Chapter Summaries

Xu Zhiqiu escaped Naraku after he was influenced by Onigumo, then encountered him again while fetching water. Inuyasha and Kikyo confronted her about seeing her in Naraku’s arms, leaving Xu Zhiqiu trying to explain herself.

• Xu Zhiqiu kicked Naraku and fled, and Naraku watched her leave without pursuing her.
• Xu Zhiqiu returned to her village, tended to her chores, and went to a secluded river to fetch water.
• Naraku appeared at the river in a new Baboon Skin and claimed Onigumo’s heart had caused his earlier behavior.
• Inuyasha carried Xu Zhiqiu’s water buckets back to her home, where Kikyo asked about the demon Inuyasha had seen with her.
• Inuyasha described seeing Naraku holding Xu Zhiqiu, and she interrupted him to insist that things were not as they seemed.

Xu Zhiqiu warned Kikyo and Inuyasha about Naraku, then spent the day with them before Naraku entered the village and confronted her. The chapter ended with Naraku holding Xu Zhiqiu captive and wondering whether she had feelings for him because her jade did not react.

• Xu Zhiqiu explained that Naraku was born when Onigumo merged with many demons and warned Kikyo and Inuyasha that he might seek the Shikon Jewel.
• Kikyo and Inuyasha agreed to handle their own affairs while Xu Zhiqiu stayed safe, and the group discussed the growing number of demon attacks.
• Xu Zhiqiu prepared rabbit stew with Kikyo and Inuyasha, then returned home and wondered what would happen if Kikyo and Inuyasha's relationship ended in tragedy.
• Naraku appeared behind Xu Zhiqiu and revealed that Kikyo's barrier could no longer keep him out of the village.
• Naraku grabbed Xu Zhiqiu's hand and taunted her after her jade failed to react, concluding that she might have affection for him.

Naraku tried to kill Xu Zhiqiu, but the Jade transported her to a remote place in the Great Ming. There she escaped a demon with a young girl’s help and learned the girl wanted her to resurrect her slain family and people.

• Naraku revealed that Kikyo was away purifying the Shikon Jewel and attacked Xu Zhiqiu, but the Jade’s light made her vanish before he could kill her.
• Xu Zhiqiu appeared in the Great Ming near a young girl and a rhinoceros-like demon that attacked them with fire.
• Xu Zhiqiu tried to fight the demon with the girl’s stick, but it broke, so she carried the girl through the trees to escape.
• The girl guided Xu Zhiqiu through a Barrier at the edge of the Dark Domain Forest, where the demon was repelled and left.
• The girl begged Xu Zhiqiu to resurrect her parents and people, but Xu Zhiqiu said she was no immortal and told her to carry on living.

Xu Zhiqiu and Gu Weny an reached a lively town hidden behind a concealment Barrier, found food, and settled down for the night. When Gu Weny an disappeared, Xu Zhiqiu followed nearby footsteps as the jade on her wrist grew hot.

• Xu Zhiqiu and Gu Weny an fled monsters for a day before reaching a quiet town surrounded by a concealment Barrier.
• Gu Weny an explained that a Barrier had trapped her village, and Xu Zhiqiu led her through the town's Barrier.
• Xu Zhiqiu and Gu Weny an changed clothes, spent their last coins on steamed buns, and rested in a quiet corner.
• Xu Zhiqiu reflected on losing access to the Jade Blade and decided to look for work the next day.
• Xu Zhiqiu woke to find Gu Weny an missing, heard footsteps, and followed them as her jade grew hot.

Xu Zhiqiu used the Jade Blade to rescue Gu Weny an from an eight-tailed fox demon who had killed her family, then faced the demon alone inside a Barrier. The fox revealed his true form and attacked Xu Zhiqiu, who prepared to fight despite his overwhelming stench.

• Xu Zhiqiu entered the fox demon's Barrier and cut through his horsetail whisk with the Jade Blade, freeing Gu Weny an.
• Gu Weny an told Xu Zhiqiu that the fox demon had killed her family and clanspeople, while the demon sent swarms of Five Poisons creatures after them.
• Xu Zhiqiu fought off the creatures, led Gu Weny an outside the Barrier, and returned alone to confront the fox demon.
• Xu Zhiqiu's Jade created a Barrier that enclosed the fox demon's original one, and the demon transformed into an enormous eight-tailed red fox.
• The fox demon swung his tails at Xu Zhiqiu, and she dodged before gripping the Jade and attacking him.

Xu Zhiqiu defeated the Eight-Tailed Fox but collapsed and was drawn into the Jade, whose childlike voice said it would sleep for decades. Gu Weny an found the Jade and preserved it for generations, while in Inuyasha’s timeline Naraku manipulated events that ended with Kikyo sealed away and Inuyasha presumed burned with the Shikon Jewel.

• Xu Zhiqiu repeatedly cut down the Eight-Tailed Fox until its final revival failed, the Barrier fell, and rain cleared the mist.
• The Jade drew Xu Zhiqiu inside as she collapsed, and its voice said it might sleep for fifty or sixty years before transporting her wherever she wished.
• Gu Weny an found Xu Zhiqiu’s Jade in the bloodied woods, kept it safe, and later passed it down through her family.
• Inuyasha smelled Naraku’s scent where Xu Zhiqiu had vanished, while Kikyo and Inuyasha faced relentless attacks from the Leopard Cat Clan.
• Naraku manipulated Kikyo and Inuyasha into turning against each other, leaving Kikyo sealed away and Inuyasha caught in the fire with the Shikon Jewel.

After recovering from her battle with the Eight-Tailed Fox, Xu Zhiqiu awoke in the woods near Inuyama Castle without her life-saving Jade or Jade Blade, but with a healed body and enhanced strength. She entered the castle town to find supplies and caught the attention of Naraku, who was disguised as the lord’s son, Inuyasha.

• Xu Zhiqiu woke after a long sleep and found that her wounds had healed, her strength had increased, and her Jade pendant was missing.
• Xu Zhiqiu tested her renewed strength in the woods, then headed toward the castle town to buy clothes and equipment.
• Xu Zhiqiu entered Inuyama Castle and watched as the lord and his son returned by carriage.
• Naraku, disguised as Inuyasha, recognized Xu Zhiqiu from the carriage, and his father asked what was wrong.

Xu Zhiqiu returned to Kaede's Village after fifty years and struggled to find food and work while Naraku secretly watched her. After confronting him about what had happened in the village, she was knocked unconscious and carried away by Naraku.

• Xu Zhiqiu escaped from the clothing shop after changing into a kimono, then found work washing dishes at a restaurant.
• Naraku appeared on the restaurant roof, mocked Xu Zhiqiu, and grew angry at seeing her wearing clothes someone else had bought.
• Xu Zhiqiu paid the stallholder back, bought steamed buns, and confronted Naraku when he emerged from hiding on a rooftop.
• Naraku told Xu Zhiqiu that he had tested the village's trust, leading to the priestess's death and the half-demon's sealing.
• Naraku embraced Xu Zhiqiu and claimed he wanted to cherish her, but when she tried to leave, he struck her unconscious and carried her away.

Xu Zhiqiu woke in Naraku’s castle after he knocked her unconscious and brought her there, then demanded clothes, cosmetics, and a bath, which he surprisingly provided. After bathing and dressing, she went to find Naraku because she was hungry.

• Xu Zhiqiu woke in Naraku’s side room and learned he had hit her to bring her to the castle as his guest.
• Naraku told Xu Zhiqiu he had thrown away her outfit, then agreed to buy her new clothes and cosmetics.
• Xu Zhiqiu asked Naraku to prepare hot water, and he left to arrange it without arguing.
• Naraku listened to Xu Zhiqiu bathing and wondered why he had obeyed her demands.
• Xu Zhiqiu bathed, dressed in new clothes, admired her appearance and cosmetics, then went next door and called for Naraku.

Xu Zhiqiu reunited with Naraku, who had been living as Inuyasha, and asked to stay at Inuyama Castle. Naraku proposed that she pose as his fiancée, and the chapter left them inspecting a beehive as Xu Zhiqiu recalled seeing similar bees before.

• Xu Zhiqiu found Naraku cutting the spider mark from his back, then showed him her new clothes and stopped him from taking their teasing further by saying she was hungry.
• Naraku told Xu Zhiqiu that fifty years had passed and that he was posing as Inuyasha, the young lord of Inuyama Castle.
• Xu Zhiqiu asked to stay at the castle, and Naraku proposed that she become his fiancée to discourage his human father from arranging a marriage.
• Xu Zhiqiu ate lunch with Naraku, then walked with him through the castle grounds as he presented himself to his retainers as frail and unwell.
• Xu Zhiqiu spotted bees nesting beneath the eaves and told Naraku she remembered seeing similar bees buzzing around her in a courtyard.

Xu Zhiqiu urged Naraku to see himself as separate from Onigumo, then played the role of his fiancée at a family banquet. Afterward, she demanded money and a house deed, while Naraku wondered whether she truly wanted nothing to do with him.

• Xu Zhiqiu told Naraku that he was his own person and should not blame his feelings entirely on Onigumo's heart.
• Xu Zhiqiu stayed in her room for several days as Naraku bought her brightly colored clothes and news spread that they would marry.
• Naraku brought Xu Zhiqiu to a family banquet, where the guests approved of the beautiful fiancée despite her humble background.
• After the banquet, Xu Zhiqiu complained that Naraku had leaned too heavily on her and asked him for money and the deed to a large house.
• Xu Zhiqiu fell asleep from exhaustion, while Naraku wondered whether she was unwilling to have anything to do with him.

Naraku and Xu Zhiqiu shared an unexpected kiss, then argued over what it meant and whether she could move out. The next day, Xu was moved to a larger room farther from Naraku and stopped trying to visit him after being told he was ill.

• Naraku went to Xu Zhiqiu's room and, after she pulled him close in her sleep, kissed her until she woke and told him to stop.
• Xu denied dreaming of another man, while Naraku claimed she had called someone else's name and asked if she was treating him as a stand-in.
• Naraku gave Xu a box of silver but no property deed, then left after refusing to let her move out.
• The household moved Xu to a larger room farther from Naraku, with his approval, and his retainer said Naraku was too ill to receive her.
• Xu stopped trying to visit Naraku and spent her time sorting her clothes and experimenting with makeup.

Xu Zhiqiu left the castle lord’s residence to hone her skills, defeated a demon, and rescued missing children while traveling from village to village. After five days, a burst of purple light sent her a Shikon Jewel shard, and she realized it had shattered near Kaede’s Village.

• Xu Zhiqiu left Inuyama Castle, bought a sword, and set out to travel and practice killing demons.
• She offered to help villagers whose children had been abducted by a demon and followed the demonic aura to a cave.
• Xu Zhiqiu killed the Centipede Demon, freed the children, and accepted food and payment from the villagers.
• After five days of traveling and helping villages, Xu Zhiqiu saw purple light spread across the sky and caught a glowing shard.
• Xu Zhiqiu recognized the shard as a fragment of the Shikon Jewel and saw that it had shattered near Kaede’s Village.

Xu Zhiqiu collected four Shikon Jewel shards while trying to prevent Naraku from making more enemies, then returned to Inuyama Castle. Naraku asked her to give him the shards and told her Kikyo had been resurrected, but Xu Zhiqiu remained focused on her meal.

• Xu Zhiqiu decided to collect Shikon Jewel shards before deciding what to do next.
• Xu Zhiqiu spent seven or eight days defeating demons and gathered four shards.
• Mōmō Bees blocked Xu Zhiqiu's path and led her back to Inuyama Castle at Naraku's request.
• Naraku returned Xu Zhiqiu's bundle and asked her to hand over the Shikon Jewel shards, but she refused to argue with him.
• Naraku told Xu Zhiqiu that Urasue had resurrected Kikyo and that Inuyasha was traveling with Kikyo's reincarnation.

Xu Zhiqiu persuaded Naraku to lower his Barrier and left Inuyama Castle to warn the Yōkai Exorcist Village of an attack. She helped evacuate the villagers and retrieved the Shikon Jewel shards, but the village’s Yōkai Exorcists refused to leave her to face the yōkai alone.

• Xu Zhiqiu worried that Naraku cared for her only because she had Shikon Jewel shards, while Naraku held the four shards and resolved to separate Onigumo’s heart from himself.
• Xu Zhiqiu discovered Naraku had trapped her inside a Barrier and persuaded him to lower it by kissing him and asking to go out.
• Xu Zhiqiu left Inuyama Castle and warned the Yōkai Exorcist Village that yōkai were approaching, prompting the villagers to flee to the Back Mountain.
• Xu Zhiqiu went with an elderly Yōkai Exorcist to the chief’s shrine and retrieved the Shikon Jewel.
• A young Yōkai Exorcist told Xu Zhiqiu that the villagers would not leave her to face the yōkai alone.

Xu Zhiqiu and Kirara fought off a horde of yōkai attacking the Yōkai Exorcist Village, while Naraku watched before leaving. After Xu Zhiqiu collapsed from exhaustion, Naraku brought her to the castle, where she woke three days later and reflected on her next steps.

• Xu Zhiqiu warned the Yōkai Exorcists to be careful, and Kirara joined them as the yōkai horde descended on the village.
• Xu Zhiqiu and Kirara fought through waves of yōkai, while Naraku watched from the wooded hills and left when the battle was nearly over.
• Xu Zhiqiu defeated the remaining yōkai, took the Shikon Jewel shards, and left the village before collapsing from exhaustion.
• Naraku caught Xu Zhiqiu and cared for her as she slept for three days, then she woke and asked for food.
• Xu Zhiqiu ate with Naraku at the castle lord’s residence and later treated her wounds, thinking that saving the villagers might lessen Sango’s hatred toward Naraku.

Xu Zhiqiu left Inuyama Castle to visit Kikyo and explained that her Jade had taken her away and she had slept for fifty years. Kikyo told her how she had died with the Shikon Jewel and been revived in a body made from her ashes and grave soil.

• Xu Zhiqiu found Naraku missing during the night, noticed a Barrier and demonic aura around the residence, and ate a reheated roast chicken in the kitchen.
• Xu Zhiqiu told Naraku she was going to see an old friend and promised to find the Shikon Jewel fragments for him; Naraku decided he would still make trouble for Inuyasha and the others.
• Xu Zhiqiu left the castle, dealt with the Mōmō Bees following her, and found Kikyo gathering medicinal herbs.
• Xu Zhiqiu told Kikyo that her Jade had taken her away and she had slept for fifty years, while Kikyo explained that she had died with the Shikon Jewel and been revived in a body made from her ashes and grave soil.

Xu Zhiqiu encouraged Kikyo to move beyond her painful past by taking her shopping and helping her enjoy wearing new clothes and makeup. The two decided to return to Kaede's Village to investigate what happened fifty years ago, while Xu Zhiqiu kept Naraku's involvement secret.

• Xu Zhiqiu took Kikyo to a village with shops, where Kikyo bought three outfits and cosmetics and tried wearing a pink kimono.
• As they walked, Xu Zhiqiu suggested that a demon might have caused the events between Kikyo and Inuyasha fifty years earlier, and asked whether Kikyo wanted to discuss the misunderstanding with him.
• Kikyo asked why Xu Zhiqiu had not aged, and Xu Zhiqiu explained that she came from a future era in China and was unaffected by time in this world.
• Xu Zhiqiu and Kikyo decided to return to Kaede's Village to uncover the truth about the past, while Xu Zhiqiu chose not to reveal Naraku's role to Kikyo.
• On the way back, Kikyo saved people and Xu Zhiqiu collected payment; Kikyo gradually adjusted to fighting demons in her new clothes.

Xu Zhiqiu and Kikyo returned to Kaede's Village and reunited with Kohaku after fifty years apart. After discussing Naraku and the Shikon Jewel, Xu Zhiqiu burned down her abandoned house and left its memories behind.

• Kohaku reunited with Kikyo and Xu Zhiqiu, apologized for mistaking Kikyo for a vengeful spirit, and embraced her younger sister.
• Xu Zhiqiu explained that she had given her collected Shikon Jewel shards to Naraku so she could take them back once he had gathered most of them.
• Kikyo asked Xu Zhiqiu whether she liked Naraku, and Xu Zhiqiu hesitated before promising to reclaim the Shikon Jewel even at the cost of her life.
• Kohaku told Kikyo that Naraku's scheme had caused the events surrounding Inuyasha and Kikyo, while Xu Zhiqiu went to inspect her old house.
• Xu Zhiqiu found her house ruined and her stored flower wine bitter, then used her sword to set the house ablaze.
• Kohaku asked why Xu Zhiqiu had burned the house, and Xu Zhiqiu said it was no longer usable.

Xu Zhiqiu and Kikyo left Kaede's Village to search for Shikon Jewel shards, helping wounded soldiers along the way. When armed men from Inuyama Castle came to fetch Kikyo, Xu Zhiqiu went with them while Kikyo stayed behind to care for the injured.

• Kikyo refused to hear more about Inuyasha and Kagome and said she would focus on the Shikon Jewel.
• Xu Zhiqiu admitted she liked Naraku a little, and she persuaded Kikyo to take time to enjoy their journey before pursuing the shards.
• Xu Zhiqiu and Kikyo helped wounded soldiers and fed the hungry, earning a reputation as kindhearted priestesses.
• Armed men from Inuyama Castle recognized Xu Zhiqiu and asked Kikyo to treat their sick lord.
• Xu Zhiqiu left for Inuyama Castle with the men, while Kikyo stayed to treat the remaining wounded.