Chapter Summaries

The Hell Path Master revealed that Meng Zhao had challenged him through a distant exchange of martial will, leaving him impressed rather than harmed. He agreed to peace talks with Meng Zhao and promised Hua Zizai support, while dismissing the Pudu Cult’s attempt to provoke a conflict.

• The Hell Path Master praised Meng Zhao and reassured the others that he had not been injured.
• Hua Zizai pleaded that he had not colluded with Meng Zhao, and the Hell Path Master told him to rise, saying the matter had nothing to do with him.
• The Hell Path Master explained that Meng Zhao’s thirty-character incantation had carried his martial will into the Hell Path Master's Sea of Consciousness, where they had discussed martial arts from afar.
• Asked who was stronger, the Hell Path Master said they had different strengths and revealed that Meng Zhao's incantation had given him valuable insights.
• The Hell Path Master agreed to peace talks with Meng Zhao and offered information-channel assistance, while ordering the Hell Path to ignore the Pudu Cult's call for conflict.
• The Hell Path Master promised to protect Hua Zizai from the Pudu Cult, and Hua Zizai was relieved that he would not have to flee into exile.

Meng Zhao learned that Hell Path had accepted peace talks, rejected Pudu Cult’s offer to ally against him, and granted him one free use of its intelligence network. He agreed to let Hell Path take Wu Huaien and publicly present the transfer as a gift in return, while Hell Path’s plans for the Southern An Meng Family and Meng Jizu remained unknown.

• Meng Zhao asked Hua Zizai about his meeting with the Hell Path Master, and Hua reported that the Master had agreed to peace talks and praised Meng Zhao’s martial strength.
• Meng Zhao revealed that Pudu Cult descended from Hui Kong and warned Hua that an alliance with the cult could bring disgrace and enemies upon Hell Path.
• Hua told Meng Zhao that Hell Path had rejected Pudu Cult’s proposal and offered him one free use of its intelligence channels in return for his gift to the Sect Master.
• Hua said Hell Path’s peace talks faced some resistance but that the Sect Master’s decision would prevail, while he knew nothing of the plans concerning the Southern An Meng Family and Meng Jizu.
• Meng Zhao told Hua to arrange for Hell Path to take Wu Huaien, and said he would announce that Hell Path had seized him from Meng Family Village as a gift returned for a gift.

Meng Zhao maintained Lingwu City's peace while observing the Plainclothes Alliance and Pudu Cult clash amid the Northern Lands' unrest. He suspected the Beitang Imperial Clan secretly controlled the Plainclothes Alliance to weaken aristocratic powers and prevent the Pudu Cult from becoming a threat.

• Meng Zhao preserved stability in Lingwu City after defeating Wu Huaien and concealing the growth of his strength and influence.
• The Plainclothes Alliance plotted attacks on noble families in Ji Prefecture but achieved little after its plans were exposed.
• The Pudu Cult rapidly expanded by recruiting commoners and wealthy people seeking hope and protection amid social unrest.
• The Plainclothes Alliance and Pudu Cult clashed because they competed for followers and influence among ordinary people.
• Meng Zhao speculated that the Beitang Imperial Clan controlled the Plainclothes Alliance to weaken powerful families and restrain the Pudu Cult.

While lying low, Meng Zhao planted spies in hostile factions and used the Heaven-Illuminating Divine Mirror to expand the Meng Family’s martial arts collection. He also received reassuring news that the Hell Path had stopped targeting the Southern An Meng Family, though he remained unsure how the family had secured peace.

• Meng Zhao realized that the Plainclothes Alliance and the Demonic Path both clashed with the Pudu Cult and considered exploiting their rivalries.
• Meng Zhao secretly trained promising talents and sent them to infiltrate the Pudu Cult, the Plainclothes Alliance, and other factions under the codename Infernal Affairs.
• Meng Zhao used the Heaven-Illuminating Divine Mirror to deduce low- and mid-level martial arts and strengthen the Meng Family’s martial treasury.
• Flood Dragon Little Nine advanced into a Grandmaster flood dragon after devouring a flood dragon corpse, and Tu Liang gave Meng Zhao the Water Dragon Pearl.
• Meng Zhao received a letter from Meng Hongdao saying the Hell Path’s retaliation against the Southern An Meng Family had failed and that the two sides had reached an obscure agreement.

Beitang Sheng met the Heavenly Demon Lord for their third and final meeting, recalling how the Lord had helped him gain the Imperial Song Dynasty’s inheritance and rise to power. Beitang Sheng defended his later aid to the Lord, but the chapter left their disagreement unresolved.

• Beitang Sheng told the Heavenly Demon Lord that this was their third meeting and would be their last.
• The Heavenly Demon Lord recalled meeting Beitang Sheng when he was a frustrated Prince and guiding him to the Imperial Song Dynasty’s inheritance.
• The Heavenly Demon Lord questioned whether helping Beitang Sheng had been the right decision, given the Emperor’s rise and their tangled history.
• The narration described Beitang Sheng’s cultivation of the complete Ziwei Flying Star Record and his decision not to share it with the rest of the imperial clan.
• Beitang Sheng said he had planted sixteen demon pearls to aid the Heavenly Demon Lord and asked whether the Lord was still dissatisfied.

Emperor Beitang Sheng and the Heavenly Demon Lord confronted each other over their past dealings, the Plainclothes Alliance, and Great Yong’s campaign against the Demonic Path. The Heavenly Demon Lord rejected Beitang Sheng’s offer to join him and left after Beitang Sheng declared that their debt was settled.

• The Heavenly Demon Lord accused Beitang Sheng of engineering past disasters for political gain and using the Plainclothes Alliance to strengthen imperial power.
• Beitang Sheng acknowledged that he owed the Heavenly Demon Lord a favor for helping establish the Plainclothes Alliance, but argued that the Heavenly Demon Lord had forfeited his due by acting independently.
• Beitang Sheng questioned whether the Heavenly Demon Lord had supported the assassination attempt on Prince Fu, Beitang Shu, and defended the campaign against the Demonic Path.
• Beitang Sheng urged the Heavenly Demon Lord to join his ranks, but the Heavenly Demon Lord refused and vowed to preserve the Demonic Path.
• As the Heavenly Demon Lord departed, Beitang Sheng declared that he owed him nothing and that the Heavenly Demon Lord now owed him a favor.

Emperor Beitang Sheng ordered Jian San to tell Ninth Prince Beitang Shu to stop his campaign against the Demonic Path and gave him a method for cultivating Ziwei blood. He then sent Jian Si north to weaken the Meng Family and deal with Meng Zhao, whose rise had made him difficult to control.

• Beitang Sheng ordered Jian San to tell Beitang Shu to end his actions against the Demonic Path and gave him the Purple Blood Great Law.
• Beitang Sheng revealed that the real Meng Zhao had served in the Black Dragon Guard and Plainclothes Alliance, but a trained double had stolen his identity.
• Beitang Sheng explained that Meng Zhao’s growth had strengthened the Southern An Meng Family beyond the Lei Family’s power.
• Beitang Sheng ordered Jian Si to go to the Northern Lands and find ways to weaken the Meng Family and deal with Meng Zhao.

As Great Yong descended into widespread rebellion and turmoil, Lingwu City prospered under Meng Zhao’s leadership while he expanded its army and influence. Just as Meng Zhao’s power continued to grow, he learned that his long-absent Third Brother, Meng Yan, had been captured.

• The southern Rebel Army flooded Aoqiu, devastating the Imperial Court’s forces before both sides suffered further losses and called a temporary truce.
• Rebellions spread across Wei Prefecture, while Chen Zhiwei gained renown and the Lord of Scarlet Heaven’s uprising plunged Yizhou into chaos.
• Border raids and unrest across the realm drove refugees toward the Central Plains as Great Yong struggled to suppress rebellions and powerful families gained influence.
• Meng Zhao and Beitang Ang established three military towns near Lingwu City and expanded the Yangwu Army to eighty thousand troops, with twenty thousand auxiliary soldiers.
• Meng Zhao extended his influence into neighboring prefectures and continued advancing in martial arts while avoiding major conflicts.
• Meng Zhao received news that Meng Yan, the Meng Family’s Third Brother who had run away from home years earlier, had been captured.

Meng Zhao and Meng Chuan received a letter saying Meng Yan had been captured by Seven Star Tower over an unspecified scandal. They agreed to seek the elders’ guidance while Meng Chuan went to negotiate for Meng Yan’s release, leaving the dispute unresolved.

• Meng Zhao read Meng Yan’s letter and wondered why he had approached him instead of the clan elders.
• Meng Chuan urged Meng Zhao to respond, fearing that ignoring Seven Star Tower could put Meng Yan in greater danger.
• Meng Zhao decided to send word to the elders in Nan'an and ask Seven Star Tower to release Meng Yan while they discussed the matter.
• Meng Chuan offered to negotiate with Seven Star Tower and investigate a suspected hidden threat targeting the Lingwu Meng Family.
• Meng Zhao assigned Meng Chuan to bring Meng Yan back, cautioning him not to act impulsively or agree to anything before the elders arrived.

Meng Zhao decided to help Meng Yan despite Liang Muqiu's concerns, balancing his reputation and family ambitions against the danger posed by Seven Star Tower. He planned to have Meng Chuan negotiate while asking Third Uncle to come, and wondered what Meng Yan had done to provoke such a powerful force.

• Liang Muqiu warned Meng Zhao that helping Meng Yan could draw Seven Star Tower's wrath and might be a trap aimed at him.
• Meng Zhao explained that refusing Meng Yan would damage his reputation and that he needed Third Uncle's support in his bid to lead the Meng Family.
• Liang Muqiu accepted Meng Zhao's reasoning and recognized how important the Southern An Meng Family could be to his ambitions.
• Meng Zhao said he would avoid intervening directly, send Meng Chuan to speak with Seven Star Tower, and ask Third Uncle to handle the matter.
• Meng Zhao considered Seven Star Tower's history and its Heavenly Dipper Great Array, including the gifted disciple who had transformed it into a technique usable by one person.

Meng Zhao and Liang Muqiu discussed the Seven Star Tower and the mysterious outsiders targeting the Meng Family. They found no clues about the attackers, but agreed to investigate the Seven Star Tower if evidence emerged.

• Liang Muqiu warned Meng Zhao that Meng Yan might be troublesome, and Meng Zhao said his Third Uncle would discipline him if they rescued him.
• Meng Zhao asked whether his people had discovered who was secretly targeting the Meng Family, and Liang Muqiu said the suspects appeared to be outsiders with no known ties to Lingwu City.
• Liang Muqiu suggested the Seven Star Tower might be distracting Meng Zhao while holding Meng Yan, but Meng Zhao rejected the idea that the tower itself would use such underhanded methods.
• Meng Zhao said they should investigate the Seven Star Tower if they found any leads, without holding back.

Jian Si, Luo Peng, and Zhen Cheng debated how to fulfill the Emperor’s orders to weaken the Meng Family after their cautious schemes in Lingwu City had yielded little and nearly exposed them. Luo Peng and Zhen Cheng urged a decisive attack, but Jian Si retained the authority to veto their plan.

• Jian Si, Luo Peng, and Zhen Cheng roasted the meat of a vicious beast in a deserted temple outside Lingwu City.
• The chapter described how Jian Si, Luo Peng, and Zhen Cheng had repeatedly troubled the Meng Family but gained few results and nearly been discovered.
• Zhen Cheng warned Jian Si that returning to the Emperor with nothing would bring consequences and urged him to secure at least one success.
• Luo Peng backed Zhen Cheng, arguing that they needed to deal Meng Zhao and the Meng Family a heavy blow before returning to Jade Capital.
• Jian Si’s appointment by the Emperor gave him veto power over the other two men’s plans.

Jian Si explained to Luo Peng and Zhen Cheng that their earlier actions against Meng Zhao and the Meng Family had tested their strength and concealed their intentions. The three recognized that the Meng Family’s reach and Meng Zhao’s power made a direct attack extremely difficult, leaving them with no clear way to inflict serious damage.

• Luo Peng and Zhen Cheng approached Jian Si, hoping to persuade him to change his approach against Meng Zhao.
• Jian Si asked whether their earlier actions had revealed anything about the Meng Family, prompting Luo Peng and Zhen Cheng to realize they had been both tests and smokescreens.
• Jian Si explained that the clashes had helped them assess the Meng Family’s vast influence and strength, even though Meng Zhao had not appeared in person.
• Luo Peng and Zhen Cheng struggled to propose a way to strike at the Meng Family, whose experts, protections, and information network made attacks dangerous.
• Luo Peng recognized that assassinating Meng Zhao was nearly impossible and that their attacks on the Meng Family’s businesses had achieved little because its defenses had been strengthened.

Luo Peng, Zhen Cheng, and Jian Si discussed how to complete their mission against Meng Zhao and the Meng Family, concluding that neither imperial influence nor a local alliance could overcome Meng Zhao’s power. Jian Si proposed exploiting information and seeking outside forces, leaving the others with renewed hope.

• Zhen Cheng suggested asking the Emperor to pressure the Meng Family, but Jian Si explained that Meng Zhao’s military command, family ties, and connection to the Ninth Prince made imperial intervention unlikely.
• Zhen Cheng proposed uniting Lingwu City’s dissatisfied forces against Meng Zhao, but Luo Peng pointed out that Meng Zhao had crushed the Pudu Cult and Sui Han Sect and intimidated the remaining factions.
• Zhen Cheng recalled the devastation at the two ruins and realized that few would risk their lives or clans by opposing Meng Zhao.
• Jian Si urged them to stop focusing on Lingwu City and suggested using information to gain an advantage and borrowing external strength to crush Meng Zhao’s position.

Jian Si revealed that Seven Star Tower had captured Meng Yan, Meng Zhao’s cousin, and proposed using the incident to provoke a clash between Seven Star Tower and Meng Zhao. Luo Peng and Zhen Cheng weighed the risks and concluded Meng Zhao might confront Seven Star Tower over Meng Yan without their help.

• Zhen Cheng asked Jian Si how they could make Meng Zhao clash with a powerful faction, and Jian Si ruled out using a Demonic Path force like Hell Path.
• Jian Si told Luo Peng and Zhen Cheng that Seven Star Tower had secretly taken Meng Yan near Lingwu City and intended to negotiate with Meng Zhao.
• Luo Peng questioned whether the information was a trap, and Jian Si said it came from a hidden agent planted in Seven Star Tower by the Great Emperor.
• Luo Peng warned that provoking the powerful, reserved Seven Star Tower would be difficult for the three of them.
• Zhen Cheng suggested Meng Zhao might attack Seven Star Tower himself to protect Meng Yan, and Luo Peng agreed they could wait and watch.

Jian Si proposed rescuing Meng Yan and killing Seven Star Tower figures while framing Meng Zhao, hoping to spark a war and weaken the Southern An Meng Family. Luo Peng and Zhen Cheng approved the plan, and Jian Si said an insider would help them carry it out.

• Jian Si rejected Zhen Cheng’s passive proposal, arguing that Meng Zhao might not fight the Seven Star Tower over Meng Yan.
• Jian Si proposed striking first to rescue Meng Yan, killing important Seven Star Tower members, and making it appear that Meng Zhao had sent them.
• Luo Peng and Zhen Cheng approved the plan and discussed how Meng Yan could help them interfere in the Meng Family’s affairs.
• Zhen Cheng warned that the three of them might not defeat the Seven Star Tower’s Heavenly Dipper Great Array.
• Jian Si assured Luo Peng and Zhen Cheng that an insider in the Seven Star Tower would assist them, and they agreed to proceed.

Meng Chuan and Lü Yue rode to a mountain village to negotiate with the Seven Star Tower and demand Meng Yan’s return, but they found the village massacred and the Seven Star Tower’s lodging wrecked. Thirteen of the Tower’s people were dead, while Meng Yan was missing.

• Meng Zhao sent Meng Chuan, Lü Yue, and several Innate Masters to meet the Seven Star Tower and seek Meng Yan’s return.
• As the group approached the mountain village, they smelled blood and found four corpses at its entrance.
• Meng Chuan suspected the Seven Star Tower had slaughtered the villagers, but Lü Yue warned that the Tower’s people might also have been attacked.
• Meng Chuan’s group searched the village and found that every villager had been killed.
• At the village’s wealthiest residence, they found thirteen dead members of the Seven Star Tower, one fewer than expected, and no sign of Meng Yan.

Meng Chuan and Lü Yue investigated the slaughter of Seven Star Tower members and the disappearance of Meng Yan, sending for help while their retainers uncovered signs of a carefully staged crime. The evidence suggested that one or two Innate Realm attackers had framed the Meng Family, putting its relationship with Seven Star Tower at risk.

• Meng Chuan and Lü Yue considered whether Meng Yan had fled or been taken by a surviving Seven Star Tower expert, then sent two men to request help from Meng Zhao and local authorities.
• The Meng Family retainers found that the main house showed signs of battle, while the seven Seven Star Tower disciples' rooms showed no struggle.
• The investigators questioned the supposed survivor, noting that the Heavenly Dipper Great Array should not have left only six elders dead if it had been deployed.
• A former bandit among the retainers concluded from the footprints that only one or two highly skilled attackers had likely killed the villagers and staged the scene to suggest a larger force.
• A retainer found that a dead Seven Star Tower disciple's finger had been used to write Meng in blood, suggesting someone had planted evidence against the Meng Family.
• Meng Chuan and Lü Yue realized that the attackers might have targeted Seven Star Tower or the Meng Family and intended to turn the two against each other.

Meng Zhao arrived at the annihilated village and reviewed the evidence with Meng Chuan and Lü Yue, who concluded that a hidden group had attacked Seven Star Tower and framed the Meng Family. Meng Zhao suspected the same mysterious people who had targeted his family before, leaving him to face the danger of a conflict with Seven Star Tower.

• Meng Chuan and Lü Yue recruited arriving forces to search the mountains and offered generous rewards for clues.
• Meng Zhao brought a large force to the village after realizing the incident could draw the Meng Family into a dangerous dispute with Seven Star Tower.
• Meng Zhao ordered his own investigators to compile evidence, then asked Meng Chuan and Lü Yue to review it with him.
• Meng Chuan reported that villains had attacked Seven Star Tower and framed the Meng Family.
• Lü Yue connected the attack to the mysterious people who had previously targeted the Meng Family and said they were trying to make the two sides fight.

Meng Zhao, Lü Yue, and Meng Chuan investigated Seven Star Tower’s massacre and Meng Yan’s disappearance, concluding that a traitor had likely helped the attackers. They decided to search for the missing Seven Star Tower member, whom the mastermind could use to frame the Meng Family and provoke a war.

• Meng Zhao reassured Meng Chuan that Meng Yan was probably being kept alive because the attackers needed him, though he privately feared they might kill him once he recognized them.
• Lü Yue argued that Seven Star Tower’s missing survivor might have colluded with the attackers, since the tower’s seven-person formation made it unlikely that one fighter had simply fled while the others died.
• Meng Zhao noted that the attackers had known Seven Star Tower’s location and strength, and Meng Chuan added that the disciples’ deaths showed they had likely been caught off guard by someone they trusted.
• Meng Zhao and Lü Yue concluded that a traitor had enabled the attackers to destroy Seven Star Tower and place the blame on the Meng Family.
• Meng Zhao rejected the idea that the missing survivor was accompanying Meng Yan, predicting that he would instead hide until Seven Star Tower returned and then accuse the Meng Family.
• Meng Zhao made finding the missing survivor a priority, hoping to question him or use him as leverage in future negotiations with Seven Star Tower.