Recaps

Hong Yi explained the Beggar Gang’s Rich and Poor factions before asking Princess Yunya for food for the starving Huang Xiao. Princess Yunya gave them Meat Buns and returned to her residence, while Huang Xiao’s deference to her revealed his unfamiliarity with the martial world.

• Hong Yi described how the Beggar Gang’s wealthy disciples formed the Rich Beggar Faction, while he and Liu Xia represented opposing factions in Jin City.
• Huang Xiao’s stomach growled, prompting Hong Yi to ask Princess Yunya for steamed buns and explain that Huang Xiao was a penniless newcomer from the mountains.
• Huang Xiao knelt to greet Princess Yunya, surprising Hong Yi and drawing a cool response from the princess.
• Princess Yunya ordered Xiao Xiang to bring Meat Buns for Hong Yi and Huang Xiao.
• Hong Yi accepted the buns and urged Huang Xiao to eat, then Princess Yunya returned to her residence.

Huang Xiao accepted Hong Yi’s offer of shelter and stayed at the Jin City Branch while grieving for Xuanzhenzi and examining the Small Iron Token. He resolved to increase his Internal Power through his unusual meridians so he could cultivate the Death Seal and seek revenge on Bai Tianqi and the Huaqing Sect.

• Huang Xiao accepted Hong Yi’s offer to stay with him and followed him to the Jin City Branch.
• Huang Xiao meditated in his shabby room and found that his Internal Power had improved to at least five years’ worth of cultivation.
• Huang Xiao examined Xuanzhenzi’s Small Iron Token, noticed its carvings of a snake and a scorpion, and put it away.
• Huang Xiao looked at Zhao Xin’er’s kerchief, mourned their uncertain future, and refocused on avenging his master.
• Huang Xiao decided to rely on his unusual meridians and expanded dantian to absorb Internal Power, reach the First-Class realm, and prepare to cultivate the Death Seal.

Huang Xiao survived an assassination attempt by Huaqing Sect disciples at the Beggar Gang’s Branch Altar, where Hong Yi intervened and drove them away. After Huang Xiao explained his enmity with the sect, Hong Yi promised to help investigate the Green Ox Gate and suggested Huang Xiao join the Six Gates for protection.

• Two Huaqing Sect disciples attacked Huang Xiao in his room, but he evaded them and escaped through a window.
• Hong Yi struck the assassins down before they could reach Huang Xiao and identified himself as the Beggar Gang’s altar master.
• Hong Yi let the Huaqing Sect disciples leave after they admitted who they were and apologized for trespassing.
• Huang Xiao explained his feud with the Huaqing Sect, and Hong Yi offered to have Beggar Gang disciples investigate the Green Ox Gate.
• Hong Yi warned that Huang Xiao would remain in danger outside the Branch Altar and suggested he join the Six Gates.

Huang Xiao learned about the Six Gates and its reserve constables, then decided to try for a place in the Yellow Gate’s upcoming recruitment in Jin City. Hong Yi offered him a place to stay and martial guidance, while withholding the identity of the Yellow Gate’s Arrest Sage.

• Huang Xiao asked whether his limited martial arts could qualify him for the Six Gates, and Hong Yi explained that it also trained reserve constables.
• Hong Yi told Huang Xiao that the Yellow Gate would recruit in Jin City in three days, and Huang Xiao decided to apply as a reserve constable.
• Huang Xiao asked who led the Yellow Gate, but Hong Yi smiled oddly and told him to wait until the time came.
• Hong Yi invited Huang Xiao to stay and offered to help with his martial arts, then left to get more sleep.
• Hong Yi felt closer to Huang Xiao because he readily accepted being called Brother Hong and believed his story could be verified.

Huang Xiao prepared to join the Six Gates, hoping its protection would help him survive and eventually take revenge on the Huaqing Sect. At the recruitment assessment outside Jin City, he learned that Hong Yi served the Six Gates as a retainer and helped judge recruits.

• Huang Xiao stayed in Jin City for three days, received martial guidance from Hong Yi, and learned that the Green Ox Gate and his three senior brothers were safe after experts intervened against the Huaqing Sect.
• Hong Yi left the city with Beggar Gang disciples and had Huang Xiao escorted to the Six Gates' recruitment assessment to protect him from the Huaqing Sect.
• Huang Xiao reached the fighting platform outside Jin City and saw martial artists compete while respected regional masters gathered to judge the selection.
• Hong Yi arrived and took a seat among the judges, and a Beggar Gang disciple told Huang Xiao that Hong Yi was a retainer of the Six Gates' Yellow Gate.
• Huang Xiao and the Beggar Gang disciple discussed Hong Yi's reputation and the other prodigies on the Young Eagle Ranking.

Huang Xiao learned that Princess Yunya was the Yellow Gate’s acting Arrest Sage and watched her open the Six Gates constable selection. She announced only three full constable positions and two reserve positions, and the crowd reacted to the unusually small number.

• Huang Xiao asked the Beggar Gang disciples when the Arrest Sage would arrive, and one hinted that Huang Xiao had already met her.
• Princess Yunya arrived, crossed to the platform with extraordinary lightness skill, and was greeted as the Arrest Sage.
• A Beggar Gang disciple explained to Huang Xiao that Princess Yunya served as the Yellow Gate’s acting Arrest Sage and was said to rival Hong Yi.
• Princess Yunya announced that the Yellow Gate would select three full constables and two reserve constables.
• The martial artists murmured about the limited positions, and an unknown person shouted that even three was too many.

Huang Xiao watched Mu Qiang clash verbally with an unknown young gentleman before joining the Six Gates reserve constable selection. The contestants gathered in the arena, where a powerful senior tested them with his aura.

• Mu Qiang warned the martial artists competing for Six Gates constable positions that he would show no mercy, driven by his resolve to surpass Dugu Sheng.
• An unknown young gentleman mocked Mu Qiang's standing and questioned whether he could match Dugu Sheng, and Mu Qiang vowed to remember him for their matches.
• Huang Xiao asked the Beggar Gang disciples about the young gentleman, but they could not identify him and guessed that he had a powerful background.
• An old man began the reserve constable selection, and Huang Xiao entered the arena with more than thirty other contestants.
• A senior expert released a powerful aura to test the contestants; Huang Xiao endured it while several others turned pale or stepped back.

Yun Feng tested the reserve constable candidates, and Huang Xiao passed by resisting and absorbing the pressure of Yun Feng’s gaze. Ten candidates remained for the final test, in which they had to touch Yun Feng’s robe within a quarter of an hour.

• Yun Feng eliminated five candidates whose composure faltered under his presence.
• Yun Feng tested the remaining candidates with pressure sent through his gaze, and Huang Xiao resisted it by circulating the Everlasting Spring Art and absorbing the invading power.
• Yun Feng kept the ten candidates who had not moved their feet and eliminated the rest.
• Yun Feng told the ten candidates to attack him together and touch his robe within a quarter of an hour, while he relied only on movement techniques to evade them.
• Yun Feng invited the ten candidates to begin the final test.

Huang Xiao used Snake-Traveling Tiny Steps to evade Yun Feng and seize the hem of his robe during the reserve constable trial. He succeeded just before time ran out, impressing the watching experts.

• Yun Feng evaded the ten candidates with Flowing Cloud Movement while testing whether they could touch his robe.
• Hong Yi told the observers that Huang Xiao had a distinctive movement technique and could reach Yun Feng.
• Yun Feng urged the candidates to use any remaining special moves as the quarter-hour trial neared its end.
• Huang Xiao unleashed Snake-Traveling Tiny Steps and followed Yun Feng's dodge with unexpectedly subtle footwork.
• Huang Xiao fell forward and grabbed the hem of Yun Feng's white robe.

Yun Feng selected Huang Xiao of the Green Ox Gate as a reserve constable, while rejecting the other candidates. As the selection for full constables was about to begin, Tuoba Xing of Wei Family Fort challenged Hong Yi to a contest.

• Yun Feng eliminated the remaining candidates and chose Huang Xiao as the sole reserve constable.
• Huang Xiao introduced himself to Princess Yunya, who told him to wait while the full constable selection took place.
• The Beggar Gang disciples congratulated Huang Xiao, who resolved to work toward becoming a full constable and taking revenge on the Huaqing Sect.
• A youth interrupted the announcement of the full constable selection and said he had come to challenge Hong Yi.
• Princess Yunya identified the youth's surname as Tuoba, and he introduced himself as Tuoba Xing of Wei Family Fort in Lin'an.

Tuoba Xing, a young expert from Lin'an Wei Family Fort, challenged Hong Yi to prove he was the foremost fighter on the Young Eagle Ranking. Princess Yunya allowed them to use the arena, and the duel was about to begin with both men wary despite their confident words.

• A Beggar Gang disciple told Huang Xiao that Tuoba Xing was also on the Young Eagle Ranking and explained that he sought to establish himself above the other nine.
• Tuoba Xing insisted on fighting Hong Yi at the constable selection, and Hong Yi agreed after Princess Yunya offered them the arena.
• Tuoba Xing called for Hong Yi to use the Dragon-Capturing Divine Palm, while Hong Yi chose to fight without his Demon-Slaying Staff.
• Tuoba Xing discarded his fan and exchanged courteous, confident words with Hong Yi before they prepared to fight.

Hong Yi and Tuoba Xing fought evenly, projecting internal power as they traded blows. Tuoba Xing insisted that Hong Yi use the Beggar Gang’s Dragon-Capturing Divine Palm, and Hong Yi began gathering qi to unleash it.

• Hong Yi and Tuoba Xing exchanged rapid attacks, and their projected internal power clashed as they fought across the arena.
• Huang Xiao watched their skill with awe and reflected on his weak martial arts and his vow to kill Bai Tianqi.
• Tuoba Xing said their fight would not be settled without their true skills and challenged Hong Yi to use the Dragon-Capturing Divine Palm.
• Hong Yi warned Tuoba Xing that the technique was difficult to control, then gathered qi and opened his palms as a terrifying aura spread from him.

Hong Yi and Tuoba Xing faced off as Hong Yi tested the Tuoba family's Force-Shifting Position Exchange against his Dragon-Capturing Divine Palm. Tuoba Xing redirected Hong Yi's palm force and sent it back at him, and their fight continued with neither gaining the upper hand.

• Hong Yi and Tuoba Xing released their auras and clashed before Hong Yi attacked with a dragon-shaped Dragon-Capturing Divine Palm.
• Tuoba Xing used Force-Shifting Position Exchange to disperse Hong Yi's palm force with his bare hands.
• Tuoba Xing sent the Dragon-Capturing Divine Palm's force back at Hong Yi, who countered with another palm strike and canceled it out.
• Hong Yi charged Tuoba Xing without pausing, and the two resumed close combat.
• Tuoba Xing repeatedly redirected Hong Yi's Dragon-Capturing Divine Palm back at him, forcing Hong Yi to dodge or counter each strike.

Hong Yi and Tuoba Xing fought to a draw after their exchanged attacks injured them both, and Princess Yunya stopped the duel. Dugu Sheng arrived at the gathering, where Tuoba Xing met another Young Eagle Ranking prodigy he hoped to challenge.

• Hong Yi and Tuoba Xing exhausted their internal power and injured each other, then agreed to end their duel in a draw at Princess Yunya's urging.
• Princess Yunya praised the fighters and invited Tuoba Xing to become a Six Gates retainer, which he eagerly accepted.
• Dugu Sheng arrived late, and Huang Xiao recognized him as the expert he had met in Huaqing City.
• Hong Yi greeted Dugu Sheng warmly and introduced him to Tuoba Xing, who expressed interest in testing Dugu Sheng's swordsmanship.

Mu Qiang challenged Dugu Sheng, who dismissed him, while Tuoba Xing mocked him. Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng left Princess Yunya’s constable selection to drink, and Huang Xiao’s unexpected presence surprised Dugu Sheng as they prepared to leave together.

• Mu Qiang challenged Dugu Sheng, but Dugu Sheng refused and said Mu Qiang was not worthy of being his opponent.
• Tuoba Xing joined Dugu Sheng in belittling Mu Qiang, who restrained himself despite his anger.
• Hong Yi announced he was leaving with Dugu Sheng for wine and invited Tuoba Xing, who declined and challenged them both to future matches.
• Princess Yunya offered Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng fine wine, and they said farewell before leaping from the platform.
• Hong Yi asked Huang Xiao to return with them, and Dugu Sheng recognized him as Daoist Qingxiao and asked whether he had returned to secular life.

Huang Xiao left the constable selection trials with Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng, who welcomed him as a friend and elder brother. He learned that the Huaqing Sect had been destroyed and vowed to find Bai Tianqi and avenge his master if Bai was still alive.

• Hong Yi arranged for Huang Xiao to go to the manor the next day so the Arrest Sage could make arrangements for him.
• Hong Yi, Dugu Sheng, and Huang Xiao returned to the Beggar Gang's Branch Altar and shared wine and food sent from Prince Jin's Manor.
• Huang Xiao told Dugu Sheng about his master's death, and Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng reassured him that they valued him as a friend.
• Dugu Sheng told Huang Xiao that the Huaqing Sect had been wiped out three days earlier and that Bai Tianqi's fate was unknown.
• Huang Xiao rejoiced at the sect's destruction and vowed to kill Bai Tianqi himself if he was still alive.

Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng discussed the Huaqing Sect’s destruction and the rumors about the Scripture of Great Peace. Dugu Sheng revealed that the sect’s killers left no survivors or clues, and the two considered how many martial factions might pursue the legendary martial art.

• Huang Xiao, Hong Yi, and Dugu Sheng drank heavily, and Huang Xiao passed out and was carried back to his room by Beggar Gang disciples.
• Dugu Sheng told Hong Yi that he had visited Huaqing City to investigate the Huaqing Sect and denied having any part in its destruction.
• Dugu Sheng explained that Bai Tianqi had uncovered clues about the Scripture of Great Peace, and that rumors about it had drawn forces that wiped out the Huaqing Sect.
• Dugu Sheng said he had investigated on his father’s orders and revealed that he had mastered the forty-five moves of the fifth form of the Nine Heavenly Sword Forms.
• Dugu Sheng told Hong Yi that the Huaqing Sect’s attackers left no survivors or clues, despite dozens of sects arriving at the scene that night.
• Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng agreed that the Scripture of Great Peace could tempt even powerful sects and hidden factions, and Hong Yi admitted the Beggar Gang might also be drawn in.

Dugu Sheng and Hong Yi discussed the growing unrest in the martial world, the dangers of the Scripture of Great Peace, and the demonic and evil sects they hoped to encounter. Dugu Sheng invited Hong Yi to investigate the affair together, and they planned to seek information from the commandery princess the next day before settling in to drink.

• Dugu Sheng said he felt uneasy about the martial world’s rising unrest, and Hong Yi agreed that the evil and demonic factions might soon make their move.
• Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng recalled the catastrophic Profound Ice Sect incident and discussed how Ling Tianya’s Ten Thousand Demons Canon had devastated the righteous path.
• Hong Yi told Dugu Sheng about the Heavenly Demon Canon, while both men expressed interest in testing the arts of the Soul-Devouring Demon Sect and the Remnant Demon Sect.
• Dugu Sheng asked Hong Yi to help investigate who was behind the current affair, and Hong Yi agreed to join him.
• Dugu Sheng said they would ask the commandery princess for leads the next day, then challenged Hong Yi to drink with him.

Huang Xiao went to Prince Jin's Manor with Beggar Gang disciples escorting him and learned how life in the Six Gates would differ for reserve and full constables. Princess Yunya explained their privileges and martial arts benefits, and said the new constables would register at headquarters and receive a technique.

• Huang Xiao learned that Mu Qiang and Du Ge had been selected as full constables, then greeted them outside the Prince's Mansion.
• A steward led Huang Xiao, Mu Qiang, and Du Ge into the manor to wait for Princess Yunya.
• Princess Yunya told Mu Qiang and Du Ge that full constables had greater freedom, while Huang Xiao would spend most of his time at the Six Gates.
• Princess Yunya explained that constables could study Six Gates martial arts manuals, with access to better techniques tied to their contributions.
• Princess Yunya said an assignment would come in a few days and ordered the three new constables to register at Six Gates headquarters, where each could choose one technique as a reward.

Huang Xiao and the others stayed at the Prince's Mansion while they waited to leave for Kaifeng and learned more about their new positions in the Six Gates. Princess Yunya then announced their first mission, prompting Mu Qiang to question whether Huang Xiao could safely join them.

• Princess Yunya gave Huang Xiao, Du Ge, and Mu Qiang books explaining the Six Gates' rules and powers, then arranged rooms for them at the Prince's Mansion.
• Huang Xiao received fine clothes, learned that Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng had left on business, and found that his master's internal power was merging with his own more quickly than expected.
• Huang Xiao vowed to seek the Heavenly Mountain Pavilion after avenging his master's great wrong.
• After three days, Princess Yunya announced that the three men would leave for Kaifeng and assigned them a mission.
• Mu Qiang questioned whether Huang Xiao should join the mission because his weak cultivation could make him a burden, while Six Gates rules required partners to protect one another.

Princess Yunya assigned Huang Xiao, Mu Qiang, and Du Ge a third-class escort mission, promising first-class rewards for Mu Qiang and Du Ge if they pleased the employer. As the three waited to depart for the Capital City, Huang Xiao learned more about the Six Gates’ constable rankings and special-class constables.

• Princess Yunya assigned the three an escort mission to the Capital City and offered Mu Qiang and Du Ge first-class techniques as rewards if they satisfied the employer.
• Huang Xiao, Mu Qiang, and Du Ge waited outside the Prince's Mansion the next morning before setting out.
• Du Ge discussed the upcoming assessment at Six Gates headquarters and said he hoped to become a second-class constable, while Mu Qiang was likely to earn first class.
• Huang Xiao asked about special-class constables, and Du Ge explained that they surpassed first-class constables by an uncertain margin and served as the Six Gates’ retainers.

Huang Xiao and Du Ge discussed the ranks and prospects of Six Gates constables while waiting for their departure from the Prince's Mansion. Princess Yunya entrusted the journey to Zhang Jin and Chen Ao, and the party set off with an unknown passenger still inside the carriage.

• Du Ge explained the strength and status of retainers and said he hoped to become a First-Class Constable, while Huang Xiao aimed to become an Official Constable.
• A carriage emerged from the Prince's Mansion with twenty-two guards led by Zhang Jin, who introduced himself as a First-Class Constable of the Yellow Division.
• Zhang Jin and the others greeted Chen Ao, whose ties to the Prince's Mansion were unclear to Huang Xiao.
• Princess Yunya stepped down from the carriage without revealing who was inside and ordered Zhang Jin and Chen Ao to escort the journey to the Capital City.
• Princess Yunya wished the group well, and the driver urged the carriage forward.

While traveling toward Kaifeng, Zhang Jin’s party encountered the gravely wounded Six Gates member Hu Yang, who died after entrusting Zhang Jin with four words. Zhang Jin ordered the witnesses to keep the message secret, leaving the purpose of Hu Yang’s mission unknown.

• Huang Xiao asked Du Ge about the woman traveling in the carriage, but Du Ge could only guess she was a court official’s daughter and close to the Commandery Princess.
• Mu Qiang and Du Ge spotted a badly wounded man approaching and stopped him as Zhang Jin and Chen Ao prepared the party for danger.
• The man recognized Zhang Jin as Hu Yang, and Zhang Jin rushed to help his old friend.
• Hu Yang told Zhang Jin to remember the words “heaven,” “earth,” “fortune,” and “way,” then died from his injuries.
• Zhang Jin warned Huang Xiao, Mu Qiang, and Du Ge that they would be killed if they revealed what they had heard.

After Hu Yang of the Six Gates died, Zhang Jin confronted Zhu He and the Demonic Path group that had killed him. With the young lady’s safety entrusted to Chen Ao and the others, Zhang Jin prepared to fight Zhu He while Huang Xiao was ordered to guard the carriage.

• Zhang Jin carried Hu Yang’s body back to the group, and Chen Ao offered condolences before Zhang Jin warned him to stay alert.
• More than thirty Demonic Path members arrived, and their leader Zhu He asked Zhang Jin to hand over the man Hu Yang had pursued.
• Zhang Jin identified himself as a First-Class Constable and vowed that none of the Demonic Path members would leave after they killed a Six Gates brother.
• Zhang Jin asked Chen Ao to protect the young lady while he fought Zhu He, and the young lady agreed to let him avenge Hu Yang.
• Zhang Jin told Mu Qiang, Du Ge, and Huang Xiao to stand their ground, then ordered Huang Xiao to guard the carriage; Huang Xiao accepted the order and resolved to become stronger.

Huang Xiao rode with the old man and watched Zhang Jin and the Six Gates guards clash with the Demonic Path. Zhang Jin and Zhu He fought to the death while Chen Ao’s men held off a larger force, leaving the battle unresolved.

• The old man encouraged Huang Xiao to work hard and suggested that he might one day surpass Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng.
• Zhang Jin engaged Zhu He, the Demonic Fist, while Chen Ao led fifteen guards against the Demonic Path fighters and five guards protected the carriage.
• Zhang Jin and Zhu He traded powerful blows, and Chen Ao realized Zhang Jin had concealed how much stronger he was.
• Zhang Jin refused to retreat and vowed that either he or Zhu He would die, forcing Zhu He to keep fighting.
• Chen Ao struggled against a similarly skilled opponent while his fifteen men held more than thirty Demonic Path fighters at bay.