Arc 2Chapters 26–50
No recap yet.
No recap yet.
Lin Lang laid out a broader plan with Ren Yingying to rescue Ren Woxing and restore his leadership without exposing their intentions to Dongfang Bubai. Meanwhile, the Mount Song Sect learned its disciples had been ambushed by the Sun Moon Demon Cult, and Zuo Lengchan ordered retaliation.
Lin Lang reported recruiting Liu Zhengfeng and described how he had provoked conflict between the Mount Song School and the Sun Moon Demon Cult. He proposed using the Jinyiwei and Eastern Depot to manipulate martial sects into fighting and submit them to government control, leaving Thousand-household Liu to take him to the capital to present the plan to Cao Zhengchun.
Lin Lang persuaded Cao Zhengchun to use spies and sect rivalries to weaken the martial world, beginning with the feud between the Five Mountains Sword Alliance and the Sun Moon Demon Cult. Cao Zhengchun put Lin Lang in charge and promoted him to Deputy Thousand-household, while Liu Xiong became a Pacification Commissioner.
The Iron-Gallant Divine Marquis learned that Lin Lang had helped Cao Zhengchun devise a plan to control the martial world and resolved to watch him. Lin Lang joined Ren Yingying, Xiang Wentian, and Lan Fenghuang to plan Ren Woxing’s rescue from West Lake Plum Manor, rejecting Xiang Wentian’s approach and insisting they use his own plan.
Lin Lang and his companions infiltrated Plum Manor and forced the Four Friends of Plum Manor to lead them to Ren Woxing’s dungeon. They found Ren Woxing alive in an iron cage and called out to rescue him.
Ren Woxing was freed from Plum Manor and learned that Lin Lang had planned the rescue, then considered how to reward him. Ren Woxing decided to pass the Star-Sucking Great Skill to Lin Lang, whether he wanted it or not, and sent him and Ren Yingying to retrieve the instructions from the dungeon.
Lin Lang learned and reversed the Star-Sucking Great Skill at Plum Manor, then left to return to Great Ming while Ren Yingying and Ren Woxing each expected him to join the Sun Moon Holy Cult. On the road, Lin Lang planned to test his new martial art on another martial artist.
Lin Lang ambushed Yu Canghai at Pine Wind Temple, drained most of his qi with the Reverse Star-Sucking Great Skill, and killed him as punishment for slaughtering the Lin family. After taking Yu Canghai’s sword manual and valuables, Lin Lang considered how to improve his skill and came up with a new idea.
Lin Lang killed Yu Canghai and other jianghu villains, leaving Duan Yu's name behind so the crimes made him famous. Duan Yu accepted the mistaken credit, while Lin Lang returned to Pingyang Prefecture stronger and met Wang Wu at the city gate.
Lin Lang confronted Thousand-household Zhao after learning Zhao had taken credit and reward money for killing Tian Boguang and sent Lin Lang’s men to guard the city gates. Lin Lang defeated Zhao in a brief fight, demanded his stolen reward back, and left Zhao injured while ordering a physician for him.
Lin Lang injured Thousand-Household Zhao and took temporary charge of the Pingyang Prefecture Thousand-household Office, ordering its men to investigate the martial world. Cao Zhengchun approved of Lin Lang’s audacity, while Iron Claw Flying Eagle decided to warn the Divine Marquis to take Lin Lang more seriously.
Lin Lang opened his Ren and Du Meridians and advanced to the early Martial Arts Grandmaster stage, then ordered Wang Wu to spread provocative rumors about Dongfang Bubai and Zuo Lengchan. The rumors provoked both sides into escalating their attacks, while Lin Lang prepared to practice his swordsmanship and eventually kill Dongfang Bubai.
Lin Lang ordered Wang Wu to spread rumors that stirred suspicion and ambition among the martial factions while the Sun Moon Demon Cult and Five Mountains Sword Alliance fought. The rumors prompted leaders at Northern Shaolin, the Golden Coin Gang, and Mount Song to prepare to exploit the conflict, leaving the martial world on the brink of wider strife.
Ren Woxing planned to return to Great Ming and seek Lin Lang’s help against Dongfang Bubai, while Lin Lang improved the Fragrant Pavilion and expanded his intelligence network. After Liu Zhengfeng brought two wanted criminals to the Thousand-household Office, Lin Lang took a special interest in the female thief and decided to interrogate her himself.
Lin Lang drained a captured Great Song Demon Cult thief of her true qi, forced her to reveal her martial arts, and killed her before ordering her remains sent away. Three days later, he learned that wanted murderer Li Fei had appeared and set out to capture him.
Lin Lang and the Jinyiwei raided the Silver Hook Gambling House and captured Li Fei, a fugitive killer and Golden Coin Gang member, with ease. Lin Lang took Li Fei’s token as evidence and turned down the manager’s small bribe, then considered how to seize the gambling house’s money.
Lin Lang extorted twelve thousand taels from the Silver Hook Gambling House, then interrogated Li Fei about the Golden Coin Gang. After draining Li Fei’s martial arts, Lin Lang let him leave but immediately called him a fugitive escaping.
Lin Lang killed Li Fei, studied his concealed-weapon techniques, and angered local officials with his expectations for hospitality. Meanwhile, Zhu Wushi ordered the Li Family's Four Brothers to recruit Lin Lang or kill him, while Shangguan Jinhong decided another enemy would deal with him.
After celebrating his subordinates’ promotions, Lin Lang was ambushed by four Dragon Guard Manor fighters who tried to recruit him for Zhu Wushi. Lin Lang defeated them and looked forward to the Iron-Gallant Divine Marquis sending more opponents.
Lin Lang killed Zhu Wushi’s four agents and continued drawing Cao Zhengchun and Zhu Wushi into a struggle over his loyalty. Cao Zhengchun publicly defended Lin Lang before the emperor, while Lin Lang rejected the Eastern Depot’s pressure and decided to cause another major disturbance to secure Cao Zhengchun’s support.
Lin Lang used intelligence about Dongfang Bubai’s injury to steer Zuo Lengchan toward attacking the Sun Moon Demon Cult, giving him a path to gain prestige and later pursue the Five Mountains merger. As the sect leaders gathered at Mount Song, Lin Lang prepared to send another letter to Blackwood Cliff to ensure the alliance would attack.
Lin Lang’s letter persuaded Yang Lianting to send the Sun Moon Holy Cult’s four halls against the Five Mountains sect strongholds while Dongfang Bubai prepared to face an attack on Blackwood Cliff. Lin Lang learned that the cult had mobilized as planned and expected the resulting conflict to win him Cao’s praise.
Lin Lang received the Eastern Depot’s support to act against the Northern Mount Heng, Southern Hengshan, and Eastern Mount Tai sects. After arranging to depart for Hengshan City, he said he would uphold justice for the common people.
Lin Lang explained his revised plan to Ren Yingying for Ren Woxing to reclaim leadership of the Sun Moon Holy Cult, using the Five Mountains Sword Alliance to test Dongfang Bubai. He brought Ren Yingying home under the guise of discussing the plan, leaving Xiao He waiting as he prepared to dine with his unexpected guest.
Lin Lang manipulated Ren Yingying into opening her door and sleeping with him, then used the encounter to perfect his Reverse Golden Body Child Skill. The next morning, he told Xiao He he was leaving on an assignment, foiling her hopes of getting close to him.