Chapter Summaries

Song Qingshu and Su Quan helped Ouyang Feng expel the Five-Colored Divine Dragon’s poison, and Ouyang Feng recovered his senses. After assessing Song Qingshu’s martial arts and criticizing his cautious manner, Ouyang Feng began to explain what he saw as Song Qingshu’s greatest problem.

• Su Quan used realgar powder to clear a path through the venomous snakes, and Song Qingshu approached Ouyang Feng to help him.
• When Ouyang Feng suffered a violent reaction, Song Qingshu gave him Su Quan’s pills and used his true qi to help him force out the poisoned blood.
• Ouyang Feng recovered his senses and agreed that he and Song Qingshu needed to find a way past the sealed stone gate.
• Ouyang Feng recognized Song Qingshu as a martial arts master of his own caliber and criticized him for worrying too much about offending others.
• Ouyang Feng asked Song Qingshu what he thought his greatest problem was.

Ouyang Feng analyzed how Song Qingshu’s ambition and cautious deference had left him in a weak position with Kangxi Emperor, prompting Song Qingshu to reconsider his plans. After recovering his sanity, Ouyang Feng offered conditional help, and Song Qingshu explained how they could escape Spirit Snake Cave.

• Ouyang Feng told Song Qingshu that his habit of weighing every outcome and guiding others had made him resemble Wanyan Honglie.
• Ouyang Feng argued that Song Qingshu’s greater ambition gave Kangxi Emperor the upper hand, and Song Qingshu decided to act against Kangxi Emperor’s expectations.
• Ouyang Feng recovered his sanity, thanked Song Qingshu for helping purge the poison, and offered to assist him if the circumstances suited him.
• Song Qingshu proposed escaping through the cave entrance by digging through the nearby soil, then began to explain a second method for opening the stone door.

Song Qingshu, Ouyang Feng, and Su Quan escaped the Spirit Snake Cave by breaking the wall around the stone door’s hinges. At the council hall, Hong Antong faced foreign demands to surrender Su Quan and growing dissent within his sect, while the three survivors watched from outside.

• Song Qingshu realized their captors were not from the Divine Dragon Sect because the stone door’s hinges offered a way out, and Ouyang Feng broke the nearby wall so they could escape.
• A Divine Dragon Island disciple told Hong Antong that Su Quan, Song Qingshu, and Ouyang Feng were missing, leaving Hong Antong worried as the foreign envoys gathered.
• Yuzhenzi demanded that Hong Antong hand over Su Quan, while Yelü Nanxian offered Liao Country’s support if the Divine Dragon Sect resisted Shengjing.
• Xu Xueting, Daoist Wugen, and Zhang Danyue challenged Hong Antong over the treatment of the sect’s old members and the deaths ordered under Su Quan’s influence.
• Song Qingshu, Ouyang Feng, and Su Quan arrived outside the council hall and hid to observe the confrontation.

As the Divine Dragon Sect faced a siege, Ouyang Feng urged Song Qingshu to help him deal with Guo Jing and Huang Rong, then left after regaining his sanity. Inside the sect, Xu Xueting’s rebellion against Hong Antong erupted into battle, and the chapter left Xu Xueting and Daoist Wugen in grave danger as their supposed allies turned against them.

• Ouyang Feng blamed Guo Jing and Huang Rong for Ouyang Ke’s death and tried to recruit Song Qingshu to take revenge, then devised a scheme involving Huang Rong.
• Xu Xueting demanded that Hong Antong surrender Su Quan to save the Divine Dragon Sect, and Yuzhenzi intervened when Hong Antong tried to kill him.
• Xu Xueting called on the disciples to rebel, while Song Qingshu flirted with Su Quan and Ouyang Feng departed for White Camel Mountain Villa and the Jin Dynasty.
• Hong Antong killed Zhang Danyue and attacked Xu Xueting and Daoist Wugen, but Yuzhenzi joined the fight against him.
• Blood Saber Ancestor and Sang Jie appeared to help Hong Antong, then attacked Xu Xueting and Daoist Wugen and drove them into peril.

Xu Xueting and Daoist Wugen died, but Hong Antong was betrayed and mortally wounded by Blood Saber Ancestor and Sang Jie. Before dying, he made Su Quan the Divine Dragon Sect’s Cult Master, and Song Qingshu confronted the remaining conspirators.

• Blood Saber Ancestor killed Xu Xueting, Sang Jie killed Daoist Wugen, and Yuzhenzi fled Yelü Nanxian’s sword strike.
• Hong Antong, Blood Saber Ancestor, and Sang Jie surrounded Yuzhenzi, but Blood Saber Ancestor and Sang Jie turned on Hong Antong and struck his vital points.
• Yin Jin approached the dying Hong Antong, but Song Qingshu stopped Hong Antong from killing himself with a thrown stone.
• Su Quan killed Yin Jin at Hong Antong’s request, and Hong Antong named her the next Cult Master before dying.
• Song Qingshu accused Yuzhenzi of conspiring against him, and Yuzhenzi, Blood Saber Ancestor, Sang Jie, and the Yelü siblings prepared to fight him.

Song Qingshu defeated Blood Saber Ancestor, Master Sang Jie, and Yuzhenzi, then allowed the Yelü siblings and the defeated men to leave. Su Quan took control of the Divine Dragon Sect and asked Song Qingshu for help protecting it, and he hinted that he had a method but was unsure whether she would dare use it.

• Yuzhenzi attacked Song Qingshu first, and Blood Saber Ancestor and Master Sang Jie joined him, but Song Qingshu disarmed Yuzhenzi, forced him to clash with Blood Saber Ancestor, and crippled Sang Jie's Great Hand Seal.
• Blood Saber Ancestor appealed to Yelü Nanxian and Yelü Qi to intervene, but Song Qingshu let them choose whether to leave or stay, and the siblings departed after Yelü Nanxian thanked him.
• Su Quan ordered Blood Saber Ancestor and the others to leave, then accepted the Divine Dragon Sect disciples' invitation to become Cult Master and arranged a grand burial for Hong Antong.
• Su Quan declared Song Qingshu the Divine Dragon Sect's most honored guest, with authority equal to her own, and ordered the sect members to guard their strongholds.
• Su Quan asked Song Qingshu how to protect the weakened sect, and he said he had a method but did not know whether Madam Hong would dare to carry it out.

Song Qingshu explained how he could use Hongli’s demand for Su Quan to restrain the Shengjing army, then went to negotiate with Li Shiyao. Li Shiyao warned that the Divine Dragon Sect faced an assault at dawn, leaving Song Qingshu to press him about Hongli’s next move.

• Song Qingshu reassured Su Quan and explained that, as imperial envoy, he could use Hongli’s promise to withdraw in exchange for her to keep the Shengjing army from attacking.
• Su Quan worried that Hongli might kill Song Qingshu, but he insisted on accompanying her to Shengjing, and she kissed him and admitted she was beginning to fall in love with him.
• Fang Yi reported that Mu Jianping had been abducted by mysterious people, and Song Qingshu advised her to investigate Prince Mu’s Mansion and Wu Sangui’s subordinates.
• Song Qingshu entered Li Shiyao’s command tent unnoticed and introduced himself as Li Yuanzhi’s friend, leading Li Shiyao to treat him as Li Kexiu’s future son-in-law.
• Li Shiyao told Song Qingshu that the three armies would assault Divine Dragon Island at dawn, and Song Qingshu asked what Hongli planned to do after taking the island.

Song Qingshu persuaded Li Shiyao to delay Prince Bao’s attack on Divine Dragon Island by offering to take Su Quan to Shengjing. As they set out under guard, Su Quan revealed the sect’s secrets and offered herself to Song Qingshu, leaving their relationship turning intimate.

• Song Qingshu warned Li Shiyao that Prince Bao’s attack could let the Mongol Empire benefit and offered to deliver Su Quan to Shengjing as a way to avoid war.
• Li Shiyao agreed to keep the other armies in place while Song Qingshu brought Su Quan to meet Prince Bao, and he arranged for three warships and guards to escort them.
• Song Qingshu and Su Quan discussed the danger of the journey, and she told him he could treat Divine Dragon Island as his home.
• Su Quan revealed that the Leopard Fetus Tendon-Changing Pill was the island’s first treasure and told Song Qingshu how its poison and antidote were refined.
• Su Quan named herself as the island’s third treasure, kissed Song Qingshu, and began an intimate encounter with him.

Song Qingshu and Su Quan reached Shengjing, where an ambush at Prince Bao's residence ended with Kangxi Emperor revealing that Hongli was dead and Qing power was now his. Song Qingshu stayed to hear Kangxi explain Hongli's death, suspecting the attack and his own position were part of a larger conspiracy.

• Song Qingshu and Su Quan flirted aboard the ship, and he promised to protect her and the Divine Dragon Sect as they approached Shengjing.
• Song Qingshu found Shengjing deserted and Prince Bao's residence shut; when he entered, hidden archers attacked and killed the accompanying soldiers.
• Song Qingshu deflected the arrows until Duolong arrived and revealed that Kangxi Emperor was inside the residence.
• Kangxi Emperor told Song Qingshu that Prince Bao had died and that he had gained complete control of the Qing Dynasty.
• Kangxi Emperor began to explain Hongli's death after Duolong left, while Song Qingshu kept Su Quan in the room and questioned the circumstances of the ambush.

Kangxi Emperor revealed how Ma Chunhua and Yang Miaozhen helped him bring down Hongli and seize Shengjing, while Song Qingshu recognized Yang Miaozhen as Xia Qingqing but concealed her identity. Kangxi Emperor then discussed marriage and rewards, leaving Song Qingshu troubled over how to reward the two women discreetly.

• Kangxi Emperor explained that he had bribed Hongli’s officials, sowed discord among his allies, and arranged for Hongli to be poisoned.
• Kangxi Emperor revealed that Ma Chunhua had used poison to kill Hongli by gaining his favor.
• Kangxi Emperor introduced Yang Miaozhen, the Red Lady, who had impersonated Xia Qingqing to lure Hongli’s troops away from Shengjing.
• Song Qingshu recognized Xia Qingqing but kept her identity secret, and she responded by praising his beautiful companions.
• Kangxi Emperor suggested finding Song Qingshu a wife and proposed Su Quan, but she declined because Hong Antong had only recently died.
• Kangxi Emperor asked Song Qingshu how to reward Ma Chunhua and Yang Miaozhen, and Song Qingshu grew troubled over the problem.

Song Qingshu arranged for Kangxi Emperor to grant Ma and Yang imperial titles, then concluded that the shifting balance of power required him to act against Kangxi Emperor. He recruited Sunflower Ancestor by offering the seven sheepskin fragments of the Forty-Two Chapters Scripture and a chance to seek the Qing Dragon Vein.

• Song Qingshu proposed that Ma and Yang be adopted by deceased Manchu nobles so Kangxi Emperor could appoint them as consorts despite the intermarriage prohibition.
• Song Qingshu told Su Quan that Wu Sangui and Divine Dragon Sect would soon have to submit to Kangxi Emperor as the political balance collapsed.
• Song Qingshu met Sunflower Ancestor, who recognized his improved martial arts and admitted he sought Kangxi Emperor's True Dragon Qi to prolong his life.
• Song Qingshu revealed that he planned to strike while Kangxi Emperor was away from the Forbidden City, and Sunflower Ancestor agreed not to interfere in exchange for the seven scripture fragments.
• Sunflower Ancestor revealed that he had secretly kept one sheepskin fragment from the Imperial Study copy, and Song Qingshu confirmed he possessed the other seven.

Song Qingshu confronted Kangxi Emperor and defeated the emperor’s four elite guards, then revealed his plan to take Kangxi’s place. Kangxi killed himself after asking Song Qingshu to rule well in his stead.

• Song Qingshu gave Sunflower Ancestor a map to the Qing Dynasty’s Dragon Vein, then refused his offer to help kill Kangxi Emperor.
• Song Qingshu confronted Kangxi Emperor in his chamber, where Wei Mo and three other guards attacked him.
• Song Qingshu killed the three guards with his sword technique and defeated Wei Mo, naming the move Sword Twenty-Three.
• Song Qingshu cornered Kangxi Emperor, who deduced his connection to Wei Xiaobao’s death and recognized Song’s disguise as the emperor’s face.
• Kangxi Emperor asked Song Qingshu to be a good emperor in his place, then slit his own throat.

After killing Kangxi Emperor, Song Qingshu took his place and concealed the truth while consolidating control in Shengjing. As he prepared to return to the capital with Xia Qingqing and Ma Chunhua, news of his supposed death spread and left his allies and loved ones grieving.

• Song Qingshu disguised himself as Kangxi Emperor, ordered his own corpse burned, and told Duolong to reassure Su Quan that she was not implicated.
• Su Quan collapsed after hearing Song Qingshu had died, while Xia Qingqing nearly killed herself before Song Qingshu secretly stopped her and she resolved to avenge him.
• Song Qingshu stayed secluded, rebuffed Ma Chunhua, and questioned Duolong about the generals and the situation in Shengjing.
• Song Qingshu arranged for Prince Kang and Suo'etu to remain in Shengjing, then departed for the capital with Duolong, Xia Qingqing, and Ma Chunhua as Su Quan returned to Divine Dragon Island.
• Zhang Sanfeng praised the supposedly fallen Song Qingshu, Zhou Zhiruo destroyed her room, and Zhong Ling and Qu Feiyan wept while Dongfang Muxue stared toward Yanjing.

After returning to the Forbidden City, Song Qingshu struggled to manage court duties and palace etiquette while impersonating the Kangxi Emperor. The Empress Dowager approved his plans for Hongli’s death and the new consorts but pressed him to follow harem rules, leaving him to spend the night with Little Empress Tong.

• Song Qingshu went to the Cining Palace and reassured Little Empress Tong when they met on the way.
• The Empress Dowager praised Song Qingshu’s handling of state affairs and approved his plan to announce Hongli’s death as an illness and grant Yongyan an elevated princely title.
• The Empress Dowager challenged Song Qingshu over Ma Chunhua and Xia Qingqing becoming consorts, and Song Qingshu defended their roles and arranged for Gabula to adopt Yang Miaozhen.
• Song Qingshu spent the day reading memorials to learn about court factions, then tried to visit Ping Fei.
• Liang Jiugong enforced the Empress Dowager’s harem rules, and Song Qingshu drew a plaque bearing Little Empress Tong’s name.

Song Qingshu continued impersonating the Kangxi Emperor and became increasingly entangled in the throne’s pleasures, while suspecting that the Joyous Meditation Art had caused his loss of control with Little Empress Tong. Little Empress Tong then voiced a suspicion that he felt like an unfamiliar man, leaving Song Qingshu unsure whether his disguise was in danger.

• Song Qingshu kept his distance from Little Empress Tong at first, but her soup and massage stirred an inexplicable heat in him, and he spent the night with her.
• The next morning, Song Qingshu wondered whether the Joyous Meditation Art was backlashing, while Little Empress Tong assumed he was her husband and had simply exhausted her.
• Song Qingshu settled into ruling as emperor and enjoying the inner palace, growing reluctant to abandon his throne and original plan to build a base in Shandong.
• Little Empress Tong told Song Qingshu that since his return, serving him felt like serving another, unfamiliar man.

Song Qingshu, disguised as Kangxi Emperor, faced Dongfang Muxue’s assassination attempt and concealed his identity while fighting her. Zhou Zhiruo and Xia Qingqing joined the battle, each determined to avenge Song Qingshu, leaving the three women attacking him together.

• Little Empress Tong mistook Song Qingshu’s vigor for the effect of aphrodisiac medicine before Dongfang Muxue attacked Kangxi Emperor with Embroidered Needles.
• Dongfang Muxue revealed that she had come to avenge Song Qingshu, and Song Qingshu deflected her attack and exposed his hidden martial strength.
• Song Qingshu teased Dongfang Muxue and fought her, but she struggled to keep up because her injuries had weakened her.
• Zhou Zhiruo arrived and struck at Song Qingshu with her whip, then recognized Dongfang Muxue as another woman connected to him.
• Xia Qingqing appeared and launched a desperate attack on Song Qingshu, while Dongfang Muxue joined in to protect her.
• Zhou Zhiruo set aside her hesitation and joined Dongfang Muxue and Xia Qingqing in attacking Song Qingshu.

Song Qingshu defeated Dongfang Muxue, Xia Qingqing, and Zhou Zhiruo while disguised as the Kangxi Emperor, then used the attack to replace Duolong with Di Yun as acting commander of the Imperial Guards. After reassuring Little Empress Tong and keeping his martial arts secret, he returned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity unsure which captive to visit first or whether he could trust them with his identity.

• Song Qingshu overcame the three women’s coordinated attacks and subdued them before the Imperial Guards arrived.
• Song Qingshu demoted Duolong and appointed Di Yun acting commander of the Imperial Guards, ordering the women locked up separately and forbidding anyone to mistreat them.
• Song Qingshu told the awakened Little Empress Tong that he had secretly learned martial arts and persuaded her not to tell anyone.
• Song Qingshu returned to the Palace of Heavenly Purity and debated whether to visit Zhou Zhiruo, Xia Qingqing, or Dongfang Muxue first.

Song Qingshu revealed his identity to Dongfang Muxue after she recognized him beneath his Kangxi disguise. She agreed to stay in the Forbidden City while recovering, and Song Qingshu left to check on Xia Qingqing and Zhou Zhiruo.

• Song Qingshu visited Dongfang Muxue, teased her while she lay restrained under a blanket, and offered her a place in his harem in exchange for helping her reclaim leadership of the Sun Moon Holy Cult.
• Dongfang Muxue exposed Song Qingshu’s identity, and he removed his mask and unsealed her acupoints.
• Dongfang Muxue explained that she recognized Song Qingshu from her prior meeting with Kangxi Emperor, his restraint toward Xia Qingqing, his swordsmanship, and her belief that Song Qingshu could not have died so easily.
• After getting dressed, Dongfang Muxue told Song Qingshu that Qu Feiyan and Zhong Ling missed him and criticized his indulgent life as Emperor.
• Dongfang Muxue urged Song Qingshu to check on Xia Qingqing and Zhou Zhiruo, then assured him she would stay in the Forbidden City while she recovered.

Song Qingshu, disguised as the Kangxi Emperor, questioned Zhou Zhiruo about her attempt to assassinate him and let her go after hearing her feelings about Song Qingshu. As he moved to release her acupoints, Zhou Zhiruo freed herself and struck his acupoints instead, leaving him in danger.

• Song Qingshu chose to visit Zhou Zhiruo and asked why she was not afraid while lying beneath the covers.
• Song Qingshu claimed that he had learned of Zhou Zhiruo's marriage from Song Qingshu and told her Song Qingshu had refused to take another wife.
• Zhou Zhiruo said she had come to avenge Song Qingshu, and Song Qingshu decided to let her leave the palace.
• Song Qingshu gave Zhou Zhiruo court garments and a gold token, then moved to release her acupoints.
• Zhou Zhiruo freed her own acupoints and struck several of Song Qingshu's major acupoints before sitting up beneath the blanket.

Dongfang Muxue stopped Zhou Zhiruo from killing Song Qingshu and revealed his true identity, then contrived to leave the two alone together. After Song Qingshu explained what had happened, Zhou Zhiruo and he reconciled in bed.

• Zhou Zhiruo prepared to kill the disguised Song Qingshu, but Dongfang Muxue arrived and subdued her.
• Dongfang Muxue revealed that the man was Song Qingshu, then put the naked couple in bed together and left them alone.
• Song Qingshu told Zhou Zhiruo how he had survived and why he had pretended to be Kangxi Emperor.
• Song Qingshu and Zhou Zhiruo admitted that they had both broken through their sealed acupoints but stayed together.
• Zhou Zhiruo said Song Qingshu had forced her again, and he pulled her back into his arms.