Chapter Summaries

After helping defeat Old Monster Xuanming, Huang Shaojie advanced to the Minor Accomplishment Stage of Third Rank Grandmaster. Azure Dragon arrived at Peach Blossom Villa, where the officials concealed why they had been there and He Bi realized Huang Shaojie had crippled Old Monster Xuanming.

• Huang Shaojie consoled Lu Changkong about the cold poison from the Xuanming Divine Palm and received fifty years of internal force from the system for crippling Old Monster Xuanming.
• Huang Shaojie broke through to the Minor Accomplishment Stage of Third Rank Grandmaster.
• Azure Dragon crossed the lake to Peach Blossom Island, and Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue greeted him at the villa.
• He Bi arrived with two Imperial Guard Commanders and learned that Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue had investigated the island and exposed Peach Blossom Villa's crimes.
• The officials claimed they had been invited to the villa and that Huang Shaojie had rescued them from Old Monster Xuanming.
• He Bi saw Ouyang Liangliang crippled in the hall and realized Huang Shaojie had defeated him.

After Peach Blossom Villa was raided, Huang Shaojie received the complete Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms and a Thousand-Year Sacred Maiden Fruit. Xiao Qiuyue ate the fruit and broke through the Grandmaster barrier.

• Azure Dragon ordered the officials and Iron Fork Society disciples taken to the Eastern Pacification Office for questioning, while the rescued young women and boys were sent there to give statements before returning home.
• Lu Changkong left to recover from the Xuanming Divine Palm, and Azure Dragon praised Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue for their service.
• The system rewarded Huang Shaojie with the final twelve forms of Dragon Subduing Eighteen Palms and a Thousand-Year Sacred Maiden Fruit.
• Huang Shaojie gave the fruit to Xiao Qiuyue at the inn, claiming he had found it in a cave in Lingnan.
• Xiao Qiuyue consumed the fruit, refined its energy, and broke through the Grandmaster barrier.

After Xiao Qiuyue broke through to the Second Rank Grandmaster realm, Huang Shaojie celebrated with her and taught her the Wind God Leg’s internal cultivation method. Meanwhile, Azure Dragon waited at the Eastern Pacification Office for He Bi to make a move, and He Bi left the hall claiming he needed the latrine.

• Xiao Qiuyue gained 150 years of cultivation from the Thousand-Year Sacred Maiden Fruit and broke through to the Second Rank Grandmaster realm.
• Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue bathed together, and he began teaching her the Wind God Leg’s internal cultivation method.
• Xiao Qiuyue quickly memorized and comprehended the method, then asked Huang Shaojie to buy a residence in the Capital City after the case was settled.
• At the Eastern Pacification Office, officials from Prince Qi’s faction withheld what they knew, while Ouyang Liangliang died under interrogation and the Iron Fork Society disciples revealed little.
• Azure Dragon waited for He Bi to act, and He Bi left the main hall claiming he needed to relieve himself.

He Bi secretly reported Peach Blossom Island’s destruction to Prince Qi, who ordered him to silence Iron Fork Society leader Wang Shang before the Imperial Guard could interrogate him. Azure Dragon followed He Bi to the society’s headquarters, where He Bi asked to see Wang Shang.

• He Bi secretly entered Prince Qi’s Residence while Azure Dragon followed him unseen.
• He Bi told Prince Qi that Azure Dragon had destroyed Peach Blossom Island and taken its surviving disciples and officials for questioning.
• Prince Qi ordered He Bi to recruit Huang Shaojie and to kill Wang Shang before he could reveal their ties.
• Azure Dragon followed He Bi from Prince Qi’s Residence to the Iron Fork Society’s headquarters.
• He Bi asked a Fragrance Master to take him to Wang Shang.

Azure Dragon captured He Bi and Wang Shang after uncovering their roles in the Peach Blossom Island crimes, then announced He Bi’s execution and promoted Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue. He sent three thousand Imperial Guards to raid the Iron Fork Society headquarters, where its elders were still trying to understand Wang Shang’s arrest.

• He Bi warned Wang Shang to flee the Capital City, but Azure Dragon intercepted them and defeated both men with the Might Dragon Divine Palm.
• Azure Dragon captured Wang Shang and He Bi after killing the Iron Fork Society members who attacked him.
• At the Eastern Pacification Office, Azure Dragon publicly accused He Bi of colluding with the Iron Fork Society and murdering Commander Luo, concealing He Bi’s confession that Prince Qi was the mastermind.
• Azure Dragon ordered He Bi’s execution and warned the officers against betrayal.
• Azure Dragon promoted Huang Shaojie to Deputy Commander of a Thousand and Xiao Qiuyue to Commander of a Hundred, then ordered an Imperial Guard raid on the Iron Fork Society headquarters.
• As Commander Zhao led three thousand guards toward the headquarters, the society’s elders discussed rescuing Wang Shang without knowing why Azure Dragon had arrested him.

Commander Zhao and the Imperial Guard surrounded the Iron Fork Society and moved to arrest its officials, disband its disciples, and seize its properties. Huang Shaojie crushed the society’s resistance, and the captured officials were escorted to the Eastern Pacification Office as the remaining disciples fled.

• Elder Jin led the Iron Fork Society elders outside to confront Commander Zhao and learned that Lord Azure Dragon had ordered the society’s officials arrested and its assets seized.
• Commander Zhao accused the society of abducting young people and said Overall Leader Wang Shang had confessed, but Elder Jin and the others disputed the charge.
• Elder Hu attacked Commander Zhao and was killed with one kick.
• Huang Shaojie used Divine Dragon Swings Tail to defeat the elders and branch masters who charged Commander Zhao.
• The Imperial Guard arrested the society’s officials, ordered its disciples to disperse, and began confiscating its properties.
• Commander Zhao escorted the captured officials to the Eastern Pacification Office.

Azure Dragon reported that Prince Qi had orchestrated the abductions and blackmailed officials with the Record of Officials' Depravity, and Ling Xiaotian informed Emperor Xuande. The emperor ordered the case blamed on the Iron Fork Society and summoned Prince Qi, while An Fu arrived to meet Princess Pingyang.

• Azure Dragon told Ling Xiaotian that Prince Qi had abducted young women and used records of officials' debauchery to control them.
• Ling Xiaotian praised Huang Shaojie and reported that he had promoted Huang Shaojie to Deputy Commander of a Thousand and Xiao Qiuyue to Hundred Household Commander.
• Ling Xiaotian informed Emperor Xuande of Prince Qi's scheme, and the emperor ordered him to close the case without exposing Prince Qi.
• Ling Xiaotian said the Iron Fork Society leaders would take the blame, and Emperor Xuande summoned Prince Qi to Qingxiao Palace.
• An Fu arrived at Spring Tranquility Palace to see Princess Pingyang, who stopped playing her zither and dismissed her maids.

Xiang Qingyang learned that Prince Qi had used the Record of Officials' Depravity to ensnare court officials and draw Prince Han's faction toward him. Emperor Xuande reprimanded the officials involved, then kept the record in Qingxiao Palace as leverage over them.

• An Fu told Xiang Qingyang that Ling Xiaotian had secretly reported to Emperor Xuande, who then summoned Prince Qi and ordered him to bring the Record of Officials' Depravity.
• Xiang Qingyang deduced that her Second Imperial Brother had used the Capital City Girls' Disappearance Case and the officials' visit to Peach Blossom Island to trap them, and she decided to visit Fourth Imperial Brother at Prince Han's Estate.
• Emperor Xuande confronted the gathered officials with the Record of Officials' Depravity and warned that the Iron Fork Society had intended to blackmail them and control the court.
• Emperor Xuande spared the officials, docked three months of their salaries, and kept the record in Qingxiao Palace, leaving them fearful that he would use it to control them.

Xiang Qingyang planted suspicions in Xiang Hu’s mind about Xiang Hong’s visit to the Emperor, hoping the princes would turn against each other. Xiao Qiuyue returned to Prince Ning’s Estate, where her family asked about her recent absences and she explained that the Eastern Pacification Office had been investigating the Iron Fork Society.

• Xiang Qingyang told Xiang Hu that Xiang Hong had visited the Emperor twice, carrying a book on his second visit, after which the Emperor reprimanded several officials including Hu Kan.
• Xiang Hu thanked Xiang Qingyang for the information, and she left without confirming whether she would report further news.
• Xiao Qiuyue returned to Prince Ning’s Estate, where Xiang You welcomed her and remarked on her beauty.
• Xiao Qiuyue blushed as she recalled her nights with Huang Shaojie and told Xiang You she had been busy arresting Iron Fork Society members.
• At dinner, Prince Ning asked Xiao Qiuyue why she had not returned for two nights, and she said the Eastern Pacification Office was investigating the disappearance of young girls in the capital.

Prince Ning learned that Huang Shaojie had given Xiao Qiuyue a Thousand-Year Sacred Maiden Fruit, raising her cultivation to Second Rank Grandmaster, and accepted their relationship while urging Shaojie to propose. The chapter ended as a veiled woman entered Sleeping Phoenix Manor and greeted its Princess.

• Xiang You asked Prince Ning to protect Xiao Qiuyue from dangerous Imperial Guard assignments, but Qiuyue and the Princess Consort said Azure Dragon already looked after her.
• Prince Ning discovered that Qiuyue had reached Second Rank Grandmaster and learned that Huang Shaojie gave her a Thousand-Year Sacred Maiden Fruit.
• Prince Ning realized Qiuyue and Shaojie were intimately involved, forgave them, and warned that Shaojie must not wrong her.
• Prince Ning offered to arrange a discounted five-courtyard residence for Shaojie and told Qiuyue to take him to view it in two days.
• A veiled woman entered Sleeping Phoenix Manor, deflected an elder’s attack, and greeted the Princess inside.

Xiang Qingyang learned of Huang Shaojie’s rapid rise in the Imperial Guard and wanted to meet him. Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue took leave to find a home in the Capital City, and they were shown a lavish five-courtyard mansion in Taiyuan Quarter.

• Xiang Qingyang heard how Huang Shaojie had solved several major cases and asked the woman in red to arrange a meeting with him.
• Xiao Qiuyue persuaded Huang Shaojie to request two days’ leave so they could look for a residence, and Azure Dragon approved.
• Huang Shaojie let Xiao Qiuyue choose a quarter, and she brought him to Xinglong Realty in Taiyuan Quarter.
• A broker took Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue to view a newly built five-courtyard mansion in West Water Alley.
• Huang Shaojie marveled at the mansion’s luxurious grounds, which covered thirty to forty mu.

Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue bought a Capital City residence at a steep discount, then went to Six Gates to check on Lu Changkong. They found that Lu Changkong had resigned and returned to a dilapidated home, where Huang Shaojie saw that his injuries still seemed serious.

• Huang Shaojie bought a large residence for fifty thousand taels of silver and hired Xinglong Realty to find twenty trustworthy servants.
• Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue rode to Six Gates to visit Lu Changkong and learned he had resigned to recover from his injuries.
• A Black-Clothed Constable told Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue that Lu Changkong lived in Tonggu Lane in Liuye Quarter.
• Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue found Lu Changkong at a small, dilapidated residence, where he welcomed them inside.
• Huang Shaojie noticed Lu Changkong wore a padded coat in early summer and asked whether his injuries were serious.

Huang Shaojie eased Lu Changkong’s cold poison and invited him to live at his residence, while the Imperial Guard finished confiscating the Iron Fork Society’s wealth. The chapter ended as powerful eunuch Cao Kun arrived at the Imperial Guard Headquarters.

• Huang Shaojie used the Indestructible Vajra Technique to lessen the cold poison in Lu Changkong’s body and promised to treat him again.
• Lu Changkong revealed that his family had been killed three years earlier, and Huang Shaojie invited him to move into his residence.
• Lu Changkong packed his few belongings and moved into Huang Shaojie’s residence with Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue.
• Two days later, Xinglong Realty delivered ten maidservants and ten male servants to Huang Shaojie’s residence.
• Azure Dragon reported that the Iron Fork Society’s assets, worth about 1.8 million taels of silver, had been seized and brought to Imperial Guard Headquarters.
• Cao Kun, Eunuch Director of the Imperial Surveillance Bureau and Chief Eunuch at the Directorate of Ceremonial, entered the headquarters hall.

Ling Xiaotian reported the Iron Fork Society’s confiscated assets to Emperor Xuande after setting aside a share for Cao Kun. Vermilion Bird borrowed Huang Shaojie from Azure Dragon to investigate the suspicious death of Luo Ming and the disappearance of 2.3 million taels of silver.

• Ling Xiaotian promised Cao Kun ten chests of jewels, kept five percent of the seized assets, and submitted an altered inventory to Emperor Xuande.
• Emperor Xuande ordered the jewels and tens of thousands of taels of gold placed in the imperial treasury and the remaining assets sent to the Ministry of Revenue.
• Vermilion Bird persuaded Azure Dragon to lend her Huang Shaojie for up to half a month, and Huang Shaojie agreed to go with her.
• Vermilion Bird told Huang Shaojie to investigate Luo Ming’s death and trace the 2.3 million taels of silver missing from the Ministry of Revenue’s accounts.
• Huang Shaojie read the case file, which said officials had ruled Luo Ming’s hanging a suicide before an audit uncovered the missing silver.

Huang Shaojie investigated the missing 2.3 million taels embezzled by Luo Ming, whose supposed suicide had left Ling Xiaotian suspecting a deeper mystery. After confirming that Luo Ming’s principal wife, Lady Ma, knew nothing about the silver, Huang Shaojie prepared to question Luo Ming’s eldest son.

• Vermilion Bird recruited Huang Shaojie to search for the 2.3 million taels missing from Luo Ming’s accounts and offered him a reward.
• Huang Shaojie questioned why Luo Ming had killed himself before the embezzlement was discovered and decided to investigate his family.
• Huang Shaojie used his Insight Technique to determine that Lady Ma was telling the truth about not knowing where the silver was.
• The Chief Banner brought Luo Ming’s badly wounded eldest son into the interrogation room after Lady Ma pleaded for him not to be tortured.

Huang Shaojie questioned Luo Ming’s sons about the missing 2.3 million taels and found that both seemed genuinely unaware of the alleged embezzlement. He summoned Luo Ming’s concubine, Madam He, and began questioning her.

• Huang Shaojie questioned Luo Wen, who denied knowing about the silver and begged him not to torture Lady Ma.
• Huang Shaojie questioned Luo Wu, who insisted his father had not embezzled the money and accused the Imperial Guard of torturing his family.
• Huang Shaojie used Bone Dislocation and Muscle Severing on Luo Wu, then concluded that Luo Wu also seemed unaware of the silver’s whereabouts.
• Huang Shaojie sent Luo Wu away and ordered the jailers to bring in Madam He.
• Madam He entered the interrogation room, knelt, and looked up at Huang Shaojie.

Huang Shaojie questioned Madam He about the missing 2.3 million taels and began suspecting Ding Cheng'an had framed or murdered Vice Minister Luo. Madam He's account of the night Luo supposedly died led Huang Shaojie to conclude that Luo had likely been murdered, though the killer remained unconfirmed.

• Madam He insisted she did not know where the missing silver was, and Huang Shaojie believed her.
• Huang Shaojie reasoned that Ding Cheng'an had the strongest motive to frame Luo Ming, either to cover up his own embezzlement or to gain power after Luo's death.
• Huang Shaojie asked Madam He to recount the night Luo supposedly committed suicide.
• Madam He said Luo had come to her room after reading, but had been unable to satisfy her before falling asleep, leaving her awake for a while.
• Madam He said she eventually fell asleep and discovered Luo hanging from a beam when she woke at dawn, strengthening Huang Shaojie's suspicion that Luo had not killed himself.

Huang Shaojie investigated Vice Minister Luo’s suspected suicide, exhuming the body and inspecting the room where he died. He confirmed that Luo was murdered by a martial artist who entered through a pried-open window, but found no clue to the killer’s identity.

• Huang Shaojie questioned Madam He about whether the room’s doors or windows had been damaged, then arranged to exhume Luo Ming’s body.
• Huang Shaojie examined Luo Ming’s corpse and found no wounds or poison, but detected terror in the dead man’s eyes, confirming his suspicion of murder.
• Huang Shaojie took Madam He and Imperial Guard officers to the Luo Residence to inspect the scene.
• Huang Shaojie found no footprints on the overturned chair beneath the beam, concluding that the killer had staged Luo Ming’s hanging as a suicide.
• Huang Shaojie found that the killer had pried open a window and concluded that the killer was a martial artist, but uncovered no further clues.
• Huang Shaojie returned Madam He to the Imperial Prison with the officers.

Huang Shaojie investigated Luo Ming’s suspicious death at the Western Pacification Office and began pursuing leads among Luo Ming’s household and Ding Cheng’an. After work, he returned home to Xiao Qiuyue, who remarked that Vermilion Bird had taken a fancy to him.

• Vermilion Bird questioned Huang Shaojie about Luo Ming’s death, supported his investigation, and assigned Commander Lu as his deputy.
• Huang Shaojie reviewed Luo Ming’s dossier, suspected the household servants, and ordered Commander Lu to bring Manor Guard Captain Cheng Qizhong in for questioning.
• Huang Shaojie found Cheng Qizhong’s reaction convincing but had him confined while ordering surveillance of the Luo Residence’s servants.
• Huang Shaojie read Ding Cheng’an’s dossier and decided to visit the Ding Residence that night.
• Huang Shaojie returned to his residence, dined with Xiao Qiuyue, and told her that he was investigating Luo Ming’s case at Vermilion Bird’s request.

Huang Shaojie helped Lu Changkong purge the cold poison, then trained Xiao Qiuyue in the Wind God Leg. Xiao Qiuyue asked when Huang Shaojie would formally seek her hand, and he agreed to do so after the case ended and his parents came from Suzhou.

• Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue visited Lu Changkong, and Huang Shaojie used his inner energy to purge some of Lu Changkong's cold poison.
• Xiao Qiuyue demonstrated Catching Wind and Shadows, and Huang Shaojie began teaching her the second move, Gale Force Grass.
• Huang Shaojie and Xiao Qiuyue bathed together, where Xiao Qiuyue asked when he would visit Prince Ning to ask for her hand.
• Huang Shaojie said he would go after the case ended and his parents arrived from Suzhou so his father could formally arrange the marriage.
• Xiao Qiuyue revealed that Prince Ning had tacitly accepted Huang Shaojie and arranged for Xinglong Realty to sell him the residence cheaply.