Xiao Juzi's sealed acupoints, but he admitted that he did not know Acupoint Striking techniques.
• Nie Qianyu explained that releasing another person's sealed acupoints could mean taking on the feud with whoever sealed them.
• Zhang Xiaohua considered seeking help from the Lotus Escort Agency and the Righteous Path Alliance, but rejected both options.
• Zhang Xiaohua suddenly remembered something, left the room, and told Nie Qianyu to close the door without barring it.

Zhang Xiaohua secretly entered the Righteous Path Alliance’s Misty Mountain Villa to search for a way to undo Xiao Juzi’s acupoints and uncover the Misty Sect’s hidden Immortal Path secrets. He found several manuals and a jade slip, then discovered a large restriction inside Medicine Hall.

• Zhang Xiaohua left Pingyang City after dark, hid Huanhuan outside Misty Mountain Villa, and slipped into the villa using his techniques.
• Zhang Xiaohua searched the Library Pavilion and took several manuals, including acupoint-sealing techniques that might explain Xiao Juzi’s condition.
• Zhang Xiaohua found a concealed jade slip beneath the Library Pavilion, broke its outer restriction, and pocketed it.
• Zhang Xiaohua sensed another source of vital energy and found himself inside Medicine Hall, facing thick mist and a large pale-cyan restriction.

Zhang Xiaohua explored the forbidden ground at Misty Mountain Villa but chose to leave its restriction intact, then returned to study ways to release Xiao Juzi’s acupoints. As he read the final manual, he realized that Soul-Bewitching Finger drew directly on Immortal Path inheritance, though Xiao Juzi’s life was running short.

• Zhang Xiaohua found the forbidden ground’s thick white mist and decided not to risk breaking its restriction while the Righteous Path Alliance remained nearby.
• Zhang Xiaohua returned to the inn and learned from Nie Qianyu that Xiao Juzi might not survive past the following night.
• Zhang Xiaohua reassured Nie Qianyu that he would seek an expert, then began studying seven acupoint-striking manuals.
• Zhang Xiaohua learned that Martial Way acupoint striking had developed as a substitute for Immortal Path spells and that releasing unfamiliar strikes could be dangerous.
• Zhang Xiaohua read Soul-Bewitching Finger and recognized that its complex techniques were based on an Immortal Path inheritance.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Xiaohua discovers a manual on the "[***] Finger Technique" that can release acupoints using True Qi, which he can manipulate as an Immortal Path Qi Practitioner.
• He masters the technique overnight and realizes it can decipher all acupoint striking techniques in the Martial Way.
• Zhang Xiaohua decides to use this newfound skill to save Xiao Juzi, who is in critical condition due to sealed acupoints.

Character Developments

• Zhang Xiaohua: Becomes more confident in his abilities and takes responsibility for Xiao Juzi's life, demonstrating his growth as a character.
• Nie Qianyu: Shows concern and care for Xiao Juzi, revealing her compassionate side despite her usually tough demeanor.

Significant Themes

• The power of knowledge and skill: Zhang Xiaohua's ability to learn and apply new techniques saves Xiao Juzi's life.
• Responsibility: Zhang Xiaohua takes responsibility for Xiao Juzi's life, showing his growth as a reliable individual.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Xiaohua and Nie Qianyu: Their bond strengthens as they work together to save Xiao Juzi, with Nie Qianyu showing trust in Zhang Xiaohua's abilities.
• Zhang Xiaohua and Xiao Juzi: Zhang Xiaohua's determination to save Xiao Juzi highlights their growing friendship and his protective instincts towards her.

Zhang Xiaohua unsealed Xiao Juzi’s acupoints, waking her after she had been unconscious for days, and Nie Qianyu explained the danger she had survived. With Xiao Juzi recovering, the three stayed in Pingyang City for a few more days while Zhang Xiaohua resumed his cultivation and studies.

• Zhang Xiaohua tapped Xiao Juzi’s acupoints, and Xiao Juzi groaned before waking with her strength greatly weakened.
• Nie Qianyu checked Xiao Juzi’s pulse and wept with relief, while Xiao Juzi mistook Zhang Xiaohua for Brother Ren and spoke about dumplings.
• Nie Qianyu told Xiao Juzi how she had been attacked and rescued, then explained that Hui Chun Valley’s Grain Abstinence Pills could account for her lack of hunger.
• Zhang Xiaohua realized he had forgotten that he carried Grain Abstinence Pills and wondered whether Hui Chun Valley had an immortal-way inheritance.
• Zhang Xiaohua, Nie Qianyu, and Xiao Juzi ate dumplings, then stayed in Pingyang City so Xiao Juzi could recover; Zhang Xiaohua spent his free time studying cultivation, formations, and restrictions.

Zhang Xiaohua traveled south with Nie Qianyu and Xiao Juzi, recognizing the road from an earlier journey and becoming lost in memories of Huanxi Mountain Villa. He stopped in a familiar town to search for the Weapons shop where he had found the little sword, but after failing to locate it, he entered a pork shop to ask about the town.

• Zhang Xiaohua drove Nie Qianyu and Xiao Juzi south along the Official Road toward Hui Chun Valley.
• Zhang Xiaohua recognized the route from his earlier journey with Ou Yan and grew quiet as he remembered Huanxi Mountain Villa.
• Zhang Xiaohua brought the carriage to the inn where he had stayed years earlier and left to look for the Weapons shop.
• Zhang Xiaohua searched the town but could not find the Weapons shop, then entered a pork shop and asked about its claim to be the town's only one.

Zhang Xiaohua traced the little sword to a bald hill south of town and uncovered several jade slips and a jade ring near a river. Back at the inn, he found that one jade slip still held a trace of vital energy and discovered writing inside it.

• Zhang Xiaohua learned from the shopkeeper that the blacksmith had died and that Xiao San had found the little sword as a boy.
• Xiao San remembered finding the sword while stealing bird eggs from a locust tree atop the bald hill south of town.
• Zhang Xiaohua went alone to the hill and searched it with his divine sense, finding no vital-energy fluctuations near the tree.
• Zhang Xiaohua detected a hidden spot by the river on the far side of the hill, dug up buried items, and carried them back to the inn.
• Zhang Xiaohua cleaned the items and found several jade slips and a jade ring; he read writing inside the only jade slip that still emitted vital energy.

Zhang Xiaohua discovered that the jade slip contained the Spirit Guiding Technique and practical divine sense methods, which he hoped would help him stop getting lost. After secretly marking Nie Qianyu and Xiao Juzi, he drove the carriage to the fork where Ou Yan and the others had gone south.

• Zhang Xiaohua read the nine layers of the Spirit Guiding Technique and found that the jade slip also held useful divine sense techniques.
• Zhang Xiaohua celebrated on a tavern roof, woke the town with his shouting, and accidentally escaped into the wrong room before returning to his own.
• Nie Qianyu and Xiao Juzi complained that Zhang Xiaohua's late-night shouting had kept the town awake, while he concealed that he had been the one who shouted.
• Zhang Xiaohua practiced the divine sense methods on the carriage and marked Nie Qianyu and Xiao Juzi so he could locate them within his divine sense's range.
• Zhang Xiaohua stopped at a fork where the Official Road continued east and the path Ou Yan and the others had taken ran south.

Zhang Xiaohua turned the carriage onto the Official Road and traveled south with Nie Qianyu and Xiao Juzi, finding greater ease in his heart as he left his past behind. During the journey, he discovered that the Spirit Guiding Technique worked unusually well when used to temper his alchemy heart, though he did not realize how extraordinary the combination was.

• Zhang Xiaohua ignored Nie Qianyu’s suggestion at first, then kicked the horse toward the Official Road and felt his Carefree Heart Sutra advance.
• Zhang Xiaohua, Nie Qianyu, and Xiao Juzi traveled south for more than a month, sharing a cheerful journey while Zhang Xiaohua cultivated and handled dangers with ordinary methods.
• Zhang Xiaohua made progress in the rabbit talisman methods, formations, restrictions, and Spirit Guiding Technique while traveling.
• Zhang Xiaohua combined the Spirit Guiding Technique with his alchemy heart and easily cultivated its first layer, leaving him unsure whether he had done it correctly.
• The narration explained that Zhang Xiaohua’s combination of Azure Blood Alchemy Heart and the Spirit Guiding Technique could greatly strengthen his divine sense by reversing their usual cultivation order.

Zhang Xiaohua continued cultivating the Spirit Guiding Technique and traveled with Nie Qianyu and Xiao Juzi into a peach grove, where they encountered Zhou Tai and Yuan Guoliang sparring. He introduced himself as Ren Xiaoyao and learned that the two wanted him to judge their contest.

• Zhang Xiaohua spent several days tempering his Alchemy Heart with the first level formula before beginning the second level of the Spirit Guiding Technique.
• Zhang Xiaohua failed to remove the restrictions on an emerald-green jade slip and put it away for later.
• Nie Qianyu and Xiao Juzi asked Zhang Xiaohua to stop the carriage at a peach grove so they could admire the blossoms and drink osmanthus wine.
• Zhang Xiaohua drove the carriage deeper into the grove, where he and the two women heard Zhou Tai and Yuan Guoliang sparring and asking for a witness.
• Zhang Xiaohua introduced himself to Zhou Tai and Yuan Guoliang as Ren Xiaoyao and asked them to explain why they wanted him to judge their contest.

Zhang Xiaohua agreed to witness Zhou Tai and Yuan Guoliang’s sword contest after they promised him gold and explained that the loser would give up his valuables and abandon their trip to Mochou City. He watched their evenly matched duel and saw Yuan Guoliang gain a gradual advantage, leaving the contest unresolved.

• Zhou Tai and Yuan Guoliang invited Zhang Xiaohua to witness their contest, and Zhang Xiaohua voiced concern that the loser might retaliate against him.
• Zhou Tai and Yuan Guoliang swore Zhang Xiaohua would be safe and gave Nie Qianyu twenty taels of gold in total.
• Zhou Tai and Yuan Guoliang explained that the winner would continue to Mochou City and claim the loser’s valuables, while the loser would return home.
• Zhou Tai and Yuan Guoliang began their sword duel, and Zhang Xiaohua observed that both fighters’ techniques had flaws he could exploit.
• Yuan Guoliang shifted to heavy, steady sword moves and forced Zhou Tai back, but Zhou Tai countered with a faster technique before Yuan Guoliang slowly regained the advantage.

Zhou Tai used the Blood Corrosion Technique against Yuan Guoliang, and their duel nearly ended in mutual death before Zhang Xiaohua stopped both swords with his fingers. The two gangs stood down, and Zhang Xiaohua judged the contest a draw, leaving the wager unresolved.

• Yuan Guoliang wounded Zhou Tai, but Zhou Tai refused to stop fighting and used the Blood Corrosion Technique to boost his internal energy.
• Zhou Tai drove Yuan Guoliang into a desperate exchange, and both men thrust their swords toward each other's hearts.
• Zhang Xiaohua intervened and clamped both sword tips between his fingers, preventing either man from being killed.
• Zhou Tai recovered after taking a pill, and he and Yuan Guoliang called off their factions and thanked Zhang Xiaohua.
• Zhou Tai and Yuan Guoliang disagreed over who had won, so they asked Zhang Xiaohua to judge; he ruled them evenly matched.

Zhang Xiaohua ended the duel between Yuan Guoliang and Zhou Tai without taking sides, and the two men rewarded him with their gang tokens before leaving for Mochou City. He then learned that Hui Chun Valley belonged to the Jade Standing Alliance and realized it might be connected to Ou Yan’s past journey, so he asked Nie Qianyu to visit the valley.

• Zhang Xiaohua’s verdict let Zhou Tai leave with his valuables, and Zhou Tai and Yuan Guoliang agreed to pursue closer ties between their gangs.
• Zhou Tai and Yuan Guoliang gave Zhang Xiaohua their Gang Leader Tokens in gratitude, then departed for Mochou City.
• Zhang Xiaohua returned to the carriage and joked that he should have ruled against Zhou Tai to win a cart of valuables.
• Nie Qianyu explained the martial world’s major factions and described Hui Chun Valley as part of the Jade Standing Alliance, known for producing medicinal pills.
• Zhang Xiaohua connected Hui Chun Valley to Ou Yan’s journey and, after hearing that its climate suited medicinal herbs, asked Nie Qianyu if he could visit.

Zhang Xiaohua, Nie Qianyu, and Xiao Juzi traveled to Mochou City, where Nie Qianyu told him the tragic story of Mo Chou Nu and Ye Feng. As Zhang Xiaohua searched beneath Frowning Pagoda with his divine sense, he was astonished by what he found.

• Xiao Juzi guessed that two wealthy young masters were taking gifts to Mochou City as gambling stakes, while Nie Qianyu suggested they might be heading to an auction.
• Zhang Xiaohua and his companions left the peach orchard and traveled south for several days, seeing many young masters and convoys on the road.
• They arrived at ancient Mochou City, and Nie Qianyu explained that its gate characters were said to have been written by the immortal Mo Chou Nu.
• At Mochou Lake, Nie Qianyu told Zhang Xiaohua that Mo Chou Nu had fallen in love with Ye Feng, then been suppressed beneath Frowning Pagoda by the monk Xuan Kong.
• Zhang Xiaohua sent his divine sense beneath the pagoda and grew astonished by what he sensed.

Zhang Xiaohua discovered vital energy beneath the Frowning Tower and discussed the legend of Mo Chou Nu with Nie Qianyu and Xiao Juzi. After failing to find an inn, the group headed toward a little temple, while Xiao Juzi teased Nie Qianyu about her feelings for Zhang Xiaohua; the chapter ended with him returning from a teahouse and congratulating her.

• Zhang Xiaohua sensed vital energy beneath the Frowning Tower and wondered whether Mo Chou Nu was truly trapped there.
• Zhang Xiaohua, Nie Qianyu, and Xiao Juzi discussed the tower’s legend before deciding to stay in Mochou City for the night.
• Zhang Xiaohua found the city’s inns fully booked, and Nie Qianyu suggested they stay at a little temple in the west of the city.
• Zhang Xiaohua went into a teahouse to buy snacks, and Xiao Juzi teased Nie Qianyu about choosing the temple instead of staying at her family’s residence.
• Xiao Juzi encouraged Nie Qianyu to show her affection for Zhang Xiaohua, and Zhang Xiaohua returned and congratulated her, making her blush.

Zhang Xiaohua, Nie Qianyu, and Xiao Juzi discovered that Hui Chun Valley’s husband-selection martial contest was a ruse to hide Nie Qianyu after an abduction attempt. At a secluded Matchmaker Temple, Nie Qianyu prayed while Zhang Xiaohua reflected on his feelings for her and his memories of Meng.

• Zhang Xiaohua congratulated Nie Qianyu on a supposed marriage contest at Hui Chun Valley, then learned her two elder sisters were already married.
• Zhang Xiaohua inferred that Nie Qianyu’s father had staged the contest to make the villains believe she had returned home after their attempt to abduct and kill her.
• Nie Qianyu insisted they continue to the small temple and said they would learn her father’s full plan when they returned the next day.
• Zhang Xiaohua brought Nie Qianyu and Xiao Juzi to a secluded Matchmaker Temple, where the two women prayed and Nie Qianyu bowed nine times.
• Zhang Xiaohua wondered whether he had feelings for Nie Qianyu, thought of Meng, and declined to make a wish before the Matchmaker.

Zhang Xiaohua helped Nie Qianyu and Xiao Juzi settle in the ruined Matchmaker Temple, insisting on keeping proper distance while bringing their carriage and animals inside. After the women fell asleep, he placed jade pieces around the temple and raised a protective formation over it.

• Nie Qianyu told Zhang Xiaohua about the Matchmaker Temple and her childhood devotion to its Matchmaker, but he declined to worship there.
• Zhang Xiaohua used Earth Escape to collect dry straw, then gathered firewood and lit a bonfire for Nie Qianyu and Xiao Juzi.
• Zhang Xiaohua moved the carriage, Huanhuan, and the black horse into the temple, explaining that he wanted them as witnesses while he stayed near the women.
• Zhang Xiaohua sat behind the Matchmaker statue to cultivate while Nie Qianyu and Xiao Juzi slept by the fire.
• Zhang Xiaohua placed jade pieces around the temple and formed an invisible hemispherical barrier over it.

Jingzhe arranged for February Twelfth to compete in Hui Chun Valley’s marriage contest, hoping to gain control of the valley while its Third Miss remained missing. Valley Master Nie and Nie Qianrong feared for Nie Qianyu as the contest’s final day approached, and they had no way to produce her if a champion was chosen.

• Jingzhe met February Twelfth near the Matchmaker Temple and warned him to win the final day of Hui Chun Valley’s martial contest for marriage.
• Jingzhe explained that the Grand Commander suspected the contest was a ruse to hide Nie Qianyu’s escape, but the gang still planned to claim Hui Chun Valley through the winning contestant.
• After February Twelfth left, Jingzhe glanced toward the dark temple, unaware that Zhang Xiaohua was meditating inside while two girls slept nearby.
• Valley Master Nie told Nie Qianrong that Nie Qianyu had been missing for more than two months after an unknown force pursued her, and he feared she might be dead.
• Nie Qianrong and Valley Master Nie discussed how they would conclude the contest if a winner was chosen the next day without Nie Qianyu returning.

As Hui Chun Valley prepared for the final day of its marriage tournament, Valley Master Nie worried that Nie Qianyu would not return, while Nie Qianxiu challenged his plan. Meanwhile, Zhang Xiaohua and Nie Qianyu left the Matchmaker Temple and hurried toward Hui Chun Valley, hoping to arrive before the tournament ended.

• Valley Master Nie told Nie Qianrong that he had hoped Nie Qianyu would return in time for the tournament and her mother’s marriage wish, while Nie Qianxiu warned that the contest could endanger Hui Chun Valley.
• Nie Qianxiu argued that choosing an outside son-in-law could weaken the valley, and Valley Master Nie questioned whether her concern came from her ties to Iron Cavalry Sect.
• Zhang Xiaohua found that the emerald-green grass cushion improved his cultivation and helped his contemplation of the Heavenly Dao.
• Nie Qianyu and Xiao Juzi woke late at the Matchmaker Temple, and Zhang Xiaohua urged Nie Qianyu to cancel the tournament now that she had returned.
• Zhang Xiaohua packed the carriage, and he and Nie Qianyu set off toward Hui Chun Valley as she anxiously watched the time.