Chapter Summaries

Chen Zhengnan rejected He Jingming’s offer to become Great Constancy Sect’s sect master and left the mountain, while Chu Qing prepared to leave Sword City for Northern Ridge after resolving his remaining business. Before departing, he arranged for Wuchan to take the name Chen Wu and guard Heavenly Dance City, and his companions began setting out for home.

• He Jingming asked Chen Zhengnan to become Great Constancy Sect’s sect master, hoping his friendship with Chu Qing would protect the sect, but Chen Zhengnan refused and descended the mountain.
• Ge Hong questioned Chen Zhengnan’s lack of attachment, and He Jingming said the sect had driven that attachment away through its own actions.
• Chu Qing gave Tang Qianyu martial arts guidance, leaving him bruised but grateful, then told Wu Qianhuan he had collected ten thousand taels from Blazing Fire Hall.
• Chu Qing told Wu Qianhuan that they would head to Northern Ridge and discussed an important plan involving Chu Tian and Wuchan.
• Chu Qing gave Wuchan a letter to explain the truth to Qin Yuqi if needed, and Wuchan took the name Chen Wu before leaving to guard Heavenly Dance City.
• Wen Fusheng, Cheng Tieshan, and Tie Chuqing departed to return to their respective homes after Wen Fusheng spoke privately with Chu Qing.

Chu Qing discovered that Lan Shuyi had been captured by Wang Fang, who had anticipated his revenge and sent a false letter to lure Chu Qing into a trap. Chu Qing entered Ding'an Hall’s prison to confront Wang Fang as he threatened Lan Shuyi.

• Chu Qing, Wu Qianhuan, and Wen Rou heard a storyteller exaggerate Chu Qing’s fight at the Great Constancy Sect while they waited in Ding'an City for Lan Shuyi’s deployment map.
• A Po Jun Blade Wielder gave Chu Qing a letter claiming Lan Shuyi needed rescuing, but Wen Rou detected that it lacked Lan Shuyi’s scent, and Chu Qing realized it was bait.
• Chu Qing decided that he, Wu Qianhuan, and Wen Rou would go to Ding'an Hall that night to rescue Lan Shuyi and kill Wang Fang.
• Wang Fang questioned the chained and beaten Lan Shuyi, revealed that he had recognized him as Yang'er and secretly controlled the men Lan Shuyi trusted, then said he had sent Chu Qing a false letter.
• As Wang Fang threatened to cripple Chu Qing and drag him before Lan Shuyi, Chu Qing burst through the prison doorway and asked whether Wang Fang had been speaking.

Chu Qing confronted Wang Fang at Ding'an Hall and discovered that the hall master had learned the Puppet String Play and was connected to the Ghost Emperor’s disappearance. After destroying Wang Fang, Chu Qing sensed that the Opera King had arrived and demanded that he reveal himself.

• Wu Qianhuan restrained the Po Jun Blade Wielder while Chu Qing confronted Wang Fang over his betrayal and his attack on Lan Shuyi.
• Wang Fang used the Black Water Immeasurable True Scripture to attack Chu Qing, but Chu Qing disarmed him and recognized signs of the Puppet String Play.
• Wang Fang revealed that he had given the Ghost Emperor the Heavenly Origin Chess Manual, then abruptly died as a commission-completed notice appeared before Chu Qing.
• Wang Fang revived as a puppet and attacked Chu Qing, who blasted him and the wall apart with a palm strike.
• Wen Rou appeared through the hole in the wall, and Chu Qing called on the Opera King to show himself.

After killing Wang Fang, Chu Qing helped Lan Shuyi take control of Ding'an Hall and made Can Jiusheng submit. As Chu Qing prepared to open his system boxes, he discovered a secret chamber beneath his bed and heard a familiar voice inside.

• Can Jiusheng confronted Chu Qing over Wang Fang's death, but Chu Qing overwhelmed him and sealed his voice.
• Lan Shuyi explained that he had agreed to help Chu Qing take Ding'an Hall, and Chu Qing approved his appointment as Hall Master.
• Can Jiusheng accepted Lan Shuyi as chief hall master and swallowed a pill from Chu Qing to secure his obedience.
• Lan Shuyi and Can Jiusheng settled Ding'an Hall's affairs while Chu Qing prepared to open his system boxes.
• Chu Qing found a hidden mechanism beneath his bed and opened a secret chamber after hearing someone move inside.

Chu Qing found You Zong hiding in Ding'an Hall and learned that the Ghost Emperor had disappeared while seeking a way to save his wife from Forsaken God Valley. Their conversation revealed that Wang Fang and the Heavenly Origin Chess Manual might be tied to a conspiracy, while Chu Qing also learned Mu Tong'er was Shang Qiuyu's daughter.

• Chu Qing entered the secret chamber beneath Wang Fang's bed and recognized the disguised man inside as You Zong, whom he had met at Heavenly Secrets Valley.
• You Zong explained that the Mystic Emperor's disappearance concerned the Ghost Emperor, who was near death, and heard Chu Qing recount Grave King's and Chess King's plans involving the Blood King.
• You Zong said the Ghost Emperor had sought the Heavenly Origin Chess Manual to enter Forsaken God Valley and rescue his abducted second wife, but he had not appeared outside the valley.
• Chu Qing inferred that something had gone wrong with the chess manual and suspected Wang Fang's connection to the Heavenly Evil Cult was part of a conspiracy.
• You Zong revealed that Shang Qiuyu had married into his wife's family, and Chu Qing realized Mu Tong'er was Shang Qiuyu's daughter.
• When You Zong asked why Chu Qing had come to Ding'an Hall, Chu Qing said he had come to kill Wang Fang.

Chu Qing and You Zong uncovered the Heavenly Evil Cult’s influence behind Little Cold Valley and planned to attend Han Yiren’s gathering to disrupt the scheme and capture the Twelve Sacred King involved. You Zong gave Chu Qing a Ghost Emperor Token and an invitation, then departed after hinting that someone outside Forsaken God Valley was worried about him; Chu Qing opened a Martial Arts Treasure Chest.

• Chu Qing told You Zong that Wang Fang had been killed and identified Opera King as the force behind him, while You Zong confirmed the Twelve Sacred Kings were involved in the trouble.
• You Zong asked whether Chu Qing could capture a Twelve Sacred King alive, and Chu Qing considered the uncertain limits of his Art of Absolute Wisdom.
• You Zong gave Chu Qing a Ghost Emperor Token for passage through Heavenly Pass Ridge and explained that Han Yiren’s Little Cold Valley gathering might be a trap set by the Heavenly Evil Cult.
• Chu Qing and You Zong agreed to travel to Little Cold Valley before the fifteenth day of the second month, disguise Chu Qing, and try to capture the Twelve Sacred King behind the plot.
• You Zong hinted that someone outside Forsaken God Valley was thinking of Chu Qing, and Chu Qing asked him to tell her he was well.
• After You Zong left, Chu Qing reviewed their conversation, summoned the system interface, and opened his unopened Martial Arts Treasure Chest.

Chu Qing obtained the Flame Blade technique and experimented with its applications before leaving Ding'an Hall with Wu Qianhuan and Wen Rou to travel north. As they entered Heavenly Pass Ridge, the torch flame turned a ghostly green.

• Chu Qing learned Flame Blade, tested its fiery power, and spent the night experimenting until he scorched his room.
• Wu Qianhuan and Wen Rou found Chu Qing’s room damaged, and Chu Qing changed the subject when Wu Qianhuan suspected his suggestion about practicing Heaven's Dawn Swordplay was improper.
• At breakfast, Chu Qing told Lan Shuyi to contact Blazing Fire Hall and search for the mysterious Wang Kuan, then departed with Wu Qianhuan and Wen Rou.
• Chu Qing’s group traveled north, stayed overnight at Heavenly Unity Sect, and received directions for crossing Heavenly Pass Ridge from its sect master.
• As the three traveled through the ridge at night, Wu Qianhuan wondered if they might stumble into Ghost Emperor Palace, and Chu Qing noticed their torch had turned deep green.

Chu Qing, Wu Qianhuan, and Wen Rou followed eerie opera sounds into the woods, where performers staged a ghostly play that sparked Wu Qianhuan’s fight with the so-called Ghost King. When a second fighter intervened, Chu Qing broke his techniques and pursued him through the air, ordering him to get down.

• Wen Rou sensed seventeen living people near the eerie opera, and Chu Qing led her and Wu Qianhuan toward their stage.
• Wu Qianhuan recognized that the performers were pretending to be ghosts and challenged the Ghost King after he ordered his shadows to attack.
• Wu Qianhuan battled the Ghost King, whose unnatural movements and claw techniques initially gave him an advantage.
• A second fighter rescued the Ghost King and used the Six Paths of Shared Sorrow Finger against Wu Qianhuan, but Chu Qing broke the attack and countered his palm strike.
• Chu Qing pursued the second fighter through the air and struck his shoulder with the flat of his sword, ordering him to get down.

Chu Qing and his companions met Ghost Emperor disciples Gongyang Chou and Gu Ling'er at Heavenly Pass Ridge, learned the ridge was being watched because the Ghost Emperor had disappeared, and accepted an escort to Tongtian Mountain Manor. After arriving and settling into its hot spring, Chu Qing was stunned to see Wu Qianhuan wrapped in white cloth before him.

• Chu Qing exposed Gongyang Chou’s staged death, then recognized the group as Ghost Emperor disciples after showing You Zong’s token.
• Gongyang Chou identified Chu Qing as the Third Young Master and explained that the disciples were monitoring Heavenly Pass Ridge because they suspected the Heavenly Evil Cult was connected to the Ghost Emperor’s disappearance.
• Gongyang Chou and Gu Ling'er offered to guide Chu Qing, Wu Qianhuan, and Wen Rou through the ridge, and the three accepted.
• Gongyang Chou revealed that his real name was Gongyang Chou and that he was the Ghost Emperor’s third disciple, then led the group to Tongtian Mountain Manor instead of the Ghost Emperor Palace.
• After the group bathed in the manor’s hot springs, Chu Qing opened his eyes and found Wu Qianhuan standing before him wrapped from head to toe in white cloth.

Wu Qianhuan sought Chu Qing at the hot spring to practice Heaven's Dawn Swordplay and repair the meridian damage caused by the Moon Pointing Profound Skill. After they completed their first cultivation together and felt their power increase, Chu Qing opened his eyes and Wu Qianhuan caught him staring.

• Wu Qianhuan entered Chu Qing's hot spring pool, and their flirtation was interrupted when a servant delivered wine and food.
• Wu Qianhuan explained that she had come to practice Heaven's Dawn Swordplay because she did not want to remain weak or burden Chu Qing.
• Chu Qing and Wu Qianhuan left the pool, and he explained how they would circulate yin and yang energy through each other's meridians.
• Chu Qing and Wu Qianhuan completed one round of cultivation, increasing their power and easing the strain on Wu Qianhuan's meridians.
• Wu Qianhuan said the technique could let her resume cultivating the Moon Pointing Profound Skill, then caught Chu Qing opening his eyes.

Chu Qing and his companions were summoned to Tongtian Mountain Manor’s front hall, where Bai Yushu and Gongyang Chou argued over who should manage Ghost Emperor Palace while the Ghost Emperor and Eldest Senior Brother were absent. As Gongyang Chou recounted the Eldest Young Lady’s apparent suicide and suspected escape, Chu Qing wondered whether Hua Jinnian could be her.

• Wu Qianhuan and Chu Qing were interrupted at the hot spring and summoned to the front hall to meet a guest.
• Chu Qing learned the visitor was Bai Yushu, the Ghost Emperor’s Second Young Master, and heard him argue that Gu Ling'er should return to manage Ghost Emperor Palace.
• Gongyang Chou accused Bai Yushu of concealing what had happened to Eldest Senior Brother and insisted the absent brother would never abandon his promise to the Eldest Young Lady.
• Bai Yushu and Gongyang Chou disputed whether Gu Ling'er should take charge, while Gongyang Chou explained that the Eldest Young Lady had been imprisoned after accusing the Second Senior Mother of killing her mother.
• Gongyang Chou said the Eldest Young Lady had apparently killed herself but suspected she had faked her death, and Chu Qing wondered whether Hua Jinnian was actually her.

Chu Qing helped Gu Ling'er refuse Bai Yushu’s demand that she return to Ghost Emperor Palace, then agreed to escort a mysterious cage-sleeping man out of Heavenly Pass Ridge. After sneaking into Wu Qianhuan’s room, he was interrupted by a sudden rain of flaming arrows.

• Chu Qing turned Bai Yushu’s argument back on him, and Gu Ling'er chose not to return to Ghost Emperor Palace, forcing Bai Yushu to leave.
• Gongyang Chou told Chu Qing he suspected Bai Yushu of colluding with the Heavenly Evil Cult and being involved in Second Senior Mother’s disappearance.
• Gongyang Chou showed Chu Qing an injured young man who had made his way through Heavenly Pass Ridge and could sleep only in a cage; Chu Qing agreed to escort him north of the ridge.
• Gongyang Chou and Gu Ling'er planned to secretly return to learn what had happened to their Eldest Senior Brother, while Chu Qing prepared to continue onward the next morning.
• Unable to sleep, Chu Qing went to Wu Qianhuan’s room, and they embraced before flaming arrows suddenly rained down from above.

Chu Qing and his companions were ambushed at Tongtian Mountain Manor by a force from the Heavenly Evil Cult. After defeating the attackers’ formations, Chu Qing fought their powerful leader and ended the chapter after cutting his wrist, his eyes glowing blue.

• Chu Qing, Wu Qianhuan, and Wen Rou escaped their burning rooms as arrows rained down on Tongtian Mountain Manor.
• The black-clad attackers used a linked battle formation, but Chu Qing broke their assault with his fists and saber, leaving nearly all of them dead or wounded.
• The surviving leader identified himself as an enemy of Chu Qing, citing orders from the Weapon Lord to kill him, and challenged him with a spear.
• Chu Qing and the leader exchanged dozens of powerful blows, while Chu Qing noticed flaws in the man’s spear technique.
• Chu Qing cut the leader’s wrist, then abruptly withdrew as a faint blue glow flickered in his eyes.

Chu Qing used the Art of Absolute Wisdom to defeat Meng Shaokun, then rushed to help Gongyang Chou and Gu Ling'er during the attack on Tongtian Mountain Manor. There, Gu Ling'er confronted her Second Senior Brother, who revealed himself as Bai Yushu and declared that she had to die.

• Chu Qing used the Art of Absolute Wisdom to make Meng Shaokun forget his martial arts, learned his name, sealed his acupoints, and crippled his dantian.
• Chu Qing, Wu Qianhuan, and Wen Rou discovered that the Heavenly Evil Cult was attacking Tongtian Mountain Manor, and Chu Qing rushed toward the fighting elsewhere in the estate.
• Chu Qing found Gongyang Chou badly wounded and losing to a masked man in black who effortlessly countered his techniques.
• Gu Ling'er returned to stand beside Gongyang Chou and told the masked man to reveal himself, saying she knew he was her Second Senior Brother.
• The man removed his mask and revealed himself as Bai Yushu, then told Gu Ling'er that she was annoying and must die.

Bai Yushu appeared to betray Ghost Emperor Palace and attack Gu Ling'er, but Chu Qing discovered that the apparent Ghost Emperor and the black-clothed Bai Yushu were disguises concealing a plot between Bai Yushu and the missing Eldest Senior Brother. Chu Qing stabilized the injured Bai Yushu, while the reason for the brothers’ deception remained unknown.

• Bai Yushu threatened to kill Gu Ling'er, and she asked him to spare Gongyang Chou while reflecting on her painful relationship with her sister.
• A terrifying voice seemed to come from the Ghost Emperor and frightened more than a hundred Heavenly Evil Cult members to death, prompting the black-clothed Bai Yushu to flee.
• Chu Qing followed Wen Rou’s directions to a mountain hollow, where he found Bai Yushu injured rather than the Ghost Emperor.
• Chu Qing deduced that Bai Yushu had impersonated the Ghost Emperor and that the black-clothed attacker was likely the Eldest Senior Brother impersonating Bai Yushu.
• Chu Qing used his inner force to calm Bai Yushu’s chaotic energy, and Bai Yushu woke after narrowly surviving his injuries.

Bai Yushu revealed that Ghost Emperor Palace’s Eldest Senior Brother had colluded with the Heavenly Evil Cult and was targeting Gu Ling'er, so Chu Qing agreed to keep Bai Yushu’s survival secret. After Bai Yushu left to return to Ghost Emperor Palace, Chu Qing and the others suspected the Eldest Senior Brother’s scheme also involved the Second Senior Mother and the Ghost Emperor’s disappearance.

• Bai Yushu thanked Chu Qing for saving him, gave him the King Yama's Life Extending Pill, and asked him to conceal that the Ghost Emperor had not returned.
• Bai Yushu explained that he had impersonated the Ghost Emperor to drive off Eldest Senior Brother, who had disguised himself as Bai Yushu and tried to assassinate Gu Ling'er.
• Bai Yushu said he had planned to abduct Gu Ling'er to protect her from Eldest Senior Brother, whom he suspected of acting out of love for Eldest Young Lady.
• Bai Yushu decided to return to Ghost Emperor Palace and summon Gongyang Chou and Gu Ling'er, while Chu Qing agreed to keep his survival secret and returned some of the pills.
• After Bai Yushu left, Chu Qing, Wu Qianhuan, and Wen Rou connected Eldest Senior Brother to the plot against the Second Senior Mother and the Ghost Emperor, and Chu Qing suspected Bai Yushu had concealed an old grudge.

Chu Qing left Heavenly Pass Ridge with Wu Qianhuan, Wen Rou, and Bird Thirteen, choosing to head for Little Cold Valley rather than pursue Eldest Senior Brother. After disguising themselves and reaching Tongtian Town, they learned a Jianghu Gathering was about to take place in Little Cold Valley, but two men who recognized Bird Thirteen arrived and attacked him.

• Chu Qing decided to abandon the pursuit of Eldest Senior Brother and travel to Little Cold Valley, then received a compass from Gongyang Chou.
• Chu Qing took Bird Thirteen from Tongtian Mountain Manor and led him out of Heavenly Pass Ridge with Wu Qianhuan and Wen Rou.
• Chu Qing asked Bird Thirteen about his abilities as they traveled, and Bird Thirteen grew more comfortable around him.
• Chu Qing, Wen Rou, and Wu Qianhuan disguised themselves as Han San, Han Si, and Han Five before entering Tongtian Town.
• Chu Qing learned from a merchant caravan that the Jianghu Gathering would be held in Little Cold Valley and offered to guard the caravan for the journey.
• Two men recognized Bird Thirteen and rushed to seize him, so Chu Qing pinned their feet to the floor with thrown chopsticks.

Chu Qing stopped men sent to capture Bird Thirteen and learned their order came from Wang Kuan, a steward in Little Blade King Li Shengxing's household. He agreed to travel with Sun's caravan to Tongyao City, where Li Shengxing lived, and the group prepared to leave for Little Cold Valley.

• Chu Qing killed one attacker and seized another, then learned that Wang Kuan had sent them to capture Bird Thirteen over alleged theft.
• Chu Qing confirmed Bird Thirteen knew Wang Kuan and examined a portrait the attackers carried, which depicted Bird Thirteen.
• Chu Qing spared the surviving attacker but ordered him to take his companion's corpse away.
• Chu Qing decided to seek Li Shengxing in Tongyao City, and Old Man Sun said the city lay along the caravan's route.
• Shopkeeper Zhou and Old Man Sun arranged for Chu Qing and his companions to travel with them, and the caravan prepared a carriage before dawn.

Chu Qing and the caravan reached Tongyao City, where he saw the city’s thriving dog-meat trade and the misery of its slaves. He then took Wen Rou and Wu Qianhuan to visit Little Blade King Li Shengxing, whose connection to Bird Thirteen’s past remained unknown.

• Shopkeeper Zhou recalled how Chu Qing had driven off bandits and defeated two notorious villains, earning his deep respect.
• Chu Qing and Wu Qianhuan discussed Bird Thirteen’s growing fear and wondered whether Li Shengxing had concealed a wicked nature.
• Shopkeeper Zhou invited Chu Qing to try Tongyao City’s famous Snow Melt Fragrant Meat and Drunken Immortal, and Chu Qing agreed.
• The caravan entered Tongyao City, a city under Prairie Fire Manor, and Chu Qing saw numerous dog-meat shops and a chained group of slaves.
• After settling at East Arrival Inn, Chu Qing took Wen Rou and Wu Qianhuan to Li Shengxing’s residence.

Chu Qing, Wu Qianhuan, and Wen Rou infiltrated Autumn Food Villa while searching for Steward Wang Kuan and discovered that its residents were being imprisoned and tortured. Fish Sixteen revealed that Wang Kuan had been eating their companion’s flesh, and the chapter ended with Chu Qing killing the cook who claimed the victims belonged to Little Blade King Li Shengxing.

• Chu Qing learned that Li Shengxing was away and went with Wu Qianhuan and Wen Rou to investigate Autumn Food Villa at night.
• The three followed Fish Sixteen as she tried to escape, and Wu Qianhuan stopped a cook from killing her.
• Fish Sixteen recognized Chu Qing’s connection to Bird Thirteen and begged him to save the people imprisoned at the villa.
• Fish Sixteen explained that she and Bird Thirteen had witnessed Steward Wang Kuan carving flesh from a captive and eating it.
• The cook claimed the captives were Li Shengxing’s property, and Chu Qing killed him after he admitted they were involved.