Chapter Summaries

Wei Qing woke after a night of drinking with disciples from several sects, then met Qingcheng's new magistrate and handed over his acting post. He prepared to return to the Imperial City with Jun Wushang, while their new friends urged them to stay.

• Wei Qing woke in Star Cloud Tower among the drunken disciples and recalled that their drinking contest had turned into a martial demonstration.
• A Fu told Wei Qing that Constable Zhu was waiting, and Zhu Huan informed him that the newly appointed magistrate wanted to meet him.
• Wei Qing met Du Ziteng, relinquished his acting magistrate duties, and said he would return to the Imperial City to report to the Heavenly Realm Division.
• Wei Qing returned to the inn as Jun Wushang argued with Liu Yulong over a recording of his drunken saber demonstration.
• Wei Qing told Jun Wushang and the others that Qingcheng's new magistrate had arrived and they would return to the Imperial City, despite their friends asking them to stay.

Wei Qing set out for the capital with Jun Wushang and Zhang Xue, while news of his feats in the Black Mist Wasteland reached the Heavenly Realm Division. The division’s leaders decided to accelerate his selection and devote resources to helping him mature.

• Wei Qing departed for the capital with Jun Wushang and Zhang Xue, as Qin Shuang and the others resolved to train harder.
• Zhou Kai told Zhou Cang that Wei Qing had frightened off a Fifth Rank expert and comprehended an esoteric meaning, then worried that Wei Qing might have to face the Third Prince over Wei Lin.
• Su Henian received a Class A report from Qingcheng detailing Wei Qing’s strength, his two esoteric meanings, and his rescue of disciples in the Black Mist Wasteland.
• Xie Yun, Shen Hanbing, Lin Wantang, and Su Henian praised Wei Qing and discussed his potential to reach a place where they had once fought.
• Nangong Yu agreed to begin Wei Qing’s selection ahead of schedule and direct Heavenly Realm Division resources toward him when he returned.

Yan Lingyun reached Xia Manor and told Yan Qingqing that Wei Qing and the Heavenly Realm Division had destroyed the Yan Family. Xia Shaoyuan and Xia Wentian plotted to kill Wei Qing and sent Xia Shaoyuan to the Imperial City with the Shadow Squad, while advising him to seek help from Consort Xia if needed.

• Yan Lingyun arrived at Xia Manor badly injured, and Haitang recognized him and helped him inside after the gatekeepers had mocked him.
• Yan Qingqing learned that Wei Qing and the Heavenly Realm Division had wiped out the Yan Family and ordered Haitang to summon Xia Shaoyuan.
• Xia Shaoyuan comforted Yan Qingqing and promised to avenge the Yan Family, then learned that Wei Qing had returned to the capital.
• Xia Shaoyuan told Xia Wentian that Wei Qing had to be eliminated to protect the Xia Family.
• Xia Wentian ordered a death warrior to lead the Shadow Squad and accompany Xia Shaoyuan to the Imperial City, telling him to seek help from Consort Xia if necessary.

Wei Qing and his companions stopped in Ping'an County before continuing to the Imperial City. At the city gates, Jun Wushang intervened when Xia Yiran tried to force Su Lie into servitude, and he stood his ground after she invoked her family connections.

• Zhao Dezhu hurried to the inn to greet Wei Qing and his companions, then left after Wei Qing said they needed no assistance.
• Wei Qing paid the inn bill despite Zhao Dezhu having covered it, rewarded the attendant, and rode toward the Imperial City with his companions.
• At the city gates, Xia Yiran offered Su Lie five taels for his sale as a servant, but Su Lie insisted on twenty taels to buy his father a good coffin.
• When Xia Yiran ordered her servants to drag Su Lie away, Jun Wushang stepped in and warned that forcible abduction violated Great Zhou law.
• Xia Yiran identified herself as Consort Xia's niece and the eldest daughter of the Xia family, but Jun Wushang declared that the Heavenly Mirror Division would arrest her if she committed a crime.

Wei Qing intervened when Xia Yiran and her servants tried to abduct Su Lie, then invoked the Great Zhou law to force her to back down. After Xia Family Steward Wen Liang brokered an apology and a settlement, Wei Qing accepted peace while suspecting that news of his exploits had leaked from the Heavenly Mirror Division.

• Xia Yiran dismissed Wei Qing’s warning, and Wei Qing cut off the hand of a servant who threatened him.
• Wei Qing confronted Xia Yiran with her abuses of the law and warned that her imperial-relative status did not exempt her from punishment.
• Wen Liang apologized on Xia Yiran’s behalf and gave Su Lie one hundred taels, which Su Lie initially refused.
• Wen Liang revealed that Wei Qing’s name and his feat in Qingcheng were widely known, making Wei Qing suspect a spy inside the Heavenly Mirror Division.
• Wei Qing accepted Wen Liang’s invitation to settle the dispute, while Xia Yiran gave Wei Qing a vicious look as she left.
• Jun Wushang questioned Wei Qing’s strange-sounding invitation, but Wei Qing called it normal.

Wei Qing, Jun Wushang, and Zhang Xue returned to the capital after helping Su Lie, where they reunited with Li Wen and learned that Wei Lin and Liu Ru had allied themselves with the Third Prince. The chapter ended with two black-robed figures playing chess in a secret chamber as one called out, “Slay the Dragon!”

• Su Lie thanked Wei Qing and Jun Wushang for rescuing him, then left to buy his father's coffin and promised to join them after the burial.
• Xia Yiran vowed to repay Wei Qing and Jun Wushang for humiliating her, while Wen Liang reflected on the Xia family's decline.
• Wei Qing, Jun Wushang, and Zhang Xue returned to the capital, where Li Wen gave Zhang Xue rouge and invited them to a welcoming banquet.
• Liu Ru praised Wei Lin for winning the Third Prince's favor, and Wei Lin panicked when a servant reported that Wei Qing had returned.
• Liu Ru told the servant to inform the master of Wei Qing's return, while two black-robed figures played chess in a secret chamber and one called, “Slay the Dragon!”

After returning from Qingcheng, Wei Qing and Jun Wushang met Zhou Cang and were summoned before the Heavenly Mirror Division’s leaders, who promoted them and set three-month training goals. Wei Qing also learned there was still no news about his father, while Nangong Yu assured him that fighting was permitted as long as he obeyed the law.

• Zhou Cang praised Wei Qing and Jun Wushang, recalled how Zhang Xue’s mother had once saved him and Wei Qing’s father, and offered Zhang Xue his help.
• A duty Garrison Commander summoned Wei Qing and Jun Wushang to meet Nangong Yu and the other senior officials.
• Nangong Yu promoted Wei Qing to Earth Grade Garrison Commander and promised him a mysterious reward if he reached the sixth-grade realm within three months.
• Nangong Yu promoted Jun Wushang to Imperial-rank Garrison Commander and offered him a share of the same reward if he reached the sixth grade.
• Nangong Yu told Wei Qing that Dantai had not yet reported news of his father and said fighting was allowed as long as the law was not broken.
• After Wei Qing and Jun Wushang left, the officials praised Wei Qing’s composure and foundation, while Shen Hanbing and Xie Yun bickered about sparring.

Wei Qing and Jun Wushang collected their new ranks, pills, residence key, and cultivation methods from the Fate Pavilion and Library Pavilion. As they headed to settle into the new home, Zhang Xue nervously wondered whether Aunt Liu would like her.

• Wei Qing and Jun Wushang exchanged their old waist plaques for new ones, received pills and a residence key from Chen Kang, and collected bookmarks for the Library Pavilion.
• Wei Qing and Jun Wushang entered the Library Pavilion, where its mysterious old guardian watched them with interest.
• Wei Qing chose the Six Heavenly Thunder Styles and two beginner Earth Grade methods for Jun Wushang and Zhang Xue, while Jun Wushang chose the Spiral Art.
• Wei Qing handed the residence key to Jun Wushang and told him to move in with Aunt Liu.
• Zhang Xue worried that Aunt Liu might not like her, and Jun Wushang teased her about meeting her mother-in-law until she pinched his ear.

Wei Qing returned to Wei Manor with Jun Wushang and Li Wen and confronted Wei Zheng and Liu Ru, who had spent the night waiting to demand his treasures. After asserting his legal ownership of the estate, he ordered them to leave and suggested they sleep in the street.

• Madam Liu and Zhang Xue reunited, then Wei Qing and his companions shared a meal at Tianxiang Tower.
• Wei Zheng complained that Wei Qing had not returned to the manor, and Liu Ru urged him to claim Wei Qing's treasures for Wei Lin.
• Wei Qing, Jun Wushang, and Li Wen arrived at Wei Manor, where Wei Zheng scolded Wei Qing and threatened to expel him from the family.
• Wei Qing challenged Wei Zheng's claim to head the household, while Jun Wushang raised the poisoning and Li Wen offered to involve his father in an investigation.
• Wei Qing showed the manor deed and ordered Wei Zheng, Liu Ru, and Wei Lin to leave; Wei Zheng protested, and Wei Qing told him the street would suit them.

Wei Qing refused the Third Prince Zhou Yan’s attempt to intervene in the Wei family dispute, then drove Wei Zheng, Liu Ru, and Wei Lin out of Wei Manor. He suspected Zhou Yan had ties to the demon race and hinted that the conflict was not over.

• Zhou Yan arrived at Wei Manor and praised Wei Qing’s rise to Earth-rank Garrison Commander, while Wei Zheng regretted turning against him and Liu Ru coveted his opportunity.
• Zhou Yan tried to recruit Wei Qing and preserve family ties, but Yun Tianheng warned Wei Qing that Zhou Yan carried the aura of the demon race.
• Wei Qing refused Zhou Yan’s proposal, then rebuked the prince’s eunuch for accusing him of rebellion and declaring the Heavenly Mirror Division loyal only to the emperor.
• Zhou Yan ordered the matter handled according to the law and left, forcing Liu Ru to abandon her appeal for his help.
• Wei Zheng and Liu Ru demanded Wei Qing’s opportunity as they prepared to leave, but Wei Qing and Jun Wushang rejected them and saw the family off.
• Li Wen asked whether they would let Wei Zheng’s family leave without consequence, and Wei Qing replied that the real show had only just begun.