Chapter Summaries

After Zhu Qing’s engagement was dissolved, Liu Yuerong entrusted her care to Su Yu, and the couple shared a tender moment by the moonlit pond. Zhu Qing told Su Yu how her betrothal to Dai Mubai had changed her childhood, leaving her to see the engagement as a death warrant.

• Zhu Qing wept with relief over the dissolved engagement, and Liu Yuerong comforted her before asking Su Yu to protect her.
• Su Yu promised Liu Yuerong he would care for Zhu Qing, and Liu Yuerong pushed Zhu Qing into his arms before leaving them alone.
• Zhu Qing led Su Yu to a swing by a secluded pond, where they embraced and she shyly agreed to call him A Yu.
• Su Yu asked Zhu Qing about her past, and she recalled her happy childhood with her sister before her Martial Soul awakened.
• Zhu Qing explained that her family’s announcement of her betrothal to Dai Mubai changed how people treated her, and she concluded the engagement had been like a death warrant.

Zhu Qing opened up to Su Yu about her strained relationship with Zhu Zhuyun, and he comforted her before she fell asleep in his arms. The next day, Zhu Zhuyun welcomed the group home with a meal, but Zhu Qing kept her at a distance.

• Zhu Qing told Su Yu that she and Zhu Zhuyun had been driven apart by their families' rival marriage and succession arrangements, while admitting her sister had rarely harmed her directly.
• Su Yu carried the sleeping Zhu Qing to bed, then reassured Liu Yuerong that he would cherish her and suggested the sisters might reconcile now that the marriage contract was dissolved.
• The next day, Zhu Qing toured Star Luo City with Su Yu, Bi Ji, and Zi Ji, and they encountered Zhu Zhuyun, who invited them to lunch.
• At the restaurant, Zhu Zhuyun recalled Zhu Qing's childhood favorite and placed sweet-and-sour ribs in her bowl before reaching to touch her hair.
• Zhu Qing dodged Zhu Zhuyun's hand and said she no longer liked the ribs, maintaining a deliberate distance between them.

Zhu Qing confronted Zhu Zhuyun, accusing her of sending assassins after her, then fainted from the emotional shock. Su Yu brought her to rest, leaving the sisters alone as Zhu Zhuyun watched over her.

• Zhu Zhuyun tried to reconnect with Zhu Qing by serving her food and recalling their childhood.
• Zhu Qing accused Zhu Zhuyun of sending people to kill her after she left the Star Luo Empire and said she would never like her again.
• Zhu Qing overturned the table and fainted, and Zhu Zhuyun caught her in alarm.
• Su Yu examined Zhu Qing and explained that intense emotions had caused her to faint and that she needed rest.
• Su Yu carried Zhu Qing to her room, then left with Zi Ji and Bi Ji while Zhu Zhuyun stayed by the bed.

Zhu Zhuyun tried to reconcile with Zhu Qing and insisted she had never ordered anyone to harm her, while Zhu Qing remained distant. After questioning the men assigned to protect her sister, Zhu Zhuyun was left wondering who had hunted Zhu Qing.

• Zhu Zhuyun stayed beside the unconscious Zhu Qing overnight, tearfully explaining that she had ordered her people to protect her and apologizing for their estrangement.
• Zhu Qing woke the next morning but turned away from Zhu Zhuyun, who asked for time to explain herself before leaving porridge for her.
• Su Yu stayed with Zhu Qing over the following days as Zhu Zhuyun brought her childhood gifts, which Zhu Qing ignored.
• Three days later, Zhu Zhuyun whipped the men assigned to escort Zhu Qing and demanded to know why they had hunted her.
• The men insisted they had only followed Zhu Zhuyun's orders, leaving her to suspect that someone else had sent the attackers.

Zhu Zhuyun tortured three men to uncover who had ordered the attack on Zhu Qing. One prisoner confessed that Dai Weisi had sent Shadow Guards after Zhu Qing, and Zhu Zhuyun vowed to remember the debt against him and the Dai Family.

• Zhu Zhuyun ordered the prisoners to face different tortures and watched as the first man died under Water Torture.
• As the guards prepared combing and washing for the second prisoner, he broke down and confessed that the First Prince, Dai Weisi, had ordered Zhu Qing killed before she reached Suotuo City.
• The prisoner said Dai Weisi had threatened their families and promised them one thousand Gold Soul Coins for pursuing Zhu Qing.
• Furious that Zhu Qing had been targeted for so little, Zhu Zhuyun denounced Dai Weisi and the Dai Family and vowed to remember the debt.
• Zhu Zhuyun ordered the guards to drag away the two remaining prisoners, and one cursed her as they carried out her orders.

Zhu Zhuyun revealed that Dai Weisi had threatened her and ordered the men who hunted Zhu Qing, explaining that she had distanced herself to protect her sister. The sisters reconciled, and Zhu Zhuyun vowed to protect Zhu Qing from Dai Weisi as they rested together.

• Zhu Zhuyun ordered the physician to keep the two tortured men alive and treat their wounds so they could endure further punishment.
• Zhu Zhuyun apologized to Zhu Qing and explained that Dai Weisi had threatened her and secretly ordered the hunt against Zhu Qing.
• Zhu Qing broke down in Zhu Zhuyun's arms, and the sisters cried and reconciled.
• Zhu Qing asked whether Dai Weisi had harmed Zhu Zhuyun, and Zhu Zhuyun said he had not been able to take advantage of her.
• Zhu Zhuyun vowed to make Dai Weisi pay if he harmed Zhu Qing.

Zhu Zhuyun comforted Zhu Qing after learning how badly Dai Weisi had hurt her, and privately vowed to make him pay and put the Zhu Family on the Star Luo Empire’s throne. The sisters reconciled over the night and joined their parents for breakfast the next morning.

• Zhu Zhuyun held an exhausted Zhu Qing and promised to protect her, then vowed to punish Dai Weisi and seize power from the Dai Family for the Zhu Family.
• Zhu Qing woke beside Zhu Zhuyun, and the sisters shared affectionate, familiar moments as they prepared for the day.
• Zhu Qing and Zhu Zhuyun entered the dining room together and greeted Zhu Haotian, who was pleased to see them close again.
• Zhu Haotian said he had stayed home to have breakfast with his daughters, and Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Qing assured him that they had cleared up their misunderstandings.
• Liu Yuerong arrived with freshly made pancakes as servants brought breakfast for the family.

Zhu Zhuyun spent the morning playing mahjong with Zhu Qing, Bi Ji, and Zi Ji, while indulging her younger sister. Bi Ji then detected intermittent poison in Zhu Zhuyun and began examining her as Zhu Qing anxiously watched.

• Zhu Qing, Zhu Zhuyun, Bi Ji, and Zi Ji played mahjong while Su Yu advised Zhu Qing from the sidelines.
• Zhu Zhuyun deliberately let Zhu Qing win, and the sisters warmly promised to team up in their next game.
• Bi Ji noticed Zhu Zhuyun seemed uneasy and asked whether she had experienced any unusual symptoms.
• Bi Ji revealed that she sensed a faint, intermittent trace of dormant poison in Zhu Zhuyun, alarming Zhu Qing.
• Zhu Zhuyun asked Bi Ji to examine her, and Bi Ji probed her body with Soul Power as everyone waited anxiously.

Bi Ji discovered that Zhu Zhuyun had been exposed to a toxin capable of controlling her mind when combined with an extinct herb. Zhu Zhuyun traced the toxin to Calming Incense Dai Weisi had given her, and Bi Ji confirmed the ash was contaminated as they prepared to remove it.

• Bi Ji examined Zhu Zhuyun and identified Spirit Control Powder, a toxin that could control a person when activated by Heart-Eating Grass.
• Bi Ji explained that Heart-Eating Grass had been extinct for a thousand years and asked whether Zhu Zhuyun had recently used anything new.
• Zhu Zhuyun recalled that Dai Weisi had given her Calming Incense two months earlier, which she had burned nightly.
• Zhu Qing and Zhu Zhuyun retrieved the incense burner, and Bi Ji confirmed that its ash contained traces of the toxin.
• Bi Ji said she could remove the toxin, while Zhu Zhuyun vowed to settle her debt with Dai Weisi herself.

Zhu Zhuyun began treatment to remove the Spirit Control Powder and spoke with Su Yu about Zhu Qing and the Star Luo Empire’s power imbalance. She admitted that she wanted more than the Zhu Family’s current position, leaving her ambitions unresolved.

• Bi Ji prepared a medicinal bath for Zhu Zhuyun and explained that three daily sessions would eliminate the toxin.
• Zhu Qing kept watch as Zhu Zhuyun took her first bath, then fell asleep; Zhu Zhuyun carried her to bed and tucked her in.
• Bi Ji told Zhu Zhuyun to return the next day and gave her instructions for the treatment.
• Zhu Zhuyun thanked Su Yu for helping Zhu Qing but warned him not to hurt her sister, and Su Yu promised to protect her.
• Zhu Zhuyun vowed to settle accounts with Dai Wei­si after her toxin was gone and acknowledged that she sought greater power for the Zhu Family.

Zhu Zhuyun told Su Yu she intended to overthrow the Dai Family and claim the Star Luo throne for the Zhu Family, and he encouraged her ambition. In the imperial palace, Dai Tianfeng confronted Dai Weisi over Dai Mubai killing a Tiandou prince and learned that his eldest son planned to seize control of the Zhu Family as well.

• Zhu Zhuyun explained that the Dai Family had oppressed the Zhu Family for generations and declared she wanted her clan to take the throne.
• Su Yu praised Zhu Zhuyun’s resolve and said he believed the continent’s balance of power would change within ten years.
• After two days of medicinal baths, Zhu Zhuyun’s Spirit Control Powder was completely removed.
• Dai Tianfeng raged over Dai Mubai killing the Tiandou Empire’s Fourth Prince and summoned Dai Weisi to his study.
• Dai Weisi suggested handing Dai Mubai over to Tiandou, then claimed his plan to control Zhu Zhuyun and the Zhu Family’s military authority was succeeding.
• Dai Tianfeng ordered Dai Weisi to capture Dai Mubai and privately recognized that his eldest son intended to take the Zhu Family’s military authority for himself.

Dai Tianfeng decided not to let Dai Weisi seize power unchecked, while Dai Mubai fled toward the Star Luo Empire after killing the Heaven Dou Fourth Prince. He disguised himself as a wounded deaf-mute beggar to pass the sealed border and made it into Star Luo, still pursued and in need of medical care.

• Dai Tianfeng considered Dai Weisi’s ambition and resolved to add pieces to the political game rather than let his son threaten his authority.
• Dai Mubai fled through forests and rivers toward the Star Luo border as Heaven Dou pursuers followed him.
• Dai Mubai found the border checkpoints heavily guarded and cut off, so he cut his hair and slashed his face to disguise himself.
• A border soldier mistook Dai Mubai for a deaf-mute beggar and let him pass after kicking him to the ground.
• Dai Mubai crossed into the Star Luo Empire among refugees and hurried toward the city to find a physician.

Dai Mubai recovered at a Locke City apothecary after arriving with severe injuries, but learned that a deep wound would leave a lasting scar across his face. As he left the apothecary with Scar Fading Ointment, he blamed the Heaven Dou Empire and vowed to attack it if he ever became Star Luo Emperor.

• Dai Mubai collapsed at Miraculous Hands Spring Revival Hall, where an old physician and his apprentice treated his wounds.
• Dai Mubai woke a day later and learned his injuries were severe, his Soul Power was disordered, and the wound on his face would leave a noticeable scar.
• Dai Mubai recovered for three days, paid for medicine, and found that the scar remained despite the healing of his other injuries.
• Dai Mubai blamed the Heaven Dou Empire for his condition and vowed to lead an army against it if he ascended the throne of the Star Luo Empire.
• The old physician praised Dai Mubai's rapid recovery and gave him Scar Fading Ointment to apply to the scar.

Dai Mubai returned to Star Luo City after recovering from his injuries and planned to seek his Imperial Father’s help. He found Zhu Qing embracing Su Yu, and she told him their engagement had been annulled.

• Dai Mubai thanked the old physician for treating him and left after promising to remember his kindness.
• Three days later, Dai Mubai arrived in Star Luo City and hurried toward his prince’s residence, planning to ask his Imperial Father for help after killing Tiandou’s prince.
• Dai Mubai saw Zhu Qing embrace Su Yu and charged at them, but Su Yu caught his wrist.
• Dai Mubai insulted Zhu Qing and claimed she was still his fiancée.
• Zhu Qing said their engagement had been annulled, warned Dai Mubai not to insult her, and declared she had nothing to do with him.

Dai Weisi confirmed that Dai Tianfeng had approved Zhu Qing’s broken engagement to Dai Mubai, then had Dai Mubai taken to his residence and imprisoned after he caused a public scene. The chapter ended with Dai Tianfeng in his study at the Star Luo Imperial Palace.

• Dai Weisi arrived and told Dai Mubai that Dai Tianfeng had approved dissolving the engagement with Zhu Qing.
• Dai Weisi ordered the guards to take Dai Mubai to his residence while he and Zhu Qing left the street.
• Dai Mubai cursed Zhu Qing and Su Yu, so Dai Weisi slapped him and ordered him gagged, stripped of his Soul Power, and imprisoned.
• Dai Tianfeng set down a memorial in his study at the Star Luo Imperial Palace.

Dai Weisi reported Dai Mubai’s return to Dai Tianfeng, then visited him in prison and revealed that their father planned to hand him over to the Heaven Dou Great Emperor. Dai Mubai was left devastated and in disbelief.

• Dai Weisi told Dai Tianfeng that Dai Mubai had returned, was injured, and had been confined at the First Prince’s residence.
• Dai Tianfeng ordered Dai Weisi to keep Dai Mubai under control and bring him to see him in a few days.
• Dai Weisi visited Dai Mubai in prison, where Dai Mubai accused him of wanting him dead and demanded a fair fight.
• Dai Weisi told Dai Mubai that Dai Tianfeng planned to hand him over to the Heaven Dou Great Emperor to prevent war between the empires.
• Dai Mubai struggled against his chains and broke down in despair as Dai Weisi left the prison.

Prince Xue Xing came to the Star Luo Imperial Palace to demand justice for Xue Beng’s murder, and Dai Tianfeng agreed to hand Dai Mubai over to Heaven Dou. Dai Mubai was dragged away as Dai Tianfeng and Prince Xue Xing toasted their settlement.

• Dai Weisi welcomed Prince Xue Xing and escorted him to meet Dai Tianfeng.
• Prince Xue Xing demanded justice for Xue Beng, and Dai Tianfeng admitted Dai Mubai had acted rashly.
• Dai Tianfeng ordered Dai Mubai brought before them, and Dai Mubai refused to kneel or show remorse.
• Dai Tianfeng agreed to hand Dai Mubai over to Heaven Dou, and guards dragged him from the hall despite his protests.
• Dai Tianfeng and Prince Xue Xing toasted the agreement, and Prince Xue Xing promised to report the settlement to the Heaven Dou Emperor.

Zhu Qing returned to Blue Tyrant Academy with Su Yu after reconciling with Zhu Zhuyun and ending her engagement to Dai Mubai. She reunited with Ning Rongrong and Dugu Yan, while Dai Mubai traveled under guard with his Soul Power sealed.

• Dai Tianfeng sent Prince Xue Xing to rest in a side hall after their banquet.
• Zhu Zhuyun reminded Zhu Qing to cultivate diligently and rely on Su Yu for protection before Zhu Qing departed with him, Bi Ji, and Zi Ji.
• Three days later, Su Yu and Zhu Qing arrived at Blue Tyrant Academy, where Ning Rongrong and Dugu Yan welcomed them.
• Ning Rongrong confronted Su Yu about his closeness with Zhu Qing, then welcomed Zhu Qing as a sister and warned Su Yu not to mistreat or abandon her.
• Dai Mubai traveled barefoot beside Prince Xue Xing's carriage with his Soul Power completely sealed and his feet injured.

Dai Mubai was brutally beaten and dragged back to Heaven Dou City by Prince Xue Xing, who kept him alive for the journey. At the palace, the Heaven Dou Great Emperor ordered Dai Mubai locked in the deepest part of the imperial dungeon.

• Prince Xue Xing's guards whipped Dai Mubai until he collapsed, then revived him with cold water and ordered a physician to keep him alive.
• Prince Xue Xing had Dai Mubai carried in the supply wagon and hurried back to Heaven Dou City.
• A guard announced Prince Xue Xing's return to the Heaven Dou Great Emperor and Xue Qinghe, who was secretly Qian Renxue.
• Prince Xue Xing told the Heaven Dou Great Emperor that the Star Luo Great Emperor had handed Dai Mubai over to avoid harming diplomatic relations.
• The Heaven Dou Great Emperor ordered the guards to drag Dai Mubai to the deepest part of the imperial dungeon.

Prince Xue Xing tortured Dai Mubai in the Heavenly Prison to avenge Xue Beng, using a healer to keep him alive through the pain. After saltwater lashes and chili oil left Dai Mubai near death, Xue Xing summoned Dan Qing to heal him again.

• Prince Xue Xing ordered Dan Qing to heal Dai Mubai after a guard branded him, then warned the guards to keep him alive for further torment.
• Before dawn, Xue Xing poured icy salt water over Dai Mubai and ordered guards to lash him with a saltwater-soaked whip.
• After five lashes knocked Dai Mubai unconscious, Xue Xing ordered the guards to pour chili oil over his wounds, forcing him awake in agony.
• When Dai Mubai's breathing weakened, Xue Xing called Dan Qing, who arrived and began healing him with the Ray of Recovery.