Chapter Summaries

Hua Ling challenged Perfected Person Xuanji on Heavenly Avenue, and the two began a fierce fight. Ye Jingtang arrived in a dramatic landing, interrupting their duel and facing Hua Ling.

• Perfected Person Xuanji understood from Niao Niao that something unusual was happening on Back Street and went to investigate with Chubby.
• Hua Ling came to Dragon Roar Tower intending to challenge Ye Jingtang, but Perfected Person Xuanji confronted him and led him to Heavenly Avenue.
• Hua Ling and Perfected Person Xuanji fought across the snow-covered avenue, trading attacks with his Iron Fan and her Acacia Sword and flowing sleeves.
• A black spear struck the street between them, forcing the fighters apart.
• Ye Jingtang descended beside Perfected Person Xuanji and faced Hua Ling as killing intent filled Heavenly Avenue.

Ye Jingtang fought Hua Ling in a brutal duel across Heavenly Avenue and defeated him after a relentless exchange of blows. Hua Ling hinted that a hidden chess player had manipulated events before Ye Jingtang collapsed from his injuries.

• Ye Jingtang arrived on Heavenly Avenue, refused Perfected Person Xuanji's offer to fight alongside him, and challenged Hua Ling alone.
• Hua Ling unleashed a devastating fan attack, but Ye Jingtang countered with a slash and drove the fight into close combat.
• Ye Jingtang combined his spear and saber techniques to overwhelm Hua Ling, then pursued him through the City Gate Tower and back onto Heavenly Avenue.
• Ye Jingtang sustained Hua Ling's attacks and kept punching until Hua Ling's defenses broke and he was sent crashing into a trench.
• Hua Ling told Ye Jingtang that Long Zhengqing had tried to dissuade him from coming and hinted that a hidden chess player was behind the events.
• The Imperial Guards cheered for Ye Jingtang, who acknowledged the watching crowd before collapsing and falling asleep.

Ye Jingtang woke from his injuries after defeating Hua Ling, learned that the political fallout had been contained, and discussed his breakthrough toward Return to Simplicity with Perfected Person Xuanji. As the night continued, he and the wounded Xuanji became intimate, and the chapter ended with them together behind the bed curtains.

• Ye Jingtang awoke and accidentally groped Fan Qinghe before recognizing her and hearing what had happened while he slept.
• Perfected Person Xuanji told Ye Jingtang that Hua Ling had died and been buried at Flower Willow Bridge, while the match at Dragon Roar Tower was called a draw.
• Fan Qinghe explained that Li Si had apologized to the Empress and promised to seek punishment for the Northern Liang traitors connected to Hua Ling.
• Ye Jingtang examined Perfected Person Xuanji's shoulder, scolded her for risking herself against Hua Ling, and described the sword strike he had discovered during the fight.
• Perfected Person Xuanji explained that Ye Jingtang had crossed the threshold of Return to Simplicity but still needed to build his foundation to become a Martial Saint.
• After sharing Night-Whitehead, Ye Jingtang and Perfected Person Xuanji kissed and became intimate despite her shoulder wound.

Pei Xiangjun discovered Ye Jingtang with Lu Binghe after their drunken night together, while Ye Jingtang’s injuries worsened from his exertions. As he recovered at home amid the city’s excitement over his battle, an unexpected visitor arrived asking for him.

• Pei Xiangjun visited the Plum Blossom Courtyard before dawn, found Ye Jingtang leaving Lu Binghe’s room, and chose to leave without joining them.
• Lu Binghe woke beside Ye Jingtang, confronted him about their night together, and accepted his promise to take responsibility before he carried her to the East Wing Room.
• Fan Qinghe checked Ye Jingtang’s pulse, realized he had overexerted himself after drinking Night-Whitehead, and ordered him to rest for the month.
• Ye Jingtang returned to the study to recover while the city gathered near Skywater Bridge to discuss his battle, and someone arrived asking Fat Consort whether he was there.

While recovering from his injuries, Ye Jingtang joked with Dongfang Liren as she taught him poetry, then received a visit from Hua Qingzhi. Their conversation revealed that her family once owned the Heavenly Star Sword and that a mysterious expert who sought it had taught them techniques linked to Xiaoshan Fort.

• Dongfang Liren checked Ye Jingtang’s injuries, taught him couplets, and hid in the adjoining tea room when Hua Qingzhi arrived.
• Hua Qingzhi visited Ye Jingtang to apologize for the Northern Liang martial artists who had injured him, while Zhe Yunli mistook Hua’s poetic compliment for a challenge and walked away sadly.
• Hua Qingzhi examined Ye Jingtang’s study and explained that her grandfather had given the Heavenly Star Sword to a martial-world expert who later taught the family secret metallurgical techniques resembling those of Xiaoshan Fort.
• Ye Jingtang suspected the expert might have been Long Zhengqing, who could also know the whereabouts of the Son of Heaven Sword, and resolved that he would need to question him directly.
• Hua Qingzhi gave Ye Jingtang a brush bearing a verse about the people’s claim to the realm, and he gave her a jade turtle before she departed.

After recovering from his fight, Ye Jingtang visited the Empress Dowager and the Empress, who agreed to travel to Jiangzhou, while his companions made plans to join him. The chapter ended with the household preparing for a new journey as Ye Jingtang continued recuperating.

• Dongfang Liren urged Ye Jingtang to visit the palace, and he later went to reassure the Empress Dowager that he was safe.
• The Empress Dowager asked Ye Jingtang to accompany her to Jiangzhou to visit her family, and he agreed.
• The Empress of Great Wei offered Ye Jingtang a medicated hot-spring bath and decided to request leave to travel to Jiangzhou as well.
• The Empress of Great Wei and Dongfang Liren arranged for the Empress to leave first and Dongfang Liren to take over court duties before traveling later.
• Fan Qinghe warned Pei Xiangjun to protect Ye Jingtang's health, and Perfected Person Xuanji admitted that she had been intimate with him.
• Ye Jingtang told Pei Xiangjun and Perfected Person Xuanji about the Jiangzhou trip, and Pei Xiangjun decided to follow on a merchant boat while Fan Qinghe stayed to care for him.

Luo Ning and the Sky-Pacifying Sect Master visited her parents’ graves while investigating the Son of Heaven Sword, and Ye Jingtang’s convoy arrived in Jiangzhou with the Empress Dowager. The Azure Mechanism Pavilion’s Liang Shangyan and Twelve Towers watched for a chance to kill Ye Jingtang as the Empress Dowager reunited with her family and Ye Jingtang learned that Duke Wu might cause trouble at the welcoming banquet.

• Luo Ning mourned her parents, and the Sky-Pacifying Sect Master said she had found no Son of Heaven Sword at Xiaoshan Fort but suspected a hidden expert there.
• The Sky-Pacifying Sect Master and Luo Ning discussed the Empress Dowager’s return to Jiangzhou and rode away through the rain.
• Liang Shangyan and Twelve Towers watched the imperial convoy and agreed to wait for an opportunity to assassinate Ye Jingtang.
• The Empress Dowager arrived in Jiangzhou and reunited with Qin Xiangru and Zhao Shulin while Ye Jingtang accompanied her.
• Ye Jingtang secretly greeted Chen Yuanqing, who warned him that Duke Wu might try to provoke Duke Qin at the welcoming banquet.

Ye Jingtang accompanied the Empress Dowager to the Duke's Manor in Jiangzhou and attended a banquet where Duke Qin and the Duke of Wu traded insults. When Jiang Wenyuan challenged Ye Jingtang to literary sparring, Ye Jingtang defeated him with a series of rapid, cutting couplets, leaving the guests astonished.

• Ye Jingtang arrived at the Duke's Manor with the Empress Dowager, Yu Hu, and Fan Qinghe, then prepared to attend the banquet while Fan Qinghe stayed behind to check the courtyard.
• Duke Qin welcomed Ye Jingtang to Huaiyan Tower, where Jiangzhou's dignitaries gathered to pay respects to the Empress Dowager.
• The Duke of Wu arrived with a fine qin and insulted Duke Qin through a veiled wordplay; Ye Jingtang supplied Qin Bochong with a reply that turned the joke back on Wu Song.
• The Duke of Wu introduced his son-in-law Jiang Wenyuan, the 'Mouth Chief,' to challenge Ye Jingtang to a literary exchange.
• Ye Jingtang answered Jiang Wenyuan's couplets with quick, pointed lines, prompting Jiang Wenyuan to concede and the guests to praise Ye Jingtang's wit.
• Ye Jingtang explained to the admiring Empress of Great Wei that matching couplets was simple after studying them for half a month.

After the banquet, Ye Jingtang reunited with Perfected Person Xuanji in Jiangzhou and their private encounter left her exhausted and her bed broken. Pei Xiangjun discovered them while Ye Jingtang repaired the damage, and the chapter ended with him leading Pei Xiangjun outside as she scolded him for his suggestive remarks.

• Qin Xiangru praised Ye Jingtang for helping him defeat Duke Wu's literary challenge and escorted him back to the Courtyard.
• The Empress of Great Wei teased Ye Jingtang at home, then let him leave to visit Third Miss Pei while she stayed behind.
• Perfected Person Xuanji heard stories of Ye Jingtang's couplets on Wild Goose Street and later found him waiting in her room.
• Ye Jingtang and Perfected Person Xuanji kissed and became intimate, tearing her clothes and breaking the bed before he stopped when she could no longer keep up.
• Pei Xiangjun investigated the noise, found Ye Jingtang repairing the bed beside a seemingly unconscious Perfected Person Xuanji, and spoke with him outside.

Fan Qinghe discovered that someone had been scouting the Duke's Residence and warned Perfected Person Xuanji to protect the Empress. She stayed the night at Xuanji's lodging, where her attempt to rest ended with her breaking the bed and helping repair it.

• Fan Qinghe woke to find Niao Niao at her window and followed the bird to a hillside overlooking the Duke's Residence.
• Niao Niao showed Fan Qinghe signs that someone had watched the Guest Courtyard, but it had not tracked the intruder.
• Fan Qinghe went to the Yuanqing Escort Agency and warned Perfected Person Xuanji that someone might be planning an assassination.
• Fan Qinghe decided to stay at Xuanji's lodging and drank from her Wine Gourd.
• Fan Qinghe broke the repaired bed when she flopped onto it, then returned with a plank and helped Xuanji fix it.

Ye Jingtang found that Fan Qinghe had kept a Peace Amulet bearing a poem she believed he wrote, but a misunderstanding ended with him accidentally groping her and breaking her bed. Meanwhile, Luo Ning and Baijin learned Ye Jingtang was in Jiangzhou and headed to meet him, while he later took the Empress to Ten-Li Wild Goose Street.

• Ye Jingtang visited the sleeping Fan Qinghe and discovered a poem carved into the Peace Amulet beside her pillow.
• Fan Qinghe woke as Ye Jingtang reached across the bed, threw him into the bedboard, and fell on top of him when it broke.
• Ye Jingtang accidentally caught Fan Qinghe by the chest; she shoved him out and bolted the door, then felt her resentment ease despite her embarrassment.
• Luo Ning and Baijin heard travelers praise Ye Jingtang for confronting Jiang Wenyuan and decided to ride to Jiangzhou City to find him.
• Ye Jingtang returned to the duke's residence and saw Niao Niao testing a mechanical dragon-boat cart given by the Empress Dowager.
• The Empress asked Ye Jingtang to take her to Ten-Li Wild Goose Street, and they left together beneath his umbrella.

Ye Jingtang and Yu Hu watched a poetry gathering before he confronted two Azure Mechanism Pavilion assassins in a rainy alley. The mysterious Great Cult Leader Pingtian subdued them and left, while the Empress suspected the woman’s identity and departed with Ye Jingtang.

• Ye Jingtang and Yu Hu entered Literary Star Tower to observe a poetry gathering, where Ye Jingtang recited a poem that impressed Yu Hu.
• Ye Jingtang investigated suspicious movement in a nearby alley and wounded Liang Shangyan, who identified himself as an assassin from the Azure Mechanism Pavilion.
• Twelve Towers attacked Ye Jingtang through the mist, but Ye Jingtang evaded his ambushes and nearly killed him with a flying sword tip.
• The Great Cult Leader Pingtian appeared, deflected the sword tip, and knocked out Liang Shangyan and Twelve Towers with copper coins.
• Pingtian urged Ye Jingtang to spare Twelve Towers and left, while the Empress watched her depart and then returned toward the Duke’s residence with Ye Jingtang.

Ye Jingtang reassured the Empress that he had no romantic ties to the Sky-Pacifying Sect Master, while she considered how to bring Xue Baijin into the Imperial Court. At the Yuanqing Escort Agency, Luo Ning reunited with Zhe Yunli and confronted Perfected Person Xuanji about her relationship with Ye Jingtang, leaving the women to face the tangled consequences.

• The Empress questioned Ye Jingtang about his connection to the Sky-Pacifying Sect Master, and he explained that he hoped to recruit her for the Imperial Court.
• The Empress told Ye Jingtang to rest and later chose the Qilin Maces from her luggage to clean as the rain grew heavier.
• Luo Ning caught Zhe Yunli sneaking out in the rain, scolded her bright makeup, and then spoke with Pei Xiangjun about sharing Ye Jingtang's attention.
• Perfected Person Xuanji prepared to confess to Luo Ning but instead claimed Ye Jingtang had taken advantage of her while they were drunk.
• Luo Ning saw through Xuanji's story, learned that Xuanji had willingly become involved with Ye Jingtang, and challenged her about the effect on their disciples and household.
• Xuanji urged Luo Ning not to torment herself over their tangled relationships, while privately worrying about how her disciples would react.

Ye Jingtang secretly visited the Empress Dowager, then sensed trouble and found the Empress confronting Xue Baijin at the docks. Their duel ended in a chaotic clash that left both women exposed and Xue Baijin fleeing, while Ye Jingtang carried the Empress back after discovering her health had worsened.

• Niao Niao led Ye Jingtang to the Empress Dowager, who explained her family's political past and shared an intimate reunion with him.
• The Empress met Xue Baijin at the docks, offered her the Twin Maces, and challenged her to submit to Great Wei in exchange for the Dragon-Mingling Diagram.
• Xue Baijin rejected the Empress's offer, and the two women fought across the rain-soaked river, with Xue Baijin breaking through a martial bottleneck and landing a powerful blow.
• Ye Jingtang arrived and caught the nearly bare Xue Baijin, interrupting the fight; Xue Baijin then tore the Empress's dress and fled after the Empress was thrown toward him.
• The Empress tried to pursue Xue Baijin, but Ye Jingtang stopped her and carried her toward shore after she coughed and he feared her health was failing.

Ye Jingtang carried the weakened Empress back to the Guest Courtyard, then found Xue Baijin and apologized after their fight. After an accidental clothing mix-up nearly provoked Xue Baijin, she asked him to investigate Xiaoshan Fort and Long Zhengqing, while an old teahouse proprietor shared stories of Linghu Guanzhi and Lu Jieyun.

• Ye Jingtang scolded the Empress for risking a fight with Xue Baijin, then carried her to the Guest Courtyard and asked Fan Qinghe to care for her.
• Ye Jingtang brought clothes to Xue Baijin, apologized for the fight, and told her what he had learned about Long Zhengqing and Xiaoshan Fort.
• Xue Baijin mistook a revealing gauze garment Ye Jingtang had brought for a deliberate insult, then accepted his explanation and asked him to investigate Xiaoshan Fort.
• Xue Baijin told Ye Jingtang to return the Twin Maces to the Empress and said she would fight her again if she dressed properly.
• Ye Jingtang retrieved the Twin Maces and listened as an old teahouse proprietor recounted his past fight with Lu Jieyun and the fame of Linghu Guanzhi.

Ye Jingtang returned to the Duke’s Manor after stopping Cult Leader Xue and the Empress from fighting, then visited Luo Ning and Shuishui at the escort agency. Luo Ning drew Pei Xiangjun into Shuishui’s teasing treatment of Ye Jingtang, leaving the four of them together behind the bed curtains.

• Ye Jingtang returned Fan Qinghe’s red gauze undergarment, reassured her that he had not revealed its owner, and left the Duke’s Manor.
• Fan Qinghe secretly examined the undergarment, unaware that the awakened Empress had seen her.
• Ye Jingtang found Luo Ning and Shuishui asleep together and told them that Cult Leader Xue had fought the Empress, but neither woman had been hurt.
• Luo Ning invited Ye Jingtang into bed, then told Shuishui to treat his internal heat; Shuishui teased him, leaving Luo Ning stunned.
• Luo Ning called for Pei Xiangjun, then bolted the door and pulled her into bed to join them.

Zhe Yunli visited Xue Baijin in Jiangzhou and told her about Ning'er and Perfected Person Xuanji, while Xue Baijin learned Yunli had practiced five Dragon-Mingling Diagrams. At the Duke's Manor, Ye Jingtang inspected weapons for Qin Bochong, praised a saber from Xiaoshan Fort, and offered to support its purchase before deciding he would visit the fort himself.

• Zhe Yunli overheard Ning'er and Perfected Person Xuanji in the Main House, then left to get breakfast after her mistress told her Ye Jingtang was at the western outskirts docks.
• Zhe Yunli met Xue Baijin at an inn and described hearing her mistress and Perfected Person Xuanji together, prompting Xue Baijin to question her about her experience with men.
• Zhe Yunli told Xue Baijin that she had practiced five Dragon-Mingling Diagrams, and Xue Baijin urged her to keep training as they left together to shop for clothes.
• Ye Jingtang met Qin Bochong at the Qin Family residence and inspected the navy's proposed weapons, rejecting several sabers that failed his tests.
• Ye Jingtang approved a well-crafted Straight Saber from Xiaoshan Fort and offered to speak to His Majesty about its higher cost, while declining Qin Bochong's offer to arrange a visit with Xiao Zongyuan.

Fan Qinghe went shopping with Ye Jingtang after he offered to replace the clothes he had given away, while Zhe Yunli and Xue Baijin arrived at the same shop. The visit left Ye Jingtang scrambling to keep Xue Baijin from misunderstanding the revealing garments being chosen next door, and he planned to set out for Xiaoshan Fort with Fan Qinghe.

• Fan Qinghe reflected on her growing closeness to Ye Jingtang while walking Niao Niao in the Duke's Manor garden, then accepted his invitation to buy new clothes.
• Ye Jingtang and Fan Qinghe went to Rainbow Cloud Pavilion, where Fan Qinghe chose garments while Ye Jingtang waited in the adjoining tea room.
• Zhe Yunli and Xue Baijin arrived at the shop, and Ye Jingtang told Xue Baijin he intended to investigate the guarded cave behind Xiaoshan Fort.
• Xue Baijin described the cave and offered to accompany Ye Jingtang, but he said he planned to go with Fan Qinghe instead.
• Xue Baijin overheard the women choosing revealing undergarments, warned Ye Jingtang not to focus too much on such things, and left without confronting him.
• Fan Qinghe bought several garments, and Zhe Yunli said she would take one back for Xue Baijin.

Ye Jingtang and Fan Qinghe rode to Xiaoshan to investigate the fort, where they learned its leaders were secretly forging a sword with a human blood sacrifice. On the road, Fan Qinghe took the reins so Ye Jingtang could rest, and their close embrace left him struggling to keep his thoughts on the journey.

• Ye Jingtang persuaded Fan Qinghe to accompany him to Xiaoshan, and she questioned him about his past accidents and his feelings for her.
• Ye Jingtang and Fan Qinghe left for Xiaoshan with Niao Niao and Big Black Horse.
• At Xiaoshan Fort, the Three-Perfection Immortal Elder and Fort Master Xiao Zongyuan discussed Ye Jingtang’s growing reputation and his prospects against Fengguancheng.
• Beneath the fort, Long Zhengqing told an old man that Ye Jingtang might be searching for them and planned to lure him away with a challenge at the Sea-Viewing Tower.
• The old man refused to extinguish the furnace, hoping to complete his weapon through the blood sacrifice described in ancient texts.
• When Ye Jingtang grew sleepy on the road, Fan Qinghe took the reins and pressed close against his back as they continued toward Huangqi County.

Ye Jingtang and Fan Qinghe stayed at an inn in Huangqi Town, while Luo Ning discovered that Ye Jingtang had bought intimate clothes for Zhe Yunli and Xue Baijin. When Fan Qinghe tried on her new outfit before dawn, Ye Jingtang rushed into her room after hearing a disturbance and accidentally saw her exposed; she sent him away in tears, leaving their relationship awkwardly unresolved.

• Ye Jingtang and Fan Qinghe reached Huangqi Town, discussed the town’s weapons trade, and persuaded the innkeeper to give them separate rooms.
• Luo Ning returned to Jiangzhou and found Zhe Yunli wearing a bellyband that Ye Jingtang had paid for; Yunli also handed Luo Ning a pouch of clothes.
• Luo Ning learned that Ye Jingtang had given Xue Baijin another pouch of intimate clothes, and the two women discussed Baijin’s possible future marriage.
• Fan Qinghe woke before dawn, tried on her new outfit, and spilled poison on her foot after Ye Jingtang called out from next door.
• Ye Jingtang broke into Fan Qinghe’s room, treated her foot, and accidentally saw beneath her skirt; Fan Qinghe cried, then pushed him out and warned him not to barge in again.