Chapter Summaries

Xu Qi'an learned that the Buddhist Order of the Western Regions was coming for Monk Shenshu, so he planned to leave the capital temporarily. At the Star Observation Tower, the Supervisor arranged for Zhong Li to accompany him and used wine to persuade him he would not need to leave; the chapter ended with Li Miaozhen preparing to depart the Flying Swallow Army.

• Monk Shenshu warned Xu Qi'an that the Buddhist Order was coming, and Xu Qi'an decided to seek a temporary leave from the capital.
• Chu Caiwei visited the Xu Residence, where she and Xu Lingyin competed over pastries, then took Xu Qi'an to see the Supervisor.
• At the Star Observation Tower, Xu Qi'an met Zhong Li, the Supervisor's Fifth-Rank Prophet, and learned that her prophetic misfortune caused dangerous accidents.
• Zhong Li fell from the Eight Trigrams Platform after taking a small step backward, but the Supervisor pulled her back to safety.
• Xu Qi'an refused to take Zhong Li with him when he said he planned to leave the capital, but the Supervisor gave him wine and told him he would not need to go.
• At the military camp outside White Emperor City, Li Miaozhen changed into her Heaven Sect robes and prepared to leave with her belongings.

Li Miaozhen disbanded the Flying Swallow Army after the bandit campaign, while Lina received the Seven Absolutes Gu and was sent toward the capital after Heaven Gu Granny revealed a coming threat to the Gu God. In the capital, Xu Qi'an celebrated his new noble status with his family and went to help Xu Xinnian prepare for the metropolitan examination.

• Li Miaozhen thanked the Flying Swallow Army and sent its soldiers home after they refused to join Yunzhou's regular forces.
• Lina helped the Heaven Gu Tribe repair its dam, then received the Seven Absolutes Gu and learned Heaven Gu Granny's warning about the Gu God's possible awakening.
• Heaven Gu Granny told Lina to travel to the capital, where she could gain experience and become involved in the emergence of a mysterious object.
• Xu Qi'an attended a banquet celebrating his viscount title, while Lü Qing worried that his new rank put him beyond her reach as a marriage prospect.
• Xu Erlang explained the metropolitan examination to Xu Qi'an, and Xu Pingzhi learned that scholars called him a disgrace to humanity because of his son's poetry.
• Xu Qi'an visited Xu Xinnian that night and offered to guess the examination questions.

Xu Qi'an helped Xu Xinnian prepare for the metropolitan examination by drawing poetry topics and composing poems for him. After Xu Xinnian entered the examination compound, Xu Qi'an learned through the Earth Book group that Li Miaozhen, Number Four, and Lina were all heading to the capital, setting up a tense reunion.

• Xu Qi'an drew the topics “expressing aspirations” and “patriotism” and later gave Xu Xinnian poems written for them to memorize before the examination.
• Zhong Li fell repeatedly because of her bad luck, then stayed in Xu Qi'an’s room to avoid causing trouble for his family.
• Xu Xinnian entered the examination compound, where a bald man greeted him with a Buddhist invocation before leaving.
• Xu Qi'an read that Li Miaozhen had finished suppressing bandits and planned to travel to the capital.
• Number One described a former scholar who became a renowned swordsman, and Number Four revealed that he had already returned to the capital.
• Lina announced that she would travel to the capital, while Li Miaozhen warned her to conceal her Gu Race origins and challenged Number Four to a fight when they met.

Xu Qi'an learned that the Heaven and Human sects’ coming contest could escalate into a clash between their leaders, and Wei Yuan urged him to cooperate with Daoist Jinlian in keeping the peace. After Zhong Li accidentally burned down Spring Breeze Hall, Xu Qi'an took her to the Imperial Music Bureau, while Xu Xinnian separately encountered a strange swordsman after his examination.

• Daoist Jinlian decided Xu Qi'an might be needed to mediate between Li Miaozhen and the Human Sect disciple, but worried that Xu Qi'an was not strong enough.
• Xu Qi'an learned that the capital was preparing for the Heaven and Human disciples’ contest and received his promotion to Silver Gong from Wei Yuan.
• Xu Qi'an told Wei Yuan that Li Miaozhen belonged to the Heaven and Earth Society and that the Human Sect had sent the capital’s foremost swordsman; Wei Yuan instructed him to cooperate with Daoist Jinlian.
• Wei Yuan warned Xu Qi'an that the Heaven Sect’s Daoist leader was First Rank and that the Western Church would soon arrive in the capital.
• Zhong Li accidentally set Spring Breeze Hall ablaze while meditating, and Xu Qi'an took her to bathe and change after the Nightwatchers extinguished the fire.
• After the first session of the metropolitan examination, Xu Xinnian met an azure-robed swordsman who invited him to the Imperial Music Bureau, but Xu Xinnian fled; later, Xu Qi'an brought Zhong Li there to visit Fuxiang.

Xu Qi'an visited Fuxiang at the Imperial Music Bureau and met Chu Yuanzhen, Earth Book Number Four, who had returned to the capital. After learning that Chu planned to fight Li Miaozhen in the Heaven and Human Contest, Xu Qi'an sought to win his favor and found inspiration for a poem.

• Zhong Li guessed that Fuxiang was Xu Qi'an's lover and revealed that she knew the Qi-Observing Technique.
• Xu Qi'an arrived at the Shadowed Plum Pavilion and learned that Chu Yuanzhen, the capital's foremost swordsman, was entertaining guests there.
• Mingyan praised Xu Qi'an's deeds to the guests, and Fuxiang welcomed him when he entered the hall.
• Xu Qi'an and Chu Yuanzhen introduced themselves, and Xu Qi'an realized Number Four did not know he had returned from the dead.
• Xu Qi'an asked about Chu Yuanzhen's sheathed sword and, after hearing about its Sword Qi, claimed that inspiration had struck and he wanted to compose a poem.

Xu Qi'an entertained Chu Yuanzhen and the courtesans with poetry and a blindfolded pitch-pot contest, then Chu Yuanzhen met Hengyuan and learned more about Xu Qi'an. Three days later, Xu Qi'an escorted Xu Xinnian to the metropolitan examination and jokingly made him take the blame when he thought a monk and swordsman were plotting against him.

• Xu Qi'an recited an opening couplet about honing a sword for ten years, then disappointed Chu Yuanzhen by saying he had not thought of the rest.
• Xu Qi'an and Chu Yuanzhen competed in blindfolded pitch-pot, and Xu Qi'an won by throwing his last five arrows at once.
• Xu Qi'an told Fuxiang he would buy her freedom, then the bed collapsed while they were together.
• Chu Yuanzhen flew to the Nourishing Life Hall, met Hengyuan, and learned that Xu Qi'an had survived Yunzhou; they agreed to visit Number Three together.
• Three days later, Xu Qi'an accompanied Xu Xinnian to the metropolitan examination, where Xu Xinnian mistook Chu Yuanzhen and Hengyuan for conspirators and Xu Qi'an joked that he was carrying the blame.

Song Tingfeng reflected on how the war had changed him and resolved to pursue the Spirit Refining Realm instead of returning to his old life. Xu Qi'an punished two prominent Jingzhou clans for brawling, then visited Luo Yuheng at the Numinous Treasure Temple, where Chu Yuanzhen’s presence left him scrambling to conceal his connection to the Earth Book Fragment.

• Song Tingfeng told Zhu Guangxiao that he planned to exchange his military merit for a Spirit Refining Realm visualization diagram and would never visit the Imperial Music Bureau again.
• While patrolling, Xu Qi'an intervened when men from the Lu and Zhao Clans fought on a rooftop and ordered both groups to the Nightwatchers' office.
• Xu Qi'an defeated the Zhao Clan's young lady and breached the Bronze Skin Iron Bone elder's defenses, then arranged fines for the detained groups.
• Xu Qi'an rode to the Numinous Treasure Temple to seek Luo Yuheng's guidance on the Heart Sword manual.
• Xu Qi'an found Chu Yuanzhen with Luo Yuheng and tried unsuccessfully to warn her privately, prompting Chu Yuanzhen to ask whether he should step outside.

Xu Qi'an sparred with Chu Yuanzhen at Numinous Treasure Temple and revealed an extraordinary grasp of the Heart Sword, prompting Luo Yuheng and Emperor Yuanjing to recognize his talent. As the fight ended, Chu Yuanzhen asked Xu Qi'an to use his ultimate technique, and Xu Qi'an warned that it might injure him before the Heaven and Human Contest.

• Luo Yuheng left Xu Qi'an with Chu Yuanzhen to discuss the Heart Sword, and Xu Qi'an revealed that he had mastered its basics in about ten days.
• Xu Qi'an questioned Chu Yuanzhen about the Human Sect, Li Miaozhen, and the State Preceptor's karmic fire before agreeing to spar with him.
• Emperor Yuanjing and Luo Yuheng heard the fight and went to watch Xu Qi'an face Chu Yuanzhen's sword formation.
• Xu Qi'an used his mental power to disrupt the thought power guiding Chu Yuanzhen's flying branches and broke the sword formation.
• Luo Yuheng told Emperor Yuanjing that Xu Qi'an had learned the Heart Sword's basics in ten days, while Chu Yuanzhen had taken a month to master all three sword techniques.
• Chu Yuanzhen asked Xu Qi'an to show his ultimate technique, and Xu Qi'an warned that he might accidentally injure him.

Xu Qi'an sparred with Chu Yuanzhen, then shared stories and discussed the ancient Gods and Devils before reading Number Five's message that she had been swindled out of her silver. He was left wanting to join the Heaven and Earth Society's worried replies while concealing that he was present in the capital.

• Xu Qi'an used his saber technique against Chu Yuanzhen, who blocked the strike but admitted it could have badly injured him if Xu Qi'an were at the Fifth Rank.
• Emperor Yuanjing praised both men and left with Luo Yuheng, while Xu Qi'an and Chu Yuanzhen went inside to drink tea and talk.
• Chu Yuanzhen told Xu Qi'an about the northern barbarians' possible Gods and Devils ancestry, the Gu God, and a polar race whose females became males to preserve their people.
• Xu Qi'an recounted his case-solving exploits, and Chu Yuanzhen grew more convinced that Daoist Jinlian had deliberately drawn both Xu Qi'an and Number Three into the Earth Book Society.
• After Chu Yuanzhen left the room, Xu Qi'an read Number Five's message saying she had been swindled out of her silver and watched the others offer her advice.

Xu Qi'an and the Heaven and Earth Society discussed how to help Lina after a swindler took her money, while the Prince of Huai's consort briefly went missing. The chapter ended with Xu Erlang entering the examination compound for the final poetry session of the metropolitan examination.

• Lina told the Heaven and Earth Society that a Daoist had sold her a fake treasure basin, leaving her penniless in Yongzhou.
• Luo Yuheng discussed the Gu Race and the descendants of Gods and Devils with Xu Qi'an, while Daoist Jinlian asked the Society how to help Lina find food and lodging.
• Xu Qi'an suggested Lina keep admirers as she traveled, but Daoist Jinlian ignored the advice and passed along the other members' suggestions.
• The Prince of Huai's chief guard told Luo Yuheng that the princess consort was missing, and Second Uncle Xu later said she had returned home after the capital's guards searched for her.
• Xu Erlang entered the examination compound at dawn for the final poetry session, while Chu Yuanzhen and Hengyuan discussed their upcoming duel.

Xu Xinnian used the poem Xu Qi'an had given him to answer the final spring examination prompt, and the examiners praised it as a work destined for fame. After the examinations, Xu Xinnian asked Xu Qi'an about the poem’s allusions, while Zhong Li reported that one of Xu Qi'an’s younger sisters had a tough fate.

• Xu Xinnian recognized the examination prompt as a call to express one’s aspirations and grew excited that Xu Qi'an had predicted it.
• Xu Xinnian adapted Xu Qi'an’s poem, “The road is hard,” for his examination answer, replacing the unfamiliar Yellow River and Taihang with other names.
• The marking examiners passed Xu Xinnian’s poem around and praised its stirring expression of hardship and resolve.
• Grand Secretary Zhao Tingfang read the poem and considered naming its author metropolitan laureate if his other examination answers were excellent.
• After the examinations, Xu Xinnian told Xu Qi'an that he had guessed the prompt and asked about the poem’s allusions; Xu Qi'an dismissed his questions and invited him to the Imperial Music Bureau.
• Xu Qi'an found Zhong Li bandaging her head, and she told him that one of his younger sisters had a very tough fate.

Xu Qi'an learned that Zhong Li's misfortune had concealed his fortune and heard Daoist Jinlian explain that the warlock system may have originated from the shaman system. As martial heroes gathered in the capital, Xu Qi'an headed toward the Heroic Platforms, but Lin'an's guard summoned him to the palace over a life-or-death emergency.

• Xu Qi'an tested whether Xu Lingyin was unaffected by Zhong Li's bad luck, but an orange cat knocked a falling orchid pot aside and it struck Zhong Li instead.
• Daoist Jinlian told Xu Qi'an that the warlock system was created after Great Feng's founding emperor reneged on a promise to make the Shaman God Cult the state religion, leading Xu Qi'an to suspect warlocks came from shamans.
• Xu Qi'an confronted Zhong Li about his lost fortune, and she promised to compensate him with two magical artifacts.
• Xu Qi'an stopped Auntie from beating Xu Lingyin over the broken orchid, then handed the feather duster back when Xu Lingyue explained the reason.
• Xu Qi'an heard about the martial heroines gathering in the capital and chose to patrol the southern Heroic Platform.
• A guard serving Lin'an summoned Xu Qi'an to the palace, saying Lin'an's life depended on him.

Xu Qi'an accompanied Lin'an as she tried and failed to confront Huaiqing, then pondered how to keep Consort Chen from using Lin'an in her feud with the empress. While patrolling the southern city, he picked up a woman's purse and flirted with a heroine at a restaurant before its owner confronted him.

• Xu Qi'an escorted Zhong Li back toward the Directorate of Astronomy, then entered the palace after Lin'an summoned him.
• Lin'an told Xu Qi'an that Huaiqing had struck her and asked him to accompany her back to Ivy Garden to fight Huaiqing.
• Huaiqing ordered her guards to kill unauthorized intruders, so Lin'an and Xu Qi'an retreated without confronting her.
• Xu Qi'an escorted Lin'an back to Shaoyin Garden, entertained her, and later worried that Consort Chen would use her against the empress.
• While patrolling the southern city, Xu Qi'an found a pale green purse and pocketed it.
• Xu Qi'an ordered wine for a seductive heroine at a restaurant, and a furious woman arrived demanding that he return her purse.

Xu Qi'an kept a lost purse of gold from an older woman, then returned it by throwing it down onto her toes before flirting with Ecstasy Hand Rongrong. The chapter ended when a Bronze Skin Iron Bone expert challenged Xu Qi'an to come down and apologize, drawing a crowd.

• A boy identified Xu Qi'an as the man who had picked up the woman’s purse, but Xu Qi'an paid him to deny seeing anything.
• The woman ate at Xu Qi'an’s table while he dismissed her complaints and traded insults with nearby young heroes.
• Rongrong joined Xu Qi'an, and he impressed her by claiming powerful family connections and identifying a staged arena fight.
• The woman demanded her purse again, and Xu Qi'an tossed it from the second floor, striking her toes before she limped away with it.
• A burly man in the arena called out Xu Qi'an and demanded that he kneel and apologize, attracting a crowd of spectators.

Xu Qi'an defeated a bronze skin iron bone martial artist with one slash, then discovered that Miss Rongrong had stolen his Earth Book Fragment. He realized the fragment could be tracked and set off to find it, planning to seek Daoist Jinlian.

• Xu Qi'an cleared the bystanders from the arena and challenged the man who had publicly called him out.
• Xu Qi'an cut down the sixth-rank martial artist with one slash, impressing the crowd and revealing his strength to Miss Rongrong and the young heroes.
• Xu Qi'an ordered Copper Gongs to take the wounded man to a physician and then to the Nightwatchers' office.
• Xu Qi'an discovered that Miss Rongrong had stolen his Earth Book Fragment after touching his arm, and he left to investigate and find Daoist Jinlian.

Xu Qi'an confronted Miss Rongrong at the Heroic Platform, accusing her of stealing his Earth Book Fragment, and took her to the Nightwatchers' Office. After a white-robed arcanist confirmed she was telling the truth and had never met him, Xu Qi'an realized there were two identical Rongrongs, and she claimed to know who had stolen the treasure.

• Young Master Liu and the other martial artists inspected the Heroic Platform and learned from a loafer that Xu Qi'an had wounded a bronze skin iron bone warrior with one saber strike.
• Xu Qi'an arrived, broke Young Master Liu's Seven Stars Sword, and accused Miss Rongrong of stealing his treasure.
• Miss Rongrong agreed to go with Xu Qi'an alone, and he carried her to the Nightwatchers' Office.
• Xu Qi'an questioned Rongrong about the theft and summoned a white-robed arcanist, who confirmed she was not lying and had never met him.
• Xu Qi'an realized the thief and the Rongrong before him must be two identical people, and Rongrong said she knew who the thief was.

Xu Qi'an recovered his Earth Book Fragment from the Thousand-Faced Female Thief, Ge Xiaojing, with Daoist Jinlian’s help. After locking her up, he learned that martial-world people had arrived to ransom her.

• Xu Qi'an questioned Miss Rongrong, discovered the Thousand-Faced Female Thief had impersonated her, and left her in Min Shan’s custody.
• Xu Qi'an found Daoist Jinlian’s body asleep, woke him by slapping his face, and asked him to help locate the stolen Earth Book Fragment.
• Daoist Jinlian guided Xu Qi'an to an inn, where they found the thief disguised as Miss Rongrong and recovered the Earth Book Fragment.
• Xu Qi'an learned the thief was Ge Xiaojing of the Thief Sect, but she tricked him and Daoist Jinlian with a poison cloud before Xu Qi'an caught her through an illusion.
• Xu Qi'an imprisoned Ge Xiaojing at the Nightwatchers' office, and the next morning a group of martial-world people arrived to ransom her.

Xu Qi'an cleared Rongrong of theft, compensated Young Master Liu for the destroyed magical artifact through a note to Song Qing, and learned more about Ge Xiaojing’s disguise technique. After Zhong Li returned from surviving a string of dangers, Xu Qi'an asked her to help with something.

• Xu Qi'an released Rongrong after confirming that Ge Xiaojing had stolen his artifact while disguised as her, and he gave her companions an IOU for a replacement magical artifact.
• Rongrong explained to her companions that Ge Xiaojing had framed her, and they visited the Directorate of Astronomy, where Yang Yuchuan exchanged Xu Qi'an’s note for a supreme-grade magical sword.
• Xu Qi'an interrogated Ge Xiaojing, read about the Divine Thief Sect’s appearance-changing technique, and was summoned by Wei Yuan, who questioned whether he had offended anyone.
• Xu Qi'an practiced his skills until lunchtime and reflected that he needed to focus on a few techniques rather than keep learning more.
• Zhong Li returned after surviving thirty-six crises, and Xu Qi'an asked her to help with a task because her handwriting was passable.

Xu Qi'an dictated romance novels for Lin'an and Huaiqing, then disguised himself as Xu Erlang while preparing for the Spring List results. On the day the Apricot List was posted, Xu Erlang and his family gathered near the examination compound as the crowd waited for the results to be unveiled.

• Xu Qi'an had Zhong Li write a celestial romance for Lin'an and began dictating a second story about a demon queen and a human scholar for Huaiqing.
• Xu Qi'an watched Xu Erlang at dinner, then used a face-changing method to make himself resemble his younger brother.
• Xu Qi'an and Xu Pingzhi were assigned to patrol separate areas on Spring List day, while Auntie, Xu Lingyue, and Xu Lingyin went to the examination compound with Xu Erlang.
• A middle-aged swordsman told Young Master Liu and his companions about Chu Yuanzhen, the former top metropolitan graduate who had resigned from office.
• Miss Wang watched the crowd gather and noticed Xu Erlang and the striking women accompanying him.
• The supplementary list was unveiled, and the crowd eagerly awaited the posting of the Apricot List.

Xu Xinnian became the metropolitan champion, and Xu Qi'an protected his family from a crowd before considering how to secure his brother’s future in court. He visited Lin'an, comforted her and gave her a storybook, then arranged to meet Huaiqing with another book in mind.

• Xu Xinnian was announced as the metropolitan champion, prompting suitors to crowd around him and his family.
• Xu Qi'an stopped martial wanderers from harassing Auntie and Xu Lingyue, and the students recognized him as Poet Laureate Xu.
• At home, Xu Xinnian asked Xu Qi'an to guard the door, while Xu Qi'an considered finding him a powerful backer after the palace examination.
• Xu Qi'an visited Lin'an, listened as she confided her loneliness, comforted her, and gave her the storybook "Great Sage of Love's Heaven."
• Xu Qi'an left Lin'an and bribed a Feathered Forest Guard to arrange a visit with Huaiqing.