Chapter Summaries

Zhao Min confronted Zhang Wuji over his broken promise to leave the Ming Cult, then exposed his plan to use Zhou Zhiruo’s hidden ties to the White Lotus Society to expand his control. Zhang Wuji countered that Zhao Min’s apparent sacrifice had been a Mongol plot to remove him from the Ming Cult, leaving Zhao Min shaken as he demanded to know why she returned to the Mongol Empire.

• Zhang Wuji explained that he had stayed in charge of the Ming Cult because abandoning it could leave it vulnerable to surrounding powers, and promised Zhao Min that she would become Empress if he united the realm.
• Zhou Zhiruo rejected Zhang Wuji’s offer to share the Eastern and Western Palaces, while Zhao Min warned her not to trust his promises.
• Zhao Min revealed that Zhou Zhiruo was likely Zhou Ziwang’s daughter and accused Zhang Wuji of pursuing her to gain influence over Emei and the resurgent White Lotus Society.
• Zhang Wuji admitted that he sought the White Lotus Society’s power to expand his control across the realm.
• Zhang Wuji accused Zhao Min of using a honey trap to make him abandon the Ming Cult and weaken it for the Mongols, then questioned why she had returned to Prince Ruyang’s Mansion and taken command of its experts.

Zhao Min confronted Zhang Wuji over his changed behavior and concluded that the man before her was an impostor. She suspected the real Zhang Wuji was dead, leaving Zhou Zhiruo stunned and Song Qingshu considering what he had heard.

• Zhao Min asked Zhang Wuji about the golden box and his promise to do three things for her, and his answers revealed that he had forgotten their intimate history.
• Zhou Zhiruo reminded Zhao Min and Zhang Wuji that Zhao Min's third request had been for him to draw her eyebrows every day.
• Zhao Min accused Zhang Wuji of not being the real Zhang Wuji and explained that she had suspected him since he secretly entered her room after Mount Shaoshi.
• Zhao Min described how her investigation uncovered the man's schemes involving the Ming Cult, Ren Woxing, Huo Qingtong, and Princess Xiangxiang.
• Zhao Min concluded that the real Zhang Wuji was probably dead, while Zhou Zhiruo was stunned and Song Qingshu considered the revelation.

Zhao Min uncovered that Zhang Wuji's body had been taken over by the ancient Lord of Light, who had absorbed the real Zhang Wuji's soul and planned to make Zhao Min and Zhou Zhiruo his Saintesses. As Lord of Light moved to capture them, Zhou Zhiruo defended Zhao Min, and an unknown man approached in response to the threat.

• Song Qingshu wondered whether Zhang Wuji was a transmigrator and felt relieved that Zhou Zhiruo was less perceptive than Zhao Min.
• Zhao Min deduced that Lord of Light had possessed Zhang Wuji during his Qi Deviation and used the seventh level of the Heaven and Earth Great Shift to reincarnate.
• Lord of Light admitted he had fused with Zhang Wuji's soul, explained his history and plans, and threatened to enslave Zhao Min and Zhou Zhiruo.
• Zhou Zhiruo stood between Lord of Light and Zhao Min, urging her to escape and gather allies, while Zhao Min refused to leave without avenging Zhang Wuji.
• Lord of Light prepared to stop both women from leaving, but a male voice called out and a figure approached.

Song Qingshu fought Lord of Light, who used Zhang Wuji’s body and the Persian Ming Cult’s Sacred Fire Token Martial Arts. As the battle continued, Zhao Min declared that the man wearing Zhang Wuji’s body was not Brother Wuji to her, but his killer.

• Song Qingshu confronted Lord of Light while Zhou Zhiruo and Zhao Min watched, and Zhou Zhiruo admitted she had sought Song Qingshu’s help to avenge Zhang Wuji.
• Song Qingshu wounded Lord of Light in their first exchange, but Lord of Light summoned the Sacred Fire Tokens and unleashed their strange martial arts.
• Zhao Min’s sword broke when she tried to intercept a Sacred Fire Token, and Zhou Zhiruo helped defend her as Song Qingshu fought off the barrage.
• Song Qingshu charged Lord of Light, drawing the Sacred Fire Tokens away from the women and using his speed to press the advantage.
• Lord of Light recalled the Sacred Fire Tokens to protect himself, and the two men’s fight devastated the pavilion and its surroundings.
• Zhou Zhiruo asked whether Zhao Min truly wanted Lord of Light dead, and Zhao Min replied that Brother Wuji was already dead and Lord of Light had killed him.

Song Qingshu saved Zhao Min from Lord of Light’s Sacred Fire Tokens and was badly wounded, leaving himself and both women trapped with their enemy. Lord of Light prepared to recover and taunted Zhao Min about her feelings for Song Qingshu.

• Zhao Min distracted Lord of Light by claiming the Mongol army had destroyed the Persian Ming Cult’s Eagle’s Nest and executed Hushan, giving Song Qingshu an opening to attack.
• Lord of Light hurled the Sacred Fire Tokens at Zhao Min, and Song Qingshu abandoned his attack to shield her, taking the tokens and a palm strike.
• Song Qingshu wounded Lord of Light with Myriad Swords Returning to Origin, but exhausted his true qi and lost the ability to fight.
• Zhao Min and Zhou Zhiruo rushed to support the half-kneeling Song Qingshu as Lord of Light paused to regulate his internal energy.
• Zhao Min reproached Song Qingshu for saving her, and he admitted he could not bear to let her die; Zhou Zhiruo glared at Zhao Min and blamed her.

Song Qingshu, Zhou Zhiruo, and Zhao Min chose to face Lord of Light together, even as he taunted them and threatened to enslave the women. As Song Qingshu secretly prepared to attack him, an unknown woman arrived and condemned Lord of Light.

• Zhou Zhiruo offered to hold Lord of Light back so Zhao Min could escape, but Song Qingshu refused to abandon her, and Zhao Min chose to stay with them.
• Zhou Zhiruo suddenly whipped at Zhao Min, but Lord of Light stopped her and used the Sacred Fire Tokens to seal her acupoints.
• Lord of Light offered to spare one of them, and Song Qingshu chose Zhao Min; Lord of Light used the choice to accuse them of having an affair, while Song Qingshu and the women traded teasing remarks.
• Lord of Light threatened to take Zhou Zhiruo and Zhao Min for himself, and Song Qingshu secretly gathered energy to ambush him.
• An unknown woman nearby criticized Lord of Light for his shamelessness.

A Qing, a young sheep herder with extraordinary sword skills, intervened when Lord of Light attacked Song Qingshu and his companions. She drove Lord of Light into retreat, leaving Song Qingshu to recognize the scale of her power and wonder at Lord of Light’s use of Heaven and Earth Great Shift.

• A Qing confronted Lord of Light after he insulted her, and Song Qingshu warned her to leave while Zhao Min and Zhou Zhiruo laughed at her taunts.
• A Qing caught Lord of Light’s Sacred Fire Token and introduced herself, prompting Song Qingshu to recognize her as the legendary Yue Maiden.
• Lord of Light launched six Sacred Fire Tokens at A Qing, who dodged them and knocked several to the ground, injuring him in the process.
• Lord of Light rushed at A Qing, but her Green Bamboo Stick unleashed azure sword qi that destroyed his attack and forced him to flee.
• A Qing thanked Song Qingshu for trying to help, and he identified Lord of Light’s defensive technique as the Ming Cult’s Heaven and Earth Great Shift.

After Song Qingshu survived his battle with Lord of Light, he concealed how badly he was hurt and reunited with Zhou Zhiruo, Zhu Meichuo, and Xia Qingqing. As the women debated how to treat him and whether he could still compete to become the Golden Snake King, Zhu Meichuo hinted that she knew another way to heal his internal injuries.

• Song Qingshu told Zhao Min that A Qing's sword qi had cut Lord of Light's cultivation by at least half, and A Qing left to watch over her sheep.
• Zhao Min departed after discussing Zhang Wuji's death with Song Qingshu and Zhou Zhiruo, and Song Qingshu pretended to collapse so Zhou Zhiruo would comfort him.
• Zhu Meichuo mistook Zhou Zhiruo for Song Qingshu's attacker and fought her until Xia Qingqing stopped them and introduced the two women.
• Xia Qingqing and Zhu Meichuo discovered that Song Qingshu was seriously injured, while Zhou Zhiruo proposed taking him to Divine Doctor Xue.
• Zhu Meichuo said that if Song Qingshu's injuries were internal, they might not need Divine Doctor Xue to save him.

Zhu Meichuo tried to heal Song Qingshu by using the Joyful Meditation Art, but her Pure Yin Qi had not recovered from their earlier intimacy. She called Zhou Zhiruo and Xia Qingqing in to help, then left them facing the awkward situation while Song Qingshu pretended to be unconscious.

• Zhu Meichuo explained how she had previously healed herself, and Zhou Zhiruo and Xia Qingqing doubted Song Qingshu's claims about the art.
• Zhou Zhiruo, Xia Qingqing, and Zhu Meichuo took Song Qingshu to Zhu Meichuo's courtyard, where Situ Bolei arranged guards outside.
• Zeng Rou arrived hoping to see Song Qingshu, but Situ Bolei stopped her because Zhu Meichuo had forbidden anyone from entering.
• Zhu Meichuo used the Joyful Meditation Art with Song Qingshu, who woke and began repairing his damaged meridians with her Pure Yin Qi.
• Song Qingshu realized Zhu Meichuo's Pure Yin Qi was depleted, so Zhu Meichuo called Zhou Zhiruo and Xia Qingqing in to help.
• After Zhu Meichuo explained the situation, she left the room, while Song Qingshu pretended to faint again.

Zhou Zhiruo, Zhu Meichuo, and Xia Qingqing treated Song Qingshu’s severe injuries by channeling true qi together, while he pretended to be unconscious. The next morning, Song Qingshu and Zhou Zhiruo teased each other, and Zhou urged him to make Zhao Min his concubine so she could have Zhao Min serve her.

• Xia Qingqing stopped Zhu Meichuo from leaving and asked her to explain how to help Song Qingshu.
• Zhou Zhiruo proposed that she, Zhu Meichuo, and Xia Qingqing work together to treat Song Qingshu’s injuries.
• Zhu Meichuo revealed that Song Qingshu had told her about his relationship with Xia Qingqing, and Zhou Zhiruo assigned the women their tasks.
• The next morning, Zhou Zhiruo woke beside Song Qingshu and recalled the previous night’s treatment.
• Song Qingshu teased Zhou Zhiruo about taking the initiative, and she said she would permit him to use his skill on Zhao Min.
• Zhou Zhiruo suggested that Song Qingshu make Zhao Min his concubine so Zhao Min could serve her tea and water.

After recovering from his injuries, Song Qingshu learned that three days had passed and that he had qualified as one of sixteen candidates for the Golden Snake King title. He recognized several formidable rivals, then learned that A Qing had also entered the contest.

• Song Qingshu recovered while Zhou Zhiruo, Zhu Meichuo, and Xia Qingqing left to attend to their people, and Zeng Rou later invited him to the discussion hall.
• Song Qingshu discovered that he had been unconscious for three days and had missed none of the Golden Snake Assembly.
• Situ Bolei and Xia Qingqing told Song Qingshu that he had been approved as one of sixteen candidates after five additional places were opened to unaffiliated martial artists.
• Xia Qingqing named Zhuo Bufan, Duan Yanqing, Gongsun Zhi, He Tieshou, and Yang Guo among the new candidates, and Song Qingshu recognized Yang Guo from the description.
• Xia Qingqing revealed that Chu Hongliu had nominated A Qing, the girl who had saved Song Qingshu from Lord of Light, and Song Qingshu was startled.

Song Qingshu learned the rules and nominees of the Golden Snake King election, and Zhu Meichuo helped restore his confidence about facing A Qing. As the group reviewed his potential opponents, Song Qingshu recognized several familiar names and wondered how Xu Zhu had gained his martial arts.

• Xia Qingqing explained that the Golden Snake King candidates would compete in elimination matches, and Song Qingshu worried that he might have to fight A Qing.
• Zhu Meichuo challenged Song Qingshu’s fear of A Qing, and he recovered his fighting spirit by declaring himself the Sword Demon.
• Xia Qingqing explained why Chen Jinnan had been approved as an exception, and Song Qingshu described his conflict with Zheng Keshuang and discussed the Zheng family’s ambitions with Zhu Meichuo.
• Zhu Meichuo listed Song Qingshu’s opponents, including Xiao Banhe, Linghu Chong, You Tanzhi, Murong Fu, He Shiwo, and a Shaolin disciple of the Xu generation.
• Song Qingshu suspected that He Shiwo was Huo Du and wondered how Xu Zhu had acquired his martial arts.

Song Qingshu learned the Golden Snake King tournament matchups and discovered that Shi Potian was among the candidates, potentially a formidable future opponent. The bracket left him set to face He Tieshou first, while A Qing drew Zhuo Bufan, and the tournament’s other contests promised several dangerous clashes.

• Zhu Meichuo told Song Qingshu that Yang Miaozhen and the mysterious Shi Potian had been nominated for the tournament.
• Song Qingshu warned that Shi Potian’s martial arts could rival A Qing’s, and Xia Qingqing regretted arranging for them to meet in the second-to-last round if both advanced.
• Xia Qingqing explained that A Qing would face Zhuo Bufan in the first round, while Song Qingshu would face He Tieshou.
• Song Qingshu reviewed the full tournament bracket and concluded that his upper-bracket matchups looked favorable compared with the powerful candidates in the lower bracket.

Song Qingshu attended the Golden Snake Assembly with Zhu Meichuo and Zeng Rou, where he learned that Zhu Meichuo had once taken A'ke as her disciple. He recognized Guo Fu and saw Yang Guo arrive, leaving the assembly poised for a tense encounter.

• Song Qingshu arrived at the Golden Snake Assembly and sat among the honored guests at Xia Qingqing's arrangement.
• Zhu Meichuo welcomed Zeng Rou as a future sister and revealed that A'ke had once begged to become her disciple.
• Song Qingshu startled Zhu Meichuo by recognizing A'ke, then noticed a beautiful young girl who challenged his right to sit among the honored guests.
• The girl began boasting about her father, but Yang Guo interrupted her, and she turned pale at the sight of him.
• Song Qingshu recognized the girl as Guo Fu and identified the one-armed man as Yang Guo, then joked with Zhu Meichuo and Zeng Rou about his looks.

At the Golden Snake Assembly, Yang Guo confronted Guo Fu over the arm she had cut off, but Song Qingshu intervened before Yang Guo could take revenge. Song Qingshu proposed that Yang Guo make Guo Fu his bedwarming maid, leaving Yang Guo unmoved and Guo Fu furious.

• Song Qingshu discussed Yang Guo’s romantic reputation with Zhu Meichuo and Zeng Rou as Guo Fu complained about her hardships and Yang Guo challenged her.
• Guo Fu attacked Yang Guo, but he disarmed her with his empty sleeve and twisted her sword with his inner strength.
• Yang Guo struck down Da Xiaowu and swung his Mysterious Iron Sword at Guo Fu, but Song Qingshu rescued her.
• Song Qingshu told Yang Guo he did not mean to stop his revenge and suggested making Guo Fu his bedwarming maid instead of cutting off her arm.
• Yang Guo rejected the suggestion because he loved someone else, and Song Qingshu urged him to imagine Guo Fu as her mother, Huang Rong.

Song Qingshu reunited with Huang Rong at the Golden Snake Assembly after saving Guo Fu from Yang Guo, while his teasing and flirtation drew the attention of the women around him. The chapter ended with Zhu Meichuo revealing herself to Mu Jiansheng as Princess Changping and going with Prince Mu’s Mansion to speak privately.

• Yang Guo left after Song Qingshu's shocking proposal, and Huang Rong arrived to reunite with Guo Fu and thank Song Qingshu for saving her.
• Huang Rong explained that fighting at Xiangyang had paused during peace talks and that she had come to preside over the Golden Snake Assembly.
• Song Qingshu joked with Zhu Meichuo, Zeng Rou, and Zhou Zhiruo, while Guo Fu recognized him as the famous hero she had heard about.
• Mu Jiansheng recognized Zhu Meichuo as Princess Changping and knelt with the others from Prince Mu’s Mansion.
• Zhu Meichuo asked Song Qingshu to let her speak privately with Prince Mu’s Mansion, and he agreed while Zhou Zhiruo remained behind.

Song Qingshu explained his past conflict with the Red Flower Society to Chen Jinnan and warned him about Yu Wanting’s plot to make his son emperor. Chen Jinnan agreed to investigate and left Song Qingshu with a warning about a powerful expert named A Qing.

• Song Qingshu let Bing Xue'er take Miao Ruolan to Yanjing to visit Nan Lan after Bing Xue'er refused to go up the mountain where Zhou Zhiruo was staying.
• Chen Jinnan approached Song Qingshu and asked why he had interfered with the Red Flower Society’s assassination attempt against Kangxi Emperor.
• Song Qingshu claimed he had intervened to save the Red Flower Society from palace secret guards, then explained that he had rescued its leaders from the Heavenly Prison to conceal his actions from Kangxi Emperor.
• Song Qingshu told Chen Jinnan that Yu Wanting had plotted to make his own son emperor and said Yu Yutong had revealed the scheme before dying.
• Chen Jinnan agreed to investigate Yu Wanting’s plot and warned Song Qingshu that the Red Flower Society had found a Kunlun expert named A Qing.

Song Qingshu was startled by news linking Yuan Shixiao to A Qing, then encountered Duan Yanqing and Ding Chunqiu at the Golden Snake King election. He exposed Iron Clown’s secret Ice True Qi, while Duan Yanqing asked what Song Qingshu wanted in exchange for information about Goddess Guanyin.

• Chen Jinnan told Song Qingshu that a young woman had called Yuan Shixiao “Eunuch Yuan,” leading Song Qingshu to suspect Yuan Shixiao was the white ape who taught A Qing swordsmanship.
• Duan Yanqing greeted Song Qingshu and said he would concede if they had been placed in the same bracket, startling Huang Rong.
• Huang Rong warned Guo Fu that the Xingxiu Sect’s poisons were dangerous as Ding Chunqiu arrived and exchanged pleasantries with Song Qingshu and Duan Yanqing.
• Ding Chunqiu presented Iron Clown as Song Qingshu’s opponent and urged him to show mercy, but Song Qingshu revealed Iron Clown’s Ice True Qi and unsettled Ding Chunqiu.
• After Ding Chunqiu left, Duan Yanqing asked Song Qingshu about Goddess Guanyin, and Song Qingshu asked what conditions he would offer for the information.

Song Qingshu refused Duan Yanqing’s request and reassured Ye Erniang about her son before speaking with Ouyang Feng at the Golden Snake Assembly. Ouyang Feng then proposed that they capture Huang Rong together, while Xiao Feng approached to protect her.

• Song Qingshu refused to reveal the information Duan Yanqing wanted and told Ye Erniang that her son was safe and learning excellent martial arts.
• Zhou Zhiruo teased Song Qingshu about Ye Erniang, and he insisted that he had only pitied her as a mother who had lost her child.
• Ouyang Feng praised Song Qingshu’s cultivation, discussed the Golden Snake King competition, and said Yang Guo was no match for him.
• Ouyang Feng confronted Huang Rong, but backed down after assessing the nearby Shaolin and Wudang representatives.
• Ouyang Feng asked Song Qingshu if their agreement on Divine Dragon Island still stood, then proposed holding off Xiao Feng while he captured Huang Rong for Song Qingshu.

Song Qingshu and Ouyang Feng discussed Huang Rong, and Ouyang Feng left in high spirits after hinting that Song Qingshu disregarded propriety. Huang Rong then learned that Song Qingshu could match Xiao Feng’s Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, leading to a tense exchange with Zhou Zhiruo and Guo Fu.

• Ouyang Feng asked whether Song Qingshu would take Huang Rong if he captured her, then revealed that he meant Wanyan Liang and compared Song Qingshu’s disregard for propriety to his.
• Huang Rong left Xiao Feng and asked Song Qingshu why Ouyang Feng had departed so happily, but Song Qingshu concealed their conversation.
• Xiao Feng told Huang Rong that Song Qingshu had matched his Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, and Huang Rong questioned where Song Qingshu had learned the technique.
• Song Qingshu attributed his knowledge to his wife, prompting Huang Rong to ask Zhou Zhiruo about the palms.
• Zhou Zhiruo claimed the Emei Sect could have developed similar techniques, and Guo Fu accused her of stealing martial arts.