Recaps

Chen Yi manipulated the grain struggle, aided Xiao Wan'er’s relief effort, and exposed and defeated the Five Poisons Sect’s epidemic plot. The crisis subsided, but Liu Hong vanished, Zhu Hao was executed, and Chen Yi began considering his elder brother’s place in the wider schemes around Shuzhou.

• Chen Yi helped drive down grain prices, sent Liu Lang to bring Xiao Jinghong to Li Sanyuan, and delivered White Tiger Guard evidence against Zhu Hao to Chen Yunfan.
• Chen Yi made plans to exploit Li Sanyuan’s schemes, learned refugees were approaching, and joined Xiao Wan'er in organizing relief at Lin Village.
• Chen Yi identified the plague affecting Yuan Hao as poison spread through candy, then warned the Mountain Tribe that the Five Poisons Sect was targeting the refugees.
• Zhang Dabao and Liu Lang moved grain away from Lin Zhenghong, but Liu Taoyao’s men killed Lin Zhenghong before Yan Jingchen attacked the group at the Chishui River.
• Chen Yi rescued Liu Lang and defeated Yan Jingchen and the Five Poisons Sect, while Pei Ze and his allies helped capture the sect’s leader.
• Chen Yi found Lin Zhenghong and the others dead, then feigned infection as Elder Master Xiao mobilized Shuzhou and Liu Hong prepared to flee.
• Liu Hong poisoned Liu Taofang and disappeared from public life, while the Mountain Tribe took Ling'er’s body and Liu Zhaoxue was abducted.
• After Chen Yi recovered, he learned Liu Hong had vanished and Zhu Hao had been beheaded by Xiao Jinghong, then decided to spend more time with Chen Yunfan.

Chen Yi navigated the aftermath of Liu Hong’s death, the Xiao Family’s political struggles, and the approaching annual examination while advancing his own plans. As the examination exposed the court’s war aims, Yuan Liu'er won a medical contest for Jishi Pharmacy and Song Jin Jian moved against the Xiao Family.

• Xiao Jinghong challenged Li Fu over Zhu Hao’s death and the Dingyuan Army’s shortages, then proposed that the Fu Family manage Hundred Herbs Hall’s affairs in Guangyuan County.
• Chen Yi learned that Chen Xuanji had become Minister of War, overheard the White Tiger Guard’s plans to seize Liu Hong’s allies, and realized Liu Hong intended to make trouble at the Xiao Family.
• Liu Hong confessed his schemes to Elder Master Xiao, who killed him before he could reveal what he knew about General Fu, and Feng Erbao then accepted the killing as justified treason punishment.
• Chen Yi concluded that the Emperor, the White Tiger Guard, and the Chen Family had used him and Chen Yunfan to steer Shuzhou, and he decided to help restore the Xiao Family’s power.
• Chen Yi taught Yuan Liu'er martial arts and pressured her to accept Ye Guxian’s challenge to fight White Immortal’s chosen junior, Shui Hetong, and Ye Guxian also invited him to the South Sea Dao discussions.
• Gongye Bai explained the Hidden Immortal contest to Xiao Jinghong and asked her to persuade Li Wudang to attend the South Sea gathering, while Shui Hetong offered to guard the Xiao Family.
• Chen Yi sat the annual examination and answered its question about a southern campaign or Northern Expedition by opposing both, arguing that ordinary people would bear the costs of war.
• Yuan Liu'er led Jishi Pharmacy to victory over Wen Xiuyin’s group in three medical contests, while Song Jin Jian recruited Judicial Department commanders to seek Li Sanyuan from the Xiao Family.

Chen Yi investigated the killings and the forces stirring unrest in Shuzhou while strengthening the Xiao Family’s position and preparing Shui Hetong to represent him. Xiao Jinghong learned that her parents might be alive, while Chen Yi received word that the thief One Finger planned to abduct Li Sanyuan.

• Chen Yi challenged Ma Shuhan’s grading of his examination essay, but Ma Shuhan was beheaded after Yang Ye stopped the officials from seizing the candidates.
• Investigators linked the deaths of Ma Shuhan’s household and Xu Jitong to Mountain Tribe poison, while Chen Yi and Lou Yuxue pursued Ma Shuhan’s secret meeting and possible ties to the Jizhou Trading Company.
• Chen Yi defeated Shui Hetong in a spar and secured his help supporting Hundred Herbs Hall and the Xiao Family, while he continued investigating Hua Huiyang’s death and the demand for Li Sanyuan.
• Chen Yi’s essay praising care for the people circulated, Yuan Liu’er advanced in cultivation, and the Xiao Family prepared for influential guests as Xiao Jinghong’s return was delayed by tensions with the Barbarian Tribe.
• Chen Xuanji prepared to travel to Shuzhou as reports arrived that the Peacock King Banner had purchased large quantities of weapons and armor.
• At Mengshui Pass, Xiao Jinghong learned that a hidden swordsman could lead her to her mother, while Muhage plotted to manipulate her into urging the Wei emperor to send troops south.
• Chen Yi secretly left the Xiao Family, told Shui Hetong to act in his place at the banquet, and learned that One Finger intended to abduct Li Sanyuan from Marquis Dingyuan’s Estate.

Chen Yi exposed and defeated Pei Yonglin’s scheme, then arranged for Pei Yonglin to join the White Tiger Guard while investigating the Mountain Tribe, the Jizhou Trading Company, and the Qinghe Cui Family. As Shuzhou filled with martial artists ahead of a major contest, Chen Yi prepared to join the gathering at the Chishui River.

• Chen Yi arranged for Zhang Dabao to impersonate Li Sanyuan, but One Finger abducted the real Li and delivered him to Liu Zhaoxue, who questioned him about the Poshushuo Kingdom’s envoy.
• Pei Yonglin revealed his ties to the Mountain Tribe and the Jizhou Trading Company, poisoned One Finger, and demanded Li Sanyuan from Shui Hetong in exchange for One Finger.
• Chen Yi and Shui Hetong confronted Pei Yonglin, freed One Finger from the Yansheng Technique, and defeated Pei Yonglin, but Song Jin Jian killed him with a distant sword strike before Chen Yi revived him.
• Song Jin Jian escaped after fighting Shui Hetong, while Chen Yi arranged for Pei Yonglin to be held for questioning and investigated the threats to the Xiao Family and Fu Wanqing.
• Xiao Jinghong rejected Song Jin Jian’s proposal to involve the Xiao Family in a Southern Campaign and left Mengshui Pass to advance her Sword Dao and seek a way to rescue her parents.
• Chen Yi trained with Ye Guxian and gained an initial glimpse of the Shadowless Sword as Shuzhou filled with merchants and martial artists ahead of the coming contest.
• Chen Yi confirmed Pei Yonglin’s guilt to Pei Gan and persuaded Pei Yonglin to join the White Tiger Guard, then the crowds headed west toward the spectacle at the Chishui River.