Chapter Summaries

Huang Xiao rented a superior room at the brothel, using its view of the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency to observe the escort agency rather than pursue Jiaojiao. From the women attending him, he learned the agency had suffered repeated losses and was rumored to be finished.

• The madam explained the brothel’s admission prices and room grades, and Huang Xiao paid ten thousand taels for the western superior room.
• Xiaoju and Xiaohe accompanied Huang Xiao upstairs and explained that Jiaojiao would choose a suitor from among the guests in the five private rooms, with her own preference mattering alongside the bids.
• Huang Xiao looked through the western room’s window at the brightly lit Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency, revealing that he had chosen the brothel to watch it.
• Xiaohe complained about the agency’s lights and noise, and Xiaoju said it had lost shipments and paid heavy compensation.
• Xiaoju told Huang Xiao that a Swift Sword Sect disciple had said the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency was finished.

Huang Xiao learned from Xiaoju about Liu Douqi and the origins of the Transcendent Immortal Swordsmanship, which he recognized as an incomplete form of Taixuan Sword Swordsmanship. Meanwhile, Lin Feng reported to her lady that Jiao Jiao had attracted a promising young man, leaving the lady asking to hear more about him.

• Huang Xiao asked Xiaoju and Xiaohe about the threats facing the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency and Chief Escort Liu.
• Xiaoju recounted Liu Douqi’s rise from trail scout to founder of the agency and his death from injuries sustained in a duel.
• Huang Xiao recognized Liu Douqi’s Transcendent Immortal Swordsmanship as an incomplete form of Taixuan Sword Swordsmanship and wondered whether Li Bai or one of his disciples had taught it to him.
• Lin Feng and Lin Jiao Jiao paid their respects to the lady in the secluded courtyard.
• Lin Feng told the lady that Jiao Jiao had met a promising young man, and the lady asked her to describe him.

Lin Feng arranged for Lin Jiao Jiao to meet Huang Xiao while the young lady prepared to deal personally with the Swift Sword Sect and worried over the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency’s fate. As the Embroidered Spring House filled with guests, the Swift Sword Sect’s young sect master arrived and learned that Master Chen of the Rare Treasures Pavilion had reserved the central guest room.

• Lin Feng told the young lady she had invited Huang Xiao to the Embroidered Spring House because his jade pendant suggested an important background, and the young lady assigned Lin Jiao Jiao to attend him without forcing matters.
• The young lady said she would handle the Swift Sword Sect herself, while she and Nanny Liu discussed whether the elder connected to the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency would intervene if it faced destruction.
• Nanny Liu suggested the young lady observe Huang Xiao, but the young lady and Xiao Qing dismissed the idea that anyone in Chaotic Province was worth her attention.
• Lin Feng addressed the packed Embroidered Spring House and announced that Jiao Jiao would appear soon, warning guests that they would have to pay in advance.
• The young sect master of the Swift Sword Sect asked for the central superior guest room, but Lin Feng told him Master Chen of the Rare Treasures Pavilion had reserved it, and he backed down.

Zhou Bing arrived at the Embroidered Spring House to compete for Jiaojiao, where he encountered Chen Biao and learned about the other bidders, including Left-Handed Saber Zhu Yang and an unknown young man. Chen Biao suspected the western guest might be unusual and hoped Zhou Bing would draw out clues to his identity.

• Zhou Bing forced a man who had offended him to leave, then followed Lin Feng upstairs while attempting to grope her.
• Chen Biao confronted Zhou Bing about the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency and its Transcendent Immortal Swordsmanship, then said they could compete fairly for Jiaojiao.
• Chen Biao revealed that Left-Handed Saber Zhu Yang had risen to twenty-fifth on the Tiger Rankings after killing Bao Ti, and that an unknown young man occupied the western room.
• Zhu Yang responded angrily to Lin Feng's laughter, while Zhou Bing asked about the unknown guest and grew wary when Chen Biao said Lin Feng had actively persuaded him to enter.
• Chen Biao returned to his room and privately reflected that Zhou Bing might expose clues about the western guest, whom he now found intriguing.

Lin Jiao Jiao prepared for the bidding at the Embroidered Spring House, while Huang Xiao, Chen Biao, Zhou Bing, and Zhu Yang competed for her choice. Zhu Yang offered the highest bid of 250,000 taels, but Jiao Jiao rejected him, leaving her final choice unresolved.

• Lin Jiao Jiao learned that Zhu Yang was in the northern guest room but accepted her master's orders to investigate the gentleman in the West Room.
• Lin Jiao Jiao appeared behind curtains as bidding began, and Huang Xiao made a single bid of 85,000 taels before stopping.
• Chen Biao bid 150,000 taels, and Zhou Bing and Zhu Yang raised the contest to 200,000 taels.
• Zhu Yang bid 250,000 taels, causing Zhou Bing to leave his room after kicking over a chair.
• Lin Jiao Jiao turned toward Zhu Yang and thanked him for his intentions, rejecting the highest bidder.

Lin Jiao Jiao rejected Zhu Yang’s bid of two hundred and fifty thousand taels and chose Huang Xiao, who had offered eighty-five thousand. After paying Lin Feng and speaking privately with Lin Jiao Jiao, Huang Xiao was interrupted when someone kicked open the door.

• Lin Jiao Jiao chose the guest in the western room, Huang Xiao, over Zhu Yang’s higher bid, shocking the crowd.
• Huang Xiao accepted congratulations while Zhu Yang reacted with anger, and Chen Biao introduced himself as the manager of the Rare Treasures Pavilion in Qinyang City.
• Lin Feng collected Huang Xiao’s eighty-five thousand taels and left him alone with Lin Jiao Jiao.
• Huang Xiao asked Lin Jiao Jiao why she had refused the higher bid, and a cold voice interrupted them before someone kicked open the door.

Huang Xiao dealt with Zhu Yang’s attempt to take Lin Jiao Jiao from the Embroidered Spring House, then spoke privately with her about her feelings for him. The chapter ended with a tense gathering at the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency, where Liu Yu firmly opposed his father’s decision.

• Zhu Yang challenged Huang Xiao and demanded Jiaojiao’s freedom, but Lin Feng insisted that he pay ten million taels of silver.
• Lin Jiao Jiao threatened to kill herself, forcing Zhu Yang to leave and promise to raise the money.
• Huang Xiao questioned Lin Jiao Jiao about Zhu Yang and learned that she still seemed to care for him, though she did not explain why she would not leave with him.
• Huang Xiao told Lin Jiao Jiao that he already had beautiful wives and advised her not to let important chances pass, while she quietly refilled his wine.
• Liu Yu declared at the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency that he would not accept his father’s decision.

As the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency faced threats from rival sects, Jiang He demanded compensation for himself and four men who wanted to leave. Liu Jinyi agreed to pay the four men, but Jiang He then asked for the Liu Family’s secret sword forms, leaving the request unresolved.

• Jiang He argued that he and the four men wanted to leave the agency with compensation, while Wang Heng and Fan Rong accused him of abandoning the Liu Family in its time of danger.
• Liu Jinyi accepted their decision to leave and offered each man a payment; Jiang He demanded one million taels each, and Liu Jinyi raised it to one and a half million.
• Wang Heng accused Jiang He of seeking extra money, but Jiang He said he wanted no silver and instead asked Liu Jinyi to teach him the final forms of the Transcendent Immortal Swordsmanship.
• Liu Yu objected that the swordsmanship belonged to the Liu Family, while Jiang He claimed he would fight for them if taught the remaining forms.

Jiang He demanded that Liu Jinyi teach him the remaining forms of the Transcendent Immortal Swordsmanship, threatening to leave with his faction if refused. Liu Jinyi rejected proposals to kill Jiang He and took Liu Yu to the ancestral courtyard, where he planned to reveal more.

• Jiang He accused Wang Heng of scheming and gave Liu Jinyi one night to decide whether to teach him the swordsmanship.
• After Jiang He left with four escort captains, Wang Heng, Fan Rong, and Liu Yu urged Liu Jinyi to refuse his demand or kill him, but Liu Jinyi warned them not to act rashly.
• Liu Jinyi explained that Jiang He's faction could weaken the agency and worsen its threats from rival sects, while killing Jiang He would be risky.
• Liu Jinyi took Liu Yu to the rear courtyard to pay respects before the ancestors and tell him something important.
• Liu Jinyi and Liu Yu found Mute Uncle sweeping the courtyard, and Liu Yu took the broom from him.

Liu Jinyi told Liu Yu to flee the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency with his wife and daughter before their enemies attacked for the Liu Family’s swordsmanship. Liu Yu agreed to leave at dawn, while Liu Jinyi stayed behind to defend the agency and entrusted him with reclaiming the family residence someday.

• Mute Uncle unlocked the ancestral shrine and let Liu Jinyi and Liu Yu enter to pay their respects.
• Liu Jinyi ordered Liu Yu to leave the agency with his wife and daughter before their enemies made a move.
• Liu Yu asked Liu Jinyi to flee with him, but Liu Jinyi refused to abandon the agency and explained that the enemies sought the Transcendent Immortal Swordsmanship.
• Liu Jinyi charged Liu Yu with preserving the Liu Family line and reclaiming the residence in the future, keeping their grandfather’s message about a senior secret from everyone except direct descendants.
• Liu Yu begged to stay one more night, and Liu Jinyi allowed him to leave at cockcrow the next morning.

Liu Yu stayed with Liu Jinyi for another night despite the danger, while Huang Xiao spent the night at a brothel without touching Lin Jiao Jiao. At dawn, Huang Xiao sensed people preparing to act and vanished into the morning mist, leaving Lin Jiao Jiao to wake and find him gone.

• Liu Jinyi agreed to let Liu Yu stay overnight, knowing it might be their final meeting.
• Zhou Kun gathered the Swift Sword Sect’s elders and experts in a secret chamber to study a map.
• Huang Xiao told Lin Jiao Jiao to sleep and pretended to circulate his energy rather than spend the night with her.
• Huang Xiao realized Lin Jiao Jiao was sacrificing herself under Lin Feng’s arrangements because she cared for Brother Zhu.
• At dawn, Huang Xiao sensed that several people were about to make their move and leaped out through the window.
• Lin Jiao Jiao woke after Huang Xiao had left, realizing his presence was gone.

Huang Xiao slipped into the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency as forces converged on it, while Lin Jiao Jiao feared Zhu Yang might attack to raise money for her freedom. The agency sounded an alarm, and Liu Jinyi realized the Liu family’s escape routes were likely blocked.

• Lin Jiao Jiao realized people were converging on the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency and told Lin Feng they needed to warn the young lady.
• Lin Feng saw Zhu Yang enter the agency and promised Lin Jiao Jiao she could leave the Embroidered Spring House if he gathered ten million taels.
• Lin Jiao Jiao feared Zhu Yang would attack the agency and pleaded that he not risk his life or stray from his principles.
• Huang Xiao evaded the agency’s guards and hid on a roof beam above its main hall.
• The agency’s alarm bells rang, and Liu Jinyi tried to send Liu Yu and his family out before realizing the back gate was likely blocked.

The Swift Sword Sect surrounded the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency as Jiang He demanded Liu Jinyi hand over the complete Transcendent Immortal Sword Manual. The standoff left Jiang He without the manual when Zhou Kun arrived with more than a dozen experts.

• Liu Jinyi told Liu Yu to be ready to take his family and escape if the agency came under attack.
• Jiang He learned that the Swift Sword Sect had surrounded the agency and hurried to demand the complete sword manual from Liu Jinyi.
• Wang Heng and the other escort captains gathered as Jiang He threatened to abandon the agency unless Liu Jinyi handed over the manual.
• Liu Jinyi refused Jiang He's demand, while most of the escorts behind Jiang He lowered their heads in shame.
• Zhou Kun arrived with more than a dozen experts, and Jiang He realized he had failed to obtain the complete manual before the sect master came.

Zhou Kun pressured Jiang He and Liu Jinyi to surrender the Transcendent Immortal Swordsmanship, but Liu Jinyi exposed Zhou Kun’s delay as a ploy to complete his deployment and rallied the agency to fight. Liu Jinyi charged Zhou Kun while Wang Heng moved to support him.

• Zhou Kun ordered Jiang He to attack the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency and threatened to kill him if he refused.
• Zhou Kun offered to protect the agency if Liu Jinyi surrendered the swordsmanship, but Liu Jinyi questioned whether the other sects would withdraw.
• A dozen of Jiang He’s men defected to Liu Jinyi’s side, and Jiang He failed to stop them.
• Liu Jinyi urged the agency to stake its lives on a desperate fight and told those who could escape to flee.
• Liu Jinyi charged Zhou Kun, and Wang Heng hurried after him to help hold Zhou Kun off.

The Swift Sword Sect attacked the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency while Jiang He tried to break out with his followers. Huang Xiao suddenly appeared, grievously injured Jiang He, and brought the fighting to a halt as everyone turned toward him.

• Zhou Kun ordered the Swift Sword Sect to spare the Liu Family and kill everyone else, while his elders overwhelmed the escort agency's defenders.
• Jiang He ordered his followers to fight their way out, and Zhou Kun let him go while focusing on capturing Liu Jinyi and Liu Yu.
• An unknown voice mocked Jiang He, then he was suddenly hurled to the ground with severe injuries.
• Huang Xiao walked over and planted a foot on Jiang He's chest as Jiang He begged for his life.
• Liu Yu recognized Huang Xiao, and Yang Kui told Zhou Kun that Huang Xiao was the expert who had saved Liu Yu.

Huang Xiao rejected Zhou Kun’s offers and continued to stand with the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency, while Zhu Yang arrived and agreed to hold Zhou Kun off for five million taels. Zhu Yang then confronted Huang Xiao over their encounter the previous night, threatening to kill him and setting the two against each other.

• Zhou Kun offered Huang Xiao a share of the Transcendent Immortal Swordsmanship, but Huang Xiao questioned whether Zhou Kun still thought he wanted the spoils.
• A saber flew toward Huang Xiao as Zhu Yang appeared on the hall roof and offered to help Liu Jinyi for payment.
• Liu Jinyi agreed to pay Zhu Yang five million taels to hold off Zhou Kun, and Zhu Yang refused Zhou Kun’s higher counteroffer.
• Zhu Yang jumped down, retrieved his saber, and challenged Huang Xiao for humiliating him the previous night.

Huang Xiao defeated Zhu Yang after revealing his overwhelming strength, but spared him when Lin Jiao Jiao begged for his life and clarified a misunderstanding about the previous night. Zhu Yang apologized and pledged to fight Zhou Kun to the death to help the Transcendent Immortal Escort Agency.

• Zhu Yang attacked Huang Xiao with his left-handed saber, but Huang Xiao countered with palm strikes and showed he could suppress him.
• Huang Xiao used Heaven and Earth Momentum to disarm Zhu Yang and send him flying, revealing strength beyond what Zhu Yang had expected.
• Zhu Yang accepted defeat and prepared to die, but Lin Jiao Jiao rushed in and begged Huang Xiao to spare him.
• Lin Jiao Jiao’s words made Zhu Yang realize Huang Xiao had not wronged her, and Zhu Yang knelt to apologize to him.
• Zhu Yang promised to deal with Zhou Kun himself and challenged him to a fight to the death.

Huang Xiao stopped Zhu Yang from killing Zhou Kun immediately, then asked Liu Jinyi whether he wanted Zhou Kun dead or alive. After Liu Jinyi chose death, Huang Xiao and Zhu Yang prepared to finish Zhou Kun together, while Huang Xiao hinted that Liu Jinyi would soon understand why he had helped the Liu Family.

• Lin Jiao Jiao arrived and persuaded Zhu Yang to spare Huang Xiao, and an escort returned Zhu Yang's saber to him.
• Zhou Kun offered compensation and withdrawal, but Liu Jinyi chose to have him killed after Huang Xiao asked whether he wanted Zhou Kun dead or alive.
• Zhou Kun tried to flee, but Zhu Yang blocked his escape and forced him back.
• Huang Xiao proposed that he and Zhu Yang join forces, then drew Liu Yu's sword and said Liu Jinyi would soon understand why he had helped the Liu Family.
• Huang Xiao confronted Zhou Kun and said it was time to end the fight.

Huang Xiao and Zhu Yang defeated Zhou Kun and broke the Swift Sword Sect’s attack on the Escort Agency. After Zhu Yang pursued the fleeing elders, Huang Xiao sent Lin Jiao Jiao home and noticed a veiled woman from the Embroidered Spring House watching before she left.

• Zhou Kun charged Zhu Yang, but Zhu Yang blocked his advance as Huang Xiao joined the fight and revealed Transcendent Immortal Swordsmanship.
• Zhou Kun recognized Huang Xiao’s swordsmanship and despaired, while Liu Jinyi and Liu Yu watched in astonishment.
• Zhu Yang wounded Zhou Kun from behind, and Huang Xiao pierced Zhou Kun’s heart, killing him.
• The Swift Sword Sect’s elders fled, and Huang Xiao told Zhu Yang to pursue and kill some of them; Liu Jinyi stopped the Escort Agency’s people from chasing the other Jianghu fighters.
• Huang Xiao thanked Lin Jiao Jiao and sent her home, then noticed a veiled woman from the Embroidered Spring House watching before she departed.

Lin Jiao Jiao reported what she learned about Huang Xiao, and the Miss and Nanny Liu concluded that his Transcendent Immortal Swordsmanship connected him to Senior Li Taibai. They began considering whether Huang Xiao could lead them to Li, whose whereabouts might be near Mist Mountain.

• Lin Jiao Jiao told Lin Feng and the Miss that Huang Xiao claimed to have four wives and had defeated Zhu Yang.
• Lin Feng confirmed that Huang Xiao had used the Transcendent Immortal Swordsmanship, and the Miss linked him to Senior Li Taibai, who had taught Liu Douqi the style.
• Nanny Liu reported that Huang Xiao had first appeared at a Swift Sword Inn near Lone Mountain Town only a few days earlier, suggesting this was his first journey through the Jianghu.
• The Miss wondered whether Huang Xiao's school was in Mist Mountain, but Nanny Liu cautioned that the vast mountain would make Senior Li difficult to find.