Chapter Summaries

Nangong Ye’s Yang Poison drove him to drain Xie Jinhuan’s icy energy while disguised as Muyun Hong, then he fled after recovering and kept his identity secret. Xie Jinhuan suspected he had been cheated out of the jiazi lotus and went to report to the authorities at Ye Shirong’s burning residence before pursuing Muyun Hong.

• Nangong Ye, overcome by Yang Poison, pinned Xie Jinhuan down and drew icy energy from him, shocking him with lightning whenever he stopped supplying it.
• Xie Jinhuan struck Nangong Ye with the Mace Scabbard, but Nangong Ye continued draining his energy until the poison subsided.
• Nangong Ye regained awareness, stood up as Muyun Hong, and claimed he had been poisoned while fighting a Demon Bandit.
• Nangong Ye slipped past Xie Jinhuan and fled without offering the promised fortuitous opportunity.
• Ye Hongshang suggested Muyun Hong might be the jiazi lotus seller, and Xie Jinhuan realized she may have taken his detoxification method without paying.
• Xie Jinhuan saw government troops and flames around Ye Shirong’s residence, so he went there to report before searching for Muyun Hong.

After Xie Jinhuan killed Ye Shirong and uncovered a Nether God Sect hideout, he asked Fei Ji to investigate Li Gongpu’s interest in the Crown Prince. He then left Linghu Qingmo to go meet Doctor Lin, while Linghu Qingmo and Coal Ball stayed behind to investigate the case.

• Linghu Qingmo and the others found Xie Jinhuan unharmed after he returned from hunting Ye Shirong and explained that he had suspected the man at Linde Hall.
• Xie Jinhuan, Linghu Qingmo, and the others discovered a hidden tunnel beneath Ye Shirong’s residence containing more than thirty Blood Slaves, and Fei Ji ordered the Yamen to verify their identities and investigate Ye Shirong’s associates.
• Xie Jinhuan privately asked Fei Ji to look into whether Li Gongpu was approaching the Crown Prince, and Fei Ji agreed to investigate.
• Xie Jinhuan told Linghu Qingmo he was going to meet Doctor Lin, then kissed him after Linghu Qingmo said not to be angry before using his safeword to make Xie Jinhuan stop.
• Linghu Qingmo stayed with Coal Ball to investigate the case as Xie Jinhuan flew off, and he muttered that Xie Jinhuan was a fickle-hearted radish.

After discovering Xie Jinhuan’s handprint on his bodice, Nangong Ye resolved to avoid him, but Xie arrived at his riverside home seeking the jiazi lotus and a way to cure his poison. Nangong Ye finally let him enter through the back door to discuss the cure and a possible trade.

• Nangong Ye used a Black Jade Bead to endure the yang poison, then discovered Xie Jinhuan’s handprint on his bodice and decided to avoid him.
• Xie Jinhuan came to Nangong Ye’s riverside residence carrying food and wine, hoping to obtain the jiazi lotus.
• Nangong Ye refused to let Xie inside, but Xie argued that he had helped suppress the poison and offered to investigate the Nether God Sect together.
• Xie claimed he could cure Nangong Ye’s poison without using the method he had mentioned earlier, and Nangong Ye offered to trade if Xie had resurrection herb.
• Nangong Ye relented and told Xie to enter through the back door.

Xie Jinhuan tried to help Nangong Ye find a cure for his poison, but he had no reliable remedy and instead used his icy energy to ease Nangong Ye’s symptoms. The chapter ended with Xie Jinhuan acting as Nangong Ye’s radiator and demanding a jiazi lotus in return.

• Xie Jinhuan arrived at Nangong Ye’s room and changed into a black robe Nangong Ye lent him.
• Nangong Ye demanded another way to cure the poison, so Xie Jinhuan suggested seeking immortals and then mentioned a gifted young physician.
• Nangong Ye began counting down, but Xie Jinhuan released icy energy that eased the heat caused by the Yang Poison.
• Xie Jinhuan’s energy weakened, so he used his Qilin Holding a Book Pendant and swallowed a Qi-Nourishing Pill to replenish his qi.
• Nangong Ye focused on suppressing the Yang Poison while Xie Jinhuan continued transferring icy energy and demanded a jiazi lotus as payment.

Xie Jinhuan helped Nangong Ye suppress the Yang Poison, but Nangong Ye became furious when he realized Xie Jinhuan had seen him undressed. After hearing Xie Jinhuan’s plea for a Jiazi Lotus, Nangong Ye agreed to borrow one for him, while vowing to make the demoness Qingmo pay for the ordeal.

• Ye Hongshang told Xie Jinhuan to seek Lin Wanyi, but Nangong Ye’s Yang Poison overwhelmed him and he seized Xie Jinhuan to draw in his qi.
• Nangong Ye entered an icy bath, and blindfolded Xie Jinhuan continued supplying him with qi until the poison’s effects subsided.
• Nangong Ye discovered Xie Jinhuan was in the bath with him and threatened him, then learned Xie Jinhuan had seen him undressed.
• Xie Jinhuan pressed Nangong Ye for a Jiazi Lotus and explained that he needed it to strengthen himself against the Nether God Sect.
• Nangong Ye agreed to act as guarantor and borrow a Jiazi Lotus, warning Xie Jinhuan to keep the incident secret.
• After Xie Jinhuan left, Nangong Ye regretted what had happened and blamed Qingmo for his suffering.

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.