Recaps

Chen Qing uncovered a conspiracy involving the Thousand-Faced Fox, Painted Skin Mister, and the infiltration of Liuzhou, while securing the Mirror Demon and rescuing Wang Ye. After returning to the capital to investigate the crown prince’s consort selection, Chen Qing found the Yang Household murdered and realized the fox’s plan might not depend on becoming the crown prince’s consort.

• Chen Qing learned that Cui Yan’s death and the vanished memories of Lady Huang pointed to a supernatural threat, then recognized the Thousand-Faced Fox as part of the world he had designed.
• Chen Qing discovered that Master Huang possessed the Mirror Demon, but Master Huang and the fox’s allies ambushed Chen Qing and Wang Ye with an impostor Yuchi Peng.
• Chen Qing freed the Ghost Child from the Azure Dragon prison, named him Chen Nezha, and used him to disrupt Master Huang’s plans and help rescue Wang Ye.
• Wei Gongcheng and Yuchi Peng fought Hei Wu, while Chen Qing helped expose the officials and guards replaced by puppets across Liuzhou.
• Wang Ye escaped Painted Skin Mister’s control and gave Chen Qing the Mirror Demon, and the group returned to the capital to stop the Thousand-Faced Fox before the consort selection.
• The emperor promoted Chen Qing to investigate the fox with Pei Jun, while Chen Qing recruited Wei Gongcheng and examined the confidential list of consort candidates.
• Chen Qing, Fei Jun, and Yuchi Peng found the Yang Household murdered, and Chen Qing suspected the fox’s plan did not require becoming the crown prince’s consort.

Chen Qing helped expose the Thousand-Faced Fox, rescue the crown prince, and learn why the emperor spared the demon. Sent to govern a deserted Liuzhou, he began rebuilding the city and assembling the people and spirits for his divine gate-guardian plan.

• Chen Qing and Liu Yu exposed Mr. Bai as Mr. Origami, found the Thousand-Faced Fox among the imperial consorts, and followed her through the Yin-Yang Road while the crown prince remained missing.
• Chen Qing joined Wang Ye and Ghost Child in rescuing the crown prince from the Tomb of King Xiang, then learned the emperor had spared the fox because she carried a child he believed belonged to the crown prince.
• The emperor sent Chen Qing to Liuzhou, betrothed him to Princess Yong'an, and bestowed the fox demon on him as a concubine, and Chen Qing learned how she had fooled the emperor about the child’s parentage.
• After Liu Yu died, Chen Qing received his letter and a spell-bound book, while the emperor ordered Mu Hongqing to observe what Chen Qing would accomplish in Liuzhou.
• Chen Qing found Liuzhou nearly deserted, reunited with Ma Erniang, and secured Mu Hongqing’s help and Gong Qinian’s support for restoring the city and recruiting soldiers.
• Chen Qing chose door gods for his first divine investiture, recruited a mountain turtle and other long-lived spirits, and returned to Liuzhou with Ghost Child and Old Meng.
• Chen Qing assigned the arriving jinshi to county posts, kept control of Liuzhou’s city and river defenses, and offered local hunters hereditary city-guard positions.
• Chen Qing inspected the old wolf, old tortoise, bird, and sapling as possible divine guardians, while Ma Erniang brought him fifteen hunters and he warned that ghosts were coming.

Chen Qing established Liuzhou’s divine protections, drew the Shen Family into conflict, and recruited Chen Ying into his household. As the West Sea fog engulfed Jiangnan, the Azure Dragon Spell revealed that Liuzhou was at the center of the unfolding crisis.

• Gu Bei brought his caravan into Liuzhou, where the gate god exposed disguised sharkfolk and the guards killed them.
• Chen Qing used the door gods and South Mountain’s Azure Sparrow to protect the city and heal merchants, while Shen Family sorcerers who challenged him were arrested.
• Chen Qing detained three Shen Family sons, learned of the family’s influence and Murong Yunji’s approach, and confronted A Li about the dead Cui Yan.
• Murong Yunji and Yuchi Feihong arrived in Liuzhou, where Chen Nezha fought Murong Yunji and forced her party to retreat outside the city.
• Yuchi Feihong reported the West Sea danger as fog engulfed coastal posts and cities, while Chen Qing demanded a fine from the Shen Family and refused to release its detained sons.
• After Yuchi Feihong’s guards were found dead at the army camp, Shen Yiyun tried to leave Liuzhou, but Chen Qing warned that the spreading fog had closed the waterways.
• Chen Qing offered Chen Ying a place in his household in exchange for a Heavenly Dipper Spell, and she sealed the agreement with a blood oath.
• The fog covered all seven prefectures of Jiangnan before stopping, and the Duke of Qin ordered the region sealed after an Azure Dragon Spell emerged from the fog near Liuzhou.

Chen Qing confronted the living corpse outbreak, rescued survivors, and began building Liuzhou’s defenses and underworld administration. The arc left him preparing to expand his domain while the Door God and Wei Gongcheng both sought Xu Hu.

• Shen Yixin and the Shen Family suspected a formation had trapped Nanming, while Mu Hongqing learned that troops and warships could not escape the mist.
• Chen Qing enlisted Wei Gongcheng to train recruits, then found Yuchi Feihong and learned that the fog contained infected people and living corpses.
• Chen Qing rescued Chen Ying from Shen Yiyun’s ship and explained that the formation was using outside forces to suppress the evolving corpses.
• Wei Gongcheng’s defenders repelled a corpse attack on Liuzhou, while the outbreak spread to other counties and Shen Laojiu disappeared after being infected.
• Chen Qing led rescue efforts in Spirit Deer County, saved Xu Hu and survivors hidden in a well, and stripped negligent officials of their seals.
• Chen Qing rescued Chen Yuan from the Pan Household Stronghold after Chen Ye was attacked, then appointed Wei Gongcheng City God and awakened Liuzhou’s underworld administration.
• Chen Ye became a Day Wandering God and began guiding the dead, while Wei Gongcheng struggled to provide for more than thirty thousand souls.
• Chen Qing planned to employ survivors and strengthen Liuzhou, as Zhou Haitao revealed that the Door God wanted Xu Hu.