Chapter Summaries

Lin Fan and Yang Kuan caught Hu Gao trying to kill Lin Fan and took him to the Law Enforcement Court for judgment. Lin Fan then told Young Master Tang Yan he was leaving his Human Stake duties, but Tang Yan decided to join him in cultivating the Body Tempering Art, and Yue Shan welcomed him into the courtyard.

• Lin Fan introduced Yang Kuan to Wang Wu and the others, who learned they would receive compensation for Hu Gao's abuses.
• Wang Wu told Lin Fan that Jiang Tong had been expelled after failing to learn Iron Cloth Shirt in ten days.
• Lin Fan and Yang Kuan waited at the market, then followed Hu Gao into an alley after Lin Fan called out to him.
• Hu Gao attacked Lin Fan, and Yang Kuan struck him down before the two men beat him and escorted him to the Law Enforcement Court.
• Lin Fan told Young Master Tang Yan he would stop serving as his Human Stake, and Tang Yan chose to cultivate the Body Tempering Art alongside him.
• Lin Fan brought Tang Yan to meet Yue Shan, who eagerly invited Tang Yan into his courtyard.

Lin Fan went to the black market to buy a bone forging cultivation technique, while Zhang Yu followed him intending to kill him. Lin Fan killed Zhang Yu on the way and reached the bustling black market.

• Young Master Tang joined Lin Fan in learning the Body Tempering Art from Yang Kuan.
• Lin Fan practiced the Gang-Breaking Fist, collected his money pouch, and left the martial arts hall for the black market.
• A gate guard informed Zhang Yu that Lin Fan had gone out, and Zhang Yu followed him toward the southern outskirts.
• Lin Fan met Zhang Yu in a clearing, where Zhang Yu revealed himself and attacked.
• Lin Fan crushed Zhang Yu's hand, snapped his neck, and took his money pouch.
• Lin Fan reached the southern city gate and found the brightly lit black market.

Lin Fan bought the Bone Forging Art from the black market, killed the robbers who tried to steal his gold, and began training. After learning that Hu Gao had been punished, Lin Fan turned his attention to Li Feng and learned that the Green Snake Bandits had targeted Young Master Tang’s family.

• Lin Fan verified the Bone Forging Art at a black-market stall, paid one thousand taels, and left with the manual.
• Six robbers ambushed Lin Fan outside the black market, but he killed them with Gang Qi and took their money pouches.
• Lin Fan returned to the martial arts hall, recognized a disciple who had tipped off Zhang Yu, and began practicing the Bone Forging Art.
• Lin Fan practiced the manual’s forms and saw his progress appear on the Fate Panel as entry level 10/2000.
• Yang Kuan told Lin Fan that Hu Gao would have his martial arts crippled and be sent to a mine, while Lin Fan resolved to deal with Li Feng next.
• Young Master Tang told Lin Fan that the Green Snake Bandits had targeted his family and that he would be confined until they were dealt with; Lin Fan hinted that he would soon be able to go out again.

Lin Fan trained the Bone Forging Art, learned that Zhang Yu had disappeared and that Yue Shan could not intervene in the medicinal-meal scandal, then went to visit Zhang Meng. He rescued Zhang Meng from Blood Wolf Gang thugs and left one of them disarmed.

• Lin Fan practiced the Bone Forging Art until his progress reached 120, then heard Yang Kuan say Zhang Yu had gone missing and warn him to stay out of the outer courtyard's affairs.
• Lin Fan decided to uncover the reason Yue Shan could not stop Zhang Yu and left the martial arts hall to visit Zhang Meng.
• Lin Fan found two Blood Wolf Gang thugs demanding another fee from Zhang Meng, and he kicked one thug away before he could cut Zhang Meng's hand.
• Lin Fan killed the thug who attacked him, then identified himself as a disciple of the Mountain Suppression Martial Arts Hall.
• Lin Fan cut off both arms of the remaining thug after the man begged for mercy.

Lin Fan protected Zhang Meng’s noodle shop and earned the Blood Wolf Gang’s submission by invoking Yue Shan and the Mountain Suppression Martial Arts Hall. On his way back, he found Lin Ming in debt to loan sharks and began beating him after Lin Ming tried to use him to escape repayment.

• Lin Fan drove off the Blood Wolf Gang thugs and declared Zhang Meng’s noodle shop under his protection.
• Lin Fan and Zhang Meng celebrated over drinks, and Lin Fan secretly repaid Zhang Meng with two gold leaves.
• Lin Fan overheard Boss Xu threatening Lin Ming over his gambling debt and saw Lin Ming offer their mother’s savings to pay it.
• Lin Ming pointed Boss Xu toward Lin Fan, but Boss Xu and his enforcers recognized Lin Fan as an outstanding disciple of the Mountain Suppression Martial Arts Hall.
• Lin Ming boasted that Lin Fan’s status would protect him from the debt, so Lin Fan slapped and kicked him.

Lin Fan punished Lin Ming and ordered Boss Xu to collect the family’s debts and keep them out of the city. At home, Lin Ming and Lin Ping demanded money from Lin Fan, but Boss Xu’s men beat them and warned them to stay away.

• Lin Fan beat Lin Ming unconscious, then told Boss Xu to demand compensation for the silver and collect Lin Ming’s family debt.
• Boss Xu returned with gold leaves and promised to watch Lin Ming’s family and bar them from the city.
• Boss Xu’s men dragged Lin Ming home and demanded repayment from his parents.
• After Lin Ming blamed Lin Fan and Lin Ping threatened to confront him at the martial arts hall, Boss Xu’s men beat Lin Ming and Lin Ping.
• One thug explained how Lin Fan had supported his parents and accused them of spending his martial-arts savings on Lin Ming’s gambling debts.

Lin Ping’s family faced the consequences of sacrificing Lin Fan’s martial arts funds, while Lin Fan advanced his training and learned that the returning chief disciple might clash with his master over control of the outer courtyard. The chapter left Lin Fan concerned that his master could be in danger.

• The thugs condemned Lin Ping, Mother Lin, and Lin Ming for their treatment of Lin Fan, then took the twenty taels saved for Lin Ming’s marriage fund.
• Lin Ping handed over the money, Mother Lin broke down in tears, and Lin Ming was left regretful and resentful.
• Lin Fan spent five days cultivating, advanced the Bone Forging Art, and brought the Gang-Breaking Fist to the Intent Realm.
• Yang Kuan told Lin Fan that the chief disciple was returning and might choose his own ally to lead the outer courtyard.
• Yang Kuan feared the hall master would confront the chief disciple over the outer courtyard’s corruption, and Lin Fan worried his master could be harmed.

At a gathering to welcome Chen Yang and choose the outer courtyard's eldest senior brother, Chen Yang nominated Li Feng, prompting Yue Shan to object. Lin Fan watched tensely as Yue Shan challenged Chen Yang, fearing the confrontation would be difficult to resolve.

• Lin Fan resumed practicing the Body Forging Art and raised his progress to 1520 before resting.
• The hall master summoned the martial arts hall to welcome Chen Yang and choose the outer courtyard's eldest senior brother, but Chen Yang kept everyone waiting until midday.
• Yue Shan complained about the delay, and Chen Yang arrived by flying down into the training grounds.
• Chen Yang nominated Li Feng for eldest senior brother and claimed Li Feng had reached body tempering initiation in five days, winning the disciples' support.
• Yue Shan stood and objected to Chen Yang's choice, leaving Yang Kuan worried and Lin Fan braced for trouble.

Chen Yang defeated Yue Shan in a public duel, then knocked Lin Fan and Yang Kuan aside when they tried to intervene. With no one daring to oppose him, he secured Li Feng’s appointment as outer courtyard senior brother, leaving Lin Fan secretly swearing revenge against them both.

• Chen Yang challenged Yue Shan to test his cultivation, then blocked Yue Shan’s attacks with his Gang Qi mountain.
• Chen Yang overwhelmed Yue Shan with thirty fist manifestations, wounded him, and pinned him beneath his foot in the training ground.
• Yang Kuan charged Chen Yang, and Lin Fan followed, but Chen Yang blasted both disciples to the ground.
• Chen Yang asked who opposed Li Feng’s appointment, and the crowd unanimously agreed.
• The hall master announced Li Feng as outer courtyard senior brother, while Lin Fan silently vowed to kill Li Feng and Chen Yang.

After Chen Yang crippled Yue Shan’s apertures, Yue Shan gave his disciples cultivation notes and savings before sending Lin Fan and Yang Kuan away on an assignment. Lin Fan gathered his former roommates and led them toward the Tang Family Estate, leaving Yue Shan behind as his enemies threatened to act.

• Yue Shan returned to his courtyard with Lin Fan and Yang Kuan, then collapsed after admitting Chen Yang had ruptured his apertures.
• Lin Fan and Yang Kuan vowed to avenge Yue Shan, but Yue Shan warned them not to risk their lives and gave Yang Kuan seven cultivation books.
• Yue Shan gave Lin Fan and Yang Kuan one hundred taels of gold each, asked Yang Kuan to guide Lin Fan, and sent them to protect Shopkeeper Tang’s estate from the Green Snake Bandits.
• Lin Fan pulled the grieving Yang Kuan away, and Yang Kuan knelt to thank Yue Shan before heading for the dormitories.
• Lin Fan found Wang Wu, Meng Lin, Fang Xiang, and Sun Ming, told them to pack, and met them at the market.
• Lin Fan explained that Yue Shan’s injury and Li Feng’s appointment as head senior brother made the Mountain Suppression Martial Arts Hall unsafe, then led the group toward the Tang Family Estate.