Recaps

Lin Zisu returned to the Lin Household and gave Lin Wanyi a pill that made her speak her mind, then confronted her about pursuing Xie Jinhuan. Xie arrived exhausted after a fight, and Lin Wanyi cared for him as he rested, while his ghost wife Ye Hongshang teased him about their eventual separation.

• Lin Zisu arrived at Lin Wanyi’s bedchamber and surprised her while she was pretending to sleep, then revealed that she had rushed home after receiving Wanyi’s letter.
• Lin Zisu took her Principal Wife’s Might Pill and scolded Lin Wanyi for hesitating to pursue Xie Jinhuan, then demanded a hundred taels before taking the antidote.
• Xie Jinhuan arrived at the doorway exhausted from fighting a Demon Bandit from the Nether God Sect, and Lin Zisu offered him an Overwhelmingly Imposing Pill, which he declined in favor of a jade pendant.
• After Lin Zisu left, Lin Wanyi helped Xie Jinhuan into her room and checked his injuries, while Ye Hongshang teased him with images from the Fengyi River and spoke of their eventual parting.
• Lin Wanyi returned with clean clothes and hot water, cared for Xie Jinhuan as he fell asleep, and secretly kissed him.

Li Gongpu plotted to win the Crown Prince’s favor with a Purple Thunder Sparrow while Emperor Qian tasked Xie Jinhuan with uncovering the Nether God Sect’s hidden agent. After visiting Lin Zisu, Xie Jinhuan obtained medicine that could temporarily suppress Wanyi’s Immortal-Burning Gu, leaving with a box of her unusual remedies.

• Li Gongpu decided to seek a Purple Thunder Sparrow from Li Chimo to appeal to the Crown Prince’s suppressed love of ornamental birds.
• Emperor Qian recalled the coup that brought him to the throne and suspected Ye Shirong’s connections had helped the Nether God Sect plant an agent in the capital.
• Emperor Qian ordered Cao Fo’er to tell Commandery Princess Changning that Xie Jinhuan would receive a viscount’s title for identifying the hidden mastermind and an earl’s title for eliminating them.
• Xie Jinhuan woke beside Wanyi, slipped out, and heard street rumors falsely claiming Ye Shirong had abducted men from the Li Residence.
• Xie Jinhuan met Lin Zisu and asked about Missing Moon Manor’s Immortal-Burning Gu, and she gave him Yin-Yang Oddity Powder that could temporarily weaken it at the cost of the victim’s cultivation.
• Lin Zisu offered Xie Jinhuan her other unusual medicines, and he pressed banknotes into her hands as spending money.

Fei Ji and Yang Dabiao investigated a false rumor claiming Xie Jinhuan had been Empress Dowager Guo’s lover, while Nangong Ye received Jiazi Lotus from Lu Wuzhen and discussed the Nether God Sect’s efforts to stir conflict among the sects. The chapter ended with Nangong Ye leaving to investigate the Nether God Sect and Lu Wuzhen urging him to learn more about Xie Jinhuan’s background.

• Fei Ji watched riders leave Li Gongpu’s residence and explained that he was monitoring possible Crown Prince supporters while Yang Dabiao ate his breakfast buns.
• A constable brought Fei Ji an anonymous letter alleging Xie Jinhuan had been Empress Dowager Guo’s lover, and Fei Ji concluded the rumor was likely a Nether God Sect attempt to distract him.
• Nangong Ye met Lu Wuzhen at the Directorate of Celestial Observation and received Jiazi Lotus from him.
• Lu Wuzhen told Nangong Ye that the Nether God Sect appeared to be provoking conflict between the north and south and among the Various Sects.
• Lu Wuzhen asked Nangong Ye to sound out Xie Jinhuan’s background, and Nangong Ye left with the medicine box to continue investigating the Nether God Sect.

At breakfast in Prince's Manor, Commandery Princess Changning teased Linghu Qingmo about his feelings for Xie Jinhuan and learned they had kissed. She then arranged for Xie Jinhuan's neglected family home to be cleaned, while discovering the Heir Apparent had sold nearly all his belongings and was at risk of gambling away borrowed money.

• Linghu Qingmo told Commandery Princess Changning that Xie Jinhuan had likely stayed at Doctor Lin's house, and denied that anything had happened between them besides investigating the case.
• Coal Ball accidentally revealed Linghu Qingmo and Xie Jinhuan had kissed, and Commandery Princess Changning teased Linghu Qingmo about it.
• Commandery Princess Changning ordered Steward Hou to clean Xie Jinhuan's house in Cloud-Bearing Lane and furnish it with good furniture from the Heir Apparent's rooms.
• Steward Hou explained that the Heir Apparent had sold nearly all his belongings and warned that he might gamble away the eight thousand taels borrowed from the Crown Prince.
• Commandery Princess Changning ordered Steward Hou to retrieve the borrowed silver from the Heir Apparent, whether he lived or died.

Xie Jinhuan learned that false rumors portraying him as Empress Dowager Guo’s lover had spread through the capital, and he prepared to investigate the Nether God Sect’s leads in Red Camphor County. Meanwhile, Lin Wanyi learned that Bu Hanying had been threatened by a Blood Rain Tower assassin and considered trading Purple Emblem Mountain techniques for a Jiazi Lotus.

• Xie Jinhuan returned to the Prince's Manor, where Steward Hou and Duoduo told him rumors claimed he and Empress Dowager Guo were lovers conspiring against Great Qian.
• Commandery Princess Changning and Linghu Qingmo warned Xie Jinhuan that Northern Zhou could exploit the rumors to make the Imperial Court distrust him, and Changning mentioned a possible Viscount of Danyang reward for finding the Nether God Sect's Hidden Agent.
• Xie Jinhuan decided to investigate his clues in Red Camphor County, and Linghu Qingmo volunteered to accompany him.
• Lin Wanyi visited Bu Hanying in Carefree Cave and learned that an assassin from Blood Rain Tower had questioned him about the Gu Poison Sect, prompting Bu to relocate.
• Bu Hanying told Lin Wanyi that the manor lord could obtain a Jiazi Lotus in exchange for Purple Emblem Mountain's Immortal-Slaying Formation and Seven-Star Nails, and Lin Wanyi agreed to consider the offer.

At the Iron Lady Inn, Zhang Chu, He Can, and Wei Yunya discussed Ye Shirong’s death and the danger posed by Xie Jinhuan before spotting his approaching party and fleeing. Xie Jinhuan arrived soon afterward but left without searching the inn, while a cloaked figure arrived later asking about him and then rode after the group.

• Wei Yunya told Zhang Chu and He Can that Ye Shirong had died without betraying the Nether God Sect, and that Xie Jinhuan had exposed him after beating the War Drum at Linde Hall.
• The three discussed rumors about Xie Jinhuan’s past and the sect’s plans, until Zhang Chu spotted seven riders approaching the inn and shouted for everyone to run.
• Xie Jinhuan led Yang Dabiao, Linghu Qingmo, and their companions to the Iron Lady Inn, where the government party’s arrival silenced the guests.
• Xie Jinhuan chose not to search the wary travelers and rode on toward town with his party.
• A cloaked figure arrived at the inn, learned that Xie Jinhuan’s group had left seven minutes earlier, and rode after them.

Xie Jinhuan and his companions encountered Wei Yunya, a First Grade ghost cultivator of the Nether God Sect, in an ambush on Ironthorn Ridge. After learning Wei Yunya might know what happened to his father, Xie Jinhuan prepared to use a Deity-Inviting Technique on Linghu Qingmo, leaving Wei Yunya puzzled by his chant.

• Wei Yunya sent He Can and Zhang Chu to withdraw their men from Red Camphor County while he went to deal with Xie Jinhuan.
• Xie Jinhuan’s party halted on Ironthorn Ridge after A Piao warned them of an ambush, and Coal Ball took to the sky.
• Xie Jinhuan used the Zhenglun Sword to dispel the ghosts surrounding the party, then Wei Yunya summoned a massive cloud of yin energy.
• Ye Hongshang identified Wei Yunya as a First Grade ghost cultivator and advised Xie Jinhuan to have Linghu Qingmo accept her possession.
• Wei Yunya revealed that someone had tried to silence Xie Jinhuan’s father three years earlier, and Xie Jinhuan began chanting a Deity-Inviting Technique while asking Linghu Qingmo not to resist.

Linghu Qingmo used the Deity-Inviting Technique to help Xie Jinhuan and the others battle Wei Yunya, a powerful ghost cultivator. They defeated Wei Yunya and retreated, with Xie Jinhuan carrying the injured Lin Wanyi out of the woods.

• Linghu Qingmo attained enlightenment through the Deity-Inviting Technique and sensed Wei Yunya within the ghost mist as Xie Jinhuan charged him.
• Linghu Qingmo struck Wei Yunya with repeated thunder spells while Xie Jinhuan and the others attacked, but Wei Yunya countered with freezing techniques and the Ten Thousand Aspects of the Yin Demon.
• Wei Yunya unleashed a crushing tide of ice, and Xie Jinhuan used the Yellow Qilin Seal and Wandering Dragon Coils the Mountain to shield the group and fight back.
• A Mystic Confusion Whistle from Wanyi distracted Wei Yunya, allowing Xie Jinhuan to land a series of attacks before Yang Dabiao beheaded him and Linghu Qingmo burned his corpse with lightning.
• The group concluded that Wei Yunya could not fight again soon and retreated, while Xie Jinhuan found Wanyi and carried her from the woods.

Nangong Ye investigated the aftermath of the attack on Ironthorn Ridge and pursued evidence of the Demon Path’s plans in nearby counties. In the wilderness, he caught the ghost cultivator Wei Yunya after a black eagle drove him through a succession of animal bodies, but the eagle escaped.

• An old poison master fled into an abandoned mine, where Wei Yunya tried to possess him through a tit until an eagle’s cry broke the enchantment and the bird drove Wei Yunya away.
• Nangong Ye examined the wounded survivors at Ironthorn Ridge, then flew to Red Camphor County’s quarry to investigate the ghost cultivator’s activities.
• Nangong Ye overheard Immortal Officials find evidence that Demon Path cultivators had prepared supplies and plans for mines in Red Camphor, Blue River, and Zhen'an Counties.
• Nangong Ye discovered a black eagle fighting a pheasant and realized Wei Yunya was escaping by possessing animals as the eagle killed them.
• Nangong Ye trapped Wei Yunya in the Immortal-Slaying Formation and sealed him in his Sword Case, but the black eagle vanished before he could catch it.

After Linghu Qingmo took a pill that made her unusually bold, she confessed her devotion to Xie Jinhuan and challenged him about whether he liked her more than Lin Wanyi. The conversation turned into a contest over their future roles, and it left Xie Jinhuan panicking as Wanyi woke up and Ye Hongshang prepared to watch the two women argue.

• Xie Jinhuan brought the unconscious Lin Wanyi to the Prince's Manor and warmed her while Linghu Qingmo recovered from the battle.
• Xie Jinhuan gave Linghu Qingmo an Overwhelmingly Imposing Pill, whose effects made her thoughts clear and her manner unusually assertive.
• Linghu Qingmo asked Xie Jinhuan whether he liked her, confessed her love, and vowed to walk the righteous path with him.
• Linghu Qingmo questioned Xie Jinhuan about whether he preferred her or Wanyi and proposed handling outside affairs while Wanyi managed their household.
• Linghu Qingmo checked Wanyi's pulse and shook her awake, while Ye Hongshang announced that she would decide which woman won their argument.

After Linghu Qingmo took the Overwhelmingly Imposing Pill, he confronted Lin Wanyi about her feelings for Xie Jinhuan and tried to set rules for their relationship. Once the antidote restored Linghu Qingmo’s senses, Lin Wanyi and Xie Jinhuan left together to avoid another confrontation.

• Lin Wanyi woke in Xie Jinhuan’s room, and Linghu Qingmo asked whether she had feelings for Xie Jinhuan.
• Lin Wanyi admitted she liked Xie Jinhuan, while Linghu Qingmo tried to set rules about caring for him and staying with him during dangerous work.
• Lin Wanyi and Linghu Qingmo argued over who would look after Xie Jinhuan, and Lin Wanyi began treating his injuries.
• Lin Wanyi provoked Linghu Qingmo by kissing Xie Jinhuan and suggesting they all sleep together, so Linghu Qingmo kissed Xie Jinhuan before leaving.
• Linghu Qingmo returned after taking the antidote, apologized to Lin Wanyi, and fled after stomping on Xie Jinhuan’s shoe.
• Lin Wanyi asked Xie Jinhuan to take her back so they could practice together, and he helped her leave.

Lin Wanyi brought Xie Jinhuan back to her bedroom, where they discussed a possible Jiazi Lotus and the forbidden techniques her sect wanted in exchange. As they rested together, Xie Jinhuan and Wanyi shared memories and grew intimate through the rainy night.

• Xie Jinhuan carried the injured Lin Wanyi into her bedroom and asked whether she had found medicine for his wounds.
• Lin Wanyi told Xie Jinhuan her sect had located a Jiazi Lotus but wanted Purple Emblem Mountain's inner-sect Divine Abilities in exchange.
• Xie Jinhuan explained that the requested techniques were restricted sect legacies, and Lin Wanyi promised to seek another deal.
• Lin Wanyi fed Xie Jinhuan a pill, and they lay together beneath the autumn quilt to rest and warm her cold constitution.
• Xie Jinhuan and Lin Wanyi talked about when they had cared for each other most before becoming intimate through the night.

Lin Zisu worked on a cure for the Immortal-Burning Yang Poison while Coal Ball returned to Xie Jinhuan’s residence. Nangong Ye followed the eagle, mistook the sounds from Xie Jinhuan and Lin Wanyi’s room, and left; inside, Ye Hongshang briefly possessed Wanyi and slapped Xie Jinhuan before he and Wanyi reconciled.

• Lin Zisu studied a possible treatment for the Immortal-Burning Yang Poison and fed the muddy Coal Ball when it returned to the Alchemy Chamber.
• Nangong Ye followed Coal Ball to the Lin Residence and recognized it as Xie Jinhuan’s eagle after watching Xie Jinhuan send it away with silver for food.
• Nangong Ye overheard sounds from Xie Jinhuan and Lin Wanyi’s room, misunderstood what was happening, and left in embarrassment.
• Xie Jinhuan sensed someone outside and spoke to Ye Hongshang through the Zhenglun Sword, but she said the visitor was gone.
• Ye Hongshang took control of Wanyi’s body and slapped Xie Jinhuan after he provoked her; Wanyi then apologized and comforted him.

After spending the night with Lin Wanyi, Xie Jinhuan left her to recover and escaped before her mother and Zisu discovered what had happened. Meanwhile, Zhang Chu’s group waited aboard a merchant ship for Third Master, whose absence threatened their plans to restart a blood sacrifice formation.

• Xie Jinhuan cleaned Lin Wanyi, teased her, and left after she told him to go, while she fell asleep with the Peony Hairpin.
• Lin Wanyi’s mother and Zisu called at her door, and she hid the bedding and claimed she had been practicing opera.
• Zhang Chu waited for Third Master aboard a merchant ship while He Can argued that avoiding trouble was the safest path to survival.
• Zhang Chu discussed the Demon Path and Shang Lianbi’s rule over Dragonbone Shoal with He Can.
• The accountant told Zhang Chu that the blood sacrifice formation was ready but would take several days to arrange if Third Master did not return.

Xie Jinhuan faced Ye Hongshang’s punishment after his reckless behavior, while Nangong Ye interrogated the captured Ghost Cultivator and Fei Ji spotted suspicious riders near the Li Residence. The chapter left the Jiazi Lotus still undelivered and the riders’ purpose unexplained.

• Xie Jinhuan visited the Imperial Pharmacy Directorate and confirmed that his injured comrades were recovering.
• Ye Hongshang confronted Xie Jinhuan and made him watch embarrassing visions as punishment until he had watched for twenty-four hours.
• Xie Jinhuan went to Plain Cloud Studio to retrieve the Jiazi Lotus, but Big Ice Lump was absent, so he left and continued his punishment.
• Nangong Ye searched for ways to deal with Ghost Cultivators, then returned to interrogate the captured Ghost Cultivator before midnight.
• Yang Dabiao visited Fei Ji at the Li Residence and bragged about defeating the Ghost Cultivator.
• Fei Ji observed three travel-worn riders carrying a covered birdcage into an alley beside the Li Residence, then Yang Dabiao distracted him by ordering food and wine.

Xie Jinhuan recovered from his disturbing encounter with Chief Steward Hou and met with Linghu Qingmo and Commandery Princess Changning, then learned that Li Gongpu might be preparing to flee. At the Four Directions Inn, Crown Prince Zhao Jing Huan agreed to receive Li Gongpu after He Man reported that he had come to see him.

• Linghu Qingmo found Xie Jinhuan exhausted, worried that Doctor Lin had beaten him, and was kissed by him before they went to join Commandery Princess Changning.
• Xie Jinhuan danced with Linghu Qingmo and discussed the Nether God Sect's suspected plans in Zhen'an and the Blue River Counties with Commandery Princess Changning.
• Yang Dabiao reported that Du Mushan had hurried back carrying a valuable birdcage, leading Xie Jinhuan to suspect Li Gongpu was planning an escape or seeking an alliance with the Crown Prince.
• Zhao De persuaded Crown Prince Zhao Jing Huan to give him another eight thousand taels, then left to collect the money himself.
• He Man told Zhao Jing Huan that Li Gongpu had come to see him, and Zhao Jing Huan agreed to receive Li Gongpu.

Li Gongpu met Crown Prince Zhao Jing Huan at the Four Directions Inn and tried to win his favor with a Purple Thunder Sparrow. Zhao Jing Huan recognized that Li Gongpu had walked into Xie Jinhuan’s trap, and Xie used the bird as grounds to expose and corner him outside the inn.

• Li Gongpu played chess with Zhao Jing Huan, concealed his skill, and praised the Crown Prince while stressing his own loyalty and lack of ambition.
• Li Gongpu presented Zhao Jing Huan with a rare Purple Thunder Sparrow, but Zhao warned that Xie Jinhuan had lured him into a trap and urged him to leave the inn.
• Xie Jinhuan, Cao Huai'an, Jingkong, and the authorities surrounded the Four Directions Inn, citing reports of evil creatures and waiting for permission to search it.
• Li Gongpu tried to leave with a Western Rong envoy, but Xie Jinhuan stopped him and insisted that the inn’s occupants be screened.
• Xie Jinhuan identified the Purple Thunder Sparrow as a possible demonic beast and sent it with Jingkong for inspection, leaving Li Gongpu stranded as the search party withdrew.

Emperor Qian ordered Li Gongpu’s household confiscated and gave him the chance to die by suicide after learning he had tried to curry favor with the Crown Prince. Xie Jinhuan watched Li Gongpu die, then left the raid with Commandery Princess Changning, Linghu Qingmo, and Duoduo.

• Emperor Qian ordered the Scarlet Qilin Guard to confiscate the Li Household’s property, punish its crimes, and send the Purple Thunder Sparrow to the Crown Prince.
• Hou Jiye, Fan Li, and other officials impeached Li Gongpu, and the Scarlet Qilin Guard surrounded his residence while Xie Jinhuan and Yang Dabiao helped with the raid.
• Li Gongpu asked Xie Jinhuan whether he had used an illusion on him, then hanged himself after acknowledging his failure to kill Xie Jinhuan’s father and family.
• Xie Jinhuan showed Li Gongpu the Old Writing Brush, provoking a desperate reaction before Li Gongpu died; the Scarlet Qilin Guard confirmed his identity and death.
• Yang Dabiao and Linghu Qingmo surveyed the Li Household’s immense wealth while its servants and family members were registered and detained.
• Commandery Princess Changning offered Xie Jinhuan a reward, but he said he had promised to visit Doctor Lin and escorted her, Linghu Qingmo, and Duoduo to their carriage.

Xie Jinhuan returned to the Lin Residence with the Jiazi Lotus Root and spent the night with Lin Wanyi, then read Muyun Hong’s warning about the Nether God Sect’s plans. He learned that Yunling County might be the sect’s next target and that an insider in the capital made it dangerous to alert the Imperial Court.

• Xie Jinhuan went to the Fengyi River to meet Mu, but she was absent, so he returned to the Lin Residence.
• Xie Jinhuan found Muyun Hong’s sealed box and letter outside Lin Wanyi’s room and brought the box inside.
• Lin Wanyi identified the herb as Jiazi Lotus Root, confirmed it was in excellent condition, and said the remaining ingredients would arrive by the day after tomorrow.
• Xie Jinhuan read Muyun Hong’s account of the captured Ghost Cultivation practitioner’s memories, which pointed to Yunling County as a possible Nether God Sect target.
• Xie Jinhuan learned that the sect had an insider in the capital and that Muyun Hong planned to investigate Yunling County without notifying the Imperial Court.
• Xie Jinhuan let Lin Wanyi sleep, carried the dishes to the kitchen to wash them, and fled when he nearly encountered Mother-in-Law.

Nangong Ye, Zhang Guan, and Li Jing waited near Emperor Qian’s Mausoleum in Yunling County, suspecting it was the Nether God Sect’s target for a Blood Demon Pill sacrifice. Xie Jinhuan arrived in disguise and met Nangong Ye at the inn, where she joined him without revealing their connection.

• Nangong Ye surveyed the mausoleum and concluded that its imprisoned laborers were ideal sacrifices for the Nether God Sect’s Blood Demon Pill.
• Nangong Ye left Zhang Guan and Li Jing to guard the site while she concealed herself and waited for Xie Jinhuan.
• Xie Jinhuan reached Yunling County in disguise and waited at the inn with Ye Hongshang, who warned him that Nangong Ye was approaching.
• Xie Jinhuan called out to Nangong Ye from the inn window, and she recognized his disguise before entering without drawing suspicion.

Xie Jinhuan gave Nangong Ye medicine to suppress his Yang Poison, but its strange side effects changed their voices and moods, leaving the two fighting in their room. The innkeeper heard the commotion downstairs as Nangong Ye continued feeding Xie Jinhuan Ever-Smiling Powder.

• Nangong Ye told Xie Jinhuan that the Nether God Sect's Blood Sacrifice Grand Formation was likely at the Imperial Mausoleum and warned him to act cautiously.
• Xie Jinhuan gave Nangong Ye a bottle of Yin-Yang Oddity Powder, and Nangong Ye drank a small dose to suppress his Yang Poison.
• The medicine weakened Nangong Ye's Yang Poison but made his voice coy and high-pitched, prompting Xie Jinhuan to tease him.
• Nangong Ye force-fed Xie Jinhuan some of the powder, causing Xie Jinhuan's voice to change as well.
• Nangong Ye accidentally drank Ever-Smiling Powder, began smiling uncontrollably, and attacked Xie Jinhuan while feeding him more powder.
• The innkeeper heard the pair's racket from downstairs and wondered what they were doing.

At a ruined temple, Second Master revealed He Can’s origins and gave him money to leave the Nether God Sect’s affairs behind. The next day, Xie Jinhuan and Nangong Ye searched Yunling Wharf, where Xie Jinhuan spotted suspicious activity near a warehouse.

• Second Master told He Can that he had been abandoned as a child because of his poor talent, and that Taishu Dan had secretly protected him by planting the Python Emperor Armor in him.
• Second Master gave He Can severance money and ordered Zhang Chu to protect him until he settled somewhere; He Can met his younger brother He Hai before leaving.
• Xie Jinhuan and Nangong Ye wandered around Yunling Wharf while Xie Jinhuan endured the effects of Ever-Smiling Powder and teased Nangong Ye about his soft voice.
• Xie Jinhuan noticed a suspicious merchant ship, then spotted martial-trained workers carrying goods from a warehouse near the harbor.
• Nangong Ye prepared to punish Xie Jinhuan with a pill but set the idea aside to observe the suspected Nether God Sect lackeys.

Li Jing, Zhang Guan, Nangong Ye, and Xie Jinhuan watched the plotters prepare a blood sacrifice at Yunling, while He Hai and his grandfather set their own plan in motion. In Capital City, a demonic attack on Emperor Qian was repelled, and he ordered his allies to protect the Crown Prince and investigate the black cat.

• Li Jing and Zhang Guan watched officials prepare wine laced with Drunken Bone Incense, waiting for the formation’s leader to appear.
• Nangong Ye left Xie Jinhuan on the mountain and went to lie in wait near the valley as the Blood Sacrifice approached.
• He Hai and his grandfather concluded that their plan might fail and set off to carry out a final, decisive move.
• A black cat charged at Emperor Qian on Cloudstride Terrace and burst into a cloud of ghosts, but Cao Fo’er protected the Emperor with a golden bell and Lu Wuzhen destroyed the ghosts with lightning.
• Emperor Qian ordered Daoist Lu to protect the Crown Prince, sent the Scarlet Qilin Guard and Immortal Officials to investigate the black cat, and went with Cao Fo’er to visit the Empress.

Li Jing and Zhang Guan disrupted a blood sacrifice at Quiet Mountain Valley and fought its powerful half-demon leader while Xie Jinhuan watched from nearby. Ye Hongshang detected faint Blood Baleful Qi across the Huai River, so Xie Jinhuan went to investigate.

• A cloaked practitioner used the Blood Sacrifice Grand Formation to drive thousands of laborers and soldiers into a frenzy at Quiet Mountain Valley.
• A bolt of lightning dispelled the illusions, and Li Jing and Zhang Guan killed the eight actors guarding the formation.
• A towering half-demon emerged from the bloody mist and asked whether Xie Jinhuan had come before fighting Li Jing and Zhang Guan.
• Xie Jinhuan watched the battle from a mountaintop with Ye Hongshang, who showed him a recording of Momo, the Commandery Princess, and Nai Duo dancing.
• Ye Hongshang sensed faint Blood Baleful Qi across the Huai River, and Xie Jinhuan went to investigate.

Xie Jinhuan discovered the Nether God Sect’s secret Blood Sacrifice at an iron mine and ambushed He Hai, taking the Blood Demon Pill. Surrounded by the cultists, he drew the pill’s power into himself, leaving his fate uncertain.

• He Hai refined a Blood Demon Pill from the blood and energy of more than twelve hundred victims while the Nether God Sect’s larger operation distracted the Imperial Court at the Imperial Mausoleum.
• Xie Jinhuan followed Ghost Wife’s directions to the iron mine, where she controlled a rooster to distract the guards as he approached He Hai.
• Xie Jinhuan blasted through the roof and attacked He Hai, but He Hai’s unnatural toughness let him withstand the lance strike and seize Heavenly Gang.
• Xie Jinhuan drew his sword, escaped the clash, and took the golden sphere containing the Blood Demon Pill while He Hai’s followers surrounded him.
• Xie Jinhuan claimed he would use the pill to avenge the victims, then drew its red essence into his body as He Hai watched.