Chapter Summaries

When the passengers tried to throw a young woman overboard to appease the River Dragon King, Wang Yi and his companions defended her. A Snowflake Giant Python appeared, and Li Ping'an drew his Staff-Sword to face it.

• The boat lurched as the river churned, and the old boatman blamed a taboo against the River Dragon King.
• The passengers seized on a young man's earlier threat to throw his fiancée into the river and demanded that she be sacrificed.
• Wang Yi, Cui Cheng, Cui Cai, and Aliya stopped the men and women trying to seize the young woman, despite the crowd turning against them.
• A Snowflake Giant Python rose from the river and lunged toward the boat.
• Li Ping'an stood at the bow, drew his Staff-Sword, and slashed at the python, making its body falter.

Li Ping'an defeated a giant python on the riverboat, then enjoyed its soup and discovered that playing the erhu accelerated his progress. After docking at Fengshui Prefecture, he took the four children onward toward the Capital City, still intent on digesting the alcohol qi within his body.

• Li Ping'an killed a giant python, protected a young couple, and let the boatman cook the snake for the passengers.
• Li Ping'an ate the boatman's snake soup and learned how to make it, while Wang Yi practiced Stance Walking and Zhao Ling'er and Aliya watched Li Ping'an with curiosity.
• Li Ping'an's fates enhanced his erhu practice, helping him improve his Wind-Listening Saber Technique as he resolved to digest the alcohol qi within his body.
• The boat docked at Fengshui Prefecture, where the old boatman waived the young couple's fare and Li Ping'an and his companions parted from him.
• Li Ping'an and the four children stayed in Fengshui Prefecture, bought new clothes and shoes, then set off along the official road toward the Capital City.

Jing Yu reunited with Li Ping'an and led him and the four children to Huailu Academy, where they arrived for the children's entrance assessment. After the children were taken inside, Jing Yu's boast about showing Li Ping'an around the Academy backfired, and Li Ping'an left with Cui Cheng and Cui Cai after offering them consolation.

• Jing Yu waited in the rain at Capital City's gate, hoping to make a striking impression on Li Ping'an's party, while they watched him from an inn without recognizing him.
• The next morning, Li Ping'an met Jing Yu at the city gate, and the party ate breakfast before setting out for Huailu Academy, forty li away.
• Li Ping'an and the four children reached Huailu Academy, handed over their recommendation letters, and parted as the children went to take the entrance assessment.
• Jing Yu tried to take Li Ping'an into the Academy, but the disciples stopped them and identified Jing Yu by the story of his punishment after peeping at Senior Sister Lu bathing.
• Li Ping'an left the Academy with Old Ox, Cui Cheng, and Cui Cai, then comforted Cui Cheng and Cui Cai about their envy of the students.

Li Ping'an refused to sell or lend Old Ox to a wealthy woman, and her husband sent a swordsman to teach him a lesson. The swordsman was frightened by a red dragonfly on Li Ping'an’s shoulder, while someone else watched Li Ping'an in Capital City and reported that they had found him.

• A wealthy woman’s servant offered money for Old Ox, but Li Ping'an refused to sell or rent him, and Cui Cheng objected when the servant insulted them.
• The woman’s husband sent a black-clad swordsman to follow Li Ping'an and his companions and teach them a lesson.
• When the swordsman touched Li Ping'an’s shoulder, he felt a terrifying chill and saw a red dragonfly disappear, then let Li Ping'an’s group go.
• Li Ping'an, Old Ox, Cui Cheng, and Cui Cai drank for hours, and Li Ping'an carried the drunken brothers back to the inn with Old Ox.
• Li Ping'an sensed someone on the roof, but the presence vanished before he could identify the watcher.
• Jing Yu arrived to invite Li Ping'an out drinking, while a dark figure reported to someone in a sedan chair that they had found him.

Jing Yu took Li Ping'an to the Clear Moon Pavilion, where they drank and listened to music. When Chenxiang received no reward, Li Ping'an offered to write a poem for her to win a jeweled bracelet and began writing while drunk.

• Jing Yu brought Li Ping'an to the Clear Moon Pavilion under the name Young Master Yang and introduced him to the madam.
• Jing Yu ordered wine and music, and Chenxiang played the guzheng beside Li Ping'an while another young woman joined Jing Yu.
• Jing Yu got drunk and fell asleep, while Chenxiang worried that she would leave without a reward.
• A handsome young master offered a gold-and-pearl tortoiseshell bracelet to whichever young woman composed a poem or lyric that pleased him.
• Li Ping'an told Chenxiang he had little money but offered to help her win the bracelet, then took up a brush and began writing.

Li Ping'an's poem captivated the patrons of the Clear Moon Pavilion, but he left before Chenxiang could find him. Liu Yun reunited with him and brought the Deputy Director of the Imperial Astronomy Bureau to examine his eyes; the examination revealed a terrifying darkness that left the old man alarmed.

• The attendant read Li Ping'an's poem aloud at the Clear Moon Pavilion, and Chenxiang searched for him after its final line, only to find he had already left.
• A man bearing a gold token approached the drunken Jing Yu and Li Ping'an, then escorted Li Ping'an to meet Liu Yun.
• Liu Yun spoke with Li Ping'an about his travels and his healed hand, and told him she had sent Liu Yong to Xiahou Shang.
• Liu Yun introduced the Deputy Director of the Imperial Astronomy Bureau, who began examining Li Ping'an's pale eyes with a silver needle.
• The needle triggered a surge of darkness that immobilized Li Ping'an and unnerved the Deputy Director, who sent out a golden needle as Liu Yun watched tensely.

After an examination by the Deputy Director of the Astronomical Bureau, Li Ping'an learned that he was a Heaven's Punishment One who could never cultivate, and he spent the next few days recovering from the wine and treatment. Meanwhile, a poem he wrote under Jing Yu's name became famous, and Jing Yu and Master Zhong argued over how to claim credit for it.

• The old man told Li Ping'an that he was a Heaven's Punishment One, unable to cultivate because he did not belong to this world, then left.
• Li Ping'an thanked Liu Yun, returned home with the sleeping Jing Yu, and eventually slept off the effects of the wine and needles.
• Jing Yu questioned Li Ping'an about his connection to the Princess, then learned that a poem under his name had become popular in the Capital City.
• Master Zhong confronted Jing Yu about the poem, and Jing Yu guessed that Li Ping'an had written it after their visit to the Clear Moon Pavilion.
• Jing Yu added a note crediting the poem to a friend, and Master Zhong revised it to include his own courtesy name and Jing Yu as his disciple.

After recovering from his drunken haze, Li Ping'an took Old Ox out for noodles, but Brocade-Clad Guards arrested him and the other diners without explanation. In the crowded prison, Li Ping'an learned that the guards routinely detained innocent people and extorted them, while fellow prisoners warned that a Thousand Household Commander had personally led the arrests.

• Li Ping'an recovered, found Old Ox hungry at the inn, and took him to a cheap noodle stall near the edge of the Capital City.
• Brocade-Clad Guards surrounded the stall and arrested Li Ping'an and its other diners, leaving Old Ox behind with Li Ping'an's Staff-Sword.
• Wang Xiao'er and two other men argued over who should take Old Ox home, but the ox accepted food from each of them and then wandered off.
• Li Ping'an dozed in the overcrowded Brocade-Clad Guards Prison while fellow prisoners explained the guards' practice of detaining innocent people and extorting them.
• A prisoner remarked that the arrest was serious because a Thousand Household Commander had personally led the guards onto the streets.

Li Xiang learned that the Brocade-Clad Guards had arrested innocent people to meet a quota, while Li Ping'an shared food and played games with Yu'er in prison. On the third day, Zhang Gong ordered Yu'er taken into a side room, and Li Xiang confronted him as his colleagues turned against him.

• Li Xiang questioned the prisoners and learned from Li Ping'an that the Brocade-Clad Guards had fabricated charges to fill their arrest quota.
• Li Ping'an gave half his steamed bun to Yu'er and later taught her to play Three-Stone Chess.
• Li Xiang appeared to return from an unsuccessful complaint as prisoners awaited interrogation and punishment.
• Zhang Gong arrived and ordered his subordinates to take Yu'er away.
• Li Xiang accused Zhang Gong and the guards of framing innocent people and suspected Zhang Gong intended to assault Yu'er.
• Zhang Gong shoved Li Xiang aside, threw Yu'er into a side room, and ordered several guards inside.

Jing Yu tried to stop Zhang Gong from abusing a girl, but Li Ping'an killed Zhang Gong and escaped. Zhang Dehai blamed Jing Yu for the murder and had him imprisoned.

• Jing Yu arrived to collect Li Ping'an and challenged Zhang Gong over his treatment of the girl.
• Zhang Gong threatened Jing Yu, while Li Ping'an was freed from his restraints and watched calmly.
• Jing Yu lowered his hand from his sword, and Zhang Gong ordered his men to take him and Li Ping'an away.
• Li Ping'an killed Zhang Gong with a single slash and fled before the guards could react.
• Zhang Dehai learned what had happened, accused Jing Yu of colluding with the murderer, and had him thrown into prison.

After killing Zhang Gong, Li Ping'an hid in Master Zhong’s lakeside pavilion while the Brocade-Clad Guards hunted for him and public outrage cost Zhang Gong’s family their posts. Jing Yu was released but struggled with the dust that had settled on his sword heart, and Li Ping'an ended the chapter fishing on the lake.

• Jing Yu reflected that he had been afraid to draw his sword, while Zhang Dehai demanded his punishment.
• The pacification commissioner released Jing Yu after Master Zhong appealed to the Chief Minister on his behalf.
• Master Zhong sheltered Li Ping'an at the Academy and told him to copy classics while the Brocade-Clad Guards searched for him.
• Reports of Zhang Gong’s crimes fueled public anger, and the Zhang father and son were dismissed from their posts pending further action.
• Li Ping'an settled into the pavilion, practiced his techniques, and took a boat onto the lake to fish.

Li Ping'an caught four Xixi, then gave two to Chunqiu and Xia Chan after learning they needed the fish to survive. Jing Yu arrived changed and nearly drowned, then spoke with Li Ping'an about his hesitation to draw his sword before agreeing to drink with him.

• Li Ping'an caught four Xixi overnight and invited Chunqiu and Xia Chan to share his fish soup.
• Chunqiu and Xia Chan learned that Li Ping'an had caught the Xixi they needed to survive, and he gave them the two live fish.
• Jing Yu arrived at the pavilion, walked onto the lake, and fell in; Li Ping'an pulled him out after he failed to resurface.
• Jing Yu asked Li Ping'an why he had drawn his saber, and Li Ping'an explained that Jing Yu had greater responsibilities and would need to act with restraint.
• Jing Yu accepted Li Ping'an's invitation to drink to their hearts' content.

Zhang Deming learned that Zhang Gong had been killed and vowed to avenge him, while discovering that he had broken through to a new realm. Li Ping'an studied Confucian cultivation, then welcomed Aliya and the others after their Academy admission and tried to comfort Wang Yi, who had failed the assessment.

• Zhang Deming returned to the Capital City for Zhang Gong's funeral, and Zhang Dehai said their gangs were searching for Jing Yu.
• Zhang Deming ordered his family to watch Jing Yu and broke a wooden table, revealing that he had made a breakthrough.
• Li Ping'an copied Confucian cultivation texts and studied the Confucian ranks and the three arts of serving as a minister.
• Jing Yu told Li Ping'an that Aliya and the others had entered the Academy, but Wang Yi had failed and would have to leave the next day.
• Aliya shared cherries with Li Ping'an, Old Ox, and her friends during a meal at the lakeside pavilion.
• Wang Yi told Li Ping'an he was too ashamed to return home, and Li Ping'an claimed he had foreseen the outcome.

Li Ping'an reassured Wang Yi that his opportunity lay beyond the Academy, and Wang Yi left the mountain while Aliya, Zhao Ling'er, and Pang Jun moved in. Princess Changle asked the headmaster of Huailu Academy for a protective brush for the Blind Man, and he chose one named Knight-errant.

• Li Ping'an told Wang Yi that the Academy was not his path and that his destined opportunity still lay ahead.
• Wang Yi left the mountain alone, while Aliya, Zhao Ling'er, and Pang Jun moved into the Academy the next day.
• Princess Changle visited the headmaster of Huailu Academy and asked him to choose a brush for her friend, the Blind Man.
• The headmaster selected a brush named Knight-errant for the Blind Man.

On her birthday, Liu Yun received honors befitting an emperor, while Li Ping'an practiced digesting the power in Old Mo’s wine. Liu Yun visited him at Huailu Academy and gave him the Academy Head’s brush; when Li Ping'an tried it, he managed to write the character for “cleave” despite its immense weight.

• The Ministry of Rites arranged an imperial-scale birthday ceremony for Liu Yun, and officials and foreign envoys offered her congratulations and gifts.
• Li Ping'an practiced circulating qi in the lakeside pavilion and grew tipsy while digesting the power in Old Mo’s wine.
• Liu Yun arrived by boat, evading Li Ping'an’s aura detection, but he recognized her by her scent.
• Liu Yun gave Li Ping'an the Huailu Academy Head’s brush, explaining that it could protect and benefit him and contained some of the Academy Head’s rules.
• At Liu Yun’s suggestion, Li Ping'an used the brush to write “cleave,” struggling against its weight before completing the character.

Li Ping'an used Liu Yun's brush to enchant the Staff-Sword with powerful characters, then learned that the Zhang Family planned to seize Wang Yi and his companions to draw him out. The Zhang brothers prepared to act the next day, while Li Ping'an and Jing Yu learned of the threat.

• Li Ping'an used the character "cleave" to enchant the Staff-Sword, then fell asleep on a boat with Liu Yun and Old Ox.
• The next morning, Li Ping'an wrote the characters "fire" and "tranquility" with Liu Yun's brush and discovered its effects and limitations.
• Jing Yu visited Li Ping'an, recognized Xia Ke, and guessed that the Princess had given it to him.
• Zhang Dehai told Zhang Deming that Wang Yi and two Martial Warriors planned to leave the Capital City the next day.
• Zhang Deming decided that he and his three brothers would seize them to force Li Ping'an to appear.

Li Ping'an left Capital City but went to the Zhang Family residence in the storm to confront Zhang Deming. He struck Zhang Deming with a single slash, leaving him with a deep wound across his chest.

• The Zhang brothers discovered that their carriage had been empty and ordered the mother and daughter brought back.
• Jing Yu learned that the Inspectorate was investigating the Zhang brothers on dozens of charges and saw Li Ping'an off as he prepared to leave Capital City.
• Li Ping'an left Jing Yu at a noodle stall and went to the Zhang Family residence, where he asked to see Zhang Deming.
• Zhang Deming learned that the abducted women had not been disposed of and prepared to visit them.
• Zhang Deming recognized Li Ping'an and attacked him, but Li Ping'an's Staff-Sword slash cut across Zhang Deming's chest.

Li Ping'an killed the four Zhang brothers, then set out by boat for Guangling with Old Ox and his few belongings. As his boat departed, Liu Yun watched from the riverbank before turning back toward her duties.

• Li Ping'an killed Zhang Deming, Zhang Dehai, Zhang Deshan, and the other Zhang brothers, then left their courtyard through the back door.
• Li Ping'an told Jing Yu he was heading to the Duke of Southern State's Residence to return the Fusang Tree's seed and asked him to care for Aliya and the others.
• Li Ping'an declined Jing Yu's request for one last music contest and left, saying they would meet again if fate allowed.
• Because the overland route was under strict inspection, Li Ping'an paid a local gang to take him, Old Ox, and his belongings by boat to Guangling.
• On the boat, Li Ping'an met Grasshopper of the Flea Sect and said he was blind.
• Liu Yun watched Li Ping'an's boat depart, then turned back toward her empire as Old Ox called out to her.

Li Ping'an earned the boat crew’s gratitude and half a mace of silver by cooking crab roe noodles. Meanwhile, Wang Yi and the Cui brothers returned to Yumen Pass and visited a blacksmith, where they met the girl’s imposing father.

• The boat crew complained about the cook’s terrible food until Li Ping'an offered to cook and made crab roe noodles that everyone eagerly devoured.
• The captain paid Li Ping'an half a mace of silver for cooking.
• Wang Yi, Cui Cheng, and Cui Cai reached Yumen Pass, where they planned to replace the weapons Cui Cheng and Cui Cai had lost.
• At the blacksmith’s shop, Wang Yi caught the girl’s shuttlecock and asked to speak with her parents.
• The girl’s father returned and challenged Wang Yi after he insisted he was no ordinary person.

Old Mo tested Cui Cheng, Cui Cai, and Wang Yi with the Sword Case, then took Wang Yi on as an apprentice after demonstrating his power. Meanwhile, Li Ping'an traveled through heavy river fog with Old Ox as the crew of a nearby ship investigated their grain transport, leaving Li Ping'an sensing something unusual about Xia Ke.

• Cui Cheng and Cui Cai failed to draw the swords in Old Mo's Sword Case, while the young girl drew one easily.
• Wang Yi shifted one sword in the case, prompting Old Mo to offer him smithing lessons; after Old Mo felled a giant tree with a stomp, Wang Yi agreed and was told to clear it away.
• Wang Yi stayed with Old Mo, who questioned whether his daily labor bothered him; Wang Yi said Li Ping'an had foreseen his opportunity to meet Old Mo.
• Li Ping'an continued his orderly routine aboard the ship and told Old Ox they could travel wherever Old Ox wished after delivering the Fusang Tree seeds.
• The Captain and Xiao Dong brought their ship alongside a grain transport that had followed them, but Xiao Dong and another crewman vanished after boarding and entering its cabin.
• Li Ping'an sensed something unusual about Xia Ke as the Captain called for Xiao Dong and received no answer.