Chapter Summaries

Lin Taichu resolved the Second Prince’s suspicions with the Prince’s support and later insisted on repaying the Prince’s kindness. The Prince sent him to retrieve a polished piece of Hetian Jade, which Lin Taichu collected from Old Zhou.

• The Second Prince accepted Lin Taichu’s explanation of the rumors and let him leave without further trouble.
• Lin Taichu reported the meeting to the Prince and Wang Yue, who reassured him that the Prince’s backing kept him safe.
• Lin Taichu brought gifts to the Prince and insisted on helping repay the Prince’s kindness, despite declining the idea of marrying Miss Wang.
• The Prince asked Lin Taichu to retrieve a piece of Hetian Jade from Old Zhou in Apricot Blossom Alley.
• Lin Taichu visited Old Zhou, received the jade in a brocade box, and confirmed it was the right piece.

Lin Taichu collected the Prince’s Hetian Jade and returned it safely to the mansion, believing the errand was an easy way to repay a favor. The Prince revealed that the jade was an imperial token and that he had sent Lin to collect it so the city would see him carrying it.

• Lin Taichu collected the jade from Old Zhou, who recognized him from the Prince’s Martial Arts Tournament and sent his regards to the Prince.
• Lin Taichu returned the jade to the Prince and accepted an invitation to stay at the mansion.
• The Prince summoned Lin Taichu to his study and asked whether collecting the jade had seemed easy.
• The Prince explained that the Hetian Jade had been bestowed by the Former Emperor as a token of his authority.
• Lin Taichu realized the Prince had deliberately sent him through the city with the jade so people would see him carrying it.

Lin Taichu investigated the palace’s reaction to rumors that the Prince had allied with the Second Prince and learned that the Third Prince, Minister Li, and Liu Zhong were moving against him. He left the City Lord’s Mansion and went to a teahouse to listen for more rumors.

• The Prince explained that he had spread the story of his alliance with the Second Prince to lure his hidden enemies into revealing themselves, and asked Lin Taichu to investigate.
• The Prince gave Lin Taichu a pass to the City Lord’s Mansion and named the Third Prince, Minister Li, and Liu Zhong as people to watch.
• Lin Taichu visited the city lord, who reported that Minister Li had impeached the Prince and the Third Prince had privately urged ministers to join him.
• The city lord said Liu Zhong had met with the Third Prince, while the Second Prince was publicly distancing himself from Lin Taichu.
• Lin Taichu left by a roundabout route and went to a West Street teahouse, where people were discussing the Prince’s supposed alliance with the Second Prince.

Lin Taichu investigated Minister Li and Liu Zhong for the Prince, uncovered their connection to the Third Prince, and infiltrated Liu Zhong’s private residence. He overheard them discussing a plan to target him before guards discovered him and surrounded him.

• Lin Taichu reported that the Third Prince was courting officials and that Liu Zhong might speak against the Prince, so the Prince ordered him to watch Minister Li.
• Lin Taichu followed the Third Prince’s personal guard from Minister Li’s residence to Liu Zhong’s private residence and confirmed Liu Zhong stayed there.
• The Prince told Lin Taichu how he had helped conceal Liu Zhong’s theft of a palace painting, and Lin Taichu carved a reminder of their debt onto his short blade.
• Lin Taichu entered Liu Zhong’s residence at night and overheard Liu Zhong and another man discuss using Lin Taichu as a pretext to force the Prince to act.
• A guard carrying tea ran into Lin Taichu, who struck him down, and several black-clothed men rushed out and surrounded him.

Lin Taichu helped the Prince weaken the Third Prince’s allies by frightening Liu Zhong into withdrawing and persuading Minister Li to stop working with the Third Prince. The City Lord then warned Lin Taichu that the Third Prince was planning another move.

• Lin Taichu escaped Liu Zhong’s guards after planting a blade marked with a reference to the ancient painting, and Liu Zhong ordered his men to burn it and avoid the Prince’s affairs.
• The City Lord reported that Liu Zhong had returned to the palace and stopped contacting the Third Prince’s people, prompting the Prince and Lin Taichu to turn their attention to Minister Li.
• Lin Taichu brought injury medicine to Minister Li and offered to let Li Mo win a rematch if Minister Li stopped targeting the Prince and severed ties with the Third Prince.
• Minister Li agreed to withdraw from the Third Prince’s affairs and sent word that he would no longer help him.
• At the City Lord’s Mansion, the City Lord confirmed Minister Li’s decision and told Lin Taichu that the Third Prince had gathered confidants to discuss another plan.

Lin Taichu learned that the Third Prince might be conspiring with Jianghu sects and returned to the Prince's Mansion to help prepare for an attack. While waiting for the City Lord's investigation, he learned that the palace's martial examination would appoint the Imperial Guards' chief instructor, and the prince devised a plan to send a Dark Guard to win.

• Lin Taichu warned the prince that the Third Prince had contacted Jianghu sects, and the prince ordered more guards for the mansion.
• Lin Taichu asked the City Lord to investigate which sect the Third Prince had contacted, then moved into the Prince's Mansion and trained there.
• Zhang advised Lin Taichu to make his trident techniques more flexible, while Wang Yue sometimes watched him train.
• After half a month without news from the City Lord, Lin Taichu learned from the prince that the palace would hold a martial examination in one month, with the winner becoming chief instructor of the Imperial Guards.
• The prince explained that Lin Taichu's connection to the mansion would draw the Third Prince's attention, so he proposed entering a skilled Dark Guard in the examination while Lin Taichu served as a decoy.

Lin Taichu registered for the military examination and competed through its first rounds while the prince kept the identity of their secret Dark Guard hidden. After learning that the Third Prince had recruited the poison expert Wu Qing to target him, Lin Taichu rushed to warn the prince.

• The prince told Lin Taichu that an unseen Dark Guard would coordinate with him during the examination, and Lin Taichu registered the next morning under his own name.
• Lin Taichu noticed the Third Prince's people watching him, and the prince warned him to stay cautious and arranged for the Guards to watch over him.
• The Third Prince recruited Jianghu experts to help his contestants, but the prince told Lin Taichu not to recruit helpers of his own.
• Lin Taichu completed the first three rounds and worried he might accidentally injure the hidden Dark Guard, but the prince told him to focus on competing normally.
• Lin Taichu learned that Zhao Feng had been winning easily and received a warning that Wu Qing of the Kunlun Sect specialized in poison and was targeting him.
• Lin Taichu hurried back to the Prince's Mansion and told the prince about Wu Qing.

Lin Taichu faced Wu Qing, a Kunlun Sect poison expert, and fought through a lethal poison to defeat him. Wu Qing surrendered, but Lin Taichu collapsed as the poison overwhelmed him.

• The prince warned Lin Taichu about Wu Qing's poison and gave him Detoxification Pills and soft armor.
• Wu Qing struck Lin Taichu with a hidden poison needle during their match, and the Detoxification Pill failed to cure him.
• Lin Taichu tricked Wu Qing, wounded him with his trident, and kept fighting as the poison weakened him.
• Lin Taichu disarmed and subdued Wu Qing, forcing him to surrender.
• Lin Taichu dropped his trident and collapsed after Wu Qing surrendered.

After Lin Taichu woke from being poisoned by Wu Qing’s Qianji Powder, he decided to study medicine and poison because his martial arts had weakened. He visited Old Man of Medicine seeking guidance, but the old man rejected him at the door.

• The Prince ordered Lin Taichu carried to the Prince's Mansion, where the imperial physician treated the poison and warned that Lin Taichu's martial arts could decline by thirty percent.
• Wang Yue cared for Lin Taichu during his five days unconscious, and he woke to find her beside his bed.
• The imperial physician brought the poison under control, and Lin Taichu began recovering at the Prince's Mansion.
• Lin Taichu told the Prince he wanted to learn about herbs and poisons, and the Prince directed him to Old Man of Medicine.
• Lin Taichu brought fresh herbs to Medicine Cottage at the foot of Green Ox Mountain, but Old Man of Medicine refused to take him as a disciple or teach him.

Lin Taichu visited Old Man of Medicine to learn how to treat the lingering effects of Qianji Powder and received herbs and instructions for clearing the poison and repairing his meridians. After following the treatment for half a month, he returned to the medical cottage, where Old Man of Medicine tested his knowledge of medicinal herbs and found him diligent but still a beginner.

• Lin Taichu told Old Man of Medicine that Wu Qing had poisoned him with Qianji Powder during the martial examinations, and Old Man of Medicine diagnosed lingering poison and damaged meridians.
• Old Man of Medicine gave Lin Taichu herbs and instructions to clear the residual poison and ease the numbness, and told him to study common medicinal herbs if he wanted to learn about poison.
• Lin Taichu reported the visit to the Prince, who urged him to follow Old Man of Medicine's instructions and recuperate patiently.
• Lin Taichu spent half a month drinking the prescribed herbal soup and soaking his hands and feet, and the residual poison was mostly cleared while his numbness eased.
• Lin Taichu returned to the medical cottage to thank Old Man of Medicine and ask about further treatment and herb study; Old Man of Medicine quizzed him and determined that he had studied but remained a beginner.

Lin Taichu treated his poisoned body and damaged meridians with Old Man of Medicine’s medicine and the Soft Tendon Art, recovering some of his martial arts. After learning that rare Sunward Grass could speed his recovery, he decided to seek it at the dangerous edge of the desert, and the Prince arranged for Old Zhou to accompany him.

• Old Man of Medicine gave Lin Taichu medicine, taught him the Soft Tendon Art, and advised him to take nourishing tonics while recovering gradually.
• Lin Taichu followed the treatment and practice schedule for a month, clearing the remaining poison and recovering enough to regain twenty percent of his martial arts.
• Old Man of Medicine told Lin Taichu that Sunward Grass could help restore his meridians and martial arts, but it grew in a dangerous desert region.
• Lin Taichu studied Old Man of Medicine’s drawing of Sunward Grass and resolved to search for it despite the risks.
• Lin Taichu told the Prince of his plan, and the Prince agreed to provide supplies and arranged for the route-savvy Old Zhou to accompany him.

Lin Taichu and Old Zhou found Sunward Grass at the desert’s edge, but the Third Prince’s men ambushed them on their way back. As the two struggled against a larger force, Old Zhou blew a piercing whistle.

• Lin Taichu and Old Zhou rode to the desert’s edge to search for Sunward Grass, and Lin Taichu ate pastries Wang Yue had made for him.
• The two found Sunward Grass among the shrubs, and Lin Taichu carefully dug up five plants.
• Old Zhou spotted armed men following them and warned Lin Taichu that the Third Prince’s men were nearby.
• A burly leader revealed that the Third Prince had sent the men to kill Lin Taichu, and they surrounded the pair.
• Lin Taichu and Old Zhou fought the attackers, but they were overwhelmed and injured, so Old Zhou blew a piercing whistle.

Lin Taichu and Old Zhou escaped the Third Prince’s men with help from a Desert Mo Bear, then returned safely to the Prince’s Mansion with five stalks of Sunward Grass. After resting, Lin Taichu brought the herb to Old Man of Medicine for treatment.

• Old Zhou summoned a grown Desert Mo Bear with a whistle, distracting the attackers so he and Lin Taichu could escape.
• Old Zhou explained that he had once saved the bear as a cub and learned to call it with certain whistles.
• Lin Taichu and Old Zhou traveled for three days and met guards sent by the Prince, who reported that the Prince was well and the Third Prince had made no recent move.
• Lin Taichu gave the five intact stalks of Sunward Grass to the Prince, who thanked Old Zhou and told Lin Taichu to rest before seeking treatment.
• After two days of rest, Lin Taichu brought the Sunward Grass to Old Man of Medicine at the foot of Green Ox Mountain, and the old man welcomed his safe return.

Lin Taichu learned that the Prince's Dark Guard had been killed and agreed to keep competing in the martial examinations despite his partly restored cultivation. His final-round match against the Third Prince's champion, Meat Mountain, began with Lin Taichu dodging a Meteor Hammer and counterattacking.

• Old Man of Medicine told Lin Taichu that treatment with Sunward Grass and the Soft Tendon Art could mostly restore his meridians within a month.
• The Prince told Lin Taichu that the Third Prince's men had killed the Dark Guard and gained the upper hand in the martial examinations.
• Lin Taichu tested his recovering strength at the Training Ground and decided to continue competing for the position of chief instructor of the imperial guards.
• The final-round match list paired Lin Taichu with Meat Mountain, and the Third Prince ordered Meat Mountain to cripple him.
• Meat Mountain opened the fight with a Meteor Hammer strike, which Lin Taichu dodged before attacking Meat Mountain's legs with his trident.

Lin Taichu defeated Meat Mountain in the tournament, then struggled against Zhao Feng after being called to fight immediately. He used Guard’s changed technique to wound Zhao Feng, who renewed his attack in a rage.

• Lin Taichu cut Meat Mountain’s Meteor Hammer chain, then wounded him with his trident and killed him with a precise thrust to the chest.
• The referee declared Lin Taichu the winner, and the Prince celebrated while the Third Prince berated his subordinate.
• The referee announced Zhao Feng as Lin Taichu’s next opponent, and Zhao Feng warned that Lin Taichu would not last three moves.
• Zhao Feng drove Lin Taichu to the edge of the stage with rapid sword attacks, but Lin Taichu swept at his legs to create distance.
• Worn down from his earlier fight, Lin Taichu used Guard’s changed technique to hook Zhao Feng’s sword aside and strike his chest with the trident shaft.
• Zhao Feng wiped away his blood and charged Lin Taichu again, vowing to kill him.

Lin Taichu lost his match against Zhao Feng, but the emperor declared him chief instructor of the Imperial Guards. After recovering at the Prince's Mansion, Lin Taichu was summoned to the Imperial Study, where the emperor had yet to explain his decision.

• Zhao Feng wounded Lin Taichu and knocked him down, leaving the referee about to announce Zhao Feng's victory.
• The emperor arrived, rejected the Third Prince's claim that Zhao Feng had won, and appointed Lin Taichu chief instructor of the Imperial Guards.
• Lin Taichu woke at the Prince's Mansion and asked why the emperor had appointed him, but the Prince had no explanation.
• Wang Yue visited Lin Taichu during his recovery, and a palace envoy later summoned him to meet the emperor.
• Lin Taichu entered the Imperial Study and waited as the emperor set aside a memorial and looked up at him.

The Emperor appointed Lin Taichu chief instructor of the imperial guard to curb the Third Prince’s influence, and Lin Taichu later took up the post after recovering from his injuries. When the Third Prince arrived at the barracks to challenge him, Lin Taichu ordered his men to escort the prince out.

• The Emperor told Lin Taichu that he had appointed him chief instructor because of his potential and to prevent the Third Prince from controlling the imperial guard.
• Lin Taichu reported the audience to the Prince, who suspected the Emperor had been watching him and promised to help him prepare for the position.
• After half a month of recovery, Lin Taichu arrived at the barracks, introduced himself to the officers, and began organizing their training and guard duties.
• The Third Prince visited the barracks, mocked Lin Taichu’s appointment, and accused the Emperor of using him as a pawn to keep him in check.
• Lin Taichu defended the Emperor’s decree and ordered his men to escort the Third Prince out of the barracks.

Lin Taichu trained the Imperial Guards under the Emperor’s authority, then learned the Emperor had placed him between the Third Prince and the Prince to keep both sides in check. The Emperor sent Lin Taichu to retrieve a Kirin Ganoderma from Southern Mountain, and Lin Taichu prepared to leave with fifty veteran guards.

• Lin Taichu ordered the Imperial Guards to escort the Third Prince out, and the commander explained that the Emperor had ordered the soldiers to obey Lin Taichu.
• Lin Taichu began training the Imperial Guards, and the Prince explained that the Emperor was using him to restrain both the Third Prince and the Prince.
• Lin Taichu continued training the guards while his meridians recovered, and the Third Prince made no further trouble.
• The Emperor summoned Lin Taichu and ordered him to retrieve a Kirin Ganoderma from Southern Mountain with fifty veteran guards.
• Lin Taichu told the Imperial Guards commander to select the soldiers and prepare weapons, dry rations, and medical supplies for their departure the next morning.

Lin Taichu led fifty Imperial Guards into South Mountain to retrieve the Kirin Ganoderma, taking precautions against bandits and wild beasts along the way. At the foot of a sheer cliff, he spotted a faint glow in a crevice halfway up and suspected he had found the herb.

• Lin Taichu told the prince he would take fifty Imperial Guards and two ballistae to South Mountain, and the prince warned him to avoid unnecessary fights.
• Lin Taichu led the unit to a town near South Mountain, where he learned that bandits had recently robbed merchants in the area.
• Lin Taichu and the soldiers entered the mountain with a veteran guide, then spent the night in a cave as they approached the cliff.
• Lin Taichu reached the sheer cliff despite the soldiers urging him to turn back and examined its face.
• Lin Taichu spotted a faint glow in a crevice halfway up the cliff and suspected it was the Kirin Ganoderma.

Lin Taichu used ginseng and Snow Lotus to lure the Kirin Ganoderma from a cliff and secured it for the emperor. After defeating a bandit ambush and releasing the bandits, he and the soldiers reached the capital.

• Lin Taichu recalled that the Kirin Ganoderma was drawn to precious spiritual medicines and used ginseng and Snow Lotus to lure it onto a rope.
• Lin Taichu pulled the Kirin Ganoderma from the cliff, placed it in a box, and led the soldiers back toward the palace.
• Lin Taichu and the Imperial Guards fought off a group of bandits, wounded their leader, and confiscated their weapons.
• Lin Taichu released the bandits after learning they had not harmed anyone and were robbing travelers for food.
• Lin Taichu and the soldiers rested in a town, then traveled for three days and reached the capital gates.