Chapter Summaries

During the Water and Land Dharma Assembly, Ji Yuan watched Masters try to distinguish themselves and saw an old Master stage displays of gratitude to attract attention. On Emperor Yuande’s birthday, Old Beggar urged the Emperor to surrender the throne, leaving the court furious and Yan Chang begging forgiveness.

• Ji Yuan spoke with a handsome young monk at the Dharma platform, and the monk hurried back to his post house after Ji Yuan left.
• Ji Yuan watched an old Master’s apparent beneficiaries thank him publicly, then showed Ying Feng and Ying Ruoli that the Master paid them afterward for their performance.
• On Emperor Yuande’s birthday, sixteen Dharma Masters entered the palace, and Yan Chang identified Old Beggar as the Master he had recommended.
• Old Beggar asked Emperor Yuande to give up the Dragon Throne and said an Imperial Prince should inherit it, provoking the officials and Imperial Bodyguards.
• Emperor Yuande laughed angrily and challenged Yan Chang, who fell to his knees and begged forgiveness.

Yan Chang and the Old Beggar were arrested after the Old Beggar spoke treasonously before Emperor Yuande, who ordered the beggar executed and Yan Chang imprisoned. The Old Beggar survived beheading in front of a horrified crowd and declared that his master-disciple fate with the Old Emperor was exhausted.

• Emperor Yuande questioned Yan Chang about recommending the Old Beggar, and Yan Chang took responsibility while the Old Beggar insisted he had acted on his own.
• Emperor Yuande ordered the Old Beggar taken to Yongning Street for beheading and had Yan Chang removed from office and sent to prison.
• Ji Yuan met the Old Beggar on the way to the execution and brought him a last meal at his request.
• A Palace Guard beheaded the Old Beggar, but his headless body rose, retrieved its head, and reattached it.
• The Old Beggar told the palace guard that the master-disciple fate between the Old Emperor and him was exhausted.

After the Old Beggar survived his execution and left with Ji Yuan, Palace Guards reported the miracle to Emperor Yuande. The Emperor learned that the Old Beggar had ended his Master-Disciple Fate with him and ordered a search, but was left overwhelmed by the loss.

• The Old Beggar recovered from his beheading and left Yongning Street with Ji Yuan to have tea.
• At the imperial audience, Monk Huitong told Emperor Yuande that he possessed no divine powers and had attended the Dharma Assembly to pray for blessings and dispel calamities.
• Four Palace Guards reported that the Old Beggar had come back to life after being beheaded.
• The guards told Emperor Yuande that the Old Beggar had left with a man in a blue robe and said their Master-Disciple Fate had ended.
• Emperor Yuande ordered officials to find and bring back the Old Beggar, then remembered that Yan Chang was imprisoned and sank into grief.

Emperor Yuande ordered a search for the Old Beggar but left Yan Chang imprisoned, while the court officials and masters struggled to understand the Old Beggar’s apparent revival. In the Ministry of Justice Prison, Yan Chang learned that officials had pleaded for him, and at Green Leaf Tower Ji Yuan reassured the Old Beggar that his actions had not violated the Way.

• Emperor Yuande adjourned court, ordered the authorities to find the Old Beggar, and did not mention releasing Yan Chang.
• Prince Jin Yang Hao told the four Palace Guards they could leave without fear of punishment.
• Yan Chang told two jailers how the Water and Land Dharma Assembly and the Old Beggar’s encounter with the emperor had led to his imprisonment.
• Eunuch Li brought Yan Chang an imperial meal and explained that officials from the Directorate of Astronomy and Ministry of Rites had pleaded for him.
• At Green Leaf Tower, the Old Beggar worried that he had violated Ji Yuan’s taboos, and Ji Yuan said the Old Beggar’s actions had not defied the Way.

Ji Yuan discussed the Old Beggar’s beheading and the Emperor’s search for him before going to inspect the bloodstain left on Yongning Street. Ji Yuan burned away the blood with Samadhi True Fire, and the Old Beggar realized he owed him a favor.

• Ji Yuan and the Old Beggar discussed the Old Beggar’s beheading, the Emperor’s search, and the trouble his failed attempt to accept a disciple might cause.
• Ji Yuan left Green Leaf Tower for the Underworld Bureau, while the Old Beggar and the Little Beggar packed the leftover pastries to take with them.
• Yan Chang inspected the stubborn bloodstain on Yongning Street, where Ji Yuan arrived to examine its connection to the Imperial City.
• Ji Yuan warned that the blood had gathered malice, then used a breath of Samadhi True Fire to turn it to ash and disappeared before Yan Chang could question him.
• The Old Beggar sensed Ji Yuan’s action and realized the blood could have left a hidden danger, so he acknowledged that he owed Ji Yuan a favor.

Yan Chang failed to find the Old Beggar, while Emperor Yuande conferred the title of Celestial Master on fourteen candidates at his birthday banquet. Old Dragon Ying Hong captured a monk who had feigned illness to skip the banquet and brought him to the Underworld Bureau, where Ji Yuan and the others urged him to investigate signs of demonic unrest near Tingliang Kingdom.

• Yan Chang searched for the Old Beggar but found only ordinary beggars, then reported his failure to Emperor Yuande.
• Emperor Yuande bestowed the title of Celestial Master and a thousand taels of gold on each of fourteen candidates, excluding a monk who was supposedly ill.
• Old Dragon Ying Hong discovered the monk trying to sneak away from the post house and carried him above the Imperial Palace before taking him to the Underworld Bureau.
• Ji Yuan showed the monk the suffering demon souls in the Underworld Bureau and explained that captured fiends had infiltrated Great Zhen.
• Old Dragon Ying Hong told the monk that many fiends came from Tianbao Kingdom and urged him to return to Tingliang Kingdom to investigate.

After the assembly discussed signs of a growing demonic threat in Tianbao Kingdom and beyond, Ji Yuan proposed a quiet investigation rather than a show of force. Monk Huitong set out across the border toward Tingliang Kingdom, leaving Ji Yuan and the Old Dragon to hope he could serve as their scout.

• Monk Huitong questioned how demons could threaten prosperous Tianbao Kingdom, and the gathered masters debated whether the upheaval had begun only in recent years.
• Ji Yuan cautioned that demons could restrain themselves and argued that a conspicuous expedition might alert the hidden enemy.
• Monk Huitong volunteered to travel north toward Dalun Temple and investigate, and the Old Dragon praised his resolve.
• The next day, Ji Yuan and the Old Dragon escorted Monk Huitong to Tingqiu Mountain, where Mountain God Hong Shengtin received them.
• Ji Yuan warned Monk Huitong to rely on observation rather than his talismans, then asked Hong Shengtin to escort him safely underground into Tingliang Kingdom.
• The Mountain God and Monk Huitong vanished into the earth, and the Old Dragon wondered whether the bald scout could manage.

Ji Yuan declined Old Dragon’s request to demonstrate the Heaven Collapsing sword art, while Monk Huitong continued into Tingliang Kingdom with a gift from Tingqiu Mountain’s Mountain God. In Wanzhou Prefecture, Yin Zhaoxian used Chen Yuhe’s fall from power to turn the corrupt officials against one another, ending in a sweeping purge known as the Case of the Bloody Silk.

• Ji Yuan refused to show Old Dragon the Heaven Collapsing sword art and changed the subject to Dao Shao Wine.
• Tingqiu Mountain’s Mountain God gave Monk Huitong a Mountain God Stone to help him use Earth Evasion and seek aid from local earth gods.
• After Chen Yuhe was imprisoned and stripped of his offices, anxious Wanzhou officials sought Yin Zhaoxian’s help.
• Yin Zhaoxian showed the officials a purported imperial order to investigate corruption and urged them to strike first and implicate one another.
• Yin Zhaoxian divided the Wanzhou officials over the following two months as an Inspectorate Delegation and secret Imperial City experts arrived.
• The New Year purge removed six out of every ten Wanzhou officials before the first month ended, an event later called the Case of the Bloody Silk.

Yin Zhaoxian restored order and livelihoods in Wanzhou Prefecture, earning an imperial appointment as its Prefectural Governor. Ji Yuan sensed the merit arising from his friend’s work, then explained to Hu Yun that Lord Lu’s fur shedding signaled a meaningful metamorphosis before transformation.

• Yin Zhaoxian led a sweeping purge of corrupt officials, reopened wrongful cases, and arranged for people to reclaim seized fields and sell silk goods at fair prices.
• Wanzhou Prefecture’s economy recovered enough for its tax revenue to exceed previous years, and Emperor Yuande praised Yin Zhaoxian before the court.
• An imperial decree appointed Yin Zhaoxian Prefectural Governor of Wanzhou Prefecture while he retained the post of Prefect of Yunbo Prefecture.
• Ji Yuan sensed new Mysterious Yellow Qi and reflected on Yin Zhaoxian’s role, Monk Huitong’s possible place on the chessboard, and his own cultivation methods.
• Hu Yun asked Ji Yuan about Lord Lu shedding fur, and Ji Yuan explained that metamorphosis was a significant step before a demon’s transformation.

Lord Lu received Ji Yuan’s calligraphy and took his shedding fur as a sign of transformation, while Hu Yun fled after seeing his bald patches. Ji Yuan later hosted the Old Beggar and Lu Xiaoyou, whose glimpse of Ji Yuan’s unfinished Universe in the Sleeve Technique left the Old Beggar wondering about Ji Yuan’s sleeve.

• Lord Lu heard Ji Yuan’s message that his fur loss resembled a spirit creature shedding its mortal frame, and he eagerly accepted Ji Yuan’s inscribed paper as a gift.
• Hu Yun saw Lord Lu’s bald patches, promised not to tell anyone, and hurried away before Lord Lu could act on his anger.
• Lord Lu placed Ji Yuan’s paper in a cave niche and resumed cultivating, reassured by his master’s support.
• The Old Beggar and Lu Xiaoyou visited Ji Yuan in Ning'an County, where the Old Beggar explained how he had found him through Yuhuai Mountain.
• Lu Xiaoyou read the opening lines of Ji Yuan’s Universe in the Sleeve Technique, and Ji Yuan swept the unfinished writing into his sleeve.
• The Old Beggar noticed that Ji Yuan’s effortless movement did not resemble an ordinary Universe Within Sleeve Technique.

Ji Yuan hosted the Old Beggar and the Little Beggar at Ju'an Pavilion, where their talk turned to the conflicting prophecies about Cloud Province and Great Zhen. The Old Beggar left without a clear answer about repaying his favor, and Ji Yuan quietly resolved to keep him in Great Zhen.

• Ji Yuan served the Old Beggar and the Little Beggar honey tea and discussed the Old Beggar's knowledge of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion's divination.
• The Old Beggar questioned how Cloud Province's declining fortune and Great Zhen's prosperity could both fit the balance of heavenly principles.
• Ji Yuan suggested that the rise and fall of dynasties could explain the changes, while saying he only carried a few hopes for Great Zhen.
• The Old Beggar spent the day trying to learn how he could repay Ji Yuan's favor, but Ji Yuan gave him no definite answer.
• On the road outside Ning'an County, the Old Beggar admitted they could not easily leave Great Zhen and complained that Ji Yuan had played dumb.
• Back at Ju'an Pavilion, Ji Yuan resumed writing with a faint smile and decided the Old Beggar should stay in Great Zhen.

Ji Yuan’s reflections on the world’s momentum led to a breakthrough in his art of Universe in the Sleeve, and he quietly cultivated for nearly a year. In spring, Lu Chengfeng visited him after more than ten years apart and asked whether Ji Yuan still remembered their companions.

• Ji Yuan considered the possible changes in Yunzhou and the need to place his few available pieces carefully.
• While writing, Ji Yuan unexpectedly deduced a breakthrough in Universe in the Sleeve and celebrated his success.
• Yin Zhaoxian summoned Yin Qing to help with the rebuilding of Wanzhou Prefecture as Ji Yuan continued cultivating at home.
• In early April, Lu Chengfeng found Ju'an Pavilion and brought Ji Yuan a jar of Tusu wine brewed by his late father.
• Lu Chengfeng asked Ji Yuan whether he remembered their former companions, and Ji Yuan recited all nine names.

Lu Chengfeng told Ji Yuan about the nine young heroes’ ill-fated trip to Ning'an County and asked whether the Netherworld existed and whether his parents were there. Ji Yuan agreed to take Lu Chengfeng to see them, leaving them poised to descend into the Netherworld.

• Lu Chengfeng recalled how the nine young heroes had gathered at Luoxia Mountain Manor and gone to Ning'an County to hunt a tiger, and Ji Yuan explained how the encounter had most affected Du Heng, Luo Ningshuang, Zhao Long, and Yan Fei.
• Ji Yuan invited Lu Chengfeng to share his troubles over wine, and Lu Chengfeng asked whether Ji Yuan was truly an immortal.
• Lu Chengfeng explained that he wanted to know whether his deceased parents were in the Netherworld, not to have them brought back to life.
• Lu Chengfeng revealed that his father’s death, the pressures on Cloud Pavilion, and his mother’s recent death had left him feeling helpless and ashamed.
• Ji Yuan said Lu Chengfeng’s parents’ Underworld Lifespans should not yet be exhausted and agreed to take him to see them.

Ji Yuan took Lu Chengfeng’s soul to the Underworld Bureau so he could see his deceased parents, then let him believe the visit had been a dream. Lu Chengfeng left Ju'an Pavilion with his grief eased and renewed resolve to help Cloud Pavilion.

• Ji Yuan hypnotized Lu Chengfeng, separated his soul from his body, and brought it to the Desheng Prefecture Ghost Gate Pass.
• The Yin Cha recognized Ji Yuan, and the Lord City God helped him find Lu Chengfeng’s parents at the Lu family's Underworld Residence.
• Lu Chengfeng reunited with his parents, who first grieved for him and then scolded him for entering the Underworld Bureau alive.
• Back at Ju'an Pavilion, Lu Chengfeng woke believing the visit was a dream and told Ji Yuan about his grief and his parents’ scolding.
• Lu Chengfeng thanked Ji Yuan, accepted a jujube from the Large Jujube Tree, and left with lighter steps and renewed determination to support Cloud Pavilion.

Ji Yuan considered Lu Chengfeng’s transformation and divined the fate of the other former heroes before Lu Chengfeng returned a miraculous Fire Jujube to his elder brother. After reading letters about Qin Zizhou’s cultivation and the Imperial Court’s succession struggle, Ji Yuan decided to leave home and travel to Wanzhou Prefecture.

• Ji Yuan sensed that Lu Chengfeng had become a strong man, pondered his transformation and old pact with Lord Lu, and cast an ambiguous divination using the names of the other former heroes.
• Lu Chengfeng arrived at the Cloud Pavilion Lu Clan and gave his elder brother Lu Chengyun a miraculous Fire Jujube, refusing it back and saying he no longer needed it.
• Ji Yuan read letters from Du Heng, Qin Zizhou, Yin Zhaoxian, and Yin Qing, learning of Qin Zizhou’s progress in cultivation and the Emperor’s declining health and Prince Wu’s political maneuvering.
• Ji Yuan decided to visit Wanzhou Prefecture, wrote a reply, locked the pavilion, and set out.

Wang Li struggled with his drinking but hurried to Zhongtai Restaurant to fulfill his storytelling engagement at the Gao family banquet. Ji Yuan joined the celebration and listened as Wang Li introduced his new tale, White Deer Fate.

• Ji Yuan watched Wang Li stagger home drunk after throwing away his empty wine pot.
• Wang Li woke near evening, rushed to Zhongtai Restaurant, and arrived before the banquet began.
• Old Master Gao welcomed Wang Li and had food prepared for him before his performance.
• Ji Yuan congratulated the Gao family and accepted Old Master Gao's invitation to attend the banquet.
• Wang Li introduced White Deer Fate as a tale taught to him in a dream, drawing the guests' attention.

Wang Li captivated the guests at Zhongtai Restaurant with his tale of White Deer Lady and Scholar Zhou, while a mysterious woman in white watched from the crowd. After his performance, she unleashed a sinister wind, but Ji Yuan halted it with a quiet spell, leaving her astonished.

• Wang Li performed the story of White Deer Fate, drawing the guests into his tale with his skilled narration and vocal mimicry.
• A woman in white appeared beside a table, and Ji Yuan noticed incense smoke lingering around her despite her lack of visible divine radiance.
• Wang Li resumed his story and told how White Deer Lady followed Scholar Zhou into the netherworld and accepted punishment to remain with him.
• The guests applauded Wang Li, but a powerful wind blew open the windows and extinguished the lamps, unsettling everyone in the restaurant.
• Ji Yuan wrote the words "Still Wind" in spilled wine and stopped the wind, leaving the woman in white astonished.

Ji Yuan followed a White-clothed Woman who lured Wang Li out of Chengsu Prefecture to question him about the story of “White Deer Fate.” After learning that Wang Li had invented its account of White Deer Lady’s punishment, the enraged spirit tried to claw out his eye, but Ji Yuan stopped her.

• After the banquet, Ji Yuan advised Young Master Gao to prepare for his appointment in Wanzhou Prefecture and then left Zhongtai Restaurant.
• The White-clothed Woman followed Wang Li from the restaurant and lured him away by promising to help him see Duan Muwan again.
• Ji Yuan followed them as the woman used a bewitching spell to lead Wang Li beyond the city walls.
• The woman questioned Wang Li about how he knew “White Deer Fate” and whether White Deer Lady was being punished in the Underworld Bureau.
• Wang Li admitted that he had embellished the story, and the furious woman reached for his eye before Ji Yuan commanded her to freeze.

Ji Yuan stopped Zhang Rui from harming Wang Li and learned that she had come seeking the White Deer, while Wang Li’s story had angered her by portraying her as a vicious ghost. As they walked through Chengsu Prefecture, Zhang Rui revealed that the famed courtesan Duan Muwan, known as A Branch of Red Xiu, was actually a fox seductress, and Ji Yuan suspected she was the woman Young Master Xiao had admired aboard a tower ship.

• Ji Yuan immobilized Zhang Rui, freed Wang Li, and asked why she had attacked him.
• Zhang Rui explained that Bai Ruo had once helped her and that Wang Li’s story had slandered her; Ji Yuan recognized her as the ghost creature from the second installment of White Deer Fate.
• Ji Yuan revealed that he had written the words “White Deer Fate,” and Wang Li and Zhang Rui realized he was connected to Bai Ruo; Wang Li promised to revise the story.
• As the three walked toward the southwest of Chengsu Prefecture, Zhang Rui told Ji Yuan that Duan Muwan, the courtesan called A Branch of Red Xiu, was a fox seductress.
• Ji Yuan wondered whether Red Xiu was the woman Young Master Xiao had admired aboard a tower ship.

Ji Yuan went with Wang Li and Zhang Rui to the Great Show Building by Chengsu Prefecture’s wharf to investigate a demonic presence. After his sword intent frightened the brothel women, he learned that Hongxiu was occupied and warned Zhang Rui that the fox demon nearby was far more formidable than she could handle.

• Ji Yuan, Wang Li, and Zhang Rui headed to the Great Show Building, where Ji Yuan sensed a faint demonic aura behind it.
• The brothel women recognized Wang Li and tried to welcome the group inside, but Ji Yuan’s Green Vine Sword released sword intent that frightened them away.
• The brothel madam tried to impress Ji Yuan by explaining that Hongxiu was entertaining Master Liu, a relative of Chengsu Prefecture’s Prefect’s wife.
• Ji Yuan agreed to go aboard the Grand Show Boat, while Wang Li told the brothel madam that Ji Yuan’s standing surpassed even the Prefect’s.
• Zhang Rui offered to drive out the fox seductress, but Ji Yuan warned that the fox demon was exceptionally powerful and that too many people were nearby.