Arc 5The Tahe Reckoning

Lian Youming trained with the Junk King, helped Yan Lingyun begin her medical studies, and set out for Tahe to confront Ao Fei. In the Greater Khingan Mountains, he fought a series of martial-world battles, helped drive off Gan Xuantong, revealed his identity to Tian Dayong, and heard Xie Ruomei confess her love.

  • Lian Youming returned home for New Year's Eve, and the Junk King warned him about the dangers of using himself as bait and gave him training advice and old medicine prescriptions.
  • Lian Youming helped protect Yan Lingyun's family from armed men, then brought her to meet the Junk King, who invited her to study medicine on Zhongnan Mountain.
  • Lian Youming trained in the Dragon Roaring Iron Shirt while preparing for his exams, and after learning that Ao Fei was in Tahe, he proposed to Yan Lingyun and set off.
  • In the mountains, Lian Youming rescued Li Yinhuan from Wei Bozhao, defeated Wei, and killed him after learning about the mysterious man and the White Lotus Sect.
  • Lian Youming found Yang Shuang fleeing her pursuers, helped her escape, and defeated Ao Fei in a brutal fight before killing him.
  • Lian Youming joined forces with the White Lotus Sect Master against Gan Xuantong, and after the Master broke Gan's elixir skill, Gan fled while Lian Youming was too injured to pursue.
  • After recovering, Lian Youming told Xu Tian and Li Shan about the fight, then revealed to Tian Dayong that he was the Taiji Demon and secured Tian's promise to keep it secret.
  • Xie Ruomei told Lian Youming that she liked him and would keep loving him even if they never met again.
Chapters 102–126 Vol. 2 Read

Ch. 102Homecoming, New Year's Eve

Lian Youming made it home for New Year's Eve and reunited with his family and the Junk King, who warned him about dangerous fighting tactics and the dangers of flaws in his martial state of mind. After sharing a festive meal with his family, Lian Youming welcomed the New Year.

  • Lian Youming rushed home on New Year's Eve after a difficult journey, and Zhao Lanxiang scolded him for being away nearly a month.
  • Lian Youming visited the Junk King, who warned him not to use himself as bait, urged him to preserve his body, and taught him passwords for dealing with people seeking old medicine.
  • Lian Youming explained Yan Lingyun's trouble, and the Junk King offered old medicine prescriptions and warned him about the risks of romantic attachment to his martial cultivation.
  • Lian Youming returned home and invited the Junk King to join the family for New Year's Eve dinner.
  • The Junk King teased Lian Youming about having many descendants while the family prepared and ate dumplings, and the radio crackled as the New Year began.

Ch. 103Fish and dragons raised waves at my command; upon the rivers, I reigned as heaven

Lian Youming received further martial arts training from the Junk King, then called Yan Lingyun’s family and used a secret brotherhood verse to force the men threatening them to withdraw. He left the family under their protection, warning them that they would answer for any harm.

  • Lian Youming greeted his parents and neighbors for New Year before bringing food to the Junk King.
  • The Junk King explained the risks of domineering martial arts, told Lian Youming to cultivate his mind, and gave him bogwood hammers and a hollow iron ball for training.
  • The Junk King said he planned to move to a Taoist temple on Zhongnan Mountain and asked Lian Youming to call Yan Lingyun.
  • Lian Youming called Yan Lingyun’s father, who explained that armed men were demanding the family’s old medicine and wild ginseng and had hidden Yan Lingyun in a secret room.
  • Lian Youming spoke to the men’s leader and recited a brotherhood verse that revealed his standing, prompting an elder to promise they would leave and protect Yan Lingyun’s family.

Ch. 104Breakthrough and reunion

Lian Youming endured the Junk King's punishing training and broke through the Golden Bell Cover before Yan Lingyun arrived at his home under the protection of her brothers. The chapter left Yan Lingyun eating a meal with Lian Youming as her brothers explained how ravenously she had eaten during their journey.

  • Lian Youming used a code phrase to keep danger away from Yan Lingyun and invited her to stay with him.
  • Lian Youming practiced the Three Talents Posture and the Toad-Fishing Skill, then struggled through nightly iron-ball and mountain-running training ordered by the Junk King.
  • After days of grueling practice, Lian Youming broke through the Golden Bell Cover and opened the Liver Meridian.
  • Lian Lei warned Lian Youming about a suspicious woman, but Lian Youming recognized the disguised visitor as Yan Lingyun and teased her before inviting her inside.
  • Lian Youming cooked a large meal for Yan Lingyun and her two brothers, who described how she had eaten nearly all their food during the four-day train journey.

Ch. 105Kid, you're in luck!!!

Lian Youming reunited with Yan Lingyun and learned that she was eager to study medicine and martial arts in Xijing. The Junk King recognized her potential, invited her to Zhongnan Mountain, and assigned Lian Youming as her acupuncture and medicine-making practice subject.

  • Yan Guangming and Yan Zhaomei introduced themselves as Yan Lingyun’s brothers and joked about how their family treasured her.
  • Yan Lingyun admitted she had missed Lian Youming, especially his cooking, and asked about the prescriptions and his phone call; he told her an extraordinary man thought she had talent.
  • Lian Youming offered to take Yan Lingyun to study on Zhongnan Mountain for six months to a year, and she agreed while asking him to bring her food and let her brothers stay nearby.
  • Lian Youming brought Yan Lingyun to meet the Junk King, who questioned her about her medical studies and learned she had read several classic texts and experimented with remedies on her brothers.
  • The Junk King told Yan Lingyun to practice acupuncture on Lian Youming, teach her medicine-making, and come to Zhongnan Mountain in three days after she analyzed two prescriptions.

Ch. 106A bright moon overhead, a beautiful night

Lian Youming’s family welcomed Yan Lingyun and her brother with a lavish dinner, and Yan Lingyun nervously greeted his parents as Mom and Dad before giving them gifts. Later that night, Lian Youming took Yan Lingyun to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, where they shared braised pork and Maotai beneath the moon.

  • Zhao Lanxiang and Lian Father discovered Yan Lingyun visiting, and the family prepared a celebratory dinner for her and her relatives.
  • Yan Lingyun accidentally greeted Lian Youming’s parents as Mom and Dad, then gave gifts to his family, including an amulet for him.
  • Yan Guangming and Lian Father drank together until they were both drunk, while Zhao Lanxiang chatted warmly with Yan Lingyun.
  • After midnight, Lian Youming secretly left to practice, but Yan Lingyun insisted on joining him and asked him to carry her.
  • Lian Youming climbed the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda with Yan Lingyun, then offered her braised pork and Maotai beneath the moon.

Ch. 107Geng Metal Sword Qi, Dragon and Tiger in Hand

Lian Youming brought the drunken Yan Lingyun home, then received instruction from the Junk King in the Dragon Roaring Iron Shirt and Geng Metal Sword Vapor. He discovered that his hidden Golden Bell Cover scripture described the lost Tiger Roaring art that the Junk King said would pair even better with the sword vapor.

  • Lian Youming carried the sleeping Yan Lingyun home after she drunkenly praised his cooking and threatened him with silver needles.
  • The Junk King told Lian Youming to preserve his primal yang while practicing the Dragon Roaring Iron Shirt and explained the principles of extraordinary skills.
  • The Junk King taught Lian Youming about Geng Metal Sword Vapor, which could kill with an exhalation, and assigned him to extinguish a lamp from five meters away without gathering internal breath.
  • The Junk King said the Tiger Roaring Golden Bell Cover had been lost in a catastrophe sixty years earlier and told Lian Youming to practice the Iron Shirt in his Stone Cave.
  • Lian Youming compared the Iron Shirt manual with the Golden Bell Cover hidden in a Buddhist scripture and recognized the phrases “Dragon Roars Through the Nine Heavens” and “Tiger Devours the World.”

Ch. 108Surging undercurrents, a mysterious man

Lian Youming asked Song Xiehu to find lodging and gather news about the martial world’s hidden forces, then returned home to find Yan Lingyun with a box of gold needles from the mysterious old man. In Cangzhou, a bespectacled stranger defeated Ao Fei’s attack and persuaded him to leave for the Northeast to find someone.

  • Lian Youming visited Song Xiehu, secured a small courtyard house for Yan Guangming and his brother, and asked him to watch for news about the Northern Martial World, Xue Hen, and the White Lotus Sect.
  • Lian Youming returned home and found Yan Lingyun admiring a box of gold acupuncture needles given to her by the old man.
  • Yan Guangming and Yan Zhaomei emerged stiff and twitching after Yan Lingyun accidentally stuck them with needles, and they told Lian Youming they were used to it.
  • A mysterious bespectacled man entered the Flower Fist Sect hall and rebuked Ao Fei, who attacked him with Azure Dragon Clawing.
  • The stranger repelled Ao Fei with Five Phoenixes Cry in Unison and showed him a golden token connected to the Flower Fist Sect’s founder.
  • The stranger convinced Ao Fei to take the Yanqing Sect and Great Sage Sect members to the Northeast, where they would seek someone and eventually confront the Taiji Demon.

Ch. 109Into the mountains, a letter, and training

Lian Youming helped Junk King establish a mountain retreat and trained while balancing study and visits to Yan Lingyun. A letter from Xie Ruomei warned him of deadly violence in Cangzhou and a possible northward threat, while he continued refining his martial arts.

  • Junk King brought Lian Youming and Yan Lingyun to a ruined Taoist temple, revealed a hidden stone chamber, and urged Lian Youming to believe he could become the strongest man under heaven.
  • Lian Youming and Yan Lingyun cleaned the temple, and he spent nearly half a month repairing it before returning to his studies and training between the city and the mountains.
  • Zhao Lanxiang urged Lian Youming to marry Yan Lingyun, but he focused on preparing for the preliminary exam while Yan Lingyun waited for him at the temple.
  • Lao Song delivered a letter from Xie Ruomei reporting that Ao Fei and others had left Cangzhou, a mysterious expert had killed a Hung Fist master, and Xu Tian had killed the Great Sage Fist school's head; she warned Lian Youming to be careful.
  • Lian Youming visited Yan Lingyun at the temple, carried her to a cleaned mountain cave, and practiced the Iron Shirt manual with a roaring dragon-and-tiger technique.

Ch. 110Tiger roars and dragon cries, killing intent stirs again

Lian Youming mastered the Dragon Roaring Iron Shirt’s air-swallowing method while preparing for his exams, then learned that Yang Shuang was being hunted and that Ao Fei had gone to Tahe. After completing the college entrance examination, he decided to head north and confront Ao Fei.

  • Lian Youming practiced the Dragon Roaring Iron Shirt, unleashed dragon cries and tiger roars, and received medicine from Yan Lingyun to help repair his body.
  • Lian Youming continued training and studying, celebrated his twentieth birthday, and spent time with Yan Lingyun.
  • Zhao Xiaozhi visited Lian Youming and told him she had briefly seen Yang Shuang being pursued, prompting him to consider going to the Northeast.
  • Lian Youming passed the preliminary examination, took the college entrance examination, and applied to universities in Liangguang.
  • Song Xiehu told Lian Youming that Ao Fei had been located in Tahe and that martial artists from several schools were heading north.
  • Lian Youming resolved to go after Ao Fei.

Ch. 111A lifelong promise, northward once more

Lian Youming left the mountain after proposing marriage to Yan Lingyun and traveled north to Tahe, where he found martial artists gathering in the Greater Khingan Mountains. At the Logging Camp, he discovered the Pigua Sect leader hiding with two people, including Li Yinhuan.

  • Lian Youming told the Junk King he would not wait for guaranteed victory, and the old man urged him to temper himself without offering extra help.
  • Lian Youming asked Yan Lingyun to marry him, and she accepted; their kiss was interrupted by the Giant Panda.
  • Lian Youming discussed his trip with his parents, packed a bayonet and Yan Lingyun's wound medicine, and set off.
  • Lian Youming arrived in Tahe and noticed martial sect disciples and other martial artists watching the station and heading toward the mountains.
  • Lian Youming searched the Logging Camp's hidden chamber, then spotted a dark figure carrying two people into an abandoned dormitory.
  • Lian Youming recognized the figure as the Pigua Sect leader and saw that one of his captives was Li Yinhuan.

Ch. 112His viciousness laid bare, his madness fully revealed

Lian Youming rescued Li Yinhuan and her injured senior brother from Wei Bozhao, then lured Wei into the forest to fight. He overwhelmed Wei with his newly powerful Tiger Roaring Golden Bell Cover and prepared to finish him off.

  • Lian Youming interrupted Wei Bozhao as he threatened Li Yinhuan and her senior brother, then freed Li and told her to escape with the unconscious man.
  • Lian Youming and Wei Bozhao left the Logging Camp and raced into the mountain forest to settle their grudge.
  • Wei Bozhao attacked with Great Sage Fist, Baji Boxing, and Pigua techniques, knocking Lian Youming back with a series of powerful blows.
  • Lian Youming endured Wei Bozhao's assault, roared, and used Tiger Roaring Golden Bell Cover to repel Wei and leave him kneeling with blood at his mouth and nose.
  • Lian Youming strode toward the stunned Wei Bozhao and declared that it was time to send him on his way.

Ch. 113A defeated enemy, a familiar face

Lian Youming defeated and killed Wei Bozhao, then learned about a mysterious collaborator, the White Lotus Sect, and the secret guarded by the Mountain-Guarding Old Man. As martial artists gathered around Wei Bozhao’s corpse, Lian Youming recognized his father’s old comrade among them and slipped away into the Greater Khingan Mountains.

  • Lian Youming used Toad-Fishing Skill and a series of strikes to overcome Wei Bozhao, then dislocated his wrist and demanded information.
  • Wei Bozhao told Lian Youming that a mysterious man returned from Japan, had ties to the Flower Fist Sect, and carried a Sticky Pole Office token; he also described fighting with the White Lotus Sect over a secret connected to the Mountain-Guarding Old Man.
  • Lian Youming killed Wei Bozhao and left him beneath the old tree.
  • Li Yinhuan’s master and fighters from several schools arrived, including a black-clad Eagle Claw Kung Fu practitioner whom Lian Youming recognized as his father’s comrade, Uncle Tian.
  • Li Yinhuan denied seeing who had defeated Wei Bozhao, and Lian Youming waited until the group carried the body away before heading deeper into the Greater Khingan Mountains.

Ch. 114Racing through the night, snatching someone from the tiger's jaws

Lian Youming raced through the forest searching for the Mountain-Guarding Old Man and Yang Shuang, then became entangled with Taiji Gate elders and hostile martial artists. Near dawn, he found Yang Shuang surrounded by six pursuers and approached them using a White Lotus Sect mask and a secret phrase.

  • Lian Youming followed signs of fighting through the forest and found a corpse beside a blood-spotted Peking Opera Mask, which he put on.
  • Lian Youming watched a battle between the White Lotus Sect and Japanese fighters, then was pursued by two Taiji Gate elders who demanded to know the whereabouts of the White Lotus Sect's Vice Sect Leader and the Mountain-Guarding Old Man.
  • Lian Youming provoked the Taiji Gate elders and the hidden White Lotus Sect fighters into fighting, then slipped away while the battle raged.
  • Lian Youming followed fresh traces of blood and spotted Yang Shuang fleeing from six pursuers, including Ao Fei and the White Lotus Sect's Vice Sect Leader.
  • Lian Youming approached the group despite their warnings and recited a secret White Lotus Sect phrase, causing all six to react.

Ch. 115Three sects gathered, chaos in the martial world

Lian Youming used Green Gang ancestry and secret greetings to intimidate the martial-world fighters gathered around Yang Shuang, but Xu Tian’s arrival sparked a clash between the factions. When Yang Shuang fled in the confusion, Lian Youming tricked the others and escaped with her.

  • Lian Youming answered challenges from the Hongmen and Green Gang, then claimed seniority as a Da-generation Green Gang member and forced the blue-robed elder to withdraw.
  • The remaining fighters bowed to Lian Youming, but Xu Tian arrived with a dozen armed martial-world figures and the gathering erupted into a confrontation with the White Lotus Sect.
  • Yang Shuang fled toward the grassland, and Lian Youming delayed her pursuers by making them wary of him.
  • Lian Youming caught Yang Shuang, whispered to reassure her, then carried her away while the four fighters realized he had deceived them.

Ch. 116Fleeing to the Grasslands, Finally Facing Ao Fei

Lian Youming carried the badly wounded Yang Shuang to the Hulunbuir Grassland and used Hua Jin to clear the Dark Jin from her injuries. When Ao Fei and two Japanese trackers caught up, Lian Youming and Yang Shuang feigned weakness before attacking, and Lian Youming revealed his identity to face Ao Fei.

  • Lian Youming treated Yang Shuang's Iron Sand Palm injury on the grassland, and she recovered enough to warn him that trackers might be following them.
  • Yang Shuang told Lian Youming that the Mountain-Guarding Old Man had gone away to protect her after being badly wounded, and Lian Youming promised to stand by her as family.
  • Yang Shuang spotted Ao Fei and two Japanese trackers approaching, so Lian Youming carried her away while they pretended she was still gravely injured.
  • Lian Youming drew Ao Fei away as the two Japanese men approached Yang Shuang, who gouged out one man's eyes and killed him with a strike to the throat.
  • Lian Youming struck at Ao Fei with Tai Chi Hammer, removed his mask, and challenged him to settle their conflict in a fight.

Ch. 117Hua Jin Mastered, Youth Prevails in Combat

Lian Youming fought Ao Fei across the grassland, using his hua jin and endurance to overcome Ao Fei’s deadly palms and desperate counterattack. He revealed his Dragon Roaring Iron Shirt, broke Ao Fei’s fingers, and tore off both of his arms.

  • Lian Youming met Ao Fei in a wrestling contest and recognized his opponent’s mastery of ming jin, dark jin, and hua jin.
  • Ao Fei used Bone-Shrinking Skill to escape their lock, struck Lian Youming in the chest, and followed with Iron Sand Palm attacks.
  • Lian Youming endured Ao Fei’s powerful palms and targeted the Laogong Acupoints, weakening his opponent before pressing their palms together.
  • Ao Fei launched a desperate all-out strike, but Lian Youming held his ground and revealed his Dragon Roaring Iron Shirt.
  • Lian Youming trapped Ao Fei’s hands, broke his fingers, and tore off both of his arms.

Ch. 118Meeting Xu Tian Again, Revealing His Identity

Lian Youming and Yang Shuang escaped the battle site and hid until nightfall, then met Xu Tian in the mountains. Xu Tian learned Lian Youming’s true identity and agreed to help Yang Shuang search for the Mountain-Guarding Old Man, while Lian Youming and Yang Shuang left to avoid drawing attention.

  • Lian Youming killed Ao Fei after tearing off his arms and questioning him about the mysterious man, then reunited with the wounded Yang Shuang.
  • Lian Youming and Yang Shuang hid from several groups searching the battle site, and Yang Shuang explained that someone wanted to steal her token linked to Du Xinwu.
  • Lian Youming and Yang Shuang traveled through the mountains at night and found Xu Tian’s group camped around fires with Ao Fei’s corpse.
  • Lian Youming revealed his face to Xu Tian and convinced him that he was the person Xu Tian had known, while Xu Tian recognized that Lian Youming was trying to protect Yang Shuang.
  • Xu Tian agreed to help Yang Shuang search for the Mountain-Guarding Old Man and told Lian Youming that Ruomei was nearby and could now speak through ventriloquism.
  • After a call came from the woods, Xu Tian told Lian Youming and Yang Shuang to leave, and they hurried into the darkness.

Ch. 119The truth behind guarding the mountain, the demon exterminators

After escaping the mountains, Lian Youming and Yang Shuang suspected that the Mountain-Guarding Old Man was using himself as bait in a long-laid trap tied to a demon-extermination expedition. With Xu Tian’s support, Lian Youming decided to return alone and find the old man.

  • On a timber truck, Yang Shuang told Lian Youming that she had seen an ancient person in a hidden tomb and that her grandmaster had grown corpse-like while enduring the Power-Scattering Tribulation.
  • Lian Youming proposed that the Mountain-Guarding Old Man had invented a secret as bait, and Yang Shuang recalled hearing him say “exterminate demons” beside the graves.
  • After evading two watchers, Lian Youming and Yang Shuang disguised themselves as beggars and reached Xu Tian’s courtyard, where they reunited with Xu Tian, Xie Ruomei, and Li Yinhuan.
  • Lian Youming shared his theory with Xu Tian, who confirmed that Old Yang’s plan was deliberate but urged him to learn more through experience.
  • Lian Youming chose to seek out the Mountain-Guarding Old Man alone, and Yang Shuang described the likely area while Xu Tian agreed to act separately.

Ch. 120Do all one can, test heaven's will

Lian Youming searched the Greater Khingan Mountains for the Mountain-Guarding Old Man, then learned the old man was preparing for a supreme battle and turned to confront the Eight Banners Nobility’s Gan Xuantong. The chapter ended as Lian Youming faced Zhao Yunzhong in the wilderness, with Zhao launching the first move.

  • Lian Youming found Li Shan fleeing Japanese fighters, killed one pursuer, and forced another to retreat before Li Shan explained that he had secretly helped Xu Tian.
  • Li Shan told Lian Youming that the Mountain-Guarding Old Man was preparing for a battle and that the White Lotus Sect leader and a collaborator were moving downstream.
  • Li Shan revealed that Lian Youming could find the collaborator near the lake, so Lian Youming headed downstream while Li Shan went to notify Xu Tian.
  • Lian Youming reached the lake and introduced himself as Liu Wudi, then declared he had come to kill Gan Xuantong, an Eight Banners Noble.
  • Lian Youming and Zhao Yunzhong separated from Gan Xuantong and the White Lotus Sect Master, and Zhao began their fight with One Finger Settles the Central Plains.

Ch. 121Blood and Flesh, Snake Leads the Crane

Lian Youming fought Zhao Yunzhong in a brutal battle across the lakeside and into the lake, matching Hung Fist with Taiji and Xingyi techniques. After Zhao Yunzhong revealed his hard-training skill and Crane Form, Lian Youming stunned him with a tiger roar, but Zhao Yunzhong slipped behind him and launched Hung Fist’s Snake Leads the Crane killing move.

  • Lian Youming used Taiji Cloud Hands to dissolve Zhao Yunzhong’s Leopard Fist assault, then answered his force with Continuous Hammer Method and Xingyi Crushing Fist.
  • Lian Youming and Zhao Yunzhong traded relentless blows until they fought waist-deep in the lake, both sustaining serious injuries.
  • Zhao Yunzhong unleashed a hard-training external skill and attacked with Hung Fist’s Crane Form, injuring Lian Youming’s arm and waist.
  • Lian Youming spat blood into Zhao Yunzhong’s eyes and followed with a tiger roar that disrupted his breathing before striking his chest.
  • Zhao Yunzhong broke two fingers blocking Lian Youming’s punch, then submerged himself and burst behind him to attack with Snake Leads the Crane.

Ch. 122A bloody battle, watching from the sidelines

Lian Youming killed Zhao Yunzhong in a brutal fight, then watched Gan Xuantong and the White Lotus Sect Master prepare to battle. As dawn broke, the two finally began their confrontation while Lian Youming recovered nearby.

  • Zhao Yunzhong struck Lian Youming from behind, but Lian Youming answered with a Toad Croak that injured both fighters and shattered Zhao Yunzhong’s fingers.
  • Lian Youming seized Zhao Yunzhong, endured his desperate counterattacks, and used a Witnessing Art feint to create an opening.
  • Lian Youming struck Zhao Yunzhong’s throat, and Zhao Yunzhong collapsed and died after acknowledging his opponent with the word “Good.”
  • Lian Youming carried Zhao Yunzhong’s corpse to Gan Xuantong and the White Lotus Sect Master, then sat down to recover while Gan Xuantong invited him to join their group.
  • Gan Xuantong and the White Lotus Sect Master resumed their standoff, and, as dawn broke, the White Lotus Sect Master advanced while Gan Xuantong formed a Bagua Palm.

Ch. 123Five Phoenixes Cry in Unison, One Shock After Another

The White Lotus Sect Master fought Gan Xuantong, whose Toad-Fishing Skill and Five Phoenixes Cry in Unison overwhelmed her despite her fierce resistance. Lian Youming was thrown aside after trying to intervene, but he rose and struck Gan Xuantong in the back with his Tai Chi Hammer, leaving the result uncertain.

  • The White Lotus Sect Master attacked Gan Xuantong with Five Thunder Palm, and their battle shifted as Gan Xuantong used the Toad-Fishing Skill to repel her attacks.
  • Gan Xuantong and the White Lotus Sect Master exchanged forceful palm strikes, and she began bleeding as she targeted the weakness in his lower body.
  • The White Lotus Sect Master seized Gan Xuantong's wrist, but he trapped her in return and struck her with Five Phoenixes Cry in Unison, making her kneel and spit blood.
  • Lian Youming rushed in and punched Gan Xuantong behind the heart, but Gan Xuantong's Toad-Fishing Skill sent him crashing face-down into the dirt.
  • Lian Youming forced himself upright and struck Gan Xuantong in the back behind the heart with his Tai Chi Hammer.

Ch. 124Initial awakening thwarted, one body, two selves

Lian Youming and the White Lotus Sect Master fought Gan Xuantong together, breaking his elixir skill and leaving him badly injured before he fled. Afterward, Lian Youming realized the Sect Master had been holding back, while her exchange with the Vice Sect Leader revealed that she shared one body with a second self called the Holy Maiden.

  • Lian Youming struck Gan Xuantong, and the White Lotus Sect Master broke Gan Xuantong's elixir skill while the three fought at close range.
  • Lian Youming used the Witnessing Art to distract Gan Xuantong, and the White Lotus Sect Master kicked him before Lian Youming landed another blow.
  • Gan Xuantong swallowed a pill, saw the White Lotus Sect Master's unstable condition, and fled, leaving Lian Youming too injured to pursue him.
  • The White Lotus Sect Master told Lian Youming that Gan Xuantong was maimed and his elixir skill broken, then left with Zhao Yunzhong's corpse.
  • Lian Youming recovered, reflected on the gap between his strength and theirs, and suspected the White Lotus Sect Master had concealed her true ability.
  • The White Lotus Sect Master alternated between gentle and cold voices, greeted the Vice Sect Leader as both Sect Master and Holy Maiden, and told Zhu You to sleep.

Ch. 125The Gan Family's Origins and Secrets of the Martial World

After surviving his battle with Gan Xuantong, Lian Youming learned more about the White Lotus Sect Master’s power and the histories behind Gan Xuantong’s martial arts. Back in the city, he let Xu Tian treat his injuries while his Uncle Tian repeated a rumor that mistakenly identified Lian Youming as Liu Wudi.

  • Lian Youming recovered from the fight by washing in the lake, then told Xu Tian and Li Shan that he and the White Lotus Sect Master had fought Gan Xuantong together.
  • Xu Tian and Li Shan explained that the White Lotus Sect Master’s strength came from White Bone Contemplation and that experts beyond Foresight pursued different paths to grow stronger.
  • Lian Youming decided to stop searching for the Mountain-Guarding Old Man and let him choose his own course; Xu Tian reported that the White Lotus Sect’s forces were retreating and pursuing the fleeing Japanese fighters.
  • Xu Tian examined Lian Youming’s serious bruises and prepared medicine while Xie Ruomei treated him; Li Shan and Xu Tian explained Gan Xuantong’s family ties to Toad-Fishing Skill and the history of Bagua Palm.
  • Lian Youming’s Uncle Tian arrived and praised the supposed Liu Wudi for killing Zhao Yunzhong and escaping the battle, leaving Lian Youming sweating inside the room.
  • In Cangzhou, Liu Danaodai told Wu Jiu that he had suddenly started feeling chilly.

Ch. 126Brother Lian, I like you!!!

Lian Youming revealed his identity as the Taiji Demon to Tian Dayong, who accepted him and promised to keep the secret. After dinner, Lian Youming spoke with Xie Ruomei during a moonlit walk, where she confessed that she loved him.

  • Lian Youming reminded Tian Dayong of their past meeting and revealed that he was the Taiji Demon.
  • Tian Dayong accepted Lian Youming's explanation, thanked him for helping him become sect leader, and agreed to keep his identity secret.
  • At dinner, Lian Youming said he wanted to stay a few more days before heading south, and Xu Tian recommended visiting Foshan and described an old woman who owned much of Hong Kong's old walled city.
  • Lian Youming found Xie Ruomei practicing martial arts beside a river at night, and they went for a walk together.
  • Xie Ruomei told Lian Youming that Liu Wudi had spoken to her about him and Miss Yan.
  • Xie Ruomei confessed that she liked Lian Youming and would continue loving him even if they never met again.
Arc 5 of 25
Arc 5 of 25