Recaps

Director Li tried to appear confident when Bibi Dong ordered an investigation, then panicked as the maid searched his home for evidence of corruption. The maid returned with no large quantities of gold, silver, or jewels, leaving Director Li's fate unresolved.

• Director Li claimed his family was poor, while Xiao Li taunted him for taking at least as much as he had.
• Bibi Dong reassured Director Li and ordered her maid to investigate after he said to proceed as she saw fit.
• Director Li regretted inviting the investigation, knowing his household openly stored the wealth he had embezzled.
• The maid returned and reported to Bibi Dong that she had found no large quantities of gold, silver, or jewels in Director Li's home.

Bibi Dong learned that Director Li’s home contained no evidence of his corruption, though Xiao Li accused him of hiding his stolen wealth. She left Director Li detained overnight and questioned Li Mubai, who insisted that he and his companions were law-abiding citizens.

• A maid reported that she had found no hidden wealth or suspicious valuables in Director Li’s home, leaving Bibi Dong doubtful and Director Li convinced his wife had moved his possessions.
• Xiao Li accused Director Li of accepting valuable gifts and hiding his accumulated wealth, urging Bibi Dong to interrogate him.
• Director Li demanded evidence and pointed out that the inspection had found nothing in his home.
• Bibi Dong ended the questioning for the night and ordered Director Li to remain at the City Guard Office to avoid alerting others.
• Bibi Dong asked why Li Mubai was still in the cell, and he claimed that he and his companions were good, law-abiding citizens.

After Bibi Dong came to the City Guard Office to release Li Mubai, he asked her to reopen the cases of prisoners he believed had been wrongly jailed. She agreed, and as they left together, Li Mubai explained that the action would win the people’s hearts.

• Bibi Dong dismissed Director Li’s request for guidance on punishing Xiao Li and prepared to leave.
• Li Mubai called Bibi Dong back and asked her to thoroughly reinvestigate the prisoners’ cases so the wrongfully jailed could be freed.
• Bibi Dong agreed, prompting many prisoners to thank her and Li Mubai.
• As they walked through the City Guard Office, Li Mubai told Bibi Dong that helping the prisoners was a way to win the people’s hearts.

Li Mubai argued that ordinary people mattered because their wisdom and inventions could overcome Soul Masters’ strength, while Bibi Dong insisted Spirit Hall had no need of them. Bibi Dong heard Li Mubai’s thoughts that ordinary people would one day defeat Spirit Hall and was left shocked, wanting to question him without driving him away.

• Bibi Dong questioned Li Mubai about why the people’s support mattered, and she explained that Spirit Hall depended on Soul Masters rather than ordinary people.
• Li Mubai acknowledged Bibi Dong’s reasoning but reflected that ordinary people’s ingenuity and tools could overcome the limits of individual strength.
• Li Mubai recalled that Tang San’s Hidden Weapons had devastated an army of Soul Masters and considered introducing firearms to change the balance of power.
• Li Mubai thought that Bibi Dong would one day regret dismissing ordinary people when they defeated Spirit Hall.
• Bibi Dong heard Li Mubai’s thoughts and was stunned by the prediction, but she held back from taking him to her bedchamber to question him for fear he would flee.

Li Mubai challenged Bibi Dong’s belief that ordinary people had little value, arguing that human wisdom and thought made civilization possible and that weapons could let ordinary people threaten Soul Masters. Bibi Dong remained unconvinced and grew angry after overhearing Li Mubai privately compare his speech to playing the lute to a cow, while Li Mubai prepared to make his final point.

• Li Mubai told Bibi Dong that her status as a Soul Master shaped her belief that ordinary people were useless and that Spirit Hall did not need their support.
• Bibi Dong argued that ordinary people were weak, contributed little beyond taxes, and would flee if conflict broke out.
• Li Mubai argued that wisdom and thought, rather than individual strength, made humanity great and enabled civilization.
• Bibi Dong said that his argument did not change the fact that most people were weak, and Li Mubai privately wondered if his speech had been wasted.
• Bibi Dong overheard Li Mubai compare his speech to playing the lute to a cow and became angry, while he remained unaware she could hear his thoughts.
• Li Mubai argued that weapons capable of harming Soul Masters could make ordinary people important, then asked whether Bibi Dong would still dismiss them if they could use such weapons.

Bibi Dong was stunned by Li Mubai’s descriptions of weapons powerful enough to destroy Spirit City and kill Titled Douluos, and she wondered if Spirit Hall could obtain them. Li Mubai explained that existing weapons were limited and began discussing how arrows were too slow to threaten powerful Soul Masters.

• Bibi Dong imagined the Gatling gun and Fat Man destroying armies, Spirit City, and even Titled Douluos.
• Bibi Dong realized Li Mubai’s inner thoughts meant these weapons existed in his world and became eager to know if he could make them.
• Bibi Dong asked whether such weapons really existed, while Li Mubai wondered why her face had turned red.
• Li Mubai explained that ordinary weapons could barely harm Soul Masters, and that bows and arrows remained ineffective against powerful ones because they could sense and dodge them.
• Li Mubai looked seriously at Bibi Dong as he concluded that arrows were not fast enough.

Bibi Dong tried to provoke Li Mubai into developing a powerful weapon for Spirit Hall, but he refused and left. She then turned her attention to Director Li, who feared she would punish him for witnessing the exchange.

• Bibi Dong questioned whether Li Mubai could create a weapon more powerful and easier to use than a bow and arrow, while privately hoping to spur him into action.
• Li Mubai thought he could eventually make a Gatling gun but saw no reason to do so, then told Bibi Dong there would be no such weapon and left the hall.
• Director Li watched Li Mubai leave and silently admired his boldness toward Bibi Dong.
• Bibi Dong let Li Mubai go because she feared threats would drive the powerful Titled Douluo away from Spirit Hall.
• Bibi Dong noticed Director Li, who feared being punished after having crippled Xiao Li’s cultivation and thrown him into a cell with prisoners.

Director Li realized his wife might have spent his embezzled money on handsome young men, but Bibi Dong ordered him to audit the City Guard Office’s accounts overnight, leaving him stuck at work. Li Mubai returned home, where Xiao Qian greeted him eagerly as the beautiful woman staying with her wondered at their unusual form of address.

• Director Li suspected his wife had taken his stolen money and jewels to support pretty boys.
• Director Li stopped himself from going home and began auditing the City Guard Office’s accounts because Bibi Dong had ordered him to finish by morning.
• Li Mubai walked home and thought about visiting the Mandarin Duck Lantern Festival to meet its famously beautiful poet.
• Li Mubai reached home and heard Xiao Qian call him “Master” from inside.
• Xiao Qian opened the door and threw herself into Li Mubai’s arms as the beautiful woman watched.

Li Mubai woke to find Xiao Qian still asleep, then accidentally collided with Sister Zhao and caught her when she stumbled. After he left to buy breakfast, Sister Zhao’s thoughts were interrupted by her daughter Xiao Yu'er.

• Li Mubai got out of bed without waking Xiao Qian and went to wash up.
• Li Mubai ran into Sister Zhao in the hallway and caught her when she lost her balance.
• Li Mubai apologized for grabbing Sister Zhao while catching her, and she told him he had stopped her from falling.
• Li Mubai asked Sister Zhao about her dark circles, and she said worry about Xiao Yu'er had kept her awake.
• Li Mubai went out to buy breakfast after reassuring Sister Zhao that Xiao Yu'er was fine.
• Sister Zhao came out of the toilet when Xiao Yu'er called to her from the backyard.

Li Mubai enjoyed breakfast in Spirit City while thinking that Bibi Dong was failing to profit from the prosperous city. Bibi Dong sensed that he was thinking about her and decided to find him something to do, while Li Mubai later discovered that Spirit Hall had wiped out the Wild Wolf Gang.

• Li Mubai ordered sweet and savory tofu pudding at a busy street shop and privately criticized Bibi Dong for claiming Spirit Hall had no income.
• Bibi Dong sneezed in the Pope's Hall, suspected Li Mubai was talking about her, and decided to give him something to do.
• Li Mubai finished his breakfast, left Copper Soul Coins on the table, and headed down the street to find more food.
• Li Mubai joined a crowd on Jingxi Street and heard people celebrate Spirit Hall's destruction of the Wild Wolf Gang.

Li Mubai learned that Spirit Hall had announced the Wild Wolf Gang’s destruction and heard Jingxi Street residents praise the unknown man who had protected Sister Zhao and her daughter. After Li Mubai shared breakfast with Xiao Qian, Sister Zhao returned to the street and found the residents treating her with unusual respect.

• Li Mubai read Spirit Hall’s notice about the Wild Wolf Gang’s crimes and punishment, and he approved of Bibi Dong using the incident to win public support.
• Jingxi Street residents credited Li Mubai with destroying the gang and protecting Sister Zhao and her daughter, while those who had mocked Sister Zhao feared her powerful protector.
• Li Mubai left the crowd, bought breakfast for three, and ate with Xiao Qian and the others before Sister Zhao returned home to prepare tofu.
• Sister Zhao blushed as she remembered Li Mubai holding her that morning, and her daughter asked why her face was red.
• Sister Zhao returned to Jingxi Street, where the crowd parted for her and an old woman who had often teased her greeted her warmly.

Zhao Yuzhen realized Li Mubai’s intervention had made the residents of Jingxi Street respect her and Xiao Yu'er, while Xiao Yu'er promised to marry him when she grew up. In Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong ordered corrupt officials arrested and publicly executed, then considered creating a supervisory body to fight corruption.

• Zhao Yuzhen concluded that the residents treated her kindly because they feared Li Mubai, and she thanked him for helping her gain a foothold on Jingxi Street.
• Xiao Yu'er asked why the neighbors were suddenly polite, and Zhao Yuzhen explained that they feared her Brother Mubai and reminded her of his kindness.
• Xiao Yu'er promised never to forget Li Mubai’s help and said she would marry him when she grew up.
• Bibi Dong ordered a guard to arrest everyone on the City Guard Office’s list, parade them through the streets, and execute them publicly outside Spirit Hall.
• Bibi Dong decided the executions would only serve as a temporary warning and considered proposing a supervisory body directly under her at the next assembly.

Spirit Hall guards arrested a City Guard Office clerk on the Pope’s personal order for embezzlement and corruption. As they took him away, the crowd learned he faced beheading and praised the Pope.

• Spirit Hall guards marched through Spirit City and smashed the gates of a City Guard Office clerk’s mansion.
• The guards identified the clerk from a portrait, subdued him, and sealed his Soul Power.
• The clerk protested that the guards had no right to arrest him, but they said the Pope had ordered it.
• A guard told the clerk that embezzlement and corruption were punishable by beheading, leaving him terrified.
• The onlookers reacted with surprise and praised the Pope for cracking down on corruption.

Director Li watched the prisoners accused of corruption get paraded through the streets, relieved that he had escaped arrest. At Li Mubai’s home, Sister Zhao brought Xiao Qian tofu skin, and a growing commotion approached from the street.

• Director Li followed the prison carts, carrying the report Bibi Dong had ordered him to prepare.
• Citizens pelted the three imprisoned clerks with rotten food and waste as the guards led them through the streets.
• One clerk mocked the crowd, then choked when a lump of excrement flew into his open mouth.
• Director Li trembled with relief at being spared and vowed not to embezzle or accept bribes.
• Sister Zhao brought Xiao Qian tofu skin, and Xiao Yu’er greeted her at Li Mubai’s home.
• Sister Zhao declined Xiao Qian’s invitation to come inside as a commotion grew louder in the street.

As Spirit Hall paraded corrupt officials through the streets, Sister Zhao suspected that Li Mubai was behind the sudden crackdown, but he concealed his identity. When she tried to leave without eating, Li Mubai used Xiao Yu'er's hunger to persuade her to stay for the meal.

• Xiao Qian and Sister Zhao watched a crowd follow prison carts carrying corrupt officials who were to be beheaded and displayed at the gates of Spirit Hall.
• Sister Zhao recognized Xiao Li, who had taken Li Mubai away the previous night, and wondered whether Li Mubai held an important position in Spirit Hall.
• Li Mubai returned from the kitchen and casually said Xiao Li deserved his punishment, keeping his identity and cultivation secret.
• Li Mubai invited Sister Zhao to eat with him, but she declined because she had things to do at home.
• Xiao Yu'er's stomach growled, and Li Mubai urged Sister Zhao to stay so the child would not have to wait for food.

Bibi Dong attended the public execution of three corrupt officials, following Li Mubai’s advice to win the people’s support. As the crowd praised her, Li Mubai watched with his companions, wondering whether she would heed his guidance again.

• Three prisoners knelt outside Spirit Hall as a crowd gathered for their execution.
• Bibi Dong arrived in her golden carriage, and the people cheered her for personally overseeing the crackdown on corruption.
• Inside the carriage, Bibi Dong recognized Li Mubai’s advice as a way to unite the people but wondered what their support would accomplish.
• Li Mubai arrived at the plaza with Xiao Qian, a beautiful woman, and a child, hoping to see whether Bibi Dong had followed his suggestion.

Qian Daoliu heard that Bibi Dong had publicly executed corrupt clerks and confronted the worshippers who accused her of threatening their influence. He dismissed their complaints as the worshippers abandoned Golden Crocodile, then reassured him that they were all on the same side.

• A guard reported to Qian Daoliu that Bibi Dong had gone to oversee the public beheading of several clerks outside Spirit Hall.
• Qian Daoliu wondered about Bibi Dong’s motives but decided to let her act as long as she did not endanger Spirit Hall.
• Golden Crocodile and the other worshippers urged Qian Daoliu to confront Bibi Dong, claiming her actions threatened their share of Spirit Hall’s financial authority.
• Qian Daoliu replied that the clerks had broken the rules and deserved their punishment, then turned to face the worshippers.
• The worshippers blamed Golden Crocodile for bringing them, and Golden Crocodile reluctantly accepted their accusation.
• Qian Daoliu laughed and told Golden Crocodile that he had nothing to fear because they were on the same side.

Qian Daoliu forced the Worship Hall elders to accept Bibi Dong’s growing authority, and Golden Crocodile reluctantly agreed under pressure. After leaving the hall, Golden Crocodile blamed Li Mubai for the dispute and decided to confront him.

• Golden Crocodile questioned Qian Daoliu about allowing Bibi Dong to expand her power, but Qian Daoliu argued that strengthening Spirit Hall mattered more than preserving the worshippers’ authority.
• The worshippers accepted Qian Daoliu’s position and apologized, while Golden Crocodile hesitated to give up his opposition.
• Qian Daoliu used his pressure to force Golden Crocodile to promise not to interfere in the matter.
• The worshippers left the hall, and Golden Crocodile ignored their apologies as he departed in frustration.
• Golden Crocodile connected Li Mubai to Bibi Dong’s visits and resolved to teach the newly arrived elder a lesson.

Bibi Dong arrived at Spirit City's public execution and ordered three officials convicted of embezzlement and bribery beheaded. The crowd cheered her, raising her prestige, while Li Mubai saw an opportunity to develop Spirit City and strengthen Spirit Hall's economy.

• A large crowd gathered at Spirit Hall to witness the executions as Bibi Dong's carriage entered the square.
• Bibi Dong emerged from the carriage, and the crowd was captivated by her appearance.
• Li Mubai and Sister Zhao stood near the execution ground because the guards recognized Li Mubai and let him pass.
• Bibi Dong declared the three prisoners guilty under Spirit City's regulations and ordered their execution at the third quarter of noon.
• The executioners beheaded the prisoners, and the crowd cheered Bibi Dong, whose prestige soared.
• Li Mubai smiled as he considered building up Spirit City and boosting Spirit Hall's economy.

Spirit City prospered after Bibi Dong’s crackdown on corruption and gangs, while Li Mubai taught Xiao Yu'er and her mother, Sister Zhao, kept her distance from neighbors who had only begun treating her kindly for his sake. The chapter ended with Hu Liena reporting to Bibi Dong about Spirit City’s recent changes.

• Bibi Dong’s sweeping measures and the destruction of the Wild Wolf Gang improved Spirit City’s safety, administration, and economy, earning Spirit Hall and the Pope greater public respect.
• Rumors spread that a newly appointed Spirit Hall elder was responsible for the reforms, and people sought information about him.
• Li Mubai spent time drinking and visiting the Pleasant Fragrance House with Demon Bear, while Bibi Dong discussed governing Spirit City with him.
• Sister Zhao listened as Xiao Yu'er studied with Li Mubai and felt grateful that her daughter had the chance to learn.
• Sister Zhao sold her tofu quickly but treated her suddenly friendly neighbors coldly, suspecting they wanted to benefit from Li Mubai’s influence.
• Hu Liena reported to Bibi Dong about the recent changes in Spirit City.

Hu Liena inspected Spirit City and discovered that new city policies had cleaned up the streets, attracted merchants, and provided work for the poor. She then learned that the city’s tax revenue over seven days exceeded its usual monthly total, leaving her astonished.

• Hu Liena toured Spirit City and found crowded streets, thriving trade, and cleaner roads after the gangs vanished and the City Guard Office changed.
• Hu Liena met an elderly widow sweeping an alley, who explained that the new policy provided her with food, lodging, and wages.
• Hu Liena realized that Bibi Dong and the Tenth Elder had introduced the policy, and suspected the Tenth Elder had devised it.
• Hu Liena questioned silver-armored guards carrying gold coin chests and learned that they were depositing Spirit City’s latest tax revenue into the treasury.
• Hu Liena read the tax statement and discovered that seven days of taxes exceeded the city’s usual monthly revenue.

Hu Liena told Bibi Dong that Spirit City's recent changes had greatly increased its tax revenue, and Bibi Dong credited Li Mubai with the success. As Bibi Dong considered entrusting him with more financial plans, an attendant reported that Golden Crocodile had sought him out, leaving Bibi Dong uneasy about the Worship Hall's intentions.

• Hu Liena reported that Spirit City had become busier and its tax revenue over a few days exceeded the previous month's total.
• Hu Liena confirmed to Bibi Dong that she had checked the accounts and the revenue increase was genuine.
• Bibi Dong praised Li Mubai for fulfilling his promise but judged the new income insufficient to fund a large army.
• Bibi Dong considered asking Li Mubai for more ways to raise revenue and giving him authority over the task.
• An attendant told Bibi Dong that Golden Crocodile had sought out Li Mubai, and Bibi Dong grew suspicious of the Worship Hall.

Golden Crocodile challenged Li Mubai to a public spar in three days, hoping to humiliate him. Li Mubai accepted, then told Demon Bear he could simply refuse to attend because he did not care about losing face.

• Golden Crocodile approached Li Mubai at the Pleasant Fragrance House, but Li Mubai had not heard him over the music and asked him to repeat himself.
• Demon Bear loudly demanded that Golden Crocodile explain himself, then apologized to the people whose entertainment he had interrupted.
• Golden Crocodile invited Li Mubai to spar and threatened that the whole city would mock him if he refused.
• Demon Bear warned Li Mubai that Golden Crocodile was too powerful for him, but Li Mubai accepted the invitation to spar in three days.
• After Golden Crocodile left, Li Mubai told Demon Bear he could still skip the match because he did not care about face.

Bibi Dong took Hu Liena to visit Li Mubai, hoping to persuade him to accept Golden Crocodile Douluo’s challenge. As their carriage left Spirit Hall, the busy streets showed how Spirit City had benefited from Li Mubai’s policies.

• Bibi Dong summoned Hu Liena and ordered a carriage prepared so they could leave early.
• Bibi Dong criticized Hu Liena for being exhausted after fighting a Soul Beast, then gave her a pill for her injuries.
• Bibi Dong explained that she wanted to reach Li Mubai before he left to meet Demon Bear Douluo and visit pleasure houses.
• Bibi Dong planned to persuade Li Mubai to accept Golden Crocodile Douluo’s challenge, which had drawn Soul Masters from across the two empires to Spirit City.
• As the carriage left Spirit Hall, Bibi Dong noticed the increased bustle and thought about how Li Mubai’s policies had attracted merchants and residents.

Bibi Dong visited Li Mubai with Hu Liena and urged him to spar with Golden Crocodile, despite his plans to avoid the duel. The chapter ended with Bibi Dong bluntly asking him to have a “friendly” match.

• Li Mubai answered the door expecting Demon Bear but found Bibi Dong and Hu Liena instead.
• Bibi Dong teased Li Mubai about planning to go out for entertainment, and he invited the two women inside.
• Li Mubai asked Bibi Dong to explain her visit, and she brought up his scheduled arena spar with Golden Crocodile.
• Hu Liena told Li Mubai that news of the duel had spread through Spirit City and reached Soul Masters from both empires.
• Li Mubai decided he would rather skip the duel, but Bibi Dong said she wanted him to spar with Golden Crocodile.