Recaps

Zhou Muzhi tracked down Qian Zhen and confronted him at the Qian residence, where he gained the upper hand in their duel. The fight ended with Zhao Chenfeng emerging from the residence to face him.

• Zhou Muzhi used A-Xiang’s ghostly power to question the leader of a gang and learn where Qian Zhen could be found.
• Zhou Muzhi arrived at the Qian residence after sunset, where Qian Zhen was waiting for him.
• Qian Zhen and Zhou Muzhi fought with their sabers and swords, and Zhou Muzhi’s speed and strength overwhelmed Qian Zhen.
• Zhou Muzhi injured Qian Zhen and broke most of his saber.
• Zhao Chenfeng emerged from the residence with a broad-backed heavy saber and addressed Zhou Muzhi.

Zhou Muzhi unleashed his power and defeated Qian Zhen, while Li Jingfei fought Zhao Chenfeng nearby. After killing Qian Zhen, Zhou Muzhi taunted Zhao Chenfeng and challenged him to come after him.

• Zhao Chenfeng arrived and revealed that Qian Zhen was his disciple, while Li Jingfei appeared to protect Zhou Muzhi and borrowed his sword to fight Zhao Chenfeng.
• Zhou Muzhi unleashed Light Body qi, Steady Mountain qi, and A-Xiang’s power, startling Qian Zhen with his strength.
• Zhou Muzhi overwhelmed Qian Zhen in a fistfight, and Qian Zhen pleaded to reveal an important secret.
• Zhou Muzhi killed Qian Zhen by crushing his neck and removing his head, despite Zhao Chenfeng’s warning.
• Zhou Muzhi taunted Zhao Chenfeng and challenged him as Zhao Chenfeng continued fighting Li Jingfei.

After A-Xiang transformed, Zhou Muzhi joined Li Jingfei in fighting Zhao Chenfeng, using the deadly battle to sharpen his movement techniques. Li Jingfei activated his Five Qi strength and vowed to kill Zhao Chenfeng before the power ran out, while Zhou Muzhi held back A-Xiang as a hidden trump card and rejoined the fight.

• A-Xiang transformed after passing through Qian Zhen's corpse, and Zhou Muzhi sensed the chill in his arm intensify.
• Zhou Muzhi joined Li Jingfei's fight with Zhao Chenfeng, attacking with his Light Body qi and harassing Zhao from the side.
• Zhou Muzhi adapted to Zhao Chenfeng's attacks and improved his Cloud-Chasing Thunderclap Technique as he dodged the older martial artist's strikes.
• Zhao Chenfeng drove Li Jingfei back and charged Zhou Muzhi, but Li Jingfei intercepted him and unleashed his Five Qi strength.
• Zhao Chenfeng revealed that Li Jingfei's Five Qi power would leave him helpless when it ran out, but Li Jingfei vowed to kill him first.
• Zhou Muzhi held back A-Xiang, judging that she could not yet withstand Zhao Chenfeng, then returned to the fight as the battle wrecked nearby homes.

Zhou Muzhi helped Li Jingfei turn the battle against Zhao Chenfeng, who escaped after sacrificing a hand. Afterward, Zhou Muzhi gained Deduction Points from Zhao Chenfeng’s saber and realized A-Xiang could grow stronger by absorbing the severed hand.

• Zhou Muzhi charged at Zhao Chenfeng and drew his attention, allowing A-Xiang to trap him with the Red Silk Sash.
• Li Jingfei attacked Zhao Chenfeng while he was trapped, forcing him to sacrifice a hand and flee.
• Li Jingfei returned Zhou Muzhi’s longsword and said Zhao Chenfeng’s injuries made their next encounter more even.
• Zhou Muzhi picked up Zhao Chenfeng’s saber and began gaining Deduction Points from it.
• A-Xiang passed his Red Silk Sash through Zhao Chenfeng’s severed hand, strengthening the chill in Zhou Muzhi’s right arm, and Zhou Muzhi and Li Jingfei left.

After defeating Qian Zhen, Zhou Muzhi used the killing intent in Zhao Chenfeng’s saber to reach the third qi, Heavy Bone, and discussed the weakened Qian Family with Li Jingfei. The chapter left Zhou facing the possibility of Qian Lucai’s return and learning that an Yingju Hall survivor could explain Qian Zhen’s kidnappings.

• Zhou Muzhi absorbed the saber’s killing intent and broke through to the third qi, Heavy Bone, strengthening his attacks and bones.
• Zhou Muzhi discovered his new qi could suppress the chill in his right arm and produce a faint purple light around his palm.
• Li Jingfei told Zhou Muzhi that Qian Lucai was away and might return after his son’s death.
• Li Jingfei reported that a survivor of Yingju Hall claimed to know why Qian Zhen had been gathering women and children and asked Zhou Muzhi for protection.

Zhou Muzhi learned that the Qian Family had built its fortune through trafficking women and children, and that a hidden power stood behind the family. Back at the Zhou residence, he used deduction on the Cloud-Chasing Thunderclap Technique and chose between two possible results.

• Zhou Muzhi went with Lao Xu to meet a mutilated former subordinate of the Hall of Outstanding Heroes in a rubbish-filled alley.
• The man revealed that the Qian Family had trafficked women abroad and stolen children to sell, under an operation linked to people with Great Yong accents.
• The man warned Zhou Muzhi that the power behind the Qian Family would hunt him, and Lao Xu killed him at Zhou Muzhi's command.
• Zhou Muzhi returned home and used deduction on the Cloud-Chasing Thunderclap Technique, weighing a perfected technique against the Thunderflash enhancement before selecting one.

Zhou Muzhi perfected the Cloud-Chasing Thunderclap Technique and considered how his new strength might compare with his master. Meanwhile, the Qian Family elders debated their crisis and pinned their hopes on Lucai’s return and his teacher’s intervention.

• Zhou Muzhi spent a Deduction Point to perfect the Cloud-Chasing Thunderclap Technique, gaining immediate fighting strength and a more powerful physique.
• Zhou Muzhi weighed his strengths and lack of defense, wondered if he could now fight his master, and resolved to keep advancing in martial arts.
• Qian Rushou asked the Qian Family elders how the Lineage could survive after Zhao Chenfeng’s defeat, but no one had a confident answer.
• Qian Family members argued over appealing to the authorities, apologizing, or splitting up the Lineage, while the elders condemned their weakness.
• The elder on the right said Zhen’er’s younger brother would return for the funeral and that his teacher would help secure justice for the Qian Family.

After learning that Zhou Muzhi killed his son and crippled Zhao Chenfeng, Qian Lucai arranged to recruit a prime Five Qi Martial Artist and began plotting against him. Three days later, Zhou Muzhi set out for the Zhong Family, ostensibly to discuss business and attend an antiques appraisal.

• Qian Lucai learned from Zhao Chenfeng that Zhou Muzhi had killed Qian Lucai's son, cut off Zhao Chenfeng's hand, and possessed a ghost.
• Qian Lucai agreed to pay half the cost of hiring a Five Qi Martial Artist from the Holy Hall and decided the Zhou Family would serve as a scapegoat after Zhou Muzhi was killed.
• Qian Lucai sent two letters by carrier pigeon and devised a method he believed could kill Zhou Muzhi.
• Over the next three days, the Zhou Family gained influence, while Zhou Muzhi received gifts that increased his Deduction Points by three.
• Zhou Buren sent Zhou Muzhi to meet the Zhong Family, and Zhou Muzhi boarded the carriage because he hoped to attend its antiques appraisal.

Zhong Li hosted Zhou Muzhi at the Zhong Family estate, hoping to strengthen ties with the Zhou Family through a marriage alliance with Zhong Shao. He revealed that the Qian Family wanted to make peace and offered a thousand taels of silver and three rice shops as compensation, leaving Zhou Muzhi smiling silently.

• Zhong Li prepared the Zhong Family estate for Zhou Muzhi’s visit and brought Zhong Shao, his unmarried daughter, intending to arrange an alliance.
• Zhong Shao recalled Zhou Muzhi’s dismissive behavior at a previous banquet and considered how to refuse a match with him.
• Zhou Muzhi arrived at the banquet, took his seat, and exchanged polite greetings with Zhong Li.
• Zhong Li told Zhou Muzhi that the Qian Family had asked him to broker peace and offered a thousand taels of fine silver and three rice shops in compensation.
• Zhou Muzhi looked at Zhong Li and slowly opened his mouth in a soundless smile.

Zhou Muzhi rejected Zhong Li’s marriage proposal and focused instead on the antiquities in the Zhong Family’s treasure room. He left the banquet with Zhong Li to inspect the collection, hoping to gain Deduction Points.

• Zhou Muzhi and Zhong Li discussed the Zhou Family entering the rice, moneylending, oil, and salt trades, and Zhong Li proposed that their families split the profits equally.
• Zhong Li offered Zhong Shao’s hand in marriage, but Zhou Muzhi refused, saying he needed to pursue the martial path first.
• Zhong Shao fled the banquet in tears, and Zhong Li sent her maid after her.
• Zhong Li told Zhou Muzhi about the generous dowry he had prepared, but Zhou Muzhi remained unmoved.
• Zhong Li invited Zhou Muzhi to view his antiquities, and Zhou Muzhi eagerly followed him into the Zhong Family’s treasure room.

Zhou Muzhi explored the Zhong Family’s collection with Zhong Li, gaining Deduction Points and finding a broken halberd suited to deducing his Fourth Qi. After Zhou Muzhi left with the weapon, Zhong Li dismissed the Qian Family’s renewed offer and reflected on his past as a martial artist.

• Zhou Muzhi touched the Zhong Family’s collectibles as Zhong Li explained their histories, and he gained Deduction Points from several pieces, including an object from a temple beyond the Northern Frontier Beyond the Pass.
• Zhou Muzhi found that a broken halberd offered deduction paths for the Purple-Winged Two Modes Halberd or Yin Qi, and he asked Zhong Li to give it to him.
• Zhong Li gave Zhou Muzhi the broken weapon, and Zhou Muzhi promised to send him a Buddha Amulet collectible in return.
• After Zhou Muzhi left the estate, the steward told Zhong Li that the Qian Family had doubled its offer, and Zhong Li instructed him to keep delaying them.
• Zhong Li recalled that he had once studied martial arts before turning to scholarship as the Literary Dao of the Song Kingdom flourished.

Zhou Muzhi told Li Jingfei he had deduced the method for gathering a fourth qi, prompting his master to recognize him as a legendary Martial Dao Celestial. He endured a painful breakthrough in his room and successfully gathered Spirit Pivot.

• Zhou Muzhi returned to the Zhou Residence and found Li Jingfei coughing and lost in thought.
• Zhou Muzhi asked Li Jingfei to stand guard while he gathered his fourth qi, then claimed he had deduced the next cultivation method himself.
• Li Jingfei recalled the legendary Primordial Martial Seeds, or Martial Dao Celestials, and agreed to guard Zhou Muzhi during the breakthrough.
• Zhou Muzhi used the broken weapon to draw out yin qi and endured its painful effects as his other three qi suppressed and tempered it.
• Zhou Muzhi completed tempering the bones of all four limbs and gathered his fourth qi, Spirit Pivot.