Recaps

Li Ping'an sheltered Princess Liu Yun, built his strength through bounty work and cultivation, and became entangled in a struggle over her survival. As they tried to leave Luoshui City, he fought through a deadly ambush and faced Wu Shishun, who seized him at the arc’s end.

• Li Ping'an rescued Liu Yun after Old Ox brought her, wounded and unconscious, to his courtyard, and the two began living together while he hunted fugitives for money and medicinal ingredients.
• Li Ping'an captured Liu Bo, earned Life-Pulse Powder ingredients from Wang Dali, and cultivated through the following months as Liu Yun settled into life with him.
• After the Flying Eagle Gang threatened Chang Si, Li Ping'an defeated Liang Chenggang and made the gang return the protection money, while spies gathered around his home.
• Li Ping'an borrowed the Azure Sky saber and took the Heaven-Shaking Bow from Chen Shun's secret cellar, then left Luoshui City with Liu Yun on New Year's Eve.
• Li Ping'an killed Liang Chenggang and the Four Swords of Mount Yan, then fought Chen Zhongshi's men as Old Ox defended Liu Yun.
• Li Ping'an spared Chen Zhongshi after learning he was Chen Shun's father, then killed Lu Cheng and the hunched cultivator despite being wounded.
• At the city gates, Wu Shishun attacked Li Ping'an with snowflakes and left him apparently dead, but Li Ping'an broke through his Turtle Breath Technique and counterattacked.
• Wu Shishun broke Li Ping'an's Azure Heaven Saber, wounded his arm, knocked down Old Ox, and seized Li Ping'an by the neck.

Li Ping'an carried out commissions, protected Duha and Aliya, and crossed paths with people whose lives were shaped by the wars at the frontier. After avenging Chen Chusheng and restoring his missing arm with the Sharira, he returned to the Anbei Four Garrisons and watched a mysterious swordsman begin defeating challengers.

• Li Ping'an killed Wu Shishun, refused Liu Yun’s offer to return with her, and left with Old Ox after giving her a wooden hairpin.
• Li Ping'an captured Qimu De for Ma Sanniang, then retrieved the Sharira hidden inside the City God Statue after South City Master Meng’s gangs attacked Hammud.
• Li Ping'an helped keep Duha safe from Li Zhongchang, then escorted Pei Zhuxuan across the desert and let her go in Shu City.
• Li Ping'an stopped Turkic cavalry from massacring Liu Yong’s village, and Liu Yong later joined Princess Liu Yun’s forces and was assigned to General Xiahou Shang.
• Chen Chusheng left to enlist, fought at the frontier, and died after a traitorous cultivator led his squad into a Turkic ambush, so Li Ping'an buried him with his fallen companions.
• Li Ping'an confronted Yang Kai for helping the Turks kill 128 Great Sui soldiers and beheaded him after Yang Kai attacked with his flying sword.
• Li Ping'an swallowed Monk Jiyan’s Sharira, regrew his left arm, and returned to the Anbei Four Garrisons, where Ma Sanniang told him to rest while he struggled to control the unfamiliar true qi.
• Aliya brought Li Ping'an to Autumn Wind Court, where a Western Regions swordsman defeated successive challengers with swift strikes, and Changqing of Dharma Joy Temple stepped forward.

Li Ping'an saved Ma Sanniang, trained Wang Yi and his companions, and led the children toward the Academy. He freed the travelers from Yan Xun’s formation and continued south with the Fusang Tree as a sandstorm approached.

• Li Ping'an defeated the Western Regions Swordsman, learned the Nirvana Sutra from Changqing, and began teaching Wang Yi music and calligraphy.
• Wang Yi led Pang Jun to Kong Yang, and Li Ping'an killed the cultivator when he attacked them with his flying sword.
• Li Ping'an joined Ma Sanniang's convoy escorting Xiahou Shang's family, survived a Turkic ambush, and later rescued Ma Sanniang when the underworld leaders tried to execute her.
• Master Zhong invited Zhao Ling'er to the Academy, and Li Ping'an agreed to escort her and the other children on their journey south.
• The travelers became trapped in Yan Xun's village formation, and Li Ping'an persuaded her to release them after spending ten days with her.
• Yan Xun dissolved the formation and reunited with Gu Xizhou, then gave Li Ping'an the Fusang Tree to make into a saber.
• Gu Xizhou confirmed that Li Ping'an's blocked apertures prevented him from cultivating, and a cloud of yellow sand and flying stones appeared ahead.

Li Ping'an reached Huailu Academy, became entangled in the Zhang family’s abuses, and killed the Zhang brothers before leaving the Capital City by boat. He headed toward Guangling with Old Ox while Wang Yi found a new opportunity apprenticing under Old Mo, and trouble emerged aboard the ship.

• Li Ping'an and his companions reached the Capital City, but the Academy admitted only Aliya and the other children, while Wang Yi failed the entrance assessment.
• Li Ping'an was arrested by the Brocade-Clad Guards and killed Zhang Gong when he tried to protect Yu'er, then Master Zhong sheltered him at Huailu Academy.
• Li Ping'an gave the two Xixi he caught to Chunqiu and Xia Chan, and advised Jing Yu that he had drawn his saber because Jing Yu had greater responsibilities.
• Wang Yi left the mountain after failing the assessment, while Princess Changle asked the Academy Head to choose the Knight-errant brush for Li Ping'an.
• Liu Yun gave Li Ping'an the brush, and he used it to write characters that enchanted his Staff-Sword, and Zhang Deming then planned to seize Wang Yi and two Martial Warriors to lure Li Ping'an out.
• Li Ping'an killed Zhang Deming and the other Zhang brothers, said farewell to Jing Yu, and left the Capital City by boat with Old Ox after asking Jing Yu to care for Aliya and the others.
• Wang Yi stayed with Old Mo at Yumen Pass after shifting a sword in Old Mo's Sword Case, while Li Ping'an cooked for the boat crew and continued toward Guangling.
• The Captain and Xiao Dong boarded a grain transport, but Xiao Dong and another crewman disappeared inside, and Li Ping'an sensed something unusual about Xia Ke.