Chapter Summaries

At Hidden Dragon Hall’s treasure exchange, Li Chenfeng traded for Han Fei’s Azure Sea Coral Goblet while Han Fei acquired Zi Nu’s mysterious box. Afterward, Li Chenfeng sent Jing Ni to lure Jing Ke away, and Jing Ke followed her into the night.

• Situ Wanli introduced the guests’ treasures, including Li Chenfeng’s first-tier fire-attribute Magic Core and Zi Nu’s sealed wooden box.
• Lord Yan Chun challenged Zi Nu’s claim, but Li Chenfeng, Han Fei, and Zi Nu completed their exchanges after Situ Wanli mediated.
• Yan Dan watched from behind a curtain, embarrassed by Lord Yan Chun’s conduct and unable to reveal himself publicly.
• Li Chenfeng and Jing Ni stayed behind as the others departed, and Li Chenfeng ordered her to lure Jing Ke away until he arrived.
• Jing Ni attacked Jing Ke, who chased her into the night, while Yan Dan hesitated to follow and then fled after Li Chenfeng’s threatening voice reached him.
• Li Chenfeng caught up with Jing Ni and Jing Ke and found Jing Ke leaning against a tree, boredly watching her.

Li Chenfeng used the Heart-Mesmerizing Technique to make Jing Ke confront his memories and feelings for Li Ji. Jing Ke resolved to value the people beside him more than revenge or his pursuit of the sword path.

• Jing Ke recognized Li Chenfeng as the man who had targeted him at the Treasure Exchange Meeting and demanded to know his purpose.
• Li Chenfeng revealed that he knew Jing Ke was Gongsun Yu’s disciple and asked about Li Ji, making Jing Ke fear she was in danger.
• Li Chenfeng accused Jing Ke of abandoning Li Ji while he wandered in pursuit of his sword path and revenge.
• Li Chenfeng enveloped the area with Soul Force and used the Heart-Mesmerizing Technique to draw Jing Ke into memories of Li Ji and his departure.
• Jing Ke emerged from the vision with his confusion gone and decided that the people beside him mattered more than revenge or the sword path.

Li Chenfeng helped Jing Ke resolve his feelings for Li Ji, then returned to Xinzheng as Han Fei drew Zhang Kaidi into his plan to solve the Ghost Soldiers Robbing Military Pay case. Han Fei caught sight of Wei Zhuang and noticed an Azure Sea Coral Goblet in a room, prompting him to investigate.

• Jing Ke decided to return to Qi and spend his life with Li Ji after Li Chenfeng advised him, and he wondered whether Prince Wei Feng had connections to his master, Gongsun Yu.
• Li Chenfeng returned with Jing Ni to Purple Orchid Pavilion, where Han Fei had obtained Water-Dissolving Gold and was preparing to act on the Ghost Soldiers Robbing Military Pay case.
• Zhang Liang brought Zhang Kaidi to meet Han Fei, who had arranged the meeting to draw the chancellor into his scheme.
• Li Chenfeng listened to Nong Yu play the qin and praised her performance before she left.
• Han Fei glimpsed Wei Zhuang in a room and remembered his sharp gaze.
• Han Fei spotted an Azure Sea Coral Goblet inside a room, stopped the woman carrying a qin, and entered to investigate.

Han Fei met Wei Zhuang at Purple Orchid Pavilion and tried to secure his help, but their conversation was interrupted by Prince Wei Feng’s arrival. Han Fei recognized Wei Feng as the prince seeking to marry Honglian and worried that he might be involved in the Ghost Soldiers Robbing Military Pay case.

• Han Fei declined Li Chenfeng’s invitation to drink at Purple Orchid Pavilion and left.
• Two days later, Han Fei returned to Purple Orchid Pavilion and asked to meet Wei Zhuang, prompting gossip among the patrons.
• Han Fei and Wei Zhuang exchanged challenges and probes as Han Fei sought his help and confirmation of another person’s intentions.
• Wei Zhuang noticed that the person Han Fei wanted to meet had arrived, and Zi Nu brought Prince Wei Feng and Jing Ni into the room.
• Wei Zhuang recognized Jing Ni and identified Prince Wei Feng, while Han Fei wondered whether Wei Feng had secretly interfered in the Ghost Soldiers Robbing Military Pay case.

Han Fei discussed the ghost soldiers case with Li Chenfeng, who suggested that a powerful figure might be directing his royal uncles. On his way home, Han Fei was surrounded by ghost soldiers before a sword chain stopped one from striking him.

• Han Fei invited Li Chenfeng to drink and asked for his thoughts on the Ghost Soldiers Robbing Military Pay case.
• Li Chenfeng argued that the ghost soldiers were likely impostors and that someone influential might be directing Lord Longquan and Lord Anping.
• Han Fei said he would seek the King of Han’s order to detain his uncles, while Li Chenfeng offered to help him in the future.
• Han Fei left Purple Orchid Pavilion drunk and worried, then encountered phantom cavalry and ghost soldiers in the dark.
• A sword chain wrapped around a ghost soldier’s sword as it attacked Han Fei.

Li Chenfeng watched Mo Ya and the Hundred Birds assassins attack Han Fei, then approached Mo Ya and Bai Feng after their mission failed. He demanded that they either work for him or become his slaves, leaving Mo Ya to choose.

• Li Chenfeng and Jing Ni observed Mo Ya use illusions and Hundred Birds assassins to attack Han Fei, but Zi Nu defended him and drove off the attackers.
• Li Chenfeng followed Mo Ya and the Hundred Birds assassins away from the battlefield.
• At a cliff outside Xinzheng City, Mo Ya told Bai Feng that their failed mission might earn them punishment from Ji Wuye, though their usefulness could spare their lives.
• Li Chenfeng appeared beside Mo Ya and Bai Feng without warning and said he meant them no harm.
• Li Chenfeng offered Mo Ya and Bai Feng the choice of working for him or becoming his slaves, then focused his gaze on Mo Ya.

Mo Ya and Bai Feng pledged allegiance to Li Chenfeng and received orders to recruit members of Hundred Birds for Dawn. After Han Fei’s case against Lord Anping and Lord Longquan ended in their deaths, Li Chenfeng went to investigate a guarded grotto he believed was Han State’s secret prison.

• Mo Ya and Bai Feng chose to serve Li Chenfeng, recognized Jing Ni, and swore allegiance to Li Chenfeng and Jing Ni.
• Li Chenfeng ordered Mo Ya and Bai Feng to recruit Hundred Birds members and send information about those they could not win over to Xuan Jian.
• Han Fei proved Lord Anping and Lord Longquan’s involvement in the Ghost Soldiers Robbing the Provisions case, but Hundred Birds assassins killed them before they could confess.
• An assassin reported that nobles had entered a guarded grotto outside Xinzheng City and that it had no supplies, leading Li Chenfeng to identify it as the suspected secret prison.
• Li Chenfeng dismissed the assassin’s offer to scout and used the Carefree Ascension Step to rise toward the grotto.

Li Chenfeng and Jing Ni broke into a Han State prison and freed Yan Lingji, a powerful woman held inside a crystal cage. Yan Lingji attacked Li Chenfeng with fire after he claimed she belonged to him.

• Jing Ni killed the last Han State soldier and slashed open the prison's steel gate.
• Li Chenfeng used the Eye-Shocking Calamity and ice spikes to kill the prison warden and the remaining jailers.
• Li Chenfeng found Yan Lingji imprisoned in a crystal cage and ordered Jing Ni to free her.
• Jing Ni smashed the cage, and Yan Lingji evaporated the water before asking who they were.
• Li Chenfeng claimed Yan Lingji belonged to him, and she sent a flame at him with a seductive glance.

Li Chenfeng freed Yan Lingji and offered to return Crown Prince Tianze to her if she gathered the other Four Generals of Baiyue to serve him. He later entered Xinzheng with Wei State’s diplomatic delegation, where Han Fei watched him warily.

• Li Chenfeng told Yan Lingji he knew where Tianze was and promised to return him within a month if she gathered Wushuang Gui, the Corpse-Driving Demon, and the Hundred Poisons King.
• Yan Lingji agreed to find the others, and Li Chenfeng left her in the cave; she burned the cave and departed.
• Li Chenfeng returned to the Wei State delegation as it prepared to arrive in Xinzheng, and Han Yu welcomed him into the city.
• Han Yu brought Li Chenfeng to the palace, where King An of Han greeted him warmly and received Queen Dowager Yueling’s gift for Honglian.
• Han Fei watched Li Chenfeng closely, suspecting that he had deliberately avoided meeting him.

Li Chenfeng accompanied Han Fei to invite Honglian to the Wu Mountain Meeting and revealed what he knew about Ji Wuye’s schemes and the murder of Liu Yi. He left Han Fei with clues about Vulture, Nong Yu, and a prisoner in the Poison Scorpion Sect, warning him not to investigate too deeply.

• Han Yu suggested Li Chenfeng attend the Wu Mountain Meeting with Honglian and sent Han Fei to accompany him to Red Lotus Palace.
• Li Chenfeng congratulated Han Fei on solving the Ghost Soldiers Robbing Military Pay case and urged him to strike directly at Ji Wuye, but Han Fei resisted acting outside the law.
• Han Fei asked Li Chenfeng about Liu Yi’s murder, and Li Chenfeng identified Vulture of the Hundred Birds Assassins as the killer and the attacker at Purple Orchid Pavilion.
• Li Chenfeng told Han Fei to have Nong Yu meet Madam Hu because of the Fire Rain Agate she wore.
• Li Chenfeng revealed that the mysterious beggar was imprisoned in the Poison Scorpion Sect and advised Han Fei to have Wei Zhuang take him away, while warning that further investigation could endanger Han Fei.

Han Fei introduced Princess Honglian to Li Chenfeng, the Second Prince of Wei, as part of their marriage alliance, then invited them to see a Zhao State troupe perform Wu Mountain Meeting. Honglian reacted with embarrassment and challenged Li Chenfeng over his martial skill before they prepared to leave for the play.

• Han Fei called Honglian over and invited her to see Wu Mountain Meeting with Li Chenfeng.
• Honglian mistook Li Chenfeng for a guard until Han Fei introduced him as the Second Prince of Wei who had come to pay respects to the King of Han.
• Honglian blushed and scolded Han Fei for bringing her future marriage partner to meet her without warning.
• Honglian said she would only accept a husband stronger than her, and Li Chenfeng criticized her swordsmanship.
• Han Fei redirected the conversation toward their outing, and Honglian reluctantly agreed to go see the play.

Wei Zhuang confronted Mo Ya at the Poison Scorpion Sect and received a warning from a hidden expert to pass on to Han Fei. Outside Xinzheng, Li Chenfeng explained the Wu Mountain Meeting to Honglian and teased her about watching the play with him.

• Wei Zhuang learned that Wei Feng backed the Poison Scorpion Sect and went to retrieve the captive Han Fei wanted.
• Mo Ya handed the captive to Wei Zhuang, but a hidden expert stopped Wei Zhuang's attack and warned him to tell Han Fei that Han State's future depended on his choice.
• Wei Zhuang took the captive and left, realizing the hidden expert was far stronger than he was.
• Li Chenfeng walked Honglian out of Bamboo Grove Villa after Han Fei had abandoned their play outing.
• Li Chenfeng told Honglian the story of the Wu Mountain Meeting, and she dismissed it as a flattering tale about the King of Chu.

Li Chenfeng confronted Bai Yifei in his estate and destroyed the Blood Gu parasitizing his heart. He demanded that Bai Yifei place his one hundred thousand White Armor Army under his command or die.

• Li Chenfeng and Jing Ni went to Bai Yifei's estate after escorting the princess back to the palace.
• Li Chenfeng entered Bai Yifei's bedroom and found a young girl waiting behind a gauze curtain.
• Li Chenfeng offered Bai Yifei power and immortality in exchange for submission, but Bai Yifei rejected his claims.
• Li Chenfeng struck Bai Yifei's heart with an unseen method, destroying his Blood Gu and making him spit blood.
• Li Chenfeng demanded that Bai Yifei command the White Armor Army to obey him or die.

Li Chenfeng subdued Blood-Clothed Marquis and then infiltrated Lady Mingzhu’s chambers to reveal that he knew her hidden identity as Tide Siren. He left her unsettled and planned to bring her, Blood-Clothed Marquis, and Raincoat Guest under his control to gain influence over Han State.

• Li Chenfeng ordered Blood-Clothed Marquis Bai Yifei to reorganize his troops in secret and told Nightfall’s members to keep Ji Wuye from noticing anything unusual.
• Lady Mingzhu lay awake beside the sleeping King An of Han, frustrated by her life in the palace and her disgust for the King.
• Li Chenfeng appeared in Lady Mingzhu’s bedchamber and said he had prevented the King from waking by striking his sleep acupoints.
• Lady Mingzhu challenged Li Chenfeng, who revealed that he knew she was Tide Siren as well as the King’s favored consort and Blood-Clothed Marquis’s cousin.
• Li Chenfeng told Lady Mingzhu that her affairs would belong to him and left, saying she could speak with Blood-Clothed Marquis to understand his meaning.

Li Chenfeng ordered Yan Lingji and the other Baiyue generals to assassinate the Qin envoys, demonstrating his power and promising to return Tianze once they succeeded. He then considered how to use the attack to shape Han’s and Qin’s conflict while pursuing his plan to unify the world.

• Li Chenfeng told Yan Lingji, the Hundred Poisons King, and the Corpse-Driving Demon to deal with the Qin envoys who had entered Han.
• The Hundred Poisons King and Corpse-Driving Demon reacted angrily, but Li Chenfeng burned the poison corpses and sent a charging figure flying with his power.
• Li Chenfeng promised to hand Tianze over to the Baiyue generals after they completed the task, then left with Jing Ni following unseen.
• Jing Ni asked why Li Chenfeng negotiated with the generals, and he explained that he intended to use them as expendable tools for work Dawn could not handle openly.
• Li Chenfeng planned to provoke conflict between Qin and Han, keep Han under his influence, and unite the Guandong states before conquering the rest of the world.

Li Chenfeng and Honglian went to visit Han Fei, who had been confined in the Han Royal Palace, and Jing Ni overcame the guards blocking their way. Inside, Han Fei and Wei Zhuang discussed the strange people who had appeared since the Fire Rain Agate Case.

• Honglian dragged Li Chenfeng from Purple Orchid Pavilion to visit Han Fei, and Li Chenfeng brought a jar of wine.
• Jing Ni followed Li Chenfeng and Honglian as they reached the palace hall where Han Fei was confined.
• Guards acting under Ji Wuye's orders barred Honglian and challenged Li Chenfeng, so Jing Ni knocked all four unconscious.
• Honglian praised Jing Ni's skill and learned that Li Chenfeng's martial arts supposedly surpassed hers by a hundredfold.
• Wei Zhuang warned Han Fei that many unexpected people had emerged since the Fire Rain Agate Case, and Han Fei's joke briefly angered him.

Li Chenfeng negotiated with Quicksand to take Li Kai to Wei State, then revealed a plan involving Vulture and Zi Nu’s disguise skills. The chapter ended with Vulture in custody and Li Chenfeng preparing a scheme to reunite Li Kai’s family.

• Li Chenfeng promised Honglian that Jing Ni would teach her swordsmanship and that he would find her a famous sword.
• Li Chenfeng returned to Purple Orchid Pavilion and told Wei Zhuang and Zhang Liang that Han Fei had agreed to hand Li Kai over to him.
• Li Chenfeng argued that Li Kai’s military talent would benefit Wei State and warned that Quicksand needed his help against Ji Wuye and Nightfall.
• Wei Zhuang accepted the deal, and Li Chenfeng asked Zi Nu to arrange for Nong Yu to join Li Kai.
• Li Chenfeng revealed that Jing Ni had captured Vulture and asked Zi Nu to disguise him as Li Kai.

Li Chenfeng revealed that Tianze’s escape had been part of a transaction and left him free after Baiyue’s men agreed to kill a Qin envoy. As the conflict among Baiyue, Quicksand, and Ji Wuye unfolded, Qin invaded Han, leaving King An and his ministers baffled by the sudden attack.

• Li Chenfeng told Tianze that he had arranged his release in exchange for Baiyue’s men killing the Qin envoy, then declared the transaction complete and left him free.
• Tianze accepted that he could not resist Li Chenfeng yet, resolved to regain his strength, and vanished into the darkness.
• Tianze reunited with the four Baiyue followers who had searched for him, while Han Fei was briefly placed under house arrest after angering King An and was released with Li Chenfeng’s help.
• The struggle among Baiyue, Quicksand, and Ji Wuye began, while Li Chenfeng waited for news.
• An urgent report announced that Qin had invaded Han, and King An questioned his ministers about the cause.
• Zhang Kaidi and Ji Wuye were unable to explain the invasion, while they suspected it might relate to Han’s alliance with Wei and recalled that Qin’s envoy had been killed.

Qin launched a retaliatory war against Han, leaving the Han court scrambling to defend the kingdom and seek aid. King An hastily arranged Honglian’s marriage to Li Chenfeng, who promised reinforcements and secretly prepared coordinated attacks against Qin.

• After losing influence within Qin, Lu Buwei mobilized 110,000 troops under Nei Shi Teng, Wang Jian, and Meng Wu to attack Han.
• Han learned of the Qin invasion only when Qin’s army reached its borders, and Han Fei urged King An to send troops to meet it.
• Ji Wuye advised King An to deploy Snowclad Fortress’s White Armor Army and seek aid from Wei, Zhao, and Chu.
• King An arranged Honglian’s marriage to Li Chenfeng and sent her toward Wei in exchange for Li Chenfeng’s promise to send 50,000 troops and order Dian Qing to attack Meng Wu.
• Li Chenfeng had also ordered Zhao to coordinate an attack on Qin in Shangdang Commandery, aiming to drive Qin from Shangdang and Sanchuan Commanderies.

Cheng Jiao learned that both Ying Zheng and Lu Buwei treated him as a pawn, and resolved to seize control of his own fate. After Jiangjun Bi’s assassination attempt failed, Cheng Jiao rebelled against Lu Buwei, declared himself Qin King, and allied with Zhao and Wei forces to attack Qin troops in Shangdang Commandery.

• Cheng Jiao confided to Li Wu that he understood he had been sent to war as a pawn and refused to remain one.
• Li Wu met Black Widow in secret and agreed to persuade Cheng Jiao to accept her proposal in exchange for help killing Jiangjun Bi.
• Three days later, Jiangjun Bi tried to assassinate Cheng Jiao, but Cheng Jiao subdued and beheaded him.
• Cheng Jiao accused Lu Buwei of plotting to usurp Great Qin and seize the Qin King, then declared himself the new Qin King and raised the banner of rebellion in Tunliu.
• Cheng Jiao allied with Zhao and Wei forces and attacked other Qin Army forces in Shangdang Commandery.