Chapter Summaries

After awakening in a world where many wuxia settings coexisted, Lin Lang discovered that his Golden Body Child Skill and a drug planted by his rival threatened his chance to win a promotion. As Xiao He approached him, a system appeared that could reverse flaws in martial arts.

• Lin Lang recovered the memories of his predecessor, a Great Ming Jinyiwei squad commander who had to remain a virgin to preserve the power of his Golden Body Child Skill.
• Lin Lang realized that losing his upcoming arena match against Liu Wu could send him away to Great Song, while losing his virginity would weaken him before the contest.
• Lin Lang overheard Liu Wu and Xiao He reveal that they had drugged his wine to injure his meridians and sabotage his chances in the arena.
• Xiao He entered Lin Lang's room and moved to intensify the drug's effects, but the Martial Art Flaw Reversal System activated before she could act.

Lin Lang reversed the Golden Body Child Skill’s flaw and discovered that intimacy increased his strength rather than weakening him. After spending the night with Xiao He, he advanced to the early first-rate realm and set his sights beyond the probationary hundred-household post.

• Lin Lang reversed the Golden Body Child Skill’s virginity requirement, turning its penalty into a way to grow stronger through sex.
• Xiao He tried to trigger the effects of the Jade Green Pavilion’s secret drug, but Lin Lang instead asked her to demonstrate her massage techniques.
• Liu Wu waited for Xiao He to come to him, then left when she did not appear and resolved to learn what martial art Lin Lang had chosen.
• Lin Lang advanced the Reversed Golden Body Child Skill to major mastery and broke through to the early first-rate realm after becoming intimate with Xiao He.
• Lin Lang considered challenging Hundred-household Li and pursuing greater office, while the Jinyiwei outside his room rushed to rescue him, believing he had been drugged.

Lin Lang spent three days training in seclusion at the Jade Green Pavilion, secretly advancing to mid first-rate while everyone believed he had ruined his martial arts. As the arena duel with Liu Wu began, Lin Lang set out to claim the acting Hundred-household position.

• Lin Lang told the Jinyiwei that a tender haven was a great hero’s final home and ordered them not to disturb his training.
• Liu Wu learned that Lin Lang had stayed at the Jade Green Pavilion and believed the Golden Body Virgin Art was ruined, so he expected to win the duel and become acting Hundred-household.
• Liu Wu welcomed his subordinates’ attention and threatened to leave Lin Lang unable to get back up if he entered the arena.
• After three days of training, Lin Lang had reached mid first-rate, while Xiao He agreed to keep quiet about their time together and asked him to take her away.
• A Jinyiwei announced that it was time for the duel, and Lin Lang picked up his Xiuchun Blade to face Liu Wu.

Lin Lang prepared confidently for an arena bout against Liu Wu, despite most of the office believing his strength had declined. The contest began with Liu Wu attacking, leaving Lin Lang’s response for what came next.

• Wang Wu and Jia Liu stayed loyal to Lin Lang, and Lin Lang sent them to place a bet on his victory and book a celebratory banquet.
• Lin Lang went to the hundred-household office, where the guards assumed he was weakened and doomed to lose.
• Liu Wu taunted Lin Lang over his time at the Jade Green Pavilion, and Lin Lang thanked him for arranging it, angering Liu Wu.
• Wang Wu and Jia Liu publicly supported Lin Lang, while Hundred-household Li announced that the winner would become probationary hundred-household and the loser would gather intelligence in Great Song.
• Hundred-household Li started the one-incense-stick bout, and Liu Wu slashed his blade toward Lin Lang’s head.

Lin Lang defeated Liu Wu in the platform match, revealing that his Golden Body Child Skill had not been broken and that he had advanced to the first-rate realm. He received a probationary hundred-household appointment and planned to make sure Liu Wu did not suffer for long.

• Lin Lang dodged Liu Wu's three vicious strikes without drawing his blade, making spectators think his Golden Body Child Skill had been broken.
• Lin Lang caught Liu Wu's Xiuchun Blade barehanded and endured his punches, then struck him before he could surrender.
• Hundred-household Li intervened when Lin Lang moved to break Liu Wu's legs and announced Lin Lang as the winner, recognizing his first-rate cultivation and mastered Golden Body Child Skill.
• Lin Lang teased the injured Liu Wu about Xiao He, causing Liu Wu to spit blood and faint, while Wang Wu and Jia Liu celebrated their winnings.
• Hundred-household Li delivered Lin Lang's probationary appointment document, and Lin Lang said he would spare Liu Wu the suffering of his injuries.

After winning the ring match and becoming a probationary hundred-household, Lin Lang celebrated with his colleagues, collected his gambling winnings, and arranged for Xiao He to leave Jade Green Pavilion and become his maid. He covered his face, took his saber, and went out after curfew to put in some mysterious overtime.

• Lin Lang celebrated his promotion with Hundred-household Li and the officers, who praised his victory over Liu Wu and his breakthrough in martial arts.
• After Hundred-household Li left, Jia Liu gave Lin Lang thirteen thousand taels in betting winnings, and Lin Lang promised to recommend Wang Wu and Jia Liu for promotion.
• Lin Lang went to Jade Green Pavilion with Wang Wu and Jia Liu, then left with Xiao He while the two officers stayed behind.
• Lin Lang told Xiao He to become his maid and gave her a hundred-tael note to buy her freedom, despite her having given him her fifteen hundred taels of savings.
• After curfew began, Lin Lang covered his face with Xiao He's gauze garment, took his saber, and jumped out the window to go put in overtime.

Lin Lang visited the injured Liu Wu, took his hidden banknotes, and killed him before returning to Xiao He. The next morning, he paid Madam Li for Xiao He's indenture, then stopped her at blade-point to settle another account.

• Liu Wu begged Lin Lang for mercy and confessed that he had bribed Hundred-household Li and tried to drug him.
• Lin Lang took Liu Wu's hidden banknotes and killed him with Liu Wu's Xiuchun Blade.
• Lin Lang returned to Xiao He, and they spent the night together.
• Madam Li refused to return Xiao He's indenture, so Lin Lang claimed Xiao He worked for the Jinyiwei and paid fifty taels for her freedom.
• As Madam Li tried to leave, Lin Lang put a blade to her neck and said they still had accounts to settle.

Lin Lang freed Xiao He from the Jade Green Pavilion, kept control of her money, and looked for a way to travel to Great Song for powerful martial arts. After Chief Banner Officer Liu died, Hundred-household Li assigned Lin Lang a dangerous intelligence mission there, and Lin Lang eagerly accepted it.

• Lin Lang forced Madam Li to pay compensation for the drugged wine and took Xiao He home from the Jade Green Pavilion.
• Lin Lang put Xiao He to work, kept her thousand-tael banknote, and planned to seek powerful martial arts in Great Song.
• Hundred-household Li learned that Chief Banner Officer Liu had been killed and suspected Lin Lang might have taken Liu's money.
• Hundred-household Li raised the vacant Great Song intelligence mission, hoping to use it to pressure Lin Lang into paying him.
• Lin Lang volunteered for the mission, and Hundred-household Li agreed despite expecting him to back down.

Lin Lang traveled to Great Song to investigate its martial arts world, intending to obtain the Evil-Warding Sword Manual from the Lin family. After following Lin Pingzhi to the Lin Mansion, he prepared to sneak inside under cover of night.

• Lin Lang refused to pay Hundred-household Li a bribe and chose to take the Great Song intelligence mission himself, bringing Wang Wu and Jia Liu along as house guards.
• Lin Lang rode toward Great Song, hoping to earn a major merit and acquire the Evil-Warding Sword Manual, whose flaw he believed he might be able to reverse.
• Lin Lang reached Fu City and learned where the Fuwei Escort Agency was located, planning to follow an escort guard to find the Lin family residence.
• Lin Lang recognized Lin Pingzhi leaving the agency to visit his ancestors and followed him to the Lin Mansion in Sunward Alley.
• After Lin Pingzhi returned and the mansion gates were locked, Lin Lang put on a face mask and slipped out of his inn at night.

Lin Lang stole the kasaya containing the Evil-Warding Sword Manual, reversed the technique’s flaw, and practiced until his strength increased. He used the journey toward Great Ming to test his swordsmanship against bandits, then heard a fight ahead involving Elder Qu and a sect leader’s order to arrest him.

• Lin Lang found Lin Yuantu’s hidden kasaya, took it back to the inn, and used his system to reverse the Evil-Warding Sword Technique’s flaw so he could practice without self-castration.
• Lin Lang practiced through the night, reached the beginner stage of the technique, and rose to the peak of the first-rate martial artist realm.
• Lin Lang left Fu City for Great Ming by narrow trails, seeking bandits to fight and improve his swordsmanship, but his encounters with robbers and criminal inns offered little challenge.
• Lin Lang killed the second chief of the Black Wind Stronghold and his men, tricked the chief into coming out, then killed the chief and searched the stronghold.
• Lin Lang resumed his journey and heard someone tell Elder Qu that the sect leader had ordered his arrest and demand his surrender.

Lin Lang fought Qu Yang, used the encounter to advance his swordsmanship and break through to the early-stage Martial Arts Master realm, but lost his horse. After Ren Yingying arrived searching for Qu Yang, Lin Lang stopped her by claiming he knew where her father was.

• Qu Yang tried to take Lin Lang's horse, and Lin Lang fought back while using the duel to hone his swordsmanship.
• Qu Yang attacked Lin Lang with Black Blood Divine Needles, but Lin Lang's body-hardening art stopped the poison; Qu Yang then escaped on Lin Lang's horse while Lin Lang recovered his bundle.
• Lin Lang's swordsmanship reached minor mastery and his realm advanced to the early-stage Martial Arts Master, though Qu Yang's palm had injured his shoulder.
• Ren Yingying and her companions arrived looking for Qu Yang, and Lin Lang identified him and pointed them south.
• As Ren Yingying hurried after Qu Yang, Lin Lang claimed he knew where her father was, making her rush back to question him.

Lin Lang told Ren Yingying that her father, Ren Woxing, was imprisoned and suggested she gather trusted allies before attempting a rescue. Ren Yingying set out to find Uncle Xiang while Lan Fenghuang pursued Lin Lang to investigate him.

• Lin Lang told Ren Yingying that Ren Woxing had been imprisoned and suggested Dongfang Bubai was the likeliest culprit.
• Ren Yingying asked where her father was, but Lin Lang urged her to gather powerful, trustworthy allies and contact him when she was ready to rescue Ren Woxing.
• Lin Lang gave Ren Yingying the Jade Green Pavilion in Bailing County as his contact address and left.
• Ren Yingying asked Lan Fenghuang to investigate Lin Lang and planned to find Uncle Xiang, who was loyal to her father.
• Lan Fenghuang went after Lin Lang, promising to catch up with Ren Yingying in three days with an answer.

Lin Lang met Lan Fenghuang at an inn and convinced her that he would help rescue Ren Woxing, while secretly maneuvering her into giving him valuable wine. He began absorbing the wine’s medicinal power as Lan Fenghuang stood guard.

• Lin Lang checked into an inn and recognized Lan Fenghuang when she entered in Miao clothing.
• Lan Fenghuang asked Lin Lang to reveal Ren Woxing’s whereabouts and offered future favors from the Five Immortals Sect.
• Lin Lang refused to tell her, and Lan Fenghuang attacked him but was quickly outmatched.
• Lin Lang told Lan Fenghuang to have Ren Yingying find a trusted expert before coming to him for help rescuing Ren Woxing.
• Lin Lang pretended that their fight had aggravated an old injury, prompting Lan Fenghuang to give him Five Treasures Flower Honey Wine.
• Lin Lang drank the wine and sat cross-legged to absorb its medicinal power while Lan Fenghuang stood guard.

Lin Lang recovered after drinking Five Treasures Flower Honey Wine, gained five years of qi, and advised Lan Fenghuang to pretend to pursue Qu Yang while she contacted allies to rescue Ren Woxing. Lan Fenghuang relayed his plan to Ren Yingying, who learned how powerful and mysterious Lin Lang was.

• Lin Lang healed and reached the mid-stage Martial Arts Master realm after drinking Lan Fenghuang's wine, then accepted her invitation to visit the Five Immortals Sect.
• Lin Lang advised Lan Fenghuang to delay killing Qu Yang and use the time to contact Left Emissary Xiang and prepare to rescue Ren Woxing.
• Helmsman Sun told Ren Yingying that his men had tracked Qu Yang through his granddaughter Qu Feiyan, and Ren Yingying ordered him to pursue them.
• Lan Fenghuang told Ren Yingying she had chosen not to poison Lin Lang and explained why they should pretend to pursue Qu Yang instead of killing him.
• Lan Fenghuang said Lin Lang had suggested the plan, and Ren Yingying learned that his powerful Child Skill and strange swordsmanship made him a mysterious potential ally.

Lin Lang returned from Great Song with intelligence exposing Qiao Feng’s Khitan heritage, earning Cao Zhengchun’s approval and a promotion. Cao ordered Lin Lang to lead the Bailing County Hundred-household Office and continue gathering intelligence.

• Hundred-household Li learned that Lin Lang had returned and sent his report directly to the Eastern Depot, then hurried back to his office.
• Lin Lang told Li that he had already sent his intelligence to the Eastern Depot, and Li concealed his anger while granting him time off.
• Iron Claw Flying Eagle brought Lin Lang’s report to Cao Zhengchun, who learned that Qiao Feng was Khitan and ordered the claim verified.
• Cao Zhengchun promoted Lin Lang to Jinyiwei hundred-household and put him in charge of the Bailing County Hundred-household Office.

Lin Lang returned to duty after ten days of leisure and rejected Hundred-household Li’s offer to recommend him for promotion in exchange for twenty thousand taels. As Thousand-household Liu arrived and asked to see Lin Lang, Li grew uneasy about what the visit meant.

• Lin Lang spent ten days listening to songs, attending banquets, and practicing martial arts while waiting for Ren Yingying to appear.
• Hundred-household Li ordered Lin Lang back to duty after learning he was enjoying himself, while Wang Wu reported that Li had survived an encounter with Tian Boguang that killed more than a dozen men.
• Lin Lang returned to the Hundred-household Office and learned that Li wanted twenty thousand taels in exchange for recommending him for the Hundred-household post.
• Lin Lang refused to pay, believing he could earn a promotion through his own abilities, and wondered whether Li’s death would leave the post vacant.
• Flag Officer Sun announced Thousand-household Liu’s arrival and said Liu had specifically asked to see Lin Lang, leaving Li suspicious.

Lin Lang was promoted to hundred-household after the Eastern Depot praised his intelligence report, and he promoted Wang Wu and Jia Liu in turn. After Hundred-household Li complained about him to Thousand-household Liu, Lin Lang overheard and decided to retaliate by visiting Li’s home.

• Thousand-household Liu announced Lin Lang’s promotion to hundred-household and awarded him the Ten-Thousand Victories Saber Technique, crediting the Eastern Depot’s intervention and Superintendent Cao’s praise.
• Lin Lang took charge of the Bailing County Hundred-household Office and promoted Wang Wu and Jia Liu to chief banner officers.
• Thousand-household Liu reassigned Hundred-household Li to the Thousand-household Office until a vacancy opened, leaving Li unhappy about losing his former position and its benefits.
• Hundred-household Li urged Thousand-household Liu to watch Lin Lang and claimed he had bypassed his superiors to win credit from the Eastern Depot.
• Lin Lang overheard Li’s complaint and decided to make Li’s home the target of his first act as the new hundred-household.

Lin Lang sent Hundred-household Li to Pingyang Prefecture without a promotion, then killed him when Li tried to assassinate him. After taking Li’s fortune and martial art, Lin Lang confronted Li’s wife and apologized as he dragged her inside.

• Lin Lang distracted Thousand-household Liu and the other officials at the Jade Green Pavilion while Hundred-household Li left in anger.
• Hundred-household Li learned he would be reassigned to Pingyang Prefecture without a promotion and sold his possessions to raise cash.
• Lin Lang entered Li’s home that night, and Li drew his saber to attack him.
• Lin Lang defeated Li in three moves and revealed himself to be a Martial Arts Master.
• Lin Lang took more than twenty thousand taels and Li’s Eight Gates Golden Lock Saber manual from the chest.
• Li’s wife discovered her husband’s corpse, and Lin Lang dragged her inside while apologizing.

Lin Lang killed Hundred-household Li and his wife, burned their bodies, and framed the wanted criminal Tian Boguang for their deaths. Thousand-household Liu assigned Lin Lang to hunt Tian Boguang, giving him an excuse to leave Bailing County, and Lin Lang began making arrangements before setting out.

• Hundred-household Li's wife tried to seduce Lin Lang, but he killed her and burned the bodies of her and Hundred-household Li in their house.
• Flag Officer Sun and his men arrived to put out the fire, while Lin Lang directed their search and later called for revenge against the supposed murderer.
• Lin Lang led Flag Officer Sun to identify Tian Boguang as the killer, and Thousand-household Liu ordered Lin Lang to hunt him.
• Lin Lang accepted the task and planned to use it as an excuse to leave; after making arrangements at the Hundred-household Office, he saw Thousand-household Liu and his men arrive at noon.

Lin Lang persuaded Thousand-household Liu to recruit elders from prestigious martial sects into the Jinyiwei, promising the plan could win Liu a promotion. Liu ordered Lin Lang to pursue the idea and offered him a Deputy Thousand-household position, while Lin Lang secretly aimed to take Liu's post.

• Thousand-household Liu explained that the Jinyiwei needed to improve its record against martial-world criminals to win Governor Cao's favor.
• Lin Lang proposed recruiting martial-world experts who had formally retired from the martial world, and Liu considered the idea.
• Lin Lang urged Liu to target elders of prestigious sects, arguing they could be pressured through their families, property, or possible legal violations.
• Liu accepted the plan and told Lin Lang to recruit an elder, promising him a Deputy Thousand-household position if Liu advanced.
• Lin Lang thanked Liu outwardly and privately intended to take his Thousand-household position, with his first recruitment target already in mind.