Chapter Summaries

Yang Ge returned home, learned that Zhao Miao was the Eldest Princess, and reluctantly agreed to let her stay after Fang Ke explained the political risks of sending her away. As Fang Ke tidied the courtyard and made food, Yang Ge finally relaxed and fell asleep at home.

• Liu Mang walked Yang Ge home, and they discussed the costs of heroism and the value of living peacefully.
• Yang Ge found that the Sovereign's workers had renovated his courtyard, and Fang Ke explained that Zhao Miao was Princess Lin'an, the Eldest Princess.
• Yang Ge ordered Fang Ke to send Zhao Miao away, but Fang Ke argued that keeping her would prevent the Court from becoming more suspicious and avoid upsetting Shopkeeper Liu.
• Yang Ge agreed to let Zhao Miao stay and told Fang Ke to keep official business separate from their private friendship.
• Fang Ke swept the courtyard, fussed over Erhei and Little Yellow, and prepared food while Yang Ge relaxed and fell asleep.

Yang Ge improved his courtyard by digging and building a spring well, then told the old innkeeper that Zhao Miao had come from the palace and might be part of the Court’s effort to control him. He promised to visit the inn the next day to deal with the martial visitors, and the chapter ended with him seeing how much the old innkeeper had aged.

• Yang Ge cleaned his courtyard, used his true qi to find a spring, and built a stone-lined well.
• Yang Ge told the old innkeeper that Zhao Miao had come from the palace and that marrying her could bind him to the Court.
• Yang Ge reassured the old innkeeper about his health and promised to bring home a suitable woman someday.
• The old innkeeper reported that armed martial folk had been staying at the inn, and Yang Ge promised to visit the next day and prevent trouble.
• Yang Ge cooked lunch, then noticed the old innkeeper had fallen asleep in the sunlight and looked much older than before.

Yang Ge returned to the Welcome Inn, set rules against fighting there, and resumed serving customers while martial wanderers watched him in awe. As rumors spread that rival sects and elders were seeking to draw him into their conflicts, Yang Ge answered them with a blunt couplet and left the martial world more stirred up than before.

• Yang Ge teased Zhao Miao, then calmed the martial wanderers and asked them to keep their weapons sheathed and settle feuds away from the Welcome Inn.
• Yang Ge put on an apron and served customers, while the martial wanderers concealed their weapons and began eating and drinking normally.
• News of the Seventy-Two Demon-Subduing Warriors' campaign and Yang Erlang's stand against the Five Elders spread across the Nine Provinces, inspiring young martial artists and prompting factions to circulate rumors about him.
• The Court sent Yang Ge the rumors and its assessments of who had spread them.
• Yang Ge posted a couplet outside Luting County's western gate that told his would-be allies to get lost and challenged his critics to come, stirring the martial world further.

Yang Ge settled into a peaceful life at the Welcome Inn while the Court and the people of Jiangzhe worked to keep him content in Luting County. When Quanzhen Sword Immortal Li Qing arrived to apologize and seek guidance, Yang Ge declined to spar with him for now, and Li Qing rented a room at the inn.

• Yang Ge found peace in his ordinary life at the Welcome Inn as martial wanderers came to see him and most left disappointed.
• The Court reduced Luting County’s taxes and obligations, removed officials, and improved roads and businesses to keep Yang Ge settled there.
• Li Qing arrived at the Welcome Inn, where Yang Ge and the regulars welcomed him amid a chaotic fight and betting dispute outside.
• Li Qing apologized on behalf of his master, Wang Changyun, and Yang Ge agreed not to seek trouble with Complete Truth.
• Li Qing asked Yang Ge for guidance on crossing the heavenly barrier, but Yang Ge declined to spar until Li Qing overcame his current hurdle.
• Li Qing paid for a monthly room, and Yang Ge sent Zhang Erniu to show him to Heaven Room One.

Yang Ge offered Hu Qiang and his men a choice after the Northern Pacification Office began transferring them, then helped Li Qing gain insight into his Dao. When Wu Eryong reported that three million taels of silver had been replaced with stones, Yang Ge set out to investigate with him.

• Hu Qiang told Yang Ge that Song Jing had promoted him while transferring men from the Upper Right Office, and Yang Ge offered the men a choice between resisting the orders or becoming Road Pavilion constables.
• Yang Ge told Li Qing that understanding human suffering and bonds could strengthen his Dao, and Li Qing gained a more restrained aura after reflecting on his words.
• Wu Eryong reported that Jin Cheng's shipment of three million taels of silver had been switched for stones after arriving at Road Pavilion.
• Yang Ge left Zhao Miao in charge of the inn's counter and went with Wu Eryong to find Jin Cheng and investigate the missing silver.

After three million taels of silver vanished from Chain Wharf’s boats, Yang Ge stopped Li Jincheng from killing more men and devised a plan to pressure Tower Beyond Towers into finding the real culprit. He announced a two-month deadline and secretly sent a message to the emperor through a disguised agent.

• Yang Ge arrived at the docks, stopped Li Jincheng’s rampage, and ordered Wu Eryong to arrange cleanup, food, and rest for the men.
• Li Jincheng vowed to cover the loss, but Yang Ge warned him the theft targeted Yang Ge and urged him to investigate without harming people without proof.
• Yang Ge proposed asking Tower Beyond Towers to uncover the culprit, then joked that they should claim five million taels had been stolen so they could keep two million if the money was recovered.
• Yang Ge admonished Li Jincheng for losing his temper, then took him to eat while Li Jincheng eagerly ordered an expensive meal.
• Yang Ge told the layabouts to warn Tower Beyond Towers that it had two months to return his silver or close its doors, then had Zhao Miao write “Pay up.”
• Yang Ge delivered the sealed message to a steamed-cake vendor he recognized as a Strongman from the Upper Right Office and told him to present it to his Sovereign.

Emperor Xiping ordered an investigation into Yang Ge’s missing money after Wei Heng interpreted his letter as a warning to the Court. At Tower Beyond Towers, the Dao Venerable punished three members involved in the theft, ordered an inquiry, and prepared to meet Yang Erlang at Road Pavilion.

• Emperor Xiping demanded an explanation of Yang Ge’s “Pay me back” letter, and Wei Heng advised that it warned the Court to investigate who took the money.
• Emperor Xiping assigned the Western Surveillance Bureau to investigate, with Shen Fa’s Embroidered Uniform Guard assisting.
• The leaders of Tower Beyond Towers argued over whether to confront Yang Erlang, and the Dao Venerable ordered them to find out who took the funds.
• One member admitted buying information about the Five Peaks Fleet’s funds and knowing the money belonged to Yang Erlang and was backed by the Bright Cult and White Lotus Cult.
• The Dao Venerable struck three implicated members and warned them to repair the damage or pay with their lives.
• The Dao Venerable appointed the Left Envoy to oversee Tower Beyond Towers, announced a revised heroes’ ranking, and said he would go to Road Pavilion to meet Yang Erlang.

Yang Ge advised Xie Yu on tax reform and learned the Wulin Heroes Rankings had elevated him above the Four Elders as the greatest martial artist in the world. As the inn’s regulars demanded a celebration, Yang Ge dismissed the ranking as a dangerous attempt to provoke him.

• Zhao Miao followed Yang Ge’s mahjong advice, discarded the one bamboo, and lost to three players before demanding that he pay her losses.
• Xie Yu asked Yang Ge to watch over Miss Xie and sought his advice on inspecting Jiangzhe’s taxes; Yang Ge urged careful reform and offered a plaque if officials and commoners were taxed fairly.
• Yang Ge caught Zhao Miao eavesdropping and teased her about hiding a beauty in a golden house before Fang Ke arrived with the updated Wulin Heroes Rankings.
• Yang Ge told Fang Ke to watch Road Pavilion’s main waterways because the Dao Venerable from the Tower Beyond Towers would likely challenge him.
• The layabouts announced that Yang Ge had become the Central Divine True Lord, above the Four Elders, and demanded a treat; Yang Ge refused and returned their curses.

Yang Tiansheng struggled to master Eight Swords Fly as One until news that Yang Erlang had become the foremost man of the age gave him a breakthrough in understanding his own Dao. He successfully merged the eight swords into one, then released the resulting sword qi into the sky.

• Yang Tiansheng failed to merge his eight swords fully and accidentally split Lotus Pond with a blast of sword qi.
• Yang Yinghao fed Yang Tiansheng pills and urged him to rest, but Yang Tiansheng remained troubled by the technique’s missing principle.
• Yang Yinghao told Yang Tiansheng that Yang Erlang had become the Central Divine True Lord and reached the top of the Wulin Heroes Rankings.
• Yang Tiansheng explained that Yang Erlang cared little for jianghu fame or status, then realized that he had to follow his own Dao.
• Yang Tiansheng effortlessly gathered the eight swords and merged their sword qi into one, then fired it into the sky when Yang Yinghao called for his mother.

Yang Ge left the Welcome Inn with pig heart soup for the troubled old innkeeper, but interrupted a fight outside Luting County and defeated the black-armored grandmaster with overwhelming force. He then reached the Old Liu Family home and shared the soup with the old innkeeper and Liu Deng-shi.

• Yang Ge went out in the rain carrying pig heart soup, while Li Qing watched him and realized how great the gap between them was.
• After explosions sounded near Luting County, Yang Ge hurried outside the East City Gate and met Zhou Yin and a black-armored swordsman.
• Zhou Yin identified the black-armored man's weapons and techniques as linked to Nie Jin and the massacre of Dongting Lake Night Snow Manor.
• Yang Ge mocked the black-armored man, then overwhelmed him with his saber and kicks, killing him as Zhou Yin watched in fear.
• Yang Ge told Zhou Yin to visit the inn later and rushed to the Old Liu Family home with the soup.
• Yang Ge served soup to the old innkeeper and pregnant Liu Deng-shi, while Liu Mang grumbled about Yang Ge's many skills.

Yang Ge spent a leisurely day with Little Yellow, then received Wind and Snow and two hundred thousand taels of gold from Tower Beyond Towers. He rejected the money and demanded that the person who stole his own funds be found, before setting out for Little Fishing Village with Little Yellow and Erhei.

• Yang Ge flipped a coin and decided to skip work so he could make meat buns and spend the day with Little Yellow.
• Flea arrived with Wind and Snow and two hundred thousand taels of gold, delivered on the Dao Venerable's orders.
• Yang Ge accepted the saber but refused the gold, telling Flea to find whoever had taken his money.
• Yang Ge ate meat buns with Little Yellow, visited Old Liu and the inn, and collected paper offerings before picking up Erhei.
• Yang Ge, Little Yellow, and Erhei raced out of Road Pavilion toward Little Fishing Village at sunset.

While the Court and martial-world factions frantically searched for the culprit behind a recent killing, Yang Ge spent his days playing Mahjong at the Welcome Inn. Yan Bufan visited with a gift for Yang Ge and a challenge for Li Qing, while Lord Shen arrived at the inn, leaving Zhao Cha worried he had come to take her back to the palace.

• The Embroidered Uniform Guard, Western Factory, and Tower Beyond Towers joined the search across the Grand Canal route, and the entire martial world fell into turmoil over Yang Ge.
• Yang Ge won a Mahjong hand against Xiao Baoqi, Hooligan, and Flea just as Yan Bufan arrived to meet Li Qing.
• Yan Bufan offered Yang Ge the Heavenly Blade Secret Record on behalf of the Mount Hua Sect, but Yang Ge politely refused it and welcomed him as a guest.
• Zhao Cha learned that Li Qing and Yan Bufan planned to spar after lunch, while the inn's layabouts enjoyed their relaxed life and found their martial arts improving.
• Yang Ge swept the Mahjong game, then hurried to greet a new guest with a crescent-shaped scar; Zhao Cha recognized Lord Shen and worried he had come to take her back to the palace.

Yang Ge confronted Shen Fa about Zhao Miao and learned that the people who stole his silver might belong to an ancient, hidden force tied to his expedition to the Eastern Isles. He agreed to cooperate with the Court and hunt them down, though he still longed for a road home.

• Shen Fa reassured Zhao Cha that Yang Ge knew her identity and accepted her at the inn, and Yang Ge scolded Shen Fa for frightening her.
• Shen Fa told Yang Ge that his stolen silver had been traced to a group in Jiangzhe, and Yang Ge demanded a lead so he could kill them.
• Shen Fa suspected the thieves belonged to a mysterious force from the previous dynasty and might have targeted Yang Ge because of his Eastern Isles expedition.
• Zhao Cha punched Shen Fa after Yang Ge used blade qi to break through Shen Fa's Golden Bell Shield, then warned him not to anger Yang Ge again.
• Shen Fa asked Yang Ge to work with the Court against the hidden force, and Yang Ge agreed to act when the investigation was ready.
• Yang Ge rejected Shen Fa's offers of rewards and admitted inwardly that moving forward would not bring him home.

Luting County prospered after Yang Ge approved an expansion and the lifting of its curfew, drawing residents and visitors to its busy night markets. At a market stall, Yang Ge found the chili flavor of his Ba-Shu home, while Chief Constable Hu welcomed the new arrivals who had shared it with him.

• Yang Ge approved Luting’s expansion on the conditions that residents be hired first for construction and receive jobs from the new merchants.
• Fang Ke cleared the remaining obstacles, and Yang Ge lifted the curfew, prompting Luting’s night markets to flourish.
• Yang Ge took Zhao Cha to the South City Night Market and led her to a stall selling Yunnan rice noodles seasoned with Qin Pepper.
• Yang Ge ate the spicy noodles, asked the proprietor for chili and seeds, and offered the couple help through his inn.
• Chief Constable Hu visited the stall, waived its fees, and told the couple they could turn to him if they had trouble in Luting.

Yang Tiansheng and Xiang Wudi killed a stranger who attacked them, while the Five Poisons Divine Sect’s emissary confronted Zhou Yin and Yang Potian and demanded control of the lands south of Jiujiang. The leaders refused, realized the emissary had been probing Yang Erlang’s strength, and began preparing for conflict as they considered seeking help from Complete Truth and Shaolin.

• Yang Ge cooked fish with pickled mustard greens, and Zhao Cha eagerly ate some before delivering a basket to Grandpa.
• Yang Tiansheng and Xiang Wudi discussed Yang Potian’s visit to the Tower Beyond Towers and joked about how Yang Erlang’s strength had grown.
• A burly stranger confronted Yang Tiansheng and Xiang Wudi, and the two killed him with their sword and spear techniques.
• A Grandmaster from the Five Poisons Divine Sect told Zhou Yin and Yang Potian to stay out of its affairs and declared that the lands south of Jiujiang would return to its rule.
• Zhou Yin and Yang Potian refused the demand, then realized the visitor had been testing their strength and investigating Yang Erlang.
• Yang Potian decided to inform Complete Truth and Shaolin, while Zhou Yin refused to involve himself in contacting Yang Erlang.

Yang Ge received a visit from Wu He of the Five Poisons Divine Sect, who returned three million taels of the five million Yang Ge said had been stolen. Yang Ge rejected the money and warned he would go to the Southern Border himself, leaving a possible confrontation with the sect looming.

• Yang Ge told Wei Xin to warn his incense master to rename his sword move and avoid reckless fights, then welcomed him to the inn.
• Wu He arrived and introduced himself as a hall master of the Five Poisons Divine Sect, then apologized after Yang Ge's presence silenced the room.
• Wu He said Yan Shijun had sent three million taels of Yang Ge's missing silver, while Yang Ge insisted he had lost five million.
• Yang Ge refused the three million and said he wanted the full amount back, threatening to visit the Southern Border if necessary.
• Wu He left with the wagon train after inviting Yang Ge to the Southern Border, and Yang Ge considered going there to recover his money and find chili seeds.

Yang Ge tested Li Qing's swordsmanship before Li Qing left to accompany his master south, while the Five Poisons Divine Sect's campaign against other factions escalated. At the White Lotus Cult headquarters, Tang Qing sent Liu Dongjun to escort Yang Tiansheng safely to her, fearing the Five Poisons Sect might target him.

• Yang Ge dismissed the layabouts' calls to challenge the Five Poisons Divine Sect, saying he expected it to bring his money back on its own.
• Li Qing explained that he was leaving to accompany his master to mediate with Yan Shijun over the Five Poisons Divine Sect's threat to Wudang Mountain.
• Yang Ge tested Li Qing's sword strike, praised its strength, and urged him to live a long life before Li Qing departed on his donkey.
• The White Lotus Cult officers reported that the Five Poisons Sect had attacked branches, threatened its headquarters, fought the Bright Cult, and sealed routes near Wudang Mountain.
• Tang Qing ordered Liu Dongjun to lead Phoenix Hall experts to meet Yang Tiansheng and bring him safely to headquarters.

Yang Tiansheng led his party through Guilin while avoiding a clash with the Five Poisons Divine Sect, and Yang Ge finally understood how to unite the five elements. He condensed supreme ultimate true qi and reached the grandmaster realm, then celebrated with Little Yellow while recognizing the limits of his martial arts.

• Yang Tiansheng explained to Wei Xin that he would obey the Five Poisons Cult's order to avoid appearing afraid, but would act cautiously because the sect had little reason to provoke Yang Ge.
• The Hall Master of Scorpion Hall decided not to attack Yang Tiansheng and delayed sending reinforcements after hearing that Li Qing had ridden south.
• Yang Ge realized that the five elements worked through mutual generation and restraint in ceaseless circulation, which he understood as the Supreme Ultimate.
• Yang Ge used the Clear and Turbid Qi Visualization Method to condense supreme ultimate true qi, and a pillar of light rose from his head as he reached the grandmaster realm.
• Yang Ge woke from meditation, promised Little Yellow two extra dishes, and reflected that he could stimulate the grapevine but could not overcome the seasons or cultivate immortality.

Yang Ge rejected a Grasslands delegation seeking to host him at Great Snow Mountain, then welcomed Wang Cheng to the inn and discussed money and the turmoil in the Eastern Isles. Wang Cheng joined Yang Ge and the layabouts for hot pot as the chapter ended.

• Yang Ge bantered with Zhao Cha and doubled Xiao Baoqi's wine bill after teasing him about disparaging the inn.
• Yang Ge refused rooms to a leather-clad delegation and rejected the invitation and scriptures offered on behalf of Nanjia Holy Venerable.
• The layabouts cheered Yang Ge after the delegation left, then nearly attacked Wang Cheng before Yang Ge identified him as a friend.
• Wang Cheng told Yang Ge that he had brought 3.8 million taels of silver exchanged for gold, and Yang Ge arranged for most of it to be delivered to the emperor.
• Wang Cheng reported that fighting and famine had devastated the Eastern Isles, and Yang Ge invited him to eat mutton hot pot and ordered two pots of Bottle-Penetrating Fragrance.

As the year-end approached, Yang Ge tried to send homesick Zhao Cha back to the palace, then punished the layabouts for gossiping about him. At Luting’s East City Gate, an Embroidered Uniform Guard confronted the Five Poisons Divine Sect pursuers, and Yang Ge rushed toward the gate after hearing an explosion.

• Yang Ge teased Zhao Cha about missing her mother and told her to prepare to return to the palace, but she stayed and joined him in teasing Hooligan and the other layabouts.
• Dozens of Five Poisons Divine Sect riders caught up with the exhausted Fine Rain Sword School disciples outside Luting’s East City Gate.
• An Embroidered Uniform Guard officer on the wall identified the town as Luting and challenged the pursuers, who refused to back down despite the armed guards and crossbows.
• Yang Ge beat Hooligan, Xiao Baoqi, and Flea for gossiping about him while Zhao Cha laughed at them.
• A boom sounded from the East City Gate, and Yang Ge vanished from the inn as Zhao Cha chased after the layabouts heading there.