Chapter Summaries

Yang Qing and his companions met the Tomb Keepers, who agreed to guide them into the Imperial Mausoleum to rescue the person foretold in the prophecy. As they set out, Yang Qing grew suspicious of the Tomb Keepers’ friendliness, and their guide warned that they had seven days to rescue the prisoner or all of them would die.

• Yun Niang explained that only the Tomb Keepers could lead Yang Qing and his companions into the Imperial Mausoleum.
• The Tomb Keepers welcomed the group after learning they had come to rescue the foretold person, and one said the group would need their guidance to enter.
• A Tomb Keeper revealed that the foretold person had appeared in the Imperial Mausoleum a few years earlier and that rescuing him was one of the Tomb Keepers’ duties.
• Yang Qing suspected the Tomb Keepers were concealing important information, while Yun Niang remained silent as they traveled.
• The Tomb Keeper gave Yang Qing and his three companions dry rations and led them onward, warning that they had seven days to rescue the person trapped in a dungeon or none of them would survive.

Yang Qing and his companions entered the Imperial Mausoleum’s Dungeon to rescue the person named in a prophecy within seven days. After surviving deadly traps and creatures in the corridor, they lost a full day without finding him and hurried onward.

• Yang Qing rejected the idea of abandoning the mission and accepted the Tomb Keeper’s map and warning about forbidden grounds.
• The Tomb Keeper led Yang Qing and his companions to the Dungeon, then left them to proceed alone.
• Yang Qing and his companions entered the doorless Dungeon and found venomous snakes covering the entrance behind them.
• The group survived collapsing ground, venomous insects, and other dangers, but the obstacles consumed an entire day.
• Yang Qing urged his companions to move faster and pointed out an earthen platform ahead.

Yang Qing and the others escaped a trapped passage by blasting through the floor and found a lower dungeon. There, they discovered a pale, white-haired boy locked in a cage, and Bu Er gave him water.

• Yang Qing realized the dungeon’s traps were meant to keep the four of them inside and decided they would stop playing along.
• Jiang Zhizhou threw a gunpowder capsule down the passage, blasting a hole through the floor.
• Jiang Zhizhou descended through the hole first, then Yang Qing and the others followed after he confirmed the lower passage was safe.
• Yang Qing and the others found dozens of chains converging on a small iron cage suspended in the passage.
• Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou climbed to the cage and found a frail boy with white hair and pale-blue eyes imprisoned inside.
• Bu Er recognized that the boy was asking for water and handed him a waterskin, warning him not to drink too much at once.

Yang Qing and his companions found a boy imprisoned in a suspended iron cage beneath the Imperial Mausoleum, but delayed rescuing him because his behavior seemed suspicious. The boy revealed that he was Gongsun Ze, a direct descendant of the Sacred Emperor, and that his Different-Colored Eyes had led to his imprisonment.

• Jiang Zhizhou questioned the boy about how to lower the cage and how long he had been imprisoned, but learned that only the Soul-Locking Iron’s own retraction could lower it.
• Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou returned to Yang Qing, and the group decided to wait rather than rush to rescue the boy.
• The boy warned Yang Qing that their fates were bound and that they would die if they failed to free him, but said he would explain what he knew only after they rescued him.
• Yang Qing suspected the boy was connected to the Eastern Splendor Royal Family and asked why he had been imprisoned.
• The boy identified himself as Gongsun Ze, a direct descendant of the Sacred Emperor, and said the royal family’s Different-Colored Eyes signaled that calamity had descended.

Yang Qing realized Gongsun Ze planned to use his blood to transform his Different-Colored Eyes and possibly prolong his life, a secret tied to the Eastern Splendor Royal Family’s generations-long pursuit of immortality. Gongsun Ze admitted that he wanted to live out his natural lifespan and achieve his ancestors’ goal, while Yang Qing refused to accept his assigned role without question.

• Yang Qing questioned Gongsun Ze about Different-Colored Eyes and inferred that Emperor Zetian had possessed extraordinary eyes and powers.
• Gongsun Ze explained that Gongsun Ru’s true appearance concealed her Different-Colored Eyes and that bloodlines could transform them.
• Yang Qing connected Gongsun Ze’s plan to the Rootless Wood, Bone Jade Thumb Ring, and his blood, and suspected that Gongsun Ze sought to extend his short life.
• Yang Qing told Gongsun Ze that understanding the task did not mean he would carry it out, since refusal and obedience could both lead to his death.
• Gongsun Ze declared that status and treasure meant nothing without life and revealed his desperation at knowing the day he would die.
• Yang Qing guessed that the Eastern Splendor Royal Family had pursued immortality, and Gongsun Ze agreed.

Gongsun Ze explained the Holy Envoy Tokens and warned Yang Qing that time was running out before the Dungeon’s passages sealed. Yang Qing began transferring his blood and life to Gongsun Ze through the Rootless Wood, but Jiangli appeared just as Yang Qing was about to collapse.

• Gongsun Ze revealed that the Twelve Holy Envoy Tokens held wisps of the envoys’ souls, which would be guided to the Sacred Emperor when released into the Imperial Mausoleum.
• Gongsun Ze told Yang Qing and the others that less than a day remained because time passed faster inside the Dungeon, and that the passages would seal after the seven-day limit.
• Gongsun Ze instructed Yang Qing to combine the Signet Ring with the Rootless Wood and drench them with blood.
• Gongsun Ze cut his finger on the Signet Ring and held the Rootless Wood, which drew Yang Qing’s blood through it and restored Gongsun Ze’s appearance.
• Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou tried to pull Yang Qing away, but Mu Feng explained that no one could interfere with the transfer.
• As Yang Qing grew weak and began to collapse, Jiangli darted over and clung to him.

Jiangli returned in a new body after the Rootless Wood used its Resurrection Art, though its master-servant bond with Yang Qing was gone and it had to sleep after finding him. Gongsun Ze accepted that the Bloodline Conversion had been interrupted and brought Yang Qing and the others back to the Tomb Keeper’s hall.

• A small white creature resembling Jiangli clung to Yang Qing and spoke to him telepathically, confirming that it was Jiangli.
• Jiangli explained that the Rootless Wood summoned it back using its Resurrection Art after its blood pact with Yang Qing ended, and that Jiangli’s own bond with Yang Qing was also gone.
• Jiangli said its body had died but its soul survived, then fell asleep after using up more of its original energy to reach Yang Qing.
• Yang Qing reassured Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou that Jiangli was asleep, while reflecting on the complicated revelations and the need to prepare.
• Gongsun Ze accepted the interrupted Bloodline Conversion as a satisfactory conclusion and returned Yang Qing and the others to the great hall where the Tomb Keeper was.

After Yang Qing and the others returned from the Imperial Mausoleum with Gongsun Ze, he turned on them and ordered the Tomb Keepers to punish them for trespassing. Mu Feng’s hidden past came to light, but Yang Qing stood by him as Gongsun Ze surrounded them and barred their escape.

• The cage holding Gongsun Ze vanished after he absorbed Yang Qing’s blood, and Yang Qing and the others returned to the Tomb Keeper’s hall with him.
• Yang Qing said their mission was complete and tried to leave, but Gongsun Ze declared that they had disturbed the royal ancestors’ resting place and deserved death.
• Mu Feng confronted Gongsun Ze, who accused him of betraying his master and forsaking loyalty, prompting Yang Qing and the others to stop and listen.
• Yang Qing stood beside Mu Feng and chose to trust him, while Gongsun Ze ordered the Tomb Keepers to surround them.
• Yang Qing saw Gongsun Ru and Yun Niang watching from a distance as Gongsun Ze declared that neither Mu Feng nor the others could leave.

Mu Feng revealed that he was really Gongsun Feng, a descendant of the Eastern Splendor Royal Family who had joined Yang Qing to find the Rootless Wood. Gongsun Ze invoked his authority to stop them from leaving, but Mu Feng challenged his cause and led Yang Qing and the others toward the exit.

• Yang Qing tried to take Mu Feng away before Gongsun Ze could provoke him further, but Gongsun Ze's men blocked their path.
• Mu Feng apologized to Yang Qing and revealed his royal identity as Gongsun Feng, admitting he had used his mother's family name and lied about his background.
• Gongsun Ze declared that Mu Feng had to obey him as the Sacred Emperor's chosen representative and accused him of dishonoring the royal family.
• Mu Feng rejected Gongsun Ze's appeal to restore the Sacred Emperor's glory and said ordinary people still lived in peace despite the world's divisions.
• Mu Feng shielded Yang Qing, Jiang Zhizhou, and Bu Er as they retreated, then urged them to leave with him.

Mu Feng escorted Yang Qing, Bu Er, and Jiang Zhizhou out of the Upside-Down City through a secret passage, then explained the Eastern Splendor Royal Family’s restrictions and its pursuit of immortality. After learning that the Sacred Emperor shared Gongsun Ze’s Different-Colored Eyes, Yang Qing realized they could not simply leave.

• Mu Feng threatened Gongsun Ze with the consequences of another strike, and Gongsun Ze let Yang Qing and his companions pass.
• Mu Feng led Yang Qing, Bu Er, and Jiang Zhizhou out of the Upside-Down City through a hidden passage known only to the Eastern Splendor Royal Family.
• At the riverbank, Mu Feng refused to leave with them and explained that the Blood Gu awakened in the Imperial Mausoleum restricted royal descendants’ freedom and could kill them if they disobeyed.
• Mu Feng said Gongsun Ze’s escape from the Dungeon was tied to the Eastern Splendor Royal Family’s search for immortality.
• Yang Qing asked what the Sacred Emperor looked like, and Mu Feng explained that the emperor wore a Black-Gold Mask but had Different-Colored Eyes like Gongsun Ze.
• Mu Feng urged Yang Qing and his companions to flee the mountain, but Yang Qing said they could not leave.

Yang Qing and Mu Feng learned that Gongsun Ru had deceived Mu Feng and would not let them leave because the blood exchange remained unfinished. As Mu Feng prepared to accept punishment, Yang Qing stopped him and vowed to repay Gongsun Ru and her allies in kind.

• Mu Feng realized Gongsun Ze and Gongsun Ru had never intended to let Yang Qing and the others leave, and he condemned their deception.
• Gongsun Ru told Yang Qing that the foretold person had reappeared and that outsiders must not learn of it; she then said he could not leave because the blood exchange was incomplete.
• Gongsun Ru ordered Mu Feng to accept punishment for bringing everyone out of the Imperial Mausoleum, and Mu Feng agreed.
• Yang Qing stopped Mu Feng and asked whether he still acknowledged him as his young master; Mu Feng nodded and lamented his failure to protect the group.
• Yang Qing took responsibility for failing to protect Mu Feng and said they would repay Gongsun Ru and the others in kind.

Yang Qing and his companions were confined to a courtyard in Upside-Down City while Mu Feng was taken away, and Yang Qing considered how to learn more about the Imperial Preceptor. Yun Niang arrived under Gongsun Ru’s orders and told them they could live permanently in the city as its citizens.

• Yang Qing agreed to return to Upside-Down City with Gongsun Ru, and he, Bu Er, and Jiang Zhizhou were placed in a guarded courtyard while Mu Feng was taken away.
• Yang Qing reassured Mu Feng before he left, then told Bu Er to prepare food for them.
• Jiangli warned Yang Qing that Gongsun Ru’s intentions were more complicated than another blood exchange, then fell asleep again.
• Yang Qing recalled that the portrait they had seen depicted the Imperial Preceptor, a trusted adviser who had helped the Sacred Emperor understand the Heavenly Stones and the Immortality Art.
• Yang Qing decided that investigating the Imperial Preceptor might reveal what Gongsun Ru and the others were planning, and predicted the city lord would soon visit.
• Yun Niang came to the courtyard under Gongsun Ru’s orders and told Yang Qing and the others they could live permanently in Upside-Down City as citizens.

Yang Qing and his companions refused Gongsun Ru’s offer to become Eastern Splendor People, then exposed Yun Niang’s confirmation that Gongsun Ru had another reason for keeping them in Upside-Down City. That night, Yang Qing dreamed of the masked man again and learned he was the Sacred Emperor.

• Yang Qing refused Gongsun Ru’s offer, and Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou stood with him despite Yun Niang warning them they would regret it.
• Bu Er bluntly asked whether Gongsun Ru and Gongsun Ze still needed Yang Qing to keep Gongsun Ze alive, and Yun Niang accidentally revealed that they had guessed correctly.
• Yun Niang left the courtyard, while Yang Qing wondered why Gongsun Ru and Gongsun Ze still wanted to keep him there after Gongsun Ze’s blood had been replaced.
• Yang Qing dreamed of the masked man, recognized his five-colored eyes, and asked whether he was the Sacred Emperor.
• The masked man nodded and told Yang Qing that he had some ability.

Yang Qing met Emperor Zetian in a dream and learned that the Yang Clan had been created to preserve the Eastern Splendor Royal Family’s bloodline. Emperor Zetian revealed the hidden message on Yang Qing’s Parchment Scroll, leaving its ominous command unexplained.

• Emperor Zetian questioned Yang Qing’s lack of fear and told him that the Yang Clan had been born for sacrificial rites to perpetuate the Eastern Splendor Royal Family’s bloodline.
• Emperor Zetian asked Yang Qing to produce the Parchment Scroll he had kept hidden since leaving Yan Prefecture and Western Chu.
• Emperor Zetian removed the restriction on the Parchment Scroll and returned it to Yang Qing.
• Yang Qing read the newly revealed words, “To him whom heaven's will favors, obedience unto death,” beneath a seal marked “Zhetian.”
• Emperor Zetian told Yang Qing that he had given the Parchment Scroll to the Yang Family.

Yang Qing learned that the Yang Family’s direct descendants had been bound to perform sacrificial rites and that the Fan Family had secretly been tasked with protecting them. After Emperor Zetian told Yang Qing to remain in Upside-Down City for an upcoming assignment, Yang Qing woke from a five-day sleep and heard that Gongsun Ze would accompany Gongsun Ru to the Sacred Mountain.

• Yang Qing read the Parchment Scroll and understood the Yang Family’s sacrificial duty and the Fan Family’s obligation to protect its direct descendants.
• Yang Qing asked Emperor Zetian what he wanted from him, and Emperor Zetian praised him and told him to stay in Upside-Down City for a coming task.
• Emperor Zetian suggested Yang Qing consider a romance with Gongsun Ru, but Yang Qing rejected the idea because of their difference in status.
• Yang Qing woke after sleeping for five days, relieving Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou, who had feared he might never awaken.
• Jiang Zhizhou told Yang Qing that Gongsun Ze had entered the City Lord’s Mansion and would accompany Gongsun Ru to the Sacred Mountain in two days.

Yang Qing learned that the Sacred Emperor's reincarnation was rumored to have appeared on the Sacred Mountain and suspected this was the new task Emperor Zetian had predicted. Ordered to accompany Gongsun Ru and Gongsun Ze there, Yang Qing set out with Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou, while Mu Feng joined his carriage.

• Jiang Zhizhou told Yang Qing that people rumored the Sacred Emperor's reincarnation had been found on the Sacred Mountain.
• Yang Qing wrote down his dream of Emperor Zetian and the Yang Family's ties to the Eastern Splendor Royal Family, then burned the paper after Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou read it.
• Yun Niang delivered the city lord's order for Yang Qing and his companions to go up the Sacred Mountain the next day.
• Yang Qing, Bu Er, and Jiang Zhizhou traveled to the City Lord's Mansion, where Gongsun Ru, Gongsun Ze, and Mu Feng were waiting.
• Mu Feng asked to travel with Yang Qing, and Yang Qing welcomed him into the carriage.

Mu Feng rejoined Yang Qing and the others as they traveled toward the Sacred Mountain, and Yang Qing suspected Gongsun Ru had released him to encourage them to work together again. After refusing Gongsun Ru’s offer of a larger carriage, they had to climb the mountain on foot, where they waited in a pavilion and a hazy figure appeared before them.

• Mu Feng told Yang Qing, Bu Er, and Jiang Zhizhou that Gongsun Ru had confined him for a few days before releasing him, and Yang Qing suspected she wanted them to join forces again.
• An attendant offered to move Yang Qing and the others into Gongsun Ru’s larger carriage, but Yang Qing politely refused.
• At the foot of the Sacred Mountain, Yang Qing and the others discovered their carriage could not climb the steep road, so they set off on foot while the attendant watched them mockingly.
• Gongsun Ze watched Yang Qing climb ahead, while Gongsun Ru dismissed him as a block of wood and said the delay would only cost a few days.
• Yang Qing and the others stopped to rest in a mountainside pavilion, and a hazy figure appeared before them as Bu Er wondered whether Gongsun Ru was deliberately making them wait.

Yang Qing encountered Old Xia, a hulking man who demanded the Parchment Scroll but could not explain why it was important. Old Xia warned Yang Qing that the scroll would lead to his death, leaving its secret and the danger unclear.

• Old Xia blocked Yang Qing, Bu Er, Jiang Zhizhou, and Mu Feng on the mountain path and demanded the Parchment Scroll.
• Yang Qing told Mu Feng that the scroll recorded events from the past and had been kept by the Yang Family for generations.
• Yang Qing showed Old Xia the Parchment Scroll but withheld it when Old Xia could only say its purpose was a secret.
• Yang Qing refused to surrender the scroll without an explanation and offered to settle the matter by force if necessary.
• Old Xia warned Yang Qing that he was going to die because of the Parchment Scroll.

Yang Qing handed the Parchment Scroll to Old Xia after realizing the Rootless Wood had returned to its original owner. At the Sacred Mountain’s summit, Emperor Zetian revealed that Yang Qing’s family had been born to sacrifice themselves for his reincarnation, and Yang Qing began moving toward him under his control.

• Old Xia showed Yang Qing the Rootless Wood and took the Parchment Scroll from him.
• Gongsun Ru offered Yang Qing a ride up the Sacred Mountain, but Yang Qing refused and said he would not die for her.
• Yang Qing and his companions reached the summit village, where Gongsun Ru, Gongsun Ze, and Old Xia waited outside the central house with the Scroll and Rootless Wood.
• Gongsun Ru told Yang Qing he would contribute to the Sacred Emperor’s reincarnation, and lamps illuminated a masked man lying inside the house.
• Emperor Zetian immobilized Yang Qing, explained that the Yang Family’s mission was sacrifice, and beckoned him closer as Yang Qing slowly leaned toward him.

Yang Qing realized Emperor Zetian intended to seize his body and rejected the Yang Clan's sacrificial fate. As Emperor Zetian descended to possess him, Mu Feng knocked Yang Qing aside, and brilliant light filled the Small Courtyard.

• Yang Qing understood that the Yang Family had been born to sacrifice him so Emperor Zetian could take his body, but he resolved that his fate belonged to himself.
• Emperor Zetian approached Yang Qing and began infusing him with a sinister force while Gongsun Ru and Gongsun Ze watched eagerly.
• Bu Er and Jiang Zhizhou tried to reach Yang Qing, but Gongsun Ru and Gongsun Ze moved to hold them off.
• Emperor Zetian transformed into a streak of light and plunged toward Yang Qing's head as Yang Qing struggled against the conflicting voices in his mind.
• Yang Qing tilted his head aside, and Mu Feng rammed into him, knocking him away as brilliant light engulfed the Small Courtyard and a piercing scream sounded.