Recaps

Xiao Jinghong pressed Li Fu to account for Zhu Hao’s corruption and the Dingyuan Army’s losses, while learning of Chen Xuanji’s promotion to Minister of War. As she prepared to return to the Prefectural City, she proposed giving the Fu Family responsibility for Hundred Herbs Hall in Guangyuan County.

• Xiao Xuanshuo told Xiao Jinghong that His Majesty planned reforms and had promoted Chen Xuanji to Minister of War after Chen Xuanji returned from the Western Buddhist Kingdom.
• Xiao Jinghong challenged Li Fu over Zhu Hao’s death, the Dingyuan Army’s delayed provisions and equipment, and the salt and iron revenues; Li Fu promised to recover the embezzled silver and allocate part of it to the Three Towns Soldiers.
• Feng Erbao told Li Fu that Surveillance Commissioner Tang Zixin and Chen Yunfan had reported Zhu Hao’s involvement to His Majesty.
• Xiao Jinghong and Xiao Xuanshuo visited the struggling Fu Family, then saw Chen Yi’s calligraphy displayed at Hundred Herbs Hall.
• Xiao Jinghong proposed that the Fu Family manage Hundred Herbs Hall’s affairs in Guangyuan County, and Xiao Xuanshuo agreed to discuss it with the family before they returned to the Prefectural City.

Chen Yi cultivated the Flying Flower Sword Art and learned that powerful Jianghu guests had arrived in Shuzhou, then prepared to ask about the swordsman tied to White Immortal. Chen Yunfan visited Chunhe Garden and began sharing earth-shaking news, leaving Chen Yi waiting to hear what had happened.

• Chen Yi perfected several techniques, spent Fortune to advance his Sword Dao, and quickly cultivated the Flying Flower Sword Art to Mastery.
• A rainstorm began, and Chen Yi received intelligence that the White Tiger Guard would exchange information at a tailor shop that night.
• Xiao Die gathered news that powerful young Jianghu guests had arrived in the Prefectural City, and Chen Yi suspected they had come because of the swordsman's duel with White Immortal.
• Chen Yi reviewed examination materials and concluded that the annual examination would focus on national affairs and government policy.
• Chen Yunfan arrived at Chunhe Garden with Lin Zhong, asked about Chen Yi's illness, and announced that he had come to tell him something earth-shaking.

Chen Yi learned that Chen Xuanji had become Minister of War and would visit Shuzhou, and agreed to meet him while remaining wary of the Chen Family’s intentions. At lunch, Lin Zhong revealed that White Immortal had supposedly come to Shuzhou to fight an unmatched master, though the rumor remained unconfirmed.

• Chen Yunfan told Chen Yi that Chen Xuanji had been appointed Minister of War and would inspect Shuzhou before the New Year.
• Chen Yi agreed to visit Chen Xuanji, though he suspected his father and the Chen Family might have plans involving him.
• Chen Yunfan examined Chen Yi’s calligraphy and paintings, then lost repeatedly to him at chess and marveled at his many accomplishments.
• Chen Yunfan told Chen Yi that Lao Si Chen He and Lao Liu Chen Yu were on their way, and asked him to help receive them.
• At lunch, Lin Zhong said White Immortal had reportedly come to Shuzhou to fight an unmatched master, and Xie Tingyun asked whether the rumor was true.

Chen Yi and Chen Yunfan traded barbs over Chen Yunfan’s absence from the Yamen and Chen Yi’s upcoming annual examination, while Chen Yunfan learned Liu Hong had withdrawn from public affairs and suspected Chen Yi was involved. That night, Chen Yi secretly returned to the residence behind the Tailor Shop and overheard General Star announce that the Pavilion Master had ordered Liu Hong’s accomplices seized.

• Xie Tingyun wished she could watch White Immortal spar with a swordsman, and Lin Zhong explained the risks and customs surrounding fights between masters.
• Chen Yunfan teased Chen Yi about watching White Immortal’s duel, but Chen Yi exposed his absence from the Yamen and mentioned the relief work and falling grain prices.
• Chen Yunfan agreed to return to the Yamen, while Cui Qingwu and Xiao Wan'er arranged to visit Tonglin and discuss finding a head for the Medical Dao Academy.
• Li Huaigu handed Chen Yunfan thirty booklets of official work and told him Liu Hong had withdrawn from Yamen affairs, prompting Chen Yunfan to suspect Liu Hong had a powerful backer and Chen Yi had acted against him.
• Chen Yi slipped into the residence behind the Tailor Shop and heard General Star say the Pavilion Master had ordered Liu Hong’s accomplices seized.

General Star and the White Tiger Guard prepared to arrest Liu Hong’s allies while discussing the Liu Family’s collapse and Chen Xuanji’s coming inspection. Chen Yi learned of their plans and received intelligence that Liu Hong would visit Xiao Yuan, leaving him to wonder what desperate course Liu Hong had chosen.

• General Star told Lou Yuxue and Cui Qingwu that the Liu Family of Jingzhou had been uprooted, and said Liu Taoyao had fled while Liu Taofang and a planted Iron Banner Officer were likely dead.
• General Star ordered the White Tiger Guard to move that night, naming Ye Jingxiao for capture alive and identifying Sun Zhiguang and Zhu Lingchuan as Liu Hong’s accomplices; he said Zhu Hao was already a dead man.
• General Star said Minister of War Chen Xuanji would soon arrive in Shuzhou and that the White Tiger Guard’s plans there depended on him, then told Lou Yuxue she was later assigned to Jiangnan Prefecture.
• Chen Yi overheard the meeting, earned the Reverse Moon Sword and Fortune, and returned to the Xiao Family after learning the White Tiger Guard was moving against Liu Hong’s allies.
• Chen Yi received intelligence that Liu Hong would visit Marquis Dingyuan Xiao Yuan at 11:45 a.m. and concluded that Liu Hong had only one road left to choose.

Chen Yi anticipated Liu Hong’s attempt to strike at the Xiao Family while Xiao Jinghong reported Zhu Hao’s death and the Guangyuan County situation to Elder Master Xiao. After the White Tiger Guard began arresting Liu Hong’s allies, rumors spread through the Prefectural City, and Guiyun Academy’s teachers sought answers about the arrests.

• Chen Yi reasoned that Liu Hong had resolved to die and would use his visit to the Xiao Family to cause trouble, then returned to Chunhe Garden and concealed himself when Xiao Jinghong arrived.
• Xiao Jinghong told Elder Master Xiao that she had killed Zhu Hao and explained the disputes over the Dingyuan Army and the Salt and Iron Monopoly; Elder Master Xiao supported her stance and said the Emperor had not forgotten the Xiao Family.
• Xiao Jinghong reported that Feng Erbao would announce an imperial decree and arrest Liu Hong after arriving the next day, while Xiao Jing reported that the White Tiger Guard was arresting the Sun and Zhu families and Ye Jingxiao.
• Elder Master Xiao ordered Xiao Jing to investigate the arrests, and Xiao Jinghong left to return to Feng Erbao’s carriage; Chen Yi sensed her departure and went to sleep.
• Rumors of the arrests spread through the Prefectural City, including news that Mr. Lingchuan had been taken, prompting Guiyun Academy students to seek help.
• Mr. Yue Ming decided to consult Lord Yang, Mr. Zhuo Ying planned to visit the Prefectural Yamen, and they arranged for someone to find Qingzhou at the Marquis’s mansion.

After the arrests, Liu Hong left the Provincial Administration and wandered through the city, reflecting on his ambitions and failures as he led Li Huaigu toward the Xiao Family residence. He arrived to visit Marquis Xiao, while Chen Yi sensed his approach and anticipated the meeting.

• Scholars gathered at the Judicial Department and the Provincial Administration to demand answers about Zhu Lingchuan’s arrest, while Fang Hongxiu and Chen Yunfan tried to hold them back.
• Liu Hong emerged from the Provincial Administration looking aged but carrying a formidable presence, then left for the East Market as Chen Yunfan watched.
• Chen Yunfan learned that Liu Hong had spoken of losing because he had not been ruthless enough and wondered whether he meant to scheme against Chen Yi.
• Liu Hong wandered through the city, gave silver to an elderly woman, and told Li Huaigu about his rise, his rivalry with the Xiao Family, and his former ambition to serve the people.
• Liu Hong led Li Huaigu to the Xiao Family residence and requested an audience with Marquis Xiao.
• Chen Yi sensed Liu Hong’s arrival at the Xiao Family residence and remarked that he had come early.

Chen Yi concealed his opinion of Zhu Lingchuan while Ma Guan and the other students asked about his arrest. At Qingjing Residence, Liu Hong confessed to Elder Master Xiao that he had engineered Shuzhou’s disasters and revealed that he had betrayed Xiao Fengchun; as the court’s representatives arrived, Liu Hong began to expose another secret before Elder Master Xiao killed him.

• Chen Yi told Ma Guan, Tang Ye, and the others not to worry about Zhu Lingchuan’s arrest and sent them away without revealing his true opinion.
• Liu Hong told Elder Master Xiao and Li Huaigu that he had abetted the Jizhou Trading Company’s iron sales, the Five Poisons Sect’s poisoning, and other schemes, while blaming Liu Wu’s interference for their failure.
• Liu Hong revealed that he had informed the Barbarian Tribe of Xiao Fengchun’s whereabouts, and Elder Master Xiao beat him in a fury.
• Xiao Shen warned Elder Master Xiao that Xiao Jinghong and officials from the Capital Prefecture had arrived to proclaim an edict condemning Liu Hong.
• As Liu Hong tried to reveal a secret about General Fu, Elder Master Xiao punched through his chest; Liu Hong wrote several final words on his wrist, and a voice behind them called for Elder Master Xiao to wait.

Elder Master Xiao killed Liu Hong, forcing the Xiao Family to face the political consequences while Xiao Jinghong prepared to inspect the Three Towns. Afterward, Elder Master Xiao found Liu Hong’s unfinished message suggesting Chen Yi was Liu Wu and decided to investigate, while Chen Yi remained calm about the family’s uncertain future.

• Elder Master Xiao killed Liu Hong in Qingjing Residence, then told Feng Erbao that Liu Hong had betrayed the country and deserved death.
• Xiao Jinghong warned Elder Master Xiao that killing Liu Hong and Zhu Hao could bring unforeseen trouble, and Elder Master Xiao sent her to inspect the Three Towns while the Xiao Family prepared to stand firm.
• Xiao Jinghong told Elder Master Xiao she planned to attend the coming duel between Ye Guxian and White Immortal, and she proposed assigning the Fu Family to manage Hundred Herbs Hall affairs in Guangyuan County.
• After Xiao Jinghong left, Elder Master Xiao found Liu Hong’s unfinished words, “Liu Wu is Qing...zhou,” suspected they pointed to Chen Yi, and decided to investigate him.
• Xiao Jinghong shared lunch with Chen Yi and Xiao Wan'er before departing for the Three Towns, while Chen Yi pretended not to know what had happened at Qingjing Residence.
• After learning that Elder Master Xiao had killed Liu Hong, Xiao Wan'er worried, but Chen Yi reassured her and told Xiao Die that the Xiao Family still needed to prepare for danger.

Chen Yi recognized that His Majesty was manipulating the Xiao Family through the White Tiger Guard and the Chen Family of Jiangnan, and resolved to help the Xiao Family rebuild its strength. After Liu Hong’s death shook Shuzhou, the major factions responded to the crisis, while Feng Erbao met someone in the woods.

• Chen Yi pieced together how His Majesty, the White Tiger Guard, and the Chen Family of Jiangnan had used him and Chen Yunfan to steer the Xiao Family and Shuzhou, then decided to help restore the Xiao Family’s power.
• Chen Yi assessed his gains from Liu Hong’s affair, including grain, silver, Tianshan Sect disciples, and the chance to force Elder Master Xiao to stop enduring in silence.
• Li Huaigu reported Liu Hong’s death to Yang Ye, and Yang Ye and Chen Yunfan concluded that Liu Hong had provoked Elder Master Xiao to bring trouble upon the Xiao Family.
• Elder Master Xiao sent Xiao Shen, Xiao Xuanshuo, and other family members to enlist support from Shuzhou’s aristocratic families, while Tang Zixin and General Star sent reports to Capital Prefecture.
• General Star ordered Lou Yuxue and Cui Qingwu to secure confessions from Liu Hong’s accomplices and told the White Tiger Guard to monitor Shuzhou.
• Feng Erbao left his party at a post station and asked Song Jin Jian whether Official Cui had sent him to meet.

Song Jin Jian delivered Liu Taoyao to Feng Erbao and kept Liu Zhaoxue with him in Shuzhou, while Zhao Shichang and his men headed north. In the Capital Prefecture, Chen Xuanji persuaded Emperor Anhe to pursue a Northern Expedition, and the emperor issued several edicts concerning Shuzhou.

• Song Jin Jian brought Feng Erbao to the wounded Liu Taoyao, whom Feng accepted and carried back toward the Capital Prefecture.
• Song Jin Jian offered Liu Zhaoxue the choice of staying with him or going to Jinling with Zhao Shichang; after Zhao insulted her, Song Jin Jian severed Zhao’s hand and sent him north, while Liu Zhaoxue stayed.
• Song Jin Jian told Liu Zhaoxue that he would remain in Shuzhou until the end of the year and ordered her to improve her Cultivation Base.
• Chen Xuanji received a report from Shuzhou, then met Emperor Anhe and argued that the court should strike north before the northern forces raided the border.
• Emperor Anhe approved Chen Xuanji’s Northern Expedition plan, and several imperial edicts named Yang Ye Shu Prefecture Administrator and assigned rewards and penalties related to the Shuzhou events.

After the Emperor’s edict arrived in Shuzhou, Yang Ye took charge of the Provincial Administration and Chen Yunfan was mistakenly credited with killing Lü Jiunan, strengthening the belief that he was Liu Wu. Chen Yi expected to make a move after the annual examination, but Pei Guanli returned to the Xiao Family with news of a major event brewing in the martial world.

• The crimes of Liu Hong, Zhu Lingchuan, and others spread through Shuzhou, while the Xiao Family received gifts from families seeking to repair relations.
• Ma Guan told Mr. Yue Ming and Mr. Zhuo Ying that Yang Ye had temporarily become Provincial Governor and that Chen Yunfan had received the Emperor’s reward for killing Lü Jiunan.
• Chen Yunfan complained to Li Huaigu that people believed he was Liu Wu, but he concealed that Lü Jiunan’s corpse had been used to claim credit.
• Chen Yi reasoned that Chen Yunfan might receive another edict after the year passed and decided he would likely need to act after the annual examination.
• Pei Guanli returned to the Xiao Family and told Chen Yi that Grandma had sent her brothers back to prepare mountain goods for the nearly completed Wushan Mutual Market.
• Pei Guanli told Chen Yi that something major was about to happen in the martial world.

Chen Yi learned about Snow Sword Lord Ye Guxian’s coming duel with White Immortal, then left the Xiao residence with Pei Guanli to visit the city. Elder Master Xiao secretly arranged for Xiao Jing to watch Chen Yi from a distance while preparing to investigate whether Chen Yi was also the hidden Dragon Tiger.

• Pei Guanli told Chen Yi how Ye Guxian survived the destruction of the Ye Family, took revenge on the Goucheng Sect, and later became a Grandmaster swordsman.
• Chen Yi decided to visit Jishi Pharmacy and Hundred Herbs Hall after lunch, and Pei Guanli went with him.
• Elder Master Xiao encouraged Chen Yi about the annual examination and later ordered Xiao Jing to report the residence’s situation to Xiao Jinghong and personally follow Chen Yi from at least five li away.
• Elder Master Xiao reviewed the clues linking Chen Yi to Chen Yu and Liu Wu, but could not confirm that Chen Yi was Dragon Tiger.

Elder Master Xiao welcomed Zhang Xuan, who brought grain and silver, and learned more about the Xiao Family’s recent troubles and Liu Hong’s treachery. Meanwhile, Chen Yi checked on Shuzhou’s recovery, arranged for medicinal herb supplies, and decided to teach Yuan Liu'er the Martial Path.

• Zhang Xuan arrived at the Xiao mansion with grain and silver, and he and Elder Master Xiao caught up over wine.
• Zhang Xuan told Elder Master Xiao about Xiao Wang’s failed investments in Guangyue Prefecture, while Elder Master Xiao offered to repay the money and favors used to help him.
• Xiao Wan'er heard Zhang Xuan had arrived and arranged light dishes and pastries for Chen Yi to take to the annual examination.
• Chen Yi toured Shuzhou with Pei Guanli, saw the fallout from Liu Hong’s crimes and the recovery in grain supplies, then visited Jishi Pharmacy.
• Chen Yi asked Pei Guanli to arrange a large medicinal herb purchase from the Mountain Tribe through her family.
• Chen Yi watched Yuan Liu'er assist Ma Liangcai with patients and decided to teach her the Martial Path.

Chen Yi arranged for Pei Guanli to teach Yuan Liu'er martial arts and discovered that Yuan Liu'er had quickly entered the Medical Dao. He then visited Hundred Herbs Hall, where the Snow Sword Lord Ye Guxian summoned him for a drink and remarked on his progress in the Sword Dao.

• Chen Yi chose Great Spear Stance Cultivation, Hundred Flower Palm, Flying Flower sword art, and Playful Dragon Teases Phoenix for Yuan Liu'er, and asked Pei Guanli to teach her stake training while keeping his identity secret.
• Yuan Liu'er stirred Heaven and Earth Spirit Qi as she entered the Medical Dao, and Pei Guanli took her aside after she addressed her as Martial Granduncle.
• Chen Yi walked through the city, saw Chen Yunfan dealing with the crowd outside the Provincial Administration Yamen, and continued to Hundred Herbs Hall.
• Chen Yi found scholars copying the Hundred Herbs Hall plaque and heard Ye Guxian invite him to Yunqing Tower for a drink.
• Chen Yi entered Ye Guxian's private room, greeted the Snow Sword Lord, and heard him praise Chen Yi's Sword Dao for reaching great completion.

Chen Yi learned that Ye Guxian had chosen him to face Shui Hetong in a contest between juniors, using Xiao Jinghong’s name to secure his agreement. After drinking with Ye Guxian and hearing about a South Sea gathering two years away, Chen Yi returned to his business and found Pei Guanli worried that her Martial Path talent was poor.

• Chen Yi and Ye Guxian drank together until Ye Guxian pressured Chen Yi to accept a match against White Immortal’s chosen junior, Shui Hetong, invoking Xiao Jinghong’s name.
• Ye Guxian promised Chen Yi one favor if he won and told him about a contest of Dao discussions in the South Sea two years later, with masters from several lands attending.
• Ye Guxian left Chen Yi with the bill for twenty jars of wine, and Chen Yi paid one hundred taels before going to Hundred Herbs Hall.
• Chen Yi gave Wang Ji instructions to secure medicinal herbs, expand Hundred Herbs Hall across Shuzhou, and buy five Xinglin Zhai shops.
• Wang Ji told Chen Yi that Tianshan Sect disciples had asked Liu Lang to train them after their humiliating defeat by the Five Poisons Sect.
• On the way back to the Xiao Family, Pei Guanli asked Chen Yi whether her talent in the Martial Path was poor.

Chen Yi prepared for the annual examination, arranged for Ma Liangcai to assess physicians for the Medical Dao Academy, and wrote a longing letter to Xiao Jinghong. Meanwhile, Xiao Jinghong sent the Black Armored Army out to test their training and prepared to inspect nearby towns before her Senior Uncle called to her.

• Pei Guanli learned that Yuan Liu'er had produced Qi in less than a quarter of an hour, then asked Chen Yi to teach her calligraphy alongside Liu'er after the annual examination.
• Chen Yi and Pei Guanli returned to the Xiao Family and learned that Duke of Gan Zhang Xuan had arrived to deliver grain to the Marquis.
• Xiao Wan'er brought pastries for Chen Yi's examination and asked about assessing physicians from the Cui Family; Chen Yi arranged for Ma Liangcai to lead the assessment.
• Chen Yi escorted Xiao Wan'er home, then wrote Xiao Jinghong a letter expressing his longing and promising to send red beans with it.
• At Black Armored Army Town, Xiao Jinghong watched tens of thousands of soldiers set out for a test of their training, then ordered Ma Kui to watch them while she inspected Iron Wall and Azure Wolf Towns.
• As Xiao Jinghong prepared to return to her tent, her Senior Uncle called her over to talk.

Xiao Jinghong met with Gongye Bai, who explained the rules governing powerful martial artists and the Contest for Precedence in Dao Discussions. He asked her to tell Li Wudang to participate in the contest in two years, leaving Xiao Jinghong to consider the secrets behind her family’s inheritance and her parents’ deaths.

• Xiao Jinghong left Black Armor Town with Gongye Bai and Shui Hetong, while Su Zhenyue returned to camp with the soldiers’ roster.
• Gongye Bai told Xiao Jinghong that Land Immortals competed every hundred years to decide which race would oversee the world as Hidden Immortals, and that the Barbarian Tribe currently held the position.
• Gongye Bai explained that the Barbarian Tribe’s Hidden Immortal had allowed Wenkela to escape severe punishment for killing Xiao Jinghong’s parents, while the hereditary inheritance of the Marquis of Wu Family exempted Xiao Jinghong from the restrictions on powerful martial artists.
• Gongye Bai asked Xiao Jinghong to persuade Li Wudang to join the Contest for Precedence in Dao Discussions on the South Sea in two years, warning that the duels often caused many deaths.
• Xiao Jinghong agreed to tell her master, while Gongye Bai considered the danger to their successors if he and Li Wudang died.

Gongye Bai invited Xiao Jinghong to watch his duel with Ye Guxian and encouraged her to spar with Great Wei’s rising talents, while Shui Hetong offered to guard the Xiao Family. After learning that the court had issued its decree and that Shuzhou’s new troops were underprepared, Xiao Jinghong headed to the Azure Wolf Army Town, and Chen Yi advanced to the Fourth Rank Mid Stage.

• Gongye Bai told Xiao Jinghong that watching Ye Guxian’s Sword Dao could benefit her and invited her to compete against other rising talents, while Shui Hetong lamented that the invitation disrupted his own plans.
• Gongye Bai left for Wudang Mountain, and Xiao Jinghong told Shui Hetong that Liu Hong and Zhu Hao had been killed and that she had sent Wind and Rain Tower agents to the Capital Prefecture.
• Xiao Jinghong asked Shui Hetong to recommend guards for the Xiao Family, and he volunteered to stay there before setting off for the Prefectural City to meet Chen Yi.
• Su Zhenyue delivered news that Feng Erbao was bringing the Emperor’s decree, Yang Ye would temporarily become Left Provincial Administrator, and the new Black Armored Army troops still lacked sufficient strength.
• Xiao Jinghong ordered Su Zhenyue to prepare to leave for the Azure Wolf Army Town rather than wait to welcome Feng Erbao.
• Chen Yi cultivated the Four Symbols Technique and advanced to the Fourth Rank Mid Stage.

Chen Yi prepared for the annual examination and left the Xiao residence, while Xiao Wan'er arranged to send a letter to her sister. As Chen Yi joined the scholars waiting outside the examination hall, Elder Master Xiao and Zhang Xuan discussed Chen Xuanji's growing power and suspected that Chu Chengxuan had ordered Liu Hong's actions.

• Chen Yi finished cultivating, dressed as a scholar, and told Pei Guanli to accompany him to Jishi Pharmacy while staying out of trouble.
• Xiao Wan'er wished Chen Yi well for the examination, and he promised to speak with Ma Liangcai and left a letter for her to send to his wife.
• Chen Yi encountered Duke of Gan Zhang Xuan and Elder Master Xiao, who wished him success before he departed with Pei Guanli.
• Elder Master Xiao and Zhang Xuan discussed Chen Xuanji's influence and agreed to watch him and Chu Chengxuan carefully.
• Elder Master Xiao told Zhang Xuan he suspected Chu Chengxuan had ordered Liu Hong to act against Fengchun.
• Chen Yi arrived at the examination hall, instructed Pei Guanli to go to Jishi Pharmacy, and was greeted by scholars as he joined the line.

Chen Yi entered the Shuzhou annual examination and realized its unusual questions hinted that the Great Wei Dynasty planned a major military campaign. He concluded that the Xiao Family had been targeted to clear the way for another Marquis of Military, but the chapter left the campaign’s direction and outcome unstated.

• Chen Yi arrived at the examination grounds, where scholars greeted him as Mr. Qingzhou, and he exchanged greetings with Ma Guan and Tang Ye.
• Chen Yunfan inspected Chen Yi’s study basket, stole pastries, and traded barbs with Ma Shuhan while Li Huaigu tried to avoid trouble.
• Ma Shuhan opened the annual examination and personally urged Chen Yi to do his best before the candidates received their papers.
• Chen Yi saw that the examination included unfamiliar legal and poetry questions alongside a policy question about whether the dynasty should campaign south or north.
• Chen Yi connected the policy question to the Xiao Family’s troubles and inferred that the dynasty’s plans had already determined the family’s fate and cleared a path for a new Marquis of Military.

Chen Yi recognized how a hidden strategist had shaped the struggle over Shuzhou and rejected the examination question’s choice between a southern campaign and a northern war. Meanwhile, Pei Guanli stepped in as Jishi Pharmacy faced a challenge from Wen Xiuyin and the Nine Bends Lineage, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Chen Yi concluded that Liu Hong and the Jizhou Trading Company had tried to draw the Imperial Court toward a southern campaign, while a hidden strategist had arranged events to benefit Chen Yunfan whether the scheme succeeded or failed.
• Chen Yi suspected the annual examination’s policy question was intended to provoke debate over war and wrote an answer opposing both campaigns on the grounds that ordinary people bore their costs.
• Wen Xiuyin and three young companions arrived at Jishi Pharmacy to challenge its physicians, while onlookers discussed her Nine Bends Lineage and its reputation.
• Pei Guanli intervened on Jishi Pharmacy’s behalf, introduced herself as connected to Granny Shan, and faced a young man who challenged her authority.
• The young man suddenly fainted, and Wen Xiuyin accused Pei Guanli of using the Mountain Tribe’s influence against him.

Pei Guanli forced Wen Xiuyin to settle the dispute with Jishi Pharmacy through a Medical Dao contest between Zhou Wenying and Yuan Liu'er. Yuan Liu'er identified the rare Deer Dragon Inverse Scale in the first round, leaving Wen Xiuyin shocked and the contest unresolved.

• Pei Guanli confronted Wen Xiuyin over the Nine Bends Lineage's treatment of Jishi Pharmacy, and Wen Xiuyin apologized for her junior brother and agreed to a contest.
• Pei Guanli chose Yuan Liu'er to represent Jishi Pharmacy against Zhou Wenying, despite Yuan Liu'er's doubts about her own abilities.
• Wen Xiuyin proposed that the first contest test the contestants' ability to identify medicinal herbs by touch and scent while blindfolded.
• Yuan Liu'er and Zhou Wenying identified the herbs one by one until only the unusual final items remained.
• Zhou Wenying mistook the herb before her for Biqing Soil, while Yuan Liu'er identified Wen Xiuyin's rare scale as a Deer Dragon Inverse Scale, shocking Wen Xiuyin.

Yuan Liu'er defeated Zhou Wenying in three of four medical contests, forcing Wen Xiuyin and the Nine Bends Lineage to leave Shuzhou. As Pei Guanli took Yuan Liu'er to the Xiao Family, Shui Hetong watched them and met Song Jin Jian, who was in Shuzhou to protect the Cui Family's Eldest Miss.

• Yuan Liu'er identified the Deer Dragon Inverse Scale and won the medicinal-herb contest, while Wen Xiuyin ordered Zhou Wenying to copy the Compendium of Materia Medica as punishment.
• Yuan Liu'er narrowly defeated Zhou Wenying in the contests for medicinal herbs, acupuncture, and medicinal principles, but lost the bone-setting contest; Wen Xiuyin then led her group out of Shuzhou.
• Pei Guanli praised Yuan Liu'er and took her to the Xiao Family to practice martial arts, while Yuan Liu'er wondered whether Chen Yi would teach her younger brother to read.
• Shui Hetong watched Pei Guanli and Yuan Liu'er, then encountered Song Jin Jian and Liu Zhaoxue outside a tavern.
• Song Jin Jian told Shui Hetong he had come to protect the Cui Family's Eldest Miss, and suggested that Shui Hetong seek out Daoist Hua if he wanted to spar.
• After Song Jin Jian left, Shui Hetong reflected on the reasons Song Jin Jian had entered the Cui Family and wished him well.

Song Jin Jian canceled his plans after encountering Shui Hetong and used the Qinghe Cui Family’s name to send Judicial Department commanders to the Xiao Family for Li Sanyuan. As rumors spread about the annual examination’s military policy question, Chen Yi anticipated trouble for Ma Shuhan while Lin Zhong hurried to report that someone had discerned His Majesty’s intentions.

• Shui Hetong heard Song Jin Jian’s tragic history and reflected on how the Cui Family treated people as pieces on a board.
• Song Jin Jian told Liu Zhaoxue to cancel their plan, then persuaded Judicial Department commanders to seek Li Sanyuan from the Xiao Family under the pretext that he was implicated in Zhu Hao’s arms-trafficking case.
• Cui Qingwu and Xiao Wan’er discussed plans for a Medical Dao Academy, while Chen Yunfan shared rumors about the annual examination’s question on a southern campaign or Northern Expedition.
• Lin Zhong suspected that someone had seen through His Majesty’s intentions and decided to report it to his master.
• At midnight, Chen Yi rested in the examination hall and predicted that Ma Shuhan’s days were numbered.