Recaps

Ding Songyan used Spirit Walking Through the Netherworld to question a dead guard and uncovered signs that the Yellow Heaven Path and Sage-Slaying Path were cooperating. He realized Han Shun had summoned him partly to make the ghost disappear, and left the Prince's Residence aware that its secret mission involved deeper intrigue.

• Peng Jushan led Ding Songyan to Commander Han Shun, who asked him to question a dead guard and keep the matter secret.
• Ding Songyan learned that the guard had leaked mission information to the Yellow Heaven Path after they gained leverage over him.
• Ding Songyan discovered that a silent woman wearing a Black Gauze Veil Hat had appeared during both the leak and the guard's earlier mistake, suggesting the Sage-Slaying Path was involved.
• The ghost dissipated during questioning, and Han Shun said he would report the apparent cooperation between the two paths to Prince Kang.
• As Ding Songyan left, he concluded that Han Shun had wanted him to destroy the Yin Soul and decided to wait before confronting him.

Ding Songyan received and read a heartfelt letter from Zheng Zhuxi, while she learned of the masked fighters in the Flame Capital and grew worried that he might be entangled with Ji Hanyi. Zheng Zhuxi asked her father to let Ding Songyan study the Book of Utmost Sincerity, and Zheng Ziming asked whether Ding had killed Sun Feiyang.

• A Director from the Martial Prohibition Bureau delivered Zheng Zhuxi’s letter to Ding Songyan, and Li Baima, Wu Mo, and Fan Chunlin realized his senior sister was Miss Zheng of the Xiaoming Sect.
• Ding Songyan went to Twelfth Madam Luo’s East Wing Room, read Zheng Zhuxi’s letter, and planned to send his reply through the Xie Family and the banks owned by those surnamed Fang.
• Zheng Ziming told Zheng Zhuxi about the masked fighters in the Flame Capital, and she suspected that the male Jade Maiden who attacked Hu Chaohui was Ding Songyan and that the Jade Maiden who killed Huo Minglou might be Ji Hanyi.
• Zheng Zhuxi decided not to alert others about her suspicions and asked Zheng Ziming to keep Ding Songyan’s secrets while explaining his martial arts path.
• Zheng Zhuxi asked her father to let Ding Songyan read the Book of Utmost Sincerity, excluding its methods for opening orifices and organ dressing, and Zheng Ziming asked if Ding had killed Sun Feiyang.

Ding Songyan and Twelfth Madam Luo disguised Wu Zheng as Ding Songyan, then as the invented Hero Lin, to get him safely to the Phoenix Bookshop and alert the Five Saints Sect about He Jin. Their pursuers followed them, while Ding Songyan’s explanation for inventing Lin Chong’s detailed identity was that he was a Storyteller.

• Ding Songyan encountered his younger sister Ji Hanyi in the marketplace, allowed her to speak into his sea of consciousness, and wondered why she had appeared on Shushui Street.
• Ding Songyan and Twelfth Madam Luo disguised Wu Zheng as Ding Songyan, using the Heavenly Mind Formula and their answers to make the likeness convincing for two hours.
• Ding Songyan and Twelfth Madam Luo left the Cheap Wine Shop with Wu Zheng while martial artists watched, divided up, and reported to He Jin.
• At a restaurant, Ding Songyan joined Wu Zheng and Twelfth Madam Luo in a private room, where they ate before changing Wu Zheng’s disguise.
• Twelfth Madam Luo transformed Wu Zheng into the older Hero Lin, and Ding Songyan instructed him to go to the Phoenix Bookshop after they left and tell the Five Saints Sect about He Jin.
• Ding Songyan confirmed that their pursuers had followed them from the restaurant, then told Twelfth Madam Luo he had invented Lin Chong because he was a Storyteller.

Wu Zheng reached Phoenix Terrace Studio safely and sought Yu Chongyuan’s protection, revealing his family’s connection to Fire Virtue True Lord Wu Hui and the attack that drove him into hiding. Twelfth Madam Luo returned to the Cheap Wine Shop after nearly encountering someone from her past, and she and Ding Songyan spoke of the difficulty of forgetting someone.

• Wu Zheng followed Ding Songyan and Twelfth Madam Luo’s instructions, reached Phoenix Terrace Studio without drawing attention, and broke down in tears upon entering.
• Twelfth Madam Luo and Ding Songyan watched from nearby, then discussed Ding Songyan’s writing and the Legend of the White Snake before Luo abruptly led him away from the market.
• Yu Chongyuan met Wu Zheng in a quiet room, heard the account of his parents’ deaths and He Jin’s involvement, and agreed to shelter him while investigating.
• Zhang Yingbo confirmed Wu Zheng’s martial arts came from Fire Virtue True Lord Wu Hui, and Yu Chongyuan wondered whether the mysterious disguise was connected to Emperor Terrace.
• Twelfth Madam Luo returned to the Cheap Wine Shop and told Ding Songyan she had nearly encountered someone she did not want to see.
• Twelfth Madam Luo asked whether Ding Songyan had ever wanted both to forget someone and draw close to them, and he admitted that he had.

Ding Songyan met Jiang Lanting and Bai Qilin at Xiumei Mountain, where Jiang challenged him to a swordsmanship exchange. Ding exposed the weakness in Jiang’s Great Thousand Myriad Forms Art, and the encounter ended with Jiang declaring that the defeated “Young Master Jiang” was now “Miss Jiang.”

• Xie Fengchao brought Ding Songyan to Xiumei Mountain and introduced him to Jiang Lanting and Bai Qilin.
• Bai Qilin asked whether Ding had beaten Xie, and Ding explained that Xie’s overconfidence had cost him the match.
• Jiang Lanting revealed that he had worn both a Jade Maiden Mask and a Golden Boy costume in recent days.
• Jiang challenged Ding to exchange Cosmic Star-Dipper Swordsmanship through incense smoke, and Ding repeatedly broke his attacks with a single move.
• Jiang stopped the spar after realizing Ding was exploiting the manifested swordsmanship’s reduced power, then announced that the defeated Jiang was now Miss Jiang.
• Xie Fengchao told Ding that Jiang was born with both female and male aspects, suited to the Yin-Yang Religion’s arts.

Ding Songyan learned more about Jiang Lanting and the Yin-Yang Religion before killing a Ghost-Wyrm Path assassin who suddenly attacked Jiang. He used Spirit Walking Through the Netherworld to question the assassin’s Yin Soul about the employer and informant.

• Xie Fengchao told Ding Songyan about Jiang Lanting’s struggles with his dual nature and asked him to keep the Yin-Yang Religion’s secrets private.
• Jiang Lanting explained aspects of the Religion’s transformations and arts, then discussed martial arts with Ding Songyan, whose Swordsmanship insights impressed him.
• As the group left to eat, a masked Ghost-Wyrm Path assassin attacked Jiang Lanting, but Ding Songyan killed him with Cold Shadow.
• Jiang Lanting wondered who had ordered the attack, and Ding Songyan questioned the assassin’s Yin Soul about the assignment and who had gathered information on Jiang.

Ding Songyan, Jiang Lanting, and their companions traced a failed assassination attempt to the Secluded Perfume Shop and searched for He Jianyun. They learned He had gone to Huaiyuan Street, where they found a flayed face matching his description nailed beside an alley.

• The assassin's Yin Soul revealed that Black Sanlang had ordered the attack on Jiang Lanting and that He Jianyun had helped the assassin hide and gather information.
• The assassin said the Ghost-Wyrm Path would make another attempt and explained that Surveillance Watchers observed assassinations, prompting Jiang Lanting and his companions to hurry to the Secluded Perfume Shop.
• Xie Fengchao admitted he did not know the shop's location, so Ding Songyan questioned the assassin and learned it was on Sandbridge Street.
• At the shop, the group learned from Niao Mingwei that He Jianyun had left for Huaiyuan Street and learned his appearance and distinguishing features.
• The group reached Huaiyuan Street and found a flayed face with a black mole between its eyebrows nailed to a wall, as Constables approached.

Ding Songyan and his companions discovered that He Jianyun, a Ghost-Wyrm Path Accountant, had been killed and dismembered, and helped Heaven-Bearing Prefecture locate his remains. Jiang Lanting left for the Yin and Yang Abbey, while Ding Songyan learned that the Heavenly Fool Scripture could conceal thoughts and memories.

• Ding Songyan recognized He Jianyun's peeled face, and the group realized the Ghost-Wyrm Path Accountant had been assassinated and dismembered.
• Ding Songyan, Jiang Lanting, and Bai Qilin used tracking arts to help Head Constable Hong locate the scattered remains, which Heaven-Bearing Prefecture handed over to the Martial Prohibition Bureau.
• Jiang Lanting decided not to pursue He Jianyun's yin soul and asked Ding Songyan to question it about the Dark Passage Book and the Seven Sand-Spitting Methods if they found the body at Xiumei Mountain.
• Jiang Lanting discovered the body had already been taken to the Martial Prohibition Bureau, then left for the Yin and Yang Abbey while Ding Songyan, Xie Fengchao, and Bai Qilin descended the mountain.
• Ding Songyan asked Bai Qilin whether the Heavenly Fool Scripture could conceal thoughts and memories, and Bai Qilin confirmed that it could.

Ding Songyan warned Liu Cheng away from the Silver Hook Gambling House and learned that Hu Chaohui would be staying at Liu’s residence that night. After returning to write a letter, Ding Songyan secretly entered the Liu Family compound and began using Three Thousand Years of Great Dreaming near Hu Chaohui.

• Ding Songyan searched Huaiyuan, East Town, and Shuning Streets for the Ghost-Wyrm Path traitor but found no trace, then met Twelfth Madam Luo selling handmade goods on South-Pacifying Street.
• Ding Songyan told Twelfth Madam Luo that his warning to Hu Chaohui about the Silver Hook Gambling House had gone unheeded, and she expressed resolute killing intent.
• Ding Songyan warned Liu Cheng to stop visiting the Silver Hook Gambling House, and Liu Cheng agreed before leaving without entering it.
• Liu Cheng told Ding Songyan that Hu Chaohui was mentally shaken and had been hiding at Liu’s residence, where he was expected again that night.
• Ding Songyan returned with Twelfth Madam Luo to Tiger Tail Alley, wrote a letter, and later sneaked into the Liu Family compound to locate Hu Chaohui and manifest Three Thousand Years of Great Dreaming.