Recaps

Princess Taiping exposed the Great Vehicle Sect’s plot, and Lu Changfeng captured its holy maiden and forced her to reveal the Thousand-Face Disguise Art. After she collapsed from rage, the Noble Physician’s Canon identified her as Wei Linlang and offered Lu Changfeng the Ice Skin, Jade Bones Art for treating her.

• Princess Taiping deduced that the Great Vehicle Sect had targeted Lu Changfeng because Su Bonian’s Immeasurable Seal had been broken.
• Princess Taiping ordered Jinghong to imprison the wounded Ba Serpent and take the holy maiden into custody.
• Lu Changfeng crippled the holy maiden’s cultivation with Huayang Needles and used his Soul-Shifting Great Method to make her reveal the Thousand-Face Disguise Art.
• Princess Taiping left Lu Changfeng with the prisoner and ordered Jinghong to bring him a classified dossier.
• Lu Changfeng taunted the holy maiden until she fainted, and the Noble Physician’s Canon identified her as Wei Linlang and offered a treatment reward.

Lu Changfeng exposed Wei Linlang’s secrets, killed her, and reviewed a manuscript describing strange beasts that might threaten the world. He then accepted the Ice Skin, Jade Bones Art, gaining stronger, smoother-flowing qi but discovering that it had made him unnaturally beautiful and alluring.

• Lu Changfeng interrogated Wei Linlang, and Qing Dai sent her confession about the Great Vehicle Sect’s agents and cultivation arts to Inner Guard headquarters.
• After Wei Linlang said she would kill him if given another chance, Lu Changfeng killed her and ordered Qing Dai to dispose of the body.
• Lu Changfeng explained how he had recognized Wei Linlang’s disguise, then examined the Record of Strange Tales from Mountains and Seas and worried about the powerful creatures it described.
• Lu Changfeng accepted the Ice Skin, Jade Bones Art, which strengthened and widened his meridians while transforming his appearance.
• Lu Changfeng looked in the mirror and realized the art had made him strikingly beautiful, with an unsettling allure even he found hard to resist.

Lu Changfeng disguised himself and explored Chang'an with Qing Dai, then entered Pingkang Ward’s Moon-Gathering Tower to attempt its Three Elegance Trials and hear the famed zither player Qingge. The chapter leaves him facing the first trial, a character riddle that has stumped the scholars gathered in the side hall.

• Lu Changfeng subdued the effects of his cultivation art and disguised himself while Qing Dai posed as a young guard.
• Lu Changfeng and Qing Dai left Princess Taiping’s Residence and walked through Chang’an, observing the Western Market’s crowds and increased patrols.
• Lu Changfeng persuaded a reluctant Qing Dai to enter Pingkang Ward and visit the Moon-Gathering Tower to hear Qingge play.
• The host explained Qingge’s Three Elegance Trials, and Lu Changfeng chose to attempt them.
• Lu Changfeng entered the side hall, where scholars were struggling with a riddle asking them to guess a character and compose a quatrain about it.

Lu Changfeng solved the wind riddle with a poem and advanced to the second challenge, a verse inspired by Luo Qingge’s Taixu Moon Realm Painting. As Luo Qingge and Yan Mingxiao discussed his work and the investigation into Zhang Shouzhuo’s death, Lu Changfeng began composing his next poem.

• Lu Changfeng quickly solved the character riddle as “wind,” wrote a quatrain without using the word, and passed the first challenge.
• Lu Changfeng went upstairs with Qing Dai and encountered Song Tan, who tried to challenge him over the moon-palace painting.
• Lu Changfeng learned that the second challenge required a poem capturing the Taixu Moon Realm Painting’s atmosphere and studied its vast view of the moon, clouds, and mortal world.
• Luo Qingge praised Lu Changfeng’s poem while Yan Mingxiao reported that investigators had found no leads in Zhang Shouzhuo’s poisoning.
• Luo Qingge said she might play a tune for Lu Changfeng if his next poem captured the painting’s spirit, and Lu Changfeng began writing.

Lu Changfeng impressed Luo Qingge at the Moon-Gathering Tower with a remarkable poem, then recognized the illness affecting her and offered a diagnosis. Luo Qingge was amused by his sudden shift from literary companion to physician, while the Noble Physician's Canon offered him the Six Methods of the Guzheng as a reward for treating her.

• Lu Changfeng wrote Li He's poem "Dreaming of Heaven," astonishing Song Tan and the guests with its vision.
• Luo Qingge invited Lu Changfeng to the Cloud-Deep Pavilion and personally played her composition, "Lonely Heart in Cloud Ravines."
• Lu Changfeng praised Luo Qingge's music, then explained that her loneliness and cultivation were connected to her symptoms.
• Lu Changfeng identified Luo Qingge's signs of yin deficiency and deficiency fire, and the Noble Physician's Canon offered him the Six Methods of the Guzheng as a success reward.
• Luo Qingge laughed at Lu Changfeng's abrupt change from discussing poetry and music to practicing medicine, calling him an interesting kindred soul.

Lu Changfeng helped Luo Qingge see her music and cultivation as worthwhile regardless of whether anyone understood them, then revealed his name. Yan Mingxiao confronted him about Zhang Shouzhuo’s poisoning, but he challenged her authority and left her more convinced of his guilt.

• Lu Changfeng prescribed Luo Qingge a medicine for her melancholy and advised her not to base her joy in music on finding a kindred spirit.
• Luo Qingge asked whether Lu Changfeng cared if others understood his work, and he said he acted according to his own wishes and accepted that circumstances sometimes forced him to yield.
• Luo Qingge thanked Lu Changfeng and asked his name, but Yan Mingxiao interrupted and asked whether he was the newly appointed Director of Medicine who had treated Young Master Xue.
• Yan Mingxiao identified herself as a Chang'an Constable and questioned Lu Changfeng about his whereabouts when Zhang Shouzhuo died.
• Lu Changfeng demanded her credentials and warrant, then challenged her for singling him out despite Zhang Shouzhuo having many enemies.
• Yan Mingxiao failed to rebut Lu Changfeng and grew more certain that he was involved in Zhang Shouzhuo's death.

Lu Changfeng left the Moon-Gathering Tower after Yan Mingxiao failed to produce evidence against him, then claimed the Six Methods of the Guzheng and went to eat with Qing Dai. At the Nine-Shao Music Bureau, Princess Taiping read his poems and, angered by his attention to Luo Qingge, ordered him placed at the fourth seat of her literary gathering to test his character.

• Lu Changfeng told Yan Mingxiao she had no grounds to detain him, thanked Luo Qingge, and left the Moon-Gathering Tower with Qing Dai.
• Luo Qingge told Yan Mingxiao that she would regard Lu Changfeng as her physician unless conclusive evidence linked him to Zhang Shouzhuo's death.
• Lu Changfeng claimed the Six Methods of the Guzheng and went with Qing Dai to eat Lamb Soup Basin and drink wine.
• An Inner Guard reported Lu Changfeng's visit and poems to Princess Taiping at the Nine-Shao Music Bureau.
• Princess Taiping ordered Lu Changfeng assigned the fourth seat at the hour-of-the-Rooster literary gathering so she could test his supposed integrity.

Lu Changfeng attended Princess Taiping’s gathering and was publicly announced as a guest adviser, drawing attention from the assembled guests. Zhang Shu recognized his voice and, after glimpsing through his disguise, mistook his extraordinary appearance for the reason behind his favor; he then escorted Lu Changfeng toward the festivities.

• Cui Huan announced Lu Changfeng as a guest adviser to Princess Taiping’s residence, shocking the guests at the entrance.
• Zhang Shu recognized Lu Changfeng from the Moon-Gathering Tower and praised his poems.
• Zhang Shu used Discerning the Subtlest Detail to see through Lu Changfeng’s disguise and became overwhelmed by his beauty.
• Zhang Shu wrongly concluded that Lu Changfeng’s appearance explained Princess Taiping’s favor and Master Luo’s attention.
• Zhang Shu led Lu Changfeng toward the busiest part of the Nine-Shao Music Bureau to show him the festivities.

Lu Changfeng attended Princess Taiping’s banquet and met Wang Xiao, who viewed him as a rival because of his ties to Taiping. Princess Anle and Shangguan Wan’er arrived, and the imperial gathering began amid factional tension, leaving Lu focused on the feast while Cui Shi took a keen interest in him.

• Zhang Shu warned Lu Changfeng that Wang Xiao, a favored musician of Princess Anle and Empress Wei, might target Taiping’s new guest adviser.
• A palace attendant assigned Lu Changfeng a seat at the fourth table in the main hall, where he joined Cui Shi, Song Zhiwen, Shen Qingshu, Wang Xiao, and others.
• Princess Taiping entered the hall, followed by Princess Anle and Shangguan Wan’er, whose arrivals stirred the assembled guests.
• Princess Anle and Princess Taiping exchanged pointed remarks about their male companions before Shangguan Wan’er redirected the conversation.
• Princess Taiping opened the banquet, and Lu Changfeng concentrated on the food while Song Tan and Wang Xiao scorned him and Cui Shi studied his composed manner.

At a banquet, Princess Anle and Princess Taiping vied for attention through a lavish gown and an unusual fragrance, until the gathering turned toward poetry. Princess Taiping put Lu Changfeng on the spot by asking him to open the contest with a poem about beauties.

• Princess Anle showed off her iridescent Hundred-Bird Skirt, but Princess Taiping watched Lu Changfeng instead of reacting to it.
• Officials praised Princess Anle’s gown, and Xu Jian redirected attention to the subtle fragrance surrounding Princess Taiping.
• The banquet split into factions praising either the gown’s brilliance or the fragrance’s refinement.
• Song Zhiwen shifted the debate to the princesses’ beauty, and Shangguan Wan’er proposed an impromptu poetry contest to avoid ranking them.
• Princess Taiping accepted the proposal and called on Lu Changfeng to begin the contest with a poem about beauties.

Princess Taiping forced Lu Changfeng to open the poetry contest, and he stunned the assembly with a masterpiece that outshone every rival. Princess Anle then challenged his musicianship, while Princess Taiping offered him rewards if he accepted.

• Princess Taiping ordered Lu Changfeng to compose the opening poem, and he reluctantly agreed while concealing his anger.
• Lu Changfeng wrote the four lines of "Qingping Tune," leaving Princess Taiping and Shangguan Wan'er deeply impressed.
• Jinghong displayed the poem, and Zhang Shu praised it as a masterpiece as the assembly applauded and the other poets conceded.
• Princess Anle challenged Lu Changfeng to accompany the poem with music, hoping to expose his lack of musical skill.
• Princess Taiping secretly urged Lu Changfeng to accept the challenge and offered him a Seven-Colored Purple Vine and a fourth-tier famous artifact as rewards.

Lu Changfeng defeated Wang Xiao in a musical duel at Princess Taiping's gathering, using the Lovesick Zither and Ambush from Ten Sides. After the fight, he realized his intense performance had caused his disguise to fail.

• Princess Taiping had Jinghong bring the Lovesick Zither for Lu Changfeng to use against Wang Xiao.
• Wang Xiao attacked Lu Changfeng through the flute with the Blue Sea Raging Tide Melody, but Lu Changfeng held his ground with his musical mastery.
• Wang Xiao unleashed his full sonic attack, while Lu Changfeng countered with the battlefield music of Ambush from Ten Sides.
• Lu Changfeng shattered Wang Xiao's attack, injured him, and broke the Jade Flute, winning the duel.
• The guests stared at Lu Changfeng in shock, and Zhang Shu pointed out that his disguise was disappearing.

After Lu Changfeng’s disguise fell, his beauty and talent stunned the gathering, and Princess Taiping rewarded him with the [Lovesick Zither] and access to a fourth-tier weapon. He left the hall while Princess Anle became intent on learning his background and winning him over.

• Lu Changfeng’s revealed appearance astonished the guests, while Princess Anle, Shangguan Wan'er, and Princess Taiping reacted strongly to him.
• Lu Changfeng calmly accepted that his face had been exposed and asked Princess Taiping to let him leave; she ordered Jinghong to take him to the Pivot of Heaven Pavilion to choose a fourth-tier weapon.
• Princess Taiping praised Lu Changfeng’s performance on the [Lovesick Zither] and gave it to him, and he departed without concern for the hostility he had stirred.
• Princess Anle questioned Princess Taiping about Lu Changfeng, but Taiping avoided revealing his background and introduced a performance by Luo Qingge and Gongsun Lan.
• Distracted by Lu Changfeng, Princess Anle resolved to investigate him and lure him away from Princess Taiping.

Lu Changfeng visited the Princess’s Residence’s weapon treasury and encountered Wind-Raising, Zhuge Liang’s renowned sword. The sword awakened, chose him as its master, and left Jinghong stunned.

• Jinghong told Lu Changfeng that Princess Anle had allowed him to choose any weapon in the treasury.
• Lu Changfeng sensed a spiritual presence in Wind-Raising and learned from Jinghong that it had once been Zhuge Liang’s sword.
• Wind-Raising leapt into Lu Changfeng’s hand and awakened, its energy harmonizing with his internal energy.
• Lu Changfeng accepted the sword’s choice, while Jinghong watched in astonishment.

After the [Wind-Raising Sword] chose Lu Changfeng, he accepted the attention it would bring and turned to studying gu arts for Taiping’s assignment and the Blood Tai Sui. Jinghong reported the sword’s awakening to Taiping while the elegant gathering continued with Lu Changfeng at the center of conversation.

• Jinghong congratulated Lu Changfeng and reflected on the significance of Marquis Wu’s sword choosing him as its master.
• Lu Changfeng accepted that the sword would bring him more enemies and asked Jinghong about the other seven Shu Lords’ swords; she described their suspected locations and reported that Yang Kaitian might possess the [Dragon-Soaring Sword].
• Lu Changfeng resolved to strengthen his cultivation, study gu arts, and pursue the Blood Tai Sui, then asked Jinghong how Taiping planned to deal with Chi Ming’s Gu Formation.
• Jinghong said Taiping planned to fight poison with poison and had sought help from experts in the Nanzhao Kingdom, then led Lu Changfeng to the Gu Department’s texts.
• Jinghong arranged for Qing Dai to attend Lu Changfeng and reported the [Wind-Raising Sword]’s awakening to Taiping at the Nine-Shao Music Bureau.
• The guests at Taiping’s gathering began informal discussions about court and martial-world affairs, but their conversations repeatedly returned to Lu Changfeng.

Princess Taiping arranged a covert route through Nanzhao to treat the poison while protecting Lu Changfeng from trouble over Zhang Shouzhuo. At the Pivot of Heaven Pavilion, Lu Changfeng studied gu arts before Qing Dai summoned him to treat poisoned investigators returning from Jade Pillar Peak.

• Princess Taiping ordered Jinghong to prepare for the Heavenly Spider Envoy in Nanzhao and stage a false attempt to steal the Poison-Averting Pearl.
• Princess Taiping told Jinghong to warn Shen Qingshu and the Embroidered Shadow Pavilion not to interfere over Zhang Shouzhuo’s death.
• After Fu Rong reported trouble at Jade Pillar Peak, Princess Taiping sent Zi Zhi to stabilize the injured and let Jinghong assist.
• Lu Changfeng studied the Secret Record of Southern Border Gu Arts and considered how gu might complement his abilities.
• Qing Dai told Lu Changfeng that the Three Signs of Spring Equinox had been poisoned by a monster at Jade Pillar Peak, and he hurried to help.

Lu Changfeng treated Mu Lan after a blood-red ape-like monster struck her with a strange fire poison that burned her meridians and consumed her internal power. He purged the poison with Shennong Qi and received A-Fei's Swift Sword, then told Zi Zhi to restore Mu Lan's strength while he recovered.

• Qing Dai and Lu Changfeng hurried to the Spirit Pivot Institute, where Jinghong, Fu Rong, Hai Tang, and Li Hua waited while Zi Zhi treated Mu Lan.
• Zi Zhi explained that Mu Lan's fierce fire poison resisted her Cold Plum Art, and Hai Tang described the blood-red ape-like monster that had attacked them.
• Lu Changfeng stopped Zi Zhi's attempt to suppress the poison with ice and used Shennong Qi to neutralize it over an hour.
• The Noble Physician's Canon declared Mu Lan's condition eradicated and awarded Lu Changfeng A-Fei's Swift Sword, whose sword intent and movements were imparted directly to him.
• Lu Changfeng told Zi Zhi to prescribe medicine for Mu Lan and rested after the treatment left him nearly drained.

Lu Changfeng and Princess Taiping concluded that the Blood-Colored Giant Ape beneath Jade Pillar Peak might be guarding the Blood Tai Sui, which someone had approached but not yet removed. Taiping invited Lu Changfeng to investigate the site with her, and they prepared to leave despite her attendants’ concerns.

• Lu Changfeng recovered after saving Mu Lan, then heard Hai Tang and Li Hua describe how a Blood-Colored Giant Ape had attacked the Plum Blossom Guards among the traps beneath Jade Pillar Peak.
• Lu Changfeng suspected the giant ape was connected to the Blood Tai Sui, and Princess Taiping agreed that someone might be guarding the treasure because they could not yet remove it.
• Princess Taiping invited Lu Changfeng to accompany her to Jade Pillar Peak, and he agreed after considering her strength and the value of learning more.
• Taiping summoned a double to return to Yao Light Hall with the others and dismissed Jinghong’s warning that the journey was too dangerous.
• Si Jin brought Lu Changfeng Ice Silkworm Silk Armor, which Taiping offered him for protection before their expedition.

Princess Taiping and Lu Changfeng investigated the hidden Gu Formation beneath Jade Pillar Peak, where they found the Ten Thousand Gu Spirit-Devouring Formation still intact. Lu Changfeng questioned how the living Blood Tai Sui could survive atop a sealed floor of inkflame stone.

• Princess Taiping and Lu Changfeng left her residence through a secret passage and traveled toward Jade Pillar Peak.
• Princess Taiping teased Lu Changfeng about his visit to the Moon-Gathering Tower, but he redirected their attention to the investigation.
• The pair found signs of a fierce battle in the forest, though the blood-colored giant ape was nowhere to be seen.
• Princess Taiping opened a concealed entrance at the mountain’s foot, and she and Lu Changfeng descended into a hidden passage.
• They discovered that the Ten Thousand Gu Spirit-Devouring Formation remained intact and learned that dense inkflame stone sealed the floor beneath it.
• Lu Changfeng asked how the Blood Tai Sui could draw water and spiritual energy from the earth through the inkflame stone.

Lu Changfeng and Princess Taiping discovered that the Blood Tai Sui’s water source could reveal a hidden passage, and Taiping used her Grandmaster abilities to locate its entrance by the Jade Belt River. After she destroyed the stone door trapping them, a black-clad figure and a pack of Giant Apes surrounded them outside the cave.

• Lu Changfeng deduced that the spring feeding the Blood Tai Sui connected to an underground river and that a hidden passage might lead to it.
• Princess Taiping explained how Grandmasters manifested their intent and used a Five Elements Positioning domain to find an unnatural gap in the earth qi near the flowing water.
• Lu Changfeng recognized the likely entrance as being concealed in the Jade Belt River around Jade Pillar Peak.
• As Lu Changfeng and Princess Taiping tried to leave, the stone door began closing, but Taiping shattered it with a palm strike.
• A black-clad figure emerged from the woods as more than a dozen Giant Apes surrounded Lu Changfeng and Princess Taiping.

Princess Taiping’s ambush was reinforced by Zhao Lanjun and Mu Qinghong, trapping the mysterious man in black. He turned the battle against them with a targeted strike that broke Mu Qinghong’s cultivation art, leaving the fight unresolved.

• Princess Taiping revealed that she had used herself as bait, and Zhao Lanjun and Mu Qinghong arrived with the Cloud-Howling Eagle to encircle the man in black.
• The man in black recognized the newcomers and implied that he had ties to enemies of Wu Zetian before ordering twelve Blood-Colored Giant Apes to attack.
• Lu Changfeng withdrew to the cave entrance as Zhao Lanjun froze the leading apes and slowed the rest with her cold technique.
• The man in black created nine Li Fire Doubles and sent all ten figures toward Princess Taiping, who gathered stellar power while Mu Qinghong moved to shield her.
• The man in black exploited a flaw in Mu Qinghong’s Great Pagoda Formula and struck her Gate of the Chapter Acupoint, breaking her cultivation art and making her spit blood.

Lu Changfeng treated Mu Qinghong during the fight, disrupting True Person Mingyang’s plan and allowing Princess Taiping and Zhao Lanjun to wound him. Mingyang fled toward the Sun-Burning Temple on Zhongnan Mountain, pursued by the Cloud-Howling Eagle.

• Lu Changfeng recognized the black-clad attacker as True Person Mingyang and realized he had deliberately exploited Mu Qinghong’s weakness to divide the defenders.
• Lu Changfeng used Huayang Needles and Shennong Qi to expel Mingyang’s fire force from Mu Qinghong, restoring her breathing at the cost of damaging her meridians and vital energy.
• Zhao Lanjun ambushed Mingyang with Bone-Piercing Ice-Soul Needles, giving Princess Taiping an opening to break his right shoulder with a palm strike.
• Mu Qinghong recovered enough to strike Mingyang’s left arm, leaving him gravely wounded and forcing him to flee using Separation by Li Fire.
• Princess Taiping sent the Cloud-Howling Eagle after Mingyang, and it pursued his true body southeast toward the Sun-Burning Temple.

Princess Taiping and Lu Changfeng investigated the hidden cavern beneath Jade Belt River and discovered that the man in black had used the Blood Tai Sui to develop strength-enhancing drugs. Lu Changfeng found a concealed chamber holding mutilated apes and ape-like children, leaving him furious and regretful that they had not pursued the man.

• Princess Taiping ordered Zhao Lanjun to summon the Plum Blossom Guards, seal the routes around Jade Pillar Peak, and bring the Heavenly Spider Envoy to break the Ten Thousand Gu Devouring Spirit Array.
• Princess Taiping and Lu Changfeng swam through a concealed passage into a cavern, where they found the Blood Tai Sui and a secret alchemy workshop.
• Lu Changfeng read a notebook describing experiments that turned apes and people into powerful, increasingly bestial fighters, including trials on children.
• Lu Changfeng found a hidden door and rushed into a secret chamber with Princess Taiping behind him.
• Lu Changfeng and Princess Taiping discovered dozens of mutilated apes and imprisoned children whose bodies had been deformed by the experiments, and Lu Changfeng regretted not pursuing the man in black.

Lu Changfeng and Princess Taiping discovered children harmed by Mingyang’s experiments, and Lu Changfeng resolved to help them and kill their tormentor. As he received the Peacock Diagram, he began considering whether he could use the Noble Physician’s Canon by deliberately creating patients and treating them to earn rewards.

• Princess Taiping vowed to grind Mingyang’s bones to dust after seeing the children imprisoned in the stone chambers.
• Lu Changfeng tried to examine a child, but it attacked him, confirming that the experiments had damaged the children’s bodies and minds.
• Lu Changfeng explained the three medicines described in Mingyang’s notes, including the Blood Apes, the enhanced Soldiers, and the medicine tested on the children.
• Princess Taiping put the apes and children to sleep, while Lu Changfeng examined the children and found that their lives and physical foundations had been gravely damaged.
• Lu Changfeng claimed his reward and received a Peacock Plume and the Peacock Diagram, then considered using the Noble Physician’s Canon to create patients and earn rewards through treating them.

Lu Changfeng resolved to use the Noble Physician's Canon against monstrous nobles, while the injured True Person Mingyang planned to abandon the Sun-Burning Temple and continue his scheme elsewhere. Mingyang also ordered his son to capture Lu Changfeng alive, leaving both men committed to exploiting each other for their own ends.

• Lu Changfeng embraced a path of fighting evil with evil and vowed to use Mingyang and other enemies as subjects for medical and poison experiments.
• True Person Mingyang entered a hidden chamber beneath the Sun-Burning Temple, where his son discovered that he had been injured by Taiping and Mu Qinghong.
• Mingyang ordered his son to make the disciples upstairs take their own lives, burn the temple, and evacuate with the remaining tai sui essence.
• Mingyang learned that Lu Changfeng had mastered the Shennong Glazed Glass Art and could counter the Rebirth in Ultimate Bliss Powder and the Immeasurable Seal.
• Mingyang ordered his son to track Lu Changfeng and seize him alive, then revealed that his new pill formula was complete and that he intended to begin the next stage of his plan.