Chapter Summaries

Xu Yi rode to the Southern Guard headquarters to prepare for the royal assembly, where he subdued Commander Su Weizong and took charge of the guard detail. At dawn, he led thirty-six Southern Guard soldiers to the Bright Hall as the other guard divisions assembled around the imperial field.

• The Auspicious Duck warned Xu Yi that his fortune-telling predicted certain death if he went, but Xu Yi rode away from Futuo Mountain anyway.
• Xu Yi met Lu Shanren at the Imperial City and went with him to the Southern Guard headquarters, where he changed into golden qilin armor.
• Commander Su Weizong confronted Xu Yi, but Xu Yi struck him down and ordered the hall steward to continue explaining the royal court etiquette.
• At five in the morning, Xu Yi led thirty-six guards behind officials from the Imperial Household and Ministry of Rites toward the Bright Hall.
• The Eastern, Western, Northern, and Central Guards arrived at the Hongwu Imperial Field, with the Eastern, Western, Northern, and Southern divisions forming a protective ring.

Xu Yi watched the Black Dragon Army, officials, scholars, and foreign envoys gather before entering the Great Bright Hall to attend the Son of Heaven. He saw the emperor’s weak, indulgent appearance and grew worried about how extreme his lustful reputation was.

• Dong Xuanji arrived with three thousand soldiers of the Black Dragon Army, and Xu Yi assessed the royal force’s strength.
• Officials, successful examination candidates, and delegations from Ba State, Wenchang, the Heavenly Buddha Kingdom, Naiman, and other countries entered the Imperial City.
• Xu Yi recognized Jiuru and Beichen in the Heavenly Buddha Kingdom’s delegation, and Jiuru briefly sensed Xu Yi watching him.
• Xu Yi and the other commanders entered the Great Bright Hall and bowed when the Son of Heaven took his throne, while Dong Xuanji only inclined his head.
• Xu Yi glimpsed the pale, plump emperor and concluded that his indulgence in lust was worse than the rumors suggested.

At the Son of Heaven of Great Yue’s birthday celebration, Ba State’s deliberately meager gift sparked a confrontation that Chen Guanhai used to undermine Marquis Xuanwu Zhao Jinzhong. Prime Minister Ye stepped in to defend Great Yue’s courtly dignity, but Chen challenged his criticism of the gift.

• Xu Yi attended the Son of Heaven of Great Yue’s elaborate birthday rites and followed the court to a lavish banquet in the imperial grounds.
• Ba State’s envoy, Chen Guanhai, announced a gift of Luminous Pearls and Jade Whale Skin, provoking outrage among the guests.
• Marquis Xuanwu Zhao Jinzhong confronted Chen, who praised Zhao’s supposed shrewdness in a way that made the court suspect his loyalty.
• Zhao tried to protest his loyalty to the Son of Heaven, but the emperor’s anger deepened and Zhao was ordered to step down.
• Prime Minister Ye rebuked Chen for insulting Great Yue and trying to sow discord, but Chen argued that Zhao had shown discourtesy by criticizing Ba State’s gift.

At the Emperor of Yue’s birthday celebration, Chen Guanhai maneuvered Great Yue into a literary contest between Jin Lou and its new graduates. Ye Tiangao handed the authority to choose the contest’s terms to the three top graduates.

• Chen Guanhai proposed that a literary work commemorate the Emperor’s birthday and named Jin Lou, the Heir of Prince Xiang, as Ba State’s contestant.
• Ye Tiangao challenged Chen Guanhai’s proposal, but Ye Piaoling stepped forward and urged the new graduates to defend Great Yue’s honor.
• The graduates rallied behind Ye Piaoling, forcing Ye Tiangao to accept the contest after seeking the Emperor’s approval.
• Chen Guanhai let Great Yue choose the contest’s format, boasting that Jin Lou excelled in every literary art.
• Ye Tiangao gave the three top new graduates full authority to set the contest’s terms.

The Heir of Prince Xiang challenged Great Yue’s newly appointed scholars, first asking an unanswerable question about the height of the sky and claiming victory when they could not respond. He then posed two famous absolute couplets by Mr. Xu, leaving the crowd silent as the contest continued.

• Ye Tiangao stepped aside, and the Top Scholar negotiated the terms with the Heir of Prince Xiang.
• The Heir of Prince Xiang asked how high the sky was, then gave an enormous, unsupported measurement when the Top Scholar could not answer.
• Ye Piaoling urged the Top Scholar to stop arguing, and the Top Scholar conceded the round.
• The Third-Rank Flower-Admiring Scholar let the Heir of Prince Xiang continue setting questions.
• The Heir of Prince Xiang recited two famous absolute couplets by Mr. Xu, and the crowd fell silent.

At the Qionglin Banquet, the Heir of Prince Xiang challenged the newly appointed jinshi with two famous unmatched couplets from Great Yue. He matched both with near-perfect lines, leaving the scholars defeated and Chen Guanhai astonished.

• The Heir of Prince Xiang brought out the unmatched smoke and Bao Gai couplets, provoking the jinshi and drawing Ye Piaoling's condemnation.
• The Top Scholar challenged the Heir of Prince Xiang to solve the couplets and promised to admit defeat if he succeeded.
• The Heir of Prince Xiang wrote matching lines for both couplets before the assembled scholars.
• The jinshi accepted their defeat, and Chen Guanhai trembled with excitement at the Heir of Prince Xiang's talent.

The Heir of Prince Xiang won the literary contest, but Prime Minister Ye Tiangao stopped him from recording the birthday celebration and revealed that Xu Yi was the Poet Immortal and Word Sage. Xu Yi was summoned before the Emperor, who recognized him and asked him to present a work.

• Chen Guanhai realized the Heir of Prince Xiang had controlled the contest and led the candidates into accepting defeat.
• The Heir of Prince Xiang declared he would record the celebration, but Ye Tiangao objected and argued that someone more renowned should do it.
• Ye Tiangao named the Poet Immortal and Word Sage as the person who could surpass the Heir of Prince Xiang, shocking the hall.
• Ye Tiangao called Xu Yi forward, and the Emperor's decree summoned him to kneel before the throne.
• The Emperor recognized Xu Yi from his portrait and asked him to present a fine work for the birthday celebration.

Xu Yi refused the Son of Heaven’s request to represent Great Yue, as his thoughts were fixed on Xia Zimo. His refusal unsettled the court and left Jiuru reconsidering his plan to kill him, while Ye Tiangao rebuked him for defying the emperor.

• The Son of Heaven asked Xu Yi to display his literary talents before the foreign delegations, but Xu Yi refused, saying his thoughts were elsewhere.
• The Heir of Prince Xiang resented Xu Yi’s refusal but decided not to challenge him, while Jiuru was shaken to learn that Xu Yi was the famed Poet Immortal and Word Sage.
• Beichen urged Jiuru to kill Xu Yi before he could gain more influence, but Jiuru rebuked him and worried that killing a celebrated figure would bring disgrace to Tianchan Temple.
• Jiuru spotted the Naiman delegation and formed a new plan as he weighed how to handle Xu Yi.
• Ye Tiangao accused Xu Yi of disloyalty and insisted that he could not refuse the Son of Heaven’s command.

Xu Yi secured the Son of Heaven’s decree to retrieve his missing relative, then confronted the Heir of Prince Xiang with a challenge in literature. The Heir hesitated, while Xu Yi’s confidence concealed his fear of competing in word puzzles.

• Xu Yi persuaded Ye Tiangao to ask the Son of Heaven for a decree by claiming a close relative was being held in a noble place.
• The Son of Heaven granted Xu Yi’s request, alarming Jiuru and the Ghost Master, who realized Xu Yi meant to retrieve Beichen.
• Jiuru rose and left his table as the Ghost Master wished he had used the killing move himself.
• Xu Yi approached the Heir of Prince Xiang and offered him ten chances to challenge his skill in poetry, prose, couplets, or word puzzles.
• The Heir of Prince Xiang stayed silent, intimidated by Xu Yi’s reputation, though Xu Yi was bluffing about word puzzles.

Xu Yi faced the Heir of Prince Xiang in a literary challenge after the Heir hesitated over how to compete. They agreed to test their quick wit with two questions each, and the Heir took the first turn.

• The Heir of Prince Xiang proposed a contest while avoiding a direct challenge in poetry and verse.
• Chen Guanhai suggested that Xu Yi and the Heir of Prince Xiang test their quick wit by asking and debating questions.
• Xu Yi called out their evasiveness, drawing laughter from the hall.
• The Heir of Prince Xiang accepted Chen Guanhai's proposal, and Xu Yi agreed to answer two questions each.
• The Heir of Prince Xiang chose to ask the first question, and Xu Yi invited him to begin.

Xu Yi quickly solved the Heir of Prince Xiang’s first riddle about measuring an hour and a half with incense, impressing the Son of Heaven and the gathering. The Heir then posed a second puzzle about a stone moved from a bowl into a basin, leaving Xu Yi to answer.

• The Heir of Prince Xiang asked Xu Yi how Jia Sheng could measure an hour and a half using two incense sticks.
• Xu Yi answered that Jia Sheng should let one stick burn out, then light the second at both ends.
• The Heir of Prince Xiang and the assembled guests were astonished by Xu Yi’s answer, and the Son of Heaven praised his talent.
• The Heir of Prince Xiang asked whether the waterline on a bowl would be higher with a stone inside it or with the stone moved into the surrounding basin.

Xu Yi answered the Heir of Prince Xiang’s water-level puzzle correctly, but refused to explain his reasoning and let the Heir accuse him of guessing. The Heir’s frustration overwhelmed his composure as the gathering watched Xu Yi outmaneuver him.

• The Heir of Prince Xiang expected Xu Yi to fail the puzzle because even his strategists had been unable to explain its principle.
• Xu Yi said the water level would be lower when the stone was submerged, and the Heir demanded that he explain why.
• Xu Yi insisted the Heir first confirm whether his answer was correct, and the Heir admitted it was right.
• Chen Guanhai tried to calm the Heir and urged Xu Yi to explain the principle for the gathered guests.
• Xu Yi refused to defend his reputation, saying the principle was too profound and conceding that he might have guessed.
• The Heir of Prince Xiang accused Xu Yi of deceiving the world, but Xu Yi’s indifference left him seething.

Xu Yi challenged the Heir of Prince Xiang with the Seven Bridges Problem after the court confirmed Xu Yi’s explanation of the stone and water. The Heir failed to find a route before the incense burned out, and Xu Yi refused to reveal the answer, leaving the contest unresolved.

• Xu Yi asked the Heir of Prince Xiang to answer one of his own questions, while the court tested Xu Yi’s stone-and-water explanation and confirmed it.
• Xu Yi described the seven bridges linking Peach Blossom Island, Hero Island, and the two banks, and challenged the Heir to cross each bridge exactly once and return to his starting point.
• The Heir of Prince Xiang agreed to solve the puzzle within one incense stick and began calculating while the court watched.
• As the incense neared its end, the Heir of Prince Xiang spat blood and collapsed without solving the puzzle, and Chen Guanhai revived him with pills.
• The Heir asked Xu Yi to explain the answer, but Xu Yi said he was responsible only for posing questions and would not reveal it.

Xu Yi challenged the Heir of Prince Xiang to judge a legal dispute, wagering that the Heir would apologize to Great Yue's newly appointed jinshi if he lost. Xu Yi presented a case about a teacher suing his pupil over tuition, and the chapter ended before the Heir gave his judgment.

• Xu Yi taunted the Heir of Prince Xiang and offered to concede the contest if the Heir answered his next question correctly.
• Chen Guanhai warned the Heir that Xu Yi was trying to humiliate him, but Xu Yi insisted on posing a legal case.
• The Heir of Prince Xiang accepted the challenge, believing he could win by arguing the case.
• Xu Yi described how an old scholar sued Zhang Sheng for tuition under a rule that seemed to require payment whether Zhang Sheng won or lost.
• The hall's guests debated the dispute, and Xu Yi then revealed Zhang Sheng's counterarguments about why he should not owe the money either way.

The Heir of Prince Xiang admitted he could not resolve Xu Yi’s paradoxical case and accepted defeat, while Xu Yi declined to write the contest’s account. Ji Lie then requested a martial challenge against the other states, hoping to earn access to the imperial secret guards’ inheritance, but the envoys objected.

• Unable to distinguish between the old scholar’s and Zhang Sheng’s arguments, the Heir of Prince Xiang bowed to Xu Yi and apologized to the newly appointed scholars before leaving.
• Xu Yi asked the top three newly appointed scholars to write the contest’s account, and Ye Piaoling’s composition was selected.
• Ji Lie asked the Son of Heaven of Great Yue for permission to challenge the other states in martial skill.
• The Son of Heaven granted Ji Lie’s request, but Chen Guanhai argued that a martial challenge would be unfair to the literary envoys, and the other envoys agreed.
• Ji Lie grew frustrated because he wanted to earn exceptional merit and gain access to the imperial secret guards’ inheritance.

At Great Yue’s birthday celebration, Xu Yi discovered Jiuru had secretly given the Naiman envoy a weapon intended for him and suspected a larger plot involving Xia Zimo. Jiuru presented Xia Zimo to the Son of Heaven of Great Yue, leaving Xu Yi in anguish as the emperor approached her.

• After the Son of Heaven of Great Yue dismissed Ji Lie, the birthday celebration resumed and Xu Yi took up a post near the Third Prince.
• Jiuru argued with the Naiman envoy in secret transmissions and handed him a concealed sphere that Xu Yi realized was a weapon meant to deal with him.
• Hearing the hall’s rumors and recalling Jiuru’s actions, Xu Yi suspected a hidden alliance and decided Xia Zimo had to leave the palace immediately.
• Jiuru asked the Son of Heaven of Great Yue to summon the Heavenly Buddha Kingdom’s envoy-maiden, and the emperor eagerly agreed.
• The Heavenly Buddha Kingdom’s dancers revealed Xia Zimo, whose beauty stunned the hall as the Son of Heaven of Great Yue approached her.

At the Great Yue birthday celebration, Ji Lie asked the Son of Heaven to grant him Xia Zimo, disrupting Jiuru’s assassination scheme. Xu Yi then identified Guanyin Bi as his close relative, leaving the court in an uproar and Ji Lie furious.

• After Xia Zimo’s dance, Ji Lie asked the Son of Heaven of Great Yue to grant her to him, and the emperor reluctantly agreed.
• Xu Yi asked to speak, while Jiuru worried that Ji Lie’s request had derailed his plan to use Guanyin Bi to assassinate the Son of Heaven.
• Jiuru had arranged for the Naiman and Heavenly Buddha kingdoms to attack Great Yue after the emperor’s death, but he could not get the Naiman delegation to act against Xu Yi.
• Xu Yi declared that Guanyin Bi was the close relative he had mentioned earlier, shocking the court and provoking Ji Lie’s killing intent.

Xu Yi used the Third Prince’s testimony and the Son of Heaven’s decree to claim Guanyin Bi, but Ji Lie refused to let her go. Xu Yi challenged Ji Lie to a martial contest, and the chapter ended with Ji Lie’s explosive attack failing to shake him.

• Xu Yi explained that Guanyin Bi was his closest kin, and the Third Prince vouched for his claim under threat to the Gu vial.
• The Son of Heaven agreed to let Xu Yi take Guanyin Bi, but Ji Lie insisted she belonged to him and would be taken back to the palace.
• Xu Yi challenged Ji Lie to a wager, proposing they test their Martial Arts rather than compete in letters.
• Ji Lie angrily released an ice spike that exploded above Xu Yi, who stood unmoved and accused him of detonating a Heavenly Thunder Pearl inside the ice.

Xu Yi challenged Ji Lie to a bare-handed contest, proposing that each man take one punch without dodging and that whoever was knocked farther back would lose. As Ji Lie prepared to strike first, the onlookers took sides and the tense contest was about to begin.

• Xu Yi proposed settling his contest with Ji Lie by exchanging punches without dodging or using defensive treasures, and Ji Lie agreed.
• Xu Yi insisted they accept whatever happened, even death, and let Ji Lie strike first.
• Ji Lie trusted his Immovable Wisdom King Divine Skill and Gang Sha to defeat Xu Yi, though he could not understand Xu Yi’s confidence.
• Xia Zimo felt moved by the golden-armored man’s apparent tenderness toward her as he faced Ji Lie to help her leave the palace.
• Jiuru, the Ghost Master, and the Third Prince hoped Ji Lie would kill Xu Yi, while many onlookers, especially the newly appointed Presented Scholars, supported Xu Yi.
• The field grew tense as Xu Yi and Ji Lie prepared to take their positions.

Xu Yi endured Ji Lie’s lethal Kuiyuan Strength punch and rose again after the arena believed him dead. His survival foiled the Third Prince’s attempt to take his Sumeru Ring and capture his soul, while Ji Lie and Jiuru were left stunned.

• Xu Yi revealed his seemingly unmarked body and activated his Undefeated Golden Body as Ji Lie prepared to strike.
• Ji Lie unleashed Kuiyuan Strength with a wisp of Water Gang Sha and blasted Xu Yi across the arena, leaving a long trail of blood.
• Jiuru used the Illusory Mirage Pearl to end Xia Zimo’s sudden pain and grief.
• The Third Prince rushed to Xu Yi and reached for his Sumeru Ring while concealing a Soul Collecting Bottle.
• Xu Yi grabbed the Third Prince’s hand, revealed he was alive, swallowed several pills, and sprang to his feet.
• Ji Lie stared in disbelief as Jiuru crushed his Bodhi Seed and cursed Xu Yi’s survival.