Chapter Summaries

After Princess Wanshou died suddenly and was buried with extraordinary haste, rumors spread that she had been poisoned. At Zhongnan Mountain, tomb raider Wei Xun and his young companion Thirteen prepared to tunnel into her sealed burial chamber for what Wei Xun claimed would be his final raid.

• Princess Wanshou died at seventeen, and the grieving emperor ordered an extravagant funeral and burial at Zhongnan Mountain.
• Two Imperial Guards discussed rumors that the princess had been poisoned and that Dragon Martial Guards had emerged bloodied from the sealed tomb passage.
• Thirteen disguised himself as a novice to evade the guards, then met Wei Xun at a farmer's house and helped conceal the earth from his tunnel.
• Wei Xun emerged from the underground passage to rest and eat, telling Thirteen he was about three quarters of an hour from the burial chamber.
• Wei Xun vowed that this would be his last tomb raid and went back into the tunnel.

Wei Xun tunneled into Princess Wanshou’s tomb seeking a mysterious object, but discovered the princess had been buried alive. He rescued her and carried her away, while Thirteenth Son stayed behind to clean up the tunnel.

• Wei Xun broke into the sealed tomb through a carefully calculated tunnel and disarmed its crossbow traps.
• Wei Xun found dozens of tortured servants arranged around the coffin and discovered that the tomb’s rituals were meant to suppress the princess’s soul.
• Wei Xun opened the coffin, found Princess Wanshou warm and breathing, and realized she had been buried alive.
• Wei Xun revived the unconscious princess enough for her to spit out a jade cicada, then drank imperial Dew Nectar to restore his strength.
• Wei Xun carried Princess Wanshou out through the tunnel and told Thirteenth Son to clean up before they met at Green Micro Temple.

Princess Wanshou recovered at Green Micro Temple after Wei Xun rescued her from a buried coffin, and she learned that her supposed death may have involved deliberate poisoning and a sinister burial. She resolved to return to Chang'an herself when Wei Xun would not promise to escort her.

• Wei Xun and Thirteenth Son nursed Princess Wanshou back to consciousness at Green Micro Temple.
• Wei Xun explained how he had found her alive in a tomb and showed her the Exorcism Mask that had covered her face.
• Princess Wanshou offered Wei Xun money and an official post in exchange for escorting her to the palace, but he refused and warned that someone may have tried to ensure she never returned.
• Princess Wanshou recalled her pomegranate-red skirt, hunting trip, meal, sudden illness, and the unfamiliar imperial physician who treated her.
• Wei Xun pointed out that the emperor had hurried to bury Princess Wanshou and performed rites to suppress her spirit, raising her suspicion that her death had been planned.
• Princess Wanshou rose unsteadily and said she would walk back to Chang'an herself if Wei Xun would not escort her.

Princess Wanshou tried to reach Chang'an but was turned away at the city gate and returned to Green Micro Temple with Wei Xun and Thirteenth Son. After her humiliation drove her to consider suicide, Wei Xun and Thirteenth Son distracted her until she ate and slept, and she woke no longer wanting to die.

• Princess Wanshou left Green Micro Temple on foot for Chang'an, while Wei Xun and Thirteenth Son followed her.
• At Anhua Gate, officials questioned Princess Wanshou, and Imperial Guards assaulted her after she claimed to belong to the princess.
• Wei Xun pretended Princess Wanshou was a madwoman from his master's household and took her back to Green Micro Temple.
• Princess Wanshou washed herself, resolved to die, and asked Wei Xun for a knife, but his and Thirteenth Son's talk of selling her corpse made her break down crying.
• Princess Wanshou realized Wei Xun had been trying to provoke her, ate a bowl of noodle soup, and slept until morning, when she no longer wanted to die.

Princess Wanshou recovered at Green Micro Temple, learned that the people closest to her had been killed, and chose to flee to Youzhou to seek refuge with her elder brother. She left Wei Xun with her jewelry to sell for their travel expenses, keeping her mother’s flower-tree hairpin.

• Princess Wanshou treated the bruise on her ribs and questioned Wei Xun about how he entered Chang'an without travel papers.
• Wei Xun revealed that her two trusted female officials and forty others from the underground tomb had been executed and buried as sacrificial attendants.
• Grieving for her dead attendants, Princess Wanshou decided to travel to Youzhou rather than return to the palace, so she would not endanger her seven-year-old brother.
• Princess Wanshou told Wei Xun about her mother’s flower-tree hairpin and asked him to sell her other jewelry to fund the journey.

Princess Wanshou sold her imperial jewelry to prepare for life outside the palace, while Wei Xun and Thirteenth Son helped her gather supplies. After burying her remaining palace belongings, she left the Green Micro Temple with them for Youzhou.

• Princess Wanshou ordered Wei Xun to melt her jewelry into gold, then dictated the travel supplies she wanted while he went to market.
• While Wei Xun was away, Princess Wanshou explored his lodging and discovered his collection of ancient bamboo and wooden slips.
• Wei Xun returned with sesame flatbreads, rare fruit, a horn bow, and a scrawny donkey, but no ready-made clothes; he later brought back a fitted foreign-style outfit.
• Princess Wanshou buried her mother's hairpin and palace belongings, then mounted the donkey as Wei Xun and Thirteenth Son prepared to leave.
• Wei Xun gave a ringing cry as the three companions left the Green Micro Temple and set out for Youzhou.

Baozhu traveled east from Chang'an with Wei Xun and Thirteenth Son, learning about her brother’s safety and witnessing the hardships of refugees and exiles. After vowing to uncover the truth behind the imperial physicians’ punishment, she learned that Wei Xun was following her because he, too, was curious about the truth.

• Baozhu gave Wei Xun her personal name, Li Baozhu, and he reacted with unsteady steps while Thirteenth Son wondered what the name meant.
• At Baqiao, Wei Xun told Baozhu that her younger brother was safe in Qingyuan Hall, and he cheered her by joking about eating meat beyond the bridge.
• Baozhu saw destitute refugees and rejected the food at the roadside stalls, while Thirteenth Son bought Oil Pastries for himself.
• Wei Xun’s fourth fellow disciple, a fat itinerant physician, tried to recruit him for grave-robbing work, then left after Wei Xun refused his offer.
• The group saw the physician’s relatives being exiled over Princess Wanshou’s death, and Baozhu resolved to clear their names and right their wrongs.
• Wei Xun told Baozhu that he was traveling with her because he, like her, wanted to uncover the truth.

Wei Xun, Baozhu, and Thirteenth Son traveled through famine-stricken Guanzhong toward Youzhou, struggling to find lodging and to get Baozhu past checkpoints without making her a slave. When no inn suited them, Wei Xun led Baozhu to the supposedly haunted Fang Family Mansion, where she armed herself after he joked that she could sleep in an empty coffin.

• Baozhu endured the rough journey and refused Wei Xun’s suggestion that she pose as a slave to pass checkpoints.
• Wei Xun sent Thirteenth Son to Xinfeng County with money to arrange their entry by bribing the gatekeeper.
• After learning that nearby Fang Village was abandoned and rumored to be haunted, Wei Xun chose to investigate the Fang Family Mansion rather than sleep outdoors.
• Wei Xun led a frightened Baozhu into the mansion and showed her that its old coffin was empty.
• Wei Xun joked that Baozhu could sleep in the coffin, then apologized when he realized the suggestion recalled her burial alive; Baozhu strung her bow and threatened to shoot him if she saw a ghost.

Baozhu and Wei Xun explored a haunted mansion and spent the night there, where Baozhu grew terrified by strange voices and sounds in the courtyard. She finally fired arrows at the unseen intruders, silencing them.

• Baozhu asked Wei Xun to step into the moonlight, and he removed a skull from the courtyard wall after it frightened her.
• Baozhu and Wei Xun found more skulls and a bloodstained skeleton, then inspected a locked storehouse that Wei Xun refused to open.
• Wei Xun prepared straw for Baozhu and slept in a coffin while she asked about people buried alive.
• Baozhu heard sighs and a ghostly voice approaching the hall as a cat cried from the beam, while Wei Xun remained asleep.
• Baozhu sprang up, fired six arrows toward the beam and courtyard, and shouted for everything to get out.

Baozhu and Wei Xun uncovered how a thief had used staged hauntings to search Wealthy Master Fang’s mansion for treasure, while the storeroom revealed a real tragedy involving people who had hanged themselves. After finding the thief’s discarded fish-gutting knife, Wei Xun set out to identify and pursue him, leaving Baozhu with Thirteenth Son.

• Baozhu learned Wei Xun had watched the courtyard from a beam while a disguised money pouch lay in the coffin, and she discovered that his childhood name was Lynx.
• Baozhu and Wei Xun recognized the mansion’s skulls and bloodstained clothes as props, and Baozhu began to question whether her own supposed poisoning had been a misunderstanding.
• Wei Xun opened the locked storeroom, where Baozhu found ropes used by people who had hanged themselves, and Thirteenth Son recited scripture for the dead.
• Baozhu and Wei Xun concluded that a thief had staged the hauntings to search for Wealthy Master Fang’s treasure, then found his blood trail and escape route.
• Wei Xun gave Baozhu the fish-gutting knife the thief had dropped and left to identify and pursue the wounded man.

Baozhu, Thirteenth Son, and Wei Xun traveled into town, where Wei Xun settled the trouble from the previous night and drew attention from local martial-world figures. After Baozhu learned the value of Wealthy Master Fang’s coffin and watched Wei Xun leave a coded mark, the group prepared to continue their journey.

• Thirteenth Son explained that Wealthy Master Fang’s battered coffin was made of valuable Kucha Wood, while Baozhu’s own coffin was made of imperial golden-thread phoebe.
• Baozhu and Thirteenth Son entered a county tavern and waited for Wei Xun, who returned with a sack of bean meal and said the matter from the previous night was settled.
• Several martial-world figures sent Wei Xun wine, and Thirteenth Son explained that the drawings on the tavern walls were coded marks used by people in their circles.
• Wei Xun drew a blue-green lynx on the wall to mark his presence and eastward route, prompting Baozhu to laugh at his childhood nickname.
• Wei Xun drank the wine without getting drunk and finished Baozhu’s untouched cup, making her blush before she angrily flicked Thirteenth Son on the head.

Wei Xun rejected Qiao Shi’s horses and continued traveling with Baozhu and Thirteenth Son, teaching Baozhu to use a stick for close combat. As the group left Xinfeng County, an itinerant merchant noticed Baozhu and hurried after them, while Wei Xun sensed something without looking back.

• Qiao Shi offered Wei Xun two horses, but Wei Xun ignored them and left with Baozhu on the donkey.
• Baozhu and Wei Xun discussed their names and pasts, and Thirteenth Son made Baozhu laugh by describing the names people used for him.
• Wei Xun explained why he distrusted Qiao Shi’s horses and gave Baozhu a trimmed stick to practice using as a weapon.
• Baozhu resolved to regain her archery strength, while Thirteenth Son mentioned the former crown prince’s disfigurement and Baozhu warned him not to judge the incident recklessly.
• As the group left Xinfeng County, an itinerant merchant spotted Baozhu and hurried after them, and Wei Xun sensed something without turning around.

Baozhu, Wei Xun, and Thirteenth Son traveled through Huazhou while searching for a way past Tong Pass, then attended a crowded ceremony at Lotus Flower Temple for its mysterious treasure. The chapter left Baozhu wondering what the locked-away treasure was and why Wei Xun watched the pagoda so intently.

• Baozhu shot a thin rabbit, and Wei Xun had it made into a savory flatbread that she eagerly ate.
• Baozhu, Wei Xun, and Thirteenth Son discussed how to get through Tong Pass, while Wei Xun proposed delaying their journey in Xiagui County.
• Thirteenth Son learned that Lotus Flower Temple would host a three-day feast and display a treasure brought from Xuzhou, so the three decided to attend.
• Baozhu, Wei Xun, and Thirteenth Son entered the crowded temple and received a private dining room, where they ate its lifelike vegetarian dishes.
• Baozhu noticed that bailiffs guarded the locked Many-Treasures Pagoda and wondered what it contained and why Wei Xun seemed so concerned about it.

Bao Lang delayed his journey to Chang'an with Cui Keyong’s pearl and agreed to enshrine it in the Lotus Flower Temple’s Many-Treasures Pagoda under strict guard. After inspecting the pagoda and arranging the locks and patrols with Wu Zhiyuan, Liaoru, and Luo Chengye, Bao Lang placed the Luminous Pearl inside.

• Wu Zhiyuan hosted Bao Lang at a banquet and proposed enshrining Cui Keyong’s pearl at the Lotus Flower Temple to delay its delivery to Chang'an.
• Bao Lang agreed to inspect the Many-Treasures Pagoda before deciding whether to remain in Xiagui, and Hao Jin recommended Luo Chengye to lead the guards.
• Bao Lang inspected the pagoda with Wu Zhiyuan, Liaoru, and Luo Chengye, found no hiding places, and arranged round-the-clock patrols and three locks with separate keys.
• Bao Lang brought the Luminous Pearl to the pagoda, placed it before Skanda Bodhisattva, and the group locked the entrance while Liaoru closed the rear courtyard to visitors.

Baozhu and Thirteenth Son stayed at the Sun Family Inn while Wei Xun secretly investigated Xiagui County’s underworld, then vanished as the county was sealed over the theft of a treasure from the Lotus Flower Temple. After hearing conflicting rumors that the stolen treasure was a White Snake Pearl, Baozhu returned to her room worried about Wei Xun’s disappearance.

• Baozhu refused Thirteenth Son’s attempts to save money by lodging at the Lotus Flower Temple, while Wei Xun sent him to investigate the local underworld.
• Thirteenth Son reported that Liu Mao had taken over after Ma San was killed, and Wei Xun left through the rear window to make inquiries himself.
• Xiagui County was sealed, and travelers learned that suspects had been arrested at the Lotus Flower Temple after the treasure disappeared and Luo Chengye was killed.
• Guests at the inn traded rumors about the theft, with a petty official arguing that the missing treasure was a White Snake Pearl meant for the emperor.
• Baozhu returned to her room with Thirteenth Son, troubled that Wei Xun had been missing for nearly two days.

Baozhu feared that the townwide search for the stolen treasury goods would endanger her and Thirteenth Son, then learned that Liu Mao believed Wei Xun had stolen the pagoda’s pearl and killed Luo Chengye. Wei Xun remained missing, leaving Baozhu to question his past and consider how closely he was tied to the crimes.

• Baozhu reasoned that Magistrate Wu would search the town and arrest displaced people without travel papers if torture failed to recover the stolen goods.
• Baozhu questioned Thirteenth Son about Wei Xun’s request for fine charcoal and suspected he planned to melt down stolen property.
• Liu Mao arrived at the inn and asked Baozhu to persuade Wei Xun to return the pearl from the Many-Treasures Pagoda.
• Liu Mao said Wei Xun had killed Luo Chengye with a single blow, and Thirteenth Son’s silence appeared to confirm the claim.
• Baozhu rejected Liu Mao’s gold payment and questioned Thirteenth Son about whether Wei Xun had a past grudge against Luo Chengye.

Bao Lang investigated the theft of the Luminous Pearl and the murder of Luo Chengye, while Baozhu waited anxiously for Wei Xun and was visited by his junior brother Huo Qilang. The chapter left Baozhu defending Wei Xun despite the evidence and wondering what secrets he was hiding.

• Bao Lang raged over the missing pearl, learned that suspects had died under torture, and ordered Wu Zhiyuan to take him to inspect Luo Chengye's body and home.
• Bao Lang recalled how the pearl vanished from the locked pagoda, a white snake appeared, and Luo Chengye was found brutally murdered.
• Baozhu worried that officers would search the inn and listened for Wei Xun, who remained missing.
• A black-clad visitor entered Baozhu's room, then revealed herself as Huo Qilang, Wei Xun's junior brother, and said she believed he had stolen the pearl.
• Baozhu questioned Shanyuan about Wei Xun's whereabouts, then said she did not believe he had stolen the pearl for profit and wondered what secrets he concealed.

Baozhu reunited with Yang Xingjian, who had been sent by her brother to investigate her apparent death, and learned that his pursuit of her had been mistaken for a threat by Wei Xun. With the city sealed and officials searching for suspects, Yang Xingjian gave Baozhu a registered identity as his deceased daughter and arranged for Thirteenth Son to return to the Lotus Flower Temple.

• Baozhu recognized Yang Xingjian’s coded message and confirmed that her brother, Prince Shao, had sent him to investigate her death.
• Yang Xingjian explained that he had found Baozhu by tracking a burial shoe and had secretly followed her, while mistaking Wei Xun for a wicked servant who had abducted her.
• Baozhu clarified that Wei Xun was her guard and had only been watching Yang Xingjian because he seemed suspicious.
• Yang Xingjian gave Baozhu a Household Register under the identity Fang Xie, his deceased daughter, so she could pass the city’s searches and checkpoints.
• After learning that Thirteenth Son’s name was on the Lotus Flower Temple register, Yang Xingjian persuaded him to return there and answer roll call, leaving Baozhu in Yang Xingjian’s care.

Bao Lang investigated Luo Chengye’s murder, then killed Wang Liangcai after questioning him. Baozhu and Yang Xingjian discussed her attempted burial and the court’s succession struggle before yamen runners raided their inn looking for the Green-Clothed Slave; Yang Xingjian revealed his official rank to stop them.

• Bao Lang inspected Luo Chengye’s empty home and questioned Wang Liangcai about finding the headless corpse, noting the python tattoo and the brief interval between visits.
• Bao Lang beheaded Wang Liangcai to demonstrate how quickly a killer could strike.
• Baozhu heard rumors about the unresolved pearl theft and murder, then told Yang Xingjian that Wei Xun had rescued her from an underground tomb after she was buried alive.
• Yang Xingjian suspected Baozhu’s burial had been part of a plot against Prince Shao, and Baozhu mourned her mother, the Noble Consort.
• Yamen runners raided the Sun Family Inn to arrest the Green-Clothed Slave and threatened Baozhu and Yang Xingjian, but Yang Xingjian revealed his sixth-rank appointment and claimed official authority.
• Yang Xingjian denied knowingly harboring the runaway servant, while the runners sent word to Hao Jin that a capital official was staying at the inn.

Yang Xingjian and Baozhu defended their innocence when Xiagui County officials questioned them about the Green-Clothed Slave and the stolen pearl. Wu Zhiyuan moved them to his residence under house arrest, where Baozhu accepted his gifts as a strategic concession while Yang Xingjian grieved for his dead daughter.

• Wu Zhiyuan verified Yang Xingjian's appointment certificate and heard his account of hiring the Green-Clothed Slave after bandits attacked his party.
• Baozhu challenged the officials' reliance on an anonymous knife-borne letter, but Wu Zhiyuan ordered Yang Xingjian and Baozhu taken to his residence under the pretext of protecting them.
• Wu Zhiyuan's household supplied Baozhu with clothes, jewelry, and other gifts, and Yang Xingjian and Baozhu recognized the gifts as an attempt to win them over.
• Yang Xingjian advised Baozhu to accept the gifts and dress nobly so Wu Zhiyuan would feel reassured and treat them with respect.
• As Baozhu dressed, Yang Xingjian remembered his real daughter Yang Fang Xie and mourned that she was dead.