Chapter Summaries

Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei entered the imperial secret vault through a hidden passage, with Yan Qing using his Mountain Heart Protecting Mirror to catch her fall. Inside, they found a collection of valuable treasures, but Yan Qing was stumped by a rapidly changing puzzle guarding the first Glazed Terrace.

• Shang Xin Lei opened the plaza entrance to the secret vault, and Yan Qing jumped down before the approaching guards could spot them.
• After learning that her defensive token was shattered, Shang Xin Lei trusted Yan Qing and jumped; his Mountain Heart Protecting Mirror stopped her fall without injury.
• Yan Qing explained how his strengthened mirror absorbed kinetic energy, and the two continued into the vault together.
• Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei opened the golden gate and found sixty-four Glazed Terraces holding valuable tokens, manuals, and treasures.
• Yan Qing tried to open the first terrace, which contained the Secret Skill Book "Super Decomposition," but its Turquoise Slab presented a rapidly changing picture-selection puzzle.

Yan Qing struggled to unlock the secret vault’s cabinet while Shang Xin Lei recovered from her injuries and confessed why she refused to take anything. The chapter left Yan Qing still facing the vault’s CAPTCHA and Shang Xin Lei exposed by her guilt over the failed assassination and its consequences for her family.

• Shang Xin Lei took a Blood Replenishment Pill and rested while Yan Qing returned to the Glazed Terrace and tried to solve its Turquoise Slab CAPTCHA.
• After Yan Qing failed repeatedly, Shang Xin Lei laughed at him, and he urged her to get up and help open the cabinet.
• Shang Xin Lei told Yan Qing she could not take anything from the vault because her failed assassination had brought trouble on her father and the Shang Family.
• Shang Xin Lei explained that Qian Gongyu would remain trapped in Water Moon Pavilion and blamed herself for failing to secure a better future for her family.
• Shang Xin Lei admitted she regretted confiding in Yan Qing, but she had trusted him after he saved her and said he had come for her.

Yan Qing urged Shang Xin Lei to resist Shang Xuanwen and pursue the strength to control her own life, while helping her obtain a healing relic from the Glazed Terrace. As they prepared to prioritize their mission, Yaoshi Yuan and Ying Ru Shi ambushed the injured Shang Xuanwen in Hibiscus Lane.

• Yan Qing told Shang Xin Lei that she should confront her father rather than target the emperor, and encouraged her to become a Third Rank Herald or stronger so she could make her own demands.
• Yan Qing solved the Turquoise Slab’s monster-image verification and retrieved the Green Grass bracelet relic, which eased Shang Xin Lei’s injuries.
• Shang Xin Lei asked Yan Qing to help disrupt a future wedding, then admitted she might lure Shang Xuanwen to them if necessary to keep their mission on track.
• Yan Qing suspected Black Wolf and White Fox had already found Shang Xuanwen and warned that they had come prepared.
• In Hibiscus Lane, Yaoshi Yuan as Black Wolf and Ying Ru Shi as White Fox confronted the burned and injured Shang Xuanwen, who charged at them instead of fleeing.

Shang Xuanwen was ambushed by five Self-Immolators while returning to the Shang residence, and Rat Monk sacrificed himself to save him. Shattered by Rat Monk’s death, Shang Xuanwen fled the attackers and continued along a side path, where he encountered two beauties.

• Shang Xuanwen chose the main road back to the Shang residence, hoping to avoid a prepared trap and calm the city with his presence.
• Four Self-Immolators ambushed Shang Xuanwen and killed four Golden Guard soldiers with blazing chains.
• Rat Monk grabbed Shang Xuanwen from behind, leaving him off balance as the chains closed in; Shang Xuanwen realized someone had betrayed him.
• A fifth Self-Immolator revealed himself, and Rat Monk threw Shang Xuanwen clear before the chains struck him down.
• Shang Xuanwen charged toward the Self-Immolators in grief, but Rat Monk’s dying body seized one attacker and bought him time to escape.
• Shang Xuanwen fled along a familiar side path while restoring his strength with spirit jade, then encountered two beauties beneath the moon.

Yaoshi Yuan and Ying Ru Shi ambushed Shang Xuanwen in Rotten Persimmon Orange Road, intending to steal his Relying on Heaven Sword and kill him. As the fight turned against him, Yaoshi Yuan launched a powerful spear combination that left Shang Xuanwen facing an even more dangerous follow-up.

• Shang Xuanwen realized that Black Wolf and White Fox were thieves from Thieves' Den and that they had prepared to kill him.
• Yaoshi Yuan and Ying Ru Shi coordinated their spear and sword attacks, exploiting Shang Xuanwen's weakened state while struggling to break through his Heart Protecting Mirror defenses.
• Shang Xuanwen used his Deceptive Herald abilities and Adhesive Sword to disrupt their attacks, but the thieves' talent and skill made his usual combat techniques ineffective.
• A whistle signaled the thieves to unleash their hidden techniques, and Yaoshi Yuan began spinning her spear with Whirlwind Lantern to draw Shang Xuanwen toward her.
• Yaoshi Yuan feinted with a powerful thrust, then stopped and reversed her movement to strike Shang Xuanwen with the faster, stronger Dragon Tail Sweep.

Yaoshi Yuan and Ying Ru Shi nearly killed Shang Xuanwen with a coordinated assault, but Qian Gongyu intervened and saved him from the finishing blow. As Qian Gongyu stalled Yaoshi Yuan, she told Shang Xuanwen she had come because he was Xin Lei’s father.

• Yaoshi Yuan used Flow Shift and the Vidyaraja Armor to break Shang Xuanwen’s spear and send him flying, while Ying Ru Shi prepared her Gui Cang Secret Sword.
• Ying Ru Shi struck Shang Xuanwen with the sword’s amplified drawing attack, shattering his Heart Protecting Mirror and badly wounding him.
• Shang Xuanwen faced death and regretted his failures as a husband, father, and friend before hearing a tiger’s roar.
• Qian Gongyu leapt in and knocked Yaoshi Yuan aside, allowing Shang Xuanwen to deflect Ying Ru Shi’s next strike and survive.
• Yaoshi Yuan attacked Qian Gongyu, who evaded her and stalled for time as Shang Xuanwen fought Ying Ru Shi.
• Qian Gongyu told Shang Xuanwen she had come to save him because he was Xin Lei’s father.

Yaoshi Yuan and Ying Ru Shi failed to kill Shang Xuanwen and retreated before reinforcements arrived. After the wounded Prime Minister was surrounded by his people, Qian Gongyu told him that Xin Lei was missing.

• Yaoshi Yuan struck Qian Gongyu aside and warned Ying Ru Shi to retreat from Shang Xuanwen.
• Ying Ru Shi abandoned the attack, and she and Yaoshi Yuan escaped as Shang Xuanwen recovered enough to reform the Sevenfold Mirror.
• Shang Xuanwen checked on Qian Gongyu, took Blood Replenishment Pills, and told Shang Qia to report the ambush to his absent brother the next day.
• Shang Xuanwen suspected the attackers were thieves from the Thieves' Den, but let Shang Qia keep his secrets when his son hesitated to explain.
• Shang Xuanwen gave Qian Gongyu Blood Replenishment Pills, and she told him that Xin Lei was missing.

After Shang Xuanwen survived the assassination attempt, he arranged for the fallen soldiers and Rat Monk to be honored, while Shang Qia questioned whether Qian Gongyu was his sister. Meanwhile, Yaoshi Yuan urged Ying Ru Shi to abandon their missing companions and claim Thieves' Den’s rewards for themselves, leaving Ying Ru Shi silent.

• Shang Xuanwen let Qian Gongyu search for Xinlei until dawn, then asked Shang Qia to recover the fallen soldiers and return Rat Monk’s remains to the Shang residence.
• Shang Xuanwen admitted he could no longer keep a promise and denied having visited Baiyun or known the Thousand Family when Shang Qia questioned him.
• Shang Qia asked Shang Xuanwen whether Qian Gongyu was their younger sister.
• At a Thieves' Den safe house, Yaoshi Yuan and Ying Ru Shi waited for their missing companions while Yaoshi Yuan held the Relying on Heaven Sword they had taken from Shang Xuanwen.
• Yaoshi Yuan argued that they should leave the others behind and share Thieves' Den’s rewards as allies, and Ying Ru Shi gave no answer.

Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei searched the Imperial Secret Vault for Relics, but discovered that its sealed Worry-Free Gate was actually a Secret Realm entrance. They were trapped inside and learned that opening it required four specific Relics.

• Yan Qing complained that the Glazed Terraces mostly contained Legendary Relics, while Shang Xin Lei explained that rulers kept their most valuable Relics in active use or in camp vaults.
• Yan Qing tried and failed to crack the nearly impossible verification for Melting Hundred Aspects Hands, and Shang Xin Lei explained that Scholarly Dao Heralds could solve it with their superior reading and memory.
• Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei found markings beneath the Terraces, then successfully took a sword tassel and an arm guard from cabinets with simpler security.
• Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei discovered that the vault doors would not open, and their attacks could not break through the Secret Realm Refined Steel and stone.
• Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei found that the door required a Scholar's Brush, Tailor's Needle, dancer's shoes, and Gambler's Dice, and Shang Xin Lei realized it was a Secret Realm entrance.

Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei realized the Imperial Secret Vault’s secret-realm gate trapped them because they lacked the items needed to leave, and they feared both starvation and the consequences of being caught. After Yan Qing comforted Shang Xin Lei with teasing, she wondered whether he had a Return Token.

• Shang Xin Lei explained that the gate required specific tokens and that the Great Liang Founder had turned the secret-realm entrance into an anti-theft trap.
• Shang Xin Lei concluded that she and Yan Qing could neither unlock the gate nor safely escape, and she began to fear dying of hunger and bringing ruin upon her family.
• Yan Qing warned that even an inspection would expose their identities and leave them unable to escape the Palace City, causing Shang Xin Lei to break down in tears.
• Yan Qing handed Shang Xin Lei coarse paper and mocked her tearful face, turning her despair into embarrassment and anger.
• Shang Xin Lei asked Yan Qing whether he had a Return Token.

Yan Qing revealed that he had a Return Token that could get him out of the secret vault, though using it would leave him unable to return to the Thieves' Den in time. Shang Xin Lei deduced where he had been staying and persuaded him to join forces with her, leaving them ready to build their future together.

• Shang Xin Lei envied the bond between Yan Qing and Jiang Shi when Yan Qing showed her the Return Token he had taken out of his Storage Ring.
• Yan Qing explained that the token would teleport him to a novice village near Jiangnan City, preventing him from returning to the Thieves' Den in time to complete their mission.
• Shang Xin Lei figured out that Yan Qing had been sleeping in the Thieves' Den because his boots were always clean, and he admitted that her guess was correct.
• Shang Xin Lei offered Yan Qing safe houses and support, arguing that he should save her and that he could collect his debt from her later.
• After Shang Xin Lei hugged Yan Qing and joked that they could take treasure vaults together, she proposed that they grow stronger and walk their road shoulder to shoulder.

Yan Qing used a Treasure Hunting Token to list a Heart Protecting Mirror in exchange for a Scholar’s Brush, hoping to obtain an item required to enter the secret realm. In Evernight City, Ying Le trained young women in her deadly dance before an Evil Spirit Warrior reported the new trade order.

• Shang Xin Lei persuaded Yan Qing to let her open the cabinet and take the five Heart Protecting Mirrors, then agreed to keep his plans secret.
• Yan Qing activated the Treasure Hunting Token and confirmed that the Trading Board recognized Scholar’s Brush as an available item.
• Yan Qing listed a Heart Protecting Mirror in exchange for Scholar’s Brush, and the system waived the item-for-item transaction fee.
• Ying Le performed a terrifying dance for twenty-five young women and ordered them to dance until they learned or died.
• An Evil Spirit Warrior told Ying Le that a new Trading Board order offered Liang’s Heart Protecting Mirror.

Wei Si was pressured by Da Ye Xiong to sell his worn brush, but he refused to hand it over at night. After Han Xian brought him to a crowd gathered around Chang'an’s trading board, Wei Si exchanged the brush for a Heart Protecting Mirror and saw a chance to become a herald.

• Da Ye Xiong offered Wei Si a Spirit Shard for his brush, then threatened him and tried to take it by force when Wei Si insisted on making the sale in daylight.
• Wei Si escaped the Law Chamber School before Da Ye Xiong could soak him with the chamber pot.
• Han Xian led Wei Si to Vermillion Bird Avenue, where a crowd watched immortal trading orders appear on the notice board.
• Wei Si saw an order offering a Heart Protecting Mirror for a Scholar's Brush, while another order for Gambler's Dice was completed.
• Wei Si touched the Scholar's Brush order, completed the transaction, and received the Heart Protecting Mirror.

Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei looted the Imperial Secret Vault, and Yan Qing opened the cabinet holding the Melting Hundred Aspects Hands. As they struggled to climb out with their spoils, Yaoshi Yuan appeared above and offered them help.

• Shang Xin Lei questioned Yan Qing's use of Heart Protecting Mirrors and pressed him about the Treasure Hunting Token's restrictions.
• Yan Qing used a Scholar's Brush to open the glass cabinet and claimed the Melting Hundred Aspects Hands.
• Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei used the brush, shoe, needle, and die to open the vault gate and began climbing out with their loot.
• Yaoshi Yuan appeared at the opening overhead with a Serpent-Patterned Rope, and Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei called to Black Wolf to save them.

Yaoshi Yuan and Ying Ru Shi rescued Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei from the imperial palace after Ying Ru Shi argued that the Thieves' Den needed dependable companions rather than puppets. Yaoshi Yuan accepted her reasoning but still planned to use the rescue to bring their teammates under her influence.

• Yaoshi Yuan and Ying Ru Shi pulled Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei out of the imperial palace, where palace attendants had been drawn away by a fire.
• Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei thanked White Fox and Black Wolf for risking themselves to rescue them, and Ying Ru Shi called them future partners.
• Earlier, Ying Ru Shi rejected Yaoshi Yuan's proposal to dominate the Thieves' Den and explained that dangerous secret realms demanded trustworthy teammates.
• Ying Ru Shi described how Heralds had died facing a Third Turn Demon King and warned that the Thieves' Den's missions would grow more dangerous.
• Yaoshi Yuan accepted Ying Ru Shi's argument, began regarding her as a worthy rival, and resolved to use the rescue to make Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei more obedient.

Yan Qing, Shang Xin Lei, Yaoshi Yuan, and Ying Ru Shi returned to Thieves' Den with the Relying on Heaven Sword after completing their mission. The sword revealed its history and transformed into a two-turn Legendary relic, while the emperor learned of the theft and Hermit Yu Li reacted with alarm to an Immortal trade order.

• Yan Qing gave Yaoshi Yuan Fierce Tiger Armguards and Ying Ru Shi a sword tassel as compensation for their help.
• Ying Ru Shi and Yaoshi Yuan said they had taken the Relying on Heaven Sword from Shang Xuanwen, who survived their attack after reinforcements arrived.
• The emperor learned that Shang Xuanwen had been attacked and ordered Attendant in the Palace Qun Liyan summoned.
• A palace servant reported an Immortal trade order offering Heart Protecting Mirrors for ordinary items, prompting Hermit Yu Li to unleash Foundation Establishment pressure across Palace City.
• At Thieves' Den, the Relying on Heaven Sword revealed scenes from its past, transformed, and displayed its Legendary rank and three powerful effects.

After the Relying on Heaven Sword theft, the four Heralds discussed how the Thieves' Den's missions and rewards would grow harder, then prepared to compete for the relic. The settlement revealed that Ying Ru Shi had more Thief Points than Yaoshi Yuan, leaving Yaoshi furious.

• Yaoshi Yuan and the others realized that the Thieves' Den increased mission difficulty alongside its rewards, and Yan Qing urged them to rely on careful theft rather than combat.
• Yaoshi Yuan declared that she would take the Relying on Heaven Sword, while Ying Ru Shi refused to give up competing for it.
• The Thieves' Den awarded the group thirty Thief Points for completing the Relying on Heaven Sword theft case with Meritorious Service.
• Yan Qing received fifteen additional points for visiting the Imperial Secret Vault and confronting the Foundation Establishment Herald, bringing his total to fifty-nine.
• The settlement displayed Yaoshi Yuan's total of eighty Thief Points and Ying Ru Shi's total of eighty-six, prompting Yaoshi to slam her fists on the table in anger.

Ying Ru Shi secured the Relying on Heaven Sword after explaining why the Thieves’ Den awarded her more points than Yaoshi Yuan. With the sword claimed, Yan Qing, Shang Xin Lei, and Yaoshi Yuan turned their attention to bidding for the remaining rewards.

• Ying Ru Shi explained that her ambush plan, sword strike, and idea to rescue a teammate earned her more Thief Points than Yaoshi Yuan.
• Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei tried to shift the conversation toward selling their stolen relics as Yaoshi Yuan sat in silent anger.
• The Thieves’ Den presented four rewards: Comprehension Pills, Red Furnace Fire Essence, a Random Secret Skill Book, and a Life-Preserving Pill.
• Yaoshi Yuan admitted defeat in the contest for the sword but vowed she would not lose next time, then bid 80 points.
• Ying Ru Shi bid 85 points and won the Relying on Heaven Sword, leaving the others to compete for the remaining rewards.

Yaoshi Yuan used her bidding priority to secure two valuable rewards while Yan Qing and Shang Xin Lei competed for the others. After the auction, the group realized Thieves' Den had raised its minimum bid, and Yan Qing suspected the change was meant to stop players from conserving points through cooperation.

• Yaoshi Yuan won seven Comprehension Pills for 25 points, explaining that the pills had helped her change jobs quickly while concealing their later effects on her intelligence.
• Yaoshi Yuan opened the Red Furnace Fire Essence bidding at 50 points, and Shang Xin Lei won it for 55 points after Yan Qing hesitated.
• Yan Qing won the Random Secret Skill Book for 29 points, then bid 30 points on the Life-Preserving Pill; Yaoshi Yuan outbid him at 35 and finished with 20 points.
• Ying Ru Shi pointed out that the auction's starting bid had risen to 10 points, and Yaoshi Yuan and Shang Xin Lei considered why the minimum had increased.
• Yan Qing concluded that Thieves' Den had raised the starting bid to drain Thief Points and prevent players from coordinating to win rewards cheaply.

After the Thieves' Den mission, Yan Qing learned that his wanted status had been extended and that stronger constables would pursue the group if they committed another crime. Shang Xin Lei gave him the Red Furnace Fire Essence to repay him for saving her, then left after bargaining with him over food and her Grass Ring.

• The Divine Marquis Manor announced that the four thieves had stolen the Relying on Heaven Sword and extended their wanted status to fifty days, warning that a future crime would bring one Silver Badge Constable and three Bronze Badge Constables.
• Ying Ru Shi, Shang Xin Lei, Yaoshi Yuan, and Yan Qing discussed the pursuit and returned to their rooms after the long night in Jiangnan City.
• Shang Xin Lei visited Yan Qing and gave him the Red Furnace Fire Essence to enhance his Bingzi Jiaolin, saying it was repayment for saving her.
• Yan Qing accepted the gift and told Shang Xin Lei to repay the rest of her debt slowly, while she refused to return his Grass Ring and tried to grow closer to him.
• Shang Xin Lei offered to bring Yan Qing food the next day, and he chose bite-sized shrimp dumplings before she left.
• Yan Qing went back to bed but got up again to find a late-night snack after Shang Xin Lei had made him hungry.