Chapter Summaries

After reaching the Golden Core Realm, Tang Yao returned to the Tang Household with the surviving guards and reported that the Qi Household had ambushed them. She and Tang Hua suspected an insider had leaked their route and resolved to investigate.

• Tang Yao unlocked the second level of the Complete Collection of Talismans, ordered Shushu to make mid-tier talismans, and reassured Vermilion Bird that she would not take in more companions without asking him.
• Tang Yao distributed pills to the injured guards and concluded that someone in the Tang Household had leaked their route to the Qi Household.
• Tang Yao ordered the guards to conceal the Qi Household's involvement and say they had encountered bandits, then led them back to the Tang Household.
• Tang Hua questioned Tang Yao privately, and she revealed that the Qi Household had attacked them and that an insider had likely enabled the ambush.
• Tang Hua agreed that the leak must be investigated thoroughly.

Tang Yao recruited Tang Yi'an and Tang Nan for an early-morning outing, learning about the Tang Household’s wealth and the expensive defensive robes its members wore. The three headed toward their usual place, while Tang Yao and Tang Yi'an’s comments about Tang Nan’s clothes drew his attention.

• Tang Yi'an woke Tang Yao and invited her to go have fun, and she recognized him as her cousin after he reminded her of his name.
• Tang Yao asked Tang Yi'an about the Household’s finances, and he explained that his patched robe was a costly defensive Law Artifact.
• Tang Yao had Tang Yi'an wake Tang Nan, who angrily opened his door but agreed to join her after seeing her.
• Tang Nan changed into an embroidered defensive robe, and Tang Yao asked whether Tang Wan would come, but Tang Nan said she was probably asleep.
• Tang Yao and Tang Yi'an discussed Tang Nan’s robe, and Tang Nan leaned in and asked whether they were done talking about him.
• Tang Nan suggested they go to their usual place, and the three set off together.

Tang Yao went with Tang Nan and Tang Yi'an to Auspicious Crane Pavilion, where a misunderstanding about male courtesans led to her punching Tang Nan. She smoothed things over by praising his tolerance and hinting that she could choose him instead.

• Tang Nan brought Tang Yao and Tang Yi'an to Auspicious Crane Pavilion and ordered their usual food, wine, singing, and dancing.
• Tang Yao avoided drinking and watched as Tang Nan mistakenly directed a male courtesan toward Tang Yao, then sent him to Tang Yi'an instead.
• Tang Nan urged Tang Yao to choose a courtesan, and Tang Yao pretended to confess that she had always wanted Tang Nan before punching him in the head.
• Tang Yao explained that she had only wanted to hit Tang Nan, while Tang Yi'an proudly claimed he was the ultimate king of lackeys.
• Tang Yao apologized to Tang Nan and offered to choose him instead, prompting him to hide his anger and compliment her cultivation.

Tang Yao decided to investigate the Third Elder and sneaked into his courtyard at night with Vermilion Bird’s help. She found him in his study examining a diagram.

• Rumors about Tang Yao, Tang Nan, and Tang Yi'an spread through town, leaving Tang Nan and Tang Yi'an upset.
• Tang Yi'an provoked Tang Xin in the corridor, but Tang Yao stopped him and told him to treat Tang Xin kindly.
• Tang Yao recalled the Third Elder’s residence and decided to investigate him after nightfall.
• Vermilion Bird concealed Tang Yao and opened a gap in the barrier around the Third Elder’s courtyard.
• Tang Yao slipped into the courtyard and saw the Third Elder studying a diagram in his study.

Tang Yao discovered the third elder conspiring with a man in black, then stole the man's Storage Bag after using talismans to incapacitate him. At the Sun Household, an elder discussed Tang Yao's talent with Yinyin and considered changing the household's strategy.

• Tang Yao overheard the third elder hand a Storage Bag to a man in black, but Shushu pulled her into her space when the third elder nearly discovered her.
• Tang Yao learned how to enter Shushu's space and followed the man in black after he left the courtyard.
• Tang Yao shouted for help, struck the man in black with talismans, and took his Storage Bag as he escaped with a High-Grade Teleportation Talisman.
• At the Sun Household, an old man invited Yinyin to the Tang Household head's birthday and said Tang Yao might become the Azure Cloud Sect's next sect master.
• The old man looked at Yinyin and considered changing the Sun Household's strategy.

The Tang Household hosted a birthday banquet for Tang Yao, drawing prominent guests including Chu Xuanming and Sun Yuanshan. Tang Yao left the hall with Chu Song and Sun Yin, whose attempt to get close to him ended with him awkwardly stepping away.

• The Tang Household welcomed guests for Tang Yao’s birthday, and Chu Xuanming presented Tang Hua with a supreme-grade defensive Law Artifact as a gift.
• Chu Xuanming praised Tang Yao’s cultivation and encouraged him to befriend Chu Song, while Tang Yao redirected the praise toward Chu Song.
• Sun Yuanshan arrived with his granddaughter Sun Yin, and Tang Hua sent the three young people outside together.
• Chu Song asked Tang Yao whether he had deliberately praised him, then wondered if Tang Yao had seen leaked images of him dressed as a woman.
• Sun Yin approached Tang Yao to ask about his swordsmanship, but he retreated half a step and asked whether she was a sword cultivator.

Sun Yin tried to carry out her family’s task at the Tang residence, but her repeated fainting delayed her and left Tang Yao wary. At the banquet, Sun Yin suddenly collapsed into Tang Yao’s arms, drawing every guest’s attention.

• Sun Yin tried to approach Tang Yao, but Chu Song’s remarks about sword cultivators and Tang Yao’s sudden appearance unsettled her.
• Tang Yao arranged for Sun Yin to drink cooling tea, after which Sun Yin fainted and was taken to a guest room.
• Tang Yao and Chu Song left Sun Yin with the household physician and went to the banquet, where guests praised Tang Yao and repeated rumors about her future.
• Sun Yin arrived at the banquet, gathered herself for her family’s task, and suddenly collapsed into Tang Yao’s arms as the guests watched.

At Tang Hua’s birthday banquet, Sun Yuanshan accused Tang Yao of molesting Sun Yin and demanded that they be engaged, while guests and Jiang Yueyan joined in condemning Tang Yao. Jiang Chen arrived and positioned himself between Tang Hua and Chu Xuanming, and Sun Yuanshan asked him to judge the dispute.

• Sun Yuanshan accused Tang Yao of behaving improperly toward Sun Yin and proposed an engagement to settle the matter.
• Tang Yao had maids take Sun Yin back to her room, then refused Sun Yuanshan’s demand to accept responsibility.
• Guests spread rumors about Tang Yao and Tang Yi'an, while Jiang Yueyan arrived and condemned Tang Yao based on their past encounter.
• Jiang Chen entered with Jiang Yueyan, sat between Tang Hua and Chu Xuanming, and smiled at Chu Xuanming.
• Sun Yuanshan approached Jiang Chen and asked him to judge Tang Yao fairly.