Chapter Summaries

Gu Hui encountered Yuan soldiers abusing commoners and swiftly defeated them, then faced a disguised woman who recognized him as the legendary Medicine Immortal. He left after teasing Yang Buhui and suggesting the woman was destined to marry Zhang Wuji.

• Gu Hui found Yuan soldiers marching and abusing unarmed commoners, challenged them, and sent dozens flying.
• The Ming Cult arrived, and Yang Buhui helped the injured commoners while Gu Hui saw through the woman leading another group’s male disguise.
• Gu Hui criticized the Yuan Court and teased Yang Buhui about finding a partner, ignoring the woman’s protests.
• The woman recognized Gu Hui as the Medicine Immortal and asked about his connection to Gu Manlou, and Gu Hui said his surname explained it.
• Gu Hui told the woman she and Zhang Wuji were fated to become family, then left with his medicine chest as Wei Yixiao and Ji Xiaofu discussed his skill and manner.

Gu Hui and Mu Nianci continued traveling the martial world until their daughter Gu Nian found them and revealed she planned to support Zhu Chongba’s rise. Gu Hui refused to provide money but allowed her to proceed under a different name, and Gu Nian disclosed that she had already become Ma Xiuying, Guo Zixing’s adopted daughter.

• Ji Xiaofu told Zhang Zhong that Gu Hui, his wife, their Patriarch, and Zhang Sanfeng had all met the ancient master, who had made their Patriarch and Zhang Sanfeng his sixth and seventh disciples.
• Gu Hui and Mu Nianci traveled the martial world, and Mu Nianci continued training in the Samsara Secret Technique.
• Gu Nian found Gu Hui and Mu Nianci in the mountains of Ju Prefecture while searching for a treasure, and Gu Hui told her he had moved it to Free and Easy Manor over a century earlier.
• Gu Nian said she had found Zhu Chongba and intended to give him financial support, but Gu Hui forbade her from using the Gu Clan’s resources or causing excessive bloodshed.
• Gu Hui eventually allowed Gu Nian to pursue her plan under another name, and she revealed that she had already taken the name Ma Xiuying and claimed to be Guo Zixing’s adopted daughter.

Gu Hui and Mu Nianci traveled through Wu Lin and saw Zhu Yuanzhang’s rising rule bring signs of prosperity to Yingtian. After Gu Hui confided in Mu Nianci about the loneliness of longevity, Gu Nian overheard them and became more determined to pursue a higher realm for herself and her mother.

• Gu Nian dismissed Gu Hui’s warnings and left, while Gu Hui urged Mu Nianci to remain reverent toward the powers watching from the Void.
• Gu Hui and Mu Nianci toured Gu Manlou branches that were helping refugees and heard that Zhang Wuji had retired with Zhao Min, leaving Zhu Yuanzhang to lead the Red Turban Army.
• Gu Hui suspected Gu Nian, disguised as Ma Xiuying, had helped Zhang Wuji abdicate and was now managing many Wu Lin affairs for Zhu Yuanzhang.
• In Yingtian, Gu Hui told Mu Nianci that his long life had brought grief and distance from his children, and she comforted him.
• Gu Nian secretly overheard her parents, felt guilty, and resolved to reach a higher realm so she could protect her mother and help her ascend as well.
• Gu Hui and Mu Nianci left Yingtian after spending half a month there.

Gu Hui and Mu Nianci spent thirty years exploring dangerous Forbidden Zones, gaining strength, rare herbs, and a pair of swords before returning to Free and Easy Manor. They found the manor transformed and learned that Lin Yu had kept it running in their absence.

• Gu Hui took Mu Nianci through numerous dangerous No Man's Lands, where they faced deadly terrain, creatures, and unexplained phenomena.
• Mu Nianci formed her Golden Core after entering enlightenment in Ailao Mountain, while Gu Hui advanced to the middle stage and the pair forged the Yin-Yang Twin Swords from Strange Iron.
• After reaching the lightning field and finding its power no longer useful, Gu Hui and Mu Nianci decided to return to Free and Easy Manor and wondered about Niannian's progress.
• Gu Hui and Mu Nianci found that Free and Easy Manor had changed greatly during their thirty-year absence, with the servants now managing it as masters.
• Lin Yu recognized Gu Hui and Mu Nianci, explained that many of the former servants had died, and offered to return the manor to them.

Gu Hui reunited with Gu Nian and watched the martial world and imperial court change across generations while the Gu Clan endured. The chapter ended with Great Ming and Gu Sword Manor maintaining a treaty after repeated failed attempts to conquer the Gu Clan’s territory.

• Gu Hui rewarded Lin Yu for her years of service and promised support for her children.
• Gu Hui learned that the martial world had changed, then visited Mount Hua and found Gu Nian ruling as Empress Dowager in the imperial palace.
• Gu Hui congratulated Gu Nian on her cultivation, and she said she planned to fake her death and leave the court once the political situation settled.
• Gu Hui wandered through the centuries, secretly helping the Five Mountain sects and witnessing Zhu Di overthrow Zhu Yunwen, whom Gu Nian had secretly rescued.
• Guo Xiang and Zhang Sanfeng passed away in meditation, while the Gu Clan strengthened Gu Sword Manor into an enduring stronghold.
• Great Ming repeatedly failed to conquer Gu Sword Manor’s territory and eventually signed a mutual non-aggression treaty with the Gu Clan.

After Gu Hui and Mu Nianci died, Gu Nian stood as the sole expert above the Innate Realm and told her disciple Chuo'er about her family, her long life, and Great Ming’s future. She gave Chuo'er several martial arts and reference books, urging her to cultivate and protect the imperial family.

• Gu Hui died at the age of five hundred and forty, and Mu Nianci later followed him, leaving Gu Nian alone at Free and Easy Manor.
• Gu Nian told Chuo'er that the two tombs belonged to her parents and reflected on the people and generations she had outlived.
• Gu Nian urged Chuo'er to cultivate to at least the Pinnacle Realm and protect Great Ming’s imperial descendants.
• Gu Nian revealed that she was a direct descendant of the Gu Clan, had once used the name Ma Xiuying, and had met Yuanzhang before he rose to power.
• Gu Nian advised Chuo'er to maintain ties with the Gu Clan and gave her six books, including the Nine Yin Manual and Nine Yang Divine Skill, to choose from.

Reborn as Prince Jingyu Xiao Ruojin, Gu Hui discussed the political risks surrounding the Western Chu Sword Song and his brother’s mission to Gandong City. Xiao Ruofeng departed for the city while Xiao Ruojin remained at the residence.

• Xiao Ruojin played the qin in the rear garden of Prince Jingyu's Residence.
• Xiao Ruofeng visited his elder brother and explained that Emperor Tai'an had sent him to Gandong City after Baili Dongjun performed the Western Chu Sword Song at the Famous Sword Manor gathering.
• Xiao Ruojin warned Xiao Ruofeng that the Confucian Immortal’s presence in Gandong City could stir unrest and advised him to avoid unnecessary danger.
• Xiao Ruofeng accepted his brother’s advice and left to prepare for the journey.
• Xiao Ruojin went to dine and reflected on the contrast between the wealthy and the poor in Northern Li.

Gu Hui returned from a quiet day by the river to find that Xiao Ruofeng had come looking for him, and the brothers confronted their growing distance. Gu Hui gave Xiao Ruofeng a cultivation manual as he urged him to take responsibility for his own residence and duties.

• Gu Hui left Tianqi for the river after Baili Dongjun’s horse startled his carriage, while Xiao Ruofeng returned from Gandong and learned that Gu Hui had gone out.
• Gu Hui spent the day fishing and sleeping by the river as Ji Ruofeng watched him and recalled Gu Hui waiting outside the academy for Xiao Ruofeng years earlier.
• After returning to Prince Jingyu’s Residence, Gu Hui learned Xiao Ruofeng had visited, then heard him climb over the wall that night.
• Xiao Ruofeng accused Gu Hui of sending his belongings to Langya Prince’s Residence, and Gu Hui argued that Xiao Ruofeng should take responsibility for his own household.
• Gu Hui gave Xiao Ruofeng the Great Shift of the Universe, a manual he had derived from the original technique and Star-Shifting Transposition.

Gu Hui attended the Academy's grand examination, then spent the evening with Xiao Ruofeng before Ji Ruofeng visited to discuss the Hundred Dawn Hall. Ji Ruofeng left with a warning from Gu Hui about his interest in Mister Li.

• Gu Hui went to the Academy's grand examination and watched Baili Dongjun and Ye Dingzhi before Xiao Ruofeng arrived and asked why he had come without saying so.
• Gu Hui and Xiao Ruofeng left the Thousand Gold Terrace together, while a white-haired observer watched Gu Hui depart.
• Back at Prince Jingyu's Residence, Gu Hui and Xiao Ruofeng played Go and discussed Baili Dongjun's prospects and Gu Hui's ten-thousand-tael wager.
• After news arrived that Baili Dongjun had passed the preliminary test, Xiao Ruofeng received information from the Hundred Dawn Hall and hurried to the Black Tortoise Tower.
• Ji Ruofeng visited Gu Hui, who warned him to be careful about his interest in Mister Li, the Academy's Chancellor.

Gu Hui visited Apocalypse City, won at Thousand Gold Terrace, and was summoned by the Tai'an Emperor after ministers impeached him. He returned to his residence and ordered preparations for his approaching political marriage, while keeping his trained assassins’ strength secret.

• Gu Hui dismissed concerns about Ji Ruofeng, then went out in disguise and ordered a white outfit at a cloth shop.
• Gu Hui won a thousand taels at Thousand Gold Terrace and spent the rest of the day wandering through Apocalypse City.
• Reports of Gu Hui’s outing reached the Tai'an Emperor, who summoned him after receiving memorials impeaching him.
• Gu Hui told the Tai'an Emperor that he had gone out of curiosity about Baili Dongjun and the academy, then left the palace.
• Gu Hui returned to his residence, where his ten disguised assassins served as maids, and ordered Old Zhou to decorate for his political marriage.

On his wedding day, Gu Hui allowed Ye Dingzhi to take Yi Wenjun away and publicly annulled his marriage agreement with her. After the guests left, he kept Baili Chengfeng behind to play chess.

• Gu Hui welcomed the guests to his wedding and told Xiao Ruofeng to let Ye Dingzhi enter the hall.
• Ye Dingzhi arrived to rescue Yi Wenjun, and Gu Hui stopped Yi Bu from intervening.
• Gu Hui offered to annul the marriage agreement and asked Yi Bu to send someone from the Shadow Sect to reside at Jinyu Prince's Residence instead.
• Yi Bu accepted Gu Hui's terms, and Ye Dingzhi and Yi Wenjun thanked Gu Hui before leaving together.
• After the guests departed, Gu Hui kept Baili Chengfeng behind under the pretext of playing chess.

Gu Hui gave Baili Chengfeng the Gale Swift Sword and entrusted Xiao Ruofeng with cultivation manuals and the Jinyu Prince's Residence before setting out to learn about the realm. After three years traveling the martial world under his own name, he had visited its major factions and cities.

• King Qing gloated over Jinyu's loss of face, while the Tai'an Emperor declined to read Gu Hui's apology letter.
• Gu Hui defeated Baili Chengfeng at chess and gave him the Gale Swift Sword, hoping to recruit the Zhenxi Marquis's Residence.
• Gu Hui urged Xiao Ruofeng to consider his own claim to the throne, gave him two cultivation manuals, and asked him to manage the residence while he traveled.
• Gu Hui obtained the Tai'an Emperor's permission, left Tianqi alone in disguise, and began exploring the realm as Gu Hui.
• Baili Chengfeng reported the meeting to Baili Luochen, who recognized Gu Hui's recruitment effort and resolved to remember the favor without taking sides.
• After three years traveling, Gu Hui had visited major cities and martial factions throughout the realm while keeping track of his residence through its intelligence network.

Gu Hui rescued a little girl named Yue Ji from masked kidnappers and accepted her as his disciple. He carried her away to begin training her, starting with strengthening her body.

• Gu Hui heard Yue Ji crying for help in a valley and found masked men trying to abduct her.
• Gu Hui froze the kidnappers with his pressure, caught Yue Ji before she hit the ground, and cleaned her face.
• Gu Hui killed the kidnappers, and Yue Ji called him an immortal who had come to save her.
• Gu Hui told Yue Ji to call him Master, then carried her away as she clung to him.
• Gu Hui promised to strengthen Yue Ji's body before teaching her martial arts and gave her a heavy bamboo sword.

Gu Hui returned to Tianqi with his disciple Yue Ji as the ill Tai'an Emperor’s six other sons stirred against the throne. When fighting erupted at the palace, Xiao Ruofeng destroyed the succession edict naming himself and proclaimed Xiao Ruojin emperor, ending the Eight Princes’ Rebellion.

• Gu Hui returned to Tianqi with Yue Ji and entrusted her care to Hu Cuoyang at the prince's residence.
• Gu Hui met Xiao Ruofeng’s Four Guardians and went alone to visit the gravely ill Tai'an Emperor so he would not become the fuse for conflict.
• The forces of the six princes attacked the Langya and Jinyu prince’s residences, and Xiao Ruofeng and his allies defeated them at the palace.
• Xiao Ruofeng seized the Dragon-Sealing Edict, rejected its succession choice of himself, and declared Xiao Ruojin the new emperor.
• The defeated forces laid down their weapons, Xiao Ruojin pardoned them, and Baili Dongjun sailed into the Li Sea in search of immortal mountains.

After the Tai'an Emperor died, Xiao Ruofeng installed Xiao Ruojin as emperor and took command of Northern Li’s military, while Baili Dongjun and Snow Moon City rose to prominence in the martial world. In the Far North, Envoy Wuxiang sent Feili and Feizhan to bring Yi Wenjun back to Apocalypse City and ordered them to search for Yueyao.

• Baili Dongjun heard an account of the Hall of Peace and Purity Incident in which Xiao Ruofeng tore up the Dragon-Sealing Edict and declared Xiao Ruojin the next emperor.
• After the Tai'an Emperor died, Xiao Ruojin ascended the throne as the first emperor of the Mingde era, and Xiao Ruofeng became the Great Guardian of Northern Li.
• Baili Dongjun took the top position on the Fine Jade Ranking under the name Snow Moon City, which later appeared before Sikong Changfeng and Li Hanyi’s names as well.
• Envoy Wuxiang burned a letter about Ye Dingzhi’s children in Gusu City and discussed how to act against Yi Wenjun.
• Envoy Wuxiang ordered Feili and Feizhan to help Yueqing bring Yi Wenjun back to Apocalypse City without harming her, and told them to bring back Yueyao if they found her.

Gu Hui learned that Beyond Heavens had manipulated Ye Dingzhi and set events back on course, leading Ye Dingzhi to seize control of the sect and march on Tianqi. Yi Wenjun arrived with Ye Chen, whom Gu Hui renamed Xiao Yu, and asked to leave to find Ye Dingzhi, but Gu Hui urged her to stay as he prepared to face the coming conflict.

• Gu Hui burned a spy's letter about Beyond Heavens and learned that Sikong Changfeng had left Tianqi and Yi Wenjun was bringing Ye Chen to the city.
• Sword One reported that Beyond Heavens had destroyed Ye Dingzhi's cottage and left a letter claiming Yi Wenjun had returned to Tianqi.
• Gu Hui explained that Yue Fengcheng had targeted Ye Dingzhi to advance the Void Thought Technique, and he dismissed fears that his guards could not protect him.
• Gu Hui later learned that Ye Dingzhi had absorbed Yue Fengcheng's inner power, taken control of Beyond Heavens, and marched on Tianqi.
• Yi Wenjun left Ye Chen, whom Gu Hui had renamed Xiao Yu, in his care and asked to find Ye Dingzhi, but Gu Hui asked her to stay and said he wanted to test Northern Li's martial artists.

Emperor Gu Hui revealed that Ye Dingzhi’s campaign against Northern Li had been part of a pact to subdue Beyond Heavens and test the martial world, while he had remained confident he could protect the capital. In the following years, Gu Hui issued reforms that reshaped Northern Li’s government, military, and imperial palace.

• Gu Hui refused Qi Tianchen’s request to hide from Ye Dingzhi and ordered a feast prepared at Qingyun Platform to welcome him.
• Ye Dingzhi arrived, thanked Gu Hui for warning him about Beyond Heavens’ scheme, and confirmed he had agreed to subdue its forces in return for the emperor’s help.
• Gu Hui praised Ye Dingzhi’s service and explained that he had wanted to observe how Northern Li’s martial artists would respond to a threat.
• Baili Dongjun arrived and questioned Gu Hui’s risky plan, but Gu Hui said he could have defeated Beyond Heavens even if the martial artists had not helped.
• Over the following years, Gu Hui reduced taxes, founded the Shadow Guard and Special Forces, established the Cabinet and Military Department, and appointed Xiao Ruofeng to lead the latter.
• Gu Hui separated military and civil authority, abolished palace castration, and restricted the inner palace to maidservants attending the consorts.

Gu Hui’s reforms reshaped Northern Li and its jianghu as Snow Moon City appointed its new city lords and Dark River prepared to pursue a new path. Deep in the mountains, Gu Hui reached the Spirit Wanderer Mysterious Realm and sensed the weakened restraints of heaven and earth.

• Gu Hui banned slavery, raised merchants’ status, and gained prestige as Lei Mengsha and Xiao Ruofeng secured victories in the north and south, while Ye Xiaoying earned a major promotion.
• Snow Moon City named Baili Dongjun its First City Lord, Li Hanyi its Second City Lord, and Sikong Changfeng its Third City Lord, leaving Sikong to attend the succession ceremony alone.
• Li Hanyi bade farewell to Su Changhe and Su Muyu, who said Gu Hui had promised not to hinder Dark River’s ideals as it entered a new era.
• Gu Hui awakened in the mountains outside Apocalypse City, sensed changes across the surrounding land, and realized he had reached the Spirit Wanderer Mysterious Realm.

Gu Hui secretly reached the Spirit Wanderer level and reflected on the greater realms beyond it. After Xiao Ruofeng brought his consort Situ Xue to the palace, Gu Hui welcomed her into the family and discussed martial arts, before turning his attention to his children.

• Gu Hui withdrew his aura, returned to the Imperial Palace, and considered the Three Heavenly Dao Realms after reaching Spirit Wanderer.
• Xiao Ruofeng entered the palace with Situ Xue, whom Gu Hui welcomed as his younger sibling by marriage and gave the Nine Yin Manual.
• Xiao Ruofeng told Gu Hui he had reached the Great Free-and-Easy Peak and mentioned the Spirit Wanderer pressure that had spread through Apocalypse City.
• Gu Hui urged Xiao Ruofeng to keep training and challenge Heaven Sword Pavilion, while warning that the martial world held unknown experts.
• Gu Hui's children and their mothers arrived, and he greeted his daughters affectionately.

Gu Hui warned his children about the dangers of succession and entrusted Xiao Ruofeng with preparing them for the hardships of rule and war. After Zhuoqing was gravely wounded by an unseen force tied to Gu Hui, the emperor used the Shadow Sect’s collapse to establish the Eastern Depot and place Jinxuan and Jinxian in charge.

• Gu Hui told his daughters to study and urged his sons to compete for the throne without killing one another.
• Gu Hui asked Xiao Ruofeng to take the children to military camps and teach them, while warning him that he knew about Chu He.
• Zhuoqing staggered into the Imperial Mausoleum after an unseen surge of aura wounded him when he entertained certain thoughts about Gu Hui.
• Jinxuan carried the unconscious Zhuoqing inside for treatment and was shaken by the possibility that Gu Hui had such power at his disposal.
• Gu Hui learned that the Shadow Sect had collapsed and Yi Bu was missing, then established the Eastern Depot to replace the Shadow Guard.
• Gu Hui appointed Jinxuan director and Jinxian deputy director of the Eastern Depot, while Jinxuan privately remained wary of Zhuoqing’s warning.