Danmei Recap Site

Seven Seas

Copper Coins: Tong Qian Kan Shi

There's Something Wrong with the Chief: Du Zhu You Bing

Thrice Married to a Salted Fish

Three Hundred Years of Longing: Bu Jian Shang Xian San Bai Nian

Mistakenly Saving the Villain

The Wife Comes First: Qi Wei Shang

The White Cat’s Divine Scratching Post

The Villain's White Halo

After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine

Silent Reading: Mo Du

Copper Coins: Tong Qian Kan Shi

There's Something Wrong with the Chief: Du Zhu You Bing

Thrice Married to a Salted Fish

Three Hundred Years of Longing: Bu Jian Shang Xian San Bai Nian, Vol. 1

Mistakenly Saving the Villain

The Wife Comes First: Qi Wei Shang

The White Cat’s Divine Scratching Post

The Villain's White Halo

After the Disabled God of War Became My Concubine

Silent Reading: Mo Du

Copper Coins: Tong Qian Kan Shi, Vol. 1

ARC 1: SEEKING

Chapter 1:
The Ghostly ScholarDuring a cold winter dawn in Ningyang County, Huizhou Prefecture, a waiter at Jiuwei House sets up a breakfast stall with steamers of buns.
A night watchman buys buns and jokes with the waiter about a mysterious customer.
The waiter has prepared a takeout box for a strange man who’s been coming for two days in a row, ordering the restaurant’s signature dishes with increasingly odd customizations.
The man doesn’t breathe in the cold air, doesn’t speak beyond ordering, and gives off an eerie presence.
The waiter and watchman both fear this customer may not be human, especially since he comes at dawn during the "witching hour."
The customer arrives again: a scholar in an ash-blue robe with a flushed face and an unremarkable but fatigued appearance.
His voice is strange—pleasant but detached from his mouth’s movement. He orders peach-braised pork belly.
The waiter nervously gives him the box, which the scholar receives with difficulty, as though it’s very heavy.
The scholar slowly leaves and disappears down the road.
The watchman and waiter discuss what they just saw, then notice a white-robed monk silently appearing nearby.
The monk has Wudi coins at his waist, which are traditionally used to ward off evil spirits. This indicates he might be a real exorcist.
The waiter, desperate and terrified after three days of the strange scholar’s visits, calls out to the monk.
The monk is cold and expressionless. He doesn’t confirm his identity or purpose but listens.
The watchman explains that the scholar looks like Jiang family’s son, but the whole family died in a fire three years ago, except for a daughter who married into another town.
The monk asks where the scholar went.
The waiter offers to lead him to the Jiang family’s old clinic and instantly regrets it as the monk's cold presence is unbearable.
They reach the alley where the ruined Jiang clinic stands. The scholar is seen talking to himself in two voices: one clear and one hoarse.
The clear voice mocks the slowness of the walk, the hoarse voice retorts about being dead for over three years.
The scholar passes through the crumbling wall like a ghost.
The waiter is terrified and flees after giving the monk a purse of money as thanks.
The monk shows mild disgust at the purse’s filth but keeps it.
The waiter returns to Jiuwei House, breathless, and recounts everything to the watchman.
He suddenly realizes the monk looked familiar.
He notices a decayed wanted poster on the wall with only the bottom half remaining, but clearly showing a neck with a small mole.
He remembers that the monk had the same mole—implying the monk is a wanted criminal with a high bounty on his head.

Chapter 2:
Paper DollJiang Shining, a ghost confined to a paper doll, delivers food to Xue Xian, a sickly man who is half-paralyzed and living in the burned remains of the Jiang family clinic.
Xue Xian mocks Jiang Shining for slouching and implies Jiang’s paper body is inferior. Jiang retorts by criticizing Xue Xian’s chopstick skills.
Xue Xian admits he was paralyzed and recently regained enough strength to sit up.
After a petty exchange involving a chicken bone and rouge on the paper doll's face, Jiang Shining collapses, hitting the time limit for his daily manifestation.
Jiang Shining warns Xue Xian that a monk followed him, describing a man with copper coins at his waist.
Alarmed, Xue Xian hides using illusion magic, disguising himself and Jiang Shining as moss.
A young monk enters the courtyard, appearing inexperienced with dulled copper coins and lacking the typical sheen of a skilled exorcist.
Despite the illusion, the monk sees through it and picks up the "moss" using cloth and copper, placing them into a pouch.
Inside the pouch, Xue Xian grumbles while enjoying the monk’s warmth during the cold winter.
He begins snooping through the monk’s pouch, finding a peach twig, flint, and a cloth bag full of needles.
Jiang Shining, also inside the pouch, scolds Xue Xian for poking him in the face.
A crowd gathers outside the clinic—officers led by Scribe Liu come to apprehend the monk based on a report from a waiter who saw a wanted poster.
Xue Xian tries to escape the pouch but is shoved back in by the monk’s finger, infuriating him. In retaliation, he jabs a needle into the monk’s back.
This inadvertently triggers a strange reaction—Jiang Shining speaks even though his time should be up. Xue Xian suspects the monk’s body holds something powerful.
The monk gives his name as Xuanmin, says he’s unaffiliated with any temple, and is accused of being the wanted criminal.
Scribe Liu compares him to the wanted poster and dismisses him as too young and unskilled.
As Xuanmin leaves, he tells Scribe Liu cryptically that he “won’t live long,” triggering outrage.
Xue Xian overhears everything and is both amused and suspicious.
Xuanmin removes Xue Xian from the pouch after he keeps stabbing with the needle.
The two argue silently while Scribe Liu grows angry and orders Xuanmin’s arrest.
Xuanmin delivers an ominous prophecy, noting a shadow between Liu’s brows and a blood mark on his left ear, indicating a short life and someone having marked him for revenge.
Xue Xian notices the blood mark and realizes it’s his own blood, meaning Scribe Liu was present at the scene where Xue Xian had his bones and tendons stripped—he is one of the culprits.
Overwhelmed by hatred and memories of the event, Xue Xian confirms Liu must die.
Suddenly, a servant arrives, reporting that Scribe Liu’s son has fallen into a well.
Terrified, Liu drops the charges and tries to drag Xuanmin with him.
Xuanmin refuses, but Xue Xian escapes the pouch and clings to the servant boy’s back to follow Liu, determined to investigate further.
Despite being paraplegic even as a paper doll, Xue Xian stubbornly latches onto the servant’s collar for the ride.

Chapter 3:
The Scribe’s ResidenceXue Xian, in his flimsy paper form, is carried by a frightened servant boy to Scribe Liu’s residence, complaining all the while and insulting the layout as a well-prepared grave.
The terrified servant boy hears Xue Xian’s whispering and panics, running into the guest hall where he trips and sends Xue Xian flying.
In the guest hall, the household is in chaos — Scribe Liu’s son, Liu Jin, lies motionless and appears dead, with people mourning around him.
Xue Xian tries to escape by pulling himself with a grass blade, but is captured again by Xuanmin, who shows up uninvited.
Xue Xian is furious and curses Xuanmin internally, clinging to the grass in protest, but is plucked up anyway.
Xuanmin subtly rolls a stone to trip Scribe Liu, causing him to fall directly onto Liu Jin’s chest, which miraculously revives Liu Jin through forced expulsion of water.
The household rejoices in shock, and Scribe Liu, overwhelmed, begins to suspect that Xuanmin may actually be a legitimate high monk.
Scribe Liu’s faith in his home's geomantic design, which follows auspicious feng shui principles like “Reclaiming the Four Waters” and “Winding Waters Grace the Hall,” makes him hesitant to accept any flaws.
Xue Xian, despite lacking deep geomantic knowledge, instinctively senses the courtyard is dangerously wrong and calls it grave-digging.
Xue Xian and Xuanmin continue to argue inside the pouch until Jiang Shining, who has been hiding inside it, finally speaks up.
Jiang Shining panics when he realizes they are at Scribe Liu’s home, mentioning there had been deadly “bad blood” between his family and Scribe Liu.
Xuanmin becomes suspicious of a narrow side door in the courtyard that leads to a hidden passage.
A thud is heard from behind the door, and a timid young man peeks out — Scribe Liu’s eldest son, Liu Chong, who appears to have a mental disability and behaves like a child.
Scribe Liu tries to wave it off, calling Liu Chong harmless and referring to him as his “disappointment of an eldest son.”
Xuanmin criticizes the flawed feng shui of the west side of the courtyard, especially the hidden side path and southwest corner brimming with yin energy.
Scribe Liu awkwardly admits the passage was added later, further validating Xuanmin’s concerns.
Liu Chong timidly retreats down the narrow path to a small shack, which Xue Xian notes is unnaturally steeped in yin energy, like a burial site.
Xue Xian internally criticizes Scribe Liu for making his son live in such a terrible place, calling it rat-like and questioning the father’s care.
Scribe Liu tries to justify it by saying Liu Chong dislikes noise and prefers quiet, which Xue Xian mentally mocks.
When Scribe Liu asks if sealing a window would fix the imbalance, Xuanmin coldly asks whether Liu Chong doesn’t need to breathe, catching Scribe Liu off guard.
Xue Xian’s opinion of Scribe Liu continues to drop as he sees how little thought is given to Liu Chong’s well-being.
The courtyard grows brighter with daylight, revealing sharp contrasts — everything looks clear except for Liu Chong’s dark, eerie shack, indicating how out of place and unnatural it is..

Chapter 4:
Gold IngotsXuanmin walks quickly to a nearby shack and stops at its entrance.
Xue Xian, peeking from Xuanmin’s pouch, sees a heap of yellow paper ingots through the door, folded to resemble gold ingots—ritual offerings for the dead.
Liu Chong, trailing behind, asks if he can play with the yellow paper, pointing directly at the paper doll—Xue Xian.
Xuanmin is confused at first, but realizes Liu Chong is referring to the doll.
Xue Xian is internally outraged that he, a dragon, is being mistaken for a toy.
Panicked, he retreats deeper into the pouch and pinches Xuanmin hard through the fabric to warn him not to hand him over.
When Liu Chong isn’t looking, Xue Xian flips over to show his painted face to Xuanmin and glares up with fury.
Xuanmin is surprised to meet the doll’s painted eyes and notes its eerie, corpse-like expression.
Unlike other spirits he's encountered, Xue Xian is unusually defiant and troublesome.
Xuanmin picks up the doll again and dangles him by two fingers, bringing it closer to Liu Chong.
Xue Xian internally vows revenge, threatening lightning strikes and humiliation.
Liu Chong reaches for the doll, but Xuanmin denies him, saying “You can’t,” with a flat expression.
Relieved, Xue Xian relaxes and goes limp in Xuanmin’s fingers.
Liu Chong looks disappointed but says nothing. His sorrow is obvious, as his disability makes every action effortful and sincere.
Xue Xian avoids looking at Liu Chong, fearing the boy’s innocence might infect him with stupidity.
Xuanmin nods at Liu Chong instead of speaking, which Xue Xian mocks internally.
Liu Chong excitedly invites Xuanmin into his room like a child greeting a playmate.
Xue Xian resigns himself to silence and limply dangles from Xuanmin’s fingers.
Liu Chong opens the door fully, revealing the shack’s cluttered and cramped interior—overrun by yellow paper ingots.
Scribe Liu, watching from outside, is clearly displeased and refuses to enter the room.
The room is sparse and poorly furnished, more like a servant’s quarters than a young master’s room.
A partition divides the tiny shack, attempting to create an inner and outer room.
Xuanmin picks up one of the paper ingots and inspects it.
Xue Xian, hanging upside down, sees the bottom of the ingot and reads the childish character for “Dad.”
Xue Xian realizes the character was poorly written, with spacing that made it look like multiple words.
Xue Xian deduces that Liu Chong has been making these ingots for his parents, innocently but ignorantly using real names—an act that is normally akin to cursing them.
Xuanmin continues examining other ingots and finds a total of seven: two say “Dad,” three say “Mom,” and two are blank.
Xue Xian notices that the ingots are neatly categorized: father’s pile by the door, mother’s by the table, blank ones on the floor.
A fourth pile next to the bed draws their attention.
Xuanmin moves toward the inner partition. As he enters, a sudden gust of yin wind blows in, and Xue Xian sneezes.
Liu Chong stares at Xuanmin’s fingers in confusion, trying to understand how fingers could sneeze.
Xuanmin and Xue Xian both become acutely aware of a heavy concentration of yin energy in the room.
Xuanmin examines the bed-side pile of ingots, noticing their undersides are smeared with ink and hard to read.
He determines the writing likely says “Liu,” but the full names are illegible.
Suddenly, Jiang Shining falls out of Xuanmin’s pouch, transforming from a paper doll into a human due to the excessive yin energy.
Jiang Shining, pale and scholarly-looking, is bewildered by his transformation.
Xue Xian explains that Jiang Shining’s ghostly state is affected by yin energy, which makes transformation easier here.
Liu Chong remains unfazed by Jiang’s sudden appearance, treating it like nothing unusual.
Jiang Shining asks why Xue Xian hasn’t transformed, and Xue Xian replies irritably that he’s not dead.
Jiang Shining questions why a living being is occupying a paper figure—suspecting something’s off about Xue Xian.
Xue Xian mocks him in return and urges him to get up and stop crushing the ingots.
Realizing he’s sitting on someone’s offerings, Jiang Shining apologizes to Liu Chong and tries to help fix them.
Liu Chong shoves Jiang Shining aside to save the ingots, using his strength without restraint.
Jiang crashes into a cabinet and injures his hand on a nail in the floor, despite being a ghost in physical form.
He complains and jokes with Xue Xian about using leather or even human skin next time.
Xuanmin, annoyed, presses his finger to Xue Xian’s mouth to shut him up.
Jiang Shining discovers there’s a piece of yellow paper attached to the nail he got hurt on.
Xuanmin investigates and finds a copper nail pinning a cinnabar-drawn yellow talisman to the floor.
Three such nails are found, forming a triangle and pointing in specific directions—northwest, southwest, northeast.
Jiang Shining asks if they are health talismans, but starts to feel warmth—an unusual sensation for a ghost.
Xuanmin confirms it’s a feng shui array and continues examining the patterns.
Outside, Scribe Liu overhears the noise and asks if Liu Chong is misbehaving, still refusing to enter.
Xuanmin asks who lives in the building to the northwest.
Scribe Liu first claims it’s his own residence but quickly corrects himself, saying his younger son Liu Jin lives there—the one who fell into the well.
Xuanmin asks if Scribe Liu has heard of a feng shui layout called “Drawing the River to the Sea.”
Scribe Liu is clearly rattled and finally admits he used the formation two years ago due to declining health.
Jiang Shining hides from view, recognizing Scribe Liu and feeling a wave of anger and resentment over past events.
Meanwhile, Liu Chong becomes distracted and crawls toward the talismans, fascinated like a child.
He touches one of the copper nails and cuts his hand, drawing blood that drips onto the talisman.
Jiang Shining tries to warn him too late—the blood soaks into the talisman.
A sudden, unnatural stillness falls over the house, as even the wind outside ceases.
Jiang Shining senses a suffocating silence, feeling ghostly alarm.
Xuanmin, frowning, looks toward the sky, silently acknowledging that something very serious has just been triggered.

Chapter 5:
GhostfenceAfter a ghostly droning sound, everyone loses consciousness simultaneously as if struck on the head.
Xue Xian wakes up alone in a strange, silent courtyard with no sign of Xuanmin, Scribe Liu, Jiang Shining, or anyone else.
He deduces he's in the northeast corner of the compound, which is significant because it's where Liu Jin (Scribe Liu’s youngest son who nearly drowned) lived—and where the droning noise came from.
Unable to walk, Xue Xian uses wind and ivy to hoist his paper body up a tree to survey the surroundings.
He realizes he’s trapped in a ghostfence, a spiritual formation that loops the environment and confuses reality, likely triggered by a disruption in the “Drawing the River to the Sea” feng shui layout.
He recalls the Eight Gates of the Qimen Dunjia formation and decides he doesn’t want to crawl around figuring them out with his paralyzed legs.
Xue Xian uses a talisman he got from a ragged Daoist to call thunder—normally ineffective, but it works because the dragon it summons is essentially himself.
The thunder strikes the courtyard, damaging the array and creating a crack through which he hears faint voices, confirming others are trapped too.
Xue Xian hears copper coin-like sounds growing closer. The narrow corridor door creaks open, and Xuanmin appears wearing white robes and fastening copper coins at his waist.
Xue Xian sarcastically throws ivy at Xuanmin, who catches it and asks what the thunderstorm was about. Xue Xian brushes it off, saying he just wanted to let people know he was there.
They banter about whether Xue Xian should summon another lightning bolt, but Xuanmin tells him there’s no need because he’s already found the Eight Gates.
Xue Xian reveals he cannot walk. Xuanmin verifies this by touching his leg and noticing there's no reaction, confirming his paralysis.
Xue Xian transforms back into his paper doll form and demands to be carried on Xuanmin’s shoulder for a better view.
He dramatically climbs Xuanmin’s face to get onto his shoulder, demonstrating both shamelessness and agility.
They discuss Xue Xian’s real body. Xue Xian admits it was lost—his tendons and bones were stripped from him in Guangdong, and his body was swept to sea and turned into a golden marble. A fisherman found it and vanished.
While moving through the compound, Xue Xian realizes they’ve circled back to where he woke up.
Xuanmin confirms that was a fake location created by the ghostfence and that they’re now at the real place.
He reveals that the building they’re approaching is the Life Gate, the exit point of the array.
Just as they’re about to step inside, unexpected voices are heard inside the supposedly empty building, prompting Xuanmin to freeze and hide with Xue Xian still on his shoulder.
The chapter ends with the question: why are there people here?

Chapter 6:
Bronze MirrorXue Xian and Xuanmin observe Liu Chong and an old lady (Old Lady Liu) performing ritual acts, including folding and burning paper ingots with names, under festive lanterns.
Xue Xian notices a specific ingot with the name “Liu Xian,” leading to questions about earlier unclear scribbles.
The old lady and Liu Chong perform a ritual with a bronze mirror, burying it beside broken porcelain under a tree, saying it’s to “change misfortune to blessing.”
Xue Xian wonders if the Life Gate of the mystical array they're trapped in is forcing them to experience past memories.
Suddenly, the atmosphere turns sinister. Liu Chong and the old lady’s demeanor becomes lifeless and eerie, indicating the Life Gate has turned into a Death Gate.
Xuanmin warns that they must avoid being seen by the figures or they’ll be pursued until death.
Xuanmin and Xue Xian evade them through multiple narrow doors, navigating what is explained as a Qimen Dunjia formation—eight mystical gates: Initiation, Repose, Life, Injury, Obstruction, Scenery, Fright, and Death.
They realize the configuration of the gates has shifted, causing danger. Previously auspicious gates now trigger haunting phenomena.
Xuanmin opens several doors, each leading to different haunting scenes, chased by strange, ghost-like people replaying parts of the Liu family’s memories.
In one scene, maids discuss the old lady’s worsening condition and fear about her health and medicine, suggesting possible malpractice by Jiang Shining’s family.
Scribe Liu is overheard blaming the Jiang family for his mother’s death. It’s revealed his mother died allegedly due to misprescription, and Jiang Shining’s family clinic later burned down.
Jiang Shining, the ghost, appears beside Xuanmin and Xue Xian but seems unaware of the conversation about his parents.
Xue Xian, realizing Jiang Shining might cause trouble, tries to get him to leave, but he ends up cooperating.
Xuanmin and the group hide from Scribe Liu and a guest while eavesdropping on their conversation about past events and misfortunes tied to the Jiang family.
Liu Chong appears again in the real world with a different outfit and mole placement, confirming he’s real and not an apparition.
Xuanmin suddenly drags the real Liu Chong through a narrow door, escaping Scribe Liu.
Jiang Shining notices that Liu Chong’s mole has moved from one cheek to the other, implying that the entire Liu residence has become a mirror-inverted version of itself.
They deduce the buried bronze mirror caused this inversion, flipping the positions of the Eight Gates—Death Gate became Life Gate, etc.
Xuanmin cleverly uses the Obstruction Gate multiple times to shake off ghostly pursuers.
Jiang Shining is pushed into the Death Gate, which acts as an exit for ghosts. He vanishes, escaping the array.
Xuanmin takes Xue Xian and Liu Chong to the newly identified Life Gate, which is Liu Chong’s own shabby room, now repositioned by the mirror’s influence.
As they prepare to leave the array, Liu Chong hears his “grandma’s” voice and turns back at the last second, refusing to exit.
Xue Xian and Xuanmin successfully leave the array, but Liu Chong is left behind, still searching for his dead grandmother.

Chapter 7:
Empty MillstoneJiang Shining is relieved to see Xue Xian and Xuanmin return safely, but panics when he realizes Liu Chong and Scribe Liu are missing.
Xuanmin investigates the talismans and copper nails that sealed the formation trapping the others.
Instead of using any magical or spiritual method, Xuanmin casually tears off the talismans and pulls out the nails to destroy the array.
Xue Xian is disappointed by the mundane method, expecting something more impressive.
Xuanmin burns the talismans, and they wait for Liu Chong and Scribe Liu to appear, but neither do.
They hear a strange, old, exhausted sigh, which none of them seem to have made.
Xue Xian guesses it might be the spirit of an old lady, and starts to suspect something worse tied to the residence.
He mentions a human rumor about burying elderly relatives under houses to bring prosperity.
Xuanmin confirms the practice, known as “Building Yang Over Yin,” where a yin spirit is bound to guard the household.
Xuanmin tracks the sound to a part of the floor beneath a wooden cabinet and detects it's hollow.
He finds a tightly sealed stone slab that none of their fingers can open.
Xue Xian volunteers to slip inside and try to open it himself.
As Xue Xian prepares to squeeze in, Xuanmin stops him and instead uses a silver needle from his toolkit to pry open the stone slab.
Upon opening it, a surge of spiritual pressure explodes, nearly knocking them all unconscious.
Inside the hole is a strange iron chain and soil, with a tiny millstone and talismans binding it.
Xuanmin finds the chain rotating as if someone is endlessly pushing the millstone.
After burning the talisman, a ghostly figure forms—a frail, sickly old woman, revealed to be the true spirit of Old Lady Liu.
Xue Xian is disgusted to learn her own family trapped her beneath the house as a protective spirit.
Old Lady Liu was refined into a spiritual millstone guardian, endlessly toiling underground for three years.
Xuanmin removes the millstone, burns the talisman binding it, and the ghost is fully released.
Liu Chong appears, having escaped the array, and is shocked to see his grandmother's spirit.
Despite her frail state, Old Lady Liu lovingly talks to Liu Chong, and he sobs for her, asking why she never came to visit after her death.
She assures him she always watched over him and was aware of everything.
Scribe Liu bursts in, covered in mud and terrified, and is shocked to see his mother’s ghost.
Old Lady Liu confronts him for his crimes: trapping her, altering her medicine, and falsely accusing the Jiang family.
Scribe Liu breaks down and grovels, blaming a sorcerer, claiming he acted for her benefit.
She slaps him twice—one for her grandson Liu Chong, and one for the Jiang family clinic.
She declares she endured pushing the millstone for three years to repay her debts to him and that Liu Chong had repaid his filial duties by living there.
She tells Scribe Liu it’s now his turn to repay his debts to the Jiang family.
Old Lady Liu fades, requesting to move on, and enters the millstone, indicating her spirit is at peace.
Xuanmin retrieves the millstone and carries both it and the unconscious Jiang Shining outside.
Scribe Liu panics and notices his face is swollen with two red handprints, signs of spiritual punishment.
Xuanmin confirms that spirits with grievances get one chance to mark the person who wronged them.
Scribe Liu begs for help, clutching Xuanmin’s robe.
Xue Xian, from the pouch, asks whether Scribe Liu had been to Huameng, Guangdong.
Scribe Liu denies it but remembers buying a “golden marble” from a fisherman from Huameng.
The sorcerer melted this “marble” into the millstone to enhance its spiritual power.
Xue Xian realizes the marble was part of his dragon body and becomes so enraged he faints.
Scribe Liu continues begging for help, prompting Xuanmin to chant a verse and tap his forehead.
Scribe Liu believes the spiritual mark has been removed, but Xuanmin warns him the debt still must be repaid.
Scribe Liu continues groveling and crying that Buddhists are merciful.
Xuanmin coldly declares he cultivates no compassion and leaves without looking back.

Chapter 8:
Medical BellXue Xian regains consciousness after being unconscious for ten hours and finds himself in a luxury suite at Guiyun Hall, an inn with an ominous-sounding name.
Xuanmin is performing a solemn handwashing ritual and preparing funeral rites for Old Lady Liu, now referred to by her maiden name Lady Xu.
Xue Xian mocks Xuanmin’s rituals and panics when he realizes Xuanmin plans to chant sutras, which he detests.
Xue Xian tries to jump off the table in protest but is caught and then pinned under a paperweight by Xuanmin.
Xuanmin completes a simple funeral rite with incense, yellow paper, and chanting a single line of sutra, then taps the millstone.
The millstone shatters, releasing Old Lady Liu’s spirit with her final thanks before vanishing.
A golden marble and a silver bell fall out of the shattered millstone.
Xue Xian realizes the golden marble is his own compressed dragon body and demands it back.
Xuanmin tests Xue Xian’s claim by holding it to a flame, revealing a coiled dragon shape inside.
Xue Xian confirms its identity and impatiently demands the marble, only to be crushed under its weight and fall off the table.
Xuanmin picks him up, places him on the table again, and returns the marble.
Xue Xian discovers the second object is a silver medical bell and asks about it.
Jiang Shining regains his ability to speak and identifies the bell as his great-grandfather Jiang Yong’s medical bell, passed down through generations.
Xuanmin reveals the souls of Jiang Shining’s parents are trapped in the bell and can only be freed using three drops of laogong blood from a living relative.
Xuanmin prepares to use another incense stick for Jiang Shining, implying a second soul-sending ritual.
Before anything happens, Xuanmin suddenly falls ill, red lines spreading from a mole on his neck as he goes silent and unresponsive.
Xue Xian confirms he’s alive but meditating or unconscious, then convinces Jiang Shining to leave him behind.
Jiang Shining hesitantly agrees and escapes with Xue Xian, who is still clutching the golden marble.
As they sneak through Ningyang County past the curfew guards, Xue Xian provides comically bad directions, leading them in circles.
Jiang Shining takes over navigation and they finally make progress.
They pass by Scribe Liu’s residence and overhear arguments inside but choose not to get involved.
Jiang Shining, ever the compassionate doctor, chooses to walk away rather than witness suffering he can't fix.

Chapter 9:
The Old ClinicJiang Shining and Xue Xian seek shelter from the snow in an abandoned temple on Mount Jiguan.
Xue Xian reverts to his human form and takes the best spot beneath the Buddha statue, frustrating Jiang Shining.
Jiang Shining lights a candle using a fire starter Xue Xian stole from Xuanmin during their escape.
Jiang Shining questions Xue Xian about his strong desire to escape from Xuanmin.
Xue Xian admits his concern stems from the golden marble, which contains his dragon body and is weakly connected to him.
Xue Xian suspects that Xuanmin might be influencing the marble or harboring hidden power.
Xue Xian sensed something strange under Xuanmin’s skin and felt Xuanmin was suppressing a hidden, dangerous power.
Xue Xian believes Xuanmin’s actions and aura are inconsistent with a normal monk’s peaceful nature.
Jiang Shining brings up the medicinal smell he noticed earlier in Xuanmin’s room and identifies it as medicine used to treat dissociation (soul loss syndrome).
Jiang Shining explains the symptoms of dissociation and suspects Xuanmin may be suffering from it, despite his composed appearance.
Xue Xian argues that someone with dissociation wouldn’t be actively meddling in others’ affairs or wandering alone.
Xue Xian points out Xuanmin’s behavior in Ningyang: he captured them, dismantled the Liu family’s feng shui array, laid Old Lady Liu’s spirit to rest, retrieved the golden marble, and tried to help deliver the bell to Jiang Shining’s sister—all highly suspicious actions.
Xue Xian sarcastically remarks on how unfriendly Xuanmin’s icy demeanor is, making his supposedly helpful actions seem suspiciously overfamiliar.
Jiang Shining questions why Xue Xian helped his family in the first place and why he stayed at the ruined Jiang clinic.
Xue Xian vaguely recalls a past visit to Ningyang County when he was not yet injured and had all his powers.
During a snowstorm, a kind middle-aged doctor pulled Xue Xian from the street to treat a wound on his hand, showing him warm hospitality.
The doctor lived at the Jiang Family Clinic with his wife and young son, Jiang Shining.
The doctor bandaged Xue Xian’s wound, gave him a small brazier to stay warm, and treated him with kindness despite being a stranger.
A year later, Xue Xian secretly returned and left the brazier and some golden pearls as a thank-you gift.
On his current return to Ningyang, Xue Xian found the clinic in ruins and Jiang Shining alone, prompting him to help.
Xue Xian admits he helped because of that past kindness—not everything in the world is motivated by selfishness.
Back at the temple, Jiang Shining asks what Xue Xian left on the table before they departed.
Xue Xian reveals he gave Xuanmin a dragon scale from his real body, as repayment for retrieving the marble.
Dragon scales are extremely rare and valuable, more potent than most healing herbs.
Meanwhile, Xuanmin sits alone in the suite at Guiyun Hall, unmoving after Xue Xian’s departure.
The scent of the dragon scale awakens him, causing the mole on his neck to shrink back.
On the table is a yellow note with messy writing: "Mystical medicine, can cure anything. Believe it or not."
Xuanmin realizes the disc is the same as the one sketched on a note in his possession labeled "Find them".
He silently compares the two, pockets the note, and continues staring at the dragon scale as snowstorms howl outside.

ARC: NAMELESS

Chapter 10:
The Blind Fortune TellerSnow falls for a full day and night, creating favorable conditions for Jiang Shining, who, as a spirit, fears yang energy.
Xue Xian rides on Jiang Shining’s shoulder but due to strong wind, he hides in Jiang Shining’s lapels to avoid being blown away.
They travel to Wolong County, where Xue Xian intends to visit two bickering brothers—one of whom may help identify the origin of his golden marble.
They take mountain routes to avoid towns and potential trouble, though Jiang Shining remains wary of rumored bandits.
Despite signs of violence and previous fights along their path, they encounter no bandits, which unsettles Jiang Shining.
They reach Wolong County safely after four days of travel.
At the city gates, Jiang Shining finds another iron tag with a wolf head engraving and a scratched-out name—similar to one he found earlier.
Inside the city, they navigate a chaotic maze of roads using Xue Xian’s food-based memory of landmarks.
Xue Xian suspects someone is following them, but they see no signs of a pursuer.
They arrive at a small, rundown courtyard home belonging to the two brothers Xue Xian seeks.
Jiang Shining knocks lightly, and Xue Xian tells him to knock harder since one brother is deaf in one ear.
A child inside yells “Thief!” and throws a basin of water at Jiang Shining, drenching both him and Xue Xian.
Jiang Shining’s paper body crumples from the water; the golden marble rolls away.
A boy tries to steal the marble but is caught by Xuanmin, who unexpectedly appears at the door.
Xue Xian is furious to see Xuanmin again and screams insults at him.
Xuanmin captures the boy, uses a talisman to silence him, and retrieves the stolen marble.
Xuanmin inspects the marble by sniffing and rubbing it, puzzling Xue Xian.
Xuanmin declares he will hold onto the marble for now; Xue Xian is unable to protest due to his soaked body.
Xuanmin asks the boy for a brazier, then starts a fire to dry Jiang Shining and Xue Xian by hanging them on a tree branch.
He produces a mysterious paper with writing and drawings, then correctly guesses the boy’s surname is Lu.
The boy’s reaction confirms his identity: Lu Nianqi, younger brother to Lu Shijiu.
Xue Xian demands to know Lu Shijiu’s whereabouts, explaining he wants him to track someone using the marble.
Lu Nianqi reveals their family all died mysteriously and the brothers were left to survive alone.
He confirms he remembers Xue Xian’s voice from his previous visits.
When asked why he tried to steal the marble, Lu Nianqi breaks into tears and confesses that Lu Shijiu disappeared half a month ago.
Lu Nianqi says his brother went to Fentou Island in the river and hasn’t returned since, leaving him searching and desperate

Chapter 11:
Fentou IslandThe chapter begins with a description of Fentou Island, an isolated and overgrown location near Wolong County, known for its eerie appearance and medicinal herbs.
Lu Shijiu disappeared after leaving a note for Lu Nianqi saying he went to Fentou Island.
Lu Nianqi waited days in the rain for Lu Shijiu to return but only found out from a boatman that Lu Shijiu had boarded a boat and never returned.
After several days of rain, Lu Nianqi tried searching the island multiple times but found no sign of Lu Shijiu except hearing his voice once, which vanished when he called back.
A whirlpool near the island capsized boats, making boatmen refuse to return; Lu Nianqi couldn’t afford the fare after someone stole his and Lu Shijiu’s saved money.
Strange knocking sounds began at night, and the money was stolen from a chest inside their home.
Xue Xian and Lu Nianqi argue, with Lu Nianqi revealing he is actually fifteen, though he looks younger due to childhood illness.
Xuanmin prepares to go to Fentou Island; Lu Nianqi begs to go with him and is allowed.
Xue Xian, still in paper doll form, discovers silver inside the pouch, suspects Xuanmin is collecting money somehow.
At the river crossing, boatmen refuse to sail to the island; Xuanmin rents a boat directly with silver.
Xuanmin uses a talisman and a reed to magically control and steer the boat to Fentou Island.
Lu Nianqi cuts his palm on a hidden piece of metal on the boat; Jiang Shining tends to the wound.
Lu Nianqi reveals Lu Shijiu could see “qi” and “form” despite being blind and often read Lu Nianqi’s palm, predicting long life despite evidence of early death in his palm lines.
Xuanmin also examines Lu Nianqi’s palm and tells him this is a calamitous year for him and to be careful.
Lu Nianqi says he thought he saw hair in the river but dismisses it as plants, despite experience seeing drowned corpses.
As they near the island, Xue Xian senses his marble reacting and lies on it in the pouch like he’s brooding an egg.
Once ashore, Xuanmin’s copper coins jingle ominously, and Xue Xian hears a strange, distant voice sounding like Xuanmin.
Jiang Shining and Lu Nianqi begin to get spooked by the atmosphere and fog, which has been unusually persistent.
Xuanmin examines the ground; Xue Xian hears mumbling that sounded like chanting or a sutra from afar, but no one else heard it.
Xuanmin burns a talisman; where the ash drifts, a trail of eerie, barely-there footprints appears—like someone hanging had brushed the ground.
They follow the trail; Xue Xian requests the pouch be cut lower so he can look out while still clutching his marble—Xuanmin refuses.
Xue Xian leans out awkwardly, spots something under a split tree, and directs Xuanmin to it.
Under the tree, they find a broken coin string that Lu Nianqi identifies as the one he tied for their money, which had been stolen.
As soon as they examine the string, Lu Nianqi is hit by something, falls, and triggers a hidden mechanism.
The ground gives way and all four fall into a trap beneath the island.
Xuanmin lands flawlessly, while others crash down painfully.
Xue Xian’s paper body suffers the worst—his neck tears, and his paper head falls off completely.
The chapter ends with Xuanmin lighting a talisman and looking down at Xue Xian’s severed paper head on the ground.

Chapter 12:
Island TombJiang Shining wakes up after a fall and sees Xuanmin frozen in shock, staring at something on the ground.
Lu Nianqi is injured, having landed on his head and reopened a wound on his hand; Jiang Shining checks on him.
They approach Xuanmin and find Xue Xian’s paper doll decapitated, his head lying face-up on the ground.
Jiang Shining and Lu Nianqi panic, wondering if Xue Xian is truly dead and where his body is.
Xuanmin presents the decapitated paper doll and decides to burn it, claiming Xue Xian is beyond saving.
Just before the talisman touches the doll, an invisible voice—Xue Xian's—tells Xuanmin to stop.
Xue Xian's soul escaped the doll and is now invisible, hiding behind Xuanmin.
Xue Xian begs to stay near Xuanmin, proposing to anchor himself in Xuanmin’s pouch near the golden marble.
Xuanmin agrees and inscribes a talisman with his blood onto the marble, allowing Xue Xian to reside within it.
Xue Xian is now trapped in the marble and unable to move freely, but content to be close to the marble and Xuanmin.
Xuanmin explores their surroundings using the talisman flame and discovers they are in a stone chamber.
They find giant stone statues of tomb guardians—proof the island might actually be a massive tomb.
The tomb guardians are newly carved, within the last three to five years, indicating the tomb is recent.
Xuanmin leads them deeper into the tomb through a half-open stone door and finds beast murals painted with cinnabar.
Cinnabar is typically used to ward off evil, but here it traps the dead, suggesting malicious intent.
Behind the door, they discover two unconscious people: Old Man Liu and Lu Shijiu, Lu Nianqi’s brother.
Lu Shijiu wakes and recognizes Lu Nianqi by touching his features; his blindness is confirmed but subtle.
The brothers' reunion is cold and distant despite their earlier desperation to find each other.
Xuanmin and Xue Xian (in marble form) confirm that Lu Shijiu is the boy they were searching for.
Xue Xian hires Lu Shijiu for divination using the golden marble, and Lu Shijiu identifies four past owners of the marble.
The fifth person is Xuanmin himself, which shocks everyone—especially Xue Xian, who realizes Xuanmin may be amnesiac.
Xuanmin asks Lu Shijiu to divine who gave him a folded paper with the words “Find them” on it.
Lu Shijiu replies that Xuanmin gave it to himself, confirming his memory loss.
The group learns the only path forward is deeper into the tomb, as the way back is blocked.
They reach a vast chamber with night pearls forming the Big Dipper constellation on the ceiling.
The path ahead is made of narrow stone platforms above deep black water; stepping wrong could be fatal.
Lu Shijiu guides the group using his ability to sense qi, but warns Lu Nianqi not to look down.
Lu Nianqi panics, looks down, and freezes; he jumps to a wrong platform, triggering a chain reaction.
The black water roars to life, and waves begin crashing down on the group.
Xuanmin grabs Jiang Shining and Lu Nianqi and sprints across the platforms.
The stone platforms begin to collapse and break, and the water level rises rapidly.
A massive wave knocks the group into the water; Xue Xian's marble falls into the pool and drags Xuanmin with it.
The water is cursed and stings; Xue Xian becomes disoriented, feeling bloated and overheated.
The marble absorbs something buried in the soil—possibly a fragment of Xue Xian’s dragon body.
A whirlpool forms, pulling everyone under and knocking them unconscious.
The tomb chamber is drained completely, revealing hundreds of broken stone statues at the bottom.
Inside each statue is a corpse; the furious ones are headless, the sad ones legless, and the joyful ones handless.
Xue Xian vomits up all the water from the marble; Xuanmin wakes up but seems to suffer from temporary memory loss.
Xuanmin doesn’t recognize Xue Xian and behaves like a different person, hinting at multiple personalities or possession.
Xue Xian spots a strange spider-like mark on Xuanmin’s neck that vanishes when touched.
The mark resembles spider legs emerging from a mole; it disappears after Xuanmin touches it and appears again.
Xue Xian regains some of his spine after absorbing something from the soil; it helps him grow part of his body back.
Xuanmin and Xue Xian examine the statues and deduce that they represent the components of a forbidden feng shui array.
Xuanmin remembers the array as the “Flow of a Hundred Soldiers,” which sacrifices three hundred people for good fortune.
The furious statues represent fierce generals, the sad ones represent suffering commonfolk, and the joyful ones wicked villains.

Chapter 13:
Life Exchange ArrayLu Yuan, a widower, moved to Wolong County 13 years ago with his biological son Lu Nianqi after his wife’s death.
On the way, he found an abandoned, sickly boy, Lu Shijiu, in an old mountain temple and adopted him.
Lu Shijiu had been abandoned by his family due to illness and blindness; Lu Yuan took pity on him and raised him alongside Lu Nianqi.
Lu Nianqi was mischievous and energetic while Lu Shijiu was quiet, withdrawn, and eerie due to his health and blindness.
Although Lu Yuan disciplined Lu Nianqi often, he never laid a hand on Lu Shijiu and cherished him deeply.
Lu Nianqi constantly followed Lu Shijiu around despite Lu Shijiu finding him annoying.
Over time, as Lu Shijiu lost his vision entirely, he began experiencing strange sounds and phenomena.
When Lu Shijiu was 9 and Lu Nianqi 7, Lu Shijiu was drawn to the river by a mysterious sound and fell in after glimpsing a dragon's shadow in the water.
Lu Nianqi jumped in to save him but nearly drowned.
Lu Yuan arrived and had to choose who to save first. He pulled Lu Nianqi ashore, but before he could return for Lu Shijiu, a water vortex pulled him under, and he drowned.
This trauma changed Lu Nianqi, who developed a fear of water and became distant from Lu Shijiu.
Lu Shijiu recounted this story calmly, with no visible emotion, unnerving the listeners.
Xuanmin examined Lu Nianqi’s palm and discovered that someone had unnaturally extended his lifeline at the age of six.
Lu Shijiu admitted he performed a life-exchange spell to lengthen Lu Nianqi’s life, which resulted in Lu Yuan’s death as a price.
Lu Shijiu asked Xuanmin to escort Lu Nianqi safely out of the tomb as one final favor.
When they prepared to leave, Xue Xian and Jiang Shining argued about how to escape the water pit.
They discovered a rusted iron door and forced it open, which woke up the unconscious Lu Nianqi.
Lu Shijiu showed no warmth toward his brother, telling him to walk on his own if he wanted to leave.
As they climbed the stairs to the tomb’s exit, Jiang Shining smelled a faint poisonous aroma and warned everyone.
The scent came from a deadly plant poison called “Seven Climb Eight Descend Nine Pass,” or antiar sap, which was smeared on the walls, floor, and ceiling.
Jiang Shining warned that since everyone was wounded, contact with the sap could be fatal.
Xuanmin realized their walking formation had changed—Lu Nianqi was now behind Lu Shijiu and Old Man Liu without Xuanmin between them.
Lu Nianqi stared intently at Lu Shijiu, suspecting something was wrong.
Lu Shijiu reached the final steps and declared that beyond a stone door was the way out but stated he wasn’t going any further.
He handed Lu Nianqi a bundle of twigs tied with red string and refused to continue.
Lu Nianqi became emotional, trying to convince Lu Shijiu to keep going, and started crying.
Lu Shijiu patted Lu Nianqi’s head and said he was going to find Lu Yuan, their father.
Lu Nianqi rubbed his eyes, but when he looked up, both Lu Shijiu and Old Man Liu had vanished.
Xuanmin found them collapsed by the wall, dead from the poison that entered through wounds on their backs and necks.
Lu Shijiu had drawn a blood array surrounded by specifically-placed copper coins used for a life-exchange ritual.
Xuanmin realized Lu Shijiu had stolen the copper coins Lu Nianqi lost earlier using spiritual energy to perform the ritual.
When Lu Nianqi stepped into the array, it activated—the blood glowed and a wisp of spirit left Lu Shijiu’s body and circled Lu Nianqi, completing the life exchange.
The spirit bowed to Xuanmin in thanks and faded.
Lu Shijiu had traded his life to fully restore Lu Nianqi’s.
His last thought was wondering if his younger brother would cry for him.

Chapter 14:
The Skeletons on the RiverbedAfter the life swap ritual is completed, a wave of yin corpses attacks the group in the tomb.
Xuanmin hesitates to use his copper coins, but eventually activates them with his blood, causing a massive explosion that collapses the tomb and destroys Fentou Island.
The tomb floods with river water, dragging corpses, debris, and the characters into a maelstrom.
Xue Xian, still in marble form, is swept into the chaos but begins to transform after absorbing power; he regains his true dragon body during the storm.
As a dragon, Xue Xian rises into the sky with thunder and lightning, is briefly witnessed by a family, then crashes back into the river due to lingering paralysis in his lower body.
Xue Xian accidentally slams into and knocks out Xuanmin underwater.
Lu Nianqi, Lu Shijiu, and Old Man Liu's bodies float to the surface; Lu Nianqi is found alive and revived by a corpse collector, who is startled.
Xue Xian finds a chained corpse under the river, slices the chain with his claw, and sends the body floating to the surface.
He also finds a massive stone lock with a craftsman's mark, suspecting it's connected to the tomb's feng shui array.
Xue Xian tries to leave the river in human form but transforms back into a dragon after realizing he’s naked.
He disguises himself as a tiny dragon and coils around Xuanmin’s wrist, waiting for him to wake up.
Xuanmin awakens, and Xue Xian helps him recover his memories by guiding him to touch the mole on his neck.
Xuanmin realizes Xue Xian is now in his true dragon form and questions why he’s still hanging around; Xue Xian insists it’s his choice and refuses to leave.
Xue Xian admits internally that being near Xuanmin benefits his recovery and healing.
Xuanmin and Xue Xian investigate the stone lock and chained corpse; they find more iron military tags, suggesting a connection to the tomb.
Lu Nianqi arrives and asks for help, revealing that he can’t see Lu Shijiu anymore, only vague outlines of other people.
Jiang Shining confirms he is a ghost inside a paper doll and explains soul lingering; Lu Nianqi is comforted by this.
Lu Nianqi struggles to walk and admits to feeling pain and bone-deep aches.
Jiang Shining and Xue Xian realize Lu Nianqi has inherited Lu Shijiu’s abilities, particularly spiritual sight, and that his physical suffering is part of the price of the life swap.
Xuanmin confirms this by identifying a mole on Lu Nianqi’s forehead as a mark of a successful life swap.
Lu Nianqi passes out from emotional and physical exhaustion; Xuanmin and Xue Xian decide to stay in the brothers’ home temporarily.
Xuanmin orders a coffin and prepares Lu Shijiu’s funeral arrangements while placing Lu Nianqi to rest.
Xue Xian complains about being naked and demands new clothes; Xuanmin mocks him using his own earlier words.
Xue Xian bites Xuanmin several times in retaliation, leaving multiple marks on his fingers.
Jiang Shining enters and leaves again, unable to bear the ridiculous scene.
Xuanmin prepares to leave to find clothes for Xue Xian, which leads to upcoming complications and developments.

Copper Coins: Tong Qian Kan Shi, Vol. 2

Chapter 15:
Shitou ZhangXue Xian and Xuanmin walk along Luomei Street in Wolong County, and Xue Xian hides coiled around Xuanmin’s wrist while constantly demanding that his sleeve be adjusted so he can see without being fully exposed.Xue Xian bites and provokes Xuanmin out of habit and boredom, admitting to himself that although his resentment over being captured has faded, he still enjoys trying to break Xuanmin’s calm composure.Xue Xian complains that Xuanmin owes him a meal because Xuanmin interrupted him at the Jiang family clinic and ruined expensive signature dishes bought for him, and Xuanmin acknowledges this before entering a clothing shop.Inside the tailor shop run by a middle-aged couple, the townspeople’s suspicion toward monks is highlighted due to dark rumors surrounding the state preceptor, making the shopkeepers wary of Xuanmin.Xuanmin casually selects winter clothes based on the size of Xue Xian’s human form, while Xue Xian criticizes the choices, and Xuanmin dryly describes the intended wearer as someone who pecks at people like a pheasant.Xuanmin deliberately buys a garish, brightly colored overcoat that matches Xue Xian’s temperament and pays an excessive amount of silver, shocking the shopkeepers.Xue Xian notices a woven blessing knot on the counter that resembles the carved pattern from the stone lock they investigated earlier, prompting Xuanmin to compare it with the rubbing he carries.The lady shopkeeper explains she learned the knot pattern from Shitou Zhang’s wife, identifying Shitou Zhang as a famous local stonemason, and Xuanmin immediately asks for his address.Xuanmin and Xue Xian arrive at Shitou Zhang’s residence in Hugua Alley and learn from a neighbor that Shitou Zhang and his wife have been absent for over half a month and that others have already come searching for him.Xue Xian suddenly overheats and becomes bloated, recognizing the sensation from when he previously regained his true form, and urgently tells Xuanmin to break into the house and find a place for him to transform.Xuanmin enters the courtyard and finds it filled with lifelike stone beasts such as tianlu, bixie, taoba, tortoises, and celestial dogs, all facing the gate in a menacing display.Xuanmin realizes that numerous Shigandang spirit stones are hidden among the statues in a deliberate formation blocking seven directions, forming a defensive array to repel intruders.Xuanmin uses his blood to activate his copper coins and destroys the Shigandang in a precise order, each one shattering with a resonant clang, briefly animating one bixie statue before subduing it.After the final Shigandang is destroyed, the suppression over the house lifts, the stone beasts shift aside, and faint sobbing reveals someone hiding inside the main hall.Xuanmin and Xue Xian confront a trembling, potbellied man holding a sword carved from white dragon bone, and the sight of it triggers Xue Xian’s transformation.Xue Xian erupts into his enormous true dragon form amid thunder and lightning that strike the four cardinal directions around the man, terrifying him into fainting.Xue Xian accuses the man of daring to carve a sword from dragon bone, then melts and absorbs the dragon-bone sword into his body in fury, which intensifies the burning heat within him.Overheated again, Xue Xian coils his massive dragon body around Xuanmin to draw on his coolness, causing visible discomfort in Xuanmin, and when Xuanmin frowns slightly, Xue Xian unexpectedly loosens his hold.Xue Xian revives the unconscious man with a lightning strike and learns that he is Shitou Zhang, who frantically claims he is only a humble stonemason hiding from danger.Under threat of lightning, Shitou Zhang confesses he dug up the dragon bone on a mountain by the river after being taken there blindfolded and carved it into a protective sword without knowing it was real dragon bone.Shitou Zhang reveals he was hired by mysterious clients to carve seven stone locks and two tomb guardian beasts using the same pattern as the rubbing, believing it to be a longevity talisman.Xuanmin informs Shitou Zhang that one of the stone locks is now at the bottom of the river tied to a corpse, shocking him and confirming the carvings were used for something sinister.Shitou Zhang admits he cannot identify the mountain’s exact location because he was blindfolded but remembers seeing a narrow, swift river and says he feels someone wants him dead since completing the job.When asked if he kept anything from the client, Shitou Zhang produces the black cloth used to blindfold him, which he saved out of fear.Noticing Xuanmin’s slight disgust at the dirty cloth, Xue Xian takes it himself and orders Shitou Zhang to come with them.Xuanmin points out that Xue Xian is still in his enormous dragon form and cannot return openly, and since Xue Xian cannot shrink due to swelling heat, his only option is to transform into human form and wear the newly purchased clothes.Xue Xian realizes with irritation that at his current massive size he cannot fit into any room to change clothes, leaving him stuck and frustrated.

Chapter 16:
Traveler from AfarXue Xian refuses to change clothes in front of Xuanmin while half paralyzed because he values his dignity and does not want to endure Xuanmin’s gaze in such a vulnerable state.Xue Xian knocks Shitou Zhang unconscious with lightning to avoid being seen while changing, then threatens to make Xuanmin faint as well but gives up because he cannot control his strength precisely enough to risk harming Xuanmin.Xue Xian summons thick mist to block Xuanmin’s vision, slices open the bundle of clothes, and transforms from his dragon form into his human form within a burst of white light.Xue Xian finishes dressing himself using magic despite his partial paralysis, wearing simple black robes that make him look pale, aloof, and strikingly handsome when he is not smiling.Xuanmin briefly considers helping Xue Xian dress but finds it unnecessary as Xue Xian completes the task alone.Xue Xian poses dramatically on a wooden chair even while half paralyzed, then demands to leave, only to argue with Xuanmin about how he should be carried back.Xuanmin ignores Xue Xian’s demand to squat and instead lifts Xue Xian effortlessly in his arms, supporting his neck and knees, treating him as lightly as a fallen leaf.Embarrassed by being carried, Xue Xian covers his entire head and face with black cloth to hide his identity and pretends to be a corpse to preserve his pride.Xue Xian wakes Shitou Zhang with another thunderclap and orders him to follow, and the three of them leave the Zhang residence.People on the street avoid looking at Xuanmin carrying what appears to be a corpse, allowing them to return to the Lu residence without drawing attention.At the Lu family courtyard, Jiang Shining recognizes Xue Xian’s hand sticking out from the cloth and is told by Xuanmin that Xue Xian is alive and only pretending to be dead.Xue Xian reveals himself, explains that Shitou Zhang carved the stone lock connected to the tomb on Fentou Island, and suggests that once Lu Nianqi wakes, Lu Nianqi can perform divination using something the mysterious client touched.Xue Xian reminds Xuanmin about the meal he is owed, prompting Xuanmin to leave and return with a takeout box containing entirely vegetarian dishes.Xue Xian is enraged that Xuanmin bought only vegetarian food, forcing Jiang Shining to fetch meat dishes so they can finally have a proper meal.Lu Nianqi remains unconscious for seven days with recurring fever, murmuring “Father” and “Shijiu” in his sleep, and finally awakens on the seventh night with bloodshot, tear-filled eyes.Lu Nianqi has grown several inches during his seven-day sleep and now resembles an eleven- or twelve-year-old rather than a small child, and his tone and bearing resemble Lu Shijiu’s.Lu Nianqi spends the entire final night silently in the side room with Lu Shijiu’s body, keeping his promise to accompany him without crying or speaking.The next morning, Lu Nianqi asks Shitou Zhang to carve two wooden memorial tablets, one engraved “In memory of my late father, Lu Yuan,” and leaves the other blank because Lu Shijiu had no formal name and Lu Nianqi cannot bear to carve his nickname.Lu Nianqi packs the tablets with simple belongings and tells Xue Xian that he knows what they want and will perform the divination in Lu Shijiu’s place, asking only that they help him bury Lu Shijiu.Using the black blindfold cloth and fine soil, Lu Nianqi performs divination with movements and expressions eerily similar to Lu Shijiu’s and determines that the person they seek is currently across the river, though he cannot pinpoint the exact location.Lu Nianqi offers to accompany Xuanmin and Xue Xian since he has no remaining family in Wolong County and his ability to discern the origins of objects may help them.At dawn, they bury Lu Shijiu beside Lu Yuan’s grave, and Lu Nianqi bows deeply three times on each side before calmly shouldering the memorial tablets.Xuanmin, Xue Xian, Jiang Shining, Shitou Zhang, and Lu Nianqi board a passenger boat to cross the river under falling snow, leaving behind the nameless grave as Lu Nianqi symbolically carries Lu Shijiu forward with him on their journey.

Chapter 17:
The Theater TroupeXue Xian, Xuanmin, Jiang Shining, Lu Nianqi, and Shitou Zhang cross the river from Wolong County to Anqing Prefecture in heavy snow with the same boatman who once ferried them to Fentou Island, and only Xue Xian accepts the offered hot wine, secretly using it to vent the burning heat inside his body until the wine begins to boil in his hands.The boatman warns that this stretch of river often overturns boats and says Anqing Prefecture recently suffered an earthquake, a mountain collapse, and reports of a dragon’s roar from underground, which makes Xue Xian bristle at the description and take notice.After docking at Guanyin Crossing in Wangjiang County, Jiang Shining learns no carriages are available due to earthquake damage killing most of the livestock, and a scar-faced man at a tea pavilion offers them a ride toward Qingping County with his traveling group.The scar-faced man and his troupe, consisting of men, women, elderly, and children, provide three carriages and a donkey cart, and though wary of Xue Xian’s corpse-like disguise, they accept the group after Xue Xian reveals he is alive.Xue Xian quietly warns Jiang Shining not to question the troupe and not to startle them, hinting there are taboos involved, and Jiang Shining senses something unsettling in Xue Xian’s tone.The troupe is revealed to be an opera troupe carrying costumes, gongs, drums, and role performers including young female, old female, young male, main male, painted-face, and clown roles, confirming they are itinerant performers.Xue Xian states that as long as they do not take certain forbidden paths there should be no trouble, and when Shitou Zhang tries to drink the wine from the carriage, Xuanmin stops him, implying the wine serves another purpose for Xue Xian’s heat rather than consumption.Xue Xian’s internal heat flares repeatedly inside the carriage, forcing him to dissipate it into the table, carriage door, and surroundings, nearly turning the carriage into a furnace until Xuanmin offers his hand for Xue Xian to cool himself against.Xue Xian pretends reluctance but grips Xuanmin’s hand shamelessly to ease his burning meridians, briefly regaining emotional balance.The caravan is forced to detour after discovering a collapsed bridge, and both the scar-faced man and Old Man Li show visible reluctance toward taking the eastern mountain path, suggesting subconscious fear.As they ascend the eastern path, the lead horse becomes increasingly restless, and Jiang Shining grows anxious under heavy yin energy that Xue Xian confirms is present.From the carriage window, Xue Xian and Xuanmin spot a crushed carriage buried under landslide rubble on the lower path and recognize it as eerily familiar, revealing that the opera troupe they are traveling with are likely already dead.Xue Xian warns Jiang Shining not to speak certain taboo words that could awaken the troupe and advises not letting them see the wreckage below, since the caravan is unknowingly retracing the path of its own fatal accident.As the caravan approaches the rubble area, Xuanmin steps out of the carriage with his copper coins, descending silently down the cliff to handle the situation before the troupe can witness their own deaths.Xuanmin activates the blood-bound copper coins, sets talisman papers in four directions, recites a mantra, and summons a fierce wind that lifts the rubble and crushed carriage into the air before sending it plunging into the valley to form a burial mound.Xuanmin burns the talismans and performs a simple Buddhist mudra in solemn burial rites, quietly laying the dead to rest.While circling back up, Xuanmin discovers two additional corpses hidden behind rockfall and lacks time to perform another ritual before the troupe arrives.Xue Xian transforms into a massive black dragon and strikes the rocks with dark lightning, shattering them and sweeping the remaining corpses into the valley with a controlled gale, preventing the troupe from seeing their own remains.The scar-faced man briefly sees the tip of Xue Xian’s dragon tail dangling before him but convinces himself it was a hallucination brought on by fatigue and strong liquor.Xue Xian nearly exhales dragon breath that would summon a violent wind but restrains himself to avoid exposing the truth.After the caravan safely passes, Xue Xian boasts that he cleaned up Xuanmin’s oversight, but Xuanmin calmly holds onto Xue Xian’s tail tip and forces him to admit that Xuanmin handled the burial properly first.Xue Xian grudgingly concedes, irritated that even in dragon form his tail ends up in Xuanmin’s grasp, and inwardly complains that spending too much time with Xuanmin will shorten his lifespan.

Chapter 18:
The Inn’s AttendantXue Xian and Xuanmin return to the carriage after Xue Xian changes back into human form behind the cliff, and the caravan reaches Huazhi County by evening as snow continues to fall.Shitou Zhang complains of hunger, Lu Nianqi’s stomach growls as well, and Xue Xian remarks that arriving slightly earlier or later makes little difference in the worsening snow, which Xuanmin silently agrees to.At Huazhi County’s strict city gate, guards inspect each carriage and record names, and a guard with black medicinal paste on his face stares at Xuanmin longer than the others before letting them pass.The opera troupe drops Xue Xian, Xuanmin, Jiang Shining, Lu Nianqi, and Shitou Zhang at an inn and refuses payment, insisting they do not charge fees at the end of the eleventh month, and Lu Nianqi cryptically states they will repay the favor someday.Xue Xian notices the county is less lively than before and points out wanted posters plastered on walls, prompting Shitou Zhang to retrieve one for them to examine inside the inn.The wanted poster depicts a monk who now resembles Xuanmin by about sixty percent, with adjusted facial features compared to the earlier notice in Ningyang, and the document warns the person is dangerous but does not list a crime.Jiang Shining and Shitou Zhang compare details and argue that the portrait differs from Xuanmin in cheekbones, nose bridge, and a mole near the eyebrow, while Xue Xian suspects such differences could be errors or deliberate changes.Nearby diners discuss how the authorities have revised the poster multiple times in half a month, adding new details and failing to capture the suspect accurately, and they dismiss Xuanmin as not matching the latest description.Xue Xian privately considers that Xuanmin’s unknown origins, profound abilities, and memory loss make the resemblance more suspicious than coincidence.A different waiter delivers their food and explains that the original waiter Qijin burned his hand, and the group begins eating heartily after a long day of travel.Xue Xian orders abundant meat dishes and eats far more than everyone else, even pushing his pile of bones toward Xuanmin to disguise how much he has consumed, while Xuanmin eats only a small bowl of tofu soup.Xuanmin admonishes Xue Xian to wipe his greasy hands, and Xue Xian boasts that he could swallow ten people like Xuanmin if he wished.Upstairs, Xuanmin shares a room with Xue Xian to assist him due to his limited mobility, and Xuanmin studies the wanted poster under lamplight while Xue Xian lounges comfortably on the bed.In the kitchen, the waiter Qijin confides to another waiter that Xuanmin resembles the state preceptor he once saw during a masked ritual procession, recognizing his posture and the unforgettable gaze of his eyes.The two waiters suspect the wanted monk and the reclusive state preceptor may be connected and consider reporting to the county office after the inn closes.Xue Xian questions Xuanmin directly about whether he is the person on the wanted poster and proposes a deal to exchange answers for money, first trying to extort silver and then offering gold instead.Xuanmin tosses all his silver onto the bed indifferently, and Xue Xian returns to a modified agreement, offering gold beads in exchange for honest answers.Xue Xian asks when Xuanmin’s episodes of forgetting people began, and Xuanmin reveals he has suffered memory lapses since waking up a few months ago, initially needing days to recover but now regaining clarity faster.Xue Xian explains that during Xuanmin’s memory-loss episodes, the mole on his neck sprouts visible blood vessels that retract when touched, restoring his awareness, and Xuanmin appears unaware of this phenomenon.Xuanmin recounts that he first awoke alone in a corpse shop in the mountains of Langzhou with no memory of his past, possessing only a string of copper coins, a geomancy book, talismans, and a sheet of handwritten notes.Xuanmin states that he remembers nothing before waking, later recalling fragments that fade again, and he wrote reminders to himself whenever memories resurfaced to maintain clarity.Xuanmin reveals that among his notes were instructions to find someone to whom he owes a debt, believing he will not feel at peace until he repays it.Xue Xian senses a rare heaviness and sorrow in Xuanmin’s words and abruptly ends the questioning, pocketing the remaining gold beads without pressing further about the wanted poster.As Xuanmin approaches the bed, Xue Xian hears the clinking of armor and voices outside under curfew, realizing county officers are likely moving through the streets at night.

Chapter 19:
On Clouds and DragonsThe two inn attendants report Xuanmin to the local officers using vague wording, calling him “unusual,” and lead the officers to the inn while anxiously pointing out the second-floor room.Xue Xian overhears everything from the bed and realizes they are surrounded again by county officers because of Xuanmin.Xuanmin stands silently beside Xue Xian’s bed for a long moment as if wanting to say something, but he only utters a single “You—” before falling quiet again, creating a tense and unfinished atmosphere.As officers quietly move into position and prepare to block both the door and the window, Xue Xian grows irritated and decides not to wait for Xuanmin to act.When the officers storm upstairs and prepare to break in, Xue Xian transforms instantly into his massive black dragon form, blasting apart the wall between rooms and shocking Shitou Zhang and Lu Nianqi next door.Xue Xian tosses his black robe to Xuanmin to hold, scoops up all the gold and silver from the bed with one claw, and hides the money beneath his scales before the officers break down the door.The officers burst in just as Xue Xian’s enormous dragon body fills the room, crushing the bed and lifting the roof with terrifying ease.Xue Xian grabs Shitou Zhang and Lu Nianqi with his claws and nudges Xuanmin onto his back, then lets out a piercing cry as thunder and lightning gather in the sky.Xue Xian rides the wind into the clouds, his black body twisting through mist and lightning before disappearing completely from view.The stunned officers and townspeople witness a monk in white robes riding a dragon into the sky, and they are left speechless under the sudden torrential rain.The officers conclude that only the legendary state preceptor could possibly command a dragon, and rumors spread overnight throughout Huazhi County that the state preceptor has appeared.Meanwhile, Xue Xian flies all the way to Qingping County but loses control of his speed during descent due to his impaired lower body and tail.To avoid crashing into the city wall, Xue Xian throws Shitou Zhang, Lu Nianqi, Jiang Shining, and Xuanmin into a large lake midair and transforms back into human form before splashing down himself.Xuanmin pulls Xue Xian safely to shore while Shitou Zhang and Lu Nianqi are left stunned and floating, and Jiang Shining nearly disintegrates after getting soaked in paper form.Xue Xian casually claims the reckless landing was a spur-of-the-moment decision and boasts that he delivered them directly to Qingping County’s gate, saving travel expenses.Xuanmin dries his own robes with a talisman and uses a Cleansing Spell drawn in blood to dry Shitou Zhang, Lu Nianqi, and Jiang Shining without harming them.Xuanmin then approaches Xue Xian and, without bending down, lifts Xue Xian’s chin and draws a blood streak on his forehead to dry his soaked clothes as well.Xue Xian reacts irritably to Xuanmin’s close gesture and snaps at him, masking his unsettled feelings.After tending to the others, Xuanmin gives Xue Xian his string of copper coins, explaining that magical tools accumulate spiritual energy and can be used to aid healing.Xue Xian learns that the five copper coins are sealed, with two seals loosening recently, and understands that Xuanmin himself does not remember who sealed them.Despite initially suspecting Xuanmin of madness for handing over such precious tools, Xue Xian accepts the coins to help regenerate his damaged spine and legs.Xue Xian closes his eyes and begins using the coins’ spiritual energy to heal himself, determined not to remain crippled or rely on being carried.Jiang Shining explains they must wait until dawn because the city gates are closed under curfew, and he reflects emotionally on seeing his elder sister again after three years and finally resolving his parents’ lingering souls.As the first light of dawn arrives and the city gong rings, the gates of Qingping County are about to open, marking the next stage of their journey.

Chapter 20:
Plague CountyXue Xian, Xuanmin, Jiang Shining, Lu Nianqi, and Shitou Zhang arrive at Qingping County’s city gate at dawn and immediately smell strong medicinal brew mixed with moldy herbal dregs, signaling widespread illness inside the city.Jiang Shining recognizes the smell as massive quantities of medicine being boiled and realizes many households must be sick at once, which unsettles the group.The city guards block entry, citing recent earthquakes and refusing explanation until pressured.A square-faced guard mocks Xuanmin for carrying what appears to be a corpse, and Xue Xian lifts the black cloth, grabs the guard’s wrist, and demands a proper explanation.Xuanmin subtly shakes the ground with a foot tap, frightening the guards into recalling the recent earthquakes and making them more cooperative.The square-faced guard reveals that after the earthquake, black insects crawled from ground fissures and bit townspeople, causing contagious rashes that itch, rot, and fester rapidly.Jiang Shining anxiously asks about treatment, and the guard admits the illness spreads quickly despite doctors’ efforts.Xue Xian notices the guard already has a rash and theatrically claims he has been infected as well.Xue Xian uses illusion to make his hand rapidly swell, rot, and fall off at the wrist, horrifying the guards.Xue Xian calmly argues that since he is infected and half paralyzed, he must enter the city for treatment, forcing the terrified guard to step aside.Xuanmin thanks the guards and walks into the city carrying Xue Xian, while the guards later discover that the “rotted hand” was only a fallen plum blossom branch.The square-faced guard, shaken and infected, heads toward Fang Family Medicine Hall for treatment.Xuanmin, Xue Xian, Lu Nianqi, Jiang Shining in paper form, and Shitou Zhang head through alleys toward Fang Family Medicine Hall, where Jiang Shining’s elder sister lives.Xue Xian casually reveals his hand is perfectly intact and asks Xuanmin to cast a Cleansing Spell to remove fake rot residue, but Xuanmin instead slices off the soiled sleeve and burns it.Offended, Xue Xian wipes his clean hand on Xuanmin’s robes in retaliation and demands fairness.Jiang Shining knocks at the back door, and Xingzi opens it, sees Jiang Shining’s face, and screams, slamming the door shut in terror.Aunt Chen dismisses Xingzi’s fear of ghosts until Xue Xian mischievously knocks again, frightening them further.Uncle Chen opens the door cautiously, and Jiang Shining hides in paper form to avoid scaring them again.Shitou Zhang awkwardly explains they were entrusted by Jiang Shining to deliver a family heirloom and discuss unresolved matters about Jiang Shining’s parents.Xue Xian produces Jiang Shining’s silver medical bell engraved with “Jiang” as proof of identity, which Uncle Chen recognizes.Although suspicious because the Jiang family died in a fire, Uncle Chen allows them inside.Xingzi blushes at Xue Xian’s appearance and demeanor, completely reversing her earlier fear.Lu Nianqi bluntly states he is half blind when Uncle Chen notices his stumble.Xue Xian openly states he is half paralyzed, and the group’s odd composition confuses Uncle Chen.Xingzi explains that Jiang Shining’s elder sister, the young mistress, is out examining patients, as she is highly skilled and widely sought after in the county.Before she returns, a young boy bursts in shouting that several beggars ambushed and kidnapped the young master and young mistress near Jiqing Street.Uncle Chen, Aunt Chen, Xingzi, and Jiang Shining all cry out in shock.The boy reports the kidnappers fled south toward many alleys and lost him after pushing him aside.Xuanmin asks for something the kidnapped pair recently touched so Lu Nianqi can divine their location.Xingzi retrieves a handkerchief belonging to the young mistress.Lu Nianqi performs divination with his wooden stick and describes a mountain path, wild woods, a grave, a small pond, and a turtle-shaped black rock.Uncle Chen recognizes the description as Mount Xiaonan.Xue Xian, Xuanmin, and Lu Nianqi board a carriage driven by Uncle Chen, while Aunt Chen and Xingzi insist on coming along.Lu Nianqi determines the captives have stopped moving and are in a deserted village identified as Wen Village, rumored to be haunted.Impatient with slow pursuit, Xue Xian commands everyone to hold tight and summons fierce wind to lift the entire carriage into the sky.Aunt Chen, Xingzi, and Uncle Chen scream in terror as the carriage flies through clouds and descends rapidly.The carriage lands near the eerie, dilapidated Wen Village at dawn, shrouded in mist.A woman’s scream echoes from within the village, and Xingzi recognizes it as the young mistress’s voice.Xuanmin tells Xue Xian to wait and enters the village alone to investigate.As Xuanmin surveys the feng shui, he senses the village is missing something essential, turning it into a dead zone.Xuanmin reaches for his copper coins but realizes he left them with Xue Xian, so he returns briefly to retrieve them before going back inside.After some time passes, the sound of the copper coins does not fade, and Xue Xian notices something wrong.A buzzing sound rises from underground, triggering Xue Xian’s suppressed memory of his recent major heavenly calamity.Xue Xian recalls being severely injured during the tribulation and bound by countless fine golden threads that pierced and pinned him to the ground.Xue Xian remembers a tall, white-robed figure at the end of those golden threads but cannot see the face clearly, leaving him unsettled.Xingzi shakes Xue Xian when he loses consciousness briefly from the memory shock, thinking he stopped breathing.Xue Xian regains awareness and questions how long he was out, learning it has been about ten minutes with no sign of Xuanmin.Jiang Shining is discovered missing from Xue Xian’s pouch, having slipped away toward the village with Xuanmin.Xue Xian calls out to Lu Nianqi and asks if he can divine what Xuanmin is doing.Lu Nianqi states he needs an inanimate object Xuanmin recently touched, as living beings cannot be used for scrying.Xue Xian offers his own hand but is refused, as living objects do not work, leaving Xue Xian frowning at the mist-shrouded village and the unsettling buzzing beneath it.

Chapter 21:
The Benevolent LordIn the abandoned Xu Residence within Wen Village, a group of mutilated beggars argue over their desperate situation, revealing that Old Liu, Jianzi, and Xiao-Shitou are gravely ill with festering sores and high fevers while the rest boil wild vegetables and mushrooms in a cracked pot, filling the room with the stench of rot and blood.The handless man laments that they may not live to see tomorrow, while the one-eyed man insists they must eat to survive, and the bedridden three breathe heavily beneath tattered blankets soaked with the smell of infection.Jiang Shijing and Fang Cheng sit bound but unharmed among them, realizing the beggars kidnapped them not for robbery but to force them to treat the sick.Fang Cheng scolds the beggars for abducting them instead of asking for help, arguing he would have accepted labor as repayment, and the beggars bitterly explain that no one hires disabled men during years of famine and disaster.Eerie dragging footsteps echo from upstairs in the deserted mansion, though everyone present is accounted for, and when one beggar goes to investigate, he vanishes without a trace.Two more search the building and find nothing as thick fog rolls in, convincing the beggars that Wen Village’s haunting legends are real, and they huddle in terror while coughs and slow footsteps approach their door.The unseen presence pauses outside the eastern room, coughs weakly, then retreats, only to circle back again, deepening the beggars’ fear.Outside the village, Xuanmin returns alone from the fog to Xue Xian, Lu Nianqi, Jiang Shining, Uncle Chen, Aunt Chen, and Xingzi, stating he located Jiang Shijing and Fang Cheng but could not approach them.Xue Xian scrutinizes Xuanmin and abruptly questions when he became a monk, comparing his silhouette in the mist to the white-robed figure from Xue Xian’s memory of the golden threads during his heavenly tribulation.Xuanmin calmly confirms he has been a monk since childhood and remembers fragments of those early years, and Xue Xian, trusting that Xuanmin does not lie, accepts the answer though unease lingers.Xue Xian pats Xuanmin’s shaved head mockingly, and Xuanmin restrains Xue Xian’s wrist without anger, their physical closeness subtly charged as Xingzi observes in confusion.Xuanmin declares that since he cannot get close to the captives, he will bring the location to them, and he activates his copper coins, causing a thunderous uprooting deep within the fog.The entire Xu Residence, along with its foundation, is torn from the village and dragged through the air before crashing down before the carriage, stunning everyone.Jiang Shining is revealed clinging to the mansion door after secretly following Xuanmin into the fog, and he awkwardly reunites with Uncle Chen, Aunt Chen, and Xingzi, admitting he is now a wandering ghost.The plaque identifies the mansion as the Xu Residence, belonging to the benevolent Lord Xu, a wealthy former cloth merchant known for kindness who moved to Wen Village years ago.Lord Xu appears in the hall, elderly and frail, politely inviting everyone inside for his birthday celebration and mentioning that a famous opera troupe from Anqing has come to perform.Red lanterns light up and shadowy villagers fill the once-deserted streets, while the scar-faced opera troupe arrives again in spectral form, revealing they are still bound to this place.Xuanmin explains that the opera troupe are not ordinary ghosts but attachments, beings formed from unfulfilled promises who do not realize they are dead and therefore persist even in daylight.Xue Xian decides not to refuse the invitation, reasoning that rejecting such an invitation may cause dangerous consequences within this bounded space, and also suspects dragon bone may be hidden here.The scar-faced man and an elderly woman from the opera troupe urge Xue Xian’s group to leave, subtly trying to protect them from the village’s boundary.Lord Xu drags Jiang Shining inside with chilling politeness, while Xue Xian avoids being pulled by leaning on Xuanmin.Lord Xu kindly offers Xue Xian a two-wheeled chair once used by his elderly mother, and the flat thresholds of the house reveal thoughtful design, reinforcing his benevolent reputation.After Lord Xu departs, Xue Xian barges into the eastern room in the wheeled chair, terrifying the beggars into fainting, and Xuanmin immediately draws a circle around Xue Xian and slaps a talisman on his forehead to immobilize him in the spiritually rich spot to heal his bones with the copper coins.Uncle Chen, Aunt Chen, and Xingzi rush to free Jiang Shijing and Fang Cheng, who are unharmed, while Jiang Shining reveals himself to his sister.Jiang Shijing breaks down in tears upon hearing Jiang Shining call her “Jie,” and she embraces him despite his icy ghostly body, refusing to fear him.Jiang Shining tries to comfort Jiang Shijing while Fang Cheng pulls her gently aside, all three overwhelmed by their reunion across life and death.Xue Xian demands someone remove the talisman from his forehead, and Jiang Shining reluctantly agrees after teasing him.Jiang Shining, using the hand soaked with Jiang Shijing’s tears, pulls at the powerful talisman, and because of its strength and his damp, fragile paper form, his entire hand tears off in the attempt.Jiang Shining freezes in pain and hides the severed hand behind his back so Jiang Shijing will not see, forcing a strained smile as the eastern room door suddenly slams open.

Chapter 22:
Qi-Riding ArrayThe eastern room door bursts open as the scar-faced man and the entire opera troupe rush inside, followed by Xuanmin, who shuts the door to keep the benevolent Lord Xu and the other village spirits outside.The scar-faced man angrily demands to know why the beggars chose Wen Village to shelter in, warning that not a single being outside is human and that lingering here risks their lives.The beggars admit they have heard rumors of ghostly opera singing every winter but stayed because their elderly and sick companions could not move, only to realize the opera troupe before them matches those rumors.The scar-faced man explains that the troupe were originally villagers who owe a lifelong debt of gratitude to the benevolent Lord Xu, and although he is dead, they return every winter on his birthday to perform because they promised him they would.An elderly woman from the troupe states they come willingly out of attachment, honoring their promise so long as the benevolent Lord Xu appears to listen.Xuanmin observes that Wen Village’s natural feng shui forms a qi-riding array that should not sustain earthbound spirits for so many years, concluding that something must have altered the formation.Xuanmin questions whether anything strange changed in the last six months, and the troupe recall that after recent earthquakes, Mount Muzhi’s peak shifted, water stopped flowing, and the old ginkgo tree’s crown bent unnaturally toward the ground.Xue Xian immediately suspects his missing dragon bone is buried there and declares he will dig up his own bone.Xuanmin draws dividing lines in the room with a wooden stick, instructing the beggars, Jiang Shining, Jiang Shijing, Fang Cheng, Uncle Chen, Aunt Chen, Xingzi, and the opera troupe to stay within their sections for safety before pushing Xue Xian out in the wheelchair.The benevolent Lord Xu warmly insists they return for wine and opera later, offering the wheelchair permanently, and Xue Xian agrees casually before leaving the residence.Once outside, Xue Xian gleefully insists he can propel himself, and when Xuanmin releases the wheelchair, Xue Xian summons fierce wind and rockets across Wen Village out of control.Xuanmin loses sight of Xue Xian in the fog, only to hear a thunderous dragon roar as Xue Xian briefly transforms into a massive black dragon head to signal his location before dropping back down.The transformation resonates with the buried dragon bone, causing Wen Village and Mount Muzhi to tremble violently.Xue Xian reaches the bent old ginkgo tree and deduces that its bowed crown points directly toward the buried bone beneath a darker, moisture-heavy patch of mud.As Xue Xian claws at the buried bone through spiritual force, the ground collapses into a growing vortex, swallowing the ginkgo tree and crumbling Mount Muzhi’s edges, revealing the bone is tied to a destabilizing array.Xue Xian tests his pull and realizes that exerting full strength will devastate the surrounding land, yet he resents being forced to restrain himself over what was stolen from him.Just as the vortex threatens to spiral out of control, Xuanmin arrives and calmly states he will stabilize the mountain while Xue Xian retrieves the bone.Xuanmin takes back the copper coins and presses immense spiritual force downward, halting the vortex and anchoring Mount Muzhi in place even as his palm splits open from the strain.Reassured by Xuanmin’s steady presence, Xue Xian releases his restraint and forcefully summons the buried dragon bone.A white dragon bone bursts from the abyss and flies into Xue Xian’s hand, melting into his body and igniting a searing fire through his veins, spine, and skull.Overwhelmed by scorching heat, Xue Xian loses awareness and instinctively transforms into his dragon form, coiling tightly around Xuanmin to cool himself against Xuanmin’s cold skin.Xuanmin remains composed within Xue Xian’s coils, continuing to manipulate the copper coins as their seals respond to the surge of power.Two of the five copper coins shed their dull exterior and glow with renewed spiritual energy, indicating two seals have fully broken.As Xue Xian gradually regains clarity, he notices the deep wound across Xuanmin’s palm caused by stabilizing the mountain.Feeling an unfamiliar flicker of guilt, Xue Xian lowers his dragon head and licks the wound, using his dragon nature to stop the bleeding.The instant Xue Xian’s tongue touches Xuanmin’s blood, the heat in his mind clears, Xuanmin opens his eyes, and Xue Xian is left internally debating whether his dignity can survive being caught in such an intimate position.

Chapter 23:
Old DrumbeatXue Xian remains frozen in dragon form after licking Xuanmin’s wound, only regaining composure when he sees the bleeding visibly stop and arrogantly demanding thanks for his help.Xue Xian notices Xuanmin standing stiffly with eyes open but unfocused, his expression clouded and unfamiliar, as if trapped in a nightmare.A dark, indigo web of veins spreads from the mole on Xuanmin’s neck across his shoulder and down his back, looking ominous and unnatural, which deeply unsettles Xue Xian.Xue Xian pulls open Xuanmin’s robe to inspect the spreading veins and worries they will consume half his body if not stopped.Xue Xian tentatively waves a claw before Xuanmin’s eyes with no response and realizes Xuanmin only reacted earlier when Xue Xian licked his wound.Reluctantly, Xue Xian licks Xuanmin’s palm again, and Xuanmin’s fingers twitch faintly, confirming that dragon saliva stimulates him back to awareness.Just as Xue Xian debates further action, the dark vein network recedes rapidly back into the mole on Xuanmin’s neck, and the black mist in Xuanmin’s eyes clears as he regains consciousness.Xuanmin wakes to find Xue Xian hovering close as if about to bite him, and Xue Xian awkwardly claims he was merely yawning.Xue Xian questions Xuanmin about what happened during his trance, and Xuanmin reveals he remembered fragments of his youth after two seals on the copper coins broke.Xuanmin recalls scenes of copying scriptures as a child but also remembers holding torn pieces of human skin, some thick and some thin, which disgusted him even in memory.Xue Xian is stunned by the mention of human skin and struggles to reconcile this with his image of Xuanmin, yet suspects there must be context still missing.Xuanmin confirms he was a child in those memories because of his small hands and the scriptures before him, but he cannot recall the circumstances surrounding the human skin.Xue Xian suggests breaking more seals on the copper coins might restore further memories and potentially all of Xuanmin’s past.Xuanmin pats Xue Xian’s dragon chin, prompting Xue Xian to transform back into human form and dress himself before returning to the wheelchair.Xuanmin retrieves copper nails and paper talismans from the pit where the dragon bone had been buried, wrapping them carefully as evidence of the disrupted array.Xuanmin questions whether Xue Xian understands the effects of dragon saliva, causing Xue Xian to bristle defensively and refuse to admit embarrassment over licking the wound.Xue Xian insists dragon saliva is simply useful and demands they leave, successfully shutting down further discussion.The two return quietly to the Xu Residence and rejoin Jiang Shining, Jiang Shijing, Fang Cheng, Uncle Chen, Aunt Chen, Xingzi, the beggars, and the opera troupe in the east room.Xue Xian explains that the earthbound spirits forget intruders once out of sight, which is why they were not disturbed, but the opera troupe will soon be remembered and summoned back by the benevolent Lord Xu.Lord Xu soon knocks and invites the opera troupe to the banquet, and the scar-faced man, Deliang, warns Xue Xian’s group to leave before the opera begins because they will no longer be able to help afterward.Jiang Shining urges rescuing the sick beggars, and the group carries the three infected men out under cloth coverings while Xuanmin pushes Xue Xian’s wheelchair.Deliang asks whether Wen Village’s spirits are about to dissipate, and Xuanmin confirms the array trapping them has been broken and they will fade by nightfall.Xue Xian travels back unusually calmly, expanding the carriage interior and speeding the horse with wind but avoiding dramatic displays of power.Xue Xian privately questions Jiang Shining about the uses of dragon saliva, revealing lingering curiosity and discomfort about what he did to Xuanmin.Jiang Shining begins to explain rumored properties of dragon saliva, but Xuanmin abruptly interrupts by placing a talisman on Xue Xian’s forehead and turning him away, silencing further discussion.Xue Xian fumes at being immobilized again but remains stuck until they reach the Fang residence and settle in a side room.At sunset, Jiang Shijing performs the ritual to send Jiang Shining’s and Jiang Shijing’s parents onward, pricking her Laogong point and dripping three drops of blood onto the Jiang family’s silver medical bell as instructed by Xuanmin.The blood travels through the grooves of the bell, causing it to vibrate intensely before dripping away, while Xuanmin writes the Jiang couple’s names on talisman paper and burns it to light incense.As Xuanmin chants, the silver bell rings twice, signaling the trapped spirits of the Jiang parents bidding farewell through sound alone.Jiang Shijing breaks down in tears, and Jiang Shining silently watches, while Xue Xian opens his eyes briefly in the corner and silently offers his own farewell and gratitude to the couple who once cared for him.Back in Wen Village, the opera troupe performs for the benevolent Lord Xu one final time, the same old play echoing through the fog as if life and death never separated them.Lord Xu thanks Deliang for his efforts with quiet understanding, and Deliang admits they may not return next year, both recognizing that their long-standing promise is ending.As night deepens, the fog over Wen Village disperses, the opera’s music fades, and the benevolent Lord Xu, the opera troupe, and the lingering spirits quietly dissipate, their decade-long promise fulfilled at last.

Chapter 24:
Bone-Dwelling ThreadsThe Fang household is described as a modest but busy medicinal family led by Fang Cheng and Jiang Shijing, with Uncle Chen as steward, Aunt Chen managing the household and kitchen, twin sons Xiu Ping and Xiu An handling the shop accounts, Xingzi serving as Jiang Shijing’s maid and medical assistant, and several helpers and apprentices coming and going.The rescued beggars are bathed, given padded jackets, and treated kindly despite their kidnapping, revealing the Fang family’s habit of repaying harm with compassion.Aunt Chen scolds the beggars for scratching their frostbite and personally prepares ginger juice mixed with strong liquor to treat their cracked, swollen skin, recalling how Xiu An once suffered terribly from similar treatment as a child.Xiu An fetches liquor and gauze reluctantly, remembering his own painful frostbite experience, and the beggars are soon reduced to tearful obedience under Aunt Chen’s firm medical care.Fang Cheng and Jiang Shijing begin examining the beggars’ rashes while the back courtyard grows unusually lively late into the night.Xuanmin and Xue Xian share the last available room, with Xuanmin meditating cross-legged and Xue Xian healing his broken spine using the copper coins.Jiang Shining briefly checks on them through the door crack and advises Fang Cheng and Jiang Shijing not to disturb the two extraordinary guests.Near midnight, Xue Xian awakens when the talisman on his forehead turns scorching hot and then falls away on its own, restoring his movement.Xue Xian discovers Xuanmin burning with fever-like heat and an abnormally rapid pulse, suspecting another episode connected to the mole on Xuanmin’s neck.As Xue Xian leans in to inspect Xuanmin more closely in the dim light, the heat between them intensifies, and their breaths grow heavy and entangled in the silent room.Xuanmin, still seemingly half-conscious, grips Xue Xian’s fingers tightly, their palms slick with sweat, creating an intimate and disorienting atmosphere neither fully controls.A drop of sweat falls from Xuanmin onto Xue Xian, jolting Xue Xian back to clarity just as a cat’s cry outside startles them both.Xuanmin opens his eyes briefly, tells Xue Xian to move further away in a hoarse voice, then resumes meditation as the moment passes with unspoken tension.Xue Xian retreats awkwardly, adjusts the oil lamp to brighten the room, and sees Xuanmin’s robes soaked through with sweat, realizing the monk’s physical reaction may not have been simple illness.Embarrassed and unsettled, Xue Xian wonders if dragon saliva played a role in the monk’s condition, recalling how he licked Xuanmin’s wound earlier to stop the bleeding.Xue Xian resumes healing and discovers that after absorbing his dragon bone and with two copper coin seals broken, a living thread-like force begins extending from his broken bones, slowly knitting them together but consuming immense energy.By dawn, exhausted from forming only half a thread, Xue Xian drags Jiang Shining out to find meat, complaining about hunger.Jiang Shijing and Aunt Chen insist on preparing meat dishes themselves, and Xue Xian requests hot water so Xuanmin can wash off the sweat from the previous night.When Jiang Shijing and Jiang Shining inquire about Xuanmin’s symptoms, Xue Xian casually claims it might be a qi deviation rather than illness, avoiding the true cause.Xue Xian avoids returning to the room, lingering in the kitchen and guest hall until shooed away, clearly reluctant to face Xuanmin after the night’s events.Xue Xian privately asks Fang Cheng about the effects of dragon saliva, pretending curiosity about rumors and potential harm to ordinary people.Fang Cheng explains that legends claim dragon saliva can cure illness and detoxify, but also enhance yin and yang, stimulate vitality, and even cause pregnancy if a woman comes into contact with it.Hearing this confirmation, Xue Xian internally realizes the likely cause of Xuanmin’s reaction and becomes deeply embarrassed.Xue Xian attempts to negotiate switching rooms with Jiang Shining or at least staying elsewhere for the night, but Jiang Shining refuses, teasing him about causing trouble for Xuanmin.Xue Xian grudgingly admits he caused “just a little bit” of trouble, though Jiang Shining recognizes it must be significant.Two herb gatherers return to the Fang residence and report encountering an official horse caravan delayed on the road.The herb gatherers reveal that the imperial court has dispatched officials under the state preceptor’s command to Qingping County to conduct a plague-dispelling ritual in response to the spreading illness.Aunt Chen reacts in shock upon hearing the state preceptor’s name, and it is revealed that the arriving caravan consists of those who directly serve the mysterious and powerful state preceptor, some of the few who have actually seen his face.

Chapter 25:
The Court of Imperial SacrificesA grand procession from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices arrives near Qingping County, with about a hundred masked members in white robes bearing beast insignia escorting three tightly curtained carriages and banners marked Taichang, showing their authority under the state preceptor.The Court of Imperial Sacrifices, once responsible for rituals of heaven and earth, now operates under the state preceptor, whose authority overshadows the court and whose deputies change over time while selected children called zhenzi are trained to serve in rituals until adulthood.The procession splits at a fork in the road, with about twenty members and one carriage heading toward Qingping County’s main district to drive out the plague, while the larger group proceeds up a mountain path for another mission.The leaders of the mountain group are the chief diviner and the chief ritualist, both raised within the Court of Imperial Sacrifices under the state preceptor, and they share a long history as former zhenzi who rose through the ranks together.The chief diviner, a young woman with exceptional talent in divination, removes her mask to reconfirm their direction using a grass knot, a turtle shell, and a paper bearing the red seal Tongdeng, demonstrating her deep reverence for the state preceptor and her seriousness about the mission.The chief ritualist, who fears the state preceptor more than he reveres him, jokes nervously, but the chief diviner warns him not to speak carelessly about the state preceptor in her presence.During divination, the chief diviner senses that someone who should not be in Qingping County is currently there, but she dismisses it as a vague miscalculation and directs the group southwest toward a mountain shaped like a winnowing basket.In the Fang family’s backyard, Jiang Shijing examines three plague-stricken beggars and discovers that the little beggar girl has severe facial rashes that will rot her flesh and leave her permanently disfigured.Xue Xian overhears Jiang Shijing’s concern and offers a solution, explaining that he cannot regrow flesh but can create a substitute to restore the little beggar girl’s appearance.Jiang Shijing and Jiang Shining deduce that a lifelike mask could serve as a substitute, and Shitou Zhang volunteers to craft it despite mainly being a stone carver.Shitou Zhang lists the required materials, and while most are available, he requests dragon glue, which enrages Xue Xian because it implies glue made from dragon skin.Shitou Zhang hurriedly clarifies that dragon glue is only a grandiose name for imported animal-hide glue from the Western Regions, and Xue Xian orders pigskin glue to be used instead.Xuanmin silently supervises the glue-making process, correcting Shitou Zhang’s timing and demonstrating unexpected knowledge about crafting such masks, which deepens Shitou Zhang’s and Jiang Shining’s curiosity about Xuanmin’s mysterious past and age.Shitou Zhang carefully crafts two layers for the mask, one thick to fill in missing flesh and one thin to blend the surface, shaping it by memorizing the intact side of the little beggar girl’s face.Xue Xian realizes the finished pieces resemble real human skin and questions Xuanmin about a memory from Wen Village where Xuanmin recalled holding human skin in his youth, suspecting it may have been a similar mask.Xuanmin does not deny the possibility but claims he does not remember, and his slightly sharp response to Xue Xian suggests subtle tension between them, especially as Xue Xian has been avoiding him.Xuanmin reminds Xue Xian to fulfill his promise first, implying he should complete the restoration of the little beggar girl’s face before speculating further about the past.Xue Xian uses his power to make the mask adhere seamlessly to skin, and Jiang Shijing confirms it looks indistinguishable from real flesh, with Xue Xian stating the effect will last as long as he lives.The Fang family members witness Xue Xian’s supernatural abilities but politely refrain from questioning him, maintaining a quiet understanding not to pry.Lu Nianqi divines using the black cloth from Shitou Zhang’s kidnapping and determines that the person who touched it remained at the same location from the previous night through the morning.Lu Nianqi identifies the location as a mountain shaped like a winnowing basket, which Xingzi recognizes as Mount Boji, located southwest of Qingping County beyond the main gate and forest outskirts.Xue Xian decides to set out immediately to investigate Mount Boji, hoping to catch the culprit red-handed or at least confirm their presence.Mount Boji is described as having a sunny side with paddy fields and a small village, and a shaded side containing a fog-filled basketlike depression where anyone who enters never returns, giving rise to rumors of bones, inhabitants, and ghostly cries.The Court of Imperial Sacrifices’ mountain procession arrives at Mount Boji and deliberately avoids the sunny side, heading instead toward the fog-shrouded depression.Faced with two paths, one skirting the depression and one plunging into the fog, the chief diviner confirms through divination that they must enter the fog directly.The chief ritualist instructs everyone to protect their faces and eyes, and the members take anti-poison pills and press sachets to their noses before proceeding.The chief diviner uses a crescent-shaped bell and talismans to guide the procession into the dense fog, shaking the bell at regular intervals to maintain order.Inside the fog, visibility drops to nothing, creating a suffocating and disorienting environment that tests the discipline of the procession.A young zhenzi panics and breathes erratically, inhales the toxic fog, collapses, and dies after convulsing and gasping for air.Despite the chief ritualist’s command to maintain steady breathing, seven or eight more zhenzi succumb to the poisonous fog, convulsing and spitting bloody foam before dying as the procession continues deeper into the mountain depression.

Chapter 26:
The Building in the FogThe chief diviner rings the crescent bell five times to signal arrival at the center of the mountain depression, where the fog thins to reveal a three-story bamboo building standing intact within the poisonous mist.The chief diviner and the chief ritualist examine the bamboo building while the remaining members of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices surround it, unsettled because several zhenzi have already died reaching this place.The chief diviner sets up a talisman array with the chief ritualist, dispersing the immediate fog around the bamboo building so the group can search safely.The zhenzi only know they are searching for a person from a portrait, while the chief diviner and the chief ritualist alone understand the full mission.The chief ritualist questions whether the chief diviner’s calculations are correct when the search of all three floors yields nothing.The chief diviner rechecks her divination tools but cannot reburn the turtle shell the same day, and she reveals that the person caught in her earlier divination patterns was someone who should not possibly be in Qingping County.Pressed for an answer, the chief diviner finally states that the person indicated by her divination was the state preceptor.The chief ritualist vehemently rejects the possibility, insisting the state preceptor remains in seclusion at Famen Temple and would never leave mid-ritual.The chief diviner admits it must be someone with a similar fate or birth chart, though she remains unsettled by the implication.A subtle disturbance shifts the grass knot and alerts the chief diviner that something has changed, prompting her to order an immediate retreat from the depression to prevent their target from escaping.Meanwhile, Xue Xian arrives at the crossroads outside the fog with Lu Nianqi, Shitou Zhang, and Xuanmin, having left Jiang Shining behind at Fang residence so Jiang Shining can spend time with Jiang Shijing before her birthday.Lu Nianqi bluntly states they should take the fog-covered path that looks like certain death, confirming it as the correct direction.Shitou Zhang panics about the poisonous fog, but Xuanmin prepares to use a talisman array before Xue Xian stops him and decides to handle the fog personally.Xue Xian unleashes a violent gust of wind that sweeps away the dense poisonous fog in an instant, revealing the path and bent trees beneath, then smugly seeks praise from Xuanmin.Xuanmin dryly points out that Xue Xian cracked the armrest of his wheelchair, dampening Xue Xian’s mood.Xuanmin observes that someone has recently come and left the area alive, indicating the presence of another capable group searching for the same target.Xue Xian confidently declares he can catch up to anyone who left and speeds ahead alone toward the bamboo building.Xue Xian reaches the bamboo building quickly but is thwarted by the narrow doorway on the second floor that cannot accommodate his wheelchair without collapsing the fragile structure, leaving him stuck outside and irritated.Xuanmin, Lu Nianqi, and Shitou Zhang arrive and search the entire building thoroughly but find no trace of their target.Lu Nianqi insists through intuition that the person they seek is still inside the building despite the empty search results.A black bird that had been seen in the forest flies into the room and shocks everyone by landing gently on Xuanmin’s shoulder and rubbing against his face affectionately.Lu Nianqi remarks that crows do not make such soft sounds, implying the bird is unusual or spiritual.Xue Xian concludes that the bird recognizes Xuanmin, and Lu Nianqi deduces that the bamboo building likely belongs to Xuanmin.Xuanmin silently acknowledges that the house is his after recognizing the bird’s familiarity.Earlier, Xuanmin had discovered a book in the building containing annotations written in his own unmistakable handwriting, specifically marking Langzhou, Xia Mountain.Xue Xian experiences a moment of cold suspicion upon realizing Xuanmin has ties to this hidden place connected to the person who extracted Xue Xian’s bones, but he deliberately suppresses the doubt and masks it with arrogance and teasing.Xue Xian openly states that Xuanmin is not the one who extracted his bones but warns that Xuanmin may still be linked to that person and expresses hope they were enemies rather than allies.Xuanmin’s subtle emotional reaction to Xue Xian’s words reassures Xue Xian that Xuanmin is not indifferent to their bond.Xue Xian returns to his usual mocking tone and urges Xuanmin to locate any hidden mechanism within his own house.The spirit bird flies to a protruding bamboo joint in the ceiling corner and flaps its wings insistently.A hidden mechanism activates with a click, and the floor beneath them begins to sink straight downward, revealing that there is another concealed world beneath the room.

Chapter 27:
The Life-Sharing SpiderAfter the floor sinks and they reach the underground stone chamber, Xue Xian immediately hears faint, nearly extinguished breathing from a distant corner and suspects the hidden target is there, possibly on the verge of death.Before they can react further, the mechanism above seals shut, trapping Xue Xian and Xuanmin in the chamber while Shitou Zhang and Lu Nianqi mysteriously vanish without a trace.Xuanmin searches the corner where Xue Xian heard the breathing but finds no one, and both of them discover drops of blood placed deliberately at specific points, indicating the hidden person set up an array.Xuanmin identifies the array as the Nine-Linked Rings, an array with no escape gates that cannot be forcibly broken and will collapse only after an hour, making it a delaying tactic for the enemy to escape.Unwilling to waste time, Xue Xian angrily unleashes lightning to blast through the chamber, but the Nine-Linked Rings retaliates by igniting towering flames along the walls and increasing the burden on those trapped inside.The chamber becomes unbearably hot, aggravating the lingering effects of Xue Xian’s dragon saliva inside Xuanmin and pushing Xuanmin toward dangerous instability.Realizing his reckless attack worsens Xuanmin’s condition, Xue Xian withdraws his power, but the heat and darkness intensify as the oil lamp goes out and Xuanmin’s labored breathing fills the space.Xue Xian considers using dragon blood to stabilize Xuanmin, knowing dragon blood and dragon saliva are treasures, and cautiously asks Xuanmin whether dragon blood has negative effects.In the darkness, something presses against Xue Xian’s neck as if about to pierce his skin, but Xue Xian suddenly realizes the reaction is wrong for Xuanmin’s personality and forcibly shoves the figure away.The illusion shatters with a sound like beads scattering, revealing that they were trapped in an inner demon array, and Xue Xian, Xuanmin, Shitou Zhang, and Lu Nianqi are still inside the chamber.Xue Xian drags out the blood-soaked culprit hiding in the shadows and interrogates him about the array and whether he has touched dragon bones.The dying man admits that Xue Xian cannot help the others break free because each person must defeat their own inner demon, and he hints that three more targets remain in his scheme.Xue Xian realizes the array exploited inner demons, and that his own illusion centered on Xuanmin, exposing that Xuanmin has become the inner demon drawn from his heart.Furious that the man plotted to harm those Xue Xian considers his own people, especially Xuanmin, Xue Xian tortures him using iron name tags tied to three hundred restless souls previously trapped in a tomb beneath Fentou Island in Wolong County.The man confesses he used a Life-Sharing Spider to bind his life to another’s, intending to extend his own lifespan by planting a blood mark that would sprout spider legs once it pierced the skin.Xue Xian finds a faint red blood mark on Xuanmin’s neck and instinctively sucks at it, but the man reveals that once the Life-Sharing Spider enters, it cannot be removed that way.As the blood mark begins to sprout thin red lines like spider legs, Xue Xian notices it resembles the red mole on Xuanmin’s neck that appears during his memory disturbances.Suddenly, the blood mark retracts and vanishes entirely, and Xuanmin awakens from the inner demon illusion, leaving the Life-Sharing Spider ineffective.Xue Xian coldly reveals that the man’s temporary vitality did not come from the spider but from Xue Xian’s own power keeping him conscious, and that the Life-Sharing Spider failed completely.Desperate, the man begs for his life and claims he has merit because he sacrificed three hundred beggars and disabled soldiers to set up the Flow of a Hundred Soldiers array to prevent a catastrophic flood predicted for Wolong County.Xue Xian mercilessly dismantles his justification, pointing out that the flood has not yet come while three hundred lives have already been lost without consent, and rejects the logic of weighing human lives as commodities.The man reveals that the dragon bone buried in the tomb was given to him by his sorcerer shifu, who helped him set up the array and warned him of the coming flood.Pressed for a name, the man finally admits that his shifu’s Daoist name is Songyun, confirming that the sorcerer behind the dragon bone and multiple schemes is their true target.Xuanmin questions the man about any prior connection between them, but the man denies knowing Xuanmin personally and explains that a black bird guided him into the fog while he was fleeing calamity.Xue Xian connects the clues of Langzhou, Mount Xia, the Life-Sharing Spider, and Xuanmin’s lost memories, concluding that everything now points toward Songyun in Langzhou.After extracting all useful information, Xue Xian withdraws the spiritual energy sustaining the man and leaves him to be consumed by the resentment of the three hundred restless souls, ending his life in terror and regret.When the man weakly asks what Xue Xian would do if faced with such a flood, Xue Xian refuses to answer, deeming him fundamentally different and unworthy of explanation.Xue Xian orders Xuanmin to carry him back up, and Xuanmin hesitates briefly before lifting him, his body temperature scorching from repeated exposure to Xue Xian’s dragon saliva.Realizing that his impulsive actions have worsened Xuanmin’s condition yet again, Xue Xian feels reluctant responsibility and decides they must deal with the dragon saliva effects privately.Xue Xian instructs Shitou Zhang and Lu Nianqi to return to Fang residence first while he and Xuanmin remain behind in the bamboo building to search for more clues about Xuanmin’s past and to handle the pressing issue between them alone.

Copper Coins: Tong Qian Kan Shi, Vol. 3

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There's Something Wrong with the Chief: Du Zhu You Bing (Novel) Vol. 1

Chapter 1:
The Coolness of Fresh RainXiahou Lian waits with other trafficked children under the eaves after a fresh rain, squatting obediently while secretly carrying a dagger strapped to his ankle that Uncle Duan gave him for self-defense.Xiahou Lian observes the quiet alley and notices beggars nearby, correctly suspecting that at least one of them is connected to Qiye Garden and that once he infiltrates the Xie household he will receive instructions about his assassination target.Xiahou Lian reflects that he is not an ordinary trafficked child seeking food and shelter but the youngest assassin of Qiye Garden, sent to kill rather than serve.The trafficker sells the children cheaply to the Xie household, and Xiahou Lian overhears him curse them as penniless after weighing the silver.Xiahou Lian notices that most of the matrons and maids wear frayed, patched clothing, showing that the Xie household is not as prosperous as it appears.Matron Liu singles Xiahou Lian out and assigns him to Aunt Lan, saying no one should claim the mistress neglects the third young master.Aunt Lan asks for another child to help because two maids were dismissed, but Matron Liu coldly refuses and insists one is enough for the third young master.Aunt Lan introduces herself and asks Xiahou Lian’s name, and Xiahou Lian carefully pretends to be timid and obedient.Xiahou Lian accidentally reveals education by quoting poetry to explain his name, then quickly lies that he only heard the line once to avoid suspicion.Aunt Lan mentions that the young master Xie Jinglan loves reading and asks whether Xiahou Lian can read and write, and Xiahou Lian claims he has read a little and can write his name.As they walk through the estate, Xiahou Lian notices other servants ignore Aunt Lan, revealing her low status within the household.Xiahou Lian overhears maids discussing that the lord of the Xie household is returning after offending Wei-gonggong at the palace, hinting at political trouble.Lianxiang complains about their heavy workload and resents that only one small boy was assigned to help them.Aunt Lan worries about leaving Xie Jinglan alone and hurries back to Qiuwu Courtyard with Xiahou Lian and Lianxiang.Xiahou Lian witnesses several servants pinning down Xie Jinglan while the fat eldest young master insults him and tears up a book that Xie Jinglan had picked up to read.The fat eldest young master mocks Xie Jinglan as the son of a whore maid conceived while their father was drunk and declares that Xie Jinglan is unworthy of reading or aspiring to officialdom.Xie Jinglan struggles and angrily vows to kill the fat eldest young master if he ever gains power, but a servant kicks him down and ridicules his ambition.Xiahou Lian instinctively reaches for his dagger in anger at the injustice but forces himself to stop, reminding himself that an assassin must remain inconspicuous.The fat eldest young master shoves shredded paper into Xie Jinglan’s mouth while servants restrain him, humiliating him as Aunt Lan and Lianxiang are forced to watch in tears.The fat eldest young master threatens to strip Xie Jinglan of his status and drive him and Aunt Lan out to scrub chamber pots if he steps out of line again.After the servants leave, Lianxiang urges Xie Jinglan to give up reading due to lack of paper, ink, and books, but Xie Jinglan refuses.Xie Jinglan insists on collecting the shredded pages and declares he can piece them back together despite the damage.Aunt Lan mentions that Xiahou Lian can read and could help, and Xiahou Lian approaches and bows before Xie Jinglan.Xiahou Lian observes that Xie Jinglan is delicate, pale, and frail compared to the hardened assassins of Qiye Garden, and he feels a flicker of disdain.Xie Jinglan looks at the mud-covered Xiahou Lian, frowns in distaste, and says he does not want him and orders him sent back.Xiahou Lian remains silent in response to Xie Jinglan’s rejection.

Chapter 2:
Exploring the LibraryXie Jinglan harbors intense ambition and resentment, believing he will one day pass the imperial examinations, crush Xie Jingtao beneath his heel, and make the Xie family kneel and beg for forgiveness.Xie Jinglan endures abuse by imagining future revenge, clinging not to moral teachings but to the idea that a gentleman can wait years to avenge himself.The Xie family has a long scholarly lineage, and although Xie Bingfeng only reached the sixth rank despite his integrity and reputation, the family still prides itself on education and maintains a well-run clan school.Lady Xiao forbids Xie Jinglan from attending the clan school and withholds writing materials because she fears he will outshine her foolish son Xie Jingtao.Xie Jinglan scavenges discarded books from the storeroom, secretly listens to lessons, and practices writing in dirt with twigs, eventually mastering much of the Four Books and Five Classics despite crude tools.Xie Jinglan ignores Xiahou Lian and painstakingly glues together the shredded book pages, viewing the classics as stepping stones to power rather than sacred wisdom.Xiahou Lian recognizes the characters on the scraps but cannot truly understand the content, leaving him unable to help despite Aunt Lan’s suggestion.Xie Jinglan works deep into the night under dim candlelight, refusing to risk fire by bringing candles closer to the scattered papers.Xiahou Lian falls asleep and wakes to find Xie Jinglan still gluing pages, and despite himself, Xiahou Lian feels sympathy for Xie Jinglan’s frail body and weary eyes.Xiahou Lian reflects on his own lazy training in Qiye Garden and develops reluctant respect for Xie Jinglan’s relentless effort.Xiahou Lian suggests stealing a proper copy of the book from Xiuwen Hall in the Xie family library instead of wasting time on scraps.Xie Jinglan scolds Xiahou Lian for proposing theft and warns that reckless behavior would endanger them all if discovered.Xiahou Lian mocks Xie Jinglan for acting like a cowardly turtle and enduring humiliation rather than taking what should be his.Xie Jinglan angrily grabs Xiahou Lian by the collar and asserts his authority as master despite his low status.Xiahou Lian insults Xie Jinglan’s hollow title, provoking Xie Jinglan to throw the first punch.Xiahou Lian easily overpowers the frail Xie Jinglan in a fight and pins him down, venting his own frustration.Xie Jinglan, humiliated and overwhelmed, breaks down in tears after losing to Xiahou Lian, even though he did not cry during Xie Jingtao’s earlier abuse.Xiahou Lian panics at Xie Jinglan’s tears, apologizes awkwardly, and retreats, leaving Xie Jinglan alone in the dark.Xie Jinglan wanders into the cold courtyard at night, reflecting bitterly on his lonely childhood without a mother’s protection or a father’s care.Xiahou Lian’s taunts echo in Xie Jinglan’s mind, and Xie Jinglan decides that the books are rightfully his and resolves to claim them.Xie Jinglan sneaks through the dark estate to the locked library but finds every entrance secured and nearly gives up.Xiahou Lian appears from hiding, having followed Xie Jinglan, and unlocks the library door with a thin iron wire.Xiahou Lian lights a small flame to guide them, and Xie Jinglan reluctantly accepts his help despite lingering resentment.Xiahou Lian flatters and coaxes Xie Jinglan until Xie Jinglan softens and continues searching for the book.Xie Jinglan locates Chen Hao’s Collected Explanations of the “Book of Rites” and decides to take only the first volume for now.Xiahou Lian casually reassures Xie Jinglan that no one will notice the missing book because the library is covered in dust.While browsing, Xiahou Lian discovers an erotic illustrated album hidden among the scholarly works and excitedly identifies it as a famous painting collection.Xie Jinglan is deeply embarrassed by the explicit artwork and hastily shuts the book, while Xiahou Lian enthusiastically describes the paintings.Xie Jinglan catches Xiahou Lian mentioning his mother in connection to erotic art, nearly exposing his background, and Xiahou Lian quickly changes the subject by insulting Xie Bingfeng.Xiahou Lian keeps the erotic album despite Xie Jinglan’s objections, teasing him about reading it at night.Xiahou Lian then insists on sneaking into Xie Jingtao’s study, and Xie Jinglan reluctantly guides him there.Xiahou Lian unlocks Xie Jingtao’s study and examines the high-quality materials and books inside, stirring envy in Xie Jinglan.Xiahou Lian swaps the genuine library copy of Collected Explanations of the “Book of Rites” with Xie Jingtao’s identical volume, planting the stolen book in Xie Jingtao’s study.Xiahou Lian reveals his scheme, predicting that when Xie Bingfeng returns and inspects his sons’ studies, the switched book will expose the injustice and force attention onto Xie Jinglan’s education.Xie Jinglan feels warmth and gratitude toward Xiahou Lian but masks it with cold words, while Xiahou Lian grins confidently and tells him to wait and see what happens.

Chapter 3:
A Face Like JadeXiahou Lian wakes early in the unfamiliar bed and discovers that Xie Jinglan has stayed up all night reading the stolen volume of Chen Hao’s Collected Explanations of the “Book of Rites,” having already finished more than half of it.Xie Jinglan treasures the pristine book because he has only ever read damaged scraps before, and he greedily memorizes what he cannot fully understand.Xiahou Lian leaves quietly to avoid disturbing Xie Jinglan and begins surveying the Xie estate under the guise of doing chores, mapping routes for future assassination and escape as he was trained to do in Qiye Garden.Xiahou Lian vaults over the outer wall to explore and is suddenly seized by Uncle Duan, who has been watching him.Xiahou Lian eagerly asks Uncle Duan for his assassination target, believing this infiltration is his first real mission.Uncle Duan refuses and tells Xiahou Lian to stay put and stop causing trouble, revealing that Xiahou Lian has no mission at all.Uncle Duan explains that Xiahou Lian’s mother has gone to the Western Regions to assassinate the Chakravarti and will not return for six months.Uncle Duan warns that two assassins from Qiye Garden have already died attempting to kill the Chakravarti and emphasizes that assassins rarely live past forty.Xiahou Lian insists that his mother is different, boasting that she became Garuda at twenty and killed major martial figures such as the leader of the Jindao Sect and the inheritor of the Blizzard Saber technique.Uncle Duan bluntly tells Xiahou Lian that his current skills are insufficient for real assassination and that his mother entrusted Uncle Duan with keeping him safe.Uncle Duan leaves disguised as a traveling merchant, and Xiahou Lian feels an unfamiliar sense of desolation as he watches him go.Xiahou Lian spends most of the silver Uncle Duan gives him to buy ink, paper, and brushes from Longfu Temple Street, leaving himself nearly penniless.Xiahou Lian notices that Xie Bingfeng has returned to the estate and brings the purchased writing materials back to Xie Jinglan.Xie Jinglan wrongly assumes Xiahou Lian stole the expensive materials and angrily scolds him for bringing trouble into their already precarious lives.Xiahou Lian, unable to explain the source of the money without exposing Qiye Garden, admits to stealing them and grows resentful when his gesture is rejected.Xie Jinglan hides the ink and brushes in a cabinet, determined not to use them, while Xiahou Lian storms off hurt and frustrated.Lianxiang rushes in with news that Xie Bingfeng inspected Xie Jingtao’s homework and discovered the hidden erotic album inside his copy of the Book of Rites.Xie Bingfeng personally whips Xie Jingtao for half an hour despite Lady Xiao’s attempts to intervene, leaving Xie Jingtao bedridden.Xie Jinglan realizes Xiahou Lian’s scheme succeeded in punishing Xie Jingtao and momentarily considers apologizing to Xiahou Lian.Xiahou Lian teases Xie Jinglan by waving his underpants in public, humiliating him and preventing any serious reconciliation.Xie Jinglan ignores Xiahou Lian for three days, but Xiahou Lian remains cheerful and amuses himself with the memory of Xie Jinglan’s flustered reaction to the erotic artwork.Xiahou Lian observes that Xie Jinglan is obsessively clean, demanding spotless clothes and dishes washed multiple times, and constantly nags Xiahou Lian about manners and hygiene.Xiahou Lian concludes that Xie Jinglan has the temperament of a spoiled young lady and vows never to marry someone like him, though he still dutifully serves as his exclusive attendant.On the third day, Xie Jinglan finds a bright-yellow flower pressed inside his book, placed there by Xiahou Lian as a peace offering.Xiahou Lian dramatically declares it a token of his feelings, but Xie Jinglan dismisses it as squashed and hideous while feeling conflicted.Xiahou Lian brings serious news that Xie Bingfeng has returned with Dai Shengyan, his former teacher and a powerful fourth-rank Minister of Ceremony known for mentoring talented youths.Xiahou Lian reveals that Dai Shengyan intends to test the young men of the Xie family at Lanfang Pavilion to choose a new disciple.Xie Jinglan is tempted but doubts himself, worrying that his patchwork education and Lady Xiao’s vigilance will prevent him from even meeting Dai Shengyan.Xiahou Lian encourages Xie Jinglan to seize the opportunity and promises he has a way to deal with Lady Xiao.Xie Jinglan seriously asks why Xiahou Lian is trying so hard to help him.Xiahou Lian jokingly claims he is simply kindhearted, then shifts to playful exaggeration, declaring that he adores Xie Jinglan’s dazzling beauty and would brave fire and blades for him.Xie Jinglan realizes he should not have asked and holds his forehead in exasperation at Xiahou Lian’s shameless teasing.

Chapter 4:
A River SereneXiahou Lian wakes early and overhears Lianxiang warning Xie Jinglan that Xiahou Lian is unreliable, lazy, and prone to theft, and that following his plan to meet Dai Shengyan will only bring disaster.Xie Jinglan admits that Xiahou Lian has bad habits but defends him, saying that everything Xiahou Lian has stolen was for his benefit and that he will discipline him going forward.Aunt Lan supports Xie Jinglan, arguing that Xiahou Lian has only taken books and a few pastries and that he is not malicious.Xiahou Lian listens silently and feels indignant toward Lianxiang, believing she is jealous and trying to secure her own place as Xie Jinglan’s closest attendant.The mistress orders Qiuwu Courtyard locked to prevent Xie Jinglan from attending Dai Shengyan’s disciple selection, and a servant announces they are forbidden to leave.Xie Jinglan remains calm while Aunt Lan worries and Lianxiang suggests giving up.Xiahou Lian and Xie Jinglan exchange a look and silently agree to climb over the wall instead of obeying.Xiahou Lian climbs first, then catches Xie Jinglan in his arms when Xie Jinglan jumps awkwardly and nearly injures himself.Xiahou Lian scolds Xie Jinglan for jumping incorrectly and teaches him how to land properly.A young maid named Guixiang runs over and informs Xiahou Lian that Dai Shengyan has moved the lecture to Wangqing Pavilion by Yanbo Pond and that it will begin in two hours.Xie Jinglan notices Guixiang’s familiarity with Xiahou Lian and sarcastically warns him about improper relations between male and female servants.Xiahou Lian jokes that his only private relationship is with Xie Jinglan and teases him about the gifts gathering dust in the cabinet.Xiahou Lian disguises Xie Jinglan as a servant with a borrowed coat and scarf, and they carry trays to blend in as they approach Yanbo Pond.They hide behind a rock garden near Wangqing Pavilion and wait for the other Xie juniors to assemble, and Xiahou Lian helps Xie Jinglan restore his proper appearance before the event.The young masters of the Xie family arrive in splendid clothing and accessories, looking more like suitors in a pageant than serious scholars.Xie Jinglan, dressed plainly, remains serene and believes his humble appearance may appeal to Dai Shengyan, who himself rose from a poor background.Realizing they cannot enter through the guarded main gates, Xiahou Lian proposes rowing across the pond in a small boat so Dai Shengyan will notice them directly.Xie Jingtao arrives limping from his whipping and takes the best seat at the front of Wangqing Pavilion, his weight making the structure seem to groan.Dai Shengyan appears thin and austere, exactly as Guixiang described, with a long white beard and an air of integrity.Xiahou Lian and Xie Jinglan are spotted as they run along the pond’s edge toward the boat, and servants give chase.Xiahou Lian uses a slingshot to strike pursuing servants with stones, causing confusion and even knocking some into the pond.When he runs out of stones, Xiahou Lian pretends to continue firing, causing more servants to hesitate and crash into each other.Xie Jinglan feels both fear and exhilaration as he runs recklessly beside Xiahou Lian, something he has never done before.Reaching the boat, Xiahou Lian triggers a hidden wrist mechanism that shoots a blade to cut the mooring rope, freeing the vessel.Xiahou Lian and Xie Jinglan leap into the boat, and Xiahou Lian steadies Xie Jinglan before pushing off with a bamboo pole.The servants can only watch helplessly as the boys glide across the misty pond toward Wangqing Pavilion.Xie Jinglan stands at the prow with composed dignity so that Dai Shengyan will see him in a favorable light.From afar, the people in Wangqing Pavilion see two boys outrun pursuers and sail across the pond, and Dai Shengyan laughs in delight at the spectacle.Dai Shengyan orders that the bold youth be brought up, praising the vitality of young people rather than condemning them.Xie Bingfeng apologizes for the unruliness of the younger generation, embarrassed before his former teacher.Dai Shengyan defends youthful vigor, saying that constant confinement to study would waste both youth and beautiful scenery.Xie Jingtao, recognizing Xie Jinglan, deliberately speaks up and accuses Xie Jinglan of being ignorant, lazy, and a thief who recently stole from him, claiming he forgave him out of brotherly kindness.Dai Shengyan pauses thoughtfully at Xie Jingtao’s accusation, signaling that Xie Jinglan’s chance now hangs in the balance.

Chapter 5:
The Words of the SagesXie Jinglan boldly denies Xie Jingtao’s accusation in front of Dai Shengyan and the gathered Xie family, insisting that he did not steal any books.Xie Jingtao angrily claims that Xie Jinglan took books from the storeroom without permission and calls it theft.Xie Jinglan calmly explains that because Lady Xiao forbade him from attending school and denied him an allowance, he could only ask the storeroom steward for discarded books, and that he had permission to take them.Xie Jinglan’s explanation exposes Lady Xiao’s mistreatment and makes Xie Jingtao appear petty and unreasonable in front of Dai Shengyan.Xie Bingfeng orders Xie Jingtao to apologize for slander, and Xie Jingtao reluctantly does so while masking his resentment.Xie Jinglan restrains himself from humiliating Xie Jingtao further because he knows that if he fails to become Dai Shengyan’s disciple, retaliation will be severe.Xie Bingfeng shockingly fails to recognize Xie Jinglan and mistakes him for a distant branch family member in need of charity.The entire pavilion falls into stunned silence as Xie Bingfeng publicly reveals that he does not even recognize his own son.Xie Jingtao corrects Xie Bingfeng and identifies Xie Jinglan as his third son.Xie Bingfeng awkwardly laughs and claims that Xie Jinglan has grown so much that he did not recognize him, offering no real remorse.Xiahou Lian is furious on Xie Jinglan’s behalf and silently grips Xie Jinglan’s cold hand in support.Dai Shengyan smoothly redirects attention and invites both boys to sit, asking Xiahou Lian to introduce himself.Xiahou Lian identifies himself as Xiahou Lian, Xie Jinglan’s servant and book-boy, and requests permission to listen to the lecture.Dai Shengyan allows Xiahou Lian to stay, praising his eagerness to learn.Dai Shengyan asks all the young masters why they study the sages’ texts.Xie Jinglan privately admits to himself that he studies not for the country or the people but to one day make the Xie family kneel in regret and to avenge his humiliation.Xie Jinglan resolves to hide his true ambitions beneath a facade of righteousness and humility.Xie Jingtao answers that he studies to cultivate himself, regulate his family, govern the state, and bring peace to the world.Xie Jingtan says he wishes to live freely and soar like a great bird, unconcerned with worldly affairs.When it is Xie Jinglan’s turn, he bows and says he studies to live without shame, without regrets, and without grievances.Dai Shengyan sees through Xie Jinglan’s calm exterior, recognizing his suppressed anger, pride, and wounded dignity.Dai Shengyan compares the Xie family youths to noisy roosters and sees Xie Jinglan as a solitary white crane, exceptional but stubborn and destined for hardship.Dai Shengyan selects Xie Jinglan as his disciple, making his choice clear before everyone.Xie Jinglan formally undergoes the apprenticeship ceremony in front of the pavilion.Dai Shengyan gives Xie Jinglan the courtesy name Jian’an, meaning simple peace, advising him to temper his obstinacy and keep kindness in his heart despite life’s hardships.Xie Jinglan realizes that Dai Shengyan has perceived the darkness and resentment he hides and feels exposed and ashamed.Xie Jinglan nevertheless accepts the name Jian’an and promises to remember Dai Shengyan’s teachings.Xiahou Lian does not fully understand Dai Shengyan’s deeper meaning but feels proud that Xie Jinglan has succeeded.After leaving the pavilion, Xie Jinglan walks silently, pale and shaken by both his father’s humiliation and his unexpected success.Xiahou Lian awkwardly hugs Xie Jinglan, claiming that hugs cure sadness because his mother told him so.Xie Jinglan initially resists but eventually buries his face in Xiahou Lian’s shoulder and silently cries.Xiahou Lian drags Xie Jinglan off running again to distract him, knocking over servants along the way.Xiahou Lian suddenly climbs over a wall into the kitchen courtyard while Xie Jinglan anxiously watches.Xiahou Lian sneaks into the busy kitchen, steals a jug of wine, and escapes unnoticed.Xiahou Lian brings Xie Jinglan to a secluded spot, wipes the stones clean for him, and suggests drinking whether in sorrow or celebration.Xie Jinglan reluctantly takes a sip of wine and immediately coughs violently from the burn.Xiahou Lian tells Xie Jinglan that he does not pity him because compared to true suffering like hunger, illness, war, and death, Xie Jinglan’s life is relatively fortunate.Xiahou Lian reveals that he traveled widely with his mother and witnessed extreme poverty, violence, and tragedy.Xie Jinglan realizes that Xiahou Lian measures suffering in physical hardship, while his own pain is rooted in humiliation and emotional neglect.Curious about Xiahou Lian’s past, Xie Jinglan asks whether Xiahou Lian’s mother was the head of a theater troupe, attempting to guess at the mysterious life Xiahou Lian once lived.

Chapter 6:
The Sounds of Passing GeeseXie Jinglan questions Xiahou Lian about the metal bracer and hidden wrist crossbow he saw earlier, suspicious of its origin.Xiahou Lian panics internally, fearing exposure of his assassin identity, but Xie Jinglan concludes instead that Xiahou Lian comes from a family of jianghu thieves.Xiahou Lian goes along with the misunderstanding, and Xie Jinglan warns him to keep such underhanded tools secret and to reform his ways.Xie Jinglan gazes at the sky and expresses a quiet wish to live like a cloud or bird, free of regret and grievance.Xie Jinglan asks Xiahou Lian about his parents, revealing his pain that Xie Bingfeng not only neglected him but did not even recognize him.Xiahou Lian admits he has no father either and grew up in the mountains with his mother, who was important in their dangerous line of work and often left for long periods.Xiahou Lian recounts hunting, famine, begging for food, and being chased away, explaining that his mother taught him that survival is more important than shame.Xie Jinglan is struck by how harsh Xiahou Lian’s upbringing was and calls Xiahou Lian’s mother extraordinary.Xiahou Lian proudly describes his mother’s flaws and reputation, and fantasizes that his unknown father must be a great jianghu hero who will someday return.Xiahou Lian explains that his mother took a dangerous job in the Western Regions and entrusted him to Uncle Duan, who then sold him temporarily to traffickers.Xiahou Lian admits that in their line of work few live past forty and that two seniors recently died on the same job, but he insists he believes his mother will return safely.Xie Jinglan awkwardly comforts Xiahou Lian and reassures him that his mother will come back.Feeling tipsy from wine, Xiahou Lian wraps an arm around Xie Jinglan and declares they are brothers who will visit each other in the future.Xie Jinglan rejects the word brother and insists Xiahou Lian is only his servant, but internally reminds himself not to grow too attached since everyone eventually leaves.Xie Jinglan deliberately distances himself and walks away without looking back, beginning to ignore Xiahou Lian.Lianxiang and Aunt Lan celebrate Xie Jinglan becoming Dai Shengyan’s disciple, and Lianxiang softens toward Xiahou Lian and even brings him rice cakes.Despite this, Xie Jinglan grows colder and refuses to speak to Xiahou Lian, even when Xiahou Lian makes obvious mistakes that would normally provoke criticism.Aunt Lan and Lianxiang notice the tension and question Xiahou Lian, but he genuinely does not understand why Xie Jinglan is angry.The mistress suddenly sends books, fine writing materials, furniture, and additional servants to Qiuwu Courtyard, dramatically improving Xie Jinglan’s living conditions now that he is Dai Shengyan’s disciple.The visiting matron loudly criticizes the courtyard’s former shabbiness and installs new maids and even attempts to assign Xie Jinglan a new book-boy.Xie Jinglan firmly refuses to replace Xiahou Lian and restricts access to his inner chamber so that only Xiahou Lian may enter.The matron interprets Xie Jinglan’s behavior as arrogance, while in truth Xie Jinglan simply considers others unclean and forces Xiahou Lian to bathe frequently.Xie Jinglan delights in finally being able to write on high-quality rice paper identical to Xie Jingtao’s, savoring the smooth ink strokes.Xie Jinglan hands Xiahou Lian a brush and sees that Xiahou Lian’s handwriting is wild and untrained.Xiahou Lian mocks Xie Bingfeng and the first wife as hypocrites for suddenly favoring Xie Jinglan after his success.Xie Jinglan’s mood improves from his new materials but he deliberately suppresses any friendly response to continue ignoring Xiahou Lian.Matron Liu arrives to inform Xie Jinglan that he must resume formal morning and evening greetings in the main courtyard now that his health has improved and his status has risen.Xie Jinglan accepts calmly, understanding this is part of the political shift in his standing.Xiahou Lian grows bored in the study as Xie Jinglan focuses entirely on reading and calligraphy without speaking to him.Xiahou Lian sneaks away to nap and is caught by Matron Liu, who criticizes him harshly and complains to Xie Jinglan.To avoid further interference, Xie Jinglan allows Xiahou Lian to sleep in the study with the door closed so others cannot monitor him.Despite pretending indifference, Xie Jinglan quietly pours his own tea, grinds his own ink, and even fixes Xiahou Lian’s blanket when it slips off, revealing that he still cares even while maintaining emotional distance.

Chapter 7:
Snow in JinlingSnow falls over Jinling as Xie Jinglan and Xiahou Lian go to the main hall for evening greetings, where Lady Xiao waits with a cold and severe expression.Lady Xiao mocks Xie Jinglan for studying in obscurity and sarcastically suggests he might one day become one of the Three Ducal Ministers.Xie Jinglan responds with restrained defiance, unable to fully conceal his resentment and ambition.Lady Xiao immediately sees through Xie Jinglan’s hostility and warns him that no amount of knowledge will matter if she keeps him suppressed within the household.Lady Xiao reveals her deep hatred toward Xie Jinglan because he resembles his birth mother, whom she calls a seductress who slept with Xie Bingfeng while Lady Xiao was pregnant.Xie Jinglan argues that Xie Bingfeng is at fault, but Lady Xiao bitterly explains that she cannot punish her husband and instead can only vent her anger on Xie Jinglan.Lady Xiao accuses Xie Jinglan of stealing not only books but also Xie Jingtao’s rightful chance to become Dai Shengyan’s disciple, declaring that he has dug his own grave.Xiahou Lian boldly defends Xie Jinglan, stating that none of Lady Xiao’s sons would have impressed Dai Shengyan without Xie Jinglan’s presence.Lady Xiao orders Xiahou Lian to be given twenty lashes for insolence, and two matrons pin him down and beat him with a rod.Xie Jinglan throws himself over Xiahou Lian to shield him, begging Lady Xiao to stop and promising to obey whatever rules she sets.Xiahou Lian tries to persuade Lady Xiao that if Xie Jinglan succeeds, her status as legal mother will also benefit from his glory, but Lady Xiao coldly insists that only her biological sons will ever bring honor to the Xie family.Lady Xiao declares that although she can no longer openly suppress Xie Jinglan due to Dai Shengyan’s backing, she will teach him proper etiquette starting with kneeling.The matrons drag Xie Jinglan into the snow and force him to kneel, kicking his legs into position.Xiahou Lian is forced to kneel beside Xie Jinglan, and any mistake in posture is threatened with additional hours of punishment.Lady Xiao orders them to kneel for two hours in the snow, with every detected flaw adding more time, then retires inside.As snow accumulates and night deepens, Xie Jinglan’s frail body begins to fail under the freezing cold.Xie Jinglan confesses in despair that no matter how high he rises, Lady Xiao can always ruin him by spreading rumors of unfilial conduct in a society that values filial piety above all.Xie Jinglan realizes that even success in the imperial examinations cannot free him from the power Lady Xiao holds over his reputation.Xiahou Lian considers running to seek help but recognizes the heavy guard presence and their inability to escape.As snow blankets them, Xie Jinglan’s consciousness fades and frost gathers in his hair and lashes.Xiahou Lian abandons concern for posture and pulls Xie Jinglan into his arms, giving him his coat and rubbing warmth into his frozen hands and face.Xiahou Lian shouts desperately for them to be released, and one matron hesitates but ultimately obeys Lady Xiao’s silent refusal.Enraged, Xiahou Lian curses Lady Xiao and begs Xie Jinglan for money, declaring that he will take care of her himself.Xiahou Lian reveals that his family does not merely steal money but also takes lives, and implies he is willing to assassinate Lady Xiao even for a single coin.Xie Jinglan, shocked and horrified, reaches into Xiahou Lian’s boot and feels the dagger hidden there, realizing the seriousness of his intent.To stop Xiahou Lian from doing something reckless, Xie Jinglan bites his shoulder hard enough to draw blood.Lady Xiao reappears, mocks them for fighting, and finally allows them to leave for the night.Xie Jinglan collapses immediately afterward, burning with fever from the cold exposure.Xiahou Lian carries Xie Jinglan on his back through the snow toward Qiuwu Courtyard, repeatedly stumbling as his own legs are numb from kneeling.Fearing that Xie Jinglan will freeze to death if he leaves him to fetch help, Xiahou Lian struggles onward alone.Delirious, Xie Jinglan tells Xiahou Lian not to be reckless and suggests that if he dies it will not matter much since Xiahou Lian plans to leave eventually.Xiahou Lian insists that Xie Jinglan is his first true brother and says he would be devastated by his death.Xiahou Lian impulsively proposes that Xie Jinglan run away with him to the mountains, promising food from hunting and acceptance from his mother.Weak but lucid for a moment, Xie Jinglan manages a faint smile and jokingly asks whether Xiahou Lian is asking him to elope.

Chapter 8:
The Bodhi SaberXiahou Lian carries Xie Jinglan back to Qiuwu Courtyard on all fours through the snow, collapsing from exhaustion as Aunt Lan and Lianxiang rush out to help.Lianxiang discovers that Xie Jinglan is burning with fever, and Aunt Lan orders her to fetch a doctor immediately.Xiahou Lian tries to protest that he also has a fever, but he passes out before finishing his sentence.When Xiahou Lian wakes, he finds himself locked alone in the firewood shed, weak, thirsty, and shivering in the cold.Lianxiang secretly appears at the shed window, squeezes three steamed buns through the bars, and pours water into Xiahou Lian’s mouth because the waterskin cannot fit.Lianxiang explains that right after Xiahou Lian and Xie Jinglan returned, Lady Xiao’s people accused Xiahou Lian of inciting Xie Jinglan’s misconduct and locked him up as punishment.Xiahou Lian realizes Lady Xiao cannot openly target Xie Jinglan anymore and is venting her anger on him instead.Xiahou Lian asks Lianxiang to seek Dai Shengyan’s help, but Dai Shengyan is not in the manor and cannot be reached at night.After Lianxiang leaves, Xiahou Lian eats the buns, gathers firewood, and painfully manages to start a small fire to keep himself alive.As Xiahou Lian drifts in and out of consciousness, an old white-haired man with one cloudy eye enters the shed and forces bitter medicine down his throat.Xiahou Lian immediately recognizes from the old man’s gaze that he is an assassin and identifies him as Qiye Garden’s mole within the Xie household.The old man confirms his connection and criticizes Xiahou Lian for inheriting Xiahou Lian’s mother the Garuda’s foolishness but none of her brilliance.The old man bluntly tells Xiahou Lian that he is not suited to be an assassin because he is too mischievous and too kindhearted to kill without hesitation.The old man points out that Xiahou Lian’s attachment to Xie Jinglan proves he lacks the ruthless heart required to eliminate even gods or loved ones if ordered.Xiahou Lian argues that assassins cannot be completely heartless since the old man and Uncle Duan have shown him care.The old man counters that kindness only applies when there is no contract, and that if Xie Jinglan were a target, even Xiahou Lian’s mother the Garuda would kill him without hesitation.Xiahou Lian refuses to believe his mother would kill him, insisting that no one can be entirely heartless.The old man offers Xiahou Lian a choice to abandon becoming an assassin and escape the manor safely, since Qiye Garden requires captured assassins to commit suicide.Xiahou Lian refuses immediately, choosing to remain in the manor because he cannot abandon Xie Jinglan.The old man calls Xiahou Lian stubborn but throws him a scroll containing a detailed map of the Xie estate and orders him to memorize it within five minutes.Xiahou Lian quickly memorizes the entire layout thanks to his prior exploration and sharp memory.The old man assigns Xiahou Lian his first real mission, instructing him to sneak into Xie Bingfeng’s study and compile a list of everyone Xie Bingfeng corresponds with.The old man warns Xiahou Lian to prioritize survival and retreat immediately if exposed, since Qiye Garden values trained assassins too highly to waste them recklessly.Xiahou Lian asks whether this mission will harm the Xie family, revealing lingering concern for Xie Jinglan.The old man dismisses his worries, suggesting that Xie Bingfeng likely offended someone powerful and that investigators are looking for evidence of political collusion.Xiahou Lian reassures himself that such matters do not sound like serious crimes and declares confidently that he will complete the task.The old man leaves behind a blanket containing Qiye Garden’s saber manual and advises Xiahou Lian to train harder, noting that Xie Jinglan works far more diligently than he does.After the old man departs, Xiahou Lian reflects on Uncle Duan’s warning that he might not live past twenty if he becomes a full assassin but defiantly refuses to be looked down upon.Xiahou Lian opens the saber manual and, instead of skipping ahead to techniques as usual, reads the first page, which states, “I bestow upon you the bodhi saber. Kill and become enlightened.”

Chapter 9:
Gratitude for One’s TeacherAt dawn after the snowstorm, Dai Shengyan and Xie Jinglan arrive at the shed with Xie Bingfeng, and Dai Shengyan personally checks Xiahou Lian’s condition, surprised that he survived the freezing night without worsening fever.Dai Shengyan wraps Xiahou Lian in his own mink cloak, subtly rebuking Xie Bingfeng for the household’s cruelty.Xie Bingfeng offers hollow comfort, claiming Xiahou Lian was punished only for breaking rules and urging him not to misbehave again, while shifting blame away from Lady Xiao.Xie Jinglan silently stops Xiahou Lian from arguing, recognizing the futility of confronting Xie Bingfeng.Lady Xiao arrives with biting sarcasm, mocking the attention paid to a mere servant and pretending to apologize while clearly unwilling to yield control.Lady Xiao proposes keeping Xiahou Lian for herself, revealing she still holds his deed of sale and asserting her legal authority over him.Dai Shengyan calmly counters by declaring that he has already purchased Xiahou Lian and that the boy is now his servant.Xie Bingfeng supports Dai Shengyan publicly, claiming he would not request payment for the transfer to preserve harmony.Lady Xiao challenges the claim, stating she retains the deed of sale and could refuse to release Xiahou Lian if she wished.Dai Shengyan escalates by praising Xiahou Lian as a rare genius capable of becoming a great scholar or strategist, insisting he intends to take Xiahou Lian as a disciple.Dai Shengyan threatens to involve Prefectural Magistrate Su Zhuocheng, his own disciple, knowing the magistrate values talent and would intervene if necessary.Faced with the political pressure and risk to the Xie family’s reputation, Lady Xiao begrudgingly backs down while offering sarcastic congratulations.Xie Jinglan, burning with fever, nearly collapses again, and Xiahou Lian immediately carries him back to Qiuwu Courtyard.Xie Jinglan remains bedridden for several days, his fragile health causing alarm, while Xiahou Lian quickly recovers due to his stronger constitution.Lianxiang complains that Dai Shengyan had been staying at Magistrate Su Zhuocheng’s residence that night, forcing Xie Jinglan to climb over the wall while still feverish to seek help for Xiahou Lian.Xiahou Lian overhears that Xie Jinglan personally risked worsening his illness to find Dai Shengyan and secure Xiahou Lian’s rescue, and he is deeply shaken by this revelation.Xiahou Lian retrieves his own deed of sale, which has now been transferred to Dai Shengyan, and considers destroying it but instead decides to give it to Xie Jinglan.Xiahou Lian brings medicine to Xie Jinglan, who drinks the bitter concoction without complaint and continues studying despite his weakness.Xiahou Lian performs a small trick to distract Xie Jinglan, then reveals the crumpled deed of sale and insists Xie Jinglan keep it for safekeeping.Xie Jinglan initially refuses but ultimately locks Xiahou Lian’s deed of sale inside his personal trunk, symbolically safeguarding Xiahou Lian’s freedom.Xiahou Lian then presents a rusty copper coin he once found in a grave, explaining that his mother intended it as a future betrothal heirloom.Xie Jinglan reacts with disgust at its origin, but Xiahou Lian solemnly presses the coin into his hand.Xiahou Lian tells Xie Jinglan that if he ever needs him after they part, he should place the coin at the highest point in the city, and Xiahou Lian will return as long as he is alive.Xie Jinglan is visibly shaken by Xiahou Lian’s seriousness and the weight of the promise.Xie Jinglan states that he has grown used to abandonment by his mother and neglect by Xie Bingfeng, and that he will also grow used to losing Xiahou Lian one day.Despite his attempt at emotional detachment, Xie Jinglan vows that when he becomes a high official, he will have Xiahou Lian’s mysterious boss captured so that Xiahou Lian can live freely without killing or stealing.Xiahou Lian happily accepts the promise, placing his hopes in Xie Jinglan’s future rise to power.

Chapter 10:
Distilled Autumn WaterDai Shengyan holds classes at Wangqing Pavilion by Yanbo Lake, enjoying the winter scenery while teaching only in the mornings and leaving afternoons for independent reading and discussion.Xie Jinglan listens with intense focus, filling his texts with dense annotations and standing respectfully beside Dai Shengyan for long question sessions.Xiahou Lian attends only in name, hiding novels beneath his textbooks, napping during lectures, and treating class as a chore.Dai Shengyan initially attempts to encourage Xiahou Lian to think and ask questions but gradually gives up on reforming him.When pressed to ask something meaningful, Xiahou Lian questions why students must memorize Mencius and write eight-legged essays when Confucius himself never studied them, momentarily leaving Dai Shengyan speechless.After that exchange, Dai Shengyan largely allows Xiahou Lian to do as he pleases as long as he submits a few poems each day.Xiahou Lian struggles painfully to compose poems and often copies structure from Xie Jinglan’s work, feeling tormented by rhyme and meter.Dai Shengyan frequently tells dark ghost stories during breaks, including chilling tales like “The Human-Faced Arm Sore” and “The Hand Beneath the Bed.”Xiahou Lian remains fearless during these stories, but Xie Jinglan becomes deeply unsettled, losing sleep and imagining horrors in the dark.One rainy night, frightened by the stories, Xie Jinglan leaves his bed to seek Xiahou Lian but discovers Xiahou Lian is missing.Xiahou Lian is secretly carrying out Qiye Garden’s mission by infiltrating Xie Bingfeng’s study through the window to memorize the names of his correspondents.Xiahou Lian quickly reads and memorizes letters discussing scholarly pursuits, political disasters, border threats, and criticism of the eunuch faction.While hiding in a cabinet after hearing approaching footsteps, Xiahou Lian witnesses a woman and a man enter the study and begin an intimate encounter on the desk.During the encounter, the woman suddenly twists and snaps the man’s neck with brutal efficiency, killing him instantly.Horrified by his first real corpse, Xiahou Lian hides but is discovered when a thin blade pierces the cabinet door inches from his face.The “woman” reveals herself to be Qiye Garden assassin Qiu Ye, known as the Kinnara, skilled in bone-shrinking and disguise techniques.Qiu Ye removes his mask and false body padding, transforming from a beautiful woman into a tall man before Xiahou Lian’s stunned eyes.Qiu Ye teases Xiahou Lian and offers to take him as a disciple if Xiahou Lian’s mother the Garuda dies in the Western Regions, promising to teach him seduction and disguise techniques.Xiahou Lian firmly refuses, declaring he will rely on swordsmanship alone and insisting his mother will return safely.Qiu Ye reminds Xiahou Lian of Qiye Garden’s rule that assassins operate independently and gives no further explanation for killing the manor’s steward.After Xiahou Lian leaves, Qiu Ye disguises himself as the dead steward, cleans the scene, and carries the corpse away while wearing the steward’s face.Xiahou Lian returns to Qiuwu Courtyard to find Xie Jinglan awake and waiting anxiously for him.Xie Jinglan suspects Xiahou Lian is lying about going to the latrine but does not press further.Though too proud to admit fear, Xie Jinglan invites Xiahou Lian to sleep in the inner chamber because he is frightened by Dai Shengyan’s ghost stories.Later that night, Xiahou Lian quietly asks Xie Jinglan about the punishment for officials forming cabals.Xie Jinglan explains that scholars often form factions and that punishment depends on the severity of their actions and alliances.Xiahou Lian asks hypothetically about tea gatherings, painting discussions, and cursing eunuchs, learning that such activities would likely result in minor penalties unless politicized by powerful enemies.Relieved that Xie Bingfeng’s letters likely do not constitute a grave crime, Xiahou Lian continues probing about alliances with eunuchs.Xie Jinglan firmly declares that he would never ally with eunuchs and would rather serve outside the capital than become their lackey.Xie Jinglan states that while he cannot control life and death, he can choose the path he walks.Xiahou Lian falls asleep mid-conversation, leaving Xie Jinglan gazing quietly at his face in the moonlight before drifting off to sleep himself.

Chapter 11:
The Rustle of Fallen LeavesDai Shengyan takes Xie Jinglan and Xiahou Lian around Jinling as the cold days pass and the weather warms, holding lessons at the Confucian temple, Stone City, Wuyi Alley, and other scenic spots, allowing Xie Jinglan, who rarely left home except during Qingming outings, to finally experience the city’s lively atmosphere and lantern-filled streets, which gradually lifts the gloom in Xie Jinglan’s heart and makes him more outgoing under Dai Shengyan’s protection and Xiahou Lian’s cheerful influence.Xie Jinglan realizes in horror that he has started shaking his leg while reading and writing like Xiahou Lian, immediately correcting himself and becoming vigilant about his posture because he fears becoming undisciplined like Xiahou Lian.Xiahou Lian continues to behave restlessly during lessons, constantly finding excuses to leave his seat, which pushes even the patient Dai Shengyan to complain that he has already boasted to friends about Xiahou Lian being a promising disciple and received letters asking to read Xiahou Lian’s essays.Xiahou Lian jokes that Dai Shengyan should send Xie Jinglan’s essays under Xiahou Lian’s name and later claim that not all child prodigies grow up exceptional, revealing Xiahou Lian’s lack of seriousness about reputation.Dai Shengyan brings Xie Jinglan and Xiahou Lian to Zhuiyue Tower to hold a lesson while overlooking the noisy streets of the city, where Xie Jinglan feels awe at the vast view but complains that the bustling crowd makes it impossible to concentrate.Dai Shengyan insists that understanding national culture requires mingling with common people, though Xie Jinglan suspects Dai Shengyan simply wants an excuse to enjoy himself.Xiahou Lian disappears again during the lesson, leaving Xie Jinglan to sigh and assume Xiahou Lian is hopeless.After the lecture ends and Xiahou Lian still does not return, Dai Shengyan jokes that Xiahou Lian must have lost interest in his horror stories, while Xie Jinglan defensively explains that Xiahou Lian is merely restless and playful.Dai Shengyan mentions that the story he planned to tell is extremely exciting and asks Xie Jinglan if he has heard of Qiye Garden, introducing the subject of the infamous assassin organization.Meanwhile, Xiahou Lian runs freely across rooftops and perches in a locust tree above a small courtyard, casually eating pastries while observing his surroundings.An Eastern Depot agent in a black garment embroidered with a flying fish enters the courtyard and announces that the eunuch has ordered the execution of Xie Bingfeng, offering three hundred taels of gold upon delivery of Xie Bingfeng’s head.Xiahou Lian is shocked by the name Xie Bingfeng and nearly chokes on his pastry while listening.A black-robed man representing Qiye Garden appears and negotiates with the Eastern Depot agent, insisting on full payment and stating that Qiye Garden assassins are demons under the Shixin Buddha, capable of killing anyone.The Eastern Depot agent threatens Qiye Garden by mentioning the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s surveillance, and after tense bargaining, the Eastern Depot agent proposes placing the gold in a coffin at the eastern city gate the next day.As the negotiation concludes, a gust of wind blows pastry crumbs onto the Eastern Depot agent, exposing Xiahou Lian’s presence.The Eastern Depot agent throws a clawed weapon that pierces Xiahou Lian’s left shoulder and drags him from the tree, while Xiahou Lian attempts to fight back with a hidden dart.The black-robed man slices Xiahou Lian’s dart midair with a thin blade and then stabs Xiahou Lian in the chest, deliberately wounding but not killing him, signaling for Xiahou Lian to play dead.Xiahou Lian collapses and convincingly feigns death, while the black-robed man calmly tells the Eastern Depot agent that the boy was merely a minor demon of Qiye Garden who stumbled upon the scene and has now been dealt with according to the Garden’s rules.The Eastern Depot agent, satisfied by the apparent execution and wary of complications, cancels the deal and leaves.After confirming the Eastern Depot agent is gone, Xiahou Lian rises, and the black-robed man reveals himself as Qiu Ye.Qiu Ye brings Xiahou Lian inside to bandage his wounds and warns Xiahou Lian to keep the incident secret because he has cost Qiye Garden three hundred taels of gold that were meant to renovate the temple.Xiahou Lian anxiously asks whether Qiu Ye will kill Xie Bingfeng, and Qiu Ye responds coldly that Xiahou Lian must follow Qiye Garden’s rule of asking no questions and killing without restraint.Qiu Ye offers to take Xiahou Lian as a disciple and pass down his family heirloom blade Qiushui, but Xiahou Lian remains silent.Back at Zhuiyue Tower, Xie Jinglan explains that Qiye Garden is an outlaw organization hunted by the government, and Dai Shengyan states that the recently captured assassins were merely impostors, while the true assassins hide among commoners and even within the court.Dai Shengyan reveals that he once encountered a real Qiye Garden assassin twelve years earlier when he served as magistrate of Jiangzhou Prefecture.Dai Shengyan recounts visiting the infamous Prince of Joy, a grotesquely obese and debauched prince known for indulgence in pleasure and excess, whose behavior shocks even the experienced Dai Shengyan.The Prince of Joy attempts to gift Dai Shengyan beautiful women from his residence, but Dai Shengyan refuses out of loyalty to his deceased wife.The Prince of Joy persists by showcasing scantily dressed songstresses and suggesting other indulgences, forcing Dai Shengyan to claim impotence to escape the humiliation.The Prince of Joy then offers Dai Shengyan a wine called Fragrant to the Bone, boasting that it is brewed by having beautiful young women warm the jars against their bodies at night, which disgusts Dai Shengyan.Dai Shengyan attempts to leave, sensing something sinister when he glimpses a cold gaze behind a curtain.As Dai Shengyan and the Prince of Joy argue and leave the banquet area, servants follow behind them in the dark courtyard.An assassin silently kills the servants one by one in the shadows, slicing throats and extinguishing lantern light until only one remains.The final servant is stabbed through the chest by a blade from behind.The Prince of Joy angrily orders a servant to help him return, but the figure standing in the shadows does not respond like a loyal retainer.The servant figure draws a gleaming blade, revealing that the person is actually an assassin preparing to strike, confirming Dai Shengyan’s encounter with Qiye Garden’s lethal presence.

Chapter 12:
The Reaper of SoulsDai Shengyan drags the stunned Prince of Joy to run when the assassin approaches, but after they stop to catch their breath, the Prince of Joy notices an extra shadow between them, and when they look up, they come face-to-face with the assassin, who reveals herself as the Garuda of Qiye Garden.The Garuda steps out of the darkness in black robes and, with a flash of her Hengbo saber, swiftly slits the Prince of Joy’s throat, splattering blood across Dai Shengyan’s face and killing the Prince of Joy instantly.Dai Shengyan sees clearly that the Garuda is a strikingly beautiful yet fierce woman with sharply arched brows and a cruel smile, and despite knowing the prince’s jeweled sword is unsharpened, he lunges forward to fight her in desperation.The Garuda effortlessly parries Dai Shengyan’s attack, slices his wrist, and disarms him, mocking him for having a death wish and asking whether he will beg for his life.Dai Shengyan refuses to beg and instead asks why the Garuda assassinated the Prince of Joy, and the Garuda explains that the Prince of Joy kidnapped beautiful women, ruined countless families, and angered both men and women within hundreds of miles.Dai Shengyan argues that although the Prince of Joy was immoral, killing is also unjust, but the Garuda coldly states that she killed for money rather than justice and claims that if the Prince of Joy could treat women as playthings, she can treat humans as ants.Dai Shengyan prepares himself for death, but the Garuda unexpectedly spares him because she wants a favor, revealing casually that she has a son and needs Dai Shengyan to name the child.The Garuda hands Dai Shengyan the birth chart and insists he come up with a good name, saying that even if he posts wanted notices for her afterward, she is not afraid of government officials.Dai Shengyan suggests the name Lian, inspired by the phrase about a shadow falling between rippling waves, pairing it with the name of the Garuda’s saber Hengbo, and the Garuda is pleased with the name.The Garuda thanks Dai Shengyan, sheathes her saber, and leaves him alive, disappearing into the darkness, and from then on she becomes the government’s most wanted criminal, known for her deadly Hengbo saber and leaving death wherever she goes for twelve years without being captured.Hearing this story, Xie Jinglan feels a chill because Dai Shengyan personally chose the name Lian, and he recalls Xiahou Lian’s weapons and his mention of his formidable mother, causing Xie Jinglan to suspect that Xiahou Lian may be the Garuda’s son.Xie Jinglan struggles to reconcile the silly, bird-catching, cat-teasing Xiahou Lian he knows with the image of a cold-blooded assassin from Qiye Garden, even joking internally that if all assassins are like Xiahou Lian, then Qiye Garden is not so frightening.A servant rushes in to report that Xiahou Lian fell while climbing and has a wooden shard lodged in his shoulder, and Xie Jinglan immediately returns to Qiuwu Courtyard to see Xiahou Lian lying in bed heavily bandaged.After confirming with the physician that Xiahou Lian will recover, Xie Jinglan dismisses the others, and Xiahou Lian grabs his hand to urgently warn him that he overheard thieves plotting to steal from the manor and mentioning murder.Xiahou Lian urges Xie Jinglan to warn the lord to be cautious, but Xie Jinglan dismisses the concern, saying that Qiuwu Courtyard has nothing worth stealing and that if the lord dies, it would not matter because he is merely a figurehead obsessed with poetry and fame.Lianxiang panics at Xie Jinglan’s reckless words and shuts the doors and windows, warning him to be careful.Xiahou Lian points out that if the lord dies, Xie Jinglan will be an orphan, but Xie Jinglan replies indifferently that he is already an orphan.Xiahou Lian falls silent and closes his eyes from exhaustion, and Xie Jinglan brushes hair from Xiahou Lian’s face, feeling warmth in his heart because Xiahou Lian was injured for his sake.Xie Jinglan softly tells Xiahou Lian to take care of himself and stop worrying about his affairs, reminding Xiahou Lian that he is the lord and Xiahou Lian is his servant whose only duty is to serve him well, while the rest is Xie Jinglan’s responsibility.

Chapter 13:
Seven FifteenXiahou Lian spends his recovery eating and sleeping comfortably in Qiuwu Courtyard, acting more like a pampered young master than a servant because Xie Jinglan indulges him and no one dares object while he is injured.Xie Jinglan does not ignore Xiahou Lian’s earlier warning about danger to the Xie family and has Lianxiang inform the steward to tighten security, but afterward Xie Jinglan shuts himself in to study and leaves the matter to the adults.As Xiahou Lian’s wound scabs over after a couple of weeks, he begins wandering into Xie Jinglan’s room to chatter and distract him, but Xie Jinglan has trained himself to ignore noise and continues studying calmly.Xie Jinglan subtly questions Xiahou Lian about his past and mentally replaces Xiahou Lian’s mentions of thieves and bandits with assassins, gradually piecing together the truth about Qiye Garden.Xiahou Lian reveals that Qiye Garden is not a glamorous den of indulgence but a remote mountain with a shabby temple led by a dying old monk, and that even the fearsome Garuda spends her days chasing her son and begging for rice.Xiahou Lian explains that all Qiye Garden assassins are forced to ingest a poison called Seven Fifteen and must take an antidote once a year or die painfully on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, binding them to the organization.Each winter the assassins gather at the temple to listen to the abbot recite endless scriptures, report how many heads they have taken, and receive their antidote from a communal bowl, while those who die during the year are silently replaced and forgotten.Xiahou Lian recalls roaming the mountain alone because his mother was often absent, inventing contraptions and being beaten by assassins when he caused trouble, growing thick-skinned and isolated among empty huts and endless forest.Xiahou Lian admits that aside from the old monk and occasional figures like Uncle Duan, few people stayed permanently, and that Xie Jinglan is effectively his first true friend.When Xie Jinglan asks whether Xiahou Lian has any path other than becoming an assassin, Xiahou Lian replies that people like him either follow their elders into the jianghu or grow old trapped on the mountain, and since he refuses the latter, he must accept the former.Xiahou Lian confesses that he envies Xie Jinglan’s future of studying, becoming an official, managing a household, and leaving a legacy, while Xiahou Lian himself feels destined to have no future.Deeply moved, Xie Jinglan promises that when he rises to power, he will free Xiahou Lian from Qiye Garden, believing that no matter how strong the old monk is, he cannot defeat an army.Xiahou Lian jokes that Xie Jinglan’s declaration sounds like a general mobilizing troops to win a beauty’s hand, diffusing the heaviness of the moment.As spring arrives, Xiahou Lian resumes chores and secretly washes Xie Jinglan’s undergarments by stamping on them in a basin, since Xie Jinglan refuses to let anyone else wash them after a previous embarrassing incident.Xiahou Lian invites Xie Jinglan to sneak out to a temple fair while Dai Shengyan is away, and after some persuasion Xie Jinglan agrees to go for only an hour.Disguised in servant clothes, Xie Jinglan and Xiahou Lian scale walls to slip out of the manor but are caught in the alley by Matron Liu, who accuses them of becoming too bold.Matron Liu escorts both boys to the main hall, where Lady Xiao and Xie Bingfeng await them under dim lantern light.Xie Jinglan kneels and confesses that he planned to go to the temple fair, apologizing meekly, and Xie Bingfeng initially relents, attributing it to youthful playfulness.Lady Xiao intervenes and claims that Xie Jinglan would never act so rashly on his own and must have been led astray by Xiahou Lian, redirecting suspicion toward him.Matron Liu escalates the accusation by claiming that Xiahou Lian not only encouraged sneaking out but also took Xie Jinglan to Wanxiang Tower brothel and squandered money, and that she found a perfumed handkerchief embroidered with romantic lines hidden among Xie Jinglan’s belongings.Xiahou Lian denies ever going to Wanxiang Tower, and Xie Jinglan argues that Matron Liu never enters his room and must be lying, but Lady Xiao orders the servants to search them anyway.A maid produces a bright-red perfumed handkerchief supposedly from Xie Jinglan’s jacket lining, causing both Xie Jinglan and Xiahou Lian to turn pale.Lady Xiao feigns sorrow and accuses Xiahou Lian of corrupting Xie Jinglan despite Dai Shengyan’s kindness in freeing him from servitude.Xie Bingfeng examines the handkerchief and sees it is signed by Liu Xiangnu, the top courtesan of Wanxiang Tower whom Xie Bingfeng himself has pursued with poetry, which humiliates and enrages him.Furious at the implication that his son visited the same courtesan and jeopardized his carefully maintained reputation, Xie Bingfeng throws a teacup at Xie Jinglan and shouts at him for disgracing the family.Xie Jinglan calmly insists that the handkerchief is not his, while Lady Xiao insinuates that corruption runs in his blood by referencing his late mother.Lady Xiao brings up Xie Jinglan’s mother and past scandal that caused Xie Bingfeng’s demotion, provoking tension and guilt in Xie Bingfeng while deepening his irritation toward Xie Jinglan.Determined to protect his reputation above all else, Xie Bingfeng orders Xie Jinglan to kneel in the ancestral hall and confine himself to the courtyard except for lessons, and declares that Xiahou Lian will be sent away when Dai Shengyan returns because the Xie family cannot risk keeping him.Xiahou Lian angrily rebukes Xie Bingfeng for speaking spitefully of the dead, further angering him.Amid the heavy silence and whispering servants, Xie Jinglan finally lifts his head and states clearly that the handkerchief does not belong to him.When Lady Xiao mocks him by asking whether it belongs to Xiahou Lian, Xie Jinglan meets her gaze and calmly declares that the handkerchief belongs to Xie Jingtao, Lady Xiao’s own son.

Chapter 14:
A Sleepless NightXie Jinglan declares that the red handkerchief belongs to Xie Jingtao, shocking everyone, and Xiahou Lian suddenly realizes that the heavy perfume scent matches Xie Jingtao’s excessive powder, so he urges that Xie Jingtao be summoned to reveal the truth.Lady Xiao tries to stop the matter from escalating and demands that Xiahou Lian be expelled immediately, but Xie Bingfeng orders his own servant to summon Xie Jingtao instead of relying on Lady Xiao’s people.Xie Jingtao arrives swaggering and smug, pretending innocence, but the overpowering powder scent on him immediately exposes the connection between him and the perfumed handkerchief.Enraged and humiliated, Xie Bingfeng throws a teacup at Xie Jingtao and beats him with a feather duster, demanding to know whether the handkerchief is his.Xie Jingtao tries to evade responsibility and runs around the room, but when pressed, he cannot deny the evidence, and Xie Bingfeng orders him to kneel in the ancestral hall as punishment.Xie Jinglan then calmly reveals there is another culprit who deserves punishment and indirectly accuses Xie Bingfeng himself by mentioning the hidden volumes of portraits from Wanxiang Tower concealed in the library and disguised as the Rites of Zhou.Xie Jinglan points out that one page featuring Lady Liu was torn out and implies that Xie Bingfeng kept it for himself, exposing Xie Bingfeng’s hypocrisy and secret visits to the brothel.Furious and ashamed, Xie Bingfeng slaps Xie Jinglan across the face, leaving red marks, while Lady Xiao storms off to verify the existence of the hidden portrait volumes.Xie Jinglan bows and leaves for the ancestral hall with Xiahou Lian, while Xie Jingtao follows behind, and Xie Bingfeng vents his humiliation by shouting at the servants to leave.In the ancestral hall, Xie Jingtao sits casually and chats arrogantly, admitting he already knew about Xie Bingfeng’s affair and expressing surprise that Xie Jinglan dared to expose it.Xie Jingtao invites Xie Jinglan to join him at Wanxiang Tower in the future, boasting crudely, but Xiahou Lian interrupts and defends Xie Jinglan.Xie Jingtao explains that Xie Bingfeng wants everyone in the household to memorize a document impeaching Wei De, but Xiahou Lian realizes that Qiuwu Courtyard was likely excluded, highlighting how Xie Jinglan is deliberately sidelined despite his talent.Late at night, Lianxiang and Aunt Lan secretly bring a blanket to the ancestral hall to keep Xie Jinglan and Xiahou Lian warm, and Lianxiang notices the slap marks on Xie Jinglan’s face and tears up.After Lianxiang leaves, Xie Jinglan asks Aunt Lan why Xie Bingfeng hates him and his mother so deeply, demanding the truth.Aunt Lan reveals that Xie Jinglan’s mother was originally a maid whom Xie Bingfeng raped while drunk, and that she reported him to the authorities, resulting in Xie Bingfeng being convicted and demoted three ranks.Because of this humiliation, Xie Bingfeng resented Xie Jinglan’s mother and neglected her even during pregnancy, forcing her to live in isolation until she died a few years later.Aunt Lan explains that Xie Jinglan’s mother returned to the Xie household as a concubine only because she discovered she was pregnant and had no means to raise a child alone.After Aunt Lan leaves, Xie Jinglan sits in darkness imagining an alternate life where his mother never returned and he grew up freely like Xiahou Lian, and he silently cries in the dark.Xiahou Lian breaks the silence and admits he previously lied, revealing that he actually knows who his father is but refuses to acknowledge him because his mother forbids it.Xiahou Lian explains that his mother taught him to become someone powerful enough to make others kneel and call him Father rather than seeking recognition from his own father.Xiahou Lian vows that one day they will settle the scores for what happened to Xie Jinglan and his mother and declares that no one should bully the young and the poor.In the darkness, Xie Jinglan looks at Xiahou Lian and believes in his words, feeling a renewed sense of resolve and quiet faith in their shared future.

Chapter 15:
The Setting SunDai Shengyan rushes back immediately after hearing about the conflict in the Xie household and tells Xie Jinglan that although he had expected maturity from him, he understands that at twelve years old it is hard to avoid youthful impulsiveness, but Xie Jinglan replies that some things cannot be tolerated.Dai Shengyan unexpectedly asks Xie Jinglan whether he would be willing to leave home and follow him into a life of wandering without stability or comfort, and Xie Jinglan fervently agrees, declaring that as long as Dai Shengyan does not abandon him, he is willing to endure hardship and travel as his disciple.Dai Shengyan shifts the lesson away from the classics and discusses the Dao, telling Xie Jinglan that there are no true “words of sages,” only people who can do, endure, and tolerate what others cannot, and that he wants to take Xie Jinglan away to broaden his horizons and teach him to let go of resentment.Xie Jinglan honestly admits that he is narrow-minded and holds grudges and warns Dai Shengyan that if those traits are unacceptable, he should leave him behind, but Dai Shengyan insists that precisely because of those traits he must take Xie Jinglan with him, fearing that otherwise Xie Jinglan might one day become a treacherous official.Xie Jinglan informs the people in Qiuwu Courtyard that he will leave with Dai Shengyan, and while everyone celebrates, Xie Jinglan realizes that Xiahou Lian cannot follow him and that their parting is imminent.Xiahou Lian jokes that when Xie Jinglan becomes a high-ranking official he should not forget him and promises that if he becomes an assassin like his mother he will eventually descend the mountain again, but if he refuses that path he will remain a farmer trapped on the mountain for life.It is revealed that Qiye Garden does not allow non-assassins to leave or outsiders to survive on the mountain, meaning Xiahou Lian must either become an assassin or remain imprisoned there forever.Xiahou Lian privately struggles with fear after recalling his earlier brush with death and realizes that becoming an assassin means walking constantly beside death, and he is not yet certain he is strong enough.Xie Jinglan vows that he will discover where the mountain is and one day rescue Xiahou Lian, but Xiahou Lian refuses to reveal its location and instead jokingly negotiates future employment as Xie Jinglan’s guard with two taels of silver a month and room and board.They laugh together under the lantern light, both pretending lightly while understanding the weight of their impending separation.Lianxiang goes missing for an afternoon, and Xiahou Lian notices that the pouch where he keeps itching flowers has been emptied, suggesting someone has used the irritating blossoms.Dai Shengyan secures Xie Bingfeng’s easy consent for Xie Jinglan’s departure, and plans are made for Xie Jinglan and Dai Shengyan to leave once the weather warms.Days pass peacefully as Xiahou Lian stops wandering and stays close to Xie Jinglan, helping him in the library while awaiting departure.Aunt Lan suddenly rushes into the library in panic and announces that Lianxiang has been accused by Lady Xiao of attempting to poison her and has been ordered beaten to death.Xiahou Lian and Xie Jinglan race to the main courtyard, but arrive just as servants carry out Lianxiang’s covered body, and Xiahou Lian breaks down in tears upon seeing her pale hand hanging lifelessly from beneath the cloth, recalling how she cherished her delicate hands and once secretly brought him food.Lady Xiao coldly states that Lianxiang tried to poison her and that Steward Liu administered punishment, and Xie Jinglan notices red rashes on Lady Xiao’s face consistent with irritation from itching flowers.Xiahou Lian is horrified to see that Steward Liu is actually Qiu Ye in disguise, realizing that Qiu Ye has infiltrated the Xie household and remembering that Qiu Ye had previously accepted a contract to kill Xie Bingfeng.Xie Jinglan calmly asks only to bid farewell to his former servant and boldly implies that if Lady Xiao suspects him, she may as well kill him too, showing open defiance.Xiahou Lian is dragged away by servants and then followed secretly by Qiu Ye, who silences him and reveals that Lianxiang is not dead because Qiu Ye deliberately spared her life, though he cannot guarantee her legs will fully recover.Xiahou Lian is overwhelmed with gratitude toward Qiu Ye, and Qiu Ye once again asks whether Xiahou Lian truly wishes to become an assassin, suggesting that the mountain may be small but the world itself is just another prison.Xiahou Lian questions why both Qiu Ye and Uncle Duan seem reluctant for him to become an assassin, and Qiu Ye replies that only Xiahou Lian can decide whether he is suited for that path.Qiu Ye then informs Xiahou Lian that his uncle has arrived to take him back to the mountain, meaning Xiahou Lian must leave immediately and part from Xie Jinglan far sooner than expected.

Chapter 16:
The Storm ApproachesXie Jinglan watches Xiahou Lian prepare to leave the Xie residence with a burly man posing as Xiahou Lian’s father, who awkwardly claims he once sold Xiahou Lian to the manor due to poverty and has now come to reclaim him, while Xiahou Lian and Uncle Duan clearly present inconsistent stories.Xie Jinglan ignores Uncle Duan’s false explanation and directly asks Xiahou Lian if he is truly leaving, and when Xiahou Lian confirms it, Xie Jinglan asks where he can send letters, but Uncle Duan blocks any attempt at correspondence by claiming their home is too remote for mail.Xie Jinglan calmly tells Xiahou Lian to send any letters to Lord Su’s residence so they can be forwarded to Dai Shengyan, and although Xiahou Lian begins to mention Lianxiang, Xie Jinglan says he personally saw Lianxiang’s body taken away and that there is nothing more to worry about.Xiahou Lian chooses not to reveal that Lianxiang is still alive to avoid implicating Qiu Ye, and when he tries to warn Xie Jinglan about Xie Bingfeng, Xie Jinglan cuts him off, declaring that Xie Bingfeng has nothing to do with him anymore.At the side gate, Xie Jinglan and Aunt Lan watch Xiahou Lian and Uncle Duan walk away into the crimson sunset, and Xie Jinglan is suddenly overwhelmed by fear that they may never meet again.Xie Jinglan runs after Xiahou Lian and embraces him tightly, reminding him of their promise in the study and vowing that he will find him, and Xiahou Lian promises he will remember, and they part with a final farewell.After leaving the Xie residence, Xiahou Lian does not return to the mountain immediately but instead stays at Wanxiang Tower under Uncle Duan’s arrangements, where Qiye Garden assassins are gathering.It is revealed that six of Qiye Garden’s Eight Legions have assembled in Jinling, with at least twenty assassins present, an unprecedented concentration given that the Garden has only around thirty assassins in total, while one legion member is recuperating from losing an arm and the other is Xiahou Lian’s mother, who remains in the Western Regions.Xiahou Lian realizes that such a large gathering means a major operation is imminent and suspects that Qiye Garden is targeting Xie Bingfeng, especially after Uncle Duan removed him from the Xie residence beforehand.While sneaking through Wanxiang Tower, Xiahou Lian overhears Xie Bingfeng boasting to Lady Liu that he has joined a joint impeachment memorial against the powerful eunuch Wei De, claiming that all 108 members of the Xie household have memorized the memorial and that even if he dies, his family will continue appealing to the emperor, thereby increasing his reputation.After Xie Bingfeng leaves, Lady Liu scoffs and mutters that Xie Bingfeng is a fool because by involving his entire household in the impeachment, he has doomed them all, since Wei De will surely retaliate by exterminating the Xie family.Xiahou Lian hears the word exterminate and realizes that if Qiye Garden is involved, the plan may not be limited to killing Xie Bingfeng but could involve wiping out the entire Xie family, putting Xie Jinglan and Aunt Lan in mortal danger.Overwhelmed with panic, Xiahou Lian struggles to think of a way to save Xie Jinglan and the others, knowing that he alone cannot possibly protect everyone.Xiahou Lian confronts Uncle Duan and asks to join the mission, insisting that he must witness a real assassination to decide whether he will become an assassin or not.Uncle Duan initially refuses, saying that Xiahou Lian is too weak and that he cannot explain any harm to Xiahou Lian’s mother, but when Xiahou Lian reveals that he knows they plan to wipe out the Xie family, Uncle Duan reluctantly agrees under strict conditions.Uncle Duan instructs Xiahou Lian to wear his mask properly, not to act recklessly, and to retreat when he hears the temple block signal, making it clear that this is a true battlefield.Uncle Duan gives Xiahou Lian a worn short knife stained with old blood and tells him that if he has the ability, he may try killing someone, explaining that to become Qiye Garden’s greatest assassin, he must first forge himself into a blade and turn his heart into steel.Xiahou Lian looks at his reflection in the blade’s surface and forces a smile, outwardly confident but internally uncertain about how a heart of flesh can ever truly become steel.

Chapter 17:
The Field of SlaughterXie Jinglan studies alone late at night in Qiuwu Courtyard and instinctively calls for Xiahou Lian to pour tea before remembering that Xiahou Lian has already left, making the once lively courtyard feel empty and lifeless.As chaos erupts elsewhere in the Xie residence, Xie Jinglan initially ignores it until someone suddenly drags him into a dark room, where he discovers the masked intruder is Xiahou Lian dressed in black assassin attire.Xiahou Lian urgently tells Xie Jinglan that Qiye Garden has come to slaughter the entire Xie family and tries to force him to change into assassin clothes and escape immediately.Before Xie Jinglan can fully process the warning, an assassin outside kills a servant, and blood splatters across the paper door, confirming that the massacre has already begun.Xie Jinglan demands to know why the entire household is being wiped out when Xiahou Lian previously implied only Xie Bingfeng was targeted, and Xiahou Lian reveals that Wei De ordered the extermination after learning that Xie Bingfeng made all 108 members of the Xie household memorize the impeachment memorial against him.Xie Jinglan tries to rush to save Aunt Lan in Qiuwu Courtyard, but Xiahou Lian restrains him and explains that Qiuwu Courtyard is near the assassins’ entry point and that Aunt Lan is likely already dead.Desperate, Xie Jinglan suggests seeking Dai Shengyan or the military chief for help, but Xiahou Lian explains that the military chief of Yingtian Prefecture is Wei De’s godson and that seeking help would only result in Xie Jinglan’s immediate death.Hearing footsteps approach, Xiahou Lian dons his mask and distracts an assassin by pretending to be a frightened novice hiding, allowing the assassin to leave without discovering Xie Jinglan.Xiahou Lian strips off his assassin clothes and forces them onto Xie Jinglan, gives him a worn knife for self-defense, and hands him a pouch containing gold-and-jade earrings to pawn for money, instructing him to leave through the side gate, never look back, never speak, and never reveal that his name is Xie Jinglan.In anguish and betrayal, Xie Jinglan accuses Xiahou Lian of infiltrating the Xie residence with murderous intent from the beginning, but Xiahou Lian admits he lied about being a thief while insisting that the true cause of the massacre is Xie Bingfeng’s reckless defiance of Wei De.With no more time to argue, Xiahou Lian pushes Xie Jinglan out into the night and closes the door behind him, sacrificing himself to ensure Xie Jinglan’s escape.Moving through the blood-soaked courtyard in disguise, Xie Jinglan witnesses assassins killing servants and hiding survivors in wells only to silence them with darts, forcing himself not to react in order to survive.As Xie Jinglan crosses the garden, he sees Aunt Lan stumble out covered in blood and hears her call for him, but when she sees his assassin attire she mistakes him for an enemy and runs.An arrow whistles past Xie Jinglan and pierces Aunt Lan’s back, killing her before his eyes, and he is forced to stand still as assassins confirm their kills nearby.When an assassin calls out to him by Xiahou Lian’s name and questions why he is leaving before the temple block signal, Xie Jinglan remains silent, nearly exposed, until another assassin with gentle eyes intervenes and allows him to pass, assuming he is merely a frightened newcomer.Once out of sight, Xie Jinglan breaks into a desperate run, leaving behind the burning Xie residence and the bodies of his household.Overcome with grief and self-loathing for failing to save Aunt Lan, Xie Jinglan falls in the street and pounds the ground until his hands bleed, calling himself a coward.Realizing he cannot seek refuge with Dai Shengyan or any relatives and that he has nowhere to go, Xie Jinglan understands that the third young master of the Xie family has effectively died that night.Clinging to vengeance as his only remaining purpose, Xie Jinglan swears revenge against Wei De and Qiye Garden, resolving to survive as a ghost from that night onward and make those responsible pay with their lives.

Chapter 18:
Fallen WavesAfter the massacre, the courtyard of the Xie residence is filled with corpses and blood, and Xiahou Lian is dragged before the gathered assassins and thrown onto the pile of bodies, where he sees Xie Bingfeng and Lady Xiao dead in each other’s arms.The Mahoraga accuses Xiahou Lian of letting someone escape, and the hopscotch-playing assassin confirms that someone wearing Xiahou Lian’s clothes and mask left with Uncle Duan’s dagger, which they mistakenly assumed was Xiahou Lian.An assassin reports that all one hundred and eight registered members of the Xie household have been accounted for among the dead, creating confusion about who escaped.Under pressure, Xiahou Lian lies and claims that he let a neglected young girl from the Xie household go and that her name was Xie Jinglan, hoping to conceal the truth.The elderly Qiye Garden mole exposes Xiahou Lian’s lie by revealing that Xie Jinglan is in fact the male young master whom Xiahou Lian served and accuses Xiahou Lian of growing softhearted.Several assassins demand that Xiahou Lian be tortured for the escaped prey’s whereabouts, but Qiu Ye intervenes and reminds them that unauthorized punishment is forbidden under Qiye Garden’s rules and that any execution must be ordered by the abbot.The Mahoraga argues that according to the Garden’s laws, permitting prey to escape is punishable by death without mercy, and tensions rise between him and Qiu Ye.Qiu Ye then reveals that Xiahou Lian’s father is the abbot, the Shixin Buddha, shocking the gathered assassins and explaining why he is cautious.It is disclosed that Xiahou Lian has a twin brother named Chiyan, who was taken at birth by the abbot and raised on Heimianfo Peak to master Qiye Garden’s saber techniques, while Xiahou Lian was left with Xiahou Pei.The Mahoraga suggests that the abbot never intended to acknowledge Xiahou Lian and therefore might not care if he is executed, and many assassins, who harbor resentment toward Xiahou Pei, are inclined to punish Xiahou Lian harshly.As the Mahoraga mocks Xiahou Pei and suggests she is likely dead in the Western Regions, a long saber flies through the air and is deflected, revealing Xiahou Pei herself stepping out of the darkness alive.Xiahou Pei returns victorious from the Western Regions carrying the head of the Chakravarti in a bloodstained snakeskin bag, proving she has slain a formidable enemy who had previously killed three of Qiye Garden’s top assassins.Confronting the gathered assassins, Xiahou Pei openly challenges them and asks Qiu Ye to state the official penalty for letting prey escape, and Qiu Ye confirms that execution is required by the rules.Xiahou Pei asks Xiahou Lian whether he carefully considered his actions, and when he nods, she offers him two choices: accept punishment and return to the mountain or fight to the death, in which case she will kill everyone present and flee with him.The assassins are enraged and threaten that even if Xiahou Pei survives a battle, the poison Seven Fifteen in her body will eventually kill her, but Xiahou Pei dismisses death lightly and declares she will live as long as she can.Xiahou Pei reassures Xiahou Lian that whatever he chooses, she will stand by him even at the cost of her life, and her fierce devotion restores his courage.Recognizing that Xiahou Pei is capable of killing many of them even if not all, the assassins draw their sabers warily, knowing her reputation as Qiye Garden’s sharpest blade who fears neither life nor death.After weighing his options, Xiahou Lian chooses to accept punishment and return to the mountain with Xiahou Pei rather than force a bloody confrontation on his behalf.

Chapter 19:
Holding Life and DeathXie Jinglan wanders in destitution after escaping Jinling, filthy, starving, and delirious, losing the dagger Xiahou Lian gave him after a pawnshop owner accuses him of theft, confiscates the earrings, and has him beaten and chased away.Driven by hunger, Xie Jinglan degenerates into stealing food from small children, including snatching the last bite of a sugar cake from a five- or six-year-old boy, then crouching in an alley to swallow it with tears, abandoning shame in order to survive.As famine worsens in the countryside, Xie Jinglan joins streams of refugees, seeing starving children with swollen bellies dying by the roadside and fearing cannibalism, surviving on wild grass while hatred and grief are consumed by the more urgent need to eat.Remembering Xiahou Lian’s words about leaving a signal at the highest point in the city, Xie Jinglan climbs a bell tower, weak and half-conscious, and leaves the white mask there as a sign before collapsing.Qiu Ye finds Xie Jinglan at the bell tower, gives him water and a steamed bun, and reveals that he recognized Xie Jinglan the night of the massacre but deliberately allowed him to escape because he could tell him apart from Xiahou Lian by posture and gaze.Xie Jinglan refuses to thank Qiu Ye, accusing him of being one of the murderers who destroyed his family, but Qiu Ye says he expects no gratitude and warns that revealing the mask could get Xie Jinglan killed if Qiye Garden discovers him.Qiu Ye gives Xie Jinglan silver and tells him that Xiahou Lian traded his life for Xie Jinglan’s, revealing that Xiahou Lian was sentenced by the abbot to eighty-one lashes for violating Qiye Garden’s rules and was unconscious when Qiu Ye left.Xie Jinglan is horrified and demands to know why Xiahou Pei did not save Xiahou Lian, but Qiu Ye explains that even Xiahou Pei cannot defy the temple’s strict rules and that Xie Jinglan is now registered as prey in Qiye Garden’s books.Qiu Ye advises Xie Jinglan to head to the capital, where survival may be easier, then leaps from the city wall and disappears, marking their final meeting.Following the refugees to the capital, Xie Jinglan endures rejection at the gates until he sneaks in during a riot, witnessing streets filled with vagrants and soldiers collecting corpses for mass burial.On the Mid-Autumn Festival night, while fireworks explode and the capital glitters with light, Xie Jinglan pickpockets a purse to survive and watches a grand carriage escorted by Eastern Depot agents pass through the crowd.The crowd whispers that the carriage belongs to Wei De, and a beggar rushes forward with firecrackers to accuse Wei De of causing famine in Shandong’s six prefectures, only to be seized, brutally maimed, and executed on Wei De’s silent hand gesture from inside the carriage.Xie Jinglan witnesses the beggar’s throat being slit and understands how easily Wei De can decide life and death, realizing that his own family was erased just as casually.Consumed by ambition and vengeance, Xie Jinglan vows that one day he will stand above all others, so powerful that those who wronged or betrayed him will be reduced to ashes, and even nobles and royal heirs will kneel before him.At dawn, Xie Jinglan buries Xiahou Lian’s mask beneath a pagoda tree as a silent memorial and a severing of his former identity.Xie Jinglan joins the line at Dong’an Gate where eunuchs are recruiting, seeing desperate men who have already castrated themselves in hopes of entering the palace, while others too old are turned away sobbing.When asked his name, Xie Jinglan lies and gives the name Shen Jue, abandoning his former identity as Xie Jinglan and presenting himself as a new person from Jinling.Shen Jue is selected and follows the other chosen boys through the towering vermilion palace gates, which close behind him, symbolically ending the life of Xie Jinglan and beginning his transformation into someone who seeks power over life and death.

Chapter 20:
Silence in the PalaceIn the cold and neglected Fourth Qianxi Courtyard of the palace, Shen Jue lives as a young eunuch assigned to care for the mad consorts, including Consort Gao, who has lost her sanity after being imprisoned and tortured for attempting to harm Imperial Noble Consort Ma.Sixi, a lecherous eunuch who works in the same courtyard and recently became the godson of a chief eunuch in the imperial stables, repeatedly harasses Shen Jue with sexual advances and promises to transfer them both out of the cold palace if Shen Jue submits to him.Shen Jue outwardly agrees to visit Sixi at midnight, pretending to yield, but secretly despises him and carefully plans his next move.While spying through Shen Jue’s window as Shen Jue bathes, Sixi discovers Shen Jue’s secret, which implies Shen Jue is not fully castrated and therefore would be executed if exposed, and Sixi becomes convinced that Shen Jue will now have no choice but to obey him.Shen Jue confronts Sixi directly in his room, confirms that Sixi knows his secret, and when Sixi threatens to expose him unless Shen Jue submits, Shen Jue embraces him and suddenly stabs him in the back with scissors.Shen Jue calmly stuffs cloth into Sixi’s mouth to muffle his screams, watches him bleed out, and ensures he is completely dead before wrapping the wound and dragging the corpse to a dry well in the courtyard.Shen Jue uses knowledge from an old palace map to dump Sixi’s body into the well, which leads to a desolate forest outside the palace walls, effectively hiding the murder.After disposing of Sixi’s body and cleaning up the evidence, Shen Jue encounters an injured masked assassin near the well and prepares to kill him to avoid exposure.The assassin reacts instantly, pins Shen Jue down with a dagger at his throat, and calls him Shaoye upon recognizing him.Shen Jue removes the mask and discovers the assassin is Xiahou Lian, now older, hardened, and gravely wounded with a deep shoulder injury exposing bone.Xiahou Lian attempts to leave despite his injuries but collapses after a few steps, forcing Shen Jue to carry him into Sixi’s former room and tend to his wounds.Shen Jue burns Xiahou Lian’s bloodstained clothes, applies herbs to staunch the bleeding, and realizes Xiahou Lian has developed a high fever.Imperial guards storm the Fourth Qianxi Courtyard searching for the assassin who attacked Imperial Noble Consort Ma during a banquet and whose shoulder was reportedly wounded.Shen Jue quickly smears rouge on Xiahou Lian’s face to mimic smallpox sores and wraps him tightly in blankets to disguise his injury.When guards demand to inspect everyone, Shen Jue claims that Sixi is ill with smallpox and lying inside, causing fear among the guards but not enough to fully stop their inspection.Despite warnings about smallpox and hints that Sixi is connected to a powerful eunuch, the guards insist on searching the room and enter to inspect Xiahou Lian.Xiahou Lian pretends to be Sixi, greets the guards weakly from bed, and allows the guards who previously had smallpox to search the room.The lead guard explains that the assassin’s shoulder was struck and demands to see Xiahou Lian’s shoulder beneath the blanket to verify there is no wound.Shen Jue stands by, heart pounding and drenched in cold sweat, knowing that if the blanket is removed and Xiahou Lian’s injury is discovered, both of them will be executed on the spot.

Chapter 21:
The Candle’s Flickering ShadowsImperial guards enter Shen Jue’s room to inspect Xiahou Lian for wounds that would reveal him as an assassin, and Xiahou Lian calmly exposes his shoulder, using a realistic prosthetic layer of fake skin to conceal a severe injury and deceive them.After the guards leave, Shen Jue discovers that Xiahou Lian has been peeling off the prosthetic, reopening the gash and causing blood to pour out, and Xiahou Lian asks Shen Jue to help remove it completely.Shen Jue tears off the prosthetic in one motion, causing Xiahou Lian excruciating pain, and Xiahou Lian immediately insists that Shen Jue stitch the wound shut despite Shen Jue’s lack of medical skill.Xiahou Lian trusts Shen Jue completely and urges him to treat the wound like mending clothes, even though failure could mean death.Shen Jue sterilizes a needle over the candle flame, cleans the wound, and painfully stitches Xiahou Lian’s torn flesh together while Xiahou Lian endures the agony without anesthetic, nearly fainting.Shen Jue finishes stitching, applies herbs, and bandages the shoulder, while Xiahou Lian weakly jokes that he knew Shen Jue could do it.Xiahou Lian attempts to leave despite his condition, worrying that staying will implicate Shen Jue if discovered, but Shen Jue forces him to remain and rest.Xiahou Lian realizes the room’s original occupant will not return and asks for a portrait of Sixi, revealing that his shifu, the Kinnara of Qiye Garden, taught him advanced disguise techniques and that he can create a lifelike mask to impersonate Sixi.Shen Jue agrees to draw Sixi’s portrait and prepares medicine for Xiahou Lian, who drinks it without complaint, hardened by two years of brutal assassin training.Shen Jue asks whether Xiahou Lian fears death, and Xiahou Lian admits he is terrified every mission but feels he never has real choices in life, choosing lashes and danger over imprisonment and helplessness.Xiahou Lian explains that he endured punishment to save Shen Jue from Qiye Garden assassins and does not regret it, valuing Shen Jue’s life over his own safety.Shen Jue questions Xiahou Lian about his mother Xiahou Pei, and Xiahou Lian admits he is effectively on his own, abandoned to grow like a weed and forced to survive without relying on her.Xiahou Lian begs to sleep in Shen Jue’s room because of the stench and pain in the other room, and Shen Jue reluctantly helps him there.Lying together, Xiahou Lian asks how Shen Jue ended up in the palace, and Shen Jue recounts how, after losing everything, he was betrayed and sold to the palace by an old beggar during a famine.Shen Jue reveals that his original name was Xie Jinglan of the Xie family, but he has abandoned it and now accepts the identity of the eunuch Shen Jue, believing his ancestors would be ashamed of him otherwise.Shen Jue confesses that Sixi attempted to defile him, and that Shen Jue killed Sixi and disposed of the body in a dry well.Xiahou Lian is shocked and angered by what Shen Jue endured, realizing how deeply the palace’s corruption has changed him.Shen Jue leans close to Xiahou Lian and asks him to stay in the palace and protect him, declaring that since he saved Xiahou Lian’s life, that life now belongs to him.

Chapter 22:
The Shadows of Flowers and LeavesImperial Noble Consort Ma goes into early labor in Chenqian Palace after being frightened by an earlier assassination attempt at her birthday banquet, and she hemorrhages heavily while the imperial physicians fear she will not survive.Situ Jin stands guard in the rain outside Chenqian Palace, reflecting on his loneliness among the imperial guards while overhearing speculation that Wei-gonggong may have sent the assassin because Imperial Noble Consort Ma had urged the emperor to confiscate eunuch wealth during the Yellow River flood.The emperor is absent because he is discussing Tatar border raids at court, and a eunuch delivers a decree that if Imperial Noble Consort Ma or the unborn prince dies, the physicians will be buried with them.The physicians explain that Imperial Noble Consort Ma has a cold constitution with excessive yin energy, that the shock disrupted the fetal qi, and that her condition has sharply worsened despite previous treatment.A younger physician suggests performing a caesarean to save the full-term child, but the elderly physician silences him before the proposal can proceed.Situ Jin stops a suspicious new maid carrying ginseng soup and discovers a dagger hidden beneath the oilcloth on her tray, exposing her as an assassin.The maid attacks and reveals herself as the Garuda of Qiye Garden, declaring she has come to send Imperial Noble Consort Ma to her death.Numerous assassins emerge from the garden’s shadows to clash with the imperial guards, creating chaos while the Garuda engages Situ Jin in a fierce duel.The Garuda overwhelms Situ Jin with extraordinary speed and skill, wielding dual blades and slashing his arm after deliberately feigning weakness.Amid the fighting, another assassin fires a poisoned blow dart through the window into Imperial Noble Consort Ma’s chamber, and her moans abruptly cease as panic erupts inside.The assassins retreat in an organized withdrawal as reinforcements arrive, and when physicians enter the chamber, they find Imperial Noble Consort Ma dead with a poisoned dart lodged in her belly and black veins spreading across her skin.Shen Jue wakes in the night to find Xiahou Lian burning with fever and sweating, and Shen Jue decides to steal medicine from the imperial physicians’ office because lowly servants cannot summon help.Shen Jue discovers the physicians’ office abandoned and ransacked, and he overhears assassins from Qiye Garden stating that their mission to kill Imperial Noble Consort Ma is complete and that Xiahou Lian failed to find the old palace map.Shen Jue realizes that Xiahou Lian had been tasked only with locating the palace’s secret map, that Shen Jue had memorized and burned it, and that now only Shen Jue knows the palace’s hidden passages.While returning, Shen Jue hides as Situ Jin and other guards search the garden, and the Garuda suddenly reappears to slaughter more guards with terrifying ease while asking if they have seen a boy dressed in black, clearly referring to Xiahou Lian.Situ Jin attempts a desperate final attack using his Blizzard Saber technique, but the Garuda counters effortlessly, slices through his armor, and tells him he has not perfected his skill before leaving him gravely wounded.Shen Jue steps out after the Garuda departs, and Situ Jin admits he knew Shen Jue was hiding but chose not to expose him, believing Shen Jue was only stealing medicine for a sick roommate.Situ Jin, mortally wounded and grieving his fallen comrades, warns Shen Jue to avoid the shadows where assassins and the Garuda lurk, then collapses and dies before answering Shen Jue’s question about the Garuda.Shen Jue returns to care for Xiahou Lian, applies stolen golden wound medicine to his injuries, brews herbs to reduce his fever, and waits until Xiahou Lian’s temperature subsides by dawn.When Xiahou Lian awakens, Shen Jue nearly tells Xiahou Lian about seeing the Garuda but stops himself, reflecting on his harsh past in the palace, the killing of Sixi, his fear of remaining trapped in obscurity, and his determination not to lose Xiahou Lian, the one person who gives his life meaning.

Chapter 23:
Moonlit FrostShen Jue returns to the Fourth Qianxi Courtyard in the evening chill and is startled to see Xiahou Lian already disguised perfectly as Sixi, his face replicated with uncanny detail except for the original Sixi’s lecherous aura.Shen Jue examines Xiahou Lian’s wax-like mask and checks his wounds, confirming they are healing well and that Xiahou Lian has survived another brush with death.Shen Jue asks whether Xiahou Lian is working for Wei De or if Wei De is the mysterious abbot behind Qiye Garden, and Xiahou Lian firmly denies any connection, explaining that Qiye Garden operates independently for money and forbids outside alliances.Shen Jue feels displeased at the implication that he could be Xiahou Lian’s weakness but insists he will not allow anyone to trace Xiahou Lian through him.Shen Jue reveals that Imperial Noble Consort Ma was assassinated in Chenqian Palace along with her unborn child, and Xiahou Lian realizes that his own mission to find the old palace map was part of a larger coordinated operation.Xiahou Lian explains that he had no knowledge of the assassination target and that assassins are trained not to ask questions, only to complete assigned tasks.Shen Jue tells Xiahou Lian that he overheard other Qiye Garden assassins speaking indifferently about Xiahou Lian’s fate, revealing that they were prepared to abandon him.Xiahou Lian admits that within Qiye Garden only strength matters, that he is not the most skilled assassin, and that without his mother Xiahou Pei’s reputation as the Garden’s sharpest blade, he would have been bullied or killed long ago.Upon learning that four assassins died during the palace mission, Xiahou Lian is shocked, knowing that assassins require years of brutal training and that such losses are devastating to Qiye Garden.Xiahou Lian reflects that Qiye Garden rarely undertakes large-scale operations, making both the Xie family massacre and the assassination of Imperial Noble Consort Ma suspiciously extreme, and he wonders if the abbot has sold out to Wei De for money.An imperial guard summons Shen Jue outside and delivers medicine on behalf of Situ Jin, revealing that Situ Jin survived but was severely wounded while fighting a powerful female assassin.The guard informs Shen Jue that Wei De questioned why Situ Jin survived when others died and, suspecting cowardice, had Situ Jin demoted to a suburban camp instead of rewarding his bravery.Shen Jue responds politely and offers to put in a good word for Situ Jin, calculating that such goodwill may be useful, while internally remaining pragmatic about the fate of good men in the palace.Back inside, Shen Jue asks Xiahou Lian whether good people are rewarded, and Xiahou Lian answers that they may receive a better reincarnation, while Shen Jue admits he only cares about gains in this life.Situ Jin walks through the capital at sunset, reflecting calmly on his demotion and his lonely but steady nature, recalling his upbringing as an orphan in a northern town where passing swordsmen taught him saber techniques.Situ Jin remembers traveling alone to the capital to join the imperial guard, never seeking ambition or glory, content simply to survive and fulfill his duty.Injured and unaware of a wound on his lower back, Situ Jin is stopped by Zhu Mingyue, the beautiful and spirited daughter of a renowned physician whose clinic stands opposite his home.Zhu Mingyue notices the blood on Situ Jin’s back and scolds him for being foolish, insisting that he enter her house so her father can treat his injury.Though shy and hesitant, Situ Jin follows Zhu Mingyue inside, marking the beginning of a new connection in his otherwise solitary life.

Chapter 24:
The Mountain DemonBy the third month of spring, Xiahou Lian’s stitches are removed, leaving a grotesque scar across his shoulder, which Xiahou Lian proudly keeps as a mark of honor despite Shen Jue suggesting scar-removal ointment.Shen Jue spreads the story that Sixi’s smallpox has recovered so Xiahou Lian can move about freely, earning praise from other eunuchs for his supposed loyalty in caring for a contagious roommate.Shen Jue frequently buys leftover delicacies like bird’s nest, abalone, and shark fin from the kitchen to nourish Xiahou Lian, noticing that portions have recently increased under the new head eunuch without questioning it.While returning with a meal box, Shen Jue is cornered by Liu Deyi, the new lead eunuch of the kitchen, who implies that the extra delicacies are payment for Shen Jue’s submission and begins molesting him.Liu Deyi mocks palace morality, justifies male relations, and belittles Shen Jue by claiming he was born with a seductive nature and that even Sixi had desired him.Shen Jue suppresses murderous rage and coldly warns Liu Deyi that being with him comes at a cost, his gaze so chilling that it unsettles Liu Deyi.Xiahou Lian suddenly appears, sees Liu Deyi harassing Shen Jue, and flies into a violent rage, punching and kicking Liu Deyi relentlessly while shouting that no one may touch his brother.Xiahou Lian beats Liu Deyi until his face swells grotesquely, forces him to beg Shen Jue for mercy, and only stops after extracting humiliating apologies.Liu Deyi flees but threatens revenge from a distance, and Xiahou Lian dismisses him as a coward.Shen Jue silently anticipates that they may suffer consequences such as spoiled food but says nothing, maintaining composure as they return.Xiahou Lian reflects on the palace’s rampant decadence, including historical emperors who indulged in male favorites, and feels anger that someone like Shen Jue must endure such humiliation despite his noble upbringing and brilliance.After delivering meals to the mad consorts, including a deteriorating Consort Gao who now behaves wildly and delusionally, Xiahou Lian returns to Shen Jue’s room.Xiahou Lian finds Shen Jue shirtless at the washstand, furiously scrubbing his shoulders and arms where Liu Deyi touched him, trying to scour away even imagined contamination.Xiahou Lian stops Shen Jue from injuring himself further and gently washes him with soap, carefully cleaning his shoulders, arms, and face despite Shen Jue’s angry protests.Shen Jue experiences unfamiliar vulnerability under Xiahou Lian’s gentle touch, lowering his usual guarded walls and feeling a fragile sense of warmth and shelter.Xiahou Lian accidentally drops Shen Jue’s expensive osmanthus-scented soap, which Shen Jue had purchased with two months’ wages, and awkwardly cleans and replaces it while apologizing.Shen Jue insists he does not need Xiahou Lian’s pity, but as Xiahou Lian prepares to leave, Shen Jue suddenly clings to him from behind, eyes red, voice trembling, and declares that Xiahou Lian is not allowed to leave.Shen Jue admits through action that beneath his pride lies fear of abandonment, and Xiahou Lian, after a long silence, gently pats his back and promises that he will not leave.

Chapter 25:
Late Spring ChillLiu Deyi retaliates for the beating by sabotaging Shen Jue and Xiahou Lian’s meals, but Shen Jue bribes a young eunuch to secretly obtain a smaller but edible portion, revealing his quiet resourcefulness.Consort Gao complains about her poor food and accuses Shen Jue of keeping better dishes for himself and for Sixi, but Shen Jue threatens her into silence before leaving.Xiahou Lian’s shoulder wound reopens from the earlier fight with Liu Deyi, and Shen Jue orders Xiahou Lian to stay indoors to rest, showing both irritation and concern.Xiahou Lian teases Shen Jue flirtatiously while wearing Sixi’s mask, but Shen Jue snaps at him, irritated by memories of Xiahou Lian charming girls like Guixiang in the past.Xiahou Lian notices the reduced food portions and suspects Liu Deyi is making things difficult, unaware that Shen Jue paid silver just to secure that small meal.During continuous rainy nights, palace patrols intensify after Imperial Noble Consort Ma’s assassination, increasing the risk of being caught outside.Liu Deyi sneaks into the rear garden at night following a bait, believing Shen Jue has arranged a secret meeting, and eagerly searches for him near a lantern and pavilion bridge.Liu Deyi discovers a yellow cloth bundle on a cracked marble railing, steps toward it, slips on a slick surface deliberately prepared, crashes into the weakened railing, and falls into the lotus pond.Shen Jue watches coldly from beneath a locust tree as Liu Deyi plunges into the water and then leaves without hesitation.Shen Jue narrowly avoids detection by night patrol guards thanks to Consort Gao unexpectedly pulling him into hiding, preventing him from walking directly into them.Consort Gao accuses Shen Jue of manipulating Xiahou Lian and making him sleep and work for him, indirectly exposing Shen Jue’s secret fear that his schemes might one day be discovered.Greasy meat buns fall from Consort Gao’s robe, revealing she had stolen food, and despite her insults calling him a monster, Shen Jue secretly retrieves pastries from his private stash and gives them to her.Shen Jue returns to his room late and lies on the daybed, claiming he was relieving himself when Xiahou Lian questions his absence.Xiahou Lian becomes confused and hurt when Shen Jue refuses to share the bed, then carries Shen Jue back to the heated bed out of stubborn fairness, refusing to let him sleep in discomfort.The next morning, palace servants gossip that Liu Deyi drowned in Yuqing Pool after allegedly stealing gold and silver cups and falling through a cracked railing, and they dismiss his death as the misfortune of a petty thief.Xiahou Lian realizes Liu Deyi’s death may not be accidental and seeks out Shen Jue to confront him.Shen Jue calmly admits that he deliberately caused Liu Deyi’s death and challenges Xiahou Lian’s right to question him.Xiahou Lian angrily scolds Shen Jue for acting alone and risking himself, insisting that if someone must kill, Xiahou Lian should do it instead.Shen Jue rejects the idea that he is different from Xiahou Lian, declaring that Xie Jinglan is dead and only the eunuch Shen Jue remains.Shen Jue argues that brushes and political power are deadlier than blades, condemning the emperor in Fengxian Hall and declaring that rulers spill far more blood than assassins.Xiahou Lian warns that once someone begins killing, it becomes addictive and irreversible, but Shen Jue coldly asks why he should not follow that path.Shen Jue reveals his ambitions openly, vowing to avenge Aunt Lan, kill Wei De, seize control of the Eastern Depot, and become head of the Directorate of Ceremonial, even if it leads to ruin.Shen Jue tells Xiahou Lian to leave if he cannot accept that future, asserting his resolve and walking away alone beneath the vast sky.Shen Jue and Xiahou Lian enter a cold silence for several days, sharing a room but barely speaking while each withdraws into his own thoughts.Eventually, Xiahou Lian approaches Shen Jue with a wooden saber and offers to teach him saber techniques so that Shen Jue can protect himself and possibly escape if ever imprisoned.Shen Jue takes the wooden saber from Xiahou Lian without ridicule and tells Xiahou Lian to meet him by the palace wall at nine that night, signaling his willingness to learn and marking the beginning of a new path for both of them.

Chapter 26:
Cherishing the Late SpringUnder moonlight by the palace wall, Xiahou Lian demonstrates Qiye Garden saber techniques to Shen Jue, explaining that their style is designed purely for killing with ruthless, efficient strikes rather than decorative flourishes.Shen Jue observes that Xiahou Lian’s demonstration contradicts his description and soon reveals through his own practice that Xiahou Lian’s saber lacks true killing intent.Shen Jue performs the first few moves he has learned, including Swallow’s Swoop, with unexpectedly fierce precision and relentless aggression, forcing Xiahou Lian to dodge repeatedly in shock.Consort Gao secretly watches their practice while eating osmanthus cake and even pushes Xiahou Lian into Shen Jue’s strike, nearly causing a serious blow before Xiahou Lian evades.Xiahou Lian is astonished that Shen Jue can already chain five assassination moves into fluid attack sequences despite being a beginner.When Shen Jue remarks that Xiahou Lian’s blade lacks killing intent, Xiahou Lian recalls past criticism that he lacks the heart for murder and admits internally that he hates killing and has repeatedly failed missions in Qiye Garden.Xiahou Lian hides his insecurity by boasting about the saber Jingtie and claiming he will surpass his mother Xiahou Pei and her blade Hengbo in the future.Shen Jue ignores Xiahou Lian’s exaggerations and insists on continuing lessons, choosing to learn assassination techniques suited for one-on-one killing rather than battlefield slashing styles.Over time, Shen Jue trains obsessively every night beneath the moon, practicing Swallow’s Swoop thousands of times and dragging Xiahou Lian into exhausting sparring sessions regardless of weather.Shen Jue’s relentless dedication leaves Xiahou Lian bruised and overwhelmed, as Shen Jue compensates for his late start by forcing his body through punishing repetition.Consort Gao attempts to join their sparring but ends up attacking Shen Jue wildly with a tree branch, beating him with surprising speed until he retreats in humiliation.The next morning, Xiahou Lian notices that Shen Jue has fallen asleep without tidying his wound ointment, realizing Shen Jue has driven himself to exhaustion through excessive training.Sixi’s godfather, Yan-gonggong, visits unexpectedly with sweets and informs Xiahou Lian that the emperor has received a Ferghana horse and plans a hunt on the fifteenth, offering Sixi the chance to replace the sick stable overseer Cao Ling and attend the hunt.Yan-gonggong hints that the hunt will gather many powerful figures and could provide Sixi an opportunity to improve his future prospects outside the Fourth Qianxi Courtyard.Xiahou Lian is alarmed by the invitation, knowing his identity is false and that exposure at such a high-profile event would be dangerous, and he prepares to decline.Shen Jue intervenes smoothly, claiming Xiahou Lian is still weak from illness and offering himself in Sixi’s place.Xiahou Lian plays along by pretending to suffer lingering symptoms, convincing Yan-gonggong to allow Shen Jue to serve at the imperial stables instead.After Yan-gonggong leaves, Xiahou Lian grows suspicious of his motives and senses hidden danger behind the sudden offer.Shen Jue reveals that his true interest lies in seeing Wei De at the hunt, implying he intends to move closer to his enemy.Xiahou Lian is horrified and suspects that Shen Jue may be planning something reckless, possibly even attempting to assassinate Wei De during the imperial hunt.

Chapter 27:
The Blizzard SaberAt Shili Slope outside the capital, soldiers of the Five Armies Camp spar with goose-quill sabers while Situ Jin, recently demoted, cleans weapons and observes quietly.Situ Jin reflects on the camp’s brutal hazing culture, where new recruits must endure humiliation or pledge loyalty to seniors, but his aloof nature spares him from the worst bullying.During a match, Situ Jin criticizes a long-faced soldier’s crude strength-based saber use, predicting his defeat before the man is knocked off the platform.The long-faced soldier’s older brother, claiming mastery of the Twelve Forms of the Blizzard Saber and boasting that even the Garuda of Qiye Garden would hesitate before him, challenges Situ Jin to spar.Situ Jin reluctantly accepts a goose-quill saber and uses a reverse grip that draws mockery from the crowd.In a single exchange, Situ Jin sidesteps the man’s powerful overhead strike and counters with a clean arc that slices open the man’s robe at the waist, ending the duel instantly and stunning the spectators.Commander Lu arrives, recognizes Situ Jin as the martial arts champion of the eighteenth year of Xuanhe, and encourages him not to be discouraged by his demotion.Commander Lu announces that the emperor will hunt deer in the Western Hills and seeks volunteers to accompany the nobles, though the task secretly involves hiding to shoot prey for them and risking stray arrows from incompetent aristocrats.The long-faced soldier maliciously recommends Situ Jin for the dangerous assignment, and Commander Lu orders Situ Jin to prepare.In the forest during the hunt, Situ Jin rides with a longbow while nobles, including the eldest prince on a Ferghana horse, advance ahead.Wei De, head of the Directorate of Ceremonial, rides nearby in noble attire, attended by Eastern Depot agents and a young eunuch in green who leads his horse.Soldiers whisper about Wei De’s meteoric rise from a self-castrated exile to the emperor’s most trusted confidant, recounting how Wei De loyally protected the third prince, later the Xuanhe Emperor, and ultimately gained control over memorial approvals and immense political power.Situ Jin notices that Wei De’s black horse appears to be limping, sensing something amiss.As the eldest prince gallops ahead, Wei De urges his own horse forward, but the black horse suddenly whinnies and collapses, throwing Wei De from the saddle.The young eunuch in green reacts instantly, leaping forward to cushion Wei De’s fall and preventing potentially fatal injuries.Situ Jin recognizes the young eunuch as Shen Jue, recalling their previous encounter.Shen Jue’s arm slams against a sharp rock during the fall, blood soaking his sleeve, but he remains silent and helps Wei De to his feet.Wei De panics and suspects assassination, angrily demanding to know who fed the horse and calling for Yan Ang.Shen Jue kneels and calmly identifies himself as Shen Jue from the Fourth Qianxi Courtyard, explaining that he only took over stable duties because Cao-gonggong was ill and Yan-gonggong reassigned him, subtly shifting blame toward Yan Ang.Wei De’s suspicion turns toward Yan Ang, believing Yan Ang is plotting against him before he is even dead.The eldest prince turns back at the commotion, and at that moment an arrow strikes the Ferghana horse’s hindquarters, causing it to bolt wildly toward Shen Jue and Wei De.The panicked prince shouts for them to move as the enraged horse charges straight at them.Wei De, terrified, grabs Shen Jue and drags him in front as a human shield just as the horse’s iron-gray hooves thunder toward them, revealing Wei De’s ruthless instinct for self-preservation.

Chapter 28:
A Gathering StormAs the Ferghana horse charges toward Shen Jue and Wei De, a cold arrow suddenly pierces the horse’s skull, killing it instantly and stopping it just short of trampling them.The eldest prince is thrown violently to the ground and suffers a severe head wound and broken leg, bleeding profusely while crying out in pain.Situ Jin is seized by eunuchs and dragged before Wei De because he shot the fatal arrow that saved Wei De but caused the prince’s fall.Shen Jue kneels and pleads that Captain Situ acted out of necessity to save lives, but Wei De angrily declares that his own worthless life cannot compare to the prince’s precious body and orders Situ Jin taken to the imperial prison to await judgment.Shen Jue suppresses his frustration and pride, recognizing that further protest would only harm himself without saving Situ Jin.Wei De notices Shen Jue’s measured behavior and is intrigued by his courage combined with restraint, asking his name and background.Shen Jue introduces himself as Shen Jue of the Fourth Qianxi Courtyard and claims his partially educated mother gave him his name, subtly implying refinement.Wei De tests Shen Jue by asking whether he can read, and upon hearing that he can read a little, shows approval and dismisses him to rest.Shen Jue returns to the Fourth Qianxi Courtyard injured and dispirited, where Xiahou Lian anxiously waits for him at Shunzhen Gate.Xiahou Lian panics at the sight of blood on Shen Jue’s sleeve and questions whether Shen Jue attempted something reckless at the hunt.Shen Jue dismisses the wound as minor and confirms he saw Wei De but could not act openly in broad daylight.Xiahou Lian suggests the legendary Qianji Thread once used by Qiye Garden assassins, describing it as an invisible silk-thin wire capable of slicing through bodies.Shen Jue doubts such a weapon’s practicality, and Xiahou Lian explains that only three generations of the Ban family Garuda could craft it, but the technique was lost after their lineage ended.Shen Jue cynically suggests recreating Qianji Thread to overthrow the abbot of Qiye Garden, but Xiahou Lian laughs off the ambition and claims he only wants a beautiful wife once Shen Jue gains power.Shen Jue imagines Xiahou Lian forming a family and feels a sudden pang of jealousy and loneliness, unable to articulate his possessiveness.Irritated by his own feelings, Shen Jue lashes out at Xiahou Lian without explanation and storms outside to continue training despite his injury.Xiahou Lian allows Shen Jue to use the real saber Jingtie for the first time, warning him to use the dull edge and explaining that Jingtie was designed to pierce armor and shatter bones rather than cut cleanly.Xiahou Lian admits that Jingtie’s rough brutality suits him because he lacks ruthless killing intent, and the abbot chose it to harden him.Shen Jue argues that even slaughter can be framed as compassion and reveals his cold pragmatism.During sparring, Shen Jue wields Jingtie with ferocious bloodlust, his killing intent so strong that it stirs Xiahou Lian’s own dormant instincts.Shen Jue refuses to acknowledge simulated wounds during practice, insisting he can still strike as long as he breathes, showing his relentless mindset.Time passes, and Xiahou Lian reflects that Qiye Garden has likely assumed him dead, making him a discarded pawn, and he feels quiet sorrow over his distant mother Xiahou Pei.As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, palace eunuchs prepare lotus lanterns for release on Yuqing Pool.A eunuch in a sunflower-patterned robe arrives at the Fourth Qianxi Courtyard, arrogantly demanding Shen Jue.The eunuch identifies himself as Cao Ling of the Document Office and announces that Wei De has promoted Shen Jue to replace a newly vacated position.Shen Jue is to serve directly in the Document Office, wear a black gauze hat with gold embroidery and sunflower-patterned robe, and formally acknowledge Wei De as his godfather.Xiahou Lian is internally shocked and outraged that Shen Jue would have to call Wei De father and become his subordinate.Shen Jue calmly accepts the robes and hat, recognizing that this promotion makes him Wei De’s godson and lapdog in name.Shen Jue forces a cold smile and instructs Cao Ling to convey his regards to his “father,” signaling that he will endure humiliation to move closer to power and revenge.

Chapter 29:
Layers of SorrowAt dawn, Zhu Mingyue prepares her father Zhu Qinglan’s medicine basket and notices that Situ Jin has not returned home, only to see him step out in coarse clothes with shackles on his ankles, escorted by guards into exile.Zhu Mingyue rushes to stop the guards and begs for a moment to speak with Situ Jin, offering silver in desperation, while learning that Situ Jin claimed he had no family to bid farewell to.Zhu Mingyue tearfully asks Situ Jin what happened and whether any palace connections or money could save him, but Situ Jin calmly states that there is no remedy and that the punishment is deserved.Zhu Mingyue confesses indirectly that she admires Situ Jin, recounting how she watched him every morning, visited Shili Slope to glimpse him training, and feared losing him forever.Situ Jin awkwardly comforts Zhu Mingyue, telling her that Aunt Zheng lied and that Zhu Mingyue is the most wonderful maiden he has ever met, revealing his restrained affection.Zhu Mingyue declares she is sixteen and will wait five years for Situ Jin to return from exile in the northern border city, where he will face Tatar threats.Situ Jin hesitates but ultimately accepts her resolve, asking her to remarry if he does not return in five years, while Zhu Mingyue vows she will instead travel north to find him.Zhu Mingyue presses her late mother’s jade bracelet into Situ Jin’s hand so that he will remember her and feel indebted, and a guard forces Situ Jin to accept it.Situ Jin watches Zhu Mingyue’s figure fade into the morning light, silently repeating her farewell and carrying both shackles and promise as he departs.At dusk in the palace’s oppressive Document Office, Shen Jue stands beside Wei De reading aloud a memorial from Wan Xian accusing Wei De of corruption, treasonous influence, and demanding his execution and the abolition of the Eastern Depot.Wei De’s anger explodes as his prayer beads snap, scattering across the floor, and the eunuchs kneel in terror.Qian Zhengde proposes suppressing the memorial and exiling or eliminating Wan Xian to deter other officials.Wei De instead asks Shen Jue for his opinion, testing his insight.Shen Jue analyzes that Wan Xian is near retirement and likely seeking fame through righteous condemnation, and advises ignoring him to avoid amplifying his reputation or provoking literati backlash.Wei De praises Shen Jue’s foresight and agrees but still decides to ruin Wan Xian’s reputation by spreading rumors that Wan Xian seduced his daughter-in-law, weaponizing scandal to disgrace him publicly.Wei De lashes out at Qian Zhengde for inadvertently calling someone old, revealing his vanity about his own age.Wei De leaves the palace with Shen Jue and Xiao Yan, discussing the emperor’s foul mood after the eldest prince’s crippling fall from the hunt.Wei De asks about Consort Li’s health, implying interest in a potential pregnancy that could produce another heir and alter succession dynamics.Shen Jue reports that Consort Li may have missed her cycle but that confirmation requires time, demonstrating his careful management of sensitive information.Wei De remarks that Shen Jue is capable but not clever enough, explaining that Qian Zhengde was promoted for his flattering demeanor rather than competence.Wei De instructs Shen Jue that eunuchs must act like pleasing dogs to survive, ordering him to practice smiling in a mirror and warning that failure to appear ingratiating will cost him his place in the Document Office.Shen Jue quietly accepts the humiliation, understanding that to rise higher and achieve revenge, he must master not only strategy and cruelty but also the art of servile performance.

Chapter 30:
Twin MisfortunesAfter escorting Wei De to Liuli Gate, Shen Jue watches Xiao Yan kneel as a human step for Wei De’s carriage, recognizing that even high-ranking Eastern Depot officials are mere tools beneath Wei De.Shen Jue, hungry and exhausted, packs two meals including crystal shrimp dumplings for Xiahou Lian and returns to the desolate Fourth Qianxi Courtyard on the eve of the Ghost Festival.The eunuchs there eagerly greet Shen Jue and inform him that Sixi has been ill for several days and went to bed without dinner, unable to summon imperial physicians due to their low status.Shen Jue sharply silences a eunuch who carelessly praises his meteoric rise and hints that he will become the next head of the Directorate of Ceremonial, warning him that loose talk invites disaster.Entering Xiahou Lian’s dark room, Shen Jue awkwardly attempts reconciliation, explaining that acknowledging Wei De as godfather is a temporary humiliation necessary for survival and future revenge.Receiving no response, Shen Jue pulls back the bed-curtains and discovers Xiahou Lian drenched in sweat with a blazing fever, barely conscious yet still murmuring for Shen Jue not to call Wei De “Father.”Shen Jue prepares to fetch medicine, but Xiahou Lian desperately stops him and urges him instead to pursue the imperial examinations, insisting that studying remains the righteous path despite Shen Jue’s status as a eunuch.Xiahou Lian reveals he has saved one hundred and twenty taels of silver to support Shen Jue’s studies and even plans to seek additional funds from Xiahou Pei, naïvely calculating living expenses in the capital.Shen Jue dismisses the plan as impossible, but Xiahou Lian suddenly confesses that he is not sick but poisoned.Xiahou Lian explains that every Qiye Garden assassin must take an annual antidote on the fifteenth day of the seventh month and that he forgot to bring his dose, believing he could endure the toxin without it.Shen Jue realizes that ordinary medicine is useless as Xiahou Lian weakens rapidly, unable to even hold a cup of water.Xiahou Lian begins bleeding from his nose and mouth, soon from all seven orifices, as the poison ravages his body and his breathing becomes shallow.Facing death, Xiahou Lian reflects bitterly on his distant mother Xiahou Pei, recognizing that he will likely die anonymously in the cold palace, forgotten by Qiye Garden.Shen Jue breaks down in tears, clutching Xiahou Lian’s hand and refusing to let him die.Xiahou Lian, still gentle even while dying, delivers his last wishes, instructing Shen Jue that if he ever leaves the palace, he should leave Jingtie at the highest point in the city so Xiahou Pei can find him.Xiahou Lian reveals he hid one hundred and twenty taels of silver beneath the third tree at the temple gate of Qiye Garden and tells Shen Jue to claim it as inheritance.Shen Jue refuses the money and suddenly confesses that he once saw Xiahou Pei inside the palace killing imperial guards while searching for Xiahou Lian but concealed this truth out of fear that Xiahou Lian would leave him.Determined to save him, Shen Jue rushes to find Xiahou Pei, believing she may still be within the palace grounds.As Shen Jue throws open the door, he finds a tall, striking woman leaning casually against the walkway wall with a blade of grass in her mouth.The woman introduces herself calmly as Xiahou Pei, revealing that Xiahou Lian’s formidable mother has arrived at the very moment of her son’s mortal crisis.

Chapter 31:
Parting WaysXiahou Pei enters Xiahou Lian’s room with a chilling assassin’s presence, immediately revealing herself as his mother after Xiahou Lian mistakes her for Consort Gao.Xiahou Pei throws aside her disguise mask and gives Xiahou Lian two choices, either take the antidote and return to Qiye Garden or refuse and die in the palace.Shen Jue urges Xiahou Lian to leave the palace and live, recognizing that he does not belong in such a treacherous place.Xiahou Pei explains that all assassins born in Qiye Garden must take the annual antidote for Seven Fifteen from the abbot, whose unmatched swordsmanship forces even her to submit.Xiahou Lian swallows the antidote pill and quickly falls into exhausted sleep as the poison’s crisis passes.Shen Jue confronts Xiahou Pei, pointing out that Xiahou Lian never truly had a choice and implying that Xiahou Pei would have killed him if Xiahou Lian refused to return.Xiahou Pei describes Seven Fifteen as a Miao-region drug with delayed but brutal withdrawal that resurfaces every year on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and she confirms that enduring it without antidote leads to unpredictable and often fatal consequences.Shen Jue asks whether there is truly no other way to free Xiahou Lian from Qiye Garden, but Xiahou Pei counters that just as Shen Jue cannot stop being a eunuch, Xiahou Lian cannot easily escape his path.Xiahou Pei bluntly characterizes Shen Jue as treacherous, cunning, shameless, and despicable, yet acknowledges his intelligence.Shen Jue proposes a bold wager that within ten years he will free Xiahou Lian from Qiye Garden and ensure that no one can ever force him to bow again.Shen Jue stakes his own life on the bet, offering it to Xiahou Pei if he fails to free Xiahou Lian within ten years.Xiahou Pei accepts the wager after studying Shen Jue carefully, intrigued by his resolve and ambition.Shen Jue presses for more information about Seven Fifteen, and although Xiahou Pei claims ignorance of its deeper secrets, she reveals several Qiye Garden spies embedded in the capital, including Ye Facai of Jixiang Inn, Hong Sanniang and Hong Qiaojie of Hualiu Alley, Zhu Kai of Jiuzao Alley, and Yuan Zimei of the Office of the Heir Apparent.Shen Jue realizes these are low-level operatives whose exposure would not significantly damage Qiye Garden, meaning Xiahou Pei has given him limited but calculated trust.Xiahou Pei announces she will take Xiahou Lian away immediately under cover of night, intending to fight her way out if necessary.Shen Jue offers a safer route through a secret passage via a dry well leading to the Jing Mountains, revealing that he memorized the palace’s hidden map.Xiahou Pei is impressed by Shen Jue’s foresight and acknowledges that the map exists in his mind.Xiahou Pei roughly dresses the unconscious Xiahou Lian and prepares to depart, reminding Shen Jue to survive in the palace and not cause her son worry.Shen Jue gently wipes the lingering blood from Xiahou Lian’s lips and bids him farewell, promising silently that they will meet again.Xiahou Pei carries Xiahou Lian through the moonlit courtyard to the dry well and disappears into the secret passage.Shen Jue retrieves Jingtie and offers it back, but Xiahou Pei leaves the black saber in Shen Jue’s possession.Standing alone in the silent courtyard, Shen Jue feels the crushing emptiness of returning to solitude, as if the brief warmth brought by Xiahou Lian has vanished like breath in cold air.

There's Something Wrong with the Chief: Du Zhu You Bing (Novel) Vol. 2

Chapter 32: The Qianji SaberXiahou Lian runs through the dense ancient forest with ease and arrives at the Blade Cemetery, where generations of Garden assassins are buried alongside their rusted sabers, each tombstone recording their kills and how they died.Xiahou Lian recalls that he once feared the cemetery as a child, imagining ghosts of assassins and their victims, but later understood it was simply a neglected graveyard because most Garden assassins had no family to tend their graves.Xiahou Lian kneels outside the Blade Cemetery, introduces himself as a disciple under Shixin Buddha, and explains that he is heading to Huizhou on an assassination mission but lacks a proper weapon, so he has come to borrow a blade and promises to care for it and offer sacrifices.Xiahou Lian avoids older graves whose sabers might snap and finds a fresh grave belonging to Tang Lan, who died the previous January after being surrounded and killed rather than during an assassination, and who was rumored to be a former Tang Clan defector rescued by Shixin Buddha.Xiahou Lian likes Tang Lan’s ebony-hilted saber with a single-grooved blade and bows to Tang Lan’s grave, promising to return to sweep it and burn offerings, even joking that Tang Lan can send him dreams if he wants anything in the afterlife.When Xiahou Lian pulls the saber from the ground, he accidentally triggers a hidden mechanism and a needle shoots out and nearly pierces his nose, revealing the blade’s concealed weapons and the engraved name Qianji.Xiahou Lian realizes the saber contains multiple hidden needles and deliberately twists the hilt to discharge all of them before finally pulling the blade free and taking it with him despite joking that Tang Lan seems unwilling to lend it.Xiahou Lian returns down the mountain toward Qiye Garden’s village, reflecting on the temple halfway up the mountain where assassins live and train, and how the mountainside is usually deserted except for Shixin Buddha and himself when others are away on missions.Xiahou Lian remembers that as a child he accidentally burned down half the temple by setting off firecrackers, and Shixin Buddha punished him by hanging him at the gate to endure the night wind, which stopped him from ever playing with firecrackers again.Xiahou Lian catches a pheasant on the way home, cooks it in the old pot he has used since he was eight, and reflects on how Xiahou Pei raised him roughly but sometimes brought him down the mountain when he was very young, leaving him with innkeepers while she carried out assassinations.Xiahou Lian remembers how Xiahou Pei used to share roasted sweet potatoes with him and play tricks on him, such as pretending to blow on hot food before stealing big bites and frightening him with lies about tea, alcohol, soap, and losing teeth, which filled his childhood with anxiety and nightmares.After Xiahou Lian turned eight, Xiahou Pei stopped taking him down the mountain and left him alone, and when she once abandoned him completely, Qiu Ye found Xiahou Lian starving and rescued him, effectively saving his life.Xiahou Pei wakes to the smell of pheasant, mocks Xiahou Lian’s skill with a saber but praises his cooking, and Xiahou Lian attempts to persuade Xiahou Pei to help him save Shen Jue, whom he calls a natural scholar and falsely claims Dai Shengyan praised as rivaling Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan, Li Bai, and Du Fu.Xiahou Pei immediately refuses, stating that Shen Jue does not want to leave, and dismisses Xiahou Lian’s plan to ask Qiu Ye for help, challenging Xiahou Lian to act on his own instead of relying on seniors.Xiahou Lian angrily accuses Xiahou Pei of never caring about him and reminds her that without Qiu Ye he would have starved, while Xiahou Pei awkwardly insists she believed he could survive because she herself could fend for herself at eight and had taught him to cook.Xiahou Lian reveals that he has a twin brother and only learned of this through the Mahoraga, and says he discovered his brother is at the summit of Heimianfo and intends to find him.Heimianfo is described as a massive, steep cliff shaped like a black-faced Buddha south of Mount Niubizi, nearly impossible to climb, and Xiahou Lian wonders how his brother and Shixin Buddha ascend and descend it.Xiahou Pei coldly jokes that Xiahou Lian can see his brother by looking at his reflection, then bluntly states that Shixin Buddha has turned the twin into a mute, blade-wielding fool who cannot even speak.Xiahou Pei grows somber and admits that some mistakes cannot be undone, calling giving birth to Xiahou Lian and his twin her mistake, revealing deep regret and emotional weight behind her harshness.Despite her bitterness, Xiahou Pei suddenly throws documents at Xiahou Lian and agrees to accompany him on his mission, saying she will stand guard outside while Xiahou Lian faces his opponent alone and will kill anyone who tries to interfere.When Xiahou Lian asks what will happen if he loses and his enemy comes out instead, Xiahou Pei answers with a cold smile that she will die with him, showing her fierce loyalty beneath her cruel words.

Chapter 33: Sudden RainXiahou Lian arrives in Huizhou during the rainy season and infiltrates Wanchun Tower by posing as the servant of Yuenü, a thirteen-year-old maid who is about to marry Lu Qingcang, a retired former commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.Yuenü has recently been sold to the brothel and unexpectedly caught Lu Qingcang’s attention, and she is now set to marry into the Lu family, with Xiahou Lian accompanying her as part of her dowry.Xiahou Lian knows from Garden records that Lu Qingcang is cruel and lecherous, with several concubines who died under suspicious circumstances, and he resolves to kill Lu Qingcang before the wedding night or die trying.Qiu Ye appears in Huizhou as Xiahou Lian’s “sheath,” meaning he will coordinate their escape after the mission, and confirms that Xiahou Pei is also involved and cannot be persuaded to withdraw.Xiahou Lian questions whether killing Lu Qingcang is truly just, since Lu Qingcang opposed Wei De in court and protected some loyal officials, and he worries that assassinating him may harm Great Qi.Qiu Ye reveals that the person who wants Lu Qingcang dead is Yao Xing’s daughter, whose father was driven to suicide by Lu Qingcang after Lu Qingcang lusted after her, and she has married an Oirat prince and promised Qiye Garden a hundred cattle and sheep in exchange for Lu Qingcang’s head.Qiu Ye explains that right and wrong shift with time, and that the Garden does not judge morality but settles grudges and debts, while Xiahou Pei reinforces that the world’s structure ensures people like them will always exist.Xiahou Lian realizes there is no escape from the Garden due to the threat of Seven Fifteen poisoning, and Xiahou Pei tells him that any path requires paying a price and that he must stop complaining and fulfill his role.Qiu Ye and Xiahou Pei privately discuss how Xiahou Pei took the remaining lashes for Xiahou Lian after he was punished for letting Xie Jinglan escape, worsening her previous injuries from fighting the Chakravarti and leaving her with chronic pain.Qiu Ye states that if Xiahou Lian’s first kill is someone as formidable as Lu Qingcang, it will forge him into the strongest assassin, since hatred and blood temper a sharp blade.On the wedding night at the Lu residence, Xiahou Pei kicks Xiahou Lian into the bridal chamber and begins slaughtering servants outside to prevent interference.Inside the chamber, Lu Qingcang confronts Xiahou Lian, recounts how he once witnessed the Garden’s Kinnara assassinate his battalion commander, and mocks the Garden for sending a mere fourteen-year-old to kill him.Xiahou Lian declares himself from Qiye Garden and draws Qianji, engaging Lu Qingcang in a fierce duel where Lu Qingcang’s experience and tactical skill clearly surpass Xiahou Lian’s.Lu Qingcang wounds Xiahou Lian’s left arm and taunts him to return in ten years, but Xiahou Lian insists it is a fight to the death and continues attacking despite knowing he is outmatched.Xiahou Lian changes tactics by redirecting Lu Qingcang’s force and dragging out the fight to exhaust him, managing to inflict multiple superficial wounds on Lu Qingcang.Lu Qingcang deliberately lures Xiahou Lian into a predictable rhythm, then counters with a devastating strike that shatters Qianji and slashes open Xiahou Lian’s chest, leaving him gravely injured.Lu Qingcang pins Xiahou Lian down and nearly drives his blade into Xiahou Lian’s eye, but at the critical moment Yuenü stabs Lu Qingcang from behind with a broken blade.Yuenü collapses in shock, whispering that she did not intend to kill him but did not want to marry him, while Lu Qingcang dies in disbelief at being slain not by an assassin but by a young girl.Xiahou Lian rises, takes Lu Qingcang’s saber, and steps outside to find the courtyard filled with corpses, as Xiahou Pei has slaughtered nearly the entire household during the storm.Xiahou Lian tells Xiahou Pei that he won, and Xiahou Pei declares that he is now a true assassin and must learn to protect himself and those he cares about because she cannot shield him forever.A flash of lightning reveals a dark stain spreading across Xiahou Pei’s back, and Xiahou Lian realizes that she has been gravely wounded, as blood trails from her feet and she collapses forward while Xiahou Lian cries out for her.

Chapter 34: A Climb into the HeavensShen Jue personally delivers ginseng soup to Chengqian Palace, now occupied by Noble Consort Li who recently gave birth to the second prince, while the previous consort who died there has already been forgotten in the shifting tides of palace life.Noble Consort Li, once a low-ranking and gentle concubine, has become arrogant after gaining favor through the birth of the second prince, and she coldly questions Shen Jue about why the emperor has not visited her despite sending daily ginseng soup.Noble Consort Li accuses Shen Jue and others of bringing beautiful women to the emperor, specifically mentioning a Yangzhou beauty presented by Wei-gonggong who now accompanies the emperor even in the leopard enclosure.Shen Jue calmly reassures Noble Consort Li that the new beauty is only a passing novelty and emphasizes Noble Consort Li’s superior position, maintaining a flawless and controlled demeanor.In a burst of anger, Noble Consort Li throws the soup bowl and tray at Shen Jue, and although the bowl shatters on the floor, the tray strikes Shen Jue’s temple and draws blood, yet Shen Jue does not dodge or react angrily.Shen Jue continues smiling and claims he accidentally injured himself, shielding Noble Consort Li from blame and subtly reinforcing his political caution and composure.After Shen Jue leaves, it is revealed that he had secretly warned Noble Consort Li that the ginseng soup was poisoned, and that she had been growing weak from drinking it before realizing Wei De was likely attempting to eliminate both her and the second prince.Noble Consort Li understands that Wei De supports the first prince, whose legs are damaged, and sees the healthy second prince as a threat, so she decides to feign illness and shut the palace gates to protect herself and her child.Outside the palace, Shen Wenxing, Shen Jue’s twelve-year-old adopted godson, is alarmed by Shen Jue’s injury and shows genuine concern, though Shen Jue adopted him primarily to expand his influence rather than for companionship.Shen Wenxing reports progress on an investigation in Miaojiang, where fifty years ago masked black-robed figures bought up azalea blossoms and seeds and took herbalists who never returned, suggesting the figures were from Qiye Garden and silenced the witnesses.Shen Wenxing explains that Shen Jue discovered from Yunnan and Guizhou chronicles that azalea poison resembles Seven Fifteen, implying a connection between the azaleas and the Garden’s control poison.Shen Jue orders Shen Wenxing to split their men into two teams to search for wild azaleas and investigate the masked figures, showing Shen Jue’s secret effort to uncover the origins of Seven Fifteen.Shen Jue privately worries whether Xiahou Lian can afford to wait, revealing that he has searched for news of Xiahou Lian for years without finding any trace and does not know if Xiahou Lian is alive or dead.Shen Jue returns to report to Wei De, who mocks Noble Consort Li’s arrogance and indicates that rejecting the poisoned ginseng soup will not save her forever, implying continued schemes against the second prince.Wei De speaks treasonously about how uncertain it is whether a swaddled infant can survive to adulthood, suggesting he may target the second prince directly, while Shen Jue remains expressionless and unreadable.Wei De announces that Xiao Yan will be dismissed and that Shen Jue will take charge of the Eastern Depot, significantly increasing Shen Jue’s power within the imperial structure.Shen Jue prostrates himself and swears loyalty to Wei De, outwardly pledging to endure fire and water for him, even as he secretly conducts his own investigation tied to Qiye Garden and Seven Fifteen.

Chapter 35: A Blithe DepartureXiahou Lian waits on the mountain as snow falls, growing increasingly uneasy because Xiahou Pei has not returned from her mission, even though she usually avoids traveling in winter.Xiahou Lian reflects that three years have passed since his first solo assassination and that he only later learned Xiahou Pei took fifty-one lashes in his place after he let Shen Jue escape, worsening her old injuries and shattering his belief that she was invincible.Over those three years, Xiahou Lian frequently changed blades to conceal his identity, earning the quiet nickname Wuminggui in the jianghu because no one could trace him through a consistent weapon.Restless, Xiahou Lian searches Xiahou Pei’s room and finds the mission brief revealing that Xiahou Pei’s target is Liu Guicang, master of Jingdao Villa in Liuzhou and a renowned heir to katana saber techniques who once defeated sixteen sects and forced one to close.Xiahou Lian recalls the scandal surrounding Liu Guicang, who maintained a vast harem and brutally punished a concubine and a disciple who eloped, grinding the man’s bones to dust on Mount Tai and sinking the woman’s body in the East Sea to prevent their reunion even in death.Xiahou Lian wonders how Liu Guicang’s swordsmanship compares to Xiahou Pei’s, remembering that the abbot once described Xiahou Pei’s blade as free of hatred and impurity, embodying life and death itself.In Liuzhou during a torrential downpour, Xiahou Pei is revealed fleeing through the forest, gravely wounded and pursued by dozens of Liu Guicang’s disciples, with no sheath appearing to aid her escape.Cornered and bleeding, Xiahou Pei refuses to surrender and mocks the disciples, recalling her legendary battle fifteen years earlier when she slaughtered thirty men and cemented her title as Garuda, synonymous with death.Liu Guicang personally confronts Xiahou Pei, declaring himself her true enemy and claiming he will become known as the man who killed the Garuda, while Xiahou Pei arrogantly retorts that she is both the world’s best assassin and swordsman.Xiahou Pei taunts Liu Guicang by saying he can never become the best swordsman because he is burdened by crooked thoughts, and the two engage in a fierce duel under the rain.Despite her severe injuries, Xiahou Pei unleashes a relentless assault that forces Liu Guicang onto the defensive, but as her stamina wanes and openings appear, Liu Guicang thrusts toward her heart.Xiahou Pei deliberately takes the strike in her shoulder and fires a hidden arrow from her sleeve, blinding Liu Guicang in one eye and disfiguring him.Enraged and in agony, Liu Guicang orders his disciples to kill Xiahou Pei and desecrate her body publicly to announce the Garuda’s fall to the world.Surrounded and overwhelmed, Xiahou Pei continues fighting like a demon in the storm while recalling a past conversation atop Heimianfo where a black-robed monk warned her that Xiahou Lian would become the burden that one day weighs down Hengbo.Xiahou Pei had once declared she was unafraid because Xiahou Lian would grow into a man who could stand on his own, allowing her to lay down Hengbo forever.As the disciples swarm her, multiple sabers pierce Xiahou Pei’s limbs and back, breaking her bones and forcing her to her knees while Hengbo falls and is trampled into the mud.With her last strength, Xiahou Pei slashes her own face with a dagger to prevent her enemies from displaying her intact features, choosing to defy them even in death.The disciples continue beating her until she dies, and when they attempt to lift her body, her shattered left arm tears free from her torso.Liu Guicang retrieves Hengbo from the mud and personally decapitates Xiahou Pei’s corpse, marking the brutal end of the legendary Garuda.

Chapter 36: Without a TraceXiahou Lian wakes in the night thinking he hears Xiahou Pei call his name, but when he searches their home there is no sign of her return, and panic begins to rise in his chest.Xiahou Lian runs to Qiu Ye and insists on going down the mountain to meet Xiahou Pei, and Qiu Ye permits him to go but reminds him to take the antidote from the alms bowl in the temple.Xiahou Lian secretly takes two dark antidote pills from the alms bowl beside the abbot, who appears to notice but says nothing as Xiahou Lian leaves.Xiahou Lian steals Uncle Duan’s old horse and braves the snowstorm alone, pushing through exhaustion and freezing conditions until he reaches the mountain’s base and continues riding day and night toward Liuzhou.Upon arriving in Liuzhou, Xiahou Lian searches the five hidden Garden relay stations and questions every agent, but none have seen Xiahou Pei or received word of her.Xiahou Lian learns from an innkeeper that Xiahou Pei had rented a room for three months but only stayed for half that time before disappearing, and she did not request a sheath for this mission, meaning she likely had no backup.Xiahou Lian wanders the city in mounting dread, eventually visiting Jingdao Villa where everything appears normal, with no signs of mourning, suggesting Xiahou Pei failed her assassination of Liu Guicang.Xiahou Lian sends a letter through a relay station to confirm whether Xiahou Pei has returned to the Garden, still clinging to hope that they may have missed each other.At the north market, Xiahou Lian notices a foul, headless corpse left exposed in the street, its body mutilated, left arm severed, and flesh crawling with maggots as passersby avoid it.As sunset casts golden light over the corpse, Xiahou Lian feels an inexplicable chill and begins to cry without understanding why, drawn step by step toward the body.Xiahou Lian examines the disfigured corpse and recognizes the coarse black garment with uneven stitching at the hem, realizing he himself had sewn those clothes for Xiahou Pei the previous autumn.Despite the face being slashed beyond recognition and the body shattered and desecrated, Xiahou Lian understands that the corpse is Xiahou Pei, his mother, publicly humiliated and destroyed.Overwhelmed by grief, Xiahou Lian collapses while cradling Xiahou Pei’s broken body, remembering her laughter, her teasing, and her fierce silhouette, now reduced to a mutilated corpse.Heavy footsteps announce the arrival of Liu Guicang leading his disciplined disciples armed with katana sabers, and Xiahou Lian instantly recognizes Liu Guicang as Xiahou Pei’s killer.Consumed by rage and vengeance, Xiahou Lian gently lays Xiahou Pei down, draws his saber, and prepares to charge Liu Guicang in a suicidal attempt at revenge.Before Xiahou Lian can take more than a step, he is struck sharply at the back of the neck by an unseen attacker, instantly losing all strength and collapsing to the ground.As consciousness fades, Xiahou Lian’s eyes remain fixed on Liu Guicang’s gray-streaked, blade-carved face until darkness overtakes him completely.

Chapter 37: No Soul to ReturnXiahou Lian wakes believing Xiahou Pei’s mutilated death was only a nightmare, but quickly realizes it is real and tries to rush out to retrieve her body, only to be stopped by Uncle Duan and Qiu Ye who insist he must flee Liuzhou immediately because Liu Guicang’s disciples are searching house to house for him.Xiahou Lian refuses to leave, declaring he must bury Xiahou Pei and kill Liu Guicang, but Uncle Duan harshly tells him he will only die pointlessly and become another spectacle in the marketplace beside his mother.Qiu Ye explains that Xiahou Pei deliberately disfigured her own face so Xiahou Lian would not recognize her and would not throw his life away in revenge, revealing that Xiahou Lian was her only attachment in the world.Overcome with grief yet still determined, Xiahou Lian attempts to leave the inn with his saber, but Duan Jiu shoots arrows into his side and knee to stop him, and even after falling down the stairs bleeding, Xiahou Lian continues crawling toward the door.Qiu Ye physically restrains Xiahou Lian and forces him to look out the window at Liu Guicang’s disciplined disciples, telling him he is nothing more than an ant and that if he dies now, he will only cement Liu Guicang’s reputation as the world’s greatest swordsman.Liu Guicang rides into the street and publicly calls out Xiahou Lian, mocking him as a coward for hiding while his mother’s corpse lies exposed, trying to provoke him into coming out.When Xiahou Lian does not appear, Liu Guicang orders wolfhounds brought forth and threatens to let them devour Xiahou Pei’s body if Xiahou Lian continues hiding.The assassins restrain Xiahou Lian as the dogs begin tearing into Xiahou Pei’s corpse, ripping away flesh and exposing bone, while Xiahou Lian trembles helplessly and weeps.The newly appointed Mahoraga and other assassins tell Xiahou Lian that Xiahou Pei’s death is partly due to him, because when he let Shen Jue escape years ago, Xiahou Pei took his lashes and worsened her old injuries, which later weakened her in the damp climate of Liuzhou.Liu Guicang counts down publicly and, when Xiahou Lian still does not emerge, allows the dogs to crush and devour Xiahou Pei’s head, further humiliating her corpse in the street.Xiahou Lian, hollow and shattered, announces he is going to sleep and retreats upstairs alone, enduring the sound of bones being crushed outside without turning back.Uncle Duan later brings Xiahou Lian Hengbo, revealing he recovered the blade from the woods, and recounts Xiahou Pei’s legendary status as the Garuda in the Central Plains and Avoru in the Western Regions.Uncle Duan reveals that Xiahou Lian’s father is Shixin Buddha, the abbot of Qiye Garden, and that Xiahou Lian’s twin brother Chiyan inherited Shixin Buddha’s swordplay and resides on Heimianfo Peak.Uncle Duan urges Xiahou Lian to find Chiyan and learn the strongest saber techniques in the world so he can one day surpass Liu Guicang and take Xiahou Pei’s place as the world’s strongest assassin.The assassins arrange their escape from Liuzhou in groups, placing Xiahou Lian in the first group under watch because of his unstable state, and Xiahou Lian obeys silently without resistance.Half a mile outside the city, Xiahou Lian dismounts, kneels toward Liuzhou, and prostrates three times, declaring himself an unfilial son and swearing an unending feud against Jingdao Villa and Liu Guicang.Qiu Ye warns Xiahou Lian that vengeance only creates endless cycles of killing, but Xiahou Lian vows he will never marry, have children, take disciples, or make friends, ending all ties with himself so the cycle dies with him.Hardened by hatred and grief, Xiahou Lian rises with the eyes of a wounded lone wolf, and Qiu Ye realizes that once healed, Xiahou Lian will return someday with sharpened claws to exact revenge.

Chapter 38: Returning Once MoreShen Jue, now chief of the Eastern Depot and second only to Wei De in influence, visits Consort Li during a harsh winter, presenting tributary furs and subtly guiding her choice toward black sable to maintain her image of refined elegance.Consort Li privately confides her anxieties about the emperor’s recent visit and the empress’s veiled hostility, revealing that her reputation for virtue and composure has largely been shaped by Shen Jue’s careful coaching over the years.Shen Jue reassures Consort Li that lying low does not mean weakness but strategic restraint, advising her to maintain decorum so the empress cannot openly target her while the emperor’s favor still protects her.Consort Li presents the second prince to Shen Jue, implying that she and her son rely entirely on him, and hints that he is like a second father to the child, but Shen Jue coolly deflects the suggestion and distances himself.After leaving Chengqian Palace, Shen Jue reflects on his burdens and recalls kneeling in the snow with Xiahou Lian years ago, remembering how Xiahou Lian once carried him back to Qiuwu Courtyard.At a luncheon hosted by the minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Shen Jue listens impassively to flattery until a disheveled woman named Zhu Mingyue bursts in and throws herself at his feet, begging for rescue after being abducted by the minister’s eldest son.The minister and his son attempt to dismiss Zhu Mingyue as a mad servant’s daughter, but Zhu Mingyue insists she is betrothed to Situ Jin and was kidnapped while vulnerable.Shen Jue coldly tells Zhu Mingyue that she dirtied his shoes and enters his carriage without immediately rescuing her, allowing the minister’s servants to drag her back inside.Situ Jin, who has prepared to propose to Zhu Mingyue on her birthday with a gilded hairpin and marriage arrangements, learns she has been abducted and resolves to storm the minister’s residence with his saber despite likely consequences.As Shen Jue departs, Shen Wenxing delivers Shen Jue’s order that Zhu Mingyue be taken to the Eastern Depot to “clean” his boots, forcing the minister to release her despite reluctance.Shen Wenxing mistakenly assumes Shen Jue rescued Zhu Mingyue for personal pleasure and hints that she should serve him, but Shen Jue throws a shoe at Shen Wenxing and rebukes him sharply.On Haizi Bridge, Zhu Mingyue reunites with Situ Jin and explains that the chief of the Eastern Depot saved her, prompting Situ Jin to bow in gratitude and pledge lifelong service to Shen Jue.Shen Jue recounts Situ Jin’s past: his top score in the imperial military exams, his skill as an archer, his demotion after abandoning his post during Qiye Garden’s assassination of the late noble consort, and his punishment after shooting the first prince’s horse and injuring the prince’s leg.Shen Jue reveals that he owes Situ Jin his life from the events surrounding that past incident and offers him a position as company commander in the Eastern Depot, providing Situ Jin with advancement and binding him into Shen Jue’s power structure.

Chapter 39: Planning Far AheadLiu Guicang sits in Fenglai Water Pavilion at Jingdao Villa, basking in triumph as sects from across the jianghu present their blade manuals to him, symbolizing his dominance and ambition to gather all saber techniques under his control.A black-cloaked figure appears within the pavilion and congratulates Liu Guicang for unifying the blade manuals, subtly flattering him while comparing him to Shixin Buddha, the legendary abbot of Qiye Garden.Liu Guicang admits that Shixin Buddha remains an insurmountable legend whose past slaughter made him unrivaled, yet reveals his desire to surpass or even kill Shixin Buddha.The black-cloaked figure mocks Liu Guicang’s ambition and refuses to betray Shixin Buddha despite Liu Guicang offering increasing sums of silver, exposing Liu Guicang’s belief that loyalty can always be bought.The black-cloaked figure recounts the origin of Qiye Garden, describing how ancient swordsmen answered written prayers in temples and evolved into assassins who kill by name, claiming that modern Garden assassins kill for nothing rather than mere money.Liu Guicang demands Xiahou Lian’s life instead, but the black-cloaked figure refuses again, revealing that Xiahou Lian is half the Garuda and the future of Qiye Garden.The black-cloaked figure admits that cooperating with Liu Guicang was meant to forge Xiahou Lian through hatred and blood, declaring that Liu Guicang’s blood will lay the foundation for Xiahou Lian’s rise as leader of Qiye Garden.Liu Guicang is shaken by the implication that he has been used as a stepping stone to temper Xiahou Lian, and despite mocking Xiahou Lian as a coward, he feels fear recalling the look in Xiahou Lian’s eyes.The black-cloaked figure leaves through the forest, musing that Xiahou Lian also needs a beautiful and gentle woman to help him mature from grief into manhood.At the Eastern Depot, an urgent report arrives informing Shen Jue that Xiahou Pei has been killed by Liu Guicang, her corpse desecrated by dogs in the marketplace, and that Qiye Garden has not yet retaliated.Shen Jue drops his teacup in shock and urgently asks about Xiahou Lian, but there is no news of him, deepening Shen Jue’s anxiety.Shen Jue learns that Xiahou Pei’s old lash wounds flared up in the rain during her duel, weakening her and contributing to her death, and he realizes those wounds came from when Xiahou Pei took punishment for Xiahou Lian after Xiahou Lian saved Shen Jue years ago.Shen Jue is tormented by guilt, understanding that his own survival indirectly caused Xiahou Pei’s death and possibly Xiahou Lian’s suffering, and wonders whether Xiahou Lian would blame or avoid him forever.A poor mother and son deliver a sandalwood box left by a female martial artist surnamed Xiahou, who had saved their child and instructed them to bring the box to the Eastern Depot if she did not return within six months.Shen Jue opens the box and finds a deed to a house on Jinggong Lane registered under Xiahou Lian’s name, revealing that Xiahou Pei had secretly prepared a safe future for her son.The mother explains she trusted Xiahou Pei because she recognized her as a mother who would not do wrong, reinforcing Xiahou Pei’s hidden compassion beneath her ruthless reputation.Shen Jue dismisses the visitors with silver and places the box beside the blade Jingtie, realizing that Xiahou Pei foresaw her death and entrusted him with fulfilling their ten-year promise.Shen Jue silently acknowledges Xiahou Pei’s far-reaching plans for Xiahou Lian and resolves to answer her final wish, indicating he will take action regarding Xiahou Lian’s future.

Chapter 40: The Black-Faced BuddhaXiahou Lian climbs Heimianfo in deep winter carrying only cold buns, flint, rope, and Hengbo, returning briefly to the desolate bamboo house where he still instinctively prepares two bowls and knocks on Xiahou Pei’s door, unable to adjust to her absence.Xiahou Lian reflects that unlike other assassins who die without descendants, Xiahou Pei left behind him as proof she once lived, and only Xiahou Lian can mourn and avenge her.After a full day of climbing, Xiahou Lian rests in a cave on Heimianfo’s shoulder and hears the haunting sound of a xun drifting through the snowy night, realizing it must be Chiyan playing.Xiahou Lian imagines Chiyan as another lonely child staring at the same mountain, understanding for the first time that his twin brother has also spent seventeen years isolated atop Heimianfo.The next day, Xiahou Lian reaches the summit and finds a tiny courtyard with thatched huts but no sign of Chiyan until he discovers a hidden cave behind dead ivy.Inside the cave, Xiahou Lian encounters Chiyan, who looks nearly identical to him except for their eyes, and Chiyan immediately attacks without hesitation, declaring that anyone ascending without the abbot’s permission must die.Xiahou Lian narrowly avoids being killed and reveals his face, shouting that he is Chiyan’s younger brother, which finally causes Chiyan to hesitate.Chiyan displays childlike confusion about the concept of a younger brother and even wonders whether Xiahou Lian is simply another version of himself, revealing his social ignorance despite his deadly skill.Xiahou Lian realizes that Shixin Buddha never explained family bonds to Chiyan, and that Chiyan has been raised in isolation, knowing only killing and obedience.Xiahou Lian settles atop Heimianfo, cooking and sleeping in the hut while observing Chiyan’s quiet habits, including perching in trees to stare into the distance and playing the xun, preferring the mountain to the world below.Chiyan’s saber Shana moves with such speed that fights end instantly, and when Xiahou Lian asks to spar, Chiyan seriously attempts to kill him, unable to distinguish practice from real combat.Chiyan recounts how Shixin Buddha brought real opponents for him to kill as training, including Achacuo from the Western Regions, the Snowy Mountain Twin Eagles, a Japanese swordsman, and even ten fighters at once, all of whom Chiyan slaughtered.Xiahou Lian understands that Chiyan has been forged into a pure weapon by Shixin Buddha, treated not as a son but as a blade to be sharpened through bloodshed.Consumed by anger and ambition, Xiahou Lian briefly resolves to climb mountains of corpses and rule life and death at will just as powerful men do, embracing the idea of becoming a blade soaked in endless blood.Chiyan unexpectedly splashes cold water over Xiahou Lian, calmly stating that the mortal world cannot bend to one’s wishes, revealing surprising clarity beneath his apparent foolishness.When Chiyan innocently suggests that if Xiahou Pei is dead Xiahou Lian could simply find another mother, Xiahou Lian realizes the depth of Chiyan’s emotional incomprehension and chooses not to argue.Xiahou Lian decides he will teach Chiyan about the world, joking that he will bring him books like Standards for a Good Disciple and The Plum in the Golden Vase so Chiyan will not be deceived if he ever descends the mountain.

Chapter 41: Kill Without MercyXiahou Lian repeatedly challenges Chiyan to spar, losing ninety-eight times in a row as Chiyan effortlessly knocks Hengbo from his hands, leaving Xiahou Lian’s palms split and bleeding into the snow.Despite Xiahou Lian’s frustration and despair over his lack of talent, Chiyan sincerely tries to comfort him, saying he is not hopeless but merely slow, and suggesting absurd alternatives like outliving Liu Guicang or changing professions entirely.In early spring, Xiahou Lian descends the mountain to fetch warmer clothes and books, bringing back texts such as Standards for a Good Disciple and Intimate Scenes of Leisurely Love to educate Chiyan about morality and human relationships.Xiahou Lian attempts to explain the concept of a wife to Chiyan, outlining that a wife must be human, female, and someone one likes, only for Chiyan to innocently declare that he likes Xiahou Lian and ask if Xiahou Lian can be his wife.Xiahou Lian realizes how emotionally undeveloped Chiyan is, understanding that although Chiyan is a peerless swordsman, he lacks basic human knowledge and social awareness.Xiahou Lian’s training stagnates as he continues to lose instantly to Chiyan, growing increasingly consumed by rage and grief over Xiahou Pei’s death and doubting whether he has any talent at all.Overwhelmed by jealousy and despair, Xiahou Lian wishes Xiahou Pei had raised Chiyan instead, believing Chiyan could have killed Liu Guicang easily, while he himself feels like useless trash.Chiyan unexpectedly offers to capture disciples from Jingdao Villa for Xiahou Lian to practice on, suggesting real combat as a method of improvement.A carrier pigeon delivers a letter from Shixin Buddha asking whether Chiyan will accept a job purchased by Liu Guicang to assassinate a Northern grandmaster, revealing that Qiye Garden continues to accept contracts even from Xiahou Pei’s killer.Xiahou Lian is enraged that Shixin Buddha would take Liu Guicang’s money after Xiahou Pei’s death, but Chiyan calmly states he will not take the job and someone else will.Realizing that Qiye Garden operates purely on contracts and does not care about Xiahou Pei’s death, Xiahou Lian suppresses his anger and tells Chiyan to capture as many Jingdao Villa disciples as possible.The brothers travel to Liuzhou, where Xiahou Lian searches mass graves for any remains of Xiahou Pei but finds none, concluding that Liu Guicang likely destroyed her body completely.They rent a fortified courtyard once used by traffickers, and Chiyan begins abducting Jingdao Villa disciples and locking them in an iron cage for Xiahou Lian to fight.During interrogation, captured disciples reveal their participation in mutilating Xiahou Pei’s corpse, boasting about slashing her body, breaking her leg, and suggesting the use of wolfhounds to bait Xiahou Lian.Hearing their confessions, Xiahou Lian’s grief transforms into cold fury, and he commands them to fight him rather than kill each other, choosing to slaughter them personally.Xiahou Lian kills three disciples in swift succession using Garden techniques, experiencing a disturbing surge of exhilaration as blood splashes and bones break beneath Hengbo.Chiyan releases two more disciples, and Xiahou Lian continues killing without hesitation, his movements becoming more decisive and lethal.The final disciple pretends to beg for mercy, claiming poverty and innocence, but secretly draws a concealed willow-leaf dagger to stab Xiahou Lian in the heart.Chiyan intervenes at the critical moment, guiding Xiahou Lian’s hand to deflect the dagger and slit the man’s throat, preventing Xiahou Lian’s hesitation from costing him his life.Chiyan warns Xiahou Lian never to hesitate in killing, stating that demons will seize anyone who falters, reinforcing the ruthless mindset necessary to survive as an assassin.

Chapter 42: The Night’s ChillSeven bodies lie scattered among shattered blue-and-white porcelain, including Eunuch Wang, whose throat was slit in a single stroke, his two attendants killed simultaneously with twin-bladed Garden knives, and three shop attendants cut down from behind to silence witnesses, while the old shopkeeper’s blood stains the azaleas in the courtyard.Situ Jin concludes the killer was a ruthless Garden assassin hired for jianghu-style revenge because Eunuch Wang had arrested and beaten several martial artists to death.Shen Wenxing explains Eunuch Wang had recently been drained financially by an adopted relative’s son who squandered money in pleasure districts, driving Eunuch Wang to desperate actions that ultimately led to his death.Officers discover a surviving kitchen worker hiding in the rafters who has gone mad, babbling about a ghost.Shen Jue orders him revived with smelling salts, and under questioning the man reenacts the assassin’s posture and declares himself “Wuminggui of the Garden,” saying he came to send Eunuch Wang to paradise.The survivor identifies the weapon as Hengbo, shocking Shen Wenxing because Hengbo once belonged to the Garuda.Shen Jue internally envisions Xiahou Lian wielding Hengbo under the moonlight, realizing they have been separated for seven years and suspecting Xiahou Lian is now the Wuminggui.Situ Jin explains Wuminggui has committed multiple brutal killings including a wealthy man’s beheading in Suzhou and is known for cruelty, disguise, and eluding the Embroidered Uniform Guard.Shen Jue orders all files on Wuminggui brought to him in the capital and leaves the crime scene without acknowledging the gathered crowd.A message from the Noble Consort arrives with a handmade golden tassel, but Shen Jue contemptuously throws it out the carriage window and crushes it beneath the wheel.Shen Jue travels at dusk to Qinhuai River, recalling his teacher Dai Shengyan and childhood memories while observing the lavish pleasure district.Shen Wenxing comments on the elegance of Qinhuai courtesans and suggests Situ Jin enjoy himself, but Situ Jin ignores him.Shen Jue secures a private room in a floating pavilion, where Shen Wenxing reveals a hidden panel to contact their planted spy Gao Nian next door.Gao Nian reports he has earned Qiye Garden’s trust and taken control of a secret base at the Confucius Temple while remaining loyal to Shen Jue in exchange for protection of his family.Gao Nian reveals Wuminggui’s real identity as Xiahou Lian, son of former Garuda Xiahou Pei, who works alone, has hidden dens, and has risen rapidly but is isolated within the Garden.Gao Nian explains Tang Shiqi, once captured by Liu Guicang and rescued by Xiahou Lian, now serves him, and Xiahou Lian infiltrated the Tang Clan disguised as Tang Shiqi, burned their library, mastered seventy-two mechanical arts, stole mechanical wings, and escaped by flying over a net trap into the Jialing River.Situ Jin confirms the Tang Clan incident and states Xiahou Lian stole various saber arts, including the Seven-Star Chain-Saber arts from Tian Shan, to prepare for revenge against Liu Guicang and counter katana techniques.Gao Nian identifies Shu Qing, Xiahou Lian’s timid shidi, as wielder of the flute blade Yizhichun and constant companion on assignments.Gao Nian describes the Garden’s underground city, a shadow network mirroring the court’s institutions where criminals, assassins, bandits, and prostitutes coexist.Shen Jue coldly reflects on this hidden kingdom and rewards Gao Nian by showing him his son’s schoolwork as proof his family is protected.An ambush begins as a black arrow extinguishes the candle, assassins smash through the wall, and Eastern Depot officers reveal themselves from disguises among drunken patrons.Dark-clad assassins wearing white porcelain masks emerge from the river but are intercepted and slaughtered by officers waiting below the bridge.When lamps are relit, three assassins are captured, but Gao Nian lies mortally wounded with a dagger in his chest.Gao Nian admits his cover was blown long ago and that Qiye Garden tried to bribe him to lure Shen Jue, but he chose loyalty because his family’s safety depended on Shen Jue, and before dying he warns that Xiahou Lian has a powerful maid named Zhaoye who never leaves his side.Shen Jue reacts sharply to the mention of a maid and interrogates a captured assassin, who refuses to answer and instead declares Shen Jue’s name has been inscribed in the Garden’s book of lives.Shen Jue orders the three captured Qiye Garden assassins sent to Fang Cunzheng for Seven Fifteen experiments, implying torture that leaves victims senseless and bleeding from every orifice.After the room falls silent, Shen Jue unexpectedly asks Situ Jin whether he would still recognize Zhu Mingyue if she changed beyond recognition, and Situ Jin firmly replies that because Zhu Mingyue is his wife, he would always recognize her no matter how she changed.

Chapter 43: Willow TipsSeveral jianghu travelers gather at a mountain inn drinking thin winter wine and discussing The Garden Ghost Registry, debating rankings of famous Garden blades such as Kinnara’s Qiushui, Shana’s weapon, and Hengbo now wielded by Wuminggui, while rumors spread that Wuminggui recently killed another target.The travelers gossip that Zhaoye is an unparalleled beauty who follows Wuminggui, with some claiming she was once engaged to Tang Shiqi and taken by Xiahou Lian, provoking arguments about honor and pride.A man wrapped in a blanket in the corner contradicts them, trembling as he insists Zhaoye has no eyebrows, no eyes, and no mouth.The inn doors burst open and a slender girl with wide sleeves steps into the light as a hoarse voice announces that Wuminggui of Qiye Garden has come to send a man to paradise.The girl reveals bladelike mechanical arms and a porcelain mask with hollow eye sockets, terrifying the room as she attacks the man in the blanket.The man slashes at Zhaoye’s shoulder, but his saber chips against metal, revealing she is not human, and she retaliates by severing his arm in one stroke.Xiahou Lian enters, confirming himself as Wuminggui, mocking the wounded man named Gao for fleeing from Hangzhou and refusing his pleas for mercy despite offers of money.Gao attempts a hidden arrow attack, grazing Xiahou Lian’s arm, but Xiahou Lian subdues him, burns his face in hot coals, and signals Zhaoye through nearly invisible Qianji Thread wrapped around his fingers.The travelers realize Zhaoye is a mechanical puppet controlled by Xiahou Lian’s threads, and Zhaoye decapitates Gao cleanly, placing his head into a snakeskin bag.The old innkeeper condemns Xiahou Lian for perpetuating vengeance, but Xiahou Lian coldly retorts that such words are meaningless if one’s own family had been murdered and violated.Xiahou Lian and Zhaoye depart through mountains blazing with azaleas, symbolizing the sea of fire he has crossed to become the feared Wuminggui at twenty-one.It is revealed that Xiahou Lian struggled with swordsmanship despite killing many Jingdao Villa disciples, could not last seven moves against Chiyan, and remained overshadowed by Liu Guicang, who rose to dominance after killing Garuda Xiahou Pei and consolidating power in the jianghu.Driven by revenge for his mother and father, Xiahou Lian exhumed Tang Lan, discovered The Heavenly Craft Manual detailing Qianji Thread and puppetry, and pursued mechanical arts as an alternative path to defeating Liu Guicang.Xiahou Lian rescued Tang Shiqi from execution, infiltrated the Tang Clan disguised as Tang Shiqi, copied mechanical diagrams with help from Tang Shiqi and Shu Qing, and found a substitute mineral to forge a weaker version of Qianji Thread.Though Xiahou Lian’s Qianji Thread cannot cut metal, it suffices to control a killing puppet, leading to the creation of Zhaoye as a peerless mechanical assassin.Growing impatient after four years, Xiahou Lian considers assassinating Liu Guicang soon and returns to Jinling’s Wanxiang Tower, where his bounty is sent to the bank and attendants suggest he claim a new courtesan Liushao-er, which he bluntly refuses.Xiahou Lian isolates himself in his room, revealing a body covered in scars and a severe abdominal wound from the Hangzhou mission that he had sealed with artificial skin, now reopening painfully as he treats it.After recovering, Xiahou Lian drinks by the river with Tang Shiqi, who jokes crudely about Xiahou Lian’s celibacy and Zhaoye, while distant chaos erupts as Qiye Garden agents assault a pleasure boat.Xiahou Lian speculates whether the Garden’s target is from the jianghu or the imperial court and reflects bitterly on Shen Jue’s rise to power as head of the Eastern Depot, believing himself inferior in talent compared to Shen Jue and Chiyan.Xiahou Lian announces his intention to assassinate Liu Guicang next month, asking Tang Shiqi to serve as his sheath, refusing to wait until Qianji Thread is perfected and accepting the risk of death.Inside Wanxiang Tower, Shu Qing, gentle and scholarly disciple of Qiu Ye, admires the debuting courtesan Liushao-er and submits a flower-themed poem under Xiahou Lian’s name because he finds his own name too effeminate.Madam announces that Xiahou Lian has won Liushao-er’s favor and will share her bridal chamber, leaving Xiahou Lian furious at Shu Qing’s impulsive act while Tang Shiqi laughs and teases him about his name sounding delicate.

Chapter 44: No Way BackXiahou Lian refuses to consummate the arranged night with Liushao-er, pays all required silver and dowry expenses, then forcibly dresses Shu Qing in wedding robes and shoves him into the bridal chamber in his place, shocking the madam.The madam protests and reveals that Qiye Garden elders deliberately chose Liushao-er for Xiahou Lian so he could live like an ordinary married man when resting at Wanxiang Tower, but Xiahou Lian rejects the arrangement and refuses to settle down.Inside the bridal chamber, Shu Qing nervously approaches Liushao-er, who realizes he wrote the delicate flower poem and expresses relief that she does not have to marry Xiahou Lian, whom she finds intimidating and brutal-looking.Liushao-er recounts how a friend was abused by a jianghu husband and swears she never wanted to marry a man from the martial world, instead dreaming of marrying a scholar who might pass the imperial exams.Shu Qing, himself an assassin, chooses not to reveal his identity and assures Liushao-er he would never treat her cruelly, effectively beginning their relationship under a lie of omission.Outside, Liu Xiangnu reports to a man in black that Xiahou Lian refused Liushao-er, and the man in black admits he intended for Xiahou Lian to learn that love is fleeting and that only blades are reliable, but decides to let events unfold and allow Shu Qing to mature through experience.The next morning, Xiahou Lian walks by the quiet Qinhuai River and finds Chiyan washing women’s clothes, having been casually exploited by the brothel women for chores in exchange for small tokens.Corpses from the previous night’s failed assassination float down the river, including a Garden base-keeper Chiyan recognizes, and Xiahou Lian helps haul the body ashore while warning Chiyan not to mention the corpses to the women.Chiyan reveals he has been summoned by the abbot to return to the mountain and assassinate an Oirat leader, accepting the mission without hesitation.Xiahou Lian questions whether Chiyan has any personal desires, but Chiyan replies that his wishes align completely with Xiahou Lian and the abbot, expressing deep loyalty and affection for Xiahou Lian and seeing them as two versions of the same person.Xiahou Lian feels bitterness toward the abbot for treating Chiyan like a weapon but ultimately reciprocates Chiyan’s affection, acknowledging their bond.Tang Shiqi teases them about brotherly love, and Xiahou Lian gives Shu Qing a large stack of banknotes, instructing him to stand independently, gently reveal a criminal past to Liushao-er without mentioning the Garden, and build a life with her if she chooses him.Shu Qing insists on accompanying Xiahou Lian to Liuzhou to help assassinate Liu Guicang, claiming he wants to make up for taking Liushao-er, and after persistent pleading Xiahou Lian reluctantly agrees.Chiyan declines to join them and returns to Qiye Garden, leaving Xiahou Lian, Tang Shiqi, and Shu Qing to depart together after Shu Qing bids Liushao-er an emotional farewell at Tongji Gate.Tang Shiqi jokes about not receiving a proper send-off and mocks Shen Jue, calling him a beautiful eunuch who rose through flattery, but Xiahou Lian angrily defends Shen Jue and rebukes Tang Shiqi for insulting him.Tang Shiqi warns that Shen Jue, now head of the Eastern Depot, has been capturing Garden agents and assassins across the capital with none returning alive, intensifying pressure on Qiye Garden.Xiahou Lian silently wonders whether Shen Jue still remembers him and whether he could beg for mercy if captured, revealing lingering emotional ties.Prison carts escorted by Jingdao Villa disciples roll out of the city carrying ragged prisoners, and Xiahou Lian’s expression hardens at the sight.Onlookers gossip that Liu Guicang was cuckolded, his legitimate wife committed adultery with a guard, his three sons were not biologically his, and he drowned his wife and hunted down the sons, damaging his reputation across the jianghu.Tang Shiqi mocks Liu Guicang as a cuckolded turtle unfit to preach martial justice, while Xiahou Lian silently stares at the Qianji Thread wrapped around his fingers and vows inwardly to kill Liu Guicang, fully committed to a path with no way back.

Chapter 45: The Night’s ReturnXiahou Lian decides to assassinate Liu Guicang alone despite fierce opposition from Tang Shiqi and Shu Qing, refusing to seek help from Garden agents because he despises the abbot for accepting Liu Guicang’s money to kill the Northern sect’s grandmaster after Xiahou Lian’s mother died.Xiahou Lian insists that with Hengbo and the mechanical puppet Zhaoye he can kill Liu Guicang without outside assistance, revealing his pride and resentment toward Qiye Garden’s leadership.Xiahou Lian outlines his meticulous plan using a map of Liuzhou, explaining Liu Guicang’s routine of inspecting twenty-three businesses on the first and fifteenth of each month, dining at Dexian Building, and leaving through the east gate around nine at night, where Xiahou Lian intends to ambush him.Xiahou Lian explains that attacking Jingdao Villa directly would be suicide due to the three thousand disciples and coordinated katana formations, so he chooses an outdoor ambush where Zhaoye’s blade-resistant body can handle multiple opponents.Xiahou Lian promises to retreat if the first strike fails and reveals he has purchased a shop near the east gate as backup for Tang Shiqi and Shu Qing, showing he has prepared escape routes and contingencies.After Xiahou Lian leaves, Tang Shiqi secretly tells Shu Qing they will disobey orders by hiring additional men to lie in ambush and save Xiahou Lian if necessary.Xiahou Lian completes final preparations by upgrading Zhaoye’s blade arm, scouting Liuzhou thoroughly, mapping three escape routes, and preparing for numerous contingencies, making the assassination as foolproof as possible.On the eve of the attempt, Xiahou Lian sits on the roof of his secret courtyard hideout filled with humanoid iron puppets modeled after Zhaoye, discarded crossbow bolts, saber molds, and stolen Tang Clan manuals, reflecting years of obsessive training and invention.Tang Shiqi joins Xiahou Lian and recalls how Xiahou Lian once rescued him from Jingdao Villa disciples by killing them effortlessly, though at the time Xiahou Lian had only been targeting Liu Guicang’s men rather than saving Tang Shiqi specifically.Tang Shiqi confesses that Tang Lan, whose grave Xiahou Lian dug up for mechanical secrets, was actually Tang Shiqi’s sixth uncle who raised him, and Tang Shiqi admits he does not even know whom to avenge, contrasting his aimlessness with Xiahou Lian’s focused vengeance.Xiahou Lian explains that life must have something worth sacrificing for and that even if Garuda Xiahou Pei would not want revenge, he cannot escape the haunting memory of his mother’s death and the humiliation of being powerless.Xiahou Lian admits he was mocked as useless trash in Qiye Garden due to lack of talent and that the worst pain was knowing that even if time reversed he still would not have been strong enough to kill Liu Guicang on the day his mother died.Tang Shiqi realizes that nothing can stop Xiahou Lian, who is willing to destroy heaven, earth, and himself to avenge Garuda Xiahou Pei.Xiahou Lian advises Tang Shiqi to leave Qiye Garden, get a proper job, marry, and live peacefully, stating that his own end lies in darkness, foreshadowing his willingness to die.On the chosen night, storm clouds hang low as Liu Guicang travels by carriage toward the east gate, unaware of the ambush awaiting him.The carriage halts when Liu Guicang and his disciples see Zhaoye blocking the road, mounted on horseback with bloodied severed heads of Jingdao Villa disciples hanging from her, terrifying the escorts.As the disciples recognize Zhaoye, a hoarse voice echoes down the street announcing that Xiahou Lian of Qiye Garden has come to send Liu Guicang to paradise, marking the beginning of the long-awaited confrontation.

Chapter 46: People Like WeedsZhaoye launches the ambush by slaughtering Liu Guicang’s escorts one by one, her blade-arms slicing throats and limbs with mechanical precision as a hoarse voice counts down the remaining disciples.Liu Guicang quickly realizes Zhaoye is a mechanical puppet and orders his men to target her joints, but she counters with inhuman agility, cutting torsos in half and firing a hidden black arrow to kill the last surviving disciple.Liu Guicang steps out of his carriage, admires Zhaoye’s craftsmanship, and declares that mechanical tricks can never defeat the true path of the blade as he draws his katana to face her personally.Zhaoye charges Liu Guicang, but in a single decisive clash he severs her blade-arm, rendering her motionless and exposing the nearly invisible Qianji Threads controlling her.From a nearby shop, Tang Shiqi and Shu Qing watch in alarm with hidden Qiye Garden agents, preparing to rush out if Xiahou Lian fails.Liu Guicang taunts Xiahou Lian for hiding as Xiahou Lian descends from above like a spider, revealing himself and declaring he alone will kill Liu Guicang rather than relying on other Garden assassins.A torrential storm erupts as Xiahou Lian and Liu Guicang engage in a brutal duel, Xiahou Lian wielding Hengbo and a reverse-gripped dagger while Liu Guicang prepares his lethal quick-draw katana technique.Xiahou Lian reveals he has spent four years studying countless saber techniques and practicing his Moon Cleave strike twenty-nine thousand, two hundred times, perfectly countering Liu Guicang’s Japanese-style saber arts and forcing him back.Liu Guicang’s palm splits under the force of Xiahou Lian’s strike, and for a moment Liu Guicang sees in Xiahou Lian the vengeful spirit of Garuda Xiahou Pei returned from the grave.As Tang Shiqi prepares to count to three and lead a rescue, lightning reveals rows of hidden Liu Clan disciples lying in wait on the rooftops, exposing the entire confrontation as a carefully prepared trap.Far away in the capital, Shen Jue awakens from a nightmare in which he sees Xiahou Lian’s severed head, prompting him to rush through the storm to Fang Cunzheng’s manor to demand progress on the Seven Fifteen antidote.Shen Jue threatens Fang Cunzheng’s life over the failed medicine trials, then receives urgent news from Liuzhou, linking his dread to the unfolding battle.Back at the east gate, as Xiahou Lian prepares a finishing blow, arrows suddenly strike his back and leg from hidden archers, knocking Hengbo from his grasp and revealing Liu Guicang’s ambush.Xiahou Lian struggles to fight on despite multiple arrows piercing his limbs, but rooftop disciples surround him and repeatedly shoot him down each time he tries to stand.Tang Shiqi restrains Shu Qing from charging into certain death, invoking the Garden rule that those fated to die cannot be saved, leaving Xiahou Lian to his fate.Liu Guicang reveals he deliberately chose East Gate Street as the battlefield and stationed disciples there every first and fifteenth day for four years, waiting for Xiahou Lian to attempt revenge.Liu Guicang mocks Xiahou Lian, claiming he will parade Garuda Xiahou Pei’s son on the chopping block to restore his reputation and erase his scandal, boasting that Xiahou Lian’s family has secured his rise to power.Even with an arrow driven through his palm and blood pouring from his mouth, Xiahou Lian refuses to cry out, pulls the arrow free, and staggers forward again with wolflike fury.Xiahou Lian makes one final advance, howling in rage as he raises his blade for another deadly arc, but Liu Guicang strikes him in the head with his scabbard, sending him collapsing into the mud.As Xiahou Lian falls into darkness with rain drenching his body, he sees Hengbo’s reflection and hears a faint familiar voice calling “Xiao-Lian,” suggesting a final hallucination or memory of Garuda Xiahou Pei.

Chapter 47: A Fated EncounterXiahou Lian awakens imprisoned in a damp stone cell with iron-barred windows and a leaking roof, realizing he has been kept barely alive for several days so Liu Guicang can stage a public execution to solidify his dominance.Xiahou Lian reflects bitterly that four years of training in saber arts and mechanical puppetry were not enough to defeat Liu Guicang, and that he will now serve as a stepping stone to restore Liu Guicang’s reputation.Hearing fireworks for the Dragon Boat Festival, Xiahou Lian remembers climbing the pagoda at Great Bao’en Temple in Suzhou with Garuda Xiahou Pei, recalling her terrifying strength, her reckless personality, and the warmth of their small two-person home.Xiahou Lian breaks down in tears over the loss of Garuda Xiahou Pei and realizes that belief in the underworld is driven by the hope of reuniting with loved ones after death.When the prison door opens at dawn, Xiahou Lian prepares himself mentally for execution and accepts that no one, including Qiye Garden, Tang Shiqi, or Shu Qing, can realistically save him.At the Garden’s southwest relay station, Tang Shiqi climbs onto a table and bribes a room full of smugglers, fugitives, killers, and prostitutes with silver to listen to him, using Xiahou Lian’s money to fund a rescue effort.Tang Shiqi rouses the underworld crowd by listing champions executed at the chopping block and arguing that Liu Guicang is systematically eliminating underworld heroes to dominate the jianghu.Shu Qing and others amplify the outrage, fabricating and exaggerating grievances against Liu Guicang until the crowd erupts in fury, shouting to kill Liu Guicang and rescue Wuminggui Xiahou Lian.Two days later, Liu Guicang parades Xiahou Lian through Liuzhou in a prison cart before the public, where crowds throw rotten eggs, vegetables, and stones at him, and Xiahou Lian remains silent and motionless despite humiliation.At the execution ground outside the city, Liu Guicang stands on a high platform with sect leaders while Xiahou Lian is forced to kneel on the chopping block under the scorching sun, fully expecting death.Just as the executioner raises the katana, a black arrow strikes the executioner in the forehead, halting the execution and throwing the crowd into chaos.Tang Shiqi, Shu Qing, and a mass of underworld allies surge from the hills in a black wave, charging the righteous sect disciples in an all-out assault to rescue Xiahou Lian.Xiahou Lian seizes the opportunity, using his shackles to kill nearby disciples, stealing a katana, and fighting like a demon despite his injuries until Tang Shiqi throws Hengbo back to him and unlocks his chains.Xiahou Lian, Tang Shiqi, and Shu Qing fight back-to-back against overwhelming numbers, cutting down enemies in a blood-soaked frenzy as underworld allies fall one by one.The sect leaders observe that Xiahou Lian’s ferocity is terrifying and attribute part of his strength to Hengbo’s blood-soaked legacy under Garuda Xiahou Pei.As their underworld reinforcements dwindle and escape becomes impossible, Tang Shiqi and Shu Qing prepare to die alongside Xiahou Lian, expressing final wishes and entrusting Liushao-er’s future to Xiahou Lian.Just as the trio is about to be overwhelmed, a disciplined force of hundreds of masked Garden assassins on horseback charges in formation, cutting through the righteous sect disciples like a black tidal wave.The five sect leaders recoil in horror at the sight of what they estimate to be three to five hundred elite Garden assassins overwhelming the battlefield with ruthless efficiency.At the head of the formation, a tall masked man on horseback rides straight to Xiahou Lian and extends a pale hand, telling Xiahou Lian that he seeks revenge and offering to take him to claim it.Xiahou Lian feels an inexplicable sense of trust and fate toward the masked man, takes his hand, and is pulled onto the horse behind him as the man orders him to hold tight and declares it is time to take revenge.

Chapter 48: Bonds of Glue and LacquerA hooded man watches from the southern slope as masked black-clad assassins overwhelm the righteous sect disciples, then orders his hidden snipers to lower their crossbows since Liu Guicang is already being crushed.Tang Shiqi initially assumes Qiye Garden has mobilized all its undercover agents, but Shu Qing realizes the newcomers are not using Garden saber arts, meaning they are an entirely different force disguised as Garden assassins.The masked assassin who rescued Xiahou Lian rides straight toward the high platform, dismounts with him, and draws a deliberately unmarked slender saber to conceal his identity.Xiahou Lian and the masked assassin leap onto the platform together using kneeling assassins as stepping stones, perfectly synchronizing their breathing and movements as if long-familiar partners.Xiahou Lian claims Liu Guicang as his prey while the masked assassin engages the remaining sect leaders, demonstrating terrifying, unpredictable blade techniques that chill them to the bone.The five sect leaders form a coordinated blade formation to surround the masked assassin, forcing Xiahou Lian to break from Liu Guicang and fight back-to-back with him in seamless coordination.Xiahou Lian senses familiarity in the masked assassin’s movements and briefly suspects Shen Jue, recalling the sorrowful youth from seven years ago, but doubts it due to distance and time.Together, Xiahou Lian and the masked assassin cut down the sect leaders one by one until only Liu Guicang remains standing amid the carnage.The masked assassin withdraws to rest, visibly exhausted, leaving Xiahou Lian to confront Liu Guicang alone for the final duel.Liu Guicang reveals that Garuda Xiahou Pei killed his shifu, the third-generation successor of the katana saber, and claims he killed her as vengeance, accusing assassins like Xiahou Lian of drowning in blood debts.Xiahou Lian counters that both sides are soaked in blood and that karma dictates killers will eventually be killed, declaring that Liu Guicang’s end is simply his turn.In their final clash, Liu Guicang suddenly releases his saber and accepts death, allowing Hengbo to pierce his chest as he abandons his dream of eternal katana supremacy.As he dies, Liu Guicang warns Xiahou Lian that his true enemy is within Qiye Garden and that retribution is coming, leaving Xiahou Lian shaken and confused.The masked assassin confirms the implication of a mole within Qiye Garden and suggests betrayal is driven by profit, further deepening Xiahou Lian’s suspicion.Soldiers approach, forcing a retreat, and the masked assassin orders spare horses left for Xiahou Lian’s group before riding away without revealing his identity.Xiahou Lian shouts “Shaoye,” demanding to know if the masked man is truly him, but the assassin does not turn back and disappears into the forest.Xiahou Lian learns he was imprisoned for seventeen days, making it nearly impossible for Shen Jue to have traveled from the capital in time, intensifying his confusion.In the forest, the masked assassin removes his porcelain mask to reveal Shen Jue, pale and exhausted, before collapsing from injury as Eastern Depot riders reveal their gold-embroidered garments beneath their disguises.Situ Jin arrives at the Eastern Depot’s Liuzhou branch where Yu Xianru anxiously questions Shen Jue’s sudden appearance with five hundred agents.Situ Jin reveals that Liu Guicang was officially accused of plotting rebellion and that Shen Jue’s swift action prevented an uprising, producing crates of katana sabers and banned Wulei Shenji matchlocks confiscated from Liu Guicang’s residence.Situ Jin implies Yu Xianru had accepted bribes from Liu Guicang and that Shen Jue’s personal intervention spared him from exposure, causing Yu Xianru to collapse in gratitude.In private, Situ Jin reports to Shen Jue that the Eastern Depot now believes Liu Guicang was a rebel and that Wei De is furious over Shen Jue leaving his post without permission.Situ Jin deduces that Shen Jue’s true purpose was to save Wuminggui Xiahou Lian, revealing he knows that Xiahou Lian was once Sixi-gonggong from the Cold Palace and the person Shen Jue cared about most.Situ Jin suggests Shen Jue should seize the chance to take Xiahou Lian away from Qiye Garden, calling it a living hell, but Shen Jue refuses, citing unfinished antidote work for Seven Fifteen and the continued threat of Wei De.Alone, Shen Jue reflects on riding with Xiahou Lian and vows to wait until the time is right to protect him, whispering for Xiahou Lian to wait as he resolves to strengthen himself first.

Chapter 49: Ashes of CalamityIn the Directorate of Ceremonial, Wei De slaps Shen Jue hard and berates him for leaving the capital without permission to kill Liu Guicang, accusing him of ruining Wei De’s arrangement to keep the Eastern Depot out of jianghu affairs while still accepting Liu Guicang’s annual tributes.Shen Jue kneels and calmly explains that the Eastern Depot received intelligence accusing Liu Guicang of plotting rebellion and that he personally rode to Liuzhou disguised as a Garden assassin to eliminate the threat and prevent censors like Meng Jian from turning the matter against Wei De.Wei De accuses Shen Jue of acting out of personal vendetta, mentioning rumors about Liu Guicang’s wife, and initially declares he will send Shen Jue back to the Cold Palace for being uncontrollable.Before Shen Jue can be dismissed, the emperor urgently summons Wei De, and Shen Jue discreetly hands Wei De a memorial to read on the way.At Zhaoren Hall, the emperor confronts Wei De with multiple memorials accusing him of colluding with Liu Guicang, including claims from Meng Jian and even retired official Dai Shengyan regarding past crimes such as the Xie family massacre.Wei De panics but presents Shen Jue’s prepared memorial, reframing Liu Guicang as a rebel colluding with southern barbarians and claiming Shen Jue acted under orders to suppress a potential uprising.Wei De emphasizes the discovery of over three hundred illegal firearms at Liu Guicang’s estate, convincing the emperor that decisive action was justified and that Qian Zhengde was likely the true traitor.The emperor’s anger shifts from Wei De to Liu Guicang, and he praises Shen Jue’s performance, even proposing to arrange Shen Jue’s marriage to Zhuxia, a maid of Consort Li, as a reward.Back in the Directorate, Shen Jue remains kneeling alone, reflecting that sacrificing himself was worthwhile as long as Xiahou Lian is safe, recalling when he was Xie Jinglan and how Xiahou Lian once comforted him with an embrace.Wei De returns and, believing Shen Jue’s loyalty saved him from disaster, expresses paternal affection and reveals he chose Shen Jue years ago because he saw the same ambition and defiance in him that once drove Wei De to rise from insignificance.Wei De confides that one day the Directorate of Ceremonial will belong to Shen Jue, unaware that Shen Jue secretly harbors cold ambition beneath his obedient exterior.At the Shen residence, Fang Cunzheng presents Shen Jue with a completed antidote to Seven Fifteen, demonstrating that test subjects have fully recovered, and Shen Jue names the pill Hope’s Return.Shen Jue immediately decides the antidote’s existence must remain hidden from Wei De and agrees with Fang Cunzheng that the test subjects should be burned to silence them, already having ordered Fang Cunzheng’s estate set ablaze.Shen Jue reveals he knew Fang Cunzheng intended to sell the antidote formula and that all potential buyers are already dead, then has Fang Cunzheng executed on the spot to ensure no loose ends remain.Shen Jue orders the Eastern Depot to capture Wuminggui Xiahou Lian immediately but forbids any injury to him, while instructing that other Garden assassins be killed or captured to create confusion and avoid Wei De’s suspicion.When Shen Wenxing warns that Xiahou Lian may misunderstand, Shen Jue confidently states that Xiahou Lian will not, because Garuda Xiahou Pei will guide him to realize his only chance of survival lies with Shen Jue.

Chapter 50: A Boundless HeartLiushao-er lies awake in Wanxiang Tower feeling restless and insecure about her future, trying on her fine dresses and admiring her beauty while waiting for Shu Qing, who suddenly sneaks into her room at night and frightens her.Shu Qing reassures Liushao-er that he has been sending money and will never abandon her, promising that even if he dies he will ensure she lives comfortably, while Liushao-er urges him to stop following Xiahou Lian and focus on taking the imperial exams.Shu Qing refuses to pursue the examinations, claiming he is not suited for study and insisting he will continue working alongside Xiahou Lian, causing Liushao-er to realize he has no stable future or status.Liushao-er privately concludes that although Xiahou Lian has the determination to earn wealth, Shu Qing is merely drifting through the jianghu with no background or prospects, and she begins to calculate her own survival.The next morning, Liushao-er watches silently from a balcony as Xiahou Lian and Shu Qing depart by boat, dressed plainly, while she turns away without further display of affection.Xiahou Lian returns to Qiye Garden village, where children with cold, hardened expressions watch his blade with envy, unaware that most who earn a plaque and leave never survive.Xiahou Lian visits Chiyan on Black-Faced Buddha Peak, where Chiyan gifts him a matching Oirat glass earring taken from a decapitated noble, explaining that one is for each of them as a pair.Xiahou Lian mockingly refuses to pierce his ear and hides the earring, wounding Chiyan slightly, who silently accepts it as they watch the sunset together.Xiahou Lian asks Chiyan about the location of Qiye Garden’s archive because he intends to investigate Xiahou Pei’s final mission and uncover the identity of the sheath who failed to assist her.Chiyan leads Xiahou Lian to a hidden cave entrance beneath the hollow Black-Faced Buddha, revealing that the archive lies inside and that Xiahou Lian is technically forbidden from entering, but Chiyan will help him regardless.Chiyan unexpectedly asks Xiahou Lian whether he wants to become abbot, implying knowledge of internal power struggles, but Xiahou Lian dismisses the idea, unaware of the deeper implication.Descending into the underground chambers, Xiahou Lian discovers jars, plants, and a sinister red blossom used in drug production, realizing this is where the abbot manufactures addictive substances.Xiahou Lian hears faint groans and finds a cavern filled with pallid figures lying on mats, many near death or already dead, including defectors previously believed executed, revealing the Garden secretly imprisons and experiments on them.Xiahou Lian reaches the archive and locates the Garuda section, finding detailed records of Xiahou Pei’s missions from ages twelve to thirty-five along with a portrait that softens her fierce image.Xiahou Lian discovers that the page detailing Xiahou Pei’s final mission has been torn out, confirming deliberate concealment of the truth about her death.Reviewing earlier entries, Xiahou Lian realizes that nearly every one of Xiahou Pei’s missions in the final years occurred during heavy rain in coastal regions notorious for worsening her injuries, indicating someone deliberately sent her on rain-soaked assignments to weaken or kill her over time.Xiahou Lian deduces that only someone with authority over the Eight Legions could have orchestrated such mission assignments and begins to suspect a powerful internal figure within Qiye Garden.Xiahou Lian notices the portrait’s artist signature, Shixin, and his hands tremble as he realizes this connects directly to someone significant within the Garden’s hierarchy.Qiu Ye appears behind Xiahou Lian in the archive, admitting he expected Xiahou Lian to investigate and urging him to leave and discuss matters outside.Before they can escape, footsteps approach, and Xiahou Lian and Qiu Ye hide among the shelves as an unidentified man enters holding a candle.The man silently removes Xiahou Pei’s portrait from the Garuda file and deliberately burns it over the candle flame, reducing her smiling image to ash while Xiahou Lian watches helplessly from hiding, his heart clenching in grief and rage.

Chapter 51: BushenglianXiahou Lian hides in the archive as a second shadow steps out behind Shixin, revealing Uncle Duan speaking gently about the portrait Shixin painted of Xiahou Pei and mocking how Xiahou Pei once laughed at it, exposing buried affection.Xiahou Lian recognizes Uncle Duan’s hoarse voice and realizes the Garden elder he trusted is involved in Xiahou Pei’s death, forcing himself to listen as Uncle Duan confesses he was Xiahou Pei’s sheath and stood by as Liu Guicang killed her.Shixin coldly declares that as leader of Qiye Garden he cannot afford regret, claiming that when he once hesitated due to personal attachment the Eight Legions perished in the northern wastes, leaving their master and brothers as wandering spirits.Shixin states that because he failed in the past, his son must repay the debt by entering the killing field and slaying the Garden’s destined enemy, and that the leader must be free of attachments, explaining why he refuses to acknowledge Xiahou Lian as his son.Uncle Duan urges Shixin to let Xiahou Lian inherit the title of Garuda soon because both he and Qiu Ye are dying from festering wounds and incurable injuries, revealing the elders are near their end.Xiahou Lian realizes Shixin intends to shape him into successor and sacrificial weapon, and Qiu Ye silently squeezes his hand, urging him to endure and listen further.After Shixin and Uncle Duan leave, Xiahou Lian reflects on childhood memories of stealing rice and mischief under the indifferent gaze of the abbot, now understanding that Shixin was never a passive monk but the Garden’s most ruthless demon.On Black-Faced Buddha Peak, Xiahou Lian confronts Chiyan and calmly asks whether the abbot ordered the Liu Clan captives used for his training, and Chiyan admits it without hesitation.Xiahou Lian asks whether Chiyan knew the truth about Xiahou Pei’s death all along, and Chiyan answers yes, deepening Xiahou Lian’s sense of betrayal.Xiahou Lian asks if Chiyan would kill him if ordered by Shixin, and Chiyan answers yes, to which Xiahou Lian replies he would do the same, severing their bond and removing restraint between them.Alone later, Chiyan softly admits he would lose to Xiahou Lian, revealing hidden sorrow and love that Xiahou Lian does not hear.Back at the bamboo hut, Xiahou Lian drinks pear-blossom wine with Qiu Ye and demands the truth, learning that Xiahou Pei knew Shixin had been sending her on rain-soaked missions and accepted her deteriorating body as inevitable.Qiu Ye recounts that Shixin was once the twenty-seventh Garuda whose blade Bushenglian earned the name “A lotus for every step,” unmatched in his era before tragedy struck twenty-one years ago.Qiu Ye explains that when Xiahou Pei gave birth to Xiahou Lian and Chiyan, Shixin returned from the northern disaster drenched in blood, prostrated himself one hundred times, and then forcibly took Chiyan away, severing ties with Xiahou Pei.Qiu Ye reveals that the previous Eight Legions were annihilated during a mysterious northern campaign and that Shixin became abbot afterward, reshaping the Garden while carrying guilt for retreating at a critical moment.Xiahou Lian bitterly wonders whether becoming stronger sooner would have saved Xiahou Pei, but Qiu Ye insists Shixin had chosen Xiahou Lian, not Chiyan, as successor because Chiyan lacks the heart necessary to lead.Qiu Ye asks whether Xiahou Lian wants revenge and whether he wants to leave the Garden, revealing that Xiahou Pei once wished for Xiahou Lian to break free from the cycle of killing and seize control of his own fate.Qiu Ye declares that instead of inheriting leadership, Xiahou Lian could destroy Qiye Garden entirely, exposing its yearly slaughter of children, failed initiates, and assassins whose bones pile up in the Blade Cemetery.Qiu Ye confirms that the medicine cavern beneath Heimianfo holds captives used as drug test subjects by Shixin, who continues developing poisons like Seven Fifteen, making the Garden a place of systemic cruelty.Qiu Ye concludes that everyone in the Garden is stained with blood and deserves death, including himself and Chiyan, and urges Xiahou Lian to kill Shixin, burn the medicine cavern, and let Seven Fifteen claim them all to end the cycle.Overwhelmed by visions of Xiahou Pei, Shixin, and Chiyan, Xiahou Lian asks what he should do, standing at the crossroads between vengeance, succession, and annihilation.

Chapter 52: A Hasty GrudgeQiu Ye assigns Shu Qing his first solo assassination mission in Suzhou, ordering Xiahou Lian to assist only, forcing Shu Qing to confront acting independently as an assassin.Shu Qing feels anxious on the journey, distracted by thoughts of Liushao-er and unsettled by the weight of killing alone.The target is an elderly salt merchant living on Renfeng Lane near Hudan Bridge, and the client is the salt merchant’s legal wife who resents her husband for transferring several profitable shops to a courtesan he brought back from Nanjing.The legal wife, enraged that the salt merchant favored the courtesan and gave her property, secretly hires an assassin to eliminate him.Xiahou Lian and Shu Qing infiltrate the salt merchant’s estate at night, crossing the lotus-filled garden and approaching the pavilion where the salt merchant is with his newest woman.Shu Qing hesitates before killing, recalling that Xiahou Lian was once mocked as “Xiahou the Coward” before becoming a decisive and lethal assassin.Inside the pavilion, the salt merchant is in the middle of having sex after swallowing a pill, and Shu Qing recognizes the woman’s voice as Liushao-er.Shu Qing steels himself and decapitates the salt merchant in one strike, spraying blood over Liushao-er as the head rolls away.Liushao-er realizes the assassins are Shu Qing and Xiahou Lian, panics, and screams for help while struggling under the salt merchant’s corpse.Shu Qing tries to calm Liushao-er and says he came to take her away, but Liushao-er calls them murderers and continues screaming.Guards and torchlight approach, and Xiahou Lian forcibly drags Shu Qing away while undercover agents cover their escape back to the inn.Shu Qing falls into despair at the inn, shaken by discovering Liushao-er with the target and by her terror toward him.Liu Xiangnu explains in a letter that the salt merchant had admired Liushao-er during a performance at Wanxiang Tower and that Liushao-er chose to leave with him willingly.Tang Shiqi criticizes Liushao-er as unreliable and says Shu Qing should marry a respectable woman, worsening Shu Qing’s pain until Xiahou Lian drives Tang Shiqi away.Shu Qing laments to Xiahou Lian that he had imagined marrying Liushao-er, having children, growing old together in Garden village, and being buried beside each other in the Blade Cemetery.Tang Shiqi later brings news that the salt merchant’s legal wife bribed the county magistrate to accuse Liushao-er of murder and theft, resulting in her imprisonment while reclaiming the transferred shops.Despite Tang Shiqi’s suggestion to leave Liushao-er to suffer, Shu Qing begs Xiahou Lian to help rescue her, and Xiahou Lian immediately agrees.Tang Shiqi uses Jinghong arrows to eliminate the prison gate guards while Xiahou Lian and Shu Qing subdue the rest and enter the filthy prison corridor.Shu Qing hears Liushao-er singing opera hoarsely in her cell and breaks down before forcing himself to unlock her door.Liushao-er appears disheveled, traumatized, and unstable, showing bruises and revealing she was repeatedly raped by guards during her imprisonment.Liushao-er bitterly confesses she planned to inherit the salt merchant’s shops after his death and live independently, accusing Shu Qing of ruining her chance at wealth and freedom.Liushao-er denounces Shu Qing as a murderer and beast who dragged her into darkness, then turns on Xiahou Lian and accuses Wanxiang Tower and Liu Xiangnu of conspiring to use her as breeding stock for assassins.Liushao-er lunges at Xiahou Lian, misses, and slams headfirst into the wall, collapsing as blood pools beneath her.Liushao-er dies from the impact, ending her life in despair and madness.Xiahou Lian remains in Suzhou with Shu Qing for a month to handle Liushao-er’s burial behind Hanshan Temple, and Shu Qing donates a memorial tablet and recites prayers for her rebirth.Xiahou Lian asks Tang Shiqi whether paradise exists, and Tang Shiqi jokes about burning paper money for Xiahou Lian if he dies.An inn servant brings urgent news that Qiu Ye’s health is failing, prompting Xiahou Lian and Shu Qing to return to the mountain.Xiahou Lian reflects on his childhood with Qiu Ye, who taught him cooking, sewing, disguise, mimicry, and guided him patiently through life in the Garden.Qiu Ye, now frail and dying, gives Xiahou Lian a wooden box containing twelve Qiushui cicada-wing blades forged from Tian Shan meteoric iron, instructing him to keep four and give eight to his shidi.Qiu Ye reveals he has an elder brother named Qiu Shan living at the foot of Qixia Mountain who knows the true art of disguise capable of reshaping bone and flesh, and tells Xiahou Lian to seek him if he ever leaves the Garden.Qiu Ye peacefully passes away after bidding Xiahou Lian farewell, and Xiahou Lian gently tucks Qiu Ye’s hand beneath the quilt and says goodbye to his shifu.

Chapter 53: The Pull of a Thousand MechanismsTang Shiqi remains in Qiye Garden during winter, sitting in the dilapidated main hall among assassins who take pills from a black-lacquered alms bowl while the abbot chants before black-lacquered Buddha statues in the freezing, crumbling temple.Tang Shiqi notices Chiyan in the hall but avoids speaking to him because Tang Shiqi is impersonating Xiahou Lian and fears exposing himself.After Qiu Ye’s death and Liushao-er’s burial, Xiahou Lian leaves for the Tian Shan mountains to search for meteoric iron, while Shu Qing heads west and Xiahou Lian entrusts Tang Shiqi with impersonating him in Qiye Garden.Xiahou Lian gives Tang Shiqi a lifelike human-skin mask and teaches him voice mimicry, and Xiahou Lian keeps a life-extending pill originally meant for his mother to buy himself another year to complete his mission.While impersonating Xiahou Lian, Tang Shiqi gains access to Xiahou Lian’s large savings accumulated from years of assassinations and strict frugality.Tang Shiqi indulges in extravagant pleasures as Xiahou Lian, spending lavishly on courtesans in Jiangling, Hangzhou, Qinhuai River, Yangzhou, and elsewhere, earning Xiahou Lian the nickname Libertine of Wu Gate in addition to Wuminggui.The Eastern Depot aggressively hunts Xiahou Lian with wanted posters and patrols, frequently raiding brothels where courtesans falsely claim Xiahou Lian is with them, while Tang Shiqi repeatedly escapes capture at the last moment.Tang Shiqi grows exhausted from evading the Eastern Depot and maintaining Xiahou Lian’s identity inside Qiye Garden.During a gathering in the main hall, the abbot removes and replaces wooden plaques bearing blade names on the wall, including moving the Hengbo plaque beneath the Garuda plaque.The abbot publicly calls out Xiahou Lian, and Tang Shiqi, forced to respond in disguise, steps forward under the scrutiny of the assembled assassins.The abbot places his hand on Tang Shiqi’s head and formally declares Xiahou Lian to be the twenty-ninth Garuda, effectively promoting the impersonated Xiahou Lian within the Eight Legions.The abbot burns removed plaques in a brazier and leads the assassins in a solemn creed declaring that assassins have no names, families, or nations and walk a sinful path toward an immortal existence in eternal darkness.Tang Shiqi feels overwhelmed and fearful after receiving the Garuda title, sensing the cold, corpse-like touch of the abbot and the weight of the Garden’s ideology.Chiyan watches Tang Shiqi silently after the ceremony, and Tang Shiqi hurriedly leaves, afraid his deception will be discovered.Tang Shiqi moves into Xiahou Lian’s rundown house, digs up buried jars of pear-blossom wine, and drinks heavily in the snow.Uncle Duan finds Tang Shiqi drunk outside and scolds Xiahou Lian’s supposed behavior, criticizing him for becoming a womanizer after avenging his mother.Tang Shiqi drunkenly boasts about his popularity with courtesans, further convincing Uncle Duan that Xiahou Lian has fallen into irresponsibility.Later, Uncle Duan visits the meditation room and complains to Shixin about the temple’s disrepair and Xiahou Lian’s reckless conduct.Shixin reveals concern that Xiahou Lian has changed drastically, noting that Xiahou Lian previously avoided women, even with Yuenü and Liushao-er.Uncle Duan blames Tang Shiqi for leading Xiahou Lian astray and suggests that Tang Shiqi is corrupting him.Shixin coldly suggests killing Tang Shiqi as a possible solution to Xiahou Lian’s decline.Shixin asks Chiyan for his opinion, and Chiyan states that Xiahou Lian has strayed onto a dark path and that his mind is corrupt and beyond redemption.

Chapter 54: A Sorrowful FarewellShixin tells Chiyan that only Chiyan can take on the northern frontier mission despite the danger that killed their predecessors twenty-one years ago, and Shixin vows to avenge those who were beheaded in the snow.Chiyan accepts the mission calmly, saying some things must be faced even if they lead to a mountain of blades or an ocean of fire, and Shixin promises to arrange for Chiyan to reach the northern frontier and meet the mysterious people there.Tang Shiqi, still impersonating Xiahou Lian, falls ill with a fever when Chiyan visits him at night and hands him a letter, revealing that he knows Tang Shiqi is not Xiahou Lian.Chiyan explains that he is leaving for the northern frontier and may not return, so he writes a will containing words meant only for Xiahou Lian.Chiyan confesses that Xiahou Lian is his blood brother and his only connection to the world, and he asks Tang Shiqi to tell Xiahou Lian in the next life to remain his brother if they meet again without drinking Meng Po’s soup at the Bridge of Helplessness.Tang Shiqi impatiently drives Chiyan away due to his illness, and the next morning half-dismisses the visit as a dream, failing to notice the letter left beneath his pillow.After winter, Tang Shiqi leaves Qiye Garden and returns to Yanchun House, resuming his life of indulgence as Xiahou Lian among courtesans and drunken patrons.Tang Shiqi overhears patrons condemning eunuch Wei De and Shen Jue for orchestrating the massacre of Xie Bingfeng’s entire family ten years earlier and suppressing justice despite Master Dai gathering evidence.Eastern Depot officers suddenly appear to arrest the men for discussing state affairs, and the dark-faced officer recognizes Tang Shiqi as Xiahou Lian and orders his capture.Tang Shiqi flees on horseback toward Yuelun Peak while Eastern Depot agents pursue him relentlessly through the streets.Cornered at a cliff, Tang Shiqi leaps into the void and deploys mechanical wings made of iron frames and oilcloth, gliding toward the Qiantang River as onlookers cheer from Liuhe Pagoda.The dark-faced officer defies orders to capture him alive and shoots an arrow that strikes Tang Shiqi in the shoulder but fails to bring him down.Tang Shiqi survives and retreats to Xiahou Lian’s secret lair to recover, while the Garden later mentions that someone left Jingtie in the capital’s bell tower, which Tang Shiqi ignores.News spreads that Shu Qing has defected to the Western Regions and that the new Kinnara is leading agents to hunt him down, while Chiyan goes missing in a northern snowstorm and his fate becomes uncertain.The Eastern Depot intensifies its crackdown, dismantling Garden brothels and relay stations, arresting assassins and agents, and terrorizing the underworld with raids and imprisonment.Months later, as autumn rain falls, Xiahou Lian returns unexpectedly to the secret lair, thin and scarred, wearing layers of silver thread wrapped around his body.Xiahou Lian demonstrates the lethal sharpness of the silver threads forged from meteoric iron by slicing a fly cleanly in half with a single taut strand.Xiahou Lian calmly tells Tang Shiqi that after a few days of recovery, he will return to Qiye Garden to kill Shixin.

Arc 2: A Decade of Rain and Lanterns in the Jianghu

Chapter 55: Rain and Night in the JianghuXiahou Lian returns to the bamboo hut and Tang Shiqi informs him that Chiyan has gone missing in the northern frontier and that Shen Jue is arresting Garden members with alarming precision, possibly due to a mole inside Qiye Garden, and that Xiahou Lian is now at the top of the Eastern Depot’s wanted list.Xiahou Lian recalls seeing Eastern Depot agents tear off human-skin masks at a relay station and drown captured Qiye Garden members in the river under orders to leave no rebel alive, and he confirms that the kill order includes him personally with a wanted poster marked in red.Xiahou Lian reveals to Tang Shiqi that Shen Jue was once his brother in life-and-death trials, and he is devastated that Shen Jue is now his mortal enemy as chief of the Eastern Depot.Xiahou Lian states that assassins have no hope and predicts that when he returns to the Garden to kill Shixin he likely will not come back alive.Xiahou Lian gives Tang Shiqi instructions to take all his hidden silver in Liuzhou, Suzhou, Hangzhou, and the banks, and tells Tang Shiqi to retrieve his corpse after the Garden falls and deliver his head to the Eastern Depot.Xiahou Lian admits he once wanted to save Shen Jue from palace life and wanted to free Chiyan from being a weapon, but now accepts that he cannot change their fates and believes himself a sinner deserving no intact corpse.Xiahou Lian goes to the ruined mountain temple where Shixin waits calmly with tea and a pipe, clearly expecting him.Xiahou Lian questions why Shixin sent Chiyan to the northern frontier instead of him, and Shixin replies that when Xiahou Lian set down his burden others bore it for him, first Xiahou Pei and now Chiyan, who lied to Shixin to fulfill Xiahou Lian’s wish.Shixin reveals he knew Xiahou Lian would come to kill him because Xiahou Lian secretly cleaned the Garuda file in the dusty archives, and Shixin declares that if Xiahou Lian kills him he will prove himself worthy of the Garden’s deeper secrets.Xiahou Lian rejects Shixin as a father, declares Xiahou Pei as his only parent, and challenges Shixin to draw Bushenglian while vowing to collect his debt.Shixin refuses to use Bushenglian and instead fights with his old copper pipe, instantly shattering the table and beginning the duel in the autumn rain.Xiahou Lian attacks with Hengbo but is effortlessly defeated in the first exchange, struck in pressure points and punched down despite Shixin using only a pipe and having an injured hand.Xiahou Lian repeatedly charges Shixin over two dozen times, using techniques like Swallow’s Swoop and Moon Cleave, but Shixin blocks every strike and beats him down again and again, mocking his inadequate training and blaming Xiahou Pei for spoiling him.After the twenty-sixth fall, Xiahou Lian stands once more and reveals his trump card, wearing a silver glove connected to nearly invisible Qianji Thread spread throughout the courtyard.Xiahou Lian reveals that his chaotic movements during the fight were to lay the Qianji Thread trap, forming a deadly web around Shixin that slices leaves into pieces when tension tightens.Shixin recognizes the Qianji Thread and smiles faintly, calling it the forging of a peerless blade, and tells Xiahou Lian that the road ahead must be walked alone.Xiahou Lian tightens the threads and the shrinking net slices Shixin into countless cubical segments, dismembering him completely as blood floods the courtyard.In Shixin’s final fading thoughts he recalls a young Xiahou Lian at the temple and wishes to tell him not to cry, but dies silently.Xiahou Lian sits numb after killing Shixin, then burns Heimianfo and leaves the temple grounds wounded and bleeding.Duan Jiu emerges from the shadows, observes the deadly Qianji Thread web with admiration, and disappears into the darkness.Xiahou Lian returns to his bamboo hut gravely injured, intending to let himself bleed to death since his vengeance is complete.Xiahou Lian discovers Chiyan’s hidden letter under his pillow, in which Chiyan asks him to repay small debts, feed a stray cat, travel the world in his stead, and live in peace and joy year after year.Xiahou Lian weeps over Chiyan’s words, smudging the ink with his tears, and realizing Chiyan’s quiet farewell and brotherly devotion.Xiahou Lian takes Hengbo and staggers toward the Blade Cemetery, bleeding heavily and leaving bloody footprints and handprints along the bamboo forest path.Xiahou Lian collapses in the bamboo forest under thinning clouds and sunlight, reflecting that his mother, master, friend Shen Jue, brother Chiyan, and shidi are all gone from his life.Xiahou Lian accepts that his hands are stained with blood and that retribution has come at the proper time, believing that those who kill must eventually be killed.

Chapter 56: The Commander of the Embroidered Uniform GuardShen Jue sits alone in a courtyard on Jinggong Lane during a violent storm, reflecting that it has been ten years since he last saw Xiahou Lian in the Cold Palace and recalling the rumors of Xiahou Lian inheriting Hengbo, becoming Wuminggui, carousing in brothels, assassinating Shixin, and then vanishing.Shen Jue remembers that Hengbo surfaced at a Taizhou black market auction after pirates attacked, but no proof confirmed Xiahou Lian’s survival, and after three Ghost Festivals he accepts that Xiahou Lian is likely dead, possibly from Seven Fifteen poison.Shen Jue reflects that the old emperor is critically ill and that he has broken with Wei De, leaving himself isolated in court, but with Xiahou Lian gone he resolves to fight without restraint regardless of life or death.Qian Zhengde arrives with imperial orders exiling Shen Jue to guard the imperial tombs in Nanjing, mocking his fall from power and revealing that assassins had already been sent to kill him.Shen Jue openly declares hatred toward Wei De and reveals his intent to prevent Wei De from dying peacefully of old age, enraging Qian Zhengde.Qian Zhengde orders hidden crossbowmen to kill Shen Jue, but the arrows instead pierce Qian Zhengde’s back, revealing that Shen Jue had loyal riders positioned to ambush him.Situ Jin drapes a raincoat over Shen Jue as loyal Eastern Depot riders kneel and pledge their lives to him, crediting him for fair promotions and justice against wrongful imprisonments.Shen Jue mounts his horse and vows that the day he returns to the capital will be the day Wei De dies.The narrative shifts three years after Xiahou Lian left Qiye Garden, revealing that Xiahou Lian survived his near-fatal injuries and sought out Qiu Shan at Qixia Mountain, where Qiu Shan altered his appearance drastically.Xiahou Lian lived disguised at Qixia Temple for five months while healing, then settled Chiyan’s debts in Jinling and traveled to see the sights Chiyan had longed to experience, eventually burning Chiyan’s will at Canglang Pavilion so Chiyan could symbolically witness the world.During the Ghost Festival, Xiahou Lian dug his own grave and lay in a coffin waiting for death, but when he survived the night, Qiu Shan told him that heaven had spared him and he should continue living.Without identification papers, Xiahou Lian lived as a vagrant taking odd jobs, briefly enlisted to fight pirates in Taizhou, lost Hengbo during a street battle, and later saw it auctioned off and taken by Eastern Depot agents.Xiahou Lian traveled to the capital hoping to retrieve Hengbo from Shen Jue, but failed twice to infiltrate Shen Jue’s residence and instead survived as a drifter under constant threat of arrest.A-Chu, Yunxian Tower’s top courtesan, rescued Xiahou Lian when he was starving in winter and introduced him as her cousin, giving him food and shelter in exchange for running errands and preparing her daily rose-petal baths.Xiahou Lian occasionally saw Shen Jue’s grand carriage pass and knelt among commoners, secretly watching Shen Jue from the ground while recognizing that they now lived in separate worlds.A-Chu panics when Yan Xiaobei, a low-ranking Eastern Depot agent who had spent the night with her, dies in her bed with black blood at his mouth, fearing torture if the depot investigates.Xiahou Lian decides to help A-Chu by disguising himself as Yan Xiaobei using makeup skills learned from Qiu Ye and Qiu Shan, while A-Chu stalls Yan Xiaobei’s friend Zhu Shunzi.Disguised as Yan Xiaobei, Xiahou Lian successfully deceives Zhu Shunzi and leaves Yunxian Tower with him, avoiding suspicion.Zhu Shunzi reveals that Wei De had previously sent them to assassinate Shen Jue but Shen Jue survived, and that Shen Jue has been exiled to Nanjing to guard imperial tombs, effectively ending his political career.Zhu Shunzi further reveals that the emperor is dying and Wei De is secretly sending them to Jiading to escort the prince of Fu back to the capital, expecting the second prince to ascend the throne and promising them advancement.Xiahou Lian silently processes the news that Shen Jue is alive but disgraced, feeling both relief and bitterness at the cruel turn of fate that reduced Shen Jue from powerful depot chief to tomb guard in Nanjing.

Chapter 57: The Frightening Waves Rise AgainZhu Shunzi explains to Xiahou Lian that he joined the Eastern Depot after repeatedly failing the imperial exams, believing false rumors that rapid promotion was easy, only to remain stuck in a low position despite spending heavily to curry favor with Wei De alongside Yan Xiaobei.Wei De ordered Zhu Shunzi and Yan Xiaobei to assassinate Shen Jue and bring back his head, but they failed miserably and barely escaped alive after realizing Shen Jue’s swordsmanship far surpassed theirs.Xiahou Lian and Zhu Shunzi set off for Jiading to deliver Wei De’s sealed letter to the prince of Fu, changing horses multiple times and arriving at Shili Village relay station by night.Xiahou Lian grows suspicious that such an important mission would be entrusted to two insignificant agents and suspects something is wrong with the sealed letter.During the night, Embroidered Uniform Guards storm the relay station, and Gao Sheng, a squad commander claiming ties as Wei De’s god-grandson, attacks Xiahou Lian with a whip, leading to a brief fight before Zhu Shunzi smooths things over.Gao Sheng humiliates Xiahou Lian and Zhu Shunzi, forcing them out of the only premium room and effectively driving them from the relay station into the forest.After leaving, Xiahou Lian and Zhu Shunzi see flames engulf the relay station as masked assassins slaughter the Embroidered Uniform Guard and attendants, revealing that the attack targeted those at the station.Xiahou Lian realizes the assassins are not using Qiye Garden saber arts and tears open Wei De’s letter, discovering it is completely blank.Xiahou Lian deduces that Wei De used them as decoys to draw assassins’ attention while a real escort secretly met the prince of Fu elsewhere, meaning they were meant to die.Recognizing they narrowly escaped death only because Gao Sheng expelled them, Xiahou Lian decides to abandon the mission and head south to Jinling to find Shen Jue.Xiahou Lian and Zhu Shunzi ride south through harsh summer heat, avoiding relay stations and sleeping in the wilderness while Zhu Shunzi laments Wei De’s betrayal and his shattered ambitions.Xiahou Lian maintains a cold composure during the journey, and Zhu Shunzi notices a deeper sorrow in him compared to the former Yan Xiaobei persona.On the road, they encounter a formidable group of black-robed riders who appear far more disciplined and dangerous than ordinary Eastern Depot agents.Zhu Shunzi impulsively approaches the riders, hoping they are Wei De’s real escort team and that traveling together would provide safety.Xiahou Lian quickly claims they are Embroidered Uniform Guard officers, presenting Gao Sheng’s badge to support the lie and protect themselves.The stern rider named Situ initially refuses to let them travel together, but another man with an arrogant and detached bearing speaks calmly, overruling Situ and inviting them to accompany the group toward Jiading.Xiahou Lian turns and recognizes the speaker’s distinctive eyes and bearing, realizing he is face to face with Shen Jue once again.

Chapter 58: Reaper on a Rainy NightZhu Shunzi confesses to Xiahou Lian that he failed the imperial exams for years, joined the Eastern Depot hoping for quick promotion, and eventually begged Wei De for responsibility alongside Yan Xiaobei, only to be ordered to bring back Shen Jue’s head.Zhu Shunzi recounts how he and Yan Xiaobei attempted to assassinate Shen Jue but were completely outmatched, with Yan Xiaobei unable to last more than five moves, and they barely escaped alive.Xiahou Lian helps A-Chu dispose of Yan Xiaobei’s corpse and then rides with Zhu Shunzi toward Jiading to deliver Wei De’s sealed letter to the prince of Fu.At Shili Village relay station, Xiahou Lian grows suspicious because such an important mission would not logically be entrusted to two low-ranking officers like them.Xiahou Lian decides privately that he will split off later and head to Nanjing to find Shen Jue instead of continuing blindly.During the night, Embroidered Uniform Guard members led by Gao Sheng storm Xiahou Lian’s room, whip him, and attempt to drive him out because Gao Sheng claims the premium room belongs to him.Xiahou Lian fights back briefly but restrains himself after learning Gao Sheng is a god-grandson of Wei De, and he and Zhu Shunzi are forced to leave the relay station.Shortly after they depart, assassins in black with white masks attack and burn the relay station, slaughtering Embroidered Uniform Guards and attendants.Xiahou Lian observes that the attackers are not using Qiye Garden saber techniques and concludes the ambush was not the Garden’s doing.Xiahou Lian opens Wei De’s sealed letter and discovers it is completely blank, and Zhu Shunzi even urinates on it to test for invisible ink, only to confirm it contains nothing.Xiahou Lian deduces that Wei De used them as expendable decoys to draw out enemies while the real escort mission proceeds elsewhere.Realizing they narrowly escaped death due to being expelled from the relay station, Xiahou Lian leads Zhu Shunzi south toward Jinling instead of Jiading.Along the journey, Zhu Shunzi laments being sacrificed by Wei De and reveals he once tried to ingratiate himself with Shen Jue but was ignored, praising Wei De’s supposed talent for recognizing subordinates.Xiahou Lian remains silent and cold, reflecting on how far he has fallen from his former identity and suppressing his anger.They encounter a formidable group of black-robed riders who appear far more disciplined and dangerous than ordinary Eastern Depot agents.Zhu Shunzi impulsively approaches the riders seeking protection, and Xiahou Lian quickly improvises by impersonating Gao Sheng of the Embroidered Uniform Guard using Gao Sheng’s stolen badge.The stern leader named Situ initially refuses them, but another man with an aloof and aristocratic bearing intervenes and offers to let them travel together to Jiading.Xiahou Lian immediately recognizes that this refined yet cold man is Shen Jue, now using the alias Xie Jinglan and serving as a local Eastern Depot supervisor.Shen Jue invites Xiahou Lian and Zhu Shunzi to ride with his group, and Xiahou Lian accepts while concealing his identity.During a rainy stop, Xiahou Lian notices Shen Jue standing alone and brings him an umbrella, shielding Shen Jue from the rain while exposing himself.Shen Jue reveals he once practiced Buddhism and prayed for the safety of someone he cared about, but that person still died, leading him to lose faith in gods and destiny.Xiahou Lian mistakenly assumes Shen Jue is speaking about a former lover and tries to comfort him, urging him to keep his prayer beads as a keepsake.Shen Jue coldly declares he cares only about this life, not the next, and walks away, leaving Xiahou Lian to pocket the discarded prayer beads.That night, Shen Jue’s forces suddenly surround and raid Hengtang Inn in a coordinated operation, revealing they were never escorting a prince but conducting a purge.The white-masked assassins slaughter everyone inside the inn while Xiahou Lian realizes he and Zhu Shunzi have been deliberately controlled and monitored.Shen Jue reveals he had Yan Xiaobei killed and that he and his men had been watching Zhu Shunzi and Yan Xiaobei since their earlier failed assassination attempt.Situ Jin exposes Zhu Shunzi’s identity and explains that their escape and movements were already known, proving Shen Jue had them under surveillance from the beginning.Shen Jue fixes his gaze on Xiahou Lian, sees through the disguise, and directly asks whether he is truly Xiahou Lian.

Chapter 59: Lonely Snow in the Mortal RealmShen Jue confronts Xiahou Lian in the rain and demands to know his true identity, refusing to answer why he still pursues Xiahou Lian even after losing his position as chief of the Eastern Depot.Xiahou Lian claims to be Shang-erlang from Yunxian Tower and explains that he disguised himself as Yan Xiaobei out of gratitude to A-Chu, who had been kind to him.Shen Jue orders his officers to search for a human-skin mask, but they discover that Xiahou Lian is using high-quality makeup from Tianxiang Pavilion that cannot be washed off with water.Xiahou Lian is brought inside the blood-soaked inn where Shen Jue sits in judgment while bodies are dragged away and buried in a pit outside.Two captured officials, Su Yu of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and Li Changyan of the Northern Garrison and Surveillance Bureau, kneel before Shen Jue trembling in terror.Shen Jue orders Xiahou Lian’s makeup removed with tea oil, and Xiahou Lian calmly wipes his face clean and reveals his true features without resistance.Shen Jue personally inspects Xiahou Lian’s face, desperately searching for signs of a mask seam, but finds none and realizes this man is not wearing a disguise.Shen Jue’s hope that Xiahou Lian might still be alive flickers and collapses when he cannot prove the man is Xiahou Lian, and he hoarsely orders him to get out.Outside under the eaves, Zhu Shunzi rambles in fear while Xiahou Lian reflects on Yan Xiaobei’s poisoned death and begins suspecting that Yan Xiaobei was deliberately killed rather than dying accidentally.Zhu Shunzi identifies the prisoners as Su Yu and Li Changyan and speculates that Shen Jue may still be maneuvering against Wei De from the shadows.Shen Jue interrogates Su Yu about the prince of Fu’s meeting location, and when Su Yu refuses to cooperate, Shen Jue orders the torture method called “plucking the pipa.”Su Yu is stripped and brutally tortured as agents slice across his ribs repeatedly while forcing ginseng soup down his throat to prolong his suffering.Li Changyan is forced to watch the torture and eventually breaks, revealing that they were to meet the prince of Fu in Hejian before escorting him to the capital where Wei De planned to coerce the emperor into naming him crown prince.After extracting the information, Shen Jue orders Li Changyan’s throat slit and has both bodies thrown into the burial pit.Xiahou Lian realizes that he and Zhu Shunzi are likely next and quietly assesses escape routes while acknowledging that dying at Shen Jue’s hands might be fitting.Shen Jue studies Xiahou Lian’s eyes and remarks that they resemble Xiahou Lian’s too closely, then coldly orders his officers to gouge them out and preserve them in a jar.Xiahou Lian attempts to flee but is quickly overwhelmed, beaten down, and pinned to the courtyard stones by multiple agents.As a knife is raised toward his eyes, Xiahou Lian shouts to Shen Jue that he can bring him to Xiahou Lian, attempting to bargain for his life.Shen Jue dismisses the claim as a lie and orders Xiahou Lian’s tongue to be cut out instead.In desperation, Xiahou Lian finally shouts that he is Xiahou Lian himself and demands that Shen Jue kill him if that is what he wants.Shen Jue refuses to turn back immediately, and the blade inches closer to Xiahou Lian’s eyes as the chapter ends on the brink of mutilation.

Chapter 60: Uncertain as the Drifting WindXiahou Lian shouts that he left Hengbo in Taizhou and that Shen Jue found it there, forcing Shen Jue to stop and personally confront him.Situ Jin warns Shen Jue not to believe Xiahou Lian’s claims, but Shen Jue grabs Xiahou Lian by the throat and demands the truth, stating that Xiahou Lian was poisoned with Seven Fifteen and could not have survived.Realizing Shen Jue firmly believes Xiahou Lian is dead, Xiahou Lian decides to continue the deception and claims he was Xiahou Lian’s sworn brother who accompanied him on missions and learned disguise and voice mimicry from him.To prove his knowledge, Xiahou Lian asks whether Jingtie is still in Shen Jue’s possession, which shocks Shen Jue and causes him to dismiss the others so they can speak privately.Alone in the courtyard, Shen Jue remarks that Xiahou Lian was like a plague infecting those close to him, and he asks how Xiahou Lian died.Xiahou Lian lies that Xiahou Lian dueled the Garden’s abbot and bled out from his wounds, and when Shen Jue demands to know why he was not buried, Xiahou Lian explains that in their line of work, many die unburied in the wilderness.Shen Jue asks what Xiahou Lian said about him before dying, and Xiahou Lian fabricates that Xiahou Lian understood Shen Jue hunted him for career advancement and held no resentment.Shen Jue reacts with hollow grief and anger, realizing that Xiahou Lian misunderstood his intentions, and vows to find Xiahou Lian’s grave even if only bones remain.Xiahou Lian offers his own life in place of Xiahou Lian’s memory and asks to be buried with Hengbo, revealing he lost the blade in Taizhou during a pirate fight and that Shen Jue’s agents later acquired it at auction.Shen Jue refuses to return Hengbo and angrily orders Xiahou Lian to leave his sight, keeping the sword for himself.Xiahou Lian questions Shen Jue about why he pursued Xiahou Lian so relentlessly, asking whether it was truly hatred.Shen Jue admits he never despised Xiahou Lian but hated that Xiahou Lian lied and broke promises, believing such betrayal deserved death.Shen Jue spares Xiahou Lian and Zhu Shunzi but confiscates their weapons and keeps them under heavy guard as prisoners.Three days later, Shen Jue leads his forces to Hejian Prefecture where the prince of Fu waits at a suburban estate, while Situ Jin and others remain positioned on the rear hills as backup.Xiahou Lian and Zhu Shunzi are stationed on the hillside disguised with grass wreaths, observing the estate below and discussing Shen Jue’s plan to win the prince of Fu over against Wei De.Zhu Shunzi doubts that the prince of Fu would abandon Wei De’s power for Shen Jue, but Xiahou Lian believes Shen Jue will not fall so easily.Shen Jue reflects that this confrontation is his second all-or-nothing gamble after entering the palace years ago, and that with nothing left to lose he is fearless.Shen Jue meets the prince of Fu in a pavilion, where the prince initially attempts to stall with polite chatter and tea to maintain leverage.Shen Jue produces a bright yellow imperial decree from his sleeve, immediately capturing the prince of Fu’s attention and shifting the balance of power in the negotiation.

Chapter 61: A Raging StormThe prince of Fu eagerly demands to see the imperial edict Shen Jue presents, and upon reading it discovers that the emperor named him, Zhu Muchen, as successor to the throne.The prince of Fu initially doubts the edict’s authenticity, recalling that Wei De had claimed the emperor favored the second prince and intended to name him heir.Shen Jue produces the emperor’s tiger tally, a jade token with a chipped tail from the prince of Fu’s childhood, as proof that the edict is genuine.Recognizing the damaged tiger tally as authentic, the prince of Fu is forced to believe the edict and apologizes for doubting Shen Jue.The prince of Fu questions why the emperor never summoned him back to the capital if he truly intended to name him heir.Shen Jue argues that the emperor’s affection for the second prince was merely fatherly love and suggests that Wei De deliberately misled the prince of Fu to manipulate the succession.Shen Jue explains that Wei De, empowered by decades of imperial favor, orchestrated political massacres and framed upright officials, and that once a new emperor ascends, Wei De’s power would be threatened.Shen Jue outlines Wei De’s alleged scheme to trick the prince of Fu into storming the palace, thereby making his ascension illegitimate and forcing him to rely on Wei De to suppress opposition.The prince of Fu pretends outrage at Wei De’s supposed betrayal and promises that once he takes the throne, he will hand control of the Directorate of Ceremonial to Shen Jue.Shen Jue humbly rejects overt ambition and claims he only seeks to fulfill the emperor’s dying wish, insisting that personal gain is not his motive.The prince of Fu acknowledges that all officials seek power and urges Shen Jue to speak honestly about his true objective.Shen Jue reveals that his real name is Xie Jinglan and that he is the surviving son of Xie Bingfeng, whose entire family was massacred in Jinling twelve years earlier by Qiye Garden assassins under Wei De’s manipulation.Shen Jue explains that he survived the massacre as a child, later entered the palace as a eunuch under a false name, and eventually discovered that Wei De was responsible for his family’s destruction.Shen Jue confesses that his sole desire is to kill Wei De and avenge the Xie family, and he requests the prince of Fu’s support in achieving that goal.The prince of Fu expresses sympathy, recalls Xie Bingfeng’s reputation, and promises to help Shen Jue exact revenge once he becomes emperor.Shen Jue claims that after assisting the prince of Fu’s ascension, he will retire to Jinling and withdraw from court politics.After their meeting, Shen Jue signals Situ Jin stationed on the hillside, confirming that their forces are positioned and ready.The prince of Fu escorts Shen Jue into the estate and continues cordial conversation while secretly evaluating him.Once alone in his assigned courtyard, Shen Jue drops his smiling facade and reflects that the prince of Fu has accepted the forged edict and sided with him, while Wei De remains unaware that his envoys are dead.Shen Jue acknowledges internally that he is walking a dangerous path by deceiving both the prince of Fu and Wei De simultaneously.Situ Jin questions why Shen Jue spared Xiahou Lian, calling him a liability.Shen Jue admits he cannot kill Xiahou Lian because he believes Xiahou Lian was Xiahou Lian’s friend, and orders that Xiahou Lian be released once everything is over, regardless of whether Shen Jue survives.

(Chapter Summary)

There's Something Wrong with the Chief: Du Zhu You Bing (Novel) Vol. 3

(Chapter Summary)

There's Something Wrong with the Chief: Du Zhu You Bing (Novel) Vol. 4

(Chapter Summary)

There's Something Wrong with the Chief: Du Zhu You Bing (Novel) Vol. 5

(Chapter Summary)

Thrice Married to a Salted Fish, Vol. 1

Chapter 1A wedding night takes place at the marquess of Nan’an’s manor, where matrons gossip that the groom Lu Wancheng is extraordinarily handsome but sickly, and that the marriage only happened because Lin Qingyu’s birth bazi was believed to bring fortune and ward off death.
Lin Qingyu is revealed to be the bride, wearing a bridal veil despite being a man, and he is now the legitimate male wife of Lu Wancheng, the heir of the marquess of Nan’an.
After the servants leave, Lin Qingyu removes his own veil and looks at Lu Wancheng, who lies unconscious on the bed in red wedding robes, handsome but pale and clearly very ill.
Lin Qingyu reflects bitterly that he had spent years preparing for the Imperial Academy of Medicine, hoping to become a medical official or physician, but all his plans were destroyed by this forced marriage.
The empress arranged the marriage after learning Lin Qingyu was born at the exact time specified by the imperial preceptor as the only way to save Lu Wancheng’s life, making refusal impossible without endangering the entire Lin family.
Lu Wancheng’s illness is explained: he was predicted to die before age twenty, has been bedridden for years, and recently fell into prolonged delirium, prompting the marquess to seek supernatural help.
Lin Qingyu accepts becoming Lu Wancheng’s wife purely to protect his parents and younger brother, feeling humiliated and resentful, especially after being taught the “ways of a male wife” and prepared like a concubine.
A maid urges Lin Qingyu to serve Lu Wancheng in bed, which fills Lin Qingyu with anger and disgust, though he suppresses it and extinguishes most of the candles.
As a physician, Lin Qingyu examines Lu Wancheng’s condition by taking his pulse and confirms that Lu Wancheng’s vitality is nearly exhausted and that he will not live more than six months.
Lin Qingyu briefly feels relief, thinking that once Lu Wancheng dies, he will finally be free from this marriage.
While Lin Qingyu is checking his pulse, Lu Wancheng unexpectedly stirs and begins to wake up, surprising Lin Qingyu.
Lu Wancheng opens his eyes in confusion and calls Lin Qingyu a beauty, showing inappropriate humor despite his condition.
Lu Wancheng does not recognize Lin Qingyu, nor does he seem to understand where he is or why he is there, suggesting memory confusion or something stranger.
Lin Qingyu realizes Lu Wancheng may have been unaware of the marriage due to his long delirium and introduces himself by name.
Lu Wancheng reacts oddly to Lin Qingyu’s name, calling him “the beautiful imperial physician who died in the Eastern Palace,” which deeply confuses Lin Qingyu.
Lu Wancheng demands a mirror, and upon seeing his own reflection, reacts with shock and curses, as if realizing something is terribly wrong with his situation or identity.
The servants are alerted, and the marquess’s household rushes in, including Physician Zhang, who examines Lu Wancheng and is astonished to find that his pulse has dramatically improved overnight.
Physician Zhang declares Lu Wancheng’s recovery miraculous, saying it is as if new life has been breathed into him, though he only promises a slim chance of survival rather than a full cure.
The marchioness of Nan’an is overjoyed and believes Lin Qingyu’s marriage has saved Lu Wancheng, calling Lin Qingyu her son’s savior and entrusting Lu Wancheng’s future care to him.
Lin Qingyu outwardly smiles and agrees to care for Lu Wancheng, though inwardly he clenches his fists, resentful of being further bound to this role.
The household jokes that Lin Qingyu should call Lu Wancheng “my husband,” deepening Lin Qingyu’s humiliation, before everyone finally leaves the bridal chamber.
Alone again, Lu Wancheng appears thoughtful and conflicted, while Lin Qingyu stands by the window feeling alienated and trapped in his new life.
Lu Wancheng casually addresses Lin Qingyu and explains that he has been thinking things through, including the unfairness of Lin Qingyu becoming a widow after caring for him.
Lu Wancheng states that if he had been conscious earlier, he would not have agreed to the marriage, but acknowledges that it is now irreversible and known throughout the capital.
Lin Qingyu coldly reveals that Lu Wancheng was unconscious during the ceremony and that he had to kneel and perform the rites with a rooster instead of his groom.
Lu Wancheng mocks the situation and tells Lin Qingyu not to take the marriage seriously, stating bluntly that he expects to die within half a year.
Lu Wancheng promises that after his death, Lin Qingyu can take whatever inheritance he gains and return to the Lin family, offering freedom and no resistance from him.
Lu Wancheng ends by describing himself as someone too weak to contend with the deep politics of the manor, saying he only wants to lie low and live like a “salted fish,” closing the chapter with an odd mix of resignation and mystery.

Chapter 2Lin Qingyu listens to Lu Wancheng speak casually about his impending death and realizes that Lu Wancheng truly does not seem afraid of dying.
Lu Wancheng, exhausted and ill, reclines on the bed and teasingly calls Lin Qingyu “Beautiful,” which angers Lin Qingyu due to past harassment, though he notes Lu Wancheng does not behave lewdly.
Lin Qingyu reflects on the humiliation of being forced to wear wedding makeup and vows to remember the indignities imposed by the marquess’s household and the imperial family.
Lin Qingyu decides that since Lu Wancheng is a dying man and their marriage is in name only, he will not hold a grudge against him.
With only one bed in the bridal chamber, Lin Qingyu chooses to sleep on a soft divan and takes an extra quilt from the bed despite the cold weather.
Lu Wancheng briefly wakes when Lin Qingyu takes the quilt, agrees to it, and later comments on Lin Qingyu sleeping in his clothes, prompting Lin Qingyu to undress to nightclothes.
The next morning, servants arrive to wake the couple for the traditional tea-serving ceremony, but Lu Wancheng remains deeply asleep.
Lin Qingyu refuses makeup, changes into plain men’s robes, and orders the wedding trousseau removed, showing his rejection of the marriage’s trappings.
When Lu Wancheng still does not wake, Lin Qingyu examines him and determines he is only sleeping, advising the servants not to disturb him due to his illness.
Lin Qingyu argues that tradition should not outweigh Lu Wancheng’s life and implies that neither of them needs to serve tea if Lu Wancheng is unwell.
A servant reports to Lady Liang, who decides that Lin Qingyu alone serving tea is sufficient, revealing her deep concern for Lu Wancheng.
Lin Qingyu begrudgingly follows orders to attend the tea ceremony and observes the wealth and power of the marquess of Nan’an’s manor.
Lin Qingyu serves tea to the marquess of Nan’an and Lady Liang while imagining poisoning them, highlighting his resentment and suppressed hostility.
Lady Liang speaks kindly and encourages Lin Qingyu to treat the manor as home, while an aunt scolds him for not calling Lady Liang “Mother.”
Lin Qingyu resists changing his form of address, causing displeasure from the marquess of Nan’an, though Lady Liang smooths things over.
Lady Liang explains that Lin Qingyu’s fate matches Lu Wancheng’s and urges him to prioritize Lu Wancheng and care for him on his sickbed.
The marquess of Nan’an orders Lin Qingyu to use his medical skills to assist in Lu Wancheng’s care, reinforcing Lin Qingyu’s confinement to the manor.
Lady Liang gifts Lin Qingyu a jade bracelet originally meant for a future grandson, subtly expressing regret over Lu Wancheng’s inability to have children.
Lin Qingyu concludes that the marquess’s family is irritating and that Lu Wancheng is the only tolerable member among them.
Back at Lanfeng Pavilion, Lin Qingyu checks on Lu Wancheng, intending to examine his unusual pulse rather than out of concern.
Lin Qingyu attempts to take Lu Wancheng’s pulse but is caught when Lu Wancheng grabs his hand and teasingly questions his intentions.
Lu Wancheng openly states that he does not like men and asks Lin Qingyu about his preferences, leaving Lin Qingyu unsettled by the question.
Lin Qingyu admits he does not like men and expresses bitterness about being forced into a warding-off marriage.
Lu Wancheng offers compensation for Lin Qingyu’s grievance, including his inheritance, though Lin Qingyu points out it would still require struggle.
Lin Qingyu insists on examining Lu Wancheng’s pulse and discovers that while his vitality has improved, the root of his illness remains incurable.
Lin Qingyu determines that Lu Wancheng still has no more than half a year to live, as his body continues to consume the fleeting breath of life.
When Lu Wancheng asks if there is hope, Lin Qingyu avoids answering directly, revealing his grim conclusion through silence.
Lu Wancheng calmly remarks that Lin Qingyu should wish for his death to come sooner and states that he does not fear fate or death.
Lu Wancheng jokingly calls Lin Qingyu his future widow and accepts his imminent death as inevitable, leaving Lin Qingyu unable to respond.

Chapter 3Lin Qingyu leaves Lu Wancheng after confirming that Lu Wancheng has no will to live and thinks that the sooner Lu Wancheng dies, the sooner he can return to the Lin residence.
Lin Qingyu returns to the study and reflects on how he came alone to the marquess of Nan’an’s residence with only clothes and medical books, refusing to bring servants because he did not want to treat this marriage as a dowry arrangement.
Lin Qingyu immerses himself in medical books, revealing his eidetic memory, his lifelong devotion to medicine, and his abandoned dream of becoming a medical official in the Department of Imperial Physicians.
Auntie Liu arrives to summon Lin Qingyu to eat and insists that he must dine with Lu Wancheng because Lady Liang believes Lin Qingyu is a lucky charm whose presence will help Lu Wancheng recover.
Lin Qingyu mocks the superstition behind the warding-off marriage and verbally intimidates Auntie Liu, forcing her to retreat after asserting his authority as young lord.
Auntie Liu insists that Lin Qingyu must accompany Lu Wancheng to eat ginseng chicken soup ordered by Lady Liang, and Lin Qingyu criticizes the dish as medically inappropriate for Lu Wancheng’s condition.
Lin Qingyu sends Auntie Liu away with the soup and privately worries that Lady Liang’s repeated nourishing treatments are worsening Lu Wancheng’s chronic illness.
Lin Qingyu decides to observe Lu Wancheng’s rare condition longer, partly out of medical curiosity and partly as an act of karma.
Lin Qingyu goes to the bedroom after learning that Lu Wancheng is eating in bed and tries to warn him not to drink the ginseng chicken soup.
Lin Qingyu discovers that Lu Wancheng has not touched the ginseng chicken soup and learns that Lu Wancheng refuses anything sent by Lady Liang.
Lu Wancheng cryptically implies that his family wants him to die sooner and jokes about having exactly half a year left to live.
Lu Wancheng laughs excessively, coughs, and exposes the fragile state of his health while hinting at a strained and insincere mother-son relationship.
Lu Wancheng offers Lin Qingyu wedding gifts and insists on showing him one item despite Lin Qingyu’s initial refusal.
Hualu presents Lin Qingyu with a leather acupuncture bag, which deeply moves Lin Qingyu because of its professional significance.
Lin Qingyu realizes that among many luxurious wedding gifts, Lu Wancheng deliberately chose the acupuncture bag for him.
Lin Qingyu notices the embroidery reading “Union of Lu and Lin, always of one heart” and questions the meaning of the gift.
Lu Wancheng vaguely says the acupuncture bag is for Lin Qingyu’s future use and avoids directly saying it is meant for treating him.
Lu Wancheng teases Lin Qingyu about being upset and deflects tension with humor while clearly observing Lin Qingyu’s emotions.
Lu Wancheng warns Lin Qingyu that Lady Liang is approaching, correctly deducing that Lin Qingyu ignored her instructions to stay with him.
Lin Qingyu abruptly decides to play along and feeds Lu Wancheng porridge intimately on the bed.
Lady Liang and Auntie Liu rush in expecting to catch Lin Qingyu neglecting Lu Wancheng but instead find the couple appearing harmonious and affectionate.
Lu Wancheng calmly addresses Lady Liang and pretends to be touched by her concern, subtly controlling the situation.
Lady Liang asks whether Lu Wancheng drank the ginseng chicken soup, and Lu Wancheng shifts the blame to Lin Qingyu for stopping him.
Lin Qingyu explains the medical reasoning against ginseng soup, cornering Lady Liang with logic and exposing her ignorance or negligence.
Lu Wancheng deflects responsibility onto Auntie Liu, forcing her to kneel and accept blame for the incident.
Lin Qingyu formally punishes Auntie Liu according to manor rules by fining her salary and sentencing her to hard labor.
Lady Liang reluctantly agrees to the punishment, losing face and authority in front of both Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng.
After Lady Liang leaves, Lu Wancheng asks Lin Qingyu why he targeted Auntie Liu so harshly.
Lin Qingyu reveals that Auntie Liu forced him to address Lu Wancheng as husband, which he deeply resented.
Lu Wancheng teases Lin Qingyu for holding grudges and asks how he learned the manor rules so well.
Lin Qingyu states that Auntie Liu repeatedly recited the rules to him and that his perfect memory made him remember them effortlessly.
Lu Wancheng privately admires Lin Qingyu’s intelligence and composure, calling him impressive.

Chapter 4Lin Qingyu realizes before sleeping that he forgot to arrange a bed in the study and considers sleeping at the desk, but Lu Wancheng sends Hualu to call Lin Qingyu back to sleep in their shared room.
Lin Qingyu enters the bedroom unhappy and questions Lu Wancheng about why he is being asked to sleep there despite their agreement not to take the marriage seriously.
Lu Wancheng bluntly explains that he did not intend to sleep together and jokes crudely, which irritates Lin Qingyu and leads to a tense exchange.
Lu Wancheng reveals that he wants Lin Qingyu’s presence because he believes Lin Qingyu’s good fortune eases his physical discomfort.
Lin Qingyu mocks Lu Wancheng for believing in superstition and rejects ideas like souls, spirits, reincarnation, and the imperial preceptor’s claims.
Lu Wancheng insists he has personally experienced things that make him believe, and mentions wanting to meet the imperial preceptor one day.
Lin Qingyu notices that Lu Wancheng had a proper divan prepared with bedding for him, avoiding sharing a bed while still appearing harmonious.
Lin Qingyu decides to sleep on the divan permanently, finding it acceptable and useful for avoiding Lady Liang’s scrutiny.
That night, Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng chat awkwardly, discussing their ages, with Lu Wancheng teasing Lin Qingyu about seniority and nicknames.
Lu Wancheng privately remarks that Lin Qingyu is beautiful but ill-tempered and muses that someone like him is strangely not the story’s protagonist.
Lin Qingyu falls asleep and dreams about the Imperial Academy of Medicine, recalling his confidence and dedication before the entrance examination.
In the dream, just as Lin Qingyu is about to enter the examination hall, a eunuch stops him with an imperial edict announcing his marriage to Lu Wancheng.
The dream ends with the academy doors closing on Lin Qingyu, symbolizing the loss of his future as a physician.
Lin Qingyu wakes up distressed and reflects that in reality he was disqualified from the exam and forced into marriage before it even began.
Unable to sleep, Lin Qingyu hears Lu Wancheng groaning in pain and discovers him suffering from palpitations and chest discomfort.
Lin Qingyu treats Lu Wancheng seriously as a patient, giving him calming medicine and performing acupuncture despite Lu Wancheng’s fear of needles.
Lu Wancheng speaks casually about dying again, but Lin Qingyu firmly states that he will not let Lu Wancheng die that night.
The treatment succeeds, Lu Wancheng falls asleep peacefully, and Lin Qingyu stays awake until dawn, relieved.
Lu Wancheng sleeps for over twelve hours the next day, worrying Hualu, while Lin Qingyu notes that excessive sleep may indicate deeper illness.
Lu Wancheng wakes after noon, thanks Lin Qingyu sincerely, and jokes that he would not have known how he died without him.
Lu Wancheng claims he wants to repay Lin Qingyu’s kindness by doing something troublesome for him, which Lin Qingyu dismisses coldly.
Fengqin announces the arrival of Lu Wancheng’s second younger sister, who has come to visit him with handmade kneepads.
Lu Wancheng hesitates and ultimately refuses to see his sister, despite her concern and repeated visits.
Lin Qingyu questions why Lu Wancheng avoids his sister, but Lu Wancheng admits he does not want to put on an act in front of her.
Lu Wancheng instructs Fengqin to tell his sister to treat him as if he were dead, turning away and revealing his loneliness and stubborn resolve.

Chapter 5Lu Wancheng shows slight physical improvement after several days of care but quickly gives up trying to walk, joking that he chooses to give up rather than endure difficulty.
Lin Qingyu is irritated by Lu Wancheng’s defeatist attitude and avoids his room for an entire day.
The day arrives for Lin Qingyu, as the bride, to return to his parental home, and although he dislikes the label, he deeply misses his family.
Lady Liang sends a steward with only two chests of return gifts, explaining that the amount corresponds to Lin Qingyu’s minimal dowry.
Lin Qingyu refuses to take the gifts, stating they should be left for the marquess and marchioness instead.
Hualu worries Lin Qingyu will be gossiped about for returning home empty-handed, but Lin Qingyu does not care about public opinion.
The narrative explains that although homosexuality is accepted in Great Yu, Lin Qingyu’s marriage to Lu Wancheng is abnormal because men cannot be main wives under the law.
Lin Qingyu is infamous in the capital as the first man made a wife by imperial decree.
Lin Qingyu departs alone after being told that Lu Wancheng is too ill to accompany him, which Lin Qingyu says was never his intention anyway.
On the way, Lin Qingyu stops at Yongxing Street and personally buys wine, candied fruit, and snacks as gifts for his family.
Lin Qingyu arrives home and is warmly greeted by his mother, his servant Huantong, and his six-year-old brother Lin Qinghe.
Lin Qingyu reassures his mother that Lu Wancheng did not come and repeats Lu Wancheng’s remark about being treated as dead.
Lin Qingyu learns that his father is hosting his student Tan Qizhi, which displeases him.
Lin Qingyu reunites with his father, who is quietly happy to see him.
Tan Qizhi is surprised that Lu Wancheng did not accompany Lin Qingyu and subtly implies this is improper.
Tan Qizhi openly scrutinizes Lin Qingyu’s appearance and mocks his plain clothing despite his noble marital status.
Lin Qingyu sharply retorts by mocking Tan Qizhi’s flashy attire and likening him to a noble family’s male wife.
Tan Qizhi asks to see Lin Qingyu’s return gifts, clearly expecting something extravagant.
Lin Qingyu presents only two jars of wine and mentions candied fruit, embarrassing Tan Qizhi.
Lin Qinghe happily thanks Lin Qingyu for the candied fruit, undermining Tan Qizhi’s attempts at ridicule.
Tan Qizhi suggests Lin Qingyu is hiding better gifts, which Lin Qingyu’s father rebukes.
Tan Qizhi claims propriety forbids him from drinking with Lin Qingyu now that Lin Qingyu is married.
Lin Qingyu turns Tan Qizhi’s argument around and directly orders him to leave as an outsider.
Tan Qizhi attempts to stay by claiming he has another request to make.
A steward suddenly announces that Lin Qingyu’s son-in-law has arrived, revealing Lu Wancheng’s unexpected appearance.
Lin Qingyu is shocked and goes out to greet Lu Wancheng, accompanied by his parents and Tan Qizhi to avoid rumors.
Lu Wancheng appears in a wheelchair, dressed elegantly and visibly healthier than before.
Lu Wancheng lightly teases Lin Qingyu for not bringing him along.
Lu Wancheng stands with assistance and formally greets Lin Qingyu’s parents with perfect courtesy.
Lin Qinghe openly admires Lu Wancheng’s looks, which Lin Qingyu immediately denies.
Lu Wancheng sits back down and acknowledges Tan Qizhi, deliberately pretending not to remember the name of Tan Qizhi’s apothecary to humiliate him.
Lin Qingyu sends his family inside due to the cold and stays behind with Lu Wancheng.
Lin Qingyu questions Lu Wancheng’s motives, sensing this behavior is unusual.
Lu Wancheng admits it took great effort to come and claims he did so to support Lin Qingyu and repay him for medical treatment.
Lin Qingyu bluntly states he is not touched and suggests Lu Wancheng should leave.
Lu Wancheng reacts with mock despair, ending the chapter on a note of dry humor.

Chapter 6Lu Wancheng arrives at the Lin residence looking dramatic despite only waking early and riding in a wheelchair, which Lin Qingyu internally mocks.
Lin Qingyu is annoyed that both Tan Qizhi and Lu Wancheng have appeared, ruining his chance to quietly eat with his family.
Lu Wancheng initially plans to leave after delivering gifts but is pulled into the house when Lin Qinghe calls them inside.
Lu Wancheng insists on following etiquette by greeting Lin Qingyu’s parents and is given a seat at the table.
Lu Wancheng claims he cannot eat and must leave due to poor health, prompting Lin Qingyu’s mother to invite him to rest instead.
Lu Wancheng deliberately hints at being ill so Lin Qingyu’s father will examine him, while Lin Qingyu pretends not to notice.
Lu Wancheng secretly stays mainly because he wants to eat the plum-blossom cake, which Lin Qingyu believes despite finding it ridiculous.
Lin Qingyu directly asks Tan Qizhi why he is still present since Lin Qingyu cannot drink with him.
Tan Qizhi argues that Lu Wancheng should be open-minded and allow drinking, and Lu Wancheng agrees on the surface.
Lu Wancheng subtly drives Tan Qizhi away by questioning whether Tan Qizhi’s wife would be offended by him drinking with a married male couple.
Tan Qizhi is forced to leave awkwardly, realizing Lu Wancheng is deliberately pushing him out.
Lu Wancheng reveals he brought five carriages of gifts Lin Qingyu forgot, further humiliating Tan Qizhi.
Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng whisper during the meal, appearing intimate to Lin Qingyu’s parents despite privately bickering.
Lu Wancheng suggests the gifts be sold for silver after his death, joking about Lin Qingyu enjoying his inheritance, which Lin Qingyu accepts pragmatically.
Lin Qingyu’s father examines Lu Wancheng and confirms his illness is congenital and incurable, advising rest and caution.
Lin Qingyu privately confirms Lu Wancheng has about half a year left to live.
Lin Qingyu’s father admits there is a method to extend Lu Wancheng’s life by another half year at the cost of great suffering.
Lin Qingyu internally decides he does not want Lu Wancheng to live longer, wanting the marriage to end sooner.
Lin Qingyu’s mother asks if Lu Wancheng treats him well, and Lin Qingyu dismisses the marriage as a six-month farce.
Tan Qizhi later corners Lin Qingyu under the excuse of losing a jade pendant and brings up the Imperial Academy of Medicine exam.
Tan Qizhi deliberately needles Lin Qingyu about his inability to take the exam, while Lin Qingyu mocks Tan Qizhi’s past failure.
Tan Qizhi asks to borrow Lin Qingyu’s medical books, implying Lin Qingyu no longer needs them.
Lin Qingyu coldly refuses, insults Tan Qizhi’s ability, and has him sent away.
Lin Qingyu prepares to return to the marquess’s residence with snacks packed by his mother, including plum-blossom cakes for Lu Wancheng.
Lin Qingyu finds Lu Wancheng awake and lazing in bed, pretending to be helpless due to the cold.
Lin Qingyu yanks away Lu Wancheng’s quilt, refusing to indulge him, and Lu Wancheng cheerfully complies.
Lin Qingyu vents his frustration about Tan Qizhi being allowed to take the medical exam while he cannot.
Lu Wancheng reassures Lin Qingyu that Tan Qizhi is insignificant and jokes about dying faster so Lin Qingyu can be widowed before the exam.
Lu Wancheng gently encourages Lin Qingyu not to compare himself to others, leaving Lin Qingyu momentarily speechless.

Chapter 7Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng finish packing, bid farewell to Lin Qingyu’s parents, and return together to the marquess of Nan’an’s manor, with the entire Lin household seeing them off.
Lin Qingyu reflects that returning home is rare and difficult for him because he needs Lady Liang’s permission and can only visit a few times each year, which makes the farewell especially emotional.
Lin Qingyu’s mother is reluctant to let him go, Lin Qinghe clings to him, and Huantong cries the hardest because Lin Qingyu is the center of his life and purpose.
Huantong begs to follow Lin Qingyu back to the marquess’s manor, and Lin Qingyu’s mother supports this, worrying that Lin Qingyu has no one he can fully trust there.
Lin Qingyu agrees to take Huantong with him, which turns Huantong’s tears into joy.
Lin Qingyu informs Lu Wancheng about bringing Huantong along, and Lu Wancheng casually approves, saying it will be nice to have another boy at Lanfeng Pavilion.
Lin Qingyu worries that Huantong will be trapped in the inner chambers like himself, while Lu Wancheng cheerfully claims the inner chambers are paradise for someone like him.
Lin Qingyu dismisses Lu Wancheng’s attitude, stating that people on different paths cannot plan together.
Lin Qinghe sweetly says goodbye to both Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng, and Lu Wancheng notes with amusement that Lin Qinghe seems to like him.
Lin Qingyu bluntly says Lin Qinghe judges people by appearance and implies that Lu Wancheng is only “all right,” which still surprises Lu Wancheng.
Lu Wancheng jokingly calls Lin Qingyu the “number one beauty,” and Lin Qingyu seriously argues that such rankings are illogical and impossible to prove.
Lu Wancheng speaks nonsense about someone who has seen everything and ranked their looks, which Lin Qingyu dismisses as absurd and ignores.
Lin Qingyu worries that Lady Liang will know about the many gifts sent to the Lin family and may indirectly pressure him about them, which irritates him.
After returning to the manor, Huantong pushes Lu Wancheng’s wheelchair as they head toward Lanfeng Pavilion, but Lu Wancheng insists they should first greet Lady Liang.
Lin Qingyu questions Lu Wancheng’s sudden filial behavior, suspecting ulterior motives because Lu Wancheng usually avoids Lady Liang.
They visit Lady Liang, who feels sorry for Lu Wancheng’s illness and says he did not need to accompany Lin Qingyu home.
Lu Wancheng jokingly suggests Lin Qingyu should be punished for leaving without him, but Lady Liang sides with Lin Qingyu and dismisses the idea.
Lu Wancheng subtly brings up the return gifts, explaining he chose them from his birth mother’s dowry, and Lady Liang calmly says he may use them as he wishes.
Lin Qingyu recalls rumors about Lu Wancheng’s background, including his powerful birth mother who died in childbirth and Lady Liang raising him as her own.
After leaving Lady Liang’s courtyard, Lu Wancheng collapses into bed from exhaustion, while Lin Qingyu rests behind the screen in their room.
Lin Qingyu comments that Lu Wancheng is not stupid, and Lu Wancheng admits he can force himself to do things he hates if they are good for him.
Lin Qingyu asks about Lu Wancheng’s education despite his lifelong illness, but Lu Wancheng falls asleep before answering.
As the weather warms, Lu Wancheng’s health improves, and he no longer needs a wheelchair, spending his days enjoying leisurely amusements.
Lin Qingyu studies a prescription written by his father and debates whether to give it to Lu Wancheng because it contains harsh, toxic ingredients.
Lu Wancheng walks outside with his pet bird, Huantong, and several maids, whose laughter and chirping disrupt Lin Qingyu’s concentration.
Lin Qingyu coldly asks Lu Wancheng to quiet the bird, while Lu Wancheng invites him to take a break and enjoy the day.
Lin Qingyu refuses, claiming he will forget his ambitions if he stops working, and shuts the window firmly.
Lu Wancheng remarks that Lin Qingyu is boring, while Huantong defends Lin Qingyu by saying he was different at the Lin residence.
A loud crash comes from the study, and everyone finds Lin Qingyu injured after missing a step while putting away books.
Lin Qingyu insists he is fine but admits he sprained something and asks to be helped to the bedroom for medicine.
Lu Wancheng impulsively tries to carry Lin Qingyu despite his weak body, nearly collapsing and making the situation worse.
Huantong easily carries Lin Qingyu instead, highlighting the contrast between Lu Wancheng’s intentions and physical limits.
Lu Wancheng watches this, laughs bitterly, and curses in frustration, revealing his shaken emotions and helplessness.

Chapter 8Huantong carries Lin Qingyu back to the bedroom after he sprains his ankle and sets him on a divan.
Lin Qingyu orders Huantong to fetch the medicine chest and personally applies sprain treatment to his ankle, enduring the pain without calling a physician.
Hualu worries about Lin Qingyu’s injury, but Huantong insists Lin Qingyu himself is the best physician.
Lin Qingyu refuses help with massage and instructs Hualu to prepare a cold compress, showing his medical discipline.
Lin Qingyu notices Lu Wancheng sitting silently and asks if he is hurt, but Lu Wancheng instead worries about Lin Qingyu’s sprain.
Lin Qingyu says the sprain would have healed faster if Lu Wancheng had not thrown him earlier, embarrassing Lu Wancheng.
Lu Wancheng offers his wheelchair to Lin Qingyu, but Lin Qingyu refuses and instead relies on Huantong’s assistance.
Hualu remarks on Lin Qingyu’s appearance while injured, and Lu Wancheng calls him a “war-torn beauty” while watching him closely.
That night, Lu Wancheng cannot sleep and sighs repeatedly, disturbing Lin Qingyu while he reads.
Lu Wancheng admits he is upset because he could not lift Lin Qingyu earlier, which deeply frustrates him.
Lin Qingyu bluntly explains that Lu Wancheng’s body is weak and that he should understand his limits instead of comparing himself to others.
Lu Wancheng argues emotionally and compares himself to Huantong, only to be mocked when Lin Qingyu throws his own words back at him.
Lin Qingyu smiles playfully for the first time, surprising Lu Wancheng and making him see Lin Qingyu’s inner beauty.
Lu Wancheng gently asks if Lin Qingyu is still in pain and suggests they share the bed since Lin Qingyu is also injured.
Lin Qingyu repeatedly refuses, claiming Lu Wancheng has terrible sleeping habits and might crush his hair.
Lu Wancheng relents after Lin Qingyu threatens to medically silence him for three days.
Lady Liang sends a maid to inquire about Lin Qingyu’s injury, maintaining appearances.
A maid from Concubine Pan delivers ointment patches said to be effective for sprains.
Lin Qingyu confirms the ointment is good but hesitates to accept it because he has never met Concubine Pan and does not want to owe her.
Lu Wancheng accepts the ointment on Lin Qingyu’s behalf and claims Concubine Pan is timid and trustworthy.
Lin Qingyu reflects that among everyone in the manor, only Lu Wancheng is someone he truly trusts.
Lu Wancheng reveals that the acupuncture bag Lin Qingyu once rejected was actually made by Concubine Pan as a wedding gift.
Lu Wancheng tries to apply the ointment patch to Lin Qingyu’s ankle, but Lin Qingyu forcefully escapes and leaves the room.
Lin Qingyu’s sprain heals after three days of rest.
Lu Wancheng replaces the laughingthrush with a myna bird that loudly imitates words, driving Lin Qingyu away from Lanfeng Pavilion.
Lin Qingyu goes to dry herbs in a garden with Huantong, enjoying the peace and spring weather.
Huantong remarks that life in the marquess’s manor is happier than expected and that Lu Wancheng treats Lin Qingyu well.
Lu Niantao, Lu Wancheng’s half sister, approaches Lin Qingyu and greets him politely as Sister-in-Law.
Lin Qingyu is uncomfortable with the address but maintains courtesy in front of servants.
Lu Niantao notices the herbs and assumes Lin Qingyu is preparing medicine for Lu Wancheng.
Lu Niantao warns that only Physician Zhang should decide what medicine Lu Wancheng takes, subtly questioning Lin Qingyu’s authority.
Huantong tries to defend Lin Qingyu’s medical skill but is silenced by Lin Qingyu.
Lin Qingyu coldly states the herbs are not for Lu Wancheng and leaves, ending the conversation.
Back at Lanfeng Pavilion, Lu Wancheng annoys Lin Qingyu by parading the myna bird while it shouts “Physician Lin.”
Lin Qingyu threatens to kill the bird and turn it into soup, forcing Lu Wancheng to back down.
The two exchange dark jokes about death, graves, and burning paper money.
Lin Qingyu tells Lu Wancheng about his encounter with Lu Niantao and questions why Lu Wancheng avoids her.
Lu Wancheng claims the stars told him Lu Niantao is not a good person and that he should stay away from her.
Lin Qingyu quietly reflects on Lu Wancheng’s words, ending the chapter with suspicion and unresolved tension.

Chapter 9Lin Qingyu goes every morning to Lady Liang’s room out of obligation as a daughter-in-law and endures polite but strained interactions to avoid giving her fault to pick at.
Lady Liang brings up that a wife’s most important duty is bearing children, indirectly pressuring Lin Qingyu despite knowing he cannot do so.
Lin Qingyu coldly suggests divorce so Lu Wancheng can marry someone capable of giving children, which Lady Liang dismisses by calling Lin Qingyu Lu Wancheng’s lucky charm.
Lady Liang shifts the topic to household management, saying Lin Qingyu should assist Lu Wancheng by taking charge of the manor’s affairs.
Lin Qingyu mocks Lu Wancheng’s lack of real worries and directly mentions Lu Wancheng’s illness, making Lady Liang uncomfortable.
Lady Liang insists Physician Zhang will handle Lu Wancheng’s illness, but Lin Qingyu reminds her that he was ordered to oversee Lu Wancheng’s health.
Lady Liang flatters Lin Qingyu’s intelligence and memory, arguing that capable people should shoulder more responsibility.
Auntie Liu appears and presents Lin Qingyu with thick account books for the manor’s finances.
Lin Qingyu notes that Auntie Liu has visibly aged from hard labor, subtly reminding her of past punishment.
Lady Liang gives Lin Qingyu three days to sort out the accounts, framing it as a sign of trust and favor.
Lin Qingyu realizes refusing would make him look ungrateful and accepts all the account books.
After Lin Qingyu leaves, Lady Liang reveals to Auntie Liu that she never intended to give up real control of the household.
Lady Liang explains she investigated Lin Qingyu and learned he has no real experience with accounts, believing he cannot balance medicine and accounting.
Lady Liang orders servants skilled in accounting not to help Lin Qingyu, ensuring his failure.
Lu Wancheng sleeps until noon and complains of a headache, which Lin Qingyu diagnoses as oversleeping.
Lin Qingyu massages Lu Wancheng’s temples but abruptly stops when reminded of his workload.
Lin Qingyu sarcastically comments that Lu Wancheng has an excellent stepmother, hinting at Lady Liang’s scheme.
Lu Wancheng learns about Lady Liang forcing the accounts on Lin Qingyu and reacts with amused indifference.
Lin Qingyu spends the afternoon grinding herbs while Lu Wancheng lounges in the sun, their contrasting temperaments on display.
Lin Qingyu mentions preparing a medicine that is effective but causes kidney deficiency, unsettling Lu Wancheng.
Late at night, Lin Qingyu begins reviewing the account books and discovers they are messy, incomplete, and deliberately difficult.
Lin Qingyu works past midnight, exhausting himself despite sore eyes and poor lighting.
Lu Wancheng visits the study and urges Lin Qingyu to rest, showing unexpected concern.
Lin Qingyu tries to rope Lu Wancheng into helping with the accounts, causing Lu Wancheng to flee while pretending his head hurts.
Lu Wancheng returns, blows out the lamp, grabs Lin Qingyu’s wrist, and tells him to leave the accounts to him.
Lin Qingyu refuses, stating that Lady Liang would accuse him of neglecting his husband if Lu Wancheng helped.
Lu Wancheng argues that Lady Liang’s schemes should be his responsibility, not Lin Qingyu’s.
Lin Qingyu insists on handling it himself and tells Lu Wancheng to focus only on his illness.
Lu Wancheng jokingly claims he cannot sleep without Lin Qingyu, but Lin Qingyu shows no sympathy.
Lin Qingyu barely sleeps and resumes working on the accounts early the next morning.
A man named Zhang Shiquan arrives, sent by Lu Wancheng through the duke of Wen.
Zhang Shiquan identifies that the account books have been tampered with and offers to finish them alone in one day.
Lin Qingyu accepts Zhang Shiquan’s help, recognizing professional expertise.
Lin Qingyu goes looking for Lu Wancheng and finds him gambling at pitch-pot with maids, acting like a carefree wastrel.
Watching Lu Wancheng laugh and waste money, Lin Qingyu suddenly feels that he truly understands Lu Wancheng for the first time.

Chapter 10Zhang Shiquan, an experienced accountant chosen by the Duke of Wen, finishes organizing a full month of account books in a single day and confidently claims he has never made a mistake.
Lin Qingyu thanks Zhang Shiquan, while Lu Wancheng rewards him with silver and asks him to remain in the Marquis of Nan’an’s residence in case further accounting issues arise.
After Zhang Shiquan leaves, Lu Wancheng immediately relaxes and complains that Lin Qingyu did not trust him to handle the accounts personally.
Lin Qingyu points out that Lu Wancheng indeed did not do the work himself, leading to playful but sharp banter about relying on others for life tasks.
Lu Wancheng jokingly twists the conversation into crude humor about having children without effort, which angers and embarrasses Lin Qingyu, who calls him hopeless.
The day arrives for Lady Liang to inspect the household accounts, and she prepares carefully while Auntie Liu complains bitterly about her prior punishment working in the garden.
Lady Liang reassures Auntie Liu that she was wronged and hints that today will be a turning point in her favor.
Lu Niantao arrives early to accompany Lady Liang, but Lin Qingyu does not appear on time, prompting Auntie Liu to mock him as an ill-mannered male wife.
Lu Niantao cautions Auntie Liu to mind her words and suggests waiting longer before judging Lin Qingyu.
Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng arrive together, surprising Lu Niantao and unsettling Lady Liang, who feels increasingly threatened by Lu Wancheng’s improving health.
Lady Liang reflects internally on how she arranged Lu Wancheng’s warding-off marriage expecting his death, only to see him recover under Lin Qingyu’s care, which fills her with fear and regret.
Lu Niantao reassures Lady Liang that rationality and fairness will protect her position, while Auntie Liu confidently believes Lin Qingyu will fail the accounting test.
Lin Qingyu wheels Lu Wancheng into the hall, and Lu Wancheng bluntly defends Lin Qingyu’s lateness, silencing Auntie Liu.
Lu Niantao expresses concern that Lu Wancheng cannot walk, but Lin Qingyu calmly explains that Lu Wancheng is simply lazy and sleepy.
Lin Qingyu immediately presents the organized account books to Lady Liang through Huantong, without engaging in further pleasantries.
Lady Liang grows suspicious because Lin Qingyu appeared too busy with medicine to complete the accounts, yet she is shocked by how clean, detailed, and professional the books are.
Auntie Liu nearly loses composure, while Lady Liang realizes the accounts are superior even to those prepared by the marquess’s own accountant.
Lu Niantao hints that an outside helper must have been involved, but Lu Wancheng calmly explains that his grandfather sent someone to assist, shutting down suspicion.
Lu Niantao publicly praises Lin Qingyu and suggests Lady Liang can safely hand over household authority to him, while Lu Wancheng adds that Lady Liang deserves a leisurely life.
Lu Niantao proposes testing Lin Qingyu’s memory, and Lady Liang agrees, hoping to find a flaw.
Lin Qingyu confidently answers detailed questions about businesses, farms, profits, and losses entirely from memory, even referencing Lady Liang’s ancestral home.
Lady Liang is forced to admit that Lin Qingyu’s answers are all correct, while Lu Wancheng watches him with open pride.
Lu Wancheng dismisses Lin Qingyu, claiming he has private matters to discuss with Lady Liang, and Lin Qingyu leaves without protest.
Alone with Lady Liang, Lu Wancheng asks her to help him stand, reversing their usual power dynamic and making her feel physically and emotionally smaller.
Lu Wancheng calmly claims his illness is terminal, says Lin Qingyu cannot save him, and implies he has less than half a year left to live.
He states that he only wants to eat, drink, and admire beauties in his remaining time, while advancing toward Lady Liang until she is forced to retreat.
Auntie Liu attempts to intervene but is silenced by Lu Wancheng’s cold authority, terrifying her and the other servants into submission.
Under intense pressure, Lady Liang panics and finally agrees to Lu Wancheng’s request, effectively conceding control.
Lu Wancheng thanks Lady Liang politely, sealing his dominance in the exchange.
Back at Lanfeng Pavilion, Lu Wancheng returns coughing and exhausted, and Lin Qingyu notices his condition worsening despite the warm weather.
Lu Wancheng dismisses it as the result of being too aggressive earlier, while Lin Qingyu checks his pulse with concern.
Lu Wancheng immediately reverts to childish behavior, complaining about being sleepy, which leaves Lin Qingyu exasperated and speechless.

Chapter 11Lin Qingyu realizes something is wrong when Lu Wancheng starts coughing, and by the next day Lu Wancheng develops a high fever and falls into a deep, unresponsive sleep.
The servants of Lanfeng Pavilion are accustomed to Lu Wancheng’s fluctuating health, knowing that even minor illnesses can be life-threatening due to his long-standing condition.
Lin Qingyu diagnoses Lu Wancheng with a cold but understands internally that Lu Wancheng’s weakened body makes even a cold dangerous.
Physician Zhang arrives with his new disciple Tan Qizhi, who greets Lin Qingyu with false familiarity.
Lin Qingyu deliberately humiliates Tan Qizhi by forcing him to wait outside in the sun while only allowing Physician Zhang to examine Lu Wancheng.
Tan Qizhi reveals his jealousy, mocking Lin Qingyu for being trapped in the manor as Lu Wancheng’s spouse and caretaker instead of pursuing the Imperial Academy of Medicine examination.
Lin Qingyu sees through Tan Qizhi’s hostility as jealousy and dismisses him as insignificant.
Physician Zhang confirms the diagnosis of a cold and prescribes ordinary medicine before leaving.
Lin Qingyu considers modifying the prescription for better effectiveness but ultimately lets Hualu prepare it as written.
While Lu Wancheng remains unconscious, Lin Qingyu continues his daily routines but reflects coldly on Lu Wancheng’s inevitable death.
Lin Qingyu prepares a complex pill meant to strengthen Lu Wancheng’s body, insisting on handling the process himself.
Lin Qingyu overhears maids gossiping that Lady Liang has not visited Lu Wancheng due to a quarrel involving Lin Qingyu.
Lin Qingyu ignores the gossip and orders Huantong to retrieve Lady Liang’s monthly household account book under the pretense of helping her.
Lady Liang feels relieved upon hearing of Lu Wancheng’s illness and believes Lin Qingyu cannot save him.
Auntie Liu encourages Lady Liang to act against Lin Qingyu, warning her that Lin Qingyu may seize control of the household.
Despite hesitation and fear of Lu Wancheng, Lady Liang agrees to send the account book to Lanfeng Pavilion.
Lin Qingyu asks Zhang Shiquan to examine the accounts, who notes that more months are needed to find irregularities.
Lin Qingyu requests additional account books from previous months.
On the third day, Lu Wancheng’s fever subsides, but he remains unconscious and extremely weak.
When Lu Wancheng resists drinking medicine in his sleep, Lin Qingyu personally takes over feeding him.
Lin Qingyu is summoned by Lady Liang before he can finish, forcing him to leave Lu Wancheng.
Lady Liang accuses Lin Qingyu of losing a crucial page from the household accounts related to restaurant revenues.
Steward Wang theatrically claims he deserves death for the missing page, which Lin Qingyu mocks without sympathy.
Auntie Liu and Lady Liang imply that the page went missing after Huantong returned the account book, shifting blame onto Lin Qingyu.
Lin Qingyu agrees calmly to return to Lanfeng Pavilion to search for the missing page.
Upon returning, Lin Qingyu discovers that Lu Wancheng has awakened and is joking with the maids.
Lu Wancheng speaks weakly but cheerfully, describing his repeated brushes with illness and recovery.
Lin Qingyu scolds Lu Wancheng for acting spoiled and then apologizes for his sharp tone, blaming accumulated frustration.
Lu Wancheng teasingly asks if Lin Qingyu is disappointed that he failed to die.
Lin Qingyu replies that he is slightly disappointed, and Lu Wancheng laughs, apologizing for surviving.

Chapter 12Lin Qingyu reflects on Lu Wancheng’s apology and realizes he no longer clearly understands his own intentions, since although he once wished for Lu Wancheng’s early death to free himself, he has recently worked seriously on medicine that could extend Lu Wancheng’s life by up to six months.
Lin Qingyu internally admits that the medicine is not true salvation and questions whether extending Lu Wancheng’s life even matters, given Lu Wancheng’s indifference toward life and death.
Lu Wancheng jokes about not committing suicide because he fears being forced into hard labor as a ghost, which slightly eases Lin Qingyu’s tension.
Lu Wancheng remains extremely weak, survives only on liquids, and spends his waking hours reading novellas and forcing Lin Qingyu to listen to him tell stories before sleeping.
Lin Qingyu explains that servants are searching Lanfeng Pavilion for a supposedly missing page from an account book, which Lu Wancheng immediately recognizes as an opportunity for Lin Qingyu to fight for inheritance power.
Lin Qingyu confirms he deliberately ordered a search for a nonexistent page, revealing that both he and Lu Wancheng are thinking strategically.
Lu Wancheng jokingly proposes becoming sworn brothers with Lin Qingyu, but Lin Qingyu bluntly refuses, reminding him that they are already married.
The servants fail to find the missing page, and Lady Liang and Auntie Liu accuse Lin Qingyu of negligence, insisting the page must have been lost in Lanfeng Pavilion.
Lin Qingyu calmly accepts blame without resistance, which unsettles Lady Liang and disrupts her expectations.
Lady Liang pretends generosity, decides not to trouble the Marquess of Nan’an, and frames the incident as a minor oversight to avoid appearing petty.
Lin Qingyu is given another stack of account books to manage, while Lady Liang positions herself as his protector to maintain moral authority.
Lin Qingyu has Zhang Shiquan guard the account books carefully, locking them away and counting pages repeatedly to prevent further accusations.
When Lin Qingyu reports back, Lady Liang deliberately claims another page is missing, this time page twenty-six, despite Lin Qingyu’s certainty that it was intact.
Auntie Liu confirms the book has only 119 pages instead of 120, escalating the accusation and making Lin Qingyu appear incompetent.
Lady Liang warns Lin Qingyu that she cannot protect him repeatedly and suggests he abandon household management to care for the sick Lu Wancheng instead.
Lin Qingyu refuses to retreat and openly asks for another chance, revealing his ambition to retain control over household affairs.
Lady Liang recognizes Lin Qingyu’s desire for inheritance power and decides to remove him from bookkeeping while assigning him the dangerous task of preparing a birthday gift for Noble Consort Chen.
Lady Liang explains the political sensitivity of gift-giving to the crown prince’s mother and sets strict rules to trap Lin Qingyu into making a mistake.
Lin Qingyu accepts the task despite knowing the risks and his lack of direct contact with the Eastern Palace.
Back in Lanfeng Pavilion, Lu Wancheng deliberately finishes his medicine quickly upon seeing Lin Qingyu to avoid being scolded.
Lin Qingyu deduces that someone loyal to Lady Liang stole the page at the last moment, and Lu Wancheng casually identifies Fengqin as a likely culprit.
Lu Wancheng explains that nearly everyone in Lanfeng Pavilion answers to Lady Liang, revealing his sharp observational skills and surprising Lin Qingyu.
Lin Qingyu chooses not to confront Lady Liang, deciding instead to let her continue her schemes so he can respond on his own terms.
Lu Wancheng openly acknowledges Lin Qingyu’s darker thoughts and expresses amusement and admiration, calling him beautiful even when doing bad things.
Lin Qingyu realizes that Lu Wancheng understands him more deeply than anyone else, becoming an unexpected confidant despite his frail and lazy demeanor.
Late at night, Lu Wancheng wakes coughing and finds Lin Qingyu standing alone by the window, appearing cold, distant, and luminous.
Lin Qingyu questions whether Lu Wancheng would still admire him if his “bad deeds” involved poisoning or killing someone.
Lu Wancheng reacts with excitement rather than fear and affirms that he would still find Lin Qingyu beautiful, explicitly stating that he loves the way Lin Qingyu looks when he uses poison.

Chapter 13The Great Yu Empire’s crown prince, the emperor’s eldest son, has ruled the Eastern Palace for three years, and his birth mother Noble Consort Chen is preparing to receive birthday congratulations from all titled noblewomen.
Lady Liang orders Lin Qingyu to prepare a birthday gift for Noble Consort Chen that matches past gifts in value without appearing to curry favor or offend the empress.
Lin Qingyu reviews the residence storerooms and notes that valuable items like the mutton-fat jade scepters and a thousand-year-old ginseng are no longer there.
Lin Qingyu selects several items and brings them to Lanfeng Pavilion to examine them carefully.
Lu Wancheng becomes unusually concerned when he hears the gift is for Noble Consort Chen and warns Lin Qingyu to be cautious of Lady Liang’s intentions.
Lady Liang wakes early on the birthday morning, learns that the marquess stayed with Concubine Pan, and suppresses her irritation.
Lady Liang summons the marquess to breakfast and emphasizes the political importance of Noble Consort Chen’s birthday gift.
Lady Liang arranges for Lin Qingyu to present the prepared gift to the marquess for inspection.
Lin Qingyu presents a rolled ancient painting as the gift, which enrages the marquess.
The marquess recognizes the painting as a priceless family heirloom once admired by the emperor and accuses Lin Qingyu of nearly causing a political disaster.
Lady Liang pretends shock and supports the accusation that Lin Qingyu acted recklessly.
Lin Qingyu calmly claims that he chose the painting under Lady Liang’s instructions to match previous gifts in value.
Lin Qingyu mentions the mutton-fat jade scepters supposedly bestowed by the crown prince, which Lady Liang and the marquess deny ever receiving.
Lin Qingyu produces the account book Lady Liang gave him, which now lacks any record of the jade scepters.
Lady Liang claims Lin Qingyu mishandled the books and hints that missing pages are due to his negligence.
The marquess orders Lin Qingyu punished for intentionally endangering the household.
Lin Qingyu questions why account books keep losing pages after being handled in Lanfeng Pavilion.
Auntie Liu suddenly collapses, writhing in agony, followed shortly by Fengqin suffering the same symptoms.
Lin Qingyu reveals that the missing page mentioning the jade scepters was coated with a special poison to catch the culprit removing pages.
Lin Qingyu explains that the poison causes unbearable itching and pustules but is not fatal.
Lin Qingyu states that Auntie Liu and Fengqin touching the poisoned page proves their involvement.
Auntie Liu confesses that Lady Liang ordered her to burn the missing pages.
Lady Liang denies everything and accuses Lin Qingyu of framing her through cruelty.
Lin Qingyu suggests questioning Steward Wang, who was not poisoned, to uncover the truth.
The marquess orders Auntie Liu and Fengqin taken away and later personally interrogates Steward Wang.
Lady Liang is made to kneel in the ancestral hall all night and falls ill the next day.
The marquess entrusts household authority to Lin Qingyu and Concubine Pan, marking Lady Liang’s loss of power.
Lu Wancheng’s health improves slightly, and Lin Qingyu changes his daily medicine prescription.
Lu Wancheng initially reacts badly to the new medicine but quickly realizes Lin Qingyu would not poison him.
Lin Qingyu admits the new medicine can extend Lu Wancheng’s life by six months and ease his final suffering.
Lin Qingyu reflects on his duty as a physician and his regret over missing the Imperial Academy of Medicine exam.
Lu Wancheng thanks Lin Qingyu sincerely, showing emotional closeness despite his usual joking demeanor.
Lin Qingyu coldly tells Lu Wancheng that he will never be strong enough to lift him, no matter how long he lives.

Chapter 14Lin Qingyu becomes one of the two people in charge of the household’s affairs, causing servants to fear him due to rumors of poisoning and to report even trivial matters to him.
Lin Qingyu is annoyed by managing mundane affairs but accepts control over important matters and asks Lu Wancheng to appoint trustworthy stewards to help manage the residence.
Lu Wancheng teases Lin Qingyu about previously insisting on doing everything himself, and Lin Qingyu replies that circumstances have changed.
Lu Wancheng agrees to write a letter to his grandfather to arrange stewards and jokingly asks Lin Qingyu to grind ink, expecting refusal.
Lin Qingyu unexpectedly agrees to grind the ink, surprising Lu Wancheng, and the two quietly share the space while Lu Wancheng writes.
Lu Wancheng notices the scent of herbs on Lin Qingyu and is puzzled by his own heightened senses.
Lu Wancheng’s calligraphy is revealed to be elegant and skillful despite his chronic illness, contradicting his lazy demeanor.
Lu Wancheng complains of fatigue after writing briefly, while Lin Qingyu points out that his skill implies years of practice.
Lu Wancheng claims he was forced to practice calligraphy as a child by his mother, who demanded excellence in many arts, though he never explicitly names Lady Liang.
Lin Qingyu deduces that Lu Wancheng is not referring to Lady Liang as his “dear mother,” and Lu Wancheng silently admits this with a smile.
While distracted, Lu Wancheng spins the inked brush, splattering ink onto Lin Qingyu and Huantong, embarrassing everyone involved.
Lu Wancheng reaches out to wipe ink from Lin Qingyu’s face, briefly touching his eyelashes, which causes Lu Wancheng to freeze in confusion.
Lin Qingyu swats Lu Wancheng’s hand away and cleans himself, while Lu Wancheng remains unsettled by the moment.
Lin Qingyu is summoned by Concubine Pan to discuss Qingming arrangements and leaves Lu Wancheng to finish the letter.
Concubine Pan explains that Lady Liang is unable to perform ancestral rites due to illness and seclusion, and that Lin Qingyu, as main wife, must take her place.
Lin Qingyu agrees to visit Changsheng Temple, partly for formality and partly to pray for his own family.
Concubine Pan recounts how Lin Qingyu’s father once saved her and her mother when they were destitute, earning her lifelong gratitude.
Lin Qingyu responds warmly, acknowledging his father’s character and accepting Concubine Pan’s offer of future help.
Lin Qingyu returns to prepare for the Qingming trip as persistent rain creates a gloomy atmosphere in the residence.
Lu Wancheng becomes increasingly morose over several days, refusing to explain his mood despite Lin Qingyu’s questioning.
When Lu Wancheng refuses to take his medicine, Lin Qingyu intervenes directly to confront him.
Lu Wancheng finally confesses that his medicine has caused sexual dysfunction, leaving him distressed and ashamed.
Lin Qingyu calmly explains that he added potent herbs to improve Lu Wancheng’s survival chances, and that such side effects are unavoidable.
Lin Qingyu bluntly states that preserving Lu Wancheng’s life matters more than his pride or sexual function.
Lu Wancheng struggles to argue but ultimately concedes, sarcastically praising Lin Qingyu as “badass” before drinking the medicine.

Chapter 15Lanfeng Pavilion becomes gloomy because Lu Wancheng has fallen into deep depression, stopped enjoying his usual hobbies, and lies listlessly in bed, which affects all the servants.
Hualu and Huantong notice that Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng are not speaking to each other and believe the two have quarreled, though they have never actually shared a bed despite being married.
Lin Qingyu knows Lu Wancheng is depressed but believes the erectile dysfunction caused by medicine is a minor price compared to the severe pain the medicine prevented, and he assumes Lu Wancheng will eventually accept it.
Continuous rain causes mold in the study, and while sorting books, Lin Qingyu discovers annotations in Lu Wancheng’s old book and realizes Lu Wancheng’s recent handwriting seems deliberately imitated rather than genuine.
Lin Qingyu overhears Lu Wancheng instructing servants sent by Duke Wen to secretly secure most of the household inheritance for Lin Qingyu after Lu Wancheng’s death, bypassing the marchioness.
Lin Qingyu is deeply moved and burdened by Lu Wancheng’s quiet preparations for his future.
Lin Qingyu confronts Lu Wancheng, and Lu Wancheng assumes Lin Qingyu is there to apologize for causing his impotence, refusing to accept an apology.
Lu Wancheng internally struggles with wounded pride, believing his masculinity is gone and thinking Lin Qingyu deserves someone stronger than him.
Lin Qingyu unexpectedly proposes that they become sworn brothers instead, shocking and angering Lu Wancheng at first.
Lin Qingyu explains the impotence is temporary and treatable with acupuncture, easing Lu Wancheng’s fear though he pretends not to care.
Lu Wancheng agrees to the sworn brother ritual after realizing Lin Qingyu calling him “elder brother” would be satisfying.
Lu Wancheng prepares an overly dramatic sworn brother ceremony inspired by novels, while servants are baffled because the two are already married.
Lu Wancheng modifies the traditional oath, focusing on mutual support and companionship rather than grand ideals.
Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng complete the oath, drink the wine, and officially become sworn brothers.
Lu Wancheng is pleased until he realizes Lin Qingyu intends to call him “Wancheng-xiong” instead of “Wancheng-gege,” meaning he was subtly outmaneuvered.
Lin Qingyu promises to treat Lu Wancheng with acupuncture to restore his condition, ending the tension between them.
After the rain stops, Lin Qingyu prepares to travel to Changsheng Temple, and Lu Wancheng is in an unusually good mood due to his recovery progress.
Lin Qingyu teases Lu Wancheng about inspecting his recovery, embarrassing him but confirming the treatment is working.
Lin Qingyu invites Lu Wancheng to accompany him to Changsheng Temple, and Lu Wancheng agrees because he wants to meet someone there.
At Changsheng Temple, Lin Qingyu intends to seek answers from Imperial Preceptor Xu Junyuan, who once calculated his marriage fate and indirectly ruined his life.
Lin Qingyu prays alone while Lu Wancheng inspects eternal lamps with Huantong.
Lin Qingyu wanders into a quiet orchard and unexpectedly sees Lu Wancheng meeting privately with Imperial Preceptor Xu Junyuan under blooming peach trees.
Lin Qingyu observes how composed and dazzling Lu Wancheng appears before others, contrasting sharply with his silly behavior around Lin Qingyu.
Lu Wancheng asks Imperial Preceptor Xu Junyuan whether there have ever been cases of people resurrecting after death or waking up in another person’s body, hinting at deeper secrets about his own existence.

Chapter 16Lin Qingyu secretly listens from behind peach blossoms as Lu Wancheng speaks with Xu Junyuan, the imperial preceptor, in a secluded peach orchard near Changsheng Temple.
Lin Qingyu realizes Lu Wancheng only agreed to come because he wanted to meet Xu Junyuan, since Lu Wancheng rarely leaves the manor unless something truly interests him.
Lu Wancheng asks Xu Junyuan directly whether the dead can return to life or awaken in another body, a question Lin Qingyu finds absurd and offensive to medical logic.
Xu Junyuan explains that immortality and resurrection have been pursued since ancient times without success, and that he has never seen a dead person revive or awaken in another body, though he does not deny the possibility outright.
Lu Wancheng dismisses Xu Junyuan’s answer as meaningless words, showing clear skepticism toward the imperial preceptor’s authority.
Xu Junyuan remarks that if such a reborn person existed, they would never admit it because no one would believe them and it would bring trouble.
Huantong arrives with Lu Wancheng’s wheelchair, and Lin Qingyu reveals himself and formally greets Xu Junyuan.
Lu Wancheng introduces Lin Qingyu to Xu Junyuan as his neiren, surprising Lin Qingyu and making him uncomfortable because neither of them treats the marriage seriously.
Xu Junyuan praises Lin Qingyu’s elegance and calls him Lady Lu, which Lin Qingyu accepts stiffly despite his displeasure.
Lu Wancheng openly admires Lin Qingyu without shame, treating him like a beautiful peach blossom, which embarrasses and irritates Lin Qingyu.
Xu Junyuan orders wine to be brought out, but Lin Qingyu stops him by citing Lu Wancheng’s illness, and Xu Junyuan instead toasts them with tea.
Lin Qingyu refuses to raise his cup, openly showing hostility toward Xu Junyuan.
Lin Qingyu cites his exact birth date and time and confronts Xu Junyuan with the question of why he was chosen for this marriage.
Xu Junyuan answers that it was mandated by the heavens, which Lin Qingyu mocks as superstition used to excuse helplessness and ignorance.
Xu Junyuan points out that Lu Wancheng’s health has improved since the marriage, implying the union had real effects.
Lin Qingyu insists the improvement is merely coincidence, and Xu Junyuan drops the argument.
Lu Wancheng asks how Xu Junyuan reached his conclusion, and Xu Junyuan explains that he divined Lu Wancheng would survive only if he met a benefactor.
Lu Wancheng responds that the marriage did not change his fate and criticizes Xu Junyuan for match-making so carelessly.
Xu Junyuan asks whether Lu Wancheng has another name, suggesting a new divination could be done.
Lu Wancheng hesitates before answering no, which Lin Qingyu notices and finds suspicious.
Lin Qingyu recalls rumors about Lu Wancheng’s past and realizes many things about him do not add up, including his odd behavior and ignorance about himself.
Lin Qingyu briefly considers whether rebirth into another body could be real, then decides Lu Wancheng must be hiding something.
As dusk approaches, Xu Junyuan bids them farewell without seeing them off.
Lin Qingyu coldly acknowledges Xu Junyuan and privately decides that if he ever takes revenge, he will not be overly cruel.
Lu Wancheng plucks a peach blossom as they leave, too weak to walk, and Huantong pushes his wheelchair while Lin Qingyu walks ahead.
Pilgrims stare openly at Lin Qingyu’s beauty, which annoys Huantong but does not bother Lu Wancheng.
Lu Wancheng comments casually that everyone likes to look at beautiful faces and jokes that Lin Qingyu only belongs to him.
Huantong teases Lu Wancheng about not being jealous like other husbands, and Lu Wancheng jokes that Lin Qingyu’s beauty makes him look better.
Lu Wancheng admits lightly that he can see Lin Qingyu every day, though not for long, hinting again at his impending death.
Huantong tries to comfort Lu Wancheng by saying winter is still far away and he has time.
Lu Wancheng imagines Lin Qingyu standing in the snow wearing a red cloak and looking breathtaking.
Lin Qingyu overhears this, stops, and turns back to stare at Lu Wancheng intently.
Lin Qingyu asks again whether Lu Wancheng truly has no other name.
Lu Wancheng deflects the question with humor, denying it without seriousness.
Lin Qingyu chooses not to press further and calmly says he hopes Lu Wancheng lives until the first snow.

Chapter 17Lin Qingyu reflects on how Lu Wancheng seems to see through everyone while hiding his own depths, and he feels resentment that Lu Wancheng knows him so well while remaining an enigma himself.
Lin Qingyu asks Hualu to help him sort through Lu Wancheng’s old calligraphy and artwork under the excuse of tidying the study, driven by his unease and desire for answers.
By examining the calligraphy chronologically, Lin Qingyu notices that Lu Wancheng’s handwriting stabilized at around age sixteen but changed again after Lu Wancheng’s terminal illness and coma, particularly after their wedding night.
Lin Qingyu learns from Hualu that Lu Wancheng used to be quieter, less cheerful, and longed to leave the marquess’s residence, often saying he would die happy if he could visit Lin’an.
Lin Qingyu becomes suspicious of Lu Wancheng’s drastic change in attitude toward Lady Liang and Lu Niantao and wonders whether Lu Wancheng learned something significant about them.
While flipping through a detective novel Lu Wancheng had read, Lin Qingyu finds an annotation in Lu Wancheng’s handwriting identifying the killer early in the story, revealing Lu Wancheng’s sharp insight.
Lin Qingyu writes the word “Scram” next to Lu Wancheng’s annotation as a quiet expression of irritation.
During a meal together, Lin Qingyu notices that Lu Wancheng avoids eating carp because of the bones, which leads to curt exchanges between them.
Steward Zhang Shiquan reports that Qingdai Pavilion has accused the accounts office of cutting Lu Qiaosong’s allowance and reducing his meals.
Lin Qingyu infers that Qingdai Pavilion had previously received more than the established rules allowed and orders the rules to be enforced strictly.
Lin Qingyu states that if Qingdai Pavilion continues to cause trouble, it would be better for the matter to reach the marquess.
Auntie Qiu, Lu Qiaosong’s wet nurse, causes a public disturbance in the accounts room, accusing Concubine Pan and Lin Qingyu of persecuting Lu Qiaosong while the marchioness is ill.
Auntie Qiu claims that Lu Qiaosong has fallen sick because his allowance was cut and demands silver instead of accepting a physician.
Lin Qingyu insists on inspecting Lu Qiaosong personally and leads people to Qingdai Pavilion despite Auntie Qiu’s objections.
Lin Qingyu examines Lu Qiaosong and immediately diagnoses him with kidney deficiency caused by excessive indulgence.
Lu Qiaosong reacts with shame and rage, ordering everyone out and hurling insults at Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng.
Lin Qingyu states plainly that he will not let Lu Qiaosong off and leaves the treatment to an outside physician.
Lin Qingyu encounters the physician and recognizes him as Chang Yang, his junior fellow student from their medical apprenticeship.
Lin Qingyu notices Lu Niantao watching them closely and tells Chang Yang to focus on treating the patient before speaking further.
After returning to Lanfeng Pavilion, Lin Qingyu learns that Lu Wancheng already knows about Lu Qiaosong’s illness.
Lu Wancheng accurately guesses that Lu Qiaosong suffers from kidney deficiency, reinforcing Lin Qingyu’s suspicion that Lu Wancheng knows far more than he should.
Lu Wancheng casually mentions the crown prince while criticizing men who overindulge, which unsettles Lin Qingyu.
Lin Qingyu mentions Chang Yang again and notes that Chang Yang is from Lin’an, the same place Lu Wancheng once longed to visit.
Lin Qingyu suggests traveling to Lin’an after Lu Wancheng’s condition improves.
Lu Wancheng firmly refuses, stating that travel would exhaust him and worsen his health.
Lin Qingyu silently questions Lu Wancheng’s refusal and grows more wary of what Lu Wancheng is hiding.

Chapter 18Chang Yang examines Lu Qiaosong and gives the same diagnosis as Lin Qingyu, attributing the illness to overwork, excessive drinking, and resulting digestive discomfort, while downplaying the severity.
Lu Niantao deliberately brings up that Chang Yang addressed Lin Qingyu as shixiong, revealing their shared mentorship, and uses this to encourage Chang Yang to visit Lin Qingyu at Lanfeng Pavilion.
Lu Niantao personally tends to the marquess with bird’s nest soup and emotionally reports Lu Qiaosong’s illness and Lady Liang’s distress, successfully evoking the marquess’s sympathy.
The marquess allows Lady Liang to leave confinement but keeps her from resuming control of household affairs, signaling lingering distrust.
Lady Liang rushes to Qingdai Pavilion, discovers Lu Qiaosong’s illness stems from indulgence at the Bureau of Entertainment, and angrily berates him for his recklessness.
Humiliated and enraged, Lu Qiaosong blames Lin Qingyu for exaggerating his condition in front of servants and vows revenge rather than accepting shame.
Lu Niantao intervenes, notes Lady Liang’s weakened position, and warns that Lin Qingyu and Lady Pan are the true obstacles to regaining household authority.
Lu Niantao criticizes Lady Liang for acting without consulting her, pointing out that Lu Wancheng is not expected to live past next year and that patience would have been wiser.
Lady Liang realizes Auntie Liu’s instigation led her to make disastrous decisions that cost her power and trust.
Lu Qiaosong complains that their allowance is insufficient and demands concrete action rather than blame.
Lu Niantao proposes a plan to keep Chang Yang treating Lu Qiaosong, hinting at using the physician for future leverage.
In Lanfeng Pavilion, Lin Qingyu writes a prescription and jokingly tells Lu Wancheng it is an aphrodisiac, mocking Lu Qiaosong’s accusation that Lin Qingyu slandered him out of sexual frustration.
Lin Qingyu goes out to meet Chang Yang, leaving Lu Wancheng oddly alert and insecure, symbolized by his fixation on the “green” pillow implying jealousy.
Lin Qingyu and Chang Yang reunite and reflect on their shared past under the same mentor, with Chang Yang harboring unresolved affection and resentment over Lin Qingyu’s forced marriage.
Chang Yang openly suggests that Lin Qingyu was wronged by the imperial edict and hints at long-suppressed feelings, believing he understands Lin Qingyu better than anyone.
Chang Yang proposes secretly taking Lin Qingyu away from the marquess’s residence to travel together, attempting to rekindle their former bond.
Lu Wancheng unexpectedly appears, calmly asserts his presence, and forces a formal introduction, disrupting Chang Yang’s attempt to persuade Lin Qingyu.
Chang Yang claims he and Lin Qingyu are like brothers, subtly staking emotional territory, while Lu Wancheng responds with polite but pointed sarcasm.
Chang Yang shifts the conversation to medicine, mentioning a rare herb effective against consumption, which genuinely interests Lin Qingyu.
Lu Wancheng deliberately plays the role of a magnanimous and unbothered spouse, sitting beside Lin Qingyu and allowing the discussion to continue.
Lu Wancheng invites Chang Yang to stay for dinner, but Chang Yang declines, feeling out of place and unable to advance his plan.
Before leaving, Chang Yang confirms Lu Qiaosong’s kidney deficiency and mentions his prescription, while Lin Qingyu notes that Lu Niantao already knows about their connection.
After Chang Yang departs, Lu Wancheng drops his noble façade, teasingly claims he acted out of spousal benevolence, and is bluntly dismissed by Lin Qingyu.

Chapter 19Chang Yang becomes a frequent visitor at the marquess of Nan’an’s residence, coming every three days to take Lu Qiaosong’s pulse and often bringing gifts for Lin Qingyu.
Lu Wancheng is always present during Chang Yang’s visits, acting overly familiar and preventing Chang Yang from ever speaking privately with Lin Qingyu.
Chang Yang grows increasingly resentful of Lu Wancheng’s frivolous behavior and feels more determined to save Lin Qingyu from what he believes is an unhappy marriage.
On one visit, Chang Yang arrives with plum-blossom cakes only to find Lu Wancheng hosting a noisy cockfight in Lanfeng Pavilion.
A chicken feather lands on Chang Yang’s head, embarrassing him, while Lu Wancheng cheerfully explains that he is cockfighting for fun.
Lin Qingyu returns from the garden, clearly irritated by the chaos, and coldly comments on the mess Lu Wancheng has made.
Lin Qingyu recognizes the victorious rooster as the one that replaced Lu Wancheng during their wedding ceremony and bowed with him instead.
Lu Wancheng is shocked that Lin Qingyu remembers this detail and orders Huantong to confirm whether the rooster truly performed the wedding rites.
Chang Yang again fails to find time alone with Lin Qingyu and is forced to leave after brief conversation.
During the visit, Chang Yang reminisces aloud about traveling with Lin Qingyu and their shifu, recounting shared hardships and warmth from the past.
Lu Wancheng listens attentively to Chang Yang’s stories and reacts with apparent interest, which further irritates Lin Qingyu.
Lin Qingyu asks about Lu Qiaosong’s condition, and Chang Yang explains that Lu Qiaosong is nearly recovered but will continue being monitored at Lu Niantao’s request.
After Chang Yang leaves, Lin Qingyu expresses suspicion that Lu Niantao is deliberately using Chang Yang due to his connection with Lin Qingyu.
Lu Wancheng casually eats the pastries Chang Yang brought, teasing Lin Qingyu about being stingy.
Lin Qingyu questions Lu Wancheng about his claimed past friendships, pointing out inconsistencies in his upbringing.
Lu Wancheng offers to answer Lin Qingyu’s questions truthfully, but Lin Qingyu refuses, stating he has no interest.
Lu Wancheng suggests eating the rooster that performed the wedding ceremony, claiming it annoys him.
Lin Qingyu mocks Lu Wancheng for letting a rooster stand in for him during the wedding and accuses him of discarding things once they are no longer useful.
On a later visit, Chang Yang finishes treating Lu Qiaosong and is told by Lu Niantao that his services are no longer needed.
After Chang Yang leaves, Lu Niantao secretly orders a servant to follow him and report anything unusual.
Believing this may be his last chance, Chang Yang writes a note asking Lin Qingyu to meet him privately and entrusts it to Huantong.
Huantong hesitates but agrees to deliver the message while Chang Yang warns him not to let Lu Wancheng know.
Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng are playing weiqi when Huantong blurts out that Chang Yang wanted to secretly pass a message without the young marquess noticing.
Lu Wancheng becomes openly angry at the secrecy and reads the note aloud, sarcastically mocking its romantic implications.
Lin Qingyu deduces that Lu Niantao already knows about Chang Yang’s feelings and is trying to exploit them.
Lu Wancheng bluntly accuses Chang Yang of being enamored with Lin Qingyu and expresses jealousy in vulgar terms.
Lin Qingyu counters by reminding Lu Wancheng that they are merely sworn brothers and good friends, leaving Lu Wancheng momentarily speechless.
Lin Qingyu orders Huantong to tell Chang Yang to leave the residence and never return.
Lu Wancheng suddenly changes his mind and insists Lin Qingyu should meet Chang Yang after all, clearly plotting something.
Chang Yang is told to wait in a deserted building until nightfall so he can meet Lin Qingyu discreetly.
Lin Qingyu leaves Lanfeng Pavilion to meet Chang Yang, while Lu Wancheng watches him go and feels an unexpected sense of possessiveness.
Lu Wancheng imagines Chang Yang confessing and forcing himself on Lin Qingyu, which unsettles him.
Lin Qingyu meets Chang Yang at night, and Chang Yang immediately begs Lin Qingyu to leave the marquess’s residence with him.
Chang Yang proposes that they flee the capital and live in seclusion with their shifu.
Lin Qingyu rejects the idea, citing the emperor-ordained marriage and the danger such an escape would pose to his family.
Chang Yang reveals a plan involving the Departure Pill, a medicine that can induce a fake death, claiming their shifu succeeded in creating it.
Chang Yang suggests Lin Qingyu fake his death to gain freedom without endangering his family.
Lin Qingyu questions the value of freedom gained through becoming legally dead.
Lin Qingyu bluntly states that Chang Yang does not understand him or his ambitions.
Lin Qingyu admits he desires power, wealth, influence, rare medical resources, and prestige, and wants to become the greatest physician possible.
Lin Qingyu declares that only the Imperial Academy of Medicine can give him what he wants and mocks Chang Yang’s naive idealism.
Chang Yang is shocked, realizing Lin Qingyu is not the virtuous, selfless man he imagined.
Chang Yang criticizes Lu Wancheng, claiming he is a dying wastrel incapable of giving Lin Qingyu what he desires.
Lin Qingyu angrily defends Lu Wancheng, describing in detail his illness, suffering, and efforts to endure quietly.
Lin Qingyu argues that Lu Wancheng deserves to live carefree during his remaining six months.
Chang Yang asks if Lin Qingyu has feelings for Lu Wancheng.
Lin Qingyu states he is not attracted to men and defines his relationship with Lu Wancheng as that of kindred spirits bound by marriage.
Chang Yang accepts the rejection, apologizes, and hands Lin Qingyu the formula for the Departure Pill before leaving.
Chang Yang reflects bitterly that he projected his own desires onto Lin Qingyu and resolves to leave the capital.
Huantong comforts Chang Yang and brings him to a nighttime outing arranged by Lu Wancheng.
Meanwhile, Lu Qiaosong and Auntie Qiu attempt to frame Lin Qingyu and Chang Yang by accusing them of meeting secretly at night.
Their scheme fails when Lu Wancheng and the marquess arrive and are revealed to be the figures by the pond.
The marquess scolds Lu Qiaosong and becomes suspicious after learning Physician Chang treated him for kidney deficiency.
Lu Qiaosong tries to provoke Lu Wancheng by implying Lin Qingyu is admired by many men.
Lu Wancheng publicly asserts that Lin Qingyu is his wife and coldly warns everyone present not to touch him or even think of doing so.

Chapter 20Lin Qingyu returns to Lanfeng Pavilion after parting with Chang Yang and learns that the marquess interrogated Lu Qiaosong overnight about his misconduct.
Lu Qiaosong initially denies everything, but his servant boy exposes that he has been frequenting prostitutes for over a month.
Lu Qiaosong claims he only enjoyed cultured entertainment like poetry, wine, and qin music, but the marquess is enraged by his excuses.
The marquess slaps Lu Qiaosong, orders him to reflect in the ancestral hall for one day, secludes him for a month, and scolds Lady Liang for poor parenting.
Lin Qingyu dismisses the punishment as dull and ineffective.
Lu Wancheng falls ill after eating cold well-soaked grapes in summer, developing a low fever but remaining conscious.
Lin Qingyu scolds Lu Wancheng while treating him, warning him not to eat cold food again and writing him a prescription.
Lu Wancheng jokes about his frailty and sickness, and Lin Qingyu bluntly attributes it to his lack of restraint.
Lu Wancheng’s illness creates a brief period of peace at Lanfeng Pavilion.
Lady Pan visits to check on Lu Wancheng, and she and Lin Qingyu discuss household matters instead since Lu Wancheng is resting.
Lin Qingyu learns that Lu Qiaosong’s courtesans are unpaid because Qingdai Pavilion is overspending and Lu Qiaosong lacks funds.
The courtesans approach Lady Pan for allowances because they fear Lin Qingyu and find Lady Pan more approachable.
Lin Qingyu decides that the household will only keep half of the courtesans and lets them compete to stay, knowing most will fight for Lu Qiaosong’s favor.
The decision forces rivalry among the courtesans, increasing Lu Qiaosong’s indulgence and dependence on them.
Lin Qingyu prepares a special aromatic incense made from buried herbs and arranges for it to be delivered through servant channels.
Lu Wancheng notices the fragrance on Lin Qingyu and deduces that it is poisonous.
Lu Wancheng correctly guesses that Lin Qingyu intends to use the drug on Lu Qiaosong to cause his death during sexual activity.
Lin Qingyu openly admits he wants Lu Qiaosong to die humiliatingly because of past insults and attempted reputation damage.
Lin Qingyu reflects that his darker nature has emerged since marrying into the marquess’s family, encouraged by Lu Wancheng’s acceptance and indulgence.
Lu Wancheng praises Lin Qingyu and asks to participate in his future schemes, and Lin Qingyu agrees.
Lu Wancheng becomes eagerly invested in monitoring events at Qingdai Pavilion while recuperating.
Steward Zhang Shiquan reports suspicious financial gains from drought-stricken estates in Xu Prefecture.
Lin Qingyu chooses to ignore the issue despite Zhang Shiquan’s concerns about unlawful income.
After Lin Qingyu leaves, Lu Wancheng secretly orders Zhang Shiquan to investigate Xu Prefecture immediately.
Lin Qingyu later realizes Lu Wancheng sees situations clearly but avoids effort unless forced, and he acknowledges Lu Wancheng’s hidden competence.
Lin Qingyu prepares a medicinal bath for Lu Wancheng to ease his coughing and insomnia.
During the bath, Lin Qingyu analyzes Lu Wancheng’s personality and concludes that he hates losing and excels despite pretending to be lazy.
Lu Wancheng admits he no longer knows why he still tries, given his failing health and lack of ambition.
The medicinal bath improves Lu Wancheng’s condition temporarily, and he jokes about preparing for his funeral.
Lin Qingyu is unsettled by Lu Wancheng’s casual acceptance of death.
Music from Qingdai Pavilion disturbs Lu Wancheng’s nap, revealing that Lu Qiaosong is openly entertaining courtesans nearby.
Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng go to confront the gathering at the gazebo.
Lu Qiaosong is drinking, painting, and entertaining friends and courtesans despite his weakened health.
Lu Qiaosong’s friends openly admire Lin Qingyu and speculate crudely about his status as a concubine.
Lu Wancheng firmly declares Lin Qingyu as his legal wife and demands respect.
Lu Wancheng proposes that Huang-xiong drink ten cups of wine to atone, escalating the situation.
Lu Qiaosong insists on drinking the ten cups himself despite warnings about his health.
Lu Qiaosong finishes all ten cups, provoking Lu Wancheng before dismissing them coldly.
That night, chaos erupts at Qingdai Pavilion after a woman screams, signaling disaster.
Huantong reports that something has finally gone wrong, implying Lu Qiaosong’s scheme has taken effect.
Lin Qingyu smiles and invites Lu Wancheng to witness the outcome together.
Lu Wancheng realizes Lin Qingyu calling him by name is tied to shared wrongdoing and emotional closeness.

Chapter 21Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng arrive at Qingdai Pavilion to find it filled with servants acting as if at a funeral, while a woman sobs inside.
A courtesan who had played the pipa earlier is dragged out by servants, her clothes disheveled and her red dudou stained with Lu Qiaosong’s blood.
In the inner room, Lady Liang cries hysterically beside Lu Qiaosong’s bed, Lu Niantao tends to him with restrained grief, and Physician Zhang stands by.
Lady Pan and the marquess wait outside, both shaken and grim over Lu Qiaosong’s condition.
Lady Pan explains privately to Lu Wancheng and Lin Qingyu that Lu Qiaosong collapsed after sleeping with a courtesan.
The courtesan had secretly used a sweet-smelling herb meant to arouse men, hoping to regain Lu Qiaosong’s favor and secure her future.
Lu Qiaosong, already anxious about his health and drunk from earlier festivities, became aroused by the scent and overexerted himself.
During intercourse, Lu Qiaosong suddenly bled heavily from the nose and mouth and collapsed.
Physician Zhang declares Lu Qiaosong beyond his ability to save, causing Lady Liang to faint in despair.
Lu Wancheng performs exaggerated mourning while Lin Qingyu coldly observes the chaos.
The marquess begs Physician Zhang for alternatives, but is told nothing more can be done.
Lin Qingyu steps forward and offers to treat Lu Qiaosong.
Lin Qingyu examines Lu Qiaosong and states calmly that he can save Lu Qiaosong’s life.
Lin Qingyu warns that Lu Qiaosong will become permanently impotent and unable to father children.
Lu Niantao urgently begs for Lu Qiaosong’s life to be saved regardless of the consequences.
The marquess agrees, choosing Lu Qiaosong’s survival over his fertility.
Lin Qingyu performs acupuncture through the night and stabilizes Lu Qiaosong.
Afterward, Lin Qingyu leaves to find Lu Wancheng waiting for him despite his own poor health.
Lin Qingyu explains to Lu Wancheng that keeping Lu Qiaosong alive but ruined is more entertaining than letting him die.
In the following days, the marquess becomes visibly aged and refuses to see Lu Qiaosong again.
Lady Liang falls ill with rage and grief after learning her son is impotent.
Lu Qiaosong sinks into despair, refuses medicine, and loses the will to live.
Lu Niantao bears the burden of caring for both her mother and brother.
Lu Wancheng praises Lin Qingyu’s aphrodisiac, realizing it worked only because alcohol triggered its effects.
Lin Qingyu admits he personally created the drug.
Lu Wancheng probes Lin Qingyu about his sexual experience, assuming he must have had relations in the past.
Lin Qingyu states he has never slept with anyone and values fidelity as modeled by his parents.
Lu Wancheng jokes about dying a virgin and awkwardly asks about sex out of curiosity.
Lin Qingyu coldly shuts down Lu Wancheng’s suggestion to experiment together.
Despite the marquess’s attempts at secrecy, gossip about Lu Qiaosong’s humiliating incident spreads throughout the capital.
Other branches of the Lu family speculate that the marquess’s bloodline may end and discuss adoption.
The marquess becomes furious upon receiving letters suggesting succession plans.
The marquess orders Lady Pan to handle a solution since Lady Liang is incapacitated.
Lady Pan informs Lin Qingyu that relatives will visit during the Mid-Autumn Festival under the guise of a reunion.
Lady Pan reveals the marquess is desperate to continue the family line.
Lin Qingyu immediately realizes Lady Pan is testing whether he can provide fertility medicine.
Lady Pan awkwardly denies it, but Lin Qingyu bluntly assesses her chances of conceiving with the marquess.
Lady Pan finally admits the marquess wants Lu Wancheng to take a concubine.
Lin Qingyu responds with cold mockery, stating it would be more effective for the marquess to produce more children himself.

Chapter 22Lin Qingyu firmly rejects Lady Pan’s suggestion regarding future arrangements by invoking the marquess, causing Lady Pan to drop the topic and move on to Mid-Autumn Festival preparations.
Lin Qingyu privately realizes he failed to consider that after Lu Qiaosong lost the ability to continue the family line, the marquess would naturally place his hopes on Lu Wancheng despite Lu Wancheng’s frail health.
That night, Lu Wancheng returns after bathing and notices Lin Qingyu staring at him in a way that makes him uneasy.
Lin Qingyu bluntly asks Lu Wancheng whether he can still become aroused, focusing on his sexual function rather than his health.
Lu Wancheng reacts with resentment, pointing out that the medicine Lin Qingyu prescribed is the cause of his impotence.
It is revealed that Lu Wancheng’s sexual function is entirely controlled by Lin Qingyu through medicine or acupuncture, and Lu Wancheng has resigned himself to this state.
Lin Qingyu tells Lu Wancheng he can restore his function with acupuncture if Lu Wancheng believes it is worthwhile.
Lin Qingyu coldly explains that restoring Lu Wancheng’s function would be for producing a male heir to continue the family line.
Lu Wancheng immediately understands that someone has spoken to Lin Qingyu about taking a concubine and laughs it off.
Lin Qingyu directly asks Lu Wancheng whether he wants to take a concubine.
Lu Wancheng pretends to hesitate and admits he has never been close to a woman, expressing a half-serious desire to experience intimacy before his death.
Lin Qingyu sees through Lu Wancheng’s teasing and refuses to take his words seriously.
Lin Qingyu calmly asks what kind of woman Lu Wancheng likes so he can select a suitable concubine.
Lu Wancheng gives a vague answer, saying he likes someone pretty, gentle, and unlikely to lose her temper at him.
Lin Qingyu states he will choose a concubine the next day and tells Lu Wancheng to go to sleep.
Lu Wancheng protests that Lin Qingyu is his official husband and questions how he can so calmly help him find a concubine.
Lin Qingyu jokes that he has no husband, only a sworn brother, and that Lu Wancheng’s future child would call him uncle.
Lu Wancheng regrets ever pushing for the sworn brother relationship and tries to deny its validity.
Lin Qingyu insists that sworn brotherhood is lifelong and dismantles Lu Wancheng’s argument by pointing out they never consummated their marriage.
Lu Wancheng sulks and later meets privately with the marquess, after which the marquess spends the night in the ancestral hall and visibly ages.
The issue of Lu Wancheng taking a concubine is quietly dropped.
As Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, autumn sets in and Lin Qingyu becomes withdrawn, cold, and unwilling to eat.
Lin Qingyu recognizes his own melancholy and frustration but cannot control his emotions despite knowing they are unproductive.
Lu Wancheng brings Lin Qingyu osmanthus cakes and tries unsuccessfully to cheer him up.
Lin Qingyu dismisses Lu Wancheng and asks to be left alone.
Lu Wancheng later tells Huantong that Lin Qingyu likely wants solitude and should not be disturbed.
Lu Wancheng correctly guesses that Lin Qingyu’s mood is connected to the release of the Imperial Academy of Medicine exam results.
Lin Qingyu wanders the residence alone, reflecting on time passing, his status in the marquess’s household, and how his life changed after marrying Lu Wancheng.
Lin Qingyu thinks about the exam he gave up and wonders where he would be if he had not extended Lu Wancheng’s life by six months.
Lin Qingyu spitefully wishes that everyone he despises, especially Tan Qizhi, will fail the exam, even promising to abstain from meat for seven days.
Huantong rushes to Lin Qingyu and announces that Tan Qizhi and several others who wronged Lin Qingyu have all failed the exam.
Lin Qingyu learns that Lu Wancheng secretly sent Huantong to check the results, knowing Lin Qingyu would care about them.
Lin Qingyu is shaken by how deeply Lu Wancheng understands his hidden bitterness and emotions.
Lin Qingyu returns to Lanfeng Pavilion and finds Lu Wancheng whistling cheerfully and inviting him to eat together.
Lin Qingyu reflects that he sacrificed his own future for Lu Wancheng’s life extension but finds some consolation in Lu Wancheng’s presence and simple happiness.
Lin Qingyu finally smiles genuinely and agrees to have dinner with Lu Wancheng.

Chapter 23During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Lu family branch led by the marquess of Nan’an’s half brother travels from Lin’an to the capital, marking the first reunion between the half brothers since the family split, and the household prepares extensively to maintain appearances.
Lu Wancheng remains secluded in Lanfeng Pavilion, claiming worsening illness and relying on a wheelchair, while Lin Qingyu is free from festival duties and accompanies formal receptions.
Lin Qingyu, Lady Pan, and the marquess of Nan’an wait outside the residence to receive the arriving Lu family branch, which enters in an extravagant procession reflecting their wealth.
The marquess of Nan’an exchanges polite but emotionally distant greetings with his elder half brother before leading the guests inside.
Lu Baishuo, the marquess’s nephew and Lu Wancheng’s elder cousin, approaches Lin Qingyu in a friendly and overly familiar manner, introducing himself as Lu Baishuo and suggesting the nickname Lu Laoliu.
Lin Qingyu initially shows disinterest, but Lady Pan explains that Lu Baishuo previously stayed in the residence for three months and is close to Lu Wancheng.
Realizing Lu Baishuo may be useful, Lin Qingyu greets him properly and invites him to visit Lu Wancheng in Lanfeng Pavilion.
Lu Baishuo expresses concern for Lu Wancheng’s health and mentions bringing nourishing foods from Lin’an.
Before entering, Lin Qingyu asks Lu Baishuo for a favor, then brings him to Lu Wancheng under the pretense of a visit.
Lu Wancheng pretends to be gravely ill and initially plays along with Lin Qingyu calling Lu Baishuo the fifth cousin, then quickly corrects him to the sixth cousin, revealing familiarity.
Lin Qingyu notices the awkward exchange and becomes suspicious of Lu Wancheng’s past relationship with Lu Baishuo.
Lu Baishuo laughs it off, claiming Lu Wancheng could not possibly forget him after their previous closeness.
Lin Qingyu internally concludes that Lu Wancheng deliberately hides his past from others and decides to wait until he can force the truth out later.
More Lu relatives arrive at Lanfeng Pavilion under the excuse of visiting the sick Lu Wancheng.
Lin Qingyu correctly deduces that their true motive is probing the inheritance, since Lu Wancheng has no children and cannot take concubines, making adoption a lucrative possibility.
Lu Wancheng tries to escape hosting by claiming dizziness, but Lin Qingyu deliberately ignores him and orders the guests to be invited in.
The front hall fills with cousins, children, and even grandnephews, all treating Lu Wancheng as a senior family elder.
Lin Qingyu remains silent and detached, forcing Lu Wancheng to entertain everyone politely despite his reluctance.
Gossip circulates among the relatives about other family members’ scandals, increasing Lu Wancheng’s irritation while he maintains a flawless façade.
A blunt relative raises the topic of heirs and suggests Lu Wancheng should consider concubines.
Lu Baishuo attempts to stop the discussion, but his eldest brother persists, citing family interests.
Lin Qingyu challenges the rumor directly, and Lu Wancheng theatrically declares that he has no desires and has devoted all his love and affection solely to Lin Qingyu.
Lu Wancheng publicly professes exaggerated devotion to Lin Qingyu, stunning the relatives and triggering excessive praise of their marriage.
Lin Qingyu is visibly unsettled by the attention and uses Lu Wancheng’s medicine schedule as an excuse to dismiss the guests.
After the guests leave, Lu Wancheng drops his act and complains dramatically about feeling “greasy” from the forced affection.
That evening, a welcoming banquet is held for the Lu relatives, but Lu Wancheng skips it due to illness, and Lin Qingyu stays behind to care for him.
Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng quietly observe the moon together in the courtyard with festival foods and wine laid out, which Lu Wancheng cannot consume.
Lu Wancheng suggests fleeing to the Lin residence to avoid the remaining guests, but Lin Qingyu questions his sense of responsibility.
Lin Qingyu asks directly how Lu Wancheng recognized Lu Baishuo, and Lu Wancheng admits he relied on guesswork based on the past self he is impersonating.
Lu Wancheng remarks that this is their first and last Mid-Autumn Festival together and asks whether Lin Qingyu will remember him.
Lin Qingyu sincerely calls Lu Wancheng a kindred spirit and promises to always remember him as a close friend.
Lu Wancheng confesses that he lied before and does have another name, asking Lin Qingyu to remember it.
He immediately ruins the seriousness by jokingly claiming his other name is Zhu Dazhuang and suggesting Lin Qingyu call him Dazhuang-ge.
Lin Qingyu, exasperated by Lu Wancheng’s behavior, stands to leave, feeling foolish for expecting sincerity.
Lu Wancheng stops him and claims he was about to tell the truth, beginning to say another name.
Before Lu Wancheng can finish revealing it, Hualu rushes in to announce that someone from the palace has arrived, abruptly cutting off the confession.

Chapter 24Eunuch Feng arrives from Fengyi Palace on Empress Wen’s orders to deliver Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to the marquess of Nan’an, forcing Lu Wancheng, Lady Liang, and Lu Qiaosong to receive them in person despite illness.
Lady Liang appears mentally shattered and aged, Lu Qiaosong looks physically ruined, and Lu Wancheng maintains composure thanks to Lin Qingyu’s treatment and mindset.
Lu Wancheng receives especially lavish imperial gifts meant for him and Lin Qingyu, clearly surpassing those given to the rest of the household.
Eunuch Feng subtly reminds the household that Empress Wen has never met Lin Qingyu and expects a palace visit.
The marquess of Nan’an promises to bring Lady Liang and the family to the palace to express gratitude, as Lady Liang is too dazed to respond properly.
Back in their courtyard, Lu Wancheng declines having new clothes made, hinting at his worsening condition.
Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng lose interest in moon-viewing, and Lu Wancheng becomes quietly irritated after the imperial visit.
Lu Wancheng asks Lin Qingyu not to go to the palace, offering no clear reason, which creates tension between them.
Lu Wancheng even suggests Lin Qingyu abandon entering the Imperial Academy of Medicine, deeply offending Lin Qingyu and ending the conversation coldly.
The marquess of Nan’an harshly scolds Lady Liang for her failure to uphold her duties as main wife, threatening her position.
Lady Liang laments that Lu Qiaosong can no longer father children and despairs over her future status.
Lu Niantao persuades Lady Liang to regain ambition by suggesting Lu Niantao marry well and gain power through imperial connections like Empress Wen.
Lady Liang resolves to reenter social and palace circles and use Lu Niantao’s marriage to restore their standing.
Lady Liang recovers overnight, requests permission to enter the palace, and orders Lin Qingyu to accompany her.
Lin Qingyu finds the idea of entering the Inner Palace as a male wife absurd but unavoidable.
Lu Wancheng asks to accompany Lin Qingyu but cannot due to illness, revealing his desire to see Empress Wen.
Lin Qingyu dresses in formal attire, and Lu Wancheng becomes visibly unsettled by how striking Lin Qingyu looks.
Lu Wancheng begs Lin Qingyu not to go and finally admits fear that the crown prince or emperor might notice Lin Qingyu.
Lin Qingyu reassures Lu Wancheng that the crown prince should be away at the autumn hunt.
Lin Qingyu, Lady Liang, and Lu Niantao travel together to the palace, both women carefully dressed to impress.
They are received at Fengyi Palace by Eunuch Feng and meet Empress Wen.
Empress Wen praises Lin Qingyu for improving Lu Wancheng’s health and openly takes credit for forcing the marriage.
Lin Qingyu feels humiliated but hides it, understanding the power dynamics of the palace.
Empress Wen shows little interest in Lady Liang and Lu Niantao, focusing almost entirely on Lin Qingyu.
Eunuch Feng announces that the crown prince is arriving, having returned early because the emperor fell ill.
Lin Qingyu attempts to leave to avoid meeting the crown prince, and Empress Wen allows it.
Outside, Lu Niantao deliberately delays the group to encounter the crown prince, but Lin Qingyu rebukes her sharply.
The crown prince stops them, questions Lin Qingyu’s identity, and learns he is Lu Wancheng’s male wife.
The crown prince orders Lin Qingyu to raise his head and becomes visibly shaken upon seeing the mole near Lin Qingyu’s eye.
The crown prince asks Lin Qingyu’s name, declares he will remember it, and leaves for Fengyi Palace.
Lin Qingyu realizes that Lu Wancheng’s possessive fears were justified.
Back at the manor, Lin Qingyu tells Lu Wancheng everything about meeting the crown prince.
Lu Wancheng darkens but ultimately tells Lin Qingyu to pursue his own path and let others worry about the consequences.
That night, Lin Qingyu finds Lu Wancheng awake, coughing and writing names of the princes and palace factions.
Lu Wancheng burns the paper, but Lin Qingyu realizes he is planning something dangerous involving palace politics.
Lin Qingyu suspects Lu Wancheng’s plotting is connected to protecting him from the crown prince.
Lu Wancheng jokingly admits he is worrying about Lin Qingyu even while dying and asks Lin Qingyu to be gentler with him.
Lin Qingyu is left conflicted and emotionally shaken, staring at the ink stains on his clothes as the chapter ends.

Chapter 25Autumn rain cools the manor, and Hualu discovers Lu Wancheng alone in the study, struggling to think through a problem and feeling dizzy, tired, and irritated.
Hualu forces Lu Wancheng to close the window due to the cold and encourages him to rest after he gives up on thinking further.
Lin Qingyu finishes bathing when Lu Wancheng returns, creating brief awkwardness due to Lin Qingyu’s damp, translucent clothing.
Lin Qingyu calmly dismisses the awkwardness and rejects Lu Wancheng’s teasing about bathing during the day.
Lin Qingyu examines Lu Wancheng and notes his poor sleep, advising him to let go of worries for the sake of his health.
After the rain clears, Lu Wancheng’s condition improves slightly, and Lu Baishuo comes to bid farewell before returning to Lin’an.
Lu Baishuo reminisces about previously dining at Jinxiu Pavilion and expresses regret at being unable to book a private room this time.
Lin Qingyu suggests that Lu Wancheng accompany Lu Baishuo to Jinxiu Pavilion, believing the outing may lift Lu Wancheng’s spirits.
Lu Wancheng proposes that he and Lin Qingyu dine together at Jinxiu Pavilion and bring lamb-goose back for Lu Baishuo.
Lin Qingyu pushes Lu Wancheng’s wheelchair through the capital streets, drawing attention due to their appearances.
They stop at a street vendor, where Lin Qingyu buys a dangling hairpin for Lu Wancheng to stop his habit of twirling brushes at night.
At Jinxiu Pavilion, they are escorted to a prime private room after revealing their identities.
While watching musicians perform, Lin Qingyu openly acknowledges the beauty of the female performers, unsettling Lu Wancheng.
Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng move closer to the railing, drawing the attention of others in the pavilion.
Lin Qingyu notices the crown prince Xiao Cheng staring at him with open interest.
Xiao Cheng sends a guard to offer Lin Qingyu a cup of wine, which Lin Qingyu refuses.
Lu Wancheng openly mocks the crown prince’s gesture and provokes him by referencing Princess Jingchun.
The guard relays Lu Wancheng’s message, causing Xiao Cheng visible anger.
After returning to their private room, Huantong worries about offending the crown prince, while Lu Wancheng dismisses the concern with dark humor.
Lin Qingyu reassures Huantong, and Lu Wancheng agrees to listen to Lin Qingyu.
The group returns to the manor with lamb-goose, and Lu Wancheng collapses into sleep due to exhaustion.
Lin Qingyu later works alone in the study experimenting with incense when rain begins again.
Lin Qingyu discovers Lu Wancheng standing outside in the rain, exhausted and coughing after walking there alone.
Lu Wancheng confesses that he cannot ignore the situation involving Xiao Cheng and refuses to allow Lin Qingyu to be demeaned or destroyed.
Lu Wancheng collapses from cold and illness, and Lin Qingyu shields him from the rain.
Lu Wancheng admits he must find a definitive solution to the problem he has been grappling with.
Lu Wancheng finally states that he wants Xiao Cheng dead.
Lin Qingyu firmly accepts this declaration and offers his help without hesitation.

Chapter 26Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng acknowledge that wanting to kill Crown Prince Xiao Cheng is treason that could wipe out their families, yet they still seriously consider it despite their weak positions and the crown prince’s heavy guard.
Lin Qingyu admits he never intended to kill Crown Prince Xiao Cheng before, but Xiao Cheng’s leering behavior toward him at Jinxiu Pavilion disgusts him enough to push him toward preemptive action.
Lin Qingyu reasons that once Lu Wancheng dies, Crown Prince Xiao Cheng will no longer restrain himself, so striking first feels safer than waiting.
Lu Wancheng is emotionally shaken but agrees to the plan, and the two silently share resolve while sheltering from the rain in the study.
Huantong discovers Lu Wancheng missing from the bedroom and panics, only to find Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng together in the study.
Lin Qingyu insists on carrying Lu Wancheng back due to the wind and his weak state, embarrassing Lu Wancheng but ultimately forcing him to concede his condition.
Lu Wancheng is returned to bed, changed out of wet clothes, and drinks ginger tea while clearly exhausted and coughing blood.
Lin Qingyu deduces that Lu Wancheng rushed out after a nightmare, which Lu Wancheng indirectly confirms without explaining the dream.
Lu Wancheng tries to joke about his appearance, wanting to seem “cool” in front of Lin Qingyu, and is flustered when Lin Qingyu sincerely reassures him.
From that night on, Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng begin secretly plotting together rather than Lin Qingyu acting alone.
Lin Qingyu asks Lu Wancheng to recount everything he knows about Crown Prince Xiao Cheng, revealing Xiao Cheng’s theatrical, manipulative, and flirtatious behavior.
Lu Wancheng explains that Crown Prince Xiao Cheng is publicly ruthless but privately obsessive and prone to using degrading nicknames for people he desires.
Lin Qingyu presses for useful intelligence, leading to the revelation of Princess Jingchun’s past relationship with Crown Prince Xiao Cheng.
Lu Wancheng explains that Princess Jingchun and Crown Prince Xiao Cheng were childhood lovers, but she was forced to marry the North King with the emperor’s approval.
Crown Prince Xiao Cheng did not oppose the marriage to protect his standing and instead sought comfort in people resembling Princess Jingchun.
Lin Qingyu learns that his resemblance to Princess Jingchun lies in the mole beneath his left eye, explaining Crown Prince Xiao Cheng’s interest in him.
Lin Qingyu coldly rejects the idea of harming himself to escape Crown Prince Xiao Cheng’s attention and instead wants to destroy Xiao Cheng without personal loss.
A servant reports that Lady Liang and Lu Niantao secretly visited the palace with expensive gifts paid from Lady Liang’s dowry.
Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng deduce that Lady Liang and Lu Niantao were not seeking the empress’s favor but instead approached Noble Consort Chen.
They conclude that Lady Liang is desperate for external backing because she has lost power in the manor and fears her decline.
Lin Qingyu decides to visit the Lin manor immediately, and Lu Wancheng insists on accompanying him.
Lu Wancheng explains that he wants Lin Qingyu’s father to tell him how much time he has left, forcing Lin Qingyu to accept.
Lin Qingyu secures permission from the marquess of Nan’an to take Lu Wancheng to the Lin manor under the pretense of treatment.
Lin Qingyu returns home with Lu Wancheng, Huantong, and Hualu, surprising his family.
Lin Qingyu’s younger brother Lin Qinghe innocently comments on Lu Wancheng’s frailty, while Lu Wancheng responds kindly.
Lin Qingyu learns that his father is about to leave for Yongliang to treat Great General Gu, who was poisoned in battle.
Lin Qingyu worries about his father traveling to a war-torn border region but understands the duty involved.
Lin Qingyu sends his father off with concern and respect, ending the chapter with looming danger both political and personal.

Chapter 27Lin Qingyu brings Lu Wancheng home to the Lin residence and is taken by Lin Qingyu’s father into the study because his father knows this visit has a serious purpose.
Lin Qingyu gives Lin Qingyu’s father a porcelain bottle of incense and asks if he recognizes it.
Lin Qingyu’s father identifies the scent as nearly identical to Pursuing Phoenix, the incense uniquely used in Fengyi Palace, and notes it is about nine-tenths similar.
Lin Qingyu is dissatisfied with the imperfection of the recreation, showing his high standards.
Lu Wancheng comments on how impressive it is that Lin Qingyu recreated the incense so closely with limited exposure, and lightly teases him.
Lin Qingyu insists the incense is still not good enough and rebukes Lu Wancheng for being flippant.
Lin Qingyu’s father observes the couple’s banter and understands why Lu Wancheng has survived so long, implying Lin Qingyu’s care keeps him alive.
Lin Qingyu asks his father to help obtain samples of incense from Fengyi Palace, Changle Palace, and the Eastern Palace.
Lin Qingyu’s father considers using his connections and former students among imperial physicians and palace attendants to get the incense samples.
Lin Qingyu refuses to explain his true purpose and reassures his father while hiding that his real goal is to kill Xiao Cheng.
Lin Qingyu’s father warns him about the dangers of palace politics, and Lin Qingyu claims he knows his limits.
Lin Qingyu’s father asks to check Lu Wancheng’s pulse, and Lu Wancheng agrees politely.
Lin Qingyu feels nervous despite already knowing Lu Wancheng’s condition, realizing the result will only confirm how little time remains.
Lin Qingyu’s father realizes Lin Qingyu modified the original prescription by replacing harsh ingredients with gentler ones.
Lin Qingyu’s father explains that the gentler medicine is insufficient for Lu Wancheng’s severe condition and that stronger medicine would be needed to prolong his life.
Lu Wancheng asks what would happen if he took the stronger medicine, and the silence from Lin Qingyu and his father implies severe consequences.
Lu Wancheng refuses the stronger medicine, joking that he is afraid of pain.
Lin Qinghe calls everyone to dinner, and Lin Qingyu asks him to push Lu Wancheng’s wheelchair.
After Lu Wancheng leaves, Lin Qingyu privately asks his father if there is truly no other way to save him.
Lin Qingyu’s father tells him to prepare Lu Wancheng’s last rites and reveals that Lu Wancheng has at most two months left to live.
Lin Qingyu silently accepts this and wonders if two months will be enough to kill Xiao Cheng.
Lu Wancheng eats dinner with the Lin family, appearing cheerful while actually forcing himself to eat to avoid worrying them.
Lin Qingyu notices Lu Wancheng’s lack of appetite and feels the quiet cruelty of reality.
Lin Qingyu’s father informs Lin Qingyu that his former student will visit tomorrow to help obtain incense samples.
During dinner, Lu Wancheng falls asleep at the table from exhaustion, worrying the family.
Lin Qingyu confirms Lu Wancheng is only sleeping and arranges for him to be taken to rest.
Lin Qingyu decides Lu Wancheng will sleep in a guest room rather than with him, breaking their long-standing habit of sharing a room.
Lin Qingyu returns to his childhood bedroom and feels unsettled by the absence of Lu Wancheng’s presence before sleeping alone.
The next morning, Lin Qingyu’s father departs for Yongliang after Lu Wancheng wakes early to see him off.
Lin Qingyu tells Lu Wancheng he can sleep as much as he wants now, revealing his knowledge of Lu Wancheng’s limited time.
Lu Wancheng responds calmly, saying there will be plenty of time to sleep later.
Lin Qingyu spends the morning supervising Lin Qinghe’s studies while Lu Wancheng idly draws and plays with a brush and hairpin.
Lin Qinghe admires Lu Wancheng’s tricks and wants to learn, but Lin Qingyu forbids it while Lu Wancheng promises to teach him secretly.
Lin Qingyu’s mother sends desserts, allowing Lin Qinghe a break, but Lin Qingyu declines to eat.
Lu Wancheng asks if he must sleep in the guest room again, and Lin Qingyu is startled but avoids answering directly.
Imperial Physician Hu arrives, interrupting their conversation, and Lin Qingyu prioritizes sending Lu Wancheng away to take his medicine.
As Huantong pushes him away, Lu Wancheng quietly admits he feels sad because he seems to be the only one who has not adjusted to the emotional distance.

Chapter 28Lin Qingyu meets Hu Ji, his late father Lin Qingyu’s father’s former student and current imperial physician, in the Lin manor, and recalls how Lin Qingyu’s father once saved Hu Ji from poverty and enabled his career, ensuring Hu Ji will never refuse a request from the Lin family.
Hu Ji secretly brings Lin Qingyu two incense samples stolen from the palace at great risk, explaining that the red incense is Pursuing Phoenix used by the empress and the beige incense is Plum and Willow used by Noble Consort Chen, while Xiao Cheng never burns incense.
Hu Ji explains the medicinal effects of both incense blends and emphasizes they are palace secrets that cannot be used without imperial permission, showing fear over the danger Miss Yunxiu and Xiaokuanzi faced to obtain them.
Lin Qingyu asks why Xiao Cheng does not burn incense, and Hu Ji explains that Xiao Cheng is extremely cautious due to witnessing the third prince die from poisoning and strictly controls all food and supplies entering the Eastern Palace.
Lin Qingyu reflects bitterly on how his kind parents produced someone like himself, then shows the incense to Lu Wancheng and proposes the idea that harmless substances can combine into deadly poison.
Lin Qingyu explains his theory that a poison could be formed through reactions with commonly encountered items rather than direct delivery, but notes that Xiao Cheng’s security makes this extremely difficult.
Lu Wancheng suggests that while objects cannot be sent into the Eastern Palace, a person might be, and the two agree to divide tasks, with Lu Wancheng creating the opportunity and Lin Qingyu finding the catalyst.
Lin Qingyu orders Huantong to replace the divan in his room with a bed, insisting that Lu Wancheng must stay close to him at all times due to his fragile health.
Lu Wancheng happily escalates the idea into sharing beds everywhere and jokingly proposes a bunk bed arrangement, while Huantong silently notes how infatuated Lu Wancheng is.
Lin Qingyu immerses himself in studying incense for days, struggling with its complexity despite his medical background, until news arrives that the emperor plans to select concubines for Xiao Cheng.
The emperor approves Duke Wen’s proposal to select concubines since Xiao Cheng has reached marriageable age, delegating the task to the empress while delaying the choice of a crown princess.
The empress submits a list of noblewomen, including Lu Niantao, and the emperor decides Xiao Cheng should personally choose among them.
Lu Niantao feels both hope and anxiety, remembering that Xiao Cheng once ignored her and focused on Lin Qingyu instead, but takes comfort in the secret gifts she and Lady Liang have sent to Changle Palace.
News spreads that Xiao Cheng plans to burn copied Buddhist prayers at Changsheng Temple to pray for the emperor’s health, and Xiaokuanzi relays this information through Hu Ji to Lin Qingyu.
Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng travel to Changsheng Temple, where a young monk greets them under orders from Imperial Preceptor Xu Junyuan and subtly reveals that Lady Liang and Lu Niantao are also present.
Lin Qingyu separates from Lu Wancheng to avoid interference with their plan to bring Xiao Cheng and Lu Niantao together, allowing Lu Wancheng to meet Xu Junyuan alone.
Xu Junyuan tells Lu Wancheng that his fate still ends in the final month of the year, while Lu Wancheng coldly rejects fatalism and asks Xu Junyuan to divine another person’s fate using written information.
After the divination, Xu Junyuan cryptically claims certainty unless the universe itself changes, and Lu Wancheng dismisses him as unreliable and leaves.
Reuniting with Lin Qingyu, Lu Wancheng dodges questions about the meeting and instead teases Lin Qingyu by asking whether he would rather be kissed by Xiao Cheng or Lu Wancheng.
Lin Qingyu resists, then reluctantly admits he would choose Lu Wancheng, prompting Lu Wancheng to stand, pull him close, and stage a fake kiss to mislead an unseen observer.
The fake kiss only brushes Lin Qingyu’s cheek, but the closeness causes Lu Wancheng’s heart to race, and he suddenly collapses from excitement and weakness.
Lu Wancheng faints in Lin Qingyu’s arms after begging him not to carry him in a princess carry, leaving Lin Qingyu flustered and speechless.
Huantong arrives in panic, but Lin Qingyu determines that Lu Wancheng merely fainted from overexcitement and orders Huantong to carry him to rest.
After Lu Wancheng is taken away, Lin Qingyu coldly addresses Xiao Cheng, revealing that he has noticed Xiao Cheng observing them from hiding.

Chapter 29Lin Qingyu encounters Crown Prince Xiao Cheng, who openly mocks and enjoys the scene between Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng, revealing his arrogant and predatory nature.
Xiao Cheng fixates on Lin Qingyu’s eyes, admitting nostalgia and revealing that Lin Qingyu resembles Princess Jingchun, whom Xiao Cheng still loves.
Lin Qingyu bluntly points out that Xiao Cheng’s interest is rooted in that resemblance rather than genuine affection.
Xiao Cheng belittles Lu Wancheng as a weak, dying man and implies Lin Qingyu deserves someone of higher status.
Lin Qingyu challenges Xiao Cheng by questioning whether he would still be considered beautiful without his eyes or facial mole.
Xiao Cheng aggressively flirts with Lin Qingyu, invading his personal space and making explicit remarks despite knowing Lin Qingyu is married.
Lin Qingyu invokes the authority of the emperor and empress to warn Xiao Cheng to behave, forcing Xiao Cheng to temporarily restrain himself.
Xiao Cheng ominously states that Lu Wancheng will not live long and implies he will wait to claim Lin Qingyu afterward.
Lin Qingyu leaves and internally curses Xiao Cheng, wishing for his death instead of submission.
Lin Qingyu returns to Lu Wancheng, who has regained consciousness after receiving acupuncture from a Changsheng Temple monk.
Lu Wancheng awkwardly explains that his fainting was due to his weak body and exaggerated reaction, trying to preserve his pride.
Lin Qingyu reassures Lu Wancheng half-heartedly, which visibly cheers Lu Wancheng.
Lin Qingyu tells Lu Wancheng that Xiao Cheng called him “Xiao-Qingyu,” deeply unsettling Lu Wancheng.
Lin Qingyu thanks the monk who treated Lu Wancheng and discusses his condition, showing professional respect for Buddhist medicine.
At the temple, Huantong urges Lu Wancheng to pray to the Buddha on his behalf.
Lu Wancheng wishes not for himself, but for Lin Qingyu to be happy forever.
Upon returning to the manor, Lady Liang and Lu Niantao encounter Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng, sensing tension between them.
Lu Wancheng behaves coldly toward Lin Qingyu for the first time, refusing his help and ordering Huantong to push his wheelchair instead.
Lu Niantao deduces that Lu Wancheng’s anger stems from jealousy and wounded pride over Xiao Cheng’s desire for Lin Qingyu.
That night, Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng have a fierce argument, trashing Lanfeng Pavilion.
Lu Wancheng accuses Lin Qingyu of secretly planning to meet Xiao Cheng and deliberately wearing a scented sachet to attract him.
Lin Qingyu denies the accusations but remains emotionally detached, which only worsens Lu Wancheng’s insecurity.
Lu Wancheng bitterly claims Lin Qingyu wants him to die early so he can remarry someone of higher rank.
The argument ends with both men breaking objects, though Lu Wancheng stops himself from smashing an antique meant for Lin Qingyu’s inheritance.
Servants clean up the wreckage the next day, including the scented sachet that Xiao Cheng had noticed.
Lin Qingyu reads letters from Zhang Shiquan regarding an ongoing investigation and coldly instructs him to continue searching.
Lu Wancheng surprises Lin Qingyu by installing a custom bunk bed so they can sleep closer together.
Lin Qingyu reluctantly accepts the arrangement after noticing Lu Wancheng’s frail condition.
Late at night, Lu Wancheng wakes Lin Qingyu, not due to illness but to speak with him.
Lu Wancheng reveals that it is his eighteenth birthday, ending the chapter on a quiet, intimate note.

Chapter 30Lin Qingyu is awakened at midnight by Lu Wancheng, who announces that someone has just turned eighteen, and Lin Qingyu realizes that Lu Wancheng is referring to himself rather than Lu Wancheng.
Lin Qingyu reflects that he normally would not care about birthdays, but Lu Wancheng’s clear and excited expression makes him get out of bed to listen.
Lin Qingyu climbs down from the bunk bed in the dark, briefly holding Lu Wancheng’s cold hand for balance before pulling away once he reaches the ground.
Lu Wancheng internally wonders if that brief contact counts as holding hands and is left flustered by it.
Lu Wancheng explains that turning eighteen is extremely important in his homeland because it marks the age when one gains many freedoms.
Lu Wancheng hints at freedoms such as staying out overnight and gazes shyly at Lin Qingyu’s lips, revealing romantic tension.
Lin Qingyu mentally imagines the person Lu Wancheng might have been in his original world, picturing him as a lazy but brilliant and attractive youth who never dated.
Lu Wancheng admits he never thought he would live to see his eighteenth birthday and credits Lin Qingyu for extending his life.
Lu Wancheng praises Lin Qingyu as the “protagonist” who gave him half a year of life instead of poisoning him as fate once dictated.
Lin Qingyu asks what a protagonist is, and Lu Wancheng defines it as someone who shines brightly despite hardship and bloodshed.
Lin Qingyu smiles softly, sits close to Lu Wancheng, and the two share a quiet, intimate moment with their shoulders touching.
Lin Qingyu asks about birthday customs, and Lu Wancheng mentions longevity noodles.
Lin Qingyu offers to have someone prepare the noodles, but Lu Wancheng asks Lin Qingyu to personally do something for him instead.
Lin Qingyu decides to perform acupuncture to help Lu Wancheng sleep, telling him to undress and unintentionally shocking him.
Lu Wancheng awkwardly accepts, and Lin Qingyu’s birthday gift to him becomes a peaceful night of sleep.
As winter approaches, Hualu sorts clothes and discovers Lin Qingyu’s ornate red wedding robes from his marriage to Lu Wancheng.
Hualu and Huantong tease Lu Wancheng about the wedding night, but Lu Wancheng admits he cannot remember what Lin Qingyu looked like in the robes.
Lin Qingyu reveals he also does not remember Lu Wancheng’s wedding appearance because he had been focused on poisoning him at the time.
Lu Wancheng asks Lin Qingyu how much it would cost for him to wear the wedding robes again, expressing a strong desire to see it.
Lin Qingyu mocks him and suggests Lu Wancheng wear the robes himself, but Lu Wancheng insists they could wear them together and even begs.
Before Lin Qingyu can respond, a servant announces that Lady Pan wishes to speak with Lin Qingyu.
The next morning, Lu Niantao goes to the palace alone to attend a flower-viewing event meant to select concubines for the crown prince.
Lady Pan reports that Lu Niantao dressed modestly in white and even copied Lin Qingyu’s beauty mark beneath her eye.
Lin Qingyu coldly states that Lu Niantao chose this path herself and must bear the consequences alone.
Lady Pan reminds Lin Qingyu that he once predicted Lu Wancheng would not survive until the end of the year.
With the year nearing its end, Lady Pan asks if preparations for Lu Wancheng’s funeral rites should begin.
Lin Qingyu falls silent and finally states that he will personally handle Lu Wancheng’s final arrangements.

Chapter 31Three days after the flower-viewing party, a palace eunuch announces that the emperor and empress have chosen Lu Niantao, daughter of the marquess of Nan’an, to become Xiao Cheng’s concubine, along with another general’s daughter.
The eunuch explains that Xiao Cheng and Lu Niantao supposedly met earlier in the gardens when Lu Niantao lost a perfumed sachet and charmed Xiao Cheng, causing him to become smitten with her.
Lin Qingyu finds the story ridiculous and reflects bitterly that becoming a crown prince’s concubine is not true good fortune, since Lu Niantao will never be a main wife and will enter the Eastern Palace without a formal wedding.
The empress orders the Bureau of Astronomy to choose an auspicious date, and Lu Niantao is scheduled to enter the Eastern Palace in one month, leaving little time for preparation.
Lady Liang becomes busy preparing Lu Niantao’s dowry, regains confidence, and gains favor in the manor as everyone anticipates Lu Niantao’s future rise in status.
Lady Liang removes large amounts of valuable goods from the storehouses, including imperial-bestowed Jiangnan silk, which Huantong laments could have gone to Lin Qingyu.
Lin Qingyu does not care about the loss and privately harbors vicious thoughts, hoping Xiao Cheng will exhaust himself indulging in Lu Niantao before dying.
On the day Lu Niantao departs, the Lu family gathers in the main hall, with Lu Wancheng attending in his wheelchair while others stand.
Lu Niantao appears in extravagant red wedding robes and gold accessories provided by the palace, which are more luxurious than the robes Lin Qingyu once wore.
Lu Wancheng jokingly regrets that he slept through Lin Qingyu’s wedding night and missed seeing Lin Qingyu in makeup, revealing lingering intimacy and regret.
Lu Niantao kneels and performs three prostrations to thank the marquess of Nan’an and Lady Liang for raising her, and Lady Liang tearfully helps her up.
A steward announces that Xiao Cheng has personally arrived to pick up Lu Niantao, shocking the household because etiquette does not require him to do so for a concubine.
The Lu family elders praise the honor, while the marquess of Nan’an cautiously reminds everyone that a concubine is still not equal to a wife.
Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng decide to go greet Xiao Cheng despite their resentment, since Xiao Cheng is Lu Wancheng’s cousin.
Xiao Cheng arrives arrogantly in the crown prince’s sedan chair and initially does not stand, clearly displaying his status rather than respect.
Xiao Cheng notices Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng in the crowd and finally exits the sedan chair, showing particular interest in them.
When the matron of honor prepares to place Lu Niantao’s hand into Xiao Cheng’s, Xiao Cheng refuses and orders her to escort Lu Niantao directly into the nuptial litter instead.
Xiao Cheng approaches Lu Wancheng, pretends concern for his illness, and ominously hints that he will take care of Lin Qingyu after Lu Wancheng’s death.
Lu Wancheng mocks Xiao Cheng by asking whether he will call Lu Niantao “Xiao-Taotao,” provoking Xiao Cheng’s irritation.
Xiao Cheng coldly tells Lu Wancheng that everything ends with death, but Lu Wancheng calmly replies that nothing ends until he says so.
Xiao Cheng leaves after giving Lin Qingyu a lingering look, and the marriage procession departs for the palace.
Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng avoid the remaining celebrations and return to Lanfeng Pavilion, disturbed by Xiao Cheng’s continued interest in Lin Qingyu.
Lu Wancheng explains that Xiao Cheng desires what he cannot have, and Lin Qingyu’s rejection only makes Xiao Cheng more obsessed.
Lu Wancheng begins coughing violently again, underscoring the seriousness of his condition.
After Lu Wancheng falls asleep, Hualu informs Lin Qingyu that a representative from a funeral parlor has arrived.
Lin Qingyu meets the funeral-parlor employee outside the gate due to the wedding taboos and quietly begins arranging Lu Wancheng’s funeral.
Lin Qingyu instructs the funeral arrangements to be done according to Lu Wancheng’s personal tastes rather than strict ritual.
Lu Wancheng’s condition worsens as he alternates between frequent sleep and painful wakefulness, coughing every few hours.
In the evening, Lu Wancheng wakes to see Lin Qingyu watching over him in the sunset light and calls out to him weakly.
Lu Wancheng asks about news from the Eastern Palace, but Lin Qingyu avoids answering, knowing their long-term plan involving incense will not show results soon.
Lin Qingyu gently changes the subject and asks Lu Wancheng what colors he likes.
Lu Wancheng reveals he prefers red in Great Yu and subtly realizes Lin Qingyu is preparing his funeral rites.
Lu Wancheng calmly asks to choose his own coffin, joking that he wants one that is comfortable, ending the chapter with quiet acceptance of his approaching death.

Chapter 32Lin Qingyu realizes that Lu Wancheng is serious about planning his own funeral, including choosing his burial clothes, requesting colorful attire for attendees, and arguing to carve a humorous epitaph about being a salted fish onto his gravestone.
Lin Qingyu refuses the epitaph idea and mocks Lu Wancheng’s delusions of future fame, while Lu Wancheng reacts with exaggerated disappointment and sulks in his wheelchair.
Hualu feels pity for Lu Wancheng and urges Lin Qingyu to indulge him since he only has a month left, but Lin Qingyu explains that Lu Wancheng is deliberately acting cheerful to put others at ease and should not be contradicted.
Lin Qingyu instructs everyone in Lanfeng Pavilion to behave as usual during Lu Wancheng’s remaining time, revealing his quiet understanding and care, which Hualu interprets as a deep mutual understanding between the two.
Lin Qingyu takes Lu Wancheng to Wuwang Parlor to personally choose a coffin, pushing his wheelchair through a street filled with funeral shops, which frightens Huantong.
The funeral parlor employee is shocked that Lu Wancheng himself has come to choose his coffin, but politely introduces various coffins made from catalpa wood and nanmu.
The employee mentions that since Lin Qingyu and Lu Wancheng are married, two coffins should be chosen for eventual co-burial, which leaves both men silent and forces Lin Qingyu to confront the real weight of the term “husband and wife.”
Lu Wancheng gently refuses the idea of co-burial, saying he sleeps alone and does not want Lin Qingyu to feel like an outsider in the Lu family grave, and Lin Qingyu calmly supports his decision.
The group encounters Mistress Huo, a mourning woman choosing a coffin for her recently deceased husband, and the employee explains her tragic past as a former dancer who eloped with a scholar and lost him to illness.
Mistress Huo softly mourns her husband while touching a nanmu coffin, shedding a silent tear, which deeply unsettles the atmosphere and causes Lin Qingyu to leave.
Lu Wancheng chooses a nanmu coffin, and within days Wuwang Parlor completes all funeral preparations, prompting Lu Wancheng to joke that he could die at any moment.
When the funeral parlor employee later visits to collect payment, he reveals that Mistress Huo committed suicide by drowning herself after completing her husband’s funeral, unable to endure her grief.
Hualu and Huantong are devastated by the news, while Lu Wancheng becomes unusually quiet, clearly affected by Mistress Huo’s fate.
After taking his medicine, Lu Wancheng anxiously asks Lin Qingyu whether he truly considers him a husband, and Lin Qingyu answers that he only considers him a close friend.
Lu Wancheng insists that Lin Qingyu should not even see him as a close friend but instead as a disposable tool, hoping Lin Qingyu will not grieve.

Chapter 33Winter begins, the scenery around Lanfeng Pavilion turns barren and cold, mirroring the quiet atmosphere of the estate.
Lady Liang regains favor in the marquess’s household because Lu Niantao has married into the palace as a concubine, and she is given household authority again.
Lu Qiaosong becomes active in seeking doctors to cure his illness, though Lin Qingyu confidently states that Lu Qiaosong cannot be healed.
Lu Wancheng and Lin Qingyu jokingly acknowledge their shared schadenfreude and accept being “villains” together.
Hualu appears upset, and it is revealed that Huantong mocked her for poorly drawing a huadian on her forehead.
Lu Wancheng promises to scold Huantong, while Lin Qingyu offers to draw a proper huadian for Hualu.
Lin Qingyu skillfully draws a flame-shaped huadian on Hualu, leaving her delighted and embarrassed.
Lu Wancheng suggests Lin Qingyu draw a huadian for him as well, but the moment is interrupted by the arrival of Imperial Physician Hu Ji.
Hu Ji reports palace news, explaining that Crown Prince Xiao Cheng has taken two concubines and initially favored Lu Niantao but has since grown cold toward both women.
Lu Wancheng remarks that Xiao Cheng only desires what he cannot have, while Lin Qingyu worries that Lu Niantao is failing to maintain Xiao Cheng’s interest.
Hu Ji reports severe troubles in the empire, including a deadly southern epidemic, an ongoing western war, and the emperor’s worsening health.
Lin Qingyu learns that his father, Head Imperial Physician Lin, is in Yongliang attempting unsuccessfully to treat Great General Gu’s poisoning.
It is revealed that Great General Gu is critically ill and may not survive until the new year, despite his legendary military achievements.
Lin Qingyu laments the injustice of fate, noting that good people suffer while evil people endure.
After Hu Ji leaves, the mood darkens, and Lu Wancheng wonders aloud whether he will die before Xiao Cheng, admitting that he does not want to die.
Lin Qingyu reassures Lu Wancheng that there must be other ways, though both know their power is limited.
Lin Qingyu spends a restless night thinking about how to extend Lu Wancheng’s life, eventually preparing medicine to combat his own insomnia.
Lu Wancheng later instructs Hualu to change his prescription and reveals it came from Head Imperial Physician Lin without informing Lin Qingyu.
Lin Qingyu notices the altered medicine immediately but chooses to respect Lu Wancheng’s decision after learning he requested it the day Lin Qingyu’s father departed.
Lu Wancheng admits he is willing to endure pain for the chance to see snow one last time before dying.
Lin Qingyu feeds Lu Wancheng the medicine and stays with him as the severe side effects cause intense pain and cold sweats.
Lu Wancheng jokingly asks to “take advantage” of Lin Qingyu by having him call him “laogong,” despite knowing the term’s mocking meaning.
Lin Qingyu, realizing Lu Wancheng is delirious from pain, nevertheless complies and softly calls him “laogong.”
Lu Wancheng smiles in satisfaction and calls Lin Qingyu “laopo,” ending the chapter on a bittersweet, intimate note amid suffering.

Chapter 34Lin Qingyu follows Lin Qingyu’s father’s prescription that fights poison with poison, using extremely toxic medicine to force out Lu Wancheng’s remaining life force, which causes unbearable pain and side effects, including Lu Wancheng losing feeling in his legs after three days.
The medicine can only extend Lu Wancheng’s life briefly, and every day after winter begins might be Lu Wancheng’s last.
As long as Lu Wancheng is alive, Xiao Cheng does not dare move against the marquess of Nan’an’s manor, but Xiao Cheng is clearly waiting for Lu Wancheng to die.
In mid-tenth month, Zhang Shiquan returns to the manor after months away and immediately reports to Lin Qingyu because Lu Wancheng is mostly unconscious.
Zhang Shiquan reveals that extra income from a store in Xu Prefecture actually comes from an illegal private salt business.
Lin Qingyu realizes Lady Liang is secretly running the private salt trade, an offense punishable by death, and notes her boldness despite her inability to protect her own children.
Zhang Shiquan explains that the storefront was only a front and most profits were sent to Lady Liang’s parents.
Lin Qingyu deduces that Lady Liang’s family relied on the marquess’s name to avoid scrutiny, assuming the emperor was far away and local officials would not dare offend the marquess.
Lin Qingyu concludes the marquess himself is likely unaware, but if the secret is exposed, the marquess would lose his title and face investigation.
Zhang Shiquan asks whether to inform Lu Wancheng, and Lin Qingyu refuses, stating that once Lu Wancheng dies, he will deal with everyone involved.
Lin Qingyu and Zhang Shiquan discuss the evidence further, then Lin Qingyu asks about an epidemic spreading from the south.
Zhang Shiquan reports a deadly outbreak causing fever, stomach pain, and boils, killing weak victims within days and spreading north as refugees flee.
Zhang Shiquan says physicians from across the empire have gathered at the Imperial Academy of Medicine to seek a cure.
The chapter notes a violent winter setting in, possibly the coldest in a decade.
Lu Wancheng awakens, and Zhang Shiquan is allowed to visit him briefly.
Zhang Shiquan sees that Lu Wancheng is near death, barely able to sit up, and is deeply distressed.
Lu Wancheng asks Zhang Shiquan if Lin Qingyu’s instructions were followed, and Zhang Shiquan confirms everything is under control.
Lu Wancheng asks about a personal request, and Zhang Shiquan presents a token wrapped in a handkerchief.
Lu Wancheng tells Zhang Shiquan not to inform Lin Qingyu yet and orders him to summon the manor’s carpenter.
Lin Qingyu goes to the apothecary and overhears an argument involving Huantong and servants from Qingdai Pavilion over thousand-year fleeceflower root.
The servants argue that Third Young Master Lu Qiaosong also needs the rare herb, while Huantong insists it is reserved for Lu Wancheng.
Lin Qingyu learns Lu Qiaosong has been desperately seeking cures for his impotence and wants the herb based on a wandering physician’s prescription.
Thousand-year fleeceflower root is extremely rare, and the manor has only a small supply that Lin Qingyu obtained specifically for Lu Wancheng.
Lin Qingyu orders that Lanfeng Pavilion will no longer store medicine at the apothecary and will prepare Lu Wancheng’s medicine themselves.
A servant from Qingdai Pavilion pressures Lin Qingyu to compromise for Lu Qiaosong’s sake, but Lin Qingyu coldly refuses.
Lin Qingyu declares that Lu Qiaosong’s condition will be incurable for life and that he will remain useless.
The servant threatens to report Lin Qingyu’s words to Lady Liang and Concubine Lu, and Lin Qingyu tells her to repeat his words exactly.
Back in Lanfeng Pavilion, Lin Qingyu finds Lu Wancheng sitting up in bed, using a custom table to draw despite severe trembling.
Lu Wancheng cheerfully calls Lin Qingyu “laopo,” a term Lin Qingyu does not fully understand but tolerates.
Lin Qingyu asks about Zhang Shiquan’s visit, and Lu Wancheng downplays it.
Lin Qingyu notices Lu Wancheng has drawn a strange eye-like symbol and asks about it.
Lu Wancheng explains that people who try to replace someone often fall in love with one of their replacements and become obsessed.
Lu Wancheng lists surnames like Shen, Chu, Bai, and Xie, and Lin Qingyu realizes he means Shen Huaishi.
Lu Wancheng confirms Shen Huaishi is a man and one of Xiao Cheng’s shadow guards who may already have noticed them.
Lin Qingyu stops the conversation when Lu Wancheng shows signs of the poison acting up and urges him to rest.
Lu Qiaosong forcibly barges into Lanfeng Pavilion, demanding the fleeceflower root.
Lin Qingyu blocks Lu Qiaosong from seeing Lu Wancheng and orders him to leave.
Lu Qiaosong cruelly claims Lu Wancheng is beyond saving, mocks his inability to produce an heir, and insults Lin Qingyu.
Lin Qingyu orders servants to drag Lu Qiaosong out.
Lu Qiaosong threatens that once Lu Wancheng dies, he will sell Lin Qingyu to the Bureau of Entertainment.
Lu Wancheng suddenly calls out to Lin Qingyu, collapses, and vomits blood.
Lin Qingyu’s rage explodes, and he slams Lu Qiaosong against a pillar, declaring that Lu Qiaosong is dead.

Chapter 35Lu Wancheng suddenly vomits large amounts of blood due to the toxic medicine in his body, shocking everyone in Lanfeng Pavilion, and he loses consciousness while Lin Qingyu focuses on preserving his dignity rather than saving his life.
Lu Qiaosong witnesses the scene, becomes hysterical, mocks Lin Qingyu for failing to save Lu Wancheng, and is forcibly dragged out by servants after causing chaos.
Lin Qingyu works until midnight and successfully stabilizes Lu Wancheng so he survives, cleans him, changes his clothes and bedding, and watches over him as he sleeps peacefully.
The incident reaches the marquess of Nan’an, who is furious with Lu Qiaosong for provoking his gravely ill elder brother and initially intends to punish him.
Lady Liang defends Lu Qiaosong by claiming he is also ill, recently found a cure for his shameful condition, and should not be punished while sick, which causes the marquess to hesitate.
The marquess ultimately decides to let both sons rest and postpones punishment, effectively letting Lu Qiaosong off without consequences.
Lin Qingyu leaves the marchioness’s courtyard coldly, showing no expectation that the marquess will act justly, and orders Huantong to summon Zhang Shiquan.
Lu Wancheng remains unconscious for three days before waking up.
Lu Qiaosong is forbidden from approaching Lanfeng Pavilion again, but the marquess spends large sums to buy thousand-year fleeceflower root for Lu Qiaosong’s treatment.
Lu Qiaosong wastes money on medicine without improving, realizes the wandering physician likely deceived him, and imprisons the physician while threatening mutilation.
Under pressure, the wandering physician produces a new prescription that actually works, restoring Lu Qiaosong’s vitality and convincing him that his condition will soon be cured.
Lady Liang becomes overjoyed, believing her son will outlive Lu Wancheng, produce an heir, and secure her perfect future.
Lady Liang grows anxious when Lu Niantao fails to respond to messages from the Eastern Palace, and a eunuch coldly rebukes her by saying the marquess of Nan’an raised a good daughter.
Lin Qingyu already knows the truth because Hu Ji confirms that Lin Qingyu’s poison scheme has taken effect.
Xiao Cheng begins suffering unbearable migraines, hearing issues, and eye pain, and all imperial physicians fail to diagnose the cause.
Noble Consort Chen orders a thorough investigation of food, water, clothing, and palaces, but nothing suspicious is found at first.
Lu Niantao’s incense is discovered but deemed harmless until further analysis.
Xiao Cheng, suspicious by nature, bans incense in the Eastern Palace even without proof.
Lin Qingyu realizes Lu Niantao is no longer useful long-term and decides to extract her remaining value.
Hu Ji identifies the true cause as the interaction between Lu Niantao’s incense and the Pursuing Phoenix and Plum and Willow blends used by the empress and Noble Consort Chen.
Xiao Cheng’s frequent visits to Fengyi Palace, Changle Palace, and the concubines worsen the inflammation and migraines over time.
Noble Consort Chen explodes in rage, believes the empress manipulated Lu Niantao, publicly slaps Lu Niantao, and nearly reports the matter to the emperor.
Lu Niantao collapses in tears, insisting she used the incense only because Xiao Cheng liked it, and Xiao Cheng believes her innocence.
Xiao Cheng suppresses the scandal to avoid offending the marquess of Nan’an, quietly orders Lu Niantao to move out, and effectively abandons her.
Lady Liang never hears from Lu Niantao again, and Lu Niantao permanently loses Xiao Cheng’s favor, facing a future as either a palace widow or a discarded concubine.
Hu Ji gains immense recognition, becoming a rising star in the Department of Imperial Physicians.
Lin Qingyu tells Lu Wancheng only part of the truth, mentioning Xiao Cheng’s migraines but not Lu Niantao’s downfall.
Lu Wancheng asks to stop taking the painful poison medicine, and Lin Qingyu agrees if that is his wish.
Lu Wancheng rewards Lin Qingyu with a custom-made physician’s medicine chest designed for his future career.
Lu Wancheng jokingly asks Lin Qingyu to repay the gift by wearing wedding robes again, then reveals he is teasing after seeing Lin Qingyu’s discomfort.
Despite his complaints, Lu Wancheng continues taking his medicine obediently.
That night, Hualu reports that Lu Qiaosong is dead.
Lin Qingyu calmly acknowledges Lu Qiaosong’s death and softly admits to Lu Wancheng that he has done another bad thing.

Chapter 36Lu Qiaosong overdoses on medicine and dies suddenly in Qingdai Pavilion, bleeding from all seven orifices and losing control of his body before dying violently.
Lady Liang faints upon hearing of Lu Qiaosong’s death, and the marquess of Nan’an is so shocked that his hair turns completely gray overnight and he does not attend court the next morning.
Lady Pan takes charge of Lu Qiaosong’s funeral arrangements, even though the funerary items had originally been prepared for Lu Wancheng and must now be hastily replaced.
Lu Qiaosong’s coffin is placed in the hall, mourners arrive in large numbers, and Lady Liang kneels before the coffin in white mourning clothes, appearing emotionally hollow and exhausted.
An unfamiliar man claims to be a eunuch from the Eastern Palace sent to mourn on behalf of Concubine Lu, prompting Lady Liang to ask anxiously about Lu Niantao’s condition.
The eunuch reveals that Lu Niantao has been banished to the Cold Palace, causing Lady Liang to fall into shock and emotional collapse.
When Lady Liang sees Lin Qingyu, she screams that he is a demon who married into the marquess’s manor and completely loses her sanity.
Lin Qingyu coldly reminds Lady Liang that she once called him the manor’s lucky charm, which further unravels her mental state.
A physician diagnoses Lady Liang as having gone mad with little hope of recovery, and the marquess of Nan’an falls seriously ill from consecutive shocks.
The marquess withdraws from managing household affairs and places Lady Pan fully in charge while ordering servants to keep Lady Liang confined.
During Lu Qiaosong’s funeral period, Lu Wancheng’s condition slightly improves, allowing him to remain awake longer and converse.
Lu Wancheng reacts calmly to the news of Lu Qiaosong’s death, Lady Liang’s madness, and the marquess’s illness, and instead comments appreciatively on Lin Qingyu’s changed appearance.
Lin Qingyu remarks that Lu Wancheng is the one who turned him into what he is now, and Lu Wancheng responds that it was his honor.
As Lu Qiaosong’s funeral procession proceeds outside, Lu Wancheng asks Lin Qingyu where he thinks Lu Qiaosong will go after death.
Lu Wancheng reveals that he himself has died once before in another life after being run over by a truck while saving a pregnant woman.
Lu Wancheng explains that Xu Junyuan calculated his fate and suggested that he might not be destined to die permanently.
Lu Wancheng admits that if he dies again, he may truly die or awaken in another world or body, and even he is uncertain of the outcome.
Lin Qingyu becomes emotionally distraught, angry that Lu Wancheng would tell him something so uncertain and force him to cling to false hope.
Lu Wancheng asks Lin Qingyu to wait for him for one hundred days, promising that if he does not return by then, Lin Qingyu should assume he is completely dead.
Lu Wancheng proposes creating a secret code so they can recognize each other if his soul transmigrates into another body.
Lin Qingyu insults Lu Wancheng, but ultimately agrees to hear and memorize the secret code.
Lu Wancheng gives a cryptic mathematical phrase as the secret code, insisting it is easy to remember and unique to them.
When the poison takes effect and Lu Wancheng suffers intense pain, he refuses acupuncture and only asks Lin Qingyu to stay with him.
Lin Qingyu holds Lu Wancheng as he endures the pain, and Lu Wancheng makes Lin Qingyu promise again that he has memorized the secret code.
As winter approaches, Lu Wancheng’s condition steadily worsens, and he is awake less often and no longer able to leave his bed.
Lin Qingyu visits his family alone for his mother Lady Lin’s fortieth birthday, indirectly confirming that Lu Wancheng’s situation is dire.
After returning to Lanfeng Pavilion, Lin Qingyu learns from Hualu that Lu Wancheng has unexpectedly woken up, eaten porridge, and asked to wear a lucky red outfit.
Lin Qingyu freezes in shock and fear, realizing the sudden improvement may signal something ominous rather than true recovery.

Chapter 37Lin Qingyu returns to the Lin family manor alone and overhears Huantong caring for Lu Wancheng, noticing that Lu Wancheng seems unusually energetic and insistent on waiting for Lin Qingyu to return for dinner.
Lu Wancheng asks for plum-blossom cake and keeps glancing toward the wardrobe, clearly anxious for Lin Qingyu to come back soon.
Lin Qingyu realizes something is wrong and withdraws without entering the room, then borrows Hualu’s makeup box.
Lin Qingyu applies a huadian and dresses himself in his wedding robes, recreating his appearance from the day he married Lu Wancheng, even though he understands this is a farewell rather than a second wedding.
Huantong accidentally sees Lin Qingyu dressed in wedding robes and is shocked by his beauty and composure, sensing the gravity of the situation.
Lin Qingyu calmly instructs Huantong to prepare dinner and dismiss all servants for the night, indicating he wants to be alone with Lu Wancheng.
Lin Qingyu hurries through the manor in the heavy wedding robes to find Lu Wancheng waiting in the garden in a wheelchair, dressed in red and appearing briefly radiant and healthy.
Lin Qingyu is struck by how alive Lu Wancheng looks and momentarily wishes this improvement were real, despite knowing the truth about Lu Wancheng’s condition.
Lu Wancheng greets Lin Qingyu normally and shows no strong reaction to the wedding robes, revealing that his poisoned body can no longer respond as expected.
Lin Qingyu remembers that Lu Wancheng’s body is failing from poison and forces himself to accept that this abnormal calm is part of the illness.
Lu Wancheng asks to eat plum-blossom cake together again, and Lin Qingyu agrees and pushes him back inside to the main hall.
Despite Lin Qingyu’s usual medical strictness, Lu Wancheng asks for wine to celebrate having reached eighteen years old, and Lin Qingyu ultimately allows him one cup.
Huantong struggles to keep his composure while serving wine and food, clearly aware that Lu Wancheng is nearing death.
Lin Qingyu personally feeds Lu Wancheng soup and stays by his side, shocking Lu Wancheng with his tenderness and care.
Lu Wancheng enjoys the wine even though he can no longer taste medicine, emphasizing how close he is to the end.
Lu Wancheng jokes about their nuptial wine and assumes Lin Qingyu drank it with him rather than the ceremonial rooster, deepening the emotional weight of the scene.
Snow begins to fall, and Lin Qingyu remembers Lu Wancheng once saying he wanted to see Lin Qingyu standing in the snow in red robes.
Lin Qingyu takes Lu Wancheng outside under an umbrella, wearing his wedding robes in the snow with no servants present to witness the moment.
As Lu Wancheng watches the snow, his color fades rapidly, his body weakening even as his eyes remain bright.
Lin Qingyu holds Lu Wancheng’s freezing hand, powerless to stop his decline, and asks if he is cold.
Lu Wancheng asks Lin Qingyu whether he still likes girls, and Lin Qingyu answers yes, which seems to comfort Lu Wancheng.
Lu Wancheng admits he is tired and apologizes for not being able to hold on any longer, asking Lin Qingyu not to be angry with him.
Lin Qingyu kneels in the snow, gently touching Lu Wancheng’s face and assuring him that he is not angry at all.
Lu Wancheng reveals that he understands how events have gone wrong behind the scenes and makes a final dark joke about Xiao Cheng’s eventual tragic death.
Lu Wancheng asks Lin Qingyu to wake him after he sleeps, closes his eyes, and quietly dies beneath the falling snow.
Lin Qingyu holds Lu Wancheng as his body grows cold and stiff, standing in the snow wearing wedding robes and a huadian, mirroring the day they first met.

Thrice Married to a Salted Fish, Vol. 2

Chapter 39Lu Wancheng dies in front of Lin Qingyu at night, dressed in festive crimson wedding robes, sitting peacefully in his wheelchair as snow falls over his cold body and Lin Qingyu drops his umbrella to cup Lu Wancheng’s cheek.Huantong finds Lin Qingyu kneeling motionless in the snow before Lu Wancheng and breaks down crying, which pulls Lin Qingyu back to reality as he forces himself to accept that Lu Wancheng is truly dead.Lin Qingyu remembers his promise to Lu Wancheng that he would watch Lu Wancheng leave and then continue living fully, and he resolves to fulfill it.Lin Qingyu steadies himself, orders Huantong to move Lu Wancheng’s body inside, cover his face with white silk, keep him in his wedding clothes for the coffin, announce the death, and specifically instructs Huantong to carry Lu Wancheng on his back rather than in a princess carry.Lin Qingyu changes out of his wedding attire and removes his huadian because only Lu Wancheng was allowed to see him dressed that way.Lin Qingyu personally oversees every step of Lu Wancheng’s funeral, ensuring it is conducted grandly despite the precarious state of the marquess household.The empress is devastated upon hearing of Lu Wancheng’s death, grieving the child her younger sister bore at the cost of her life, and she sends a trusted eunuch to offer condolences while the emperor bestows gifts and relieves the marquess of Nan’an of official duties, assigning them to the crown prince.Duke Wen and his wife mourn deeply but, due to their age, send capable stewards to assist Lin Qingyu with the funeral arrangements, recognizing that Lu Wancheng had cared for Lin Qingyu and asked them to ease his burdens.Officials and their families attend the mourning hall and observe Lin Qingyu kneeling before the coffin in mourning clothes without shedding a tear, his cold beauty intensified by white funeral streamers and a banner of respect behind him.Rumors spread that the misfortunes of the marquess household, including the deaths of two young masters, the marquess’s illness, and the lady’s madness, are heavenly retribution for a marriage between two men, and some whisper that Lin Qingyu’s beauty brought disaster instead of warding it off.At night, Hualu burns paper money and cries bitterly, while Lin Qingyu remains outwardly calm and claims he had long known Lu Wancheng would not survive the winter, though he feels something is not right.Lin Qingyu realizes that Lu Wancheng’s true name was not Lu Wancheng and recalls that he once began to say his name was Jiang before stopping, remembering fragments of teasing during the Mid-Autumn Festival when he called himself Zhu Dazhuang and then admitted his surname was Jiang.Lin Qingyu spends the night before the coffin trying desperately to remember the full name Jiang, but he cannot recall it and can only remember Lu Wancheng’s playful voice and unfinished confession.On the seventh night after Lu Wancheng’s death, when legend says the soul returns home, Lin Qingyu goes to bed early despite claiming not to believe in such stories.Lin Qingyu dreams of a tall, broad-shouldered young man with short hair and foreign clothes who looks different from Lu Wancheng but calls him Qingyu and speaks in a familiar, teasing tone.The young man claims he did not lie and asks whether he is more handsome and has a better voice than Lu Wancheng, and Lin Qingyu dazedly agrees to both.The young man places Lin Qingyu’s hand on his firm, warm abdomen to prove his physical reality within the dream, showing vitality unlike Lu Wancheng’s sickly body.When the young man threatens to leave if Lin Qingyu remains silent, Lin Qingyu panics and grabs him, and the young man mentions there is only one path forward for him, asking Lin Qingyu to remember their secret code, which Lin Qingyu recites immediately.Lin Qingyu urgently demands the young man’s real name so he can make a spirit tablet and enshrine it, but the young man refuses to reveal it, saying he will tell Lin Qingyu only if he can return, and otherwise Lin Qingyu can pretend he never existed.The young man princess-carries Lin Qingyu easily, laughs, and sets him down before walking away into the night, ignoring Lin Qingyu’s insistence and leaving him unable to move or follow.Lin Qingyu wakes at dawn unable to fully remember the young man’s face, only recalling that he was taller, cooler, had a nicer voice, and could lift him effortlessly, while the name Jiang remains incomplete in his memory.Lin Qingyu tells Hualu that Lu Wancheng returned in his dream and spoke nonsense as usual, feeling lingering warmth and nostalgia despite his frustration at not being told the name.Lin Qingyu begins packing Lu Wancheng’s belongings, selecting items from the past year to be buried with Lu Wancheng while discarding older possessions, continuing his duties with quiet resolve.

Chapter 40Lin Qingyu sorts through Lu Wancheng’s belongings, including clothes, headgear, utensils, books, and even the birds Lu Wancheng once raised, recalling how Lu Wancheng had held funerals for his laughingthrushes and myna birds and joked about having a cheerful tune played at his own funeral.Lin Qingyu remembers how Lu Wancheng used to lounge lazily in his favorite reclining chair like a cat, make absurd remarks about sheep being embarrassed after shearing, and scribble spoilers and apologies into books, including teasing Physician Lin and then sincerely apologizing.Lin Qingyu reflects on how Lu Wancheng once lived as an idle young master who ate and drank freely before later devoting himself to intricate schemes, and Lin Qingyu feels a hollow ache in his chest but still cannot cry, convincing himself that perhaps what he lost never truly belonged to him.Lin Qingyu discovers Lu Wancheng’s final letter, in which Lu Wancheng leaves Lady Wen’s untouched and extremely valuable dowry to Lin Qingyu and asks that the warding-off marriage be dissolved after his death so that Lin Qingyu may return to the Lin manor and freely marry anyone he wishes.Zhang Shiquan transfers fields, villas, and shops from the marquess household to Lin Qingyu, fulfilling Lu Wancheng’s promise that Lin Qingyu would inherit his wealth and be able to live comfortably after his death.Lin Qingyu learns that Lu Wancheng had not handled the private salt business in Xu Prefecture before dying, and although Lin Qingyu had once planned to use it against Lady Liang and Lu Niantao, their fall from grace makes further action unnecessary.Lin Qingyu decides to keep the salt information for future use and simply wait for the marquess of Nan’an to either retire or die from illness, realizing he no longer needs to actively scheme and finding the situation dull.Huantong announces that Crown Prince Xiao Cheng has come to pay respects, and Lin Qingyu prepares himself to receive him.The marquess of Nan’an greets Xiao Cheng at the gate, and Xiao Cheng arrives without bringing Concubine Lu, claiming she is ill, while he publicly expresses condolences and privately exerts authority as he now oversees the Ministry of Revenue.Lin Qingyu notices that Xiao Cheng appears lightly guarded but deduces that shadow guards must be hidden nearby due to Xiao Cheng’s paranoia.In the mourning hall, Lin Qingyu hands incense to Xiao Cheng, who whispers suggestive and disrespectful remarks about Lin Qingyu’s appearance and Lu Wancheng’s death, mocking Lu Wancheng’s claim that nothing would end unless he said so.Lin Qingyu calmly engages Xiao Cheng, bringing up rumors that heaven disapproves of male wives, and Xiao Cheng openly states he has no intention of marrying a man and only desires Lin Qingyu’s face, comparing himself to a patient hunter stalking prey.Lin Qingyu suddenly reaches into his sleeve, prompting Xiao Cheng’s shadow guard Shen Huaishi to appear instantly and press a sword to Lin Qingyu’s neck, accusing him of hiding a sharp object and nearly causing a charge of attempted assassination.Lin Qingyu reveals that the object is merely Lu Wancheng’s hairpin, claiming he has developed a habit of fidgeting with it, and Xiao Cheng orders Shen Huaishi to stand down, averting immediate disaster.After Xiao Cheng leaves, Lin Qingyu places the hairpin among Lu Wancheng’s funerary objects so that Lu Wancheng will have something to twirl in the afterlife.Lu Baishuo travels from Lin’an to escort Lu Wancheng’s coffin back to the ancestral tomb, and as Lu Wancheng’s widow, Lin Qingyu prepares to accompany him south for the burial.During New Year’s Eve, the marquess household refrains from festive decorations and celebrations due to mourning, and Lin Qingyu stays at the manor instead of returning to his family to avoid criticism.Lin Qingyu spends the quiet New Year’s Eve eating dumplings with Huantong until Hu Ji visits, bringing pastries from Lin Qingyu’s mother and reporting that Lin Qingyu’s mother is well but worried, while news from Yongliang about Lin Qingyu’s father and the ongoing northwest war remains uncertain.Hu Ji warns Lin Qingyu that an epidemic is raging in the south where Lin Qingyu plans to travel, and Lin Qingyu promises to be careful.After seeing Hu Ji off and observing the lights of countless households welcoming the new year, Lin Qingyu never dreams again of the young man surnamed Jiang, whose spirit had once appeared to him.

Chapter 41On the third day of the new year, Lin Qingyu travels south by boat with Huantong, Lu Baishuo, and guards to escort Lu Wancheng’s coffin back to Lin’an, knowing the round trip will take at least a month and force him to spend the Lantern Festival on the road.Lin Qingyu rents two large two-level boats for comfort, dedicating one solely to storing Lu Wancheng’s coffin, and reflects that Lu Wancheng, who hated travel and physical strain in life, would never have imagined enduring such a long journey after death.As the boat departs amid the bustle of New Year travelers, Lin Qingyu recalls a similar journey years ago when he left the capital for study, noting that though the scenery is the same, his state of mind has completely changed, and he considers sending the seasick Huantong back, but Huantong insists on staying.Lin Qingyu carefully cleans Lu Wancheng’s spirit tablet and speaks to it, telling Lu Wancheng that if he can return, he should not be so lazy and should go out to see beautiful sights like the river view.Seeing the name Lu Wancheng on the tablet feels unreal to Lin Qingyu because ever since dreaming of the strange young man in foreign clothes, he feels that Lu Wancheng is dead but that the young man surnamed Jiang might not be.When they stop at Xunyang ferry crossing to resupply and avoid plague-stricken Hong Prefecture, Lu Baishuo offers to buy osmanthus teacakes, and Lin Qingyu calmly asks him to buy extra so Lu Wancheng can have some too.Lin Qingyu instructs Huantong to commission a new spirit tablet carved with the words “Jiang Dazhuang’s Tomb,” calling Jiang Dazhuang a bastard in words but with unmistakable tenderness.After passing Hong Prefecture, Lu Baishuo and Huantong fall ill with high fever, vomiting, stomach pain, and spreading blisters, and a boatman confirms they have contracted the raging epidemic likely from Xunyang.Ignoring warnings about contagion, Lin Qingyu covers his face with gauze, isolates the patients, opens the medicine chest Lu Wancheng had given him, and personally diagnoses and treats Lu Baishuo and Huantong with acupuncture and carefully adjusted herbal prescriptions.Drawing inspiration from prior correspondence with his master about epidemic treatments, Lin Qingyu methodically experiments with mild formulas and successfully reduces their fevers, dries their blisters, and prevents further worsening, saving both their lives though they are left scarred.Lu Baishuo gratefully calls Lin Qingyu his savior, and Lin Qingyu asks him instead to help send a letter containing the prescription to Physician Hu Ji so it can aid the Imperial Academy of Medicine in controlling the epidemic.Because of the delay, they celebrate the Lantern Festival quietly on the boat, where Lin Qingyu drinks wine under the frosty moonlight and watches floating lotus lanterns on the river, momentarily stirring memories of the young man surnamed Jiang.When Lu Baishuo sees Lin Qingyu in white under the moonlight, he momentarily mistakes him for an immortal and begins addressing him as Physician Lin rather than young lord, acknowledging his true talent beyond his marriage.Upon arriving in Lin’an, Lin Qingyu avoids staying in the Lu family ancestral home and remains at an inn, only appearing for Lu Wancheng’s burial while other branch family members cry theatrically despite barely knowing Lu Wancheng.Lin Qingyu watches Lu Wancheng’s coffin be buried with calm detachment, reasoning that it is Lu Wancheng being interred, while the young man surnamed Jiang had merely borrowed that body for a year, and that arranging the funeral was repayment on Jiang’s behalf.By the spring equinox, Lin Qingyu returns to the capital with funeral matters concluded and prepares to separate formally from the marquess household.Hu Ji brings two pieces of good news: Lin Qingyu’s epidemic prescription, slightly refined by the Imperial Academy of Medicine, has been distributed across nineteen prefectures and successfully curbed the epidemic, and Great General Gu Fuzhou survived near death after Head Physician Lin discovered an antidote to Western Xia poison.Gu Fuzhou, grateful for his rescue, insists on becoming Head Physician Lin’s godson, effectively making Lin Qingyu Gu Fuzhou’s godbrother, and this development signals that Lin Qingyu’s father may soon return from the northwest.Hu Ji informs Lin Qingyu that the emperor has learned that it was Head Physician Lin’s son, the young marquess’s wife, who devised the epidemic cure, and the emperor is summoning Lin Qingyu to the palace for an audience.

Chapter 42Lin Qingyu receives an imperial summons and enters the palace as a commoner without official rank, choosing to wear a bright purple robe that he once disliked in order to deliberately diminish his appeal, remembering that the young man surnamed Jiang had warned him to beware of both Xiao Cheng and the emperor.Lin Qingyu waits outside Qinzheng Hall for over an hour while the emperor discusses matters with Xiao Cheng, and eunuch Xue Ying, who is experienced and perceptive, is struck by Lin Qingyu’s beauty despite his garish attire.Xiao Cheng emerges and openly flirts with Lin Qingyu in front of Qinzheng Hall, circling him and whispering provocations, but Lin Qingyu coldly rebuffs him and warns him to remain respectful.Xue Ying tactfully mentions that Gu Fuzhou has become Head Physician Lin’s godson, indirectly warning Xiao Cheng that Lin Qingyu now has the backing of Gu Fuzhou, who commands three hundred thousand troops, causing Xiao Cheng’s attitude to cool as he hints that times may change and even Gu Fuzhou may not remain reliable.Lin Qingyu is summoned inside to meet the emperor, kneels, and presents himself humbly while keeping his gaze lowered, and the emperor questions him about the epidemic prescription that successfully curbed the plague.Lin Qingyu attributes his success partly to his master’s guidance and answers calmly, and the emperor praises both Head Physician Lin for saving Gu Fuzhou and Lin Qingyu for saving countless subjects, recognizing the father and son as distinguished contributors to Great Yu.When asked what reward he desires, Lin Qingyu boldly requests the right to walk freely within the Imperial Academy of Medicine, study medical texts, collaborate with renowned physicians, and serve the emperor through medicine rather than asking for wealth or noble status.The emperor notes that Lin Qingyu’s prior marriage to Lu Wancheng could complicate public service, but acknowledges that the marriage was against custom and that Lu Wancheng has died, and ultimately appoints Lin Qingyu as a standard seventh-rank imperial physician with access to the Imperial Academy of Medicine.Leaving Qinzheng Hall, Lin Qingyu finds the ease of achieving his long-held dream almost laughable, reflecting that since Lu Wancheng’s death he has inherited wealth, regained freedom, gained a powerful godbrother in Gu Fuzhou, and now secured entry into the Imperial Academy of Medicine.Xue Ying congratulates Lin Qingyu, and Lin Qingyu humbly responds while inwardly recognizing that becoming an imperial physician will allow him closer access to the Eastern Palace and Xiao Cheng.Lin Qingyu meets Hu Ji outside the palace, who happily greets him as a future colleague and shares palace gossip learned from Xiaosongzi, a eunuch serving tea in Qinzheng Hall.Hu Ji recounts that Deputy General Zhao Mingwei submitted a memorial impeaching Gu Fuzhou despite a recent major victory over Western Xia, alleging that Gu Fuzhou has grown excessively fond of staying in bed and conducts military discussions from under his quilt.According to the memorial, when Western Xia attacked at night, Gu Fuzhou climbed the city gate half asleep while clutching his quilt, commanded the defense successfully, and led Great Yu’s forces to a decisive victory in an undignified manner.Gu Fuzhou himself submitted a memorial claiming that after surviving near death from poison, he has seen through worldly matters, considers himself old at thirty, believes his changed state of mind may impede military affairs, and requests permission to return to the capital as an idle noble, recommending Zhao Mingwei as his successor.Lin Qingyu, who grew up admiring Gu Fuzhou as a heroic general and once aspired to battlefield glory in childhood, is deeply unsettled by this drastic change in Gu Fuzhou’s character and questions whether this is truly the same Great General Gu Fuzhou he respected.Hu Ji suggests that surviving a life-or-death experience can drastically alter a person’s temperament, and Lin Qingyu reluctantly accepts that perhaps Gu Fuzhou genuinely wishes to abandon the battlefield and seek peace in the capital.

Chapter 43After receiving imperial permission, Lin Qingyu immediately returns to the marquess of Nan’an’s manor to pack and formally separate from the household, taking only what he originally brought and the inheritance he and the young man surnamed Jiang secured, including silver converted to banknotes, antiques, deeds, and Lady Wen’s lavish dowry.Lin Qingyu watches servants pack up vast amounts of property with cold satisfaction, preferring to give the wealth away rather than leave it to the marquess’s family, since Lu Wancheng had deliberately left his inheritance to him.Lady Pan silently observes as Lanfeng Pavilion and the storerooms are nearly emptied, understanding the family’s decline and accepting that only the marquess of Nan’an remains as the legitimate master, while Lin Qingyu still leaves enough land and shops for Lady Pan to live comfortably.Lady Pan bids farewell to Lin Qingyu and congratulates him on becoming Imperial Physician Lin, and Lin Qingyu offers to help her leave the manor since she was originally sold into it, but Lady Pan refuses, choosing to remain with the marquess of Nan’an as his wife despite everything.Lin Qingyu states calmly that one can live without a spouse and that one eventually grows used to loss, revealing how he has adapted since Lu Wancheng’s death.Hualu kneels and begs to follow Lin Qingyu instead of returning to Duke Wen’s manor, explaining that before his death Lu Wancheng worried most about Lin Qingyu’s well-being and asked her to ensure he eats and sleeps properly, and Lin Qingyu agrees to take her and transfer her contract.Lin Qingyu attempts to see the marquess of Nan’an out of courtesy, but the marquess refuses to meet him, having declined from a powerful minister to a broken man within a single year, unaware or powerless to stop the loss of his assets.Lin Qingyu burns six incense sticks in the Lu family ancestral hall for Lu Wancheng, three of them on behalf of the young man surnamed Jiang, before departing the manor with dozens of carriages of property, a bunk bed, and Jiang’s spirit tablet.Standing outside the vermilion gates of Lu Manor, Lin Qingyu wonders whether the marquess of Nan’an, Lady Liang, and Lu Niantao regret forcing him into marriage and mistreating him, and he admits he enjoys the thought of them suffering remorse.To avoid gossip that a male wife has left too soon after Lu Wancheng’s death and to protect his parents and younger brother from scandal, Lin Qingyu refuses to return immediately to the Lin manor despite his mother’s wishes.Before traveling south, Lin Qingyu had Zhang Shiquan purchase a modest three-courtyard residence in the capital near both the palace and the Lin manor, staffed with carefully selected, reliable servants, and upon entering, he is welcomed as Master, though he asks to continue being addressed as Young Master.Lin Qingyu places Jiang’s spirit tablet in his own mourning hall and orders incense to be burned three times daily, personally organizing the study and apothecary while directing that the bunk bed be placed in the study so he may sleep there instead of the main bedroom.On a snowy night marking seventy days since Jiang’s death, Lin Qingyu lies in the lower bunk, unable to sleep, reflecting that if Jiang were still alive, he would probably be sleeping soundly without care.After the final snow of the season, Lin Qingyu dons the indigo robes of a seventh-rank imperial physician and enters the palace grounds, drawing attention for his striking appearance even in official uniform.Lin Qingyu inquires about the location of the Eastern Palace, revealing his intention to approach it, before arriving at the Department of Imperial Physicians and feeling deep satisfaction at finally achieving his long-sought position.Meanwhile in Qinzheng Hall, the emperor rages over Gu Fuzhou’s repeated memorials requesting retirement and immediate return to the capital, complaining that Gu Fuzhou now writes lengthy, rambling petitions and begs in each one to be allowed back, while ministers and Xiao Cheng kneel amid the scattered memorials that all end with the plea to return soon.

Chapter 44Gu Fuzhou repeatedly submits memorials requesting permission to resign from his military post and return to the capital, sparking debate in court between those who fear his military prestige threatens imperial authority and those, led by Xiao Cheng, who argue that removing him during a stalemate with Western Xia would damage morale and invite invasion.As Gu Fuzhou’s resignation memorials increase in frequency from every five days to nearly daily, Zhao Mingwei’s impeachment memorials first intensify and then abruptly stop, with Zhao Mingwei eventually retracting his complaints and acknowledging that although Gu Fuzhou is lazy, he still leads them to victory.Despite openly complaining and refusing to personally charge into battle, allowing his Qingyun Jiuzhou spear to gather dust and his prized Ferghana horse to grow fat, Gu Fuzhou continues to defeat Western Xia forces brilliantly, including orchestrating a surprise raid on enemy supply stores that forces the besieging army into collapse.After winning decisive battles, Gu Fuzhou immediately reverts to idleness, ordering rest for days and frustrating his generals, yet his strategic brilliance leaves them no grounds to truly replace him.Gu Fuzhou even urges Zhao Mingwei to continue impeaching him so he can be removed, bluntly asking whether Zhao Mingwei wants to oust him and take over, but Zhao Mingwei refuses out of loyalty and recognition of Gu Fuzhou’s superior ability.Reports of victory strengthen the emperor’s resolve to reject Gu Fuzhou’s resignation, and the emperor issues a special edict ordering Head Physician Lin to remain by Gu Fuzhou’s side to monitor his health and investigate his personality changes.Furious at the constant stream of resignation memorials, the emperor convenes ministers in Qinzheng Hall, accusing Gu Fuzhou of arrogance, while the ministers remain silent out of fear.Xiao Cheng advises the emperor to keep Gu Fuzhou in Yongliang until he actually loses a battle, reasoning that Gu Fuzhou would never deliberately lose and stain his own military honor, and suggests dispatching the Tianji Guard to secretly investigate the real reason behind Gu Fuzhou’s insistence on returning.The emperor agrees with Xiao Cheng’s strategy but shows signs of worsening headaches, prompting Xiao Cheng to order Chu Zhengde to examine him.At the Department of Imperial Physicians, Lin Qingyu is introduced to colleagues by Hu Ji, and Chu Zhengde openly belittles him for entering the department without examination through a single prescription, questioning the cure’s long-term safety and implying impropriety.Lin Qingyu calmly rebuts Chu Zhengde by pointing out that potential side effects only matter if the patient survives, subtly undermining Chu Zhengde’s criticism, while Hu Ji defends Lin Qingyu by citing Head Physician Lin’s youthful entry into service.Lin Qingyu recalls that Chu Zhengde was once nearly promoted to head imperial physician but was permanently stalled after a favored concubine miscarried under his supervision, explaining his bitterness and insecurity.After finishing his duties, Lin Qingyu enters the Imperial Academy of Medicine library at night, exploring its vast collection of medical texts, locating rare works, and observing the locked iron door that stores imperial health records dating back to Great Yu’s founding, as well as the nearby Qiancao Apothecary filled with rare herbs.Past midnight, Lin Qingyu goes to the Qiancao Apothecary seeking a specific herb and encounters a heavily injured man in a bloodstained black robe carrying a crimson blade, recognizing him immediately and saying, “It’s you.”

Chapter 45Lin Qingyu encounters Xiao Cheng’s shadow guard Shen Huaishi in the Qiancao Apothecary and discovers that Shen Huaishi is gravely injured, including a chest wound already turning black from Five Poisons powder, yet still standing through sheer endurance as a Tianji Guard shadow guard.Remembering that the young man surnamed Jiang once said Shen Huaishi would be Xiao Cheng’s only weakness, Lin Qingyu deduces that Shen Huaishi was injured while carrying out orders and offers to detoxify his wounds properly instead of letting him rely on simple jinchuang powder.Shen Huaishi initially resists but ultimately accepts treatment when Lin Qingyu warns that the poison could damage his meridians and martial arts, affecting his ability to serve Xiao Cheng.Lin Qingyu treats Shen Huaishi’s many old and new wounds, noting that he must have nearly died several times for Xiao Cheng’s sake, and reflects that Xiao Cheng likely disdains those who risk everything for him while obsessing over those who reject him.While applying medicine, Lin Qingyu bluntly asks why Xiao Cheng favors someone as plain-looking as Shen Huaishi, and Shen Huaishi reveals his insecurity by remarking that it is no wonder Xiao Cheng cannot forget someone as beautiful as Lin Qingyu.Lin Qingyu points out kiss marks on Shen Huaishi’s collarbone, exposing the intimate relationship between Xiao Cheng and Shen Huaishi, shocking Shen Huaishi that Lin Qingyu knew his identity even before meeting him.Shen Huaishi questions how Lin Qingyu knew his name at the marquess’s manor, but Lin Qingyu avoids answering, finishes the treatment, and coldly remarks that while Shen Huaishi suffers here, Xiao Cheng might be enjoying someone else’s company.Shen Huaishi loyally defends Xiao Cheng, stating that as crown prince he may favor anyone, including Lin Qingyu, and warns that Lin Qingyu can avoid Xiao Cheng for a day but not forever.Lin Qingyu promises to continue treating Shen Huaishi and later goes to the Eastern Palace under the pretext of delivering medicine, only to be stopped by guards until Shen Huaishi personally escorts him inside.In Shen Huaishi’s sparse chamber, Shen Huaishi admits that no one usually cares about a shadow guard’s injuries, while Lin Qingyu advises him not to devote himself entirely to Xiao Cheng, though privately he is only using Shen Huaishi as leverage against Xiao Cheng.Shen Huaishi notices a sigil engraved on Lin Qingyu’s medicine chest and reacts in shock, recognizing it as the Shen family’s secret mark, which Lin Qingyu realizes was intentionally left there by the young man surnamed Jiang.Before Shen Huaishi can press further, Xiao Cheng barges in and finds Shen Huaishi holding Lin Qingyu’s wrist, immediately asserting dominance and making suggestive remarks, implying he could summon Lin Qingyu anywhere.Xiao Cheng belittles Shen Huaishi for being injured and questions his usefulness, while pointedly telling Lin Qingyu that this is not his bedroom and implying inappropriate intentions.Lin Qingyu deflects by mentioning the northwest, subtly reminding Xiao Cheng of Gu Fuzhou and the political situation, which irritates Xiao Cheng just as an emergency summons from Yongliang calls him away.After Xiao Cheng leaves with Shen Huaishi on duty, Lin Qingyu reflects that only when Xiao Cheng is completely gone will he truly be at ease.In Qinzheng Hall, Xiao Cheng learns that Gu Fuzhou has not submitted another resignation memorial but instead intercepted a coded letter from Western Xia, which no one can decipher, prompting Gu Fuzhou to request that the emperor make the code public for knowledgeable individuals to interpret.The minister of national defense reads the strange code aloud as “If odd, change; if even, remain the same,” leaving Xiao Cheng skeptical and the court puzzled about its meaning.

Chapter 46Xiao Cheng gathers ministers to analyze the intercepted Western Xia code “If odd, change; if even, remain the same,” and listens as officials propose various interpretations involving marching dates, battle formations, or mathematical methods, but none can reach a convincing conclusion.Xiao Cheng expresses suspicion that the code itself may be connected to Gu Fuzhou’s abnormal behavior and repeated attempts to return to the capital, questioning whether Gu Fuzhou fabricated the code for ulterior motives.Despite suggestions to spread the code publicly, Xiao Cheng refuses to follow Gu Fuzhou’s request and instead orders the scholars of Hanlin Academy to decipher the phrase secretly in Qinzheng Hall’s side hall, forbidding news of the matter from leaking.While Hanlin Academy scholars disappear to work in secrecy, the Department of Imperial Physicians continues as usual, and Lüyao from Fengyi Palace arrives requesting that Lin Qingyu personally attend the empress, angering Chu Zhengde who resents Lin Qingyu’s rapid rise.Lin Qingyu correctly deduces that the empress does not require medical treatment but wishes to see him regarding Lu Wancheng, and he follows Lüyao to Fengyi Palace.The empress praises Lin Qingyu’s appearance in official robes and reveals she has read Lu Wancheng’s final letter, in which Lu Wancheng implored her to grant Lin Qingyu freedom, and she confirms that she honored his request.The empress informs Lin Qingyu that an eternal lamp has been lit for Lu Wancheng at Changsheng Temple and encourages Lin Qingyu to burn incense there, noting that nearly one hundred days have passed since Lu Wancheng’s death.On his day off, Lin Qingyu visits Changsheng Temple with Huantong, burns incense before Lu Wancheng’s tablet, and reflects on the passing of seasons and the approaching hundredth day since the young man surnamed Jiang died.Shen Huaishi appears at Changsheng Temple, admitting he followed Lin Qingyu outside the palace because it is inconvenient to speak within, and he questions whether Lin Qingyu truly feels no lingering grief.Shen Huaishi reveals that the sigil on Lin Qingyu’s medicine chest belongs to the Tianyu Sect, a secret organization now presumed extinct except for himself, and demands to know how Lin Qingyu came to possess it.Lin Qingyu explains that the medicine chest was given to him by Lu Wancheng, prompting Shen Huaishi to dismantle it, revealing a hidden jade plaque engraved with “Tianyu.”On the back of the jade plaque is an inscription pointing to Sui City in Xu Prefecture, indicating that someone connected to the Tianyu Sect may still be alive there.Shen Huaishi becomes emotionally shaken at the possibility that a surviving member of the Tianyu Sect exists and immediately declares his intention to travel to Xu Prefecture, despite uncertainty about whether Xiao Cheng would permit him to leave.Lin Qingyu mocks Shen Huaishi’s simplicity but admits he also wishes to travel to Xu Prefecture to uncover what Lu Wancheng had been planning, and the two agree to coordinate when Shen Huaishi finds a way to depart.As Lin Qingyu leaves Changsheng Temple, a young monk delivers a brocade pouch left for him by the imperial preceptor Xu Junyuan before entering seclusion.Inside the pouch is a note containing a birth date and a name written in familiar handwriting, and on the ninety-ninth day after the young man’s death, Lin Qingyu finally learns the true name of the young man surnamed Jiang, trembling at the revelation that such a dignified name belonged to someone who had seemed like a lazy salted fish.

Chapter 47After returning home, Lin Qingyu stands alone before the tablet engraved with Jiang Dazhuang and resentfully mutters that Jiang told Xu Junyuan his real name but not him, warning the tablet that if Jiang returns on time he will not scold him.Zhang Shiquan reports that Lady Pan is pregnant, revitalizing the marquess of Nan’an and improving his health, which means the Lu family bloodline will continue and the marquess may soon return to court.Lin Qingyu questions Zhang Shiquan about unfinished matters in Xu Prefecture and learns that Lu Wancheng had ordered him to track down a butcher in Sui City using the alias Zhu Yongxin and obtain a token from him, though only Lu Wancheng knew the man’s true identity.The next morning Lin Qingyu abruptly decides to return to the Lin manor, spends the day withdrawn in his study, and appears distracted and empty as the hundredth day since Jiang’s death approaches.That night, while on duty in the Department of Imperial Physicians, Hu Ji notices Lin Qingyu’s unusual distraction, but Lin Qingyu insists he is fine.When a young eunuch named Xiaofuzi comes seeking help for his roommate suffering from severe abdominal pain and vomiting, Lin Qingyu volunteers to treat the patient in Hu Ji’s place, seeking distraction through medical work.Lin Qingyu diagnoses the sick eunuch with food poisoning, prescribes emetics and follow-up medicine, and reassures that he will recover, demonstrating calm competence.After midnight, realizing the day has passed and Jiang has not returned, Lin Qingyu finally confronts the possibility that resurrection will not happen again and bitterly acknowledges that death may truly mean nothingness.As Lin Qingyu prepares to leave, he hears the eunuch Xiaosongzi muttering in his sleep the phrase “If odd, change; if even, remain the same,” the same coded line attributed to Western Xia.Shocked, Lin Qingyu grabs Xiaosongzi and instinctively responds with the second half of their secret code, “And the sign depends on the quadrant name,” revealing that the Western Xia code matches the private signal he shared with Jiang.Lin Qingyu momentarily wonders if Jiang transmigrated into Xiaosongzi but quickly realizes it is impossible, since Jiang would have sought him out if he were nearby.Xiaosongzi explains that he memorized the phrase after hearing Hanlin Academy scholars repeatedly chanting it in Qinzheng Hall’s side hall while confined there, and mentions that Western Xia was discussed frequently.Lin Qingyu deduces that the phrase must have come from Gu Fuzhou’s intercepted Western Xia code and that Jiang intentionally transmitted their secret signal through military channels so that Lin Qingyu would learn he is alive without exposing his identity directly.Realizing Jiang is likely alive in Western Xia or near the border but unable to return, Lin Qingyu understands that Jiang deliberately let Xiao Cheng encounter the code to pass the message indirectly, and that Lin Qingyu must not reveal his knowledge to avoid endangering him.After calming himself and suppressing visible reaction, Lin Qingyu thanks Xiaosongzi for the information and reflects that sometimes being kind and building goodwill has unexpected rewards.

Chapter 48Lin Qingyu asks Xiaosongzi to monitor Qinzheng Hall for news about the code phrase but realizes the eunuch can only gather limited information, and he concludes that the phrase “If odd, change; if even, remain the same” must have originated from Western Xia or Yongliang and was delivered to Xiao Cheng, who confined Hanlin Academy scholars to decipher it.Although Lin Qingyu considers traveling to Yongliang to search for Jiang, he decides against it because the journey would take at least a month and yield no guaranteed results, and he resolves instead to remain in the capital and wait, trusting that Jiang will find a way back if he is alive.Lin Qingyu reflects on Jiang’s personality and appearance, speculating humorously whether Jiang might have transmigrated into someone ugly or even into a woman, and briefly smiles for the first time in a long while at the thought that if Jiang were female, he might as well marry Lin Qingyu.Chu Zhengde interrupts Lin Qingyu and Hu Ji while they are speaking on duty, displaying open hostility toward Lin Qingyu, but Lin Qingyu ignores him in unusually good spirits.A eunuch from the Eastern Palace arrives to summon Lin Qingyu to treat Xiao Cheng, infuriating Chu Zhengde who believes he or Hu Ji should attend instead, yet Lin Qingyu calmly accepts and reassures Hu Ji that Xiao Cheng will not dare harm him because of Gu Fuzhou’s connection to Lin Rushan.Upon entering the Eastern Palace, Lin Qingyu finds Xiao Cheng drunk, surrounded by empty wine jugs, behaving recklessly and resentfully while comparing Lin Qingyu’s eyes to those of Princess Jingchun and expressing twisted longing.Xiao Cheng grows increasingly unstable and grabs Lin Qingyu, declaring that as crown prince he could force himself on Lin Qingyu without consequence, questioning whether Gu Fuzhou would truly confront him over a newly gained godbrother.Lin Qingyu coldly challenges Xiao Cheng to try, internally preparing to kill him with hidden medicine even at the cost of his own life, recalling Jiang’s earlier ominous remark about Lin Qingyu dying in the Eastern Palace.Shen Huaishi suddenly appears and kneels, pleading with Xiao Cheng to spare Lin Qingyu, revealing his emotional conflict and drawing Xiao Cheng’s jealousy and suspicion.Xiao Cheng mocks Shen Huaishi’s plea and drunkenly accuses him of jealousy, then shifts his attention toward Shen Huaishi in a humiliating and possessive manner, exposing the toxic dynamic between them.The arrival of Noble Consort Chen interrupts the escalating situation, forcing Xiao Cheng to sober up and compose himself, which allows Lin Qingyu to leave the Eastern Palace unharmed.Outside, Lin Qingyu reflects that if not for Gu Fuzhou’s political weight and Shen Huaishi’s intervention, he might have died in the Eastern Palace, and he wonders whether Jiang is still protecting him from afar.Later that night in Qinzheng Hall, ministers discuss an urgent report that Gu Fuzhou has been poisoned with a northern toxin called “heavenly arachnid,” which will slowly invade the organs without a complicated antidote.Chu Zhengde explains that the antidote requires thousand-year-old snow lotus and a warm jade mortar from the Qiancao Apothecary, meaning only the Imperial Academy of Medicine can prepare it properly.Realizing the seriousness of the poisoning and having confirmation from the Tianji Guard, Xiao Cheng reluctantly orders that Gu Fuzhou be permitted to return to the capital immediately so the poison can be neutralized.

Chapter 49Through Xiaosongzi, Lin Qingyu learns that Gu Fuzhou is being allowed to return to the capital only because he has been poisoned by heavenly arachnid, and both Lin Qingyu and Xiao Cheng find the situation suspicious.Lin Qingyu realizes that Gu Fuzhou had previously submitted many memorials requesting to return, but the emperor and Xiao Cheng ignored them until the poisoning forced their hand.The court fears that if Gu Fuzhou dies while an antidote exists, the three hundred thousand soldiers under his command might lose faith in or even rebel against the court.Lin Qingyu questions why heavenly arachnid poison, a slow-acting northern poison, was used instead of a quicker and more decisive method, suspecting deeper schemes possibly involving Western Xia.Despite his suspicions, Xiao Cheng has no choice but to allow Gu Fuzhou to return for the sake of stability.Lin Qingyu privately feels that Gu Fuzhou’s return is beneficial because Lin Rushan will also come back, reuniting their family after half a year apart.The court keeps Gu Fuzhou’s return secret to maintain stability, informing only high-ranking ministers and the Department of Imperial Physicians.The Imperial Academy of Medicine must prepare the heavenly arachnid antidote before Gu Fuzhou arrives, as it will take time for the message to reach Yongliang and for Gu Fuzhou to travel back.After returning from the Eastern Palace, Lin Qingyu suddenly falls gravely ill with a high fever, writes his own prescription, asks Hualu to prepare it, and takes sick leave through Huantong before collapsing into deep sleep.While feverish, Lin Qingyu hears someone softly calling “Qingyu” in a familiar, smiling tone but cannot respond, feeling trapped in his own body.The voice shifts to another calling him “Imperial Physician Lin,” and Lin Qingyu wakes to find Shen Huaishi by his bedside.Shen Huaishi admits he secretly visited at midnight after hearing of Lin Qingyu’s illness, avoiding detection to prevent Xiao Cheng from knowing.Lin Qingyu mocks Shen Huaishi for apologizing on Xiao Cheng’s behalf for drunken misconduct and cruelly points out Shen Huaishi’s humiliating relationship with Xiao Cheng.Shen Huaishi recounts his childhood with Xiao Cheng and Jingchun, explaining that Jingchun was forced to marry the king of the North Kingdom despite begging Xiao Cheng for help, leaving Xiao Cheng with lasting regret and emotional instability.Shen Huaishi explains that Lin Qingyu’s eyes resemble Jingchun’s, which triggered Xiao Cheng’s loss of control.Shen Huaishi reveals the existence of the Tianyu Sect, a secret force complementing the Tianji Guard, and discloses that the Tianyu Sect was annihilated three years ago, with Shen Huaishi as the sole survivor.Shen Huaishi refuses to name who destroyed the Tianyu Sect but states that Xiao Cheng saved him afterward, leading him to serve in the Tianji Guard.Shen Huaishi expresses his intention to go to Sui City in Xu Prefecture because of a jade plaque connected to the Tianyu Sect, but he cannot leave yet due to Gu Fuzhou’s return.Shen Huaishi reveals that the Tianji Guard will surveil Gu Fuzhou throughout his journey back to the capital as a condition for his return, demonstrating Xiao Cheng’s distrust.Lin Qingyu considers whether Shen Huaishi’s martial skill might be sufficient to kill Xiao Cheng.Lin Qingyu takes half a month to recover from his illness, becoming noticeably thinner and more fragile in appearance.Chu Zhengde assigns Lin Qingyu to prepare the heavenly arachnid antidote at the Imperial Academy of Medicine despite his weakened state.Gu Fuzhou secretly enters the capital during the hottest days of the sixth month.The antidote requires a snow lotus inducer ground in a rare warm jade mortar, of which Great Yu possesses only three, two stored at the Imperial Academy of Medicine.When Gu Fuzhou arrives earlier than expected, chaos erupts at the Imperial Academy of Medicine because Lin Qingyu has not yet prepared the inducer.Lin Qingyu learns that a sixth-rank imperial physician misinformed him about Gu Fuzhou’s arrival time, likely causing the delay.Lin Qingyu demands one hour to complete the inducer despite criticism from other physicians.Once the antidote is finished, Lin Qingyu personally delivers it to Gu Fuzhou’s manor.Gu Fuzhou sarcastically complains about the late arrival of the medicine, joking that they might as well visit his grave next year.Chu Zhengde offers to punish Lin Qingyu for the delay, framing him as negligent.Lin Rushan, visibly exhausted from travel, speaks up and asks that Lin Qingyu be allowed inside.Lin Qingyu sees Gu Fuzhou for the first time, noting his sharp features, tanned face, soldier’s aura, and youthful, lively eyes that soften his fierce appearance.Despite the poison, Gu Fuzhou appears outwardly healthy because the heavenly arachnid toxin has not yet invaded his organs.Lin Rushan is emotionally moved upon seeing Lin Qingyu after six months apart.Gu Fuzhou’s gaze brightens when he meets Lin Qingyu’s eyes, and he appears briefly nervous before looking away.Lin Qingyu formally introduces himself as Gu Fuzhou’s subordinate and apologizes for the delay.Gu Fuzhou responds calmly that it is all right and cryptically states that he likes waiting.

Chapter 50Lin Qingyu is surprised by Gu Fuzhou’s sudden change in attitude, as Gu Fuzhou calmly accepts the antidote and even acts embarrassed when Lin Qingyu stands too close while handing it over.Chu Zhengde explains that the antidote must be taken daily for a month to fully eliminate the heavenly arachnid poison, meaning Gu Fuzhou can only remain in the capital for that duration before returning to the northwest border.Gu Fuzhou directly requests that Lin Qingyu be the one to deliver the antidote every day.Chu Zhengde attempts to object by bringing up Lin Qingyu’s previous delay, prompting Lin Qingyu to reveal that Hong Changfeng misinformed him about Gu Fuzhou’s arrival time.Gu Fuzhou immediately sides with Lin Qingyu, declaring Hong Changfeng at fault and publicly calling Lin Qingyu his godbrother, saying he is willing to wait for him.Lin Rushan supports the arrangement, and Lin Qingyu agrees to deliver the antidote daily to repay Gu Fuzhou’s help.As Lin Qingyu leaves, Gu Fuzhou awkwardly calls out to him and thanks him for his hard work, saying it is his honor instead.Lin Qingyu returns home with Lin Rushan, where Lin Mu bursts into tears upon seeing her husband after six months apart, and Lin Qinghe happily reunites with his father.During dinner, the family reflects on the past six months, including Lu Wancheng’s death and Lin Qingyu’s new position as an imperial physician, now working alongside Lin Rushan.When Lin Rushan laments Lu Wancheng’s early death, Lin Qingyu privately feels that shedding that sickly body was not a pity.Lin Qingyu asks Lin Rushan about the coded phrase “If odd, change; if even, remain the same,” learning that Gu Fuzhou intercepted it from Western Xia but no one, including the capital’s talents, has deciphered it.Lin Qingyu wonders if that mysterious young man is truly in Western Xia.Lin Rushan explains that he initially refused to become Gu Fuzhou’s godfather, but accepted after Gu Fuzhou argued it would strengthen the Lin family’s position and benefit Lin Qingyu’s career.The next day, Lin Rushan investigates the antidote delay, but with no witnesses to the exchange between Lin Qingyu and Hong Changfeng, he fines both men one month’s salary to be fair.Hu Ji speculates that Chu Zhengde may have orchestrated the incident through Hong Changfeng, while Lin Qingyu notes that many in the Department of Imperial Physicians and Imperial Academy of Medicine envy him for his achievements and connections.Lin Qingyu coldly states that instead of keeping a low profile, he needs those who envy him to stop provoking him.Lin Qingyu continues delivering the antidote daily to Gu Fuzhou’s manor, where Yuan Yin manages the household in Gu Fuzhou’s absence of family.Lin Qingyu notices Tianji Guards shadowing Gu Fuzhou under the guise of protection, clearly acting on Xiao Cheng’s orders to monitor him.Gu Fuzhou invites Lin Qingyu to stay and admire the moonlight, refrains from drinking due to medical advice, and pours wine only for Lin Qingyu.Gu Fuzhou brings up Lu Wancheng’s death and observes that Lin Qingyu does not seem particularly sorrowful, to which Lin Qingyu calmly replies that the living must look forward.Gu Fuzhou tests Lin Qingyu by mentioning the phrase “If odd, change; if even, remain the same,” but Lin Qingyu pretends ignorance because Xiao Cheng has not made the phrase public.Gu Fuzhou vaguely implies the timing is not right to discuss it further under the watch of the Tianji Guards.After learning Lin Qingyu was fined, Gu Fuzhou tells him to remember the grievance and repay it tenfold, reinforcing a sense of familiarity that unsettles Lin Qingyu.Gu Fuzhou attempts to show off his strength by taking Lin Qingyu to his training ground at night, avoiding daytime heat despite being a seasoned battlefield general.Gu Fuzhou lifts a heavy stone dumbbell with one hand and boasts, asking whether he is stronger and more attractive than Lu Wancheng.Lin Qingyu calmly replies that while Gu Fuzhou has his merits, he prefers Lu Wancheng’s physique, causing Gu Fuzhou’s smile to freeze.Gu Fuzhou awkwardly tries to recover by joking about breaking bricks with his bare hands.Half a month passes with Lin Qingyu continuing his visits, concluding that Gu Fuzhou is less an enigma and more simply strange.A renowned Southern physician arrives at the Imperial Academy of Medicine to teach about gu, as Lin Rushan hopes to train physicians in both using and neutralizing gu.Lin Qingyu attends the class eagerly to deepen his practical understanding of gu beyond theory.After class, Gu Fuzhou appears unexpectedly at the Imperial Academy of Medicine, claiming he passed by after reporting to Xiao Cheng and came to pick Lin Qingyu up.Lin Qingyu notices the illogical route and is surprised by Gu Fuzhou’s behavior, as Gu Fuzhou casually takes his medical books and insists on carrying them because he is stronger.Gu Fuzhou says he is interested in anything Lin Qingyu says, especially about gu, and remarks that a beauty like Lin Qingyu should make use of it.Gu Fuzhou expresses a desire to burn incense for Lu Wancheng as Lin Qingyu’s godbrother and suggests doing so at Lin Qingyu’s residence instead of the marquess’s manor.Lin Qingyu admits he has enshrined a tablet at his residence, though it does not bear Lu Wancheng’s name.Gu Fuzhou teasingly questions Lin Qingyu’s devotion to Lu Wancheng, calling him difu and implying Lin Qingyu did not truly care for him.Despite telling himself not to react, Lin Qingyu insists that he does have a tablet for Lu Wancheng.Gu Fuzhou demands to see the tablet as proof, and Lin Qingyu calmly refuses, saying it is not convenient because the tablet bears the name Jiang Dazhuang.Gu Fuzhou reacts with confusion at Lin Qingyu’s refusal, clearly unaware of the true name inscribed on the tablet.

Chapter 51Lin Qingyu refuses to bring Gu Fuzhou to his own residence because he has never invited anyone there and suspects Gu Fuzhou’s motives, especially with the Tianji Guard constantly monitoring him under Xiao Cheng’s orders.Lin Qingyu uses mourning etiquette as an excuse, saying Lu Wancheng has not been dead for half a year and that inviting Gu Fuzhou home would cause gossip, so Gu Fuzhou suggests going to the marquess of Nan’an’s residence instead.At the marquess of Nan’an’s manor, the marquess greets Gu Fuzhou as an equal but deliberately ignores Lin Qingyu, still resentful over the turmoil surrounding Lu Wancheng’s death.Gu Fuzhou behaves solemnly and dignified in front of the marquess, completely different from his teasing and playful demeanor with Lin Qingyu, deepening Lin Qingyu’s suspicion that Gu Fuzhou resembles a certain young man.Lin Qingyu silently questions whether the Western Xia missive, the secret code, and Gu Fuzhou’s strange actions are coincidences or signs of a hidden truth he has not yet uncovered.In the ancestral hall, Gu Fuzhou and Lin Qingyu offer incense to Lu Wancheng’s spirit tablet, and Gu Fuzhou suppresses a laugh when looking at the tablet.Lin Qingyu quietly confronts Gu Fuzhou about being constantly surveilled by the Tianji Guard, and Gu Fuzhou admits Xiao Cheng suspects him of plotting with an accomplice in the capital.A Tianji Guard member insists they are only protecting Gu Fuzhou due to the suspicious poisoning, demonstrating that they overhear even hushed conversations.Lin Qingyu asks whether Gu Fuzhou truly returned only to cure the poison, and Gu Fuzhou claims he merely wants to stay alive and live peacefully, denying any rebellious intent.Gu Fuzhou downplays his military achievements, saying his victories were due to luck and that he is tired of bearing responsibility for countless lives, suggesting he would rather farm than continue as a general.Lin Qingyu does not believe Gu Fuzhou is incompetent and instead thinks he simply wants to slack off, again seeing similarities to the mysterious young man.After leaving the marquess’s manor, Gu Fuzhou instructs his driver not to return home because he wants to meet someone else.The emperor’s migraines worsen, and the imperial physicians, including Lin Rushan, fail to cure the root of his illness.Lin Rushan proposes using Southern gu techniques to treat the emperor’s headaches by releasing gu insects into the brain, citing a miracle physician’s method.The empress angrily rejects the idea as outrageous, and Xiao Cheng mocks Lin Rushan, accusing him of aligning with Gu Fuzhou and overstepping his authority.Xiao Cheng demotes Lin Rushan to a standard sixth-rank medical secretary, stripping him of the power to treat patients, despite the empress’s objections.Xiao Cheng demonstrates his near-complete control by commanding the Tianji Guard and palace attendants, showing he is effectively one step from the throne.The leader of the Tianji Guard reports Gu Fuzhou’s movements to Xiao Cheng, including visiting the Imperial Academy of Medicine, the marquess of Nan’an’s manor, and then the fourth prince Xiao Jie.Xiao Cheng suspects Gu Fuzhou may be using Xiao Jie to stir political waters or hide his true intentions and orders continued surveillance.When Lin Qingyu learns of Lin Rushan’s demotion, he returns home expecting despair but finds Lin Rushan calm, accepting the situation with forced optimism.Lin Rushan reveals that Gu Fuzhou had warned him to be wary of Xiao Cheng, predicting that anyone close to Gu Fuzhou would be viewed suspiciously.Lin Qingyu reflects on Gu Fuzhou’s earlier statements such as “this isn’t a good time” and “I don’t want to involve you,” and begins reconsidering the origin of the Western Xia secret missive.Lin Qingyu suspects the missive may not have originated in Western Xia at all, but possibly in Yongliang.When Lin Qingyu goes to deliver the antidote the next day, Yuan Yin informs him that Gu Fuzhou is visiting the fourth prince Xiao Jie, and Lin Qingyu decides to deliver the antidote personally.At Xiao Jie’s residence, Lin Qingyu sees numerous warhorses and armored military officials gathered, indicating Gu Fuzhou is not alone.Xiao Jie, youthful and handsome, hosts a feast with roasted mutton and wine, while Gu Fuzhou greets Lin Qingyu warmly and confirms he has not been drinking alcohol due to the antidote.The Tianji Guards appear resentful as military officials openly complain about being monitored and criticize Xiao Cheng for humiliating Gu Fuzhou.General Wu Zhan and other officers angrily vow to report Xiao Cheng’s treatment of Gu Fuzhou to the emperor, arguing that the crown prince distrusts military men despite their sacrifices.Xiao Jie attempts to calm the crowd, while Gu Fuzhou outwardly discourages disrespect but ultimately allows the military officials to vent their anger.Lin Qingyu observes that if enough pressure is applied, Xiao Cheng may be forced to withdraw the Tianji Guard surveillance to quell dissatisfaction among the military.Gu Fuzhou feigns sudden realization at Lin Qingyu’s suggestion, praising Lin Qingyu’s cleverness, though his reaction implies he had anticipated this outcome all along.Lin Qingyu smiles subtly, recognizing that Gu Fuzhou may be orchestrating events deliberately, and feels his suspicions growing stronger.

Chapter 52The military officials, already resentful of the emperor’s preference for civil officials, finally lose patience after Xiao Cheng intensifies surveillance of Gu Fuzhou, and while drunk at Xiao Jie’s gathering, they resolve to raise the matter in court the next morning.Lin Qingyu worries that the straightforward military officials will lose a verbal battle against the civil officials allied with Xiao Cheng if they argue head-on without strategy.Xiao Jie bluntly points out that the military officials have never won arguments against civil officials, leaving them momentarily speechless.The officials ultimately decide to act according to circumstances and seize opportunities in court to defend Gu Fuzhou’s honor and remove the humiliation imposed on him.The next morning before court, Lin Qingyu privately approaches General Wu Zhan and advises him to avoid reasoning with civil officials, instead replying only with dismissive phrases such as “What else?”, “So?”, “Really?”, “I don’t believe you.” and “What you’re saying is reasonable, but I refuse to listen.”General Wu Zhan is delighted by the tactic, realizing it will infuriate the civil officials and prevent them from steering the argument.Duke Wu, an elderly and highly respected military figure permitted to bring a saber into court, comes out of retirement to support Gu Fuzhou after hearing of his treatment.During court, civil officials preemptively accuse Gu Fuzhou of suspicious conduct, citing his repeated requests to retire during a military stalemate and the mysterious Western Xia secret code.The civil officials argue that Xiao Cheng’s surveillance is justified as a precaution and for Gu Fuzhou’s protection.Following Lin Qingyu’s advice, General Wu Zhan and the military officials respond with simple, dismissive phrases instead of debating, frustrating the civil officials and even nearly causing the prime minister to faint from anger.Xiao Cheng, visibly furious, attempts to stall by saying he will consider the matter, but the military officials refuse to back down.The military officials escalate their protest by requesting repeated audiences, submitting memorials, and kneeling outside Qinzheng Hall in organized groups until Xiao Cheng responds.In contrast to the palace turmoil, Gu Fuzhou remains relaxed at his residence, fishing by a pond and enjoying iced grapes when Lin Qingyu arrives with the antidote.Lin Qingyu deliberately mentions that Lu Wancheng loved iced food but could not eat it due to poor health, subtly probing Gu Fuzhou’s reactions.Gu Fuzhou remarks that someone deprived of something in one life might indulge in it after reincarnation, implying awareness of past limitations.Lin Qingyu realizes Gu Fuzhou’s earlier display of lifting dumbbells may have been intended to show physical strength in contrast to Lu Wancheng’s former sickly body.Lin Qingyu warns Gu Fuzhou about gaining weight in his thirties and jokingly suggests he might struggle to marry if he becomes flabby, prompting Gu Fuzhou to reluctantly agree to train harder.Gu Fuzhou refers to “his father,” then clarifies he means Lin Rushan as his godfather, reinforcing the familial tie.Lin Qingyu finally invites Gu Fuzhou to pay respects to Lu Wancheng at his own residence after Gu Fuzhou finishes his matters, causing Gu Fuzhou’s eyes to brighten with clear anticipation.Lin Qingyu observes the growing unrest among military officials outside Qinzheng Hall and recognizes that the conflict now represents broader military dissatisfaction with Xiao Cheng’s authoritarian tendencies.At the Imperial Academy of Medicine, colleagues openly disdain Lin Qingyu due to Lin Rushan’s demotion and Gu Fuzhou’s investigation, though they lack the courage to do more than gossip.Lin Qingyu continues studying gu under the Southern physician and begins practicing breeding basic gu in Qiancao Apothecary at night.Late one night, Lin Qingyu encounters Shen Huaishi secretly retrieving ointment from the herb cabinet.Lin Qingyu forcibly inspects Shen Huaishi and discovers red marks across Shen Huaishi’s collarbone, deducing Xiao Cheng’s rough treatment of him.Suspecting Shen Huaishi’s unwavering loyalty may be induced by gu, Lin Qingyu pricks Shen Huaishi’s finger to test his blood but finds no trace of gu.Lin Qingyu concludes that Shen Huaishi’s devotion to Xiao Cheng is not caused by gu but by his own low self-worth, telling him that it is not others who look down on him, but that Shen Huaishi himself looks down upon himself.

Chapter 53Lin Qingyu reflects that Shen Huaishi has been loyal to Xiao Cheng since childhood, trained to protect him, and feels obligated to repay Xiao Cheng for saving his life, but Lin Qingyu needs not a loyal servant, but someone capable of killing Xiao Cheng.Lin Qingyu realizes that words alone cannot sway Shen Huaishi and that he may need harsher methods to break Shen Huaishi’s blind devotion.Lin Qingyu orders Shen Huaishi to show his injuries, recognizing that the ointment Shen Huaishi took is meant for consorts after intimate encounters, implying Xiao Cheng was rough with him.Shen Huaishi is mortified and attempts to leave, but Hong Changfeng suddenly appears outside the apothecary, questioning who is inside past curfew.Hong Changfeng, who has grown openly hostile toward Lin Qingyu after Lin Rushan’s demotion, accuses Lin Qingyu of sneaking around and bringing unauthorized people into the apothecary.When Hong Changfeng demands Shen Huaishi’s identity, Lin Qingyu calmly claims Shen Huaishi is his friend, surprising Shen Huaishi and subtly shielding his status as a Tianji Guard member.Hong Changfeng threatens to report Lin Qingyu for violating rules, and Lin Qingyu deliberately accepts fault and promises to apologize to Chu Zhengde, preventing Shen Huaishi from exposing himself.After Hong Changfeng leaves, Lin Qingyu tells Shen Huaishi that this incident may actually benefit him, depending on how much Xiao Cheng values Shen Huaishi.The next day, Lin Qingyu goes to see Chu Zhengde and unexpectedly claims he has a method to treat the emperor’s chronic headaches.Lin Qingyu proposes using powdered gu insects combined with carefully selected herbs to create medicine that could alleviate the emperor’s condition without inserting live gu into his brain.Chu Zhengde initially mocks the idea as regicide, but when Lin Qingyu presents a detailed prescription developed with the Southern miracle physician, Chu Zhengde eagerly studies it.Meanwhile, Hu Ji visits Xiao Cheng under the pretext of checking his health and deliberately informs him that Shen Huaishi was injured and driven out of the Imperial Academy of Medicine by Hong Changfeng.Xiao Cheng, already exhausted from the standoff with military officials, becomes enraged upon learning Shen Huaishi was mistreated and that his injuries were severe enough to affect his walking.Soon after, an order from Xiao Cheng strips Hong Changfeng of his position as imperial physician and expels him from palace service for neglecting duty and disrespecting the crown prince.Hong Changfeng collapses in shock as eunuchs drag him away, and Lin Qingyu emerges unscathed, having successfully turned the incident to his advantage.The conflict between military and civil officials continues for three days, with military officials pressuring Xiao Cheng to cease humiliating Gu Fuzhou, while Xiao Cheng stubbornly refuses to yield despite civil officials advising compromise.Lin Qingyu informs Gu Fuzhou of the escalating court turmoil, and Gu Fuzhou feigns grave concern, claiming he would take his own life if Xiao Cheng’s anger caused harm to the realm, a performance clearly meant for the Tianji Guards listening outside.Gu Fuzhou lazes in bed when Lin Qingyu arrives with the antidote, refusing to get up and making Lin Qingyu bring the medicine to him.Lin Qingyu scolds Gu Fuzhou for lying in bed all day despite being physically strong, warning that such behavior will make him useless.Gu Fuzhou confesses that after nearly dying, he realized he wishes to live as a carefree layabout, lamenting his past life of constant exhaustion, battles, and sleepless nights.Lin Qingyu laughs and tells Gu Fuzhou he deserved that hardship, showing rare warmth.Overcome, Gu Fuzhou accidentally calls him “Qingyu,” dropping the formal address, and Lin Qingyu instinctively responds despite knowing the timing is dangerous.Gu Fuzhou remarks that Lin Qingyu has grown thinner while he himself has gained muscle, teasing him, and Lin Qingyu internally fumes, thinking of poisoning “Jiang” into impotence again, further reinforcing his suspicion that Gu Fuzhou and Jiang are the same person.

Chapter 54Lin Qingyu confirms that the heavenly arachnid poison in Gu Fuzhou’s body has almost been completely neutralized and that no lasting side effects should remain, while Gu Fuzhou casually credits Lin Rushan’s consistent monitoring in Yongliang.As Lin Qingyu prepares to leave under the watch of the Tianji Guard, another guard arrives unexpectedly, and it is announced that imperial guards will now patrol the residence instead, meaning the Tianji Guard will withdraw.With the surveillance finally lifted, Gu Fuzhou immediately pulls Lin Qingyu into a tight embrace on the bed, revealing his long-suppressed emotions.Gu Fuzhou apologizes for returning late and curses Xiao Cheng as the “main character,” openly speaking without restraint now that the Tianji Guard has left.Lin Qingyu and Gu Fuzhou sit facing each other, and Lin Qingyu closely studies Gu Fuzhou’s face, recognizing the familiar brilliance in his eyes and noticing a faint scar near his brow.Lin Qingyu directly asks how Gu Fuzhou transmigrated into Great General Gu, and Gu Fuzhou explains that after dying as Lu Wancheng, he opened his eyes in a military tent, poisoned and surrounded by soldiers.Gu Fuzhou reveals that he nearly died again from heavenly arachnid poison and survived only because Lin Rushan created an antidote in time, keeping him alive through sheer will to return to Lin Qingyu.Because generals cannot freely return to the capital or write home, Gu Fuzhou made Lin Rushan his godfather and repeatedly submitted memorials to create a connection that would protect Lin Qingyu.Gu Fuzhou confesses that the secret Western Xia missive and the phrase “If odd, change; if even, remain the same” were entirely fabricated by him to signal Lin Qingyu that he was still alive.Gu Fuzhou realized Xiao Cheng had not spread the phrase publicly when commoners did not know it, and he deduced that Lin Qingyu understood the message when Lin Qingyu calmly denied hearing it in front of the Tianji Guard.Lin Qingyu reveals that he heard the coded phrase from a young eunuch in Qinzheng Hall on the hundredth day after Lu Wancheng’s death.Gu Fuzhou is distressed to think Lin Qingyu might have suffered in grief during that time, but Lin Qingyu admits he did not cry.Gu Fuzhou explains that even after sending the code, he still rushed to return because he remembered that Princess Jingchun’s birthday in summer was the day Lin Qingyu was originally meant to die.Lin Qingyu confirms that he was supposed to die attempting to assassinate Xiao Cheng and then poisoning himself when Shen Huaishi blocked the fatal strike.Gu Fuzhou angrily reacts upon learning that Xiao Cheng once grabbed Lin Qingyu’s arm during a drunken incident, and Lin Qingyu dryly notes that Shen Huaishi intervened midway.Lin Qingyu asks how he was meant to die, and Gu Fuzhou recounts that Lin Qingyu would have taken poison without hesitation after failing to kill Xiao Cheng.Gu Fuzhou admits that he deliberately had Lin Rushan poison him with heavenly arachnid so he would have a legitimate reason to return to the capital, trusting that the dose would not kill him if treated in time.Gu Fuzhou explains that Xiao Cheng had long been suspicious of him, had Tianji Guards infiltrate his army in Yongliang, and investigated anyone close to him, which forced Gu Fuzhou to conceal his identity upon returning.Gu Fuzhou says he refrained from revealing himself to Lin Qingyu immediately because Xiao Cheng’s investigation implicated Lin Rushan, and he did not want to endanger Lin Qingyu.Lin Qingyu realizes that they both knowingly acted out a charade under surveillance until the Tianji Guard was withdrawn.When Lin Qingyu asks if Gu Fuzhou endured everything, including poisoning himself, solely to return to him, Gu Fuzhou answers yes without hesitation.Lin Qingyu turns away with red-rimmed eyes, and Gu Fuzhou hurriedly adds that he also wanted to escape the crushing burden of commanding three hundred thousand soldiers and live a leisurely life.Lin Qingyu states calmly that he did not cry even when Gu Fuzhou died, and Gu Fuzhou teasingly points out the redness in his eyes, refusing to let him hide his feelings.Yuan Yin suddenly rushes in to report that someone from the palace has arrived with a summons from the emperor, not Xiao Cheng.Gu Fuzhou is shocked because the emperor is supposed to be gravely ill, and Lin Qingyu calmly straightens his robes and reveals that he saved the emperor.

Chapter 55The emperor’s illness improves rapidly after Chu Zhengde administers medicine based on Lin Qingyu’s prescription, and he regains consciousness, immediately summoning Xiao Cheng to question him about court affairs during his coma.Xiao Cheng explains the conflict surrounding Gu Fuzhou and defends his decision to monitor him, but the emperor rebukes him for mishandling the balance between military and civil officials.The emperor points out that although Gu Fuzhou is suspicious, it is unwise to antagonize him while Great Yu still depends on him to fight Western Xia and command three hundred thousand soldiers.The emperor criticizes Xiao Cheng’s stubborn and domineering methods, warning him to learn how to read people’s desires and understand his own heart.Gu Fuzhou is summoned to the palace at night, and the emperor treats him warmly, asking about his health and expressing satisfaction that the poison has been neutralized.The emperor diplomatically frames the Tianji Guard surveillance as a youthful mistake by Xiao Cheng and asks Gu Fuzhou to help pacify the dissatisfied military officials.The emperor abruptly shifts the topic to Gu Fuzhou’s unmarried status and proposes marrying the seventh princess to him as a political solution to strengthen ties and monitor him more subtly.Xiao Cheng immediately supports the proposal, noting that the seventh princess admires Gu Fuzhou.Gu Fuzhou refuses, first claiming he already has someone he favors, then retracting it when pressed, only to be cornered by the emperor’s insistence that he must meet the princess or accept another arranged marriage.The emperor dismisses him before he can refuse further, leaving the marriage issue unresolved but clearly imposed.After the emperor’s recovery stabilizes, Chu Zhengde truthfully reports that the effective prescription was written by Lin Qingyu, not himself.The emperor promotes Lin Qingyu to deputy fifth-rank court physician, elevating him to equal rank with Chu Zhengde and placing him among the emperor’s close medical attendants.During an audience of gratitude, Lin Qingyu notices a young male bedservant leaning intimately against the emperor, and the emperor instructs Lin Qingyu to serve alongside Chu Zhengde in close attendance.Lin Qingyu becomes part of the emperor’s inner circle but feels uneasy under the emperor’s lingering gaze, wishing Chu Zhengde had taken credit instead.After his shift, Lin Qingyu encounters Gu Fuzhou waiting outside the palace wall, claiming the empress invited him to admire flowers, which Lin Qingyu recognizes as a pretext often used to arrange marriages.Once alone, Gu Fuzhou nervously asks Lin Qingyu to take him as a bride to avoid being forced into marrying the seventh princess.Lin Qingyu immediately refuses, questioning why he should take Gu Fuzhou as a bride.Gu Fuzhou argues that since he once took Lin Qingyu as a bride in his previous identity as Lu Wancheng, Lin Qingyu could reclaim his dignity by reversing the roles.Gu Fuzhou reveals that the emperor intends to betroth him to the seventh princess and that the flower-viewing event was arranged for that purpose.Lin Qingyu sarcastically praises the match, pointing out that Gu Fuzhou claims to like women and that the princess is beautiful and suitable.Gu Fuzhou insists he is actually eighteen in soul and unwilling to marry, except that he would willingly marry Lin Qingyu even if punished.Lin Qingyu refuses again, arguing that Gu Fuzhou’s current body belongs to the war god of Great Yu and that making Great General Gu a male bride in bridal makeup would disgrace his reputation.Gu Fuzhou tries to guilt Lin Qingyu by claiming that the emperor’s recovery and subsequent marriage arrangement are consequences of Lin Qingyu saving the emperor’s life.Lin Qingyu counters that if he had not saved the emperor, Xiao Cheng’s unchallenged rise would have been worse for Gu Fuzhou.Gu Fuzhou pretends to accept his fate with exaggerated self-pity, saying he will find another solution on his own.Lin Qingyu explains in blunt detail that imagining Gu Fuzhou in bridal attire with makeup and a huadian would be unbearable, which shocks Gu Fuzhou into realizing this is Lin Qingyu’s real objection.Seizing on this, Gu Fuzhou tentatively asks whether Lin Qingyu would instead be willing to become his bride.Lin Qingyu does not immediately reject the idea but instead hints that there may be another way to resolve the situation.With a glint of dangerous excitement in his eyes, Lin Qingyu tells Gu Fuzhou to come to his quarters that night, signaling he has devised a plan.

Chapter 56Lin Qingyu informs Hualu and Huantong that Great General Gu Fuzhou will visit that night as his first guest, causing both servants to become excited and begin preparing food and drink.Lin Qingyu confirms that the ordered blank spirit tablet has arrived and reveals that he has enshrined it in a hidden room behind his study to honor the original Great General Gu, whose heroic death went publicly unrecognized.Gu Fuzhou is delayed because Duke Wu visits him with wine to celebrate his rumored betrothal, and Gu Fuzhou cannot refuse due to Duke Wu’s seniority and prior support in pressuring Xiao Cheng.Despite Gu Fuzhou sending word not to wait up, Lin Qingyu remains awake in his study, unable to sleep while anticipating his arrival.Instead of entering through the main gate, Gu Fuzhou vaults over the wall and lands dramatically in the courtyard, claiming that visiting a widow at night should begin with excitement.Lin Qingyu leads Gu Fuzhou to his study, where Gu Fuzhou notices the old bunk bed from the marquess residence that he once designed for himself and Lin Qingyu when he was Lu Wancheng.Gu Fuzhou realizes Lin Qingyu kept the bunk bed despite having no real need for it, and his mood visibly brightens at the sentimental gesture.Gu Fuzhou reveals he bathed before coming to see Lin Qingyu to show respect, appearing nervous and eager to present his best self.After sitting on the lower bunk and claiming to feel slightly drunk from drinking with Duke Wu, Gu Fuzhou brings up the urgent issue that even Duke Wu believes he will soon marry the seventh princess.Lin Qingyu proposes preventing the marriage by giving Gu Fuzhou a temporary unmentionable disease that would render him impotent, ensuring the emperor would not betroth the cherished princess to him.Gu Fuzhou is outraged at the suggestion, accusing Lin Qingyu of wanting him to die of humiliation and arguing that things are different now that his life is no longer in immediate danger.Lin Qingyu calmly insists the condition would be temporary and reversible, but Gu Fuzhou refuses on the grounds of dignity and reputation as Great General Gu.Acknowledging the reputational damage impotence could cause in the army, Lin Qingyu abandons that plan and casually suggests the only remaining solution is to kill both the emperor and Xiao Cheng.Lin Qingyu reasons that if only the emperor dies and Xiao Cheng ascends the throne, their situation will worsen, so both must die for another prince to take power.Gu Fuzhou analyzes the remaining princes and concludes that aside from Xiao Cheng, only Xiao Jie and Xiao Li remain viable, but Xiao Li is incompetent, leaving Xiao Jie as the only realistic candidate.Gu Fuzhou warns that although Xiao Jie appears foolish, he is supported by an exceptionally intelligent eunuch steward who has served him since childhood and ranks among the three smartest people in Great Yu.Lin Qingyu states their immediate priority is eliminating the emperor and Xiao Cheng, noting that killing the already ill emperor would be simple by subtly altering his prescription.They recognize that poisoning Xiao Cheng will be far more difficult because he avoids medicine, eats only controlled palace food, and has stopped using incense after previous incidents.Both conclude that Shen Huaishi may be the only viable opening to reach Xiao Cheng.Gu Fuzhou expresses urgency because the emperor appears eager to finalize his engagement quickly, and Lin Qingyu coldly remarks that whether Gu Fuzhou remarries will depend entirely on whether Xiao Cheng dies.Gu Fuzhou admits that although he originally wanted Xiao Cheng dead immediately, he now feels conflicted because the timing of Xiao Cheng’s death will determine whether he and Lin Qingyu marry again.When Lin Qingyu questions his hesitation, Gu Fuzhou confirms that despite his mixed feelings, he still genuinely wants Xiao Cheng dead.

Chapter 57Lin Qingyu resolves that he must assassinate Xiao Cheng in this lifetime, recognizing that unlike before when Gu Fuzhou was Lu Wancheng, they now hold far stronger positions in court and can use Shen Huaishi as a crucial piece in their plan.Lin Qingyu calculates that their chances of success and failure are equal and outlines two possible outcomes depending on whether they succeed in killing Xiao Cheng.If they succeed, Lin Qingyu intends to keep the emperor alive until after Xiao Cheng’s death, involve Xiao Jie, and then either let grief distract the emperor from Gu Fuzhou’s marriage or kill the emperor before any marriage edict can be issued.If they fail and both the emperor and Xiao Cheng survive, Gu Fuzhou’s betrothal will be unavoidable, and Lin Qingyu calmly considers that marrying Gu Fuzhou again would not prevent him from continuing his medical work.After hours of planning, Gu Fuzhou asks to stay the night, and Lin Qingyu allows it on the condition that Gu Fuzhou sleeps on the top bunk.Gu Fuzhou eagerly climbs to the top bunk, recreating the familiar arrangement from their time at the marquess residence when he was Lu Wancheng.Lin Qingyu reflects on their past nights together, remembering Lu Wancheng’s stories, their wicked plotting, and how he used to cradle Lu Wancheng during poison-induced suffering.Lin Qingyu realizes that despite planning regicide, he feels no fear as long as Gu Fuzhou is beside him.Gu Fuzhou asks whether Lin Qingyu and Shen Huaishi saw the Tianyu Sect symbol he had carved on the medicine chest, which had been intended as a signal.Lin Qingyu confirms he recognized it and learned that only members of the Tianyu Sect would identify the symbol.Gu Fuzhou explains that Shen Huaishi only cares about Xiao Cheng and the destroyed Tianyu Sect, and that carving the symbol was meant to protect Lin Qingyu by making Shen Huaishi think he was connected to the sect.Lin Qingyu questions whether Xiao Cheng caused the destruction of the Tianyu Sect, prompting Gu Fuzhou to recount the political struggle behind it.Gu Fuzhou reveals that the Tianyu Sect secretly supported Xiao Cheng’s bid for crown prince, but the Tianji Guard gathered proof and reported it to the emperor, who demanded the sect’s destruction before confirming Xiao Cheng as crown prince.Xiao Cheng hesitated because of his friendship with Shen Huaishi, but the emperor ordered the Tianji Guard to annihilate the Tianyu Sect anyway, and Shen Huaishi’s entire family perished.Gu Fuzhou adds that Xiao Cheng later sacrificed Princess Jingchun to maintain imperial favor and resented Shen Huaishi for his own losses, despite Shen Huaishi losing far more.When Lin Qingyu asks how Gu Fuzhou knows these details, Gu Fuzhou admits everything was written in a novel called Huai’s Revenge on the Monarch, in which Xiao Cheng and Shen Huaishi are the main characters.Gu Fuzhou recounts that the novel follows Shen Huaishi’s suffering and eventual revenge arc, where Shen Huaishi nearly kills Xiao Cheng but ultimately spares him.In the novel’s ending, Xiao Cheng becomes emperor, confesses his feelings, offers the nation and his life to Shen Huaishi, and Shen Huaishi forgives him, becoming Great Yu’s first male empress.Lin Qingyu coldly analyzes the novel’s outcome and concludes that to avoid that ending in reality, he must expose the truth about the Tianyu Sect’s destruction to Shen Huaishi and ensure that Shen Huaishi does not hesitate at the crucial moment.

Chapter 58Gu Fuzhou reveals that Zhu Yongxin, now living as a butcher in Sui City, was secretly a mole for the Tianyu Sect while serving in the Tianji Guard, and his hidden identity was never exposed even after the Tianyu Sect was destroyed.Zhu Yongxin and Shen Huaishi were the only two survivors of the Tianyu Sect’s massacre, and Zhu Yongxin once intended to tell Shen Huaishi the truth but was devastated when Shen Huaishi joined the Tianji Guard, forcing Zhu Yongxin to fake his death during a mission and flee to Sui City to live in hiding as an ordinary butcher.In Huai’s Revenge on the Monarch, Zhu Yongxin originally revealed the truth to Shen Huaishi the day before Xiao Cheng ascended the throne, but Lin Qingyu wants to advance this revelation as early as possible to change the course of events.Shen Huaishi, after obtaining a jade plaque belonging to the Tianyu Sect, wishes to travel to Sui City to find its owner but is repeatedly prevented from leaving the capital by Xiao Cheng.Zhu Yongxin refuses to enter the capital voluntarily due to his cautious nature and martial arts skills, making it impractical for Zhang Shiquan to escort him, so Gu Fuzhou takes responsibility for bringing him to the capital through his own means.While Gu Fuzhou arranges for Zhu Yongxin’s escort from distant Xu Prefecture, the emperor and empress repeatedly summon Gu Fuzhou to the palace and introduce him to various eligible noblewomen, including the seventh princess and relatives of high officials, in an effort to settle his marriage.Although Gu Fuzhou should have returned to Yongliang after recovering from poison and achieving victory against Western Xia, the emperor insists he remain in the capital under the pretext that Deputy General Zhao Mingwei can guard the borders, forcing Gu Fuzhou to attend court meetings and endure political discussions he detests.Gu Fuzhou complains to Lin Qingyu about exhausting court routines and social obligations, seeking comfort rather than solutions, and Lin Qingyu ultimately consoles him by holding his hand and promising that once their plans succeed, the new emperor will assign Gu Fuzhou a ceremonial post with high pay and no real responsibilities.Lin Qingyu reassures Gu Fuzhou that he will not go bald from stress and even promises to restore his hair if necessary, and Gu Fuzhou is deeply affected by Lin Qingyu’s gentle gestures and words.Gu Fuzhou stalls the emperor’s matchmaking attempts by changing his stated preferences for women, first claiming to favor gentle Jiangnan women and later saying he prefers straightforward women from the northwest, buying time until Zhu Yongxin arrives in the capital under escort by loyal guards from the general’s residence.Lin Qingyu and Gu Fuzhou meet Zhu Yongxin in the general’s residence, where Zhu Yongxin calmly assumes he has been brought to the capital to be executed for the Tianji Guard’s actions against Gu Fuzhou.Lin Qingyu exposes Zhu Yongxin’s identity as a member of the Tianyu Sect and mocks his failure to die with his master or remain in the Tianji Guard for revenge, provoking Zhu Yongxin into admitting that he fled because even the Tianyu Sect’s young master Shen Huaishi joined the Tianji Guard.Gu Fuzhou clarifies that Shen Huaishi believed the Tianyu Sect was destroyed by martial world enemies and that the crown prince saved his life, revealing that Shen Huaishi does not know the true culprit behind the massacre.Lin Qingyu offers to arrange a meeting between Zhu Yongxin and Shen Huaishi and manipulates Zhu Yongxin by warning that simply telling Shen Huaishi the emperor was behind the massacre and that Xiao Cheng later regretted it would only cause Shen Huaishi inner conflict and forgiveness.Lin Qingyu instructs Zhu Yongxin to tell Shen Huaishi that the emperor was not involved and that Xiao Cheng personally sacrificed the entire Tianyu Sect to demonstrate loyalty and secure his position as crown prince, presenting this version as the true and decisive truth that will eliminate Shen Huaishi’s hesitation.Zhu Yongxin, overwhelmed by Lin Qingyu’s cold and commanding presence, agrees obediently to deliver the revised truth to Shen Huaishi.Gu Fuzhou recognizes that Lin Qingyu is actively altering the original plot of Huai’s Revenge on the Monarch to remove any narrative excuse that might redeem Xiao Cheng and enable a happy ending between Xiao Cheng and Shen Huaishi.Lin Qingyu reflects that if Xiao Cheng’s responsibility for the massacre is made undeniable, Shen Huaishi will have no justification left to spare him, ensuring that revenge will not be softened by misplaced mercy.After Zhu Yongxin leaves, Lin Qingyu reveals that he planted a gu inside Zhu Yongxin to prevent him from deviating from the plan, and he coldly states that if Shen Huaishi still cannot bring himself to kill Xiao Cheng after hearing the truth, then Shen Huaishi would be nothing more than a pathetic man.

Chapter 59Lin Qingyu, newly promoted to fifth-rank court physician, begins taking the emperor’s pulse daily with Chu Zhengde, gains access to the emperor’s bedchambers but is still barred from the Eastern Palace, and calmly waits for a chance to encounter Shen Huaishi within the palace.When Chu Zhengde falls ill and takes leave, Lin Qingyu becomes the sole court physician attending the emperor, and during a late-night migraine episode he is summoned to treat the emperor while a young bedservant attends nearby.Lin Qingyu performs acupuncture to relieve the emperor’s headache and writes a new prescription under the emperor’s direct supervision, while the emperor, though weak, feels desire toward Lin Qingyu’s beauty and contemplates summoning him in the future once his health improves.As Lin Qingyu leaves the bedchamber, he realizes the emperor may eventually lay a hand on him regardless of Gu Fuzhou’s marriage situation, and his gaze turns cold with resolve.Xiao Cheng rushes to the emperor’s chambers at night to show filial piety and crosses paths with Lin Qingyu and Shen Huaishi, mockingly commenting on Lin Qingyu’s beauty and implying Shen Huaishi may not get many chances to look at him in the future, while Shen Huaishi submissively avoids looking directly.As Lin Qingyu passes Shen Huaishi, he quietly instructs Shen Huaishi to visit his residence, and Shen Huaishi agrees in secret.Three days later at midnight, Shen Huaishi sneaks into Lin Qingyu’s residence, nervous about Xiao Cheng discovering their meeting, and Lin Qingyu reveals that he has found the owner of the Tianyu Sect jade plaque.Lin Qingyu brings out Zhu Yongxin from a hidden room, shocking Shen Huaishi, who believed Zhu Yongxin had died, and the emotional reunion causes Shen Huaishi’s eyes to redden.Zhu Yongxin declares he survived to seek revenge and reveals that the Tianyu Sect was not destroyed by the Chiya Sect alone, but that the imperial court had already granted the Chiya Sect amnesty and orchestrated the massacre using Tianji Guard members disguised with Chiya Sect masks.Shen Huaishi struggles to accept that the imperial court betrayed the loyal Tianyu Sect, and Lin Qingyu presses the point by questioning whether the Tianyu Sect was loyal to the emperor or to Xiao Cheng, implying the emperor would not tolerate divided loyalty.Zhu Yongxin states that although the emperor wanted the Tianyu Sect destroyed, it was Xiao Cheng who preemptively slaughtered them to demonstrate loyalty and secure his position as crown prince, directly accusing Xiao Cheng of sacrificing the entire sect.Shen Huaishi nearly collapses from shock and refuses to believe Xiao Cheng capable of such cruelty, demanding proof, and Zhu Yongxin presents half of a bloodstained Chiya Sect mask taken from a Tianji Guard assassin as evidence.Lin Qingyu emotionally manipulates Shen Huaishi by calling him by name and reminding him of long-standing doubts about the massacre, questioning how Xiao Cheng conveniently arrived to save him and later treated him kindly enough for Shen Huaishi to fall in love.Lin Qingyu bluntly exposes Shen Huaishi’s humiliation, reminding him that he risked his life for Xiao Cheng and allowed Xiao Cheng to use him sexually even after Xiao Cheng destroyed his sect, and warns that confronting Xiao Cheng would only result in further lies.Shen Huaishi leaves without another word, disappearing into the night, and Lin Qingyu calmly calculates the many ways Shen Huaishi could assassinate Xiao Cheng, from slitting his throat in his sleep to poisoning him, feeling satisfaction at the thought.Lin Qingyu later breeds a golden silkworm in a ceramic urn, claiming its wings are medicinal ingredients, and continues waiting for news while Hu Ji reports that Xiao Cheng has been foul-tempered because Shen Huaishi has disappeared from his side.One night, the Eastern Palace urgently summons imperial physicians, startling everyone except Lin Qingyu, who suspects Shen Huaishi has acted and wonders whether Xiao Cheng is clinging to life.Imperial physicians rush to the Eastern Palace, but Lin Qingyu remains behind due to his duty to the emperor, and by dawn no news returns, with the Eastern Palace sealed and lit throughout the night.Upon leaving the palace after his shift, Lin Qingyu meets Gu Fuzhou, who brings him food and immediately senses something is wrong.Lin Qingyu reveals that Shen Huaishi did strike at Xiao Cheng but must have held back since Xiao Cheng was not killed instantly, and Lin Qingyu bitterly considers what to do if Xiao Cheng survives.Gu Fuzhou reassures Lin Qingyu that even if Xiao Cheng survives, he will devise a better plan, gently comforting Lin Qingyu and urging him to rest and eat while promising to stay by his side.

Chapter 60Lin Qingyu forces himself to eat the flatbread Gu Fuzhou prepared while calmly reviewing the previous night’s events, realizing that if he did not already know an assassination had occurred, he would have assumed Xiao Cheng was suffering from sudden illness because the imperial guards had not launched a palace-wide search and had only sealed off the Eastern Palace.Lin Qingyu questions what exactly Shen Huaishi did to Xiao Cheng, whether Shen Huaishi escaped safely, and where Shen Huaishi is now, but understands that speculation is useless and decides to wait for developments.Gu Fuzhou openly visits Lin Qingyu’s residence at noon after attending court, joking with Huantong and even teasing him about giving an autograph to lighten the heavy mood, showing deliberate effort to ease Lin Qingyu’s tension.Gu Fuzhou reports that Xiao Cheng did not attend the morning court session and that the excuse given was illness, with the prime minister presiding instead, while the palace atmosphere feels tense and unnatural, like a storm about to break.Gu Fuzhou confirms that guards have heard nothing about an assassin and that no official announcement has been made, leading both Gu Fuzhou and Lin Qingyu to conclude that Xiao Cheng and the emperor are deliberately suppressing news of the attack.Lin Qingyu reasons that because the emperor is frail and Xiao Cheng is effectively governing in his stead, public knowledge of an assassination attempt would destabilize the court, so the emperor likely ordered a covert investigation by the Tianji Guard while locking down the Eastern Palace.Growing frustrated, Lin Qingyu bitterly complains that matters would have been simpler if Xiao Cheng had died instantly and questions whether Shen Huaishi hesitated again at the crucial moment.Gu Fuzhou proposes reenacting the possible confrontation between Shen Huaishi and Xiao Cheng using a retrospective deduction method to help Lin Qingyu analyze what may have gone wrong, assigning roles to themselves.Gu Fuzhou initially imitates Xiao Cheng in a crude and domineering tone, suggesting a sexually charged encounter, which momentarily leaves Lin Qingyu speechless but also underscores the dynamic Shen Huaishi likely endured.Lin Qingyu corrects the imagined sequence, pointing out that Xiao Cheng would first question Shen Huaishi about his two-day disappearance, and begins acting as Shen Huaishi who wants answers about the Tianyu Sect massacre.Gu Fuzhou adjusts his role to reflect Xiao Cheng’s suspicion and dominance, demanding to know where Shen Huaishi went before answering any questions.As they continue the reenactment, Gu Fuzhou physically pulls Lin Qingyu onto the bed and pins him in place, mimicking how Xiao Cheng would assert power over Shen Huaishi, gripping his jaw and scolding him harshly for disobedience.Although Gu Fuzhou does not use real force and leaves Lin Qingyu room to resist, Lin Qingyu deliberately chooses not to push him away, reflecting on how Shen Huaishi, conditioned by years of obedience and submission, might instinctively submit rather than retaliate.Lin Qingyu realizes that Shen Huaishi’s ingrained discipline and sexual subjugation under Xiao Cheng could have delayed or weakened his resolve, meaning Shen Huaishi may have given Xiao Cheng time to deny the accusations instead of killing him immediately.While lying beneath Gu Fuzhou, Lin Qingyu becomes acutely aware of their physical closeness for the first time in such an intimate position, noticing the difference in their sizes and consciously maintaining emotional distance even as he analyzes Shen Huaishi’s possible hesitation.

Chapter 61Gu Fuzhou continues pressing down on Lin Qingyu during their reenactment, speaking in Xiao Cheng’s domineering tone and threatening to force Shen Huaishi to speak, while Lin Qingyu stays outwardly calm despite feeling flustered by the sensation of being physically dominated and enveloped by Gu Fuzhou’s presence.Gu Fuzhou jokes about skipping over explicit threats of ravishment, then removes Lin Qingyu’s hairpin so that Lin Qingyu’s long hair falls loose over his shoulders, deepening the realism of the scene and intensifying the intimate atmosphere between them.Gu Fuzhou theorizes that Xiao Cheng may have humiliated Shen Huaishi physically when Shen Huaishi confronted him about the Tianyu Sect, and that this humiliation could have shattered Shen Huaishi’s long-conditioned obedience and pushed him toward rebellion.Gu Fuzhou continues acting as Xiao Cheng, crudely asserting sexual dominance, but then breaks character with laughter, acknowledging he ruined the tension, while Lin Qingyu critically notes that Xiao Cheng would never belittle himself in such a way.Lin Qingyu suddenly reverses their positions, straddling Gu Fuzhou and pressing the removed hairpin against Gu Fuzhou’s throat as if it were a weapon, fully immersing himself in Shen Huaishi’s perspective and demanding to know who truly annihilated the Tianyu Sect.Gu Fuzhou, acting as Xiao Cheng, responds with anger and shock, warning Shen Huaishi not to attack him and implying that the Tianyu Sect’s destruction was inevitable once it lost the emperor’s trust, and that sparing Shen Huaishi’s life was already a great mercy.Lin Qingyu presses the hairpin harder against Gu Fuzhou’s throat and declares that he will never believe Xiao Cheng again, shouting for him to die as the reenactment reaches its imagined climax.Huantong’s sudden voice outside the door interrupts their intense roleplay, causing both Gu Fuzhou and Lin Qingyu to break character, and Gu Fuzhou half-jokes that perhaps Shen Huaishi was similarly interrupted at the crucial moment and failed to finish Xiao Cheng.Lin Qingyu considers that Shen Huaishi may indeed have been startled or disrupted, causing him to miss the fatal blow and lose his chance to kill Xiao Cheng outright, but acknowledges that only Xiao Cheng and Shen Huaishi truly know what happened that night.Lin Qingyu decides that if they want accurate information about the Eastern Palace, they must rely on Hu Ji or the talkative eunuch Xiaosongzi from Qinzheng Hall, since the Eastern Palace servants are unlikely to leak secrets.Gu Fuzhou chooses to stay for dinner and jokes about eating three large bowls of rice with extra meat, easing the tension in the room as they transition back to normal conversation.With his hair still undone from the reenactment, Lin Qingyu struggles to retie it and mildly complains that Gu Fuzhou did not need to remove his hairpin to act out the scene, and Gu Fuzhou apologizes while offering to help fix his hair.As Gu Fuzhou stands behind Lin Qingyu arranging his hair, Lin Qingyu unexpectedly asks to touch Gu Fuzhou’s abdominal muscles, then casually remarks that they are not as firm as before, teasing him about exercising less in the capital compared to his intense training in the past.Gu Fuzhou defensively insists that he still lifts weights daily but sheepishly admits he only trains about an hour now instead of eight, and Lin Qingyu dryly advises him to take care of his figure, lightening the mood despite the unresolved uncertainty surrounding Xiao Cheng and Shen Huaishi.

Chapter 62Lin Qingyu waits anxiously at home for news but hears nothing from the palace, and when he goes on shift at the Department of Imperial Physicians, returning physicians refuse to reveal details and falsely claim that Xiao Cheng merely fell acutely ill.By examining which herbs were withdrawn from inventory, Lin Qingyu deduces that Xiao Cheng suffered severe external injuries with heavy blood loss, likely to the chest or abdomen, confirming an assassination attempt.Hu Ji finally returns exhausted and bloodstained, revealing that Xiao Cheng was struck by a sword that punctured his left lung, that he was conscious but unable to speak when first treated, and that his survival chances are less than one in three.Lin Qingyu is dissatisfied with those odds and bitterly thinks that if Shen Huaishi had aimed slightly differently and pierced Xiao Cheng’s heart, everything would have been resolved.Lin Qingyu questions Hu Ji about his medical ethics and realizes that Hu Ji would save any patient to the best of his ability, even a criminal, and that poisoning Xiao Cheng through Hu Ji would risk implicating him and condemning his entire family to execution.Hu Ji warns that the emperor has ordered absolute secrecy regarding the assassination attempt, and Lin Qingyu promises silence but immediately shares the information with Gu Fuzhou.Gu Fuzhou explains that because Xiao Cheng is a main character with so-called plot armor, his real survival chances are likely far higher than Hu Ji estimated, and that Shen Huaishi also likely survived thanks to similar narrative protection.A mysterious child delivers a note to Lin Qingyu’s residence instructing him to meet at Changsheng Temple, prompting Lin Qingyu to change into plain clothes and go there with Gu Fuzhou.At Changsheng Temple, Deputy Censor-in-Chief Yang Geng criticizes Lin Qingyu for behaving intimately with Gu Fuzhou while still in mourning for Lu Wancheng, but Gu Fuzhou sharply rebuts him by pointing out the emperor himself values Lin Qingyu, silencing Yang Geng.Afterward, Lin Qingyu privately curses Yang Geng as a dickhead, shocking Gu Fuzhou, who laments that he has led Lin Qingyu astray with his coarse language.Lin Qingyu openly prays at the temple for Xiao Cheng’s early death, while Gu Fuzhou casually remarks that if his own past prayer had come true, Lin Qingyu would never feel unhappy, a comment that momentarily unsettles Lin Qingyu.They part ways inside the temple, with Gu Fuzhou heading off to possibly consult Xu Junyuan while Lin Qingyu proceeds alone to the side hall where Lu Wancheng’s spirit tablet is enshrined.Shen Huaishi appears from hiding in the side hall, looking disheveled and exhausted, and thanks Lin Qingyu for revealing the truth about the Tianyu Sect’s destruction without directly admitting responsibility for Xiao Cheng’s injury.Shen Huaishi requests that Lin Qingyu help Zhu Yongxin settle safely in Xu Prefecture and hints that he will soon leave the capital, aware that the Tianji Guard will pursue him.When Shen Huaishi asks whether Lin Qingyu would see him as a friend if he had not demeaned himself, Lin Qingyu responds with a hesitant perhaps, but Shen Huaishi concludes it is too late.Lin Qingyu gives Shen Huaishi pills that can induce a feigned death to aid in escape, and when he asks whether Shen Huaishi missed deliberately or showed mercy that night, Shen Huaishi silently shakes his head without clarifying before leaving.After meeting Shen Huaishi, Lin Qingyu rejoins Gu Fuzhou and admits Shen Huaishi will likely flee the capital, and Gu Fuzhou predicts that once Xiao Cheng awakens he will chase Shen Huaishi relentlessly.Lin Qingyu and Gu Fuzhou discuss the worst-case scenario in which Xiao Cheng survives and remains crown prince, leaving them unable to act against either him or the emperor.Gu Fuzhou raises the issue of remarriage as a protective measure, asking whether Lin Qingyu would take him as a bride, but Lin Qingyu refuses, citing political consequences even while acknowledging he has already worn bridal robes twice before accidentally correcting himself with an ambiguous laugh that leaves Gu Fuzhou confused and sensing something wistful in Lin Qingyu’s expression.

Chapter 63Xiao Cheng’s incapacitation forces the emperor to personally resume handling state affairs despite worsening migraines, making Lin Qingyu indispensable as the only one whose acupuncture can relieve the emperor’s pain, which increases Lin Qingyu’s access to the emperor’s private chambers.The emperor grows increasingly captivated by Lin Qingyu’s quiet demeanor and beauty during treatments, comparing him favorably to others and dismissing consorts from attendance so that only Xue Ying and Lin Qingyu remain by his side, though his illness prevents him from acting on his desire.Lin Qingyu learns that Lord Xie, head of the Tianji Guard, meets privately with the emperor, likely reporting on the investigation into Xiao Cheng’s assassination attempt, and senses from the emperor’s grave expression that no good news has been delivered.While massaging the emperor’s temples, Lin Qingyu mentions his father Lin Rushan’s superior skills, prompting the emperor to reinstate Lin Rushan as head imperial physician despite his prior punishment, and the emperor physically stops Lin Qingyu from kneeling in gratitude.Lin Qingyu deliberately suggests that the crown prince is not the emperor’s only son, testing the emperor’s reaction, then feigns fear and submission when the emperor responds sharply, successfully planting doubt without arousing suspicion.The emperor, fatigued and distressed over Xiao Cheng’s condition, orders Lin Qingyu to sleep beside him, and Lin Qingyu calmly agrees while secretly calculating his next move.Lin Qingyu brings up Deputy Censor-in-Chief Yang Geng’s remarks about male wives bringing misfortune and implies that his closeness to Gu Fuzhou could bring calamity, subtly triggering the emperor’s superstition and fear regarding Lin Qingyu’s supposed bad luck.Alarmed by the thought of misfortune, especially recalling the downfall of the marquess of Nan’an after Lin Qingyu’s marriage, the emperor hastily dismisses Lin Qingyu from sharing his bed and summons Xue Ying instead.News arrives that Xiao Cheng has awakened from his coma, and although Lin Qingyu outwardly expresses approval, he is inwardly displeased at the failed assassination.Hu Ji reports that Xiao Cheng remains severely weakened and that his future recovery depends on rehabilitation, while also noting that Xiao Cheng has become volatile and has banished a concubine to the Cold Palace for minor mistakes.Hu Ji overhears that Xiao Cheng has ordered the assassin captured alive, revealing that Shen Huaishi is now being actively hunted but that Xiao Cheng does not wish him killed.Lin Qingyu immediately goes to Gu Fuzhou’s residence and finds him training shirtless in the courtyard, counting repetitions, and joking despite the tense situation.Gu Fuzhou is unsurprised that Xiao Cheng survived, attributing it to narrative protection, but notes that a weakened and irritable crown prince may lose the emperor’s favor if he fails to govern effectively.Lin Qingyu decisively instructs Gu Fuzhou to arrange their remarriage as soon as possible, explaining that delaying further only increases danger, especially given the emperor’s interest in him.Gu Fuzhou seeks confirmation that Lin Qingyu truly wishes to marry him and awkwardly raises the question of how they will live as a married couple, while Lin Qingyu responds pragmatically that nothing will change from their current arrangement.Gu Fuzhou produces a slender gold ring from his hometown and explains that in his world, placing such a ring on someone’s third finger signifies a mutual decision to marry.Lin Qingyu attempts to put the ring on himself but is stopped because Gu Fuzhou insists that, by custom, he must be the one to place it on Lin Qingyu’s finger.Gu Fuzhou solemnly slides the ring onto Lin Qingyu’s third finger, hands trembling slightly, and declares that he entrusts the latter half of his life to Lin Qingyu, marking a sincere emotional commitment between them.Lin Qingyu quietly accepts this shared future, imagining a life spent together without marriage to a woman or children, finding the prospect acceptable and responding with a simple affirmation.Gu Fuzhou immediately ruins the solemnity by jokingly asking Lin Qingyu not to despise him if he grows bald or loses his physique, and Lin Qingyu coolly retracts his hand and refuses without hesitation, restoring their familiar bantering dynamic.

Chapter 64After Lin Rushan is reinstated as head imperial physician, he takes over tending to the emperor, greatly improving the emperor’s health and reducing his migraines, which frees Lin Qingyu from daily close contact with a face that reminds him of Xiao Cheng.Although Xiao Cheng’s sword wound is healing, the injury to his chest and loss of vitality leave him permanently weakened and dependent on daily medicine, worsening his already volatile temper and filling the Eastern Palace with fear.The Tianji Guard fails to locate Shen Huaishi despite extensive searches, and Xiao Cheng becomes obsessed with capturing Shen Huaishi alive, furious that his childhood companion reduced him to this state and unwilling to accept that a shadow guard nearly destroyed everything he built.The emperor, though displeased by Xiao Cheng’s violent outbursts, tolerates them out of paternal concern and sends Xue Ying to warn him discreetly, but Xiao Cheng does not moderate his behavior.The emperor still harbors desire for Lin Qingyu and casually inquires about him to Lin Rushan, but remains wary of Lin Qingyu’s rumored inauspiciousness and does not act openly.Lin Rushan returns home to find Gu Fuzhou’s Ferghana horse outside and multiple redwood trunks tied with red silk ribbons in the courtyard, realizing Gu Fuzhou has come with formal betrothal gifts despite the Lin family having no daughter.Gu Fuzhou directly announces that he is proposing marriage and, when asked to whom, Lin Qingyu calmly states that the proposal is to himself, shocking his parents.Gu Fuzhou explains that the emperor is pressuring him to marry noblewomen connected to the imperial family or civil officials, whom he does not trust, so he wishes to choose his own spouse before an imperial edict forces his hand.Lady Lin questions why Gu Fuzhou would not marry a suitable woman from a military family, and Lin Qingyu reassures his parents that marrying Gu Fuzhou will benefit both himself and the Lin household, especially given the emperor’s growing interest in him.Lin Rushan understands that if Lin Qingyu does not remarry soon, the emperor may eventually force him into the Inner Palace as a male concubine, so agreeing to Gu Fuzhou’s proposal is the safest path.Lady Lin worries about mourning Lu Wancheng, but Lin Qingyu coldly dismisses Lu Wancheng’s significance, claiming he has long forgotten him, silencing further objections.Lin Qinghe protests that Gu Fuzhou is twelve years older than Lin Qingyu and begs him to find someone like Lu Wancheng instead, but Lin Qingyu convinces his younger brother by revealing the threat of becoming a concubine to an older emperor if he does not marry Gu Fuzhou.Gu Fuzhou meets the emperor in Qinzheng Hall, where Zhao Mingwei’s emergency memorial reports that Western Xia has regained strength and captured three cities, urgently requesting Gu Fuzhou’s return to Yongliang to lead the army.The emperor insists that Gu Fuzhou must settle his marriage before departing for war and asks which noblewoman he prefers, pushing forward the matchmaking plans that were delayed by Xiao Cheng’s injury.Gu Fuzhou claims that Imperial Preceptor Xu divined his romantic fate and declared he must take a male wife born at a specific time to ensure divine favor in battle.Gu Fuzhou names Lin Qingyu as the only person whose birth details match the prophecy, shocking the emperor and causing him to lose composure.The emperor angrily refuses at first, arguing that Lin Qingyu is indispensable to the palace and that allowing a fifth-rank official to be a male wife working among officials would be improper.Gu Fuzhou counters that Lin Qingyu already served as a male wife while holding office and emphasizes that he is willing to let Lin Qingyu continue serving in the palace for the emperor’s health, subtly threatening that he must settle down before leading troops to Yongliang.Realizing the implied leverage and suffering another migraine from anger, the emperor calls for Lin Rushan, signaling that the matter is not yet resolved but that he cannot easily refuse Gu Fuzhou.News of Lin Qingyu’s impending second marriage spreads rapidly, sparking renewed gossip among officials and within the Department of Imperial Physicians about his morality and supposed inauspiciousness.Several imperial censors openly accuse Lin Qingyu of seducing Gu Fuzhou and tarnishing his heroic reputation, suggesting Gu Fuzhou bribed the imperial preceptor and is blinded by beauty.Gu Fuzhou confronts the censors directly, declaring that he was the one who pursued Lin Qingyu and that Lin Qingyu was unwilling but forced by his authority, daring them to criticize him instead.When Yang Geng challenges Gu Fuzhou’s respect for the emperor, Gu Fuzhou responds coldly and dismissively, intimidating the censors with his battlefield aura until they fall silent.Hu Ji later recounts the confrontation to Lin Qingyu, remarking on Gu Fuzhou’s frightening presence and lethal reputation, revealing a harsher side of Gu Fuzhou that Lin Qingyu had not fully seen before.Lin Qingyu smiles quietly at the thought of Gu Fuzhou defending him so fiercely, then reflects that winter is approaching again, sensing that another turbulent season is about to begin.

Chapter 65The emperor ultimately and reluctantly allows Gu Fuzhou and Lin Qingyu to marry because tensions in the northwest require Gu Fuzhou’s loyalty and morale, and Xu Junyuan’s divination supports the match, but the emperor refuses to issue a formal celebratory decree and instead declares that male wives may no longer serve as court officials.Gu Fuzhou wants to argue against the restriction on male wives holding office, but Lin Qingyu stops him confidently, predicting that the emperor will personally invite him back before long.As Lin Qingyu leaves the Department of Imperial Physicians, most colleagues merely watch, while Hu Ji escorts him out and Chu Zhengde sarcastically criticizes him for wasting his talent by marrying again.Before Lin Qingyu can depart, a eunuch from the Eastern Palace summons him to see Xiao Cheng.When Lin Qingyu meets Xiao Cheng, he observes how drastically the crown prince has declined, now thin, pale, and hollow-eyed after surviving the sword wound, his arrogance replaced by resentment and hatred.Xiao Cheng immediately asks whether Lin Qingyu has any news of Shen Huaishi, revealing his obsession with finding him, and Lin Qingyu feigns ignorance while stating he only treated Shen Huaishi’s injuries previously.Xiao Cheng admits that the Tianji Guard has failed to find Shen Huaishi and recalls that Shen Huaishi once interacted with Lin Qingyu, prompting him to question Lin Qingyu further.Lin Qingyu carefully mentions that Shen Huaishi spoke about Princess Jingchun and her forced marriage to the North King, subtly guiding Xiao Cheng’s suspicions without overt manipulation.Xiao Cheng fixates on whether Shen Huaishi might have gone to the North Kingdom, but Lin Qingyu avoids confirming anything and reiterates that Shen Huaishi claimed loyalty to Xiao Cheng as his shadow guard.Before leaving, Lin Qingyu deliberately brings up his engagement to Gu Fuzhou, prompting Xiao Cheng to mock him for remarrying so soon after Lu Wancheng’s death and to boast crudely about his own supposed sexual prowess.Lin Qingyu counters calmly, implying that Xiao Cheng’s concern for Shen Huaishi outweighs any interest he ever had in Lin Qingyu, causing Xiao Cheng to momentarily falter before insisting he only wants to punish Shen Huaishi.Preparations for the wedding proceed quickly under Lady Lin and Yuan Yin, and this time Lin Qingyu insists on including a generous dowry.Lin Qingyu refuses to use his parents’ modest savings and instead declares he will fund his dowry himself using the inheritance left by Lu Wancheng, startling Lady Lin but maintaining calm indifference.Although custom forbids the couple from meeting privately before the wedding, Gu Fuzhou frequently sends gifts to the Lin residence, including personally selected wedding robes of fine crimson silk without excessive ornamentation.Lin Qingyu notices the simplicity of the robes matches the understated design of the gold ring on his finger, reflecting Gu Fuzhou’s taste and personality.Gu Fuzhou sends an informal letter filled with exaggerated complaints about exhaustion and hunger, lamenting life dramatically because he is dieting to fit into wedding robes tailored a size smaller to motivate his training.Yuan Yin reveals that Gu Fuzhou has been subsisting on vegetables and radishes, despairing theatrically about life without meat while trying to slim down for the wedding.Amused, Lin Qingyu instructs Yuan Yin to tell Gu Fuzhou that he does not like men who are too thin and that Gu Fuzhou should eat properly, showing quiet affection beneath his calm demeanor.

Chapter 66On the eve of the wedding, Lin Qingyu stays at home quietly reading and spending time with Lin Qinghe while servants handle all preparations, and he sleeps less than four hours before matrons from the general’s residence arrive to help him dress.Remembering his first humiliating marriage to Lu Wancheng, Lin Qingyu reflects on how differently he feels now, no longer resentful toward the matrons and calmly allowing them to assist him.The matrons inform Lin Qingyu that Gu Fuzhou said he may follow whatever procedures he feels comfortable with, including whether to follow the traditional bathing and preparation rituals, which Lin Qingyu finds considerate.After bathing, Lin Qingyu allows light makeup limited to rouge on his lips, shaped brows, and a huadian on his forehead, refusing powder but accepting a male wedding headdress and finally donning the crimson wedding robes personally chosen by Gu Fuzhou.When the red wedding veil is lowered over his head, Lin Qingyu recalls how becoming a male wife was once his deepest shame, and briefly wonders whether marrying Gu Fuzhou was truly the only solution, yet admits he chose this path willingly.Lin Qingyu bids farewell to Lin Rushan and Lady Lin in the main hall, and General Wu Zhan leads a disciplined wedding procession of military officials who behave with unusual restraint under Gu Fuzhou’s orders.The bridal sedan, carried by eight bearers as befitting a first wife, travels through the capital amid gossiping crowds who speculate about morality, misfortune, and the strangeness of a great general marrying a widowed male wife.Upon arrival at the general’s residence, Lin Qingyu takes Gu Fuzhou’s callused hand beneath the veil, and Gu Fuzhou whispers excitedly that Lin Qingyu truly wore wedding robes, earning a quiet retort about not needing a rooster stand-in this time.With no parents present, Duke Wu sits in the place of honor to receive their bows, and after the ceremony Lin Qingyu is sent to the bridal chamber while Gu Fuzhou remains outside to entertain guests.The banquet lasts from dawn to dusk, and Gu Fuzhou is pressured into heavy drinking by General Wu Zhan and other officers until he becomes thoroughly drunk, needing Duke Wu’s intervention to escape.Gu Fuzhou returns to the bridal chamber in a haze of alcohol and emotion, overwhelmed that he has married Lin Qingyu again and anticipating lifting the veil and sharing nuptial wine.Gu Fuzhou is shocked and disappointed to find that Lin Qingyu has already removed the wedding veil and is calmly reading, explaining that it obstructed him and that they need not rigidly follow every rule.Though briefly sulky, Gu Fuzhou is immediately pacified when he truly looks at Lin Qingyu in crimson robes and candlelight, noticing the huadian, red lips, and slim waist, and admitting he feels cheered instantly.Overcome by alcohol, Gu Fuzhou collapses onto the bridal bed and drags Lin Qingyu down with him, burying his face in Lin Qingyu’s neck while complaining about being forced to drink and clinging to him heavily.In his drunken state, Gu Fuzhou calls Lin Qingyu laopo, and Lin Qingyu retaliates by calling Gu Fuzhou laogong, their teasing undercutting the solemnity of the wedding night.Gu Fuzhou confesses incoherently that he is no longer straight and that Lin Qingyu is the cause, then clarifies in slurred speech that he has a crush on Lin Qingyu and wants them to date.Lin Qingyu misunderstands the confession due to unfamiliar terminology and tries to remind Gu Fuzhou about drinking nuptial wine, only to realize that Gu Fuzhou has already fallen asleep mid-confession, leaving the formal wedding rituals unfinished.

Chapter 67On the morning after the wedding, Lin Qingyu wakes early and sees Gu Fuzhou sleeping peacefully with one hand resting on Lin Qingyu’s waist, remembering that he undressed and tucked Gu Fuzhou into bed after he passed out drunk.Lin Qingyu reflects that he could have slept in the study but chose to remain in the bridal chamber because they had already shared a room during their first marriage and sleeping apart now would feel meaningless.When Lin Qingyu tries to get up, he realizes Gu Fuzhou is lying on his long hair, trapping it painfully, and after failing to free himself gently, he pinches Gu Fuzhou’s nose to wake him.Gu Fuzhou wakes in confusion, shocked to find Lin Qingyu in his bed and briefly wondering whether he forced him there while drunk, only to be told coldly that he himself had dragged Lin Qingyu down the night before.After moving aside to release Lin Qingyu’s hair, Gu Fuzhou slowly recalls that he blacked out almost immediately upon seeing Lin Qingyu in wedding attire and is horrified that he fell asleep on his wedding night.Gu Fuzhou suggests they sleep in and skip breakfast since there are no in-laws to serve tea to, and Lin Qingyu, despite his usual discipline, agrees to lie back down facing him.They chat casually in bed about the previous day’s guests, with Gu Fuzhou mentioning that Xiao Jie attended with generous gifts and joking that Lin Qingyu could grow rich by marrying him multiple times.Lin Qingyu asks about Gu Fuzhou’s relationship with Xiao Jie and learns that Xiao Jie admires Gu Fuzhou and wants to see the Qingyun Jiuzhou spear.Gu Fuzhou reveals that the famed Qingyun Jiuzhou spear is kept casually in his bedroom corner with a red ribbon tied to it and even used for hanging clothes, leaving Lin Qingyu speechless.While shifting position in bed, Lin Qingyu accidentally touches Gu Fuzhou’s arousal and reflexively pulls his hand back, creating an awkward pause between them.Gu Fuzhou teases Lin Qingyu for reacting as though his hand would break out in boils, reminding him that he once claimed a physician should not be shocked by such things.Lin Qingyu explains that perhaps he reacted differently because Gu Fuzhou is currently in Great General Gu’s body, whom Lin Qingyu has long admired and does not wish to disrespect.Gu Fuzhou calls him a hypocrite for crawling into his bed yet pretending discomfort, and Lin Qingyu dryly replies that perhaps his hand will indeed break out in boils, leading to playful banter that continues throughout the day.Annoyed by Gu Fuzhou repeatedly inspecting his hand and joking about boils, Lin Qingyu orders the bunk bed from the Lin residence moved into their bedroom that very night.While organizing belongings after the wedding, Gu Fuzhou discovers a locked chest containing two spirit tablets, one for Great General Gu and another bearing the name Jiang Dazhuang.Lin Qingyu explains that when Gu Fuzhou first died, uncertain whether he would truly vanish, he set up an altar and used the name Jiang Dazhuang because Gu Fuzhou had jokingly given conflicting names including Zhu Dazhuang and Jiang as his surname.Lin Qingyu reveals that in a dream during the week after Gu Fuzhou’s death, he repeatedly chased after him asking for his real name, but Gu Fuzhou walked away without answering, causing lingering resentment.Gu Fuzhou realizes that he experienced the same dream and confirms that after that encounter he awakened in Great General Gu’s body, meaning they shared the dream.Gu Fuzhou admits he withheld his real name because he thought that if he truly died, it would be easier for Lin Qingyu to forget him without knowing it.Lin Qingyu becomes genuinely angry, stating that he never forgets anything and could never have forgotten Gu Fuzhou regardless of his name, revealing the depth of his attachment.Gu Fuzhou apologizes and offers to finally tell him his real name, but Lin Qingyu turns away coldly and claims he no longer cares what Gu Fuzhou is called.Attempting to lighten the mood, Gu Fuzhou jokes that perhaps letting Lin Qingyu bury his face in his abdominal muscles would help, but Lin Qingyu, still angry, replies expressionlessly that he fears his face will break out in boils.

Chapter 68Huantong follows Lin Qingyu to the general’s manor after Lin Qingyu remarries Gu Fuzhou and fully supports whatever Lin Qingyu chooses, believing Gu Fuzhou is a true hero who once broke a boulder on his chest just to placate Lin Qingyu.Huantong compares Gu Fuzhou favorably to Lu Wancheng, thinking Lu Wancheng’s frail body could not even withstand a brick on his chest, and convinces himself that Lin Qingyu naturally married someone of higher standing and strength.Hualu, who had been closest to Lu Wancheng and treated like a younger sister by him, follows Lin Qingyu mainly for Lu Wancheng’s sake, wanting to care for Lin Qingyu in Lu Wancheng’s place.Hualu feels upset seeing Lin Qingyu grow close to Gu Fuzhou so quickly and is especially bothered that Lin Qingyu brings the bunk bed designed by Lu Wancheng into his new wedding bedroom.Hualu cannot hide her sour and resentful expressions toward Gu Fuzhou, and Gu Fuzhou notices her feelings and deliberately stirs trouble.In the freezing winter courtyard, Gu Fuzhou insists on grilling meat on a heated stone outdoors instead of dining indoors, personally cooking mutton and pork belly for Lin Qingyu.Gu Fuzhou intentionally asks Lin Qingyu whether he ever ate roast meat with Lu Wancheng and mocks Lu Wancheng’s frail health, implying Lu Wancheng could not enjoy such food.Lin Qingyu coldly says it is fortunate Lu Wancheng died early, shocking Hualu, who is devastated by the remark.When Gu Fuzhou asks whether Lin Qingyu prefers Lu Wancheng or Gu Fuzhou, Lin Qingyu first says he preferred Lu Wancheng, then adds that Lu Wancheng was younger and prettier, claiming he likes young and pretty people.Lin Qingyu rejects Gu Fuzhou’s medium-rare beef and mocks him, showing their playful yet sharp dynamic.That night, Gu Fuzhou cannot sleep and climbs down from the top bunk to ask Lin Qingyu seriously whether Lin Qingyu truly liked Lu Wancheng’s body more.Lin Qingyu explains that Lu Wancheng and Gu Fuzhou both have their own strengths in appearance and that their core is the same person, so it makes no difference to him as long as they are the same inside.Gu Fuzhou jokes that Lin Qingyu would not allow an ugly version of him into his bed, and Lin Qingyu bluntly agrees he would cut off his hand if he were ugly, admitting appearance still matters to him in daily life.Gu Fuzhou quotes the novel Huai’s Revenge on the Monarch, claiming Lin Qingyu is canonically the most beautiful person, but Lin Qingyu recalls once being breathless at someone’s appearance in a dream, though he cannot remember the face.On the third day after their wedding, Lin Qingyu and Gu Fuzhou return to the Lin manor with abundant gifts personally selected by Lin Qingyu, far more generous than during Lin Qingyu’s marriage to Lu Wancheng.Gu Fuzhou gives Lin Qinghe a childhood sword as a gift, and Lin Qinghe politely thanks him but no longer acts cute as he did with Lu Wancheng.When Gu Fuzhou asks how Lin Qinghe addressed Lu Wancheng, Lin Qinghe says he called him Wancheng-gege, and after being prompted, Lin Qinghe awkwardly calls Gu Fuzhou Uncle Gu, nearly breaking Gu Fuzhou’s composure.Lin Qingyu smugly points out that Gu Fuzhou is over twenty years older than Lin Qinghe, making the “gege” title inappropriate.After wedding leave ends, Yuan Yin anxiously asks Lin Qingyu to personally wake Gu Fuzhou for court because Gu Fuzhou has been impossible to rouse since returning from Yongliang.Lin Qingyu confidently wakes Gu Fuzhou by pinching his nose to cut off airflow, ignoring Gu Fuzhou’s whining about wanting to skip court and become a farmer.Gu Fuzhou’s severe morning temper frightens the servants, so Lin Qingyu dismisses them and personally helps Gu Fuzhou dress in his official attire.Gu Fuzhou envies Wu Zhan, who is seen off by his wife and welcomed home with soup, and asks Lin Qingyu to walk him to court, though Lin Qingyu mocks his age and laziness.Lin Qingyu ultimately puts on a white fox-fur coat and walks Gu Fuzhou to the manor gate despite the cold, showing quiet care.Gu Fuzhou encourages Lin Qingyu to learn more of his hometown dialect in case Lin Qingyu ever visits and needs to communicate with his people.After watching Gu Fuzhou depart in his carriage, Lin Qingyu tells Hualu not to marry a lazy laggard who is also her junior, implying that she would otherwise have to endure freezing mornings to see him off, leaving Hualu confused about whom Lin Qingyu is referring to.

Chapter 69The officials debate the escalating war between Great Yu and Western Xia, as Zhao Mingwei loses three minor battles, retreats into defensive positions within the city, and submits a memorial admitting he cannot fulfill the commander-in-chief’s duties while urging that Gu Fuzhou be sent back to the battlefield.The emperor, already frail and suffering from worsening migraines, listens irritably while Xiao Cheng stands weak and coughing from the lung injury inflicted by Shen Huaishi, barely able to endure court.Wu Zhan argues that Gu Fuzhou has only just married Lin Qingyu and should not be rushed back to war, while Prime Minister Cui insists that national stability outweighs personal matters.Wu Zhan volunteers to lead ten thousand elite soldiers to reinforce Zhao Mingwei and vows to win within three months, but Prime Minister Cui dismisses him as overconfident.When the emperor questions Xiao Cheng’s opinion, Xiao Cheng distractedly sides with Prime Minister Cui and then falls silent, worrying the emperor about Xiao Cheng’s deteriorating condition.The emperor demands Gu Fuzhou’s view, and Gu Fuzhou, who appears half-asleep, calmly states that Wu Zhan is suitable for vanguard duties but not for commander-in-chief, and that Wu Zhan’s expertise in sea battles makes him unsuited for the plains and deserts of the northwest.Prime Minister Cui and the minister of national defense argue that only Gu Fuzhou understands the northwest terrain and that Western Xia dared to attack precisely because Gu Fuzhou left Yongliang, making his return necessary to steady the army.Gu Fuzhou expresses willingness to lead the army despite placing a hand over his chest, hinting at lingering health problems.Wu Zhan reveals that although the heavenly arachnid poison was neutralized, repeated poisonings and injuries permanently damaged Gu Fuzhou’s health, and that Lin Qingyu had warned rest in the capital was necessary for Gu Fuzhou to live longer.Gu Fuzhou declares he is willing to sacrifice his life for Great Yu, while Wu Zhan protests that losing Gu Fuzhou would benefit Western Xia.Unable to decide, the emperor postpones naming a commander-in-chief and dismisses court, visibly unwell.After court, Wu Zhan questions Gu Fuzhou’s refusal to let him go northwest, and Gu Fuzhou implies Wu Zhan would be walking into danger there, though he publicly claims a man’s ambitions should not be restrained by romance, impressing Wu Zhan.Gu Fuzhou encounters Xiaosongzi from Qinzheng Hall and deliberately befriends him, asking about the emperor’s health.Xiaosongzi reveals that although the emperor’s migraines had improved before, they worsened with winter and no medicine or acupuncture, not even from Head Imperial Physician Lin, can cure them.Returning home, Gu Fuzhou finds Lin Qingyu calmly playing weiqi alone in the study, appearing ethereal and distant, which makes Gu Fuzhou internally abandon his earlier bravado about ambition and long instead for domestic life with Lin Qingyu.Gu Fuzhou intentionally addresses Lin Qingyu by his full name, prompting Lin Qingyu to notice and question him, and Gu Fuzhou teases that he avoided being overly affectionate in front of Huantong.Gu Fuzhou reminds Lin Qingyu that Lin Qingyu’s own wedding leave will soon end, referencing Lin Qingyu’s earlier explanation that the emperor’s migraine prescription secretly relied on golden silkworm gu that must change with the seasons, ensuring the emperor will need Lin Qingyu again.That evening, Gu Fuzhou goes to train in frustration while Lin Qingyu continues his weiqi game, and they later return to their bunk bed.In the middle of the night, Lin Qingyu wakes to find Gu Fuzhou seriously analyzing the new Western Xia general’s tactics and drawing marching routes from memory and Zhao Mingwei’s memorial.Gu Fuzhou admits he avoids thinking during the day because he prefers to relax, yet secretly studies the war at night, claiming he is merely letting his thoughts wander and choosing to be a lazy homebody.Lin Qingyu warily keeps his distance from the ink brush in Gu Fuzhou’s hand, recalling previous incidents of being dirtied with ink, and Gu Fuzhou mischievously confirms he might indeed want to get Lin Qingyu dirty again.

Chapter 70Gu Fuzhou reflects that throughout his nineteen years he never considered himself lustful because he found masturbation too troublesome, remembering how his father gave him a strict biology lesson and taught him self-control, and how he preferred sleep and hygiene over sexual effort.Gu Fuzhou recalls watching an explicit video shown by a classmate and feeling more tired for the man in the video than aroused, which led others to think he was disinterested in sex, though he insists he was simply lazy.Gu Fuzhou realizes after Lin Qingyu’s earlier question that he truly does want to have sex with Lin Qingyu, even fantasizing about using crude words, dirtying Lin Qingyu, leaving marks on him, and whispering obscene things in his ear.Gu Fuzhou feels ashamed and perverted for having such desires and briefly compares himself to Xiao Cheng and the emperor, but he convinces himself that since Lin Qingyu is his lawful wife, his desire is justified.Gu Fuzhou begins wondering whether Lin Qingyu, as a man, also experiences sexual desire.Lin Qingyu notices that Gu Fuzhou’s gaze has changed and become deeper and less pure, as if he suddenly matured.Gu Fuzhou awkwardly asks Lin Qingyu why, at nearly twenty, he has never shown signs of self-pleasure, and Lin Qingyu calmly replies that he is not interested in such matters.Lin Qingyu explains that as a physician he has seen and touched too many bodies, including assisting in childbirth, and therefore feels no reaction to the human body, except that touching Gu Fuzhou makes him nervous and unsettled.Gu Fuzhou oversleeps the next morning and Lin Qingyu drags him out of bed and supervises him eating congee while calculating that his next official rest day is in ten days.A palace message arrives announcing that the emperor’s headache has worsened and the crown prince’s wound has flared up, canceling court, which makes Gu Fuzhou so overjoyed that he immediately dives back into bed to sleep.The emperor summons Lin Qingyu again because his condition is deteriorating and the Department of Imperial Physicians has no solution.Lin Qingyu modifies the emperor’s prescription, and after several days the emperor’s symptoms improve significantly.Although the emperor should reward Lin Qingyu generously, he remains resentful and bitter because Lin Qingyu is Gu Fuzhou’s wife and he cannot forcibly take him due to Gu Fuzhou’s status.Gu Fuzhou submits a detailed memorial analyzing military conditions and strategy for the northwest battlefield, and the emperor reluctantly sends it onward despite his displeasure.The emperor refuses to reinstate Lin Qingyu as an imperial physician but allows him access to the Imperial Academy of Medicine and requires him to take the emperor’s pulse every three days without restoring his official title or salary.Lin Qingyu reflects that marrying Gu Fuzhou only solved immediate problems and that they still have significant work to secure a peaceful life together.On Gu Fuzhou’s long-awaited rest day, Lin Qingyu must still go to the palace, and Gu Fuzhou insists on waking early and escorting Lin Qingyu personally, even riding in the carriage and dozing on his shoulder, which deeply moves Lin Qingyu.At the palace, Lin Qingyu notices a faint fragrance from Lord Xie and later confirms that the emperor possesses a rare snow lotus from the North Kingdom.Lin Qingyu identifies the snow lotus as a rare and precious medicinal item and offers to include it in a new prescription to better treat the emperor’s migraines.When Lin Qingyu returns home, he encounters Xiao Jie, the fourth prince, who arrives unannounced with Xi Rong to see Gu Fuzhou’s Qingyun Jiuzhou spear and Ferghana horse.Xi Rong politely apologizes for the sudden visit, and Lin Qingyu personally goes to fetch Gu Fuzhou, which Xi Rong subtly questions as unusual behavior for a general’s wife.Lin Qingyu finds Gu Fuzhou blindfolded in the bedroom, practicing dodging a swinging porcelain medicine bottle for amusement.Lin Qingyu informs Gu Fuzhou that Xiao Cheng has sent the Tianji Guard to the North Kingdom, likely angering the emperor, and advises Gu Fuzhou to test Xi Rong carefully and avoid making firm promises.In front of Xiao Jie and Xi Rong, Gu Fuzhou behaves reserved and solemn, hiding his playful personality.Xiao Jie admires the massive Qingyun Jiuzhou spear but fails to lift it, praising Gu Fuzhou as Great Yu’s war god.Gu Fuzhou introduces his black Ferghana horse named Little White, amusing Xiao Jie because of the ironic name.Despite Xi Rong’s concern about safety and loyalty, Gu Fuzhou allows Xiao Jie to ride Little White while Lin Qingyu and Xi Rong observe from the side.Lin Qingyu observes that Xiao Jie relies heavily on Xi Rong and suspects their relationship is not simple, though Xi Rong conceals his darker nature well.Lin Qingyu casually remarks that it would be best if the crown prince ascends the throne and Xiao Jie merely governs his own princedom, causing Xi Rong’s eyes to briefly dim before he agrees with a smile.

Chapter 71Xiao Jie continues enjoying himself after riding the Ferghana horse, and Lin Qingyu orders a second chair for Xi Rong, but Xi Rong refuses to sit with Lin Qingyu, insisting on his status as a servant while subtly testing Lin Qingyu’s intentions.Lin Qingyu directly probes Xi Rong’s ambition by mentioning the position of head eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial and suggesting that if Xiao Jie leaves for his fief, Xi Rong will only remain an impotent steward rather than gaining inner-court power.Xi Rong maintains composure despite being provoked, and Lin Qingyu realizes that Xi Rong is cautious and ambitious but not yet ready to trust or ally with them.Lin Qingyu offers Xi Rong a tangible benefit by pointing out that Xiao Jie has not yet received his princedom and suggesting someone should remind the emperor, subtly offering political help.Xiao Jie returns happily from riding Little White, praises Gu Fuzhou’s control over the horse, and later leaves with Xi Rong after expressing gratitude, while Lin Qingyu promises to share the tea-brewing method as a gesture of goodwill.After they depart, Gu Fuzhou and Lin Qingyu discuss Xi Rong’s ambition, and Lin Qingyu mistakenly assumes Xi Rong is romantically besotted with Xiao Jie.Gu Fuzhou reveals that Xiao Jie and Xi Rong are actually half-brothers born to the same mother, explaining that their mother had Xi Rong with a guard before later bearing Xiao Jie to the emperor, and that Xi Rong knowingly serves his younger half-brother after being castrated.Gu Fuzhou explains that in the original storyline Xi Rong accompanies Xiao Jie to his fief and protects him, but warns that a naive emperor with a power-hungry brother at his side would be dangerous.Lin Qingyu coolly states that if Xiao Jie became emperor and proved disobedient, he would simply replace him with another member of the Xiao family, revealing his ruthless pragmatism.Lin Qingyu sends word that he will visit the marquess of Nan’an’s estate for Lu Wancheng’s death anniversary, and Gu Fuzhou does not remember the date, sparing him painful memories.On the first snowy night before the anniversary, Lin Qingyu becomes unsettled and wakes from a nightmare fearing Gu Fuzhou has disappeared again, revealing lingering trauma from Lu Wancheng’s death.Gu Fuzhou comforts Lin Qingyu, promises he will not die easily in Great General Gu’s strong body, writes a heartfelt pledge to reassure him, and stays beside him until he falls asleep.The next day, Lin Qingyu visits the marquess of Nan’an’s estate, where Lady Pan has given birth to a healthy son and the household has regained vitality, while the marquess has been reinstated in court.Lin Qingyu participates in Lu Wancheng’s death anniversary rites, burns paper money, and presents a longevity lock charm for the newborn son, showing continued acknowledgment of his former ties.The marquess of Nan’an reacts coldly to Lin Qingyu’s presence and accuses him of clinging to the Lu family despite remarriage, but Lin Qingyu remains composed and dismissive.Lin Qingyu summons Zhang Shiquan and reveals detailed account books proving that Lady Liang’s family has been running an illegal private salt business with enormous profits, a crime punishable by extermination of the entire family.The marquess of Nan’an realizes the severity of the crime and panics, understanding that exposure would destroy his career and endanger his newborn son’s life.Lin Qingyu calmly admits he concealed this information until now and implies he could report it to the emperor, effectively leveraging the marquess’s fear to secure compliance.When pressed for his demand, Lin Qingyu requires only that the marquess submit a memorial requesting the emperor to officially bestow a princedom upon Xiao Jie.The marquess of Nan’an reluctantly agrees, realizing he has no choice if he wishes to protect his family and status, and Lin Qingyu clarifies that Gu Fuzhou cannot submit such a memorial due to imperial suspicion.To ensure the plan proceeds smoothly, Lin Qingyu seeks influence within the Inner Palace and decides to approach matters indirectly through the empress’s other important relative.After taking the emperor’s pulse, Lin Qingyu goes to the Imperial Academy of Medicine’s restricted archives with Hu Ji and requests access to Sixth Prince Xiao Li’s medical diagnosis records, signaling his next move in court maneuvering.

Chapter 72Xiao Li is the emperor’s youngest and only legitimate son at fifteen years old, yet because of his intellectual disability the emperor treats him as an embarrassment and confines him to Jinyang Palace, while the empress is only allowed to see him twice a year.Lin Qingyu decides to investigate Xiao Li’s illness in detail because he believes Xiao Li is the key to drawing the empress to his side against Xiao Cheng.Lin Qingyu and Hu Ji search the Imperial Academy of Medicine’s records and find that multiple physicians over the years found Xiao Li’s pulse completely normal and could not identify any physical cause for his condition.The records show that Xiao Li developed normally until age two, after which he could not speak and gradually displayed clear intellectual delay, leading the emperor to give up on him by age five and exile him to Jinyang Palace.The final note in Xiao Li’s thick medical file is written by Imperial Preceptor Xu Junyuan, who declares that Xiao Li suffers from a “lost soul” affliction that cannot be cured.Although Hu Ji dismisses the idea as superstition, Lin Qingyu reflects that after witnessing Gu Fuzhou’s soul transmigration, the concept of a lost soul may not be impossible.Lin Qingyu resolves to personally examine Xiao Li and arranges through Lin Rushan to visit Jinyang Palace under the pretext of medical assistance during winter illness season.Gu Fuzhou wants to accompany Lin Qingyu but cannot leave court duties, and though he complains dramatically about missing him, he ultimately lets Lin Qingyu go.Upon arrival at Jinyang Palace, Lin Qingyu observes that the once-splendid summer retreat now feels desolate and poorly managed, reflecting Xiao Li’s neglected status.Lin Qingyu discovers Imperial Physician Huang lazily roasting potatoes and claiming the apothecary has no medicine, exposing the incompetence and neglect in the side palace.When Lin Qingyu confronts Imperial Physician Huang about how they would treat Xiao Li if he fell ill, Imperial Physician Huang becomes nervous and compliant, fearing consequences.Lin Qingyu finds Xiao Li squatting in the snow without proper clothing, silently eating snow with red, raw hands, and the servants scramble belatedly to intervene.Lin Qingyu is struck by Xiao Li’s extraordinary beauty and height but notes his blank, lifeless eyes, realizing that Xiao Li is like an exquisite shell without a soul.Lin Qingyu takes Xiao Li’s pulse and confirms that aside from cold exposure, there is nothing physically wrong, reinforcing the theory that his condition is not bodily illness.Lin Qingyu orders ginger soup for Xiao Li and writes a prescription for dispelling cold, while threatening indirectly to report the palace’s lack of medicine and negligence to the empress.The servants panic and beg for mercy, understanding that Lin Qingyu’s report could end their positions, but Lin Qingyu coldly tells them to explain themselves to the empress.Lin Qingyu returns overnight to the capital and recounts everything he saw at Jinyang Palace to Gu Fuzhou, stating his intention to seek an audience with the empress again.Gu Fuzhou playfully asks whether Lin Qingyu missed him during the two days apart, and Lin Qingyu initially avoids answering, instead asking what Gu Fuzhou originally looked like before transmigration.Gu Fuzhou struggles to describe his former appearance and admits that even he might forget it over time, while Lin Qingyu privately recalls that the appearance from his dream had shocked him deeply.Gu Fuzhou jokingly complains that Lin Qingyu did not seem to miss him, and after a long pause Lin Qingyu softly implies that Gu Fuzhou may be mistaken, before awkwardly changing the topic to food.

Chapter 73Lin Qingyu enters the palace to take the emperor’s pulse and finds the empress and Noble Consort Chen discussing New Year’s arrangements with the emperor, while Noble Consort Chen politely praises Lin Qingyu’s medical skill and requests that he treat Xiao Cheng’s lingering illness.The emperor agrees to let Lin Qingyu visit the Eastern Palace to treat Xiao Cheng but criticizes Xiao Cheng for failing his duties, suggesting that Xiao Cheng’s problems are mental rather than purely physical.Noble Consort Chen subtly reveals that the empress included Xiao Li’s name on the New Year’s Eve banquet list, which angers the emperor because he considers Xiao Li an embarrassment and refuses to let him attend.The empress kneels and pleads for Xiao Li to join the family reunion, but the emperor coldly rejects the request and dismisses both women, leaving the empress humiliated and distressed.After leaving Qinzheng Hall, Lin Qingyu goes directly to Fengyi Palace and initially is refused entry, but gains an audience by stating he has information about Xiao Li’s condition at Jinyang Palace.Lin Qingyu tells the empress that Xiao Li was neglected, wearing only inner robes in winter and eating snow, revealing that the servants at Jinyang Palace have been deceiving her for years.The empress breaks down in silent grief and nearly punishes her loyal eunuch Laifu in rage, but Lin Qingyu redirects the blame to the systemic neglect at Jinyang Palace and the emperor’s absence.Lin Qingyu advises that merely replacing the servants will not solve the problem and suggests that the safest solution is to bring Xiao Li back to the main palace under the empress’s personal care.The empress bitterly explains that as long as Xiao Cheng is heir apparent and Noble Consort Chen holds influence, Xiao Li will never be allowed to return, and Lin Qingyu subtly reminds her that once Xiao Cheng ascends the throne, Xiao Li’s future will be even more precarious.Lin Qingyu invokes Lu Wancheng’s name, claiming that Lu Wancheng had worried deeply about the empress and Xiao Li before his death and wanted them protected, forcing the empress to confront her lingering attachment to Lu Wancheng.Although the empress accuses Lin Qingyu of betrayal for remarrying Gu Fuzhou, she ultimately realizes that if Xiao Cheng becomes emperor, Xiao Li will never be restored, and she asks Lin Qingyu what she must do.Meanwhile, the marquess of Nan’an presents Lin Qingyu’s prepared argument to the emperor, suggesting that granting Xiao Jie a princedom could serve as a warning to Xiao Cheng and stimulate healthy competition for the throne.The emperor considers the proposal and, during the New Year’s Eve banquet, after observing Xiao Cheng’s dispirited state, officially bestows Xiao Jie with the title Prince of Ning.While the palace celebrates, Gu Fuzhou and Lin Qingyu celebrate the new year quietly at the general’s estate, drinking wine under red lanterns as snow falls, with Lin Qingyu visibly pleased that his political maneuvering has succeeded.Lin Qingyu drinks more than usual, becomes flushed and slightly drunk, and allows Gu Fuzhou to carry him back to their room, sitting in his lap afterward.Lin Qingyu bluntly notices Gu Fuzhou’s physical arousal, and Gu Fuzhou admits he desires him deeply but hesitates, asking whether Lin Qingyu still only likes women.Gu Fuzhou attempts to withdraw to summon hangover soup, restraining himself despite his desire, but Lin Qingyu stops him by tugging his sleeve.In a hoarse voice clouded by alcohol yet sincere, Lin Qingyu suggests that Gu Fuzhou may be wrong about his preferences, implying that his feelings toward Gu Fuzhou are no longer confined by gender.

Thrice Married to a Salted Fish, Vol. 3

(Chapter Summary)

Thrice Married to a Salted Fish, Vol. 4

(Chapter Summary)

Three Hundred Years of Longing: Bu Jian Shang Xian San Bai Nian, Vol. 1

Chapter 1:
ArchfiendDuring the Cataclysm Era, Mian Province and the Boundless Sea are frozen, and Wu Xingxue stands barefoot on a withered tree in a stagnant pool, calmly washing blood from his hands while surrounded by fearful subordinates.Wu Xingxue asks what year it is and learns it is the twenty-fifth year of the Cataclysm Era, a name changed by the coalition of cultivation clans, which confuses and unsettles him.The faint sound of chains clinking from Wu Xingxue’s movements terrifies those on shore, even though no visible chains can be seen on his body.The setting is revealed to be the Northern Domain of Tealspire, a legendary prison for archfiends where invisible heavenly chains inevitably destroy all imprisoned beings.Wu Xingxue is identified as the only known survivor of Tealspire, having endured imprisonment there for twenty-five years, making him a figure of extreme terror.His subordinates are paralyzed by fear, believing any word or silence from him could mean death, due to his reputation for killing even powerful immortals.Internally, Wu Xingxue is in chaos, realizing he is not the original archfiend but someone who has suddenly possessed this body.Wu Xingxue recalls his previous life as a noble in Magpie Haven, peacefully returning from the Banquet of Winding Wine, reading a novel, and falling asleep in a warm bed during a snowfall.He awakens in Tealspire, standing over water filled with severed human arms, barefoot on a dead tree, with blood on his hands, realizing he has possessed a demon rather than merely dreaming.By listening rather than speaking, Wu Xingxue deduces that he is the imprisoned archfiend and that the people on shore are his ruthless underlings.He decides to maintain the façade of the archfiend to avoid being killed by his own subordinates.A massive disturbance begins outside Tealspire as the coalition of cultivation clans arrives, causing earthquakes and cracking the prison’s cliffs.The underlings panic, believing Tealspire is collapsing and fearing both the clans and possible traps left behind in the prison.Wu Xingxue learns that Tealspire was once guarded by the Tianxiu Immortal, who perished with Urbs Caelestia, and senses there is hidden history between that immortal and the archfiend.Though pressured to flee, Wu Xingxue secretly worries about a practical issue: he does not know how to get off the tree without exposing himself.He orders one underling to come to him, pretending authority while intending to use the underling as assistance.As the underling leaps across the water, invisible sword auras strike, blowing the underling’s arm apart and hurling him back.The arcane formation of Tealspire activates violently, sending killing intent toward Wu Xingxue.At the critical moment, a massive golden Victoria water lily blooms beneath Wu Xingxue, shielding him from the attack.An ethereal swordsman appears before Wu Xingxue amid snow and sword light, radiating cold authority and power.Wu Xingxue recognizes the golden mark on the man’s neck as the courtesy name Mian, revealing him to be the Tianxiu Immortal, Xiao Fuxuan, whose title signifies absolution of sins.

Chapter 2:
SarcophagusOutside the Northern Domain of Tealspire, the blooming golden Victoria water lily releases a crushing aura that blasts the cultivation clan disciples backward, shattering nearby swords and magical weapons.Feng Juyan withstands the pressure by drawing her sword but is injured, bleeding through her fingers, which frightens her disciples because they have never seen her hurt before.Feng Juyan identifies the golden light as Fate’s Victoria, a legendary vital move once used by Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan.Fate’s Victoria is explained as a technique that consumes the user’s vitality and spiritual core, making it something even Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan would only use under extreme circumstances.The last recorded use of Fate’s Victoria occurred twenty-five years earlier, when Mount Taiyin collapsed, Urbs Caelestia was destroyed, and Wu Xingxue was chained into the Northern Domain of Tealspire.The destruction of Urbs Caelestia led to chaos in the mortal world, and cultivation clans later named the era Cataclysm.Feng Juyan speculates that lingering fragments of Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan’s spirit within Tealspire may have triggered Fate’s Victoria, but she fears it could mean Wu Xingxue is still alive and resisting imprisonment.The coalition realizes they underestimated the situation by bringing mostly younger disciples, prompting discussion about calling for reinforcements.Meanwhile, Wu Xingxue is dragged away by the golden Victoria water lily after the ethereal swordsman disappears, and he believes he is about to embarrassingly fall into the pool and expose himself.Instead of landing in water, Wu Xingxue falls endlessly through empty space while hearing voices describe Tealspire as having thirty-three levels, with something hidden at the bottom.Wu Xingxue finally lands violently at the lowest level, suffering extreme pain where the invisible heavenly chains pierce his body.Despite the agony, Wu Xingxue maintains his composure in front of his underlings, surprising even himself with his endurance.The underlings arrive soon after and see Wu Xingxue calmly open his eyes and laugh grimly, which frightens them into silence.Wu Xingxue jokes about the noise of the invisible chains binding him and orders his underlings to lead the way.The underlings panic because they have no idea where to go, but are too afraid of Wu Xingxue to ask for clarification.The group finds themselves in a vast gray wasteland with a towering, scorched dead tree whose crown likely formed the upper levels of Tealspire.Ning Huaishan recalls rumors that Tealspire has thirty-three levels and that treasure may be hidden on the lowest floor.The underlings decide to head toward the massive dead tree, suspecting it is the only possible location of whatever lies hidden.As they approach, they discover countless swords embedded in the ground, forming an enormous sword graveyard around the tree.The sword graves are revealed to be an arcane formation, and the underlings admit they are incapable of breaking it.The underlings hint that Wu Xingxue was originally skilled at breaking formations, pressuring him to act.Wu Xingxue internally panics because he lacks the original archfiend’s abilities and knows he cannot actually dismantle the formation.Wu Xingxue notices a warm white glow distinct from snow and walks toward it, ignoring the formation.He discovers a massive white-jade sarcophagus beneath the dead tree, surrounded by swords and sealed with studs carved with the same word he saw on the nape of Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan.The chapter ends with the realization that the object before him is Xiao Fuxuan’s sarcophagus.

Chapter 3:
PuppetWu Xingxue fixates on the name Xiao Fuxuan after realizing the sarcophagus belongs to the Tianxiu Immortal and silently repeats it while his underlings hesitate to approach.Ning Huaishan voices confusion about why Xiao Fuxuan’s sarcophagus would be placed inside the Northern Domain of Tealspire, a prison meant only for archfiends.Wu Xingxue internally finds it illogical that an immortal would place his own resting place inside a fiend prison and suspects there must be another explanation.Wu Xingxue touches the white-jade sarcophagus out of habit, drawn to white jade since his past life in Magpie Haven.The underlings speculate that the sarcophagus might only be a cenotaph or contain clothing rather than Xiao Fuxuan’s real body, though they still find the situation unsettling.The underlings are shocked to see Wu Xingxue casually touching the sarcophagus of the very immortal who imprisoned him.As Wu Xingxue’s fingers brush the sarcophagus, massive black studs violently eject themselves one by one, shaking the sarcophagus, the sword graves, the dead tree, and the entire wasteland.The underlings retreat in fear, believing Wu Xingxue is deliberately opening the sarcophagus, while Wu Xingxue internally panics because he has done nothing intentionally.Wu Xingxue finds himself unable to move as the sarcophagus lid slides open, feeling restrained by invisible forces while unable to flee.The sarcophagus opens fully without the stench of decay, releasing only the scent of snow and dust.Wu Xingxue steps forward and sees Xiao Fuxuan lying inside, identical to the earlier apparition but completely lifeless and encased in frost.The underlings panic upon seeing Xiao Fuxuan’s face but then realize the body is not the true immortal, only a shell.They explain that immortals often leave behind physical shells and identify a black Victoria-shaped mark on Xiao Fuxuan’s wrist as proof.Wu Xingxue realizes the body is an empty vessel and wonders who truly opened the sarcophagus, briefly suspecting lingering power from the original archfiend.Wu Xingxue discovers a faceless white-jade idol hidden beneath Xiao Fuxuan’s palm, carved with a sword and flowers like a deity idol.When Wu Xingxue touches a specific carving on the idol, he hears a mysterious voice mention the City of Spring Pennant and Yi Wusheng.The voice asks Wu Xingxue whether he wants to go back, directly echoing his desire to return to Magpie Haven.Wu Xingxue dismisses the voice as residual spiritual consciousness and attempts to return the idol to the sarcophagus.The voice explains how immortal shells can be turned into obedient puppets by activating the wrist mark.Wu Xingxue throws the idol back into the sarcophagus and instinctively rubs the black mark on Xiao Fuxuan’s wrist despite insisting to himself that he does not know how to make a puppet.Wu Xingxue feels a faint pulse beneath his thumb, shocking him.Xiao Fuxuan’s body suddenly opens its eyes, causing the underlings to scream in terror and proclaim that Wu Xingxue has successfully created a puppet.Wu Xingxue is horrified because he knows he did nothing intentional to cause this awakening.A violent force erupts as Xiao Fuxuan’s shell rises, summoning swords from the graveyard and pinning Wu Xingxue to the ground.Xiao Fuxuan seizes a sword and drives it into the ground inches from Wu Xingxue’s neck, stopping just short of killing him.Xiao Fuxuan looks down at Wu Xingxue, frost still clinging to his lashes, and calmly calls out Wu Xingxue’s name.

Chapter 4:
FreedWu Xingxue wakes to Xiao Fuxuan’s sword pressed against his throat and calmly asks whether Xiao Fuxuan intends to kill him.Wu Xingxue insists Xiao Fuxuan must not kill him because Xiao Fuxuan has the wrong person and he is not the archfiend Wu Xingxue who committed those crimes.Xiao Fuxuan listens without visible reaction, making Wu Xingxue realize the original archfiend’s reputation is so terrible that denial alone means nothing.Wu Xingxue openly claims he is a roaming soul from Magpie Haven who possessed this body by accident and asks Xiao Fuxuan to examine him to confirm the truth.Xiao Fuxuan reveals that he has isolated the area so the underlings cannot hear their conversation.Xiao Fuxuan finally questions Wu Xingxue about his name and origin, signaling partial belief.Wu Xingxue explains Magpie Haven and asks if Xiao Fuxuan knows a way to help him return home.Xiao Fuxuan responds that he is a numen of penance whose role is only to capture and punish, not to save people.Xiao Fuxuan withdraws his sword and releases Wu Xingxue, ending the blizzard and restoring movement to the frozen underlings.Ning Huaishan misunderstands the situation and believes Xiao Fuxuan’s body has become a loyal puppet under Wu Xingxue’s control.Before Wu Xingxue can explain, the Northern Domain of Tealspire begins to collapse violently from the inside.The white-jade sarcophagus disintegrates, the massive dead tree shakes, and the underlings are separated amid falling debris.Wu Xingxue is stranded on a single stone as a massive shard of collapsing cliff falls directly toward him.Xiao Fuxuan unconsciously summons countless golden swords marked with Mian to shield Wu Xingxue, saving his life as Tealspire collapses completely.The destruction of the Northern Domain of Tealspire sends shockwaves through the Boundless Sea as cultivation clans scramble outside.Wu Xingxue escapes Tealspire on a small boat with Xiao Fuxuan, Ning Huaishan, and the one-armed underling, while most other subordinates are lost.Ning Huaishan loudly celebrates their survival and believes Xiao Fuxuan the puppet deliberately guided them out of Tealspire.Xiao Fuxuan silently endures being called a puppet despite clearly retaining his will and awareness.Xiao Fuxuan privately asks Wu Xingxue why he did not evade the falling cliff, and Wu Xingxue replies that he had no way to escape and is only a mortal.Wu Xingxue directly questions why Xiao Fuxuan saved an archfiend if he truly does not believe Wu Xingxue’s claim of innocence.During the night, Xiao Fuxuan secretly alters the boat’s direction without informing the others.Ning Huaishan later realizes the boat is no longer headed toward Nightgleam and panics.Wu Xingxue learns they are now heading near the City of Spring Pennant, the place mentioned by the mysterious voice linked to Yi Wusheng.Wu Xingxue suspects Xiao Fuxuan redirected the boat to seek Yi Wusheng’s help in returning Wu Xingxue to Magpie Haven.They disembark at Swallow’s Landing, where the area is saturated with idols used to repel fiends, making Ning Huaishan and the one-armed underling physically uncomfortable.Wu Xingxue remains unaffected by the idols, further highlighting his difference from true fiends.Wu Xingxue overhears cultivators discussing rumors that the archfiend Wu Xingxue may have survived the fall of Tealspire.Wu Xingxue also overhears that the City of Spring Pennant is filled with people who hate the archfiend, including Yi Wusheng, whose entire family was killed by the archfiend.Xiao Fuxuan confirms that this Yi Wusheng is the same person Wu Xingxue hoped would help him return home.Realizing Yi Wusheng has every reason to hate him, Wu Xingxue abandons hope of receiving help and decides he may be forced to live in the archfiend’s body indefinitely.

Chapter 5:
Hua ClanWu Xingxue decides not to leave Spring Pennant because he has nowhere else to go and has already reached the city gates.Wu Xingxue observes two armed disciples guarding the pier and identifies them as members of the Hua Clan by their peach-blossom jade ornaments and identification tablets.The Hua Clan disciples question Wu Xingxue’s group due to recent disasters and increased security at the city gates.The Hua Clan disciples grow suspicious of Ning Huaishan and One-Arm because they react badly to the idols and appear unwell.Wu Xingxue lies smoothly and claims Ning Huaishan and One-Arm are seasick, preventing a confrontation.Ning Huaishan introduces Xiao Fuxuan as a puppet belonging to their young master, using the alias Cheng.The Hua Clan disciples feel that both Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan look strangely familiar but do not pursue the thought further.Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan enter the city while Ning Huaishan and One-Arm are repelled by a massive stone idol near the gate and flee the area.Wu Xingxue is relieved to be separated from Ning Huaishan and One-Arm and drags Xiao Fuxuan into an alley to ask for help.Wu Xingxue asks Xiao Fuxuan to alter his appearance because visiting Yi Wusheng while wearing the archfiend Wu Xingxue’s face would invite violence.Xiao Fuxuan silently agrees and performs a glamour on Wu Xingxue, physically touching his face to reshape his features.Xiao Fuxuan specifically alters Wu Xingxue’s eyes, stating they are too recognizable.Wu Xingxue realizes Xiao Fuxuan has also disguised his own appearance, despite his fame as the Tianxiu Immortal.Wu Xingxue learns that Spring Pennant houses six cultivation clans, with the Hua Clan being the largest and most powerful.The Hua Clan resides on Peach Blossom Isle, an isolated and dangerous location used to guard the western side of Spring Pennant.Wu Xingxue learns about the worsening state of Spring Pennant, where fiends such as huskreavers have drastically reduced the population.Wu Xingxue observes that most of the city is abandoned, with only areas near cultivation clans still inhabited.Despite earlier resolving to avoid Peach Blossom Isle, Wu Xingxue finds himself led there by Xiao Fuxuan.Wu Xingxue realizes too late that Peach Blossom Isle belongs to the Hua Clan and confronts Xiao Fuxuan about it.Xiao Fuxuan explains that Yi Wusheng is one of the four elders of the Hua Clan and is married into the Hua family.Xiao Fuxuan reveals that Yi Wusheng’s wife was the younger sister of the Hua Clan patriarch, Hua Zhaoting.Wu Xingxue realizes that Yi Wusheng’s hatred toward the archfiend Wu Xingxue extends to the entire Hua Clan.Hua Clan disciples formally receive Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan and escort them into the Hua estate.Wu Xingxue is informed that Yi Wusheng is in seclusion and that they will be taken to the Hall of Contemplation to wait.Wu Xingxue realizes that the body he inhabits was responsible for the deaths of Yi Wusheng’s father, brother, wife, and daughter.Wu Xingxue concludes that by entering the Hua Clan, he has walked straight into the stronghold of his body’s greatest enemies.

Chapter 6:
MadmanWu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan are brought into a formal reception room in the Hua Clan estate, where disciples serve tea and offer incense to a jade idol.Wu Xingxue notices the idol and painting depict Hua Xin, the ancestral celestial of the Hua Clan, whose title is Mingwu.Xiao Fuxuan reveals that Hua Xin was the Chief of the Spirit Terrace’s Twelve Immortals.Wu Xingxue realizes that the original archfiend Wu Xingxue had killed the Twelve Immortals of the Spirit Terrace, including Hua Xin.Hua Zhaoting, the patriarch of the Hua Clan, arrives after scolding disciples over an injured person and apologizes for the delay.Hua Zhaoting greets Wu Xingxue politely under the alias Mr. Cheng and asks about his arrival via the Boundless Sea and the collapse of the Northern Domain of Tealspire.Wu Xingxue lies smoothly about being frightened by the sea journey and Tealspire’s collapse, maintaining his false identity.Hua Zhaoting explains that many Hua Clan elders and disciples witnessed the Tealspire disaster and returned badly shaken.Hua Zhaoting confirms that Wu Xingxue is seeking Dr. Yi Wusheng, who is famed for somniamancy.Hua Zhaoting explains that Yi Wusheng must examine patients in person and asks who the patient is.Wu Xingxue openly states that he himself is the patient, claiming his soul has possessed another person’s body and displaced the rightful owner.Hua Zhaoting questions Wu Xingxue because he does not appear mad or soul-damaged like typical patients.Wu Xingxue answers further questions honestly, explaining his possession and desire to return to his original body and world.Hua Zhaoting concludes Wu Xingxue is not lying and agrees to let him stay on Peach Blossom Isle until Yi Wusheng ends his seclusion the next day.Wu Xingxue feels hopeful for the first time that he may be able to return to Magpie Haven and silently thanks Xiao Fuxuan.Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan are housed in a quiet area near the library and the Hall of Purification.A disheveled and violent madman named Ayao suddenly bursts into the guest quarters, injuring furniture and frightening the disciples.Ayao attempts to grab Wu Xingxue but is easily restrained by Xiao Fuxuan and dragged away by other disciples.Wu Xingxue learns that Ayao was once Yi Wusheng’s most talented alchemy disciple.The Hua Clan disciple explains that Ayao’s madness was caused by trauma inflicted by the greater archfiend Wu Xingxue.The disciple recounts that a refined noble guest once stayed on Peach Blossom Isle and secretly slaughtered Yi Wusheng’s family and staff over two weeks.Ayao discovered the crime scene covered in blood and infernal energy, but his mind was sealed by a hex that even Yi Wusheng could not undo.The Hua Clan sought help from the Feng Clan, who used the Soul’s Reflection technique to reveal the truth.The vision showed the guest revealing himself as the archfiend Wu Xingxue, killing Yi Wuqi with his own sword and smiling coldly at Ayao.The archfiend Wu Xingxue wiped his hands, struck Ayao on the head to seal his mind, and left Peach Blossom Isle calmly via the Boundless Sea.It is confirmed that the archfiend Wu Xingxue habitually killed people using their own swords, cementing his identity as the murderer.

Chapter 7:
A Restless StirringA Hua Clan disciple finishes recounting how Peach Blossom Isle closed itself off after the massacre, as the event traumatized the clan and became part of its oral history.The disciple explains that Yi Wusheng was the most devastated, nearly suffering an energy deviation, and has since relied on periodic seclusion to preserve his sanity and cultivation.Hua Zhaoting also became deeply paranoid after the incident and once suspected everyone on Peach Blossom Isle of being a disguised fiend.Hua Zhaoting cleared out his own residence, the Hall of Pruning, and has lived alone ever since, managing everything himself.In response to the massacre, the Hua Clan established a fourth hall, the Hall of Punishments, dedicated solely to detecting fiends and possessions.Wu Xingxue learns that Hua Clan disciples must undergo soul inspections twice daily using soul-integrity talismans.Wu Xingxue remarks that such constant scrutiny could drive a person mad, and learns that the elder in charge also inspects his own soul.The disciple requests to examine Wu Xingxue with a soul-integrity talisman, having led him gently to accept the inspection as reasonable.Wu Xingxue raises concerns that his possession case might be mistaken for fiend control, but the disciple reassures him the talisman can distinguish between souls.Wu Xingxue deliberately interrupts the inspection at the last second, startling the disciple and subtly radiating the archfiend’s terrifying presence.Wu Xingxue switches to his left wrist for the inspection, claiming it is more accurate, and allows the talisman to be applied.The soul-integrity talisman shows no discoloration on Wu Xingxue, confirming he is not possessed by a fiend.The disciple notices Xiao Fuxuan watching closely during the inspection, behaving unlike a normal puppet.The disciple tests Xiao Fuxuan with a soul-integrity talisman and finds it not only unchanged but faintly faded, an unprecedented result.Unable to interpret the result, the disciple removes the talisman and hurriedly leaves.Before leaving, the disciple warns Wu Xingxue not to approach the peach forest, where all captured fiends and their victims are buried.The disciple explains that dead fiends still respond instinctively to stronger infernal presences and can be used as a warning system.Wu Xingxue understands that this method relies on the natural hierarchy among fiends and infernal cultivators.Wu Xingxue remains in his quarters out of courtesy and because he is waiting to see Yi Wusheng the next day.Hua Zhaoting sends dinner, but Wu Xingxue shows little interest in the austere cultivator food and barely eats.Xiao Fuxuan comments that ordinary mortals get hungry, implying something unusual about Wu Xingxue’s current condition.Wu Xingxue observes that Xiao Fuxuan insists on standing like a puppet and remarks that he himself does not feel hunger in this body.Wu Xingxue asks Xiao Fuxuan what kind of person the original archfiend Wu Xingxue truly was.Xiao Fuxuan avoids answering directly and suggests the question is meaningless if Wu Xingxue intends to leave this world.After a long silence, Xiao Fuxuan states that regardless of form, the archfiend Wu Xingxue is someone he would never mistake for another.Wu Xingxue is unsettled by this response and the two fall into silence.Late at night, thunder rolls over Peach Blossom Isle as infernal energy thickens.Alarm bells ring from the peach forest, signaling a disturbance among the buried fiends.The buried fiends stir violently beneath the ground and surge in one direction.The restless movement of the peach forest converges directly toward the guest quarters where Wu Xingxue is staying.

Chapter 8:
PilgrimageWu Xingxue wakes abruptly in the guest room, surprised that he managed to fall asleep despite silence and danger, unlike his usual habits in Magpie Haven.Wu Xingxue discovers a silver bell tied to his wrist with fine silver thread, the other end tied to Xiao Fuxuan’s finger, resembling the flower-guarding bells from his former estate.Wu Xingxue realizes Xiao Fuxuan has left his body using astral projection while leaving the bell-thread as a tether to return quickly if needed.Xiao Fuxuan’s spiritual consciousness moves freely across Peach Blossom Isle, unseen by patrolling Hua Clan disciples.Xiao Fuxuan confirms that Yi Wusheng remains in strict seclusion and has ordered disciples not to disturb him under any circumstances.Xiao Fuxuan searches several locations on Peach Blossom Isle, including near Hua Zhaoting’s library and residence, guided by familiarity with the island.A mysterious, indistinct voice speaks to Xiao Fuxuan during his search, questioning what he seeks and mocking the purpose of the search.Xiao Fuxuan checks the Hall of Pruning and confirms that what he is searching for is not there.Xiao Fuxuan briefly reveals the white-jade idol taken from his sarcophagus, stored in a small embroidered pouch at his waist, causing the mysterious voice to fall silent.Xiao Fuxuan enters the forbidden peach forest, passing through guards effortlessly in spiritual form, but finds nothing he is seeking.Xiao Fuxuan feels repeated tugs on the silver thread from Wu Xingxue, signaling restlessness rather than immediate danger.The buried fiends beneath the peach forest suddenly erupt into violent motion, all surging in a single direction, followed by Hua Clan disciples.Xiao Fuxuan immediately returns his spiritual consciousness to his body.Wu Xingxue is awake, barefoot by the window, pulling on the bell-thread and asking Xiao Fuxuan about the terrifying noise outside.Xiao Fuxuan describes the phenomenon as a pilgrimage, implying instinctive convergence toward a powerful presence.As the disturbance intensifies near the guest quarters, Xiao Fuxuan grabs Wu Xingxue’s wrist and tells him to close his eyes.Xiao Fuxuan uses his power to relocate Wu Xingxue to the Hall of Disciples, which is completely deserted.Wu Xingxue deduces that Xiao Fuxuan had been searching for something and presses him for answers.Xiao Fuxuan admits he is searching for a relic that was once taken from Peach Blossom Isle by Wu Xingxue and later returned.Xiao Fuxuan recalls rumors that Wu Xingxue infiltrated Peach Blossom Isle under disguise to steal a celestial relic, which vanished and reappeared shortly before the destruction of Urbs Caelestia.Wu Xingxue realizes Xiao Fuxuan’s constant vigilance is tied to this unresolved mystery.The buried fiends redirect their movement toward the Hall of Disciples, forcing Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan to keep moving.At Wu Xingxue’s suggestion, Xiao Fuxuan leads the search toward places he has not yet checked.Wu Xingxue inadvertently leads Xiao Fuxuan and the pursuing fiends across the island, dragging nearly all Hua Clan disciples along in chaos.They arrive at the Phoenix Court and discover that Yi Wusheng has vanished despite being required to remain in seclusion.Xiao Fuxuan suddenly senses Yi Wusheng’s presence elsewhere on the island.Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan look down from a second-floor window and see Yi Wusheng stumbling forward, following the surging fiends.Xiao Fuxuan explains that Yi Wusheng is being drawn by the same instinctive force as the buried fiends.It is revealed that the fiends’ pilgrimage is triggered by the presence of a powerful infernal existence, causing all fiends to converge toward it uncontrollably.

Chapter 9:
MurderYi Wusheng’s restrictive wards around the Phoenix Court prevent the buried fiends from entering, causing them to halt abruptly at the building’s edge.The Hua Clan disciples arrive and are horrified to see Yi Wusheng still moving among the fiends, realizing he is being drawn like them by a powerful infernal presence.It becomes clear that Yi Wusheng is no longer merely surrounded by fiends but has become one himself.Ayao stumbles out of the crowd, panics, and falls into the churned mud, drawing everyone’s attention.Yi Wusheng snaps his head around unnaturally and calls out to Ayao, then drags him toward the Phoenix Court using invisible force.The Hua Clan disciples hesitate to attack because Yi Wusheng is their healer, teacher, and benefactor, despite realizing Ayao is in mortal danger.Yi Wusheng drags Ayao inside, restrains him by the neck, and ignores the sword aura wounds Ayao inflicts in his struggle.Yi Wusheng inhales Ayao’s vital energy hungrily, revealing his ravenous fiendish state after long isolation.Yi Wusheng begins to consume Ayao’s spirit by pressing a hand to his head, causing Ayao to tremble in terror.Ayao regains a flicker of clarity and calls Yi Wusheng “Master,” briefly triggering resistance in Yi Wusheng’s remaining consciousness.Yi Wusheng fails to overcome his fiendish instincts and tightens his grip, resuming the act of killing.A brilliant sword manifestation crashes down, forcing Yi Wusheng to release Ayao as Xiao Fuxuan intervenes.Xiao Fuxuan and Wu Xingxue appear, with Yi Wusheng badly injured and thrown aside by icy sword intent.Wu Xingxue checks Ayao’s breathing while Xiao Fuxuan confirms Ayao will survive.Xiao Fuxuan restrains Yi Wusheng and confirms that his soul is saturated with infernal energy, reacting violently to celestial power.Wu Xingxue notices a strange scar-like marking on the back of Yi Wusheng’s neck that resembles but is not a puppet rune.Xiao Fuxuan realizes the mark suggests manipulation of Yi Wusheng’s soul rather than voluntary infernal cultivation.Yi Wusheng briefly regains lucidity and silently begs Wu Xingxue to help him and kill him.Wu Xingxue recalls a similar scene from the archfiend Wu Xingxue’s past, hinting at a repeating pattern of manipulated victims.Wu Xingxue asks Xiao Fuxuan whether Yi Wusheng’s older brother Yi Wuqi was also buried in the peach forest.Xiao Fuxuan seals off the area from the Hua Clan disciples with snow and wind before uncovering the buried remains in the courtyard.Xiao Fuxuan exhumes the husks of fiends and victims, including Yi Wuqi, whose body has not decayed.Xiao Fuxuan finds the same scratched-out mark on the back of Yi Wuqi’s neck, confirming both brothers were manipulated.Before Xiao Fuxuan can reveal the truth, the sound of a sword leaving its scabbard rings out behind him.Xiao Fuxuan rushes back to find Yi Wusheng dead, stabbed through by his own sword.Ayao is standing over Yi Wusheng holding the sword, clearly confused and not fully aware of his actions.Wu Xingxue stands nearby with empty hands, silently watching as the scene settles into blood-soaked stillness.

Chapter 10:
RebirthXiao Fuxuan questions Wu Xingxue about what happened while he was gone, noticing the blood, Yi Wusheng’s corpse, and Ayao’s condition.Wu Xingxue calmly recounts that Ayao suddenly rose, seized Yi Wusheng’s sword, and killed him with a single precise thrust.Wu Xingxue points out that Ayao’s movements were too steady and accurate for a madman, suggesting someone temporarily borrowed Ayao’s body.Xiao Fuxuan reacts coldly and dismissively, refusing to speculate and implying that even he himself could have been responsible.Xiao Fuxuan examines Yi Wusheng’s corpse and discovers a hollow resonance, indicating incomplete spiritual annihilation.Xiao Fuxuan activates a technique using celestial breath, causing a remnant of Yi Wusheng’s soul to surface and briefly restore awareness.Yi Wusheng revives as a soul remnant rather than a living person, regaining clarity but remaining on the brink of dissolution.Xiao Fuxuan seals Yi Wusheng’s mouth and nose with black cloth to prevent the soul remnant from dissipating.Wu Xingxue confirms that Yi Wusheng is not truly alive but only barely sustained by celestial breath.Wu Xingxue’s earlier pallor disappears as Yi Wusheng stabilizes, suggesting emotional relief.Xiao Fuxuan unexpectedly asks Wu Xingxue whether he wants to learn the technique that preserved Yi Wusheng’s soul remnant.Wu Xingxue refuses, insisting he has no talent for thaumaturgy and citing the heavenly law separating gods and mortals.Xiao Fuxuan argues that heavenly laws no longer bind him because Urbs Caelestia is destroyed and he exists only as a spiritual consciousness inhabiting a puppet body.Xiao Fuxuan provides Yi Wusheng with a talisman that allows him to speak despite the cloth sealing his mouth.Yi Wusheng asks why Xiao Fuxuan saved him, and Xiao Fuxuan replies that he needs Yi Wusheng’s help.Xiao Fuxuan requests that Yi Wusheng use somniamancy to examine Wu Xingxue’s soul and determine his true origin and possible return.Yi Wusheng agrees to attempt the examination despite his fragile condition.Wu Xingxue reacts with stunned silence, momentarily freezing before regaining composure.Xiao Fuxuan states that before anything else, they must explain the truth of past events and long-standing rumors to the Hua Clan.Yi Wusheng panics and says he cannot do so because Hua Zhaoting has already arrived outside.

Chapter 11:
The Whole StoryYi Wusheng stops Xiao Fuxuan from removing the blizzard barrier, explaining that Hua Zhaoting must not hear the truth because he is also possessed.Yi Wusheng reveals that both he and Hua Zhaoting have been possessed for over twenty years, with the infestation deeply rooted.Yi Wusheng begins recounting the full origin of the possessions, starting with the strange affliction in the Valley of Laments.People exiting the Valley of Laments developed puppet-like marks on their necks, phantom itching, madness, and sleepwalking that led some to consume human flesh.The condition resembled fiend possession and spread rapidly, causing major cultivation clans to dispatch investigators who were mostly afflicted themselves.The Feng Clan suffered heavy losses and sought Yi Wusheng’s help due to his mastery of somniamancy.Yi Wusheng refined the Dreamsbane elixir, which could seal the soul of the afflicted for forty-nine days if taken within one month of being marked.Yi Wusheng worked relentlessly for a year and saved many people, though treatment failed completely if the mark was older than one month.After the outbreak subsided, Yi Wusheng felt an itch on the back of his own neck while instructing Ayao on burying Dreamsbane.The itch worsened into bleeding scratches resembling claw marks, and vestiges of an ink rune were visible beneath the wounds.Yi Wusheng swallowed Dreamsbane pills in increasing quantities but realized it was already too late to save himself.Yi Wusheng explains that a parasitic fiend awakened inside him, slowly consuming his spirit-flesh and taking control of his body.Yi Wusheng occasionally regained brief lucidity and discovered other victims had already been hollowed out, including a custodial disciple.On a winter night twenty-five years earlier, Yi Wusheng regained awareness and saw his family and disciples dead, including Yi Wuqi smiling in blood.Yi Wusheng forced himself to the Hall of Pruning to beg Hua Zhaoting to kill him before losing control again.While grabbing Hua Zhaoting, Yi Wusheng discovered identical scratches and rune remnants on the back of Hua Zhaoting’s neck.Yi Wusheng realized Hua Zhaoting was also possessed and immediately stopped himself from revealing the truth.Yi Wusheng claimed he needed seclusion instead and sealed Ayao’s mind twice to prevent him from revealing the truth.Yi Wusheng explains that Ayao’s madness was intentional, meant to protect him and everyone else by silencing him.Yi Wusheng remained possessed and unaware for twenty-five years until the present incident.Yi Wusheng warns that if Hua Zhaoting’s fiend is disturbed, no one on Peach Blossom Isle could stop him.Xiao Fuxuan draws his phantom sword anyway, ignoring Yi Wusheng’s pleas.Wu Xingxue restrains Yi Wusheng and calmly questions how strong Hua Zhaoting truly is.Yi Wusheng answers that Hua Zhaoting is nearing apotheosis.Xiao Fuxuan repeats the word “nearing” and releases a devastating sword strike toward Hua Zhaoting amid thunder and celestial light.

Chapter 12:
DreambellThe Hua Clan disciples witness Hua Zhaoting draw his sword for the first time in ages as golden swords descend from the sky, signaling an unprecedented clash.Hua Zhaoting’s sword is revealed to be entangled with red, blood-soaked silk-like infernal energy instead of pure sword aura, alarming the disciples.The disciples realize that Hua Zhaoting, like Yi Wusheng and the buried fiends, may also have been drawn by a powerful infernal presence.Nearly one thousand Hua Clan disciples attempt to assist Hua Zhaoting by summoning flying swords.Xiao Fuxuan’s descending greatsword of golden light annihilates all the disciples’ flying swords instantly, leaving them weaponless.Hua Zhaoting’s blood-tainted sword collides with Xiao Fuxuan’s golden greatsword but is completely overpowered.Hua Zhaoting’s sword shatters, his cultivation is crushed, and he is blasted backward, vomiting black blood.The word “Mian” becomes clearly visible on the golden sword, revealing the identity of the Sword of Absolution.The Hua Clan disciples realize the terrifying implication that the guests Mr. Cheng and his puppet may be linked to the greater archfiend Wu Xingxue.Hua Zhaoting flees as a black shadow to the Hall of Pruning to escape the overwhelming sword intent.Xiao Fuxuan pursues Hua Zhaoting and pins him to the floor with another golden phantom sword.Yi Wusheng rushes to Hua Zhaoting’s side and attempts to examine his soul.Xiao Fuxuan states that Hua Zhaoting is not dead but forcibly restrained along with the fiend inside him.Yi Wusheng recognizes the name Xiao and confirms Xiao Fuxuan’s identity as the Tianxiu Immortal.Yi Wusheng reflects on his century-long friendship with Hua Zhaoting and the shared tragedy of their possession.Yi Wusheng examines Hua Zhaoting and finds his condition worse than his own, with almost no soul remnant remaining.Wu Xingxue notices Hua Zhaoting staring fixatedly at the planters he tended daily.Wu Xingxue digs into the planters and uncovers buried personal items belonging to many Hua Clan disciples.Yi Wusheng confirms the buried objects belonged to disciples who had gone missing over the years.Wu Xingxue realizes Hua Zhaoting secretly killed and buried disciples to feed the fiend inside him.Yi Wusheng uncovers jars of preserved Dreamsbane pills buried beneath the planters.It is revealed that Hua Zhaoting subconsciously tended the planters to protect the Dreamsbane he could never use to save himself.Yi Wusheng uncovers a small box hidden beneath the final planter.Inside the box is a white-jade bell inlaid with silver filigree, identified as a Dreambell capable of inducing prolonged dreams.

Chapter 13:
Soul ExaminationWu Xingxue recognizes the object in the box as a Dreambell and listens as Yi Wusheng explains its origins and how ordinary Dreambells were once common charms that later became associated with dream weaving.Yi Wusheng explains that the Hua Clan’s Dreambell is a true celestial relic capable of forcing a person into dreams and burning away memories, unlike mundane bazaar trinkets.Yi Wusheng recalls that Hua Zhaoting was never able to ring the Dreambell despite pouring power into it, which was why it had been hidden away.Yi Wusheng shakes the Dreambell found in the box and is shocked when it rings easily, proving it is a fake.Yi Wusheng panics and realizes the real Dreambell must have been swapped at some point without Hua Zhaoting’s knowledge.Yi Wusheng initially suspects Wu Xingxue, remembering that the Dreambell was once lost when Wu Xingxue visited Peach Blossom Isle and later returned.Yi Wusheng reconsiders and reasons that Wu Xingxue would not have returned the relic if he had truly wanted it, concluding the swap must have happened later.Yi Wusheng deduces that the fiend who possessed Hua Zhaoting must have swapped the Dreambell to claim the real relic.Yi Wusheng notes that neither he, Yi Wuqi, nor Hua Zhaoting ever went to the Valley of Laments, yet all bore the same puppet-like marks, deepening the mystery.Yi Wusheng bows to Xiao Fuxuan and asks how long his soul remnant will last, learning he has only a few days left.Yi Wusheng declares his wish to travel to the Valley of Laments to uncover the origin of the Hua Clan’s curse and locate the real Dreambell before he dies.Xiao Fuxuan and Wu Xingxue silently agree to accompany Yi Wusheng.Yi Wusheng settles clan affairs, entrusts Hua Zhaoting to the other elders, and departs Peach Blossom Isle by carriage with elixirs and his sword.During the journey, Yi Wusheng notices the tense atmosphere in the carriage between Xiao Fuxuan and Mr. Cheng.Yi Wusheng begins examining Mr. Cheng using somniamancy to determine the origin of his soul.Mr. Cheng claims to come from Magpie Haven and describes it as a lively, peaceful place with festivals and hunts.Yi Wusheng finds that Mr. Cheng’s soul and body are perfectly matched, showing no sign of possession or displacement.Yi Wusheng realizes this is not a case of a soul occupying the wrong body and prepares to explain the truth.Xiao Fuxuan secretly stops Yi Wusheng from speaking by ordering him to swallow the truth and change the subject.Yi Wusheng complies and falsely reassures Mr. Cheng that his condition is easy to resolve and he can be sent back.Wu Xingxue thanks Yi Wusheng calmly for his help.Wu Xingxue asks Xiao Fuxuan to remove the glamour disguising his face now that they have left Spring Pennant.Xiao Fuxuan dispels the glamour, revealing Mr. Cheng’s true identity as Wu Xingxue.Yi Wusheng is left shaken and horrified, realizing he nearly exposed the truth that Wu Xingxue is the rightful owner of his body.Yi Wusheng silently panics over why the Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan would deliberately conceal Wu Xingxue’s identity and continue the deception.

Chapter 14:
Clear as a MirrorWu Xingxue rides in the Hua Clan carriage toward the Valley of Laments while snow falls outside and Xiao Fuxuan closes the curtain to darken the cabin.Wu Xingxue pretends to rest while secretly observing Xiao Fuxuan and reflecting on when he first suspected his identity on Peach Blossom Isle.Wu Xingxue recalls Ayao’s terrified eyes and realizes they triggered a buried memory connected to the greater archfiend Wu Xingxue.Wu Xingxue remembers hearing that Ayao’s madness was caused by the greater archfiend Wu Xingxue and instinctively looking to Xiao Fuxuan for confirmation or denial.Wu Xingxue reflects that his strange reactions, instincts, and habits during soul inspections felt automatic rather than borrowed from another soul.Wu Xingxue admits to himself that he already knew the truth before Yi Wusheng’s examination, especially after seeing Yi Wusheng beg him for death.Wu Xingxue fully accepts that Magpie Haven is not a real place in this world but a fabricated dream he lived in for twenty-five years.Wu Xingxue recalls using his own power to move Ayao, draw Yi Wusheng’s sword, and stab Yi Wusheng, confirming he is the real Wu Xingxue.Wu Xingxue realizes he awakened after twenty-five years without memories except for the sound of a bell ringing.Wu Xingxue concludes that finding the real Dreambell is the key to understanding why he slept for so long and what happened before the dream.Wu Xingxue wonders why Xiao Fuxuan chose to accompany him despite knowing or suspecting his true identity.Wu Xingxue reasons that Xiao Fuxuan may have doubted him earlier but now likely knows the truth and is deliberately keeping silent.Wu Xingxue hears the faint sound of chains and asks Xiao Fuxuan whether the heavenly chains binding him can be undone.Yi Wusheng realizes Wu Xingxue is referring to the invisible heavenly chains used to punish archfiends in Tealspire.Xiao Fuxuan answers that the heavenly chains cannot be undone.Wu Xingxue accepts this calmly and admits the chains do not hurt, despite shifting restlessly.Xiao Fuxuan reveals he can still hear the chains even when others cannot.Wu Xingxue asks how long it will take to reach the Valley of Laments.Yi Wusheng explains that ordinary travel would take a month but the Hua Clan’s enchanted carriage can reach it in three days.Yi Wusheng lights a spirit-warding lamp out of habit, which makes Wu Xingxue uncomfortable due to its anti-fiend properties.Xiao Fuxuan extinguishes the lamp without comment, returning the cabin to darkness.Wu Xingxue asks Yi Wusheng to stop near the city outskirts to pick up two people he was traveling with earlier.The scene cuts to Ning Huaishan and One-Arm hiding near the outskirts of Spring Pennant, watching Hua Clan disciples post notices.The notice proclaims Wu Xingxue, Xiao Fuxuan, and Yi Wusheng as heroes of justice permitted to travel freely to the Valley of Laments.Ning Huaishan and One-Arm recognize the portraits as Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan and are shocked by the Hua Clan’s praise.Ning Huaishan and One-Arm begin doubting Wu Xingxue’s identity and speculate that something about him feels wrong.Ning Huaishan and One-Arm decide to confront Wu Xingxue once he leaves the city and threaten him if he turns out to be an imposter.

Chapter 15:
InvocationNing Huaishan and One-Arm wait at the outskirts of Spring Pennant as agreed and are picked up by the Hua Clan carriage through heavy snowfall.Yi Wusheng initially mistakes Ning Huaishan for a young boy and silently laments how many youths walk the infernal path.Ning Huaishan boards the carriage, recognizes Yi Wusheng, and reacts with open hostility and anger.Ning Huaishan reveals a sword scar on his neck and accuses Yi Wusheng of inflicting it decades earlier.Yi Wusheng finally recognizes Ning Huaishan as the fourteen-year-old survivor from Twilight Fen.Ning Huaishan explains that the Hua Clan sword poison caused his wound to fester for forty years, stunting his growth and forcing him to practice poison-sealing to survive.Ning Huaishan angrily recounts how Yi Wusheng once lectured him about the infernal path and family while leaving him with a lifelong wound.Yi Wusheng remains silent and visibly shaken by the confrontation.Xiao Fuxuan strikes Ning Huaishan’s legs with his sword hilt, forcing him to kneel and silencing the confrontation.Ning Huaishan assumes the blow was Wu Xingxue’s command and begrudgingly obeys.One-Arm boards the carriage and forces Ning Huaishan to move aside so he can enter.Ning Huaishan tries to sit beside Wu Xingxue but panics at Xiao Fuxuan’s presence and instead sits beside Yi Wusheng.One-Arm uses etheric whispering to point out that Wu Xingxue has been acting strangely, clinging to a hand-warming stove and barely moving.Ning Huaishan realizes that Wu Xingxue, who once embodied extreme cold and fear, now behaving like an ordinary person afraid of the cold feels wrong.Ning Huaishan recalls that Wu Xingxue personally watched his poisoned wound heal and fester repeatedly, making his current lack of recognition suspicious.Ning Huaishan and One-Arm silently conclude that something about Wu Xingxue is deeply off.After three days of travel, the carriage reaches the outskirts of the Valley of Laments.Wu Xingxue observes the valley’s ravine, suspension bridge, and the unexpected presence of a crude inn near the sealed entrance.Ning Huaishan and One-Arm volunteer to scout ahead and clear obstacles near the valley.Wu Xingxue, Xiao Fuxuan, and Yi Wusheng approach the huts near the bridge and encounter a group of clan initiates and commoners sheltering there.Yi Wusheng conceals the black cloth on his mouth with a scarf before speaking to the group.A commoner woman admits she came to the Valley of Laments searching for her missing daughters.A clan initiate warns that not everyone encountered near the valley can be trusted as human.Wu Xingxue approaches calmly and asks why they are not entering the valley if they are searching for someone.The initiates explain that the Valley of Laments can only be entered at night once the shrine lamps at the bridge are lit.They warn that crossing the bridge before the lamps light means certain death due to creatures clinging beneath it.Yi Wusheng questions how people could still go missing in such a sealed place.The woman answers that the missing were not lost by accident but were summoned deliberately.Xiao Fuxuan reacts sharply to the word “invoked” and explains that invocation is a ritual once used for heaven to confer names and elevate celestials.Xiao Fuxuan states that only two beings in Urbs Caelestia were ever invoked in this way, one of them being Xiao Fuxuan himself.The chapter ends with the unsettling realization that a heavenly invocation ritual may be occurring within the Valley of Laments.

Chapter 16:
Digging One’s Own GraveWu Xingxue touches the skin beneath Xiao Fuxuan’s ear where the heaven-conferred name Mian once appeared, instinctively checking whether it still exists.Xiao Fuxuan reacts instantly with killing intent but suppresses it just as quickly, startling Wu Xingxue with how completely the aggression disappears.Wu Xingxue casually asks why Xiao Fuxuan’s heaven-conferred name never appears anymore.Xiao Fuxuan answers that the name is gone and adds that it was never always visible in the first place.Wu Xingxue presses him about what causes a heaven-conferred name to fade or reappear, but Xiao Fuxuan refuses to answer.Xiao Fuxuan avoids the topic and questions the commoner woman about why she believes the disappearances are caused by invocation.The woman explains that the missing people all had names appear on their necks, identical to heaven-conferred courtesy names.A clan initiate recounts the first case involving a woodcutter who woke with a permanent name on his neck and vanished the same night along with his axe and shrine censer.Seven days later, the woodcutter appeared in a shared dream to his family, claiming he had been invoked as a god at the Valley of Laments and demanding incense offerings.Clan disciples investigated using Dreamsbane from the Hua Clan and found only the bloodstained axe, not the body.The initiate explains the pattern repeated, with victims disappearing overnight despite being restrained, leaving only blood behind.Each missing person later sent dreams claiming celestial invocation and demanding worship at the valley.The woman confirms both her daughters vanished this way, prompting the initiates to help her investigate.Yi Wusheng is shocked that only three initiates were sent, and they explain most manpower was lost at Tealspire.Wu Xingxue withdraws to the carriage, uneasy with the attention and memories of being feared by the world.Wu Xingxue sleeps but dreams only of fragmented images and the golden shape of the name Mian hovering close to his face.Wu Xingxue wakes to find Xiao Fuxuan bending over him and instinctively grabs his wrist.Wu Xingxue notices the silver flower-guarding bells tied to Xiao Fuxuan’s finger and realizes Xiao Fuxuan is fastening them to him again.Xiao Fuxuan quietly tells Wu Xingxue that the heavenly chains cannot be undone and that the bells are all he can offer.Night falls and the group prepares to cross the suspension bridge into the Valley of Laments.Wu Xingxue hears the clinking of invisible heavenly chains as he walks, alarming the initiates nearby.The initiates mistake the sound for the bells at Wu Xingxue’s waist and relax their guard.Xiao Fuxuan presses the scabbard of his sword into Wu Xingxue’s back and orders him onto the bridge.Ning Huaishan and One-Arm reassure Wu Xingxue that they have cleared nearby threats and urge him to stay close.The crossing is unnaturally smooth, with none of the bridge-dwelling creatures appearing.The group reaches a shrine plateau where a lamp has already lit itself, marking the valley entrance.An initiate warns about trap doors leading to a tomb beneath the valley.Wu Xingxue is suddenly pushed through a trap door by Ning Huaishan and One-Arm.Wu Xingxue falls into an underground tomb containing a moss-covered idol and walls lined with lamp-lit niches.Ning Huaishan and One-Arm hide in wall cavities, intending to watch Wu Xingxue die to confirm he is an imposter.Dozens of ghouls emerge, bone-white and soul-eating, surrounding Wu Xingxue.Wu Xingxue calmly sighs, discards his hand-warming stove, and confronts the ghouls barehanded.Wu Xingxue tears off a ghoul’s head with his hands, confirming beyond doubt his identity as the true Wu Xingxue.Ning Huaishan and One-Arm panic as Wu Xingxue slaughters every ghoul effortlessly.Wu Xingxue freezes the last ghoul halfway to death and tracks Ning Huaishan and One-Arm by the trail of blood and frost.Wu Xingxue confronts them directly, terrifying them into believing they will be killed.Wu Xingxue spares their lives but ties them together using belts reinforced by his oppressive aura.Wu Xingxue confiscates their spirit-binding pouch and ties the surviving ghoul between them as punishment.The ghoul awakens, gleefully pressing its face against both Ning Huaishan and One-Arm.

Chapter 17:
Sworn EnemiesWu Xingxue looks down at his hands covered in blood and realizes his body reacts instinctively in battle without conscious thought.Wu Xingxue reflects that years of killing as an archfiend must have engraved these movements into his bones.Wu Xingxue wonders what kind of relationship he truly had with Xiao Fuxuan and concludes it could never have been good.Wu Xingxue turns to Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu, who are bound and being tormented by a ghoul.Ning Huaishan breaks down crying and apologizes, insisting they only suspected impersonation and never meant to betray Wu Xingxue.Wu Xingxue calmly says he knows they believed he was an imposter.Wu Xingxue grabs the ghoul by the neck and questions Fang Chu about his real name.Fang Chu reveals his full name and explains that Wu Xingxue personally gave it to him when he joined Nightgleam.Wu Xingxue admits he remembers nothing from before his imprisonment in the Northern Domain of Tealspire.Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu finally understand why Wu Xingxue has seemed different and realize he truly lost his memories.Wu Xingxue orders them to answer all his future questions truthfully and never lie to him.Wu Xingxue states that any past loyalty no longer protects them because he does not remember it.Wu Xingxue asks whether he used to be cruel, then says he is worse now.Wu Xingxue releases the ghoul and then frees Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu.Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu kill the ghoul themselves and clean themselves in disgust.Wu Xingxue walks to a cold pool and silently washes the blood from his hands.Wu Xingxue reflects that he speaks honestly with his underlings but hides the truth from Xiao Fuxuan.Wu Xingxue questions why he feels compelled to conceal himself when Xiao Fuxuan likely already knows the truth.Ning Huaishan explains that the underground tomb can only be accessed once per day and is sealed by thaumaturgy.Wu Xingxue curtly tells Ning Huaishan to stop talking when it is unnecessary.Wu Xingxue asks Ning Huaishan what kind of relationship he once had with Xiao Fuxuan.Ning Huaishan admits he genuinely does not know because Wu Xingxue was impossible to read.Ning Huaishan explains that Wu Xingxue often used glamours, appeared charming, and lied convincingly.Ning Huaishan recounts that Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan repeatedly crossed paths and visibly loathed each other.Ning Huaishan explains that every encounter with Xiao Fuxuan left Wu Xingxue in a worse mood afterward.Ning Huaishan concludes that Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan must be sworn enemies.Wu Xingxue silently repeats the words sworn enemies to himself.A sudden explosion shatters the tomb’s seals as golden sword light crashes through the ceiling.Xiao Fuxuan forcibly breaks into the underground tomb, destroying the shrine above.Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu are kicked forward into the pile of ghoul corpses.Yi Wusheng and the others arrive and see the mountain of decapitated ghouls.Yi Wusheng mistakenly believes Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu slaughtered all the ghouls.Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu realize Wu Xingxue deliberately framed them and reluctantly accept the blame.Wu Xingxue stands calmly in the distance with clean hands, holding a hand-warming stove.Xiao Fuxuan’s gaze locks directly onto Wu Xingxue instead of the supposed culprits.Clan initiates speculate that the underground tomb may be where the invoked victims were hidden.Wu Xingxue examines the idol in the tomb and realizes it does not resemble any familiar celestial.Xiao Fuxuan asks Wu Xingxue what the ghouls were doing there.Wu Xingxue lies and claims they were already sealed inside the tomb.Xiao Fuxuan asks if Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu killed the ghouls on Wu Xingxue’s behalf.Wu Xingxue casually confirms this lie while pretending to warm himself.Xiao Fuxuan notices that the hand-warming stove is ice-cold.Xiao Fuxuan takes Wu Xingxue’s hand and remarks that it is cold as ice.Wu Xingxue realizes that whatever sworn enemies are supposed to be, they do not behave like this.

Chapter 18:
Celestial TombWu Xingxue asks Xiao Fuxuan whether he has been testing him after noticing Xiao Fuxuan’s reactions and restraint.Xiao Fuxuan denies testing Wu Xingxue but avoids direct eye contact and gives no further explanation.Wu Xingxue realizes the hand-warming stove has become hot again and understands Xiao Fuxuan discreetly warmed it for him.A frightened commoner woman collides with Wu Xingxue in the underground tomb after panicking at the sight of slaughtered ghouls.Wu Xingxue notices the commoners smell strongly of incense and joss sticks hidden beneath their winter clothes.Clan initiates scold the commoners for secretly bringing offerings into the Valley of Laments despite repeated warnings.Wu Xingxue asks why bringing incense is dangerous, prompting the initiates to explain the nature of the invoked victims.The initiates explain that the invoked are vengeful abominations rather than true gods and do not accept incense or food offerings.The initiates state that what the invoked truly want is living people rather than symbolic offerings.The commoners are warned that families who previously brought offerings themselves all disappeared and were later found as bloodied remains.Wu Xingxue instructs the commoners to reveal what they are carrying, alarming the initiates who fear provoking the abominations.Wu Xingxue privately finds it amusing that young initiates dare to glare at him because they do not recognize his identity.The initiates advise the commoners to keep their offerings hidden and remain with the group to avoid being hunted.An initiate produces a soul-detecting compass and presses it against the tomb idol to identify the enshrined being.None of the initiates recognize the idol, despite studying the Book of Gods.Yi Wusheng also fails to identify the idol and grows deeply troubled by his inability to name it.Wu Xingxue examines the idol’s features, noting the funeral banner, flowering branch, and one eye hidden by petals.Wu Xingxue asks Xiao Fuxuan to identify the idol, expecting even him to hesitate.Xiao Fuxuan identifies the idol as Yunhai, a former disciple of Mingwu Hua Xin who once ascended as a celestial.Wu Xingxue questions why Yi Wusheng and the Hua Clan have no record of Yunhai if he was tied to Hua Xin.Xiao Fuxuan explains that Yunhai ceased to be a celestial and was erased from mortal and immortal memory alike.Xiao Fuxuan clarifies that this erasure is mandated by the Heavenly Principles rather than Urbs Caelestia.Xiao Fuxuan recounts that Yunhai violated a heavenly edict and was reassigned to the Valley of Laments as punishment.Yunhai originally oversaw rites of joy and sorrow and relied heavily on offerings to sustain his existence.Because the Valley of Laments was once peaceful and received no worship, Yunhai lost his divinity and fell back to mortality within a century.Years later, war and disaster drove travelers to pray at the valley shrine, but by then Yunhai had already fallen.Xiao Fuxuan states that Yunhai ultimately died in the Valley of Laments after being devoured by fiends.Wu Xingxue notes the irony that worship returned only after Yunhai’s death, rendering the offerings meaningless.Wu Xingxue questions why an idol of Yunhai still exists if no one remembers him.Xiao Fuxuan explains that Mingwu Hua Xin personally defied heavenly law to slaughter the valley’s fiends and carve this sealed tomb after learning of Yunhai’s death.Wu Xingxue realizes this explains why the tomb was hidden and protected by powerful thaumaturgy.Wu Xingxue asks whether Xiao Fuxuan has been to this tomb before.Xiao Fuxuan confirms he has visited the tomb in the past.Wu Xingxue asks if Xiao Fuxuan came to see Yunhai specifically.Xiao Fuxuan reveals that Yunhai was not the only fallen celestial buried in the tomb.

Chapter 19:
Altar GirlWu Xingxue notices Xiao Fuxuan staring at the idol tomb with an expression that looks like remembrance rather than vigilance.Wu Xingxue feels an inexplicable discomfort and chooses to stop pressing Xiao Fuxuan for further answers.Ning Huaishan approaches Wu Xingxue, senses his displeasure, and quickly retreats to avoid provoking him.Ning Huaishan complains to Fang Chu that Wu Xingxue talks more with Xiao Fuxuan than with his own subordinates.Fang Chu bluntly reminds Ning Huaishan that Wu Xingxue never talked much with them even before losing his memories.Ning Huaishan voices renewed suspicion toward Xiao Fuxuan, but Fang Chu firmly refuses to entertain it after the previous disaster.Fang Chu explains that his regeneration stalled earlier because Xiao Fuxuan’s celestial presence suppressed his infernal energy.Fang Chu notes that his arm has begun regenerating again now that they are inside the Valley of Laments.Ning Huaishan realizes this confirms Xiao Fuxuan’s identity as a true celestial-level being.Ning Huaishan considers warning Wu Xingxue but concludes Wu Xingxue must already know.Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu decide to stay silent and obedient.Clan initiates fail to identify the tomb idol and become flustered as their soul-detecting compass spins uselessly.Wu Xingxue asks how the compass works and learns it searches for the soul linked to blood placed on its needle.The initiates explain the blood belongs to one of the woman’s missing daughters, taken despite being tied down overnight.Wu Xingxue instructs the initiates to try again, but the compass still spins and resets without pointing anywhere.Wu Xingxue admits privately that he remembers nothing useful despite his instincts in combat.Wu Xingxue recalls Fang Chu reacting to something earlier and retraces his steps to a wall niche near the lamps.Wu Xingxue feels damp air inside the cavity and suspects something hidden.A nervous clan initiate crawls inside the cavity to investigate and is terrified by a pale, staring figure.Xiao Fuxuan violently enlarges the cavity with a single kick, exposing the contents completely.Wu Xingxue recognizes the pale figure as a glazed pottery statue rather than a living being.Wu Xingxue identifies it as an altar girl statue commonly used in shrine formations.A paper talisman written in blood is affixed to the statue, naming Celestial Emissary Zhao Qinglai as the offering party.The initiates recognize Zhao Qinglai as one of the recently invoked missing people.The group realizes the statue is too small to hold a whole body unless the person was dismembered.Xiao Fuxuan removes the talisman despite the initiates’ alarm.Xiao Fuxuan identifies it as an animate talisman.Yi Wusheng explains that animate rituals were originally meant to invite gods into idols using altar attendants.Yi Wusheng explains the ritual was later corrupted to forcibly animate idols instead.A clan initiate smashes the statue, revealing blood-soaked residue and a foul stench inside.The group realizes a person was once placed inside the statue but is now gone.Everyone understands that the invoked victims were likely dismembered and used as living components of the animate ritual.

Chapter 20:
Putting on an ActWu Xingxue observes the clan initiates and commoners growing pale and shaken after learning the invoked victims were dismembered and used in animate rituals.A commoner nearly collapses when the scent of joss sticks leaks from his clothing, prompting initiates to restrain him to prevent attracting danger.The initiates attempt to comfort the commoners but fail, then look to Wu Xingxue for help, which he pointedly avoids.Wu Xingxue prods Xiao Fuxuan to speak, only belatedly realizing he may be overfamiliar.Xiao Fuxuan asks the grieving woman for her daughters’ names to search for their statues, delivering the information with brutal directness.The woman gives the nicknames Ayuan and Atai and repeatedly whispers them as if calling to her missing children.With names spoken aloud, the group begins searching wall cavities for more acolyte statues.They discover the tomb is an extensive underground catacomb with twisting corridors rather than a single chamber.The geomantic compasses stop functioning, and the group gradually realizes they are unconsciously following Xiao Fuxuan instead.Wu Xingxue questions Xiao Fuxuan about having visited the tomb before, and Xiao Fuxuan admits he has but never entered.Xiao Fuxuan explains he did not enter because he did not want to.Wu Xingxue experiences a vague memory of a snowy night and a figure standing on the bridge outside the valley, then loses the thread.The initiates find additional acolyte statues bearing talismans with names of missing people, including Liu Zhi and Liu Mei, all empty except for dried blood.A fourth statue is shattered, revealing a folded corpse with its head severed and resting in its lap.Yi Wusheng confirms the corpse is not an abomination and identifies it as the first invoked woodcutter.The initiates seal the corpse with a talisman and mark the location to retrieve it later.The group theorizes that earlier victims lost too much of their souls to escape the statues, while later victims retained enough to break free.Another statue is destroyed, revealing claw marks and signs of escape, with a talisman naming Gao E.The initiates struggle to recall who Gao E is, remembering only that they have encountered many bereaved families.Yi Wusheng explains that true animate idol rituals are folkloric and require thirty-three acolytes, not something orthodox cultivation uses.The initiates realize there are exactly thirty-three households involved in the disappearances.Wu Xingxue points out the inconsistency that one household lost two daughters, meaning there should be thirty-four people.The initiates begin to panic over the extra count and turn to question the commoners.The woman who lost her daughters reveals herself as Gao E, the extra invoked person.Gao E’s disguise fails, revealing blackened eyes, a severed neck barely holding her head, and the heaven-invoked name carved there.The other three commoners also reveal themselves as abominations and attack the initiates.Wu Xingxue senses an attack behind him and initially prepares to respond.Wu Xingxue hesitates when he meets Xiao Fuxuan’s gaze.Wu Xingxue deliberately drops his guard, hides behind Xiao Fuxuan, and pushes him forward.Wu Xingxue theatrically pleads for protection, claiming fear.Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu stare in disbelief at Wu Xingxue’s sudden performance.

Chapter 21:
TombZhao Qinglai, one of the first invoked celestial emissaries, attacks Wu Xingxue after judging him to be a defenseless, pampered noble based on his appearance and exposed neck.Zhao Qinglai strikes for Wu Xingxue’s throat but loses his entire arm in an instant when Xiao Fuxuan draws his sword.Xiao Fuxuan steps between Wu Xingxue and Zhao Qinglai, resting his sword against the ground and coldly commanding Zhao Qinglai to come forward.Zhao Qinglai collapses screaming as sword energy shreds his body, his resentment echoing through the tomb.The other three disguised commoners who attacked the clan initiates are also torn apart by stray sword energy and collapse into heaps of mutilated bodies.The initiates realize the invoked commoners arrived at the Valley of Laments already dismembered, sustained only by resentment and grudge.Despite their monstrous state, the initiates feel pity and are shaken by the sight of the commoners’ suffering.Yi Wusheng and the initiates instinctively look to Xiao Fuxuan for guidance.Xiao Fuxuan shows no emotion, surveys the scene, and sheathes his sword without hesitation.A chilling pressure lingers from Xiao Fuxuan’s blade, making everyone uneasy except Wu Xingxue.Wu Xingxue realizes Xiao Fuxuan subtly shifted to block his view of the dismembered bodies.Wu Xingxue feels disturbed by the carnage and recognizes that his long dream of Magpie Haven has altered him.Wu Xingxue thanks Xiao Fuxuan quietly, standing uncomfortably close to him.Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu feel intense secondhand embarrassment at Wu Xingxue thanking Xiao Fuxuan.The severed limbs of the invoked commoners continue writhing, clawing at the floor and refusing to rest.An initiate tries to gather the remains into a storage pouch but is grabbed by a severed hand.The severed hand begs desperately, revealing itself as Gao E.Gao E cries that she must find someone to take her place so she can return home to her daughters.Gao E grabs Ning Huaishan’s ankle, smearing blood as her nails break his skin.Ning Huaishan taunts Gao E cruelly, mocking her hope and revealing his own traumatic past.Yi Wusheng recognizes Ning Huaishan as the same feral youth he once encountered decades ago.Wu Xingxue interrupts Ning Huaishan, telling him to move aside and stop talking.Wu Xingxue calmly asks Gao E to explain this “way” she believes will save her.Gao E insists that replacing her will allow her to go home and claims a god told her so.The other severed commoners confirm they were also instructed by the same god.Gao E explains the god appeared only in dreams and commanded them to bring replacements.The commoners describe being sleepwalked to the Valley of Laments, tearing themselves apart and sealing themselves into acolyte statues.The god told them they could not yet serve as emissaries because of lingering attachments and must bring replacements.The commoners cannot describe the god’s appearance, as if silenced by wards.Yi Wusheng asks what kind of replacements were needed.The commoners explain the shrine lacked celestial energy at its four cardinal corners.They targeted newly initiated cultivators because they believed they carried celestial energy.Zhao Qinglai admits he chose Wu Xingxue because he seemed the easiest to handle among those with celestial energy.Yi Wusheng realizes the formation remains incomplete and therefore dormant.The initiates question whether the animate talisman could truly revive a god.Xiao Fuxuan states flatly that the animate talisman cannot work and is worthless junk from Urbs Caelestia.Xiao Fuxuan notices something wrong with the shattered acolyte statues.Wu Xingxue observes that the statues are far older than the recent victims and were not broken from the outside.Xiao Fuxuan finds a worn, hidden offering rune beneath the bloodstains inside a statue shard.Xiao Fuxuan explains that offering runes once allowed gods to collect incense from mortal worship.Wu Xingxue learns that offerings function like sustenance for gods.Xiao Fuxuan confirms that he himself is an exception and does not rely on offerings.Wu Xingxue realizes the offering runes were not meant to revive gods but to accompany them.Wu Xingxue lights joss sticks and observes the smoke being drawn in a single direction.The group follows the smoke through winding corridors lined with more acolyte statues.They discover nearly twenty additional statues, each containing mutilated remains and hidden offering runes.The group reaches a massive circular vault filled with towering idols.Neither Yi Wusheng nor the initiates recognize any of the idols.Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu become violently nauseous under the pressure of the idols.Xiao Fuxuan confirms that all the idols belong to fallen gods.Wu Xingxue reads the names and titles carved into the pedestals and feels uncanny familiarity.Wu Xingxue discovers identical offering runes carved behind each idol.Wu Xingxue counts exactly thirty-three idols matching the number of acolyte statues.Wu Xingxue senses a deeper structure beyond the vault and glimpses a shadowed pavilion.Xiao Fuxuan stops Wu Xingxue and warns him of an arcane formation.The severed commoners are drawn screaming toward the darkness.Xiao Fuxuan shields Wu Xingxue from flying blood and ignites the darkness with blue-white flames.The flames reveal a granite pavilion resembling a residence rather than a shrine.The plaque above the pavilion is shattered, leaving only the word Breeze.Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan simultaneously identify it as the Seat of Spring Breeze.Xiao Fuxuan names the place the Altar of Deposed Gods.Wu Xingxue realizes the altar serves as a warning rather than a place of worship.The thirty-three idols retain residual power sustained by offerings, while Yunhai’s idol does not.Wu Xingxue concludes Yunhai alone was fully severed from the Book of Gods.The idols appear to shift subtly as the arcane formation activates.Wu Xingxue asks what the formation does.Xiao Fuxuan answers that the formation suppresses fiends and soul remnants and ensures they never see daylight again.

Chapter 22:
Offering RuneYi Wusheng explains that the structure beneath the valley is a grand suppression formation and that such formations always have a visible eye that serves as the keystone or spiritual talisman.Yi Wusheng identifies the eye of the formation as the Altar of Deposed Gods, which shocks the clan initiates because it is far too obvious to be normal.The initiates speculate that the formation’s architect must have been forced to place the eye there due to extreme circumstances rather than choice.The Altar of Deposed Gods suddenly begins to shake violently as if something sealed inside has awakened.Repeated heavy impacts come from within the altar, confirming that a suppressed existence is trying to break free.The grand formation activates in response, unleashing overwhelming pressure that indiscriminately targets everyone inside the vault.The crushing force pulverizes the severed bodies of the invoked commoners and nearly kills the clan initiates.Yi Wusheng’s soul remnant destabilizes under the pressure, nearly tearing the black cloth sealing his soul from his face.Xiao Fuxuan draws his sword and deploys an immense barrier of phantom swords that blocks the formation’s killing force.Thousands of phantom swords form a protective cage around everyone, completely halting the formation’s attack.The initiates recognize the phantom swords as bearing the mark Mian and realize Xiao Fuxuan is wielding the Sword of Absolution.The initiates finally understand that Xiao Fuxuan is the Tianxiu Immortal, despite his appearance not matching portraits in the Book of Gods.Wu Xingxue feels that Xiao Fuxuan’s sword should have a true name and is momentarily distracted by the thought.The altar shakes more violently as the formation intensifies its suppression of whatever lies beneath.Thirty-three fallen-god idols rotate to face the altar as if reinforcing the seal.A powerful voice echoes through the vault, calling Yunhai by name and commanding him to be quiet.Yi Wusheng immediately recognizes the voice as Mingwu Hua Xin, the ancestral celestial of the Hua Clan.The voice subdues the altar completely, confirming that Yunhai is the being sealed beneath the formation.It is revealed that Yunhai did not merely die but became a fiend, which Mingwu Hua Xin could neither destroy nor release.Mingwu Hua Xin instead sealed Yunhai forever beneath the Valley of Laments to prevent him from ever returning to the world.Xiao Fuxuan warns Wu Xingxue not to move as he senses something wrong.Xiao Fuxuan checks the back of Wu Xingxue’s neck and discovers a newly formed marking.Wu Xingxue realizes the marking is in the same location as those borne by Yi Wusheng, Hua Zhaoting, and other victims.Yi Wusheng identifies the marking as an offering rune.Wu Xingxue understands that the rune matches the ones carved into the acolyte statues used in the animate rituals.Xiao Fuxuan confirms that no one else present has developed the rune, meaning only Wu Xingxue is marked.Wu Xingxue deduces that lighting the incense earlier counted as an offering and caused the rune to appear.Yi Wusheng realizes that the offering rune redirects everything consumed by the marked person to the fiend sealed beneath the valley.Yi Wusheng understands that he and Hua Zhaoting unknowingly acted as offering vessels for over twenty years.A clan initiate offers Wu Xingxue a Dreamsbane pill to dispel the marking and prevent possession.Wu Xingxue calmly refuses the Dreamsbane and says it would be wasted on him.The initiates panic and warn that refusing Dreamsbane will turn him into an archfiend.Wu Xingxue smiles and reveals that possession is impossible for him because he was already an archfiend from the beginning.Chapter 23:
The ReckoningXiao Fuxuan grabs Wu Xingxue by the shoulder and urgently warns him after Wu Xingxue openly admits he is an archfiend.Wu Xingxue calmly argues that Dreamsbane should not be wasted on him because this body was an archfiend’s from the start and is difficult to possess.Xiao Fuxuan is momentarily rendered speechless by Wu Xingxue’s reasoning and looks away in restrained frustration.The nearby clan initiate is nearly driven to collapse upon hearing Xiao Fuxuan say the name Wu Xingxue aloud.Yi Wusheng intervenes and repeats his prepared lie that the true greater archfiend Wu Xingxue died under torture in the Northern Domain of Tealspire, allowing an innocent soul to mistakenly possess the body.Before the initiate can question the plausibility of this explanation, a violent explosion shakes the Valley of Laments.The Altar of Deposed Gods fractures as a massive infernal presence gathers beneath it.Fiendish black aura floods the vault, freezing the air and causing the initiates to shiver uncontrollably.Hua Xin’s chanting voice abruptly vanishes, signaling that the grand suppression formation has exhausted its celestial power.The thirty-three fallen-god idols begin cracking from the offering runes on their pedestals upward.One idol collapses, followed by many others in rapid succession, shaking the vault violently.Xiao Fuxuan shields everyone with phantom swords as the idols crumble, preventing them from being crushed.When the dust clears, only four idols remain standing, all heavily fissured.The initiates identify the four remaining idols as two male and two female celestials.Wu Xingxue deduces that each acolyte statue corresponded to one idol and that the murdered commoners’ grudge energy was being used to erode the formation.Wu Xingxue realizes Yunhai orchestrated the murders so the offerings would corrupt the fallen gods and collapse the seal.Wu Xingxue concludes that Hua Xin’s repeated chanting of Yunhai’s name was a final attempt to restrain his disciple.The Altar of Deposed Gods finally explodes, opening a vast chasm filled with writhing infernal aura.The infernal aura surges outward and drags several clan initiates toward the abyss despite their resistance.Xiao Fuxuan unleashes the Sword of Absolution with overwhelming force, cleaving the infernal aura apart and freeing the initiates.The infernal aura regroups into towering waves that fill the tomb, threatening to consume everything.Xiao Fuxuan steps directly into the darkness and strikes again, golden sword light tearing through the black mist.After the infernal aura dissipates, Wu Xingxue approaches the chasm and sees Yunhai lying within.Yunhai’s appearance matches his idol, but half his face is grotesquely scarred and withered beneath a dead flower growing from a vine.Wu Xingxue attempts to move the flower aside, but Xiao Fuxuan stops him, revealing the ruined half of Yunhai’s face only briefly.Wu Xingxue wonders how Hua Xin felt when he first saw his fallen disciple in this state.Xiao Fuxuan drives his sword into the stone, causing the blade to ring like a bell across the valley.The sound overwhelms the initiates, forcing them to crouch and cover their heads.Yi Wusheng identifies the ringing as the reckoning, the judgment the Tianxiu Immortal summons to force a fiend to face the truth of its corruption.As the sword sings and the black mist disperses, everyone is drawn into witnessing the events that occurred centuries ago.

Chapter 24:
YunhaiCenturies ago, the Imperial Capital stood at the foot of Mount Taiyin, and the Divination Commission governed communication with heaven through the Twelve Immortals of the Spirit Terrace.Yunhai was born as the son of one of the two commissioners of the Divination Commission and grew up wealthy, protected, and admired.As a small child, Yunhai first encountered Mingwu Hua Xin in the Divination Commission guest house when Hua Xin stopped him from colliding into him.Yunhai was fascinated by Mingwu Hua Xin’s presence and later learned he was his father’s celestial friend.Six years later, Yunhai’s father was falsely accused, executed, and their entire household was destroyed, plunging the Imperial Capital into chaos.Yunhai became a refugee, traveling south under a false identity with other displaced people.Brightwater closed its gates, forcing refugees to shelter in abandoned mountain shrines during a brutal winter.Hunger, cold, resentment, and corpses filled the shrines, attracting ghouls and fiends, and only a few people survived the winter.Yunhai survived but was gravely injured after fighting a ghoul, breaking his leg and losing sight in one eye.While hiding in a cave with stolen meat, Yunhai encountered Mingwu Hua Xin again, who appeared carrying a lantern.Mingwu Hua Xin told Yunhai he had been entrusted to come get him.Yunhai recognized Mingwu Hua Xin instantly and felt overwhelming resentment over his family’s destruction.Yunhai bit Mingwu Hua Xin’s hand in rage, silently demanding why he had not saved his father or family.Mingwu Hua Xin explained that heavenly laws forbade him from interfering in mortal affairs.Yunhai realized Mingwu Hua Xin had allowed himself to be bitten and released his hand.Mingwu Hua Xin examined Yunhai’s injuries and decided to take him away to be treated.Mingwu Hua Xin carried Yunhai down the mountain on a white deer, immobilizing him so he could not resist.Mingwu Hua Xin asked Yunhai’s age and renamed him Yunhai, severing him from his former identity.Yunhai was brought to the Hua Clan estate rather than Urbs Caelestia, which Yunhai perceived as abandonment.Yunhai healed but was not taught cultivation because Hua Clan elders claimed only Mingwu Hua Xin could teach him.Yunhai spent years idle, watching others train, wandering the estate, and growing increasingly resentful.Yunhai often stayed in the library where Mingwu Hua Xin’s portrait was enshrined, stewing in bitterness.After years of neglect, Yunhai confronted Mingwu Hua Xin about being left unused and ignored.Mingwu Hua Xin told Yunhai he had exceptional talent but was not yet suited to wield a sword.Mingwu Hua Xin explained Yunhai was consumed by thoughts of revenge and annihilation.Yunhai challenged Mingwu Hua Xin, questioning whether cultivation required abandoning hatred and becoming indifferent.Mingwu Hua Xin warned that revenge was a short path that left nothing behind once killing was done.Yunhai outwardly agreed to restrain himself and claimed he would try.Over the following years, Yunhai suppressed his hatred completely and behaved calm, gentle, and unambitious.Mingwu Hua Xin tested Yunhai across several visits and eventually deemed him ready.At seventeen, Mingwu Hua Xin finally gave Yunhai a sword.Yunhai advanced at an astonishing pace, cultivating for eight years before reaching apotheosis.Yunhai ascended to Urbs Caelestia as one of the youngest celestials in history.Yunhai and Mingwu Hua Xin became known as an exemplary master and disciple pair.Yunhai remembered that the most unforgettable part of his ascension was not the journey itself, but the two people he saw in Urbs Caelestia that day.

Chapter 25:
Rex SpiritusYunhai arrives in Urbs Caelestia on the day of his apotheosis and is greeted by a Spirit Terrace celestial emissary holding a jade scepter.The emissary addresses Yunhai as “Squire,” explaining that this is the title used for any celestial who has not yet received a formal name.Yunhai asks whether even the Chief Immortal will call him Squire, surprising the emissary, and then dismisses the question lightly.The emissary leads Yunhai to the endless stairs of Spirit Terrace and explains the required rites of praying to heaven, accepting edicts, and greeting the Twelve Immortals.Yunhai learns that the Twelve Immortals oversee nearly all celestials, with Chief Immortal Mingwu Hua Xin at their head.The emissary explains there are two exceptions who do not fall under the Twelve Immortals’ authority because they were directly invoked by the Heavenly Principles.Yunhai is astonished to learn these two receive heavenly edicts directly, without mediation by Spirit Terrace.Yunhai realizes this places the two invoked immortals beyond even Mingwu Hua Xin in hierarchy, though the emissary avoids confirming it directly.The emissary explains that these two immortals do not accept offerings, do not follow Spirit Terrace proclamations, and maintain mutual noninterference with Mingwu Hua Xin.Yunhai asks for details so he can avoid offending them accidentally.The emissary identifies the first as Tianxiu, given the name Mian, god of penance, recognizable by three mourning studs on his ear.The emissary explains Tianxiu was invoked extremely early, predating even the Twelve Immortals, and is widely deferred to.Yunhai privately resolves to avoid Tianxiu if possible.The emissary introduces the second invoked immortal as Rex Spiritus, who was given the name Zhao at invocation and predates even Tianxiu.The emissary abruptly stops speaking and bows deeply as Tianxiu himself appears on the stairs.Yunhai sees Tianxiu approaching and notes his youthful appearance, cold presence, and the oppressive malevolence radiating from the mourning studs.Tianxiu speaks evenly and informs the emissary he has business at Spirit Terrace.Yunhai politely offers to let Tianxiu go first, but Tianxiu declines and says Yunhai should proceed with his prayers.Tianxiu states he is not there to see Mingwu Hua Xin.Another disturbance at the stairway entrance draws attention as a tall, slender immortal emerges from the fog wearing pale robes with silver trim.Two celestial pageboys follow, one struggling to carry an unusually heavy sword with silver filigree.The tall immortal takes the sword effortlessly, twirls it, and ascends the stairs with aristocratic ease.Yunhai notices the immortal wears a distinctive silver-filigrree mask that matches the sword’s hilt.The emissary quietly identifies the masked immortal as Rex Spiritus.Yunhai asks why Rex Spiritus wears a mask and learns he dons it whenever he receives a heavenly edict.The emissary admits that only the Heavenly Principles know what business Rex Spiritus conducts while masked.Rex Spiritus pauses midway up the stairs, acknowledges Tianxiu with a silent incline of his head, and allows his pageboys to apologize for a past prank.Tianxiu curtly dismisses the apology, and Rex Spiritus briefly lifts his mask to smile before moving on.Yunhai reflects that meeting Tianxiu and Rex Spiritus on his first day lessened the weight of their later legends.Over the next century, Yunhai becomes one of the few celestials to have rapport with both Tianxiu and Rex Spiritus.Yunhai’s relationship with Tianxiu remains distant due to Tianxiu’s nature as a god of penance.Yunhai grows much closer to Rex Spiritus because of his approachable personality despite his authority.Yunhai notices Rex Spiritus lives far from other celestials, next to the Altar of Deposed Gods, a place widely considered taboo.When asked why he lives there, Rex Spiritus simply says it suits him.Mingwu Hua Xin dismisses Yunhai’s curiosity about Rex Spiritus’s residence, saying he must have his reasons.Yunhai becomes increasingly fixated on eliciting genuine emotion from Mingwu Hua Xin rather than the serene expressions seen in portraits.Yunhai feels conflicted pleasure and self-disgust when he succeeds in making Mingwu Hua Xin laugh or react.Yunhai reflects that he devoted his mortal life to reaching Urbs Caelestia, only to spend his celestial life trying to pull the Chief Immortal closer to humanity.Spirit Terrace emissaries begin to notice subtle changes in Mingwu Hua Xin’s demeanor over time.Yunhai briefly imagines that living like this for thousands of years might be acceptable and wishes his former wounded mortal self had been left to die.As a god overseeing mortal rites, Yunhai inevitably encounters the people who destroyed his family.Yunhai avoids killing them three times but fails to escape the fourth encounter.Yunhai murders all thirty-one of them, far fewer than the number of people his family lost.After the slaughter, Yunhai accepts a heavenly edict and goes to Spirit Terrace to receive punishment.This becomes the first time Yunhai ever sees Mingwu Hua Xin truly angry.

Chapter 26:
Fallen GodYunhai arrives at the Spirit Terrace to receive punishment for murdering the thirty-one people who framed his family.The Spirit Terrace consists of twelve suspended spires, each ruled by one of the Twelve Immortals, with Mingwu Hua Xin’s spire standing above the rest.Yunhai discards his talismans and undergoes punishment at each spire in turn, suffering extreme physical and spiritual torment.By the time Yunhai reaches Mingwu Hua Xin, his celestial garments are soaked with blood and burned by flame.Yunhai stands before Mingwu Hua Xin despite barely being able to remain upright.Mingwu Hua Xin looks at Yunhai with visible fury, mixed with a trace of tenderness that Yunhai notices immediately.Yunhai laughs upon seeing Mingwu Hua Xin truly enraged for the first time.Mingwu Hua Xin reprimands Yunhai for violating the heavenly edict he swore to uphold upon entering Urbs Caelestia.Yunhai admits he understood the rules and the consequences but insists that his revenge was worth it.Yunhai declares that letting those people live peacefully would have been unjust.Mingwu Hua Xin is left speechless by Yunhai’s reasoning.Yunhai steps onto the final punishment platform without hesitation.Mingwu Hua Xin turns away and leaves, warning that meddling in one injustice inevitably leads to meddling in another.Yunhai kneels alone as the stone door of the punishment platform closes.After enduring all twelve punishments, Yunhai loses consciousness.Yunhai awakens in Mingwu Hua Xin’s residence with his wounds treated and his damaged celestial core partially repaired.Yunhai realizes Mingwu Hua Xin personally healed him despite his anger.Mingwu Hua Xin does not appear and leaves instructions through his pageboys that Yunhai may leave or stay.Yunhai decides not to stay and prepares to leave Urbs Caelestia.Yunhai asks the pageboys to thank Mingwu Hua Xin for the medicine and the repair of his celestial core.Yunhai departs without seeing Mingwu Hua Xin again.After this event, Yunhai gradually strays further from the righteous path.Yunhai continues intervening in mortal affairs, finding it impossible to stop once he has started.Yunhai witnesses countless injustices as the god of rites of passage, watching deaths, separations, and tragedies daily.Yunhai encounters a thirteen-year-old revenant bride praying for vengeance after being murdered and mutilated.Yunhai traces her fate and realizes her parents were among the people he killed in his revenge.Yunhai understands that minimal interference is no longer enough and intervenes directly.Yunhai becomes trapped in an endless cycle of meddling, where every act of justice creates further injustice.Yunhai realizes that excessive intervention will eventually make his own existence the greatest injustice of all.Each violation of heavenly law forces Mingwu Hua Xin to accept edicts that demote Yunhai again and again.Yunhai is eventually reduced to the numen of the neglected Valley of Laments.As mortal offerings decline, Yunhai’s presence in Urbs Caelestia fades, and other celestials increasingly forget him.Yunhai realizes the Heavenly Principles themselves are erasing him from memory when he is not seen.Rex Spiritus remains the only celestial who consistently remembers Yunhai.Yunhai grows fearful that even Mingwu Hua Xin will one day forget him.Yunhai hears legends of a mysterious bell that rings whenever a god falls to the mortal realm.During a fog-shrouded night, Yunhai encounters Rex Spiritus in his residence, masked and solemn.Rex Spiritus confirms he has accepted a heavenly edict concerning Yunhai.Yunhai realizes he is about to be cast down to the mortal realm.Rex Spiritus destroys Yunhai’s celestial core in an instant, inflicting overwhelming pain.Yunhai sees Rex Spiritus holding a white jade bell and hears it chime.Rex Spiritus reveals the bell is called a Dreambell, not a heavenly bell.Rex Spiritus explains that nine rings of the Dreambell will weave a dream that erases Yunhai’s memories of the past century.Yunhai refuses to forget and sacrifices half of his soul to resist the Dreambell.Yunhai falls to the mortal world with fragmented memories.Yunhai forgets nearly everything from his century as a god, retaining only a vague recurring dream.In the dream, a god rescues him from a winter mountain cave and carries him away on a deer.Yunhai fails to cultivate in the mortal realm because his body cannot form a cultivator’s core.Chaos erupts in the world, forcing Yunhai to live as a vagrant.Yunhai is attacked by a fiend and becomes its vessel.On the brink of death, Yunhai recalls the Dreambell and his lost century.Yunhai absorbs the fiend instead of being consumed, surviving through sheer refusal to die.Yunhai realizes he cannot form a celestial core but can form a fiend’s core instead.Yunhai remembers Hua Xin rescuing him long ago and understands no one will come to save him again.Yunhai survives but resolves never to face Mingwu Hua Xin again.

Chapter 27:
The End of the ReckoningYunhai lives as a fiend in a haze, finding infernal life simpler than cultivation because fiends answer only to themselves.Yunhai advances rapidly on the infernal path and becomes strong enough that even clan leaders fear him.Yunhai deliberately avoids cultivation clans to prevent any trace of him reaching Urbs Caelestia or Mingwu Hua Xin.Unable to project avatars anymore, Yunhai travels to the southwestern hinterlands to learn forbidden hexes and bush sorcery.Yunhai painstakingly crafts a lifelike puppet shaped exactly like himself.Yunhai leaves the puppet in Spring Pennant so it can live an ordinary life among the masses near the Hua Clan.Yunhai leaves Spring Pennant and settles in Gui Province, where fiends gather in large numbers.Yunhai cultivates the Athymia Hex, a forbidden hex that seals away all emotions.After sealing his emotions, Yunhai feels no joy, sorrow, fear, or attachment and views all life as equal and meaningless.Yunhai realizes he has achieved as a fiend what he could not achieve as a celestial, emotional detachment.The Athymia Hex periodically backfires, leaving Yunhai incapacitated in freezing agony for days.During these episodes, Yunhai mutilates himself unknowingly, leaving half his face scarred and ghostlike.Yunhai finds his disfigured appearance fitting and feels no distress over it.Even other fiends avoid Yunhai due to his disturbing presence.Yunhai believes he can live like this forever, surviving as long as the gods in Urbs Caelestia.Yunhai hears that fiends he drove from Gui Province have taken refuge in the Valley of Laments.Yunhai hears that a merchant caravan from Spring Pennant was slaughtered in the Valley of Laments.Yunhai learns one of the dead commoners looked exactly like him and realizes it was the puppet he created.Yunhai feels only brief surprise at the puppet’s death and dismisses it as inconsequential.Yunhai hears the incident has been reported to the Hua Clan, who sent people to investigate.Despite the Athymia Hex still holding, Yunhai feels compelled to go to the Valley of Laments.Yunhai arrives at the Valley of Laments, a place he once protected as its numen.Yunhai finds his old shrine still standing but his idol gone.Yunhai notices joss sticks burning on the long-neglected altar.Yunhai follows the scent of fiends into the gorge, torn between indifference and obligation.Yunhai decides to clear out the fiends and create another puppet to replace the dead one.Yunhai questions why he still bothers maintaining the illusion of an ordinary life.Yunhai slaughters all the fiends in the valley in a violent frenzy.Yunhai’s infernal aura destroys not only the fiends but also shreds the caravan corpses.Yunhai begins to regain awareness only when falling rocks shake the valley.Yunhai senses an approaching sword and immediately recognizes Hua Xin’s sword aura.Yunhai freezes instinctively, knowing Mingwu Hua Xin has arrived.Yunhai hides half his human face and confronts Mingwu Hua Xin within his infernal aura.Yunhai taunts Mingwu Hua Xin, claiming the valley and the dead are insignificant.Mingwu Hua Xin’s killing intent intensifies as they clash.Yunhai deliberately provokes Mingwu Hua Xin to strike with full force.Mingwu Hua Xin unleashes a decisive sword strike aimed at Yunhai’s core.Yunhai makes no attempt to resist and allows the sword to pierce his heart.Celestial energy and infernal energy collide violently inside Yunhai’s body.Mingwu Hua Xin follows with a palm strike meant to completely destroy Yunhai.The infernal aura parts, revealing Yunhai’s unscarred human face.Mingwu Hua Xin freezes upon recognizing Yunhai.Yunhai feels his soul fragmenting and his infernal aura dispersing into the valley.Yunhai senses Mingwu Hua Xin’s hand turning ice-cold as he calls Yunhai’s name.Yunhai feels satisfaction knowing Mingwu Hua Xin will never forget him.Yunhai dies with a smile as the reckoning concludes.The memories witnessed during the reckoning fragment and fade for those present.Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu are pulled back into the vault as the reckoning ends.Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu are deeply shaken by the vision of Rex Spiritus catching his sword.After the reckoning ends, Yunhai’s sealed body stirs within the hollow beneath the altar.Yunhai opens his eyes for the first time in centuries.Yunhai focuses on Wu Xingxue as the first person he sees.Yunhai weakly calls out the name Rex Spiritus.Fang Chu and Ning Huaishan are left utterly stunned and unable to speak.

Chapter 28:
Self-PunishmentNing Huaishan panics after hearing Yunhai call Wu Xingxue “Rex Spiritus” and whispers urgently to Fang Chu about the impossibility of mistaking their archon for anyone else.Fang Chu acknowledges the strangeness but tells Ning Huaishan to force himself to accept an explanation and stop thinking further.Ning Huaishan recalls Wu Xingxue’s habitual sword-catching movements and realizes Yunhai’s recognition may not have been a mistake.Wu Xingxue himself is confused and asks Yunhai directly what name he called him.Yunhai studies Wu Xingxue closely, then looks at Xiao Fuxuan and recognizes the mark on his wrist.Yunhai laughs soundlessly and remarks that only a deposed god who lost everything would ask such a question.Yunhai speaks the names Rex Spiritus and Tianxiu and recalls envying them as heaven-invoked beings who needed no offerings.Wu Xingxue experiences a flash of memory tied to Yunhai’s voice and senses a past familiarity from Urbs Caelestia.Yunhai recalls wandering Urbs Caelestia in shame after being demoted to numen of the Valley of Laments.Yunhai remembers visiting the Seat of Spring Breeze and encountering Rex Spiritus drinking alone.Yunhai teases Rex Spiritus about wine and admits he had suffered a setback that day.Yunhai drinks heavily but avoids speaking directly about his pain.Yunhai confesses envy that Rex Spiritus would outlive the Spirit Terrace without relying on incense.Yunhai flatters Rex Spiritus’s pageboys and mocks the Spirit Terrace attendants.The Tianxiu Immortal arrives after Yunhai deliberately summoned him with mischief.Yunhai drunkenly jokes about Rex Spiritus and the Tianxiu Immortal being paired together.The Tianxiu Immortal stays out of curiosity and drinks with them despite himself.Yunhai reflects bitterly that all three of them are now ruined or gone.Yunhai mocks fate, noting that Urbs Caelestia itself has fallen and no celestials remain.Wu Xingxue questions how Yunhai could know Urbs Caelestia is gone.Wu Xingxue notices layered runes carved into the tomb walls and realizes someone altered the formation after Yunhai was sealed.Yunhai calmly reveals that he has left the tomb before.The clan initiates panic at the revelation that Yunhai escaped confinement.Yi Wusheng asks if Yunhai left around twenty-five years ago and visited the Hua estate.Yunhai confirms he went to the Hua estate more than once.The vines restraining Yunhai erupt violently, attacking everyone in the vault.Xiao Fuxuan counters instantly, unleashing the Sword of Absolution and severing every vine.Xiao Fuxuan halts his blade at Yunhai’s heart and demands to know why he returned if he had escaped.Yunhai addresses Xiao Fuxuan as Lord Tianxiu and mocks sentiment at the moment of victory.Yunhai forces Xiao Fuxuan’s sword into his own heart using the vines.Yunhai recalls being sealed after Mingwu Hua Xin struck him down and hearing Hua Xin’s voice in the darkness.Yunhai describes his soul splitting between the desire to escape and the desire to remain bound.Yunhai explains how he sent fragments of consciousness out whenever the formation weakened.Yunhai fed on offerings and marked mortals while jeering at them from the shrine.Yunhai admits he deliberately committed evils to lure Mingwu Hua Xin to punish or kill him again.Yunhai recounts returning repeatedly to the tomb to replenish strength after exhausting himself.Yunhai remembers standing before Hua Xin’s portrait in the Hua estate and learning that Urbs Caelestia had already fallen.Yunhai realizes the world had become meaningless without Mingwu Hua Xin.Yunhai explains that part of him wanted freedom while another part reinforced the formation to preserve Hua Xin’s voice.Yunhai admits he alternated between trying to escape and strengthening his own prison for more than twenty years.Yunhai concludes that now the formation is broken and Hua Xin’s voice is gone, there is nothing left worth enduring.Yunhai accepts death by Xiao Fuxuan’s sword as his final release.

Chapter 29:
FragmentsYunhai’s vital energy dissipates completely, causing the massive infernal aura to collapse back into the earth as his death becomes irreversible.The vines entwining Yunhai’s body wither rapidly, revealing they grew directly from his heart and were symbiotic with him.The vines restraining Xiao Fuxuan’s sword loosen and fall away, while the flowering branch around Yunhai’s neck remains intact, concealing the ruined half of his face.Everyone present is shocked that Yunhai chose suicide rather than being killed outright by Xiao Fuxuan.Wu Xingxue asks whether any fragment of Yunhai’s soul remains.Xiao Fuxuan confirms that Yunhai’s soul and consciousness have been completely annihilated by the sword strike to his heart.As Yunhai’s robes fall open, Yi Wusheng notices a Hua Clan identification tablet hanging from his belt.Yi Wusheng recognizes the tablet as genuine Hua Clan craftsmanship made of purple jadeite engraved with peach blossoms.Wu Xingxue flips the tablet over and finds the name Hai engraved in slender handwriting.Yi Wusheng explains that disciple tablets are engraved in the disciple’s own hand, confirming the writing belongs to Yunhai.Wu Xingxue realizes the handwriting matches the runes he previously noticed layered inside the hollow beneath the altar.The group uncovers the eye of the suppression formation beneath Yunhai’s left hand.The eye consists of two keystones, one shattered long ago and one intact, the intact one bearing the name Hai in Yunhai’s handwriting.It becomes clear that Yunhai himself reinforced the formation after being sealed, ensuring his own imprisonment.Yi Wusheng holds the keystone and expresses quiet pity for Yunhai despite the suffering Yunhai caused him.Wu Xingxue reflects that Yi Wusheng would have been a friend worth keeping in another life.Yi Wusheng reburies the keystone beneath Yunhai’s palm, restoring the formation’s remains.Xiao Fuxuan suddenly senses something hidden deeper in the earth and stops Yi Wusheng from covering the ground.Xiao Fuxuan taps the ground, causing the soil to tremble and push a buried object to the surface.A white jade bell emerges from the dirt, warm and lustrous against the blood-dark soil.Xiao Fuxuan retrieves the bell, and Yi Wusheng immediately recognizes it as the real Dreambell.The bell’s intricate silver filigree matches the style of Rex Spiritus’s sword and mask, confirming its origin.It becomes clear that the Dreambell kept at the Hua estate was a fake and that Yunhai swapped it long ago.Yi Wusheng cannot understand why Yunhai took the Dreambell when it could only be used to weave dreams or false realities.Wu Xingxue wonders whether Yunhai once considered using the Dreambell to escape his endless imprisonment through a dream.Xiao Fuxuan places the Dreambell into Wu Xingxue’s palm without explanation.Wu Xingxue feels unexpected nostalgia despite having no conscious memory of the Dreambell.Wu Xingxue notices fissures inside the Dreambell and senses instinctively that it is damaged but still responsive to him.Fragmented memories surface in Wu Xingxue’s mind as he holds the bell.Wu Xingxue recalls a winter night, a vast courtyard, heavy snow on a towering tree, and Xiao Fuxuan standing at a doorway.In the memory, Wu Xingxue holds something cold and sharp in his hand while facing Xiao Fuxuan.Wu Xingxue remembers asking Xiao Fuxuan whether he knew that fiends are driven by carnal desires.Xiao Fuxuan answers that he knew.Wu Xingxue remembers asking whether Xiao Fuxuan intended to become a guest behind an archfiend’s bed curtains.The vividness of the memory makes Wu Xingxue’s fingers tremble in the present.Wu Xingxue looks up and sees Xiao Fuxuan’s face overlap perfectly with the face from his memory.Wu Xingxue returns the Dreambell to Xiao Fuxuan without explanation, leaving the recovered memory unresolved.

Chapter 30:
Shattered BellWu Xingxue tells Xiao Fuxuan to take back the Dreambell and questions why it was given to him in the first place.Xiao Fuxuan does not answer and silently observes Wu Xingxue.The cultivation clan initiates recognize the Dreambell from Yunhai’s reckoning and believe it is a celestial relic belonging to Rex Spiritus.The initiates quietly praise Wu Xingxue for returning such a powerful relic without hesitation, believing he is an ordinary mortal soul.One initiate explains that most cultivators would be unable to resist the temptation of a celestial relic, but Wu Xingxue lacks the cultivation to carry it anyway.Wu Xingxue politely accepts the praise while internally amused.Xiao Fuxuan listens in silence while rolling the Dreambell between his fingers.Wu Xingxue becomes unsettled watching Xiao Fuxuan handle the Dreambell and recalls intimate fragments of past memory tied to it.Wu Xingxue abruptly snatches the Dreambell back from Xiao Fuxuan and announces he has changed his mind.Wu Xingxue decides he should not give the Dreambell to Xiao Fuxuan and instead offers it to Yi Wusheng.Yi Wusheng panics internally and refuses to accept the Dreambell, believing it rightfully belongs to Rex Spiritus.Yi Wusheng recalls accusing Wu Xingxue of stealing the Dreambell in the past and is deeply embarrassed.Yi Wusheng reasons that Xiao Fuxuan already returned the Dreambell to its rightful owner and he has no right to take it.Wu Xingxue realizes he is tormenting everyone unintentionally and considers passing the burden to his underlings.Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu refuse, explaining that fiends react violently to idols and celestial relics.Wu Xingxue accepts that he must carry the Dreambell himself.The group concludes their investigation of the Valley of Laments, having uncovered the cause of the invocations, the source of Yi Wusheng’s marking, and the true Dreambell.Wu Xingxue remains troubled by unanswered questions about how Hua Xin preserved Yunhai.They search Yunhai’s tomb further but find no additional clues.At dawn, the initiates collect the remains of the invoked commoners into a bottomless bag.Yi Wusheng urges the initiates to use illusions and proper rites before returning the bodies to their families.The initiates promise to ensure the dead find peace and depart for Brightwater.The initiates invite Wu Xingxue, Xiao Fuxuan, and Yi Wusheng to return with them, but Xiao Fuxuan bluntly refuses.Wu Xingxue explains his presence would frighten the Hua Clan leadership, and the invitation is dropped.Yi Wusheng explains that as a soul remnant, he has only a few days left and will not impose further.Xiao Fuxuan confirms Yi Wusheng has four days remaining.Yi Wusheng decides to travel to Twilight Fen and then attempt to return to Peach Blossom Isle before his soul dissipates.Yi Wusheng admits that resolving his unfinished business only made him want more time.Yi Wusheng bids farewell but hesitates, wanting to ask about the Dreambell’s use.Yi Wusheng notices the Dreambell is cracked and reacts with alarm.Wu Xingxue reveals the Dreambell was already damaged internally and wonders whether it can still be used.Yi Wusheng urgently warns that using a damaged celestial relic could cause catastrophic consequences.Xiao Fuxuan confirms that misuse could be extremely dangerous.Wu Xingxue asks whether the Dreambell can be repaired.Xiao Fuxuan hesitates, nearly saying no, then answers that it can be restored.Yi Wusheng is shocked that restoration is even possible.One hour later, Wu Xingxue, Xiao Fuxuan, and Yi Wusheng depart together in a carriage toward the ruins of the Mount Blossomfell Bazaar.

Three Hundred Years of Longing: Bu Jian Shang Xian San Bai Nian, Vol. 2

Chapter 31: JadehaemXiao Fuxuan stands by the carriage door as usual while Fang Chu pretends to be unconscious the moment he boards, Yi Wusheng sits quietly, Wu Xingxue sits opposite them, and Ning Huaishan curls into the corner while sulking over the aching sword scar on his neck.Ning Huaishan deliberately provokes Yi Wusheng by asking whether his unfinished business is done, and Yi Wusheng admits with embarrassment that it is not, revealing his lifelong curiosity and how he had to restrain it due to his status in the Hua Clan, though now that he is dying he can finally follow his own interests.Yi Wusheng notices Ning Huaishan’s scar and asks about it, and Ning Huaishan reacts aggressively, even though Yi Wusheng was the one who originally inflicted the wound while acting as a clan disciple exterminating fiends.Yi Wusheng offers medicine out of a doctor’s concern, Ning Huaishan refuses harshly and threatens him, then regrets his words because Yi Wusheng is near death, and Yi Wusheng silently produces a pill anyway.Under Wu Xingxue’s stern glance, Ning Huaishan swallows the pill and secretly asks Fang Chu through etheric whispers to stop pretending to sleep and help him manage the awkward situation.Fang Chu refuses because he is internally panicking about their predicament, realizing that although they once appeared to be fiends escorting a kidnapped clan disciple, the truth is that Yi Wusheng came willingly, the supposed puppet is actually the real Tianxiu Immortal, and Wu Xingxue is Rex Spiritus of Urbs Caelestia, meaning three of the five passengers are celestially aligned and he and Ning Huaishan are the only true fiends in danger.Fang Chu becomes especially anxious because they are heading to Mount Blossomfell Bazaar, now the entrance to Nightgleam, and he fears bringing celestials there might count as betrayal or a coup.Wu Xingxue casually invites Xiao Fuxuan to sit since there is room, causing Fang Chu and Ning Huaishan to panic over potentially sitting next to Tianxiu Immortal.Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu kick each other under the table in a frantic attempt to rearrange seats, but Fang Chu accidentally kicks Wu Xingxue instead, exposing their antics.Embarrassed, Ning Huaishan flees to sit beside Fang Chu and claims he is making room for Tianxiu Immortal, which only draws unimpressed stares from Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan.Ning Huaishan tries to distract Wu Xingxue by complaining about his neck again, but Wu Xingxue dryly points out that the wound has already scabbed over thanks to Yi Wusheng’s pill, exposing Ning Huaishan’s act.Wu Xingxue reflects that Xiao Fuxuan normally refuses to sit close to others, but unexpectedly Xiao Fuxuan approaches and sits beside Wu Xingxue, his sword brushing his belt pendant and his body warmth close enough to make Wu Xingxue fall silent.Ning Huaishan witnesses Wu Xingxue’s intimidating presence soften instantly when Xiao Fuxuan sits next to him, which unsettles him so much that he decides to keep pretending to sleep along with Fang Chu and Yi Wusheng.Wu Xingxue suppresses laughter at the sight of all three of them feigning sleep and shifts the conversation to Mount Blossomfell Bazaar, recalling that it once was a seasonal market from a few hundred years ago that no longer exists.Wu Xingxue remembers hearing the bazaar’s name before in connection with the Dreambell and during Yunhai’s reckoning, and he associates it with faint lively chatter, possibly influenced by the Dreambell hanging from his belt, and notes that according to Ning Huaishan the bazaar’s destruction was his own doing.Xiao Fuxuan explains that the bazaar was destroyed by a sudden wildfire that erupted right after it opened one year, spreading so quickly that it could not be stopped and burning so fiercely that people mistook the flames for festive lantern light and even interpreted the red glow over the moon as a sign of prosperity.By the time anyone realized the disaster, the mountain paths were sealed by fire, cultivation clans failed to extinguish it even with summoned rain, and only after everything was reduced to ashes did the flames die out.Yi Wusheng says rumors claimed the wildfire was divine punishment, but clarifies that Tianxiu Immortal was under a one-hundred-year proscription in the Extranorthern Reaches at the time and thus not responsible.Wu Xingxue reacts with confusion and concern at the mention of Xiao Fuxuan’s proscription, and Xiao Fuxuan dismisses it as minor restrictions while briefly showing a cold expression that suggests he does not wish to elaborate.Yi Wusheng describes how blood from the catastrophe soaked the land, turned streams red, and for years afterward phantom firelight and a red moon appeared annually on the third day of the Third Month, prompting cultivation clans and commoners to recite scriptures and hymns to pacify the souls of the dead.Eventually Mount Blossomfell Bazaar became the entrance to Nightgleam, and after that transformation the spectral flames ceased, as if evil countered evil, and over time people stopped viewing the location as special.Yi Wusheng wonders why they must travel there to restore the Dreambell but restrains himself from asking directly due to celestial taboos, relying instead on Wu Xingxue to question Xiao Fuxuan.Wu Xingxue asks why they must go specifically to Mount Blossomfell Bazaar, and Xiao Fuxuan answers that jadehaem exists within Blossomfell Terrace.Xiao Fuxuan lifts the Dreambell from Wu Xingxue’s belt and reveals that it was originally forged from jadehaem taken from Blossomfell Terrace.Wu Xingxue remains silent in the dim carriage light, then quietly pulls the white-jade Dreambell back to himself.

Chapter 32: TribulationWu Xingxue, who had earlier tried to give away the Dreambell, now feels inexplicably protective of it after hanging it from his belt, especially resisting Xiao Fuxuan touching it, and each time Xiao Fuxuan lifts it Wu Xingxue quickly takes it back despite having once offered it to him.Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu secretly observe Wu Xingxue’s shifting moods and think their archon remains as temperamental and unreadable as ever, changing expressions faster than flipping pages.Wu Xingxue feels awkward about the subtle tug-of-war over the Dreambell and decides to pretend to sleep like Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu, mocking himself for following their foolish example, yet eventually growing genuinely drowsy.Yi Wusheng has explained that due to extreme upheaval, cultivation clans have erected countless thaumaturgical seals and wards across cities and wilderness, making flying swords or ethereal shifts impractical because they would trigger alarms and sealed letters from disturbed clans.To avoid trouble, most cultivators now travel by special carriages that pause or turn when encountering seals, and Wu Xingxue senses such pauses as they pass four cities on the day-long journey from Valley of Laments to Blossomfell Terrace.As dusk approaches and they near Nightgleam, Wu Xingxue begins to feel an unnatural cold that seeps from his bones and flows through his meridians like ice water, and even the heated stove in his sleeve and circulating vital force cannot dispel it.Wu Xingxue resents his amnesia because although he can fight effortlessly, he feels helpless in understanding his own condition, and when he briefly opens his eyes he notices Xiao Fuxuan watching him, prompting him to close them again and endure the cold silently out of pride.Clutching the Dreambell tightly in his fist, Wu Xingxue drifts into a dream while still gripped by the same bone-deep chill.In the dream, Wu Xingxue stands in a vast courtyard in midwinter, wearing thin robes and washing his empty hands under green bamboo while ice coats the stones, yet he does not feel the freezing water.Fang Chu calls out to Wu Xingxue near a deep pool filled with dark, viscous liquid that splashes crimson onto snow, where an arm briefly reaches out before Fang Chu kicks it back under, revealing that two infiltrators have been disposed of in the blood pool.Fang Chu reports that the two “little mice” who tried to infiltrate Fly-On-By for their master have been taken care of, but he is unsure how widely their gossip spread, and Wu Xingxue casually admits he does not even remember their faces.The infiltrators are reduced to nothing in the blood pool, and Fang Chu retrieves a small golden soul hook from the remains, recognizing it as belonging to Sang Yu.Fang Chu explains that soul hooks are placed through fiendlings’ Gates of Life as leashes by powerful archfiends, and while cultivation clans conceal such tools, Nightgleam archfiends flaunt uniquely marked hooks to inspire fear, identifying this one as Sang Yu’s.Wu Xingxue initially fails to recognize the name Sang Yu, shocking Fang Chu because Sang Yu is one of Nightgleam’s most infamous archfiends, second only to Wu Xingxue in notoriety, though Wu Xingxue’s indifference suggests he truly does not care about others unless they matter to him.Fang Chu mentions Ning Huaishan is running errands before his impending tribulation leaves him incapacitated, and hesitantly brings up Wu Xingxue’s own tribulation, but falls silent under Wu Xingxue’s gaze.Wu Xingxue decides to confront Sang Yu personally regarding the soul hook rather than summon him, stating he prefers Sang Yu stay away because he dislikes his smell.Wu Xingxue and Fang Chu travel through foggy, winter-shrouded Nightgleam to Sang Yu’s estate, which appears normal outside but is filled with black coffins sealed with talismans inside, accompanied by eerie disembodied laughter.Sang Yu’s underlings try to stop Wu Xingxue from proceeding, claiming Sang Yu is unfit to receive guests, but they dare not physically block him and can only shout warnings.Wu Xingxue ignores them and stops before a building thick with oppressive nether energy, where he flicks his fingers to shatter the restrictive wards and fling the doors open, releasing heavy gray mist and the stench of blood.Inside, Sang Yu is in the midst of his tribulation, surrounded by entangled bodies in blatant indulgence, and although sweating he shivers when the warmth fades.Sang Yu greets Wu Xingxue lazily, explaining he invited people to warm him during his tribulation and mockingly asks whether Wu Xingxue has found another method to endure such cold.Sang Yu bites into one of the bodies, drinks the flowing blood until the victim stops struggling, and casually tosses the lifeless hand aside while continuing to taunt Wu Xingxue.Sang Yu reveals he knew about Wu Xingxue’s recent tribulation and admits he sent spies to observe him, who were the infiltrators killed earlier.Sang Yu states that before dying, his spies reported seeing someone at Fly-On-By during Wu Xingxue’s tribulation whom they thought must be a hallucination.Sang Yu directly confronts Wu Xingxue with the revelation that the person seen with him during his tribulation was Tianxiu Immortal, and demands to know what Tianxiu Immortal was doing at Fly-On-By during something as intimate and dangerous as Wu Xingxue’s tribulation.

Chapter 33: SilencedSang Yu’s provocative question about Tianxiu Immortal causes the entire Sang Estate to fall silent as all eyes fix on Wu Xingxue, while Fang Chu alone suppresses his curiosity out of fear.Wu Xingxue calmly interrupts Sang Yu and demands to know what else the two spies reported, shifting the power dynamic and forcing Sang Yu to reveal more.Sang Yu explains in detail how fiend tribulations worsen over time, requiring increasing amounts of vital energy from commoners, then cultivators, and eventually becoming nearly impossible to endure, which is why he suspected Wu Xingxue had discovered a method involving Tianxiu Immortal.Sang Yu openly speculates that Tianxiu Immortal, as the god of penance whose celestial energy normally cannot coexist with infernal energy, must somehow have been used by Wu Xingxue to overcome his tribulation, and he pressures Wu Xingxue to reveal the technique.Wu Xingxue refuses to engage directly and instead asks how many powerful Nightgleam figures Sang Yu has informed, calculating the scope of the threat.Sang Yu lists several notorious archfiends including Cui Yin, Chang Gu, and Master Hongguang, eventually naming ten in total, believing that public pressure from these figures could force Wu Xingxue’s hand.Wu Xingxue steps inside the room mid-conversation, and before Sang Yu can finish another taunt about Tianxiu Immortal, Wu Xingxue draws a sword with ghostlike speed.In a single instant, Wu Xingxue beheads all of Sang Yu’s underlings outside the building, killing them so swiftly their bodies remain standing as blood spurts from their necks, and frost spreads along his blade as he cleans it with a flick.Wu Xingxue seals the doors, extinguishes the lamps, and traps Sang Yu inside the darkened building, escalating the confrontation beyond negotiation.Sang Yu attempts to retaliate by activating golden talismans that release hundreds of reanimated corpses from black coffins, believing Wu Xingxue is weakened by incomplete merging of celestial and infernal energies.Wu Xingxue effortlessly crushes the assault, pins Sang Yu against the wall, and proves there is no trace of Tianxiu Immortal’s celestial energy lingering on him, shattering Sang Yu’s assumptions.When Sang Yu threatens that rumors will spread from one to ten to a hundred and eventually reach the mortal world and Urbs Caelestia, Wu Xingxue calmly replies that the dead cannot speak and implies he will kill every informed fiend.Instead of killing Sang Yu immediately, Wu Xingxue impales him to the wall with coffin studs and leaves him alive as he hunts down each of the ten named archfiends one by one.Throughout the night, Wu Xingxue slaughters every fiend Sang Yu mentioned, asking each victim who else knows before killing them, systematically erasing all witnesses to the secret.At dawn, Wu Xingxue returns to Sang Yu’s estate and displays the collected personal items of the murdered fiends before Sang Yu, demonstrating that none remain alive.Wu Xingxue finally kills Sang Yu, leaving his corpse collapsed amid clattering coffin studs, confirming that the true line Sang Yu crossed was spreading knowledge of Tianxiu Immortal’s presence at Fly-On-By.Wu Xingxue returns to Fly-On-By with Fang Chu and encounters Ning Huaishan, whose own tribulation is approaching, and he orders his bloodstained robe burned due to his fastidious dislike of blood.Fang Chu and Ning Huaishan privately discuss the events, realizing that although Sang Yu claimed Wu Xingxue bore no celestial energy, Wu Xingxue must actually be enduring intense cold from tribulation without outwardly showing weakness.They deduce that Wu Xingxue may have worn thin robes to avoid appearing vulnerable, possibly in front of Tianxiu Immortal, and speculate about what truly happened between them during the tribulation.Wu Xingxue overhears their whispers and appears silently behind them, his presence now faintly carrying Tianxiu Immortal’s celestial aura after expending vital force, confirming their suspicions.Fang Chu hastily swears that neither he nor Ning Huaishan will reveal anything about Wu Xingxue’s tribulation, but Wu Xingxue silences them by activating the Dreambell, plunging everything into darkness.Wu Xingxue awakens from the dream inside the carriage, rain pattering outside as they arrive at Blossomfell Terrace, still hearing echoes of Fang Chu’s oath in his mind.Wu Xingxue finds himself covered with a thick woolen blanket despite having fallen asleep in a single thin robe, and Yi Wusheng explains that Tianxiu Immortal covered him after noticing his knuckles turning blue from the cold.Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu nervously attempt to explain tribulations in vague terms without revealing too much in front of Tianxiu Immortal, worried that Wu Xingxue’s amnesia could endanger him.When they hesitate to say the word, Tianxiu Immortal calmly supplies it himself, saying “Tribulation,” making Wu Xingxue acutely aware of his condition and briefly tempted to throw the blanket over Tianxiu Immortal’s head in embarrassment.

Chapter 34: BazaarNing Huaishan and Fang Chu nearly fall out of the carriage when Xiao Fuxuan calmly says “Tribulation,” and both of them whirl back in shock, demanding to know how Tianxiu Immortal could possibly know a secret term fiends never reveal to cultivators.Yi Wusheng admits he has never even heard the word before, confirming that tribulation is knowledge strictly concealed within Nightgleam, since fiends treat it as their greatest vulnerability and cultivators would only call it karmic retribution.Wu Xingxue immediately realizes that Xiao Fuxuan should not have known about tribulation, and recalling Sang Yu’s insinuations in his dream, feels there is no place left to hide in the carriage.Xiao Fuxuan ignores the barrage of questions and simply lifts the curtain, instructing Wu Xingxue to step down, then quietly answers that he “just happened to know,” which makes Wu Xingxue’s heart skip.Xiao Fuxuan orders Wu Xingxue to put on an overcoat, clearly addressing him alone, and Wu Xingxue returns inside to retrieve it while Yi Wusheng kindly offers pills to treat the chill, unaware of the implications.Wu Xingxue states that he does not remember tribulations nor their sensations and refuses the pills, then exits quickly with the overcoat, while Ning Huaishan and Fang Chu whisper in alarm that Tianxiu Immortal seems to know everything.Wu Xingxue silences his underlings with a soft but terrifying tone, and steps into the cold, rainy night near Nightgleam’s relay station, noticing Xiao Fuxuan lingering a few steps behind him without approaching.Wu Xingxue observes Nightgleam’s outer defenses, including towering walls, black iron gates, bells atop pointed towers, and eerie foxfire lamps floating in the rain, and learns from Ning Huaishan that he himself once installed the tealfire lamps and black bells to repel celestials from Urbs Caelestia.Ning Huaishan explains that guards were only added after Wu Xingxue was imprisoned in the Northern Domain of Tealspire, as the fiends feared his protections would not last, implying they assumed him dead.Wu Xingxue asks who currently rules Nightgleam and learns that Xueli is now archon, shocking Yi Wusheng when it is revealed that Xueli is actually Feng Xueli of the Feng Clan, son of Feng Feishi’s family friend, who abandoned his clan, entered the infernal path, dropped his surname, and seized power in Nightgleam.Ning Huaishan bitterly adds that Xueli even tried to claim Fly-On-By as his own residence, but the estate sealed itself after Wu Xingxue’s disappearance, preventing him from moving in.Before they can devise a plan to sneak through the gate, necromancer guards appear, their necks ringed with coffin studs, and Wu Xingxue recognizes their deathly aura as similar to Sang Yu’s.As the guards approach to inspect the strangers, Xiao Fuxuan quietly steps beside Wu Xingxue, and when Wu Xingxue questions why he moved, Xiao Fuxuan replies that he is there to give him a new face and tells him not to move.The guard captain explains that there has been a disturbance in Blossomfell Terrace, prompting heightened security, and insists on inspecting the three unfamiliar figures.Without any visible gesture, Xiao Fuxuan says “It’s done,” and Wu Xingxue realizes that Xiao Fuxuan has altered his appearance and Yi Wusheng’s without being detected.Although one guard feels Wu Xingxue’s eyes look familiar, another dismisses the suspicion, and Ning Huaishan bluffs that they merely brought back a few captives for food, allowing them to pass.The guards warn them to avoid the usual path through Blossomfell Terrace because strange firelight has reappeared over the mountain, a phenomenon thought to have ceased centuries ago after the bazaar burned and became Nightgleam’s entrance.Wu Xingxue connects the timing of the firelight’s return with their departure from the Valley of Laments, suspecting it may not be coincidence.Ning Huaishan panics about the tealfire lamps detecting Xiao Fuxuan’s celestial energy, but Xiao Fuxuan walks straight through the lamps without triggering them, as if he has done so before, leaving the fiendlings stunned.Wu Xingxue deduces that if his dream memories are real and Xiao Fuxuan once visited Fly-On-By, then he himself must have made an exception in the tealfire lamps for Xiao Fuxuan long ago.As Wu Xingxue walks forward, the environment abruptly shifts into thick unnatural mountain fog, and when he steps through it, the world transforms into the bustling Mount Blossomfell Bazaar as it existed centuries ago.Wu Xingxue sees orange lanterns, lively crowds, banners bearing the name Mount Blossomfell Bazaar, teahouses filled with laughter, vendors hawking spirit tea, and streets paved with loose white stones, all impossibly vivid and tangible.Though he has no memories, Wu Xingxue instinctively recognizes the place as the bazaar of old and questions whether this is merely illusion, yet the tactile realism convinces him it is something more profound.Wu Xingxue notices a familiar tall figure about fifty feet ahead pushing aside a canopy with a sword and instinctively calls out “Xiao—” to him.Before he can finish the name, a warm hand covers Wu Xingxue’s mouth from behind, and Xiao Fuxuan presses close to him, whispering into his ear that the man ahead cannot be called because he is an illusion.

Chapter 35: InnWu Xingxue recalls a fragmented memory of Xiao Fuxuan once covering his mouth from behind in a similar manner, remembering the brush of Xiao Fuxuan’s thumb and the warmth of his breath, and instinctively warns Xiao Fuxuan that touching an archfiend’s back is reckless because it could trigger a lethal reflex.Xiao Fuxuan calmly replies that he knows the risk but points out that Wu Xingxue withdrew his vital force on instinct, proving that he did not view Xiao Fuxuan as a threat even subconsciously.Xiao Fuxuan pulls Wu Xingxue into a quieter corner behind a wall to muffle the bazaar’s noise, and Wu Xingxue questions whether the bustling Mount Blossomfell Bazaar around them is truly just an illusion because it feels overwhelmingly real.Xiao Fuxuan explains that while the vision itself is an illusion, the scene depicted is not fabricated but represents a real, specific day from the past of Blossomfell Terrace.Wu Xingxue deduces that the timing is too coincidental, since the disturbance at Blossomfell Terrace began just after they left the Valley of Laments, and suspects that someone deliberately wants them to witness this particular day.Wu Xingxue asks whether Xiao Fuxuan has a good memory and whether he can identify the exact day being shown, but Xiao Fuxuan admits he cannot determine which day it is based solely on the scene.Wu Xingxue confirms that the tall figure he tried to call out to earlier must have been Xiao Fuxuan’s past self, insisting he could not mistake him for someone else, and Xiao Fuxuan presses him on why that is, leaving Wu Xingxue momentarily speechless.Wu Xingxue notices Xiao Fuxuan’s stiff, coffin-like expression when the tea vendor’s exaggerated sales pitch rings out, and bursts into genuine laughter for the first time since awakening in the Northern Domain of Tealspire, surprising Xiao Fuxuan with its sincerity.Xiao Fuxuan resumes moving through the bazaar and Wu Xingxue follows, realizing they are trailing Xiao Fuxuan’s illusory past self from a safe distance because getting too close would alert him.Wu Xingxue understands that if the illusion’s Xiao Fuxuan discovered them, he would likely kill them instantly rather than tolerate an identical double following him.A sudden overpowering fragrance from spilled cosmetics halts the crowd, and a shop attendant explains that a cart from the Li’s shop overturned after being struck by a falling rock, which is strange because the bazaar’s buildings are normally reinforced by cultivation clans to prevent such hazards.Onlookers question how rocks could fall in such a well-established market, and it is revealed that the Feng Clan has been summoned to address the disturbance, reminding Wu Xingxue that Feng Xueli, now Xueli, originated from that clan.When the illusory Xiao Fuxuan stops and scans the crowd as if sensing something, Wu Xingxue swiftly drags the real Xiao Fuxuan into the lobby of a nearby inn to avoid being noticed.Inside the quieter inn lobby, Wu Xingxue notices a white-jade bell hanging above the counter that closely resembles the Dreambell he carries, drawing his attention.The young porter rushes downstairs and freezes upon seeing Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan, staring at them in shock and repeatedly opening and closing his mouth without speaking.Wu Xingxue senses a faint but unmistakable damp, musty odor emanating from the porter, the same necromancer scent he associated with Sang Yu and the guards at Nightgleam, leading him to suspect the inn is no ordinary establishment.The innkeeper looks up from his abacus, reacts with the same stunned expression as the porter, and asks in confusion whether Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan have not just checked out moments earlier, implying that identical versions of them were already present in this specific day’s reality.

Chapter 36: Dead of NightWu Xingxue is stunned when the innkeeper claims he and Xiao Fuxuan just checked out, and he quickly suppresses his curiosity to avoid alarming the illusion’s inhabitants and possibly attracting cultivation clans.Wu Xingxue masks his confusion with calm indifference, silently implying they are indeed the same guests who just left, while Xiao Fuxuan smoothly confirms they will stay another night.The innkeeper reacts with visible reluctance and unease as he reopens the guest ledger and asks whether they will share a room again, and Xiao Fuxuan answers yes without hesitation.Wu Xingxue is caught off guard by the implication that he and Xiao Fuxuan shared a single room previously, and Xiao Fuxuan does not deny it when Wu Xingxue silently questions him.The porter nervously admits he has not yet cleaned the room since they supposedly left only an hour or two ago, but Wu Xingxue snatches the key from his hand and enters immediately, eager to see what evidence remains.Inside, the room appears completely untouched, with the bed neatly made and the teacups undisturbed, contradicting the idea that anyone stayed there at all.The porter is baffled and leaves when dismissed, and Wu Xingxue immediately questions whether Xiao Fuxuan intentionally misled him about sharing a room, suspecting teasing, though Xiao Fuxuan maintains his usual impassive demeanor.Wu Xingxue realizes that if there was any misunderstanding, it was entirely in his own imagination, and redirects the conversation to why Xiao Fuxuan insisted on staying the night.Xiao Fuxuan confirms that this visit was the last time he ever came to Mount Blossomfell Bazaar before it burned down, which implies that something significant happened on this specific day.When Wu Xingxue presses him about whether anything unusual occurred, Xiao Fuxuan initially insists nothing remarkable happened that night.Xiao Fuxuan recalls that during that final visit, he encountered Rex Spiritus at the bazaar, and they used glamours to walk unnoticed among the crowd.Xiao Fuxuan remembers that Rex Spiritus had expended a great deal of celestial energy fulfilling a heavenly edict and was fatigued and cold as night fell, prompting them to stay at this very inn.Xiao Fuxuan remembers conjuring hovering lamps to warm the room and watching over Rex Spiritus as he slept, ensuring his circulating celestial energy remained stable and unobstructed throughout the night.Xiao Fuxuan states that nothing went wrong and the night passed peacefully, but upon reexamining the memory now, he realizes that the complete lack of incident is itself suspicious.Xiao Fuxuan suddenly declares that his memory of that night has been altered, shocking Wu Xingxue.Wu Xingxue immediately understands that someone powerful enough to tamper with Tianxiu Immortal’s memory would have to be of equal standing, and suspects that he himself, Rex Spiritus, must have been responsible.Wu Xingxue grapples with the implications that something catastrophic must have occurred in this inn to lead to the destruction of Mount Blossomfell Bazaar, and that he erased Xiao Fuxuan’s memory of it.Later, as Wu Xingxue falls asleep in the darkened room, the musty necromancer scent from earlier invades his dreams and lingers even after he awakens, filling the pitch-black room.Wu Xingxue hears faint breathing behind him in the darkness and calls out softly to Xiao Fuxuan, intending to ask why the lamps were extinguished.Wu Xingxue realizes too late that the breathing is too close and does not belong to Xiao Fuxuan, and when he turns over, he finds a figure crouched by his bedside staring at him with wide, ghostly white eyes.

Chapter 37: Forced ConfessionWu Xingxue is not the least bit grateful to find a ghostly corpse crouched beside his bed in the middle of the night, and after noticing that Xiao Fuxuan is missing from the room, he immediately abandons any pretense of vulnerability and vanishes before the corpse can strike.The corpse searches frantically for Wu Xingxue, only for Wu Xingxue to reappear behind it and seize it by the neck and scalp with a hand colder than death, slamming it to the ground and pinning it effortlessly despite its violent thrashing.Wu Xingxue warns the intruder that he currently remembers only killing techniques and advises it to stay still if it wants to avoid being destroyed.A cold wind bursts the window open, revealing that someone else is outside, and Wu Xingxue calmly orders the hidden observer to come inside and light the lamp.The person who enters and lights the lamp is the innkeeper, who looks terrified as the room is illuminated, revealing that the attacker is a water-bloated male corpse preserved with embalming serum and still armed with a sword.Wu Xingxue disarms the corpse and pins it again when it attempts to rise, then casually wipes his hands with a towel while the innkeeper watches in fear.Wu Xingxue frowns at his bare wrists, realizing he no longer has the silk thread and bell Xiao Fuxuan once tied to him to summon him, and understands he cannot sense Xiao Fuxuan anywhere in the inn.Instead of questioning the corpse about its intrusion, Wu Xingxue immediately demands to know where Xiao Fuxuan is, making it clear that Xiao Fuxuan’s disappearance concerns him more than the attack.The innkeeper insists he has no idea where Xiao Fuxuan went and claims he only just came upstairs when he heard Wu Xingxue speak, and Wu Xingxue believes him but continues pressing due to irritation.Wu Xingxue then turns his attention to the corpse, slicing its scalp slightly to intimidate it and demanding answers about its identity and Xiao Fuxuan’s whereabouts.Upon inspection, Wu Xingxue discovers the corpse has no tongue and has a sealing stud embedded beneath its hyoid bone, preventing it from speaking, confirming it was deliberately modified.Unable to extract speech, Wu Xingxue orders the corpse to write in spilled tea, but it can only move its finger aimlessly, rendering it useless for questioning.The innkeeper nervously explains that the situation is dangerous and reminds Wu Xingxue that making too much commotion in this illusion could have severe consequences.Wu Xingxue demands clarification about what constitutes “too much commotion,” asking bluntly whether fighting or killing would disrupt the illusion, and the innkeeper panics and offers to explain everything.The innkeeper recounts that the inn once stood on blessed ground praised by cultivation clans until a tiny jade branch sprouted from a stone crevice behind the inn.A cultivator later warned that the ground’s fortune had reversed from prosperity to decline and urged the innkeeper to move, but the innkeeper dismissed the warning after researching extensively.The innkeeper concluded that the jade branch was jadehaem, a rare and legendary substance said to appear only once a century and considered highly auspicious.Despite believing jadehaem should bring fortune rather than disaster, trouble soon followed when a male guest staying at the inn vanished without a trace.The missing guest had been traveling with his very young daughter, who was left behind crying inconsolably after her father’s disappearance.The innkeeper sought help from cultivation clans, who secretly investigated the disappearance to avoid alarming the bustling bazaar.Even after thoroughly searching the entire Mount Blossomfell Bazaar, the cultivators could not find any trace of the missing man, and he was never seen again.

Chapter 38: LongingThe innkeeper explains that in those times a missing person was not shocking, and when cultivators failed to find the vanished man, they assumed a well-disguised fiend had eaten him and shifted their investigation toward identifying the hidden fiend.The cultivators burned a fiend-seeker talisman and scattered its ashes, which drifted through the bazaar and ultimately returned to the inn, initially confusing them due to the dense vital energy of the crowd.When they gathered the ashes, they spiraled and clung to the missing man’s young daughter, who was calmly drinking red-date soup and licking her lips as the group stared in horror.The cultivators then used a soul-seeker talisman, whose ashes settled at the little girl’s feet, indicating she carried the lingering scent of her father’s soul, suggesting she had devoured him.The little girl was taken away by the cultivators, and though the incident was buried quietly, the innkeeper and porter were left traumatized and bedridden for days.A year later, after the bazaar reopened, a scholar and his study attendant rented a room at the inn, and the next day the attendant vanished just like the previous victim.The scholar appeared frantic and worried, but when the fiend-seeker and soul-seeker talismans were used again, both identified the scholar as the culprit, leaving him screaming in denial and collapsing in terror.The innkeeper began to suspect that perhaps the scholar was not consciously a fiend but was somehow influenced or compelled by something within the inn itself, recalling the cultivator’s earlier warning that the land had shifted from blessed to cursed.Fearful that he and the porter might eventually fall victim to the same phenomenon, the innkeeper sought the cultivation clan’s help once more.The cultivators stationed experienced members at the inn disguised as guests, but during their stay no further incidents occurred, making the curse impossible to observe directly.As a long-term solution, the cultivators prepared a specially treated cadaver with enhanced sensitivity to fiends and sealed it in a coffin in the attic, instructing the innkeeper to maintain the talismans while they monitored for any triggered sigils.The cultivators explained that if the cadaver detected fiendish activity and activated its sigil, they would sense it from afar and rush to investigate the source of the curse.Two years passed without further disappearances, and the innkeeper gradually convinced himself the misfortune had passed, though business dwindled and he and the porter grew superstitious about hosting pairs of guests.When Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan first stayed together, the innkeeper was terrified history would repeat itself and listened anxiously through the night, only relaxing when both men emerged safely the next morning.The innkeeper now regrets that Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan returned for a second night, implying that if they had not, Xiao Fuxuan might not have disappeared.Wu Xingxue understands that the innkeeper suspects he consumed Xiao Fuxuan just as the little girl consumed her father and the scholar consumed his attendant.Wu Xingxue is initially struck by the absurdity of the accusation but then reflects uneasily on the nature of fiends, recalling how Sang Yu indulged in people’s vital energy and wondering whether he himself has ever lost control in the past.Wu Xingxue feels a sharp, almost painful longing for Xiao Fuxuan and refuses to believe that a mere cursed inn could cause Tianxiu Immortal to vanish without a trace.Suddenly, paper ashes from a fiend-seeker talisman blow into the room and gather around Wu Xingxue, pulsing with intense infernal energy as members of the Feng Clan rush in pursuit.The Feng Clan disciples, led by a composed young woman, enter expecting the cadaver to have subdued a fiend, only to find the cadaver pinned beneath Wu Xingxue’s control.Wu Xingxue greets the Feng Clan calmly but issues a deadly ultimatum, demanding that they help him search for Xiao Fuxuan and warning that none of them will leave alive unless they find him.

Chapter 39: Arbor DivinusThe Feng Clan disciples are shocked that Wu Xingxue does not fear their authority and instead demands their help, and when their leader insults him and the eight disciples attack together, their sword auras only pierce an afterimage while Wu Xingxue vanishes.Wu Xingxue reappears behind one disciple and forces him to hold his own blade to his throat, calmly explaining that he chose a male hostage only to avoid seeming improper toward their female leader.The Feng Clan leader realizes Wu Xingxue could restrain any of them at will and halts her companions, and after a tense exchange she questions why someone so powerful needs their assistance.Wu Xingxue replies bluntly that he only knows how to slaughter and does not know how to search, making clear he is not bluffing but lacks the skill required to locate Xiao Fuxuan without destroying everything.The Feng Clan leader reluctantly agrees to help and prepares soul-seeker talismans, asking for the missing person’s name.Wu Xingxue answers “Xiao Fuxuan,” shocking both the innkeeper and the Feng Clan disciples because it is the name of Tianxiu Immortal.The innkeeper reacts with disbelief and fleeting joy at hearing Tianxiu Immortal’s name, an expression Wu Xingxue notices and connects to a deeper hidden meaning.Wu Xingxue deduces that the innkeeper’s long-winded story concealed something more important, realizing that although the innkeeper claims fear of the cursed land, he has never relocated the inn, suggesting he is bound to guard something.Wu Xingxue abruptly moves behind the innkeeper and presses a blade to his throat, accusing him of guarding something within the inn and asking who ordered him to do so.The innkeeper trembles and struggles to speak, appearing constrained by some unseen force that prevents him from revealing the truth directly.In a hoarse whisper, the innkeeper instead asks whether Wu Xingxue knows why the place is called Blossomfell Terrace.The question triggers Wu Xingxue’s long-buried memory from his time as Rex Spiritus in Urbs Caelestia, when he drank ambrosia with Xiao Fuxuan on the jade eaves and explained the origin of Blossomfell Terrace.In that memory, Wu Xingxue reveals that the Arbor Divinus once grew at Blossomfell Terrace before the Spirit Terrace existed, that jadehaem sprouted where it stood, and that petals fell for four miles, giving the place its name.Wu Xingxue recalls telling Xiao Fuxuan that Blossomfell Terrace was where he himself first came into the world.Realizing jadehaem only grows in the presence of the Arbor Divinus, Wu Xingxue understands that the sprouted jade branch behind the inn signals that the Arbor Divinus, or a sealed remnant of it, still exists in a forbidden domain nearby.Wu Xingxue concludes that Xiao Fuxuan must have been drawn into that sealed domain and that the entrance is hidden near the jadehaem’s crevice in the courtyard.Wu Xingxue questions the innkeeper about the precise location of the jade branch, and by deliberately walking opposite to where the innkeeper points, he confirms the innkeeper is compelled to misdirect him.Through repeated reversals of the innkeeper’s gestures, Wu Xingxue identifies an inconspicuous moss-covered cairn in a desolate corner of the courtyard as the true location of the hidden entrance.Wu Xingxue asks the Feng Clan disciples whether they can create an opening there with minimal disturbance to avoid destabilizing the illusion.The Feng Clan leader hesitates, still stunned that the missing person is Tianxiu Immortal, and questions what will happen if they fail.Wu Xingxue replies that if necessary he will simply cause massive commotion to shatter the illusion entirely and expose its core, preparing to unleash his vital force.Thunder suddenly roars over Mount Blossomfell Bazaar and lightning flashes as the courtyard wall trembles, responding to the impending release of Wu Xingxue’s power.Just as Wu Xingxue gathers his vital force to tear open the illusion, a hand reaches from the thick fog and clasps his, halting his attack.Wu Xingxue recognizes the touch and calls out Xiao Fuxuan’s name in disbelief as the fog surges forward and pulls him into the forbidden domain beyond the hidden entrance.

Chapter 40: FacesWu Xingxue is pulled into the forbidden domain and immediately chokes on thick smoke and soot, coughing violently until Xiao Fuxuan steps in front of him to shield him from the worst of the acrid air.Wu Xingxue confirms that the person who pulled him in is truly Xiao Fuxuan, though Xiao Fuxuan appears briefly unsettled when he looks at Wu Xingxue’s face and refuses to explain why.Wu Xingxue recounts the events at the inn in an exaggerated tone, describing how the innkeeper placed a cadaver beside his bed and how the Feng Clan attacked him with fiend-seeker ashes, attempting to appear wronged and pitiful.Xiao Fuxuan humors Wu Xingxue by asking whether the Feng Clan used force, though he can clearly see Wu Xingxue is unharmed.When Xiao Fuxuan asks how long Wu Xingxue searched for him, his voice sounds unexpectedly gentle, stirring a sudden, inexplicable longing in Wu Xingxue despite Xiao Fuxuan standing before him.Xiao Fuxuan reaches out and touches the corner of Wu Xingxue’s eye, and Wu Xingxue feels the warmth of Xiao Fuxuan’s finger against his tribulation-cold skin, triggering fragmented memories of the past.Wu Xingxue recalls a blurred memory of Xiao Fuxuan touching his eye while Xiao Fuxuan’s name, Mian, glowed on his neck, and remembers Xiao Fuxuan murmuring that it was wet.Xiao Fuxuan explains that Wu Xingxue’s glamour had faded at the corner of his eye and he merely corrected it.Wu Xingxue observes that the forbidden domain is nothing but scorched earth stretching for miles and questions why everything is burned.Xiao Fuxuan claims the land was already lifeless when he arrived and offers no further detail.Xiao Fuxuan reveals that at midnight he heard Wu Xingxue’s voice calling his name from the courtyard, even though Wu Xingxue was asleep in the room.Because they were inside an illusion that could contain past versions of Wu Xingxue, Xiao Fuxuan hesitated instead of immediately cutting down the voice, and when he investigated with a thread of spiritual consciousness, a violent gale erupted from the courtyard and dragged him into the forbidden domain.Wu Xingxue deduces that the domain selectively pulled Xiao Fuxuan in and suspects someone intentionally lured Tianxiu Immortal rather than the domain acting on its own.Wu Xingxue realizes Xiao Fuxuan does not know this place is a sealed forbidden domain tied to the Arbor Divinus because he did not hear the innkeeper’s story or recall the ancient conversation about Blossomfell Terrace.Xiao Fuxuan had noticed a shrine in the distance before being distracted by Wu Xingxue’s threat to shatter the illusion with massive commotion.Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan approach the lone shrine standing in the scorched wasteland, which contains a white-jade statue of a faceless young man leaning against a towering jade tree and a stone tablet inscribed only with the name General Bai.When Wu Xingxue reaches toward the jade tablet, a disembodied voice warns him not to touch it or he will die.Looking up, Wu Xingxue and Xiao Fuxuan discover the shrine ceiling is covered with countless corpses hanging upside down like bats, their bone-white faces staring down at them.The suspended figures explain that the forbidden domain had originally been sealed with multiple layers of arcane formations, blades, fire, and eighty-one volleys of lightning from the Ninth Heaven.Wu Xingxue is shocked because Xiao Fuxuan told him the domain was empty and lifeless when he arrived.The hanging faces mock Wu Xingxue, revealing that Xiao Fuxuan destroyed all the arcane formations and killing traps upon entering, enduring blades, flames, and lightning alone before clearing the entire domain.The faces confirm that Xiao Fuxuan lied about the absence of killing aura and formations in order to avoid worrying Wu Xingxue.It is revealed that Xiao Fuxuan had been forced to fight through relentless formations so intense that even breathing was difficult, and only after annihilating them all and reducing the cursed land to ashes did he have enough clarity to sense Wu Xingxue outside.Xiao Fuxuan extinguished the final sparks of flame, sheathed his sword, and returned instantly to the domain’s entrance to pull Wu Xingxue inside before he could unleash destructive force on the illusion.

Chapter 41: FacadeThe shrine is filled with people hanging upside down from the rafters, laughing eerily in overlapping voices until Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan’s ominous expression silences them.Wu Xingxue finds the situation disturbingly funny but hides his smile when Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan looks at him.Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan asks the hanging figures who they are, and they reply in contradictory whispers that they are dead, alive, or both.Wu Xingxue realizes these beings are unlike the inferior fiends, superior fiends, or invoked commoners he has encountered before, because they can speak yet seem fractured and unnatural.Wu Xingxue asks Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan what they are, and although Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan dislikes speculation, he invents an explanation and calls them the Bound.Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan explains that some souls linger after death as the Attached due to unfinished vows, while the Bound are those whose souls were forcibly removed before their bodies died, binding soul and flesh unnaturally together.Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan explains that the Bound’s bodies do not die or age normally, but their souls cannot leave, and over time they lie to themselves and repeatedly cycle through stages of aging.Wu Xingxue is disturbed by the idea that the Bound can mingle with the living undetected, possibly only discovered decades later by those closest to them.Wu Xingxue pities the hanging Bound and asks how long they have been suspended there, and they answer vaguely that it has been almost a hundred years.Wu Xingxue asks where they were born, and the Bound list many different provinces and regions, revealing they were gathered from all over the world.Wu Xingxue suspects they were bound in the shrine as offerings, but Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan quietly warns Wu Xingxue not to mention the source of their resentment, because it could provoke malice in this unknown forbidden domain.While Wu Xingxue and Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan speak, the Bound secretly extend countless elongated arms downward like vines, attempting to seize them silently.Wu Xingxue calmly asks what happens if the Bound provoke them first, and Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan answers that they must kill them.Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan draws his sword and unleashes frost-like phantom blades that sever thousands of vine-like arms and then halt just before cleaving the Bound’s heads, leaving them in terror.Wu Xingxue accuses the Bound of intending to capture and hang them in their place, and the Bound’s silence confirms the accusation.Wu Xingxue proposes a deal that if the Bound explain the true nature of the forbidden domain, Wu Xingxue and Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan will try to release them from their soul bondage, but the Bound insist they cannot be freed.Wu Xingxue notices one hanging man who appears more lucid than the others, and Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan explains that the man’s body is awakening and has already realized he is no longer truly alive.The struggling man cries out in horror, and Wu Xingxue recognizes him as the innkeeper from Blossomfell Terrace.Wu Xingxue realizes that if the innkeeper is one of the Bound, then these souls may not be mere offerings but anchors binding their undying bodies to Blossomfell Terrace in order to seal the Arbor Divinus.Wu Xingxue recalls that Tianxiu Immortal Xiao Fuxuan said abnormalities in the Bound are only noticeable to those closest to them, and deduces that if everyone around them is also Bound, then no one would detect the truth.Wu Xingxue reflects on the legend that Blossomfell Terrace remained peaceful and vibrant despite chaos in the mortal realm, once attributed to the Arbor Divinus, and realizes that explanation makes no sense if the residents were truly alive.Wu Xingxue concludes that the entire Mount Blossomfell Bazaar may already be composed of the Bound, their lively routines and annual lantern-lighting nothing more than soulless bodies trapped in endless repetition.Wu Xingxue recognizes familiar faces among the hanging Bound, including the chubby porter, the tea stall worker, the storyteller, and the shop attendant from the bazaar.Wu Xingxue realizes that the vibrant bazaar he once praised, the place where Wu Xingxue first came into the world, may have long been dead, sustained only by the illusion created by the Bound’s undying, self-deluding bodies.