Chapter Summaries

Fang Yuan rejected Shen Qingwan’s offer to cooperate and led his convoy toward the South Gate, where powerful fighters were blocking escape attempts. He charged into the fog to clear a path for the others as more convoys gathered behind them.

• Shen Qingwan asked Fang Yuan to work with her, but he refused and left after sensing people approaching through the fog.
• Fang Yuan reunited with Foolish Egg and Eunuch Cao, identified the approaching carriages as belonging to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, and stopped the convoy near the South Gate.
• A burly fighter announced that escape attempts would be punished, and a wealthy man from the Zhou family was thrown into the street, dead.
• Fang Yuan told Han Bao to stay close, then rushed into the fog to break through the blockade while Foolish Egg drove the carriage after him.
• Zhao Si followed Fang Yuan’s convoy and reflected that Fang Yuan had killed numerous fourth-rank martial artists on the way to the South Gate.

As Fang Yuan fought through the south gate’s military formation, Shen Qingwan and Li Qingwu chose to follow him while the other factions hesitated. Fang Yuan watched the surviving soldiers reform their ranks and realized how formidable the enemy troops were.

• Shen Qingwan identified Fang Yuan as the man leading the Cao Mansion’s convoy, and the gathered factions decided to wait rather than help him.
• Shen Qingwan left with her three carriages to follow Fang Yuan toward the south gate.
• Li Qingwu told the Five Tiger Sect’s sect master that she would fight for a chance to survive, then followed Fang Yuan into the mist.
• The other factions reconsidered their doubts about Shen Qingwan’s decision, suspecting she had a reason to trust Fang Yuan.
• Fang Yuan watched the soldiers rebuild their formation and recognized them as elite troops who showed no fear of death.

Fang Yuan broke through the South Gate and helped Han Bao and the others escape, but stayed behind to face the fifth-rank General Shen Rang. Shen Rang attacked with the Great Dragon Spear as Cheng Yi warned him that Fang Yuan might have hidden tricks.

• Fang Yuan shattered the defenders’ formation, then urged Han Bao and the others to flee through the South Gate.
• After the group passed through the opened gates, riders from within the city pursued them, and Fang Yuan stayed behind to hold them off.
• Shen Rang arrived with Cheng Yi and confronted Fang Yuan over the Vanguard Battalion’s defeat at the Cao Mansion.
• Cheng Yi sensed the Divine Book on Fang Yuan, and Fang Yuan realized the booklet Xiaocui had given him might be connected to the black calamity.
• Shen Rang charged Fang Yuan with the Great Dragon Spear as the soldiers expected the attack to finish him.

Fang Yuan fought off Shen Rang at Wushui Commandery’s gate and escaped south with Qian Duoduo and the others. As dawn came, he realized the Ghost Willow had grown from stories about his deeds, while the group faced the loss of Li Suxin and the choice of where to go next.

• Fang Yuan blocked Shen Rang’s fifth-rank spear strike with Six Harmonies Defense, then wounded him with a swift saber attack.
• Fang Yuan withdrew as rebel soldiers approached, and Shen Rang stopped his troops from pursuing him.
• Qian Duoduo told Fang Yuan that Li Suxin had not escaped Wushui Commandery.
• Fang Yuan sensed that the Ghost Willow had grown as his story spread among the rebel soldiers.
• Liu Wanwan offered Fang Yuan dry rations, and Han Bao asked whether they should continue south toward Azure Province.

Fang Yuan chose to take the survivors to Capital City rather than report to Jiangyang Dao, and Eunuch Cao agreed to help him reach the capital. As the group continued south, Shen Qingwan, Li Qingwu, and Li Suxin appeared behind them, and Fang Yuan left them to catch up.

• Han Bao asked which road the group would take, and Eunuch Cao explained that the Imperial Court would not take responsibility for Wushui Commandery's fall.
• Fang Yuan said they should go to Capital City to report what happened, and Eunuch Cao agreed to stake his reputation on getting them there.
• Qian Duoduo offered to use his family's connections in Capital City to help the group survive.
• Fang Yuan spotted Shen Qingwan, Li Qingwu, and Li Suxin approaching from behind, but refused to wait for them.
• Fang Yuan led the group south toward Capital City as the Ghost Willow gained several points of light.