Chapter Summaries

After defeating Jiang Zhawu, Ye Jingtang learned that he was the lost heir of the Yechi Tribe and discussed the Dragon-Prison Miasma and the Golden Scale Diagram with Han Ting. As Ye Jingtang and Fan Qinghe stayed at Han Ting’s home, Luo Ning and Xue Baijin spotted a dust cloud approaching Dolan Valley.

• Ye Jingtang and Jiang Zhawu recovered from their fight while Han Ting recounted the Yechi Tribe’s fall and confirmed Ye Jingtang was the lost young master.
• Ye Jingtang explained how he obtained the Heavenly Lang Pearl, and Jiang Zhawu linked it to the Golden Scale Diagram stolen by Cheng Shilu’s father.
• Han Ting said he had not made the recent Dragon-Prison Miasma and warned Ye Jingtang to remain wary of Sima Yue.
• Jiang Zhawu promised to give Ye Jingtang the Golden Scale Diagram after his friend’s poison was cured, and Ye Jingtang offered him a chance to study the Jade Bone Diagram in the Capital City.
• Ye Jingtang and Fan Qinghe spent the night recovering while Luo Ning watched their lit window and imagined what was happening inside.
• Xue Baijin noticed a dust cloud racing toward Dolan Valley, and Luo Ning looked toward it with her Telescope.

Ye Jingtang and Jiang Zhawu confronted the Left Xian King, Li Jian, who tried to seize Ye Jingtang despite his claim to be a Great Wei envoy. As Li Jian gained the upper hand, the Sky-Pacifying Sect Master ambushed him and joined the fight; Ye Jingtang recognized the woman she scooped up as his wife, Luo Ning, and kept pursuing them.

• Ye Jingtang, Fan Qinghe, and Jiang Zhawu discovered that a mounted party was approaching the village, and Ye Jingtang identified the riders as men of the White Owl Camp.
• The Left Xian King, Li Jian, arrived and ordered Ye Jingtang to surrender, rejecting his claim that he was a Great Wei envoy; six retainers advanced to seize him.
• Ye Jingtang killed two of the advancing retainers, but Li Jian struck him aside and overpowered Jiang Zhawu and Fan Qinghe.
• The Sky-Pacifying Sect Master ambushed Li Jian in midair, and Ye Jingtang, Jiang Zhawu, and Fan Qinghe joined her in driving him back and wounding him.
• Li Jian fled, and the Sky-Pacifying Sect Master pursued him while carrying Luo Ning; Ye Jingtang recognized his wife and raced after them.

Ye Jingtang and his companions pursued the wounded Left Xian King into a desert sandstorm, where he became separated from Luo Ning and Xue Baijin. While sheltering from the storm, Ye Jingtang and Fan Qinghe uncovered part of an ancient structure, and Xue Baijin and Luo Ning found ruins they believed might be Great Liang's New Capital.

• Ye Jingtang carried the injured Fan Qinghe as he pursued the Left Xian King, while Luo Ning and Xue Baijin ran ahead with Niao Niao following overhead.
• The Left Xian King fled into a powerful sandstorm, and Ye Jingtang sent Niao Niao to guide Luo Ning before entering the storm with Fan Qinghe.
• Ye Jingtang and Fan Qinghe sheltered behind a dune and discovered a buried palace carving; probing the sand with the Dragon-Mingling Spear caused the ground to crack and rumble.
• Xue Baijin ambushed the Left Xian King in the storm and struck him with her maces, but he escaped after throwing his Horse Spear and being hit by her Cold-Iron Long Mace.
• Xue Baijin and Luo Ning found ancient paving beneath the sand and suspected the ruins were Great Liang's New Capital, so they began exploring instead of continuing the chase.

Ye Jingtang and Fan Qinghe explored an ancient ancestral temple, where Ye deciphered martial insights carved into a wall. He reunited with Luo Ning in the desert and kissed her while Niao Niao waited for food.

• Ye Jingtang and Fan Qinghe landed in a buried hall and explored the ancestral temple, finding ancient jade slips and a Star-Gazing Terrace.
• Fan Qinghe identified wine jars from three different eras and found strange carvings in a chamber beneath the terrace.
• Ye Jingtang studied the carvings with his saber and explained that they recorded a master’s martial path, gaining new insight from them.
• Ye Jingtang heard Luo Ning nearby and left Fan Qinghe to investigate.
• Luo Ning reunited with Ye Jingtang among the dunes, and they kissed while Niao Niao watched impatiently.

Xue Baijin discovered an old Xiaoshan Fort token beneath the desert and suspected the fort’s ancestor had found the lost imperial treasures, while Ye Jingtang reunited with Luo Ning and was caught by Xue Baijin kissing her. After the group returned to the village, Ye Jingtang and Luo Ning were left alone together, while Xue Baijin continued studying an ancient martial mark and the Left Xian King summoned Xi Tianshang to challenge Ye Jingtang.

• Xue Baijin found a Xiaoshan Fort token among ancient belongings beneath the desert and reasoned that the Xiao Ancestor might have hidden the Jade Seal in the fort’s Sword Pavilion.
• Xue Baijin emerged from underground and caught Ye Jingtang kissing Luo Ning; Luo Ning revealed that she was his lawfully wedded wife, and Xue Baijin demanded that they keep their relationship secret until she revealed her identity.
• Xue Baijin went to study a martial mark beneath a dune, while Ye Jingtang left with Luo Ning and Fan Qinghe.
• The Left Xian King ordered Du Tanqing to summon Xi Tianshang to face Ye Jingtang and directed his men to punish the Dongming Tribe for its rebellion.
• Ye Jingtang, Luo Ning, and Fan Qinghe returned to the village, where they learned Jiang Zhawu had moved his family to Hong Mountain.
• Ye Jingtang and Luo Ning reunited privately in their room, while Fan Qinghe rested nearby and Xue Baijin remained underground studying the mark.

Xue Baijin returned to the village, caught Ye Jingtang with Luo Ning, and then began teaching him the Southern Mountain Divine Yang Force, sending him flying twice. In Langxuan City, Dongfang Liren and the others arrived at the Dongming Tribe’s compound and learned that the tribe was accused of killing officials from White Owl Camp, leaving its allies demanding an explanation.

• Xue Baijin found Ye Jingtang and Luo Ning together, then called Ye Jingtang to the roof to discuss the mark and his martial arts.
• Xue Baijin offered to teach Ye Jingtang the Southern Mountain Divine Yang Force, and he agreed to learn before repaying her by teaching the Dragon-Elephant Diagram.
• Ye Jingtang tried to match palms with Xue Baijin but was blasted off the roof twice, while Luo Ning angrily demanded to know why Baijin was hitting him.
• Pei Xiangjun led the party into Langxuan City, where Dongfang Liren, Perfected Person Xuanji, and Zhe Yunli took in the sights before heading to the Dongming Tribe’s compound.
• Jiang Laojiu calmed tribal elders who accused the Dongming Tribe of conspiring with the Southern Dynasty and killing people from White Owl Camp, promising to seek Zhu Zong’s explanation.
• Dongfang Liren inferred that Ye Jingtang had clashed with the Left Xian King’s people and led the Empress Dowager into the compound.

Ye Jingtang returned to Langxuan City, reunited with Pei Xiangjun and the Red Flower House, and learned the history behind her grievance with North-Severing Cliff. After Pei Xiangjun told him how Duansheng Ji had killed her master’s successor, Ye Jingtang beat Chen He in retaliation and then headed toward Hu Yanjing’s inn after noticing a sign that a buyer might have made contact.

• Ye Jingtang returned to the Dongming Tribe’s compound with Fan Qinghe, where he learned that the tribes were demanding answers about the White Owl Camp deaths at Huangming Mountain.
• Ye Jingtang reunited with Pei Xiangjun and the Red Flower House hall masters, then spoke privately with Pei Xiangjun about Ning'er and the group’s business beyond the pass.
• Pei Xiangjun told Ye Jingtang how Duansheng Ji had killed Pei Yuanming in a challenge for the Spear Chief title, and Ye Jingtang promised to punish Chen He for disparaging Pei Yuanming.
• Ye Jingtang and Song Chi found Chen He near the Porcelain Quarter, where Ye Jingtang smashed him through a wagon of medicinal herbs and identified himself as Ye Silang of the Red Flower House.
• Ye Jingtang noticed a strip of cloth outside Hu Yanjing’s lodgings that suggested the buyer had made contact, so he turned toward the inn.

Ye Jingtang traced the Scale-Pattern Steel smuggling to North-Severing Cliff and discussed the threat it posed with Dongfang Liren. Their talk turned into an interrogation role-play that ended with Ye Jingtang escaping his restraints and being punished by Dongfang Liren.

• Ye Jingtang recognized the masked seller as Chen He and left a message postponing their meeting to avoid exposing himself.
• Ye Jingtang told Dongfang Liren that North-Severing Cliff was selling Scale-Pattern Steel to the Left Xian King, and they agreed the matter required a discreet investigation.
• Ye Jingtang said he had found a Medicine Master and a lead on the Golden Unicorn Map, while Dongfang Liren urged him to help the Dongming Tribe before leaving.
• Dongfang Liren tied Ye Jingtang to her bed and tried to test his resolve by acting out an interrogation from Tears of the Chivalrous Woman.
• Ye Jingtang broke free, pulled Dongfang Liren onto him, and claimed he had been turning the tables on his captor, so she twisted his waist in anger.

Ye Jingtang moved through the encampment at night, bringing Zhe Yunli a martial arts manual before discovering Perfected Person Xuanji suffering in a scalding bath. He stayed to guard her, unaware that her condition had been caused by a trapped toy she had taken from Fan Qinghe.

• Perfected Person Xuanji saw Li Ren pinning Ye Jingtang to a bed, then found Fan Qinghe worrying about the coming Ten Thousand Tribes Alliance.
• Perfected Person Xuanji pressed the trapped tiger's head Fan Qinghe had made and was secretly dosed with Blazing Body Powder.
• Dongfang Liren released Ye Jingtang after scolding him, and he left her tent with the Flame-Rebirth Diagram.
• Ye Jingtang gave Zhe Yunli the Flame-Rebirth Diagram and argued with her when she teased him about whether Dongfang Liren might be jealous.
• Ye Jingtang found Perfected Person Xuanji in a steaming bath, checked her condition, and stood guard outside while she recovered.

Ye Jingtang learned that the Left Xian King planned to use King Gouchen to pressure the Dongming Tribe and frame him for stirring up war, while Xu Tianying revealed Sima Yue’s treachery and offered a strategy to counter them. After assigning Song Chi and others to deal with Du Tanqing’s party, Ye Jingtang and his allies prepared to carry out their separate tasks.

• Du Tanqing arrived in Langxuan City with Cao Aning and others to investigate Ye Jingtang and await an assassin, while Xu Tianying slipped away to report to Ye Jingtang.
• Ye Jingtang woke beside Pei Xiangjun, then visited the Empress Dowager and reassured her that they had leads on curing her poison and obtaining the Golden Scale Diagram.
• Xu Tianying told Ye Jingtang that Du Tanqing had come to hire Northern Liang’s Blade Saint, Xi Tianshang, to kill him.
• Xu Tianying revealed that Sima Yue had betrayed the Northwestern Royal Court and explained the Left Xian King’s plan to force the King of Dongming to step down and frame Ye Jingtang for inciting rebellion.
• Ye Jingtang agreed to confront King Gouchen and arranged for Song Chi, She Long, Shang Jianli, and others to deal with Du Tanqing’s party while he handled the assembly in the city.

At the Ten Thousand Tribes Gathering, Ye Jingtang exposed Sima Yue’s dealings with Northern Liang and accused him of helping destroy the Tianlang King’s court. Ye Jingtang challenged Sima Yue to a duel and presented a secret letter as evidence, leaving the tribes waiting for their confrontation.

• Sima Yue accused Fan Qinghe of endangering the Western Sea Tribes by contacting the Southern Dynasty, while Fan Qinghe defended her actions and refused to hand over the people involved in the killings.
• Ye Jingtang rode into the gathering carrying the Yechi Tribe’s banner and the Five-Tribe Alliance token, declaring his descent from the Yechi Tribe and accusing Sima Yue of luring the tribe to its destruction.
• Ye Jingtang displayed luxury goods from Gouchen Tribe storehouses, and the Wuma Tribe’s elderly chief accused Sima Yue of secretly benefiting from Northern Liang’s returned tribute while the other tribes suffered.
• Ye Jingtang named Du Tanqing as his source and accused Sima Yue of plotting against him and the Tianlang King; he challenged Sima Yue to swear before his emblem and fight to the death.
• Sima Yue swore that he had never betrayed the Tianlang King, while Ye Jingtang produced a letter taken from Du Tanqing and called Sima Yue to fight.

Ye Jingtang fought Sima Yue in Langxuan City, defeated him with a vicious unarmed attack, and exposed his betrayal of the Tianlang King. After Sima Yue killed himself, Ye Jingtang reassured the Western Sea Tribes that he would defend them if Northern Liang invaded, then rode away.

• Ye Jingtang challenged Sima Yue to single combat after displaying a letter ordering Sima Yue to kill the Tianlang King's orphan.
• Ye Jingtang and Sima Yue exchanged powerful spear and glaive attacks, and Sima Yue used nearby spectators as shields to escape a finishing blow.
• Ye Jingtang threw his spear, charged Sima Yue barehanded, and struck him down with a devastating attack followed by a knee strike.
• Chief Jiang verified the letter, and Sima Yue admitted he had colluded with the Left Xian King and helped bring about the Yechi Tribe's extermination.
• Sima Yue defended his betrayal, then took his own life with his saber.
• Ye Jingtang promised to protect the Western Sea Tribes if Northern Liang attacked, retrieved his spear and banner, and rode out of the arena.

After Ye Jingtang defeated Sima Yue and promised to support the Western Sea Tribes, the Empress Dowager fainted from hunger and excitement. As the party rushed to take her to Hong Mountain for treatment, Chen He mistook Ye Jingtang’s plans and decided North-Severing Cliff should strike first.

• Ye Jingtang left the gathering, and Zhe Yunli and Fan Qinghe praised and embraced him before Dongfang Liren, Perfected Person Xuanji, and the others joined them.
• Ye Jingtang secretly kissed Dongfang Liren, but She Long arrived to report that the Empress Dowager had fainted.
• Fan Qinghe examined the Empress Dowager and attributed her collapse to weakness and emotional strain, so Ye Jingtang ordered the party to hurry toward Hong Mountain for treatment.
• Dongfang Liren ordered the group to prepare to leave, while Fan Qinghe went to borrow a fast horse.
• Chen He concluded that Ye Jingtang did not know North-Severing Cliff was involved in smuggling and planned to warn the gang leader before their conflict began.

Ye Jingtang carried the awakened Empress Dowager south toward Hong Mountain, where she recovered after eating and shared a quiet ride with him and Niao Niao. Meanwhile, Shen Lin told Xi Tianshang that Ye Jingtang had crossed into Great Wei, prompting Xi to ride south after him.

• Ye Jingtang stopped his horse when the Empress Dowager awoke, explained that she had fainted, and gave her porridge and snacks.
• The Empress Dowager fed Niao Niao and Ye Jingtang, asked about his fight, and leaned against him as they continued through Liaoyuan toward Hong Mountain.
• The Empress Dowager discussed the wilderness and her book with Ye Jingtang, while he said they would pass Truffle Valley on the way.
• At an inn in Nameless Town, Shen Lin met Xi Tianshang and revealed that Zhongsun Yan had fallen in Great Wei and Ye Jingtang had already crossed Blackstone Pass.
• Xi Tianshang left the inn and rode south toward Liangzhou to pursue Ye Jingtang.

Jian Yuhua encountered an imposing spearman near Fu Family Manor, while Ye Jingtang traveled through Liangzhou with the Empress Dowager toward the Hongshan Gang. After learning Jiang Zhawu had not yet reached Flower Buddha Stronghold, Ye Jingtang changed course to search for him in the mountains.

• Jian Yuhua recalled how Ye Silang's talent and chivalry had driven him to leave the martial world, then met a spearman who criticized the Fu Family and rode toward Hong Mountain.
• Ye Jingtang traveled west with the recovering Empress Dowager, who tried to take the reins but could not reach the stirrups, and they continued toward Truffle Valley.
• Ye Jingtang recognized Jian Yuhua near town but concealed his face and passed by; he later heard that another spearman with a similarly fine horse had entered the mountains.
• Ye Jingtang led the Empress Dowager toward Flower Buddha Stronghold, where he overheard Zhan Zhongdao's men say Jiang Zhawu was still traveling toward Hidden Dragon Ridge.
• Ye Jingtang realized Jiang Zhawu had not yet settled his family or reached the stronghold, so he withdrew and headed for Hidden Dragon Ridge to search for him with Niao Niao.

Ye Jingtang and the Empress Dowager sheltered overnight on Hidden Dragon Ridge while Spear Chief Duansheng Ji and Northern Liang’s Blade Saint Xi Tianshang independently searched for Ye Jingtang. The two mistook each other for their target and fought until an avalanche swept them away, allowing Ye Jingtang to guide the Empress Dowager onward.

• Ye Jingtang stopped below the snow line, found shelter with the Empress Dowager, and fell asleep from exhaustion as she warmed his hand.
• Duansheng Ji waited on Hidden Dragon Ridge to ambush Ye Jingtang, while Xi Tianshang arrived separately to assassinate him.
• Duansheng Ji mistook Xi Tianshang for Ye Jingtang and attacked; Xi Tianshang fought back, and the two clashed across the snowy slope.
• Their battle triggered a massive avalanche that swept Duansheng Ji and Xi Tianshang down the mountain.
• Ye Jingtang and the Empress Dowager watched the two experts fight through the avalanche, then Ye Jingtang led her around the ridge.

Ye Jingtang and the Empress Dowager descended a dangerous snowy mountainside, where she confessed that she had secretly kept the Flame-Rebirth Diagram and arranged for it to reach him. After he saved them from a sliding horse, he comforted her about her confinement and promised to help her leave the palace when the time was right; she rested close in his arms.

• As they descended the slope, the Empress Dowager told Ye Jingtang that she had found and secretly kept the Flame-Rebirth Diagram, then sent it to him to heal his injuries and take an outing.
• Ye Jingtang accepted her explanation and reassured her that he was glad she had joined the journey.
• The horse slipped and slid downhill, so Ye Jingtang shielded the Empress Dowager and stopped the horse by wedging his spear into a rock.
• The Empress Dowager blamed herself for the danger, and Ye Jingtang comforted her by recalling the good accomplished on their trip and promising to help her take future outings.
• The Empress Dowager explained that political ties kept her in the palace, while Ye Jingtang suggested she might leave once His Majesty held power securely.
• The Empress Dowager drew close to Ye Jingtang beneath the blanket, and he settled her in his lap to keep her warm as she fell asleep.

Ye Jingtang fought Xi Tianshang on the snowy mountain, then faced Duansheng Ji while protecting the Empress Dowager. When Jiang Zhawu arrived and an avalanche threatened Mr. Han and his family, Ye Jingtang and Jiang Zhawu fled downhill together, leaving Duansheng Ji to escape in another direction.

• The Empress Dowager warmed Ye Jingtang's cold hand inside her robe, and they woke when they heard a horse sliding down Hidden Dragon Ridge.
• Xi Tianshang challenged Ye Jingtang, but Ye Jingtang wounded him with Two-Foot Plum before Duansheng Ji's arrival interrupted their fight.
• Ye Jingtang set the Empress Dowager down and fought Duansheng Ji with the Dragon-Mingling Spear, trading serious wounds with him.
• Jiang Zhawu appeared and attacked Xi Tianshang, sending him into a cliff and triggering an avalanche.
• Ye Jingtang heard that Mr. Han and Jiang Zhawu's family were below the ridge, so he picked up the Empress Dowager and fled downhill with Jiang Zhawu while Duansheng Ji escaped southeast.

After Ye Jingtang rescued the Empress Dowager from an avalanche, the two sheltered at Jiang Zhawu’s camp, where an accidental embrace left them awkwardly close. Elsewhere, Dongfang Liren investigated Northern Liang’s threats and North-Severing Cliff while the escort agency’s companions waited in Red River Town.

• Ye Jingtang carried the wounded Empress Dowager down the mountain after fighting Xi Tianshang and Duansheng Ji, then Jiang Zhawu brought them to Han Ting’s camp for treatment.
• Han Ting discussed the Western Sea Tribes’ political and economic problems with Ye Jingtang, who resolved to share his advice with the Empress.
• Ye Jingtang and the Empress Dowager changed clothes in their tent, and they ended up pressed together beneath a quilt when Jiang Zhawu’s daughter poked her head inside.
• Dongfang Liren learned that Northern Liang might target Ye Jingtang and ordered Meng Jiao to investigate North-Severing Cliff quietly before screening its military connections.
• Zhe Yunli abandoned She Long’s body-hardening practice to learn spear techniques from Pei Xiangjun, while Perfected Person Xuanji teased Fan Qinghe about her feelings for Ye Jingtang.

Ye Jingtang and the Empress Dowager left Jiang Zhawu’s camp and traveled east through the snow toward home, while the Empress of Great Wei decided to reward Ye Jingtang with a hereditary dukedom. On the journey, the Empress Dowager grieved at the thought of returning to palace confinement, and Ye Jingtang promised to keep her company, leaving them sharing a tender, intimate moment on horseback.

• The Empress Dowager tried to tuck Ye Jingtang under his quilt, and he pulled her into his arms while still half asleep.
• Jiang Zhawu gave Ye Jingtang the Golden Scale Diagram, then exchanged the Yechi Tribe’s Chasing the Sun spear and martial arts book for the Imperial Court’s offer to teach him the Jade Bone Diagram and Dragon-Elephant Diagram.
• The Empress of Great Wei rejected Lord Wu’s proposal to revoke Ye Jingtang’s title and instead decided to make him Duke of Martial Peace with a hereditary fief in western Zezhou.
• As Ye Jingtang and the Empress Dowager rode toward Red River Town through snow, she cried at the thought of returning to her lonely life in the palace.
• Ye Jingtang promised to keep visiting and caring for the Empress Dowager, and she warmed his hand inside her bosom as they continued east.