Chapter Summaries

The chapter explained why martial artists could devastate armies in urban warfare and how Netherworld’s martial artists could threaten Bai Yifei and Ji Wuye. It ended by noting that aristocratic clans were interconnected across kingdoms, so rulers had to balance them against one another rather than make enemies of them all.

• The narrator explained how pairs of Innate Martial Artists could exploit Xinzheng’s streets, cover, and hidden passages to break apart and exhaust Qin Army squads.
• The narrator argued that Netherworld’s many martial artists, several hundred Innate Martial Artists, and at least eight Grandmasters were enough to deal with Bai Yifei and Ji Wuye.
• The narrator described how marriage ties linked aristocratic clans across kingdoms, making conflict with one clan a potential conflict with the entire world.
• The narrator explained that the Qin Kingdom kept its old clans in check through rival military families, including the Wang, Meng, Li, Sima, and Yang Families.

Ye Qingcang refused to grant Lady Mingzhu’s request, so she offered herself as an intermediary and warned that Han Fei could change once he gained power. Crimson Lotus grew furious when Lady Mingzhu criticized Han Fei and tried to rise from her seat to confront her.

• Ye Qingcang met Lady Mingzhu in Crimson Lotus’s chambers and refused to give her what she had requested.
• Lady Mingzhu asked why and offered to serve as Ye Qingcang’s intermediary or mouthpiece, warning him not to underestimate Han Fei’s future ambitions.
• Jing Ni recognized that Lady Mingzhu had preserved her chastity to strengthen her position.
• Crimson Lotus took offense at Lady Mingzhu’s criticism of King An of Han and Han Fei, then slammed the table and rose to confront her.

Red Lotus challenged Lady Mingzhu for questioning Han Fei’s loyalty, while Ye Qingcang defended his friendship with Han Fei and argued that strength could prevent political compromises. Ye Qingcang then agreed not to pursue Bai Yifei’s past crimes, provided Lady Mingzhu met his conditions for supplying blood without causing further deaths.

• Red Lotus drew her sword and accused Lady Mingzhu of slandering Han Fei, but Lady Mingzhu rebutted her and demanded proof that Han Fei would never sacrifice others for power.
• Ye Qingcang said he trusted Han Fei as a friend and would not fear betrayal once he was powerful enough to stand against a nation.
• Lady Mingzhu raised the possibility that Han Fei might use Red Lotus in a political marriage, and Ye Qingcang answered that sufficient strength would eliminate the need for such compromises.
• Ye Qingcang said he would not pursue Bai Yifei’s past crimes, though he believed Bai Yifei deserved death for killing innocents.
• Ye Qingcang agreed to let Lady Mingzhu continue supplying blood sustainably, forbidding her from causing more deaths or draining her sources dry.

Bai Yifei accepted Ye Qingcang’s offer of a safe way to obtain blood and explained to Lady Mingzhu why he trusted the offer. He decided to show his gratitude by presenting a token of loyalty to Fourth Prince Han Yu.

• Bai Yifei assessed Ye Qingcang’s offer and told Lady Mingzhu that Ye Qingcang had no reason to use a delaying tactic against him.
• Bai Yifei explained the roles of rewards, group loyalty, and shared beliefs in controlling people, and Lady Mingzhu connected his ideas to her own palace staff.
• Bai Yifei said leaders used kindness toward their own people and coldness toward outsiders, and he admitted that Ye Qingcang’s conditions gave him a way to survive.
• Bai Yifei looked toward Fourth Prince Han Yu’s residence and decided to offer him a token of loyalty.

Ye Qingcang considered Bai Yifei’s offer to deal with Fourth Young Master Han Yu and accepted it while warning him to keep Quicksand uninvolved. Lady Mingzhu relayed Ye Qingcang’s response to Bai Yifei, leaving her uneasy about his sincerity.

• Lady Mingzhu told Ye Qingcang that Bai Yifei had volunteered to deal with Han Yu, and Ye Qingcang questioned why Bai Yifei would risk such a politically dangerous act.
• Ye Qingcang decided not to force Bai Yifei to surrender his military authority, since the hundred thousand troops under his command were essential to his security.
• Lady Mingzhu explained that Bai Yifei saw dealing with Han Yu as the strongest way to demonstrate sincerity, while Han Fei could handle the Crown Prince.
• Ye Qingcang accepted Bai Yifei’s choice, told him to keep his limits, and instructed Lady Mingzhu to ensure Quicksand was not connected to the matter.
• Lady Mingzhu told Bai Yifei that Ye Qingcang did not need him to prove his loyalty, but admitted she could not tell whether Ye Qingcang truly meant it.

Lady Mingzhu and Bai Yifei discussed using Night Curtain against Han Yu, while she assessed the defenses of Han Yu’s faction. They identified Han Qiancheng’s limited arrows as a weakness, but concluded that Xinzheng’s political situation made him difficult to attack.

• Bai Yifei repeated Ye Qingcang’s phrase, then nodded without saying whether he truly understood.
• Lady Mingzhu proposed persuading Ji Wuye to clash with Han Yu’s forces so Night Curtain would lose strength and suspect them less.
• Lady Mingzhu said she would handle Consort Hu, while Han Qiancheng posed a greater challenge because of his archery, sharp senses, mobility, and position beside Han Yu.
• Lady Mingzhu explained that Han Qiancheng carried at most fifty arrows and could be defeated if his supply ran out or he was isolated in the wilderness.
• Lady Mingzhu concluded that Ji Wuye could not openly act against Han Qiancheng in Xinzheng without risking blame for the king’s assassination and usurpation.
• Lady Mingzhu remarked that the Baiyue Assassin Group was more convenient to use.

Lady Mingzhu and Bai Yifei discussed removing Han Yu from the political game and using his fall to push Han Fei forward, while Red Lotus continued her martial arts training under Flame Lingji and Surprise Carp.

• Lady Mingzhu regretted that the Baiyue Assassin Group had joined Quicksand and been divided among Han Fei, Wei Zhuang, Zi Nu, and Ye Qingcang, leaving her unable to use them against Han Yu.
• Bai Yifei suggested removing Han Yu without necessarily killing him, since officials could accept his death as the work of bandits or as a suicide and support Han Fei instead.
• Lady Mingzhu and Bai Yifei reasoned that Han Yu's downfall could draw Zhang Kaidi into supporting Han Fei against Night Curtain.
• Bai Yifei warned that he would make Zhang Kaidi act decently if the chancellor failed to see the situation clearly.
• Flame Lingji pinned Red Lotus during close-combat training while Surprise Carp practiced swordsmanship nearby.

Ye Qingcang and Surprise Carp planned how to handle Hei Bai Xuan Jian, whose grief had shattered his state of mind and left him recuperating inside Gan Sha. Hei Bai Xuan Jian was due to arrive in Xinzheng that afternoon, and Ye Qingcang held a trump card that could calm him.

• Red Lotus accepted that Surprise Carp had to leave on a mission and reflected on how King An of Han and Quicksand had protected her from political marriage.
• Surprise Carp reported that Hei Bai Xuan Jian would reach Xinzheng that afternoon and asked Ye Qingcang whether to command him through Gan Sha or wake him directly.
• Surprise Carp warned that waking Hei Bai Xuan Jian could be dangerous because he was in a deep, unstable sleep.
• Ye Qingcang considered how Wei Yong had interrupted Hei Bai Xuan Jian's attempted retirement, and how Wei Xianxian's death had shattered his state of mind.
• Ye Qingcang remained confident that he could calm Hei Bai Xuan Jian with a trump card.

In Xinzheng, the arrival of Netherworld Grandmaster Hei Bai Xuan Jian put the city’s factions on alert as they considered how difficult he would be to confront. The Straw Raincoat Guest asked a Hundred Birds commander to find him, but the commander admitted he had not spotted the assassin.

• The chapter described the scarcity of Grandmasters and the major schools and factions that held them.
• It explained that a Grandmaster could withstand a large army in a city unless those in power were willing to devastate their own people and foundations.
• The arrival of a Grandmaster made people fear that Xinzheng’s hidden tensions would erupt into a wider crisis.
• The Straw Raincoat Guest asked the Hundred Birds commander beside him whether he could find Hei Bai Xuan Jian.
• The commander said he had not seen Hei Bai Xuan Jian and explained that tracking a Heaven Ranked Assassin would likely mean walking into a trap.

Straw Raincoat Guest watched Netherworld assassins infiltrate the city and concluded that their growing intervention threatened Night Curtain’s struggle against Quicksand. He left Mo Ya on the city wall, where Mo Ya considered using the turmoil as an opportunity.

• Straw Raincoat Guest and Mo Ya recognized that Netherworld’s disguised Innate Martial Artists were entering the crowd in increasing numbers.
• Straw Raincoat Guest judged that Netherworld could overwhelm Night Curtain, especially if Hei Bai Xuan Jian joined the conflict.
• Straw Raincoat Guest suspected Quicksand had hired Netherworld and reasoned that Netherworld’s attacks would continue while Emerald Tiger’s finances were weak.
• Straw Raincoat Guest believed Night Curtain could still defeat Quicksand by exploiting King An of Han’s rule and coordinating its forces.
• Straw Raincoat Guest left the city wall, and Mo Ya stayed behind considering whether the situation offered him a chance to rise.

Ye Qingcang considered the infiltrated Straw Raincoat Guest and Hundred Birds possible allies, while Jing Ni assessed her speed against a figure moving along Xinzheng’s city wall. The chapter left the figure’s identity and whether Jing Ni could catch him unresolved.

• The narration explained how Faceless Men had infiltrated Straw Raincoat Guest by replacing its agents and making reliable investigations nearly impossible.
• The narration noted that Hundred Birds also lacked clear intelligence, and that Mo Ya had already chosen to break away despite the risk of being caught and killed.
• Ye Qingcang watched a figure darting through the shadows of Xinzheng’s city wall and asked Jing Ni whether she was faster.
• Jing Ni said she was faster but explained that chasing the figure would be difficult because he could choose his route and use hidden weapons to escape.

Ye Qingcang planned how to bring Hundred Birds under control while preserving its fighters and executing Vulture for his role in the Fire Rain Manor massacre. Surprise Carp silently watched Hei Bai Xuan Jian’s merchant disguise as Ye Qingcang reflected on Night Curtain’s coming collapse.

• Ye Qingcang divided Hundred Birds into recruitable members such as Mo Ya and Bai Feng, neutral members led by Red Owl and Yingge, and diehards loyal to Ji Wuye.
• Ye Qingcang decided that Vulture had to die for massacring Fire Rain Manor, even if Vulture surrendered, while leaving Li Kai free to pursue revenge.
• Ye Qingcang joked that the weather was turning cold, but Surprise Carp did not understand his reference or point out that the morning was warm.
• Surprise Carp watched the merchant, knowing that he was one of Hei Bai Xuan Jian’s avatars and part of Eight Linglong.

Gan Sha followed Netherworld’s coded message system to its new headquarters in Xinzheng, where Ye Qingcang forced the dormant Hei Bai Xuan Jian to awaken. Hei Bai Xuan Jian learned Ye Qingcang had taken over from Lü Buwei, then saw a woman awaken inside a coffin.

• Netherworld moved its headquarters from Xianyang to Xinzheng after Ye Qingcang replaced Lü Buwei as its leader.
• Gan Sha retrieved a hidden bamboo-slip message and followed Netherworld’s instructions to its Xinzheng headquarters.
• Jing Ni introduced Ye Qingcang to Gan Sha, who acknowledged him as leader.
• Ye Qingcang used his intent to strip away Gan Sha’s identity as Hei Bai Xuan Jian awakened and asked how long he had slept.
• Ye Qingcang told Hei Bai Xuan Jian to recover and train before taking a mission, then revealed a woman in a coffin who opened her eyes and began to speak.

Ye Qingcang stopped Surprise Carp from killing Mo Ya, who had infiltrated Netherworld’s Xinzheng base while seeking a way out of Ji Wuye’s control. After recognizing Mo Ya’s purpose, Ye Qingcang brought him in to talk and suspected a third party—possibly Qin Kingdom—was trying to provoke conflict in Han Kingdom.

• Ye Qingcang reassured Surprise Carp that Hei Bai Xuan Jian and Wei Xianxian could manage their relationship without further intervention.
• Surprise Carp attacked Mo Ya when she detected him hiding nearby, but Ye Qingcang stopped her before the strike killed him.
• Mo Ya realized how completely a Grandmaster’s intent had overwhelmed him and acknowledged that he had infiltrated Netherworld’s base for himself, not on Ji Wuye’s orders.
• Ye Qingcang identified Mo Ya and invited him to move to another courtyard to discuss why he had come.
• Ye Qingcang reasoned that Mo Ya might have tracked Gan Sha and suspected a third-party force was stirring unrest between Night Curtain and Quicksand, with Qin Kingdom standing to benefit.

Mo Ya was caught after following a member of Netherworld to its headquarters, where he learned that the pursuer was Hei Bai Xuan Jian and that Ye Qingcang was a core member of Quicksand. He began considering whether to defect and how to prove his value.

• Mo Ya explained that he had followed Gan Sha while carrying out Ji Wuye's orders to monitor Netherworld.
• Hei Bai Xuan Jian restrained Mo Ya with his Killing Intent, and Ye Qingcang stopped the confrontation by saying Mo Ya might become their friend.
• Ye Qingcang explained that Hei Bai Xuan Jian had failed to notice Mo Ya following him, leaving Mo Ya to wonder whether Gan Sha and Hei Bai Xuan Jian were the same person.
• Ye Qingcang revealed that he was one of Quicksand's core members, shocking Mo Ya.
• Mo Ya considered joining Quicksand and wondered how he could demonstrate his value to Netherworld.

Ye Qingcang persuaded Mo Ya to preserve Hundred Birds and join Quicksand by promising the organization a role in protecting Han Kingdom and confronting rival states. Mo Ya agreed to bring willing members over and asked to meet Han Fei, learning how Quicksand was organized.

• Ye Qingcang explained the dangers facing Han Kingdom and argued that Hundred Birds should avoid wasting its strength in internal conflict.
• Ye Qingcang promised that Hundred Birds members willing to join Quicksand would have a place and future missions against foreign intelligence forces.
• Mo Ya realized Han Fei intended to strengthen Han Kingdom and saw how Hundred Birds could serve Quicksand.
• Mo Ya thanked Ye Qingcang on behalf of Hundred Birds members willing to surrender and asked to meet Han Fei.
• Ye Qingcang confirmed that Han Fei led Quicksand and described its core members and divisions.

Ye Qingcang explained Quicksand’s membership hierarchy and declared that Vulture had to die for his role in destroying Fire Rain Manor. Mo Ya accepted the condition and realized that Consort Hu might join Quicksand through her connection to Nong Yu.

• Mo Ya was surprised that Zhang Liang held only a secondary position in Quicksand, while Red Lotus and others had greater standing.
• Ye Qingcang told Mo Ya that Quicksand’s membership and positions reflected its members’ backgrounds, roles, and value to Han Fei’s cause.
• Mo Ya listened as Ye Qingcang named Vulture as a target for his part in destroying Fire Rain Manor.
• Ye Qingcang explained that Vulture’s crime had made him an enemy of Madam Hu, Consort Hu, and Nong Yu, and said they would kill him in revenge.
• Mo Ya accepted Ye Qingcang’s condition and recognized that Nong Yu’s ties to Consort Hu could bring Han Yu’s powerful supporter into Quicksand’s camp.

Bai Yifei and Lady Mingzhu discussed how to bring down Ji Wuye and agreed to work with Mo Ya, whom Young Lord Ye had vouched for. They left Emerald Tiger and Straw Raincoat Guest to their fate, while the wider Quicksand faction remained united against Night Curtain and Han Yu.

• Bai Yifei criticized Ji Wuye for losing control of his subordinates, and Lady Mingzhu suggested hastening his downfall.
• Bai Yifei rejected a reckless approach and said he would work sincerely with Mo Ya to bring down Night Curtain and Han Yu.
• Bai Yifei considered whether to help Emerald Tiger and Straw Raincoat Guest, but decided against asking Zi Nu to spare them.
• Lady Mingzhu accepted that Emerald Tiger would likely be eliminated and lamented only the loss of his money-making ability.

Ye Qingcang reviewed Quicksand’s new alliances and told its members he would leave temporarily, likely returning in a few months. After the gathering, Yan Lingji asked him to revive her younger brother and the people from her village, but he refused to consider it until she explained how she knew he could revive the dead.

• Bai Yifei planned to place the Tidal Nymph near Ye Qingcang to secure a role for her and strengthen his own ties, while Ye Qingcang watched their maneuvers warily.
• At Quicksand’s weekly gathering, the members reviewed Bai Yifei’s surrender and assigned Mo Ya, Ying Ge, and Bai Feng to different roles within their reorganized forces.
• Ye Qingcang announced that he would leave temporarily and might return in a few months; Hong Lian was reluctant to see him go.
• After the gathering, Yan Lingji asked Ye Qingcang to revive her younger brother and everyone from her village.
• Ye Qingcang asked how Yan Lingji had learned he could revive people, then told her to return with a convincing reason.

Ye Qingcang refused to help Flame Lingji until she answered his question honestly, while reflecting on Jing Ni’s conditioning and her flaws as Netherworld’s leader. The chapter ended with Ye Qingcang distinguishing between the Nine Songs of the Moving Heavens Plane and the Qin’s Moon Plane and considering how the planes could be numbered.

• Ye Qingcang decided that Flame Lingji’s concealment, rather than her request, was the problem, and withheld any response until she gave him an answer.
• Jing Ni judged Flame Lingji’s request insincere and said she would have killed her if they had not shared ties to Ye Qingcang and Red Lotus.
• Ye Qingcang considered how Netherworld’s conditioning had shaped Jing Ni, noting that she had begun awakening her humanity but remained vulnerable to indecision.
• Ye Qingcang explained that the world of Red Lotus and Han Fei was the Nine Songs of the Moving Heavens Plane, distinct from the Qin’s Moon Plane where Gao Yue lived.
• Ye Qingcang considered assigning numbers to the planes and reflected on the vastness of the universe.