Recaps

Pei Ye learned more about Qi Zhaohua’s plan for Moon-Catching Lake and heard from Bai Sibing why Zheng Shou and Xu Gu had once worked together against the sects. When Old Zhang reported a death at his restaurant, Pei Ye accompanied him there and found the Lakeheart Gang surrounding the premises.

• Qi Zhaohua explained that draining part of Moon-Catching Lake awaited approval and faced the obstacle of scarce corvée labor, then asked Pei Ye to measure an embankment.
• Pei Ye visited Bai Sibing, who explained his friendship with Chang Zhiyuan and said Zheng Shou had once funded Xu Gu’s candidates to challenge the sects’ dominance in the Winter Competition.
• Old Zhang arrived at Bai Sibing’s residence seeking protection after someone died at his restaurant, and Pei Ye recognized him as the former owner of the Fenghuai wine shop.
• Pei Ye accompanied Old Zhang to the restaurant, where Lakeheart Gang members had gathered, the staff had been beaten, and a gang member’s death was under investigation.
• Old Zhang told a Lakeheart Gang man that his restaurant had not known the dead man’s identity and would have treated him to its best food and room if it had.

Pei Ye investigated the murder of a Lakeheart Gang member at Old Zhang’s restaurant and noticed clues that suggested the killer had lingered in the room. Zhao Fu dismissed him but ordered the footprints investigated, while Pei Ye realized the gang was using the killing as a pretext to pressure the restaurant.

• Steward Chai tried to keep Pei Ye outside, but the Lakeheart Gang leader allowed him into the restaurant after Pei Ye challenged Chai’s authority.
• Pei Ye examined the victim’s body and the room, then noticed muddy footprints inside the doorway but none outside.
• Pei Ye questioned Old Zhang and the waiter about whether the second floor had been cleaned, and concluded that the killer might have stood in the room for some time.
• Zhao Fu arrived, had Pei Ye questioned, and ordered his footprint clue recorded and investigated before leaving to pursue the killer.
• Pei Ye realized Wang Shou and the Lakeheart Gang were using the murder as an excuse to target Old Zhang’s restaurant, and Old Zhang offered them thirty taels as compensation.

Pei Ye and Old Zhang faced the Lakeheart Gang’s attempt to seize the restaurant, until Li Piaoqing arrived and drove the gang away. She and Pei Ye then set out for the Zhao Family Tofu Shop, where she planned to tell a woman the matter had been resolved.

• Wang Shou and Steward Chai threatened Old Zhang and demanded the restaurant, claiming the Lakeheart Gang had authority to investigate its protector’s death.
• Pei Ye challenged Wang Shou’s claim, but Wang Shou invoked the Seven Flood Dragon Cave and ordered his men to seize Pei Ye and Old Zhang.
• Li Piaoqing arrived, declared a dispute between the Emerald Feather Sword Sect and the Seven Flood Dragon Cave, and beat Wang Shou while injuring Steward Chai.
• Li Piaoqing warned Wang Shou to stay away from Yanglou Street and the restaurant, then departed with Pei Ye after Old Zhang thanked them.
• Pei Ye and Li Piaoqing discussed visiting Bai Sibing and the case file she had collected; Li Piaoqing then asked whether she had been ruthless enough with Wang Shou.

Li Piaoqing protected Zhao’s widow from the Lakeheart Gang and gave her a Jade Feather Token, while Pei Ye learned more about the Emerald Feather Sword Sect’s decline and her murdered senior brother. The chapter ended with the two returning to the Martial Arts Hall as the widow placed her trust in the sect’s protection.

• Li Piaoqing told Pei Ye that the Seven Flood Dragon Cave had expanded by lending its name to local gangs and using their payments to build wealth and recruit talented disciples.
• Li Piaoqing explained that her senior brother had been murdered half a year earlier, and that Zhao, an escort captain and his friend, had died alongside him.
• Li Piaoqing and Pei Ye visited Zhao’s widow, who gave them his Emerald Feather Sword Sect Finger Sword and a notebook he had left behind.
• Li Piaoqing gave the widow a Jade Feather Token so she could seek the sect’s protection if anyone harassed her again.
• Li Piaoqing and Pei Ye left for the Martial Arts Hall, while the widow prepared to hang the token in her shop.

Pei Ye watched Zhang Junxue win the small tournament, bought her Ginseng Pill, and then practiced sword techniques with Li Piaoqing. Their discussion ended with Pei Ye examining a case file about the deaths of Escort Leader Zhao and Li Piaoqing’s senior fellow disciple, whose fight with their killer was barely described.

• Old Zhang found Li Er hidden in a grain bin after the tavern fight.
• Pei Ye practiced the Cicada Sparrow Sword before the Martial Arts Hall held its third small tournament.
• Zhang Junxue beat Xiao Qiu with a powerful second saber strike and received a Ginseng Pill and silver.
• Pei Ye bought Zhang Junxue’s Ginseng Pill and postponed their sparring to work with Li Piaoqing.
• Pei Ye and Li Piaoqing examined their sword techniques, then Pei Ye read a case file that omitted most details of the fatal fight.

Pei Ye and Li Piaoqing reviewed the stalled investigation into her senior brother’s murder, then practiced swordsmanship before Zheng Dong asked Li Piaoqing to inscribe his jade feather. Pei Ye returned to the inn, while a westbound courier prepared to carry letters to the Heavenly Mountain Sect.

• Pei Ye studied the case file and learned that Li Piaoqing had recorded her senior brother’s injuries, including signs of humiliation and gouged-out eyes.
• Pei Ye pointed out that the authorities had focused on the escort agency and cargo instead of investigating the sect vendetta, and Li Piaoqing said her sect had found no evidence either.
• Pei Ye swallowed an entire Ginseng Pill, and Li Piaoqing explained that its three doses were meant to be taken over three days.
• Pei Ye and Li Piaoqing practiced for an hour, then Zheng Dong asked Li Piaoqing to inscribe his name on a jade feather and left after she wished him luck in the Martial Competition.
• Pei Ye returned to the inn, paid for his room and delivered letters, and took Glaze out of its Sword Case.
• A westbound courier at the Prefectural City post station prepared for a difficult journey carrying letters to the Heavenly Mountain Sect.

Pei Ye read Escort Chief Zhao’s notebook and found clues linking Zhao’s death to Bai Yuliang and a watcher who had observed their sword practice. He asked Li Piaoqing where the Mighty Vanguard Escort Agency was, leaving him poised to investigate.

• Gu Yunfu collected two letters for Heavenly Mountain, including a crude envelope addressed to the sect and marked for Miss Ming when the Bright Sword Master visited for Sword Inquiry.
• Zhang Dingyun told Pei Ye that Chang Yue had been removed from the Martial Competition roster and replaced by Yang Yan.
• Chang Yue left the Martial Arts Hall to practice his saber, reflecting that his talent might have reached its limit and bidding Pei Ye farewell.
• Pei Ye considered the Seven Flood Dragon Cave’s growing influence while watching Li Piaoqing teach at the Martial Arts Hall.
• Pei Ye read Escort Chief Zhao’s notes about his friendship and sword discussions with Bai Yuliang, which mentioned a suspicious watcher and Zhao’s final journey.
• Pei Ye asked Li Piaoqing where the Mighty Vanguard Escort Agency was, and she pointed to the building behind them.

Pei Ye investigated why Li Piaoqing had resumed searching for evidence about her senior brother’s murder and realized she was preparing for a dangerous plan. After completing the Cicada Sparrow Sword, he joined Li Piaoqing on the way to Bowang Prefecture’s Pill Auction.

• Pei Ye questioned Li Piaoqing about her renewed search and suspected she was uneasy before carrying out a plan, but she dismissed his concerns and invited him to practice.
• Pei Ye learned the remaining forms of the Cicada Sparrow Sword and concluded he would need greater cultivation and [Clear Cry] to overcome Zhang Junxue.
• Black Cat gave Pei Ye another blood injection, causing the organ-like object in his Dantian to take on the shape of half a sphere.
• Li Piaoqing mastered the Jadeite Collection, and a sword cry from her courtyard reminded the school’s students of Bai’s strongest move.
• Li Piaoqing persuaded Pei Ye to attend the Ascension Pill Auction, and they walked toward it together through the rain.

Pei Ye attended the Pill Auction at Bowang Garden with Li Piaoqing, where he explored the Wind-Watching Terrace and met Zhang Dingyun. When Zhang Junxue arrived, Zheng Dong insulted her, and Pei Ye confronted him.

• Pei Ye and Li Piaoqing discussed Moon-Catching Tower and Li Piaoqing's name as they walked to Bowang Garden.
• Li Piaoqing guided Pei Ye through the garden, identifying prominent guests, and Zhang Dingyun greeted them and asked Li Piaoqing for an inscription.
• Pei Ye and Li Piaoqing entered the Wind-Watching Terrace when heavy rain drove guests indoors, and Pei Ye noticed Zhang Junxue giving her shelter to two girls.
• Zhang Junxue entered the terrace, followed by Xiao Qiu and Zheng Dong, who insulted her as they passed.
• Pei Ye stepped in front of Zheng Dong and demanded to know what he had said.

At the Pill Announcing Assembly, Zheng Dong repeatedly insulted Shang Huaitong, prompting a tense confrontation with Li Piaoqing and Xiao Qiu caught between them. Shang Huaitong declined to fight and demanded an apology, which Zheng Dong finally gave after Li Piaoqing offered him no guidance.

• Zheng Dong insulted a scholar and Shang Huaitong, while Xiao Qiu tried to restrain and correct him.
• Shang Huaitong answered the scholar’s praise of Li Piaoqing by criticizing the Seven Flood Dragon Cave’s sword art and explaining its need for a stronger foundation.
• Zheng Dong insulted Shang Huaitong again, and Shang Huaitong drew his sword and challenged him to fight.
• Li Piaoqing took responsibility for Zheng Dong’s words, but Shang Huaitong instead challenged Zheng Dong to face the consequences of his insults and asked where he was from.
• Xiao Qiu ordered Zheng Dong to apologize, and Zheng Dong finally apologized to Shang Huaitong before Xiao Qiu told him to slap his own mouth.

At the Pill Auction, Li Piaoqing struggled with the Emerald Feather Sword Sect’s decline and her fear of confronting Shang Huaitong, while Pei Ye considered whether the Ascension Pill could give her a chance in the Golden Autumn Martial Contest. The auction began with a bidding frenzy over the pill, leaving its sale unresolved.

• Shang Huaitong dismissed Zheng Dong’s apology and left as Zhang Junxue entered the venue; Li Piaoqing later sent Zheng Dong away with Xiao Qiu.
• Li Piaoqing told Pei Ye she regretted lacking the courage to defend Zheng Dong and described how the Emerald Feather Sword Sect was rapidly weakening.
• Pei Ye realized that the Ascension Pill could help Li Piaoqing advance from Yellow Jadeite to Sixth Growth and challenge Shang Huaitong.
• Zhang Dingyun opened the first public sale of the Ascension Pill after introducing it and having its details presented to the guests.
• The auction opened at ten copper coins, and bids quickly rose when someone offered twenty copper coins.

Pei Ye watched Li Piaoqing outbid a rival to buy the Ascension Pill, then searched Moon-Catching Tower for Zhang Junxue. He recognized a green-clad servant’s footprints as belonging to the killer from Old Zhang’s restaurant and rushed upstairs, but lost the trail at the fifth floor.

• Li Piaoqing bid one hundred and seventy taels for the Ascension Pill and secured it after the rival bidder fell silent.
• Pei Ye searched Moon-Catching Tower for Zhang Junxue, who was practicing with her saber in a shaded area beneath the tower.
• Pei Ye recognized the green-clad servant’s footprints as the killer’s and recalled that the killer had eavesdropped at Old Zhang’s restaurant.
• Pei Ye rushed to the fifth floor, where a carpet concealed the footprints and he could not identify the killer among the similar-looking servants.

Pei Ye confronted the disguised killer in the auction building and survived his powerful attack by using the Cicada Section Sword’s Leaf-Eating form. He recognized that the killer was holding back his saber and asked him to explain himself before Pei Ye decided what to do.

• Pei Ye spotted the killer carrying the abandoned tray of wine and summoned help while watching the corridor to the privies.
• The disguised attendant appeared, admitted he had only a quarter of an hour, and attacked Pei Ye with a powerful sword strike.
• Pei Ye met the strike with Clear Cry and recognized his opponent as a strong Fifth Growth whose swordsmanship was immature.
• Pei Ye used Leaf-Eating to deflect the killer’s follow-up blows, then caught his short sword between two fingers.
• Pei Ye challenged the killer to draw his saber and asked him to tell his story, noting that this was their fourth meeting.

Pei Ye questioned Yang Yan about his pursuit and agreed to wait before deciding whether to help him. When Yang Yan’s target arrived at Ding Four’s Table, Pei Ye diverted the Green-Clad Servant and guards while watching the newcomer, an old man in a pale cloak.

• Pei Ye warned Yang Yan that he would kill him if he kept trying to attack, then offered to exchange questions.
• Yang Yan identified himself, explained that he had come from beneath Heavenly Mountain to escape, clear his name, and take revenge, and said his target would arrive at Ding Four’s Table.
• Yang Yan placed wine at the table without confronting the guest, then told Pei Ye he would run if Pei Ye refused to cooperate.
• Pei Ye urged Yang Yan to take his grievances to the Prefectural Office, but Yang Yan refused and threatened to draw his saber if Pei Ye stood in his way.
• A Green-Clad Servant returned with two black-clad guards just as a white-haired old man in a pale cloak arrived and sat at Ding Four’s Table.
• Pei Ye drank wine, asked the Green-Clad Servant about the guards’ cultivation, and walked to the railing with his sword.

Pei Ye and Yang Yan discussed the old man who had been pursuing Yang Yan and uncovered a possible link to people collecting martial arts. Yang Yan planned to ambush him with a laxative, but Pei Ye chose to report the man to the authorities while keeping Yang Yan’s identity secret.

• Pei Ye and Yang Yan watched the old man drinking, and Yang Yan explained how he had fled his destroyed sect and been pursued by local attackers.
• Yang Yan said he believed the old man belonged to a group that collected people who had learned martial arts, and Pei Ye estimated the man was at least at the sixth growth.
• Yang Yan revealed he had drugged the old man’s wine with paired components that would cause a laxative effect and planned to ambush him near a private corridor.
• Pei Ye argued that the Prefectural Office could help because the old man was wanted for killing a Golden Autumn Martial Contest candidate, but Yang Yan refused to involve the authorities.
• Pei Ye said he would report the old man without exposing Yang Yan, while warning that the man’s open drinking suggested he might be hiding in plain sight.

Yang Yan kept the dangerous old man occupied at Moon-Catching Tower while Pei Ye went to recruit Zhao Fu and other allies. When the old man finished the drugged wine and left before Pei Ye returned, Yang Yan chased after him to learn whether the laxative had failed.

• Pei Ye persuaded Yang Yan to trust him and promised to bring Zhao Fu and other experts to capture the old man.
• Yang Yan told Pei Ye he had lured Zhao Fu toward the Lakeheart Gang by leaving misleading clues about his planned next target.
• Pei Ye reached the Lakeheart Gang, reported the suspect’s location to Zhao Fu, and followed him as he hurried toward Moon-Catching Tower.
• Yang Yan waited as a Green-Clad Servant delivered the drugged wine, then watched the old man drink it through a hole in the privy wall.
• The old man showed no obvious reaction and left Moon-Catching Tower, so Yang Yan rushed after him and spotted him on the fourth floor.

Yang Yan fought a Seventh Growth martial artist who had lured him into a trap at the Moon-Catching Tower, while Zheng Dong struggled with Xiao Qiu over whether to stay for the Martial Competition. The chapter ended as Yang Yan drew his saber and unleashed a powerful strike against the old man.

• Yang Yan realized the old man had been suppressing his stomach trouble and planned to expose him to the people in Bowang Garden, but discovered the man was waiting to ambush him at the stairs.
• Yang Yan struck the tower wall to escape the old man’s attack, burst through the Moon-Catching Tower, and called for the righteous heroes to help.
• Xiao Qiu urged Zheng Dong to return home, reminding him of his obligations to Aunt Zhang and warning that he was no match for Li Piaoqing’s troubles.
• Zheng Dong agreed to leave with Xiao Qiu, but they heard an explosion from the tower and saw a figure break through its wall.
• Zheng Dong recognized Li Piaoqing and tried to run back, while Xiao Qiu stopped him and went to investigate himself.
• The old man pursued Yang Yan through the air, and Yang Yan drew his saber and unleashed a strike that swallowed the force of the man’s attack.

Yang Yan survived a deadly fight with a Seventh Growth expert in the Moon-Catching Tower, but the cloaked man escaped the pursuers by hiding inside. Injured and unable to stop him alone, Yang Yan watched for the direction he would use to leave and searched for a way to delay him until help arrived.

• Yang Yan used an uncanny saber stroke to absorb and release the old man's staff thrust, then was badly wounded by the old man's rapid palm strike.
• Li Piaoqing intervened with her sword, but the old man knocked her aside and withdrew after noticing a tall figure and several pursuers approaching.
• Li Piaoqing searched the tower for Yang Yan, then told the gathering crowd she did not know him and had stepped in because the cloaked man seemed suspicious.
• Yang Yan recovered inside the tower, realized the old man had stayed there, and deduced that he was waiting for a chance to leave unseen.
• Yang Yan ruled out the open eastern exit and watched the western side, anxious that the old man would escape before help arrived.

Yang Yan tried to keep the cloaked old man from escaping without exposing his own identity, then devised a plan to mark him with paint. When the old man disguised himself and headed for the east exit, Yang Yan tricked him into charging back to the Moon-Catching Tower and shouted for help.

• Yang Yan refused to reveal himself to the girl in yellow and returned to watch the old man from the tower.
• Yang Yan found vats of paint and arranged them by the doorway, planning to splash the old man as he left.
• Yang Yan realized the old man might disguise himself and escape through the crowded east entrance, then spotted him leaving in a brocade robe beneath an umbrella.
• Yang Yan feigned panic when the old man looked up at him, prompting the old man to abandon concealment and rush back into the tower.
• Yang Yan ran to summon help, shouting that the culprit was there.

Yang Yan escaped the paint-covered old man’s attack by drawing him into a paint trap, then tried to use Zhao Army Adviser and arriving riders to corner him. When Zhao Army Adviser let the old man pass and pursued Yang Yan instead, Yang Yan fled again, furious and unarmed.

• Yang Yan lured the old man into a room where his sword shattered paint vats, splashing the old man and himself with bright colors.
• Yang Yan retreated while the old man pursued him, knocked Li Piaoqing aside, and kicked Yang Yan’s saber into the roof.
• Yang Yan spotted Pei Ye among a squad of riders arriving at the courtyard and called the paint-covered old man the culprit.
• Yang Yan positioned the old man in front of Zhao Army Adviser, expecting the official to engage him and give Yang Yan a chance to escape.
• Zhao Army Adviser and the old man passed each other without fighting, and Zhao Army Adviser charged after Yang Yan instead.
• Yang Yan abandoned the thought of attacking Zhao Army Adviser and fled without his saber.

Pei Ye realized Zhao Fu had deliberately focused on Yang Yan instead of the Seventh Growth murderer, and he confronted the army adviser as Yang Yan escaped. Zhao Fu pursued Yang Yan toward the Jade Feather sect’s private chamber, while Li Piaoqing revealed that Zhang Junxue had already taken Yang Yan away.

• Yang Yan seized his saber, wounded Zhao Fu with a counterattack, and escaped the tower while Pei Ye tried to stop Zhao Fu from pursuing him.
• Pei Ye warned Zhao Fu that the fleeing old man was the Anxin murderer and a Seventh Growth, but Zhao Fu ordered Pei Ye arrested and let the old man disappear.
• Li Piaoqing stood beside Pei Ye and challenged Zhao Fu’s authority, then joined Pei Ye as they went to help Yang Yan.
• Pei Ye asked Li Piaoqing to cover Yang Yan’s escape, and she revealed that Zhang Junxue had already taken him away.
• Zhao Fu followed Yang Yan’s paint trail to the staircase leading to the Jade Feather sect’s private chamber on the fourth floor.

Pei Ye and Yang Yan escaped Zhao Fu’s search after their plan to capture the Seventh Growth expert failed, then discussed trying to kill him again. Pei Ye and Li Piaoqing agreed to seek information about Zhao Army Adviser, while Jade Feather prepared its own move.

• Zhao Fu searched Jade Feather’s private chamber and ordered the building sealed, but Yang Yan remained hidden inside the rockery until the constables lifted the cordon.
• Pei Ye helped Yang Yan out of the rockery, and Yang Yan explained how he had used lacquer-stained clothes to conceal his escape and mask his scent.
• Pei Ye vowed to try killing the Seventh Growth expert again, and Yang Yan agreed despite the danger.
• Li Piaoqing joined Pei Ye and Yang Yan, then took them back to the private chamber, where Pei Ye introduced Zhang Junxue as a friend from Xu Gu.
• Li Piaoqing urged Pei Ye to wait while Jade Feather handled its own business, but Pei Ye declined her offer of help and asked what she knew about Zhao Army Adviser.
• Pei Ye and Li Piaoqing decided to ask Bai Sibing about Zhao Army Adviser, while Li Piaoqing told Yang Yan to stay and have his injuries treated.

Pei Ye questioned Bai Sibing about Zhao Fu’s suspicious conduct and learned that he had changed the travelers’ register system after arriving in Bowang three years earlier. On the way back, Pei Ye encountered Shang Huaitong and Qi Zhaohua, then considered what Shang’s sword revealed about him.

• Yang Yan returned to ask Pei Ye and Li Piaoqing for money, then stayed in the Jade Feather Private Pavilion to adjust his disguise.
• Pei Ye asked Bai Sibing about Zhao Fu, and Bai explained Zhao’s ties to the Seven Flood Dragons and the difficulty of investigating him without evidence.
• Pei Ye connected Zhao Fu’s arrival three years earlier to changes in the collection of travelers’ registers and suspected the records were being used to screen travelers.
• Pei Ye and Bai Sibing saw Shang Huaitong speaking with Qi Zhaohua beneath a willow, and Pei Ye recognized her from the gambling house.
• Bai Sibing told Pei Ye about Shang Huaitong’s prospects and asked him to judge Shang’s sword; Pei Ye described it as free-spirited and perhaps ruthless.

After finding Zheng Dong murdered, Pei Ye realized Shang Huaitong was responsible and saw Li Piaoqing struggle with the thought of avenging her friend. He resolved to learn more and seek help, then the chapter shifted to explain how he sometimes chose to confront danger on his own.

• Bai Sibing described Shang Huaitong as vicious, ruthless, and cunning, leaving Pei Ye stunned.
• Pei Ye and Li Piaoqing learned that someone had been killed outside Bowang Garden and found Zheng Dong dead with a feather lodged in his forehead.
• Li Piaoqing identified Zheng Dong as a Jade Feather disciple and returned to the West Courtyard, shaken by thoughts of how she could avenge him.
• Pei Ye encouraged Yang Yan to believe that even a powerful enemy could be defeated with patience and help from friends.
• Pei Ye went to speak with the woman honing her blade, saying he had several friends to call on.
• The narrative described Pei Ye’s earlier decision to turn back and confront Wu Zaigu after officials fell and a path to safety opened.

Pei Ye asked Zhang Junxue about the Ascension Pill and learned that her sister Zhang Junyu had died by suicide after losing the Winter Competition. Zhang Junxue recounted how Zheng Shou’s alliance with Xu Gu brought her sister to the Prefectural City, where she became involved with a swordsman from the rival Seven Flood Dragon Cave.

• Pei Ye thanked Zhang Junxue for helping him and asked her to explain why the Ascension Pill mattered to her.
• Zhang Junxue revealed that she had hoped to reach Fifth Growth and that her older sister, Zhang Junyu, had hanged herself after losing the Winter Competition.
• Zhang Junxue described how Zhang Junyu advanced to Fifth Growth and became a leading contender for the Martial Competition championship.
• Zheng Shou proposed that Xu Gu and Zheng Shou join forces against the three sects, and the two counties sent their candidates to the Dragon Gate Class with Zheng Shou covering the expenses.
• Zhang Junyu trained alongside Gu Guang and met other Zheng Shou competitors, while Zhang Junxue noticed her sister frequently leaving to meet a man.
• Zhang Junyu admitted that the man she liked was a direct disciple of the Seven Flood Dragon Cave, which Zhang Junxue recognized as their enemy.