Chapter Summaries

Shangguan Tianhuo accused Qiao Fangzheng of plotting the old gang leader’s murder and Elder Xu’s death to seize control of the Beggar Gang. Qiao Fangzheng denied hating the old gang leader, while Zhu Ba’s testimony supported Shangguan Tianhuo’s case.

• Shangguan Tianhuo arrived at the gathering carrying the Green Bamboo Staff and announced that the Beggar Gang faced a grave crisis.
• Shangguan Tianhuo claimed Qiao Fangzheng had secretly learned the Dog-Beating Staff Technique and colluded with outside enemies.
• Zhu Ba testified that Qiao Fangzheng had promised to make him chief Enforcement Elder in exchange for revealing the old gang leader’s whereabouts to Elder Xu.
• Shangguan Tianhuo revealed that the old gang leader had gouged out Qiao Fangzheng’s eyes after discovering Qiao Fangzheng’s affair with his wife and the child they had together.
• Qiao Fangzheng admitted his past wrongdoing but denied resenting the old gang leader or plotting his murder.
• Shangguan Tianhuo accused Qiao Fangzheng of using Zhu Ba to lure Elder Xu to Dark Yin Mountain, then declared that he had recovered the Green Bamboo Staff.

Long Xiyue revealed the Iron Rice Bowl at the Beggar Gang gathering and challenged Shangguan Tianhuo’s claim to leadership by identifying herself as Qiu Sihai’s disciple. Her questions about Qiu Sihai’s death and missing remains left Shangguan Tianhuo unable to answer, while the beggars began to doubt him.

• Shangguan Tianhuo won support from the beggars by condemning Qiao Fangzheng and claiming he would serve the gang, despite lacking the Iron Rice Bowl.
• Long Xiyue interrupted Shangguan Tianhuo and displayed the Iron Rice Bowl, while Hu Xiaotian followed her onto Storm Terrace.
• Long Xiyue told Shangguan Tianhuo that she was not a gang member but was Qiu Sihai’s disciple, and she challenged his authority and credibility.
• Long Xiyue claimed Qiu Sihai had met and taught her near Dark Yin Mountain, then questioned how Shangguan Tianhuo could know Qiu Sihai was dead without seeing his remains.
• Shangguan Tianhuo could not explain the absence of Qiu Sihai’s remains, and several beggars began to question his succession.

Long Xiyue claimed leadership of the Beggar Gang after taking possession of both sacred treasures, challenging Shangguan Tianhuo’s authority. She then confronted him over his mastery of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique, leaving their dispute on the verge of a fight.

• Long Xiyue accused Shangguan Tianhuo of conspiring to harm her master and demanded the Green Bamboo Staff, claiming evidence was hidden inside it.
• Shangguan Tianhuo handed Long Xiyue the staff after she wagered the Iron Rice Bowl that she could produce evidence, but she instead declared that holding both sacred treasures made her the gang leader.
• Shangguan Yunfeng attacked Long Xiyue, and Hu Xiaotian blocked him with the God-Demon World-Ending Fist and announced he was protecting her.
• Qiao Fangzheng pledged allegiance to Long Xiyue, while the Beggar Gang elders and disciples wavered over whether its rules made her the rightful leader.
• Long Xiyue challenged Shangguan Tianhuo to prove his qualifications by taking back the Green Bamboo Staff, asking how much of the Dog-Beating Staff Technique he had mastered.

Long Xiyue used the Dog-Beating Staff Technique to challenge Shangguan Tianhuo and expose his deception to the Beggar Gang. As the elders began to turn against Shangguan Tianhuo and Shangguan Yunfeng, Shangguan Yunfeng suddenly attacked Hu Xiaotian with a hidden sword.

• Long Xiyue challenged Shangguan Tianhuo with the Green Bamboo Staff, while Qiao Fangzheng questioned Shangguan Tianhuo's motives and Zhu Ba accused him and his son of coercion.
• Long Xiyue used the Dog-Beating Staff Technique to counter Shangguan Tianhuo, and Qiao Fangzheng revealed that Shangguan Tianhuo had used moves he should not have known.
• Shangguan Tianhuo launched a lethal blow, but Long Xiyue redirected it into the paving stones, while Hu Xiaotian heard his maternal grandfather's voice warning him not to intervene.
• Zhu Ba told the elders how Shangguan Tianhuo and his son had forced him to take the blame, and the elders began to suspect Shangguan Yunfeng.
• Shangguan Yunfeng seized Hu Xiaotian's Dog-Beating Staff and drew a concealed sword, thrusting it toward Hu Xiaotian's throat.

Hu Xiaotian and Qiao Fangzheng helped subdue Shangguan Tianhuo and Shangguan Yunfeng, while Long Xiyue was recognized as the Beggar Gang’s chief. The Elders later revealed that they knew Long Xiyue was Xu Lingkong’s disciple, leaving her astonished.

• Hu Xiaotian blocked Shangguan Yunfeng’s attacks with the Iron Rice Bowl, then used it to intercept an arrow aimed at Long Xiyue.
• Qiao Fangzheng broke free, struck Shangguan Yunfeng, and restrained him with a chain while accusing him and Shangguan Tianhuo of treachery.
• Long Xiyue disarmed Shangguan Tianhuo, and Xu Lingkong’s voice distracted him long enough for the Dog-Beating Staff to smash his face.
• Shangguan Tianhuo agreed to go with Zhao Shenxiong, Qiao Fangzheng returned the Iron Rice Bowl to Long Xiyue, and Mu Shusheng and the Elders acknowledged her as chief.
• Hu Xiaotian urged Long Xiyue to accept the position, and Mu Shusheng explained that the Elders knew she was Xu Lingkong’s accomplished disciple.

Long Xiyue accepted leadership of the Beggar Gang with Hu Xiaotian’s support, while Qiao Fangzheng and Shangguan Tianhuo and Son escaped Storm Island. The chapter ended with Xu Lingkong explaining why he rescued Qiao Fangzheng and allowed Shangguan Tianhuo and Son to flee.

• Hu Xiaotian explained that Xu Lingkong had arranged for Long Xiyue to become Gang Leader, and Long Xiyue agreed to take the position with Hu’s help.
• Long Xiyue revealed her identity to the Beggar Gang elders and chose to let Zhu Ba redeem himself through service.
• Beggar Gang disciples reported that Qiao Fangzheng and Shangguan Tianhuo and Son had escaped, and Long Xiyue joined Mu Shusheng in searching Storm Island.
• Long Xiyue and Hu Xiaotian returned to Fire Tree City, where Jiang Shaoyang pledged loyalty to Hu Xiaotian and Long Xiyue worried about her missing master.
• Xu Lingkong told Qiao Fangzheng that he had rescued him to spare Long Xiyue trouble, and explained that Shangguan Tianhuo and Son’s escape would expose their guilt without stirring suspicion in the gang.

After the Red Sea Assembly, Hu Xiaotian arranged to maintain Redwood River’s existing leadership and prepare to return north, while Long Xiyue took charge of the Beggar Gang. Hu Xiaotian agreed to seek mercy for Tong Tiejin and recruited Xie Tianqiong, as Zhu Ba pledged to start over after losing his gang positions.

• Xu Lingkong told Qiao Fangzheng to go to Eastern Liang Commandery and help Hu Xiaotian, then said he would travel to the Northern Frontier.
• Hu Xiaotian chose to preserve the status quo in Redwood River, left Liang Yinghao to assist the recovering Zhan Peng, and planned to depart in three days.
• Long Xiyue welcomed Beggar Gang elders to discuss the gang’s affairs while Hu Xiaotian stayed out of their meeting.
• Xie Tianqiong asked Hu Xiaotian to intercede for imprisoned Tong Tiejin, and Hu Xiaotian agreed to help.
• Hu Xiaotian offered Xie Tianqiong a position, and Xie Tianqiong agreed to serve him.
• Zhu Ba explained that Elder Xu had sent him with two thousand men to aid Hu Xiaotian and said he would turn over a new leaf after being stripped of his gang positions.

Long Xiyue took charge of the Beggar Gang’s plans for Redwood River and persuaded its elders to give Zhu Ba another chance. Hu Xiaotian then met High Priest Tongyun, who pleaded for Shangguan Yunchong before collapsing from the Heartless Gu in her body.

• Long Xiyue sent Mu Shusheng to explain to her royal brother that Shangguan Tianhuo and his son had abducted him without the Beggar Gang’s involvement.
• Long Xiyue urged the elders to win Redwood River’s tribes through trust and convinced them to let Zhu Ba protect Ganuo and the Spirit Maiden in Fire Tree City.
• Hu Xiaotian told Long Xiyue that Zhu Ba and Xie Tianqiong would remain in Redwood River to help.
• High Priest Tongyun invited Hu Xiaotian and asked him to spare Shangguan Yunchong, then collapsed when her feelings triggered the Heartless Gu.
• Hu Xiaotian told Tongyun that Shangguan Yunchong had a look-alike brother and said Yunchong’s fate depended on his own choices.

Tongyun overcame some of her lingering attachment to Shangguan Yunchong after Hu Xiaotian’s advice, while Hu Xiaotian’s party traveled north through the mountains. After signs of danger prompted them to break camp and flee overnight, they reached Black Cool Mountain at dawn and stopped to rest.

• Tongyun thanked Hu Xiaotian after realizing that she, not he, controlled her fate and her gu poison settled.
• Hu Xiaotian and his party traveled toward Heavenly Wolf Mountain, but he decided not to visit Yan Nujiao because of the danger posed by Yan Kui and his men.
• Hu Xiaotian and Long Xiyue agreed to detour east toward Black Cool Mountain rather than visit Yan Nujiao.
• After a bird’s alarm and Xia Changming’s warning suggested danger nearby, Hu Xiaotian ordered the party to break camp and travel through the night.
• The party reached Black Cool Mountain by dawn, and Hu Xiaotian agreed with Xia Changming that they should rest.

Hu Xiaotian and Xia Changming led their exhausted party across Black Cool Mountain while trying to identify an unseen enemy driving away all the birds and beasts. They suspected a powerful Beast Tamer, possibly Feather Demon Li Chang'an, as they prepared for an attack before leaving the mountain.

• Hu Xiaotian treated Long Xiyue's blistered feet, then carried her as the party continued through the mountains.
• Xia Changming warned Hu Xiaotian that the mountain was unnaturally quiet and that his scouting black-beaked sparrow had not returned.
• Hu Xiaotian released the exhausted horses, and the party pressed on while seeing no birds or beasts along their route.
• Hu Xiaotian and Xia Changming camped at Black Cool Mountain's summit and reasoned that their hidden enemy was trying to exhaust them before striking.
• Xia Changming suggested the enemy was an expert at controlling birds, leading Hu Xiaotian to suspect Feather Demon Li Chang'an.

Hu Xiaotian and his companions fought off a massive troop of monkeys while Xia Changming battled an opposing flute player who controlled the birds. Li Chang'an revealed himself as Xia Changming’s senior brother and enemy, leaving the two former fellow disciples facing a break in their relationship.

• Hu Xiaotian spotted unnatural movement in the western woods and gathered everyone on the rock as rain and a troop of monkeys approached.
• Xia Changming used his flute to resist the birds, while Hu Xiaotian, Long Xiyue, and the five warriors fought the monkeys climbing the rock.
• Hu Xiaotian drove the monkeys back with sweeping saber strikes, and Long Xiyue and the warriors helped clear the rock.
• Xia Changming’s flute contest ended when the birds carried him into the sky, where Li Chang'an appeared with a metal arm.
• Xia Changming confronted Li Chang'an and warned him to leave rather than harm Hu Xiaotian, or their bond as fellow disciples would end.

Hu Xiaotian and his companions fought off waves of attacking monkeys and boars while Xia Changming battled Li Chang'an in the sky. After the boars toppled their rocky refuge, thousands of wolves surrounded the eight survivors, leaving them to prepare for another desperate fight.

• Xia Changming wrested control of half of Li Chang'an's flock and clashed with him in an aerial battle.
• Hu Xiaotian realized the boars were digging beneath the boulder and jumped down to attack them.
• The boars undermined the boulder, forcing Hu Xiaotian, Long Xiyue, and the five warriors to evacuate as it toppled.
• Hu Xiaotian used his blade energy to break the boars' charge, while Long Xiyue and the warriors helped slaughter the herd.
• Thousands of wolves approached, and Hu Xiaotian's group formed a circle to face them.

Xia Changming turned the battle against Li Chang'an with the Golden Feather Armor, then flew into the forest to pursue the Beast Demon while Hu Xiaotian and the others struggled against the wolves. Just as they were close to being overwhelmed, a cavalry unit led by a red-clad woman arrived and attacked the pack.

• Xia Changming revealed the Golden Feather Armor, drew the birds to his side, and defeated Li Chang'an with a Bird-Catching Net and a kick that sent him crashing into the forest.
• Xia Changming left Hu Xiaotian, Long Xiyue, and the five warriors to fight the wolves and flew northwest to find the Beast Tamer.
• Yan Huxiao spotted Xia Changming's birds and fled deeper into the forest on his black tiger while sounding his horn to send more wolves against Hu Xiaotian's group.
• Hu Xiaotian saved Long Xiyue from a blue wolf, but the exhausted group remained surrounded by at least a thousand wolves.
• A cavalry unit charged from the southeast and fired into the wolves, led by a graceful woman in red who rode a jujube-red horse.

Yan Nujiao’s Horse Bandits rescued Hu Xiaotian, Long Xiyue, and their companions from the wolf attack and brought them to Orchid Creek Stockade. As Hu Xiaotian and Yan Nujiao began to reconcile in private, a child announced that Yan Kui had arrived.

• Yan Nujiao and her Horse Bandits turned the battle against the wolves, while Hu Xiaotian helped the wounded Xia Changming after Beast Demon Yan Huxiao fled.
• Hu Xiaotian and Long Xiyue thanked Yan Nujiao, who explained that her forces controlled the area and invited them to rest at Orchid Creek Stockade.
• Yan Nujiao led Hu Xiaotian and Long Xiyue to her residence, where Long Xiyue fell asleep from exhaustion and Hu Xiaotian changed into local clothes.
• Hu Xiaotian admitted to Yan Nujiao that he had avoided visiting her father, and the two kissed in a nearby stilt house.
• A child announced that the chief had arrived, and Yan Nujiao saw that her father, Yan Kui, had returned.

Hu Xiaotian and his companions tried to leave Orchid Creek Stockade before Yan Kui could discover their identities, but Qin Boyan stopped them and invited them to a banquet. They accepted the invitation and prepared to attend under the false name Wu Neng.

• Yan Nujiao warned Hu Xiaotian and his companions to hide their identities from her father, Yan Kui, who had returned to the stockade with Qin Boyan and a group of men.
• Yan Kui introduced the newcomer Ma Xinsheng to Yan Nujiao and asked her to show him around while Hu Xiaotian stayed out of sight.
• Yan Nujiao returned near dusk and escorted Hu Xiaotian, Long Xiyue, and Xia Changming's group toward the gates, where she said goodbye to Hu Xiaotian.
• Qin Boyan intercepted them at the stone bridge, invited them to a banquet on Yan Kui's orders, and had the stockade gates closed.
• Yan Nujiao introduced Hu Xiaotian as Young Master Wu, Wu Neng, and Qin Boyan told the group the banquet would begin in an hour.

Hu Xiaotian and Long Xiyue attended Yan Kui’s banquet, where he announced that Yan Nujiao would marry Ma Xinsheng. Yan Nujiao refused, and Hu Xiaotian challenged Yan Kui’s reasoning, leaving the debate unresolved as Yan Kui turned the crowd’s laughter against him.

• Hu Xiaotian and Long Xiyue entered the banquet using the names Wu Neng and Wu Yong, while Yan Nujiao warned Hu Xiaotian that her father might recognize him.
• Yan Kui warmly welcomed the guests and praised Ma Xinsheng for saving his life in Western Prefecture.
• Yan Kui announced that he intended to marry Yan Nujiao to Ma Xinsheng, and Yan Nujiao publicly refused.
• Yan Kui argued that he had the right to decide his daughter’s marriage, while Yan Nujiao insisted she could choose for herself.
• Hu Xiaotian laughed and argued that Yan Kui should marry an old woman himself if she saved Yan Nujiao’s life and he wanted to repay her.
• Yan Kui countered that parents could decide for their children but not the other way around, and the assembled guests laughed at Hu Xiaotian’s name.

Yan Nujiao declared her love for Hu Xiaotian and claimed she might be carrying his child, while Ma Xinsheng presented Yan Kui with a poisoned Guanyin statue. Ma Xinsheng was exposed as Ma Zhongtian, but Yan Kui and Hu Xiaotian defeated him; afterward, Yan Kui revealed he had known Hu Xiaotian’s identity all along.

• Yan Nujiao told Yan Kui she loved Hu Xiaotian and would never marry anyone else, then said he should prepare to become a grandfather.
• Ma Xinsheng declined the proposed marriage and presented Yan Kui with an Immeasurable Fragrance Guanyin Statue that released a fragrance and caused people in the hall to collapse.
• Ma Xinsheng revealed himself as Ma Zhongtian, son of Ma Xingkong, and tried to kill Hu Xiaotian for destroying Blackwater Stronghold.
• Yan Kui revealed he had feigned unconsciousness, killed Ma Zhongtian’s two accomplices, and attacked Ma Zhongtian; Hu Xiaotian caught Ma Zhongtian’s sleeve arrows and struck him down.
• The broken statue released its antidote, and the people in the hall woke; Yan Kui recognized Hu Xiaotian’s abilities and revealed that he knew his true identity.

Yan Kui confronted Hu Xiaotian about his relationship with Yan Nujiao and demanded that he take responsibility by marrying her. The chapter ended with Yan Kui furious but unable to refute Hu Xiaotian’s arguments.

• Yan Kui took Hu Xiaotian aside and asked whether Yan Nujiao’s claims about their relationship were true.
• Yan Kui accused Hu Xiaotian of getting Yan Nujiao pregnant, while Hu Xiaotian said he had only just heard about it and would take responsibility if she was pregnant.
• Hu Xiaotian revealed that he and Yan Nujiao had most recently been intimate in Fire Tree City, and Yan Kui demanded an explanation.
• Yan Kui told Hu Xiaotian to marry Yan Nujiao, and Hu Xiaotian pointed out that Yan Kui had deliberately tested them by proposing her marriage to Ma Zhongtian.
• Hu Xiaotian argued that he and Yan Nujiao loved each other and were practically family, leaving Yan Kui fuming.

Hu Xiaotian won Yan Kui’s approval to marry Yan Nujiao by promising her a principal-wife status and offering to cure Yan Kui’s son. After Ma Zhongtian’s treachery was exposed, Hu Xiaotian and Yan Nujiao privately affirmed their feelings, and she left to join Long Xiyue.

• Hu Xiaotian persuaded Yan Kui to accept their marriage, promise Yan Nujiao the principal-wife position, and accept a betrothal gift that would cure Yan Boguang’s ailment.
• Yan Kui learned that Ma Zhongtian was Ma Xingkong’s son and had infiltrated the stronghold to help Western Sichuan seize Heavenly Wolf Mountain, then ordered Qin Boyan to question him and leave no future threat.
• Hu Xiaotian returned to Long Xiyue and Yan Nujiao, and Long Xiyue withdrew to give the couple privacy.
• Yan Nujiao told Hu Xiaotian she had only claimed to be pregnant to escape being promised to Ma Zhongtian, and Hu Xiaotian assured her he would treat all his women equally.
• Yan Nujiao left Hu Xiaotian to keep Long Xiyue company, leaving him alone.

Hu Xiaotian repaired Yan Boguang’s blood vessels at Orchid Creek Stockade as Yan Nujiao learned that Western Sichuan had sent sixty thousand troops to Red Valley and Azure Cloud. After the stockade’s residents evacuated for Heavenly Dragon Mountain, Hu Xiaotian and his companions traveled to Red Valley County, where they found the town under heavy military occupation.

• Hu Xiaotian removed Yan Boguang’s stitches after repairing the arteries he had previously severed, and Yan Boguang questioned whether Hu Xiaotian had caused his original condition.
• Yan Nujiao learned that Li Tianheng had assembled sixty thousand troops near Red Valley and Azure Cloud, and Huang Youfan escorted her back toward Heavenly Wolf Mountain.
• Hu Xiaotian declined to return with Yan Nujiao, and she promised to find him after the fighting before departing with Orchid Creek Stockade’s residents for Heavenly Dragon Mountain.
• Hu Xiaotian, Long Xiyue, and Xia Changming discussed Heavenly Wolf Mountain’s defensive advantages and continued toward Red Valley County.
• Hu Xiaotian and his companions passed military inspections and entered Red Valley County, where they saw camps and soldiers throughout the area and found the county town far quieter than before.