Chapter Summaries

Fan Xian discovered that his novel, Dream of the Red Chamber, was being sold on the street and traced the business to Wang Qinian. At First-Ranked Residence, Guo Baokun tried to denounce and ban the book, but Fan Sizhe confronted him as the crowd gathered to watch.

• Fan Xian followed a woman selling Dream of the Red Chamber into an alley to learn who was behind the sales, while Fan Ruoruo told Fan Sizhe that Fan Xian had written the book.
• Fan Xian returned and Wang Yue guessed that Wang Qinian was organizing the book sales; Fan Sizhe excitedly calculated the potential profits.
• Guo Baokun arrived with guards, seized the books, denounced them as indecent, and declared that the novel should be banned.
• Fan Sizhe rushed downstairs, defended Dream of the Red Chamber, and traded insults with Guo Baokun.
• He Zongwei approached to praise Guo Baokun, but Wang Yue mocked his flattery and prompted the crowd to heckle him.

Wang Yue intervened when Fan Sizhe fought Guo Baokun, then used a story to mock Guo Baokun and He Zongwei. Prince Jing's Heir ended the confrontation by inviting them to a poetry gathering the next day.

• He Zongwei insulted Wang Yue, and Fan Sizhe defended him before fighting Guo Baokun; Zhu Ba and Ye Shiyi disabled the guards who tried to intervene.
• Prince Jing's Heir stopped the brawl, while Wang Yue kept Fan Xian upstairs and confronted He Zongwei and Guo Baokun with a parable about how people see what is in their own hearts.
• A child joked that dogs only saw what they thought about, enraging Guo Baokun and prompting He Zongwei to accuse Wang Yue of insulting him.
• Prince Jing's Heir invited Guo Baokun, He Zongwei, and the others to settle their dispute at a poetry gathering the next day, and they accepted.

Wang Yue accepted Prince Jing’s Heir’s invitation to a poetry gathering and suspected the Second Prince’s faction was maneuvering around Fan Xian. As Fan Xian left on an errand, Wang Yue tried to keep the County Princess from meeting him by giving Ye Ling’er a portrait, but she angrily hurled it toward their carriage.

• Prince Jing’s Heir invited Wang Yue to a poetry gathering, and Wang Yue accepted because Fan Xian hoped to meet his Chicken Leg Girl there.
• Wang Yue, Fan Xian, and Fan Ruoruo concluded that the Crown Prince and Second Prince were taking an interest in Fan Xian, so Wang Yue planned to draw attention away from him.
• Fan Sizhe revealed that he had defended Fan Xian’s book to protect a possible bookselling business, then agreed to help Fan Xian in exchange for a share in the venture.
• Fan Xian left the carriage with Ye Shiyi, and Wang Yue guessed he had gone to find Wang Qinian.
• When Ye Ling’er stopped the Fan family’s carriage, Wang Yue drew a portrait of Fan Xian for the County Princess, but Ye Ling’er rejected it and threw it toward the carriage with force.

Wang Yue sparred with Ye Ling'er, discovered Lin Wan'er’s interest in Fan Xian, and showed Fan Xian a portrait of his fiancée, changing his mind about ending their engagement. After Fan Xian left to help Fan Sizhe, Wang Yue addressed someone hiding in his room.

• Wang Yue parried Ye Ling'er’s attacks and sparred with her until Lin Wan'er’s coughing brought Ye Ling'er back to the carriage.
• Lin Wan'er asked Fan Ruoruo who was shown in the portrait on the handkerchief, and Fan Ruoruo said it was her elder brother, Fan Xian.
• Wang Yue showed Fan Xian a portrait of the County Princess, and Fan Xian abandoned his plan to break off their engagement after seeing it.
• Fan Ruoruo told Fan Xian that Fan Sizhe had been kneeling outside Fan Jian’s study, so Fan Xian went to check on him with Fan Ruoruo following.
• Wang Yue called out, “Come out, Wu Zhu,” after Fan Xian and Fan Ruoruo left.

Wang Yue discovered Wu Zhu had built a matching pear orchard and a great array beside his Peach Blossom Forest, then accompanied Fan Xian to Drunken Immortal Residence under Fan Xian’s identity. The chapter ended as Wang Yue took Si Lili’s token before Prince Jing’s Heir could accept it.

• Wu Zhu told Wang Yue he had arranged 202 guards for Fan Xian beside Wang Yue’s Peach Blossom Forest and asked him to lure Hong Si Yang away.
• Wang Yue found Wu Zhu’s pear orchard and expanded the two estates into a more complicated great array.
• Wang Yue heard that Fan Xian had impressed Kyoto with the poem “Climbing High,” then agreed to accompany him to Drunken Immortal Residence.
• Fan Xian went separately to avoid being recognized, while Wang Yue met Prince Jing’s Heir and learned that Si Lili was a celebrated courtesan.
• Si Lili’s pleasure boat moved toward Wang Yue, and Wang Yue took her token from her before Prince Jing’s Heir could accept it.

Wang Yue boarded Si Lili’s pleasure boat, foiled her attempt to drug him, and left with her after they became lovers. He then asked Prince Jing’s Heir, Li Hongcheng, to help settle the consequences of taking her away.

• Wang Yue accepted Si Lili’s invitation onto her boat while Fan Xian watched and Guo Baokun mocked him nearby.
• Fan Xian lured Guo Baokun into an alley, beat him, and escaped before his guards found him.
• Wang Yue neutralized the drugged wine and incense, but Si Lili became drunk and fell into his arms, and they became lovers.
• Si Lili agreed to leave with Wang Yue, who brought her to the Drunken Immortal Residence to wait for Prince Jing’s Heir.
• Wang Yue told Li Hongcheng that he was taking Si Lili with him and asked him to handle the consequences in exchange for a favor.

Wang Yue brought Si Lili to Fan Manor and helped Fan Xian devise a way to evade trouble over his fight with Guo Baokun. As Wang Yue explained how the dispute could expose the existence of two Fan Xians, a Crown Prince’s assassin attacked the manor and fought Zhu Ba.

• Wang Yue demanded Si Lili’s contract of sale from Prince Jing’s Heir and brought her to Fan Manor, where the contract soon arrived.
• Wang Yue revealed to Si Lili that he was the Peach Blossom Island Master, and Fan Xian came to collect the contract and ask for help with the case involving Guo Baokun.
• Wang Yue advised Fan Xian to use a counterclaim and fake poisoning to make the accusations against him and Guo Baokun cancel each other out.
• Wang Yue told Si Lili that the dispute could reveal two Fan Xians and embarrass the Second Prince, prompting the Crown Prince to send an assassin to Fan Manor.
• Zhu Ba discovered the intruder and fought him with the Carefree Sword Intent while Wang Yue and Si Lili watched from the pavilion.

Wang Yue killed an eighth-rank assassin sent after him and returned to the Fan residence, where Fan Jian agreed to his marriage with Fan Ruoruo after Wang Yue offered her a martial arts manual. Wang Yue also told Fan Jian what happened when Fan Xian was born and revealed that he had reached upper ninth rank.

• Fan Ruoruo asked Wang Yue for a martial arts manual, and he promised to give her one if Fan Jian approved.
• Wang Yue urged Zhu Ba to end the fight, and Zhu Ba killed the eighth-rank assassin with a surprise strike.
• An imperial edict ordered the Crown Prince and Second Prince to leave the Prefectural Court, and Mei Zhili adjourned the trial for insufficient evidence.
• Fan Xian returned to the Fan residence and learned that the dead assassin had likely been sent by the Crown Prince.
• Fan Jian accepted Wang Yue’s Little Formless Skill manual for Ruoruo and proposed setting their wedding after Fan Xian’s.
• Wang Yue told Fan Jian about the assassins who attacked on the day Fan Xian was born and disclosed that he was upper ninth rank.

Fan Jian warned Wang Yue that Ye Liuyun might be constrained by the Ye family, leaving Wang Yue uneasy about an unknown conspiracy. After Wang Yue and Fan Xian made plans to meet Lin Wan'er, they were attacked on the way to the Second Prince's invitation, and Wang Yue suspected the Eldest Princess was behind the assassination.

• Fan Jian warned Wang Yue to keep a low profile and hinted that Ye Liuyun was not as free as he seemed, leading Wang Yue to suspect the Ye family was the grandmaster's constraint.
• News spread that Wang Yue and Fan Ruoruo were engaged, and Fan Xian asked Wang Yue to help him see Lin Wan'er before their wedding.
• Fan Xian's attempts to meet Lin Wan'er failed, and Wang Yue explained that she was likely jealous because people believed Fan Xian had bought Si Lili's freedom.
• Wang Yue and Fan Xian planned to reveal their identities to Lin Wan'er, then accepted the Second Prince's invitation to Drunken Immortal Residence.
• Archers ambushed Wang Yue and Fan Xian on Ox-Butcher Street, but Zhu Ba and Ye Shiyi deflected the arrows and counterattacked.
• Wang Yue told Fan Xian that the Eldest Princess was the likeliest mastermind, though he suggested the Second Prince when Fan Xian resisted the suspicion.

Wang Yue and Fan Xian survived a second assassination attempt involving heavy crossbows, gunpowder, and several ninth-rank fighters, whom Wang Yue and his companions defeated. Wang Yue brought the captured Cheng Jushu back to the Fan residence, where Fan Xian questioned him about his martial arts and his search for the temple.

• After Ye Shiyi and Zhu Ba killed the first group of archers, heavy crossbow bolts smashed Wang Yue’s carriage into a wall.
• Wang Yue rescued Fan Xian, pulled Cheng Jushu through the wall, and used the carriage wreckage to attack an assassin hiding inside a house.
• Three more ninth-rank fighters attacked as the house exploded, and Cheng Jushu surrendered after Wang Yue subdued him.
• Wang Yue killed the concealed fighter, then joined Ye Shiyi and Zhu Ba in killing the other two attackers.
• Wang Yue carried Fan Xian and Cheng Jushu to the Fan family residence, where Fan Xian asked about his Lightness Skill and acupoint-sealing.
• Wang Yue teased Fan Xian about the Xiaoyao Sect and agreed to teach him Lingbo Weibu in exchange for the complete Overbearing True Qi; Zhu Ba and Ye Shiyi then returned.

Fan Xian and Wang Yue traded martial arts manuals, and Fan Xian broke through to ninth rank. After investigating the assassins and securing Cheng Jushu and Si Lili, Wang Yue decided to leave Kyoto with Si Lili and use himself as bait for the mysterious Grandmaster in the palace.

• Fan Xian traded Overbearing True Qi for Lingbo Weibu and acupoint-sealing techniques, then broke through to ninth rank while studying them with Wang Yue.
• Wang Yue told Fan Xian to seek Fan Jian and wait for Chen Pingping, suspecting the attack involved military weapons and the Second Prince's men.
• Wang Yue questioned Cheng Jushu, learned that assassins had come from the direction of Flowing Gold River, and placed a Life and Death Talisman on him.
• Si Lili admitted she had been Northern Qi's intelligence chief in Kyoto, and Wang Yue arranged for her to stay at his guarded estate outside the capital.
• Wang Yue decided to leave Kyoto with Si Lili and use the two of them as bait to see whether the mysterious Grandmaster in the palace would attack.

Wang Yue tried to move Si Lili and Cheng Jushu out of Kyoto, but Chen Pingping and the Black Riders intercepted him and learned that he planned to return after settling them at his manor. There, Wang Yue introduced Si Lili to Zhu Qiqi, the swift Ninth-Rank-Plus expert guarding the peach grove.

• Wang Yue left Fan Manor with Si Lili, Cheng Jushu, and his guards, but the Black Riders blocked their route outside Kyoto.
• Chen Pingping confronted Wang Yue, asked why he was leaving, and accepted that he was taking Si Lili and Cheng Jushu to his manor before returning to Kyoto.
• Wang Yue lamented that Chen Pingping's return had ruined his chance to use Wu Zhu and his formation to kill a Grandmaster.
• At the manor, Wang Yue assured Si Lili that Zhu Qiqi would protect her and introduced her to the woman in red, who revealed that he was a eunuch.
• Wang Yue told Si Lili that Zhu Qiqi was a Ninth-Rank-Plus expert, and Zhu Qiqi demonstrated his extraordinary speed by fetching peach-blossom wine almost instantly.

Wang Yue and Fan Xian met Chen Pingping, who confirmed Fan Xian's appointment as Commissioner of the Inspection Bureau, while Wu Zhu's attacks and the Ox-Cart Street assassination were turned into grounds for war with Northern Qi. Wang Yue then warned Fan Xian that the struggle over his mother's Inner Treasury would pit him against powerful figures within the palace, leaving Fan Xian to wait for an opening.

• Fan Xian told Wang Yue that Ye Ling'er had fallen into the water while investigating his connection to Si Lili, but Wang Yue doubted questioning her would help identify the assassins.
• Wang Yue revealed that Chen Pingping had returned to the capital, and he and Fan Xian went to the Inspection Bureau, where Chen Pingping confirmed Fan Xian as its Commissioner.
• Chen Pingping learned that Wu Zhu had beaten Ye Zhong and killed Lin Gong, and Wang Yue and Chen Pingping discussed blaming Northern Qi for the Ox-Cart Street assassination.
• The emperor issued an edict denouncing Dongyi City over Lin Gong's death and ordering an attack on Northern Qi, while Fan Xian received a post that settled his marriage to Lin Wan'er.
• Wang Yue warned Fan Xian that the Inspection Bureau could not be trusted beyond Chen Pingping and Fei Jie, and that The Eldest Princess and other palace forces could obstruct his claim to the Inner Treasury.
• Fan Xian asked what he should do, and Wang Yue told him to wait because he could not take from the emperor what the emperor refused to give.

Wang Yue taught Fan Xian the Yi Jin Jing, helping him stabilize his Overbearing True Qi and reach the peak of the ninth rank. As Northern Qi’s peace delegation arrived, Wang Yue, Wu Zhu, and Fan Xian planned to search the Empress Dowager’s palace for the key to Ye Qingmei’s box, while considering whether the Emperor was the palace’s hidden Grandmaster.

• Wang Yue explained that Fan Xian’s Overbearing True Qi was outpacing the strength of his body, then taught him the Yi Jin Jing.
• Fan Xian mastered the Yi Jin Jing, reached the peak of the ninth rank, and joked that he would welcome Wang Yue as his stepfather.
• After war between Southern Qing and Northern Qi stalled, envoys including Zhuang Mohan arrived in the capital for peace talks.
• Wu Zhu told Wang Yue that he wanted to find the key to Ye Qingmei’s box, which he believed was in the Empress Dowager’s palace.
• Fan Xian proposed searching the palace during the banquet for the Northern Qi delegation, while Wang Yue drew Hong Si Yang away and Wu Zhu protected him.
• Wang Yue and Wu Zhu suspected that the Emperor might be the hidden Grandmaster, but agreed that finding the key came first.

Fan Xian and Wang Qinian navigated a palace purge, tense treaty negotiations, and a nighttime mission to copy the Empress Dowager’s key. Their escape from the palace triggered a fight with Yan Xiaoyi, while Wang Qinian fought Hong Si Yang until an unseen embroidery needle struck at the back of Hong Si Yang’s head.

• Shadow warned Fan Xian and Wang Qinian that assassins were about to attack Chen Pingping, but the attack proved to be a test as Shadow slaughtered the intruders and Chen Pingping confirmed Fan Xian would take over the Inspection Bureau.
• Fan Xian told Chen Pingping that The Eldest Princess had admitted ordering the Niu Lan Street assassination, and Fan Xian said he would use control of the Imperial Treasury’s finances against her rather than kill her.
• Fan Xian and the officials concluded negotiations after Emperor Qing permitted Northern Qi to exchange Sean for Yan Bingyun without reclaiming conquered territory; at a banquet, Fan Xian answered Zhuang Mohan’s plagiarism accusation with poems, and Zhuang Mohan vomited blood and fainted.
• Fan Xian and Wang Qinian set out to copy the Empress Dowager’s key, and Fan Xian discovered The Eldest Princess speaking with Zhuang Mohan before a palace maid exposed him and he fled.
• Yan Xiaoyi shot at Fan Xian as he escaped over the wall, but Wu Zhu intervened; Fan Xian landed safely, and Wu Zhu struck Yan Xiaoyi before going to find him.
• Wang Qinian drew Hong Si Yang away from the palace and fought him until an embroidery needle suddenly appeared behind Hong Si Yang’s head.

Wang Yue accidentally broke through to the Grandmaster realm while killing Hong Si Yang, and Zhu Qiqi also reached the innate realm after helping him. Back in Kyoto, Wang Yue warned Fan Xian that Emperor Qing might blame him and Wu Zhu for Hong Si Yang’s death, while the chapter ended with them discovering a second metal box inside the first.

• Wang Yue absorbed Hong Si Yang’s True Qi during their clash, broke through his Ren and Du meridians, and killed him with Zhu Qiqi’s help.
• Wang Yue directed the excess True Qi into Zhu Qiqi, guiding her through her Ren and Du meridians and into the innate realm before they returned to Kyoto.
• Zhu Qiqi told Si Lili that Hong Si Yang was dead and explained that Wu Zhu lived nearby and could fight a Grandmaster to a draw.
• Wang Yue returned to Fan Xian and Wu Zhu, confirmed Hong Si Yang’s death, and warned that Emperor Qing might suspect them of the palace assassination.
• Wang Yue admitted he had broken through by accident, and Fan Xian and Wu Zhu opened their box to find another seamless metal box inside.

Fan Xian opened Ye Qingmei’s box and learned from her letters about the frozen people, the temple, and her uncertain origins. As Fan Xian’s leaflet scheme stirred up the Capital, Wang Yue pointed out its flaw, and Chen Pingping arrived to help contain the fallout.

• Wu Zhu opened Ye Qingmei’s box, revealing a Barrett and letters addressed to him, Fan Xian, and Wang Yue.
• Wang Yue read Ye Qingmei’s account of Earth’s nuclear devastation, the frozen people, and the temple, and decided he would seek her out rather than contact the temple first.
• Fan Xian and Wang Yue discussed stirring up a commotion to distract the Capital from the coming upheaval.
• Fan Xian had Wu Zhu spread leaflets across the Capital accusing the Eldest Princess of selling out Yan Bingyun and circulating rumors about her affairs.
• Wang Yue warned Fan Xian that the paper used for the leaflets could be traced, and Fan Xian asked him to cover up the scheme.
• Chen Pingping arrived, and Fan Xian asked him to help clean up the mess.

Wang Yue helped Chen Pingping uncover the Eldest Princess's faction, then traveled north with Fan Ruoruo and Si Lili as Fan Xian's mission to Northern Qi began. Fan Xian confronted Haitang Duoduo while trying to kill Sean, and prepared to test his newly attained ninth-grade strength against her.

• Chen Pingping told Fan Xian that Hong Si Yang had been killed with an embroidery needle and planned to expose Zhu Ge, whom Fan Xian suspected of betraying Yan Bingyun.
• Chen Pingping's plan led to Zhu Ge's capture and suicide, while the Eldest Princess was sent to Xinyang and her allies, including Guo Youzhi and Yan Xiaoyi, were punished.
• Wang Yue declined to join the operation against Zhu Ge, then set out north with Si Lili and later agreed to bring Fan Ruoruo along after she asked about their marriage.
• Fan Xian's mission to exchange Sean for Yan Bingyun reached Northern Qi, where he arranged to recapture Sean after letting him escape.
• Haitang Duoduo appeared while Fan Xian was about to kill Sean, dismissed his threat, and left Fan Xian preparing to test his ninth-grade skills against her.

Fan Xian survived a chaotic battle between Qing and Northern Qi forces after Wang Yue arrived and Zhu Ba rallied the Qing soldiers. Afterward, Wang Yue wondered whether Ye Qingmei was behind Bamboo House’s expansion and might be seeking to unify the world.

• Haitang Duoduo protected Fan Xian from Yan Xiaoyi’s arrow, and Fan Xian fired distress fireworks that failed to bring Wang Yue.
• Shangshan Hu arrived with Northern Qi soldiers and attacked Fan Xian, while discharged veterans ignited Haitang Duoduo’s discarded firework and joined the ensuing battle.
• Yan Xiaoyi wounded Shangshan Hu, then shot at Fan Xian, but Wang Yue arrived and deflected Fan Xian’s dagger into Yan Xiaoyi’s shoulder.
• Yan Xiaoyi fled, and Fan Xian directed the Qing soldiers to follow the bloodied Zhu Ba, helping them regain the advantage as Shangshan Hu retreated.
• Fan Xian and Wang Yue decided to look for Ye Shiyi, while Wang Yue suspected Ye Qingmei might be expanding Bamboo House to pursue world unification.

Fan Xian’s delegation reached Northern Qi as Wang Yue uncovered the politics surrounding Sean and left to meet Ye Qingmei. Ye Qingmei revealed that she wanted Fan Xian to seize Qing’s throne, while Wang Yue warned that Fan Xian wanted freedom and questioned her plan.

• Zhu Ba and Ye Shiyi led the Bamboo Guards in killing Yan Xiaoyi after he wounded several guards, then pursued the remaining fleeing soldiers.
• Fan Xian urged Guo Baokun to report Yan Xiaoyi’s collusion with Northern Qi to Chen Pingping in exchange for sparing Guo Baokun’s father.
• At the Northern Qi checkpoint, Shen Zhong broke Sean’s legs in front of Shangshan Hu, and Wang Yue explained that Northern Qi’s rulers might be trying to provoke Shangshan Hu while seeking the secret Sean learned at the Temple.
• Wang Yue told Fan Xian to go to Peach Blossom Island for Ruoruo if he did not return, then vanished and arrived at Ye Qingmei’s courtyard.
• Ye Qingmei told Wang Yue that she had lived in Northern Qi and wanted Fan Xian to take Qing’s throne, but Wang Yue said Fan Xian preferred freedom and suggested she could rule instead.