Recaps

Ma Sheng and Ma Ping'er met Zhang Xing and his companions while sheltering from the rain, and learned that the wanted Dragon-Slaying Saber planned to gather forces to overthrow Great Wei. When Fifth Wang surrounded the temple seeking Zhang Xing, Zhang went out to meet him while Ma Sheng kept his daughter behind.

• Ma Sheng and Ma Ping'er traveled in disguise through Jiyin Commandery and took shelter in an abandoned Daoist temple during heavy rain.
• Zhang Xing, Wang Zhen, and Zhou Xingfan joined them, and Ma Sheng shared news about the emperor's journey and the Southern Route Army's defeat.
• Zhang Xing explained that he wanted to study and recruit forces across the realm before raising a banner, and he planned to establish a hidden base on Mount Mangdang.
• Ma Sheng revealed his Huaiyou Alliance ties, and Zhang Xing asked him to tell Du Pozhen he understood the alliance leader's position and to care for Zhang's brothers on Mount Mangdang.
• Fifth Wang of Jiyang surrounded the temple and called for Zhang Xing, who went out to meet him; Ma Sheng stopped Ma Ping'er from following.

At Wang Shuyong’s estate, Zhang Xing discussed how to overthrow Great Wei and won the support of Wang Shuyong and Wei Xuanding for organizing the heroes of Hebei and the Eastern Territories. Niu Da’s arrival prompted Zhang Xing to count him among their allies and propose inviting Xu Dalang to join them.

• Wang Shuyong welcomed Zhang Xing and his companions, praised Zhang Xing’s actions, and promised his protection.
• When Fifth Wang Lang asked how they should overthrow Great Wei, Zhang Xing explained that they should build ties and make preparations before rising when circumstances demanded it.
• Wei Xuanding outlined the strategic reasons to wait, and Zhang Xing agreed while warning that disasters, worsening conditions, and the ambitions of other rebels could force an earlier uprising.
• Zhang Xing proposed gathering heroes under one banner, and Wang Shuyong and Wei Xuanding agreed to join his effort.
• A warrior reported that Niu Da had arrived looking for Zhang Xing, and Zhang Xing suggested inviting Xu Dalang to join them as well.

Cao Lin secured the Eastern Capital council’s agreement to raise a hundred-thousand-man army and take sole authority over its affairs, despite Gu Yi warning him against opposing the Emperor. Bai Yousi then confronted Cao Lin in the Black Tower and won agreement to transfer Li Ding for a fair hearing in exchange for returning the Crouching Dragon Seal.

• Su Wei listed the empire’s external threats and internal crises, including rebel armies, famine, the Emperor’s orders to move palace personnel and southern revenues to Jiangdu, and the Eastern Capital’s lack of troops.
• Cao Lin argued that the Eastern Capital should set aside distant threats, address immediate needs, and raise at least a hundred thousand troops; Duan Wei objected that recruits, weapons, and iron were scarce.
• Gu Yi challenged Cao Lin’s plan and warned him not to use his authority to contend with the Emperor, but Cao Lin declared that he would do whatever he believed necessary to preserve Great Wei.
• Cao Lin won the council’s agreement to exercise sole authority over Eastern Capital affairs, while Su Wei, Niu Hong, and Zhang Shiben openly supported him and Qian Shiying, Duan Wei, and Bai Hengjin remained silent.
• Bai Yousi demanded that Li Ding be transferred to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Justice for a fair hearing, then challenged Xue Liang with the Crouching Dragon Seal when he defended Cao Lin’s authority.
• Cao Lin agreed to transfer Li Ding in exchange for the Crouching Dragon Seal, and Bai Yousi said she would return it after taking Li Ding to the Ministry of Justice.

Zhang Xing and the other leaders established the Exorcising the Dragon Gang, set its hierarchy, and debated which heroes to recruit. After the leaders dispersed to begin their assignments, Zhang Xing traveled north toward River Mouth, where an official was still waiting for a reply from the Eastern Capital.

• Zhang Xing persuaded the assembled leaders to name their organization the Exorcising the Dragon Gang and established rules for its chiefs, senior leaders, and local leaders.
• Zhang Xing and Li Shu proposed senior positions for Du Pozhen, Fu Boshi, and Xiong Bonan, while the leaders rejected Zhang Jincheng and discussed other potential recruits.
• Ma Sheng and Ma Ping'er prepared to leave with Wang Zhen, and Zhang Xing warned them to stay wary of the Huaiyou Alliance.
• Xu Shiying told Zhang Xing that Alliance Leader Du suspected him of inciting bandits; Xu admitted he had meant to drive them west and south, then proposed using a court campaign against the bandits to obtain military equipment.
• The gang's members dispersed to their assignments, and Zhang Xing crossed the river with his companions before heading downstream toward River Mouth.

Zhang Xing tried to build trust and rebellious resolve among Niu Da’s new troops, then discussed the Exorcising the Dragon Gang’s growing ties with Hebei’s clans and local leaders. The chapter ended with reports of two rebel armies converging on Dengzhou and Zhang Xing asking whether Cheng Dalang should join the fighting.

• Zhang Xing held discussion meetings with Niu Da’s soldiers, but their accounts initially failed to produce the unity he hoped for.
• Huang Erpizi described how officials and their henchmen had seized him and his uncle for the army, and Zhang Xing led the men to discuss their hatred of the Great Wei court and why they had fought Zhang Jincheng.
• Zhang Xing questioned Zhou Jiu about his family, prompting Zhou Jiu to realize that his cousin had likely died and to break down in tears.
• Wei Daoist and Xiong Bonan praised Zhang Xing’s efforts, while Wei Daoist explained that Master Li had built connections with the Fang and Cui families in Qinghe.
• Wei Daoist described the Qinghe Cui Clan’s influence and its history with Yang Shen, and Zhang Xing reflected on the practical strengths of local magnates.
• Zhang Xing read that Gao Shitong and Sun Xuanzhi had crossed the river with 150,000 men while Wang Hou marched north with 100,000, and asked whether Cheng Dalang should go to Dengzhou.

Cheng Dalang weighed invitations from rebels, officials, and Zhang Xing while trying to protect his family’s position, but Zhang Xing persuaded him to join the Exorcising the Dragon Gang and assess a campaign against Zhang Jincheng. After inspecting Putai Garrison Camp, Cheng Dalang enthusiastically pledged his cavalry to Li Ding.

• Cheng Dalang received competing invitations from local powers and officials, including a letter from Li Silang asking him to help eliminate Zhang Jincheng.
• Cheng Dalang discovered Zhang Xing’s invitation tucked inside the official letter and went to meet Zhang Xing, who had been waiting on his estate for several days.
• Zhang Xing argued that Cheng Dalang could strengthen his position by joining the Exorcising the Dragon Gang and helping Li Silang fight Zhang Jincheng.
• Cheng Dalang agreed to cross the Great River with Zhang Xing and inspect the situation, then concluded that the campaign could succeed under Li Silang’s command.
• At Putai Garrison Camp, Cheng Dalang greeted Li Ding as Fourth Master Li and pledged the service of his eight hundred cavalrymen.

At Niu Da’s estate, Zhang Xing tried to build trust with the captured soldiers by working and eating alongside them and guiding their discussions, while Wei Daoist explained how the Qinghe Cui Clan and other regional powers might support the gang. The chapter ended with news that three forces were converging on Dengzhou and Zhang Xing asking whether the Exorcising the Dragon Gang should join the fight.

• Zhang Xing held discussions with Niu Da’s soldiers, listened to Huang Erpizi’s account of his losses and hatred of the court, and helped Zhou Jiu confront the grief of losing his family.
• Zhang Xing moved into the estate’s inner courtyard after Wei Daoist and Xiong Bonan arrived, but promised to keep visiting the soldiers and speaking with them.
• Wei Daoist told Zhang Xing that Li Shu had built ties with the Fang and Cui families and explained the Qinghe Cui Clan’s resentment toward the court and its potential strength.
• Zhang Xing and Wei Daoist discussed the practical value of regional magnates and the difference between Literary Cultivation and more pragmatic approaches.
• Zhang Xing read that Gao Shitong and Sun Xuanzhi had crossed the river with 150,000 men while Wang Hou advanced north with 100,000, and asked whether the gang should go to Dengzhou.

Li Tingwen warned Dou Bing and Zhou Weishi that Eastern Commandery’s local clans and officials were preparing to rebel, and the three planned to arrest the leaders before they could act. As Dou Bing waited to move, Zhou discovered that nearly every clerk at the grain-account meeting wore a yellow flower, leaving him unsure whether he had walked into a trap.

• Li Tingwen secretly told Dou Bing and Zhou Weishi that the Zhai brothers, Huang Junhan, and other local powers were organizing a rebellion, possibly with Xu Dalang and the Dragon-Exterminating Gang.
• Dou Bing, Li Tingwen, and Zhou Weishi agreed to act without Governor Liu Yezhong: Li would arrest Zhai Kuan, Dou would seize Xu Dalang and secure the defenses, and Zhou would gather the clerks to delay them.
• Dou Bing inspected the Military City and waited for Zhou’s signal, while a squad commander wearing a yellow flower hurried toward White Horse Ford.
• Zhou summoned the commandery clerks under the pretext of discussing autumn grain accounts, and Zhai Qian arrived wearing a yellow flower beside his ear.
• Zhou noticed that almost every clerk in the courtyard wore a yellow flower and nervously asked Zhai Qian to spare him one.

Li Tingwen warned Dou Bing and Zhou Weishi that powerful clans in Eastern Commandery were preparing to rebel, and the three agreed to arrest the suspected leaders before the uprising began. As Dou and Zhou put their parts of the plan into motion, yellow flowers revealed that the conspiracy had spread among the soldiers and commandery clerks.

• Li Tingwen told Dou Bing and Zhou Weishi that Zhai Qian, Zhai Kuan, Huang Junhan, and possibly Xu Dalang were plotting with the Dragon-Exterminating Gang to rebel.
• Dou Bing, Li Tingwen, and Zhou Weishi agreed that Li would arrest Zhai Kuan, Dou would seize Xu Dalang, and Zhou would gather the commandery clerks to keep them occupied.
• Dou Bing left for the military camp after pledging to share hardship with Li Tingwen and Zhou Weishi, and he sent half his household guards back to protect his home.
• Captain Yuan wore a yellow flower and hurried toward White Horse Ford after Dou Bing returned to the military hall, while Dou waited for Zhou's signal.
• Zhou Weishi summoned the clerks, noticed that nearly all wore yellow flowers, and asked Zhai Qian to spare him one.

Xu Shiying openly led the Exorcising the Dragon Gang’s uprising in White Horse City, defeating Dou Bing’s resistance and rallying soldiers and civilians to his cause. With the governor’s residence surrounded, Commandery Assistant Zhou Weishi urged Liu Yezhong to surrender, and Liu asked whether Xu Dalang would keep his word.

• Xu Shiying sent Clerk He with ten soldiers to bring Commandery Assistant Zhou Weishi safely to the military compound, then led his armored troops through White Horse City’s northern gate.
• Xu Shiying and his allies surrounded the military compound’s main hall; after Dou Bing challenged their legitimacy, Xu declared that he would rather be a bandit who saved people than an official who brutalized them.
• Dou Qi attacked Xu Shiying and was defeated, while the Exorcising the Dragon Gang’s soldiers killed Dou Bing’s private soldiers and Xu beheaded Dou Bing, promising to protect his wife.
• Xu Shiying called on the commandery soldiers to join him, and they put on yellow flowers; he then announced the uprising to the city’s residents and promised to punish looting.
• Soldiers and civilians followed Xu Shiying to the governor’s residence, where Zhou Weishi entered and urged Liu Yezhong to surrender; Liu asked whether Xu would keep his word.

Zhang Xing oversaw Lihu’s public debt-burning, exposing and punishing rebel officers who had extorted loans from merchants and a Daoist temple. After the debts were burned and he declared the Exorcising the Dragon Gang’s purpose, he reversed Du Caigan and Chai Xiaohe’s local leadership roles.

• Zhang Xing toured Eastern Commandery as the gang distributed grain and began burning debts, while revolts spread to nearby towns and government forces clashed with the gang on several fronts.
• Zhang Xing arrived in Lihu, settled the local leadership arrangement, and went to oversee the merchants’ and magnates’ debt notes being burned.
• Zhang Xing discovered that rebel officers had borrowed money under pressure from the debt-burning campaign and ordered them to return it; Dan Zheng and other defiant officers were executed.
• Zhang Xing identified predatory loans, had the Azure Emperor Temple priest executed, and supervised the public burning of the remaining debt notes.
• Zhang Xing told the crowd that the gang had taken up arms for the common people, then reversed Du Caigan and Chai Xiaohe’s leadership positions.

The Exorcising the Dragon Gang’s uprising captured much of Eastern Commandery, but the Fang brothers’ failed maneuver left Jiyin and its surrounding towns loyal to the court. As Li Shu headed to deal with the crisis, Zhang Xing arranged Puyang’s administration and military under gang authority while tensions between the leaders remained unresolved.

• Five cities changed sides on the night of the uprising, and more towns surrendered over the following days, while Jiyin City and Dingtao resisted.
• Wei Xuanding berated Li Shu over Fang Yanlang’s failed attempt to seize Jiyin, where Song Chang trapped the Fang brothers and Shang Huaizhi’s troops withdrew across the Ji River.
• Li Shu agreed to go with Xiong Bonan to address Jiyin and asked for command over Wang Lang and the others, while Zhang Xing planned to distribute grain in Weinan and White Horse.
• Zhang Xing proposed separating gang rank from civil and military appointments, and Li Shu deferred a decision until after the Jiyin crisis.
• Wei Xuanding implied that Fang Yanlang might have deliberately harmed Zhang Xing’s interests, but Guan Xu and Zhang Xing dismissed the idea as political suspicion rather than the truth.
• Zhang Xing appointed Niu Da as Puyang branch master and commandant and Guan Xu as deputy branch master and acting county magistrate, ordering them to complete the reorganization and keep the force below three thousand.

After Zhang Xing’s reinforcements secured the rebels’ advantage around Jiyin, Li Shu and Du Caigan discussed Zhang Xing’s abilities and the uncertain balance between the two Dragon Heads. When Governor Song Chang arrived and killed himself rather than surrender, Zhang Xing declared Jiyin’s outcome settled and asked who would take command of the city’s defenses.

• Zhang Xing arrived with more than five thousand reinforcements, and Li Shu renewed the offer for Song Chang to open Jiyin’s gates while announcing plans to surround the commandery seat.
• The rebel leaders joined their forces, established five camps, and celebrated with a meal and a banquet as confidence in their campaign grew.
• Du Caigan told Li Shu that Zhang Xing was methodical and unusually capable, and the two discussed their reluctance to submit to each other and their need to cooperate.
• Li Shu and Zhang Xing received Song Chang in the central command tent while their troops continued preparing to depart; Song Chang insisted they address him as Commandery Lord.
• Song Chang refused to surrender but drew his sword and killed himself, asking the rebels to spare the city’s people and let its loyal officials leave.
• Zhang Xing dismissed Song Chang’s appeal, declared Jiyin’s outcome settled, and asked who would take over the city’s defenses.

Zhang Xing arrived in Lihu to oversee a public debt-burning, where he uncovered that local Righteous Army leaders had borrowed money expecting the debts to be erased. He punished those who refused to repay, declared the gang’s purpose was to fight for the common people, and left Du Caigan and Chai Xiaohe with their positions exchanged.

• Zhang Xing toured Eastern Commandery as debt-burning campaigns sparked uprisings nearby, and he sent Xu Dalang to Fengqiu and Niu Da to Chanyuan.
• Zhang Xing reached Lihu, settled its leadership arrangements, and prepared to supervise the burning of local debt notes.
• At the public gathering, Zhang Xing discovered that many Righteous Army leaders had borrowed money from merchants just before the debts were to be burned.
• Zhang Xing ordered the leaders to return their loans, killed Dan Zheng and several other defiant leaders, and executed a Daoist for abusive lending.
• The merchants publicly burned their debt notes while proclaiming that the Exorcising the Dragon Gang had forgiven the debts, and Zhang Xing urged the townspeople to spread his message that the gang fought for the common people.
• Back at the county offices, Zhang Xing replaced Du Caigan with Chai Xiaohe as Lihu’s local Helmsman and made Du the deputy.

Zhang Xing investigated why Ji Commandery’s siege of Chanyuan had shifted, suspected Governor Wang Huaidu might not be directing the military, and arranged a channel to contact him. After suppressing a disturbance involving Madam Dou at his residence, Zhang Xing decided to cross the river himself to investigate, with Xu Dalang agreeing to protect him.

• Zhang Xing questioned Xu Dalang and Wei Xuanding about Ji Commandery’s officials and learned that Wang Huaidu was considered an ineffectual governor, while local magnates and military figures might have their own rebel ambitions.
• Zhang Xing reasoned that the retreat and renewed siege of Chanyuan could reflect a conflict between Wang Huaidu and another military commander, and ordered spies and contacts to investigate while seeking a way to communicate with Wang.
• Zhang Xing ordered Jia Yue to remove Madam Dou’s servants from his residence and, when she threatened the soldiers with a saber, seized her weapon and cut off her elaborate hair bun.
• Zhang Xing learned that Fang Yanlang could help open communication with Wang Huaidu, but that spies had found no sign of another commander directing Ji Commandery’s troops.
• After the Exorcising the Dragon Gang seized Yuncheng, Zhang Xing proposed crossing the river to investigate and resolve the siege, and Xu Dalang agreed to accompany and protect him.

Zhang Xing used a show of force and the Dragon-Awakening Sword to negotiate a peaceful settlement with Wang Huaidu, keeping the Exorcising the Dragon Gang within Chanyuan for a year. After Wang Huaidu agreed, Zhang Xing arranged to lure Chancellor Zhang’s informant Li Tingwen to Puyang, where Xu Dalang had him executed.

• Zhang Xing discussed how rebellion could help cultivators advance, then followed a government boat to the naval stockade and used an ice-infused spear to kill an officer and frighten the troops.
• After the government forces failed to attack, Zhang Xing reasoned that Chancellor Zhang was pressuring Wang Huaidu from outside Ji Commandery and explained why the gang needed to avoid expanding into the Central Plains.
• Zhang Xing met Wang Huaidu by the river and offered to let a local leader nominally submit to him while the gang stayed within Chanyuan County.
• Zhang Xing revealed the Dragon-Awakening Sword and swore not to cross beyond Chanyuan for a year; Wang Huaidu accepted and asked Zhang Xing to help locate his missing brother Huaiji.
• Wang Huaidu told Zhang Xing that Li Tingwen was monitoring him, and Zhang Xing arranged for Li Tingwen to be lured to Puyang; Xu Dalang had Li Tingwen seized and beheaded that night.

After helping the Exorcising the Dragon Gang consolidate its gains, Zhang Xing began reorganizing Jiyin and Eastern Commandery while Li Shu expanded into neighboring territories. Meanwhile, Cheng Zhili submitted to Wang Hou’s Know-the-World Army to protect his estates, but as its vanguard near Zhangqiu he found himself ambushed and prepared to fight his way out.

• Zhang Xing arranged Chanyuan’s surrender, placated Niu Da and Guan Xu, and then returned to Jiyin as Xu Dalang positioned troops at White Horse.
• Zhang Xing began surveying households and fields for land redistribution, while Li Shu’s forces secured much of Dongping and the Eastern Capital recruited troops to suppress the Wu brothers.
• Wang Hou marched the Know-the-World Army into Qi Commandery and sent Shi Zijiang to compel Cheng Zhili to join him; Cheng Zhili agreed to serve as vanguard and surrendered livestock and supplies to spare his neighbors.
• Cheng Zhili’s river-force allies objected to his decision, but he led five hundred cavalry into Wang Hou’s army and volunteered to guide its advance westward.
• Near Zhangqiu, Jia Runshi warned Cheng Zhili that his father had urged him to flee if Cheng asked about his intentions; Cheng Zhili sent a warning toward Wang Hou and ordered his men to prepare for battle.
• War drums sounded from the surrounding hills, Zhangqiu, and the Ji River, and Cheng Zhili called on Jia Runshi to fight alongside him.

Xu Shiying led the Exorcising the Dragon Gang in taking White Horse City, defeating Dou Bing’s forces and rallying soldiers and townspeople to the uprising. By the chapter’s end, Commandery Governor Liu Yezhong was weighing whether to surrender after Zhou Weishi described the revolt as a righteous uprising.

• Xu Shiying sent Secretary He to bring Commandery Assistant Zhou Weishi safely to the Military City, then gathered his troops and led them through White Horse City’s north gate.
• Xu Shiying’s forces surrounded Dou Bing in the Military City; after Dou Qi attacked him, Xu Shiying broke Dou Qi’s arm and his men killed Dou Bing’s private soldiers.
• Xu Shiying killed the wounded Dou Bing, promised to spare his wife, and ordered Zhou Weishi to persuade Commandery Governor Liu Yezhong to surrender and bring the commandery under the gang’s control.
• Xu Shiying rallied the commandery soldiers with a public ultimatum, and they put on yellow flowers and joined the uprising; townspeople followed him through the streets after he promised the gang would not loot or harm them.
• Zhou Weishi entered the Commandery Governor’s Office and told Liu Yezhong and Madam Sima that the city and three commanderies had risen; Madam Sima asked whether Xu Dalang would keep his word.

After the government defeated Know-the-World’s army, Zhang Xing considered the shifting military situation and assigned Yan Qing the task of surveying cultivators and land-allotment records across the Exorcising the Dragon Gang’s territory. Reports then arrived that Dan Tonghai and Fifth Wang Lang had seized much of Lu and Jibei Commanderies, while the Empress was expected to travel through Liang Commandery.

• Yan Qing discussed rumors about General Tuwan’s departure and the Empress’s possible route with Zhang Xing, who reflected on Imperial Uncle Cao’s role in the realm’s political order.
• Zhang Xing offered Yan Qing four assignments, and Yan Qing chose to survey cultivators and civilians and compile records across the Gang’s territory.
• Zhang Xing sent Niu Da and Guan Xu to contact Meng Shangong and dispatched Wei Daoist to suppress unrest in Chengwu.
• Little Zhou and the Lu Clan Brothers reported that Know-the-World had rallied local rebels in Lu Commandery, while Dan Tonghai and Fifth Wang Lang had captured key cities and much of Lu and Jibei.
• Wei Xuanding told Zhang Xing that the Empress might pass through Liang Commandery and asked whether he planned to kill Zhang Shizhao; Zhang Xing said he had no reason to, prompting Wei to remind him that they were rebels.

The Exorcising the Dragon Gang captured much of Eastern Commandery, but Song Chang’s counter-trick in Jiyin City trapped the Fang brothers and forced Shang Huaizhi to retreat. As Li Shu and Xiong Bonan went to address the crisis, Zhang Xing organized Puyang’s administration and military under the gang’s authority.

• The Exorcising the Dragon Gang seized cities across Eastern Commandery, while Jiyin City and Dingtao remained loyal to the imperial court.
• Song Chang tricked the Fang brothers into letting Shang Huaizhi leave Jiyin, then retook the city, imprisoned the brothers, and blocked Shang at both Jiyin and Dingtao.
• Wei Xuanding berated Li Shu over the Jiyin failure, and Li Shu agreed to go with Xiong Bonan to repair the situation while Zhang Xing handled grain distribution.
• Zhang Xing proposed separating gang rank from government appointments and established a Puyang branch, naming Niu Da Helmsman and Guan Xu deputy Helmsman.
• Wei Xuanding suggested that Fang Yanlang might have deliberately undermined Zhang Xing, but Zhang Xing declined to fuel suspicion and ordered Niu Da and Guan Xu to govern Puyang together.

As the Empress’s procession traveled south through deep snow, Zhang Shizhao and Gao Jiang worried about the route, unreliable troops, and the danger posed by rebels and the Huaiyou Alliance. Meanwhile, Zhang Xing’s assembled leaders assessed the procession and its escort, preparing to decide how to act.

• Cao Wang gave the Jing'an Directorate’s patrol leaders a prominent place at his banquet while Zhang Shizhao, Gao Jiang, and the other eunuchs were lodged in a cold, poorly provisioned hall.
• Zhang Shizhao warned Gao Jiang that snow, changing escorts, and possible unrest in Qiao Commandery could leave the procession vulnerable, and proposed asking the Xuzhou Garrison for reinforcements.
• The Empress questioned Gao Jiang about the snowy roads, then agreed to issue a decree that would let the procession request troops from Xuzhou without appearing to interfere in military affairs.
• The procession resumed its journey south, while Zhang Xing gathered the remaining leaders in Jiyin to discuss the approaching imperial party.
• Yan Qing reported the procession’s size, leadership, and escort; Zhang Xing assessed the six Jing'an Directorate officers and identified several former associates as dangerous or capable commanders.
• Xu Shiying wrote down the six officers’ names and marked Li Qingchen with three circles.

The southbound procession carrying the Empress and palace attendants traveled from Chenliu into the snowy Central Plains as Zhang Shizhao and Gao Jiang worried about its vulnerable route and uncertain escorts. Meanwhile, Zhang Xing gathered Jiyin’s leaders to assess the procession and its military strength before deciding how to act.

• At a banquet in Chenliu, Cao Wang slighted Zhang Shizhao and Gao Jiang, who discussed the procession’s dangers and the possibility of seeking reinforcements from the Xuzhou Garrison.
• Gao Jiang reassured the Empress that the snowy journey would not provoke the procession to disperse, then persuaded her to issue a decree requesting reinforcements at Qiao Commandery.
• The Empress sealed the decree, and the procession resumed its southward journey.
• Zhang Xing assembled Jiyin’s leaders, and Yan Qing reported the procession’s size, route, escorts, and Jing'an Directorate personnel.
• Zhang Xing assessed the six Jing'an Directorate officers, identifying Luo Fang, Xue Liang, Shen Ding, Qin Bao, Lü Changheng, and Li Qingchen as potential opponents.

During the break, Shi Yu learned that the Iron-Eating Beast’s evolved form had passed review and prepared for his match against Zhang Qianyi. The battle began with Eleven splitting the Thundercloud Fairy’s powerful lightning strike, revealing a secret art combining Thunder Palm and Super Vision.

• Yin Zhengfan defeated Ji Ke by having his Rockmane Behemoth use Intimidation and his Skycrystal Butterfly use Spatial Shackles.
• Lin Xiuzhu told Shi Yu that the Iron-Eating Beast’s evolved form had passed review and would be announced at 13:00.
• Shi Yu considered using his partnership with Lin Xiuzhu’s family businesses and a ruins bead to develop Pingcheng into an Iron-Eating Beast center.
• Shi Yu and Zhang Qianyi entered the arena, where Shi Yu explained that the item at his waist was an umbrella, not a sword.
• Zhang Qianyi’s Thundercloud Fairy unleashed Thunderclap and Lightning, but Eleven used Thunderclap Cut to split the lightning strike in midair.

Zhang Xing and the Exorcising the Dragon Gang debated an attack on the Empress's convoy and devised a plan to trap it between captured towns in Liang Commandery. Zhang Xing assigned preparations and ordered an immediate withdrawal if any stage failed.

• Yan Qing outlined the court's advantage in cultivation experts, and Niu Da warned that attacking the Empress's convoy risked heavy casualties and entrapment in the snow.
• Xu Dalang proposed attacking in Qiao Commandery with Mount Dang's reinforcements, but Little Zhou and Zhang Xing raised the dangers posed by the Xuzhou Garrison and the Huaiyou Alliance.
• Zhang Xing proposed supporting Meng Shangong's uprising and taking Yucheng before simultaneously capturing Gushu and Xiayi when the Empress's convoy passed between them.
• Wei Daoist explained that Yucheng would secure their retreat, and Niu Da proposed threatening the Empress with their cultivation experts if her escorts attacked the captured towns.
• Zhang Xing assigned negotiations, infiltration, reinforcements, and troop mobilization to the leaders, with the operation dependent on Meng Shangong's agreement and withdrawal required after any setback.

Zhang Xing led the Exorcising the Dragon Gang in a coordinated assault on Rabbit Garden Villa, overwhelming the Brocade-clad Patrol Cavalry and capturing the officials inside. After confronting the Empress, Shen Ding, and Cao Wang, he faced Chancellor Zhang Shizhao, who challenged his ability to restore order; Zhang Xing then ordered Shizhao’s legs broken and his mouth gagged.

• Zhang Xing’s formation routed Li Qingchen’s patrol, captured him, and broke the legs of surrendered or wounded defenders as the gang advanced into the villa.
• Zhang Xing’s riders cleared the courtyard and side rooms while Shen Ding and Cao Wang argued inside about who should confront the attackers and protect the Empress.
• A female official in men’s attire fought the gang’s riders but was overwhelmed and killed after Zhang Xing reinforced their formation.
• Zhang Xing entered the main hall, had Shen Ding’s limbs broken for refusing to fight, and ordered Cao Wang’s legs broken after learning he had not escaped to command the garrison.
• Zhang Shizhao entered and defended the Empress, acknowledged his responsibility for the realm’s collapse, and warned Zhang Xing that his followers might falter when their momentum ebbed.
• Zhang Xing accepted Shizhao’s criticism, then ordered his men to break Shizhao’s legs and gag him as Shizhao tried to resist.