Chapter Summaries

Chu Yunyun and Chu Xisheng raided the Long Clan Freight Depot, killed its guards, and set its stored goods ablaze. They escaped as the fire drew the City Guard and other fighters, leaving the Long Clan too weakened to challenge the Iron Banner Gang.

• Chu Yunyun used the Wind-Sensing Art to scout the depot and assigned Chu Xisheng to eliminate the East Court patrol and spread rapeseed oil.
• Chu Yunyun silently killed five patrolmen and entered the depot, while Chu Xisheng clumsily climbed the wall and killed the five men under the scar-faced squad leader.
• Chu Xisheng watched the neighboring depots and spread oil as Chu Yunyun killed the guards inside and emerged with a bundle.
• Chu Xisheng wrote “Bloodwind Bandits” in blood on the wall to frame them, and Chu Yunyun rewrote the words in a more convincing hand.
• Chu Yunyun and Chu Xisheng dissolved the bodies and ignited the depot, then slipped away while the flames spread and drew soldiers to the scene.
• After fleeing three li, Chu Xisheng looked back at the blaze and estimated that the fire had destroyed at least seventy thousand taels' worth of the Long Clan's goods.

Cao Xuan investigated the Long Household warehouse fire and accepted the Bloodwind Bandits as the culprits, while Chu Xisheng and Chu Yunyun disposed of the stolen valuables. After returning to the academy, Chu Xisheng saw his Martial Dao Points surge and wondered what the Hu Brothers had done.

• Cao Xuan found the Bloodwind Bandits' name at the burned warehouse and ordered a citywide search, while keeping the case pinned on them.
• Cao Xuan saw the grief-stricken Long Nanshu and recognized the patriarch's lingering power.
• Chu Xisheng and Chu Yunyun reached the Golden Water River, where Chu Yunyun destroyed Long Shengxie's saber and buried the banknotes.
• Chu Yunyun reshaped the stolen gold and silver to remove the Long Household markings, and the two washed away their scents before returning to Zhengyang Martial Academy.
• Chu Xisheng entered virtual training and saw more than twenty fireworks raise his Martial Dao Points to twenty-two, leaving him puzzled about the Hu Brothers.

Hu Lai spread exaggerated stories about Chu Xisheng’s exploits, drawing admiration from the female disciples and bringing him a stream of gifts. Lu Luanli threw the gifts away, while a watcher with a blood-colored sword mark judged Chu Xisheng to be an Eighth-Rank Upper threat and raised the bounty on his life.

• Hu Lai regaled the women in the courtyard with embellished tales of Chu Xisheng defeating the Long Household and killing Heng Wei.
• A lovestruck senior sister praised Chu Xisheng, and Lu Luanli dismissed her romantic ideas about him.
• Lu Luanli found Chu Xisheng surrounded by female disciples seeking martial advice and carrying eight gifts they had given him.
• Lu Luanli took the sachets and handkerchiefs from Chu Xisheng and threw them into a ditch, angering the watching girls.
• A youth with a blood-colored sword mark assessed Chu Xisheng as an Eighth-Rank Upper fighter and decided to raise the assassination bounty to around a thousand taels of demon silver.

Chu Xisheng’s growing fame attracted admiration at the academy, while he persuaded Ye Zhiqiu that he was building a reputation to improve his chances of joining the Formless Divine Sect. The academy faced growing threats, and Chu Xisheng gained Martial Dao Points from an unexplained source even though his reputation did not change.

• Chu Xisheng heard fellow disciples praise his bearing and rewarded Hu Kan and Hu Lai with chicken for spreading stories about him.
• Ye Zhiqiu dragged Chu Xisheng into the rear hall and challenged him for paying the Hu Brothers to boast about him.
• Chu Xisheng explained that he wanted to build his reputation to improve his chances of entering the Formless Divine Sect and finding a cure for his illness.
• Ye Zhiqiu warned Chu Xisheng that the Bloodwind Bandits had returned and that hostile groups had infiltrated the academy and attacked the Library Tower.
• Chu Xisheng asked when the Library Tower would reopen, then saw his Martial Dao Points rise from 25 to 46 without any change to his reputation field.

At the Life-Reaping Tower, Li Daogui’s bounty on Chu Xisheng was claimed by the assassin team Blood-Eyed Snake, while Wu Meiniang revealed that Chu’s strength justified a much smaller price. Li Daogui obtained intelligence about the factions gathered in Xiushui Commandery and planned to target Lu before pursuing the God-Defying Banner.

• A crimson dart marked Chu Xisheng’s nameplate, showing that Blood-Eyed Snake had accepted Li Daogui’s 1,300-tael bounty.
• Wu Meiniang told Li Daogui and Zuo Bloodclothes that Chu’s recent victories came from his Secret Move Totem and unusual saber intent, and that 500 taels would have been enough for the bounty.
• Wu Meiniang gave Li Daogui a jade slip with intelligence on the Embroidery Guard, the Six Fan Gate, the Formless Divine Sect, and other factions, allowing him to buy it on credit.
• Wu Meiniang revealed that Blood-Eyed Snake was a team of three eighth-rank assassins who would claim the bounty if they killed Chu Xisheng.
• Li Daogui decided to avoid acting rashly against the factions in Xiushui Commandery and to target Lu first, then obtain the God-Defying Banner.

Chu Xisheng endured Chu Yunyun’s punishing saber training and kept a low profile as his reputation and Martial Dao Points grew. After Zuo Qingyun sent him a top-quality Ice Silkworm Fire Cocoon and offered to cover the cost, Chu Xisheng agreed to fight in two Life-and-Death Arena matches three days later.

• Chu Yunyun made Chu Xisheng practice saber forms under the midday sun with a heavy black-iron saber to expel medicinal toxins and strengthen his foundation.
• Over the next half month, Chu Xisheng trained intensely, ignored other disciples’ provocations, and saw his Martial Dao Points rise to 72.
• Zuo Qingyun’s female guard delivered a top-quality Ice Silkworm Fire Cocoon and said Zuo Qingyun would pay the four-hundred-tael difference.
• Zuo Qingyun’s female guard asked Chu Xisheng to fight two exceptional Ninth-Rank opponents in the Ancient Market Town and promised guards for his safety.
• Chu Xisheng agreed to compete three days later, after giving his Origin-Nourishing Art time to break through and stabilize.

Chu Xisheng prepared and took the secret medicine for the Origin-Nourishing Art’s third layer, strengthening his cultivation and extending his lifespan before heading to the Life-and-Death Arena. At Ancient Market Town, he discovered that a bounty of fifteen hundred taels had been placed on his life.

• Chu Xisheng and Chu Yunyun successfully prepared the third-layer secret medicine, which Chu Xisheng drank.
• Chu Xisheng advanced the Origin-Nourishing Art to the third layer, and his lifespan rose to 65 days.
• Chu Yunyun tested Chu Xisheng’s improved saber strike and advised him to prioritize survival in the Life-and-Death Arena.
• Three days later, Chu Xisheng traveled to Ancient Market Town with Chu Yunyun, Lu Luanli, and guards accompanying him.
• Chu Xisheng sensed more than thirty hostile Martial Cultivators, and the female guard told him a bounty on his life had reached fifteen hundred taels.

Chu Xisheng traveled with Zuo Qingyun to Victory and Defeat Tower, where he learned that he would fight the notorious Zhuang Hongfei and Zhou Liangchen in matches over two days. As the crowd gathered for his first match, Lu Luanli noticed someone watching Chu Xisheng with venomous intent, but the person disappeared.

• Chu Xisheng learned that his bounty had risen to fifteen hundred taels of Demon Silver and rode with Zuo Qingyun through the packed streets to South Street Temple Fair.
• Zuo Qingyun explained that Zhuang Hongfei and Zhou Liangchen were celebrated, deadly fighters, and that the matches were part of a contest over the fighting platforms.
• Zuo Qingyun gave Chu Xisheng two superior-grade Blood-Melting Pills and lent him seventh-rank leg wraps to improve his chances of surviving the fights.
• Chu Xisheng arrived at Victory and Defeat Tower, where Zuo Qingyun said the first match would begin in two hours and arranged a room for him.
• The spectators outside shouted at Chu Xisheng, and his Martial Dao Points increased to 82.
• Lu Luanli spotted a venomous gaze fixed on Chu Xisheng, but its owner withdrew into the crowd and vanished.

Spirit Eye and his fellow assassins failed to find an opportunity to kill Chu Xisheng, while Chu Xisheng prepared for his Life-and-Death Arena bout against Zhuang Hongfei. After studying Zhuang Hongfei’s record, Chu Yunyun gave Chu Xisheng specific advice, suggesting she considered him the weaker fighter.

• Spirit Eye returned to Blood Hand and Black Snake and said he had no safe chance to attack Chu Xisheng, though he claimed to have a plan with nine days left before their deadline.
• Chu Xisheng settled into the luxurious suite and ignored the assassins’ hostility, while Lu Luanli warned him that someone with spiritual sight had watched him.
• Chu Yunyun studied a dossier on Zhuang Hongfei and Zhou Liangchen, reviewing their Life-and-Death Arena bouts and fighting styles.
• As the arena bout approached, Chu Xisheng met Zhuang Hongfei, who mocked him and told him to enjoy his last meal.
• Chu Yunyun advised Chu Xisheng to stay within ten feet of Zhuang Hongfei and move left when he raised his right hand above his shoulder.

Chu Xisheng prepared to face Zhuang Hongfei in the Victory and Defeat Building while Zuo Qingyun argued over wagers with Li Cang. After Zhuang Hongfei provoked him at the start of the match, Chu Xisheng charged forward.

• Chu Xisheng learned that bets were capped and that his victory would earn him at least a thousand taels of demon silver.
• Wu Meiniang criticized Zuo Qingyun for opening bets on Chu Xisheng, while Li Cang baited Zuo Qingyun into accepting a wager on future matches.
• Lu Luanli gave Chu Xisheng a Fifth Grade Wind Escape Talisman in case he could not hold out.
• Zhuang Hongfei entered the platform wearing soft armor loaded with hidden weapons, and the referee announced the match’s start.
• Zhuang Hongfei insulted Chu Xisheng and threatened his companions, but Chu Xisheng ignored him and charged forward after the third drumbeat.

Chu Xisheng fought Zhuang Hongfei through a prolonged exchange of blades and concealed weapons, avoiding a poisoned field of iron caltrops and resisting Zhuang Hongfei’s attacks. When Zhuang Hongfei unleashed Stormy Rain, Heaven and Earth, Chu Xisheng spotted an opening and struck.

• Zhuang Hongfei blocked Chu Xisheng’s opening saber strike with his dagger, but the impact knocked the weapon from his hand and wounded him with Chu Xisheng’s saber intent.
• Zhuang Hongfei scattered more than seven hundred poisoned iron caltrops across the platform, but Chu Xisheng pursued him while carefully avoiding them.
• Zhuang Hongfei attacked with Thunder God Awls and Mourning Gate Nails, while Chu Xisheng deflected the concealed weapons with his blade.
• After the fight continued for a quarter of an hour, Wu Meiniang, Du Yunlai, and Li Cang remarked on Chu Xisheng’s movement, perception, and fighting ability.
• When Zhuang Hongfei launched Stormy Rain, Heaven and Earth, Chu Xisheng followed Chu Yunyun’s advice, moved to Zhuang Hongfei’s left, and swung his blade toward the opening in his opponent’s stance.

Chu Xisheng exploited the flaw in Zhuang Hongfei’s Stormy Rain, Heaven and Earth to wound him repeatedly in the Life-and-Death Arena. When Zhuang Hongfei tried the move once more, Chu Xisheng killed him, leaving the crowd in uproar.

• Chu Xisheng cut through Zhuang Hongfei’s armor and wounded his waist, shocking the spectators at the Victory and Defeat Building.
• Zhuang Hongfei unleashed a storm of hidden weapons, but Chu Xisheng spotted the opening in Stormy Rain, Heaven and Earth and slashed his left arm.
• Lu Luanli, Chu Yunyun, and the onlookers recognized that Zhuang Hongfei’s injuries had turned the match in Chu Xisheng’s favor.
• One-Armed Saber Li Cang accepted his loss and ordered Zhuang Hongfei’s body fed to the dogs whether he survived or not.
• As Chu Xisheng pressed forward, Zhuang Hongfei tried Stormy Rain, Heaven and Earth again, and Chu Xisheng’s returning slash cut through his chest and heart.
• Zhuang Hongfei died on the platform, and the crowd erupted as betting slips rained down.

After killing Zhuang Hongfei, Chu Xisheng advanced his reputation and martial skill while preparing for a Life-and-Death Arena match against Zhou Liangchen. Zuo Qingyun rewarded him with a choice of money or a rare Wind-Chasing Blade diagram, and Chu chose the diagram ahead of tomorrow’s fight.

• Chu Xisheng saw his reputation rise to Eighth-Rank Lower and redeemed the second stage of Wind-Chasing, Lightning-Pursuing Hands with his Martial Dao Points.
• Chu Xisheng spotted Zhou Liangchen in the stands, and the two anticipated their match the following day.
• Chu Yunyun and Lu Luanli joined Chu Xisheng on the platform, and he returned Lu Luanli’s jade talisman, which she told him to keep until tomorrow night.
• Zuo Qingyun praised Chu Xisheng for defeating Zhuang Hongfei and offered him twelve hundred taels of demon silver plus a choice between five thousand taels and a Complete Secret-Move Diagram for Wind-Chasing Blade.
• Chu Xisheng chose the Complete Secret-Move Diagram, and Zuo Qingyun offered to have it tattooed on him that night.

Chu Xisheng received a Wind-Chasing Blade Secret Move Totem from Wu Meiniang, then tested the resulting boost to his blade speed. Chu Yunyun suspected his public performances and sudden awakenings were connected, while Lu Luanli fumed over Wu Meiniang’s flirtation.

• Wu Meiniang offered to tattoo Chu Xisheng’s Secret Move Totem on his chest, back, or arm, and he chose his arm so it could link with his existing design.
• Wu Meiniang spent four hours inscribing the Wind-Chasing Blade totem, warned Chu Xisheng to keep it dry and away from divine flower leaf juice, and gave him messenger talismans for a fee.
• Wu Meiniang teased Chu Xisheng and brushed his hand as she took payment, making Lu Luanli jealous while Chu Yunyun stayed expressionless.
• After Wu Meiniang left, Chu Yunyun’s chair broke into pieces beneath her; she ground the wood to powder and hid it before Chu Xisheng and Lu Luanli returned.
• Chu Xisheng tested his blade and found that the totem had greatly increased his speed, while Chu Yunyun wondered whether danger and public attention were awakening his bloodline.

Chu Xisheng gained control of his spiritual awareness, and Chu Yunyun promised to teach him the Lightning-Pursuing Finger before his fight with Zhou Liangchen. Meanwhile, Du Yunlai canceled Zhou Liangchen’s bout after warning that Chu Xisheng’s Yazi Saber Intent made defeat certain near Victory and Defeat Tower, but Zhou Liangchen refused to accept the withdrawal.

• Chu Xisheng sensed Lu Luanli sneaking out and learned from Chu Yunyun that his spiritual awareness had awakened and stirred his wind-and-lightning power.
• Chu Yunyun agreed to teach Chu Xisheng the Lightning-Pursuing Finger, while declining to give him advice about Zhou Liangchen’s weaknesses.
• Zhou Liangchen woke aboard a boat in Linhai Commandery and learned that Du Yunlai had conceded his Life-and-Death Arena bout to Zuo Qingyun.
• Du Yunlai explained that Chu Xisheng’s Yazi Saber Intent grew stronger amid hostility and would make Zhou Liangchen’s defeat certain near Victory and Defeat Tower.
• Zhou Liangchen leaped into the river and swam toward shore, determined to reach Ancient Market Town, though Du Yunlai knew he could not arrive in time and would not be allowed into the arena without his permission.

After Zhou Liangchen withdrew from the Life-and-Death Arena, Chu Xisheng lost the chance to win a large purse but gained Martial Dao Points from the ensuing rumors. On the ferry back to the martial hall, he spotted Xie Zhenqing traveling with four armed guards.

• Chu Xisheng found Lu Luanli's Paper Crane saying she had gone out on business, then asked Chu Yunyun to review his saber techniques.
• Zuo Qingyun told Chu Xisheng that Zhou Liangchen had withdrawn from their match, reportedly because of a sudden illness, and gave Chu two hundred taels in banknotes.
• Zuo Qingyun offered Chu Xisheng free entertainment and gambling chips, but Chu Xisheng declined and asked to return to the martial hall with Chu Yunyun.
• Rumors spread through Ancient Market Town that Zhou Liangchen feared Chu Xisheng, and Chu Xisheng's Martial Dao Points rose to 26.
• On the ferry, Chu Xisheng saw Xie Zhenqing accompanied by four burly young men in iron armor.

Chu Xisheng and the passengers were attacked by Heluo Fish while crossing the Divine Splendor River, and he escaped while trying to keep his newly tattooed blade techniques dry. After the beasts retreated, Xie Zhenqing blamed him for stepping on her underwater, while Spirit Eye discovered that the ambush had failed and his two assassins were dead.

• Xie Zhenqing approached Chu Xisheng on the ferry to discuss meeting him, but Heluo Fish attacked and tore the boat apart.
• The Female Guard fought off the beasts as Chu Xisheng dodged their tentacles, while Chu Yunyun secretly killed two black-clad men lurking underwater.
• Chu Xisheng stepped on Xie Zhenqing while escaping the tentacles, sending her underwater again before he hauled her back with a rope.
• The Heluo Fish retreated after the Female Guard drove off their leader, and Xie Zhenqing silently vowed to put Chu Xisheng on the Azure Cloud Ranking.
• Spirit Eye learned that the operation had failed and that Blood Hand and Black Snake were dead, and suspected an unknown expert had protected Chu Xisheng.

After returning to Zhengyang Martial Academy, Chu Xisheng trained in his blade techniques but grew worried when Lu Luanli went missing. A message from Wu Meiniang placed someone resembling Lu Luanli at Firebone Cavern, where Bloodwind Bandits had gathered, so Chu Xisheng and Chu Yunyun hurried toward the city gate.

• Li Dehou ferried Chu Xisheng and Chu Yunyun across the river, and Xie Zhenqing followed them to the academy, where Chu Xisheng learned she was the Martial Discourse Tower's master.
• Chu Xisheng spent the afternoon studying blade techniques with Chu Yunyun and then practiced them in a virtual dreamscape.
• When Lu Luanli failed to appear at morning training, Chu Xisheng worried about her and sent a paper crane to Wu Meiniang for information.
• Wu Meiniang reported that a woman resembling Lu Luanli had been seen at Firebone Cavern and warned that Bloodwind Bandits had gathered nearby.
• Chu Yunyun denied leaving a God-Defying Banner clue at Firebone Cavern, then headed for the city gate with Chu Xisheng following, suspecting the Bloodwind Bandits had set a trap for Lu Luanli.

Chu Xisheng and Chu Yunyun found Firebone Cavern’s market town slaughtered by mounted bandits and learned the Bloodwind Bandits were searching for Lu Luanli. Chu Yunyun tracked the attackers through the cavern, where Chu Xisheng came face-to-face with the one-eyed Bloodwind Bandit who had pursued Lu at the Library Tower.

• Chu Xisheng and Chu Yunyun found the market town pillaged and its residents killed by mounted bandits.
• Chu Yunyun identified the Bloodwind Bandits as likely instigators, and the siblings changed clothes before approaching a cavern entrance.
• Chu Yunyun defeated the bandits guarding the entrance, and Chu Xisheng learned the raiders had come to help the Bloodwind Bandits make money and capture a woman.
• Chu Yunyun used the Sound-Listening Echo-Return method to locate activity deeper in the cavern and led Chu Xisheng toward it.
• Chu Yunyun defeated another bandit squad, and Chu Xisheng began questioning a survivor about the girl they were pursuing.
• Chu Xisheng spotted two Bloodwind Bandits, including the one-eyed man who had pursued Lu Luanli at the Library Tower, and Chu Yunyun’s murderous intent surfaced.

Chu Xisheng found the wounded Lu Luanli as she fled through Firebone Cavern and carried her away, but a Bloodwind Bandit ambushed them and left her gravely injured. Surrounded by Bloodwind Bandits and White Cloud Stronghold fighters, Chu Xisheng stood between Lu Luanli and her captors as they attacked.

• Chu Yunyun killed a seventh-rank fighter, wounded the one-eyed Bloodwind Bandit, and chased him deeper into the cavern after he escaped with a jade talisman.
• Chu Xisheng heard pursuers and recognized the bloodied Lu Luanli, then carried her as she fled and listened as she explained that blood bats could track her scent.
• Two blood bats appeared, and a blood-clad seventh-rank Bloodwind Bandit attacked; Lu Luanli severed his left hand but suffered shattered ribs.
• Ge Ping'an and White Cloud Stronghold fighters surrounded Chu Xisheng and Lu Luanli, while the blood-clad man ordered his men to capture Chu Xisheng alive.
• Chu Xisheng drew his saber and stood protectively in front of Lu Luanli as more than twenty mounted bandits rushed at him.