Recaps

Xu Qi'an linked the Mulberry Lake case to the Shaman God Cult and suspected the Prince Who Guards the North, but Wei Yuan ordered him to withdraw that accusation. Xu then pursued the Azure Dragon Temple monk Henghui and planned to meet Daoist Jinlian, before the eldest princess summoned him; meanwhile, Wei Yuan went to the palace and Emperor Yuanjing asked about the investigation.

• Xu Qi'an learned that Number Six, Hengyuan, had been expelled from Azure Dragon Temple and suspected that Henghui was connected to the case.
• Xu Qi'an contacted the Heaven and Earth Society, revealed that he knew Number Six's situation, and arranged to meet Daoist Jinlian.
• Xu Qi'an told Wei Yuan that County Magistrate Zhao had died mysteriously and suggested that the Prince Who Guards the North had colluded with the Demon Race and the Shaman God Cult; Wei Yuan ordered him to withdraw and keep silent.
• Xu Qi'an decided to pursue Henghui and locate Number Six, then learned that the eldest princess had requested his presence.
• Wei Yuan went to the palace, where Emperor Yuanjing asked him about the Mulberry Lake investigation and Xu Qi'an.

Wei Yuan learned that Xu Qi'an’s investigation had connected County Magistrate Zhao’s death to supernatural forces, while the crown prince reported the Spirit Dragon’s strange behavior around Huaiqing and Lin'an. Xu Qi'an linked Azure Dragon Temple’s missing artifact to the disappearance of Commandery Princess Pingyang, then found himself caught between Huaiqing and Lin'an when the two princesses confronted him.

• Wei Yuan told Emperor Yuanjing that Zhao’s apparently natural death might have been caused by a Daoist Yin Spirit or a northeastern shaman.
• The crown prince described how the Spirit Dragon had thrown Lin'an into the lake, eagerly approached Huaiqing, then resisted her attempt to ride it; Emperor Yuanjing went to see the creature.
• The crown prince told Wei Yuan that Xu Qi'an had been present with Huaiqing and Lin'an, and recited Xu Qi'an’s poem about dreaming beneath a starry river.
• Xu Qi'an told Huaiqing that Zhou Chixiong may have used Azure Dragon Temple’s missing concealment artifact and that monk Henghui had stolen it while fleeing with a female worshipper.
• Huaiqing revealed that Commandery Princess Pingyang had vanished over a year earlier and that her father, Prince Yu, had fallen ill from grief; Xu Qi'an suspected Henghui’s artifact had helped conceal her escape.
• When Huaiqing challenged him over Lin'an’s jade pendant, Xu Qi'an promised to be loyal only to her, but Lin'an burst in and accused him of betraying her, leaving Huaiqing to demand that he choose between them.

Xu Qi'an navigated the rivalry between Princess Huaiqing and Princess Lin'an, appeasing Lin'an and securing her promise to plead with Emperor Yuanjing on his behalf. After Lin'an summoned him to visit the Spirit Dragon, the emperor rode the beast, which suddenly threw him into the lake.

• Xu Qi'an chose to discuss the Mulberry Lake case with Princess Huaiqing, leaving Princess Lin'an humiliated and in tears.
• Xu Qi'an caught up with Lin'an, explained that Huaiqing had offered to plead for him, and persuaded Lin'an to promise to do the same.
• Lin'an accepted Xu Qi'an's pledge of loyalty, let him keep her jade pendant, and ordered him to accompany her to see the Spirit Dragon.
• Emperor Yuanjing scolded the Spirit Dragon for throwing Lin'an into the water, then mounted it for a ride across the lake.
• The Spirit Dragon suddenly roared, reared its head, and flung Emperor Yuanjing off its back.

The Spirit Dragon rampaged through the imperial city, then stopped before Xu Qi'an after he drew his saber to protect Princess Lin'an. Emperor Yuanjing rewarded Xu Qi'an for saving Lin'an but kept his case deadline in place, while ordering the city’s defenses strengthened after the Spirit Dragon’s unexplained fear.

• The Spirit Dragon threw Emperor Yuanjing off and charged out of the lake, forcing the emperor and his guards to pursue it.
• The Spirit Dragon broke through palace defenses and charged toward Princess Lin'an, who froze in terror beside Xu Qi'an.
• Xu Qi'an stood between Lin'an and the Spirit Dragon and drew a saber line that the beast refused to cross; it calmed when he spoke to it.
• Emperor Yuanjing rewarded Xu Qi'an with gold and silk after Lin'an pleaded for him, but maintained the deadline for solving the Mulberry Lake case and threatened exile if he failed.
• The Spirit Dragon returned to the lake, and Emperor Yuanjing ordered Wei Yuan to strengthen the imperial city's defenses and enforce a curfew.

Xu Qi'an reported Commandery Princess Pingyang’s elopement to Wei Yuan, who rewarded him with a Golden Core and visualization materials to advance his cultivation. After learning that Emperor Yuanjing had also sent him gold and silk, Xu Qi'an shared some of the gold with his colleagues and headed home with plans to surprise his family.

• Wei Yuan dismissed the idea that Xu Qi'an had a special connection to the Spirit Dragon, then told Emperor Yuanjing he would summon the Prince Who Guards the North back to the capital after spring.
• Xu Qi'an told Wei Yuan that monk Henghui had eloped with Commandery Princess Pingyang, while noting that their connection to the Mulberry Lake case remained uncertain.
• Wei Yuan gave Xu Qi'an a Golden Core, which Xu Qi'an took and used to fill his middle dantian, then lent him a visualization booklet and painting.
• Nangong Qianrou informed Wei Yuan that three of his palace spies had been exposed, and Wei Yuan said Emperor Yuanjing tolerated corruption but not challenges to his authority.
• Xu Qi'an received the thousand taels of gold and five hundred bolts of silk bestowed by Emperor Yuanjing, then distributed some gold among Li Yuchun, Min Shan, Yang Feng, Lü Qing, and his team.
• Xu Qi'an escorted the gifts to the Xu Residence, imagining how the gold and silk would benefit his family and how he might tease Auntie with them.

Princess Lin'an told Noble Consort Chen that Xu Qi'an had saved her from the berserk Spirit Dragon, and the crown prince questioned how she had taken him from Huaiqing. Xu Qi'an returned home with five hundred bolts of silk bestowed by the emperor, leaving his family stunned.

• The crown prince told Noble Consort Chen that the Spirit Dragon had nearly injured Princess Lin'an, and Lin'an revealed that Xu Qi'an had saved her.
• Noble Consort Chen promised to reward Xu Qi'an, while Lin'an said she planned to take him along when she visited Huaiqing.
• Xu Qi'an arrived at the Xu Residence with three carriages and Nightwatchers, and servants began unloading bolts of silk.
• Second Uncle Xu and Auntie discussed the family's finances and the clothes they could not afford to buy.
• Old Zhang told the Xu family that Xu Qi'an had brought back five hundred bolts of silk bestowed by the emperor, and Auntie's chopsticks fell in surprise.

Xu Qi'an returned the Emperor’s gifts to his family, teased his aunt into serving him, and learned that his conversation with Second Uncle Xu had given him hope of reaching the Spirit Refining Realm. He then met Daoist Jinlian and laid out his clues about the Mulberry Lake case, leaving them to consider whether the Prince Who Guards the North was behind the conspiracy.

• Auntie and Xu Lingyue admired the five hundred bolts of silk, while Second Uncle Xu discovered a chest full of gold ingots.
• Xu Qi'an made Auntie serve him and wash his clothes, then asked Second Uncle Xu about his parents and their family history.
• Xu Qi'an stored the gold in his Earth Book Fragment and later told Second Uncle Xu something that gave him hope of breaking through to the Spirit Refining Realm.
• Daoist Jinlian visited Xu Qi'an, who shared his evidence and deductions about the Mulberry Lake investigation.
• Daoist Jinlian summarized Xu Qi'an’s suspicion that the Prince Who Guards the North had allied with northern and northeastern forces, prompting Xu Qi'an to ask what he thought.

Xu Qi'an discussed the Mulberry Lake case with Daoist Jinlian, who pointed out suspicious behavior by the Chief Astrologer and Emperor Yuanjing and agreed to help him find Hengyuan. Far away, Lina asked Heaven Gu Granny about a friend with extraordinary luck, and the Granny reacted with alarm.

• Xu Qi'an told Daoist Jinlian that he suspected the Prince Who Guards the North and was struggling to investigate the case.
• Daoist Jinlian noted that the Chief Astrologer had remained quiet and Emperor Yuanjing had lifted the capital's lockdown, and Xu Qi'an agreed both actions were suspicious.
• Xu Qi'an explained his suspicions about Henghui, Commandery Princess Pingyang, and the magical artifact, then asked Daoist Jinlian to take him to Hengyuan.
• Lina traveled with the Gu Race elders toward the Extreme Abyss and teased her brother Mosang along the way.
• Lina asked Heaven Gu Granny about a friend who kept finding silver, and the Granny seized her wrist and urgently demanded to know where he was.
• Mosang noticed the commotion, and the Strength Gu Tribe's leader went to investigate.

Lina learned that Number Three was the person secretly picking up silver, and Heaven Gu Granny linked the matter to an old theft of something extremely important. Meanwhile, Xu Qi'an and Daoist Jinlian discussed the missing Hengyuan and Wei Yuan’s motives, then Xu Qi'an asked for help investigating Earl Pingyuan’s son.

• Heaven Gu Granny questioned Lina about the person who kept finding silver and concluded that Lina’s friend, Number Three, was the one doing it.
• Heaven Gu Granny told Lina that two thieves had stolen something very important from a wealthy household many years ago, and its whereabouts remained unknown.
• The Gu Race expedition entered the Extreme Abyss, where Lust Gu Tribe members treated people poisoned by Desire Gu, before the group reached a statue of the Confucian School Sage.
• Daoist Jinlian told Xu Qi'an that Hengyuan’s Earth Book Fragment might be sealed and suggested Wei Yuan could be trying to drive Xu Qi'an from the capital.
• Xu Qi'an asked Daoist Jinlian to help him enter Earl Pingyuan’s residence and investigate the earl’s legitimate son for clues about Henghui’s abduction.

Xu Qi'an infiltrated Earl Pingyuan's residence with Daoist Jinlian to investigate, but a black-robed attacker arrived and killed Earl Pingyuan's legitimate son. As Xu Qi'an fled the attacker, Daoist Jinlian's Primordial Spirit struck back.

• Xu Qi'an disguised Daoist Jinlian as a black cat and used One Leaf Obscures the Eyes to sneak toward Earl Pingyuan's residence.
• Daoist Jinlian told Xu Qi'an that the thing sealed beneath Mulberry Lake had entered the city, citing the Spirit Dragon's rampage as evidence.
• Xu Qi'an and Daoist Jinlian watched Earl Pingyuan's legitimate son in his bedroom, but a black-robed man suddenly attacked the residence.
• The black-robed man killed Earl Pingyuan's legitimate son by draining his flesh and turned the body to powder.
• Xu Qi'an fought off the black-robed man's attack with his saber, and Daoist Jinlian's Primordial Spirit charged the attacker while Xu Qi'an escaped.

After surviving an encounter with the black-robed killer, Xu Qi'an investigated the massacre at Earl Pingyuan's residence and identified the killer as Henghui. He headed to the Righteous Qi Tower to tell Wei Yuan, while the connection between Henghui and the sealed entity beneath Mulberry Lake remained unresolved.

• Xu Qi'an escaped the black-robed killer, alerted the Nightwatchers, and met Daoist Jinlian, who asked him to obtain an Origin Gathering Pill from Luo Yuheng.
• Jiang Lyuzhong investigated the slaughter at Earl Pingyuan's residence, found a surviving concubine and clues to another witness, and learned that Xu Qi'an had first discovered the crime.
• Xu Qi'an traveled to the Azure Dragon Temple and asked Administrator Hengqing for a portrait of Henghui.
• Xu Qi'an recognized Henghui as the black-robed killer and suspected the sealed entity might be inside him, with the Prince Who Guards the North possibly involved.
• Xu Qi'an returned to the capital and went to the Righteous Qi Tower to tell Wei Yuan what he had discovered.

Xu Qi'an linked Henghui to Earl Pingyuan's murder and the Mulberry Lake case, then enlisted Jiang Lyuzhong to help pursue him. After Chu Caiwei reported fresh demonic Qi, Xu Qi'an went to Numinous Treasure Temple and gained an audience with the State Preceptor by sending a private message.

• Xu Lingyin ate the breakfast Chu Caiwei had brought, leaving Chu Caiwei surprised to find it all gone.
• Xu Qi'an told Wei Yuan that Henghui had killed Earl Pingyuan's legitimate son and might possess the sealed object from Mulberry Lake.
• Xu Qi'an told Jiang Lyuzhong about Henghui and persuaded him to join the investigation.
• Chu Caiwei told Xu Qi'an that the Directorate of Astronomy had detected demonic Qi matching the Qi from the day of the Mulberry Lake explosion.
• Xu Qi'an went to Numinous Treasure Temple to seek the State Preceptor, and an attendant returned to invite him in after he delivered a private message.

Xu Qi'an obtained an Origin Gathering Pill from Luo Yuheng and then went to Prince Yu’s estate to ask about the Mulberry Lake case. Meanwhile, Wei Yuan told Emperor Yuanjing that Earl Pingyuan’s massacre was connected to the case and that Xu Qi'an had uncovered the killer’s identity.

• Xu Qi'an met Luo Yuheng at the Numinous Treasure Temple, explained that Daoist Jinlian needed an Origin Gathering Pill, and received one after she found nothing remarkable about his fate.
• Eunuch Liu informed Wei Yuan that Emperor Yuanjing was furious and that ministers had been accusing him over the Mulberry Lake case and Earl Pingyuan’s massacre.
• Emperor Yuanjing threatened to strip Wei Yuan of his post unless the killer was found within three days, and Wei Yuan said the massacre and the Mulberry Lake case were connected.
• Wei Yuan told Emperor Yuanjing privately that he had discovered the killer’s identity, then left without revealing details to Minister Zhang or the other officials.
• Eunuch Liu told the ministers that Xu Qi'an was handling the case and that Wei Yuan’s information had come from him.
• Xu Qi'an visited Prince Yu’s estate and met the prince, who recalled Xu Qi'an but said he had not followed court affairs for some time.

Xu Qi'an learned that Commandery Princess Pingyang had eloped with Henghui and warned Wei Yuan that Henghui might target Chief Grand Secretary Wang or Minister of War Zhang. As Zhang Feng sent Zhang Yi out of the capital, Xu Qi'an returned home and told Daoist Jinlian he had obtained the Origin Gathering Pill.

• Xu Qi'an told Prince Yu that Commandery Princess Pingyang had eloped with Henghui, and Prince Yu revealed how deeply he still longed for her return.
• Prince Yu explained that Emperor Yuanjing had considered placing him in the Grand Secretariat and named Wang Zhenwen and Zhang Feng as beneficiaries of his withdrawal.
• Xu Qi'an suspected Pingyang's elopement had been engineered as political revenge and warned Wei Yuan that Henghui might target Wang Zhenwen or Zhang Feng.
• Zhang Feng ordered Zhang Yi to leave the capital, but guards stopped him under the emperor's decree barring officials' families from departing.
• Chu Caiwei gave Xu Qi'an Great Strength Pills, and later Daoist Jinlian asked what Luo Yuheng had said; Xu Qi'an replied that he had obtained the Origin Gathering Pill.

Xu Qi'an reconsidered who might have released the sealed entity beneath Mulberry Lake after the orange cat pointed him toward the Demon Race, then discussed Luo Yuheng and the Human Sect. Meanwhile, a sinister monk attacked the Minister of War’s residence but was intercepted by a white-robed arcanist and four Gold Gongs, ending their battle in a massive explosion.

• Xu Qi'an told the orange cat what he had learned at Prince Yu’s residence, and the orange cat suggested the Demon Race might have known about the seal beneath Mulberry Lake.
• Xu Qi'an mentioned meeting Luo Yuheng, and the orange cat explained her connection to the Human Sect and discussed the Daoist sects’ attitudes toward desire.
• A black-robed man demolished the entrance to the Minister of War’s residence, but a teleportation formation carried him to a desolate district where a white-robed arcanist confronted him.
• The white-robed arcanist summoned four Gold Gongs and deployed siege crossbows and cannons against the black-robed man, who revealed himself as a sinister young monk with a monstrous right arm.
• The four Gold Gongs and the white-robed arcanist fought the monk, and the arcanist combined the killing intents of heaven, earth, and man before the monk’s awakened arm unleashed a terrifying explosion.

After Henghui escaped an ambush by four Gold Gongs and Yang Qianhuan, Wei Yuan told Xu Qi'an to investigate Minister Zhang, who was being held under protection. Xu Qi'an left the Righteous Qi Tower to pursue the lead, while the mystery of the powerful severed hand beneath Mulberry Lake remained unresolved.

• Yang Qianhuan learned from the Gold Gongs that the black-robed man's terrifying arm was the sealed object beneath Mulberry Lake and that Xu Qi'an had investigated the case.
• Xu Qi'an overslept, then settled a breakfast dispute by telling Xu Lingyin that a ghost had eaten her missing chicken drumstick.
• At the Righteous Qi Tower, Xu Qi'an found four injured Gold Gongs and learned Henghui had escaped their ambush with Yang Qianhuan.
• Wei Yuan told Xu Qi'an that the severed hand was at least second rank and that Henghui remained somewhere in the city.
• Wei Yuan ordered Xu Qi'an to investigate Minister Zhang's residence and reminded him to respect the rules for investigating a second-rank official.

Xu Qi'an investigated the attack on Zhang Feng’s residence and discovered that both Zhang Feng and his son Zhang Yi were lying about Henghui and Commandery Princess Pingyang. He suspected Zhang Yi knew about their elopement, then went to visit Fuxiang at the Imperial Music Bureau.

• Wei Yuan ordered the Nightwatchers to find Henghui quickly, warning that court officials were blaming them for failing to solve cases.
• Xu Qi'an questioned Minister Zhang about Henghui’s attack, and Zhang Feng denied knowing the monk or Commandery Princess Pingyang’s connection to him.
• Zhang Yi denied knowing Henghui, Hengqing, and Hengyuan, but admitted he knew Commandery Princess Pingyang.
• Chu Caiwei told Xu Qi'an that both Zhang Feng and Zhang Yi had lied, leading him to suspect Zhang Yi was involved in the elopement.
• After work, Xu Qi'an went with Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao to the Imperial Music Bureau, then entered the Shadowed Plum Pavilion to visit Fuxiang.

Xu Qi'an was intercepted by Mingyan on his way to visit Fuxiang, prompting Fuxiang and the other top courtesans to gather around him. At a drinking game, the courtesans realized his hint about writing something three or four days ago might mean he had composed the poem recently circulated from the palace.

• Mingyan's servant invited Xu Qi'an to Green Pond Courtyard, and Fuxiang hurried there after learning he had been intercepted.
• Fuxiang joined Xu Qi'an and Mingyan, then seven other top courtesans arrived and gathered with them in the main hall.
• Aya started a drinking game and asked about the poem, “Drunk, I knew not the sky lay in the water; a boatful of clear dreams weighed upon the river of stars.”
• Xu Qi'an said he could not compose a poem every three or four days, leading Aya and the courtesans to suspect he had written the poem recently heard from the palace.

Xu Qi'an discovered that Mingyan’s maid was a demoness hiding in Green Pond Courtyard, but he could not assess her strength and delayed confronting her to protect the courtesans. After sending Song Tingfeng to fetch a Gold Gong, he returned to the room and waited anxiously for help as the demoness began clearing the others away.

• Xu Qi'an revealed that he had written the poem for Princess Huaiqing, drawing the courtesans’ attention and attracting curious guests to Green Pond Courtyard.
• While entertaining the courtesans, Xu Qi'an used the Qi-Observing Technique and spotted emerald-green Yao Qi coming from Mingyan’s maid.
• Xu Qi'an left to warn Song Tingfeng and told him to bring a Gold Gong to Green Pond Courtyard, or Song Qing if the Gold Gong on duty was surnamed Zhu.
• Xu Qi'an returned to the room and kept playing along with the courtesans while waiting for Song Tingfeng, careful not to provoke the demoness.
• The demoness asked the courtesans to return to their rooms and asked whether Xu Qi'an would stay with her mistress that night.

Xu Qi'an was poisoned and nearly killed by a fox demon at the Imperial Music Bureau before Yang Qianhuan captured her and helped him question her. Afterward, Xu Qi'an returned to the Shadowed Plum Pavilion and went to sleep beside the tearful Fuxiang.

• Xu Qi'an sent the courtesans away and stayed in Mingyan's room while waiting for Song Tingfeng to arrive.
• The maid poisoned Xu Qi'an, revealed herself as a fox demon, and attacked him after he tried to escape.
• Yang Qianhuan appeared, trapped the demon in a formation, and forced her to confess that she belonged to the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons and had helped release something sealed beneath Mulberry Lake.
• The demon said Henghui was involved in the plan and that she had been ordered to kill Xu Qi'an, but she denied that Mingyan knew anything.
• Yang Qianhuan took the demon away, and Xu Qi'an checked that Mingyan was safe before returning to the Shadowed Plum Pavilion.
• Xu Qi'an found Fuxiang crying, then lifted the quilt and went to sleep without explaining what had happened.

Xu Qi'an continued investigating the Mulberry Lake case while Fuxiang learned why he had stayed at Green Pond Courtyard and found a poem he left for her. The chapter ended with Henghui confronting his imprisoned senior brother Hengyuan and declaring that he wanted to eat him.

• Xu Qi'an reviewed the factions and possible leads in the Mulberry Lake case, then ordered brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone.
• Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao arrested Mingyan for secretly sheltering a demon, and Song Tingfeng told Fuxiang that Xu Qi'an had uncovered the disguised demon woman.
• Fuxiang realized Xu Qi'an had stayed at Green Pond Courtyard for official business, found his poem in the empty room, and rushed to find him, but her maid stopped her.
• Henghui entered the well where Hengyuan was imprisoned and told him the severed hand had injured him.
• Henghui revealed his pitch-black eyes and told Hengyuan that he wanted to eat him.

Henghui subdued his murderous right arm with the Heart-Cleansing Mantra and began telling Hengyuan what had happened to him a year earlier. Meanwhile, Xu Qi'an investigated the demon woman at the Imperial Music Bureau, learned of a possible seal on the Gu God, and met Daoist Jinlian, who said he had found Number Six.

• Hengyuan reminded Henghui of the Heart-Cleansing Mantra, and Henghui calmed his possessed right arm before agreeing to explain what had happened a year ago.
• Xu Qi'an questioned Mingyan about He'er, learned when she joined the Imperial Music Bureau and who she knew, then escorted her back.
• Xu Qi'an assigned Li Yuchun and Lü Qing to investigate He'er's associates and search for Henghui.
• Number Five told the Earth Book group that the Gu Race had found a cracked statue of the Confucian School Sage in the Extreme Abyss, prompting discussion of whether it had been suppressing the Gu God.
• Daoist Jinlian summoned Xu Qi'an and told him that he had found Number Six.

Daoist Jinlian sensed Number Six’s Earth Book Fragment, leading Xu Qi'an and the Nightwatchers to a courtyard where they found Henghui dead and the demonic hand missing. Hengyuan said the hand had taken Henghui’s life and began telling the group what happened a year earlier.

• Daoist Jinlian told Xu Qi'an that Number Six’s Earth Book Fragment had briefly resonated, and Xu Qi'an urgently informed Wei Yuan.
• Wei Yuan ordered Yang Yan to assemble the Gold Gongs and told Xu Qi'an that stopping Henghui could outweigh the risk to nearby civilians.
• Daoist Jinlian guided Xu Qi'an and the Nightwatchers to a courtyard in the eastern outer city where Number Six, Hengyuan, was waiting.
• Xu Qi'an and the Gold Gongs found Henghui dead beside Hengyuan, with his right sleeve empty and the demonic hand gone.
• Hengyuan said Henghui had passed the burden of revenge to him and began recounting a story from the previous year.

Hengyuan revealed that Henghui and Commandery Princess Pingyang had been murdered a year earlier after Earl Pingyuan’s son and two political allies betrayed their planned elopement. The Gold Gongs found Pingyang’s remains beneath an old locust tree, while Xu Qi'an suspected someone had deliberately brought Henghui’s case to light.

• Hengyuan recounted how Henghui fell in love with Commandery Princess Pingyang and agreed to elope with her, seeking Earl Pingyuan’s son to arrange their escape.
• Xu Qi'an recognized that Earl Pingyuan’s son had betrayed the couple, and Hengyuan explained that the son and two officials’ sons had attacked them, killing Henghui and driving Pingyang to suicide.
• Hengyuan said someone had sealed Henghui’s Primordial Spirit inside his corpse, sustaining the walking corpse through the desire for revenge, but he did not know who had saved him.
• The Gold Gongs took Hengyuan to a desolate mountain and found Pingyang’s skeleton beneath an old locust tree, with a gold hairpin near her remains.
• Xu Qi'an suggested taking the remains and hairpin to Prince Yu’s estate for identification, and Yang Yan praised his work as Gold Gong Zhu watched him intently.

Prince Yu confirmed that the gold hairpin belonged to Commandery Princess Pingyang and went to the palace with a blood-written petition, while Xu Qi'an told the imperial family how she and Henghui had died. As the court faced a brewing political storm, Xu Qi'an learned that Number Two had located Zhou Chixiong and waited to see whether the cases would spare him punishment.

• Prince Yu recognized the gold hairpin found with the remains as Pingyang's, heard that Earl Pingyuan, Zhang Feng, and the chief supervising secretary of the Ministry of Revenue were implicated, and left to present a blood-written petition to the emperor.
• Princess Huaiqing asked Xu Qi'an about Pingyang's case, and he recounted her love for Henghui and their fate to the royal siblings.
• Eunuch Liu arrived at the Star Observation Tower with an imperial edict summoning the Supervisor, but Yang Qianhuan told him the Supervisor had already gone to the palace.
• Number Nine told the Heaven and Earth Society that Number Six had been found sealed at the Nightwatchers' constabulary, and Number One shared news of Pingyang's case and the looming storm in the capital.
• Xu Qi'an identified himself in the Earth Book exchange as the Copper Gong who solved the case, while Number Three praised him as exceptionally talented.
• Number Two told the group that her subordinate had spotted Zhou Chixiong at a mountain stronghold she planned to attack, and Xu Qi'an hoped his capture would reveal the mastermind behind the Demon Race conspiracy.