Recaps

Chen Yi learned that powerful aristocratic families might hold secrets tied to changes of dynasty, while he and Liu Lang planned to deal with the Unorthodox Path practitioners in Shuzhou. At Tingyu Pavilion, Chen Yunfan confronted Chunying about the secret orders that had brought him to Shuzhou and lamented that Chen Yi had outgrown their schemes.

• Chen Yi arrived at Hundred Herbs Hall, where Liu Lang explained that he had gathered the Unorthodox Path practitioners in one place so Chen Yi could deal with them more easily.
• Chu Xiudao told Chen Yi that only powerful, long-established aristocratic families knew secrets concerning changes in the Central Plains Imperial Court, prompting Chen Yi to suspect those families might drive dynastic upheavals.
• Chen Yi left Liu Lang to arrange a meeting with the Unorthodox Path practitioners and returned to the Xiao residence to cultivate while planning to speak with Chen Xuanji and Lord Yang.
• Chen Yunfan sang sadly at Tingyu Pavilion, then questioned Chunying and revealed that he had guessed her secret orders were meant to bring him to Shuzhou.
• Chen Yunfan said that Chen Yi had been worse off under their schemes, but lamented that Chen Yi was no longer what he once was.

Chen Yunfan learned that his father planned to explain the Chen and Cui families’ situation in Shuzhou, and he drank himself into grief over his love for Cui Qingwu. The next morning, Chen Yi suspected Xiao Jinghong’s vague letter hinted at trouble with the Barbarian Tribe, while Xiao Jinghong ordered scouts to investigate increased Barbarian activity near Mengshui Pass.

• Lin Zhong told Chunying not to fetch Lang Wine and brought wine to Chen Yunfan, who confessed he had expected the Chen and Cui families’ marriage alliance to fail and drank until he was drunk.
• Chunying covered Chen Yunfan with a quilt, and he lamented that it was hard to have both the life he had and the person he loved.
• After the storm, Shuzhou residents and the Xiao Family’s servants cleared debris, while Xiao Die cleaned Chunhe Garden and helped Xiao Wuge get ready.
• Chen Yi read Xiao Jinghong’s letter, noticed its vague timing and unusual instructions, and suspected that the Barbarian Tribe was moving; he told Shen Huatang he would visit Jishi Pharmacy.
• At Mengshui Pass, Xiao Jinghong observed that more Barbarians had gathered in the mountains and ordered Ma Kui to send elite scouts to investigate.

Xiao Jinghong tightened Mengshui Pass’s defenses as signs of barbarian activity emerged, then faced a barbarian Grandmaster who taunted the garrison and slaughtered returning scouts. The chapter ended with Ma Kui enraged as the Grandmaster killed two scouts in midair just outside the pass.

• Ma Kui sent a hundred elite scouts into the forests to count the barbarians, while Xiao Jinghong ordered stricter defenses and a curfew at Mengshui Pass.
• Xiao Jinghong warned Su Zhenyue that the barbarian upheaval could bring forces near the pass, and she resolved to challenge barbarian experts herself to advance her Sword Dao.
• After Three Drum Strikes, Xiao Jinghong revealed a barbarian Grandmaster beside five dead scouts and tried to strike him with Sword Intent, but he emerged unharmed and mocked the Wei people.
• Xiao Jinghong refused to take the barbarian Grandmaster’s bait, while Shi Junqing organized the garrison and the Retreat Horn recalled the scouts.
• Ma Kui counted only thirty-three returning scouts before the barbarian Grandmaster intercepted them and attacked, killing two by hurling them against the pass.

Xiao Jinghong fought Wula outside Mengshui Pass to give the surviving scouts time to return, but an unseen force trapped her until her master, Li Wudang, arrived. Li Wudang killed Wula despite a Hidden Immortal’s intervention and faced the frail Barbarian who had emerged from the mountain forest.

• Shi Junqing stopped Ma Kui from leaving the walls and ordered archers and ballistae to prepare against Wula.
• Xiao Jinghong attacked Wula and held him off while the thirty-one surviving scouts fled toward Mengshui Pass.
• Wula tried to pursue the scouts, but Xiao Jinghong wounded his wolf spirit and kept him occupied until the scouts reached the walls.
• An unseen attacker restrained Xiao Jinghong as she tried to withdraw, but Li Wudang arrived and freed her.
• Li Wudang ignored Wula’s appeal to the rules and destroyed him with Sword Intent, despite a pool of blood appearing to shield him.
• A frail Barbarian emerged from the mountain forest, and Li Wudang recognized him and challenged him for remaining alive.

Li Wudang confronted Great Asa over the Barbarian Tribe’s attacks on Central Plains warriors and threatened to demand an answer himself. After killing Tu Meng and forcing the Barbarians to retreat, he reunited with Xiao Jinghong at Mengshui Pass and asked for food and wine.

• Tu Meng admitted he had tried to take a Central Plains soldier, and Li Wudang called Great Asa to account for the attack and earlier assaults on Central Plains Heavenly Prides.
• Great Asa insisted the Hidden Immortal rules still stood, while Li Wudang demanded punishment for Tu Meng, Wenkela, and the others who had attacked Central Plains juniors.
• Li Wudang spread Sword Intent across the land south of Mengshui Pass, wounding the hidden Barbarians and making clear he would challenge Great Asa if he refused to answer.
• Tu Meng accepted responsibility, asked Li Wudang to let the matter end, and died beneath the Sword Intent; Great Asa then declared he would wait for Li Wudang at the Eastern Sea in two years and ordered the Barbarians to retreat a hundred li.
• Li Wudang returned to Mengshui Pass, reassured Xiao Jinghong that she was not to blame, and asked her to prepare wine and food.

After saving Xiao Jinghong at Mengshui Pass, Li Wudang urged her to curb her impatience and explained the divination that had prompted him to come. He agreed to stay in Shuzhou and guide her before the Hidden Immortal Competition, while Chu Xiudao and Liu Lang waited at the Hundred Herbs Hall for an unknown arrival.

• Xiao Jinghong joined Li Wudang after reassuring the soldiers at Mengshui Pass, and he asked about her parents and White Immortal.
• Li Wudang told Xiao Jinghong that White Immortal had persuaded several Central Plains Earthly Immortals to consider joining the Hidden Immortal Competition, though Daoist Zhongwu had reconsidered.
• Xiao Jinghong recounted her recent choices, and Li Wudang warned that her eagerness to protect her family and grow stronger had made her reckless.
• Li Wudang revealed White Immortal's reading that Xiao Jinghong's future depended on whether her thoughts could flow freely, and said the reading had prompted him to hurry to her.
• Li Wudang confirmed he would enter the Hidden Immortal Competition and agreed to remain in Shuzhou to guide Xiao Jinghong's Sword Dao.
• At the Hundred Herbs Hall, Chu Xiudao and Liu Lang waited together, and Chu Xiudao said that some people would die whether or not the expected visitors came.

Liu Lang and Chu Xiudao met with the Unorthodox Path members who had gathered in Shuzhou to lure “Dragon Tiger” away and investigate the Xiao Family. Liu Lang was left to face Madam Sun and Weng Jinghe at Hundred Herbs Hall, where he revealed his intent to kill them and attacked Madam Sun.

• Liu Lang and Chu Xiudao counted thirty-two Unorthodox Path members and agreed that Liu Lang would stay at Hundred Herbs Hall while Chu Xiudao led the others toward the Xiao Family.
• Madam Sun and Weng Jinghe both chose to stay with Liu Lang, leaving him to face the two powerful Unorthodox Path figures.
• Liu Lang suggested burning the valuable Hundred Herbs Hall signboard, and Weng Jinghe went inside to start the fire.
• After Madam Sun moved toward Yunqing Tower, Liu Lang drew his saber and told her he had wanted to kill them all.
• Liu Lang struck Madam Sun with Sacrificial Blade, and she counterattacked with her whip while shouting that Weng Jinghe had been fooled.

Liu Lang fought Madam Sun in the West Market while Chen Yi kept Weng Jinghe under guard inside Hundred Herbs Hall. After Liu Lang defeated Madam Sun and returned, Chen Yi handed Weng Jinghe over to him for punishment.

• Huan'er evacuated Yunqing Tower after Liu Lang’s saber strike damaged its eaves and hurried to tell the young lady at Tingyu Pavilion.
• Liu Lang revealed himself as Blade Ghost’s disciple and used Ghost Saber techniques to drive Madam Sun into retreat.
• Weng Jinghe stayed inside Hundred Herbs Hall because Chen Yi, wearing a Black Iron Mask, had caught him trying to steal the plaque.
• Chen Yi watched the battle and studied Liu Lang’s Ghost Blade Technique while keeping Weng Jinghe from leaving.
• Liu Lang narrowly defeated Madam Sun, carried her back, and confronted Weng Jinghe after Chen Yi told him to handle the punishment.

Liu Lang killed Weng Jinghe after defeating Madam Sun, while Chen Yi and Chu Xiudao dealt with the remaining Unorthodox Path followers. Cui Qingwu investigated the damage to Yunqing Tower, and Chen Yi explained his plan to Chu Xiudao, who asked whether he intended to kill Zhao Martial Marquis’s legitimate son.

• Liu Lang overwhelmed Weng Jinghe with Ghost Saber techniques and killed him, while leaving the stronger Madam Sun alive.
• Liu Lang reported his success to Chen Yi and tried to negotiate restrictions for a future spar; Chu Xiudao confirmed that his own task was complete.
• Chen Yi, Chu Xiudao, and Liu Lang left the West Market, with Chu Xiudao saying he had handed the unconscious Unorthodox Path followers to the Judicial Department.
• Cui Qingwu inspected the damage to Yunqing Tower, chose not to confront Hundred Herbs Hall, and instructed Huan'er to take Uncle Jia to report the incident to the Yamen.
• Chen Yi dismissed a Fortune notice and described his plan to Chu Xiudao, who asked if he meant to kill Zhao Martial Marquis’s legitimate son.

Chen Yi arranged for Liu Lang to watch Zhao Wenjing while he visited the imprisoned Song Jin Jian and learned about the Jizhou Trading Company's network in Shuzhou. Song Jin Jian revealed Jia Xingzhi's role in the company, and Chen Yi then asked what Song Jin Jian knew about Marquis Zhaowu.

• Chen Yi explained that he avoided acting openly to limit trouble for the Xiao Family and Shuzhou, then asked Liu Lang to watch Zhao Wenjing for two days.
• Chen Yi visited Song Jin Jian, told him how he had rescued Xiao Fengchun and Fu Wanqing from the Barbarian Tribe, and returned the Uncontested Sword to him.
• Song Jin Jian agreed to identify his contacts in Shuzhou in exchange for Chen Yi arranging delivery of a letter to someone in Capital Prefecture.
• Song Jin Jian gave Chen Yi a list of nearly a hundred agents, including spies from the Poshushuo Kingdom and the Barbarian Tribe, and confirmed that Jia Xingzhi was a Jizhou Trading Company Hall Director who handled personnel in Shuzhou.
• Chen Yi asked Song Jin Jian what he knew about Marquis Zhaowu, and Song Jin Jian wondered whether Chen Yi had crossed paths with the Zhao Family of Guangyue Prefecture.

Chen Yi learned more about the Zhao Family’s hidden connections, identified a Jizhou Trading Company agent on Song Jin Jian’s register, and planned how to strengthen the Xiao Family’s position in Shuzhou. The chapter left him anticipating a banquet hosted by Jia Xingzhi the next day.

• Song Jin Jian told Chen Yi that the Zhao Family had ties to the Blood River Group, border bandits, and powerful figures in Capital Prefecture, while Chen Yi said he would not go to Guangyue Prefecture unless they caused trouble in Shuzhou.
• Song Jin Jian surrendered the Uncontested Sword to Chen Yi and began writing the letter Chen Yi had requested.
• Chen Yi compared Song Jin Jian’s register with General Star’s and discovered that Cai Yutian, a member of the Youzhou Cai Family, also worked for the Jizhou Trading Company.
• Chen Yi planned to remove one of three threats to the Xiao Family and considered using Zhao Wenjing to turn powerful families and officials against one another.
• Elder Master Xiao discussed the attack on the Hundred Herbs Hall with his family and planned to seek help from the Wan Family, Liu Si, and Yang Ye.
• Chen Yi received intelligence that Jia Xingzhi would host a banquet at Yunqing Tower the next day and wondered whom he planned to entertain.

Chen Yi weighed the risks of Jia Xingzhi’s arrival in Shuzhou and cultivated while Hundred Herbs Hall dealt with the aftermath of the attack. Jia Xingzhi met Wang Ji to propose expanding their tea business and invited him to lunch, hoping to speak with Chen Yi later.

• Chen Yi considered the political consequences if Jia Xingzhi or the others were harmed in Shuzhou, then cultivated the Four Symbols Technique and assessed his path toward the Grandmaster Realm.
• Crowds gathered outside Hundred Herbs Hall after the previous night’s attack, and Wang Ji repeatedly explained that he did not know the details or Chen Yi’s whereabouts.
• Jia Xingzhi visited Hundred Herbs Hall, examined its operations, and told Wang Ji that he wanted to discuss business.
• Jia Xingzhi proposed distributing Hundred Herbs Hall’s distinctive tea drinks throughout the Nine Provinces and Three Prefectures, but Wang Ji said Chen Yi had to decide.
• Jia Xingzhi asked Wang Ji to relay his request to meet Chen Yi and invited him to lunch, declaring the meal settled before Wang Ji could refuse.

Wang Ji reported that Jia Xingzhi wanted Hundred Herbs Hall to join the Qinghe Cui Family and invited him to a banquet, while Jia Xingzhi plotted against the Xiao Family and the mysterious “Dragon Tiger.” Chen Yi agreed to meet Jia Xingzhi in a few days, sent Wang Ji to the banquet with a protective painting, and began planning a gift in return.

• Wang Ji agreed to visit Xiao Manor and decided to report Jia Xingzhi’s proposal to Chen Yi rather than make any decision himself.
• At Yunqing Tower, Jia Xingzhi learned Wang Ji was heading toward the Xiao Family and ordered his men to investigate the estate and keep watch on Hundred Herbs Hall.
• Jia Xingzhi discussed the missing Song Jin Jian and preparations to stop the incoming Minister of War from disrupting the master’s plans.
• Wang Ji told Chen Yi that Jia Xingzhi wanted Hundred Herbs Hall under the Cui Family and had invited him to lunch with two distinguished guests.
• Chen Yi agreed to meet Jia Xingzhi in a few days, told Wang Ji to attend the banquet with gifts, and gave him a painting that would summon Chen Yi if he faced danger.
• After Wang Ji left, Chen Yi moved chess pieces and began planning a grand gift for Jia Xingzhi.

Chen Yi took Xiao Wuge, Pei Guanli, and Xiao Die on an outing to Yunqing Tower, where he overheard a banquet hosted by Jia Xingzhi for Zhao Wenjing, Li Huaigu, and other officials. Jia revealed that Cui Qingwu wanted their help erecting a stele honoring Shuzhou’s defenders and intended to include the name of the late Marquis Xiao Fengchun.

• Chen Yi praised Xiao Wuge and Pei Guanli’s training, then agreed to take them and Xiao Die into town with guards accompanying them.
• Chen Yi observed that Shuzhou’s streets held fewer Jianghu guests than the previous day and took the group to Yunqing Tower.
• Chen Yi listened in on Jia Xingzhi’s banquet and heard Zhao Yi leave after learning Cui Qingwu was absent.
• Jia Xingzhi told Zhao Wenjing, Li Huaigu, and the other guests that Cui Qingwu wanted to erect a stele honoring those who had guarded Shuzhou.
• Jia Xingzhi said Cui Qingwu wanted the stele to bear the names of fallen defenders, including Marquis Xiao Fengchun.

Jia Xingzhi used a proposal to build a monument honoring Shuzhou’s forebears to test the officials and draw out Chen Yi, while Zhao Wenjing humiliated Wang Ji at the banquet. Chen Yi recognized that the scheme targeted him but chose not to meet Jia Xingzhi, who began preparing for someone’s arrival in Shuzhou.

• Jia Xingzhi proposed building a monument for Shuzhou’s forebears, and the officials agreed while Li Huaigu insisted that Old Marquis Xiao be consulted.
• Zhao Wenjing questioned Wang Ji about Hundred Herbs Hall and mocked him for not knowing where his employer, “Dragon Tiger,” was; Wang Ji left the banquet in anger.
• Chen Yi deduced that Jia Xingzhi had invited and insulted Wang Ji to provoke him, but decided to avoid meeting Jia Xingzhi and continue his own plans.
• After Chen Yi left with Xiao Wuge, Pei Guanli, and Xiao Die, a waiter told Jia Xingzhi that Chen Qingzhou had been at the restaurant with the Young Marquis.
• Jia Xingzhi learned that Wang Ji had visited the Xiao Family and gone to see Xiao Wan'er, then asked Zhao Wenjing about preparations at the Post Station for an expected arrival.

Chen Yi suspected Jia Xingzhi was plotting against Chen Xuanji, bought a fishing rod, and set the White Tiger Guard to investigate Jizhou Trading Company spies and spread information about the Qinghe Cui Family. That night, Liu Lang learned Zhao Wenjing had been murdered and rushed toward Chunyu Tower, fearing Chen Yi's young companion might be responsible.

• Chen Yi overheard Jia Xingzhi and Zhao Wenjing discussing a plan and suspected Chen Xuanji was their target, then bought an expensive fishing rod and helped Xiao Wuge choose a short sword.
• Chen Yi secretly delivered registers of Jizhou Trading Company spies to General Star and asked him to pass one with a letter to Provincial Governor Yang Ye.
• Chen Yi urged General Star to spread news about the Qinghe Cui Family's ties to the Barbarian Tribe and Poshir, and warned him to investigate unfamiliar traveling merchants.
• Xiao Wuge asked Chen Yi to persuade Xiao Jinghong to teach him swordsmanship, and Chen Yi agreed to help.
• Liu Lang waited outside Chunyu Tower while tailing Zhao Yi, then heard that Zhao Wenjing had been murdered and hurried to investigate, worried Chen Yi's young companion had killed him.

Zhao Yi killed Zhao Wenjing and left a clue that implicated Dragon Tiger, prompting officials to begin an investigation. Chen Yi and his companions arrived at the residence, where Chen Yi acknowledged that Zhao Wenjing had died because of him.

• Zhao Wenjing recorded his day's reflections, then Zhao Yi attacked him in his study and killed him.
• Liu Lang rushed toward Chunyu Tower after hearing of Zhao Wenjing's death, but turned back after sensing a powerful presence there.
• Fang Hongxiu and Han Ruixuan examined Zhao Wenjing's body and found a clue reading “Dragon Tiger,” while Tang Zixin prepared to report the killing.
• Fang Hongxiu and Han Ruixuan agreed to investigate the clues and consider contacting Dragon Tiger separately.
• Liu Lang arrived at the Zhao residence with Chen Yi, who said Zhao Wenjing had indeed died because of him.

Chen Yi and his companions discussed Gu Beichen’s history with Chu Xiudao and realized the Bright Moon Tower may have sent Liu Lang to Shuzhou to provoke a conflict with the Xiao Family. Chen Yi then tracked Zhao Yi to the South City Gate and confronted him over leaving the words “Dragon Tiger” at Zhao Wenjing’s death scene.

• Chen Yi revealed that he had sent Zhao Yi to assassinate Zhao Wenjing, and Liu Lang and Chu Xiudao learned that the Jizhou Trading Company was behind Zhao Wenjing.
• Chu Xiudao recounted how Gu Beichen rebuilt the Bright Moon Tower after orthodox sects destroyed most of it, and explained his old friendship with Gu Beichen.
• Chen Yi suggested that the Bright Moon Tower may have sent Liu Lang to Shuzhou hoping his death would turn Chu Xiudao against the Xiao Family, and Liu Lang and Chu Xiudao realized they might have been manipulated.
• Chen Yi left to listen in on Zhao Yi at Chunyu Tower and concluded that Zhao Yi was the remaining person he could use to warn those with sinister intentions outside Shuzhou.
• Chen Yi summoned Zhao Yi to the South City Gate, where he confronted him about leaving the words “Dragon Tiger” beside Zhao Wenjing; Zhao Yi was surprised and denied knowing about it.

Chen Yi convinced Zhao Yi that the Jizhou Trading Company was working with the White Tiger Guard and the Xiao Family to steer the emperor toward a campaign against the Barbarian Tribe. After recruiting Zhao Yi and assigning him to obstruct Cui Qingwu’s monument project by persuading the Xiao Family to erect one first, Chen Yi handed him a fake trading-company token.

• Chen Yi accepted Zhao Yi’s pledge after Zhao Wenjing’s death, then told him the company could help him recover and profit from his investment.
• Chen Yi revealed that the Jizhou Trading Company, White Tiger Guard, and Xiao Family aimed to influence the emperor to campaign against the Barbarian Tribe rather than Northern Mang.
• Zhao Yi offered to attack the Cui Family, but Chen Yi warned him not to target them yet and explained that Chen Xuanji might become their opponent.
• Chen Yi listed four tasks for Zhao Yi, who ruled out investigating Xiao Fengchun, selling goods in Poshushuo, and tracking Chen Xuanji.
• Chen Yi assigned Zhao Yi to thwart Cui Qingwu’s monument plan by persuading the Xiao Family to erect a monument first.
• Chen Yi gave Zhao Yi a plain wooden plaque and falsely presented it as the Jizhou Trading Company’s Worry-Free Plaque.

Chen Yi tested Yuan Liu'er in a series of medical trials, teaching her to make difficult choices when treating patients and to apply her skills with restraint. After she passed, Chen Yi received intelligence that Jia Xingzhi would meet Chen Zhitang in Antian Village that night.

• Chen Yi visited the Dragon Field Academy and drew Yuan Liu'er into an illusion to test her medical abilities as a military physician.
• Yuan Liu'er initially focused on treating one gravely wounded soldier and failed to save others, then asked Chen Yi for another test.
• Yuan Liu'er changed her approach, prioritizing life-threatening injuries, and treated all the wounded in the second trial without losing anyone.
• Chen Yi put Yuan Liu'er through further trials involving poison, epidemics, and difficult illnesses, then advised her to learn when to save, kill, and hold back.
• Chen Yi received intelligence that Jia Xingzhi would meet Chen Zhitang in Antian Village during the hour of the pig and tried to recall where he had heard the name.

After learning that Chen Zhitang had arrived in Shuzhou, Chen Yi sought help from the White Tiger Guard and used divination to assess Xiao Fengchun and Chen Xuanji. Meanwhile, officials gathered at the Xiao Family over Zhao Wenjing’s murder, and Elder Master Xiao challenged the Provincial Governor’s reliance on Zhao’s final words.

• Chen Yi recognized Chen Zhitang as an Earthly Immortal and secretly asked General Star to send for help from False Tiger.
• Chen Yi’s repeated divinations gave Xiao Fengchun the worst omen, while a later reading warned that Chen Xuanji’s fate depended on whether his heart was upright.
• Chen Yi painted a figure resembling Chen Xuanji and decided to visit him the next day to test his intentions.
• Chen Yunfan and Li Huaigu discussed Zhao Wenjing’s murder at the Xiao Family, and Chen Yunfan suggested that Zhao may have provoked Dragon Tiger.
• Elder Master Xiao told Chen Yunfan to reassure Li Fu, then questioned whether Zhao Wenjing’s blood-written words, “Dragon Tiger,” could prove anything.

Elder Master Xiao sent Lu Guan to buy supplies for Wumeng Mountain while refusing visitors, and Chen Yi discussed Zhao Wenjing’s murder and the suspicion surrounding Dragon Tiger with Chen Yunfan and Li Huaigu. The chapter ended with Chen Yi learning that Cui Qingwu planned to erect a monument to Shuzhou’s heroic forebears and wondering what role she had played.

• Elder Master Xiao told Li Huaigu to report that Shuzhou would remain stable, then ordered Lu Guan to take men to Wushan Mutual Market and deliver supplies to Wumeng Mountain.
• Lu Guan turned away Zhao Yi’s messenger, while Xiao Jing secretly followed him.
• Chen Yunfan and Li Huaigu visited Chen Yi, who showed off A Touch of Cold Plum as he fished; they told him Zhao Wenjing had been murdered and Dragon Tiger was suspected.
• Li Huaigu left after warning that the city was dangerous, and Chen Yunfan told Chen Yi that their father would arrive in Shuzhou in five or six days and that their mother had sent him a message.
• Chen Yi asked about Chen Yunfan and Cui Qingwu, then told him she intended to erect a monument to Shuzhou’s heroic forebears; Chen Yunfan was surprised and said he would ask her about it.

Chen Yi learned that Li Wudang had arrived in Shuzhou after saving Xiao Jinghong from a Great Grandmaster’s attack, and he considered how Li’s presence could affect his plans. Meanwhile, rumors linking the Qinghe Cui Family and the Jizhou Trading Company to the Barbarian Tribe spread through the city, leaving Cui Qingwu furious and Jia Xingzhi searching for the source.

• Chen Yunfan left Xiao Manor after telling Chen Yi to attend to his own affairs, and Chen Yi noticed Zhao Yi waiting outside for an audience with Elder Master Xiao.
• Chen Yi accompanied Xiao Wan'er to buy winter supplies, listened as she recalled Xiao Jinghong leaving Shuzhou with Li Wudang, and reassured her that he valued his life.
• At Yingchun Tower, Chen Yi heard that Li Wudang had saved Xiao Jinghong from a Great Grandmaster at Mengshui Pass and killed two Barbarian Tribe experts after confronting the Great Asa.
• Chen Yi returned to Chunhe Garden and considered using Li Wudang's presence to deal with Willow-Folding Sword Chen Zhitang, while city rumors about Zhao Wenjing's death and the Cui Family's alleged dealings with the Barbarian Tribe spread.
• Cui Qingwu ordered Huan'er to investigate the rumors, while Jia Xingzhi suspected Song Jin Jian had exposed the Cui Family's ties to the Jizhou Trading Company and prepared countermeasures.
• Jia Xingzhi saw Lord Chen approaching and stopped to greet him.

Chen Yunfan confronted Cui Qingwu about rumors targeting the Cui Family and urged her to return to Qinghe, while Jia Xingzhi secretly left Shuzhou. At Xiao Manor, Elder Master Xiao learned that a memorial stele bearing Xiao Fengchun’s name was being planned and blamed the Cui Family.

• Chen Yunfan asked Cui Qingwu about the rumors and learned that Jia Xingzhi had proposed erecting a monument to Shuzhou’s fallen forebears.
• Chen Yunfan warned Cui Qingwu that the rumors could make her a target and advised her to return to Qinghe after the monument matter was settled.
• Jia Xingzhi overheard them and ordered a carriage prepared, then left the city.
• Xiao Jing reported to Elder Master Xiao that Lu Guan’s group had left the Prefectural City and that eight spies had been caught.
• Elder Master Xiao visited Xiao Fengchun in a secret chamber and warned him that rumors and scrutiny from the capital could force him and Wanqing to reveal themselves.
• Elder Master Xiao told Xiao Fengchun that the Cui Family was considering a memorial stele bearing his name, prompting Xiao Fengchun to condemn them.

Elder Master Xiao and Xiao Fengchun agreed that the Xiao Family would erect a monument honoring Shuzhou’s forebears, and discussed the family’s future and its debts to Chen Yu. Later, Chen Yi used painted figures to spy on Jia Xingzhi’s meeting with "Willow-Folding Sword" Chen Zhitang, but one figure was discovered and trapped by sword intent.

• Elder Master Xiao told Xiao Fengchun that he would erect the monument without naming individuals, preventing the Cui Family from interfering with their plans.
• Elder Master Xiao and Xiao Fengchun discussed Xiao Jinghong and Chen Yi, Xiao Wan’er’s possible marriage, and the Xiao Family’s need to prepare for Wu Ge’s departure north.
• Chen Yi visited the Tailor Shop and told General Star to inform False Tiger that two Earthly Immortals had come to Shuzhou.
• Chen Yi used two black-clad figures created from paintings to search for Jia Xingzhi’s meeting near Antian Village.
• Chen Zhitang sensed one painted figure approaching his courtyard, struck its path with sword intent, and trapped it in a cage of sword intent.