Recaps

Lin Bai challenged the Dragon River Prefect and the Hanging Sword Bureau’s fighters before escaping with Dan Xiaonan and setting out to rescue Su Jin. On the way to the Divine Capital, he reunited with Hong Su, then arrived in the capital and entered Badlands Prefecture amid new threats.

• Lin Bai slaughtered the Dragon River Prefect’s Commandants and defeated the Prefect, then waited for Hanging Sword Bureau fighters to arrive.
• Dan Xiaonan, Elder Liang, and Elder Zhou attacked Lin Bai, but he killed both elders, fought the Prefect Guards, and fled with Dan Xiaonan after one of them killed Little Donkey.
• Lin Bai regained control from Xuantong, left Dan Xiaonan under threat of a lethal Sword Pill, and learned that the Hanging Sword Bureau had captured Su Jin after destroying the Zhang Lineage.
• Lin Bai and Dan Xiaonan agreed to travel to the Divine Capital, where she would help him find Su Jin and conceal his actions in Dragon River Prefecture.
• As they crossed Rong King Prefecture, Lin Bai recognized the Thunder Control Tune and intervened when Li Feibai and his men attacked the injured Hong Su.
• Lin Bai killed Li Feibai’s four subordinates and wounded Li Feibai, but Dan Xiaonan beheaded him after he begged for his life.
• Lin Bai, Dan Xiaonan, and Hong Su entered the Divine Capital, where Dan Xiaonan stopped Shui Qiudie’s followers from attacking Lin Bai and Hong Su.
• Dan Xiaonan took Lin Bai and Hong Su to Badlands Prefecture, where they heard that Cold Sword was hiding after assassinating the Prefectural Assistant of Jing'an Prefecture.

Lin Bai and Hong Su settled in Dead Man’s Alley while pursuing the Sword Lake remnants and the truth about Hong Su’s past. After Hong Su confronted Master Ji and Lin Bai destroyed the rival alliances’ forces, both new leaders asked Lin Bai to take command as he learned how officials exploited their businesses.

• Lin Bai and Hong Su repaired their courtyard in Dongjia Alley, adopted cover identities as Mu Ye and Mu Honghua, and learned that Su Jin was imprisoned in the Hanging Sword Bureau.
• Lin Bai visited Su Jin with Dan Xiaonan and learned that joining Dragon Court or Phoenix Pavilion offered a route into the Heavenly Surveillance Bureau.
• Hong Su confronted Master Ji at Spring Breeze Pavilion, learned he had helped expose her adoptive father, and killed him with the Hé Míng Zither.
• Lin Bai drove off Cold Sword, then killed the Crimson and Black Alliance forces that surrounded his courtyard and sought revenge for Mu Lang.
• Lin Bai killed the Black Alliance Leader and appointed Chen Feiying to replace him, then killed the Crimson Alliance Leader and appointed Han Zong.
• Han Zong and Chen Feiying asked Lin Bai to become master of both alliances, while Hong Su accepted Chen Feiying’s Crescent Moon zither.
• Han Zong and Chen Feiying revealed that Quan Guang, Hua Zu, and the Prefectural Assistant profited from the alliances, and Han Zong began listing the Crimson Alliance’s dealings at Lin Bai’s demand.

Lin Bai merged the Crimson Alliance and Black Alliance into the Sword Alliance, brought Badlands Prefecture’s martial artists under his command, and secured his position by removing the former alliance leaders. He then entered the Iron Sword Marquis Estate as Shui Qiudie’s servant and followed her to Dragon Court and Phoenix Pavilion, where she was assigned to Instructor Murong.

• Lin Bai merged the Crimson Alliance and Black Alliance into the Sword Alliance, recruited martial artists through a tournament, and appointed White Crane and other leaders to run its six halls.
• Han Zong and Chen Feiying tried to steal their alliances’ treasuries, but Si Ce and the hall masters caught them and seized the resources.
• Lin Bai halted Han Zong and Chen Feiying’s execution, ordered their cultivation destroyed, and let Si Ce kill them after they were exiled from Divine Capital.
• Dan Xiaonan arranged for Lin Bai to enter Dragon Court and Phoenix Pavilion as Shui Qiudie’s servant, and he faced her attempts to punish him at the Iron Sword Marquis Estate.
• Lin Bai completed Shui Qiudie’s arduous tasks, leading the Iron Sword Marquis to appoint him as her guard and send them to Dragon Court and Phoenix Pavilion.
• At Fragrant Mountain, Lin Bai met Lu Yin and planned to enter the Dragon Court Pavilion’s martial competition to reach the Heavenly Surveillance Bureau.
• Shui Yunmeng ordered Shui Qiudie to report to the Dust Courtyard, where an envoy assigned her to Instructor Murong.

Lin Bai trained Shui Qiudie to win the Dust Courtyard tournament, earning recommendation letters for Dragon Court. In the Divine Capital, his covert operation to attack Bai Xiao collided with a separate effort by Sword Lake remnants, while Hong Su chose to remain close to Lin Bai.

• Murong Bing humiliated Shui Qiudie at the Martial Arts Arena, but Shui Qiudie later chose to stay at Dragon Court and train under her.
• Lin Bai taught Shui Qiudie how to fight, and after she defeated Lu Si'en, he challenged Murong Bing and forced Shui Yunmeng to intervene.
• Shui Yunmeng offered Lin Bai recommendation letters on the condition that he train Shui Qiudie to win the Dust Courtyard tournament, and Shui Qiudie defeated Wu Sheng to take first place.
• Shui Yunmeng gave Lin Bai and Shui Qiudie’s recommendation letters, then Lin Bai recognized Hong Su at Incline City Tower when Bai Xiao demanded a private performance from her.
• Lin Bai, acting as Mu Ye, ordered Si Ce to stage an attack on Bai Xiao, while Sword Lake remnants led by Ye Qingxue also pursued him.
• Si Ce helped Bai Xiao escape but was badly wounded by Ye Qingxue, and Ye Liang and Liu Dao drove her off as Bai Xiao got away.
• Lin Bai learned from Hong Su that Ye Qingxue and the Sword Lake remnants had come to target influential figures, then offered Hong Su a house and promised they would remain friends.
• After Lin Bai left for Dragon Court, Zhao Yue appeared before Hong Su wearing Ye Suxin’s face and offered to make her the foremost zither master in the realm.