Recaps

After surviving the Pudu Cult’s Demonic Buddha, Meng Zhao returned to Lingwu City and faced the Li Family’s challenge. He defeated Li Xingchen but concealed the result to avoid provoking the powerful family, then explained to Niu Dali and Yuan Bin why restraint mattered.

• Meng Zhao defeated Red Lotus Monk and Black Robe Dharma King after enduring the Demonic Buddha Dharma Body with the Emperor Yu Battle Armor until its users ran out of strength.
• Meng Zhao sent Li Jing Tian to investigate the Pudu Cult and secretly protect the Chen Family, then learned of unrest in Lingwu City and the Li Family’s possible role in wider rebellions.
• Meng Zhao arrived in Lingwu City with Niu Dali, Yuan Bin, and Chen Tai, where Li Family envoys led them to a teahouse to meet Li Ya'er, Li Xingchen, and Li Xinglu.
• Li Xingchen challenged Meng Zhao and unleashed three sword techniques, but Meng Zhao countered each one and broke Li Xingchen’s Sword Intent.
• Li Ya'er acknowledged Li Xingchen’s defeat and asked Meng Zhao to keep the sparring match secret, and Meng Zhao agreed to protect the Li Family’s reputation.
• Meng Zhao sensed the hidden Sword Dao Grandmaster and reassured the Li Family that he knew the expert was present, while they suspected he had a way to withstand Grandmaster-level power.
• After leaving the teahouse, Meng Zhao told Niu Dali and Yuan Bin that he had acted politely to protect his companions and avoid making an enemy of the Li Family, and urged them to balance toughness with flexibility.

After returning to Meng Family Village, Meng Zhao investigated the assassination attempt and traced the deathsworn warriors’ Self-Sacrificing Art to the Zhou Family. His covert search uncovered the family’s ties to the Pudu Cult, three related Buddhist martial arts, and a hidden underground passage that he followed into danger.

• Meng Zhao returned to Meng Family Village, reunited with his loved ones, and learned that his family had prospered while he was away.
• Meng Zhao met Li Ya'er, who traced the assassins’ Self-Sacrificing Art and poison to the Zhou Family and raised the possibility that they knew about the Four Symbols Heaven Shaking Bow.
• Meng Zhao went in disguise to investigate the Zhou Family and learned that Zhou Gushan had sent deathsworn warriors after him at someone else’s urging.
• Meng Zhao discovered that Zhou Gushan worshiped the Great Pudu Buddha Venerable and learned that the Pudu Cult was demanding resources from the Zhou Family while holding Zhou Xiangchen captive.
• Meng Zhao found that Zhou Gushan possessed three martial arts derived from the Immovable Wisdom King Subduing Demon Great Hand Seal and secretly stole the box containing the Zhou Family’s manuals.
• Meng Zhao followed Zhou Gushan to a secluded training ground, sensed a powerful presence underground, and followed him through a hidden passage beneath a bronze meridian statue.

Meng Zhao manipulated the Pudu Cult’s conflict with the Zhou Family while Lingwu City endured a deadly blizzard. At a gathering of local powers, Beitang He exposed the Pudu Cult’s Grandmaster leader and pushed for a Prefectural Army, then accused four faction leaders of being cult pawns.

• Meng Zhao overheard Zhou Wangqiao reveal his history with Hui Kong and the Pudu Cult Master, then stole Zhou Gushan’s box of Buddhist Supreme Skills.
• As the blizzard brought hunger and death to Lingwu City, Meng Zhao’s family distributed relief while Lü Yue recruited the Pudu Cult Holy Envoy to send a misleading letter about Zhou Wangqiao to the Cult Master.
• After the letter was delivered, Lü Yue and Cao Zhan killed the Holy Envoy, and Meng Zhao explained that he planned to use the Pudu Cult to eliminate Zhou Wangqiao before taking the Zhou Family.
• Beitang Ang proposed forming a Prefectural Army, and Meng Zhao challenged the leaders to establish that the Imperial Court had authorized it and to clarify its command, costs, and purpose.
• Beitang He revealed that the Plainclothes Alliance had replaced noble heirs and the thirty-six Heavenly Dipper Guards, but Meng Zhao passed the identity tests that followed.
• Beitang He disclosed that the Pudu Cult had a Grandmaster-level leader and promised the Yanping Commandery Prince’s Mansion would provide the Western Geng Metal White Tiger Killing Formation.
• Beitang He accused Gang Leader Mi, Sect Master Xia, the Wang Family Head, and the Mei Family Head of serving as Pudu Cult pawns and ordered them seized.

After the Pudu Cult destroyed the Zhou Family, Meng Zhao built support among Lingwu City’s factions and pursued control of the newly formed Yangwu Army. Reinforcements from Ji Prefecture arrived, and Meng Zhao considered Dou Xi’s plan for an alliance with Beitang He as Zhu Xie Chiri approached.

• Meng Zhao prevented Beitang He from arresting suspected Pudu Cult members without evidence, then identified the arriving Pudu Cult Master as a Grandmaster.
• The Pudu Cult Master destroyed the Zhou Family, and Zhou Gushan died among the ruins as Meng Zhao resolved to act more cautiously.
• Lingwu’s leaders gathered to oppose the crisis, and Meng Zhao won their endorsement to contend for military authority over the Prefectural Army.
• As the Yangwu Army was established, Meng Zhao investigated unrest in Liang Prefecture and prepared to challenge Zhu Xie Chiri for command.
• Meng Zhao recruited Han Pu, Yang Cai, Cao Zhan, and Zhou Hu for military service, then received Meng Chuan and military aides from Ji Prefecture.
• Dou Xi advised Meng Zhao to avoid an open contest with Zhu Xie Chiri and secretly ally with Beitang He to divide control of the army.
• Meng Zhao considered marriage alliances with major families, reassured Meng Chuan about his identity, and agreed to let him serve in the army.
• Lü Yue delivered Hesheng Pastry to Beitang He as a gesture of goodwill, and Beitang He wondered if Meng Zhao was suggesting they join forces.