Chapter Summaries

Chen Ping'an managed the wine shop and its betting business after defeating Yu Juanfu with one punch, while Tao Wen arranged work for Cheng Quan and Yan Ming sent Yan Zhuo to learn swordsmanship. The chapter ended with Chen Ping'an remembering a dead girl's family and staring sadly from the shop threshold.

• Lu Sui praised Yu Juanfu at Chen Ping'an's wine table, while Ren Longcong remained uneasy around Chen Ping'an and watched the Sword Qi Great Wall's sword cultivators.
• Tao Wen told Cheng Quan that Chen Ping'an had arranged a job for him, and Cheng Quan agreed to take it so he could earn money to improve his flying sword.
• Chen Ping'an coached Tao Wen on how to split the cost of the wine and keep gamblers uncertain about their partnership.
• Yan Ming explained how Chen Ping'an had maneuvered Yu Juanfu into conceding, then ordered Yan Zhuo's Sword Immortal Guardian to teach him swordsmanship.
• A man laid out three bowls of plain noodles, including one with extra scallion, and ate alone at home.
• Chen Ping'an watched the busy shop at dusk and thought of the Sword Qi Great Wall's dead, ending the chapter in quiet sadness.

Wei Bo received Chen Ping'an’s letter and arranged for Zhong Qiu, Pei Qian, and Cao Qinglang to meet Cui Dongshan in Old Dragon City before traveling to the Sword Qi Great Wall. Meanwhile, Yu Juanfu postponed her rematch, and Chen Ping'an drank with Qi Jinglong as the travelers set off to reunite with their teacher and master.

• Wei Bo delivered Chen Ping'an’s letter to Warm Tree, Pei Qian, and Zhou Mili, who read that Warm Tree and Zhou Mili would remain at Luopo Mountain while Pei Qian went to the Sword Qi Great Wall.
• Wei Bo arranged for Zhong Qiu, Pei Qian, and Cao Qinglang to travel south, meet Cui Dongshan in Old Dragon City, and continue together to the Sword Qi Great Wall.
• Yu Juanfu postponed her rematch with Chen Ping'an and told Zhu Mei that she had used the names Yu Qiyun and Shi Zaixi while traveling.
• Chen Ping'an drank with Qi Jinglong at his shop and teased him about Lu Baixiang’s attention.
• Zhong Qiu and Cao Qinglang traveled on a Cross-Continent Ferry while Pei Qian chased Cui Dongshan, excited to see her master.

Pei Qian, Cui Dongshan, Zhong Qiu, and Cao Qinglang reached Inverted Mountain, where Pei Qian reflected on her master and prepared to buy him a gift. After Cui Dongshan promised to take her to the Sword Qi Great Wall, Pei Qian counted the money in her little purse and said she would spend it for Chen Ping'an.

• Cui Dongshan recounted Zhu Lian's lost scholarly work and advised Pei Qian to learn from what she saw.
• Zhong Qiu recalled asking Cao Qinglang whether he would speak honestly to Chen Ping'an, and Cao Qinglang had promised to keep walking and thinking if their paths conflicted.
• Cui Dongshan led the group from Lingzhizhai's inn to the Stork Inn, persuading Pei Qian that saving Chen Ping'an's money was her duty.
• Pei Qian mistook Cui Dongshan in a Ghost disguise for an attacker and struck him with her Hiking Staff before recognizing him.
• Cui Dongshan told Pei Qian they would visit the Sword Qi Great Wall the day after touring Inverted Mountain, and Pei Qian counted her savings to buy Chen Ping'an a gift.

Pei Qian and Cui Dongshan traveled around Inverted Mountain, where Pei Qian bought gifts for Chen Ping'an and his wife and reflected on the people she was grateful to. The chapter then shifted to the Savage World and the Sword Qi Great Wall, where Yu Juanfu prepared to challenge the Second Shopkeeper again.

• Cui Dongshan and Pei Qian discussed cultivation, boxing, and Pei Qian's worries about Chen Ping'an facing sword cultivators at the Sword Qi Great Wall.
• Cui Dongshan accompanied Pei Qian around Inverted Mountain, where she bought a brush for Chen Ping'an and cloud-patterned stationery for his wife.
• Cui Dongshan used his power to subdue a woman who had tried to pinch his cheek, then warned her Nascent Soul attendant to pass a message to Qin Zhilan.
• Pei Qian explained to Cui Dongshan why she was grateful to Sister Baoping and Chen Ping'an's wife, then teased him by rapping his head for eating her fish.
• A gray-clad old man and his young disciple climbed the forbidden mountain in the Savage World to visit the old man's other self.
• Yu Juanfu prepared to fight the Second Shopkeeper atop the Sword Qi Great Wall as gamblers placed bets on how quickly he would lose.

Cui Dongshan led Zhong Qiu, Pei Qian, and Cao Qinglang through Inverted Mountain to the Sword Qi Great Wall, where Chen Ping'an defeated Yu Juanfu after enduring hundreds of her punches. The group reunited with Chen Ping'an as he stood victorious, and Cui Dongshan paid his respects to his teacher.

• Zhong Qiu, Cao Qinglang, and Pei Qian answered the young priest's questions at Inverted Mountain, while Cui Dongshan teased him and crossed into Savage World.
• The young priest tried to stop Cui Dongshan, but the Great Heavenly Monarch intervened and let him pass through the gate.
• Cui Dongshan and Pei Qian boarded a borrowed Talisman Boat and headed for the wall, where Chen Ping'an was sparring with Yu Juanfu.
• Yu Juanfu landed her first solid blows after hundreds of attacks, but Chen Ping'an struck back, took control of the fight, and ground her face along the wall.
• Chen Ping'an ended the fight and greeted Pei Qian, Cao Qinglang, and Cui Dongshan, who bowed and addressed him as Teacher.

Chen Ping'an reunited with Pei Qian and taught her to think carefully before throwing punches, then took his disciples to visit Ning Yao. Meanwhile, Cui Dongshan confronted Zuo You, and Chen Ping'an left the chapter with ambitious wishes to reach the heights of martial arts and swordsmanship.

• Yu Juanfu accepted her loss to Chen Ping'an and left determined to improve her fist intent and speed.
• Pei Qian nearly challenged Bai Shou to a martial contest, but Chen Ping'an taught her to consider the consequences of her actions; she explained that she had been angry because she could not let Bai Shou look down on her master.
• Pei Qian apologized to Bai Shou, while Qi Jinglong explained that their rivalry could help Bai Shou cultivate his heart.
• Cui Dongshan visited Zuo You, who sent him flying from the city wall with a sword of pure intent; Chen Qingdu then told Zuo You that he had sensed Chen Ping'an's heartfelt voice.
• Chen Ping'an declared his hopes to reach the Ten Realms and Ascension Realm, challenge Heaven to a bout of fists, and duel White Jade Capital with a sword.
• At the Ning Household, Pei Qian kowtowed to Ning Yao as her mistress, and Chen Ping'an gave Cao Qinglang a carving knife and asked him to help carve seals.

Chen Ping'an settled Cao Qinglang, Pei Qian, and Zhong Qiu into the Ning residence, then reflected on his past and his students while spending time with Cao Qinglang. Cao Qinglang carved a seal for Chen Ping'an, ending the chapter with the words he had chosen: “Sir sat alone; the spring breeze turned the pages.”

• Chen Ping'an chose separate courtyards for Cao Qinglang, Pei Qian, and Zhong Qiu, while Ning Yao took Pei Qian to the residence's secret vault to select a gift.
• Cao Qinglang recalled how Pei Qian had bullied and threatened him as a child whenever Chen Ping'an was away, and Chen Ping'an listened without pressing him for details.
• Chen Ping'an gave Cao Qinglang the old carving knife he had used to carve characters on Bamboo Slips and explained its meaning to him.
• Cao Qinglang admired a Bamboo Fan bearing the words “The affairs of this world were one great dream. Drink without fear of falling drunk; those who stayed sober were the ones still dreaming,” but declined to take it so Chen Ping'an could sell it.
• Chen Ping'an and Cao Qinglang began carving seals together, and Cao Qinglang told Chen Ping'an he was lucky to have met him; Chen Ping'an replied that he was happy to have met his student.
• Cao Qinglang carefully carved a seal for Chen Ping'an, choosing the words “Sir sat alone; the spring breeze turned the pages.”

Cui Dongshan visited Chen Ping'an’s tavern and reflected on his teacher’s methods before arriving at the Ning Household, where he teased Nalan Yexing and reunited with Chen Ping'an, Pei Qian, and Cao Qinglang. The chapter ended with Chen Ping'an sharing a playful moment with his students while drinking wine and writing.

• Cui Dongshan drank at Chen Ping'an’s tavern and considered how his teacher had built influence by borrowing objects and momentum.
• Cui Dongshan visited the Ning Household, gave Nalan Yexing a rare pill, and unsettled him with probing questions about trust and strength.
• Nalan Yexing told Chen Ping'an that he and Cui Dongshan had nearly become sworn brothers, and Cui Dongshan pretended to have forgotten their conversation.
• Pei Qian showed off her prayer beads and chess pieces, while Cui Dongshan reflected on her, Cao Qinglang, and Chen Ping'an.
• Chen Ping'an began to teach Pei Qian chess, then sent her to copy texts and offered Cao Qinglang a Hiking Staff.
• Chen Ping'an, Cui Dongshan, and Cao Qinglang recited a passage about the bright pearl and lion’s roar before Pei Qian declared stinky tofu delicious.

Cui Dongshan took Pei Qian and Cao Qinglang along the Sword Qi Great Wall, where they met Sword Immortals and Zuo You intervened when Mi Yu threatened them. Back at the Ning residence, Chen Ping'an confronted Pei Qian about an old wrong against Cao Qinglang; after they reconciled, Cui Dongshan set off to challenge Lin Junbi to Go.

• Cui Dongshan led Pei Qian and Cao Qinglang along the wall, where they encountered Sword Immortals including Zhao Gexi, Yu Juanfu, and Zhou Cheng, who gave Pei Qian a ball of golden threads.
• Mi Yu mocked Chen Ping'an's disciples, but Zuo You arrived, overpowered Mi Yu, and challenged Mi Hu and Yue Qing to fight.
• Cui Dongshan returned with Pei Qian and Cao Qinglang to the Ning residence, while news spread that Zuo You had fought Yue Qing and forced him off the wall.
• Pei Qian met Guo Zhujiu outside the Guo residence, then told Chen Ping'an she disliked her; Chen Ping'an advised her not to force affection or judge her unfairly.
• Chen Ping'an told Pei Qian that she had once hurt Cao Qinglang by revealing what she had seen, and Pei Qian confessed, grieved over her wrongdoing, and asked whether her master still wanted her.
• Cui Dongshan led Cao Qinglang away while Chen Ping'an comforted Pei Qian, then went to find Lin Junbi and challenge him to Go.

Cui Dongshan used a gambling game to enlist Yu Juanfu to deliver a bizarre message to her Lineage, then challenged Lin Junbi to chess and won three games. He began a fourth game based on an unfinished match from the Cloudy Chess Manual, while demanding that the others pay to watch.

• Yu Juanfu accepted her loss to Cui Dongshan and agreed to tell her Old Ancestor to bellow that he was a lousy chess player who loved taking moves back, then refused his offer of another wager.
• Cui Dongshan gave Yu Juanfu the seal inscribed “A goose hits the wall” and warned her to think carefully about her future as a daughter of the Yu family.
• Cui Dongshan taunted Yan Lü until Lin Junbi intervened and agreed to play him for a copper coin.
• Cui Dongshan beat Lin Junbi in three games, winning a copper coin, a Snowflake Coin, and a Little Summer Coin.
• Cui Dongshan persuaded Lin Junbi to finish the unfinished third game of the Cloudy Chess Manual, then charged the others a Valley Rain Coin to watch.

Chen Ping'an and Cui Dongshan walked through the Sword Qi Great Wall, where Chen Ping'an tried to persuade Tao Wen to leave but respected his decision to remain. As Chen Ping'an and his disciples prepared to depart, Chen Qingdu asked whether he had found his answer, and Cui Dongshan later said he only feared it had all been a grand dream.

• Chen Ping'an told Cui Dongshan that he had forgotten to persuade Tao Wen while they drank, and Cui Dongshan explained how he had drawn Lin Junbi into his plans without damaging his Dao heart.
• Chen Ping'an and Cui Dongshan bought wine and returned to the Ning residence, where Chen Ping'an reminded Cui Dongshan to treat Yu Juanfu well and asked him to look after Pei Qian and Cao Qinglang.
• Lord Yin Guan studied a map marked with Chen Ping'an's routes while Luo Shan and Zhu An discussed his visit to Tao Wen and Left and Right's confrontation with Yue Qing.
• Left and Right warmly advised Pei Qian and Cao Qinglang, while Guo Zhujiu amused him with her praise; Chen Ping'an then brought them to meet Chen Qingdu.
• Chen Qingdu asked Chen Ping'an whether he had found his answer, and Chen Ping'an said that disciples of the Literary Sage lineage had things they would and would not do.
• Cui Dongshan stood beside Chen Qingdu as they watched the scene, and said he only feared it had all been a grand dream.

Zuo taught Pei Qian how to develop her unruly swordplay and advised her, Cao Qinglang, and Guo Zhujiu on cultivation and principles. Cui Dongshan spoke with a monk and Sun Juyuan before returning to Chen Ping'an, who decided that Cui Dongshan would accompany him to White Jade Capital in the Azure Sky World.

• Zuo demonstrated how Pei Qian could gather overwhelming amounts of Sword Qi and taught her when she should draw her sword.
• Zuo praised Cao Qinglang's understanding of scholarship, affirmed Pei Qian's independent judgment, and had Cui Dongshan give Guo Zhujiu a Five Treasures String.
• Cui Dongshan thanked a monk, asked about his grandfather's final thoughts, then visited Sun Juyuan and received his wine cup after discussing the dangers facing the Sword Qi Great Wall.
• Lin Junbi played chess with Bian Jing, discussed Yan Lü and the Shao Yuan Dynasty's objectives, and considered why he had kept losing.
• Pei Qian and Guo Zhujiu traded teasing compliments while practicing, and Chen Ping'an secretly watched them with amusement.
• Chen Ping'an pulled Cui Dongshan inside and declared that Cui Dongshan would go with him to White Jade Capital in the Azure Sky World.

The chapter followed life at the Sword Qi Great Wall as its sword cultivators prepared for another great battle and Chen Qingdu urged Wei Jin to leave afterward. It ended with Chen Ping'an visiting Pei Qian and Guo Zhujiu as Pei Qian recovered from boxing practice.

• Feng Kangle failed to reach the storyteller at the Ning residence, then told the alley children that the Second Shopkeeper had stopped telling stories because he was stingy.
• Chen Qingdu told Wei Jin to fight one more battle before leaving the Sword Qi Great Wall, then discussed the coming battle with Zuo You.
• Zhou Cheng and Lu Zhi spoke about their lost homelands and the lives they had chosen, while Old Deafy visited the sages and returned to guard the prison.
• Wang Zai bought wine, left a Peace Talisman at the shop, and asked Jiang Qu to tell the Second Shopkeeper that the wine was good.
• Pei Qian continued recovering and training under Bai Lianshuang while Guo Zhujiu teased and comforted her; Chen Ping'an arrived and told Guo Zhujiu she was too young to speak as though she might be forgotten.

Chen Ping'an told a story to the children of Sword Qi Great Wall, then sent Pei Qian, Cao Qinglang, and Zhong Qiu toward home while remaining behind with Zuo. After a year of quiet routines, a vast sandstorm approached the wall, and Sword Immortals from near and far gathered as Chen Qingdu welcomed the arriving newcomers.

• Guo Jia accepted Zuo's request for Guo Zhujiu to become Chen Ping'an's disciple, but Guo Zhujiu chose to remain with her father until Chen Ping'an returned to his hometown.
• Chen Ping'an told the children a story in which Sword Immortals named after them rescued a scholar and his beloved, then said he would remain in Sword Qi Great Wall but would stop storytelling.
• Chen Ping'an sent Pei Qian, Cao Qinglang, and Zhong Qiu toward home, and Guo Zhujiu borrowed Pei Qian's little bamboo book box.
• Zuo scolded Chen Ping'an for considering leaving Sword Qi Great Wall and refusing to light his Natal Lamp at Luopo Mountain's Patriarch Hall.
• A year passed as Chen Ping'an continued practicing swordsmanship, and a towering sandstorm surged toward Sword Qi Great Wall.
• Chen Qingdu, Zuo, and numerous Sword Immortals gathered on the wall as the storm was driven back, and Chen Qingdu remarked on the many newcomers.

Fourteen ancient Great Demons gathered before the Sword Qi Great Wall and demanded the defenders’ surrender, while Chen Qingdu and the gray-robed old man renewed their ten-thousand-year feud. Chen Ping'an answered a child Great Demon’s challenge in Ning Yao’s place, and the chapter ended as he prepared to attack.

• Gao Kui told Yuan Qingshu that fourteen legendary Great Demons had assembled, while Chen Qingdu reflected on the old wars and declared that all three sides were due for a conclusion.
• The fourteen Great Demons descended with the gray-robed old man and his young disciple; Chongguang offered the Sword Immortals survival if they held back, and the child threw a dead Great Sword Immortal’s head toward the wall.
• Chen Qingdu and the gray-robed old man traded taunts before the child challenged the wall’s young sword cultivators and demanded a fight against someone under thirty.
• Chen Qingdu summoned the young cultivators, but Chen Ping'an stepped forward in Ning Yao’s place and accepted the challenge.
• The child struck Chen Ping'an after he paused to honor the dead Great Sword Immortal, then threatened to kill him quickly; Chen Ping'an rolled up his sleeves and raised his head with a fierce smile.

Li Zhen trapped Chen Ping'an in a formation of ancient sword intent, then revealed that his talk and scattered treasures had laid the groundwork for a vast array. As Li Zhen prepared heavenly and earthly tribulations and a sword duel, Chen Ping'an stood ready and asked whether that was all.

• Li Zhen taunted Chen Ping'an while the Sword Qi Great Wall's defenders watched, and a Great Demon attacked him with a sword strike from a Sword Nurturing Gourd.
• Zuo blocked the attack, split a summoned white jade hall with one sword strike, and challenged fifteen Great Demons at once with his sword intent.
• Chen Ping'an avoided Li Zhen's cage of sword intent while Li Zhen walked the battlefield, planted treasures, and talked to conceal the formation he was building.
• Li Zhen revealed a hundred-li lightning array powered by his treasures and summoned the sword intent of eighteen Sword Immortals, including Guangzhao.
• Li Zhen prepared an Immortal Weapon, an ancestral talisman, and tribulations before challenging Chen Ping'an to a sword duel, but Chen Ping'an calmly asked, "Is that all?"

Chen Ping'an outmaneuvered Li Zhen’s traps, killed him, and returned to the Sword Qi Great Wall after Chen Qingdu demonstrated a sword stroke against Savage World’s gray-robed elder. Chen Ping'an suffered a severe Realm Drop and lost consciousness as Ning Yao carried him, while a horn announced the start of the siege.

• Li Zhen trapped Chen Ping'an’s Yin God amid the Heaven and Earth Tribulations and attacked his true body with Sword Intent formations and Four Heavenly Kings Dharma Appearances.
• Chen Ping'an endured the attacks, broke through Li Zhen’s Small Worlds, and used Pine Needle, Cough Thunder, and the White Jade Hairpin to conceal and reposition his true body.
• Chen Ping'an struck Li Zhen down with an imitated sword stroke, crushed his head, and destroyed the souls and spirits that remained.
• The gray-robed elder stopped the Great Demons from attacking Chen Ping'an, then accepted Chen Qingdu’s sword stroke on Savage World’s behalf.
• Chen Qingdu taught Chen Ping'an a sword stroke and explained that the boy assembled from Guangzhao’s souls was dead, while the fourteen Great Demons withdrew.
• Ning Yao carried the injured Chen Ping'an back as he suffered a Realm Drop and lost consciousness, and a horn sounded to announce the siege.

After waking from his battle with Li Zhen, Chen Ping'an assessed his injuries, planned how to fight more cautiously, and salvaged treasures from the battlefield. Though still recovering, he finally chose to leave for the Sword Qi Great Wall as hidden Sword Immortals began stirring the Savage World.

• Chen Ping'an woke after three days and three nights, discovered that his damaged acupoints had dropped his cultivation to the second realm, and inspected the depleted Water Mansion and other parts of his Small World.
• Chen Ping'an told Nun Bai he would recover before secretly returning to the wall, and explained that he intended to hide within the larger battlefield while controlling a smaller space around himself.
• Nun Bai recounted how Lüduan, the Dong girl, and Gu Jianlong had spread different stories about Chen Ping'an's fight with Li Zhen, and Chen Ping'an went to record what he remembered about the Savage World's Great Demons.
• Chen Ping'an examined treasures he had collected from the battlefield, including a Daoist Five Thunder Seal, a bronze White Jade Capital pagoda, and a damaged scroll of Sword Immortals.
• Chen Ping'an tried to settle his mind by practicing and carving seals, then took the sword Sword Immortal, sheathed it at his waist, and set off by Talisman Boat for the Sword Qi Great Wall.

The Sword Qi Great Wall fought the first stage of the Savage World’s vast, carefully organized siege, while Chen Ping'an joined the battle in disguise and helped Sword Cultivators across the wall. After guiding Fan Dache and aiding other fighters, Chen Ping'an put on a woman’s face and leapt onto the wall, leaving a Sword Immortal impressed by his courage and thinking he could be a match for Ning Yao.

• Sword Immortals and Sword Cultivators held the wall through rotating attacks as demons swarmed forward and Great Demons tested its defenses.
• Bai Ying observed the battle and the Savage World’s plans, while the gray-robed old man’s pact required its forces and Upper Five Realms cultivators to join the eight-stage siege.
• Chen Ping'an found Ning Yao and her companions fighting, then advised Fan Dache to stop trying to match his friends and instead take safe chances to kill wounded demons.
• Ning Yao’s sword intercepted a Jade Pu Realm demon’s attack aimed at Chen Ping'an, while Sword Immortals answered Great Demon strikes and the three Sages sustained their hidden defenses.
• Chen Ping'an moved along the wall, helping Sword Cultivators and killing demons with his flying swords before disguising himself with a woman’s face to assist a group of young fighters.
• A Sword Immortal watched Chen Ping'an fight and concluded that someone like him could be a match for Ning Yao.

Chen Ping'an helped Fan Dache regain confidence, then left the city wall to recover while Lin Junbi reflected on Cui Dongshan’s lessons about the battlefield and human hearts. At the wine shop, Chen Ping'an remembered his difficult childhood and was reunited with Liu Xianyang, who had arrived at Sword Qi Great Wall.

• Chen Ping'an advised Fan Dache to keep his Dao heart steady, and Fan Dache asked him to keep offering reminders if he struggled; Chen Ping'an agreed and left the wall to heal.
• Ning Yao thanked Fan Dache for his help, and he returned to the battlefield with renewed resolve.
• Lin Junbi reviewed Cui Dongshan’s counsel about killing demons, managing relationships, and understanding people as he discussed the battle with Jin Zhenmeng and Zhu Mei.
• Chen Ping'an visited the wine shop, listened as Tao Ban recounted gossip about him, and quietly considered the complicated motives behind people’s resentment.
• Chen Ping'an remembered his childhood, Liu Xianyang, and the hopes he and Gu Can once shared, then Liu Xianyang arrived and pulled him into an embrace.