Chapter Summaries

After escaping Li Jilong’s men, Huang Xiao found Li Wujing fleeing from Xu Wuyu and intervened, healing some of Li Wujing’s wounds. Their confrontation revealed that Cao Wuxin had died five years earlier and that Xu Wuyu was hunting Li Wujing after his master was stripped of his cultivation; Li Wujing prepared to fight back.

• Huang Xiao evaded Li Jilong’s pursuers and headed toward the Beggar Gang’s Kaifeng branch to meet Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng.
• Huang Xiao encountered the wounded Li Wujing being chased by Xu Wuyu and two young men, then used his true qi to ease Li Wujing’s injuries.
• Xu Wuyu challenged Huang Xiao, who identified him as a Taixuan Sect disciple and dismissed Cao Wuxin as no threat.
• Li Wujing told Huang Xiao that Cao Wuxin had died after the battle at Shaolin five years earlier, though the Taixuan Sect had never revealed who killed him.
• Xu Wuyu mocked Li Wujing, saying his master’s cultivation had been crippled and that Li Wujing no longer had anyone to protect him.
• Li Wujing angrily challenged Xu Wuyu to fight.

Huang Xiao intervened when Xu Wuyu and two Taixuan Sect disciples cornered Li Wujing, then revealed that Xu Wuyu was the target of a five-year-old debt. After Huang Xiao and Li Wujing killed the three disciples, Xu Wuyu recognized Huang Xiao and was left reeling at how powerful he had become.

• Huang Xiao told Li Wujing that he had a score to settle with Xu Wuyu from five years earlier.
• Huang Xiao struck Xu Wuyu and hurled his two junior brothers aside before they could respond.
• Huang Xiao assigned Xu Wuyu to himself and let Li Wujing kill the other two disciples.
• Huang Xiao told Xu Wuyu that he had killed Grand Martial Uncle Jin, but Xu Wuyu refused to believe him.
• Huang Xiao revealed himself as the Heavenly Demon Sect's sect master, and Xu Wuyu recognized his voice and struggled to accept the vast gap in their strength.

Huang Xiao rescued Li Wujing from Xu Wuyu and invited him to join him, repaying Li for helping him and the Third Princess escape Cao Wuxin in the past. At the Beggar Gang branch, Huang Xiao met Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng in disguise and brought Li Wujing with him.

• Huang Xiao killed Xu Wuyu as he tried to resist, saving Li Wujing.
• Huang Xiao explained that he owed Li Wujing for warning him and the Third Princess on the boat, and Li revealed his hatred for the Taixuan Sect and his wish to save his imprisoned master.
• Huang Xiao invited Li Wujing to travel with him and learned that the Taixuan Sect was preparing to act in Kaifeng.
• Huang Xiao and Li Wujing arrived at a Beggar Gang branch, where Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng recognized Huang Xiao after his voice transmission revealed his identity.
• Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng questioned Huang Xiao about his disguise and asked who Li Wujing was.

Huang Xiao asked Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng to help monitor the court’s growing unrest, which he feared involved the Taixuan Sect and other factions. After Hong Yi agreed to gather intelligence, the three friends teased one another about their romantic commitments, and Dugu Sheng asked Huang Xiao how he planned to handle his relationships with the two princesses.

• Li Wujing introduced himself as a Taixuan Sect disciple, then asked Hong Yi for a quiet room to tend to his serious injuries and left with a Beggar Gang disciple.
• Huang Xiao told Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng that the emperor’s declining health had stirred unrest at court and that the Taixuan Sect might be involved.
• Huang Xiao asked Hong Yi to have the Beggar Gang watch for information about the factions’ movements, and Hong Yi agreed.
• Dugu Sheng pointed out that Hong Yi would help anyway because of his relationship with Zhao Yunya, then teased him for delaying their marriage.
• Dugu Sheng reminded Huang Xiao that he had kept Zhao Xin'er and Zhao Yunhui waiting, and asked how he intended to resolve matters with the two princesses.

Huang Xiao showed Dugu Sheng a new palm technique built around countering other martial moves, and Dugu Sheng gained fresh insight into his swordsmanship while studying it. They left the courtyard agreeing that martial arts followed different paths toward shared principles.

• Huang Xiao assured Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng that he would not let Zhao Xin'er or Zhao Yunhui suffer injustice, and Hong Yi went to order an investigation around Kaifeng.
• Huang Xiao told Dugu Sheng he had developed a palm technique using countering moves inspired by Dugu Sheng's swordsmanship.
• Huang Xiao demonstrated the technique in a secluded courtyard, and Dugu Sheng praised its countering moves.
• Dugu Sheng spent four hours pondering the demonstration while Huang Xiao and Hong Yi waited without disturbing him.
• Dugu Sheng said the exchange had broadened his understanding and that he needed to study other martial arts to counter them effectively.

Huang Xiao watched Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng spar without internal power, and saw Hong Yi’s palm technique neutralize Dugu Sheng’s sword. Li Wujing arrived at the courtyard and recognized the swordsmanship as the Supreme Mystery Sword.

• Dugu Sheng and Hong Yi agreed to spar using only their moves, with Huang Xiao as referee.
• Hong Yi’s first palm strike slipped through Dugu Sheng’s sword shadows, but Dugu Sheng withdrew his soft sword in time to defend.
• Dugu Sheng’s sword net forced Hong Yi back, and he pressed forward to continue the attack.
• Hong Yi met the Snow-Chanting Soft Sword with quick, light palm touches that disrupted Dugu Sheng’s swordsmanship without using internal power.
• Li Wujing reached the courtyard entrance, saw the spar, and cried out that Dugu Sheng was using the Supreme Mystery Sword.

Li Wujing recognized Dugu Sheng’s self-created swordsmanship as the Taixuan Sword after demonstrating the technique himself. He explained that it belonged to a nearly extinct lineage of the Taixuan Sect and survived only in an incomplete manual.

• Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng stopped their sparring when Li Wujing arrived, and Li asked Dugu Sheng whether his swordsmanship was the Taixuan Sword.
• Dugu Sheng lent Li Wujing the Snow-Chanting Soft Sword, and Li demonstrated the Taixuan Sword before coughing up blood as the exertion aggravated his injuries.
• Huang Xiao, Hong Yi, and Dugu Sheng noticed that Li’s technique closely resembled Dugu Sheng’s swordsmanship, including moves Dugu Sheng had developed from the Broken Sword Scripture and the stone wall’s sword marks.
• Li confirmed that he had performed the Taixuan Sword and explained that only he and his master knew it within the Taixuan Sect.
• Li told them that the Taixuan Sword was a secret legacy of his master’s lineage, which had only two surviving members, and that its manual was incomplete.

Li Wujing explained that Dugu Sheng’s swordsmanship and Huang Xiao’s Broken Sword Scripture were incomplete parts of the Taixuan Sword, and revealed the history of his lineage’s decline. He identified the sword’s creator as Li Bai, courtesy name Taibai, leaving Huang Xiao and Hong Yi puzzled that the famed Tang poet had no known reputation in the Jianghu.

• Li Wujing confirmed that the sword marks Dugu Sheng had studied and Huang Xiao’s Broken Sword Scripture were connected to the Taixuan Sword, and Dugu Sheng said he had sensed that his swordsmanship was incomplete.
• Huang Xiao worried that Li Wujing might demand the swordsmanship back, but Li Wujing said he considered Dugu Sheng’s possession of it an acknowledgment from the Patriarch.
• Li Wujing explained that only he and his master could practice the Taixuan Sword, because the Patriarch had forbidden others from learning it and the sect possessed only an incomplete set of moves.
• Li Wujing described how his lineage had been oppressed for failing to pass down the complete swordsmanship, leaving him as its sole successor after his master was framed and crippled.
• Li Wujing revealed that the Taixuan Sword’s creator was Li Bai, courtesy name Taibai, and Hong Yi questioned how the famous poet could have been an unknown Jianghu expert.

Huang Xiao explained why Li Bai was renowned as a swordsman as well as a poet, using his poems as evidence of his growing skill. Li Wujing confirmed that Li Bai created the Taixuan Sword from his deep understanding of the Scripture of Great Mystery, though the sword art was incomplete.

• Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng reacted with disbelief when Li Wujing confirmed that Li Bai was their lineage's Patriarch and had created the Taixuan Sword.
• Huang Xiao told them that Li Bai was considered the second-greatest swordsman of his time and cited the many swords and sword techniques described in his poems.
• Dugu Sheng and Li Wujing agreed that Li Bai's later poems revealed increasingly profound swordsmanship.
• Huang Xiao suggested that Li Bai's swordsmanship culminated in the creation of the Taixuan Sword and asked about its connection to the Scripture of Great Mystery.
• Li Wujing said Li Bai had considered the Taixuan Sword, rather than the Taixuan Mystical Art, the orthodox cultivation method of the Scripture of Great Mystery, but the sword art was incomplete.

Li Wujing offered to teach Huang Xiao the Taixuan Sword so he could rescue his master, but Huang Xiao urged him to teach Dugu Sheng instead. Dugu Sheng agreed to learn it and promised to help against the Taixuan Sect, while Huang Xiao was left focused on reclaiming the position of supreme ruler of the demonic sects.

• Li Wujing offered to teach Huang Xiao the Taixuan Sword in exchange for rescuing his master, but Huang Xiao said Dugu Sheng was the better swordsman to receive it.
• Dugu Sheng initially refused, citing the taboo against learning another sect’s cultivation method without authorization.
• Li Wujing agreed that Dugu Sheng was the right candidate, and Dugu Sheng accepted on condition that he would teach Li Wujing only after the Taixuan Sect was destroyed.
• Li Wujing accepted the condition and asked Dugu Sheng to help rescue his master; Dugu Sheng promised to oppose the Taixuan Sect regardless of whether he mastered the swordsmanship.
• Huang Xiao recalled his desire to make the Heavenly Demon Sect supreme again and asked Hong Yi to arrange a quiet room for Dugu Sheng and Li Wujing.

Huang Xiao visited Little Eagle, then secretly entered the Crown Prince's Residence to meet Zhao Yuankan. He agreed to protect the Crown Prince while warning him not to let his guard down.

• Huang Xiao checked that Little Eagle was doing well in Dugu Sheng's care and left the Beggar Gang Branch Altar.
• Huang Xiao evaded Li Jilong's watchers and slipped into the Crown Prince's Residence.
• Huang Xiao found Zhao Yuankan in his study, and Zhao recognized him by his voice.
• Huang Xiao warned Zhao Yuankan that danger remained despite the experts guarding him.
• Huang Xiao promised to protect Zhao Yuankan but said he could not stay at his side all the time.

Huang Xiao checked that Zhao Yuankan treated Yelü Yin well, then turned to discuss the Crown Prince’s household security. A report about Gui Jiu and the Seven-Spirit Disc caught Huang Xiao’s attention, and he asked when and where the matter would take place.

• Huang Xiao visited Yelü Yin with Zhao Yuankan and was satisfied to see that they were close.
• Huang Xiao returned with Zhao Yuankan to the study to discuss the experts and concealed sentries in the residence.
• A subordinate interrupted them with news from the Jianghu, and Huang Xiao closed his eyes to let Zhao Yuankan hear it privately.
• The subordinate reported that Gui Jiu had announced he possessed the Seven-Spirit Disc and could unravel the secret of the Seven Spirit Blades.
• Huang Xiao suddenly asked when and where.

Huang Xiao and Zhao Yuankan discussed Gui Jiu’s plan to gather the owners of the Seven Spirit Blades in Kaifeng, which threatened to make the city’s already unstable situation harder to control. After reassuring Zhao Yuankan and explaining the Crown Prince’s hidden sentry arrangements, Huang Xiao went to Willow Shade Villa, where Zhao Yunhui had prepared quarters for him.

• A subordinate told Zhao Yuankan and Huang Xiao that Gui Jiu planned to gather the owners of the Seven Spirit Blades in Kaifeng to uncover their secret.
• Huang Xiao explained that Gui Jiu had obtained the Seven-Spirit Disc and warned that the gathering could bring powerful figures into an already volatile Kaifeng.
• Zhao Yuankan worried about the threat to the city, and Huang Xiao advised him to focus on his own safety and rely on the Emperor to adjust his plans.
• Huang Xiao explained the Crown Prince’s hidden sentry arrangements to Zhao Yuankan, then left to visit Willow Shade Villa.
• The steward welcomed Huang Xiao to Willow Shade Villa as Young Master Qingxiao and showed him the quarters Zhao Yunhui had arranged.

Huang Xiao let Zhao Yunhui arrange a bath and meal for him, and their time alone grew increasingly intimate. Zhao Yunhui had come with Zhao Xin'er’s permission, leaving Huang Xiao and Zhao Yunhui poised to deepen their relationship.

• Huang Xiao was interrupted while recalling Li Wujing’s Taixuan Sword when servants arrived with hot water arranged by Zhao Yunhui.
• Huang Xiao frightened a maidservant by glaring at her, but Zhao Yunhui arrived and sent the servants away.
• Zhao Yunhui helped Huang Xiao bathe and change, then served him a meal that included two dishes she had cooked herself.
• Zhao Yunhui told Huang Xiao that Zhao Xin'er had asked her to take good care of him, and Huang Xiao realized Zhao Xin'er had given them time alone.
• Huang Xiao praised Zhao Yunhui’s beauty, and she nervously prepared for their private moment together.

Huang Xiao asked Zhao Guangyi about the Seven Spirit Blades and learned that a powerful, mysterious master had received one and wanted to meet him. After leaving the palace under Li Jilong’s surveillance, Huang Xiao ran into Du Ge outside the Six Gates and agreed to talk with him.

• Huang Xiao visited Zhao Guangyi, who revealed that he had given his Seven Spirit Blade to a trusted master but could not yet disclose the man’s identity.
• Huang Xiao and Zhao Guangyi discussed the Seven Spirit Blades, Gui Jiu, and the risk that their owners might cause trouble in Kaifeng.
• Huang Xiao left the palace while Li Jilong’s men openly followed him, and he decided not to bother evading them.
• Huang Xiao met Du Ge outside the Six Gates, congratulated him on becoming the Yellow Gate Arrest Sage, and accepted his invitation to talk.

Huang Xiao and Du Ge discussed the Seven Spirit Blades, unrest in the Imperial Court, and the Six Gates at the Immortal Abode. Du Ge’s grandmaster, Tong Jiuyang, arrived and began a private conversation with Huang Xiao about matters they could discuss.

• Huang Xiao and Du Ge went to the Immortal Abode, where Huang Xiao reflected on Liu Gui and Xiao Qin and asked about Huang Qitao’s long seclusion.
• Huang Xiao warned Du Ge that Chen Feidiao and Jiang Ang might cause trouble, and Du Ge revealed that his grandmaster was in Kaifeng.
• Du Ge explained that Tong Jiuyang had emerged from retirement because turmoil in the Jianghu could threaten the Great Song.
• Tong Jiuyang entered the private room, tested Huang Xiao with his imposing aura, and praised his strength before sitting down with him.
• Tong Jiuyang dismissed Du Ge and told Huang Xiao that their chance meeting had brought matters they could discuss.

Huang Xiao met Tong Jiuyang, who explained why he had returned to serve the Imperial Court and warned him about hidden threats, including the former Arrest God Mu Jingfei. Tong Jiuyang revealed that the mastermind who had gravely wounded Emperor Taizu and Zhao Guangyi was Tuoba Xiongzhen.

• Tong Jiuyang thanked Huang Xiao for the Sui Emperor Chapter, which Zhao Yunhui had handed over under Zhao Guangyi's pressure, and said it would help him refine his Supreme Yang Skill.
• Huang Xiao and Tong Jiuyang discussed Li Jilong, Wang Jien, the Taixuan Sect, and Huang Qitao as threats to the Imperial Court.
• Tong Jiuyang revealed that Mu Jingfei, the former Arrest God, was still alive and might be investigating the person who had trapped him and Qiu Kui.
• Tong Jiuyang said he had spent years investigating the person who injured Emperor Taizu and Zhao Guangyi, and that Mu Jingfei was also tracking him.
• Tong Jiuyang named Tuoba Xiongzhen as the mastermind and spoke with killing intent.

Huang Xiao and Tong Jiuyang discussed Tuoba Xiongzhen’s hidden strength and the threat he posed, then compared notes about Gui Jiu obtaining the Seven-Spirit Disc. They ended by discussing the Seven Spirit Blades and how the You Family’s blade had passed to Wan Qingteng, likely in exchange for medicine for Li Jiqian.

• Tong Jiuyang revealed that Tuoba Xiongzhen had killed both Zhao Kuangyin and Tong Jiuyang’s wife, and admitted he feared he might not be strong enough to avenge them.
• Tong Jiuyang said Tuoba Xiongzhen was probably still alive despite reports of his death, but he did not know where the man was hiding.
• Tong Jiuyang noted that Gui Jiu had obtained the Seven-Spirit Disc, and Huang Xiao described how he had fought Gui Jiu for it and killed Jin Yi.
• Huang Xiao said he was not concerned about the Taixuan Sect retaliating for Jin Yi’s death, and Tong Jiuyang praised his confidence.
• Huang Xiao and Tong Jiuyang confirmed that each held a Seven Spirit Blade, while Huang Xiao explained that the You Family’s blade had gone to Wan Qingteng, possibly to obtain medicine for Li Jiqian.

Huang Xiao and Tong Jiuyang discussed the Seven Spirit Blades, their owners, and Gui Jiu’s plans, then Tong Jiuyang left. Huang Xiao and Du Ge encountered Liaochen, Meng Jiu, and an unfamiliar handsome man at the Immortal Abode, and invited them inside.

• Tong Jiuyang explained that the Medicine King Hall’s Everlasting Spring Youth-Restoring Art granted immense internal power but limited fighting strength.
• Huang Xiao and Tong Jiuyang discussed the Seven Spirit Blades, including blades held by the Medicine King Hall’s living immortal and Tuoba Xiongzhen, and questioned whether Gui Jiu owned one.
• Tong Jiuyang said Gui Jiu had seized the Seven-Spirit Disc and would likely make a move within days, then took his leave.
• Du Ge reflected on how Tong Jiuyang’s guidance had helped him grow stronger after Xie Qing took him as a disciple.
• Huang Xiao sensed Liaochen, Meng Jiu, and an unfamiliar handsome man arriving, opened the door, and invited them into the room.

Huang Xiao met Meng Jiu, Liaochen, and Zhang Daocheng in Kaifeng and revealed how powerful the reunited Heavenly Demon Sect had become. As righteous-path experts gathered to assist Zhao Guangyi, Huang Xiao declared that his sect would help and warned that he would destroy anyone plotting evil, even the Taixuan Sect.

• Huang Xiao revealed his identity to Meng Jiu, Liaochen, and Zhang Daocheng, and they shared wine and renewed their acquaintance.
• Meng Jiu asked about Huang Xiao's cultivation, and Huang Xiao said he was probably stronger than Hong Yi and Dugu Sheng.
• Zhang Daocheng and Liaochen told Huang Xiao that Perfected Being Xuyan, divine monks Pufa and Pulu, and Old Drunkard with his friends had come to Kaifeng amid the Imperial Court's turmoil.
• Huang Xiao said the Heavenly Demon Sect had reunited and emerged from seclusion, and that its forces would arrive in Kaifeng within days to help Zhao Guangyi.
• Huang Xiao vowed to slaughter anyone secretly plotting evil, even members of the Taixuan Sect, and his imposing aura showed the others how far his strength surpassed theirs.