Recaps

Meng Zhao uncovered the shifting alliances around Sun Di, helped the Meng Family pursue the flood dragon, and claimed its young as his own. He returned to town with new allies and techniques, while Zhao Hun’s threat and Meng Zhao’s hidden identity remained unresolved.

• Meng Zhao suspected Huang Baoying’s plan to abduct Sun Di, but Huang Baoying ambushed True Man Mingyang and Bai Shicheng and fled with Sun Di as the Six-Winged Frost Centipede and Bloodthirsty Mad Bees attacked.
• Meng Zhao led survivors away from the swarm and deduced that Lei Ming and a Demonic Path warrior had joined forces against the Meng Family.
• Meng Zhao recruited Bai Shicheng after Qin Tao’s death, promising to rescue Bai Shicheng’s wife and daughter from Juluxian County.
• Meng Hongdao confirmed that he had arranged Sun Di’s abduction to conceal the Meng Family’s plan and explained that Green Anaconda Gall and Huang Family Detoxification Pills would lure the mother flood dragon away.
• Meng Zhao entered the snake-filled valley alone, used a genuine Flood Dragon Scale to approach the young flood dragon, and bound it to himself with his blood.
• Meng Hongdao concealed the capture as the group fled the returning mother flood dragon, then sent Meng Zhao and his companions down a separate route after finding dead Meng Family Warriors.
• Meng Zhao returned to town, gave Zhu Guangxi parting gifts, and agreed to let Bai Shicheng accompany Han Pu on a rescue mission to Julu.
• Meng Zhao named the young flood dragon Little Nine, broke through the final two meridians of the Twelve Regular Meridians, and developed Black Flood Dragon Body Protecting Gang Qi while Cao Zhan pledged himself to Meng Zhao’s camp.

Meng Zhao left the Meng Family’s succession struggle and traveled toward the prefectural city while evading Qian Jiao’s men. At a roadside tavern, an assassin crippled Lu Haochun, the bandits withdrew, and Qing Niang learned that Meng Zhao was disguised as a caravan traveler named Jiang Ergouzi.

• Meng Zhao decided to leave the Meng Family and make his own way in the martial world, while privately preparing for possible upheaval in Great Yong.
• Wang Tianlei told Meng Zhao that Zhao Kang was trapped on the mountain and that Ming Yang and Ming Yin had been badly wounded, then relayed Meng Hongdao’s instruction for Meng Zhao to report to the Family Head.
• Meng Zhao received Cao Yan’s antidote for Wang Tianlei and traveled with his companions to Tuoluo Village, where Zhu'er entered his room and warned him that Qian Jiao planned to capture him.
• Zhu'er revealed that Tan Cai'er was the Jade Faced Rakshasa and that Qian Jiao wanted to use Meng Zhao to force the Meng Family to surrender the Flood Dragon Egg.
• Meng Zhao sent Meng Chuan and Lü Yue back to Cloud Mist Mountain, then disguised himself and traveled with Zhu'er in a caravan toward Nan'an Commandery City.
• At a roadside tavern, Lu Haochun searched for Meng Zhao while the bandits trapped the patrons inside, and the Tavern Proprietress revealed that Lu’s fan carried Solitary Night Fragrance.
• Lu Haochun’s poison weakened the tavern’s fighters, but the servant boy unleashed a life-consuming attack that severed Lu’s hands and stabbed him, forcing the Bearded Man’s bandits to withdraw.
• The Tavern Proprietress spared Big Beard and questioned him about Meng Zhao, and Big Beard identified him as Jiang Ergouzi, a disguised caravan traveler accompanied by a woman he called his wife.

Meng Zhao uncovered that the masked Zhao Hun looked exactly like him, killed Lu Haochun, and brought Zhou Hu into his service. He recruited Liang Muqiu and sought the Seven Freaks of Minshan, ending with Big Iron Hammer confronting him over Wang Tianlei.

• Meng Zhao stormed the tavern, defeated its fighters, and learned from Qing Niang and Xu Duo that her master Zhao Hun had looked exactly like him.
• Meng Zhao questioned Lu Haochun about Qian Jiao’s operation, learned Qian Jiao was hiding in Datong Town, and killed Lu Haochun to prevent him revealing Meng Zhao’s location.
• Meng Zhao invited Big Beard to join him, and Big Beard accepted under the name Zhou Hu.
• Meng Zhao asked Liang Muqiu to recruit the Seven Freaks of Minshan, and she revealed her Liang Family ancestry and the powerful Demonic Path force hunting her.
• Liang Muqiu shared the Seven Freaks’ locations and contact methods with Meng Zhao, who decided to bring the group into the Meng Family’s Second Branch.
• Meng Zhao told Lü Zhong and Zhou Hu that he intended to recruit the Seven Freaks, while the six scattered Freaks argued over whether to withdraw and how to help Big Iron Hammer.
• Meng Zhao, Lü Zhong, and Zhou Hu visited the Six Monsters, and Big Iron Hammer blamed the Meng Family for his condition while Meng Zhao denied responsibility and accused him of resenting his defeat.

Meng Zhao secured the Seven Freaks of Minshan as allies while navigating the Meng Family’s internal rivalry and building his own strength. After a lake assassination attempt, Kuang Tianyou approached him about Jianan Pass’s people and the coming struggle for the throne, but Meng Zhao made no commitment.

• Meng Zhao proved to the Seven Freaks that Mu Qing had sent him, persuaded them to come to the Meng Mansion, and offered them greater compensation and help returning to Minshan.
• Meng Wen moved to seize the Seven Freaks, but Meng Zhao negotiated with him, gained his agreement to leave them alone, and promised to support him if they were forced to choose sides.
• Meng Zhao exposed and killed the second branch’s informant, prepared to leave the Meng Family with most of his men, and secured the Seven Freaks’ pledge to work for him.
• Meng Zhao reunited with Bai Shicheng and Han Pu, discovered that Han Pu had inherited Feng Yi’s saber art and vital essence through the Changyang Divine Saber, and welcomed them into his circle.
• After the Hu Man withdrew and the Cloud Mist Mountain dispute ended, Meng Zhao weighed where to establish his own foundation as the Meng Family emerged as a major beneficiary.
• Meng Zhao took Liang Muqiu, Han Lu, and Zhu'er to Green Snow Lake, where Kuang Tianyou of the Kuang Family invited him to discuss cooperation and eight assassins attacked them.
• Liang Muqiu killed the assassins, and Kuang Tianyou told Meng Zhao that he was seeking allies as Beitang Shu gained support and might be appointed Grand Governor of Liang Prefecture.
• Meng Zhao refused to commit himself or the Meng Family to the Ninth Prince, while Kuang Tianyou described Jianan Pass’s people as a resource for Beitang Shu’s potential coalition.