Recaps

During the Buddha-Bathing Festival, attackers stormed Jianfu Temple as part of a plot to seize the Buddha Bone and assassinate Wu Sansi. When a potent desire-inducing poison plunged the pagoda into chaos, Princess Taiping feigned being affected and clung to Lu Changfeng.

• Sengjia delivered the Buddha Bone to Jianfu Temple, where Wu Sansi enshrined it with Princess Taiping and Lu Changfeng present.
• Foreign merchants affiliated with the Fire-Worshipping Cult and Great Vehicle Sect attacked the pagoda, prompting Li Qianli’s guards and Wu Sansi’s Seven Moon-Chasers to respond.
• Pink smoke released throughout the pagoda poisoned many people, causing guards, monks, and attackers to lose control amid the chaos.
• Lu Changfeng realized the attack was a diversion and suspected Li Qianli and Li Chongjun had arranged the poison to target Wu Sansi.
• Princess Taiping appeared to succumb to the poison, embraced Lu Changfeng, and resisted his attempts to pull away despite remaining clear-minded.

Lu Changfeng and Princess Taiping watched as gu-poisoned guards launched a coordinated attack on Wu Sansi, only for Xiao Changchun to appear and unleash a deadly poison. The assassination attempt remained underway as Xiao Changchun’s arrival transformed the battlefield into a lethal poison domain.

• Princess Taiping restrained Lu Changfeng while secretly warning him that the attackers were about to move.
• Golden Crow Guards and Feathered Forest Guard soldiers, driven by the Soldier Blood Tonic, attacked Wu Sansi while Li Qianli’s commands secretly guided their assault.
• Wu Sansi and the Seven Moon-Chasers fought off the relentless attackers, who ignored injuries and even attempted to self-detonate.
• Xiao Changchun appeared beside Wu Sansi and killed the charging soldiers with black poison that also dispersed the pink gu poison mist.

Li Qianli’s ambush failed to kill Wu Sansi, who survived the attacks with the Mountain-Bearing Armor bestowed by Empress Wu. The Cloud-Splitting Sword appeared in the pagoda, and Taiping urged Li Qianli to use it against Wu Sansi.

• Hidden weapons and a Repeating Crossbow Divine Arrow attacked Wu Sansi and Xiao Changchun, and Xiao Changchun intercepted the arrow at great cost.
• Li Duozuo and Li Sichong struck Wu Sansi with their spears, but his Mountain-Bearing Armor stopped them from penetrating his body.
• Wu Sansi revealed that Empress Wu had given him the Mountain-Bearing Armor and boasted that no one could kill him.
• Li Qianli prepared to attack Wu Sansi with his concealed Great Grandmaster strength, but the Cloud-Splitting Sword descended through the pagoda ceiling.
• Taiping looked toward Li Qianli and urged him to take the sword and kill Wu Sansi.

Li Qianli realized that Li Qianli had been used to help eliminate Wu Sansi, but he embraced the chance to kill him and attacked with the Cloud-Splitting Sword. After wounding Xiao Changchun, Li Qianli unleashed his ultimate sword technique against Wu Sansi, leaving the battle on the brink of a decisive strike.

• Li Qianli recognized that the Cloud-Splitting Sword could break Wu Sansi’s armor and resolved to kill Wu Sansi despite realizing he had been used.
• Wu Sansi raised his earth-energy shield while Xiao Changchun gathered plague poison to support him against Li Qianli.
• Li Qianli used the first two forms of the Sun-Moon Cosmos Sword to damage Wu Sansi’s defenses, though Wu Sansi’s armor helped him withstand the blows.
• Xiao Changchun sent poison phantoms after Li Qianli, who exposed a flaw in Xiao Changchun’s cultivation and wounded him in the left ribs.
• Li Qianli gathered his power into the Sun-Moon Cosmos Sword’s ultimate move, Heaven and Earth in One Throw, as Wu Sansi faced an imminent killing strike.

Li Qianli killed Wu Sansi with the Cloud-Splitting Sword, ending the battle in Jianfu Temple. Master Sengjia used the Buddha Bone to dispel the poison, and Emperor Zhongzong arrived to find the pagoda strewn with corpses and the fighting subdued.

• Li Qianli pierced Wu Sansi’s defenses and destroyed him with the Cloud-Splitting Sword, while Wu Lingyun collapsed in horror.
• Li Qianli succumbed to his wounds and Xiao Changchun’s plague poison after confirming Wu Sansi was dead.
• Master Sengjia invoked the Buddha Bone’s power to cleanse the gu poison and plague poison, calming the affected people and ending the disorder.
• Princess Taiping assessed the battle’s outcome and let go of Lu Changfeng as she resumed her composure.
• Emperor Zhongzong arrived with the imperial guards, who secured the pagoda as Li Xian entered with Empress Wei and Shangguan Wan'er.

After Wu Sansi died and the pagoda filled with Buddha light, Empress Wei pressed Taiping to explain the disaster. Lu Changfeng spoke in her place, presenting an account that blamed the attack on conspirators and Li Qianli while shielding Taiping and her allies.

• Li Xian, Empress Wei, and the ministers entered the wrecked pagoda and saw Wu Sansi dead, Li Duozuo and Li Sichong gravely wounded, and Li Qianli barely standing.
• Zong Chuke secretly instructed Empress Wei, who demanded that Taiping explain the chaos and the Prince of Liang's death.
• Taiping feigned a severe flare-up of her gu poison, and Lu Changfeng stepped in to report on her behalf.
• Lu Changfeng said disguised attackers had released an illusory gu, and that Li Qianli had controlled Li Duozuo and Li Sichong before joining the assault on the Prince of Liang.
• Lu Changfeng claimed Li Qianli had killed the Prince of Liang with a divine weapon, then said Sengjia and the Buddha Bone had dispelled the poison and ended the chaos.

After Wu Sansi died, Empress Wei accepted Lu Changfeng’s account and blamed Li Qianli, while Zong Chuke helped direct the response. As Taiping and Lu Changfeng withdrew, they considered the danger of false accusations and realized that Crown Prince Li Chongjun had been absent from the Buddha-Bathing Festival.

• Princess Anle accused Taiping of escaping the attack unharmed, but Empress Wei silenced her and Zong Chuke urged the empress to blame Li Qianli.
• Empress Wei denounced Li Qianli, ordered his accomplices seized, and praised the Buddha Bone’s manifestation as protection for the emperor.
• Li Xian agreed to move to a side hall and ordered a thorough investigation as officials cleared the pagoda and reassured the crowd.
• Taiping told Lu Changfeng that Zong Chuke was a dangerous schemer, and Lu warned that Li Qianli could be used to frame the Crown Prince and endanger Taiping and Prince Xiang.
• Lu Changfeng noticed that Li Chongjun had not appeared at the Buddha-Bathing Festival, and Taiping realized he was missing.

After the Crown Prince and Li Qianli’s family vanished from Chang’an, Taiping and Lu Changfeng suspected that hidden forces in Lingnan had orchestrated their escape. They concluded that the Crown Prince’s flight gave those forces a legitimate figurehead, though he himself was unlikely to pose a serious threat.

• Empress Wei learned that the Crown Prince, Li Qianli’s children, and his trusted advisers had disappeared, and she ordered an investigation while claiming the Crown Prince was ill.
• Taiping and Lu Changfeng discussed how Li Qianli could have arranged the escape despite the Golden Scale Guards’ scrutiny.
• Lu Changfeng identified Lingnan as the likely source of support, and Taiping explained how exiled Li clansmen and former enemies of Wu Zetian had gathered strength there.
• Taiping and Lu Changfeng considered whether Lingnan’s hidden network had helped move the Crown Prince and might have secret routes and resources in Chang’an.
• Lu Changfeng judged that the Crown Prince’s disappearance gave Lingnan’s forces a legitimate claim, but that the Crown Prince himself was not a serious threat.

Princess Taiping discussed the political danger posed by Zong Chuke with Lu Changfeng over tribute wine, then confided her personal trust in him as their closeness nearly turned intimate. An imperial decree summoned Lu Changfeng to treat Li Qianli and investigate the Crown Prince’s accomplices.

• Taiping and Lu Changfeng discussed how the Crown Prince’s flight weakened his legitimacy and how Zong Chuke might target her and Prince Xiang.
• Jinghong brought Taiping a jar of Jade-Ice Shao, which Taiping and Lu Changfeng drank as they talked about court politics.
• Taiping told Lu Changfeng that he was the first person she had welcomed into her private waterside study and that she valued their time together beyond their official roles.
• Lu Changfeng felt a powerful, unexplained heat after drinking the wine, and he and Taiping drew close before Jinghong announced an urgent imperial decree.
• A eunuch delivered the decree ordering Lu Changfeng to treat Li Qianli in the imperial prison and uncover the whereabouts of his accomplices and the Crown Prince; Lu Changfeng accepted.

Lu Changfeng arrived at the Blackwater Mystic Prison under imperial orders to examine and question Li Qianli, while the Wu siblings pressed for torture and Vice Minister Shen Qingshu refused to oversee their methods. Lu Changfeng entered the prison and saw the light-swallowing Blackwater Pool at its center.

• Lu Changfeng traveled to the Court of Judicial Review with the Three Baleful Skeletons guarding him and reflected on the mysterious wine and his plans to leave Chang'an.
• At the prison gate, Wu Lingyun demanded that Lu Changfeng use the Blazing Wind Gu to keep Li Qianli alive and force him to talk.
• Wu Chongxun threatened to use the Wu Family's ancestral prescriptions, and Lu Changfeng asked Shen Qingshu to clarify the rules for interrogating the prisoner.
• Shen Qingshu said he was responsible only for keeping Li Qianli alive and reporting the outcome, leaving the interrogation methods to Lu Changfeng, the Golden Scale Guards, and Chancellor Zong.
• Lu Changfeng entered the Blackwater Mystic Prison and saw the dark pool at its center.

Lu Changfeng treated the imprisoned Li Qianli, whose body was ravaged by plague and gu poisons, using Medicine King Valley techniques. He stabilized Li Qianli enough to keep him alive, leaving him lucid and still full of hatred.

• Lu Changfeng visited the chained Li Qianli and heard him regret not killing Lu sooner.
• Lu Changfeng had Shen Qingshu record Li Qianli's words as evidence that he had wanted Lu dead.
• Lu Changfeng examined Li Qianli and identified the plague poison, gu poison, internal damage, and infected wounds afflicting him.
• Lu Changfeng used the Three Immortal Life-Restoring Hands to gather and draw the toxins toward Li Qianli's wounds.
• Lu Changfeng treated Li Qianli with Huayang Needles, easing his breathing and restoring some of his awareness.

Lu Changfeng treated Li Qianli, Li Duozuo, and Li Sichong in the Blackwater Mystic Prison, then interrogated Prince Cheng about the Buddha-Bathing Festival assassination and the Crown Prince’s whereabouts. Li Qianli admitted masterminding the attack and hinted that powerful anti-Wu forces were involved, while Lu Changfeng left the remaining interrogation to the court.

• Lu Changfeng stabilized Li Qianli’s poison and wounds, dictated a prescription, and received the complete version of "One Sword Across the Ages."
• Lu Changfeng questioned Li Qianli, who admitted ordering Wu Sansi’s assassination but concealed his accomplices and the Crown Prince’s location.
• Li Qianli warned that a hidden faction would come to rescue him, and Lu Changfeng and the others inferred that anti-Wu forces in Lingnan were behind the scheme.
• Shen Qingshu confirmed that Li Duozuo and Li Sichong should be kept alive for interrogation, and Lu Changfeng treated their injuries and poison.
• Lu Changfeng advised Shen Qingshu that extracting more from Li Qianli would require another expert, then left the Blackwater Mystic Prison.

Lu Changfeng mastered the supreme sword art “One Sword Across the Ages” and returned to Snow Listening Tower, where Qing Dai worried about the danger surrounding him. Snow Robe told Qing Dai that Lu Changfeng might leave for Lu Prefecture, and she resolved to follow him before the bird teased her about how to be useful to him.

• Lu Changfeng claimed the reward for “One Sword Across the Ages” and demonstrated its power by splitting a tree with a finger-sword.
• Lu Changfeng returned to Snow Listening Tower at midnight and overheard Qing Dai and Snow Robe discussing the threats facing him.
• Snow Robe reassured Qing Dai that Lu Changfeng could protect himself, then asked if she liked him, and Qing Dai blushed silently.
• Snow Robe hinted that Lu Changfeng planned to leave for Lu Prefecture, leaving Qing Dai shaken.
• Qing Dai said she wanted to follow Lu Changfeng but feared her weak martial arts would make her a burden.
• Snow Robe advised Qing Dai that warming the bed and folding the quilts could be useful skills.

Lu Changfeng learned that Yuan Keshi had taught Snow Robe its speech and its crude jokes, then prepared to cultivate after confirming they might soon leave Chang'an for Lu Prefecture. The chapter ended with Lu Changfeng wondering what other extraordinary people remained hidden and resolving to train.

• Snow Robe teased Qing Dai until Lu Changfeng entered and told her to rest because they might leave the capital soon.
• Lu Changfeng used his qi to keep Snow Robe from flying away and demanded to know who had taught it those remarks.
• Snow Robe explained that Yuan Keshi, Yuan Tiangang's son, had spoken with it and taught it the official tongue of the Central Plains, along with the jokes.
• Lu Changfeng forgave Snow Robe but warned it not to embarrass Qing Dai with crude remarks again.
• Lu Changfeng set the Eight Extremes Dew-Bearing Plate beneath the moonlight and began cultivating while thinking about hidden extraordinary people.

Lu Changfeng strengthened his glazed glass body and transformed his Shennong qi with two rare medicinal treasures, then learned that poison masters and members of the Ultimate Bliss Cave were gathering in the Ghost Market. When Ink Jade warned that Luo Qingge was being captured at Carefree Cave, Lu Changfeng rushed there at terrifying speed.

• Lu Changfeng absorbed the Seven-Colored Purple Vine and Nine-Springs Jade-Leaf Bloodflower, bringing his glazed glass body near full mastery and transforming his Shennong qi.
• Lan Die'er brought poisonous creatures for the Crimson Flame Wyrm and told Lu Changfeng that poison masters had crowded the Ghost Market since the Prince of Liang's Residence fell.
• Lan Die'er sensed the Ultimate Bliss Cave's illusory desire immortal-ensnaring gu near the Ghost Market and suspected Wu Zhaoyun and his followers were there.
• Ink Jade burst into the Spirit Pivot Institute and warned Lu Changfeng that someone was trying to capture Luo Qingge at Carefree Cave in the Ghost Market.
• Lu Changfeng unleashed his speed and killing intent, leaving the institute at once as Lan Die'er and Qing Dai watched in shock.

Luo Qingge fled through Carefree Cave while the Illusory Desire Immortal-Ensnaring Gu clouded her mind and Wu Zhaoyun pursued her. Just as she tried to take her own life rather than fall into his hands, Lu Changfeng’s voice broke through the illusion and reached her.

• Luo Qingge used Phoenix Dance Nine Heavens to flee through the Ghost Tower while fighting the gu poison’s effects.
• Wu Zhaoyun tracked Luo Qingge to the Ghost Maple Forest and threatened to drain her essence.
• Luo Qingge summoned the Nine Heavens Ringed Pendant and attacked Wu Zhaoyun with sound blades, but her illusions made her mistake him for Lu Changfeng.
• Luo Qingge’s attack faltered, and she gathered her remaining true qi to slash her own throat.
• Lu Changfeng shouted for Luo Qingge to stop, and his voice restored a fragment of clarity to her mind.

Lu Changfeng rescued Luo Qingge from Wu Zhaoyun, crippling and tormenting the Gu user before purging the poison from her body. The chapter ended with him scolding Luo Qingge for entering the Carefree Cave despite the danger.

• Luo Qingge recognized Lu Changfeng and showed her trust and relief as he arrived.
• Lu Changfeng cut through Wu Zhaoyun's Gu insects and defenses with One Sword Across the Ages, severing his right arm.
• Lu Changfeng severed Wu Zhaoyun's remaining limbs, destroyed his dantian, and sent the Blazing Wind Gu into his body to torment him.
• Lu Changfeng used Shennong Qi to purge the desire immortal-ensnaring Gu poison from Luo Qingge.
• Lu Changfeng scolded Luo Qingge for entering the Carefree Cave with Yan Mingxiao despite the danger.

Luo Qingge explained that she had risked entering the Carefree Cave to obtain an Earthcore Fire Jade Ganoderma for Lu Changfeng, who carried her out after defeating Wu Zhaoyun. When she asked him not to return to the Moon-Gathering Tower, Lu Changfeng agreed to take her to her secluded courtyard on Zhongnan Mountain.

• Luo Qingge gave Lu Changfeng the Earthcore Fire Jade Ganoderma and explained that she had sought it to help advance his Shennong Glazed Glass Art.
• Yan Mingxiao and Shen Qingshu found Luo Qingge safe with Lu Changfeng, while Shen Qingshu sensed the overwhelming sword intent and questioned Lu Changfeng's origins.
• Lu Changfeng carried Luo Qingge away, killed the wounded Wu Zhaoyun, and told Yan Mingxiao that Luo Qingge needed quiet rest.
• Shen Qingshu ordered his subordinates to clear the scene, verify Lu Changfeng's identity, and consolidate the cases against Wu Zhaoyun.
• Luo Qingge persuaded Lu Changfeng to take her to her private courtyard on Zhongnan Mountain, and he changed direction and hurried there with her.

At Clear Spring Retreat, Lu Changfeng treated Luo Qingge’s weakness after removing her Gu Poison. Luo Qingge confessed her feelings through a coy request for him to cure her supposed lingering symptoms, and Lu Changfeng kissed her as their intimacy deepened.

• Lu Changfeng brought Luo Qingge to Clear Spring Retreat, found calming herbs in its garden, and brewed medicine for her.
• Luo Qingge asked whether Qing Dai had followed them, then praised Lu Changfeng’s newfound swordsmanship.
• After drinking the medicine, Luo Qingge caught Lu Changfeng’s sleeve and pleaded with him not to leave.
• Luo Qingge suggested her chest tightness meant the Gu Poison remained, and Lu Changfeng recognized her hidden affection.
• Lu Changfeng drew Luo Qingge into his arms and kissed her, and they became intimate beneath the quilt.

Princess Taiping’s allies blocked an accusation of treason against her and Prince Xiang at court, but she remained consumed by worry after Lu Changfeng and Luo Qingge disappeared. As Taiping’s search intensified and her volatile cultivation threatened to turn against her, a report arrived that Luo Qingge was safe and would return to Chang’an.

• Cen Xi and Xiao Zhizhong rallied ministers to oppose Ran Zuyong’s memorial accusing Prince Xiang and Princess Taiping of treason, and Li Xian dismissed the accusation with a minor punishment for Ran Zuyong.
• Princess Taiping ordered an extensive search after Lu Changfeng and Luo Qingge vanished, with the last confirmed sighting showing Lu carrying Luo away from the Ghost Market.
• Taiping pressed her commanders to search Chang’an for Lu, while Jinghong feared that Taiping’s anxiety and the approaching full moon would destabilize her cultivation.
• Taiping punished an Inner Guard commander for an unclear report, heightening the fear throughout Chenghui Hall.
• An agent delivered word from Master Luo that Luo Qingge was safe and would return to Chang’an in the coming days.

Princess Taiping learned that Lu Changfeng was safe and had spent five days with Luo Qingge, and her rage triggered a violent loss of control over her True Qi. Meanwhile, Lu Changfeng and Luo Qingge enjoyed their last night at Clear Spring Retreat before planning to return to their duties and future journey.

• Princess Taiping received Lu Changfeng's belated letter, delivered by Young Master Zhang Shu, and realized he had been with Luo Qingge rather than handling urgent business.
• Princess Taiping erupted in anger, lost control of her True Qi, and ordered everyone out after Jinghong tried to calm her.
• At Clear Spring Retreat, Lu Changfeng prepared Beggar's Chicken while Luo Qingge spoke about returning tomorrow and seeking the Bird-Speech Art at Mount Yangluo.
• Luo Qingge asked whether Princess Taiping had truly let Lu Changfeng go, and he said her recent calm suggested she had.
• Lu Changfeng kissed Luo Qingge and carried her inside at her request.

Lu Changfeng returned to the Princess's Residence and found that Li Lingyue had suffered cultivation deviation after her emotions disrupted the Purple Tenuity Heavenly Heart Formula. He subdued her rampaging qi and helped stabilize her, but she woke and coldly remarked on his days away at Zhongnan Mountain.

• Lu Changfeng returned Luo Qingge to the Moon-Gathering Tower, endured the members' complaints, and headed to the Princess's Residence.
• Qing Dai and Jinghong told Lu Changfeng that Li Lingyue's cultivation method had backfired and that she was near cultivation deviation.
• Lu Changfeng rushed to the Yao Light Hall, where Li Lingyue blasted open the chamber doors and attacked him with uncontrolled purple-gold qi.
• Lu Changfeng redirected Li Lingyue's first strike, then struck three acupoints to halt her rampaging qi and caught her as she collapsed.
• Lu Changfeng used his Shennong Qi to guide Li Lingyue's true qi back into its proper course until her condition stabilized.
• Li Lingyue woke and asked Lu Changfeng whether Zhongnan Mountain had been so lovely that he had lingered there for several days.

Princess Taiping asked Lu Changfeng why he pursued Luo Qingge but kept his distance from her, and he explained that he feared becoming a possession under her power rather than being judged for her past. She accepted his answer and proposed a lighter arrangement between them, ending by asking him to stay.

• Lu Changfeng warned Princess Taiping that her damaged heart meridians required complete rest and that stirring her emotions could trigger another backlash.
• Princess Taiping compared herself with Luo Qingge in beauty, power, wealth, and resources, then asked why Lu Changfeng preferred Qingge.
• Lu Changfeng said he feared Princess Taiping's power and the way her past relationships suggested she might treat him as a possession or pawn.
• Princess Taiping realized that her status and control over others were what made Lu Changfeng wary, not simply her romantic past.
• Princess Taiping proposed that they set aside their titles and keep only their shared interests and a casual arrangement between Li Lingyue and Lu Changfeng.
• Princess Taiping asked Lu Changfeng whether her offer was light enough for him to stay a little longer.

Li Lingyue offered Lu Changfeng a relationship without obligations, and he accepted through a quiet gesture. After treating her injuries, he agreed to stay beside her through the night and used his Shennong Qi to soothe a flare of her unstable true qi.

• Li Lingyue proposed an alliance and a temporary affair, and Lu Changfeng took her clenched fist and silently nodded his acceptance.
• Lu Changfeng assessed Li Lingyue’s damaged heart meridians, prescribed treatment, and instructed her to rest for seven days without circulating her true qi.
• Lu Changfeng gave the prescription to Jinghong, then agreed to stay in the waterside study after Li Lingyue said she did not want to be alone.
• Li Lingyue fell asleep while Lu Changfeng meditated nearby, keeping watch over her condition.
• When the Purple Tenuity Heavenly Heart Formula caused Li Lingyue pain, Lu Changfeng used his Shennong Qi to guide her true qi back into order.

Lu Changfeng finished tending to Li Lingyue overnight and left her study at dawn, where Xue Chongyin caught sight of him and struggled with the awkward implications. Li Lingyue confirmed her recovery and told Xue Chongyin that someone would leave for Lu Prefecture in three days.

• Lu Changfeng withdrew his arm as Li Lingyue woke, and he told her that her condition had stabilized and she should take her medicine on schedule.
• Lu Changfeng stepped out of Li Lingyue's study at dawn and unexpectedly encountered Xue Chongyin, who was shocked to see him leaving the private room.
• Li Lingyue called to Xue Chongyin, then reassured him that she was out of danger thanks to Lu Changfeng's care.
• Xue Chongyin reported that Sanlang had asked about the Lu Prefecture personnel selection and the new development in the Lu Prefecture Secret Realm.
• Li Lingyue upheld her promise to send someone to assist Sanlang, telling Xue Chongyin that the person would set out in three days.