Chapter Summaries

Xiao Jinghong returned to the estate and learned from Xiao Die about Chen Yi’s recent activities before joining him and Xiao Wan'er for breakfast. When Xiao Jinghong raised Old Master’s idea of matching Xiao Wan'er with Chen Yu, Xiao Wan'er rejected the match, while Chen Yi argued that Chen Yu would leave Shuzhou and Xiao Jinghong agreed he would be unsuitable.

• Xiao Jinghong returned to the estate and asked Xiao Die to recount Chen Yi’s recent activities.
• Chen Yi checked the daily intelligence and learned that Xiao Yuan would confront Liu Hong at the Provincial Administration yamen at noon.
• At breakfast, Xiao Jinghong told Xiao Wan'er that Old Master wanted to know whether she had feelings for Chen Yu.
• Xiao Wan'er denied having feelings for Chen Yu and said she would not marry him.
• Chen Yi claimed that Chen Yu planned to travel the world and would not stay in Shuzhou, and Xiao Jinghong agreed that such a match would be unsuitable.

Chen Yi and Xiao Jinghong discussed her family, her duties, and the turmoil in Shuzhou, drawing closer as he assured her he accepted her life as a commander. After Xiao Jinghong left with Elder Master Xiao for the Provincial Administration, Chen Yi went to Jishi Pharmacy and urgently told Ma Liangcai to recall Wang Ji, Zhang Dabao, and the others.

• Xiao Jinghong asked Chen Yi about White Immortal and Shui Hetong, then revealed that White Immortal was her senior uncle and that her master was Sword Saint Li Wudang.
• Xiao Jinghong thanked Chen Yi for the portrait of her parents and apologized for being unable to stop acting like a commander; Chen Yi told her he did not mind and wanted only a peaceful life.
• Chen Yi and Xiao Jinghong discussed Shuzhou's instability, King Landu's ambitions, and the Barbarian Tribe's internal strife.
• Xiao Jinghong admired Chen Yi's poems and asked to keep copies before an armored soldier summoned her to accompany Elder Master Xiao to the Provincial Administration.
• Chen Yi went to Jishi Pharmacy and wrote a message ordering Ma Liangcai to notify Wang Ji to recall Zhang Dabao and the others.

Chen Yi confirmed that the grain merchants had bought back Cui Qingwu’s grain and arranged for Liu Lang to distribute grain the next day. He discovered Yuan Liu’er’s extraordinary learning and cultivation potential, made Ma Liangcai his disciple so he could teach her, and then reunited with Xiao Jinghong, whose visit to the Provincial Administration had just ended.

• Chen Yi overheard grain merchants confirm they had repurchased Cui Qingwu’s grain, then reassured Yuan Liu’er and tested her remarkable ability to memorize medical texts.
• Chen Yi watched Yuan Liu’er imitate his calligraphy and used the Qi Gazing Technique to discover her unobstructed meridians and peerless talent.
• Chen Yi made Ma Liangcai his first disciple, told him to teach Yuan Liu’er everything he knew, and ordered him to find Liu Lang and arrange for grain distribution the next day.
• Ma Liangcai left to carry out Chen Yi’s instructions, while Chen Yi returned to the Xiao Family after confirming the grain merchants had repurchased Cui Qingwu’s grain.
• Chen Yi met Elder Master Xiao and Xiao Jinghong outside the Provincial Administration, and Xiao Jinghong told him she already knew he had taken on a disciple.
• A golden notification appeared before Chen Yi, awarding him 22 Fortune and beginning to reveal what would happen at the fourth quarter of noon.

Chen Yi’s plan to drive down Shuzhou’s grain prices advanced as the Xiao family pressured Liu Hong to act, while the grain merchants sought to escape their losses by selling to the Peacock King Banner. After Liu Lang sold grain at a steep loss and Chen Yi anticipated the trading company’s collapse, Shopkeeper Wang arrived late at night with news from the Tea Horse Road.

• Xiao Yuan and Xiao Jinghong persuaded Liu Hong to stabilize Shuzhou’s grain prices, and Xiao Jinghong promised to send more guards to the Marquis’s mansion before leaving for the Mutual Market.
• Liu Hong gave Lin Zhenghong and Li Sanyuan three days to lower grain prices before the Yamen released its own grain, so Li Sanyuan planned to sell their stock and ironware to King Landu and obtain the Liu Family’s grain through Liu Taofang.
• After grain appeared for sale at one tael per dan at the Lin estate, Lin Zhenghong went to Liu Taofang while Li Sanyuan rode west toward the Tea Horse Road, suspecting someone had schemed against them.
• Liu Lang and Xue Duanyun sold fifty thousand shi of grain at one tael per shi, despite Liu Lang’s concern that Chen Yi’s plan would cause enormous losses.
• Chen Yi explained to Xiao Wuge that Elder Master Xiao’s pressure on Liu Hong helped create the conditions for the grain-price collapse, then defeated her in chess.
• Near Xu Hour, Chen Yi received word that Shopkeeper Wang of Hundred Herbs Hall had come to visit and ordered him admitted.

Chen Yi wrote a calligraphy copybook for Hundred Herbs Hall and arranged for Wang Ji to pass a warning and letter to Liu Lang. As Xiao Jinghong continued watching Liu Hong’s residence, she overheard Liu Hong scold his son for selling grain, while Liu Lang left Lin Manor after learning she was in the city.

• Wang Ji brought Chen Yi a letter about Li Sanyuan seeking a deal with King Landu, and Chen Yi wrote a dazzling inscription for Hundred Herbs Hall.
• Chen Yi told Wang Ji to warn Liu Lang that Xiao Jinghong was in the Prefectural City and to deliver his letter to Zhang Dabao.
• Xiao Jinghong overheard Liu Taofang tell Liu Hong he had sold their grain to Lin Zhenghong, and Liu Hong ordered him to stay home.
• A Tianshan Sect disciple left the city, and Xiao Jinghong recognized the visit but kept watching Liu Hong’s residence.
• Wang Ji’s messenger brought Chen Yi’s letter to Lin Manor, and Liu Lang memorized it, destroyed it, and slipped away after hearing Xiao Jinghong was in the city.

Liu Lang found Xiao Jinghong and led her toward Li Sanyuan, whose testimony could expose the Liu Family and Zhu Hao. Meanwhile, Chen Yi anticipated Xiao Jinghong’s return, arranged to visit Guiyun Academy, and confirmed to Xiao Wan'er that he was Chen Yu and had treated her illness.

• Liu Lang reached Zhang Dabao’s hideout, disguised himself as a Peacock King Banner commander, and learned from Li Sanyuan why he had come.
• Liu Lang returned to Shu Prefecture City, found Xiao Jinghong near Liu Hong’s residence, and told her Chen Yi had sent him to bring her to Li Sanyuan.
• Xiao Jinghong traveled with Liu Lang toward the Tea Horse Road and learned that Mr. Lingchuan of Guiyun Academy might know something relevant to her investigation.
• Chen Yi expected Xiao Jinghong to return with Li Sanyuan by nightfall and planned a visit to Guiyun Academy before writing policy essays.
• Chen Yi rode with Xiao Wan'er and revealed through invisible writing that he was Chen Yu, had founded Hundred Herbs Hall partly to help her, knew the Medical Dao, and had treated her illness.

Chen Yi and Xiao Wan'er acknowledged their feelings while keeping their relationship secret, and Chen Yi later learned that Lü Jiunan's body had disappeared. He went to Chunyu Tower to question the White Tiger Guard and came face-to-face with General Star.

• Chen Yi confirmed to Xiao Wan'er that he had arranged the medicine and expanded Hundred Herbs Hall to help her, then reassured her that he would take responsibility for their predicament.
• Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang lifted the carriage curtain to check on Chen Yi and Xiao Wan'er, then hurriedly claimed Guiyun Academy was near; Chen Yi left the carriage and entered the academy.
• Chen Yi learned that the academy had sold his calligraphy to provide grain for poor students and instructors, and he supported the decision while encouraging Ma Guan to do well in the annual examination.
• On his way home, Chen Yi overheard Jianghu guests say Lü Jiunan's body had vanished from Puyin Temple and considered who might have taken it.
• Chen Yi changed his appearance and went to Chunyu Tower to ask the White Tiger Guard about Lü Jiunan's body, where General Star identified himself and addressed him as Dragon Tiger Liu Wu.

Chen Yi met General Star, who recruited him to deliver evidence of Zhu Hao’s crimes to Chen Yunfan, and accepted the mission after hearing his brother’s name. In the capital, Chen Xuanji played Go with the Emperor and promised to guide the direction of the Imperial Court’s blade within five years.

• General Star invited Chen Yi to join the White Tiger Guard, but Chen Yi declined until General Star named Chen Yunfan as the mission’s objective.
• General Star asked Chen Yi to deliver evidence against Zhu Hao to Chen Yunfan, and Chen Yi agreed.
• General Star gave Chen Yi the evidence and two million taels, including money Lou Yuxue had set aside for him.
• Chen Yi left without meeting Lou Yuxue, while General Star read the Pavilion Master’s order to kill him if he refused.
• In the Imperial City, Chen Xuanji played Go with the Emperor and promised that within five years he would ensure the Emperor’s blade fell where it should.

Chen Xuanji met with Emperor Anhe, agreed to eliminate the Liu Family of Jingzhou, and ordered the White Tiger Guard to close its net as his son Liu Wu’s growing reputation reshaped the scheme in Shuzhou. Chen Yi deduced that Chen Yunfan could rise rapidly through the conflict, then arrived at Tingyu Pavilion, where a sudden sword attack met his counter.

• Emperor Anhe asked Chen Xuanji to return to Great Wei, recruit his poet son into Imperial service, and resolve the Liu Family of Jingzhou’s defiance; Chen Xuanji said the family must be eliminated and accepted the task.
• Chen Xuanji read that Liu Wu had killed Du Cang, saved Xiao Wan'er, and disrupted the Jizhou Trading Company's scheme, then ordered Xuan Xing to tell General Star to close the net.
• Chen Yi reasoned that the White Tiger Guard’s plans targeted the Xiao Family and the Dingyuan Army, predicted the Liu Family would fall, and decided Chen Yunfan could gain Zhu Hao while the Xiao Family dealt with Liu Hong.
• Chen Yi reached Tingyu Pavilion and met Lin Zhong, the Chen Family’s chief guard, who went to report his arrival to Chen Yunfan.
• A sword-light shot toward Chen Yi with a warning from Young Master, but Chen Yi dispelled it with a flash of golden light and remarked on Councillor Chen’s swordsmanship.

Chen Yi visited Chen Yunfan in the guise of Liu Wu and delivered evidence of Zhu Hao’s crimes on behalf of the White Tiger Guard. Chen Yunfan learned the Guard was entangled in the matter and decided to take Lü Jiunan’s corpse to the Yamen to claim the reward.

• Chen Yunfan stopped fighting Chen Yi after Lin Zhong intervened, then invited the visitor inside while Cui Qingwu warned him that Liu Wu was crafty.
• Cui Qingwu told Xiao Wan’er that Liu Wu had arrived, and Xiao Wan’er admitted her grandfather wanted her to marry him.
• Chen Yunfan and Chen Yi exchanged veiled barbs before Chen Yi handed over a cloth bag containing evidence of Zhu Hao’s crimes.
• Chen Yi revealed that the White Tiger Guard had given him the evidence, while Chen Yunfan guessed the matter involved the Xiao Family and Shuzhou’s profiteers.
• After Chen Yi left, Chen Yunfan told Lin Zhong to bring Lü Jiunan’s corpse so he could take it to the Yamen and claim the reward.

Chen Yi weighed Chen Yunfan’s possible choices and continued supporting Xiao Wan’er’s plans for a Medical Dao Academy, while Xiao Jinghong returned with Li Sanyuan and prepared to pursue Zhu Hao in Guangyuan. After discussing the threat posed by Liu Hong and the need to strengthen the Xiao Family, Xiao Jinghong departed that night, leaving Chen Yi to consider how he could use Li Sanyuan and share his wife’s burdens.

• Chen Yi asked about Uncle Gui at the Xiao Family gates and learned that he had disappeared after returning to the residence.
• Chen Yi and Xiao Wan’er discussed the Medical Dao Academy, and Chen Yi said Ma Liangcai could teach there.
• Xiao Jinghong returned with the captured Li Sanyuan, ordered him held in the Inner Prison, and said she was headed to Guangyuan.
• Chen Yi realized Xiao Jinghong’s pursuit of Zhu Hao could interfere with Chen Yunfan’s plan, and decided Li Sanyuan could be put to further use.
• Xiao Jinghong told Elder Master Xiao that she would go to Guangyuan to stop Zhu Hao and proposed recruiting more experts for the Xiao Family.
• Xiao Jinghong left for Guangyuan that night, and Chen Yi said he would help shoulder her burdens before returning to cultivate.

Chen Yi perfected Chess Dao and broke through to the Lower Fourth Rank, gaining the power to contend with Upper Three Grades martial artists. After learning the Jizhou Trading Company’s plans, he assigned Zhang Dabao, Liu Lang, and Wang Ji tasks to counter them.

• Chen Yi used perfected Chess Dao to manifest a concealed chessboard domain, then broke through to the Lower Fourth Rank as the Four Symbols’ Divine Seat Spirit Essence advanced.
• Chen Yi decided to remain in Shuzhou and noted an intelligence message about Yuan Liu'er treating her younger brother the following night.
• Chen Yi visited Hundred Herbs Hall and heard Liu Lang, Zhang Dabao, and Wang Ji report on their mission and Li Sanyuan’s schemes.
• Chen Yi learned that Li Sanyuan had planned to deal with King Landu and gather leverage against Liu Taofang, potentially weakening Liu Hong’s position.
• Chen Yi ordered Zhang Dabao to impersonate Li Sanyuan, told Liu Lang to seize the grain if the plan failed, and asked Wang Ji to have the Xiao Family support the new Hundred Herbs Hall in Guangyuan County.

Chen Yi planned Hundred Herbs Hall’s expansion and learned from Fang Hongxiu that tens of thousands of disaster refugees were heading toward Shuzhou’s Prefectural City. After uncovering clues linking Liu Hong’s associates to suspicious dealings, Chen Yi arranged to secure grain for relief and sent word to the Xiao Family, hoping they could find a solution.

• Chen Yi allocated silver to Hundred Herbs Hall, directing Wang Ji to establish an independent medicinal-herb supply route through the Mountain Tribe and rewarding the people who had helped with the grain operation.
• Chen Yi met Fang Hongxiu, who gave him evidence about suspicious activity around Liu Hong and warned him that disaster refugees were approaching the Prefectural City.
• Fang Hongxiu told Chen Yi that the Provincial Governor had ordered the Prefect to prioritize the city and stabilize grain prices instead of opening the granaries for the refugees.
• Chen Yi read clues implicating Liu Hong’s associates, including a suspicious visitor connected to Xinglin Zhai, and wondered whether Liu Hong had ties to the Five Poisons Sect.
• Chen Yi ordered Liu Lang and Zhang Dabao to finalize a deal for one million shi of grain, then suspend its sale and prepare to move it as the refugees arrived.
• Chen Yi wrote to the Xiao Family about the crisis and returned to Chunhe Garden, hoping Old Master Xiao could devise a solution.

Xiao Wan'er led the Xiao Family’s relief effort for famine victims outside the Prefectural City, while Chen Yi helped organize porridge distribution and recruit more aid. The chapter left thousands of starving people receiving food at Lin Village as other families joined the relief effort.

• Elder Master Xiao learned that famine victims had flooded into the Prefectural City and ordered the Xiao Family to buy grain and prepare relief.
• Xiao Wan'er insisted on leading the effort, and Chen Yi agreed to accompany her outside the city.
• Chen Yi recruited Liu Quan, Ma Liangcai, Yuan Liu'er, and Yuan Hao to join the journey and help with the relief work.
• Xiao Wan'er and Chen Yi saw the starving people along the road, and Chen Yi directed the group to Lin Manor while other families headed to help.
• At Lin Village, Xiao Wan'er ordered Xiao Xuanshuo to set up more porridge stations, and the disaster victims received bowls of rice broth.

Chen Yi and Xiao Wan'er helped feed and treat nearly fifty thousand refugees, then discussed how to stretch their dwindling grain supplies. That night, Chen Yi secretly went to Kangle Alley and found Yuan Hao stricken with plague, leaving Yuan Liu'er stunned by his warning.

• Chen Yi and Xiao Wan'er served rice gruel to the refugees while Ma Liangcai treated the sick and taught Yuan Liu'er; Yuan Hao befriended a youth whose father had died in a mudslide.
• Chen Yi warned Xiao Wan'er that more refugees were coming and proposed exchanging fine grain for coarse grain to extend their supplies.
• Chen Yi met Zhang Dabao in private and learned that Lin Zhenghong planned to gather grain and transport it out of the city after midnight.
• Xiao Xuanshuo arranged grain exchanges as the others continued relief work, and Chen Yi returned to the Marquis's mansion with Xiao Wan'er.
• Yuan Hao became dizzy after returning home, while Chen Yi later slipped out at night and went to Kangle Alley.
• Chen Yi found Yuan Hao gravely ill, pushed Yuan Liu'er aside, and identified the illness as plague.

Chen Yi saved Yuan Hao from the Epidemic Poison and discovered that the Five Poisons Sect had spread it through candy given to disaster victims. He brought evidence to the Mountain Tribe, which identified Yan Jingchen as the culprit, while Chen Yi learned the sect planned to attack Lin Zhenghong, Liu Lang, and the others.

• Chen Yi diagnosed Yuan Hao's illness, used Silver Needles and True Essence to drive out the poisonous insects, and assured the neighbors that the poison had not spread.
• Yuan Liu'er recalled that Yuan Hao had received a piece of candy, and Chen Yi identified it as the source of the Epidemic Poison before giving her prescriptions to obtain herbs from Jishi Pharmacy.
• Chen Yi went to Kanning Street and told Pei Ze, Pei Guanli, Pei Gan, and the Mountain Tribe that the Five Poisons Sect had spread poison among the disaster victims.
• Pei Ze and Li Yunyun identified the poison as a combination of the Five Poisons Sect's methods and Mountain Tribe Gu arts, and named Great Elder Yan Jingchen as the likely culprit.
• Chen Yi received intelligence that Yan Jingchen would lead an attack on Lin Zhenghong, Liu Lang, and the others, and decided to confront the Five Poisons Sect.

Chen Yi left the Mountain Tribe to warn others about the Five Poisons Sect’s poison plot, while Zhang Dabao and Liu Lang carried out a grain-trade deception that ended with Lin Zhenghong’s death at Liu Taoyao’s hands. At the Chishui River, Yan Jingchen’s Five Poisons Sect forces confronted Zhang Dabao and Liu Lang, and Yan Jingchen attacked after Zhang Dabao sent up a signal.

• Chen Yi warned Pei Ze and the Mountain Tribe to prepare for the Five Poisons Sect’s plans, then hurried away to alert others.
• Zhang Dabao and Liu Lang tricked Lin Zhenghong into handing over the silver notes during a staged grain deal, while the convoy carried the grain away.
• Liu Taoyao’s men ambushed Lin Zhenghong’s guards, and Liu Taoyao killed Lin Zhenghong and took the chest of silver notes.
• Zhang Dabao, Liu Lang, and the Tianshan Sect disciples waited for boats at the Chishui River, then recognized the arriving attackers as members of the Five Poisons Sect.
• Zhang Dabao fired a signal into the sky, and Yan Jingchen announced his name before rushing at the group.

Liu Lang fought Yan Jingchen to protect Zhang Dabao and the other Tianshan Sect disciples, but Yan Jingchen overwhelmed and poisoned him. Just as Yan Jingchen moved to kill Liu Lang, Chen Yi arrived and declared that he would kill him.

• Liu Lang told Zhang Dabao and the others to flee, then stayed behind to face Yan Jingchen while four Black-clad Men pursued them.
• Yan Jingchen recognized Liu Lang as Blade Ghost Chu Xiudao’s disciple and fought him, eventually wounding him with the poison of the White Jade Skill.
• Liu Lang used Ghost Saber: Slay a Thousand and then Ghost Saber: Return to One, forcing Yan Jingchen to dodge his strongest strike but leaving Liu Lang gravely injured.
• Yan Jingchen prepared to kill Liu Lang, but Chen Yi arrived, shattered the incoming qi blade, and forced the poison from Liu Lang’s body.
• Chen Yi turned toward Yan Jingchen and announced, “The one who will kill you!”

Chen Yi rescued Liu Lang and fought the Five Poisons Sect, using his perfected Chess Dao to trap and wound Xue Chong and the others. Pei Ze, Chu Fangling, and Li Yunyun arrived and engaged Yan Jingchen, while Chen Yi continued controlling the battlefield from behind his chessboard.

• Liu Lang warned Chen Yi that Yan Jingchen cultivated the White Jade Skill and carried poison throughout his body.
• Chen Yi crossed through the Five Poisons Sect’s attack, rescued Liu Lang and Zhang Dabao’s group, and killed one Black-clad Man with his spear.
• Yan Jingchen and the Five Poisons Sect attacked Chen Yi with poisonous insects and weapons, but Chen Yi unfolded a Chess Dao realm that crushed the insects and immobilized Xue Chong’s group.
• Pei Ze recognized Yan Jingchen as the Five Poisons Sect leader who had killed his sons, and he, Chu Fangling, and Li Yunyun fought Yan Jingchen.
• Chen Yi used his chessboard to injure Xue Chong and the other trapped fighters while Pei Gan and Lan Yani watched and cleared away the surrounding poison.

Chen Yi defeated the Five Poisons Sect experts on his Chess Dao board and killed eleven of them with a single spear strike. He then confronted Yan Jingchen, whose poison mist was devoured by Granny Shan’s gu worm just as Chen Yi closed in to attack.

• Chen Yi overwhelmed Xue Chong and the other Five Poisons Sect experts with his Chess Dao, leaving them gravely weakened when he released them from the illusory world.
• Chen Yi killed eleven Five Poisons Sect experts with one spear strike, and Pei Ze praised his ability while Lan Yani asked Pei Gan for some of the poisonous corpses.
• Yan Jingchen unleashed his poison mist and hiltless daggers, then challenged Chen Yi and Pei Ze’s group to attack him together.
• Chen Yi pressed Yan Jingchen with his spear, lightning, and footwork as Yan Jingchen realized his strength was far beyond what his Fourth Rank Realm suggested.
• Granny Shan’s gu worm devoured Yan Jingchen’s poisonous mist, and Chen Yi rushed forward with the Falling Dragon technique.