Chapter Summaries

Hu Xiaotian arrested Xu Qinglian and the other Azure Cloud officials, then met with Long Yefang, who mistook Hu Xiaotian’s warnings about Xi Yan for romantic rivalry. Hu Xiaotian claimed his heart belonged to Li Wuyou, and Long Yefang believed his declaration of devotion.

• Murong Feiyan knocked Liu Baoju unconscious, and Hu Xiaotian used Li Tianheng’s token to subdue the bailiffs and confront Xu Qinglian.
• Hu Xiaotian accused Xu Qinglian of colluding with the Five Immortals Cult and taking bribes, then ordered the county officials jailed.
• Long Yefang summoned Hu Xiaotian to the Wan Residence after learning of the arrests.
• Long Yefang studied Hu Xiaotian’s portrait of Xi Yan and accused him of being fond of her.
• Hu Xiaotian said he loved Li Wuyou, and Long Yefang praised his supposedly sincere devotion.

Hu Xiaotian learned that Long Yefang planned to leave Azure Cloud and discussed the Shajia delegation with him, while blaming Xu Qinglian for Xi Yan’s escape. When Mosheli arrived to present gifts to Long Yefang, he brought in a veiled young woman and began a drum performance.

• Hu Xiaotian placated Long Yefang over his feelings for Xi Yan and learned that the prince would leave Azure Cloud the next day.
• Long Yefang told Hu Xiaotian that the Shajia delegation had arrived without its promised royal representative, and Hu Xiaotian explained that Zhang Ziqian had ordered arrests over suspected collusion with bandits and rebels.
• Hu Xiaotian told Long Yefang that Xu Qinglian had warned Xi Yan in advance and allowed her to escape, provoking the prince’s fury.
• Mosheli arrived to meet Long Yefang, who introduced Hu Xiaotian as a trusted friend and agreed to see the gifts from the Shajia king.
• Mosheli presented a veiled young woman and struck a hand drum as the Prince of Zhou and Hu Xiaotian watched.

The Prince of Zhou gave Visa, a dancer presented by Mosheli, to Hu Xiaotian, thwarting Mosheli’s scheme to sow discord between the prince and the emperor. Hu Xiaotian left with an order to accompany the prince to Xiezhou, but hesitated to accept Visa as his gift.

• Visa danced for the Prince of Zhou, who showed little interest in her appearance.
• The Prince of Zhou gave Visa to Hu Xiaotian, and Mosheli’s plan to use her to create trouble between the prince and the emperor failed.
• Mosheli learned that Hu Xiaotian was only a ninth-rank County Deputy and left angrily.
• The Prince of Zhou ordered Hu Xiaotian to accompany him to Xiezhou the morning after tomorrow.
• The Prince of Zhou told Hu Xiaotian to take Visa, but Hu Xiaotian politely pretended to refuse the valuable gift.

Hu Xiaotian accepted Visa from the Prince of Zhou and brought her home, where he discovered they could speak English and learned how she had been displaced and enslaved. Visa pledged to serve him, while Hu Xiaotian reassured her that he would not treat her as a slave.

• The Prince of Zhou gave Visa to Hu Xiaotian, who left with her despite suspecting the prince had ulterior motives.
• Hu Xiaotian told Wan Boping that the Prince of Zhou expected him to pay two thousand taels of gold for a painting, then asked about Wan Boping's sons.
• Hu Xiaotian brought Visa to his home in Three Virtues Alley and found Murong Feiyan had not returned.
• Hu Xiaotian spoke English, and Visa introduced herself and explained how war and enslavement had carried her from the Eagle's Nest Principality to Great Kang.
• Visa pledged loyalty to Hu Xiaotian, who promised not to force her or treat her as a slave and offered her a room.

Hu Xiaotian arranged for Murong Feiyan to keep Azure Cloud County under control while he accompanied the Prince of Zhou and the Shajia Delegation to Xiezhou. After Visa joined his household and revealed that a possible royal family member was traveling with the delegation, Hu Xiaotian remained wary of threats surrounding the journey.

• Murong Feiyan questioned Hu Xiaotian about Visa and the officials he had arrested, and Hu Xiaotian told her to keep the prisoners locked up until the Prince of Zhou and the delegation left.
• Hu Xiaotian asked Murong Feiyan to stay in Azure Cloud while he traveled to Xiezhou, and she agreed despite worrying about his safety.
• Hu Xiaotian told Visa to call him Young Master, but she repeatedly pronounced it as “Rooster,” then said that Lord Mosheli led the delegation and treated a suspected royal family member with great respect.
• Hu Xiaotian considered the dangers posed by the horse bandits and the mysterious Five Immortals Cult, while his allies prepared to monitor Heavenly Wolf Mountain and escort the delegation.
• Visa cleaned Hu Xiaotian’s courtyard and prepared breakfast, and Murong Feiyan teased him by greeting him as “Rooster Hu.”

Hu Xiaotian learned from Qin Yutong that Wan Tingguang was likely killed with a secret poison linked to Sumeru Heaven, and she warned him about Le Yao, Xi Yan, and the Five Immortals Cult. Qin Yutong persuaded him to let her accompany him to Xiezhou, then disguised herself as a young lad, leaving Hu Xiaotian stunned.

• Hu Xiaotian teased Murong Feiyan, who left in a hurry without explaining where she was going.
• Qin Yutong told Hu Xiaotian that Wan Tingguang had died from the Breath-Severing Pill, a poison exclusive to Sumeru Heaven, and warned him to stay away from Le Yao.
• Qin Yutong revealed that Xi Yan belonged to the Five Immortals Cult and warned Hu Xiaotian that the cult might target the Shajia Delegation in Azure Cloud.
• Hu Xiaotian explained the precautions protecting the Shajia Delegation, while Qin Yutong urged him not to underestimate the cult and asked to accompany him to Xiezhou.
• Qin Yutong entered Hu Xiaotian's room and emerged disguised as a dark-skinned young lad, astonishing him.

Hu Xiaotian joined the Prince of Zhou's journey to Xiezhou with Qin Yutong disguised as the constable Shi Qing, while Murong Feiyan returned to Azure Cloud with the escort. At the Red Valley border, Hu Xiaotian met County Magistrate Zhu Qifan and continued onward with the Prince's party.

• Qin Yutong told Hu Xiaotian she would accompany him in disguise, then appeared the next morning as Shi Qing, a constable ordered by Lord Zhang to protect him.
• Hu Xiaotian left Visa behind and brought Murong Feiyan to the Wan Residence, where the Prince of Zhou and the Shajia Delegation prepared to depart.
• Hu Xiaotian greeted Long Yefang and traded teasing remarks with him and Mosheli before the procession left Azure Cloud with a large escort.
• At the Red Valley border, Hu Xiaotian sent Murong Feiyan and Azure Cloud's soldiers back while he continued with the Prince of Zhou.
• Zhu Qifan greeted Hu Xiaotian, praised his work on the Charity Auction and Azure Cloud Bridge, and invited him to a feast on his return.

Hu Xiaotian warned Zhu Qifan that the Shajia Delegation might face an ambush in Red Valley County, then recognized Xi Yan when she stopped the procession. Qin Yutong exposed Xi Yan’s feigned helplessness, and Hu Xiaotian greeted her after she realized he had seen through her.

• Hu Xiaotian told Zhu Qifan that Azure Cloud Bridge had been deliberately destroyed, prompting Zhu Qifan to order his men to stay alert.
• Hu Xiaotian told Qin Yutong he suspected the prince of Shajia was concealed among the delegation.
• Xi Yan stopped the procession in a carriage, and Hu Xiaotian identified her as a demoness from the Five Immortals Cult.
• Zhu Qifan ordered Xi Yan and her driver arrested, but Xi Yan’s beauty and sorrowful pleas made the soldiers hesitate.
• Liang Qing struck Xi Yan’s pressure points, and Qin Yutong discovered Xi Yan was pretending before secretly disabling her with a needle.
• Hu Xiaotian approached the exposed Xi Yan and greeted her, while she accused him of framing her.

Hu Xiaotian tried to keep Xi Yan under control, but the Prince of Zhou took her into his convoy after she claimed she had been wronged. As the convoy crossed the Eternal Relief Bridge in a violent storm, Xi Yan's carriage became stuck in the mud, and she asked to speak with Hu Xiaotian.

• Qin Yutong used a silver needle to restrain Xi Yan, but the Prince of Zhou ordered her acupoints released after Xi Yan won his sympathy with a tale of mistreatment.
• The Prince of Zhou brought Xi Yan along toward Xiezhou, while Hu Xiaotian warned that she had ulterior motives and had Liang Qing watch her carriage.
• A violent storm broke over the convoy as it neared the Eternal Relief Bridge, but the Prince of Zhou ordered everyone to keep moving.
• The convoy reached the bridge as heavy rain flooded the road and turned it to mud, trapping Xi Yan's carriage.
• Liang Qing told Hu Xiaotian that Xi Yan wanted to speak with him, and Hu Xiaotian refused.

Hu Xiaotian and Qin Yutong kept Xi Yan captive as the delegation traveled toward Mingyuan, while Qin warned that the Five Immortals Cult might ambush them in the mountains. At camp, Mosheli demanded Xi Yan for questioning, and she abruptly admitted to killing seven Shajia men.

• Xi Yan tried to coax Hu Xiaotian into helping her, but he ordered Liang Qing to tie her up and gag her.
• After the convoy crossed Eternal Relief Bridge, the rain stopped, and the Prince of Zhou ordered the delegation to camp on a knoll.
• Qin Yutong warned Hu Xiaotian that the Five Immortals Cult could ambush them in the mountains and that Xi Yan had deliberately allowed herself to be captured.
• Mosheli questioned Hu Xiaotian about the delegation's security and then asked the Prince of Zhou to hand Xi Yan over for questioning.
• The Prince of Zhou refused Mosheli's request, and Xi Yan admitted that she belonged to the Five Immortals Cult and had killed all seven of his men.

Hu Xiaotian prevented Mosheli from taking Xi Yan by claiming she was his gift to the Prince of Zhou, Long Yefang, who ordered her kept under guard. That night, Hu Xiaotian and Qin Yutong watched the Shajia camp and suspected a respected bearded warrior might be Huo Ge, the Shajia Kingdom’s twelfth prince.

• Mosheli demanded that Long Yefang surrender Xi Yan, so Hu Xiaotian slapped her and claimed she was a singing girl he had bought for the prince.
• Long Yefang backed Hu Xiaotian’s claim, and Mosheli left after asking him to help find the killer of seven Shajia men.
• Long Yefang privately thanked Hu Xiaotian for the gift and ordered him to watch Xi Yan closely as they traveled to Xiezhou.
• Hu Xiaotian warned Xi Yan to behave and kept her confined while the group camped for the night.
• Hu Xiaotian used a telescope to observe a respected bearded man in the Shajia camp, and Qin Yutong agreed to watch the delegation while Hu Xiaotian guarded Xi Yan.

Hu Xiaotian joined the guards for dinner, reflected on his growing acceptance of his family and engagement, then brought food to the captive Xi Yan and tried to question her about the Shajia deaths. Xi Yan remained defiant, and Hu Xiaotian threatened to make her cooperation necessary.

• Liang Qing and Xu Heng asked Hu Xiaotian why he served in Azure Cloud, and he praised the county’s simple customs.
• Hu Xiaotian reflected that he was accepting his identity and family, then admitted he had never met Miss Li.
• Hu Xiaotian brought food to Xi Yan, removed her gag, and fed her while she remained bound.
• Xi Yan threatened Hu Xiaotian, but he dismissed her attempt to seduce him and mocked her pride.
• Hu Xiaotian asked whether the Five Immortals Cult had killed seven Shajia men, then threatened Xi Yan to make her answer.

Hu Xiaotian questioned Xi Yan’s claims about the Five Immortals Cult and the Shajia Delegation, while Qin Yutong remained wary of her. In the Kang Capital, officials grew alarmed over the emperor’s absence as Long Yelin confronted Long Xuan'en about his reign and the succession.

• Xi Yan told Hu Xiaotian that she had tried to join his party to steal Lotus Sutra scriptures carried by the Shajia Delegation, but Qin Yutong dismissed her explanation as deception.
• Hu Xiaotian and Qin Yutong discussed whether Xi Yan’s claims were true, and Qin Yutong said she would keep watch through the night.
• Hu Buwei and Shi Buchui discussed the emperor’s seven-day absence, Grand Tutor Wen’s illness, and Mister Ren’s continued presence in the palace.
• Hu Buwei received a message by falcon, and his face turned pale after reading it.
• Long Yelin questioned Long Xuan'en about how his reign compared with those of earlier emperors, then accused him of fearing the loss of power.

Long Yelin deposed Long Xuan'en and demanded the Imperial Jade Seal, then turned to a stormy night in which venomous snakes overwhelmed Hu Xiaotian’s camp. Hu Xiaotian and Qin Yutong rescued Xi Yan, whose presence seemed to keep the snakes at bay.

• Long Yelin accused Long Xuan'en of betraying him and Great Kang, demanded the Imperial Jade Seal, and refused to spare Long Yeqing.
• Long Xuan'en warned that Long Yelin’s cruelty would bring ruin, so Long Yelin kicked him and forbade him from speaking as emperor.
• Hu Xiaotian found Qin Yutong standing guard in the storm, and they rushed toward Xi Yan’s carriage after hearing her scream.
• Hu Xiaotian nearly suffered a snakebite, but Qin Yutong cut down the attacking snake and used steel needles to fight the mass of venomous snakes invading camp.
• Hu Xiaotian and Qin Yutong reached Xi Yan, and Hu Xiaotian carried her from the carriage after she threatened that everyone would die.
• Qin Yutong and Hu Xiaotian saw the snakes part around Xi Yan, suggesting that something about her kept them away.

Qin Yutong and Hu Xiaotian forced Xi Yan to use her whistle to call off the snakes that had attacked the Prince of Zhou’s camp. After the party suffered heavy losses and the Shajia Delegation remained untouched, Hu Xiaotian suspected the attack’s true target was not what Xi Yan claimed.

• Qin Yutong threatened to cripple Xi Yan’s martial arts unless she stopped the snakes, and Hu Xiaotian frightened Xi Yan into cooperating.
• Xi Yan blew a Silver Whistle, and the snakes and insects retreated as dawn approached.
• Hu Xiaotian reported to Long Yefang that the Five Immortals Cult was behind the attack and persuaded him not to release Xi Yan.
• Liang Qing reported eight deaths and seven poisoned men, while the Shajia Delegation reported no casualties.
• Hu Xiaotian questioned Xi Yan about the attack and took her Silver Whistle; she denied that the cult meant to target Long Yefang.
• The party resumed its journey with half its horses dead, while the uninjured Shajia Delegation refused to share its horses or supplies.

The Prince of Zhou and Hu Xiaotian suspected that a disguised guard in the Shajia Delegation was Prince Huo Ge and deliberately provoked a confrontation to expose him. Huo Ge revealed his identity, and Long Yefang welcomed him despite Hu Xiaotian’s frustration.

• Hu Xiaotian told the Prince of Zhou that Mosheli treated a guard with unusual respect, leading the prince to suspect the man was Huo Ge.
• The Prince of Zhou ordered his party not to help the Shajia Delegation carry its baggage along the muddy mountain road.
• The Prince of Zhou dropped his reins before the suspected guard, and Hu Xiaotian used the incident to provoke the Shajia warriors.
• Long Yefang demanded that the guard kneel, while Mosheli tried to prevent the confrontation from escalating.
• Huo Ge identified himself as the Shajia Kingdom’s twelfth prince, and Long Yefang greeted him with feigned delight.

Huo Ge revealed himself as the Shajia prince and used graciousness and diplomacy to overshadow the Prince of Zhou, while Hu Xiaotian tested him and concealed what he knew. As they drank together, Huo Ge questioned Hu Xiaotian about the snakes and the Five Immortals Cult, then killed a snake with a throwing knife and shared wine steeped with its gallbladder.

• Huo Ge admitted his identity and apologized for concealing it, while Hu Xiaotian challenged his lack of sincerity toward the Prince of Zhou.
• Huo Ge calmed the dispute, offered the Great Kang party sheep and wine, and hosted the Prince of Zhou and Hu Xiaotian at lunch.
• After the Prince of Zhou became drunk and went to rest, Huo Ge kept Hu Xiaotian drinking and asked whether he had known Huo Ge's identity.
• Hu Xiaotian said he had recognized Huo Ge from his presence and the warriors' eyes, while denying that Visa had revealed him.
• Huo Ge asked about the snake attack and the Five Immortals Cult, then killed a mottled snake with a throwing knife and prepared its gallbladder in wine.
• Hu Xiaotian toasted enduring friendship between Great Kang and Shajia as he drank the snake-gallbladder wine with Huo Ge.

Hu Xiaotian and Huo Ge exchanged prized daggers and became sworn brothers after discovering their mutual admiration for Hu Xiaotian’s future father-in-law, Li Tianheng. On the journey afterward, Hu Xiaotian told the Prince of Zhou that Huo Ge intended to seek Princess Anping’s hand, and the prince resolved to speak with his imperial father.

• Hu Xiaotian held his own against Huo Ge in drinking and conversation while Mosheli watched.
• Huo Ge gave Hu Xiaotian his treasured short blade, and Hu Xiaotian gave Huo Ge the dagger gifted by Li Tianheng.
• After learning Li Tianheng’s identity, Huo Ge praised him and proposed that he and Hu Xiaotian become sworn brothers.
• Huo Ge and Hu Xiaotian swore brotherhood, with Huo Ge as the elder brother, and Mosheli privately called Hu Xiaotian shrewd.
• Hu Xiaotian reported the oath to the Prince of Zhou, who dismissed it as an empty title.
• Hu Xiaotian told the Prince of Zhou that Huo Ge wanted to marry Princess Anping, prompting the prince to say he would consult his imperial father.

After discovering that the Shajia Delegation had poisoned the mutton and put the antidote in the wine, Qin Yutong and Hu Xiaotian suspected a connection between them and the Five Immortals Cult. When they returned to camp, they learned that Xi Yan had died, leaving the Prince of Zhou grieving.

• After twenty-seven Great Kang soldiers fell ill, Qin Yutong treated them with herbs while Hu Xiaotian suspected the Shajia Delegation had tampered with the mutton.
• Xi Yan collapsed with a fever, so Qin Yutong went with Hu Xiaotian to gather herbs for her.
• Qin Yutong used Hu Xiaotian's telescope to confirm that no one in the Shajia camp was ill, and she concluded that the wine contained an antidote to something in the mutton.
• Qin Yutong and Hu Xiaotian discussed whether the Shajia Delegation and the Five Immortals Cult were colluding, then Qin Yutong told Hu Xiaotian she knew he was not the original Hu Xiaotian.
• On their way back, Qin Yutong asked whether Hu Xiaotian remembered her treating him the previous May, and Hu Xiaotian kept his unusual identity secret.
• Liang Qing told Hu Xiaotian that Xi Yan had died, and Long Yefang emerged from her tent mourning her.

Hu Xiaotian and Qin Yutong tried to revive Xi Yan, then believed she was dead and prepared to cremate her. A massive bee swarm struck the camps, and when it dispersed, Xi Yan had vanished, confirming Hu Xiaotian’s suspicion that she had faked her death.

• Hu Xiaotian performed CPR on Xi Yan, but Qin Yutong’s acupuncture and their checks showed no sign of life.
• Hu Xiaotian carried Xi Yan into the woods and prepared a pyre after their attempt to bury her hit rock.
• Xu Heng crushed a bee, provoking a swarm that attacked the Great Kang camp and the Shajia Delegation.
• Hu Xiaotian escaped the swarm and joined Qin Yutong at a smoke-filled fire, where the Prince of Zhou and survivors took shelter.
• The swarm dispersed after about a quarter of an hour, leaving five Great Kang people and one Shajia person dead.
• Hu Xiaotian and his men found Xu Heng dead but Xi Yan’s body missing, and Hu Xiaotian concluded she had staged her death and summoned the bees.