Chapter Summaries

Di Xin gave Queen Jiang a Peach of Immortality, then learned Jiang Ziya had returned to Chaoge and appointed him Grand Minister. Jiang Ziya left his quarrelsome wife Ma Shi behind as he accepted the unexpected post.

• Di Xin gave Queen Jiang a Peach of Immortality, which made her look younger, and she excitedly promised to bear him many sons.
• After court, You Hun told Di Xin that Jiang Ziya was near Chaoge, and Di Xin ordered him to bring Jiang Ziya to the palace.
• Jiang Ziya returned to Chaoge, married Ma Shi through Song Yiren’s matchmaking, and repeatedly failed at the businesses Ma Shi urged him to try.
• When You Hun arrived with soldiers, Ma Shi pointed him toward Jiang Ziya, who was dodging her blows with a rolling pin.
• You Hun announced Di Xin’s decree appointing Jiang Ziya Grand Minister, and Jiang Ziya accepted with relief while Ma Shi regretted mistreating him.

Di Xin appointed Jiang Ziya Grand Minister and tasked him with leading the Institute for the Investigation of Things, a sweeping reform intended to challenge Great Shang’s aristocratic order. As You Hun explained the project, Di Xin prepared for the powerful nobles’ resistance and trusted Jiang Ziya’s fate to carry him through it.

• You Hun confirmed that Di Xin had summoned Jiang Ziya, and Jiang Ziya traveled with him from Song Yiren’s estate to Chaoge.
• Di Xin welcomed Jiang Ziya, raised him from his prostration, and assured him that he was now Great Shang’s Grand Minister.
• Jiang Ziya accepted Di Xin’s trust and pledged to serve him, despite privately doubting that his studies on Kunlun had made him fit to govern.
• Di Xin ordered You Hun to explain the Institute for the Investigation of Things to Jiang Ziya.
• Di Xin reflected that the institute’s reforms would threaten the aristocracy’s control and chose Jiang Ziya to lead them, believing his destiny would help him survive the danger.

Di Xin established the Institute for the Investigation of Things and defended open examinations for officials with the power of the Human Emperor. After Jiang Ziya began its work, the feudal lords arrived in Chaoge to pay court, and Di Xin signaled Fei Zhong to act.

• Jiang Ziya vowed to make the Institute for the Investigation of Things flourish after seeing the residence Di Xin had arranged for him.
• Di Xin announced the institute and its ranks, then ordered that officials be selected through open examinations, provoking the court nobles to protest.
• Di Xin summoned the Black Golden Xuan Bird manifestation and cowed the protesting officials with his authority and cultivation.
• Jiang Ziya presided over the first recruitment examination, assigned the selected officials to different duties, and began a census of the realm with Huang Feihu guarding him.
• The feudal lords arrived in Chaoge to pay court, and Di Xin looked toward Fei Zhong to signal that it was time to act.

Fei Zhong accused Ji Chang of plotting rebellion and presented a household retainer as a witness who claimed Ji Chang’s mansion had supplied provisions to the North Sea rebels. Di Xin confronted the kneeling Ji Chang and demanded to know whether the accusation was true.

• Fei Zhong accused Ji Chang of treason, prompting ministers to divide between those pleading for Ji Chang and those remaining wary.
• Di Xin challenged Fei Zhong to provide solid proof, and Fei Zhong asked permission to summon a witness.
• Guards escorted a gray-haired retainer from Ji Chang’s household into the hall, and Ji Chang briefly showed alarm before concealing it.
• Fei Zhong explained that his men had uncovered a hidden chamber and found evidence that Ji Chang and Bo Yikao planned to send provisions to the North Sea rebels.
• Fei Zhong presented the retainer as a witness and accused Ji Chang of secretly supplying the rebels.
• Di Xin approached the kneeling Ji Chang and demanded that he answer whether he had colluded with the rebels.

Di Xin imprisoned Ji Chang and sent Chong Hei Hu, Su Hu, and Fei Zhong to investigate the Marquis of the West’s alleged treason in Xi Qi. Meanwhile, Yuanshi Tianzun dismissed concerns about Great Shang’s rising fortune, while Grand Supreme Laozi remained uneasy about Qin Xuan’s silence.

• Ji Chang denied supporting the rebels, feigned madness after Di Xin kicked him, and was imprisoned under strict guard.
• Di Xin ordered Chong Hei Hu and Su Hu to investigate the Marquis of the West’s Mansion in Xi Qi, with Fei Zhong and three thousand soldiers accompanying them.
• Yuanshi Tianzun told Grand Supreme Laozi that Jiang Ziya had gone to assist Xi Qi and claimed Great Shang’s decline was inevitable, though Laozi worried about Qin Xuan’s silence.
• Di Xin instructed Fei Zhong to arrest the Marquis of the West’s family but not to harm them, and Fei Zhong mistook the order for the king’s mercy.

The Nine-Headed Pheasant Spirit and Jade Pipa Spirit entered the royal palace seeking their Eldest Sister, Daji, but Di Xin trapped them in an illusion and captured them. When the Jade Pipa Spirit tried to seduce him, Di Xin killed her, leaving the Nine-Headed Pheasant Spirit facing him alone.

• The Nine-Headed Pheasant Spirit and Jade Pipa Spirit decided to enter Chaoge and find Daji in the palace.
• The two demons found Daji but became trapped in an illusion the Nine-Headed Pheasant Spirit recognized as the work of an expert.
• Di Xin revealed himself and transported the demons to a prison cell after sensing their arrival and finishing his refinement of the Yellow Middle Plum.
• The Jade Pipa Spirit tried to seduce Di Xin, but he struck her with the Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler and decapitated her.

Di Xin killed the Jade Pipa Spirit and the Nine-Headed Pheasant Spirit, then confirmed that the Primordial Chaos Heaven Measuring Ruler prevented karmic repercussions. After spending the night with Daji, he gave her a Ginseng Fruit and left her delighted by his praise.

• Di Xin killed the Jade Pipa Spirit and the Nine-Headed Pheasant Spirit when she begged to become his servant.
• Di Xin used his Law of Karma to sense that Yuanshi Tianzun had schemed against Great Shang, but the killings created no karmic connection between them.
• Di Xin buried the demons' bodies, returned to Daji's bedchamber, and spent the night with her.
• Di Xin gave Daji a Ginseng Fruit, and she ate it despite initially wanting to refuse.
• Di Xin told Daji she had become even more beautiful, and she happily climbed onto his lap.

Di Xin proposed establishing schools in Chaoge and tasked the Institute for the Investigation of Things with finding a way to turn bark into a writing material. Meanwhile, Yun Zhongzi waited at Mount Yan with the infant Lei Zhenzi, wondering why Ji Chang had not arrived.

• Di Xin saw the mountain of bamboo-slip memorials and decided that Great Shang needed paper to spread education and preserve knowledge.
• Di Xin proposed schools throughout Great Shang, then limited the first effort to Chaoge after Shang Rong warned that the treasury could not afford a nationwide project; Bi Gan accepted responsibility for the schools.
• Di Xin showed the ministers a piece of bark and asked them to find a way to make it thinner and easier to write on.
• Zheng Lun pledged that the Institute for the Investigation of Things would fulfill Di Xin's request.
• Yun Zhongzi continued waiting at Mount Yan with the infant Lei Zhenzi, whom he had found after a thunderstorm, and worried that Ji Chang had not appeared.

Ji Chang took Lei Zhenzi away from Yun Zhongzi, who failed to catch him and returned toward Kunlun Mountain for help. In Chaoge, Di Xin learned that Wen Zhong had returned from the North Sea and hurried to greet the loyal veteran minister.

• Ji Chang found the abandoned Lei Zhenzi, rejected Yun Zhongzi’s demand to take the child, and fled with him.
• Yun Zhongzi struck a strange tree while chasing Ji Chang, lost him in the forest, and decided to seek help from Yuanshi Tianzun.
• True Person Manjushri and True Person Puxian returned toward Kunlun Mountain after Li Jing could not identify the expert who had taken Jin Zha and Mu Zha.
• Di Xin heard that Wen Zhong had returned to court and left the Institute for the Investigation of Things to welcome him.
• Wen Zhong dismounted from his Black Qilin, knelt before Di Xin, and paid his respects.

Di Xin welcomed Wen Zhong back to Chaoge and learned how Golden Spirit Mother had helped Great Shang crush the North Sea rebellion. He looked forward to meeting her and considered asking her to bring other Jie Sect disciples down the mountain.

• Di Xin greeted Wen Zhong warmly and asked about the North Sea war and his sudden return.
• Wen Zhong explained that Golden Spirit Mother had descended to the North Sea, using illusions to disrupt the rebels and magic to heal wounded Shang soldiers.
• Wen Zhong said Di Xin’s cut to the rebels’ grain supply helped turn the tide, and that the main rebel force had been crushed, leaving Yuan Futong with only remnants.
• Di Xin realized Golden Spirit Mother’s arrival could give him a powerful ally in changing the future and thought of recruiting Nezha as well.
• Wen Zhong told Di Xin that Golden Spirit Mother would come to Chaoge after the North Sea war ended, and Di Xin planned to persuade her to invite other Jie Sect disciples.

Di Xin allowed Wen Zhong to confront Ji Chang in prison, where the Grand Tutor brutally punished him for treason. Ji Chang realized Wen Zhong stood with Di Xin and fell into despair, while Di Xin left him alive but ensured he felt the full force of his injuries before taking away his pain.

• Di Xin escorted Wen Zhong to Ji Chang’s cell and waited outside so Wen Zhong could speak with him alone.
• Ji Chang welcomed Wen Zhong as his hoped-for rescuer, but Wen Zhong kicked him down and demanded to know why he had rebelled.
• Wen Zhong struck Ji Chang across the face and body with the Twin Whips of Male and Female, leaving him grievously injured and unconscious.
• Di Xin secretly woke Ji Chang so he would experience the pain, then blocked his pain and watched him weep over his injuries.
• Wen Zhong accused Ji Chang of conspiring with Yuan Futong and said Di Xin’s mercy had spared his life, leaving Ji Chang silent and despairing.

Fei Zhong took control of Ji Chang’s mansion in Xi Qi and used a staged bribe to draw officials suspected of supporting Ji Chang into the open. He planned to send the gathered treasures and confiscated property to Di Xin to fund the Institute for the Investigation of Things, while Huang Feihu praised his loyalty.

• Fei Zhong announced Ji Chang’s arrest and ordered troops to search the mansion and arrest his children, while Xi Qi’s people protested and officials avoided the case.
• Fei Zhong spread word that he would accept bribes to speak for Ji Chang, then secretly summoned a wealthy official and staged his safe departure with a cart of treasure.
• Reports of the official’s meeting persuaded more than twenty officials to bring over fifty treasure carts to the mansion.
• Huang Feihu confronted Fei Zhong about accepting bribes, and Fei Zhong denied intending to speak for Ji Chang.
• Fei Zhong said he would give the treasures and the mansion’s confiscated property to Di Xin to fund the Institute for the Investigation of Things, and Huang Feihu bowed in admiration.

Fei Zhong gathered evidence against Ji Chang’s allies and prepared to escort Ji Chang’s family and treasures back to Chaoge, while Yuan Futong’s rebellion ended in defeat. Golden Spirit Mother arrived in Chaoge but became distracted by the city’s bustling shops before meeting Di Xin.

• Huang Feihu mistook Fei Zhong’s plan to accept bribes as a selfless sacrifice and vowed to share the blame, but Fei Zhong rejected his offer to protect his reputation.
• Fei Zhong hosted Xi Qi officials at the Marquis of the West’s Mansion, promised to plead for leniency, and secretly recorded their names and gifts as evidence of Ji Chang’s private dealings.
• Fei Zhong learned that Ji Chang had nearly a hundred sons, captured most of his descendants, and gave up searching for Ji Fa after he escaped.
• Fei Zhong led Ji Chang’s family and carts of treasure out of Xi Qi toward Chaoge as crowds watched the procession depart.
• Yuan Futong killed himself after the Shang Army surrounded his forces, and the remaining rebels surrendered.
• Golden Spirit Mother traveled to Chaoge on the Seven Fragrance Chariot, entered the city in disguise, and became absorbed in its shops before meeting Di Xin.

Golden Spirit Mother discovered that three of the Chan Sect’s Eleven Golden Immortals had been captured and sold as slaves in Chaoge. After killing the slave traders and freeing the other captives, she confronted Puxian, True Person Manjushri, and Yun Zhongzi in their cage.

• Golden Spirit Mother overheard buyers complaining about three supposed Kunlun disciples and recognized them as Puxian, True Person Manjushri, and Yun Zhongzi.
• A scar-faced slave trader ordered his guards to seize Golden Spirit Mother, but she turned them to ashes with a flick of her sleeve.
• Golden Spirit Mother killed the wealthy buyers and shattered the captives’ chains, freeing the men and women in the courtyard.
• Golden Spirit Mother approached Puxian, True Person Manjushri, and Yun Zhongzi and mocked them for ending up as slaves in Chaoge.

Golden Spirit Mother turned Puxian, Manjushri, and Yun Zhongzi into chained captives and dragged them through Chaoge for amusement. After they collapsed in the marketplace, Wen Zhong arrived with more than a hundred armed officers.

• Puxian, Manjushri, and Yun Zhongzi were captured and sold as slaves after Ji Chang knocked them unconscious and sealed their cultivation.
• Golden Spirit Mother freed the three Chan Sect immortals from their shackles, then fastened the chains around their necks and silenced their threats.
• Golden Spirit Mother dragged Puxian, Manjushri, and Yun Zhongzi through Chaoge, forcing them to run on all fours as onlookers watched.
• Golden Spirit Mother ran the exhausted immortals through the city and back to the marketplace, where they collapsed.
• Wen Zhong rode into the marketplace on a Black Qilin with more than a hundred armed officers, and Golden Spirit Mother recognized her personal disciple.

Wen Zhong brought Golden Spirit Mother and the three chained men to Di Xin after arresting her for violating the ban on slave trading. Di Xin discovered they were all Great Golden Immortals, but You Hun interrupted before he could question them.

• Wen Zhong ordered his soldiers to arrest Golden Spirit Mother and escort her, Puxian, and the other two men to the palace.
• Di Xin heard the report, summoned You Hun, and prepared to hear the case himself.
• Golden Spirit Mother entered the hall and offended Wen Zhong by showing little respect to Di Xin.
• Di Xin saw through Golden Spirit Mother's disguise and realized she was a Great Golden Immortal.
• Di Xin discovered that Puxian and the other two men were also Great Golden Immortals whose cultivation and speech had been sealed.
• You Hun began proposing a punishment, but Di Xin cut him off with an order to shut up.

Di Xin questioned three men who claimed to be disciples of the Chan Sect, while Golden Spirit Mother accused them of running a slave market. The men failed to prove their identities, and Golden Spirit Mother finished telling her version of how she captured them.

• Di Xin stopped You Hun from condemning Golden Spirit Mother and asked the three men to explain themselves.
• Yun Zhongzi identified himself as a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun, prompting Wen Zhong to realize the men were from the Chan Sect.
• Di Xin demanded proof of the men’s identities, and Wen Zhong threatened them with punishment for impersonating a Saint’s disciple.
• Puxian claimed Golden Spirit Mother could verify their identities, but she denied knowing them and accused the three men of leading a slave market.
• Golden Spirit Mother said the slave traders’ gang had turned on itself, and she chained the wounded survivors after the merchants left.

Di Xin condemned Puxian, Manjushri, and Yun Zhongzi as slave traders and ordered them punished with Pao Luo. After the three were taken away, Golden Spirit Mother told Di Xin she was a Jie Sect Outer Sect Disciple and introduced herself as Bixiao.

• Golden Spirit Mother accused Puxian, Manjushri, and Yun Zhongzi of trafficking people, and Di Xin sealed their mouths before asking Wen Zhong for their punishment.
• Wen Zhong proposed dismemberment by chariots, but Di Xin rejected it and urged him to choose a punishment that would demonstrate the law’s authority.
• You Hun suggested Pao Luo, and Wen Zhong and Golden Spirit Mother supported the punishment.
• Di Xin ordered Wen Zhong to take the three to the Heavenly Prison and gave You Hun three days to build the execution platform for a public execution in five days.
• After Wen Zhong and You Hun left, Golden Spirit Mother told Di Xin she was an Outer Sect Disciple of the Jie Sect and gave her name as Bixiao.

Di Xin recognized that the woman calling herself Bixiao was likely Golden Spirit Mother and appointed her Senior Minister at the Institute for the Investigation of Things. He asked Wen Zhong about his teacher, while Golden Spirit promised to keep Wen Zhong’s answer secret.

• Di Xin deduced that the supposed Bixiao was Golden Spirit Mother after she reacted to Wen Zhong’s name.
• Golden Spirit agreed to serve Great Shang, and Di Xin appointed her Senior Minister at the Institute for the Investigation of Things.
• Golden Spirit recalled that she had stumbled upon Puxian and the other captives after being distracted by Chaoge’s unusual objects, and suspected unseen forces had guided her there.
• Di Xin summoned Wen Zhong to arrange Golden Spirit’s residence and take her to her post, then asked him what he thought of Golden Spirit Mother.
• Golden Spirit promised her lips were sealed, and Wen Zhong began to describe his teacher in a hushed voice.

Di Xin watched Golden Spirit Mother punish Wen Zhong after he insulted her, then received a system mission to keep her in Chaoge. The mission offered powerful treasures if he made her a Noble Consort, and Di Xin hurriedly took back his protest when the system threatened to cancel the rewards.

• Di Xin tried to stop Wen Zhong from criticizing Golden Spirit Mother, but fled when Wen Zhong continued and left her to hear the insults.
• Golden Spirit Mother seized Wen Zhong by the ear and beat him until he was badly bruised, then ordered him to arrange her lodging.
• Di Xin told the guards that the commotion was merely him practicing and returned to handling state affairs.
• The system tasked Di Xin with keeping Golden Spirit Mother in Chaoge and offered four treasures, with the Heaven and Earth Xuanhuang Exquisite Pagoda as the top reward.
• The system revealed that Di Xin had to confer the title of Noble Consort on Golden Spirit Mother to earn the pagoda, and Di Xin agreed after the system threatened to cancel the rewards.