Chapter Summaries

Zhang Xuezhou left for the palace, while Jin Chang abandoned the King of Huainan's Household's assignment after encountering Divine Lord Zhenyuan. The princess was left angry, and Zuo Wu tried to calm her.

• Zhang Xuezhou announced that he was going to the palace to play with His Majesty, while Jin Chang stayed behind with Divine Lord Zhenyuan.
• Divine Lord Zhenyuan ignored Jin Chang and helped Zhang Xuezhou's family prepare a pig, prompting Jin Chang to leave the residence.
• Jin Chang returned to the King of Huainan's Household and told the princess he could not handle her assignment.
• The princess called after Jin Chang and threatened to report his disrespect to her father, but Zuo Wu urged her to calm down.

Zhang Xuezhou arranged to resign from his palace post and learned that the new emperor had reached the Divine Ability Realm with help from the Six Talismans of the Tai Steps. The emperor, eager to test his new strength in battle, searched for a chance to leave the palace and fight.

• Zhang Xuezhou told the new emperor he could not serve as grand master of the palace, and the emperor agreed to help him resign formally.
• The new emperor revealed that he had reached the Divine Ability Realm and credited the Six Talismans of the Tai Steps with helping him succeed.
• The new emperor described his breakthrough and said he wanted combat experience to strengthen his abilities.
• The new emperor asked whether Zhang Xuezhou had enemies he could fight, but Zhang Xuezhou said he had none.
• The new emperor considered several possible conflicts, then said he hoped to find chances to practice his swordsmanship while Dong'ou faced an attack from Minyue.

Zhang Xuezhou and the new emperor agreed to go hunting so the emperor could face dangerous opponents while the people of Zhang Household Village could earn money as guides. At court, Zhang Xuezhou provoked Grand Censor Zhuang Qingdi and criticized the ministers’ clothing, making a poor first impression.

• The new emperor urged Zhang Xuezhou to find an opponent for him, and Zhang Xuezhou suggested hunting fierce beasts near Chang'an City.
• Zhang Xuezhou explained that hunters from Zhang Household Village could guide the emperor and help them earn money.
• The new emperor and Zhang Xuezhou headed to the court assembly at Weiyang Palace, where the emperor asked where Zhang Xuezhou had been.
• Zhang Xuezhou identified Grand Censor Zhuang Qingdi and challenged him over the lack of distinctive court dress.
• Zhang Xuezhou criticized the other ministers’ clothing, and they worried he would impose new rules for court attire.

Zhang Xuezhou proposed standardized court attire and punishments for officials who broke the rules, deliberately provoking resentment so someone would impeach him. The new emperor supported the proposal, while Zhuang Qingdi grew aggrieved but held back because Zhang Xuezhou was nominally aligned with the Palace of Peace and Happiness.

• Zhang Xuezhou proposed rank-specific court clothes and punishment for officials who dressed improperly, prompting more than ten officials to object.
• The new emperor endorsed Zhang Xuezhou’s proposal, and Chancellor Xu Chang asked how the punishments would work.
• Zhang Xuezhou explained that punishment could range from reprimands to docking pay or dismissal, depending on whether an offense was pursued.
• Xu Chang declined to establish additional rules, while Zhuang Qingdi and Tian Fen remarked on the resentment Zhang Xuezhou was stirring up.
• Zhuang Qingdi considered reporting the proposal to the grand empress dowager, then heard Zhang Xuezhou criticize his court robes and felt aggrieved.

Zhuang Qingdi reported the court session to the Grand Empress Dowager, who told him not to challenge Zhang Xuezhou unless Zhang tried to bring him down. He then met Li Shaojun, whose prestige gained him an invitation to a banquet, but Li soon regretted that Zhang was not there to help him make use of the opportunities in Chang'an.

• Zhuang Qingdi told the Grand Empress Dowager that the new emperor had only intervened to approve the court robe regulations and asked how to deal with Zhang Xuezhou.
• The Grand Empress Dowager said Zhang's hostility could not threaten Zhuang Qingdi's position among the Three Excellencies and cautioned him against taking issue with Zhang without cause.
• Zhuang Qingdi invited Li Shaojun to a banquet, and Li accepted while Cai Ma recorded Zhuang's name and address poorly.
• Zhuang Qingdi praised Li Shaojun's abilities, unaware that Cai Ma's strange notes left Li unable to identify his would-be host or find his home.
• Li Shaojun complained to Cai Ma that Zhang Xuezhou was absent and lamented that he needed Zhang's help to take advantage of Chang'an's social opportunities.

Zhang Xuezhou drafted modest changes to the court robes and won Chancellor Xu Chang’s approval by arguing that official dress needed limits to prevent extravagance. After Xu Chang urged him to thank the grand empress dowager, Zhang Xuezhou planned to use the coming reforms to provoke an impeachment and leave office, while considering how the new emperor’s cultivation of Fortune could aid his own orthodox practice.

• Zhang Xuezhou worked with senior embroiderers to adjust the court robes and set distinct clothing rules for military and civil officials.
• Chancellor Xu Chang reviewed Zhang Xuezhou’s designs and approved the restrained changes after Zhang warned that wealthy officials might dress more extravagantly than the emperor.
• Xu Chang told Zhang Xuezhou to visit the Palace of Peace and Happiness and thank the grand empress dowager, whose support had helped him become Grand Palace Counselor.
• Zhang Xuezhou agreed to go after his period of slumber, while privately hoping the new robes would soon provoke an impeachment and end his official duties.
• After leaving Xu Chang, Zhang Xuezhou reflected on the new emperor’s rapid rise to the Divine Ability Realm and hoped to benefit from the emperor’s Fortune cultivation.

Li Shaojun shared the True Classic of Daode with the Grand Empress Dowager, who praised its teachings and discussed Dongfang Shuo’s new post. After Li Shaojun left, the Grand Empress Dowager revealed her fears for the young Emperor Che’er and sent out her Yang Corporeal Soul on a spiritual patrol.

• The Grand Empress Dowager praised the Daoist teachings Li Shaojun had shared and regretted encountering them so late in life.
• The Grand Empress Dowager and Grand Princess Dou told Li Shaojun that Dongfang Shuo was safe and had gone to arrange the new court robes.
• Li Shaojun said he would visit Dongfang Shuo, while Grand Princess Dou dismissed fears that the Grand Palace Counselor post would put him in danger.
• Grand Princess Dou questioned Li Shaojun’s nature, but the Grand Empress Dowager said he posed little threat and wished he could secure her a Life-Extending Golden Elixir.
• The Grand Empress Dowager voiced concern that enemies might not give Emperor Che’er time to mature, then silently sent out her Yang Corporeal Soul on a spiritual patrol.

After returning to the Zhang residence, Zhang Xuezhou discussed a paid mountain-hunting trip with the villagers and welcomed Li Shaojun and Cai Ma. Divine Lord Zhenyuan struck at an unseen observer, and Zhang Xuezhou and Li Shaojun suspected the target might have been the grand empress dowager.

• Zhang Xuezhou returned to the residence and found Rong Tianding had fed Divine Lord Zhenyuan half a pig while seeking his guidance.
• Zhang Xuezhou told Zhang Baojia that the new emperor wanted to hunt ferocious beasts and would pay the villagers to guide him.
• Rong Tianding continued urging Divine Lord Zhenyuan to eat, while the Daoist complained that he was already full.
• Li Shaojun arrived with Cai Ma, and Zhang Xuezhou hurriedly stopped her from speaking by giving her a piece of pork.
• Divine Lord Zhenyuan sensed someone watching from the residence wall and struck toward the corner, bringing down bluestone and prompting Zhang Xuezhou and Li Shaojun to suspect the grand empress dowager was there.

The Grand Empress Dowager’s Yang Corporeal Soul was caught spying near the Zhang residence, where Divine Lord Zhenyuan easily frightened and repelled her. Zhang Xuezhou and Li Shaojun tried to defuse the confrontation, while the Grand Empress Dowager concluded that Zhenyuan was not Dao Lord but remained puzzled by his origins.

• Divine Lord Zhenyuan struck at the Grand Empress Dowager’s scouting Yang Corporeal Soul, nearly shattering it and causing a wall at the Zhang residence to collapse.
• Zhang Xuezhou pretended not to know what had happened and blamed the damaged wall on poor construction.
• Li Shaojun praised the supposed benefits of the fallen wall, and Zhang Xuezhou joined his effort to keep the Grand Empress Dowager from escalating the conflict.
• Divine Lord Zhenyuan stopped attacking and sat silently as Zhang Xuezhou and Li Shaojun continued their indirect attempts to calm the situation.
• The Grand Empress Dowager watched from a distance and compared Zhenyuan’s unusual appearance and strength with what she knew of Dao Lord.
• The Grand Empress Dowager decided that Zhenyuan was not Dao Lord, but could not identify where such a powerful cultivator had come from.

Zhang Xuezhou introduced Divine Lord Zhenyuan to Li Shaojun and helped reassure the Grand Empress Dowager that the powerful cultivator posed no threat. After she left, Li Shaojun tried to recruit Zhang Xuezhou to help him inspect officials’ treasures, and the offer of formation supplies caught Divine Lord Zhenyuan’s attention.

• Zhang Xuezhou introduced Divine Lord Zhenyuan as a western rogue cultivator and Li Shaojun as a successor of the Daoist School.
• Divine Lord Zhenyuan explained that longevity was exceptionally rare, easing Li Shaojun’s hopes and the Grand Empress Dowager’s suspicions.
• After confirming that the Grand Empress Dowager had left, Zhang Xuezhou scolded Li Shaojun for bringing her to the Zhang residence.
• Li Shaojun asked Zhang Xuezhou to help him inspect treasures at officials’ banquets, offering pills and medicinal ingredients in return.
• Li Shaojun offered formation supplies instead, which drew Divine Lord Zhenyuan’s interest.

Zhang Xuezhou and Li Shaojun recruited Divine Lord Zhenyuan into their partnership by offering him access to formation items he needed. Zhenyuan agreed to stay in Chang'an City for now, leaving Li Shaojun delighted by the protection and status their new connection could bring.

• Divine Lord Zhenyuan decided that borrowing formation items from Zhang Xuezhou was preferable to seeking help from the Dao Lord, while Zhang warned him that Xuannü would likely fight him at Soul-Severing Ridge.
• Li Shaojun urged Zhang Xuezhou to join their venture, and Zhang realized Zhenyuan was hoping to obtain items from him instead of approaching the Dao Lord.
• Cai Ma recognized Divine Lord Zhenyuan and learned that Xuannü, Bixia, and others had pursued him for eight thousand li after he caused trouble and fled.
• Zhenyuan agreed to remain in Chang'an City while Zhang Xuezhou arranged to provide the formation items he needed and later take him to the Yedie River Holy Land.
• Zhang Xuezhou introduced Li Shaojun and Divine Lord Zhenyuan as partners, and Zhenyuan joined their cooperation, making Li feel more secure in Chang'an City.

After Divine Lord Zhenyuan demonstrated his strength, the grand empress dowager decided to approach him with courtesy rather than risk a confrontation. Grand Princess Dou prepared to visit Zhang Xuezhou’s residence and then went to consult the empress dowager about the unexpected great cultivator.

• The grand empress dowager recovered from Divine Lord Zhenyuan’s sweep and realized that she could not safely challenge him without relying on treasures.
• The grand empress dowager ordered Grand Princess Dou to bring gifts to Zhang Xuezhou’s residence and treat the great cultivator there as an honored guest.
• Grand Princess Dou questioned how Zhang Xuezhou had attracted such a powerful cultivator, and the grand empress dowager credited his connections and Li Shaojun’s influence.
• Grand Princess Dou agreed to arrange fine gifts and a possible banquet, while the grand empress dowager stressed the importance of proper etiquette.
• Concerned about the grand empress dowager’s worsening illness and the balance of power, Grand Princess Dou went to the Palace of Eternal Faith to consult the empress dowager.

Grand Princess Dou visited the Empress Dowager at the Palace of Eternal Faith, where they discussed Yi Shuo’s role in the gourd case and the Empress Dowager’s need for her acupuncture. Grand Princess Dou then reported that a powerful cultivator had arrived in Chang’an, leaving the Empress Dowager uneasy.

• Grand Princess Dou arrived at the Palace of Eternal Faith and found the Empress Dowager preparing a cultivation regimen for the young emperor, Che'er.
• The Empress Dowager demanded that Grand Princess Dou return Yi Shuo to her, explaining that Yi Shuo’s acupuncture could pierce cultivators’ protective Law Power.
• Grand Princess Dou promised to separate Yi Shuo from the gourd case and declined the Empress Dowager’s offer to share her medical officer.
• Grand Princess Dou told the Empress Dowager about the great cultivator who had arrived in Chang’an and the Grand Empress Dowager’s arrangements.
• The Empress Dowager considered how powerful the visitor must be and touched the bell at her waist, feeling nervous.

Grand Princess Dou invited the empress dowager to visit the great cultivator staying at Dongfang Shuo’s home, while their discussion revealed the empress dowager’s curse and her fears about the Immortal Court. She resolved to accompany Grand Princess Dou to Zhang Xuezhou’s residence and judge whether his intentions could help her protect herself and her son.

• Grand Princess Dou told the empress dowager that the great cultivator was staying with Dongfang Shuo, who suffered long periods of sleep after Chunyu Tiying opened his skull to remove a curse.
• The empress dowager questioned Grand Princess Dou about Chunyu Tiying’s disappearance and criticized her for failing to protect the female medical officer or find replacements.
• After Grand Princess Dou left, the empress dowager revealed her resentment toward the Immortal Court and hoped Yi Shuo and Chunyu Tiying could relieve her pain and break her curse.
• The empress dowager decided to accompany Grand Princess Dou to Zhang Xuezhou’s residence, despite fearing the Immortal Court’s power and the risks of defying it.

The empress dowager went to the Consort's Quarters to confront the new emperor about his cultivation and his relationship with Wei, while the empress complained about Wei and worried that she had not conceived. The chapter left the empress considering whether the new emperor, rather than she, might have a medical problem.

• The empress dowager entered Weiyang Palace at night, gambling that Li Guang would not use the late emperor's decree against her.
• The empress told the empress dowager that the new emperor favored Wei and had appointed Wei Changjun and Wei Qing as palace attendants after the empress targeted her.
• The empress dowager set off alone for the Consort's Quarters to speak with the new emperor.
• After the empress dowager left, the empress asked Chu Fu why Chunyu Tiying had not returned and complained that medicine had not helped her conceive.
• Chu Fu suggested that the new emperor might be the one with a problem, and the empress considered that possibility.

The Empress Dowager visited the Shu Chamber to check on the new emperor and found him with Wei Zifu, whose singing soothed her and changed her opinion of the woman. She set aside her warning about his indulgence and prepared to discuss confidential matters with him while Wei Zifu sang.

• The Empress Dowager waited for the new emperor and listened as Wei Zifu sang her own version of Sima Xiangru's “Rhapsody of Zixu.”
• After the song ended, the new emperor hurried out of the Shu Chamber, and the Empress Dowager entered and met Wei Zifu.
• The new emperor complained that Chen Ajiao's efforts to conceive had exhausted him, while the Empress Dowager advised him to handle the inner-palace rivalries carefully.
• The Empress Dowager promised to arrange for Yi Shuo to examine Chen Ajiao and moderate her medicine, easing the new emperor's complaints.
• The Empress Dowager asked the new emperor to discuss matters in the main hall, then suggested they could speak in the Shu Chamber if Wei Zifu sang loudly enough to conceal their conversation.

The new emperor reassured the empress dowager that Zhang Xuezhou was unlikely to be plotting against him and promised to learn more about the powerful cultivator staying at Zhang Xuezhou’s home. The empress dowager focused on preparing the Imperial Ultimate Scripture so the emperor could reach the Divine Ability Realm and secure his throne.

• The empress dowager told the new emperor that a powerful cultivator had entered Chang'an City and was staying at Zhang Xuezhou’s home, possibly with the emperor as a target.
• The new emperor defended Zhang Xuezhou, citing his loyalty and skill at guessing hidden objects as reasons he could have befriended the cultivator.
• The empress dowager asked the new emperor to find out the cultivator’s origins, abilities, purpose, and intentions.
• The new emperor promised to summon Zhang Xuezhou in twelve days and said they might invite the cultivator to the palace, but the empress dowager rejected that idea.
• The empress dowager said she would organize the Imperial Ultimate Scripture to help the new emperor reach the Divine Ability Realm and stabilize Great Han with the Red Empyrean Sword.

The new emperor questioned Wei Zifu about seeking help when trapped, then considered which allies could protect his throne while he advanced his cultivation in secret. Learning that a powerful cultivator was staying at Zhang Xuezhou’s home, he hurried to visit before the man fell unconscious.

• The new emperor asked Wei Zifu how someone trapped by circumstances could escape, and she said she would ask him for help.
• The new emperor realized he had few people he could trust and considered how the grand empress dowager and his mother might support him.
• The new emperor reflected that he needed allies while secretly advancing beyond the Divine Ability Realm toward the Sole Self Realm.
• The new emperor thought about Wei Qing and Zhang Xuezhou as useful, trustworthy supporters with different strengths.
• The new emperor decided to visit the great cultivator at Zhang Xuezhou’s home before Grand Princess Dou and the others could approach him.

The new emperor left the palace at night and went to the Zhang residence in Old Tree Alley to visit Dongfang Shuo, despite Li Guang’s concerns. As they approached, Li Guang sensed the great cultivator inside watching them and was left without his arrows to defend the emperor.

• Li Guang escorted the new emperor out of the palace while warning him that the empress dowager’s interest in physiognomy should not be trusted blindly.
• The new emperor persuaded Li Guang to continue and told Wei Qing to drive them to Dongfang Shuo’s house.
• The new emperor warned Li Guang not to provoke the great cultivator staying at the Zhang residence, and Wei Qing suggested taking Li Guang’s arrows to prevent a rash attack.
• The new emperor took Li Guang’s quiver, leaving him to grumble and nervously scan their surroundings during the journey.
• As they neared the Zhang residence, Li Guang sensed a great cultivator’s gaze on the carriage, and the scrutiny withdrew when Wei Qing went to knock.

As Zhang Xuezhou prepared to return to the real world, Divine Lord Zhenyuan arranged to help Li Shaojun gather supplies and moved to confront a visitor. The new emperor arrived at Zhang Xuezhou’s residence with Wei Qing and Li Guang, where they encountered Divine Lord Zhenyuan just before Zhang Xuezhou was due to sleep.

• Zhang Xuezhou instructed Divine Lord Zhenyuan to let Li Shaojun attend banquets and collect useful supplies during his twelve days away.
• Divine Lord Zhenyuan prepared to deal with an after-hours visitor by force, but Wei Qing announced the new emperor’s arrival.
• Divine Lord Zhenyuan opened the residence gate from a distance, impressing Li Guang.
• Li Guang recognized the visitor’s great-cultivator presence and felt eager to test himself against him, but the new emperor warned him not to speak.
• The new emperor identified Divine Lord Zhenyuan as the great cultivator at Zhang Xuezhou’s residence and was relieved that Zhang Xuezhou was still awake.