Recaps

Xu Qi'an and Xu Erlang linked an unsigned imperial diarist’s records to the arcanist’s concealment of Su Hang’s case, while Xu Erlang searched the late emperor’s diaries for clues. As Emperor Yuanjing moved against Grand Secretary Wang, Wei Yuan prepared to leave the court for a prolonged military campaign after the autumn harvest.

• Xu Erlang told Xu Qi'an that the imperial diaries for Yuanjing 10 and 11 lacked the diarist’s name, and Xu Qi'an suspected an arcanist had concealed it in connection with Su Hang’s case.
• Xu Qi'an asked Xu Erlang to investigate the late emperor’s diaries and sought a way to consult the Ministry of Personnel’s confidential official records; he also asked Xu Erlang to look into Xuzhou.
• Xu Erlang found a diary entry recording the late emperor’s conversation with the Human Sect leader about longevity and the Dao Venerable’s three sects, but the account ended without explanation.
• After Yuan Xiong, Qin Yuandao, and other officials impeached Grand Secretary Wang, Emperor Yuanjing ordered an investigation, and Wang Simu told Xu Erlang that her father faced a coordinated imperial attack.
• Wang Simu said the Wang Faction needed other factions’ support, but Xu Erlang had no solution; Wei Yuan told Nangong Qianrou that Wang Zhenwen’s downfall would give him at least five years and that his battlefield would soon be elsewhere.
• Wei Yuan indicated that he would take military command after the autumn harvest, leaving Nangong Qianrou to wonder whether the campaign against the Shaman God Cult would become a prolonged war.

Wei Yuan prepared for a possible northern campaign while Emperor Yuanjing moved against Grand Secretary Wang, and Xu Qi'an decided to help Wang through Xu Erlang. The chapter ended as Wang Simu brought Xu Erlang and the secret letters to her father during a meeting about the Wang family's crisis.

• Wei Yuan told Nangong Qianrou that the Shaman God Cult's attack in the north could lead Great Feng into a major war, and declined to meet Qian Qingshu.
• The crown prince urged Lin'an to contact Xu Qi'an for help, and she sent him a letter asking him to sound out Wei Yuan.
• Xu Qi'an chose secret letters exposing officials' crimes as leverage to help Grand Secretary Wang, then gave Xu Erlang a selection to deliver.
• Xu Qi'an beat Xu Erlang so Wang Simu would believe he had suffered for helping her family, and Xu Erlang brought the letters to the Wang Residence.
• Grand Secretary Wang discussed resisting the charges and possibly retiring with his allies, as Wang Simu arrived with Xu Erlang to see him.

Xu Xinnian delivered Duke Cao’s secret letters to the Wang Faction, allowing its allies to turn the court’s investigation against Yuan Xiong and Qin Yuandao and secure the release of imprisoned officials. The crown prince then sought Lin'an’s help in contacting Xu Qi'an, who arrived at Shaoyin Palace disguised as Xu Xinnian.

• Xu Xinnian gave Grand Secretary Wang secret letters left by Duke Cao, and the officials learned the letters could expose bribery and abuses of power.
• Wang Simu told her family that Xu Xinnian had paid a steep price to obtain the letters, and her brothers realized his gift had helped rescue their faction.
• The Court of Judicial Review, supervising secretaries, and hereditary nobles joined the Wang Faction in opposing Yuan Xiong and Qin Yuandao, forcing Emperor Yuanjing to halt the affair and release the imprisoned officials.
• Minister Xu explained the secret letters to the crown prince, who decided to ask Lin'an to contact Xu Qi'an and obtain more.
• Xu Qi'an disguised himself as Xu Xinnian and entered Shaoyin Palace, where Lin'an received him.

Xu Qi'an visited Lin'an in disguise and reassured her that he had helped the Wang Faction because she had asked him to. After accepting her gifts, he went with Xu Xinnian to meet Grand Secretary Wang and asked to inspect the Ministry of Personnel’s archives and discuss an old case.

• Xu Qi'an visited Lin'an as Xu Xinnian, and she became upset when she thought Xu Ningyan had ignored her and her request.
• The crown prince told Lin'an that Xu Qi'an’s evidence had helped save the Wang Faction, and Xu Qi'an said he had acted at Lin'an’s request.
• After the crown prince left, Xu Qi'an revealed himself to Lin'an, confessed that he had missed her, and spent time talking with her privately.
• Lin'an gave Xu Qi'an valuables and a storybook before he left, and he showed her his true face at the hall’s entrance.
• The next day, Xu Qi'an and Xu Xinnian went to the Wang residence, where Xu Qi'an asked Grand Secretary Wang to let him consult Ministry of Personnel files and answer questions about an old case.

Xu Qi'an investigated a court diarist whose name had been erased from the records and found that he had ranked third in the jinshi examinations in the tenth year of Yuanjing's reign. He suspected the forgotten diarist was tied to Su Hang and a concealed court faction, while Lady Fuxiang lay gravely ill and abandoned at the Imperial Music Bureau.

• Xu Qi'an showed Grand Secretary Wang a secret letter about Su Hang, explained that arcanists had concealed the affair, and received authorization to search the Ministry of Personnel's archives.
• Grand Secretary Wang advised Xu Erlang about navigating the court and invited him to stay for dinner.
• Xu Qi'an found the tenth-year Yuanjing jinshi list, which named Wang Zhenwen first and Lü An second but left the third-place scholar's name blank.
• Xu Qi'an suspected the erased scholar had led a faction connected to Su Hang and planned to search court records and ask others to investigate Xuzhou.
• Xu Qi'an returned home, teased Susu about getting a body, and learned Xu Lingyin had saved pastries for him while Xu Erlang stayed with Grand Secretary Wang.
• Lady Fuxiang continued coughing in bed as her maid lamented that the once-famous courtesan had been abandoned by the Imperial Music Bureau and had not seen Xu Qi'an.

Xu Qi'an's family celebrated his flying saber, while Li Miaozhen reflected on the Xu Household's affection for him. At the Imperial Music Bureau, Fuxiang lay dying and believed Xu Qi'an had abandoned her, until he arrived and placed her bond of servitude on the table.

• At dinner, Xu Qi'an summoned the Peace Saber, astonishing Second Uncle Xu and delighting Auntie, while Li Miaozhen considered the Xu family's bonds and remembered the treasure Xu Qi'an owed her.
• Mei'er confronted a shirking maid for neglecting Fuxiang, but Fuxiang broke up their fight and collapsed; a physician said medicine could no longer help her.
• The courtesans learned that Fuxiang was dying and discussed how Xu Qi'an had not visited her since returning from Chu Prefecture.
• Mingyan sent for Xu Qi'an, and the courtesans visited Fuxiang as she told Mei'er to use her savings to buy her freedom and give what remained to him.
• Fuxiang insisted she did not want to see Xu Qi'an, but she kept watching the door as the courtesans prepared to leave.
• Xu Qi'an arrived in the moon-white robe he had worn when they first met and placed Fuxiang's bond of servitude on the table.

Xu Qi'an spent eight thousand taels to redeem the terminally ill Fuxiang and granted her final wish before she died. As the story of his gesture spread, Xu Xinnian learned the lesson of seeking peace of mind and later wrote down the previous emperor's daily records for his brother.

• Fuxiang dressed in her finest clothes, danced for Xu Qi'an, and died in his arms after he promised not to return to the Imperial Music Bureau.
• News of Xu Qi'an's eight-thousand-tael redemption spread through the capital, and Grand Secretary Wang said he would respect anyone willing to do the same.
• At the Hanlin Academy, Ma Xiuwen asked the scholars what lesson they drew from Xu Qi'an's act, and Xu Xinnian answered, “Seek only peace of mind.”
• Xu Qi'an told Xu Xinnian not to mention Fuxiang at home because Auntie kept repeating the cost of the redemption.
• Xu Qi'an asked Xu Xinnian to write out the previous emperor's daily records from memory, and Xu Xinnian handed him a dozen pages.

Xu Qi'an investigated clues about Emperor Yuanjing’s pursuit of immortality and learned that the Shaman God Cult was advancing against the northern barbarians and demons. As several other investigations and personal plans unfolded, Mei'er came to Xu Qi'an with keepsakes from Fuxiang.

• Xu Qi'an stopped Xu Erlang while he read the late emperor’s diary at a conversation about Daoist longevity, then told him to secretly copy the entire diary within three days.
• Xu Erlang told Xu Qi'an that the Shaman God Cult was invading the northern demons’ and barbarians’ lands under Xiahou Yushu’s command, and Xu Qi'an suspected Wei Yuan had another purpose for planning an attack on the cult.
• Yeji returned to the princess of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons, who revealed that another of her nine sisters had also fallen in love with Xu Qi'an and gave Yeji a new task.
• Tianji and Tianshu questioned Monk Panshu at Azure Dragon Temple and learned that Hengyuan had left more than two years earlier, so they ordered agents to search the capital for people who knew him.
• At breakfast, Xu Qi'an urged Xu Erlang to invite Wang Simu to the Xu Residence, then drafted a schedule filled with cultivation and social visits before catching himself neglecting his investigation.
• Mei'er visited Xu Qi'an and said Fuxiang had helped her redeem herself and return home; she had come to give him a few things Fuxiang left behind.

Xu Qi'an mourned Fuxiang as he read her letters and stories, then got caught secretly visiting Lin'an by Huaiqing, who warned him about the danger and assigned him to accompany her at a literary gathering. Later, he learned that Hengyuan was being targeted and suspected Emperor Yuanjing’s men were behind it.

• Mei'er gave Xu Qi'an Fuxiang's belongings, and he gave her a fifty-tael banknote before finding a dried lotus petal among Fuxiang's letters.
• Xu Qi'an read Fuxiang's strange animal stories, then went to meet Lin'an in the imperial city disguised as Xu Erlang.
• Huaiqing caught Xu Qi'an with Lin'an, warned him that Consort Chen could expose their meetings, and told him to stop visiting Lin'an privately.
• Huaiqing ordered Xu Qi'an to accompany her to a Directorate of Education literary gathering and asked him to donate eight thousand taels for the coming war.
• Zhong Li told Xu Qi'an that his saber had nearly killed her, and he learned that Daoist Priest Li had accidentally scattered her soul while subduing it.
• Hengyuan reported that people were watching the Nourishing Life Hall, and Xu Qi'an suspected Emperor Yuanjing's men were targeting him.

After the Heaven and Earth Society discussed the danger facing Hengyuan, Xu Qi'an read Fuxiang's story and uncovered Emperor Yuanjing's role in the Mulberry Lake Case and Hengyuan's connection to Earl Pingyuan. He urgently contacted Hengyuan for answers, but received no reply.

• Chu Yuanzhen advised Hengyuan to leave the capital, while Number One warned him and Li Miaozhen not to interfere and offered only to watch over the Nourishing Life Hall.
• Xu Qi'an considered Hengyuan's troubles, then fell asleep beside Zhong Li.
• A thunderstorm woke Xu Qi'an, who opened Fuxiang's Blue Book and recognized its story as a coded account of the Mulberry Lake Case.
• Xu Qi'an identified the tiger as Emperor Yuanjing, the fox as Earl Pingyuan, the white rabbit as Commandery Princess Pingyang, and the wise monkey king as Wei Yuan.
• Xu Qi'an realized Hengyuan was the black bear who had killed Earl Pingyuan while searching for Henghui, and saw Hengyuan as a possible lead to investigate Emperor Yuanjing.
• Xu Qi'an messaged Hengyuan through the Earth Book Fragment, but Hengyuan did not respond.

After Hengyuan was abducted by the Prince of Huai's spies, Xu Qi'an and the Heaven and Earth Society uncovered why Emperor Yuanjing wanted him silenced and planned to find him. The chapter left Xu Qi'an discovering that the lotus root in Mu Nanzhi's water vat had begun to grow.

• Xu Qi'an, Li Miaozhen, and Zhong Li found that the Prince of Huai's spies had taken Hengyuan from Nourishing Life Hall after killing Old Zhang to force Hengyuan to surrender.
• Li Miaozhen used blue smoke to recover Hengyuan's Earth Book Fragment, which he had hidden near the hall.
• Xu Qi'an told the Heaven and Earth Society that Earl Pingyuan's brokerage organization served Emperor Yuanjing and had secretly sent living people into the palace for many years.
• The Heaven and Earth Society reasoned that Emperor Yuanjing had ordered Hengyuan's capture because Hengyuan's recent investigations and connections risked exposing the emperor's secrets.
• Daoist Jinlian said Hengyuan would not die because of a secret he could not reveal, and the group planned to trace the spies and question them.
• After returning to the capital, Xu Qi'an visited Mu Nanzhi and noticed that the lotus root in her water vat had sprouted roots.

Xu Qi'an found that the Nine-Colored Lotus Root had come alive under the princess consort’s care and learned that Luo Yuheng needed a man with great Fate to survive her karmic fire. As he realized his own Fate might make him the answer, the chapter left his reaction unresolved.

• Xu Qi'an discovered that the Nine-Colored Lotus Root had sprouted and suspected the princess consort could accelerate its growth.
• The princess consort explained that she paid Auntie Zhang to wash her clothes and had cleverly kept her apparent savings modest.
• Xu Qi'an gave the princess consort the silver hairpin she had admired and asked whether she would leave the capital with him someday.
• The princess consort said Emperor Yuanjing might pursue Xu Qi'an and observed that Xu Erlang would need a backer if he left.
• The princess consort revealed that Luo Yuheng needed dual cultivation with a man to dispel the Human Sect’s karmic fire.
• Xu Qi'an realized that Luo Yuheng needed a man with great Fate and froze as he considered his own suitability.

Xu Qi'an investigated the missing Hengyuan and learned that northern demons and barbarians would soon send a delegation to the capital, while he planned to visit Luo Yuheng. Meanwhile, Wei Yuan met secretly with Zhao Shou and vowed to stop the Shaman God from breaking free of his seal.

• Xu Qi'an inferred that Luo Yuheng might be considering him as a Dao companion, then warned the princess consort not to reveal her true face in the capital.
• Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao told Xu Qi'an that black-robed spies had entered the inner city and that a northern demons-and-barbarians delegation would arrive in three days.
• Xu Qi'an learned from Xu Erlang that the court was preparing to support the northern demons and barbarians and planned a literary gathering to promote the war.
• Xu Qi'an asked Xu Erlang to lend him his official badge and prepared to visit Numinous Treasure Temple to question Luo Yuheng and ask about the former Human Sect leader.
• Zhao Shou told Wei Yuan that the Shaman God held a third of the Human Race's Fate and could not be stopped if freed; Wei Yuan said he had been preparing to stop Him since the previous year.
• Wei Yuan entered the palace alone after telling Nangong Qianrou to wait outside.

Xu Qi'an visited Luo Yuheng to ask about the late emperor and Emperor Yuanjing, while the court prepared for the northern demon-barbarian delegation. The delegation arrived in the capital and was welcomed by Xu Xinnian.

• Xu Qi'an entered the imperial city in disguise and visited Luo Yuheng at Numinous Treasure Temple.
• Luo Yuheng told Xu Qi'an that her father, the previous leader of the Human Sect, died during a Heavenly Tribulation, and confirmed that those vested with Fate could not attain immortality.
• Luo Yuheng gave Xu Qi'an another talisman sword after he asked how to contact her.
• Emperor Yuanjing asked Wei Yuan to advise the Hanlin Academy on military treatises and attend a literary gathering planned for the delegation's arrival.
• The court's plans to aid the northern demons and barbarians sparked debate across the capital and Great Feng.
• The demon-barbarian delegation arrived by official ship, led by Peiman Xilou and Huang Xian'er, and Xu Xinnian welcomed them by imperial decree.

Xu Xinnian escorted Peiman Xilou’s delegation into the capital, where the envoy recognized his connection to Silver Gong Xu Qi'an. Peiman used his learning and the Northern Study Compendium to build prestige before challenging Zhang Shen, and Huaiqing enlisted Xu Qi'an to attend the coming literary gathering as her disguised guard.

• Xu Xinnian traded barbed remarks with Peiman Xilou and Xuanyin, then escorted the delegation through a hostile crowd that spared him because of a sign identifying him as Silver Gong Xu Qi'an’s younger brother.
• Peiman Xilou explained his plans to negotiate for aid, presented the Northern Study Compendium, and criticized Zhang Shen’s military treatise while praising Wei Yuan’s command of ordinary soldiers.
• Peiman Xilou met Emperor Yuanjing but did not ask for troops, then defeated the Directorate of Education’s Grand Libationer in a contest of learning and left his Compendium behind.
• Peiman Xilou announced that he would seek instruction from Zhang Shen at a literary gathering, alarming Great Feng’s scholars and prompting Emperor Yuanjing’s court to discuss how to curb his growing influence.
• Huaiqing, Xu Qi'an, and Lin'an discussed Peiman Xilou’s scholarship and challenge; Huaiqing asked Xu Qi'an to disguise himself as her guard and attend the gathering.

At the Reed Lake literary gathering, Peiman Xilou defeated Great Feng’s scholars with his military treatise until Xu Xinnian challenged him with Sun Tzu's Art of War. Peiman conceded, and Xu Xinnian revealed that his elder brother, Xu Qi'an, had written the book, leaving the gathering stunned.

• Court officials, scholars, and the imperial family gathered at Reed Lake as Peiman Xilou debated the Hanlin scholars and argued that Great Feng should aid the Divine Race against the Shaman God Cult.
• Peiman Xilou presented his Northern Study Military Volume, and Zhang Shen praised it as superior to his own treatise and conceded defeat.
• As the officials prepared to leave, Xu Xinnian challenged Peiman Xilou and handed him a military treatise titled Sun Tzu's Art of War.
• After reading the book, Peiman Xilou conceded, asked to copy it, and offered to become Xu Xinnian's student.
• When Zhang Shen and the others assumed Wei Yuan had written the treatise, Xu Xinnian revealed that his elder brother, Xu Qi'an, was its author.

Xu Qi'an’s authorship of Sun Tzu's Art of War was revealed after Xu Xinnian used it to defeat Peiman Xilou, astonishing the gathering and humiliating Emperor Yuanjing. The Grand Tutor kept the treatise, while Peiman Xilou’s delegation planned to approach Xu Qi'an and Huaiqing and Biaobiao questioned him about its authorship.

• The Directorate of Education’s students praised Xu Qi'an after learning he had written the treatise, and the Grand Tutor seized it, declaring that it must not reach the barbarians.
• Emperor Yuanjing learned that Xu Qi'an had written the book and flew into a rage, smashing vessels after dismissing the old eunuch.
• Peiman Xilou admitted that Xu Qi'an had ruined the delegation’s plans, then told Huang Xian'er to keep courting officials and warned Xuanyin not to approach Xu Qi'an.
• At Huaiqing Residence, Xu Qi'an confirmed that he had presented the treatise but let Huaiqing believe Wei Yuan had written it.
• After Xu Qi'an left with Biaobiao, she asked him whether Wei Yuan had really written the treatise.

Xu Qi'an’s military treatise brought him fame after Xu Xinnian used it to defeat Peiman Xilou, while Huaiqing learned that Xu Qi'an—not Wei Yuan—had written it. That night, Xu Qi'an and the Heaven and Earth Society connected Hengyuan’s disappearance to a possible secret route into the palace, and Xu Qi'an asked Zhong Li about earth veins.

• Xu Qi'an told Lin'an that he had written the military treatise and explained why he had let Huaiqing think Wei Yuan was its author.
• A Directorate of Education student publicized how Xu Xinnian had used Xu Qi'an’s treatise to defeat Peiman Xilou, and news of Xu Qi'an’s victory spread through the capital.
• Huaiqing visited Wei Yuan to ask for the treatise, learned that Xu Qi'an had written it, and heard Wei Yuan say he would not take Xu Qi'an to the battlefield.
• Chu Caiwei told Yang Qianhuan that Xu Qi'an’s unseen military treatise had defeated Peiman Xilou, prompting Yang Qianhuan to declare he would stop being mortal.
• Xu Qi'an told the Heaven and Earth Society that Earl Pingyuan’s former traffickers had been executed, and Chu Yuanzhen suggested Hengyuan might be held in the palace.
• The group considered whether an earth-traversing spell could explain a hidden route to the palace, and Xu Qi'an asked Zhong Li what earth veins were.

Xu Qi'an learned that the Imperial City’s Dragon Vein anchored the nation’s fate, while Number One volunteered to investigate Hengyuan and the tunnels. As Xu Qi'an connected the late emperor’s records to the Earth Sect’s Daoist leader, Wang Simu prepared to meet Auntie at the Xu Residence.

• Zhong Li explained that the Imperial City’s Dragon Vein anchored Great Feng’s fate, and Xu Qi'an shared the information with the Heaven and Earth Society.
• Number One offered to investigate Hengyuan and the tunnels, citing his ability to enter the Imperial City and palace.
• Xu Qi'an escaped a magical quarrel among Zhao Shou and the Great Confucians, then listened as Xu Erlang recited the late emperor’s records of daily activities.
• Xu Qi'an learned that the late emperor had asked the Human Sect’s Daoist leader to introduce him to the Earth Sect, linking the Earth Sect’s Daoist leader to Emperor Yuanjing’s past.
• Wang Simu dressed for her visit to the Xu Residence, while Auntie prepared the household to welcome her and scolded Xu Qi'an and Xu Lingyin for stealing food.

Wang Simu visited the Xu Residence to assess her prospective in-laws, trading polite probes with Auntie while Xu Qi'an listened in and hoped for a confrontation. After hearing how Auntie had once driven Xu Qi'an out of the family home, Wang Simu realized the seemingly straightforward matriarch had been concealing her true strength.

• Xu Lingyue and Susu argued over who should manage the Xu Household's money and who would make the best match for Xu Qi'an.
• Xu Lingyin left a ruler at the entrance, which Wang Simu mistook for a warning from Auntie when she arrived at the Xu Residence.
• Wang Simu presented gifts to Auntie and Xu Lingyue, then tested Auntie's temperament during their conversation, but found her unexpectedly straightforward.
• Wang Simu offered to teach Xu Lingyin, then watched Lina effortlessly lift a stone table while training the child.
• Xu Lingyue told Wang Simu that Xu Qi'an had argued with Auntie and moved out for five years, convincing Wang Simu that Auntie had deliberately hidden her formidable nature.

Wang Simu toured the Xu Residence to assess its household and discovered its formidable martial-world protectors, then traded barbed remarks with Susu and Xu Lingyue. As lunch began, Xu Qi'an stayed out of sight while his aunt hosted Wang Simu, who noticed that the household’s mistress had arranged for him to eat separately.

• Wang Simu judged Xu Lingyue’s mother to be unfathomable and examined the residence, learning that it had few ordinary guards.
• Wang Simu encountered Li Miaozhen and Susu in Xu Lingyue’s room and learned that they had been staying at the Xu Residence for months.
• Susu and Wang Simu exchanged veiled insults, and Li Miaozhen announced that Susu and Xu Ningyan shared mutual affection and that Susu would remain at the residence as his concubine.
• Xu Qi'an distracted his aunt by sending her to buy glass cups, then brought out fine porcelain and jade cups for the household.
• Xu Qi'an's aunt interrupted the women's tense exchange, rebuked Xu Lingyue, and told Wang Simu that Lingyue managed the household businesses and accounts.
• At lunch, Wang Simu learned that Xu Qi'an had been told to eat in his own room and wondered why he was so wary of the Xu Household's mistress.

Wang Simu visited the Xu Residence, where her attempts to assess the family and teach Xu Lingyin ended in humiliation, while Xu Erlang reassured her about their future. The chapter revealed that the Shaman God had issued a decree, and Huang Xian'er and Peiman Xilou arrived to meet Xu Qi'an after negotiations with Great Feng concluded.

• Wang Simu was astonished by the Xu Household's lavish antiques and dragon blood glazed glass, then tried to teach Xu Lingyin arithmetic and was reduced to tears by the child's behavior.
• Xu Erlang comforted Wang Simu and told her he wanted to wait until he had a higher position and greater wealth before marrying her; she later described the Xu Household's riches and called its mistress unfathomable to her family.
• Xu Qi'an read Xu Erlang's strategies against the Jing Kingdom's armored cavalry.
• Salun Agu told Yierbu that the Shaman God had issued a decree and ordered the Jing Kingdom's young ruler to flatten the Northern Territory within three months.
• Huang Xian'er and Peiman Xilou arrived at the Xu Residence after negotiations ended, intending to meet Xu Qi'an; Peiman planned to question him about military tactics, while Huang Xian'er intended to seduce him.

Peiman Xilou visited Xu Qi'an seeking advice on how the Divine Race could counter Jing Kingdom's cavalry, while Huang Xian'er tried to seduce Xu Qi'an. Drawing on Xu Erlang's strategies, Xu Qi'an offered several tactics before proposing a surprise attack on Jing Kingdom's capital, leaving Peiman Xilou stunned.

• Peiman Xilou told Huang Xian'er he wanted to meet Xu Qi'an to ask how the Divine Race could break the northern war's deadlock.
• Xu Qi'an welcomed Peiman Xilou and Huang Xian'er at his residence, where Peiman described Jing Kingdom's heavy and light cavalry and asked for advice.
• Xu Qi'an suggested using abatis and horse-trapping pits to disrupt cavalry charges, then proposed that the Goldwood Tribe's flying archers use fire oil against the Fire Armor Army.
• Peiman explained that Jing Kingdom's shamans strengthened its forces and asked Xu Qi'an for a decisive tactic; he also revealed that Jing Kingdom's cavalry was committed to the northern war.
• Xu Qi'an realized Jing Kingdom's capital might be vulnerable and proposed a surprise attack on it, leaving Peiman Xilou visibly shaken.

Xu Qi'an proposed a strategy that Peiman Xilou developed into a plan to distract Jing’s allies and attack its capital, while Emperor Yuanjing approved Wei Yuan’s campaign against the northern kingdoms and Shaman God Cult. After Xu Qi'an met the Supervisor, the chapter ended with him leaving Heavenly Fragrance House after turning Huang Xian'er’s attempted seduction against her.

• Xu Qi'an suggested striking Jing’s capital, and Peiman Xilou devised a plan to keep Kang, Yan, and the Shaman God Cult occupied before attacking.
• Emperor Yuanjing approved Wei Yuan’s campaign plan and added Xu Xinnian to the officers accompanying the army.
• Wei Yuan told the Supervisor that he had refused the path to greater martial power because he remained devoted to the woman he loved.
• A white-robed arcanist and a purple-robed man discussed Wei Yuan’s campaign, Ji Qian’s death, and the threat to Great Feng.
• Roars from the Extreme Abyss agitated Gu insects across the Southern Frontier, and Heaven Gu Granny worried about the Gu God and Lina’s safety.
• Huang Xian'er tried to seduce Xu Qi'an at Heavenly Fragrance House, but the next morning she emerged exhausted and admitted that he had played her.

Xu Qi'an learned that the Earth Book’s new private messaging feature let its holders contact one another directly, while Li Miaozhen shared the Earth Book’s ancient origins. The chapter ended with Xu Cijiu revealing that he had been ordered to accompany the army, leaving Xu Qi'an and Auntie alarmed about his fate.

• Zhong Li advised Xu Qi'an that his fused Saber Intent needed a unifying spirit, then slid off the roof after he playfully slapped her.
• Chu Yuanzhen told the Earth Book group that he had agreed to accompany Wei Yuan’s campaign against the Shaman God Cult.
• Daoist Jinlian entered seclusion and gave the Earth Book holders permission to send private messages directly; Xu Qi'an tested the feature and Li Miaozhen explained the Earth Book’s origins.
• Xu Cijiu arrived and told Xu Qi'an that Emperor Yuanjing had ordered him to accompany the army, though he also wanted to go.
• Xu Qi'an slapped Xu Cijiu down for wanting to fight, then told him to inform Auntie; Auntie rushed to Xu Qi'an for help after hearing the news.