Chapter Summaries

The Elder Princess hosted the Hidden Edge Banquet and proposed that the guests wager their Hidden Edge Tokens against one another. Jiang Xiaobai suspected the rules were arranged to give him an opportunity, while Tang Ningshuang teased him about whether the Elder Princess would let him win.

• The Elder Princess arrived with the White-Dressed Woman, whom Helian Zhaoyue recognized as the Sect Master of the Hidden Edge Sect.
• The Elder Princess welcomed the guests, including Helian Zhaoyue and the Northern Yu visitors, and toasted their gathering.
• The Elder Princess explained that possessing more Hidden Edge Tokens could earn better treatment from the Hidden Edge Sect.
• The Elder Princess proposed that guests wager Hidden Edge Tokens, with the winner taking the stakes, and offered her own two tokens to start.
• The Elder Princess explained that a winner who took all her tokens would become the next banker and could set the wager and rules.
• Jiang Xiaobai suspected the banquet’s rules were made for him, and told Tang Ningshuang he would make the Elder Princess massage him all night if she did not let him win.

At the Hidden Edge Banquet, the Elder Princess explained how guests without Hidden Edge Tokens could qualify and began wagering tokens against contestants in chosen challenges. After her maids defeated two challengers, Jiang Xiaobai stood up to try his luck.

• Helian Zhaoyue asked how guests without Hidden Edge Tokens could participate, and the Elder Princess said they could negotiate terms with the banker or meet the banker's terms.
• The Elder Princess's maid defeated a middle-aged man in unarmed combat, and his Hidden Edge Token joined the wager.
• A young man challenged the Elder Princess's maid but lost a weapon fight, bringing the wager to four Hidden Edge Tokens.
• Jiang Xiaobai stood up and offered to give it a try, startling Tang Ningshuang and the other guests.

Jiang Xiaobai entered the Elder Princess’s wager, maneuvered her into choosing a martial arts contest, and won after her maid secretly helped him. He collected four Hidden Edge Tokens and left, while the Elder Princess blamed Teng Zixiu for her loss.

• Jiang Xiaobai ignored Tang Ningshuang’s advice to wait and asked the Elder Princess to choose a contest he was supposedly bad at.
• After Teng Zixiu exposed Jiang Xiaobai’s skill in music and literature, he urged the Elder Princess to make the contest martial arts without concealed weapons.
• The Elder Princess agreed, and her maid quietly helped Jiang Xiaobai strike her before declaring that she had lost.
• The Elder Princess accused Teng Zixiu of making her lose and awarded Jiang Xiaobai four Hidden Edge Tokens.
• Jiang Xiaobai claimed he had an urgent matter at home and left with the tokens.

Jiang Xiaobai exploited the wager rules to collect Hidden Edge Tokens by choosing contests his challengers could not win, then accepted the Shadowguard Bureau Chief Commander’s martial arts challenge on Chen Jian’s behalf. Chen Jian stepped forward despite Chen Zhanqiu’s objection.

• Jiang Xiaobai tried to leave with four Hidden Edge Tokens, but the Elder Princess required him to continue wagering until no one challenged him.
• Li Jingxing challenged Jiang Xiaobai, who chose songwriting; when Li Jingxing admitted he could not do it, Jiang Xiaobai claimed his token under the Elder Princess’s rules.
• Li Jingren challenged Jiang Xiaobai, who chose to compare their ages, and Jiang Xiaobai took another token when Li Jingren could not answer.
• Jiang Xiaobai wagered all eleven of his Hidden Edge Tokens, and the Shadowguard Bureau Chief Commander challenged him to a martial arts contest for two tokens.
• Jiang Xiaobai called on Chen Jian to fight in his place, and Chen Jian defied Chen Zhanqiu’s order to sit down.

Chen Jian defeated Jin Sheng in the Hidden Edge Banquet challenge, displaying his frightening martial arts talent and winning Jiang Xiaobai’s admiration. He returned to Jiang’s side, where Jiang promised to teach him the Six Meridians Divine Sword.

• Chen Jian ignored his father, Chen Zhanqiu, and stepped forward to fight Jin Sheng.
• Chen Jian and Jin Sheng exchanged powerful attacks, and Chen Jian repeatedly fired the One Yang Finger.
• Chen Jian dodged Jin Sheng’s palm strike, closed the distance, and sent him flying with a palm strike.
• Jin Sheng conceded defeat, and the Elder Princess’s maid gave Jiang Xiaobai the two Hidden Edge Tokens he had won.
• Chen Jian returned to Jiang Xiaobai instead of sitting with his father, then praised the One Yang Finger.
• Jiang Xiaobai told Chen Jian that the Six Meridians Divine Sword might suit him even better.

Jiang Xiaobai offered thirteen Hidden Edge Tokens to anyone willing to fight, assuring the gathering that Chen Jian would not compete again. Xiao Qingxiu assembled a three-token wager and persuaded Jin Sheng to fight, but Jiang Xiaobai stopped Tang Ningshuang from stepping forward and rose himself.

• Jiang Xiaobai announced that Chen Jian would not fight in the next match and challenged others to wager at least three Hidden Edge Tokens against his thirteen.
• Helian Zhaoyue warned her Elder not to get involved, while Xiao Qingxiu challenged Jiang Xiaobai and offered his own Hidden Edge Token.
• Xiao Qingxiu borrowed one Hidden Edge Token from Zhao Sheng and another from Li Jingxing, promising to repay them if he won.
• Xiao Qingxiu asked Jin Sheng to fight for two of the wagered tokens, and Jin Sheng agreed after confirming Chen Jian would stay out of the match.
• Jin Sheng entered the fighting area and challenged Tang Ningshuang, but Jiang Xiaobai held her back and rose to fight himself.

Jiang Xiaobai called on the White-Dressed Woman to fight Jin Sheng in exchange for two songs, winning three Hidden Edge Tokens after she defeated him without using her hands. Jin Sheng admitted defeat, and the White-Dressed Woman demanded that Jiang Xiaobai write the songs immediately.

• Jiang Xiaobai asked the White-Dressed Woman to fight for him, and she agreed in exchange for two songs.
• The White-Dressed Woman entered the contest and challenged Jin Sheng while keeping both hands behind her back.
• Xiao Qingxiu accused Jiang Xiaobai of cheating, but the Elder Princess defended his right to have someone else fight while he held the bank.
• Jin Sheng charged the White-Dressed Woman, who stopped and sent him flying with her internal energy.
• Jin Sheng admitted defeat, and Jiang Xiaobai collected the three Hidden Edge Tokens.
• The White-Dressed Woman returned to her seat and told Jiang Xiaobai to write the songs right away.

Jiang Xiaobai composed three pieces for the White-Dressed Woman and offered to fight for the remaining Hidden Edge Tokens. As the Elder Princess was about to award him all sixteen, Xiao Qingxiu challenged him to gamble once more.

• The White-Dressed Woman asked Jiang Xiaobai for two new pieces, one with the spirit of the Martial World and one in the tender style of Daughter's Love.
• Jiang Xiaobai quickly wrote three scores, including A Dream of Blades and Swords, Furrowed Brows in Vain, and Cold and Desolate, which he gifted to the banquet guests.
• Jiang Xiaobai offered to fight personally for three Hidden Edge Tokens, but Helian Zhaoyue and the other guests refused to challenge him.
• Jiang Xiaobai claimed the sixteen Hidden Edge Tokens after no one stepped forward, and the Elder Princess began to rule in his favor.
• Xiao Qingxiu interrupted and said he was willing to gamble once more against Jiang Xiaobai.

Jiang Xiaobai agreed to face Jin Sheng himself, prompting Xiao Qingxiu to gather three Hidden Edge Tokens for another wager. The confrontation began with Jiang Xiaobai dancing to the White-Dressed Woman’s performance of his piece, leaving the onlookers stunned.

• Xiao Qingxiu recruited two martial artists to lend him Hidden Edge Tokens, then persuaded Xiao Qingzhou to lend his in exchange for a calligraphy and painting by Su City's foremost master.
• Chen Zhanqiu offered a token, but Chen Jian refused to hand over the one Jiang Xiaobai had given him, so Xiao Qingxiu secured the third token from Xiao Qingzhou instead.
• Jin Sheng agreed to face Jiang Xiaobai, and the maid placed Xiao Qingxiu's three tokens on Jiang Xiaobai's table.
• Jiang Xiaobai asked the White-Dressed Woman to perform "A Dream of Blades and Swords," then began dancing instead of attacking Jin Sheng.
• Teng Zixiu realized Jiang Xiaobai had meant to dance rather than fight, while Jin Sheng and the others stared in shock.

Jiang Xiaobai turned the expected martial arts contest into a dance performance, impressing the courtyard while making Jin Sheng refuse to take his turn. After Xiao Qingxiu lost the round and Jiang Xiaobai tried to attract more wagers, the Wulin People demanded that he be barred from further contests.

• Jiang Xiaobai danced to the White-Dressed Woman's guqin performance, drawing the courtyard into the music and earning admiration from several onlookers.
• Jiang Xiaobai challenged Jin Sheng to dance, but Jin Sheng glared at him and returned to his seat without participating.
• Xiao Qingxiu asked the Elder Princess to rule that the round did not count, but she upheld Jiang Xiaobai's win and silenced his objection.
• Jiang Xiaobai announced that nineteen Hidden Edge Tokens were available for another wager, but no one accepted his challenge.
• A man from the Martial World asked the Elder Princess to appoint a new stakes holder and bar Jiang Xiaobai from further wagers, and others voiced their support.

Jiang Xiaobai arranged for the Elder Princess to continue as banker, lending her three Hidden Edge Tokens while trying to learn who had served as his youngest uncle’s inside contact. As the next martial contest began, the Elder Princess nearly went to massage Jiang Xiaobai’s shoulder before catching herself.

• Jiang Xiaobai declined to participate as banker and was forbidden from choosing someone on his side to replace him.
• Jiang Xiaobai offered Helian Zhaoyue the banker’s position in exchange for the surname of his youngest uncle’s inside contact, but she said she did not know.
• Jiang Xiaobai lent the Elder Princess three Hidden Edge Tokens, taken from Li Jingxing’s group, and said he would bear the loss if they lost.
• A middle-aged man volunteered for the next martial contest, and the Elder Princess reminded everyone that the contests were not dancing contests.
• Jiang Xiaobai rubbed his shoulder, prompting the Elder Princess to rise before sitting back down; Tang Ningshuang spat out her wine, and the Elder Princess claimed she had stood because she was tired of sitting.

The White-Dressed Woman played Jiang Xiaobai’s “Furrowed Brows in Vain” while a martial bout ended unnoticed, and the Elder Princess continued the Hidden Edge Banquet. A Free-and-Easy Sword School elder and Li Jingxing and Li Jingren’s eldest brother arrived, with the eldest brother offering a Hidden Edge Token so the elder could compete.

• The White-Dressed Woman played “Furrowed Brows in Vain,” captivating the courtyard as the maid defeated her opponent.
• The Elder Princess asked who had won, learned the maid was victorious, and called for the next challenger.
• A Free-and-Easy Sword School elder arrived dramatically and challenged the Elder Princess’s Hidden Edge Banquet rules.
• Li Jingxing and Li Jingren recognized the young man who arrived over the lake as their eldest brother.
• Li Jingxing’s eldest brother asked him for a Hidden Edge Token so the Free-and-Easy Sword School elder could compete.

Jiang Xiaobai clashed with Li Jingfeng over the Li Family’s lost Hidden Edge Tokens, trading insults before challenging him to take the tokens from the table. When an elder of the Free-and-Easy Sword School seized several, Jiang Xiaobai shot him dead and dared Li Jingfeng to try next.

• Li Jingxing revealed that all three of the Li Family’s Hidden Edge Tokens had been wagered away to Jiang Xiaobai, and Xiao Qingheng explained that the Jiang Family’s estate had become the Duke of the State’s Estate.
• Li Jingfeng mocked Jiang Xiaobai’s family sacrifices, and Jiang Xiaobai retorted that he could kill Li Jingfeng’s mother before pointing out that she was already dead.
• Li Jingfeng demanded the tokens and claimed that no one could take them without his permission, so Jiang Xiaobai invited him to try taking one from the table.
• An elder of the Free-and-Easy Sword School rushed in and grabbed at least seven tokens, but Jiang Xiaobai shot him with his Desert Eagle, killing him.
• Jiang Xiaobai dismissed the Free-and-Easy Sword School and challenged the stunned Li Jingfeng to take a token himself.

Jiang Xiaobai killed a Free-and-Easy Sword School elder who tried to take the Hidden Edge Token, then warned Li Jingfeng after he backed down and threatened to remember the slight. When Helian Zhaoyue sought a chance to participate, Jiang Xiaobai twisted her silence into an accusation that the Li Family of Dingyuan Prefecture had colluded with Northern Yu, and urged the Elder Princess to arrest them.

• Jiang Xiaobai killed the Free-and-Easy Sword School elder who reached for the Hidden Edge Token, and Li Jingfeng refused to take it while warning that he held grudges.
• Jiang Xiaobai told Li Jingfeng that he also held grudges and preferred to settle them on the spot.
• Helian Zhaoyue offered Northern Yu horses and white ginseng for a chance to participate, but the Elder Princess told Jiang Xiaobai to set the terms.
• Jiang Xiaobai claimed his youngest uncle had colluded with Northern Yu and asked Helian Zhaoyue whether he had colluded with the Li Family of Dingyuan Prefecture.
• When Helian Zhaoyue stayed silent, Jiang Xiaobai called her silence agreement and asked the Elder Princess to arrest the Li family members as rebels.
• Helian Zhaoyue denied agreeing, but Jiang Xiaobai accused her of shielding Dingyuan Prefecture and asked the Elder Princess to judge the matter.

Jiang Xiaobai accused Dingyuan Prefecture of colluding with Northern Yu, and the Elder Princess ordered the heirs detained despite the lack of proof. He then used Helian Zhaoyue’s answers to have Xiao Qingxiu arrested as well, leaving the gathering wary of him.

• Jiang Xiaobai provoked Helian Zhaoyue into protesting, then treated her anger as evidence that she was shielding Dingyuan Prefecture.
• The Elder Princess ordered Li Jingfeng, Li Jingxing, and Li Jingren taken into custody, while Xiao Qingheng declined to intervene.
• Jiang Xiaobai used Helian Zhaoyue’s claim that she did not know whether Xiao Qingxiu was involved to accuse him and ask the Elder Princess to arrest him too.
• The Elder Princess ordered Xiao Qingxiu detained despite saying she believed him, and guards escorted all four men away.
• Xiao Zijing teased Xiao Qingheng about speaking up, while Jiang Xiaobai toasted Helian Zhaoyue and the other guests avoided his gaze.

The Elder Princess entered the martial arts round herself and defeated Elder Dong, leaving the gathering ready for its next challenger.

• Helian Zhaoyue sent Elder Dong to compete after Jiang Xiaobai taunted her about claiming the Hidden Edge Token.
• The Elder Princess announced that she would take the martial arts round herself, surprising Elder Dong and the assembled guests.
• The Elder Princess and Elder Dong fought as the White-Dressed Woman played "A Dream of Blades and Swords."
• The Elder Princess struck Elder Dong in the chest and sent him crashing to the ground.
• Helian Zhaoyue wondered whether the Elder Princess resembled Jiang Xiaobai’s deaf-mute maid, then dismissed the possibility.
• The Elder Princess returned to the seat of honor and called for the next challenger.

The Elder Princess won eight Hidden Edge Tokens and gave them to Jiang Xiaobai, who challenged the guests to wager against his twenty-four tokens. As the White-Dressed Woman played “Cold and Desolate,” Helian Zhaoyue and the detained Xiao Qingxiu were overcome by the song, and Xiao Qingxiu realized Jiang Xiaobai had planned it for him.

• The Elder Princess ended the wagering with eight Hidden Edge Tokens, including five she had won, and gave all eight to Jiang Xiaobai as a reward.
• Jiang Xiaobai accepted the tokens, announced he had twenty-four, and challenged Helian Zhaoyue to try again, but she refused.
• The Elder Princess confirmed with the White-Dressed Woman that Jiang Xiaobai had enough tokens under the rules.
• The White-Dressed Woman played the third score, “Cold and Desolate,” and Jiang Xiaobai told Helian Zhaoyue the song was for her.
• Helian Zhaoyue grew tearful as she listened, while detained Xiao Qingxiu realized Jiang Xiaobai had arranged for the song to be played after the banquet.

After Jiang Xiaobai won twenty-four Hidden Edge Tokens at the Elder Princess’s banquet, he left with Tang Ningshuang. Two old men who had given him tokens attacked them outside the residence and knocked them unconscious.

• Guests left the banquet, while Helian Zhaoyue angrily threw her shoe at Jiang Xiaobai after he teased her about her tokens.
• Chen Jian refused to go home with Chen Zhanqiu and insisted on moving in with Jiang Xiaobai; Jiang Xiaobai encouraged him to pack everything.
• The Elder Princess ordered three Li Family heirs apparent and Xiao Qingxiu locked up for three days, then told the White-Dressed Woman to prepare for Jiang Xiaobai’s return to the sect.
• Jiang Xiaobai left with Tang Ningshuang carrying twenty-four Hidden Edge Tokens and found the two old men waiting outside the residence.
• One old man struck Jiang Xiaobai unconscious, and the other disabled Tang Ningshuang and knocked her out as well.

The two elders used their internal energy to lay a martial arts foundation for Jiang Xiaobai, then left after telling the Elder Princess their favor was repaid. After waking, Jiang Xiaobai found his belongings intact and returned to the Duke of the State's Estate, where he sensed that something felt off.

• The Black-Haired Elder and White-Haired Elder infused Jiang Xiaobai with alternating cold and hot internal energy, laying a foundation for him before he passed out.
• The elders told the Elder Princess they had repaid their favor, and she explained that she was also repaying a promise to Jiang Xiaobai's two elder brothers.
• The elders departed, and the Elder Princess waited beside Jiang Xiaobai until he regained consciousness in the carriage.
• Jiang Xiaobai asked Tang Ningshuang about the elders, checked that his Twenty-Four Hidden Edge Tokens and Desert Eagle were still with him, and chose not to question the Elder Princess.
• Jiang Xiaobai arrived at the Duke of the State's Estate and said that something felt off.

Jiang Xiaobai discovered that he had gained a small amount of internal energy, likely from the two strange old men, and wondered whether the Elder Princess had arranged it. Unable to sleep, he tried reading a cultivation manual, then resolved to study it so he could better protect himself.

• Tang Ningshuang sensed Jiang Xiaobai's internal energy and wondered whether the two strange old men or the Elder Princess had given it to him.
• Jiang Xiaobai returned to his room, retrieved the Dragon-Phoenix Harmonizing Qi Art, and began reading it.
• The Elder Princess caught Jiang Xiaobai reading the illustrated manual and left after he awkwardly pretended to be studying.
• Jiang Xiaobai worried that the Free-and-Easy Sword School and other enemies would come after him, so he decided to learn martial arts from the manual.