Recaps

Elder Lan tried to implicate Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi in the Lotus Intent Sect conspiracy, but the Phosphorfire Dao Lord declared them innocent and ended the dispute. Jiang Jingnian left to consolidate his realm and prepare for the True Disciple Examination, while secretly planning to strike back at Mysterious Mountain.

• Elder Lan accused Jiang Jingnian of possibly being connected to the Lotus Intent Sect, and Liu Qingzhi challenged his claims.
• The Mysterious Mountain elders pressured the Burning Cloud Dao Lineage to support an investigation, while Li Mincheng offered to prove his innocence with his death.
• The Phosphorfire Dao Lord declared that Jiang Jingnian, Liu Qingzhi, and the others were uninvolved, ordered the investigation to focus on Li Mincheng and the implicated families, and rebuked Mysterious Mountain.
• Phosphorfire Hall imprisoned Li Mincheng and placed fugitives from the Tongda Escort Agency and Gale Wind Sect on its wanted list.
• Gao Xian explained the Burning Cloud Dao Lineage's conflict with Mysterious Mountain, and Jiang Jingnian said he had considered killing Elder Lan but would wait for a better opportunity.
• Jiang Jingnian left to consolidate his realm and prepare for the True Disciple Examination, intending to target Mysterious Mountain's Dao-Lineage True Disciples afterward.

Jiang Jingnian consolidated his strength while awaiting the True Disciple Examination notice and agreed to attend the Tongda Escort Agency funerals briefly. At the Mysterious Mountain Dao Lineage, Xie Miao begged Zeng Zhihong to protect her family from Jiang Jingnian, whom she feared as a reckless killer.

• Jiang Jingnian considered how becoming a Dao-Lineage True Disciple would make it harder for Elder Lan and others to target him, and he continued preparing for the examination.
• Duan Xiaodie told Jiang Jingnian that Second Uncle had cooperated with the Mountain Cloud School's investigation, and Jiang Jingnian agreed to attend Uncle Yuchi's and Uncle Li's funerals before returning to Cloudpool Cliff.
• News of Jiang Jingnian's Inner Qi Realm breakthrough and examination application spread through the Mountain Cloud School, and the notice at Phosphorfire Hall confirmed it.
• Xie Miao knelt before Zeng Zhihong and offered to become his concubine if he protected her family from Jiang Jingnian.
• Zeng Zhihong rebuked Xie Miao and questioned why she and the other disciples feared Jiang Jingnian more than Du Haichen or Liu Qingzhi, but Xie Miao insisted Jiang Jingnian was a madman who would trade his life and flip the table.

Jiang Jingnian received a sect assessment sending him to Jingu City to recover Mountain Cloud School’s wharf from the Cang River Society, while Zeng Zhihong dismissed him as a threat that would eventually burn out. As Jiang Jingnian discussed the long journey with Duan Xiaodie, Liu Qingzhi appeared at his window and demanded to be let in.

• Zeng Zhihong reassured Xie Miao and the other disciples that Jiang Jingnian would not dare target them, then privately considered how Jiang’s rapid advancement might have cost him his life essence.
• Jiang Jingnian examined the sect order assigning him to travel to Jingu City and recover Mountain Cloud School’s wharf from the Cang River Society.
• Duan Xiaodie worried about the distance and dangers of the journey, and Jiang Jingnian said he could travel by water.
• Liu Qingzhi knocked at Jiang Jingnian’s door, then peered through the window when he did not immediately open it.
• Jiang Jingnian criticized Liu Qingzhi for staring through the window, then said he would open the door.

Jiang Jingnian challenged Liu Qingzhi when her sword intent unsettled Duan Xiaodie, then learned Liu planned to travel with him to Jingu City while completing a mission in nearby Shimen City. Liu explained that the Dao Lineages’ rivalries were part of a broader struggle for martial destiny, and warned that Chen State’s weakened position could bring major changes within two years.

• Jiang Jingnian confronted Liu Qingzhi for pressuring Duan Xiaodie with her sword intent and declared that Duan Xiaodie was his family.
• Liu Qingzhi said she had accepted a demon-subduing mission in Shimen City and proposed traveling with Jiang Jingnian to Jingu City.
• Liu Qingzhi explained that Burning Cloud and Radiant Wind disciples were avoiding involvement in actions against groups tied to their Dao Lineages.
• Liu Qingzhi described how martial lineages and rival sects struggled over great momentum and Life Essence, linking their conflicts to the turmoil among warlords.
• Liu Qingzhi revealed that Chen State had been losing its centuries-long conflict with Western nations and warned that Peace City could change drastically within two years.

Jiang Jingnian prepared to leave for the True Disciple Examination in Jingu while Qian Ningning negotiated a flour-mill investment with the South City Chamber of Commerce. After entrusting Qian Ningning with his wife’s care, Jiang set out for Nanpu Pier with Liu Qingzhi, beginning a journey beyond Peace City.

• Jiang Jingnian reassured Duan Xiaodie that he would face the Mysterious Mountain Dao Lineage’s opposition and promised to return after the examination, while also hoping to learn about his parents in Jingu.
• Cao Yi and Madam Li offered the South City Chamber of Commerce’s machinery investment and loans for Jiang Jingnian’s flour mill, and Qian Ningning negotiated their share down to twenty-five percent.
• Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi arrived at Qian Ningning’s shop, where the Chamber of Commerce representatives greeted them respectfully and then took their leave.
• Jiang Jingnian told Qian Ningning he and Liu Qingzhi were leaving that afternoon, gave her Ice Jade Talismans, and asked her to look after Duan Xiaodie and the flour mill.
• Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi traveled by vintage car toward Nanpu Pier, bound for the True Disciple Examination.

Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi boarded a luxury liner bound for Jingu, where he reflected on the gulf between ordinary people and wealthy families. After noticing that watchers had followed him from the mountain, Jiang Jingnian used a special item and resumed cultivating his Inner Qi Realm.

• Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi traveled from Nanpu Pier aboard the Princess Anqian, a luxury liner bound for Jingu.
• Liu Qingzhi offered to pay for their tickets, while Jiang Jingnian contemplated the disparity between poor villagers and the wealthy.
• Liu Qingzhi misread Jiang Jingnian’s interest in foreign women at the pool and became annoyed when he teased her about her temper.
• Jiang Jingnian recalled sensing someone watching him from the mountain until he boarded the liner and suspected the sect or the Mysterious Mountain Dao Lineage.
• Jiang Jingnian used a special item he had bought on the sect’s commercial street, then cultivated his Inner Qi Realm as his Archetype settled at Early Stage 8%.

After advancing into the Early Inner Qi Realm, Jiang Jingnian reviewed his new understanding of cultivation and followed Liu Qingzhi to dinner aboard the Princess Anqian. Their teasing conversation ended as he entered the ship’s luxurious restaurant, where he encountered new trouble.

• Jiang Jingnian finished cultivating and reflected on how Inner Qi, Martial Dao Force, and future breakthroughs worked.
• Jiang Jingnian considered how Liu Qingzhi’s guidance had helped him understand cultivation and planned to gain more Merit Points from her after the True Disciple Examination.
• Liu Qingzhi summoned Jiang Jingnian for dinner and teased him about bringing foreign women to his suite, while he avoided answering her questions.
• Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi walked through the liner, drawing attention from passengers who recognized Liu Qingzhi’s strength and status.
• Liu Qingzhi asked whether Jiang Jingnian had visited crude brothels when he was a laborer, and he snapped at her before entering the restaurant.
• Jiang Jingnian found a window-side table in the brightly lit restaurant and prepared to order when new trouble appeared.

Aboard the Princess Anqian, Omesa Nahl attacked Jiang Jingnian with a mental art, but he and Liu Qingzhi fought back before the ship’s crew intervened. Chudena Company let Omesa go with a warning, leaving Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi watched and unable to retaliate for now.

• Omesa Nahl disliked the ship’s food and noticed Jiang Jingnian’s unusually enticing scent, so she approached him and tried to use a mental art on him.
• Jiang Jingnian resisted Omesa’s attack and struck back with Mind Plague, while Liu Qingzhi arrived and mistook the scene for him flirting with a Western woman.
• After Liu Qingzhi said the ship had no experts comparable to a Grandmaster, Jiang Jingnian attacked Omesa and battered her until she escaped in an explosion of blood.
• Liu Qingzhi’s Frost-Snow Sword clashed with a wave of flame from the ship’s crew, and the white-haired old man ordered the fight stopped.
• The old man acknowledged Omesa’s fault but let her leave, warning Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi not to pursue the matter aboard the ship.
• Jiang Jingnian told Liu Qingzhi that Chudena Company was watching them, and Liu Qingzhi blamed his bad luck for attracting another calamity.

After Liu Qingzhi and Jiang Jingnian stopped Omesa’s attack, Qudena Company’s Chikton avoided a confrontation to protect the company’s business, while Omesa left vowing to get revenge. Over dinner, Liu Qingzhi warned Jiang Jingnian about his failing Life Essence and proposed a way for them to combine their powers and pursue a Water-in-Fire Martial Soul.

• Chikton explained that he had humored Liu Qingzhi and Jiang Jingnian to protect Qudena Company’s profits and reputation, then refused Omesa’s request to help stir up trouble.
• Li warned Omesa to restrain herself in Chen State, and she cursed Chikton and Li before returning to her room and thinking about taking revenge on Jiang Jingnian.
• Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi moved to another table and resumed eating after the damaged dining area was set aside for repairs.
• Liu Qingzhi warned Jiang Jingnian that his Life Essence was badly depleted and that he risked losing his chance to advance, but he dismissed her concerns.
• Liu Qingzhi proposed that she and Jiang Jingnian use their opposing water and fire forces to cultivate a Water-in-Fire Martial Soul and advance toward Grandmasterhood.

Jiang Jingnian rejected Liu Qingzhi’s marriage proposal and Waterborne Fire cultivation arrangement, wary of becoming a noble household’s expendable partner. After the passenger ship reached Jingu, he encountered Omesa at the pier, where Liu Qingzhi warned him that powerful reinforcements had arrived.

• Liu Qingzhi explained the Waterborne Fire method, and Jiang Jingnian recognized it as a dangerous form of dual cultivation.
• Liu Qingzhi proposed marriage on terms that required Jiang Jingnian to leave other women and have their children bear her surname, but he refused.
• Liu Qingzhi withdrew from Jiang Jingnian, and he worried that she might resent his rejection.
• The passenger ship reached Jingu after five days, while Jiang Jingnian remained unable to approach Omesa because foreign masters guarded her.
• Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi spotted Omesa at the pier, and Liu Qingzhi caught his sleeve and warned him not to act because Omesa had powerful reinforcements.

Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi arrived in Jingu and avoided a confrontation with Omesa and the Wen Family while they focused on his True Disciple mission. At Mountain Kiln Wharf, Young Master Ma told Cang River Society altar master Chief Lin that Mountain Cloud had sent a martial prodigy, leaving Chief Lin alarmed and under suspicion.

• Liu Qingzhi warned Jiang Jingnian that attacking Omesa at Three-Bamboo Pier could bring the Wen Family and its armed forces into the conflict.
• Omesa provoked Jiang Jingnian and demanded that the Wen Family help her capture him, but Wen Cang urged her to avoid further trouble with Liu Qingzhi and Jiang Jingnian.
• Liu Qingzhi led Jiang Jingnian away from the pier and told Omesa to keep her honored guest under control.
• At Mountain Kiln Wharf, guards knocked Li San and other laborers down, and the overseers whipped them for stopping to rest.
• Young Master Ma ordered his men to throw troublesome laborers into the river and then brought Chief Lin documents reporting that Mountain Cloud had sent a martial prodigy.
• Chief Lin recognized the danger of the report, and Young Master Ma questioned whether he intended to switch loyalties from the Cang River Society.

Jiang Jingnian arrived in Jingu to reclaim Mountain Kiln Wharf and learned that the Cang River Society had taken it through a fraudulent deed and the Lin Clan Carters' Guild's betrayal. After discovering the elders suspected an insider, he decided to begin seeking justice by targeting Chief Lin and his guild.

• Young Master Ma warned Chief Lin that Mountain Cloud's disciples would have to follow Jingu's rules, then left after boasting about his elder brother's strength.
• Chief Lin studied Jiang Jingnian's profile and recognized that the young Inner Qi Realm martial artist was a formidable threat.
• Jiang Jingnian met with Liu Qingzhi and elders Li Jiang and Shi Wenjian at Drunken Wind Tower, where they explained how Mountain Kiln Wharf had been seized.
• Liu Qingzhi suspected that someone within Mountain Cloud had helped the Cang River Society, and Jiang Jingnian also considered the possibility of an insider.
• Jiang Jingnian said he would reclaim the wharf by seeking justice against the Lin Clan Carters' Guild and declared that Chief Lin deserved retribution.

Jiang Jingnian dismissed the elders’ concerns about the Cang River Society, then secretly went to the Lin Family Residence rather than waiting two days. He killed Shi Wenjian and Chief Lin and left the estate engulfed in violence and fire.

• Li Shanqing warned Jiang Jingnian that the Cang River Society had Grandmasters, but Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi argued that Jingu’s rules would prevent open intervention.
• Shi Wenjian and Li Jiang agreed to accompany Jiang Jingnian against the Lin Clan Carters’ Guild in two days, while Jiang Jingnian privately suspected a leak and planned to strike at once.
• Shi Wenjian secretly warned Chief Lin to flee, but Chief Lin decided to ask Young Master Ma to bring Helmsman Ma to guard his household.
• Jiang Jingnian appeared at the Lin Family Residence and crushed Shi Wenjian with a barrage of flaming punches.
• Jiang Jingnian threw Chief Lin to the ground, stomped him to death, and the Lin Family Residence fell silent as fire spread through it.

Jiang Jingnian killed the Lin Household mole, absorbed the Chifeng-Insect Hand Drum’s trait, and gained a stronger stealth and combat ability. As the Cang River Society blamed Cloud Mountain for the Lin Household’s destruction, Lin Xiaoyu dismissed Jiang Jingnian as no match for a Mid Inner Qi Realm martial prodigy.

• Jiang Jingnian returned to his inn with valuables and two secret treasures taken after eliminating the mole, then identified the Chifeng-Insect Hand Drum’s poisonous insects and devoured its trait.
• Jiang Jingnian fused the Insect Wind trait into Wind-Shocking Shadow, creating Unrestrained Wind, which increased his speed, concealed his presence, and added poisonous effects.
• Jiang Jingnian tested his new trait and concluded that he could likely kill a Mid Inner Qi Realm opponent while using it with the Copper-Flame Body.
• News spread at Mountain Kiln Wharf that the Lin Household had burned down with no survivors, and foremen speculated about the Mu Family while fearing retaliation for spreading rumors.
• At the Cang River Society branch, Lin Xiaoyu dismissed the threat posed by Jiang Jingnian and claimed his junior brother could easily defeat the Early Inner Qi Realm newcomer.

Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi discussed his killing of Elder Shi and the dangers of relying on violence, before she agreed to help him with Mountain Kiln Wharf. Jiang Jingnian then arrived at the Cang River Society’s banquet in Jingu, where the Vast River Twin Fiends waited for him.

• Liu Qingzhi revealed that she had secretly followed Jiang Jingnian and witnessed his fight the previous night.
• Liu Qingzhi urged Jiang Jingnian to act more cautiously, warning that his killings could lead to traps, retaliation, and a dangerous change in his Martial Momentum.
• Jiang Jingnian thanked Liu Qingzhi and promised to think carefully before acting, and she offered to help settle the matter at Mountain Kiln Wharf.
• The Cang River Society’s branch master escorted Jiang Jingnian, Liu Qingzhi, and Elder Li Jiang to a banquet at a Western-style building on Jingu’s Concession Avenue.
• Jiang Jingnian entered a private room where nearly thirty people had gathered, and the Vast River Twin Fiends silently watched him from the doorway.

Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi met Cang River Society martial prodigies Ma Rulong and Lin Xiaoyu, and their Martial Momentums clashed before the introductions could begin. Ma Rulong mocked Jiang Jingnian’s humble origins, but Jiang answered that even those denied privilege had their own path, leaving the gathered martial artists stunned.

• Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi entered the private room, where Ma Rulong and Lin Xiaoyu tested them with a combined clash of Martial Momentum.
• Liu Qingzhi joined her Martial Momentum with Jiang Jingnian’s, and their ice-fire sword broke through Ma Rulong and Lin Xiaoyu’s river-like assault.
• Lin Xiaoyu stepped in to protect the bloodied Ma Rulong, and the four martial prodigies ended the brief contest without fighting physically.
• The scholar altar master introduced Ma Rulong and Lin Xiaoyu to Jiang Jingnian and Liu Qingzhi, and Lin criticized the visitors for their conduct.
• Ma Rulong praised Jiang Jingnian’s appearance but questioned his education, using literary remarks to mock his humble background.
• Jiang Jingnian answered with a parable about carp, fish, and loaches surviving in different waters, declaring that he had his own path and astonishing Ma Rulong and Liu Qingzhi.

After Jiang Jingnian prevailed in the civil and martial contests, Ma Rulong conceded and urged the Cang River Society to avoid escalating its dispute with Cloud Mountain. The society’s members remained divided over whether to settle the matter peacefully or demand a local kick-down-the-hall contest.

• Ma Rulong acknowledged Jiang Jingnian’s insight and admitted that he had come up short in the contest, prompting Liu Qingzhi to reconsider her junior brother’s ambitions for a dangerous Fire Ravine Lotus.
• Ma Rulong urged the Cang River Society to set aside old grudges, while Lin Xiaoyu remained angry that the deaths connected to the Lin Clan Carters’ Guild might go unanswered.
• Young Master Ma proposed that Jiang Jingnian follow Jingu rules by facing experts from the Cang River Society, an Aristocratic Clan, and two martial halls within three days to win Mountain Kiln Wharf.
• Ma Rulong stopped Young Master Ma and argued that provoking Cloud Mountain could bring the Cang River Society powerful enemies and further trouble.
• Lin Xiaoyu and the other members began reconsidering whether forcing a contest was worth the risks.

Jiang Jingnian proposed a closed-door sparring match with Lin Xiaoyu to settle the dispute over Mountain Kiln Wharf without a public challenge. The Cang River Society accepted, and the chapter ended with both sides preparing for the match while its members assumed Lin Xiaoyu would win.

• Ma Rulong argued against escalating the dispute into a war between the Cang River Society and the Mountain Cloud School, but Lin Xiaoyu objected to conceding without a fight.
• Jiang Jingnian proposed a closed-door sparring match with Lin Xiaoyu, with Mountain Kiln Wharf returning to the Mountain Cloud School if he won by even one move.
• Lin Xiaoyu mocked Jiang Jingnian and accepted the match, while Liu Qingzhi released her sword intent in response.
• Altar Master Fu suggested Lin Xiaoyu use an ordinary unsharpened iron blade, and she agreed, confident she would still defeat Jiang Jingnian.
• Ma Rulong could not stop the match after the gathered helmsmen and altar masters agreed, and the Cang River Society members ate and toasted the visitors while expecting Lin Xiaoyu to win.

Jiang Jingnian prepared for his arranged fight with Cang River Society prodigy Lin Xiaoyu while shopping in Jingu and rapidly advancing his cultivation. The chapter ended as Lin Xiaoyu gathered Martial Momentum in the arena, with both sides’ onlookers expecting Jiang Jingnian to lose.

• After the banquet, Jiang Jingnian went shopping with Liu Qingzhi and bought a jade pendant and a sheepskin coat, which he gave to her.
• The next morning, Jiang Jingnian used two special items to advance his Inner Qi cultivation to nearly twenty percent and prepared for the fight.
• At Cang River Society headquarters, Liu Qingzhi, Elder Li Jiang, and Mountain Cloud Outer Disciples gathered to watch Jiang Jingnian face Lin Xiaoyu.
• Li Shanqing doubted Jiang Jingnian could defeat the Cang River Society prodigy, while Liu Qingzhi watched with concern.
• Lin Xiaoyu began gathering Martial Momentum before the fight, and Jiang Jingnian calmly observed the spectators who expected him to lose.

Jiang Jingnian and Lin Xiaoyu fought a formal duel to settle their conflict, with Lin Xiaoyu defeated after his Mind Plague, poison, and overwhelming Copper-Flame Body attacks broke through her defenses. Xie Hengwei stopped the fight and declared Jiang Jingnian the winner, leaving the Cang River Society to accept defeat.

• Xie Hengwei warned Lin Xiaoyu and Jiang Jingnian to follow the rules before beginning the duel.
• Lin Xiaoyu opened with her Seeking Nine Rains blade technique, but Jiang Jingnian disrupted her with Mind Plague and transformed into his Copper-Flame Body.
• Jiang Jingnian poisoned Lin Xiaoyu and pressed his attack as her blade shattered and her strength weakened.
• Xie Hengwei intervened when Jiang Jingnian's barrage overwhelmed Lin Xiaoyu, and Jiang Jingnian pulled back instead of counterattacking.
• Lin Xiaoyu took an antidote, and Xie Hengwei declared Jiang Jingnian the victor and the Cang River Society defeated.
• The gathered members reacted with disbelief, while Liu Qingzhi quietly watched Jiang Jingnian.

Jiang Jingnian defeated Lin Xiaoyu in their exchange, settled the dispute over Mountain Kiln Wharf, and received the deed and generous gifts in Jingu. As he planned to look into his lost hometown and help Liu Qingzhi, Omesa ordered Mr. Wes to capture him once he left the city.

• Jiang Jingnian defeated Lin Xiaoyu, who admitted she had been slightly inferior, and Ma Rulong declared the dispute settled and promised to hand Mountain Kiln Wharf to the Mountain Cloud Outer Sect.
• Jiang Jingnian gave Elder Li Jiang the deed and told him not to investigate Elder Shi’s disappearance or implicate his family.
• Jiang Jingnian refined one of his secret treasures, considered searching for news of his parents in Elder Apricot Village, and planned to help Liu Qingzhi hunt Illusory Water Sect fiends near Stone Gate.
• Omesa learned that Jiang Jingnian had grown close to the Cang River Society, dismissed Mr. Wes’s warnings about local powers, and ordered him to arrange Jiang’s capture once he left Jingu.

Jiang Jingnian advised Ma Rulong to gain power through martial arts so he could reform the Cang River Society, then traveled west toward Shimen City. As dusk fell outside Jingu, gunmen ambushed his carriage and killed the driver.

• At the Four Seasons Spring Teahouse, Ma Rulong told Jiang Jingnian he wanted to improve life for the workers under the Cang River Society but faced resistance from powerful families.
• Jiang Jingnian urged Ma Rulong to become a grandmaster, take control of the society, and use force against anyone who refused to submit.
• Jiang Jingnian considered rescuing Li Mincheng and suppressing the Mysterious Mountain Dao Lineage's True Disciples.
• Jiang Jingnian bid Ma Rulong farewell in the afternoon and hired a carriage toward Shimen City.
• As the carriage left Jingu at dusk, Jiang Jingnian sensed danger, and gunfire killed the driver and riddled the carriage.

Jiang Jingnian survived Omesa’s ambush by using his Mind Plague and overwhelming strength to destroy the riflemen and pursue her. He crushed Omesa to death outside Jingu City, leaving her allies to face him.

• Omesa used enchanted bullets, a crimson net, and divination to ambush Jiang Jingnian, believing the attack had trapped him.
• Jiang Jingnian burst from beneath the wreckage, killed the riflemen, and used Mind Plague to incapacitate Omesa’s allies and spread panic among the gunmen.
• Omesa and the two South Seas Blood Servants fled, but Jiang Jingnian followed their blood trail and smashed the servants aside.
• Jiang Jingnian caught Omesa, ignored her pleas and threats, and crushed her to death.
• Jiang Jingnian ground Omesa’s remains underfoot as the two Western Ocean experts confronted him.

Jiang Jingnian survived Omesa’s ambush, sold the Western weapons he recovered, and left for the road while Mister Wes’s search came too late. In Shimen City, Zhao Guangyuan tried to recruit He Jingran to investigate demonic fiends, and a woman arrived with a guest and ordered He Jingran to handle the matter.

• Jiang Jingnian scavenged valuables, secret treasures, enchanted bullets, and firearms from the ambush site before covering his tracks.
• Jiang Jingnian traded the weapons and ammunition at a county town, bought a horse, and set off overnight as Mister Wes arrived too late to find him.
• Mister Wes concluded that Omesa and her companions were likely lost, delayed notifying the Nall Lineage, and told his men to keep a low profile in the Chen State.
• Zhao Guangyuan asked He Jingran to help investigate demonic fiends connected to the Illusory Water Sect, offering him talismans that could block attacks from Inner Qi Realm experts.
• A beautiful woman arrived with a cool, aloof guest and told He Jingran to handle the matter properly.

Liu Qingzhi learned that the Illusory Water Sect’s cultists were connected to the Luo Household, then left for Shimen City’s eastern street. As cultists attacked the crowded street, Jiang Jingnian arrived and told Constable Fan to flee while he handled them.

• Yan Ruoyu brought Liu Qingzhi to He Jingran, who recognized her as the Peace City Liu Family’s eldest miss and bowed respectfully.
• Liu Qingzhi asked about the Illusory Water Sect, and He Jingran wrote “East. Luo Household.” on the tea table before she rewarded him with five Ice Jade Talismans and departed.
• On Shimen City’s eastern street, Constable Fan and the other constables discussed reports of demonic cultists before Constable Captain Qian shouted for help.
• Illusory Water Sect cultists slaughtered and robbed people in the street while Constable Captain Qian fought one of them and Constable Fan tried to load his gun.
• Jiang Jingnian walked against the fleeing crowd and told Constable Fan to leave because he would deal with the cultists.