Recaps

Zhao Guangyi learned that Cao Wuxin intended to take Third Princess Zhao Yunhui as his concubine and weighed how to resist the Taixuan Sect without provoking it. He considered using Huang Xiao as a possible betrothed to delay Cao Wuxin, and wondered whether Huang Xiao might be able to defeat him.

• Zhao Guangyi erupted in anger after reading Cao Wuxin’s letter demanding Zhao Yunhui as his concubine.
• Eunuch Qiu suggested intercepting Cao Wuxin on his way to Dali, but Zhao Guangyi refused, hoping to learn more about the Taixuan Sect’s plans and strength.
• Zhao Guangyi worried that the Taixuan Sect might later make its demand officially, leaving him unable to protect Zhao Yunhui from pressure at court.
• Eunuch Qiu proposed betrothing Zhao Yunhui to Huang Xiao as a delaying tactic, relying on his possible connection to Ling Tianya and the Thousand Demons Sect.
• Zhao Guangyi accepted the idea as a possibility and noted that Huang Xiao might be strong enough to defeat Cao Wuxin.

Huang Xiao and Zhao Yuankan entered Khitan territory and were ambushed by attackers armed with Powerful Crossbows. As the guards fought to protect Zhao Yuankan, Huang Xiao watched the carriage driver face three hidden experts.

• Eunuch Qiu warned Zhao Guangyi that Huang Xiao was unlikely to defeat Cao Wuxin, and Zhao Guangyi said he hoped Huang Xiao had a connection to Ling Tianya.
• Huang Xiao and Zhao Yuankan crossed into Khitan territory, where Zhao Yuankan complained that no one had come to welcome them.
• Attackers ambushed the procession with hidden weapons, killing more than fifty guards before they raised Powerful Crossbows against Zhao Yuankan's carriage.
• The guards used refined-iron shields to protect the carriage while two squads charged the attackers, and Huang Xiao spotted three masked Peak Realm experts.
• The carriage driver charged the three experts, and Huang Xiao told Zhao Yuankan they were no match for him as the fight began.

Huang Xiao helped repel an ambush on Zhao Yuankan’s party, but a Khitan cavalry force soon confronted the Great Song envoys. After humiliating General Yelü Mengya and revealing his overwhelming skill, Huang Xiao asked to borrow Yelü Mengya’s head.

• Lord Gu fought three ambushers, while the guards drove back the remaining attackers and the survivors fled.
• Huang Xiao spotted approaching Khitan cavalry, and Zhao Yuankan’s party prepared to face nearly a thousand horsemen.
• General Yelü Mengya demanded to see Zhao Yuankan, but Huang Xiao stepped forward in his place.
• Huang Xiao used hidden force to throw Yelü Mengya and his two companions from their horses, then learned that Yelü Mengya was the son of Yelü Xi Jue.
• Huang Xiao told Yelü Mengya that he wanted to borrow his head.

Huang Xiao killed a Khitan officer who had taken part in an attack on Zhao Yuankan’s party, then used the matching clothes to make Yelü Mengya accept the officer as a traitor. After the party resumed its journey toward Linhuang Prefecture, Huang Xiao explained how he had identified the attacker and began to address Zhao Yuankan’s question about Yelü Mengya’s motive.

• Huang Xiao killed one of the attackers and presented his matching clothes as evidence that he had infiltrated Yelü Mengya’s command.
• Yelü Mengya thanked Huang Xiao for exposing the supposed traitor and agreed to escort Zhao Yuankan to Linhuang Prefecture.
• Zhao Yuankan praised Huang Xiao’s skill, and Huang Xiao explained how he had recognized the attacker’s aura and clothes.
• Zhao Yuankan questioned why Yelü Mengya would order an attack that could not kill him, and Huang Xiao said he did not find the motive strange.

Huang Xiao explained that Yelü Mengya’s ambush was meant to intimidate Zhao Yuankan rather than kill him, and the Song envoy continued toward Linhuang Prefecture under Khitan escort. In the Imperial Palace, Empress Dowager Xiao and her ministers learned Huang Xiao was a mid-peerless expert and worried that Yelü Mengya might be outmatched.

• Huang Xiao told Zhao Yuankan and Lord Gu that the ambush was intended to take Zhao Yuankan down a peg, not assassinate him.
• Huang Xiao said Yelü Mengya had no choice but to swallow the loss after Huang Xiao killed one of the attackers.
• Yelü Mengya escorted Zhao Yuankan’s party toward Linhuang Prefecture with a thousand cavalrymen while Zhao Yuankan described Khitan’s political situation to Huang Xiao.
• Liao Shengzong, Empress Dowager Xiao, Han Derang, and Yelü Xiezhen discussed Zhao Yuankan’s arrival and the risk that Yelü Mengya would clash with the Song envoys.
• Yelü Xiezhen revealed that Huang Xiao was a strong mid-peerless expert who had defeated Xu Wuyu, prompting Liao Shengzong and Empress Dowager Xiao to reassess the danger to Yelü Mengya.

Liao Shengzong, Empress Dowager Xiao, Yelü Xiezhen, and Han Derang discussed Zhao Yuankan’s safety and the opportunity his visit gave Khitan to expose hidden enemies. Han Derang also revealed that the Sect Master had ordered Huang Xiao protected; three days later, Huang Xiao’s party arrived in Linhuang Prefecture and was escorted to the Envoys’ Residence.

• Han Derang advised Liao Shengzong and Empress Dowager Xiao that Song’s threat to Zhao Yuankan was limited, while Khitan factions might try to exploit his arrival.
• Yelü Xiezhen agreed to prepare for the envoys and watch for Khitan conspirators, while Liao Shengzong asked to meet Huang Xiao.
• In a secret chamber, Han Derang told Empress Dowager Xiao that the Sect Master had ordered Huang Xiao protected because Huang Qitao’s plans had been disrupted.
• Empress Dowager Xiao agreed to arrange for a girl to meet Huang Xiao while keeping his identity secret, and Han Derang said the Sect Master had secretly sent people to help protect him.
• Three days later, Huang Xiao’s party reached Linhuang Prefecture, where General Liu escorted the Song envoys to the Envoys’ Residence on the Northern Privy Envoy’s orders.

Zhao Yuankan and Huang Xiao arrived at the Khitan Envoy Residence, where Zhao Yuankan insulted Khitan and Huang Xiao backed him up while Yelü Mengya concealed his anger. Huang Xiao noticed a familiar woman watching from a nearby wine shop, and General Liu suspected Yelü Mengya would send Yelü Mengdu after him.

• Huang Xiao observed that most Khitan commoners opposed war, while Yelü Mengya secretly considered having others kill him.
• Zhao Yuankan said the Khitan Envoy Residence looked shabby and praised Great Song, while Huang Xiao joined in taunting Yelü Mengya.
• Great Song guards searched the Envoy Residence, found no suspicious people, and took over its protection.
• Huang Xiao spotted a familiar woman among three women watching from a nearby wine shop, then entered the residence after Zhao Yuankan called him.
• Yelü Mengya left to report to the palace, and General Liu guessed he would seek help from Yelü Mengdu to challenge Huang Xiao.

You Lian'er, Sister Yin, and Younger Sister Yan discussed Sister Yin’s arranged marriage to Zhao Yuankan and revealed that each of them faced pressure over marriage. Younger Sister Yan hinted that the Empress Dowager had chosen a man for her, but she refused to explain who he was.

• Younger Sister Yan and You Lian'er reassured Sister Yin that Zhao Yuankan seemed like a decent match after seeing him with Huang Xiao.
• You Lian'er admitted that Zhang Pu had tried to arrange her marriage, explaining why she had fled to Khitan.
• Sister Yin noted that Younger Sister Yan had seemed troubled since visiting the Empress Dowager.
• Younger Sister Yan revealed that the Empress Dowager had chosen someone for her and said she would not accept him unless he met her conditions.

You Lian'er stayed to help elder sister Yin test a potential suitor, while Zhao Yuankan and Huang Xiao anticipated Khitan's response to their earlier conflict. At the palace gates, they encountered Yelü Mengya and his formidable younger brother Yelü Mengdu.

• You Lian'er decided to delay her journey to Great Song so she could support elder sister Yin, and little sister Yan proposed inviting the third prince to an appreciation gathering to test him.
• Zhao Yuankan predicted that Yelü Mengya would send his younger brother, Yelü Mengdu, to challenge Huang Xiao, and Huang Xiao learned that Mengdu was a peerless martial expert.
• An imperial decree summoned Zhao Yuankan to the palace, and he and Huang Xiao traveled there the next morning with Lord Wu.
• At the palace gates, Huang Xiao taunted Yelü Mengya, who endured the insults because he could not defeat him.
• Yelü Mengdu approached Zhao Yuankan and identified him as the third prince.

Huang Xiao and Zhao Yuankan reached the Khitan palace as envoys, where Yelü Mengdu challenged Huang Xiao before Yelü Xiezhen intervened and ushered them inside. After palace guards confiscated Huang Xiao’s forgotten soft sword, the envoys entered the Main Hall to meet the Khitan emperor.

• Yelü Mengdu pressed Huang Xiao to spar, and Huang Xiao accepted despite Zhao Yuankan’s concern.
• Yelü Xiezhen arrived, stopped the confrontation, and ordered the Great Song envoys to enter the palace.
• Yelü Mengdu left after warning Huang Xiao that he would challenge him another time, and Yelü Mengya departed as well.
• Palace guards searched the envoys and confiscated Huang Xiao’s Snow-Chanting Soft Sword before telling them to wait for the emperor’s summons.
• A eunuch summoned the envoys, and Huang Xiao, Zhao Yuankan, and Lord Wu entered the Main Hall for their audience.

Zhao Yuankan, Huang Xiao, and Lord Wu negotiated a truce and marriage alliance with Khitan’s court, where Yelü Longxu tried to recruit Huang Xiao. As the delegation left the palace, a masked marquis suddenly attacked Huang Xiao.

• Zhao Yuankan greeted Yelü Longxu and proposed a truce, while Lord Wu presented a marriage alliance and promised to discuss Great Song’s terms of sincerity.
• Yelü Longxu offered to enfeoff Huang Xiao as a prince if he joined Khitan, but Huang Xiao politely declined to take the offer seriously.
• Huang Xiao noticed Han Derang’s formidable hidden strength as Lord Wu debated the proposed reconciliation with Khitan’s ministers.
• Han Derang arranged for officials to negotiate the terms, and Yelü Longxu said the Empress Dowager would decide which princess would be offered for the marriage alliance.
• As Huang Xiao, Zhao Yuankan, and Lord Wu left the palace, a masked marquis rushed at Huang Xiao and struck at him with a palm.

Huang Xiao was attacked by the Silver-Faced Marquis in the Khitan palace, then learned the masked expert was Princess Longli’s mysterious husband. The marquis reunited with his wife in the inner palace, where he criticized her landscape painting before noticing something that caught his attention.

• The Silver-Faced Marquis struck Huang Xiao, who blocked the blow and escaped serious injury, while the palace guards did not intervene.
• Zhao Yuankan and Lord Wu escorted Huang Xiao from the palace, and Lord Wu explained the marquis’s connection to Princess Longli and his mysterious origins.
• The Silver-Faced Marquis entered the inner palace and joined his wife, who was painting a landscape.
• The marquis pointed out that a pine tree in his wife’s painting leaned the wrong way, then bent close to examine the picture when his expression suddenly changed.

The Silver-Faced Marquis reconciled with the Princess after criticizing her painting, then they discussed their son’s growing strength and the dangers surrounding Poison God Valley. They decided to let him make his own name in Great Song for now, while keeping watch over threats and holding on to their plans for revenge.

• The Silver-Faced Marquis apologized to the Princess and praised the lifelike martial intent in her painting, which she said she had begun exploring after speaking with Yan.
• The Silver-Faced Marquis told the Princess that their son had entered the palace with the Great Song envoys, and they agreed that heaven had drawn him into the Jianghu despite their earlier efforts to keep him safe.
• The Princess and the Silver-Faced Marquis praised their son’s rapid cultivation progress and considered whether the elders of Poison God Valley had taught him.
• The Princess warned that the master of Medicine King Hall had emerged from seclusion, and the Silver-Faced Marquis worried that he might attack Poison God Valley and Medicine God Valley.
• The Princess worried about the people seeking their son and whether he would accept them as parents, but the Silver-Faced Marquis chose not to acknowledge him yet so he could build his own reputation in Great Song.
• The Silver-Faced Marquis said their son’s future influence could help them sweep across the land and take revenge.

Huang Xiao and Zhao Yuankan accepted an invitation from Xiao Yan, the Xiao Clan’s third young lady, despite Lord Wu’s warning about the danger of her paintings. Huang Xiao then secretly met You Lian'er, who revealed that she knew Xiao Yan and began to explain why the visit mattered.

• A guard commander delivered invitations from Xiao Yan to Zhao Yuankan and Huang Xiao, and Lord Wu identified her as Xiao Jixian’s third daughter.
• Lord Wu warned that Xiao Yan’s paintings had reportedly injured or killed those who viewed them, but Zhao Yuankan decided he and Huang Xiao would visit the Xiao Residence the next morning.
• Huang Xiao found a note signed with the character “You,” slipped out of the Envoy Residence, and followed its address to meet You Lian'er.
• You Lian'er confirmed that she knew Xiao Yan, praised her beauty, and teased that Xiao Yan might take a liking to Huang Xiao.
• Huang Xiao asked You Lian'er to explain Xiao Yan’s invitation, and You Lian'er stopped joking and prepared to speak seriously.

You Lian'er told Huang Xiao that Yelü Yin, her close friend and a Khitan imperial cousin, might be married to Zhao Yuankan in a political alliance, and asked him to protect her if she went to Great Song. She warned Huang Xiao that a gathering the next day would bring him into contact with Khitan's elite, including Yelü Mengdu, while offering help with his cultivation in return for the Heavenly Demon Canon.

• You Lian'er explained that Yelü Yin wanted to meet Zhao Yuankan ahead of a possible marriage alliance, and Huang Xiao promised to look after her if she married into Great Song.
• You Lian'er warned Huang Xiao that the gathering would include renowned young talents and that he might become a target; Huang Xiao told her he had nearly fought Yelü Mengdu at the palace.
• You Lian'er sensed that Huang Xiao's strength was comparable to Xu Wuyu's and attributed his rapid progress to the Heavenly Demon Skill.
• You Lian'er assessed Yelü Mengdu as a Mid Peerless expert on par with Xu Wuyu, and Huang Xiao said he would do his best not to bring shame on Great Song.
• You Lian'er offered to assist Huang Xiao with cultivation, but he held back from accepting because he knew she wanted the Heavenly Demon Canon in exchange.

You Lian'er explained why Huang Xiao struggled with the Heavenly Demon Dragon Roar and offered to help him improve. After agreeing to make a replica of the lost Dragon Nightmare flute, she prepared to demonstrate her guidance, but Huang Xiao stopped her before she played.

• You Lian'er told Huang Xiao that she had mastered the fifth and sixth tones of the Netherworld Demon Eight Tones, and he admitted he had struggled to learn the Heavenly Demon Dragon Roar.
• You Lian'er explained that Huang Xiao's musical inexperience and use of an unsuitable vertical flute limited his progress, and that the lost Dragon Nightmare was the ideal instrument.
• You Lian'er offered to make a Dragon Nightmare replica using records kept by her family, and Huang Xiao accepted after she reminded him he had agreed to look after Sister Yin.
• You Lian'er brought a zither and vertical flute to the pavilion, activated its Soundproof Formation, and asked Huang Xiao to play the Heavenly Demon Dragon Roar.
• Huang Xiao played the first roar but failed when he tried the second, and You Lian'er said she had identified problems she could help him correct.
• You Lian'er took the flute and prepared to play a piece, but Huang Xiao hurriedly stopped her.

Huang Xiao learned to perform the Heavenly Demon Dragon Roar more efficiently after You Lian'er guided him into the Void Sound state. You Lian'er explained the limits of his flute and lamented that she could not recover her Netherworld Demon Zither from the Fang Family.

• You Lian'er replayed the First Roar, and Huang Xiao entered the Void Sound state as he followed her breathing rhythm.
• You Lian'er explained that Huang Xiao could conserve internal power by using the correct rhythm, and he successfully completed the Second Roar and played halfway through the Third.
• You Lian'er said she could not unleash the Heavenly Demon Dragon Roar's true power without Heavenly Demon True Qi, and promised to make Huang Xiao a flute modeled after Dragon Nightmare.
• Huang Xiao asked about the Netherworld Demon Zither, and You Lian'er said the Fang Family still held it and she had little hope of getting it back.

You Lian'er told Huang Xiao that the Heavenly Demon Guard knew he possessed the Heavenly Demon Skill and might have recognized him as the next Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect. Huang Xiao remained cautious about the claim, while You Lian'er resolved to stop seeking the Heavenly Demon Canon from him.

• You Lian'er asked Huang Xiao whether he had noticed powerful experts around him and revealed that people, including the Third Deputy Standard-Bearer of the Golden Banner Guard, knew he possessed the Heavenly Demon Skill.
• You Lian'er explained that the Third Deputy Standard-Bearer belonged to the neutral and formidable Heavenly Demon Guard, which had not tried to take Huang Xiao's cultivation method.
• You Lian'er proposed that the Heavenly Demon Guard had acknowledged Huang Xiao as the new Sect Master of the Heavenly Demon Sect and was observing his potential.
• Huang Xiao recalled meeting a powerful young man on Lingbo Island and suspected that he might also belong to the Heavenly Demon Guard.
• Huang Xiao cautioned that their theory remained uncertain, while You Lian'er said she believed in his future and would no longer scheme to obtain the Heavenly Demon Canon.

You Lian'er set aside her pursuit of the Heavenly Demon Canon and asked Huang Xiao to protect the You Family if he became Sect Master; they then discovered their zither-and-flute duet had an unusual effect. Their music spread through the residence and beyond, drawing the attention of a jealous man who resolved to investigate who was playing with Lian'er.

• You Lian'er told Huang Xiao she wanted to be friends and asked him to care for the You Family if he became Sect Master, and Huang Xiao promised he would.
• You Lian'er played the Netherworld Demon Eight Tones while Huang Xiao played the Heavenly Demon Dragon Roar, and their internal powers unexpectedly merged into the music.
• The duet carried them into a shared, entranced state as their rhythms synchronized, and the Soundproof Formation around the pavilion stopped working.
• The music spread through the residence and surrounding streets, while a young man at a nearby inn recognized You Lian'er's zither and decided to seek information from Yelü Mengdu.
• Huang Xiao and You Lian'er stopped playing, and You Lian'er dismissed the guards who had gathered at the courtyard entrance.

Huang Xiao and You Lian'er discovered that their paired sound arts grew stronger in harmony, though true mastery required a bond of hearts they had not reached. After Huang Xiao returned to the Envoy Residence, he learned the Famous Painting Appreciation Gathering had been postponed, while Xiao Yan stayed in the imperial palace to practice with the Silver-Faced Marquis's wife.

• You Lian'er and Huang Xiao discussed how their zither and xiao music enhanced each other and agreed to keep practicing despite not achieving the deepest harmony.
• You Lian'er gave Huang Xiao her flute, and he accepted it before returning to the Envoy Residence.
• Zhao Yuankan told Huang Xiao that the Famous Painting Appreciation Gathering had been postponed for three days, and he urged Huang Xiao not to let his fourth younger sister down.
• Huang Xiao decided to use the extra time to practice and master the Third Verse of the Heavenly Demon Dragon Roar.
• Xiao Yan told the Silver-Faced Marquis's wife that she had postponed the gathering so she could practice without distractions, while claiming she had invited guests to assess the Song Dynasty's third prince for her friend Sister Yin.

Xiao Yan discussed her betrothal to Huang Xiao with the Princess, who reassured her that she would hold the senior position despite Huang Xiao’s marriage to the Song Dynasty’s Fourth Princess. The Princess then discussed Xiao Yan’s progress studying the bronze mirrors and revealed that Zhang Lian might actually be You Lian’er, before mentioning another legendary Formation Path scripture.

• The Princess teased Xiao Yan about her feelings for Huang Xiao and reminded her that they had been betrothed in the womb.
• Xiao Yan said she wanted Huang Xiao to prove he could defeat Yelü Mengdu, while the Princess promised she would be the eldest sister among his wives.
• The Princess asked about Xiao Yan’s study of the bronze mirrors, and Xiao Yan reported comprehending about 120 of them while the Princess had comprehended 240.
• The Princess explained that Zhao Yunhui had reportedly comprehended the Fuxi Emperor Chapter, a scripture connected to divination and formations.
• The Princess suggested Zhang Lian might be You Lian’er, and Xiao Yan promised not to reveal or investigate the possibility.
• The Princess named the Scripture of Great Peace as another Formation Path scripture.

Xiao Yan trained under the Princess with the bronze mirrors, trying to break through the first stage of the Heavenly Mirror Skill. Meanwhile, Huang Xiao practiced the Heavenly Demon Dragon Roar and spoke with Zhao Yuankan, who noticed his soundproof formation resembled one made by his Third Younger Sister.

• Xiao Yan asked about the lost Scripture of Great Peace and doubted she could comprehend the bronze mirrors, but the Princess encouraged her and explained the stages of the Heavenly Mirror Skill.
• The Princess guided Xiao Yan into meditation and made the bronze mirrors spin through intricate patterns, while Xiao Yan perceived their words and images transforming in her mind.
• After the Princess stopped the mirrors and rested, she remained in the chamber to watch over Xiao Yan as the mirrors continued spinning in her consciousness.
• Huang Xiao practiced the Heavenly Demon Dragon Roar in his courtyard and worked to master its third roar.
• Zhao Yuankan entered Huang Xiao's soundproof formation, praised his musical skill, and remarked that the formation resembled one made by his Third Younger Sister.

Zhao Yuankan asked Huang Xiao to help strengthen Great Song’s position in negotiations with Khitan by challenging its young experts at the Famous Painting Appreciation Gathering. Huang Xiao joined Zhao Yuankan at the Xiao Residence, where Khitan’s young men noticed him and one boasted that he would defeat him.

• Zhao Yuankan admitted that he hoped Huang Xiao would delay negotiations and establish Great Song’s prestige at the gathering, and Huang Xiao assured him he would not lose to Yelü Mengdu.
• Zhao Yuankan prepared for the gathering while Huang Xiao practiced the Heavenly Demon Dragon Roar, mastering its third roar but failing to reach the fourth.
• Zhao Yuankan and Huang Xiao left the Envoy Residence with their escorts and arrived at the crowded Xiao Residence.
• Khitan’s young experts recognized Huang Xiao as the Arrest Sage, mocked his rank, and a burly young man claimed he would beat him.

Huang Xiao and Zhao Yuankan arrived at Xiao Yan’s gathering, where Khitan youths greeted the Song envoys with hostility. After a tense exchange and Young Master Sang’s attempt to challenge Huang Xiao, Xiao Yan shifted the gathering toward viewing paintings, while Yelü Mengdu had still not appeared.

• Huang Xiao and Zhao Yuankan entered the Xiao Residence after hearing Khitan youths discuss Huang Xiao and anticipate Yelü Mengdu’s arrival.
• Huang Xiao insulted the Khitan talents’ abilities, and Zhao Yuankan introduced himself and offered to discuss poetry, calligraphy, and painting.
• Xiao Yan arrived with You Lian'er, and Young Master Yan voiced his eagerness to compete with the Song envoys in literary pursuits.
• Young Master Sang challenged Huang Xiao to a fight, but Huang Xiao dismissed him as unqualified and Xiao Yan urged everyone to view paintings first.
• Young Master Sang apologized and asked about Yelü Mengdu; Xiao Yan said they would not wait longer and ordered the paintings brought out.

Xiao Yan welcomed Zhao Yuankan and Huang Xiao to her gathering of famous paintings, where she showed unusual interest in Huang Xiao. While examining one of her bamboo-forest paintings, Huang Xiao discovered a sword technique hidden within it and faced a storm of attacking bamboo leaves.

• Xiao Yan greeted Zhao Yuankan and Huang Xiao, while Huang Xiao waited for Yelü Mengdu, his intended target in the gathering.
• You Lian'er invited Zhao Yuankan and Huang Xiao to view the paintings, and Huang Xiao browsed the works without much interest in art.
• You Lian'er urged Huang Xiao to examine a bamboo-forest painting by Xiao Yan, and he began to feel dizzy as he stared at it.
• Huang Xiao saw a swordsman concealed in the painted bamboo and recognized the figure's movements as an unusually fierce sword technique.
• The painting's bamboo leaves swept toward Huang Xiao in a dense, suffocating wave.