Chapter Summaries

Hu Xiaotian, Murong Feiyan, and their companions escaped across a burning suspension bridge, but Shao Yijiao died after searching for the hidden archers. They crossed Penyin Mountain and camped among boulders, where Hu Xiaotian and Murong Feiyan watched the moon and spoke about his hometown.

• Hu Xiaotian and Murong Feiyan crossed the damaged suspension bridge as flaming arrows and wildfire threatened them, and Murong Feiyan cut the remaining cables to stop pursuers.
• Shao Yijiao returned from the woods with two arrows in his back and died, leaving Hu Xiaotian and Liang Dazhuang to bury him.
• The little girl silently placed wildflowers on Shao Yijiao's grave and whispered an apology before the group continued down the mountain.
• Hu Xiaotian and his companions crossed Penyin Mountain without another attack and made camp among large boulders.
• Murong Feiyan and Hu Xiaotian climbed onto a boulder to keep watch, admired the rising crescent moon, and discussed Hu Xiaotian's hometown.

Hu Xiaotian amused Murong Feiyan with a crude mountain poem, then confronted the little girl about Shao Yijiao’s death and the value she placed on commoners’ lives. The little girl left the campfire hurt and angry, still holding her blue-patterned bundle.

• Hu Xiaotian and Murong Feiyan joked beneath the moon, and Murong Feiyan challenged him to compose a poem about a mountain.
• Hu Xiaotian recited a ridiculous verse that made Murong Feiyan laugh, so she lost their bet and agreed to take the first watch.
• After dinner, Liang Dazhuang took the first watch while Murong Feiyan patrolled, leaving Hu Xiaotian and the little girl by the campfire.
• The little girl asked whether Hu Xiaotian blamed her for Shao Yijiao’s death and promised to compensate him, but Hu Xiaotian challenged her belief that her life mattered more than theirs.
• Hu Xiaotian told the little girl to remember Shao Yijiao’s name and respect his sacrifice, then walked away to sleep.
• The little girl left the campfire in hurt silence, carrying her blue-patterned cloth bundle.

Murong Feiyan and Hu Xiaotian led their companions away from the Giant Stone Array after a black eagle spotted their camp. When eerie green lights appeared in the woods, Murong Feiyan ordered everyone to run back.

• The young girl asked Murong Feiyan whether she blamed her for a man's death, and Murong Feiyan urged her to rest.
• Hu Xiaotian climbed onto the boulder to speak with Murong Feiyan, then they spotted a black eagle circling above their camp.
• Murong Feiyan woke Liang Dazhuang and the young girl, and the group hurried down the mountain to escape detection.
• The young girl sprained her ankle in a crack between rocks, so Hu Xiaotian carried her.
• Murong Feiyan stopped the group when dozens of eerie green lights appeared in the woods and ordered them to run back.

A wolf pack driven by a hidden Beast Tamer attacked Hu Xiaotian, Murong Feiyan, and the little girl, forcing them to take refuge on a boulder. Murong Feiyan left to find the Beast Tamer, while Hu Xiaotian and the girl remained surrounded by nearly a hundred wolves.

• Liang Dazhuang abandoned the bundles and rolled down the slope as the wolves charged.
• Hu Xiaotian and Murong Feiyan fought off wolves and retreated with the little girl onto a boulder.
• The little girl said a Beast Tamer was controlling the wolves and warned that more beasts would gather unless the hidden controller was eliminated.
• Murong Feiyan heard a high-pitched sound from the southwest and set out to find the Beast Tamer despite Hu Xiaotian's concern.
• Murong Feiyan escaped a sudden Blue Wolf attack and broke through the pack's encirclement, leaving Hu Xiaotian and the little girl surrounded.

Hu Xiaotian and the little girl fought off wolves and black eagles attacking their rock, while Murong Feiyan tracked down the beast tamer directing the assault. She killed him after an archer’s attacks interrupted her first strike, though the threat to Hu Xiaotian and the girl remained unresolved.

• The wolves built a living pile to reach Hu Xiaotian and the little girl, but Hu Xiaotian beat them back and the girl’s Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles toppled their formation.
• Dozens of black eagles joined the attack, and Hu Xiaotian gave the girl An Dequan’s needle box before defending her with his Water-and-Fire Staff.
• Wounded while escaping the wolves, Murong Feiyan heard humanlike howls in the forest and found a masked man directing the beasts with animal calls.
• Murong Feiyan attacked the beast tamer, but a concealed archer forced her to deflect two powerful steel arrows.
• The beast tamer attacked Murong Feiyan at close range, but she pierced his leg and killed him with a sword slash.

Murong Feiyan pursued and killed the black-clad archer, then hurried back to Hu Xiaotian and the little girl, who were trapped on a boulder by wolves and Black Eagles. With their weapons spent and the wolves closing in, Hu Xiaotian learned the girl's name was Qiqi and charged into a last desperate fight.

• Murong Feiyan dodged the archer's arrows and killed him by throwing her sword through his chest.
• Hu Xiaotian's Water-and-Fire Staff snapped as he fought off a Blue Wolf, and the little girl used the last of her Rainstorm Pear Blossom Needles to kill it.
• A Gray Wolf killed a Black Eagle, while more wolves climbed onto the boulder and surrounded Hu Xiaotian and the little girl.
• The little girl gave Hu Xiaotian the antidote and told him her name was Qiqi as they prepared to face the wolves.
• Hu Xiaotian lunged at a Blue Wolf with his dagger, determined to kill as many wolves as he could.

Hu Xiaotian, Murong Feiyan, and Qiqi survived the wolf attack and escaped Penyin Mountain, but Qiqi still had not given Hu Xiaotian an antidote for the poison in his arm. As they reached the road, Murong Feiyan realized Liang Dazhuang had vanished with their money and belongings.

• Murong Feiyan arrived in time to kill wolves threatening Hu Xiaotian, and the remaining beasts retreated as dawn broke.
• Hu Xiaotian and Murong Feiyan rested on the rock while Qiqi slept, then prepared to leave Penyin Mountain with Qiqi unable to walk on her injured ankle.
• Hu Xiaotian asked Qiqi for the Seven-Day Soul-Severing Needle antidote, but she claimed she had none and said the bottle she had offered contained deadly poison.
• Murong Feiyan warned Qiqi to keep her promise to help Hu Xiaotian, and Qiqi assured her she would.
• The three reached the foot of Penyin Mountain, where Qiqi tried walking and Murong Feiyan suggested hiring a carriage.
• Murong Feiyan remembered that Liang Dazhuang had fled with their luggage and valuables, leaving them without money.

Hu Xiaotian, Murong Feiyan, and Qiqi reached Xiezhou after traveling on Qiqi’s scant funds, hoping to find refuge at the Zhou residence. At the ordinary house, they discovered that its residents did not recognize Qiqi, and the woman who answered the gate denied that Grand Tutor Zhou lived there.

• Qiqi offered her remaining travel money, and Hu Xiaotian and his companions continued toward Xiezhou without their luggage, official seal, or documents.
• The three traveled cautiously for three days, then entered Xiezhou without attracting the relaxed gate guards’ attention.
• Hu Xiaotian learned that Zhou Ruiyuan had been stripped of his titles and returned to his hometown after Crown Prince Long Yelin was deposed.
• Hu Xiaotian, Murong Feiyan, and Qiqi found the Zhou residence on Yujin Lane and waited while a mute man opened the gate.
• A woman in plain clothes corrected Hu Xiaotian when he called her madam, then asked why they had come.
• Qiqi asked whether the house belonged to Grand Tutor Zhou, but the woman denied that anyone by that name lived there and told them to leave.

Hu Xiaotian, Murong Feiyan, and Qiqi reached the home of Zhou Ruiyuan’s sister, where Qiqi handed Hu Xiaotian an antidote and Murong insisted they wait to see if it worked. The woman learned Murong’s and Hu Xiaotian’s identities, leaving Hu exposed as the son of the minister who had impeached Zhou Ruiyuan.

• Hu Xiaotian showed Zhou Ruiyuan’s Coiled Dragon Jade Pendant to the woman, who confirmed it belonged to her elder brother and led Qiqi into the courtyard.
• Qiqi returned the porcelain bottle to Hu Xiaotian, and he swallowed a foul-smelling Crimson Pill that she said would clear the poison after one double-hour.
• Murong Feiyan refused to leave until the antidote took effect and kept watch over Qiqi while noticing the skill of the woman and Mute.
• Qiqi introduced Murong Feiyan as the capital’s renowned Female Constable and revealed that Hu Xiaotian was Lord Hu Buwei’s son.
• The woman reacted with surprise to Hu Xiaotian’s identity, and he realized Qiqi had exposed him despite his father’s warning to keep a low profile.

Hu Xiaotian and Murong Feiyan left the Zhou residence after recovering the Coiled Dragon Jade Pendant, then set out to report their lost travel money, official seal, and documents to the Xiezhou Prefecture offices. They got lost and found Liang Dazhuang being beaten at Huan Cai Pavilion, where Murong Feiyan intervened.

• Hu Xiaotian spoke warily with Zhou Ruiyuan’s younger sister, learned Zhou Ruiyuan was away, and retrieved the Coiled Dragon Jade Pendant after Qiqi confirmed it was his.
• Hu Xiaotian and Murong Feiyan left the Zhou residence and realized they had no money, official seal, or documents.
• Murong Feiyan suggested they report their predicament to the Xiezhou Prefecture offices, and they set out to find them.
• Hu Xiaotian and Murong Feiyan got lost and wandered onto Xiezhou’s pleasure street, where they heard Liang Dazhuang being beaten.
• Murong Feiyan stopped a club-wielding man, while Hu Xiaotian helped the battered Liang Dazhuang to his feet.
• The madam of Huan Cai Pavilion ordered her men to beat Liang Dazhuang for eating, drinking, and seeking the girls’ services without paying.

Hu Xiaotian tried to recover his luggage and official documents from Huan Cai Pavilion by talking with its madam, Xiangqin, while she demanded payment for Liang Dazhuang’s alleged damage and misconduct. Xiangqin denied knowing anything about the luggage, leaving Hu without the items he needed.

• Liang Dazhuang told Hu Xiaotian that Huan Cai Pavilion had taken their luggage, including the official seal and documents.
• Hu Xiaotian charmed Xiangqin and persuaded her to discuss Liang Dazhuang’s trouble instead of starting a fight.
• Xiangqin calculated a bill of one thousand taels for food, drinks, companionship, and broken furniture, and offered to settle the matter for that amount.
• Liang Dazhuang protested that he had only touched and kissed the four women, while Murong Feiyan criticized his behavior.
• Hu Xiaotian asked Xiangqin where his luggage was, but she denied that it had ever been there and insisted the pavilion operated lawfully.

Hu Xiaotian and his companions recovered their belongings from the Huan Cai Pavilion after agreeing to pay a thousand taels of silver. The chapter ended with Hu Xiaotian leaving the brothel with his official seal and documents, while the Pavilion retained his stamped IOU.

• Murong Feiyan threatened Xiangqin, who struck at her and fought her with a steel abacus before a voice from inside the Pavilion stopped the clash.
• Hu Xiaotian saw a veiled young woman in red on the third floor, and Xiangqin later said the woman, Xi Yan, would return their belongings if Hu Xiaotian paid what was owed.
• Xiangqin revealed that the Pavilion knew Hu Xiaotian was an official and required him to write an IOU for one thousand taels of silver with thirty percent annual interest.
• Hu Xiaotian checked that his official seal, documents, and surgical instruments were in his recovered bundle, then signed the IOU and stamped it with his official seal.
• Hu Xiaotian recovered his luggage and left the Huan Cai Pavilion with Murong Feiyan and Liang Dazhuang.

Hu Xiaotian and his companions traveled toward Azure Cloud County with Xiangqin’s silver, and he reassured Liang Dazhuang about abandoning him during the wolf attack. As Azure Cloud County came into view, they reached a river and learned that a bridge lay five li upstream.

• Xiangqin gave Hu Xiaotian fifty taels for their journey, which he accepted despite Murong Feiyan’s disapproval.
• Hu Xiaotian, Murong Feiyan, and Liang Dazhuang traveled for four days and reached the river near Azure Cloud County.
• Liang Dazhuang apologized for fleeing from the wolves on Penyin Mountain, and Hu Xiaotian forgave him and praised him for recovering the official seal and documents.
• Murong Feiyan searched for a crossing and called to an old fisherman, who told the travelers that Azure Cloud Bridge was five li upstream.

Hu Xiaotian and his companions crossed the Tongji River with the help of a learned old fisherman after Hu matched the fisherman’s couplet. The fisherman left Hu with cryptic advice about choosing a direction in life and challenged him to show how his talents would shape the future.

• The fisherman told Hu Xiaotian that the flood had destroyed the nearby bridge and asked him to answer a couplet before he would ferry them across.
• Hu Xiaotian matched the fisherman’s line with a couplet about a tower writing heavenly prose, earning the fisherman’s praise.
• The fisherman invited Hu Xiaotian, Murong Feiyan, and Liang Dazhuang onto his small boat and rebuked Hu when his attempt to row sent it backward.
• The fisherman advised Hu Xiaotian that life required knowing whether to go with or against the current and choosing a direction.
• The fisherman described Azure Cloud County’s poverty and hardships, then ferried the group safely across the river.
• The fisherman refused Hu Xiaotian’s silver and drifted downstream, calling back that he would see how Hu’s brush wrote its prose in the heavens.

Hu Xiaotian arrived in Azure Cloud County with Murong Feiyan and Liang Dazhuang, where the Wan Residence’s servants insulted them and Hu Xiaotian chose to leave without a fight. At the county yamen, Murong Feiyan explained the Greed Beast painted on its spirit screen, and Hu Xiaotian outwardly agreed with its warning against greed while privately doubting officials could be incorruptible.

• Hu Xiaotian entered rundown Azure Cloud County with Murong Feiyan and Liang Dazhuang and saw the imposing Wan Residence.
• The Wan Residence’s servants challenged them, but Hu Xiaotian ordered Liang Dazhuang to move on and privately resolved to settle accounts later.
• Murong Feiyan recognized Hu Xiaotian’s plans for revenge and teased him as they continued toward the yamen.
• Hu Xiaotian inspected the county yamen and mistook the Greed Beast on its spirit screen for a qilin.
• Murong Feiyan explained that the Greed Beast warned officials against greed, and Hu Xiaotian agreed aloud while privately reasoning that officials were greedy to different degrees.

Hu Xiaotian arrived at the Azure Cloud County office to meet Magistrate Xu Qinglian, but a dispute over a goat interrupted him before he could reveal that he was the newly appointed County Deputy. The hearing began with Xu Qinglian ordering the fat man to speak first, while he eyed the goat.

• Hu Xiaotian, Murong Feiyan, and Liang Dazhuang went to the county office, where the bailiffs blocked their way and refused to let Hu Xiaotian see the magistrate.
• Two men arrived fighting over a goat and beat the drum to demand justice, so Hu Xiaotian followed them into the courtroom to watch the hearing.
• Xu Qinglian entered court, and the fat man and thin man both claimed to be the aggrieved party.
• Xu Qinglian silenced the litigants and ordered the fat man to speak first, while looking toward the goat.

Hu Xiaotian watched Magistrate Xu Qinglian abuse his authority during a case over a stolen goat, then decided to delay reporting to the county offices and learn more about Azure Cloud County. At the Good Fortune Inn, he settled in with Liang Dazhuang and Murong Feiyan while keeping his identity secret before assuming his post.

• Xu Qinglian had Jia Dewang beaten and jailed, then fined Jia Liu and confiscated the goat after both men failed to prove ownership.
• Hu Xiaotian learned from a townsman that Magistrate Xu’s corruption had made people afraid to bring lawsuits in Azure Cloud County.
• Hu Xiaotian postponed reporting for duty and took rooms at the Good Fortune Inn with Liang Dazhuang and Murong Feiyan.
• Hu Xiaotian told Liang Dazhuang to keep his identity secret for the next two days while they stayed in town.
• Murong Feiyan returned to the inn, and Hu Xiaotian struck Liang Dazhuang on the forehead for staring after her.

Hu Xiaotian learned about Azure Cloud County’s bandits and corrupt magistrate while investigating the town, then discovered that a courthouse plaintiff might be linked to a secret in the prison. During a marketplace outing, Murong Feiyan mistook a Black Miao bride-snatching custom for an abduction, knocked the groom from his horse, and faced an angry crowd as Hu Xiaotian was told to escort the bride away.

• Su Guangju told Hu Xiaotian that mounted bandits had ruined Azure Cloud’s trade route and that magistrate Xu Qinglian was notorious for corruption.
• Murong Feiyan reported that the thin man who had taken ten strokes in court walked normally afterward and entered a residence where martial artists greeted him, leading Hu Xiaotian to suspect a staged complaint and a secret in the prison.
• Hu Xiaotian and Murong Feiyan explored the marketplace, where Murong Feiyan admired silver ornaments at a Black Miao stall.
• Murong Feiyan saw Black Miao men carrying a woman in red and, believing she was being abducted, kicked their leader from his horse and rescued the woman.
• Murong Feiyan handed the red-clad woman to Hu Xiaotian and told him to take her away while she held off the approaching Black Miao men and onlookers.

Hu Xiaotian fled the Black Miao pursuers, hid in a lotus pond, and witnessed Le Yao resist advances from her brother-in-law and father-in-law. When Le Yao discovered the mastiff's corpse, Hu Xiaotian emerged and covered her mouth before she could call for help.

• Hu Xiaotian and the Black Miao woman escaped the pursuing men by climbing a wall, but she drew the pursuers away to protect him.
• A mastiff chased Hu Xiaotian into a pond, where he drowned it and then hid among the lotus leaves.
• Le Yao met with Cai Ping in the garden, where Wan Tingchang tried to make advances before Master Wan arrived and sent him away.
• Master Wan tried to force himself on Le Yao, who jumped into the pond to stop him and refused to come out until he left.
• Le Yao walked farther into the pond, found the mastiff's corpse, and was about to cry for help when Hu Xiaotian emerged and covered her mouth.

Hu Xiaotian hid in the Wan residence’s lotus pond after fleeing his pursuers, and Le Yao concealed him when Master Wan came looking for her. As night fell, Hu Xiaotian remained trapped in the pond while Le Yao returned, burdened by troubles she had not yet explained.

• Hu Xiaotian caught Le Yao in the pond, persuaded her not to expose him, and hid underwater when Master Wan returned.
• After Master Wan left, Le Yao told Hu Xiaotian to wait until dark, then let Cai Ping believe she had accidentally fallen into the pond.
• Hu Xiaotian watched Cai Ping receive a black porcelain bottle from a servant, who later spoke privately with Wan Tingsheng.
• Hu Xiaotian waited in the pond through two guard patrols and reflected on his former life and the people who might be searching for him.
• Le Yao returned to the garden with Cai Ping, who urged her to stay strong and promised to remain by her side.