Chapter Summaries

Ye Jingtang completed his breakthrough after taking the Snow Lake Flower, but the surge of blood and qi left him dangerously overheated. He defeated Lu Feng when the Cloud-Cutting Palace leader attacked for the Snow Lake Powder formula, then left the mountains with Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning to find a town and manage his condition.

• As Ye Jingtang meditated, Niao Niao alerted Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun to an approaching intruder, but they held their positions while he regulated his breathing.
• Lu Feng approached the cave and demanded the Snow Lake Powder formula, then attacked Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning with hidden weapons and his Cloud-Cutting Vertical Movement.
• Ye Jingtang burst from the cave, struck Lu Feng from the air, and battered him against the ground before Lu Feng poisoned himself with his own hidden weapons.
• Pei Xiangjun discovered that Lu Feng had been poisoned and advised against wasting a White Emperor Pill to save him.
• Ye Jingtang struggled to control the heat and agitation from the medicine, and Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning helped him leave the mountains to find a town.

Ye Jingtang reached Hongshan Town with the Snow Lake Powder formula after fighting Prince Wu’s forces, but the medicine he had taken left his blood and qi surging and his judgment impaired. As he tried to calm himself at the inn, Perfected Person Xuanji discovered the Northern Liang Thief Saint nearby and pursued her again.

• Ye Jingtang and Pei Xiangjun spotted Imperial Guards in Hongshan Town, and Ye Jingtang went ahead to meet them while the others sought an inn.
• Dongfang Liren welcomed Ye Jingtang, and he gave her the Snow Lake Powder formula to copy and send to the Capital City.
• Ye Jingtang’s overheated state caused him to touch Dongfang Liren inappropriately, but she recognized that his blood and qi were abnormal and ordered him to bathe.
• Ye Jingtang tried to cool himself in the bath and then meditated to regulate his chaotic energies while Dongfang Liren copied the formula.
• Perfected Person Xuanji sensed Ye Jingtang’s sudden martial progress, spotted the Northern Liang Thief Saint, and chased her after she fled.

Luo Ning tried to persuade Pei Xiangjun to help manage Ye Jingtang’s excessive vigor while he recovered at the inn. When Dongfang Liren checked on him, he impulsively embraced her, and his towel slipped before she fled in embarrassment; he also asked her to investigate a prisoner named Zhang Wenyuan.

• Pei Xiangjun brought water to Luo Ning, who worried that Ye Jingtang’s heightened vigor would be too much for her to handle.
• Luo Ning urged Pei Xiangjun to help Ye Jingtang regulate himself, and Pei Xiangjun reluctantly let Luo Ning teach her.
• Dongfang Liren prepared a letter for the Capital City and chose a robe for Ye Jingtang.
• Dongfang Liren entered Ye Jingtang’s room when he sounded unwell, and he pulled her into an embrace while struggling to control his impulses.
• Ye Jingtang’s towel slipped as Dongfang Liren tried to step on his foot, and she fled after calling him a scoundrel.
• Ye Jingtang asked Dongfang Liren to have the troops check whether Zhang Wenyuan was among Prince Wu’s prisoners.

Ye Jingtang returned to the inn and found Pei Xiangjun waiting after Ning'er had withdrawn. Pei Xiangjun offered to help him, but the two grew intimate, leaving their plans for marriage and household arrangements to be discussed later.

• Ye Jingtang returned to the inn and found Pei Xiangjun dressed and waiting in the lamplit room while Ning'er had gone to rest.
• Pei Xiangjun explained that Ning'er was worried about Ye Jingtang's condition and offered to tend to him, revealing that Eldest Aunt had promised her to him.
• Pei Xiangjun tried to follow the technique Ning'er had taught her, but Ye Jingtang carried her to the bed and the two became intimate.
• Pei Xiangjun asked where she would live in the new residence, and Ye Jingtang suggested that everyone share the plum courtyard while Yunli took the boudoir tower.
• Ye Jingtang and Pei Xiangjun talked about their first impressions of each other and how their family relationships would work after their marriage before resuming their intimacy.

Luo Ning waited outside while Pei Xiangjun treated Ye Jingtang, then joined them when Pei Xiangjun called her in. The three spent the rest of the night together, and dawn arrived as Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun playfully bickered.

• Luo Ning waited by the riverside, then listened outside the inn as Pei Xiangjun treated Ye Jingtang.
• Dongfang Liren painted Ye Jingtang from memory and welcomed Perfected Person Xuanji into her room for the night.
• Pei Xiangjun realized Luo Ning was waiting outside and called her to join Ye Jingtang.
• Ye Jingtang brought Luo Ning into the room, and Pei Xiangjun urged her to continue his treatment.
• Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun bickered and scuffled while Ye Jingtang stayed between them, and dawn arrived.

Qiu Tianhe visited Xuanyuan Tiangang in Yellow Springs Town and told him Zheng Feng had died, while Ye Jingtang spent the morning with Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning before returning to Dongfang Liren’s command post. Dongfang Liren awaited news of Prince Wu’s escape and prepared to act as Ye Jingtang arrived.

• Qiu Tianhe revisited Yellow Springs Town, recalled his youth with Zheng Feng, and heard young martial wanderers betting on his coming fight with Xuanyuan Tiangang.
• Qiu Tianhe told Xuanyuan Tiangang that Zheng Feng had died from old internal injuries and that Zheng Feng’s adopted son planned to seek revenge on the Xuanyuan Family.
• Ye Jingtang woke beside Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning after the night together and found that the Heavenly Lang Pearl had strengthened and opened his qi meridians.
• Pei Xiangjun drew Luo Ning into further intimacy with Ye Jingtang before the women dressed and Ye Jingtang left the inn.
• Dongfang Liren learned that Zezhou’s troops had caught Prince Wu’s party, though Prince Wu had escaped with a dozen guards, and waited for Ye Jingtang to arrive.
• Ye Jingtang reached Dongfang Liren’s command post, while Niao Niao bickered with Perfected Person Xuanji.

Dongfang Liren and Ye Jingtang left to pursue Prince Wu after learning he was trapped in a mountain cave, while Perfected Person Xuanji joined them. Elsewhere, Xuanyuan Hongzhi learned that Prince Jing was searching for Zhang Wenyuan and began planning an ambush for Ye Jingtang.

• Dongfang Liren introduced Ye Jingtang to Perfected Person Xuanji, then tested his martial composure while helping him correct her spear stance.
• A Black Bureau Chief Constable reported that Prince Wu was trapped in a cave, and Ye Jingtang set off with Dongfang Liren and the Black Bureau experts to capture him.
• Perfected Person Xuanji heard a familiar conversation from an inn but left with Ye Jingtang and Dongfang Liren when he warned that events in the mountains required haste.
• Xuanyuan Hongzhi learned from a Junshan Terrace disciple that Prince Jing had ordered soldiers to search for Zhang Wenyuan.
• Xuanyuan Hongzhi and Yao Wenzhong decided to investigate who was helping Zhang Wenyuan's son and prepare an ambush for Ye Jingtang.

Ye Jingtang and Perfected Person Xuanji climbed Yellowstone Ridge to confront Prince Wu and his remaining followers. Ye Jingtang defeated Bai Siming in a single punch, then stopped him from taking the Heavenly Lang Pearl before Xuanji knocked him unconscious.

• Ye Jingtang learned that Prince Wu had taken refuge on Yellowstone Ridge, where government troops had surrounded him.
• Prince Wu, Bai Siming, and Zhang Jinglin debated escape plans until they heard that Ye Jingtang and Imperial Court experts were preparing to storm the ridge.
• Ye Jingtang and Perfected Person Xuanji ascended the cliff, with each displaying impressive Lightness Skill before reaching the cave.
• Bai Siming asked to fight Ye Jingtang unarmed, but Ye Jingtang's first punch overwhelmed him before he could make a move.
• Bai Siming tried to take the Heavenly Lang Pearl and fight Ye Jingtang after mistaking it for the source of Ye Jingtang's strength, but Ye Jingtang stopped him and Perfected Person Xuanji knocked him unconscious.

Ye Jingtang captured Prince Wu and Zhang Jinglin, reunited Zhang Wenyuan with the news that his son was safe, and learned the story behind his adoptive father’s crippling. He then returned to Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun before setting out to bring Zhang Wenyuan’s son to the army.

• Ye Jingtang escorted the captured Prince Wu and Zhang Jinglin down from the ridge, where Zhang Jinglin explained the Heavenly Lang Pearl’s possible origins and the vanished Yechi Tribe.
• Ye Jingtang found Zhang Wenyuan among the rescued test subjects and told him that his son was waiting in Wanshui Town.
• Zhang Wenyuan recognized Ye Jingtang’s Chi Dragon Blade and recounted how Xuanyuan Hongzhi’s scheme led to Zheng Feng being crippled and Qiu Tianhe rescuing Xuanyuan Shuye.
• Ye Jingtang told Zhang Wenyuan he would fetch his son, then rode back to the inn to see Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun.
• Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun teased each other about sharing Ye Jingtang’s treatment, and Ye Jingtang joined them before agreeing to rest briefly and continue to Wanshui Town.

Ye Jingtang returned to Wanshui Town with Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning, unaware at first that Xuanyuan Hongzhi had gathered fighters to ambush him. His heightened senses let him detect the attackers as he rode into their trap, and the chapter ended with them surrounding him in the old street.

• Ye Jingtang left the inn with Pei Xiangjun, Luo Ning, and Niao Niao after their midday rest.
• Xuanyuan Hongzhi recruited Eighth Master Fan and Han Shaoping to help him kill Ye Jingtang, while Yao Wenzhong and other fighters prepared to join the ambush.
• Dongfang Liren returned from the mountains with Prince Wu and the prisoners, then asked Perfected Person Xuanji to take her to Wanshui Town to check on Ye Jingtang.
• Ye Jingtang rode into town and overheard the hidden attackers discussing him, but continued toward the inn without revealing that he had noticed them.
• Ye Jingtang told Zhang Wenyuan's son to go inside, then Yao Wenzhong, Eighth Master Fan, Han Shaoping, Xuanyuan Hongzhi, and another saber wielder appeared to surround him.

Ye Jingtang faced an ambush by Xuanyuan Hongzhi, Yao Wenzhong, and three other martial artists on Old Street. He slaughtered the attackers with overwhelming speed and strength, ending the chapter with his saber piercing Yao Wenzhong through the chest.

• Xuanyuan Hongzhi and four masked fighters surrounded Ye Jingtang, while Eighth Master Fan blocked his path to the weapons on the horses.
• Eighth Master Fan thrust his spear and Yao Wenzhong attacked with his saber, but Ye Jingtang caught the spear and deflected the heavy blade.
• Ye Jingtang kicked Eighth Master Fan through the chest, killing him, then killed the airborne swordsman from Zezhou and struck Han Shaoping down.
• Ye Jingtang charged Yao Wenzhong and repeatedly thrust at him, overpowering his defense and piercing his chest through the Mount Jun Saber.

Ye Jingtang defeated Yao Wenzhong and confronted Xuanyuan Hongzhi after Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning blocked his escape. He invoked evidence against Junshan Terrace, then killed Xuanyuan Hongzhi with the opening move of the Eight-Step Mad Blade.

• Ye Jingtang overpowered Yao Wenzhong with a series of blows, and Yao Wenzhong died amid the wreckage of the street.
• Pei Xiangjun and Luo Ning stopped Xuanyuan Hongzhi from escaping after his injured arms and shoulder left him unable to break through.
• Ye Jingtang arrived and accused Xuanyuan Hongzhi of murdering Thousand Crane Manor's Young Master and trying to silence witnesses to Junshan Terrace's secret support for Prince Wu's rebellion.
• Xuanyuan Hongzhi argued that the matter should be settled within the martial world, but Ye Jingtang challenged him and drew his saber.
• Ye Jingtang killed Xuanyuan Hongzhi with the opening move of the Eight-Step Mad Blade, the same move that had defeated him before.

After defeating the men who attacked the town, Ye Jingtang arranged the cleanup and compensation, then reunited with Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun at an inn. The three discussed what to do with the Spirit Mechanism Sword before settling in for the night and preparing to return once the Black Bureau arrived.

• Ye Jingtang had the former gambling-den enforcers clean up the fighting and paid compensation to households whose homes had been damaged.
• Ye Jingtang spared the badly wounded Yao Wenzhong for the authorities and sent word to the Government and the Black Bureau.
• Ye Jingtang returned to the inn, where Luo Ning tended Pei Xiangjun's injuries from using Wind Pool Reverse Blood.
• Luo Ning suggested returning the Spirit Mechanism Sword to Thousand Crane Manor in exchange for instruction in the Dragon-Qi Sword, while Pei Xiangjun argued that sabers were better in combat.
• Ye Jingtang joined the women for the night and said they would leave after the Black Bureau's people arrived in the morning.

Dongfang Liren and Perfected Person Xuanji found Ye Jingtang after he killed Xuanyuan Hongzhi and other Junshan Terrace attackers. While Ye Jingtang spoke with Dongfang Liren, Perfected Person Xuanji discovered Luo Ning in his room, uncovered their relationship, and decided to test Ye Jingtang without warning him.

• Dongfang Liren and Perfected Person Xuanji reached Wanshui Town and heard that Ye Jingtang had killed Eighth Master Fan and fought an ambush.
• Ye Jingtang assured Dongfang Liren he was unharmed and persuaded her to let him handle the conflict with Junshan Terrace himself.
• Perfected Person Xuanji found Luo Ning in Ye Jingtang's room and questioned her about her marriage to Xue Baijin and her relationship with Ye Jingtang.
• Luo Ning claimed she wanted to persuade Xue Baijin to accept amnesty, and Perfected Person Xuanji warned her not to encourage rebellion.
• Perfected Person Xuanji immobilized Luo Ning and went to test Ye Jingtang without letting him know she had discovered the truth.

Ye Jingtang faced Perfected Person Xuanji’s suspicions about his ties to the Sky-Pacifying Sect and used his imperial token to make her back down. Later, Dongfang Liren discovered the revealing undergarment Ye Jingtang had brought with her clothes and confiscated it, leaving him outside while she prepared to bathe.

• Dongfang Liren and Ye Jingtang returned to the inn, where Perfected Person Xuanji sent Dongfang Liren upstairs and told Ye Jingtang to heat water.
• Perfected Person Xuanji attacked Ye Jingtang in the kitchen and accused him of being a spy and of secretly sharing a bed with the Sky-Pacifying Sect’s Cult Leader’s Wife.
• Ye Jingtang denied being a rebel agent and showed Perfected Person Xuanji his imperial token, prompting her to agree to keep his secret for now.
• Dongfang Liren noticed Niao Niao acting furtively before entering her room to read while she waited for Ye Jingtang.
• Ye Jingtang spoke with Luo Ning and collected a change of clothes for Dongfang Liren, then carried hot water to her room.
• Dongfang Liren found an erotic undergarment among the clothes, scolded Ye Jingtang, confiscated it, and told him to wait outside while she bathed.

Perfected Person Xuanji reunited with Luo Ning and found her entangled with Ye Jingtang, while Ye Jingtang spent the late night on the roof with Dongfang Liren. After discussing life on the border, they resumed their playful martial-arts practice, leaving the household quiet for the night.

• Perfected Person Xuanji entered Luo Ning’s room, teased her, and invited Ye Jingtang to sleep with them when he walked in.
• Ye Jingtang checked on Pei Xiangjun, then went to the roof with wine and snacks, where Niao Niao joined him.
• Dongfang Liren joined Ye Jingtang on the roof, and he told her about hardship and violence in Red River Town.
• Dongfang Liren questioned Ye Jingtang about killing, and he defended his actions as mostly self-defense against criminals.
• Dongfang Liren tested Ye Jingtang’s self-control by touching his chest, then let him correct her Overlord Spear stance as Niao Niao ate nearby.

Pei Yuanfeng found an abandoned infant in a war-torn snowfield and raised him as Ye Jingtang, teaching him to fight while settling into life at a frontier escort agency. At eighteen, Ye Jingtang prepared to leave Red River Town and make his own way in the martial world, while Pei Yuanfeng accepted their impending parting.

• Pei Yuanfeng searched for Snow Lake Flower with Yang Chao, then found a dead servant and rescued a crying infant from a battered carriage near the battlefield.
• Pei Yuanfeng and Yang Chao raised the child in Red River Town, named him Ye Jingtang, and settled the infant's unexplained condition with medicine from the carriage.
• Pei Yuanfeng devoted himself to the escort agency and Ye Jingtang, and later began teaching the boy saber techniques and martial training.
• At eight, Ye Jingtang met a white-clad swordswoman seeking Tianlang Lake, and Pei Yuanfeng warned him that she was likely from Jade Void Mountain and far beyond his reach.
• At eighteen, Ye Jingtang told Yang Chao he planned to establish himself in the Central Plains, and later discussed his plans to travel with Pei Yuanfeng.
• Pei Yuanfeng advised Ye Jingtang to see the world before visiting Junshan Terrace and not to go to Northern Liang, then shared a New Year's toast with him as Ye Jingtang prepared to leave.

Ye Jingtang and Dongfang Liren woke after sharing a drunken night on the roof, while Qiu Tianhe departed Yellow Springs Town for his challenge at Junshan Terrace. In Jianyang City, Dongfang Liren returned to Prince Wu's Manor with the Empress Dowager waiting in its treasury, and Ye Jingtang reluctantly went to meet her.

• Ye Jingtang explained that he had only held the sleeping Dongfang Liren to shelter her from the rain, and she forgave him after recalling their night of drinking.
• Xuanyuan Tiangang told Qiu Tianhe that Yellow Springs Town was full of retired martial artists, and Qiu Tianhe set off for Junshan Terrace to challenge Old Xuanyuan.
• The Empress Dowager browsed Prince Wu's treasury with Hongyu and selected treasures, including an erotic screen, while waiting for Dongfang Liren.
• Dongfang Liren returned to Prince Wu's Manor with Perfected Person Xuanji, Ye Jingtang, Luo Ning, and Pei Xiangjun, then rewarded the Zezhou troops and discussed the threat from Junshan Terrace.
• A maid told Dongfang Liren that the Empress Dowager was in the treasury, and Dongfang Liren brought Ye Jingtang along to pay his respects.
• Perfected Person Xuanji suspected that Ye Jingtang might pursue the Empress Dowager and gave him a warning look as they headed for the treasury.

Ye Jingtang accompanied the Empress Dowager, Dongfang Liren, and Perfected Person Xuanji through Prince Wu's treasury, where an erotic screen embarrassed him. At Junshan Terrace, Xuanyuan Chao accepted the coming fight with Ye Jingtang as a fitting end to his life, while Ye Jingtang prepared to take Pei Xiangjun shopping with him.

• The Empress Dowager teased Ye Jingtang by asking him to explain an erotic screen, and Dongfang Liren led her away when he became embarrassed.
• The Empress Dowager and Dongfang Liren chose treasures from Prince Wu's treasury while Ye Jingtang carried their selections.
• Xuanyuan Zhe told Xuanyuan Chao that his family members had been killed or captured in Zezhou, and Xuanyuan Chao declared that Ye Jingtang would come to Junshan Terrace if Qiu Tianhe came.
• Xuanyuan Chao said he accepted either defeat by a worthy opponent or dying undefeated, and told Xuanyuan Zhe that the Xuanyuan Family had to defend its own fortune.
• Ye Jingtang invited Luo Ning and Pei Xiangjun to join the women on an outing; Luo Ning declined, and Pei Xiangjun went with him.

Ye Jingtang took Dongfang Liren, the Empress Dowager, Perfected Person Xuanji, and Pei Xiangjun on an outing in Jianyang, where fireworks lifted the Empress Dowager’s spirits and Ye Jingtang shared a kiss with Pei Xiangjun. At dawn, Dongfang Liren learned that Qiu Tianhe planned to challenge Xuanyuan Chao at Junshan Terrace, and Ye Jingtang set out to stop him with Perfected Person Xuanji as backup.

• Ye Jingtang bought lanterns and fireworks to cheer the Empress Dowager during their rainy-night outing in Jianyang.
• The Empress Dowager and Dongfang Liren lit fireworks by the river, and Ye Jingtang kissed Pei Xiangjun beneath the eaves.
• Pei Xiangjun joined Ye Jingtang in Luo Ning’s room, where they teased Luo Ning before the group went to sleep.
• Perfected Person Xuanji worried that the Empress’s failing health and the missing Dragon-Mingling Diagram threatened the court’s future.
• Dongfang Liren learned that Qiu Tianhe planned to challenge Xuanyuan Chao at Junshan Terrace and warned Ye Jingtang.
• Ye Jingtang decided to leave at once to stop Qiu Tianhe, and Dongfang Liren arranged for Perfected Person Xuanji to accompany him.