Chapter Summaries

Xu Erlang received an invitation from Grand Secretary Wang Zhenwen and decided to attend the literary gathering with Xu Lingyue, while Xu Qi'an continued handling disorder in the capital and was summoned by Princess Huaiqing. Xu Erlang and Xu Lingyue reached the Wang Residence, leaving Xu Lingyin behind in tears.

• Xu Erlang showed Xu Qi'an an invitation to Wang Zhenwen's literary gathering and worried that refusing or attending would damage his reputation.
• Xu Qi'an warned Xu Erlang to keep separate from his ties to Wei Yuan, and Xu Erlang agreed to attend with Xu Lingyue.
• Xu Qi'an joked with his Nightwatcher colleagues, whose talk of his advice about courtesans spread through the constabulary.
• Xu Qi'an proposed deploying troops and imposing severe punishments to restore order in the capital, then received an invitation from Princess Huaiqing to enter the palace.
• Xu Erlang dressed for the gathering and took Xu Lingyue to the Wang Residence, while Xu Lingyin cried after being left behind.

Xu Qi'an met Princess Huaiqing, who warned him that people in the capital might covet his Indestructible Vajra, then went to see Lin'an but was turned away. At a literary gathering hosted by Wang Simu, Xu Lingyue engineered a confrontation with Minister Sun’s niece, and Xu Xinnian forced a settlement before leaving with his sister.

• Xu Qi'an visited Huaiqing, showed her the Indestructible Vajra, and heard her warn him to watch for threats from the capital’s military and hereditary nobles.
• Xu Xinnian and Xu Lingyue attended Wang Simu’s literary gathering, where Xu Lingyue learned that Yan’er was the niece of the Minister of Punishments.
• Yan’er insulted Xu Lingyue and threatened to sell her to a brothel, so Xu Lingyue pinched her and deliberately fell into a pond, claiming Yan’er had pushed her.
• Xu Xinnian rescued Xu Lingyue, slapped Yan’er, and threatened to take her to the Nightwatchers’ office unless she apologized and paid compensation.
• Wang Simu arranged an apology and one thousand taels in compensation, and Xu Xinnian left with Xu Lingyue, recognizing that Wang Simu was perceptive and calculating.
• After the siblings departed, Wang Simu told Yan’er that public opinion mattered more than what had actually happened and reflected on Xu Xinnian’s character.

Xu Qi'an reconciled with Lin'an, cultivated the Indestructible Vajra Divine Art, and received a visit from Daoist Jinlian, who asked for his help with a young friend in trouble.

• Wei Yuan punished Jiang Lyuzhong with a month of night watches after Jiang asked him to explain Ningyan's secrets about pleasing courtesans.
• Xu Qi'an waited outside Shaoyin Garden until Lin'an let him in, then played games with her and explained why he had visited Huaiqing first.
• Xu Qi'an learned that Lin'an had obtained a precious pill for him and comforted her by promising to stay by her side.
• Wang Simu urged Wang Zhenwen to recruit Xu Qi'an, but Wang Zhenwen declined without a special reason.
• Monk Jingchen decided to return west with Hengyuan to spread Mahayana Dharma, and Daoist Jinlian appeared at Nourishing Life Hall.
• Monk Shenshu gave Xu Qi'an blood essence that advanced his Indestructible Vajra Divine Art, and Daoist Jinlian later arrived at Xu Residence to request his help.

Xu Qi'an joined Daoist Jinlian, Hengyuan, Chu Yuanzhen, and Zhong Li on a journey to Xiang Prefecture to investigate Number Five’s disappearance and the missing Earth Book Fragment. After Zhong Li’s misfortune-filled arrival, she sensed a large tomb beneath the mountains to the south.

• Xu Qi'an fetched Zhong Li from the Directorate of Astronomy and joined Daoist Jinlian, Hengyuan, and Chu Yuanzhen as they left the capital for Xiang Prefecture.
• Daoist Jinlian told Xu Qi'an that Number Five had vanished and that he had lost his connection to the Earth Book Fragment in Xiang Prefecture.
• The group flew to the area where Number Five had disappeared, landed in a mountain forest, and ate while Daoist Jinlian and Chu Yuanzhen recovered their Qi.
• Daoist Jinlian realized Zhong Li was missing, and Xu Qi'an found her in a pit after the others searched the forest.
• A burst of sparks set Zhong Li’s hair alight, and Hengyuan accidentally threw scalding soup at her before Xu Qi'an shielded her with his Qi.
• Zhong Li said she had noticed strange feng shui nearby and sensed a large tomb beneath the mountains to the south.

Xu Qi'an and the Heaven and Earth Society searched Xiang Prefecture for Number Five, fearing that the Earth Sect had captured her. Zhong Li’s prophecy led them to Qian You, who revealed that Number Five had entered a dangerous tomb with the Houtu Gang, and the group prepared to investigate after she recovered from heavenly punishment.

• Zhong Li identified the southern mountains as an auspicious tomb site, while the group agreed to search for Number Five before considering entering it.
• Xu Qi'an asked Prefect Li to mobilize a search, but found no useful information around Xiangcheng and took Zhong Li to a pleasure house.
• Zhong Li used her prophetic ability to direct Xu Qi'an to Qian You, a Houtu Gang branch leader seeking experts to rescue his missing companions.
• Qian You explained that Number Five had joined the Houtu Gang’s tomb expedition after they offered her food and a passage to the capital.
• Xu Qi'an summoned Daoist Jinlian, Chu Yuanzhen, and Hengyuan, who learned that Number Five was trapped in a tomb whose formation blocked her Earth Book Fragment.
• After Xu Qi'an told them Zhong Li was suffering heavenly punishment, Daoist Jinlian, Chu Yuanzhen, and Hengyuan agreed to delay entering the tomb until the next day.

Xu Qi'an and the others entered the ancient tomb, where they found the remains of grave robbers, poison-filled coffins, and jiangshi. They uncovered murals revealing that the tomb held the complete Dual Cultivation Technique, but the chapter ended with Xu Qi'an asking why it was there.

• Zhong Li endured a night of calamities, then fell asleep holding Xu Qi'an's sleeve, and he carried her to the tomb with Daoist Jinlian, Chu Yuanzhen, Hengyuan, and Qian You.
• Inside the tomb, Xu Qi'an identified Qinggang stone bricks and the group found twelve coffins and four recent victims killed by poison.
• Chu Yuanzhen opened a coffin and revealed poisonous insects and an ancient skeleton; Daoist Jinlian concluded the tomb was more than two thousand years old.
• The group entered a larger chamber, where jiangshi rose from coffins and Hengyuan destroyed them.
• Daoist Jinlian explained that a Daoist school had developed the Dual Cultivation Technique into a predatory Harvesting Technique before being wiped out, and said the complete technique was in the tomb.
• Xu Qi'an asked why the complete Dual Cultivation Technique had been placed in the tomb.

The author celebrated the little mare reaching the top spot on the Character Star Glory Rankings and thanked readers whose tips helped boost her. The little mare later lost the lead to someone gaming the rankings, but the author left amazed by her popularity.

• The author saw a group chat message about the little mare debuting in the center spot and got up to write a post.
• The author thanked the top contributors, including Memories of a Broken Sword, Hyena Who Deleted and Rerolled, Squad Leader, and several other readers.
• The little mare spent a few days at number one on the Character Star Glory Rankings before someone gaming the rankings overtook her and widened the gap.
• The author recalled that tips for Nightwatchers had surged for two weeks, then learned the tips were for the little mare.
• The author concluded that the little mare had become the most popular female character they had written and thanked the big contributors.

Xu Qi'an and his companions discovered that a Soul-Bewildering Formation had trapped them in the tomb and blocked their Earth Book Fragments, while Qian You became separated from them and found the surviving members of the Houtu Gang. The gang leader revealed that a monster was hunting them and that Lina was growing weaker, then asked Qian You why he had come underground.

• Qian You fell behind to memorize the Dual Cultivation Technique, became lost in the formation, and found a half-eaten corpse in the darkness.
• Daoist Jinlian noticed Qian You had vanished, and Zhong Li explained that the group was trapped in a Soul-Bewildering Formation that blocked their Earth Book Fragments.
• Daoist Jinlian failed to find a way out, and Zhong Li suggested that Xu Qi'an lead them, though he said he knew nothing about formations.
• Qian You encountered the Houtu Gang's sickly gang leader and eleven other survivors, verified their identities, and shared his food and water.
• The gang leader told Qian You that a powerful monster had been killing two people each day and that Lina was growing weaker after repeatedly driving it back.

Qian You revealed that Daoist Jinlian and his companions had come to rescue Lina, and Lina and the newcomers fought off two tomb-guarding beasts. After escaping the maze only to be repeatedly returned to the same side chamber, the group decided to enter the main tomb, where Gongyang Su warned Zhong Li not to use her Qi-Observing Technique.

• Qian You told the Houtu Gang that Daoist Jinlian and his companions were looking for Lina, and Lina identified Daoist Jinlian, Chu Yuanzhen, and Hengyuan as people she knew or recognized.
• Lina killed a tomb-guarding beast that ambushed the Houtu Gang, but a larger beast seized and mauled her before Xu Qi'an, Chu Yuanzhen, and Hengyuan killed it and Daoist Jinlian treated her injuries.
• Xu Qi'an and the others guided the surviving Houtu Gang members out of the maze into a side chamber, where Chu Yuanzhen identified the tomb as an emperor's tomb and a consort's burial place.
• Xu Qi'an led the group through the maze three times, but each attempt brought them back to the same side chamber.
• Daoist Jinlian concluded they had to enter the main tomb, and Gongyang Su warned Zhong Li not to use the Qi-Observing Technique there.

Xu Qi'an led the group through the tomb, where murals revealed that a Daoist emperor had died during Heavenly Tribulation and a Five Elements Formation surrounded his bronze coffin. When a voice spoke from inside the coffin, the group fled, but they heard the coffin opening behind them.

• Gongyang Su identified Zhong Li as an arcanist from the Directorate of Astronomy, and Xu Qi'an led the group through a stone door into the main burial chamber.
• Xu Qi'an and the others examined murals showing a Daoist slaying a giant snake, usurping an emperor's throne, and dying in Heavenly Tribulation.
• The group found a platform with a bronze coffin and four armored corpses, and Zhong Li explained that their arrangement formed a Five Elements Formation intended to enable rebirth.
• Xu Qi'an heard a voice inside the coffin say, "You've come," and Daoist Jinlian ordered everyone to leave.
• As the group hurried away, they heard the bronze coffin opening behind them.

When the yellow-robed corpse mistook Xu Qi'an for its lord, Xu Qi'an accepted a jade seal that awakened something within him and exposed the deception. Daoist Jinlian launched the others toward safety, while Xu Qi'an stayed behind and was seized by the corpse.

• The yellow-robed corpse and the armored guards awakened, but the corpse stopped and bowed, calling someone in the group his lord.
• Xu Qi'an pretended to be the corpse's lord, accepted a jade seal from him, and learned the corpse expected him to have become an immortal.
• The jade seal dissolved into white grains that surged into Xu Qi'an, and the corpse realized he was not its lord and attacked.
• Daoist Jinlian sent the group toward the exit and tried to stay behind, but Xu Qi'an knocked him away and chose to face the corpse alone.
• The corpse grabbed Xu Qi'an by the neck as the armored guards charged him.

Xu Qi'an, possessed by Monk Shenshu, fought the yellow-robed dried corpse in the main burial chamber and sealed it after revealing his terrifying undying body. Outside, Hengyuan grieved over Xu Qi'an’s apparent sacrifice, and the collapsing underground palace forced the survivors to flee—until Hengyuan realized Zhong Li had gone back.

• Daoist Jinlian and Chu Yuanzhen led the others out of the main burial chamber, leaving Xu Qi'an behind with the yellow-robed dried corpse.
• Monk Shenshu took control of Xu Qi'an’s golden body and battled the dried corpse, which absorbed the tomb’s undead soldiers and wielded a Yin Qi-infused bronze sword.
• Monk Shenshu unleashed his undying body, defeated the dried corpse, and sealed it instead of killing it; the dried corpse called its master its lord.
• In the maze, Hengyuan blamed Daoist Jinlian for abandoning Xu Qi'an and tried to return, while Chu Yuanzhen mourned their friend.
• The underground palace began collapsing, and Hengyuan carried Lina and Number Five toward the exit after Zhong Li said the formation had unraveled.
• At the burial chamber near the grave robbers’ tunnel, Hengyuan noticed that Zhong Li had not followed them and realized she had gone back.

Xu Qi'an questioned the dried corpse and learned about the Great Liang Dynasty, refined Fate, and the mysterious beings who followed the Gods and Devils. After Monk Shenshu sent the corpse back to waiting, Zhong Li found Xu Qi'an injured, and he carried her out of the tomb.

• Monk Shenshu identified the yellow-robed dried corpse as the Daoist's former body, and he and Xu Qi'an questioned it about its origins.
• The dried corpse explained that it had been created from the remnant soul in the Daoist's discarded body and had guarded Great Liang's imperial seal while awaiting its return.
• Monk Shenshu told the dried corpse about the Great Feng Dynasty and the later powerful beings, then offered it the choice to be destroyed or keep waiting; it chose to wait.
• Monk Shenshu returned to slumber when he heard someone approaching, and Xu Qi'an discovered Zhong Li at the entrance to the burial chamber.
• Xu Qi'an learned that Zhong Li had broken her leg while looking for him, scolded her for risking herself, and carried her out of the tomb.

Xu Qi'an emerged alive from the tomb with Zhong Li, rejoining Daoist Jinlian, Hengyuan, Chu Yuanzhen, and the Houtu Gang. After learning more about the First Chief Astrologer and the Warlock System from Gongyang Su, Xu Qi'an returned toward the capital, while the Houtu Gang discovered his fame in an official proclamation.

• The Houtu Gang mourned Xu Qi'an until he emerged from the tomb carrying Zhong Li, relieving Hengyuan, Chu Yuanzhen, Daoist Jinlian, and the others.
• Xu Qi'an told the group that the Chief Astrologer had left a contingency inside him, then questioned Gongyang Su about the tomb and his warlock lineage.
• Gongyang Su revealed that six warlock branches had split from the Directorate of Astronomy and explained why traces of the First Chief Astrologer remained despite the Chief Astrologer's concealment of heavenly secrets.
• Xu Qi'an learned that the current Chief Astrologer had helped the Buddhist Order kill the First Chief Astrologer, and that higher-ranking warlocks outside the Directorate might belong to the Buddhist Order or Shaman God Cult.
• Xu Qi'an startled Zhong Li while she tended her injuries, then carried her away as he and the others departed for the capital.
• At Xiangcheng's gate, the Houtu Gang read a proclamation describing Xu Qi'an's victory over the Buddhist delegation and realized their benefactor was a celebrated figure.

After returning to the capital, Xu Qi'an discovered that the Fate he had seized caused frequent chances to display his heroism, and the Superintendent sent him a jade pendant to suppress it. He questioned Huaiqing about Great Liang and delivered her storybook, while Daoist Jinlian sought Blood Embryo Pills from Luo Yuheng by offering intelligence about Xu Qi'an.

• Xu Qi'an brought Zhong Li back to the capital, then asked her to write the storybook he had promised Princess Huaiqing.
• Yang Qianhuan relayed the Superintendent's warning about Xu Qi'an's strange problem, and later gave him a jade pendant meant to resolve it.
• Xu Qi'an repeatedly rescued people on his way through the capital and concluded that the Fate he had taken was creating opportunities for him to gain prestige.
• Xu Qi'an asked Huaiqing about the Great Liang Dynasty, learned that its earliest history was not recorded in official histories, and gave her the storybook she had requested.
• Daoist Jinlian asked Luo Yuheng for two Blood Embryo Pills and offered information about Xu Qi'an when she refused to give them freely.

Daoist Jinlian told Luo Yuheng that Xu Qi'an had absorbed the fate from an ancient imperial jade seal, giving her hope of reaching First Rank through dual cultivation with him. Meanwhile, Xu Qi'an returned from visiting Lin'an and learned that an unidentified young woman was waiting for him, while Zhu Tuizhi questioned Xu Cijiu’s sudden poetic fame.

• Daoist Jinlian revealed that an ancient Human Sect Daoist’s shed body had mistaken Xu Qi'an for its lord and given him an imperial jade seal.
• Luo Yuheng learned that Xu Qi'an had destroyed the seal by absorbing its fate, and she considered how this could help her reach First Rank.
• A veiled woman told Luo Yuheng that the Prince Who Guards the North was nearing the peak of Third Rank and asked her about the Buddhist contest of Dharma.
• Xu Qi'an left Lin'an’s residence and learned from Old Zhang’s son that an unidentified young woman had come to see him.
• At a gathering of scholars, Zhu Tuizhi questioned how Xu Cijiu had produced a famous poem when his poetic talent had previously seemed unremarkable.

Liu Jue planted suspicion that Xu Xinnian’s examination poem had been ghostwritten by Xu Qi'an, and the accusation reached Emperor Yuanjing, who approved a thorough investigation. Meanwhile, Daoist Jinlian sent Lina to stay with Xu Qi'an, and Xu Xinnian considered refusing a boating invitation from the Wang family.

• Liu Jue told Steward Zhao that Xu Cijiu could not write poetry and suggested Xu Qi'an might have ghostwritten “Hard Is the Road.”
• Daoist Jinlian sent Lina to Xu Qi'an’s residence, where Xu Qi'an agreed to shelter her after learning she belonged to the Strength Gu Tribe and ate a great deal.
• Xu Lingyue reminded Xu Qi'an of his profits from chicken essence, easing Auntie’s concerns about the cost of feeding Lina.
• Xu Xinnian told the family that Miss Wang had invited him boating, and he decided he could refuse because the outing would be improper.
• A memorial accused Zhao Tingfang of leaking the examination topic to Xu Xinnian and cited Xu Qi'an as a possible ghostwriter; Emperor Yuanjing endorsed the Grand Secretariat’s recommendation to investigate.

Emperor Yuanjing ordered an investigation into Xu Xinnian for cheating in the imperial examinations, and Ministry of Punishments officers arrested him. Xu Qi'an sought Wei Yuan’s help and learned the case was part of a political scheme, but Wei Yuan said the alternative solution was beyond Xu Qi'an’s abilities.

• Emperor Yuanjing ordered the Ministry of Punishments and the prefectural office to investigate Xu Xinnian for examination cheating, and both offices sent officers to arrest him.
• Lina knocked two officers aside when they tried to seize Auntie, but Xu Xinnian stopped her and agreed to go with the Ministry of Punishments officers.
• Xu Qi'an learned that Xu Xinnian had been arrested and that Emperor Yuanjing had ordered an investigation into examination cheating.
• Lü Qing warned Xu Qi'an that Xu Xinnian could be pressured into confessing and urged him to act quickly.
• Wei Yuan explained that the case targeted Cloud Deer Academy and was designed to draw him into a conflict with the civil officials.
• Xu Qi'an asked whether there was another way to help Xu Xinnian, and Wei Yuan said there was but Xu Qi'an could not accomplish it.

Xu Qi'an tried to visit Xu Xinnian in prison and negotiated with Minister Sun to stop the torture by secretly taking Sun Yaoyue hostage. He reached Xu Xinnian’s cell and found him already injured.

• Xu Qi'an charged into the Ministry of Punishments, beat the guards who had mistreated Xu Pingzhi, and was denied a visit to Xu Xinnian by Minister Sun.
• Xu Qi'an sought Daoist Jinlian’s help, while Wang Simu waited in vain for Xu Xinnian and planned to visit the Xu Residence.
• Officials and scholars discussed the fraud case, and Chu Yuanzhen and Huaiqing considered how the deadlock might be broken.
• Sun Yaoyue celebrated Xu Xinnian’s arrest with Directorate of Education students, but an orange cat secretly took him away.
• After learning Sun Yaoyue was missing, Minister Sun ordered the prison to stop torturing Xu Xinnian and bargained with Xu Qi'an, who demanded a visit to his cousin.
• Xu Qi'an found Xu Xinnian injured in his cell and called to him.

Xu Qi'an reassured his family that Xu Xinnian was safe in prison, while Wang Simu learned of his arrest and mistook the Xu Household’s request for help as a sign that they accepted her feelings. The chapter ended with Wang Simu deciding to visit her father and intervene.

• Xu Qi'an visited Xu Xinnian in the Ministry of Punishments’ prison and explained Wei Yuan’s analysis of the case, leaving Xu Xinnian shaken.
• Xu Qi'an told his family that Xu Xinnian had no serious injuries and that Duke Wei and the princess had pressured Minister Sun to prevent torture.
• Xu Lingyue rejected Lan’er’s request for a visit from Wang Simu, while Auntie asked Lan’er to have Wang Simu help Xu Xinnian.
• Lan’er told Wang Simu that Xu Xinnian had been arrested for examination fraud and relayed the Xu family’s response.
• Wang Simu interpreted Auntie’s request as a hint that the Xu Household understood her feelings, then ordered Lan’er to take her to the Imperial City so she could see her father.