Recaps

Shui Qiudie began training at the Dragon Court under Murong Bing, but her first spar exposed that she had never learned to fight. Humiliated and in tears, she fled the arena, while Lin Bai worried that she would leave the Dragon Court and take him with her.

• Murong Bing introduced herself as Shui Qiudie's instructor and ordered Lin Bai and the other guards to wait outside the Martial Arts Arena.
• Murong Bing asked Lu Si'en to test Shui Qiudie's abilities, but Shui Qiudie panicked and fell when Lu Si'en approached with her sword.
• Duan Long rushed in to protect Shui Qiudie and attacked Lu Si'en, but Murong Bing struck him down before his saber could hit her.
• Murong Bing mocked Shui Qiudie for her inability to fight, and the watching martial artists whispered that she had disgraced the Iron Sword Marquis.
• Shui Qiudie ran from the arena in tears, and Lu Yin predicted she would demand to return home, leaving Lin Bai worried he would have to leave the Dragon Court too.

After the Little Princess demanded to return home, Lin Bai and Lu Yin argued with Duan Long over their duties as guards while they waited for Shui Yunmeng to comfort her. Lin Bai then asked Lu Yin how they could leave their guard posts and become true disciples of Dragon Court and Phoenix Pavilion, and Lu Yin revealed that a way existed.

• The Little Princess cried that she wanted to leave Dragon Court and return to the Iron Sword Marquis Estate, prompting Duan Long to order the guards to arrange her departure.
• Lin Bai and Lu Yin refused to act on the Little Princess's behalf, explaining that Dragon Court had to handle her withdrawal and that their duty was to protect her.
• Duan Long defended his decision to intervene at the Martial Arts Arena, saying he would risk his life rather than gamble with the Little Princess's safety.
• Lu Yin told Lin Bai that he was a lieutenant in the Iron Sword Army's Ninth Regiment Scout Battalion.
• Shui Yunmeng arrived, comforted Shui Qiudie, and ordered the guards to protect the Little Princess before leaving Fragrant Mountain.
• Lin Bai asked Lu Yin how they could become true disciples of Dragon Court and Phoenix Pavilion, and Lu Yin confirmed there was a way.

Lu Yin explained the three conditions Lin Bai needed to meet to become a true Dragon Court disciple, while Lin Bai saw little chance of securing the required recommendations. That night, Lin Bai found Shui Qiudie crying on a cliff, defeated her easily in a spar, and urged her to answer humiliation by training until she could overcome those who mocked her.

• Lu Yin told Lin Bai that he needed recommendations from Little Princess and a Dragon Court elder or instructor, followed by a test of his background and talent, to become a disciple.
• Lin Bai worried that his strained relationship with Shui Qiudie and his lack of connections would make the recommendations difficult to obtain.
• At midnight, Lin Bai found Shui Qiudie crying on a cliff and agreed to fight her after suppressing his cultivation to her level.
• Lin Bai dodged Shui Qiudie's attacks until she exhausted herself, then explained that strength came from training and experience.
• Shui Qiudie asked what Lin Bai would do after suffering humiliation, and he said he would train until he could defeat everyone who mocked him.

Lin Bai told Lu Yin he intended to become a Dragon Court disciple, despite the assessment’s barriers against people from humble backgrounds. Shui Qiudie chose to stay at the Dust Courtyard and began training, repeatedly getting back up after Lu Si'en knocked her down.

• Lin Bai admitted to Lu Yin that he wanted to become a Dragon Court disciple, and Lu Yin warned him that the Dragon Court made the assessment difficult for candidates of humble origins.
• Shui Qiudie shattered the withdrawal letter Shui Yunmeng brought and declared she would stay and dominate the Dust Courtyard.
• Shui Qiudie went to the Dust Courtyard and asked Instructor Murong Bing to train her, ignoring the martial artists who mocked her.
• Instructor Murong Bing paired Shui Qiudie with Lu Si'en, and Shui Qiudie promised the Iron Sword Marquis Estate would not retaliate against Lu Si'en or her Lineage.
• Lu Si'en repeatedly knocked Shui Qiudie down, but Shui Qiudie kept rising and faced her again.

After Shui Qiudie endured a day of training and repeated defeats, she decided to learn combat skills from Lin Bai and his fellow guards. Lin Bai agreed to teach her in exchange for a recommendation to become a Dragon Court disciple, and Shui Qiudie challenged him to help her defeat Lu Si'en the next day.

• Shui Qiudie kept getting knocked down by Lu Si'en during training but continued fighting until Murong Bing ended the session.
• Lin Bai collected healing pills and arranged for Shui Qiudie's maids to treat her injuries.
• That night, Shui Qiudie summoned the guards and announced that she wanted them to teach her their fighting skills.
• Lin Bai described his three abilities: defeating opponents, fighting and killing on the battlefield, and escaping certain death.
• Shui Qiudie chose to learn all three abilities from Lin Bai, who demanded a letter of recommendation to become a Dragon Court disciple in return.
• Shui Qiudie agreed to recommend Lin Bai if he could teach her to defeat Lu Si'en the next day.

Shui Qiudie defeated Lu Si'en after Lin Bai had taught her how to counter Lu Si'en’s sword technique, provoking Murong Bing’s suspicions and anger. Lin Bai challenged Murong Bing over her treatment of the Little Princess, and the confrontation ended with Murong Bing threatening him with her superior cultivation.

• Shui Qiudie used a weakness Lin Bai had taught her to evade Lu Si'en’s sword technique and knock her down with a bloody punch.
• Murong Bing questioned Shui Qiudie about her sudden improvement and threatened to take her to the Dust Courtyard's Hall of Law Enforcement.
• Lin Bai admitted he had taught Shui Qiudie and urged her to ignore the gathered martial artists’ cold remarks.
• Lin Bai challenged Murong Bing over her apparent bias against Shui Qiudie, and Murong Bing unleashed her seventh-level Apex Realm pressure against him.
• Lin Bai mocked Murong Bing and provoked her to prove she could defeat him without relying on her instructor’s authority.

Lin Bai confronted Murong Bing over her treatment of Shui Qiudie, and Shui Yunmeng arrived to accuse Murong Bing of deliberately targeting her sister. Shui Yunmeng demanded that Murong Bing resign and leave Dragon Court, while Murong Bing was left seething with resentment.

• Lin Bai challenged Murong Bing in the Martial Arts Arena, accusing her of neglecting Shui Qiudie and failing as an instructor.
• Murong Bing attacked Lin Bai, but their sword intents collided without her being able to overpower him.
• Shui Yunmeng arrived, praised Lin Bai, and confronted Murong Bing over arranging to take charge of Shui Qiudie and mistreating her.
• Shui Yunmeng threatened Murong Bing with evidence that could doom the Murong clan, then ordered her to resign and leave Dragon Court.
• Shui Yunmeng left with Shui Qiudie and Lin Bai, while Murong Bing vowed that Dragon Court could not have both of them.

Shui Yunmeng explained Murong Bing’s grudge against her and learned how Lin Bai had earned Shui Qiudie’s resentment and recommendation. She agreed to help Lin Bai enter the Dragon Court, but left him waiting to hear her condition.

• Shui Yunmeng told Shui Qiudie that Murong Bing had targeted her out of jealousy and promised to arrange a new instructor for her.
• Shui Qiudie described her conflict with Lin Bai, and Shui Yunmeng concluded that he had been justified in speaking up after Shui Qiudie bullied someone’s wife.
• Shui Qiudie revealed that Sword Envoy Dan Xiaonan had recommended Lin Bai, prompting Shui Yunmeng to suspect the Hanging Sword Bureau had a purpose for sending him to the Dragon Court.
• Shui Yunmeng told Shui Qiudie to give Lin Bai the recommendation letter she had promised, noting that he would still need an instructor’s or elder’s recommendation.
• After Shui Yunmeng left the hall, she summoned Lin Bai and offered to provide the additional recommendation he needed, but said she had a condition.

Shui Yunmeng offered Lin Bai a letter of recommendation for Dragon Court in exchange for his service to the Iron Sword Marquis Estate and training her younger sister, Shui Qiudie. After Lin Bai explained that his deadly skills came from surviving life-and-death battles, Shui Yunmeng revised her demand: he had to help Shui Qiudie win her arena at the Dust Courtyard competition next month.

• Shui Yunmeng explained the value of a Dragon Court recommendation and asked Lin Bai to accept two conditions in exchange for one.
• Lin Bai agreed to help the Iron Sword Marquis Estate if it ever faced disaster and to join its Iron Sword Army as a Commandant if he later wanted military training.
• Shui Yunmeng asked Lin Bai to teach Shui Qiudie his skills for defeating enemies, fighting on battlefields, and escaping certain death.
• Lin Bai refused to teach Shui Qiudie those skills because they required enduring lethal battles, and Shui Yunmeng decided not to expose her sister to that danger.
• Shui Yunmeng changed her demand: Lin Bai had to train Shui Qiudie to win the first-stage Yang God Realm arena at the Dust Courtyard competition at the beginning of next month.

Lin Bai searched for a way to help Shui Qiudie win the upcoming contest despite her weak foundation, then began observing the first-level Yang God Realm warriors in the Dust Courtyard. By the chapter’s end, he had studied several potential opponents, including Wan Shaohua and Wu Sheng, without revealing his plan.

• Shui Yunmeng told Lin Bai that Shui Qiudie would train under his arrangements for the next twenty-odd days and promised him two recommendation letters if Shui Qiudie won the contest.
• Lin Bai concluded that Shui Qiudie could not improve enough through ordinary cultivation and decided to approach the challenge from another angle.
• Shui Qiudie began training under Yi Sun, a highly respected and formidable instructor, and showed greater diligence than before.
• Lin Bai spent each day watching the first-level Yang God Realm warriors in the Martial Arts Arena instead of focusing on Shui Qiudie.
• Lu Yin identified Wan Shaohua and Wu Sheng for Lin Bai, describing their backgrounds and abilities, while Lin Bai continued surveying the other warriors.

Lin Bai began studying the outstanding disciples in Dust Courtyard, then trained Shui Qiudie on Mount Xiang by testing her reactions and teaching her to hide her strength and openings. He ended their spar with an overwhelming sword display that left Shui Qiudie convinced she had been bullied.

• Lin Bai used Lu Yin's knowledge to identify and memorize the outstanding disciples in Dust Courtyard.
• Lin Bai reminded Shui Qiudie of the Grand Princess's instructions and led her to the cliffside to practice reaction speed.
• Lin Bai suppressed his cultivation to the peak of the Yin Saint Realm and struck Shui Qiudie with a branch whenever she attacked carelessly.
• Shui Qiudie launched a flurry of punches, but Lin Bai pierced through them with the branch and sent her flying.
• Lin Bai displayed a sword strike that Shui Qiudie could not withstand, then made the sword shadows vanish before they harmed her.
• Shui Qiudie tearfully accused Lin Bai of bullying her by using his powerful sword art.

Lin Bai and Yi Sun trained Shui Qiudie for half a month, improving her combat judgment before the Dust Courtyard tournament. On tournament day, Iron Sword Marquis arrived at Dragon Court and encountered Wude Marquis, who praised his son Wu Sheng.

• Lin Bai repeatedly tested Shui Qiudie with a sword technique until she learned to evade its attacks and broke his branch with a punch.
• Lin Bai taught Shui Qiudie to account for an opponent's retreat, then sent her to rest before training at Dust Courtyard.
• For half a month, Yi Sun trained Shui Qiudie by day and Lin Bai practiced combat against varied weapons and techniques with her at night.
• Shui Qiudie returned from the Martial Arts Arena before the tournament and questioned Lin Bai about skipping their final night of training, but he told her to rest.
• Iron Sword Marquis arrived at Dragon Court for the Dust Courtyard tournament, where Wude Marquis praised his ninth son, Wu Sheng.

Iron Sword Marquis and Wude Marquis attended the Dust Courtyard's minor competition to support Shui Qiudie and Wu Sheng, who both planned to compete in the first-level Yang God Realm arena. As Shui Qiudie prepared for the contest, Lin Bai told Shui Yunmeng he was completely confident.

• Iron Sword Marquis and Wude Marquis arrived at the Dust Courtyard and learned that Shui Qiudie and Wu Sheng would both compete in the minor competition.
• Wu Sheng assured Wude Marquis that Shui Qiudie posed no threat and promised to become the arena's final overlord.
• Iron Sword Marquis welcomed Shui Yunmeng and Shui Qiudie, then told Shui Qiudie to focus on the experience rather than winning a ranking.
• Shui Yunmeng approached Lin Bai, who confidently said he had ten chances out of ten.

Dust Courtyard’s minor competition began with Wu Sheng and Shui Qiudie competing in the first-level Yang God Realm matches. Shui Qiudie defeated Meng You using a tactic Lin Bai had taught her, leaving her father and sister impressed.

• The courtyard master welcomed Wude Marquis and Iron Sword Marquis, and an elder announced the competition rules.
• Wu Sheng defeated Su Hao with a punch, earning praise from Wude Marquis and Iron Sword Marquis.
• Shui Qiudie charged at Meng You while appearing to leave openings, then used her speed and strength to knock him off the platform.
• Shui Qiudie told Meng You that the openings had been deliberate and credited Lin Bai’s lesson with helping her win.
• Iron Sword Marquis and Shui Yunmeng praised Shui Qiudie, who acknowledged that Lin Bai’s advice had been useful.

Shui Qiudie fought her way into the Dust Courtyard tournament finals, astonishing the crowd and drawing the attention of Shui Yunmeng, Iron Sword Marquis, and Lin Bai. After the draw paired her against Wan Shaohua, she faced the first decisive battle with Lin Bai confident she would win the tournament.

• Shui Qiudie defeated Meng You with one punch, while Wu Sheng dismissed her victory and remained confident in his own strength.
• Wu Sheng and Shui Qiudie defeated opponent after opponent and advanced to the finals alongside Wan Shaohua and Dai Ming.
• Iron Sword Marquis teased Shui Yunmeng about her interest in Lin Bai, and she insisted she would arrange her own affairs.
• Shui Yunmeng asked Lin Bai who Shui Qiudie should face, and Lin Bai declared that Wu Sheng, Wan Shaohua, and Dai Ming were all no match for her.
• The finalists drew lots, pairing Shui Qiudie against Wan Shaohua and Wu Sheng against Dai Ming.
• Wan Shaohua summoned his sword and unleashed a surge of sword intent as Shui Qiudie prepared to fight him.

Shui Qiudie defeated Wan Shaohua and Wu Sheng in the martial contest’s decisive battles, astonishing the audience with how easily she exposed their attacks. The chapter ended with the Dean of Dust Courtyard wondering how she had found their weaknesses.

• Wan Shaohua used his Thousand Raindrops sword technique against Shui Qiudie, but she dodged his attack and struck his armpit, leaving him unable to continue.
• Shui Qiudie accepted Wan Shaohua’s concession and left the arena, while Iron Sword Marquis and Shui Yunmeng wondered at her sudden strength.
• Wu Sheng defeated Dai Ming and joined Shui Qiudie in the decisive fight for first place.
• Wu Sheng charged with his strongest fist technique, but Shui Qiudie redirected his fist and punched him in the face, knocking him unconscious beneath the arena.
• Wude Marquis rushed to Wu Sheng and glared resentfully at Shui Qiudie, while the Dean of Dust Courtyard wondered how she had identified their weaknesses.

Shui Qiudie won the first-level Yang God Realm arena, and Iron Sword Marquis learned that an unknown person had secretly taught her ruthless techniques. At a celebration feast, Shui Yunmeng gave Lin Bai the recommendation letters he had requested, and he faced her question about how he had helped Shui Qiudie win.

• Iron Sword Marquis checked that Wu Sheng was alive after Shui Qiudie defeated him, while Wude Marquis carried his son away in anger.
• The dean of Dust Courtyard announced Shui Qiudie as the arena winner, and Iron Sword Marquis arranged a celebration feast for the competitors and outstanding disciples.
• Yi Sun told Iron Sword Marquis that Shui Qiudie's vicious fighting style came from another, unknown teacher, and Iron Sword Marquis asked him to continue guiding her.
• Shui Yunmeng hosted the feast at Qing Yun Pavilion, where Iron Sword Marquis congratulated the successful martial artists before leaving.
• Shui Yunmeng gave Lin Bai recommendation letters signed by herself and Shui Qiudie for entry into the Dragon Court, then asked him how he had helped Shui Qiudie.

Lin Bai explained how he had helped Shui Qiudie win the arena championship by teaching her to exploit her opponents’ weaknesses, then joined the Dragon Court disciples on a visit to Badlands Prefecture. There, he heard that the Sword Alliance now controlled the region and that its leader was called the Night Emperor.

• Lin Bai told Shui Yunmeng that he had studied the other contenders’ martial techniques and guided Shui Qiudie in finding ways to defeat them.
• Shui Yunmeng invited Lin Bai to join the Iron Sword Army, but he refused, and she reminded him to protect Shui Qiudie that night.
• Wan Shaohua proposed visiting Erotic Moon City to hear the qin master Hong Ji perform, and Shui Qiudie and the others agreed to go.
• The Dragon Court disciples arrived at Incline City Tower, where an attendant said Hong Ji would perform Spring River by Night later that evening.
• Lu Yin told Lin Bai that the Sword Alliance had destroyed the Crimson Alliance and Black Alliance and that its leader was known as the Night Emperor.

Lin Bai discovered that Hong Ji, the celebrated zither player at Incline City Tower, was his friend Hong Su, who had returned to the Divine Capital under a new name. Their reunion was interrupted when Bai Xiao, the Grand Tutor’s powerful and pampered son, demanded that Hong Su perform for him alone.

• Lin Bai questioned Lu Yin’s unusually detailed knowledge of Badlands Prefecture, and Lu Yin said the Sword Alliance would face retaliation from the Right Prime Minister’s Residence and the Imperial General.
• Hong Ji arrived at Incline City Tower, and Lin Bai recognized her as Hong Su, the friend he had believed left the Divine Capital.
• Shui Qiudie recognized Hong Su and disparaged her, while Lin Bai defended her by saying she only performed art and did not sell herself.
• Bai Xiao demanded that Hong Su come to his room and play for him alone, rejecting the manager’s explanation that a private performance would be auctioned.
• Guests identified Bai Xiao as the Grand Tutor’s only son, a favored companion of the Crown Prince whose father was a Quasi-Dao Realm powerhouse.

At Incline City Tower, Bai Xiao claimed Hong Ji’s performance for himself, prompting Lin Bai to secretly assume his Night Emperor identity. Lin Bai confronted the tower’s steward about Hong Ji and demanded to know what had been discussed in Bai Xiao’s room.

• Lu Yin explained that Bai Xiao was protected by the Crown Prince and his father, Grand Tutor Bai Ye, and warned that Hong Ji was unlikely to escape his attention.
• The Incline City Tower steward canceled Hong Ji’s public performance and sent her to perform privately for Bai Xiao.
• Wan Shaohua led the Dragon Court group toward Erotic Moon City to go boating on the Flower River, while Shui Qiudie warned Lin Bai not to provoke Bai Xiao and sent him to buy wine.
• Lin Bai changed into a black robe and put on the Rose Mask, then ordered the tower’s steward, He Zimo, to meet him.
• Lin Bai questioned He Zimo about Hong Ji and demanded to know what had been discussed in Bai Xiao’s room; He Zimo said he could find out.

He Zimo carried out Si Ce’s plan to stage an assassination of Bai Xiao and blame Sword Lake, while Mu Ye and his companions toured Flower River. The attack left Bai Xiao seriously wounded, and rumors quickly spread that Sword Lake remnants were responsible.

• After Lin Bai left Incline City Tower, He Zimo reported Mu Ye’s visit to Si Ce, who ordered him to stage an attack on Bai Xiao and eliminate the assassins if they survived.
• Si Ce learned that Mu Ye was named Mu Ye, came from Beiliang Prefecture, and had entered the Divine Capital with his wife, Mu Hongyi.
• White Crane told Si Ce that Mu Ye had ordered the Twelve Crows and the Martial Hall and Sword Hall to prepare for battle.
• When Hong Su entered Bai Xiao’s private room, more than a dozen black-clad sword cultivators rushed in and attacked Bai Xiao.
• As Lin Bai and Shui Qiudie’s group traveled along Flower River, they heard that Bai Xiao had been seriously wounded and learned that people suspected Sword Lake remnants.

Lin Bai learned that Sword Lake disciples were pursuing Bai Xiao after the Sword Alliance’s first assassins failed to kill him. He ordered Si Ce to rescue Bai Xiao while arranging for the pursuit to leave him desperate and Si Ce badly injured, setting up Si Ce’s entry into the imperial court.

• Lin Bai received White Crane’s report that Si Ce had arranged the first attack on Bai Xiao, while a separate group of Sword Lake disciples also pursued him.
• The blue-robed Sword Lake woman and her fellow disciples attacked Bai Xiao’s hidden guards, forcing him to flee through the crowd.
• White Crane told Lin Bai that the second assassins were twelve Apex Realm swordsmen unaffiliated with the Sword Alliance, and Lin Bai ordered Pigeon Hall to investigate.
• Lin Bai ordered Si Ce to rescue Bai Xiao while Sword Alliance disciples slowed the assassins without stopping them, and Ye Liang and Liu Dao were to injure Si Ce if needed.
• Lin Bai told Si Ce to prepare to enter the imperial court.

Sword Alliance martial artists intervened in the black-clad woman's attempt to kill Bai Xiao, secretly directing his escape through a prepared passage. Si Ce and then Ye Liang and Liu Dao confronted the woman, while Si Ce helped Bai Xiao flee; the woman remained facing Ye Liang and Liu Dao.

• Sword Alliance disciples helped Bai Xiao escape through a passage as the black-clad woman pursued him.
• The Sword Alliance leader let the woman follow Bai Xiao through the passage, in accordance with orders from the Sword Hall.
• Si Ce appeared in the alley and fought the black-clad woman to protect Bai Xiao, but she defeated him and wounded him severely.
• Ye Liang and Liu Dao stepped in before the woman could kill Si Ce, and Ye Liang declared that she must come to the Sword Alliance.
• Si Ce helped Bai Xiao escape from the alley while Ye Liang and Liu Dao faced the black-clad woman.

Lin Bai learned that Si Ce and Bai Xiao had escaped safely, then returned to Incline City Tower and confronted Hong Su about staying there. Hong Su revealed that Ye Qingxue and Sword Lake remnants had attempted to assassinate Bai Xiao, leaving Lin Bai with a lead on their plans in the Divine Capital.

• Liu Dao wounded Ye Qingxue and drove her off after she attacked Si Ce and Bai Xiao, who escaped together.
• Lin Bai received confirmation that the escape had gone smoothly, while Ye Liang and Liu Dao returned to report to the Night Emperor.
• At dawn, Shui Qiudie and the Dragon Court group departed, and Lin Bai went to Incline City Tower to summon He Zimo and Hong Su.
• Lin Bai questioned Hong Su about remaining in the pleasure quarter and told her that one group of assassins had been sent by him, while another had truly intended to kill Bai Xiao.
• Hong Su identified the second group as Sword Lake remnants led by Ye Qingxue, the former sect master's daughter, who had come to the Divine Capital to target influential figures.

Lin Bai urged Hong Su to leave Badlands Prefecture rather than remain a musician in its pleasure quarters, but she refused to accept his help as anything more than friendship. After Lin Bai departed, Zhao Yue appeared with Ye Suxin’s face and offered to make Hong Su the Zither Dao Immortal.

• Hong Su told Lin Bai that the assassins with exceptional swordsmanship were likely remnants of Sword Lake, and Lin Bai said Pigeon Hall would investigate.
• Lin Bai offered Hong Su a house in Dongjia Alley and told her to leave the pleasure quarters, but she insisted that she wanted to help him.
• Hong Su asked whether Lin Bai would still be her friend if Ye Suxin did not exist, and Lin Bai said they would still be friends.
• Lin Bai left Incline City Tower after telling White Crane to handle matters there and headed for Dragon Court.
• Zhao Yue appeared before Hong Su wearing Ye Suxin’s face and offered to make Hong Su famous as the foremost zither master in the realm.