Recaps

Wang Qi joined the Divine Archer Battalion, where his archery and quick mastery of spells drew the attention of its officers. After an out-of-body encounter with spirits depleted his true yang qi, he replenished it through cultivation, but his experiments left him with worrying symptoms as the army prepared for its Grand Trial.

• Wang Qi left his village with ten recruits, enlisted in the Archer Company, and impressed the officers by striking a target at eighty paces.
• Wang Qi became a five-man squad leader after shooting birds for supper, then endured a punishing march while helping Wang Ergou and earning the chance to learn the Water-Cleansing Spell.
• Wang Qi mastered the Water-Cleansing Spell quickly, practiced it in secret, and was ordered to join Xu Sanlang’s officers on daily hunts after his chanting disturbed Commandant Lin.
• Wang Qi impressed the hunting party with his Linked Arrows and used the Water-Cleansing Spell to purify blood and concentrate wine, while Xu Sanlang and the other officers brought game back to camp.
• Wang Qi’s consciousness left his sleeping body and met Aunt Yun and A Bao, where his true yang qi helped animal spirits pass on before it was depleted.
• Wang Qi absorbed heaven and earth origin energy at dawn and restored his true yang qi, but his gums swelled during training and Scribe Zhao warned him about cultivating.
• Wang Qi cautiously resumed cultivation, eased an old back injury, and woke with a runny nose, prompting the army to isolate him over fears of illness.

Wang Qi joined the Yulin Shadow Guard, developed his cultivation and scouting skills, and partnered with Ran Jiao to investigate a bandit stronghold. Their mission brought them into a violent clash at Chen Family Fort, where Wang Qi killed the outlaw Zhong Qi.

• Wang Qi recovered from his injury, opened his Ren and Du meridians, and impressed Commandant Lin with his martial skills.
• Lin Chu recruited Wang Qi into the Yulin Shadow Guard, where he joined Xu Ping’s Scout Battalion and chose spells and martial techniques to study.
• Wang Qi trained in isolation, improved his spells and cultivation, and befriended Ran Jiao after she witnessed his out-of-body form.
• Xu Ping sent Wang Qi and Ran Jiao to investigate brigands near Fei County, where they traced villagers to a fortified estate.
• Wang Qi and Ran Jiao discovered that the estate belonged to the Mount Tai Chen Family and learned that Chen Jingtian had rallied commoners against rising taxes.
• Ran Jiao seized the Chen Family Head and Madam Chen while Wang Qi watched from concealment as troops and wandering swordsmen converged on the great house.
• Wang Qi used arrows and his sword to fight Zhong Qi, then killed him after the outlaw feigned death and attacked.
• Wang Qi carried Zhong Qi’s head into the great house, where Chen Shi and the household soldiers had defeated the last outlaw and Ran Jiao stood beside the Chen Family Head.