Chapter Summaries

Lin Hao ambushed the men at the tea shelter, then confronted and killed Steward Liu after his words broke the older warrior’s force. He returned to question the surviving attackers and collected their weapons and seals, including an item linked to the Fu Family.

• Lin Hao incapacitated the tea shelter attackers, mounted a horse, and rode toward Steward Liu, who had been following him.
• Lin Hao faced Steward Liu on foot and used his Intent Condensation Force Pressure and words to break the steward’s gathered force, but Steward Liu chose to attack anyway.
• Lin Hao killed Steward Liu with a sword strike and suspected the Fu Family had sent him as a precaution.
• Lin Hao returned to the tea shelter, retrieved the Type 95 Rifle and other equipment, and took Steward Liu’s Secret Agent Seal and Fu Yan’s Personal Seal.
• Lin Hao threatened the surviving attackers and began questioning them.

Lin Hao learned that the Prison had joined the civil officials and was helping them target the Yanhuang Trade Association, then went to the Fu Residence to kill Grand Secretary Fu Yan. He killed Fu Yu in a fierce duel, while Fu Yan’s fate remained unresolved.

• Lin Hao killed the Prison’s armed men, burned their bodies, and learned that the group had joined the imperial court and was spreading accusations against the Yanhuang Trade Association.
• Lin Hao asked Yi Feng to warn the university students in the Salt Gang about the Prison’s schemes and arranged for Yi Feng to return on the final day of the evacuation.
• Lin Hao decided to strike the Fu Family before it could mobilize its influence, while Fu Yan discussed eliminating the Wang and Lin families with Fu Yu.
• Lin Hao infiltrated the Fu Residence and attacked Fu Yan, but Fu Yu intercepted him and fought back with elixir force.
• Lin Hao used his swordsmanship and strength to drive Fu Yu into a wall, sever both his arms, and behead him.

Lin Hao wiped out the Fu Family after killing Fu Yu and Fu Yan, then escaped as the residence burned and officials blamed Elysium Cult remnants. Half a month later, he traveled with Zhang Hao and unexpectedly reunited with Gong Zichun, who told him his private room on the pleasure boat had been kept for him.

• Lin Hao killed Fu Yu and Fu Yan, then slaughtered the Fu Residence guards and set the estate ablaze to eliminate witnesses.
• Thousand-Household Commander Lu blamed the massacre on Elysium Cult remnants, while Wang Yang urged him to find the true cause.
• Over the following half month, Zhang Hao used Lin Hao's Meteoric Iron Spear to approach mastering Hidden Force.
• Lin Hao set aside ten thousand taels in silver notes for Yi Feng to return to the Lin Residence, then boarded a pleasure boat with Zhang Hao.
• Gong Zichun greeted Lin Hao aboard the boat and revealed that his private room had remained reserved for him.

Lin Hao traveled to Sword-Forging Manor to commission a heavy sword and spear made from giant elephant tusks, while learning that the manor held an Evacuation Item. Third Manor Master Ao Duan accepted the unusual order and began planning the weapons, which would take a little over a month to forge.

• Lin Hao warned Gong Zichun that openly reading the coded banned book could attract the Embroidered Uniform Guard's attention, then parted with him at Qingxi Prefecture.
• Lin Hao asked Zhang Hao to stay in Qingxi Prefecture, gather information, and look for useful equipment while he traveled to Sword-Forging Manor.
• Lin Hao showed Sword-Forging Manor's token to people in the smithing village, used his force pressure to clear the crowd, and continued up to the manor.
• Third Manor Master Ao Duan examined Lin Hao's giant elephant tusks and agreed to forge a heavy two-handed sword and a long spear from them.
• Ao Duan told Lin Hao the weapons would take a little over a month and explained that Lin Hao's Essence Blood would be needed to begin and seal the forging process.

Lin Hao learned that the Lin Residence had been infiltrated and that Yi Feng and his companions had been pursued by agents claiming to be the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Suspecting that Yan Bing was in danger, Lin Hao sent Zhao Xiaowen, Nie Yi, and Yi Feng to secure a boat while he rushed toward the Provincial Capital alone.

• Lin Hao left Zhang Hao in Qingkou to inspect the weapons market, then returned to the Settlement and continued his training while strengthening its security.
• Wang Jiye warned Lin Hao that someone from Earth had been asking about their Settlement, and Lin Hao told Zhao Xiaowen to identify trustworthy people for future weapon sharing.
• Yi Feng returned bloodstained and reported that unfamiliar guards at the Lin Residence had pursued him and Zhang Shuwen's group after they noticed him.
• Lin Hao learned that the Fu Family massacre had been blamed on the Evil Cult and suspected that the Western Depot was targeting Yan Bing.
• Lin Hao brought Zhao Xiaowen, Nie Yi, and Yi Feng to the Provincial Capital, sent them to find a Black Canopy Boat, and raced toward the city alone.

Lin Hao infiltrated the Lin Residence and learned that Lin Qianjun had seized control, killed Steward Zhang, and captured Uncle Lin after Li Yanbing escaped with Lin Xiner. Lin Hao slaughtered the Western Depot guards and Lin Qianjun’s men, then learned from the dying Uncle Diu that Lin Xiner was likely at the North City Cemetery.

• Lin Hao met Wen Tailai and Hua An, who told him Lin Qianjun had taken over the Lin Residence and that Li Yanbing had escaped with Lin Xiner.
• Lin Hao killed Song Kui, sent Wen Tailai and Hua An to help the original staff escape, and went to the Charcoal Room to find Uncle Lin.
• Uncle Lin explained that a former subordinate had betrayed him and warned Lin Hao that the residence was surrounded by a Heavenly Net.
• Lin Hao emerged from the Charcoal Room and killed Lin Qianjun, a Western Depot guard, and the gathered fighters and archers.
• Uncle Diu died after asking Lin Hao to find Lin Xiner, and Lin Hao deduced that she was at the North City Cemetery.

Li Yanbing, wounded and cornered by four Western Depot pursuers at the Lin Clan Charity Cemetery, prepared to make a final stand until Lin Hao arrived. Lin Hao killed Qin Xiaoxiao in one strike and fought General Sima while Li Yanbing faced the remaining enemies.

• Li Yanbing hid in the cemetery mortuary after escaping the Western Depot pursuers, while Eunuch Qian, Qin Xiaoxiao, General Sima, and a thin man surrounded her.
• The thin man killed the deaf-mute old watchman with a steel needle, and Li Yanbing decided she could use the gunpowder in the coffin without risking him.
• Lin Hao entered the cemetery, identified himself as a probationary Hundred-household Commander, and confronted the four pursuers over Li Yanbing, whom he called his wife.
• Lin Hao fought Qin Xiaoxiao, whose flexible sword attack he countered with his perfected sword technique and Dark Iron Heavy Sword enchantment.
• Lin Hao unleashed Intent Condensation and killed Qin Xiaoxiao with a strike across her throat, while Li Yanbing rose to confront the remaining pursuers.
• General Sima blocked Lin Hao's heavy sword with his shield, but Lin Hao pressed him back with rapid twin-sword attacks while deflecting the thin man's steel needles.

Lin Hao and his allies fought a bloody battle at the mortuary, where he defeated Sima Jin, Eunuch Qian, and their remaining companion with help from Zhao Xiaowen, Nie Yi, and Yi Feng. The survivors escaped by boat after detonating the mortuary, carrying the badly injured Li Yanbing with them.

• Lin Hao used his twin swords to kill the needle-wielding fighter, while Zhao Xiaowen’s 95 Bullets helped create an opening.
• Zhao Xiaowen wounded Sima Jin, and Lin Hao severed his legs before stabbing him through the chest.
• Eunuch Qian tried to retreat, but Lin Hao kept him occupied as Zhao Xiaowen, Nie Yi, and Yi Feng distracted him and Li Yanbing feigned a final attack.
• Lin Hao overwhelmed Eunuch Qian with a final flurry of blows and killed him, then staggered toward the injured Li Yanbing.
• Li Yanbing warned the group that the coffins contained gunpowder, so they rigged the mortuary to explode and fled by boat.
• The mortuary exploded behind them as Zhao Xiaowen rowed the wounded group toward their extraction point.

After rescuing Li Yanbing and restoring her health and martial foundation, Lin Hao returned to the Settlement with her and the others, bringing back powerful equipment and seals taken from four Embrace the Elixir experts. He arranged for Li Yanbing to help Zhao Xiaowen and the Settlement while preparing to clear his identity in Qingxi Prefecture, and ended the night recovering from their intimate sparring.

• Lin Hao brought the fully healed Li Yanbing back to Earth and told her that Lin Xiner had gone Northwest to find General Chen.
• Li Yanbing introduced herself to Zhao Xiaowen and Nie Yi, then assessed the recovered purple equipment and seals from the four slain Embrace the Elixir experts.
• Lin Hao had Zhao Xiaowen, Nie Yi, and Yi Feng test the seals; the first two began gathering force, while Yi Feng failed and agreed to train harder.
• Lin Hao equipped seals to strengthen his concealment and help Zhao Xiaowen and Nie Yi, while Li Yanbing advised him to show himself in Qingxi Prefecture to head off Western Depot suspicion.
• Li Yanbing agreed to stay in the Settlement and help Zhao Xiaowen, then invited Lin Hao to her room; after their encounter, Lin Hao used the Teleportation Point to recover and resolved to train toward Embrace the Elixir.

Lin Hao reunited with his second senior brother, Head Constable Qin Yu, in Qingxi Prefecture, then intervened when the White Dragon Martial Arts School challenged Qin Yu. After revealing his Provincial Examination Laureate status, Lin Hao forced Senior Brother Chai to concede and turned him against Young Master Shuai.

• Qin Yu welcomed Lin Hao, learned about events back home, and offered to help him during his stay in Qingxi.
• Young Master Xu and Senior Brother Chai confronted Qin Yu, demanding that he spar and publicly admit the White Dragon Martial Arts School was superior.
• Qin Yu declined to fight, but Lin Hao stepped forward after Senior Brother Chai threatened to keep harassing him.
• Lin Hao revealed his laureate status and warned Senior Brother Chai that he could kill him with little consequence.
• Senior Brother Chai conceded, and Lin Hao demanded that he denounce the White Dragon Martial Arts School or attack Young Master Shuai.
• Senior Brother Chai chose to beat Young Master Shuai, blaming him for provoking Lin Hao.

Lin Hao spared Young Master Xu after Qin Yu intervened, then met Hundred-household Commander Hu, who questioned him about the attack on the Lin Residence and asked for his help investigating the Shadow Fiend Cult. Lin Hao agreed to assist in Qingxi Prefecture until the New Year in exchange for recorded merits and a subsidy.

• Lin Hao threatened to kill Young Master Xu, but spared him after Qin Yu asked him to relent.
• Qin Yu treated Lin Hao to a meal, where they heard that Ning Que and the Embroidered Uniform Guards were pursuing the Way of the Celestial Masters nearby.
• Old Master Xu brought Young Master Xu and Hundred-household Commander Hu to meet Lin Hao, and Hu questioned him about the attack that killed Lin Qianjun and other Lin Residence figures.
• Lin Hao explained his past connection to the Lin Residence and answered Hu's questions about rumors implicating him in its power struggle.
• Hu revealed that the Shadow Fiend Cult had appeared near Qingxi Prefecture and asked Lin Hao to help investigate it.
• Lin Hao agreed to assist until the New Year, provided his merits would be recorded and he would receive a subsidy.

Chai Xuan was reprimanded by Bai Yinglong and Fei Tianwen for mishandling his confrontation with Lin Hao, while a disguised attacker suddenly struck Fei Tianwen down. Lin Hao joined a mission to screen miners and villagers for Shadow Fiend Cult members, suspected Chai Xuan was compromised, and warned Hu Sanlang to watch him.

• Bai Yinglong and Fei Tianwen told Chai Xuan that he had disgraced the White Dragon Martial Arts School by pressing Constable Qin and then refusing to fight Lin Hao.
• A burly man posing as their junior brother attacked Fei Tianwen with Transforming Force and left him badly injured.
• Lin Hao trained at Qin Yu's courtyard, then accompanied Qin Yu to the west gate after officers summoned martial artists to help investigate the Shadow Fiend Cult.
• Hu Sanlang told Lin Hao that mines in Forging Village and Duan Tie County had shut down after shadow fiends were found among miners and villagers.
• Lin Hao noticed Chai Xuan acting nervously, tested his shadow, and suspected he might be working with the Shadow Fiend Cult despite finding no proof.
• Lin Hao privately warned Hu Sanlang to keep an eye on Chai Xuan, and Hu Sanlang agreed to make arrangements.

Lin Hao and Hundred-household Commander He discovered that the Duantie County mines had been overrun by shadow fiends and began destroying the tunnels with gunpowder. After Lin Hao rescued Hundred-household Commander He from his duplicate, the second mine collapsed.

• Lin Hao noticed that the miners’ shadows overlapped those of the officers at the pit’s rim, exposing hundreds of miners as shadow fiends.
• Hundred-household Commander He ordered the soldiers to attack the fiends’ shadows, while Lin Hao recognized that the miners were weaker than shadow fiends that copied experts.
• After a distress signal rose elsewhere, Lin Hao urged Hundred-household Commander He to use gunpowder to collapse the mines, and a team including Qin Yu and Chai Xuan descended into the pit.
• Hundred-household Commander He threw explosives into the first mine, collapsing its tunnel, while Lin Hao fought off miners emerging from the other entrances.
• Hundred-household Commander He’s duplicate ambushed him as he threw explosives into a second mine, but Lin Hao destroyed the duplicate and pulled him to safety before the tunnel collapsed.

Lin Hao helped Hundred-household Commander He’s team demolish the three mine tunnels and clear the Shadow Fiends, then confronted Chai Xuan, whose shadow concealed three powerful enemies. Lin Hao killed them, but Chai Xuan died after revealing he had merged with a Shadow Fiend to save his master and the others.

• Lin Hao destroyed the Shadow Fiends copied from the experts and led the team in demolishing the remaining two tunnels.
• Chai Xuan risked his life to plant explosives in the final tunnel, and the group cleared the remaining Shadow Fiends from the pit.
• Lin Hao’s team prepared to answer other distress signals, and Lin Hao warned Chai Xuan that he knew something was wrong.
• Chai Xuan suddenly attacked Lin Hao, who caught his fist and broke his arm while questioning his connection to the Shadow Fiends.
• Three Shadow Fiends resembling White Dragon Martial Arts School masters emerged from Chai Xuan’s shadow, but Lin Hao killed them with one sword strike.
• Chai Xuan revealed that he had merged with a Shadow Fiend to save his master and the others, then died.

Lin Hao reached the battle and killed County Commandant Ma after deciding he was a shadow fiend, though Ma appeared to have been a real man. The County Soldiers immediately agreed to call the killing a heroic strike against an enemy impersonator, while Xue Cheng remained caught in the scheme to blame him for the retreat.

• Lin Hao and Hundred-household Commander He headed toward the distress signal after Chai Xuan's death revealed that shadow fiends could hide inside people.
• Xue Cheng fought his shadow fiend while County Commandant Ma ordered him and his men to cover the retreat, but reinforcements arrived and broke the encirclement.
• After the troops regrouped, County Commandant Ma and his allies tried to blame Xue Cheng for the disorganized retreat and pressure him into keeping quiet.
• Lin Hao charged at County Commandant Ma, mistook him for a shadow fiend, and killed him with his Whistle Baton.
• A nearby County Soldier agreed to tell others that Lin Hao had destroyed County Commandant Ma's shadow fiend.

Lin Hao rescued Xue Cheng and the survivors from a Shadow Fiend Cult ambush, then led them to Sword-Forging Manor. At the camp, Ding Tianyou presented a secret imperial decree authorizing the manor’s destruction if necessary, while a hidden shadow presence reacted to the returning group.

• Lin Hao killed County Commandant Ma and a squad leader after recognizing them as shadow fiends, then led the survivors in defeating the remaining attackers and reassured Xue Cheng.
• Lin Hao ordered the wounded County Soldiers and martial artists to regroup and travel to Sword-Forging Manor before dark, earning their trust.
• Thousand-Household Commander Lu Mingsong and Ding Tianyou arrived at the camp, where Commandant Gao reported ruined mines and feared Sword-Forging Manor was the Shadow Fiend Cult’s target.
• Ding Tianyou revealed a secret imperial decree permitting the manor to be razed to prevent its techniques from leaking, but urged Lu Mingsong and Gao Yan to focus on stopping the Shadow Fiend Cult.
• After learning the Duan Tie County survivors had returned, Ding Tianyou warned that their escape was suspicious and stayed behind, speaking to a trembling shadow about a perceived danger.

Lin Hao joined Thousand-Household Commander Lu and Commandant Gao to organize a defense against the Shadow Fiend Cult, while suspecting Ding Tianyou of being an Earth survivor with hidden plans. The group took up station at the Sword-Forging Manor to protect it, and Lin Hao considered whether Ding Tianyou might be after its Evacuation Item.

• Thousand-Household Commander Lu and Commandant Gao praised Lin Hao's strength and recruited the returned fighters who had already been copied by shadow fiends.
• Lin Hao suspected Ding Tianyou was an Earth survivor connected to Prison and wondered whether he had brought shadow fiends to target the Sword-Forging Manor.
• Lin Hao told Thousand-Household Commander Lu that Chai Xuan might have been copied, and Lu discovered that Hundred-household Commander Hu was missing.
• Thousand-Household Commander Lu, Lin Hao, Ding Tianyou, and the other fighters agreed to protect the Sword-Forging Manor while Commandant Gao held the garrison.
• Ao Duan welcomed the group, and Thousand-Household Commander Lu proposed splitting forces between the manor and Forge-Fire Cave.
• Lin Hao realized the manor's Evacuation Item might be at risk if Ding Tianyou was seeking it.

Lin Hao accompanied Ding Tianyou into the Sword-Forging Manor’s Forge-Fire Cave, where he uncovered Ding’s scheme and warned First Manor Lord Ao Jian. A grandmaster Shadow Fiend emerged and clashed with Lin Hao, but Ao Jian struck it down as the chapter ended.

• Lin Hao entered the Forge-Fire Cave with Ding Tianyou, Qin Yu, Xue Cheng, and three Embroidered Uniform Guards, while Ding’s companions secretly discussed their plan.
• Lin Hao saw the First Manor Lord forging two weapons made from his ivory and admired the grandmaster’s dense Force Gathering.
• Ding Tianyou tried to lure Lin Hao away, but Lin Hao pointed out that Ding had deliberately stepped onto Ao Jian’s shadow, prompting Ao Jian to confront him.
• Ding Tianyou ordered his allies to attack, and a grandmaster Shadow Fiend emerged from an Embroidered Uniform Guard’s shadow and charged Lin Hao.
• Lin Hao’s sword strike shattered his blade and badly injured his arm, while Qin Yu and Xue Cheng helped absorb the force and catch him.
• Ao Jian pursued the Shadow Fiend and smashed it apart with a blacksmith’s hammer.

Lin Hao helped turn the fight against Ding Tianyou and the Shadow Fiends, killing several enemies and aiding the Sword-Forging Manor lords. After the First Manor Lord destroyed the Grandmaster Shadow Fiend, Commander Lu arrived and hesitated when Lin Hao assured him the Shadow Fiends were dead.

• Lin Hao recovered from the Grandmaster Shadow Fiend's blow and saw the Shadow Fiends multiply while the Sword-Forging Manor masters were pinned down.
• Lin Hao threw Molotov cocktails at Ding Tianyou's group, then deflected their gunfire with his flexible sword and killed Ding Tianyou and his companions.
• Lin Hao fought Thousand-Household Commander Lu's Shadow Fiend with two swords and destroyed it after exploiting its limits.
• Lin Hao joined the Second Manor Lord and helped him destroy his Shadow Fiend before they watched the First Manor Lord kill the Grandmaster Shadow Fiend.
• Commander Lu arrived with his men, began backing away at the sight of the battlefield, and stopped when Lin Hao told him the Shadow Fiends were dead.

Lin Hao and the Sword-Forging Manor’s lords persuaded Thousand-Household Commander Lu to report Ding Tianyou’s collaboration with the Shadow Fiends, but the Prefectural Garrison then surrounded the manor. As Lin Hao stayed behind, the Second Manor Lord gave him old forging tools and a dark-gold evacuation item, and Lin Hao decided to remain at the manor for now.

• Lin Hao urged Thousand-Household Commander Lu to report Ding Tianyou and his suspected accomplices, and Ao Jian offered to sign the memorial with him and ask Governor Wang to join.
• After learning that the Prefectural Garrison had surrounded the manor, Thousand-Household Commander Lu and Ao Jian went to investigate while Lin Hao stayed behind with the Second Manor Lord.
• Lin Hao sent Xue Cheng and his injured senior brother away and asked them to keep the battle’s details secret.
• The Second Manor Lord offered to improve Lin Hao’s armor and gave him an old blacksmith’s hammer that granted forging bonuses.
• The Second Manor Lord gave Lin Hao the Dragon-Subduing Hammer, a dark-gold evacuation item with four modifiers, and Lin Hao chose to stay rather than evacuate immediately.
• The Second Manor Lord examined Lin Hao’s shotgun, recognized its potential as a weapon for ordinary soldiers, and suspected that others had targeted the manor for its forging techniques.