Chapter Summaries

Jiang Ye met Grey Elder to negotiate the Rust Remains Alliance’s relationship with the newly appointed elder of District 13. They agreed to a temporary arrangement that gave Jiang Ye freedom to govern while requiring him to obey Grey Elder’s orders, leaving both sides to prepare for a future reckoning.

• Jiang Ye tested Grey Elder’s reaction to being addressed as the leader of the Rust Remains Alliance, and Grey Elder calmly welcomed him by that title.
• Grey Elder announced that the Council of Elders had appointed him to govern District 13 and acknowledged Jiang Ye’s control of the district’s major power.
• Grey Elder offered not to interfere in the Rust Remains Alliance’s affairs, on the condition that Jiang Ye obey his orders.
• Jiang Ye accepted the condition and congratulated Grey Elder on becoming the official elder of District 13.
• Jiang Ye and Grey Elder shook hands, each securing time to strengthen his position while anticipating a future contest for power.

After negotiating with Grey Elder, Jiang Ye assigned Iron Wall, Gray Beak, and Shattered Eye to strengthen the Rust Remains Alliance while their truce lasted. He realized his weak body limited his combat ability, planned a comprehensive training regimen, and called Iron Wall over.

• Jiang Ye told Iron Wall, Gray Beak, and Shattered Eye that Grey Elder had granted them freedom to operate in District 13 while keeping final authority.
• Jiang Ye ordered Iron Wall to organize the surrendered men, Gray Beak to unite the businesses, and Shattered Eye to expand the intelligence network.
• Jiang Ye assessed how his poor physical condition and limited stamina could undermine his Nen and Shikigami in a fight.
• Jiang Ye planned training in strength, endurance, resistance, combat skills, sensory awareness, and recovery.
• Jiang Ye called Iron Wall and told him to come over.

Jiang Ye tested his physical limits in the open ground and trained with weights, stones, and a log while using Ten to protect and nourish his body. After discovering how his physical training and Aura could strengthen each other, he returned to his lodging exhausted and ravenous.

• Jiang Ye ordered Iron Wall to gather lead blocks, stones, and a large log, then told him to have Bago meet him the next afternoon.
• Jiang Ye used Ten and weighted his legs with lead blocks to test his stamina, running for thirty minutes before stopping to rest.
• Jiang Ye trained his strength by lifting and carrying stones, using Aura to cushion his body and help repair his muscles.
• Jiang Ye struck the log with his fists, elbows, and palm until evening, pushing himself until his muscles ached and his knuckles swelled.
• Jiang Ye returned to his lodging, overwhelmed by hunger, and pulled a tin bucket from under the table.

Jiang Ye recovered from his injuries after eating magical beast meat, then asked Bago to attack him so he could train his reactions. After Bago knocked him down, Jiang Ye insisted they continue sparring.

• Jiang Ye ate potatoes and magical beast meat, then slept while his body healed and grew stronger.
• Jiang Ye woke the next morning, found that his knee injury had not worsened, and went to the clearing.
• Jiang Ye gave Bago a stick and told him to hit him, explaining that this was Bago’s only chance to attack his boss legitimately.
• Bago blocked Jiang Ye’s first strike and swept his stick into Jiang Ye’s ribs, knocking him onto the gravel.
• Jiang Ye got up, praised Bago’s attack, and ordered him to pick up his stick and keep fighting until the sparring was over.

Jiang Ye fought Bago through the fading light and used the Ten Shadows Technique’s nighttime boost to turn the duel around. After Jiang Ye disarmed him, Bago recalled Feitan Portor and became glad he had joined the Rust Remains Alliance.

• Bago attacked Jiang Ye, who took several blows but kept fighting.
• As night fell, Jiang Ye used shadows to trip Bago and began anticipating his attacks more precisely.
• Jiang Ye’s counters forced Bago to retreat, and their final clash ended with Jiang Ye striking Bago’s staff from his hand.
• Jiang Ye told Bago they would continue the next afternoon, then left the clearing.
• Bago remembered watching Feitan Portor defeat more than a hundred gang members and saw a similar battle-driven growth in Jiang Ye.
• Bago renamed the Rust Bone Gang as the Rust Remains Alliance and strode away, glad he had joined it.

Bo Tong, an envoy from the Dawn Society, visited the Rust Remains Alliance and threatened Jiang Ye over Tie Liao’s death. Jiang Ye ordered Iron Wall to slap him, leaving the envoy stunned and the Dawn Society openly insulted.

• Bo Tong mocked the Rust Remains Alliance’s shabby camp while Iron Wall endured his taunts in silence.
• Jiang Ye arrived after training, and his cold gaze briefly frightened Bo Tong.
• Bo Tong introduced himself as Chairman Nubia’s envoy and said the chairman was angry that Jiang Ye had killed Tie Liao.
• Bo Tong demanded that Jiang Ye go to the Fifth District or the Rust Remains Alliance would be destroyed.
• Jiang Ye told Iron Wall to slap Bo Tong, and Iron Wall struck the envoy across the face.

Jiang Ye dismissed Bo Tong’s threats by revealing he had met Grey Elder, then killed Bo Tong with Divine Dog: Totality. The chapter ended with Jiang Ye declaring that the killing was his answer.

• Bo Tong threatened to report Jiang Ye to Chairman Nubia after Iron Wall slapped him.
• Jiang Ye revealed that he had met Grey Elder, leaving Bo Tong shaken as he realized Grey Elder had allowed Jiang Ye to remain in District 13.
• Jiang Ye called Nubia a sick cat and rejected Bo Tong’s warning that the Dawn Society chairman was still beyond his reach.
• Jiang Ye summoned Divine Dog: Totality, which decapitated Bo Tong.
• Jiang Ye said Bo Tong’s death was his answer.

Jiang Ye killed Bo Tong after the Dawn Society envoy threatened the Rust Remains Alliance, leaving the alliance facing Nubia’s inevitable response. Gray Beak asked Jiang Ye what they should do next.

• Jiang Ye beheaded Bo Tong after Bo Tong insulted and threatened the Rust Remains Alliance.
• Gray Beak and Shattered Eye entered the shack, saw Bo Tong’s head, and realized the Dawn Society’s envoy had been killed.
• Iron Wall recounted Bo Tong’s behavior and Jiang Ye’s attack without concealing anything.
• Gray Beak and Shattered Eye agreed Bo Tong had brought his death on himself, but recognized Nubia would retaliate.
• Gray Beak asked Jiang Ye what they should do next.

After killing Bo Tong, Jiang Ye ordered the Rust Remains Alliance to hide the death and use the delay to grow stronger, then vowed to make Nubia kneel. With the body disposed of and a cover story in place, Jiang Ye left the shack and met Bago, who was glad to see him.

• Jiang Ye concluded that Bo Tong had come to lure him into a trap in the Fifth District and decided that killing him had been necessary.
• Jiang Ye ordered Iron Wall, Gray Beak, and Shattered Eye to conceal Bo Tong's death and develop the Rust Remains Alliance at full speed.
• Jiang Ye declared that he would eventually go to the Fifth District and make Nubia kneel before him, and the three men pledged their obedience.
• Iron Wall and Gray Beak disposed of Bo Tong's body and clothes while Shattered Eye kept watch, then Gray Beak told the sentries that Bo Tong had been a bookkeeper.
• Jiang Ye left the shack and crossed the camp to meet Bago, who said he was glad Jiang Ye had arrived.

Jiang Ye steadily improved his body and Aura through daily training and magical beast meat, becoming able to sustain Divine Dog: Totality at full speed for three minutes. His routine was interrupted when Illumi Zoldyck arrived in Meteor City, and Jiang Ye ordered Iron Wall to bring him in.

• Jiang Ye sparred with Bago as his combat skills and reactions continued to improve.
• Jiang Ye trained with Ten, ran with lead weights, and ate magical beast meat, gradually building muscle and raising his Aura capacity.
• Jiang Ye realized he could sustain Divine Dog: Totality at full speed for three minutes, though he knew he still had far to go.
• Iron Wall urgently told Jiang Ye that a visitor named Illumi Zoldyck had arrived.
• Jiang Ye recognized Illumi as a member of the Zoldyck Family and ordered Iron Wall to bring him in.

Illumi Zoldyck asked Jiang Ye to find and capture a fugitive hiding in District 13, and Jiang Ye saw a chance to obtain the Zoldyck Family's training methods. He began explaining why Illumi would benefit from working with him, leaving the negotiation unresolved.

• Iron Wall ushered Illumi Zoldyck into Jiang Ye's room, where Jiang Ye recognized him and invited him to sit.
• Illumi confirmed that Jiang Ye led the Rust Remains Alliance and said he needed help finding a man who had fled to District 13.
• Illumi explained that the target had entered District 13 three days earlier and that Jiang Ye could search the area faster because he controlled its routes and local networks.
• Jiang Ye considered trading his help for the Zoldyck Family's training methods, which he wanted to supplement his self-taught Nen training.
• Jiang Ye told Illumi that searching alone would take three to five days and that his men could obstruct him, then began outlining two possible outcomes.

Jiang Ye offered to capture Illumi’s target unharmed in exchange for the Zoldyck Family’s assassination training system. Illumi judged the deal insufficient and demanded additional value, leaving Jiang Ye to negotiate further.

• Jiang Ye explained that Illumi would lose the commission or incur a penalty if he killed the target or prolonged the fight, while Jiang Ye remained calm under Illumi’s killing intent.
• Illumi asked about Jiang Ye’s offer to deliver the prisoner unharmed, and Jiang Ye proposed an equivalent exchange that would let Illumi complete the commission without losses.
• Jiang Ye asked for the Zoldyck Family’s complete basic assassination training program, including conditioning, poison resistance, stealth, and combat tactics.
• Illumi said the training was a family asset and that delivering the prisoner only offset the trouble of the assignment, so Jiang Ye needed to provide additional value.

Jiang Ye accepted Illumi’s three conditions and swore a Nen vow in exchange for the Zoldyck Family’s basic assassination training program. After receiving word that the man in the photograph had been cornered, Jiang Ye set out with Illumi to inspect the capture.

• Jiang Ye agreed to Illumi’s terms: he would keep the training methods secret and not use them against the Zoldyck Family, while District 13 would remain open to them and intelligence on targets would be prioritized.
• Jiang Ye and Illumi swore Nen vows, binding their promises to severe consequences if either broke them.
• Jiang Ye summoned Iron Wall and ordered him to have Shattered Eye and Gray Beak corner the man in the photograph without alerting him, and to take him alive.
• Iron Wall returned with word that Shattered Eye and Gray Beak had surrounded the target near the boundary between Central City and the eastern district’s scrap area.
• Jiang Ye rose and invited Illumi to go with him to see the target.

Jiang Ye and Illumi captured the wanted man hiding in District 13, and Illumi took him away. Jiang Ye returned to camp and told Iron Wall to call Bago to the open ground.

• Jiang Ye, Illumi, Shattered Eye, and Gray Beak found the wanted man trapped in a dead end among the scrap.
• Jiang Ye summoned Divine Dog: Totality, which blocked the man's escape and carried him back to Illumi.
• Illumi knocked the wanted man unconscious, confirmed he was breathing, and said he would report the capture to the head of the family.
• Illumi told Jiang Ye, "Not bad," then left with the captive.
• Jiang Ye dismissed Illumi's opinion and told Iron Wall to call Bago to the open ground.

Illumi reported his deal with Jiang Ye to Silva, who approved the exchange but told Illumi to watch Jiang Ye until his position in District 13 was secure. Later, Jiang Ye found the Zoldyck training-system recording waiting in his room and recognized that it had finally arrived.

• Illumi told Silva about Jiang Ye's conditions, the intelligence agreement, and their Nen vow, and Silva accepted the deal.
• Illumi described Jiang Ye's Nen Beasts and argued that he could become a useful Zoldyck agent in Meteor City.
• Silva told Illumi to monitor Jiang Ye until he proved able to hold his position in District 13.
• Illumi took the Nen-locked training recording and left to deliver it to Jiang Ye himself.
• Jiang Ye and Bago finished sparring, and Bago realized Jiang Ye's progress had made him struggle to keep up.
• Jiang Ye returned to his room, found the black device on his table, and recognized that the recording had arrived.

Jiang Ye absorbed the Zoldyck Family’s assassination training system and began preparing to put its methods to use. He then arranged a guarded space for his next Exorcism Ritual, intending to summon Nue.

• Jiang Ye used Nen to receive the Zoldyck assassination training data, and the device crumbled into powder after transmitting it.
• Jiang Ye ordered Iron Wall to gather training supplies, including lead weights, wooden dummies, stimulants, and magical beast meat.
• Jiang Ye told Iron Wall to bring Gray Beak to him, then decided to use his increased Aura for another Exorcism Ritual.
• Jiang Ye instructed Gray Beak to prepare a sealed, soundproof room with guards and no interruptions.
• Jiang Ye chose Nue, the Ten Shadows Technique’s flying Shikigami, as his next target.

Jiang Ye completed a round of Zoldyck Family training, then confronted Grey Elder over control of a sealed chamber and secured temporary access to it. After preparing for the Exorcism Ritual, he began summoning Nue alone inside the chamber.

• Jiang Ye completed weighted conditioning, wooden-dummy combat, stimulus tolerance, and breath-holding stealth training using the Zoldyck Family system.
• Gray Beak told Jiang Ye that Grey Elder's men had taken control of the reinforced chamber he needed for the ritual.
• Jiang Ye confronted Grey Elder and persuaded him to let the Rust Remains Alliance use the chamber temporarily.
• Jiang Ye entered the sealed chamber, replenished his Nen Aura, and ordered Gray Beak to clear everyone from the surrounding area.
• Jiang Ye formed a bird-shaped hand sign and called out to Nue to begin the Exorcism Ritual.

Jiang Ye began the Exorcism Ritual for Nue inside a sealed cargo container and defeated the flying Shikigami with Toad and Divine Dog: Totality. After Nue dissolved into his shadow, Jiang Ye completed the ritual and gained control of the fourth Shikigami.

• Jiang Ye ordered Gray Beak to clear and seal the area, then summoned Nue inside the cargo container.
• Jiang Ye sent Toad and Divine Dog: Totality to attack Nue, whose flight and mobility were limited by the enclosed space.
• Nue wounded a wing, then charged Jiang Ye; he hid inside Toad's mouth while Toad bound Nue and Totality damaged its other wing.
• Nue crashed to the floor but launched a final attack, slamming into Jiang Ye and causing him to cough up blood.
• Jiang Ye ordered Totality to finish Nue, then pierced it with Shadow Spikes as it weakened and dissolved into his shadow.
• Jiang Ye completed the Exorcism Ritual and gained Nue as his fourth Shikigami.

After exorcising Nue, Jiang Ye summoned it to investigate unfamiliar intruders approaching the cargo container. Nue swooped between Gray Beak’s defenders and Yi Er’s elite, while Jiang Ye confronted them about trying to exploit the aftermath of the battle.

• Jiang Ye sensed unfamiliar auras closing in and summoned the newly tamed Nue to investigate.
• Gray Beak, wounded but steadfast, defended the container against Yi Er and Grey Elder’s black-clad elites.
• Gray Beak told Yi Er that his loyalty came from Jiang Ye’s character and declared that anyone who knew him would revere him as a god.
• Yi Er urged Gray Beak to stand aside, arguing that Grey Elder had the Council of Elders’ authority, but Gray Beak prepared to fight.
• Nue descended between the two groups, forcing Yi Er’s men back as Jiang Ye asked what they intended to loot now that the fire was out.

Jiang Ye confronted Yi Er’s men after they wounded Gray Beak, then ordered Gray Beak and Nue to punish them. He spared Yi Er to deliver a warning to Grey Elder, declaring he would visit in three days.

• Nue appeared above the black-clad men, frightening them with its size and the force of its wings.
• Yi Er claimed his group had come under Grey Elder’s orders, but Jiang Ye questioned him about Gray Beak’s wounds and accused the men of trying to kill him.
• Jiang Ye ordered Gray Beak to strike Yi Er as Yi Er had struck him, and Gray Beak hit Yi Er in the shoulder with his Nen-coated blade.
• Nue killed Yi Er’s remaining men with lightning, leaving Yi Er alive and kneeling.
• Jiang Ye told Yi Er to inform Grey Elder that he would visit him in three days.