Recaps

Deputy County Magistrate Sun tried to get rid of a copper coin connected to the Former Dynasty, but the trouble surrounding it led him into a confrontation at the White Cloud Taoist Temple. Daoist Qingyun recognized Hu Qian, who demanded the coin and Sun, while suspecting that someone else was manipulating events.

• Deputy County Magistrate Sun received Yang Qing's copper coin at the County Office and secretly left the city with it.
• Deputy County Magistrate Sun entered the White Cloud Taoist Temple as two groups crowded inside after him.
• Hu Qian confronted Daoist Qingyun, called him by his secular name Du Ziyun, and demanded the coin and Deputy County Magistrate Sun.
• Deputy County Magistrate Sun hid behind a pillar and feared that the coin was tied to secrets of the Former Dynasty.
• Daoist Qingyun blocked Hu Qian's followers from searching the temple and warned Hu Qian about stirring up the buried affair.
• Hu Qian dismissed the warning, claiming that wealth and glory made the risk worthwhile.

Hu Qian attacked Taoist Qingyun at White Cloud Taoist Temple to demand information, then left after dusting Qingyun’s robe with an unknown powder. Deputy County Magistrate Sun handed Qingyun a Copper Coin linked to a Former Dynasty treasure map and stayed at the temple, where an unexpected visitor appeared in Qingyun’s room that evening.

• Hu Qian confronted Taoist Qingyun and attacked him after Qingyun refused to hand over information.
• Hu Qian threw white powder onto Taoist Qingyun’s robe, warned that Qingyun could no longer conceal the information, and left after glancing toward Deputy County Magistrate Sun.
• Taoist Qingyun questioned Deputy County Magistrate Sun about County Magistrate Chai and accepted the Copper Coin Chai had left with him.
• Deputy County Magistrate Sun explained that the Copper Coin was a token for retrieving the treasure map, and Taoist Qingyun told him to stay at the temple for a few days.
• Taoist Qingyun inspected the powder on his robe but could not identify it, then found an unknown person in his room that evening.

Jiang Zhizhou discovered that Hu Qian had covered Daoist Qingyun with insect eggs from Yijiang, then learned that Daoist Qingyun had once served the Late Emperor and knew of the Former Dynasty’s Treasure. Daoist Qingyun revealed that a copper coin held a treasure map, leaving Jiang Zhizhou curious about how it worked.

• Jiang Zhizhou burned Daoist Qingyun’s outer robe and exposed Nightwake insect eggs hidden on his clothes.
• Jiang Zhizhou used a flame to find and remove the eggs, while Daoist Qingyun realized Hu Qian had attacked him with them.
• Daoist Qingyun agreed to tell Jiang Zhizhou what he knew about the Former Dynasty’s Treasure and explained his past connection to Hu Qian and their master, the Late Emperor.
• Jiang Zhizhou inferred that Hu Qian had approached Deputy County Magistrate Sun because Sun possessed a hidden object.
• Daoist Qingyun showed Jiang Zhizhou the copper coin and revealed that it contained a treasure map.

Jiang Zhizhou learned how the copper coin could reveal the hidden Dragon Vein and reported Daoist Qingyun’s knowledge to Yang Qing, who planned to use the treasure rumors to divert Duan Ziqian’s attention. Duan Ziqian welcomed the prospect of the Former Dynasty’s Treasure, but Duan Hongxing warned that the Dragon Vein was unstable.

• Daoist Qingyun told Jiang Zhizhou that the copper coin revealed its secret when placed in clear water, but refused to involve himself further in worldly affairs.
• Jiang Zhizhou returned to the inn and told Yang Qing what Daoist Qingyun had revealed about the Dragon Vein and the coin.
• Yang Qing decided to use the treasure rumors to draw Duan Ziqian’s attention away from Western Chu.
• Duan Ziqian heard of the Former Dynasty’s Treasure and asked Duan Hongxing where it might be hidden.
• Duan Hongxing warned Duan Ziqian that the Dragon Vein was unstable.

Duan Hongxing warned Duan Ziqian that Yijiang was infiltrating Northern Liang and seeking its Dragon Vein, urging him to investigate. Duan Ziqian agreed that Jiang Zhizhou was suited to the task despite their estrangement.

• Duan Hongxing told Duan Ziqian that Yijiang had grown ambitious amid Northern Liang's unrest and was coveting the Dragon Vein and its treasure.
• Duan Hongxing revealed that Yijiang had secretly sent people into Northern Liang, and that the Fan City Iron Mine flood had exposed their hidden forces.
• Duan Hongxing connected County Magistrate Chai's disappearance to Yijiang and warned that its people would continue pursuing the Dragon Vein.
• Duan Hongxing recommended that Duan Ziqian send someone trustworthy to investigate the Dragon Vein and named Jiang Zhizhou as a suitable candidate.
• Duan Hongxing explained that the old Marquis of Anguo had sworn an oath of loyalty before the Grand Ancestor's portrait, and Duan Ziqian accepted Jiang Zhizhou for the undertaking.

Duan Ziqian summoned Jiang Zhizhou to discuss the threat Yijiang posed to Northern Liang’s Dragon Vein. He secretly ordered Jiang Zhizhou to investigate its whereabouts at North Qi Mountain, and Jiang accepted the mission.

• Duan Ziqian told Duan Hongxing he would treat Jiang Zhizhou well if Jiang sincerely submitted, then sent his thumb ring to summon him.
• Jiang Zhizhou recognized the ring, discussed Duan Ziqian’s likely motives with Yang Qing, and agreed to travel to the Imperial City while Yang stayed in Fan City.
• Before leaving, Jiang Zhizhou instructed Bu Er to manage matters carefully and gave him a bamboo tube to use if his life was in danger.
• At the Flying Pavilion, Duan Ziqian told Jiang Zhizhou that Yijiang threatened Northern Liang’s Dragon Vein and that the investigation had to remain secret.
• Duan Ziqian ordered Jiang Zhizhou to travel secretly to North Qi Mountain and investigate the Dragon Vein’s whereabouts, and Jiang accepted.

Jiang Zhizhou accepted Emperor Duan Ziqian’s assignment to investigate the Former Dynasty’s treasure, intending to use it to pursue his own plans with Yang Qing. In Fan City, Yang Qing recognized signs that skilled Western Chu agents had come prepared, and he began to suspect their apparent failure to notice him was a delaying tactic.

• Jiang Zhizhou told Yang Qing that Duan Ziqian had assigned him to investigate the Former Dynasty’s treasure, and the two discussed using the task for their own purposes.
• Yang Qing saw people from Western Chu in Fan City and became troubled by their presence far from their homeland.
• Bu Er noticed Yang Qing’s poor sleep and urged him to protect his health, prompting Yang Qing to explain that he had encountered people from his past.
• Yang Qing told Bu Er that the strangers wore distinctive Western Chu items and appeared skilled and prepared for their mission.
• Yang Qing concluded that the Western Chu agents may have been buying time by pretending not to notice him, and Bu Er worried that the emperor was plotting against Yang Qing.

Yang Qing decided to accompany Jiang Zhizhou to seek the Dragon Vein, believing the journey and news of his apparent death would finally ease his sovereign’s worries. They traveled north toward Blooming City, where they suspected the Dragon Vein originated, while several groups followed their carriage.

• Yang Qing told Bu Er that he would see his chosen path through and summoned Jiang Zhizhou to discuss his plan.
• Yang Qing said he would accompany Jiang Zhizhou to examine the imperial house’s foundation, and Jiang Zhizhou agreed on the condition that Yang Qing tell him his intentions beforehand.
• Several days later, Yang Qing, Jiang Zhizhou, and Bu Er left Fan City and headed north toward Blooming City.
• Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou discussed Blooming City’s history and its connection to the Grand Ancestor’s victory, concluding that the Dragon Vein might originate there.
• Bu Er reported that several groups had been following and fighting over their carriage, but Yang Qing told him to let them follow.
• The travelers reached the outskirts of Blooming City.

Yang Qing and his companions arrived in Blooming City and learned that the Peerless Gentleman was choosing the queen of flowers, a local custom involving a flower rather than a woman. They left without seeing him, while Yang Qing suspected the wealthy, mysterious man might soon seek them out.

• Bu Er drove Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou into Blooming City, where a crowd blocked their carriage outside a restaurant.
• A local man told Bu Er that the Peerless Gentleman chose an actual flower as the queen of flowers and drew crowds by distributing gifts throughout the city.
• Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou waited at a nearby restaurant and listened as its waiter shared stories about the Peerless Gentleman's wealth and habits.
• After the selection ended, the three men failed to see the Peerless Gentleman leave and quietly departed.
• Yang Qing told Bu Er there was no need to seek the Peerless Gentleman out because he might already be looking for a reason to visit them.

Yang Qing recognized the Dragon Pattern on lanterns in Blooming City and connected it to a mysterious figure from his childhood, possibly the Peerless Gentleman. He and Jiang Zhizhou turned their attention back to investigating the incomplete Dragon Vein map, while agreeing to leave once the matter was settled.

• Yang Qing recalled seeing the unusual mark on a lantern in his youth and told Jiang Zhizhou that the Peerless Gentleman resembled an old acquaintance.
• Yang Qing identified the lantern design as the legendary Dragon Pattern and wondered whether its return was tied to a major event or Northern Liang's Dragon Vein.
• Bu Er reported that the Peerless Gentleman had vanished from Blooming City, and Yang Qing told him to prioritize their real business.
• Jiang Zhizhou said the terrain map on County Magistrate Chai's copper coins was incomplete, but its clear beginning could guide their investigation.
• Yang Qing doubted that Duan Ziqian's interest in the Dragon Vein would make him abandon other ambitions, and he agreed with Jiang Zhizhou that they would leave after resolving the matter.

During Blooming City's Wind God Chase, Yang Qing and Bu Er uncovered an attack by Western Chu fighters and found a Bone Whistle linked to a secret dossier. As they left the alley, a powerful white-haired swordsman confronted them, leaving Bu Er to face him alone.

• Yang Qing and Bu Er watched Jiang Zhizhou join the Wind God Chase while Jiang used the opportunity to explore the nearby valleys.
• Bu Er noticed danger and led Yang Qing through narrow alleys, then pushed him against a wall and fought off attackers.
• Bu Er identified the attackers as likely from Western Chu and showed Yang Qing a Bone Whistle that Yang recognized from a secret dossier.
• Yang Qing told Bu Er to secure the Bone Whistle, and the two encountered a formidable swordsman as they tried to leave the alley.
• The white-haired swordsman mocked Bu Er and attacked him, filling the alley with sword shadows.

Bu Er fought Zhao Shanming to protect Yang Qing, but was overwhelmed until Unrivaled intervened and freed him. Zhao Shanming recognized Unrivaled as the Peerless Gentleman, leaving the two sides facing off.

• Zhao Shanming's sword pressure overwhelmed Bu Er as he defended Yang Qing, and Bu Er hurled his young master down the alley to help him escape.
• Unrivaled appeared, walked through Zhao Shanming's Sword Qi formation, and challenged him for attacking a junior.
• Unrivaled tapped Bu Er with his fan, restoring his ability to move, then sent him back to Yang Qing.
• Zhao Shanming questioned Unrivaled's interference, and Yang Qing and Bu Er realized they had met the Peerless Gentleman.

The Peerless Gentleman rescued Bu Er and Yang Qing from Zhao Shanming, driving Zhao away after wounding him. He warned them to take care and left them wondering whether the attack was connected to the Northern Liang dragon vein as they awaited Jiang Zhizhou’s return.

• The Peerless Gentleman attacked Zhao Shanming when he threatened Bu Er and Yang Qing, and Zhao turned his attention to the two men during their duel.
• Bu Er blocked much of Zhao Shanming’s finger force with the Dragon-Howl Sword, but he and Yang Qing were still injured by the attack.
• The Peerless Gentleman intercepted Zhao Shanming’s next strike and wounded him, forcing him to retreat and releasing the internal energy sealing the alley’s exits.
• Yang Qing and Bu Er thanked the Peerless Gentleman, who warned that Zhao Shanming had another reason for targeting them and told them to take care.
• After the Peerless Gentleman left, Yang Qing wondered whether the attack was tied to the Northern Liang dragon vein and hoped Jiang Zhizhou would return with answers.

After being trapped in Blooming City, Yang Qing waited for Jiang Zhizhou to return from the Great Mountain, then left the city with him and Bu Er. Their journey was ambushed by armed men demanding the person inside the carriage, and Jiang Zhizhou began probing them about Chu Jinghui.

• Yang Qing told Bu Er that Zhao Shanming had once received favors from the Former Emperor of Northern Liang, while they considered whether Duan Ziqian or someone else was behind the danger.
• Jiang Zhizhou returned to Blooming City after more than ten days away, and Yang Qing welcomed him back.
• Jiang Zhizhou announced that they would leave Blooming City, and Yang Qing, Jiang Zhizhou, and Bu Er set out by carriage.
• Masked attackers surrounded the carriage and fired arrows, but Jiang Zhizhou shielded Yang Qing while Bu Er prepared to fight.
• Jiang Zhizhou accused Chu Jinghui of sparing no expense and hinted that he had little time left; the attackers accidentally revealed his suspicion might be correct.
• Jiang Zhizhou offered to make a deal with the attackers.

Jiang Zhizhou bluffed the Feather Guard into abandoning its ambush on Yang Qing, then revealed their identity after they escaped. In the carriage, Yang Qing suggested that his death might bring peace, and Jiang Zhizhou firmly rejected the idea.

• Jiang Zhizhou tried to distract the man in black with talk of Northern Liang's dragon vein and treasure, but the attackers drew their weapons and prepared to strike.
• Jiang Zhizhou pointed out that they were surrounded by hidden protectors, and the man in black realized an attack could cost his men their lives.
• The man in black signaled his subordinates, then feigned an attack before retreating with them.
• Jiang Zhizhou returned to the carriage and identified the attackers as the Feather Guard, sent by Western Chu's emperor to kill Yang Qing.
• Yang Qing told Jiang Zhizhou he had no intention of returning to Western Chu and suggested that his death might bring peace, but Jiang Zhizhou refused to accept it.

Yang Qing convinced Jiang Zhizhou that faking his death could ease the Chu dynasty’s fears, then led him to investigate the strange, deserted Spirit Mountain. They entered its dark forest while pursued, and Yang Qing glimpsed something unusual that vanished before he could identify it.

• Yang Qing told Jiang Zhizhou he planned to make others believe he was dead, and Jiang Zhizhou accepted his explanation.
• Yang Qing argued that Spirit Mountain’s strange neglect suggested a hidden formation or other secret, and he and Jiang Zhizhou decided to investigate.
• After Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou left, black-clad men emerged and pursued them toward the mountain.
• When the carriage could go no farther, Bu Er freed their luggage, sent the horse running, and followed Jiang Zhizhou as he carried Yang Qing through the forest.
• The three traveled deeper into the dark, silent forest, where Yang Qing noticed something briefly strange before it disappeared.

Yang Qing, Jiang Zhizhou, and Bu Er were caught in Spirit Mountain’s shifting Tree Formation, and Yang Qing collapsed from the strain. When a tree pulled him into a hidden underground tunnel, the others followed, where Jiang Zhizhou recognized the walls as Cloudflower Stone and began explaining his family’s connection to it.

• Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou carried Yang Qing through the moving trees as they tried to escape the Tree Formation.
• Jiang Zhizhou discovered Yang Qing had fainted from the strain, and Bu Er gave him medicine while Jiang helped him drink water.
• When Yang Qing leaned against a tree, it dragged him into the ground, and Jiang Zhizhou fell into a hidden hole with him.
• Bu Er jumped into the hole after them, and Jiang Zhizhou carried Yang Qing into the tunnel they found below.
• Jiang Zhizhou recognized the tunnel’s stone as Cloudflower Stone and explained that his family’s stone-identifying tradition had helped his father earn the title Marquis of Anguo.

Jiang Zhizhou explained the Cloudflower Stone’s history and discovered that the ancient tunnel had no Cloudflower Illusion Formation, while Yang Qing identified the tunnels as part of the search for Northern Liang’s Hidden Dragon Vein. The three followed a passage to an underground river, where they faced the problem of crossing it.

• Jiang Zhizhou told Bu Er that his grandfather’s Cloudflower Illusion Formation had helped Northern Liang’s Founding Emperor defeat Yijiang, and warned that the formation’s greater power could endanger the awake.
• Jiang Zhizhou examined the tunnel’s Cloudflower Stone, concluded it had existed for centuries, and determined that no formation had been laid there, though another mystery lay ahead.
• Jiang Zhizhou chose the left passage at a fork, and Yang Qing woke while Bu Er carried him.
• Yang Qing explained that tunnels in the mountains were connected to the search for Northern Liang’s Dragon Vein and said this one likely belonged to a Hidden Dragon.
• Yang Qing, Jiang Zhizhou, and Bu Er reached a wide underground river, and Jiang Zhizhou wondered how they could cross it.

Yang Qing led Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou across the underground river and revealed that Spirit Mountain lay within the Cloudflower Illusion Formation. After the river vanished, Yang Qing examined its traces and began investigating how the formation blended illusion with reality.

• Yang Qing directed Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou to cross the underground river, and they crossed while pale droplets fell from the stalactites onto them.
• Yang Qing explained that he had crossed to gain a better view and pointed out stones that appeared ordinary but were part of the formation.
• Yang Qing revealed that the Cloudflower Illusion Formation could exist without Cloudflower Stone and that the forest and underground river were manifestations of its realm.
• Yang Qing identified the river as resembling the legendary Nether River, and it vanished before Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou.
• Yang Qing used the changing watermarks on a boulder to infer that the river rose and receded, then asked Bu Er for a blade to examine the rock.

Yang Qing, Jiang Zhizhou, and Bu Er followed the rising underground river through the cloudflower illusion realm, but Jiang Zhizhou was struck by a mysterious force and fell unconscious. Yang Qing found an old button in Jiang Zhizhou’s hand as the water continued to rise, leaving them stranded on a rock with no clear way forward.

• Yang Qing noticed water stains on the riverbed rock and inferred that the underground river followed a pattern.
• The dry riverbed suddenly flooded, and Yang Qing urged the group to follow the current downstream.
• When a rock wall blocked their path, Jiang Zhizhou left Yang Qing on a rock and searched the wall for another passage.
• A mysterious force struck Jiang Zhizhou, and he fell into the river before Bu Er could catch him.
• Bu Er and Yang Qing pulled Jiang Zhizhou from the water and found a charred wound on his chest.
• Yang Qing took an old button from Jiang Zhizhou’s hand and waited for him to wake as the water kept rising.

Yang Qing and his companions were trapped on a rock as the underground river rose, until he told Bu Er to push the boat with the current and Jiang Zhizhou carried him into the water. Jiang Zhizhou found another world beneath the river and spotted an object on the riverbed.

• Yang Qing and Bu Er realized the rising underground river might conceal their way out, just as the men in black arrived on the opposite bank.
• Yang Qing told Bu Er to push the boat along with the current, and Bu Er fought the men in black while shielding him and Jiang Zhizhou.
• Jiang Zhizhou awoke, took a sword thrust to his shoulder, grabbed Yang Qing, and plunged with him into the river.
• Bu Er fought off the attackers, let the surviving men escape, then jumped into the water to search for Yang Qing and Jiang Zhizhou.
• Jiang Zhizhou discovered a different world beneath the water and spotted an object on the riverbed.

Jiang Zhizhou led Yang Qing and Bu Er through an underwater escape passage, but they discovered the passage had sealed behind them and the river plunged down a sheer cliff. As they descended through the torrent, Jiang Zhizhou lost his dagger, leaving Bu Er alarmed below.

• Jiang Zhizhou carried Yang Qing through the underwater passage, where Bu Er caught up with them, wounded from fighting the black-clad men.
• Yang Qing noticed the current grew increasingly swift, and Jiang Zhizhou realized the passage behind them had closed.
• Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou agreed to continue forward, and Bu Er scouted the cliff before reporting that sturdy vines began twenty zhang down.
• Jiang Zhizhou tied Yang Qing to his back and leaped after Bu Er, while Yang Qing silently endured the rushing water and tried to shield him.
• Jiang Zhizhou struck the cliff, lost his dagger, and drew Bu Er's alarm.

Jiang Zhizhou struggled to bring Yang Qing down the cliff while Bu Er tried to catch them, leaving all three injured and unable to use their internal energy. After Jiang Zhizhou nursed Yang Qing and Bu Er through high fevers, Yang Qing woke and offered Bu Er a brocade pouch, prompting Jiang Zhizhou to protest.

• Jiang Zhizhou lost his dagger and slid down the mossy vine with Yang Qing on his back, discovering that the cliff suppressed internal energy.
• Jiang Zhizhou endured thorn wounds and slowly descended, while Bu Er landed below and found he could no longer summon his energy to climb.
• Bu Er rushed to catch Jiang Zhizhou and Yang Qing as they fell, injuring his head, and all three lost consciousness.
• Jiang Zhizhou found medicine to staunch Bu Er's bleeding, carried him and Yang Qing to a cave, and tended to their fevers despite his own badly wounded hand.
• Yang Qing woke and offered Jiang Zhizhou a brocade pouch for Bu Er, but Jiang Zhizhou exclaimed that he could not give it to him.

Yang Qing, Bu Er, and Jiang Zhizhou explored a passage lined with ancient murals and found evidence linking the underground site to the legendary Eastern Radiance Ancient Kingdom. They reached an ordinary stone door, wondering what lay beyond it.

• Jiang Zhizhou returned Yang Qing’s last life-saving pill and warned him to keep it safe, while Bu Er woke and urged the others to leave despite his head injury.
• Yang Qing, Bu Er, and Jiang Zhizhou followed the stone platform through a passage where Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou still could not use their internal energy.
• The three noticed repeated symbols among the elaborate murals on the cloudflower stone walls.
• Yang Qing spotted an inscription in an ancient script, and Jiang Zhizhou recognized it as a script associated with the past.
• Yang Qing and the others concluded the site was likely connected to the Eastern Radiance Ancient Kingdom and its lost treasures.
• The three reached the end of the passage and found a stone door, but did not know how to open it.

Yang Qing led Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou through a hidden passage beneath the murals and discovered a vast underground complex linked to the Eastern Radiance Ancient Kingdom. After learning that the others had lost access to their internal energy, Yang Qing concluded they had been trapped in the Cloudflower Illusion Formation all along.

• Yang Qing identified a sequence of mural stones that opened a concealed doorway, and Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou followed him inside.
• The three descended to a spacious command platform and found a dense formation of human figurines with empty scabbards.
• Yang Qing, Bu Er, and Jiang Zhizhou passed through an archway into a real underground sea of flowers, while Jiang Zhizhou remained unable to summon his internal energy.
• Yang Qing noticed Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou were troubled, examined them, and learned that their internal energy had inexplicably vanished.
• Yang Qing concluded that they had been inside the Cloudflower Illusion Formation without realizing it.