Legend of Fei Recap, Plot, Synopsis
Legend of Fei Synopsis
During the Northern and Southern Dynasties, various Separatist Forces appeared and the Jiang Hu underworld was in turmoil. Li Zheng, the “Southern Sword”, established a sect named “Sishibazhai“ in Hunan and took in fallen martial artists, and has lived in seclusion ever since. Li Zheng died, while the famous sect fell into disrepair.
Many years later, Li Zheng’s granddaughter Zhou Fei was accidentally rescued in the Ximo River by a young man who called himself Xie Yun. Six months later, Zhou Fei and Xie Yun meet again in the prison of the Huojia Village. But at the same time, they are pursued by several masters of the “Disha Villa”, a dark force in Jiang Hu. they are involved in a conspiracy of Jianghu.
Zhou Fei is instructed by her predecessors to sharpen her sword skills. With her bravery, she kills the “Disha”, ends the rebellion, captures the enemy king, and saves the refugees. While Xie Yun is by Zhou Fei’s side all the time, advising her .they work together to quell the turmoil in Jiang Hu.
The new generation of talents represented by Zhou Fei and Xie Yun has since grown into true “gentlemen of the bandit world”, and Zhou Fei has become a young master of the “Southern Sword”.
Legend of Fei Recap
Episode 1 Recap
During the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, wars were constant. Li Zheng, in order to protect the innocent people in the midst of war, established a stronghold in the Hunan area, composed of forty-eight martial arts sects. After years of rest and recuperation, the forty-eight strongholds were already filled with talented individuals and were thriving. The forty-eight strongholds were isolated from the outside world by the Washing Ink River, which was already a natural barrier difficult to cross.
Coupled with Yu Lao's array defense, anyone who attempted to trespass into the stronghold invariably met their demise. When the array was activated, several rocks would appear in the river, connected by numerous fish lines invisible to the naked eye. Contact with them would instantly sever flesh and blood. Inside the forty-eight strongholds, young disciples gathered at the martial arts arena, shouting encouragement for those currently competing. One of the competitors was Li Sheng, the elder's direct nephew.
His martial arts were considered excellent within the stronghold, but he was not seen as the most outstanding by everyone. As others discussed, a woman wearing simple, sturdy attire passed by, carrying a wine pot. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, looking capable and efficient. This person was Zhou Fei, daughter of the elder Li Jinrong.
Although Li Sheng was competing, upon hearing the discussions of others, he insisted on competing with Zhou Fei to see who was superior, and even intentionally shattered the wine pot in her hand. Zhou Fei maintained an indifferent expression throughout, but when she drew her saber to fight, her demeanor changed completely. Zhou Fei's saber techniques flowed like water, and she later deliberately restrained her opponent's movements, ending the match in a draw.
The outcome of their relative skills was immediately clear. Li Sheng was young and hot-blooded. Even though Zhou Fei verbally conceded defeat, he was naturally unwilling to accept such a result. His persistence caused Zhou Fei to lose patience for further entanglement. Li Sheng would always blame Zhou Fei whenever he got into trouble. This was also the case this time when he damaged the teacher's steps. Zhou Fei felt indignant but seemed to have already grown accustomed to it.
Just as the two of them were entangled, Yu Lao watched dozens of black-clothed figures appear, all perishing in the array. He couldn't help but mock them in his heart. However, a young man suddenly appeared. Using a leaf as a medium, he landed on the fish lines, using them as stepping stones, displaying impressive lightness skill.
Although the young man, like the previous intruders, wore tight black clothes, he did not cover his face and seemed not to care about his identity being exposed. Yu Lao initially intended to use his fishing rod as a weapon to stop the young man, but it instead became the young man's final stepping stone, allowing him to successfully sneak into the stronghold's forest. His figure instantly disappeared into the forest.
Seeing this, Yu Lao immediately sent a signal into the sky. Li Jinrong and Ma Jili instantly arranged countermeasures. To prevent the enemy from drawing the tiger out of the mountain, Li Sheng led a team of people to guard the outer mountain. Zhou Fei saw a large flock of birds and beasts flying out from deep within the forest, confirming the intruder's hiding place.
Ignoring Li Sheng's concern and attempts to stop her, she increased her speed and rushed to the restricted forest area. Within the restricted forest area, countless fish lines similar to those in the Washing Ink River were spread out. Zhou Fei ignored everything else and entered deep into the forest alone. Just as she almost accidentally touched a fish line due to a moment of carelessness, the trespassing young man luckily intervened to save her.
Like Zhou Fei, the young man's hair was tied in a ponytail, but his forehead bangs added a touch of youthfulness and casualness. His speech also showed the vitality appropriate for his age. Li Sheng watched as Zhou Fei rushed in, while he was blocked outside the forest by the fish lines. Just as he was feeling anxious and helpless, the black-clothed young man, who had exchanged a few moves with Zhou Fei, leaped past Li Sheng's eyes.
Li Sheng attacked as Zhou Fei shouted instructions but was no match for him, and could only watch as the young man's figure disappeared into the forest again. Inside the Elder's Hall, Li Jinrong did not blame Li Sheng and Zhou Fei for being defeated by the intruder. Instead, she scolded her daughter for being nosy. After the outsiders left, Li Jinrong's husband, Zhou Yitang, offered words of comfort.
He had always trusted Zhou Fei's resilient character and her ability to handle matters with proper measure. However, Li Jinrong cared more about Li Sheng, worrying that his mind was too preoccupied with various thoughts, making him unfit to be the family head. She did not know that Li Sheng was standing outside the door at that moment, hearing everything clearly.
Li Sheng returned home, and after saying goodbye to his sister Li Yan, he attempted to force his way out of the forty-eight strongholds through the array on the Washing Ink River. Those who had tried to break out before had all ended up being caught and severely punished. Li Yan naturally worried and tried to stop him but was tied up tightly by Li Sheng and thrown onto the bed.
Zhou Fei learned of Li Yan's frantic plea for help and immediately chased after Li Sheng to the Washing Ink River. The sun had long set, and the Washing Ink River water was different from the daytime. The array changed constantly using the Bagua method. Li Sheng saw Zhou Fei come to rescue him and get trapped alongside him.
Although their relationship on the surface was not harmonious, the affection between them as childhood companions was not fake in the least. In their current life-or-death situation, Li Sheng naturally felt overwhelming guilt. The two of them couldn't withstand the changes of the array and were clearly about to run out of strength to resist. The young man, who had been hidden in the trees by the riverbank resting, finally could not watch idly and thus reappeared to rescue them.
However, Zhou Fei simply couldn't understand his hints about the Bagua positions, forcing him to personally assist. When the array changed again, the three of them were trapped by fish lines interwoven like a fishing net, but then the array suddenly stopped. It was due to Li Yan seeking help from Li Jinrong again that the three of them did not lose their lives there. The young man was surrounded on the spot but showed no sign of panic.
Instead, he easily recognized the schools of martial arts that Yu Lao and Li Jinrong belonged to, and then frankly revealed his name and purpose. It turned out the young man was Xie Yun, and he had come this time to find Gan Tang Gong. This made Li Jinrong become vigilant. Li Jinrong guessed instantly that he was sent by Wang Lin. She seemed to have a grudge against Wang Lin.
However, in consideration of Xie Yun's act of rescue, she proposed that if he exchanged Wang Lin's An Ping Token, she would let bygones be bygones. The An Ping Token was entrusted to Xie Yun by Wang Lin before his death, so Xie Yun naturally wouldn't hand it over. With swift movements, he escaped using his lightness skill.
Because Zhou Fei intentionally injured Li Sheng, causing Li Jinrong to lose the opportunity to pursue, she was actually publicly whipped and punished by her own mother for collaborating with the enemy.
Episode 2 Recap
Ten years ago, Zhou Fei was trapped among thousands of soldiers and horses, falling into Tong Tianyang's hands. Tong Tianyang took the bracelet from Zhou Fei's wrist, as if he had obtained the greatest treasure in the world, and laughed uproariously. Li Sheng's father appeared like a god of killing, broke through the encirclement, took advantage of Tong Tianyang's moment of complacency to rescue Zhou Fei and reclaim the bracelet, then galloped away.
Seeing his subordinates defeated, Shen Tian Shu descended from the city wall using lightness skill. He nocked an arrow, which flew out with a whoosh and pierced Li father's back. If not for Li father sacrificing his own life to save her, Zhou Fei would have died in her childhood. He did not draw his last breath until he personally handed his niece and the bracelet into Li Jinrong's hands.
Every time the whip fell, following the sound of the whip's whistle, a bloodstain would appear on Zhou Fei. Only by recalling the scene from ten years ago could she endure this suffering of flesh and skin. Zhou Yitang, who should have been recuperating in the Hall of Repentance, heartached for his daughter and appeared to mediate. Coupled with the efforts of others to smooth things over, Zhou Fei was finally spared the punishment.
In the main hall of Disha Manor, Shen Tian Shu was not enraged by his subordinates' inability to break into the forty-eight strongholds; this was merely a test. Although Xie Yun's successful intrusion was beyond Shen Tian Shu's expectation, it was not a significant setback. He immediately ordered Tong Tianyang to act according to the plan, and a long-brewing conspiracy was about to unfold.
Up to this point, Zhou Fei still did not know where she had gone wrong, and felt even more distressed by her mother's repeated scolding without asking for reasons, leaving her overflowing with grievances. In the past, she had borne the blame for Li Sheng's troublemaking. Even though her martial arts achievements surpassed his, she had never received a single word of recognition from Li Jinrong.
Zhou Fei could accept this, thinking of her uncle who had sacrificed his life to save her, but she still couldn't understand what was wrong with saving her benefactor Xie Yun this time. Li Jinrong held her saber, bearing the safety of everyone in the stronghold. Even when she heard Zhou Fei's grievances outside, she was still angry at her childishness.
However, with the impending changes, much like the difficult "Divine Move" chess game Zhou Yitang had accidentally set, she was in a dilemma. Li Jinrong had even less time to spare for Zhou Fei's feelings. Xie Yun, still hidden within the stronghold, saw the wound on Zhou Fei's ear and, feeling guilty, lured her into the forest for a secret meeting, specifically bringing external wound medicine. Zhou Fei was quick-witted.
Using the excuse that it was inconvenient to talk, she lured Xie Yun into a mountain cave to trap him, questioning him about the reason for intruding. Wars were constant outside. Wang Lin had previously set up a memorial tomb for himself, going into battle with the determination to die.
To prevent the An Ping army from being leaderless, he could only plead with Xie Yun to risk entering the stronghold and implore Zhou Yitang to come out and take overall charge. Xie Yun's words were sincere, but he suddenly pressed his body against the sword in Zhou Fei's hand. Taking advantage of her surprise and withdrawal of the sword, he used his lightness skill to escape from her sight. Zhou Fei was furious but helpless.
She turned to visit Zhou Yitang's residence and was thus secretly followed by Xie Yun, who had feigned his escape. A melody resounded in the stronghold. This tune was composed by Zhou Yitang when he followed Wang Lin during the uprising, and it had not been heard for a long time. Xie Yun, sitting on a tree and playing the flute, saw Li Jinrong arrive and hung the An Ping Token on the branch.
The An Ping Token was merely a token; since Zhou Yitang's true presence had not been seen before, Xie Yun naturally wouldn't reveal it easily. Now that he was confident in luring out the master, there was no need to put the cart before the horse. Clearly, Li Jinrong understood Xie Yun's intention for coming, and thus she tried every means to stop him.
But Zhou Yitang came upon hearing the flute's sound, which meant he had already made a decision. A Kunpeng trapped in a shallow pool, like a mighty dragon breaking its horn. Li Jinrong understood that Zhou Yitang was never willing to close his eyes and ears and content himself with staying in one corner his whole life. She knew she was powerless to change his mind and left in anger.
When Zhou Fei, following her father's command, personally took down the token hanging on the tree, she still did not understand the significance it carried. Only when Zhou Yitang stepped out of the stronghold gate, realizing they might never see each other again in this life, did Zhou Fei suddenly regret that she should not have helped Xie Yun escape, causing her father to be drawn into the chaotic world with an unpredictable future.
Wen Yu of the An Ping Army personally led men to wait outside the stronghold gate. The close friends, who hadn't seen each other for many years, shared an emotional embrace, joking about the wine money owed from years past, which showed their intimate relationship, unbreakable by time. However, this brief joy of reunion was broken again when Zhou Fei arrived.
Zhou Fei wanted to go out with her father to protect him, but alas, she had foolishly thought herself unrivaled within the stronghold, yet she couldn't even withstand a single move from Wen Yu. Zhou Fei's broken sword in her hand instantly shattered her self-esteem and hope. Neither accomplished in literature nor martial arts, in this world, she didn't even have the right to choose or abandon.
How could Zhou Fei, who couldn't even step out of the mountain gate, talk about protecting her father's safety? The gate was tightly shut, blocking Zhou Fei's view. No matter how she cried and shouted, she could not get her father to stop and look back for even a moment. Xie Yun initially did not want to disappoint Wang Lin's trust, but he never expected that he would ultimately cause others sadness and disappointment.
It is truly difficult to satisfy both sides in the world. Xie Yun looked at Zhou Fei's tearful, lonely departing back, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions. Wen Yu rode ahead to clear the way. Before they even left the forty-eight strongholds' range, Tong Tianyang led men to block their path. The pain of having his eyes gouged out ten years ago made Tong Tianyang unable to bear it for a moment longer.
He urgently wanted to take Zhou Yitang's life to avenge this. The two groups of people immediately engaged in a chaotic battle on the spot. Zhou Yitang sat calmly inside the carriage, observing the external situation by listening. Tong Tianyang took advantage of Wen Yu being unable to break free and shot a hidden weapon directly towards Zhou Yitang inside the carriage.
In a moment of crisis, Li Jinrong suddenly descended from the sky and split the hidden weapon with a single saber strike. Zhou Yitang's originally calm eyes gained a touch of worry due to Li Jinrong's sudden arrival. Later, upon hearing that his beloved was unstoppable, he regained his composure. Tong Tianyang was forced to flee in embarrassment after just a few moves. Looking again, Li Jinrong stood firmly holding her saber, protecting the carriage, appearing majestic.
Wen Yu and everyone bowed to her, showing their respect. A gentle breeze lifted a corner of the carriage curtain, and Li Jinrong's resolute and determined back figure was imprinted in Zhou Yitang's eyes.
Episode 3 Recap
It was the last wish of the Li family ancestors that the Forty-Eight Strongholds be without party or faction, without friends or allies, and should not get entangled with any force, and Zhou Yitang should not be an exception. Today, once Zhou Yitang left the stronghold gate, his life and death were no longer related to the Forty-Eight Strongholds, but Li Jinrong appearing to save him was proof that their marital bond was difficult to sever.
Zhou Yitang's carriage moved forward, Li Jinrong turned her back and returned to the stronghold, and the couple parted in silence. Half a year later, the An Ping Army received intelligence that General Wu Fei was captured. This person had a life-and-death friendship with Li Zheng, was a martial arts expert with extraordinary skills. Zhou Yitang speculated that if it weren't for Disha's move, it would be difficult for anyone else to be his enemy.
Originally, Shen Tian Shu intercepted letters between Wu Fei and Wang Lin, learned that a 'Water Ripple Token' existed, and therefore had Qiu Tianjin capture him, binding his hands and feet with iron chains and trapping him within the Disha domain. Wu Fei had heroic courage and showed no fear. It wasn't until Shen Tian Shu killed his wife in front of him that Wu Fei lost his composure.
Fortunately, Wu Fei's children had been entrusted by Zhou Yitang to Chen Fei, who escorted them all the way to escape towards the Forty-Eight Strongholds. Shen Tian Shu obtained this intelligence, guessed that the token was kept with Wu Fei's daughter, Wu Chuchu, but sent Qiu Tianjin to pursue them without success. Among the mountains, rocks, and forests, Xie Yun happened to encounter the Disha organization searching everywhere.
Seeing Chen Fei and others not far away, he knew it was a pursuit and escape. Xie Yun was concerned about owing a favor to the people in the stronghold and proactively revealed himself to help. He then used Wu Chuchu's rouge to disguise blood blisters, claiming that his clansmen had contracted an infectious disease, only then temporarily escaping the eyes and ears of the Disha members.
Chen Fei led everyone smoothly to the territory of Huojiabao and met up with the people claiming to be from Huojiabao. The master of Huojiabao had a long-standing friendship with the Forty-Eight Strongholds. With his deliberate protection, Shen Tian Shu also felt troubled.
However, Xie Yun saw that the eyes of the Huojiabao people were flickering, seeming to indicate something was wrong, but having no proof and not understanding the relationship, he could only pretend not to know and said goodbye to Chen Fei there. In the past six months, Zhou Fei constantly kept in mind what Zhou Yitang said before he left.
In order to have the right to choose proactively, she has been staying in Ximo River, using the power of the Qianji Formation to improve her abilities. Effort pays off. The day Zhou Fei successfully deciphered the Qianji Formation was the day of the Xiushan Hall examination in the stronghold. Successful candidates could officially enter the world from the mountain gate. At the examination ground, around the arena, several stone pillars were set up.
Each stone pillar was guarded by a stronghold elder. If one defeated an elder, they could obtain the paper flower within the stone pillar, and the most difficult one was the tall wooden pillar beside it. The person guarding it was the Great Chieftain, Li Jinrong. Li Sheng's determination to leave the mountain was set. He took down fifteen paper flowers in one go, winning praise from everyone present, only Zhou Fei was unimpressed.
Zhou Fei didn't really care how many paper flowers were on the field; she only wanted to get the paper flower guarded by her mother. Zhou Fei proactively went up the mountain to challenge Li Jinrong, only then realizing that the saber in her hand couldn't be unsheathed. In a moment of desperation, she perfectly resolved the immediate crisis by incorporating the essence of Mingfeng Tower martial arts, drawing praise from the clan elders.
Li Jinrong attacked her with the family's inherited Snow-breaking Saber technique, skillfully helping Zhou Fei unsheathe her saber, but saw that its blade was rusty, making it difficult to fight. In just a few moves, Zhou Fei was about to be defeated. Suddenly seeing Li Jinrong use the Snow-breaking Saber, she seemed to gain some insight into its mysteries and actually started learning her mother's saber technique on the spot. At first glance, it looked quite decent.
Li Jinrong chopped down with a saber strike. Zhou Fei relied on her mother not daring to truly harm her. Although she felt timid and hesitant, she ultimately endured, deliberately not dodging or avoiding, forcing the other party to secretly concede. The saber strike landed on the wooden pillar, restricting movement for a moment, giving Zhou Fei an opportunity to successfully snatch the paper flower.
This time, having successfully passed the Xiushan Hall examination, it happened that the stronghold lost contact with Chen Fei and others. Old Madam Wang wished to personally leave the mountain to inquire about the situation, so she took Li Sheng and Zhou Fei out together for training. Before departing, Li Jinrong implicitly praised Zhou Fei for the first time and even personally taught her the Snow-breaking Saber.
The intent of the Snow-breaking Saber is to be unstoppable; it will not break even if holding a paper saber. The focus is on mental fortitude, and one must not harbor hesitation or retreat. Zhou Fei, who received her mother's praise and concern for the first time, was in a good mood. She came to Ximo River to bid farewell to Yu Lao. Her unprecedented respectful address made the other party quite unaccustomed.
After a long talk, discussing what it means to be a hero, Yu Lao finally explained the reason he guarded the Forty-Eight Strongholds his entire life. In those years, Yu Lao, as the master of Mingfeng Tower, was actually just an organization that dealt in martial world intelligence. He offended many people in the martial world and was even pursued by Disha's Hu Tianying and Lu Tiankuang.
Yu Lao was careless for a moment and was poisoned by Hu Tianying's 'Bone-Penetrating Poison'. He should have died on the spot, but by chance, he was rescued by Li Zheng.
Episode 4 Recap
Guiyang Pills can cure the Bone-Penetrating Poison, but the medicine is potent and requires someone with strong internal energy to guide the circulation of energy. When Yu Lao saw Li Zheng, who had come to deliver the medicine, looking pale and coughing incessantly, how could he not understand the great price the other party had paid for him? Li Zheng disregarded his own gains, losses, and safety to save Yu Lao's life.
Far from holding past grievances, he even ignored the gossip and slander from people in the martial world and invited Yu Lao to join the Forty-Eight Strongholds. This action filled Yu Lao with respect, making him willing to spend his life guarding the Forty-Eight Strongholds and the Qianji Formation of Ximo River.
To stand apart from the world, possessing arrogance but not pride, though his hands were stained with blood, it was only to rescue people from danger – this is what makes a hero. Yu Lao's brief words resonated deeply with Zhou Fei, setting the principle of chivalry in her heart for her future journeys across the martial world.
Yu Lao watched Zhou Fei grow up, sighing that Li Zheng had great fortune to have such a junior, who would surely be extraordinary in the future. After leaving the mountain, Old Madam Wang went to the covert post below the Forty-Eight Strongholds mountain to inquire about news, while Zhou Fei and Li Sheng waited in the carriage. Finding nothing to do, the two began bickering for fun again.
Zhou Fei was simply too lazy to bother with him and closed her eyes to practice the Closed-Eyed Meditation taught by Yu Lao. The so-called Closed-Eyed Meditation is cultivating saber techniques in one's heart. After a long time, Zhou Fei was a little unclear whether she was truly practicing the saber techniques repeatedly or just thinking about them, but since it was quite effective, it was fine to persevere.
Meanwhile, Xie Yun secretly followed Chen Fei and the others all the way and indeed saw the people from Huojiabao drug them unconscious. Xie Yun followed them into Huojiabao and discovered that the Fortress Master Huo Liantao had been secretly capturing people from the martial world recently and was colluding with the Vermilion Bird Master Mu Xiaoqiao, whom everyone in the martial world wanted to kill. However, the Old Fortress Master Huo himself was never seen.
Old Madam Wang could not get news of Chen Fei at the covert post and decided to go to Huojiabao to investigate. Passing through a village, she saw the villagers here avoiding them like snakes and scorpions, their eyes revealing a strange hatred. Old Madam Wang originally did not want to cause trouble and intended to find a secluded place to stay, but she was surrounded by the villagers, who kept demanding they return their children's lives.
The group was unclear about the reason. Compared to the youthful impulsiveness of Li Sheng and Zhou Fei, Old Madam Wang was naturally mature and steady, resolving the misunderstanding in just a few words. It turned out that people dressed as martial artists often committed acts of robbery and murder here. As they were speaking, several more bandits appeared outside the village, intending to do evil.
Old Madam Wang ordered Li Sheng to protect the villagers and went alone with Zhou Fei to confront the bandits. Old Madam Wang was originally a member of the Xiaoxiang Sect, but who knew the other party didn't recognize the Xiaoxiang Sect token at all, even speaking wildly and disrespecting Zhou Fei, and even took the initiative to attack them. The Snow-breaking Saber reappeared. These people becoming souls under the saber was not unjust.
This was also the first time Zhou Fei truly experienced the feeling of taking a life. Her hand holding the saber couldn't help but tremble slightly. Both saving people and killing people inevitably stain one's hands with blood. Old Madam Wang held Zhou Fei's hand, strengthening the chivalry in her heart. After the incident, Old Madam Wang intended to change route to Huarong.
Who knew that Li Sheng, being young and impulsive, actually took advantage of the late night when everyone was asleep to venture out alone on horseback, determined to achieve something that would make Zhou Fei look at him with admiration. Zhou Fei was outside the house, thinking of her mother and unable to sleep. Hearing the commotion, she immediately followed on horseback.
Although Zhou Fei lost track of Li Sheng, she unexpectedly encountered a disciple from Huojiabao leading a horse from the Forty-Eight Strongholds, passing by the foot of the mountain. Zhou Fei followed this person to the vicinity of Huojiabao, was accidentally discovered, and after only a few steps of escaping, suddenly felt the ground give way beneath her feet, falling into a hollow cave.
The cave was too high to climb out of, so Zhou Fei could only look around for the time being. Tapping on the wall, she unexpectedly heard someone tapping back from the other side of the wall. Xie Yun, who was in the Huojiabao dungeon, had hollowed out a natural hole in the mountain and met Zhou Fei's eyes on the other side.
Unable to see the full picture, he didn't recognize her immediately until Xie Yun tested her with food and saw Zhou Fei hand over the chestnuts she had once threatened to feed to a dog. Only then did the two realize each other's identity. Zhou Fei couldn't help but lament that whenever she encountered Xie Yun, it was always accompanied by bad luck. Xie Yun felt guilty. Although his words were humorous and teasing, they were not frivolous.
He admitted that he owed Zhou Fei a favor and promised that if there was a chance, he would definitely take Zhou Fei to enjoy fine food in the world. During their conversation, Zhou Fei learned that Chen Fei and the others were also imprisoned here by Huo Liantao. Since the Old Fortress Master Huo fell ill for no reason and became mentally unsound, Huojiabao had been managed by Huo Liantao.
Huo Liantao had ill intentions, using the pretext of his brother's birthday celebration to lure people from the martial world to a banquet. In reality, it was to force them to submit to Huojiabao, aiming to replicate a second Forty-Eight Strongholds. Those in the martial world who refused to submit were all imprisoned in this dungeon by Huo Liantao. Every day, they were given food mixed with drugs to make them lose their internal energy and be unable to escape.
Most of the imprisoned people thought similarly to Xie Yun, seeing that the food was unusual but deciding it was better than starving to death on the spot. Zhou Fei learned the whereabouts of Chen Fei and the others, feeling half the weight lifted from her heart. She immediately intended to rescue them alone.
Episode 5 Recap
Xie Yun drew a map on the stone wall. Due to the obstructed view, Zhou Fei couldn't see the dense details clearly and had to risk infiltrating the prison cell. The reason Xie Yun knew the full layout of the dungeon and the details of each patrol shift was because he had long been able to move freely within it, the result of secretly gathering information for many days.
After Zhou Fei successfully entered Xie Yun's cell and examined it carefully, she did not follow his suggestion to seek help from an elder. Instead, she secretly prepared to go alone to rescue Chen Fei and the others. As for Xie Yun himself, he knew that unexpected changes would occur in the Huo family's dungeon soon, but for some reason, he insisted on waiting there.
He only instructed Zhou Fei not to provoke anyone dressed in blood-red clothes if she encountered them. Before parting, Xie Yun thought it unlikely they would meet again soon, so he took out a wooden saber and gave it to Zhou Fei. It turned out that he had been carefully carving this object when he had nothing else to do in the past few days.
Although the wooden saber was small and not very exquisite, Xie Yun always remembered that Zhou Fei had been separated from her family because of him and had even lost the saber she had carried for many years. One day, Xie Yun would find a truly good saber to give to Zhou Fei. Zhou Fei, following Xie Yun's instructions, successfully evaded the detection of the Huo family disciples.
Along the way, she unexpectedly encountered Shen Tianshu, who was also in the dungeon. Although Zhou Fei was cautious and did not reveal her identity, seeing that the other party was coughing incessantly, she remembered her father who had been ill for a long time and kindly handed the non-toxic flatbread she had taken to Shen Tianshu.
Shen Tianshu spoke to test her, but seeing that Zhou Fei didn't even know what the Four Symbols Mountain was, he believed that she truly had no one at home, which was why such a reckless junior was allowed to wander around everywhere. Shen Tianshu seemed to have a good impression of Zhou Fei and even had the patience to explain the origin of the Four Symbols Mountain to this unnamed junior before him.
The four leaders of the Four Symbols Mountain styled themselves as the Four Symbols, and at one point caused bloodshed in the martial world. But in Shen Tianshu's eyes, they were merely a bunch of insignificant troublemakers. Later, the four brothers of the Four Symbols Mountain had internal conflicts and disintegrated. The Vermilion Bird branch settled near Jingzhou, relying on the Huo family.
The Vermilion Bird Master Mu Xiaoqiao once defeated the three elders of the Mount Tai Sect alone within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and then retreated completely in front of everyone. Zhou Fei marveled at Mu Xiaoqiao's astonishing martial arts, but did not feel timid because of it. After thanking Shen Tianshu for his guidance, she slipped into the kitchen alone to search for an antidote.
No sooner had Zhou Fei left than the Diyuan disciples, following Shen Tianshu's order, began pursuing Mu Xiaoqiao and capturing Huo Liantao alive to interrogate him about the whereabouts of the token. Shen Tianshu's infiltration of the dungeon was just a cover; he was waiting for today to close the net. However, seeing the flatbread on the table, he uncharacteristically specifically instructed his subordinates not to harm Zhou Fei.
Xie Yun saw that Zhou Fei had found many bottles and jars, but none of them contained an antidote. He had no choice but to personally take her to find the antidote. It was precisely because of this that they accidentally discovered that lamp oil was buried in the dungeon. Xie Yun and Zhou Fei learned that Huo Liantao actually intended to blow up the dungeon and massacre everyone trapped inside.
Time was pressing, so the two immediately rushed back to the dungeon to save people. The Diyuan people directly attacked the Huo family dungeon, giving Zhou Fei and Xie Yun the opportunity to save people. Although they encountered a small group of Diyuan disciples, thanks to the guidance of an old man in the prison, Zhou Fei easily killed the enemies with her saber. The two successfully rescued Chen Fei and others and then encountered the Vermilion Bird disciples.
The old man's repeated reminders and guidance allowed Xie Yun to realize that this senior with immortal bearing before him was none other than Chongxia ozi of the Qi Sect. Although they had defeated the Vermilion Bird disciples for now, the saber Li Jinrong had given to Zhou Fei broke again, which inevitably made her feel sad. However, this emotion was instantly suppressed in the midst of the crisis.
Zhou Fei's mind was in disarray, and in a moment of carelessness, she didn't even notice her handkerchief falling. Instead, Xie Yun secretly hid it by his side. - - - At this moment, Shen Tianshu had not yet found the location of the Shendu Seal and the Water Ripple pattern. Instead, he heard a mournful singing voice. Following the tune of "Crying Makeup", an androgynous man in red, heavily made up and wearing blood-red clothes, appeared.
This was the person Xie Yun had instructed Zhou Fei to avoid, the Vermilion Bird Master Mu Xiaoqiao. Shen Tianshu and Mu Xiaoqiao exchanged several moves. The latter seemed to temporarily suppress his opponent, but unfortunately, he lacked stamina. Shen Tianshu struck with a bare hand, shattering Mu Xiaoqiao's protective Pipa, severely injuring him and causing him to fall to the ground, unable to get up.
If Tong Tianyang had not come to inform him that the dungeon's lamp oil fuse had been lit, it is likely that Mu Xiaoqiao would have died at Shen Tianshu's hands today. The Huojiabao dungeon was detonated. Shen Tianshu and Xie Yun and others left from different directions. But danger had not left Zhou Fei and the others. Mu Xiaoqiao's singing voice was heard again. Xie Yun wanted to delay the opponent alone to buy time for everyone to escape.
After this incident, Chen Fei finally no longer held any grudge against Xie Yun. The safety of Wu's family members was of utmost importance. However, Zhou Fei could not let Xie Yun take risks alone for the matters of the Forty-Eight Strongholds. At the moment, only the two of them could hold up Mu Xiaoqiao, and then Chongxia ozi and Chen Fei would escort Wu Chuchu and others to a safe place.
Just as the two were joking with each other, they ran into the severely injured Mu Xiaoqiao coming towards them. Xie Yun originally wanted to use the excuse of not letting the Diyuan people benefit from a mutual defeat to dispel the opponent's hostility. Unfortunately, to Mu Xiaoqiao, dealing with them was as simple as stepping on two ants; there was no talk of both sides suffering losses.
Zhou Fei slowly placed her hand on the hilt of the broken saber, just as tensions were about to rise with Mu Xiaoqiao. Xie Yun once again thought quickly on his feet and successfully interrupted the tense atmosphere by pointing out a lyrical error in "Crying Makeup".
Mu Xiaoqiao had sung "故园有风霜" ( - The old garden has wind and frost), but Xie Yun explained it should be "故园又风霜" (Gù yuán yòu fēng shuāng - The old garden again has wind and frost). The difference of one character between " yǒu" and " yòu" created a vastly different meaning. Mu Xiaoqiao actually put down his hostility and began discussing lyrics and tunes with him.
Episode 6 Recap
A single line of lyrics suddenly sent Mu Xiaoqiao into a daze. In his eyes and heart, there was nothing but self-mockery, which allowed Zhou Fei and Xie Yun to seize the opportunity to escape. The two reunited with Chen Fei and others and left the troubled area of Huojiabao behind, resting in the forest. The green trees and flowing water brought a moment of peace to everyone's minds.
Wu Chuchu was separated from her family and suffered such changes, burdened by deep worries. Zhou Fei was entrusted by Chen Fei to comfort her. Although she was not good with words and didn't know how to console, she managed to help the other party temporarily let go of the sorrow in her heart. Zhou Fei saw Wu Chuchu wearing the item her parents gave her as a necklace.
Thinking that the wooden saber Xie Yun gave her was not easy to store, she simply threaded it with a hair tie and wore it around her neck. This scene happened to be seen by Xie Yun who was passing by. The satisfied smile on his face betrayed the joy in his heart at this moment.
Wu Chuchu originally wanted to remind her that a woman wearing something given by someone else around her neck actually had a deeper meaning, but seeing that Zhou Fei didn't understand anything about worldly affairs, she said no more. Xie Yun appeared, leading Zhou Fei to walk together in the forest. Although they were still teasing and deprecating each other, their relationship seemed to have become closer.
Xie Yun originally wanted to take the opportunity of being alone to return the handkerchief Zhou Fei had dropped, but Chen Fei suddenly appeared, and he subconsciously put it back in his怀中 (chest). The three of them sat together and ate. They inadvertently discussed Xie Yun's origins, but he stammered, claiming to be a swordsmith one moment and Qian Sui You, the author of Li Hen Lou, the next.
One act of Li Hen Lou was indeed Mu Xiaoqiao's sung "Crying Makeup". Although Chen Fei had lived in the Forty-Eight Strongholds for a long time, he was very familiar with Li Hen Lou and could even sing a few lines, though the tune had long since flown away. Now, upon learning that Xie Yun was Qian Sui You himself, his eyes immediately lit up, truly looking like a little fanboy.
Coming down the mountain this time and personally witnessing Mu Xiaoqiao and Shen Tianshu exchange blows allowed Zhou Fei to see her true capabilities. She originally thought that after half a year of effort, she could finally have the right to freely choose and discard, but she was still ten thousand eight thousand miles away from the strong individual her father spoke of. Reality once again dealt Zhou Fei a heavy blow.
Before setting off, Chongxia ozi suddenly challenged Zhou Fei. This was actually a final test. He gave Zhou Fei a seemingly useless volume of the Dao De Jing, then bowed and said goodbye, heading to Huojiabao alone again. Chongxia ozi's martial arts were extraordinary, and it was likely he was deliberately trapped in Huojiabao to investigate the truth behind the trapping of the martial world figures.
With the matter settled, Chen Fei learned that Xie Yun was like duckweed, with nowhere to go, and immediately eagerly invited him to travel with them. This was exactly what Xie Yun desired. Everyone arrived at Huarong City, where they saw many displaced people. However, it was a rare moment of relaxation, and Chen Fei intended to pick out a hairpin to give to his fiancée back home, temporarily putting aside the matter of the displaced people.
Subsequently, the group came to the inn that the Forty-Eight Strongholds had set up as a secret contact point in Huarong. Due to the abnormal situation with the displaced people in Huarong, Chen Fei did not intend to cause further trouble and only wanted to rest before immediately setting off back to the stronghold. Unexpectedly, as soon as they settled down, Wu Chuchu was molested and insulted by the county magistrate's son in broad daylight.
Since descending the mountain, Zhou Fei had seen nothing but those who bullied others by virtue of their power. This scene before her touched the anger in her heart even more. Zhou Fei stepped forward to save Wu Chuchu. The emotions she had suppressed for several days burst forth in an instant. She wished she could break the county magistrate's son's arm off before she would stop. Xie Yun worried that Zhou Fei would offend the authorities.
He cleverly lured the county magistrate's son and his subordinates to chase him in humiliation, thus removing the trouble from Zhou Fei. Xie Yun deliberately led the county yamen thugs to chase him through several streets, forming a sharp contrast with the inner street on the other side. Huarong別院 (Bie Yuan - detached courtyard) was located here, which was where Shen Tianshu was temporarily staying in Huarong. Shen Tianshu's arrival made Chou Tianjin feel threatened.
The two were already on bad terms and seemed to regard each other as a thorn in their side. At present, Chou Tianjin, facing Shen Tianshu's implied threat that he should behave himself, still dared not openly tear off the pretense with him. After resettling Wu Chuchu and her younger brother, Zhou Fei accepted Xie Yun's previous invitation and found the Haojiu Meijian Wine Shop.
She was even more curious that he could get several pots of good wine from the owner with just a few words, without paying any money. The two sat on the steps outside the wine shop. Having witnessed various scenes down the mountain twice now, with people everywhere lacking food and shelter, wandering and suffering, Zhou Fei's imagined beautiful world was completely shattered.
The matters of this world were far beyond what generals and chivalrous heroes like Zhou Yitang and Wu Fei could control. Only then did Zhou Fei truly understand how heavy the word "hero" was. This also made Zhou Fei even more curious about Xie Yun's identity and why General Wang Lin trusted him so much. However, Zhou Fei believed that there was no second father for him to abduct, so she didn't mind Xie Yun's evasiveness. Instead, Xie Yun muttered to himself that he intended to abduct someone Li Jinrong valued even more, indicating he had already developed affection for Zhou Fei.
Episode 7 Recap
Zhou Fei woke up in her own room after a night of heavy drinking, completely unable to remember what happened the previous night. Seeing the jade tassel given by Chen Fei placed on the table, and unable to find a place to wear it on her saber, she simply placed it on the table casually.
There was a knock on the door, it was Wu Chuchu, who had come to seek help from Zhou Fei, also a woman, due to a woman's reason. Zhou Fei helped Wu Chuchu, who was suffering from severe abdominal pain, and wanted to go to the medical clinic. She was just feeling fortunate that she hadn't encountered the annoying Xie Yun, but was coincidentally seen by Chen Fei who was coming out of his room.
Zhou Fei patiently and kindly persuaded him, and only by using the reason of taking care of Wu Chuchu's younger brother did she manage to prevent Chen Fei from following. The person behind Huo Liantao was actually the current Third Prince Chen Zichen. Before Shen Tianshu could carefully consider this news, a subordinate came to report that Chou Tianjin had already secretly made his move.
By the time Shen Tianshu arrived outside the inn with his men, Chou Tianjin had already burned the inn into ruined walls and rubble. Zhou Fei and Wu Chuchu were able to save themselves because they went to the medical clinic. The two watched as bodies were carried out one by one. The disciples of the Forty-Eight Strongholds had lost their lives here.
Only then did Zhou Fei truly understand what her mother was guarding, and also understood the determination of her father, Zhou Yitang, to insist on descending the mountain. Zhou Fei forcibly suppressed the grief in her heart, hid in the dark to think of a way to escape, and was determined to find Wu Chuchu's young brother and take them safely back to the Forty-Eight Strongholds.
It's just that they saw with their own eyes that Magistrate Zhu was not only colluding with the Di Sha people but also completely obeyed their words. The Di Sha's actions went smoothly also because the person receiving them at the inn had already become a traitor to the Forty-Eight Strongholds. After Chou Tianjin sent people to count the numbers, he discovered one woman and a child were missing.
Knowing that there were indeed fish that had escaped the net, the Di Sha, with the assistance of the magistrate, immediately sealed the city and sent more men to search in the city. How difficult it was to escape. In order to gather information, Zhou Fei had no choice but to place Wu Chuchu, who couldn't protect herself, in a bamboo basket in a small alley.
She then killed a lone Di Sha disciple by herself, took his clothes, and disguised herself to mix in near Shen Tianshu. She accidentally learned that Shen Tianshu and Chou Tianjin's objectives seemed to be different. Xie Yun had gone out early in the morning to purchase a good saber for Zhou Fei. On the way back, his path was blocked by Mister Bai and he followed him to a farmhouse.
The Third Prince Chen Zichen was dressed in civilian clothes. Seeing Xie Yun arrive, he actually showed happiness, calling him "sworn brother". Then, hearing Mister Bai respectfully address him as Young Master Xiao, their identities and relationship were truly perplexing. Xie Yun was worried about Zhou Fei's safety and couldn't refuse Chen Zichen's kind offer. After all, at this moment, he was merely a useless person poisoned and without internal energy; going would likely be useless.
He could only patiently wait for Mister Bai, who had gone to gather information, to return. The two conversed. Chen Zichen seemed to intend for Xie Yun to go back, saying it was better than living in the open. However, Xie Yun did not want to get involved in court affairs. Only when Mister Bai returned was the stalemate broken. Mister Bai brought back some items left behind by the Di Sha.
Among them was the jade tassel Chen Fei had given to Zhou Fei. During the daytime, the people from the Forty-Eight Strongholds could have forced a breakthrough, but to protect the Wu family's women and children, they had to retreat back to the inn. That's why Chou Tianjin sent people to block off the exits with hundreds of poisoned water poles and burned them alive in the inn.
Zhou Fei again stripped off a Di Sha's clothing from a dead body and returned to the small alley to meet Wu Chuchu. Although there were twists and turns along the way, thankfully, they were safe despite the risks, and successfully sneaked into the backyard of the magistrate's residence, which was not guarded by the Di Sha. Although this place was ultimately not somewhere they could stay for long, it was better than the tense situation outside.
Wu Chuchu was worried about the safety of her younger brother and could only wait for the right moment. Early the next morning, the Di Sha people spread everywhere in the city, slandering the deceased people of the Forty-Eight Strongholds as bandits. They misled the displaced people in the city into believing that the perpetrators who destroyed their homes and families were the people from the Forty-Eight Strongholds.
It was evident that since Chou Tianjin's search yielded no results, he used this method to lure his targets out. A large fire burned everything down. Chou Tianjin was so certain about who was missing not because he was looking for people, but looking for a certain item. Because the item could not be found in the search, the only possibility was that it was taken by a survivor.
Zhou Fei looked at what Wu Chuchu was wearing around her neck, guessing that this was the item the Di Sha coveted, and it was precisely the Shuitian Yise that Shen Tianshu had been investigating for a long time. Just as the two were feeling uncertain and confused, a red-clothed lady acting as if she were mad or foolish suddenly began singing "Picking Lotus Tune". As she sang, she also danced barefoot. Such an appearance showed some charm; she should have been a beauty originally, but it was unknown why she appeared here and became a woman acting crazily.
Episode 8 Recap
The Di Sha extensively spread in the city that the bandits had not been eliminated. Using a chest of copper coins and lots of grain as bait, they incited the people to provide information, either for profit or out of hatred. Xie Yun disguised himself and, accompanied by Mister Bai, came to where the crowd gathered.
After careful observation, he found that Shen Tianshu and Chou Tianjin on the stage never interacted, showing that they indeed had grudges against each other. To lure the fish that had escaped the net into falling into the trap, Chou Tianjin deliberately left Chen Fei alive, but he was tortured to the brink of death. Even if he was desperately rescued, he certainly would not live for long.
Xie Yun clearly knew the logic behind this, but having gone through all the previous events, he had already considered Chen Fei a friend, so how could he truly stand by and do nothing as he died? Seeing that reasoning didn't work, Mister Bai suddenly hooked up a stone with his foot and, in full view of the public, shot it into Chen Fei's forehead, causing him to die on the spot.
This also prevented the Di Sha from accidentally discovering their tracks. Chen Fei's death made Xie Yun more concerned about Chen Zichen assisting Huo Liantao and secretly recruiting soldiers, which led to the disciples of Huojiapu burning, killing, and looting everywhere, wondering what their true intentions were. Mister Bai put an end to Xie Yun's thoughts of risking himself. He did not regret what he had done.
Instead, it was Xie Yun's questioning that made him more eager to defend Chen Zichen. Chen Zichen's original intention was to make friends with Jianghu people to use them in the future to resist Yu Wenzhi. Huojiapu is a mixed bag, and the actions of the people below are truly difficult to control. Xie Yun did not need Mister Bai's evasive words; he only needed him to understand who the person who just died had suffered for and died for.
Chen Fei's life hung by a thread. If Zhou Fei knew, she would surely crawl to save him, but she did not appear, which made an ominous feeling rise in Xie Yun's heart. Xie Yun's feet felt as heavy as a thousand catties, yet he still had to turn back to find Zhou Fei's whereabouts, but in a moment of desperation, his heart was attacked, and he spat out blood.
Returning to his residence, Chen Zichen learned the whole story and actually knelt down to ask for Xie Yun's forgiveness. As things stood, Xie Yun didn't want to blame anyone anymore. Chen Fei's death was originally fate, and perhaps it was not a bad thing for him to be relieved earlier. Xie Yun knelt down on the spot and offered a libation of wine as a tribute.
The only compensation he could make now was to find Zhou Fei's whereabouts and protect her safety. At present, the two sides of the Di Sha were searching every household in the city. Chou Tianjin was focused on the Wu family's children, while Shen Tianshu was more concerned with checking the household registration, ordering his subordinates to look for suspicious men using portraits. Xie Yun knew without guessing that Shen Tianshu's target was Chen Zichen.
Originally, this place was just a place for Chen Zichen to contact Huo Liantao. Later, after the change occurred, he could not bear to see the refugees in difficulty and ignore them, so he insisted on staying in the city to distribute grain to the people. Even the common people knew that Huarong was safe, so how could Shen Tianshu not know that this place was where Chen Zichen was hiding?
Fortunately, the matter of household registration had already been prepared properly. Chen Zichen hid in a secret compartment in the bookshelf, while Mister Bai, Xie Yun, and a subordinate pretended to be a father and two sons. They had just avoided the search of Chou Tianjin's men the previous moment and were then met with Shen Tianshu's men. After the Di Sha carefully identified the appearances of the three, they were originally ready to leave.
Who knew that Chen Zichen was careless for a moment and coughed out loud, causing the leader to turn back. This made him suspect why an ordinary civilian's home would have a bookshelf. Just as the other party was examining the items in the bookshelf one by one and was about to touch the mechanism, Xie Yun suddenly pretended to be afflicted with consumption, thus barely escaping a disaster.
Chen Zichen's army was stationed not far away and could arrive in seven or eight days. If they learned that the prince was trapped, they would surely send troops to rescue him, which was exactly Shen Tianshu's objective. The Di Sha colluded with Yu Wenzhi. If something happened to the prince in enemy territory, it would be enough for Yu Wenzhi to make a big deal out of it. This was also the root of Xie Yun's worries.
The current situation was unfavorable. Xie Yun came up with a plan: Chen Zichen would send someone to deliver a letter to Huojiapu, and it was essential that the Di Sha saw the letter entering Huojiapu. Chou Tianjin obeyed Yu Wenzhi, and Shen Tianshu had always been at odds with Chou Tianjin. Although he didn't know what Xie Yun's move was ultimately intended for, he was confident that an opportunity would soon arise.
The reason Zhou Fei did not appear in the city was that she was held back by the red-clothed woman in the backyard. This woman did not give way an inch, preventing her from going out and getting into danger. Moreover, after Zhou Fei made her move, she recognized the Breaking Snow Saber. Zhou Fei was easily immobilized by the other party. Seeing that she inquired about Li Zheng, she did not deceive her.
Who knew that the red-clothed woman actually claimed to be her maternal great-grandmother. Zhou Fei didn't know why, but she spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted, falling to the ground. After she woke up, she learned from Wu Chuchu that the red-clothed woman was the famous Guanxi Ku Rong Maneuver Jiuniang, who Li Jinrong had mentioned before. Zhou Fei still couldn't believe that this crazy woman before her eyes was actually a renowned heroine in the Jianghu.
The two learned from the servants who carefully attended to Duan Jiuniang that, back then, her young master didn't know whom he had offended, which attracted the Di Sha to send people to hunt them down. She fled with the infant in her arms and was fortunate to be helped by Duan Jiuniang. Two fists were no match for four hands.
Duan Jiuniang also needed to be distracted to protect the infant in her arms and was temporarily at a disadvantage. At this moment, Li Zheng, dressed in white, descended like a hero, easily taking the lives of the Di Sha. This figure thus remained in Duan Jiuniang's heart, unforgettable for a lifetime. Even when she was often foolishly insane, the only person she thought of was Li Zheng.
Episode 9 Recap
A song "Picking Lotus Song" earned praise from Li Zheng. Although Duan Jiuniang did not spend much time with him, deep affection had taken root in her heart, so she expressed her feelings directly. However, Li Zheng was already over forty years old, and his daughter was similar in age to Duan Jiuniang. Though his beloved wife had passed away early, his love in his heart had not changed, making it naturally difficult for him to accept.
Seeing her confession fail, Duan Jiuniang became angry and parted ways, showing no trace of pretense. The Jianghu is vast, and where one's heart is devoted, one will always seek opportunities to be close to the beloved, even across the ends of the earth.
Duan Jiuniang, experiencing love for the first time and definitely not one to give up easily, often challenged Li Zheng outside the mountain gate of the Forty-Eight Stockades after being rejected, although she did not pester him bitterly. Even when facing Li Jinrong, who was similar in age to her, Duan Jiuniang seemed to be showing off, confident that one day the other party would call her "Mother". A woman adorns herself for the one who makes her happy.
Duan Jiuniang, a Jianghu woman with a free and unrestrained nature, was not bothered by trivialities. She publicly challenged him outside the stockade gate, adopting a stance of sitting there until death if she didn't see Li Zheng. Yet, she would occasionally reveal a rare trace of a young woman's stirring heart, carefully tidying her appearance. When Li Zheng finally came out to accept the challenge, Duan Jiuniang was happy.
She did not get angry even when he knocked off her earring with a palm strike, but instead left angrily because Li Zheng used his saber hilt to support her. Whenever she sparred with Li Zheng, Duan Jiuniang would study the secrets of his saber technique alone to find a way to counter it. Over time, every move she developed was a method to counter the Breaking Snow Saber.
Whenever Duan Jiuniang discovered a counter method, she was naturally happy, knowing she had another reason to meet Li Zheng again. Duan Jiuniang traveled the Jianghu without understanding subtlety or diplomacy. Upon hearing that the Di Sha had spoken disrespectfully of Li Zheng, she disregarded the existing enmity she already had with them and deliberately fell into one of their insidious schemes.
News of Duan Jiuniang being poisoned was intentionally spread by the Di Sha to Li Zheng, naturally leading him to come to her rescue. Duan Jiuniang deeply believed that if Li Zheng had no feelings for her, he could have never met her again. Why did he come out to challenge her repeatedly, even keeping the earring from before by his side? And this time, he came to her rescue regardless of everything.
But Li Zheng's repeated rejections made Duan Jiuniang leave angrily. Li Zheng's worried gaze followed her departing back. His body was already weak. Whether he had feelings for her was truly difficult to discern, as he knew the outcome yet still acted to save her. Returning to the present, Zhou Fei couldn't bear to see Duan Jiuniang reduced to a county magistrate's concubine, suffering insults, and wanted to take her back to the Forty-Eight Stockades.
But alas, she herself was trapped here, so how could she boast so shamelessly? Just as Zhou Fei was feeling disheartened, Duan Jiuniang suddenly forcefully transferred her internal energy into Zhou Fei's body, causing her to fall unconscious, her life hanging in the balance. The Withered-Glory Maneuver has always been passed down through generations by transferring internal energy.
If a disciple's bone structure was poor or their resilience insufficient, they would die from being unable to withstand the powerful internal energy. Duan Jiuniang deeply believed that Li Zheng's descendants would not be so useless. Even if she unfortunately died, it would be better to die by her own family's hand than to suffer humiliation from others later.
At the critical moment of Zhou Fei's life, Magistrate Zhu suddenly arrived and asked if Duan Jiuniang could pay respects to her elder sister on his behalf. Through their conversation, Magistrate Zhu understood clearly about the unexpected guests in the backyard but remained calm. He even used Duan Jiuniang as an excuse to instruct his servants to send more food. In chaotic times, everyone has their own measure of preserving their lives and handling affairs.
It is difficult to distinguish between good and bad. Shen Tianshu deliberately released the news that Chen Zichen was trapped, which indeed caused Huo Liantao to make a move. He immediately led a team out of the city, unaware that he had fallen into someone else's trap. Xie Yun ordered Jia Chen to raid the scattered Di Sha disciples, disguising themselves as Di Sha members to follow them out of the city.
Meanwhile, Mister Bai used disguise to impersonate Shen Tianshu and assassinate Tong Tianyang's subordinates, inciting internal conflict between the two. Events progressed smoothly. Although the city gate guards remained completely still, having been 'cleaned' once, the Di Sha would never have expected Xie Yun to use the same trick again. Xie Yun sent one person to deliberately drive a carriage directly towards the city gate, attracting the Di Sha to chase after it.
Chen Zichen disguised himself as a Di Sha member and finally left the city in a grand manner, leaving Mister Bai to be at Xie Yun's disposal. At the same time, Old Madam Wang and her group, who had already found Li Sheng, were rushing towards Huarong when they coincidentally brushed past Tong Tianyang. Li Sheng recognized the red locust token; its pattern was exactly the same as the carving on the weapon that had killed his father.
The hatred for his father's killer instantly blinded his mind. Seeing that Tong Tianyang seemed heavily injured and isolated, Li Sheng indeed fell into the trap. Although Old Madam Wang arrived in time at the critical moment, Shen Tianshu's arrival sealed the outcome for that day. Li Sheng watched helplessly as everyone from the Forty-Eight Stockades died tragically on the spot due to his impulsiveness.
Yet, he still did not change his impulsive nature and could not understand Old Madam Wang's intention of protecting him with her life. In a moment of danger, a pair of hands tightly grabbed Li Sheng, who was overwhelmed with anger and wanted to continue charging forward to his death. Chongxiaozi released a hidden weapon, and a white mist rose. He leaped lightly on his feet and forcibly took Li Sheng away, escaping the danger.
Episode 10 Recap
Chongxiaozi had finally managed to rescue Li Sheng from the Di Sha, and seeing that the other party was about to return to danger for a few corpses, he simply knocked him unconscious with a palm strike. It wasn't until night fell and Li Sheng woke from his coma that Chongxiaozi had already buried the people from the Forty-Eight Stockades on the spot, giving them a proper burial. Chongxiaozi watched Li Sheng repent before Old Madam Wang's grave.
Understanding his youthful impulsiveness, though he was reckless, he was also rare in valuing loyalty and righteousness, so he intended to take Li Sheng as a disciple under the Qi Sect. Li Sheng had achieved nothing on this trip down the mountain, but instead caused others to lose their lives, so he naturally wanted to return to the stockade to accept punishment.
Unexpectedly, this seemingly immortal Chongxiaozi actually pretended to have a leg injury, holding back Li Sheng to help him get to the Huo Family Fort first. Zhou Fei's situation at this time was also not optimistic. The Withered-Glory Maneuver has always been incompatible with other internal energy techniques; otherwise, they would repel each other, leading to a tragic outcome. This was the reason why Zhou Fei had not improved.
The Withered-Glory Maneuver is a powerful technique, and it was fortunate that Duan Jiuniang had exceptional bone structure to survive from hundreds of people and become a master. Zhou Fei now possessed both the Withered-Glory Maneuver and the Southern Blade technique. Who knew what kind of extraordinary fate this would create? Several days passed. While Zhou Fei was in a semi-conscious state, Duan Jiuniang temporarily sealed her internal energy, allowing her to regain consciousness.
However, the presence of the Withered-Glory Maneuver in her body was a fact. According to Duan Jiuniang, unless Zhou Fei abolished the Southern Blade internal energy she had cultivated for many years, her life would be in danger. The matter was a foregone conclusion, and Zhou Fei found it difficult to accept such a reality, leading to a quarrel.
If Madam Song hadn't diverted Duan Jiuniang's attention by mentioning Zhu Baoshan, Duan Jiuniang, in her deranged state, might have ended Zhou Fei's life with a single palm strike. Duan Jiuniang had been separated from her family during the war, and it was rare to find a relative in Huarong, only to lose her again.
Before Duan Jiuniang's sister passed away, she entrusted the infant Zhu Baoshan to Duan Jiuniang and repeatedly instructed her not to resent Magistrate Zhu for failing their mother and son. It was for this reason that Duan Jiuniang had lived in the magistrate's residence under the guise of a concubine, cared for by Magistrate Zhu until now, and what she cared about most now was only her sister's orphaned child.
Zhou Fei was completely without internal energy, feeling that all was lost. She simply took out the Dao De Jing given by Chongxiaozi and studied it while no one was disturbing her. Although she was not deeply learned, she surprisingly discerned the hidden Ephemeral Array within it based on her innate comprehension. Now, with an uncertain path ahead, seemingly at a dead end, she might as well risk a try.
However, in just a moment, Zhou Fei felt too weak to continue. She suddenly felt the internal energy within her body, which should have been sealed, being drawn out little by little, gradually showing signs of fusion again. Inside the Huo Family Fort, Huo Changfeng had been poisoned by Lian Shen for a long time, and the time he spent conscious each day was becoming shorter. Yet, he constantly thought of the rose bush by his bed.
Huo Liantao tried both soft and hard tactics but could not get his elder brother to yield. Kicking over the rose bush was originally an act of venting anger, but by a strange coincidence, it allowed him to finally obtain the Shendu Seal he had coveted for a long time. The Shendu Seal was marked with wave patterns. In the Jianghu, the bloody storms caused by this object had continued to this day.
Huo Changfeng was able to hide the Shendu Seal in the rose bush in advance because Mu Xiaoqiao came to deliver a message. Now that the Shendu Seal had been seized by Huo Liantao, Huo Changfeng was even more worried that his own brother would suffer a terrible calamity because of it, causing new turmoil in the Jianghu.
Huo Changfeng had been poisoned for a long time, coupled with being overwhelmed by anger, and died in the arms of Chongxiaozi, who arrived a step late. Before his death, he still couldn't part with the rose, because it symbolized Mu Xiaoqiao. Mu Xiaoqiao, who had always been shunned by the world, helped the Huo Family Fort in every way because she was grateful for Huo Changfeng's life-saving grace.
Now that the old friend was gone, everything scattered like a breeze. The lockdown in Huarong city continued. Mister Bai, under Xie Yun's orders, disguised himself as Wu Chuchu and deliberately lured the Di Sha to chase after him in a small alley to eliminate them. With this move, when Chou Tianjin heard that Wu Chuchu had appeared on the street, he gave up the idea of searching the magistrate's residence, which relieved Zhou Fei and the other's plight.
Because Zhou Fei felt cold all over, Wu Chuchu had to disguise herself as a servant, risk mixing out of the mansion to get charcoal, but was accidentally entangled by a servant and sent to the tailor shop to run errands. Just then, Zhu Baoshan heard the servants discussing that Wu Chuchu looked unfamiliar, understood the connections, and voluntarily reported to Chou Tianjin to capture them.
Afterwards, Zhu Baoshan quietly sneaked into the backyard to investigate, and fortunately was knocked unconscious by the semi-conscious Duan Jiuniang who mistook him for a thief. Mister Bai disguised himself again to lure Chou Tianjin away. As a result, Xie Yun, dressed as a Di Sha member, had just met up with Wu Chuchu, but was mistaken for villains by Duan Jiuniang and nearly got into a fight. Wu Chuchu bravely stepped between the two. After clearing up the misunderstanding, Duan Jiuniang looked at Xie Yun as if he were a potential grandson-in-law, finding him more and more pleasing to the eye.
Episode 11 Recap
The step before, Xie Yun had reunited with Zhou Fei, whose internal energy was unstable, when Zhu Baoshan, who had secretly run out, led the Di Sha in pursuit, arriving here. The four of them fled into the city streets and narrow alleys. Wu Chuchu followed Mister Bai and escaped from the west gate one step ahead. Before parting, trusting Zhou Fei's concern, Wu Chuchu entrusted the peace lock she never took off to her for safekeeping.
At this moment, Zhou Fei was experiencing alternating hot and cold sensations all over her body; it was precisely the critical moment for her internal energy to fuse. Xie Yun, despite his weakened state, fought desperately with a small wave of pursuing Di Sha. As he had said, he would protect Zhou Fei with his life. At the critical moment, Zhou Fei felt as if her Ren and Du meridians had opened.
With the help of the Ephemeral Array, the internal energy techniques of the Southern Blade and Withered-Glory Maneuver completely fused. Zhou Fei's eyes suddenly opened, her gaze sharp. She casually drew the blade Xie Yun wore on his back and easily annihilated all of the Di Sha members. Her skill had clearly improved, significantly different from before. After experiencing many changes, Xie Yun finally fulfilled his promise and compensated Zhou Fei with the blade.
In front, Duan Jiuniang was single-handedly blocking Chou Tianjin. In a trance, she suddenly remembered that this man before her was precisely the defeated subordinate from back when she and Li Jinrong had stormed into the Di Sha's underground palace, the one she had stepped on and called her "sister." After several moves, Chou Tianjin was indeed no match for Duan Jiuniang, so he decided to repeat his old trick and attack her with a poisoned water staff.
The poisoned water in the staff was extremely corrosive; touching it meant instant death. Duan Jiuniang was not without the power to parry, but seeing Zhou Fei and Xie Yun rush to help, she was happy to take it easy. Zhou Fei's every move gathered the essence of Southern Blade and the Withered-Glory Maneuver. The perfect fusion of the two techniques made Duan Jiuniang extremely happy. Facing the greatly improved Zhou Fei, Chou Tianjin was like a stray dog.
He originally thought that by escaping to the west gate and finding the Di Sha members, he could save his life. Who knew that before he could even rejoice, he found himself before Shen Tianshu's group. Chou Tianjin knew seeking help was hopeless and was unwilling to face death, so he actually disregarded his dignity and begged Zhou Fei for mercy. With the deep blood feud before her, Zhou Fei raised her hand and the blade fell without hesitation.
As the sharp blade light flashed by, Chou Tianjin's eyes instantly lost their luster in despair. Chou Tianjin died by Zhou Fei's hand, and the spirits of the Forty-Eight Stockades' martial brothers finally found solace. With the great revenge avenged, the voices of Wu Chuchu and Mister Bai suddenly sounded from the west gate.
It turned out that Shen Tianshu had long seen through Xie Yun's strategy of creating a diversion and had deliberately lain in wait here, capturing the two who had escaped and hanging them above the city gate. Zhou Fei originally wanted to use Li Zheng's name to entice Duan Jiuniang to escape back to the Forty-Eight Stockades with them. Who knew that at the critical moment, Duan Jiuniang had already remembered everything.
Although the three of them jointly succeeded in rescuing Wu Chuchu and Mister Bai, Shen Tianshu was not comparable to Chou Tianjin. Duan Jiuniang knew in her heart that only by sacrificing herself to cover their retreat could she buy them a slim chance of survival. Moreover, how could the clear-minded Duan Jiuniang let the enemy before her go?
Back then, in order to allow Zhu Baoshan to legitimately enter the Zhu family, Duan Jiuniang only married Magistrate Zhu as a concubine. On the wedding day, Duan Jiuniang learned from Li Jinrong that Li Zheng had absorbed the Lian Shen poison from her body into his own, trading one life for another. She immediately took off her fine clothes and angrily stormed into the Di Sha palace with Li Jinrong.
The Withered-Glory Maneuver already had a successor, so Duan Jiuniang was willing to die. It was just that the pearls scattered all over the ground were given by Li Zheng, and she had always treasured them. At the moment of death, Duan Jiuniang seemed to see Li Zheng slowly walking towards her, picking up the scattered pearls on the ground for her.
She also finally felt the warmth from his hand, instead of a cold blade handle, and died with a smile. Although Duan Jiuniang had cultivated the "Withered" aspect of the Withered-Glory Maneuver to perfection, she had never fully grasped the mystery of the "Glory". Perhaps this wither and glory lies within the inheritance. Zhou Fei woke up from her daze only to realize that what she had just seen of Duan Jiuniang was merely a dream.
She had long since hidden with Xie Yun at the Sanchun Inn. Mister Bai inquired along the way and confirmed Wu Chuchu's younger brother's life was safe. Only after escorting Wu Chuchu to General Wen Yu's tent did he successfully withdraw. The group thus dispersed to various places. Li Jinrong, who was in the Forty-Eight Stockades, completely lost contact with them and also felt a faint unease in her heart.
Episode 12 Recap
At Sanchun Inn, Xie Yun and Zhou Fei rarely had a moment of peace. Although Wu Chuchu was escorted away by Mister Bai, her current whereabouts were unknown. Originally, Zhou Fei thought that after passing through the Ephemeral Array, she could travel anywhere in the world, but even a small matter like escorting Wu Chuchu was difficult to complete, and various setbacks made her lose her appetite.
Zhou Fei was still unaware that Old Madam Wang and her group had also perished. Her only thought was how to send a letter to inform Li Jinrong of the situation down the mountain. Zhou Fei currently only wanted to find Wu Chuchu and complete her task, and then fulfill her three-day promise with Duan Jiuniang to bring everyone back to the Forty-Eight Stockades together. The inn was crowded with people, and it wasn't far from Huarong.
While Zhou Fei and Xie Yun were chatting, they overheard the people next door discussing the death of a crazy woman on the streets of Huarong. It was then they realized that Duan Jiuniang had already been buried. With Xie Yun's reminder, Zhou Fei suppressed the impulse in her heart. After all, the dead cannot be brought back to life, and returning to Huarong would be of no help. Zhou Fei felt a stifled anger that was difficult to dissipate.
Just then, Yin Pei, a subordinate of the Azure Dragon Master of Four Symbols Mountain, came to cause trouble. She immediately stepped in to save the innkeeper. Yin Pei was arrogant, but seeing that the person who offended him was a beautiful woman, and also having other important matters, he didn't get too entangled.
From their conversation, it was clear that Yin Pei was acquainted with the innkeeper, Hua Zhenglong, and had come to the inn to search repeatedly for reasons unknown. On the other side, Li Sheng carried Chongxiaozi all the way back to the foot of Qimen Mountain. Feng Wuyan, who had been expelled from the sect, had long been waiting, intending to reclaim the sect leader's horsetail whisk from Chongxiaozi.
The Qimen sect excelled at Qimen Dunjia and Eight Trigram formations, but for some unknown reason, they suffered annihilation, leaving only Chongxiaozi. This time, Chongxiaozi had chosen Li Sheng to inherit the Qimen legacy, but unexpectedly, this made him an eyesore to Feng Wuyan. Looking back, Yin Pei should have returned empty-handed again, but he recognized the taste of an old friend from a plate of beef sauce on Zhou Fei's table, thus becoming embroiled in others' grudges.
As Zhou Fei was fighting Old Man Jiulong, a pale-faced person of similar age to Yin Pei slowly appeared before everyone. This person was none other than Ji Yunchen, the successor of the Northern Blade. When the two met, there was an excitement like meeting an old friend, yet also an envy like meeting an enemy. Ji Yunchen's face showed guilt, and despite Yin Pei's aggressiveness, his eyes were filled with the pain of unwillingness.
His words clearly showed reluctance for the other person's death, yet it seemed difficult for him to let go of the hatred in his heart, causing him great torment. It must be another story. Ji Yunchen was willing to satisfy Yin Pei, ready to kneel and accept whatever treatment, but Hua Zhenglong intervened, causing Old Man Jiulong to bring out the Azure Dragon Flag and light the Azure Dragon Incense.
Once the Azure Dragon Flag was out, no one would be left alive. The incense was for transmitting messages, and once the Azure Dragon formation arrived, slaughtering a few isolated experts would be effortless. Although Old Man Jiulong's martial arts were average, he was cunning and sly. For some unknown reason, he was now willing to obey the orders of someone from the Azure Dragon lineage. Seeing Zhou Fei about to leave, Old Man Jiulong pulled back to block her.
Everyone present was extraordinary; they could tell at a glance that she inherited the Southern Blade. During her fight with Old Man Jiulong, Zhou Fei received guidance from Ji Yunchen, truly comprehending the meaning of 'no move is better than a move' and forcing Old Man Jiulong to kneel and beg for mercy. Zhou Fei lacked experience in the Jianghu and had never truly encountered such a cunning villain as Old Man Jiulong.
Seeing him kneel and beg for mercy, she lowered her guard. Thanks to Hua Zhenglong's intervention, he saved her, but he also lost a hand in the process. Hua Zhenglong, who had been living in seclusion for twenty years, mocked that his Hibiscus Divine Palm had reappeared only to leave him with no palm to use, which shows his character. At this moment, Old Man Jiulong was dead.
Xie Yun had already taken advantage of the chaos to knock down the flag stuck at the entrance and used a pot of water to extinguish the Azure Dragon Incense. However, doing so was a complete slap in the face to the Azure Dragon Master, and it would likely not end well. Just as everyone was getting anxious, they heard a commotion outside the inn. They all thought the Azure Dragon people had arrived.
But Zhou Fei, like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger, went out to look and only then realized that the person who had arrived was Wen Yu. As soon as Wen Yu saw Xie Yun, he immediately led his men to kneel, respectfully addressing him as "Your Highness," thus revealing Xie Yun's long-hidden identity in front of Zhou Fei.
While Xie Yun was feeling awkward, Wu Chuchu, who had just gotten out of the carriage, was happy to reunite with Zhou Fei and also informed her that Xie Yun was a former emperor, which caused Zhou Fei to immediately "draw a clear line" with Xie Yun.
Episode 13 Recap
The Qimen Eight Trigrams Formation has infinite variations. Even in a dilapidated Taoist temple outside the mountain gate, there are infinitely profound Eight Gates formations. Chongxiaozi had just entered the Taoist temple when he suddenly felt his internal energy was unstable and spat out a mouthful of blood he had suppressed for a long time.
He knew in his heart that Feng Wuyan would not let it go, so he quickly took Li Sheng and used the array to escape successfully. Chongxiaozi took Li Sheng and moved through the array, dodging Feng Wuyan who was chasing them, while teaching Li Sheng the incantations for the Eight Trigrams Formation. Feng Wuyan was angered that his father, the sect leader, favored Chongxiaozi.
For this, he did not hesitate to invite disaster, causing the Qimen sect to be destroyed. He himself was also not skilled enough and was trapped in the Eight Trigrams array. Seeking to ensure the Qimen techniques had a successor, Chongxiaozi chose Li Sheng to inherit them, but he did not intend for him to change his sect.
Li Sheng had also read some books on the Eight Trigrams formation, coupled with his personal intelligence and extremely high comprehension, he could quickly and easily pass through one of Chongxiaozi's Eight Major Arrays of the Maze Forest. In Sanchun Inn, Wen Yu sent troops to guard this place. Although everyone didn't need to be overly worried about their own safety, Xie Yun, to protect the safety of others and prevent implicating them, therefore did not plan to leave yet.
For some unknown reason, Xie Yun seemed to prefer to be a rootless duckweed in the Jianghu rather than going back with Wen Yu. In her leisure time, Zhou Fei learned from Wu Chuchu that Xie Yun's original name was Xiao Chuan. He was the orphaned son of the previous dynasty's emperor. When he was still in swaddling clothes, he encountered a rebellion and was fortunate to be saved by a eunuch who sacrificed his life, allowing him to survive.
Later, although Wang Lin brought Xie Yun back to the palace, he again became a hostage in another country. As military generals took the opportunity to rebel and changed the dynasty's name, even though Wang Lin intended to support Xie Yun as emperor and restore the former dynasty, he was powerless despite his intentions. Hearing about Xie Yun's childhood experiences, Zhou Fei felt neither sympathy nor anger; she just treated him as a friend she met by chance.
This made Xie Yun, who had been standing outside the door for a long time, feel happy, and later, he shamelessly begged Zhou Fei to take him to leave secretly. For Xie Yun, he had never had so-called family. Facing Zhou Fei's words advising him to go home, he was naturally unmoved. Instead, a feeling of sorrow and loneliness arose from the bottom of his heart. Suddenly, the sound of drums and gongs grew closer.
The Azure Dragon Master, Zheng Luosheng, personally arrived. Although his presence was overbearing, he spoke courteously with Wen Yu. It was clear that neither of them wanted to offend the other and cause unnecessary trouble. Zheng Luosheng learned that the person who broke the Azure Dragon Flag and extinguished the Azure Dragon Incense was the young master that Wen Yu was protecting, and he was also willing to let the matter rest.
Who knew that after Zheng Luosheng saw Zhou Fei and Wu Chuchu, he actually admitted that he regretted his decision due to their beauty. The tense atmosphere between the two sides rose again, and they immediately started fighting fiercely.
Zhou Fei and Xie Yun took advantage of the chaos to go to the backyard grain storage where they had agreed to meet Hua Zhenglong, just as they saw Wu Chuchu, who had arrived earlier, being restrained with a chokehold by Yin Pei. At this critical moment, Xie Yun roared "A'Pei." This intimate address surprised everyone, including Yin Pei, but Xie Yun casually brushed it off. Yin Pei's martial arts were average, and he was easily countered by Zhou Fei.
Ji Yunchen pleaded for him and only then revealed Yin Pei's identity as a descendant of Yin Wenlan. Two blades and one sword. Among them, this sword refers to the Yin family's Mountain River Sword. The reason Yin Pei hated Ji Yunchen so much seemed to be related to the Mountain River Sword having no successor, which was linked to him, causing Yin Wenlan to die with regret.
Previously, Yin Pei had searched in every way but could not find Ji Yunchen because Sanchun Inn contained hidden secrets. Currently, Zheng Luosheng was still searching for everyone everywhere, and it was not advisable to linger here any longer, so they quickly headed to the tunnel to escape. In the tunnel, Zhou Fei and two others went ahead to scout the way, and only then did Yin Pei get the chance to recount the truth of that year.
It turned out that year, Hua Zhenglong's life was hanging by a thread. A woman, to save his life, deliberately set up a situation to make Ji Yunchen speak carelessly while drunk, leading to the incident being exposed. Yin Pei "accidentally" heard the truth and naturally would not accept Ji Yunchen's kindness again.
The medicinal pill that should have been used to cleanse Yin Pei's meridians and marrow naturally ended up in Hua Zhenglong's stomach, allowing him to prolong his life. The so-called truth was the reason for brothers turning against each other. And Hua Zhenglong's emotions fluctuated, as if angered and shamed by being exposed, also confirming that what Yin Pei said was true. Things had come to this point.
Hua Zhenglong sought benevolence and attained it, returning to the inn alone and completely destroying the mechanism for entering the tunnel to buy them time to escape. Outside the tunnel, Hua Zhenglong pulled the mechanism. The grain storage instantly became a pile of ruins, and he himself didn't know if he was dead or alive.
Meanwhile, Wen Yu was still near the inn, and Zheng Luosheng was also unable to fully act, leaving behind only a trained rat here to search for everyone's tracks with its sense of smell, which is beyond human ability.
Episode 14 Recap
The Southern and Northern Blades, one firm and one yielding, shook the world with their might. However, for unknown reasons, the Northern Blade always remained outside the Pass, not bothering with worldly affairs. Since Zheng Luosheng was still outside, everyone decided to stay in the tunnel for a while to rest and wait for the right moment.
Taking this opportunity, Ji Yunchen brought up old matters again, expressing great regret in his words for his youthful impetuosity and for not listening to his master's advice. Ji Yunchen, having achieved mastery of the Northern Blade, felt full of ambition and was unwilling to see the Northern Blade remain silent. Therefore, he insisted on entering the Central Plains, determined to make a name for himself.
Ji Yunchen, upon arriving in the Central Plains, challenged several masters consecutively, thus gaining fame in the Jianghu. With such achievements at a young age, it was inevitable that he would be arrogant. Hearing that his master had once been defeated by Yin Wenlan, he immediately went to challenge him. Ji Yunchen's attempts to provoke failed in various ways. Furthermore, insults from a storyteller clouded his mind, and he actually abducted Yin Pei to threaten Yin Wenlan into battle.
Little did he know, Yin Wenlan was already injured, and because he was unwilling to take Ji Yunchen's life, he retracted his inner energy, causing his injuries to worsen. Ji Yunchen was unknowingly manipulated and plotted against by villains, resulting in Yin Wenlan being lured away from home. The Yin family was left unguarded, and not one of the hundred lives survived.
It was also because of this that Yin Wenlan's injuries worsened, and he was no match for the villains. When Ji Yunchen brought Yin Pei home, Yin Wenlan had already died on the spot. With this lifelong guilt, Ji Yunchen raised Yin Pei. After years of depending on each other, Ji Yunchen, whom Yin Pei should have regarded as his only relative, turned out to be the enemy who indirectly killed his entire family.
Yin Pei found it hard to accept this at the time. After parting ways with Ji Yunchen, he was taken in by Zheng Luosheng and has survived until now, enduring humiliation and bearing a heavy burden. However, as Xie Yun said, every injustice has a culprit and every debt has a debtor. Although Yin Pei's background is pitiable, he has sought out the wrong person and demanded the wrong debt.
The group traveled all the way to the foot of Hengshan Mountain. Just as they exited the secret chamber entrance, they were intercepted by Zheng Luosheng who was approaching them. It turned out that Azure Dragon Sect members regularly took pills which caused them to emit a pervasive fragrance. Only the rats trained by Zheng Luosheng could detect this scent, making it impossible to escape the Azure Dragon Sect, even to the ends of the earth.
Xie Yun speculated that Zheng Luosheng's relentless pursuit of an ordinary disciple must be for the Yin family's Mountain River Sword. Xie Yun claimed to be of royal blood and sent a signal into the sky, admitting frankly that Wen Yu would come to their rescue soon. Zheng Luosheng had no intention of opposing the imperial court, which was why he allowed Xie Yun and the others to escape openly. However, his accompanying rat naturally avoided crowds.
Seeing that the animal showed no fear, Zheng Luosheng realized he had been tricked by Xie Yun. By the time Zhou Fei sliced the chasing rat in half with a single cut, Zheng Luosheng had already caught up. Like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger, she covered the rear by herself, showing no sign of fear. However, bravery alone could not become Zhou Fei's magic weapon to turn the tables.
It was Xie Yun who arrived in time, pulling her up the hillside with a vine, thus escaping Zheng Luosheng's pursuit once more. Zhou Fei looked at Xie Yun's concern. Although she knew this person before her carried secrets and had no idea what he truly intended, she couldn't help but feel trust for Xie Yun rising from the bottom of her heart.
As for Xie Yun, having witnessed Zhou Fei putting herself in danger multiple times, he seemed worried that he might not be able to protect her in the future. The danger had temporarily passed. Everyone rested in a rock cave. Under Xie Yun's astute speculation, Yin Pei had to admit his scheme. Previously, Yin Pei had merely intentionally escalated the conflict between the Nine Dragon Elder and the group, aiming to kill two birds with one stone.
He himself could also escape the Azure Dragon Sect's control this way. As for the Mountain River Sword, no one knew if a sword manual truly existed. But Xie Yun said that there was a legend that Southern Blade Li Zheng deliberately destroyed his accompanying saber before his death, hence the persistent rumors in the Jianghu that whoever obtains his saber obtains his true legacy.
Even someone as naive as Ji Yunchen found it hard to believe that Zheng Luosheng would believe such groundless rumors and plot to kill Yin Wenlan for the Mountain River Sword.
Episode 15 Recap
Yin Pei was raised by Ji Yunchen for many years. Although his unintentional mistakes occurred, Ji Yunchen's original intention was not malicious, and for these years they treated each other sincerely. However, Yin Pei wished he could cut him into a thousand pieces. Zhou Fei really did not want to be alone with such an ungrateful wretch. Taking advantage of Xie Yun going out to scout the situation, she studied the Withered and Flourishing Hands with Wu Chuchu.
It is regrettable that martial arts techniques have become lost, causing people to sigh. Wu Chuchu surprisingly possessed the ability of photographic memory and had the idea of recording the Withered and Flourishing Hands into a martial arts manual. This would not only provide it for Zhou Fei's research but also prevent the regret of martial arts being lost. Meanwhile, Ji Yunchen was sitting not far away, listening to their conversation, seemingly lost in thought.
The Hengshan secret passage is complex, containing many mechanisms and forks in the path. Ordinary people entering it can easily get lost and consequently be harmed by the mechanisms. When it was built, the entrance to the secret passage was intentionally left open precisely to lure enemies into a trap. Currently, Zhou Fei and the others are trapped here. Even Xie Yun, who went out to scout the path, nearly couldn't return.
Zheng Luosheng led the Azure Dragon Sect members searching outside the mountain for a day. It wasn't until night fell that he finally found the entrance. Fortunately, the secret passage is easy to enter but difficult to exit. Zheng Luosheng had no choice but to send people to beat gongs, intending to make Zhou Fei and the others panic, but this small trick naturally couldn't escape Xie Yun.
Zheng Luosheng did not know that the "dog" he had raised for years was actually the descendant of the Yin family. He wanted to use conciliatory empty words to lure Yin Pei into voluntarily handing over the stolen broken sword of Yin Wenlan, which was naturally a waste of effort. However, one faction under Zheng Luosheng were blind and had the skill of discerning positions by sound.
The secret passage mechanisms and confusing forks in the path could not delay Zheng Luosheng for too long either. Under crisis, Ji Yunchen, to permanently eliminate future troubles for Yin Pei, invited Zhou Fei to stay together and keep Zheng Luosheng here forever. As a benefit, he could teach her the Northern Blade's Broken Water Entangling Silk, but the danger involved was self-evident. Hearing this, Xie Yun was naturally surprised and objected.
However, Zhou Fei was inherently brave and fearless of danger. If she could rid the martial world of a scourge, she would readily seek it. As for the Northern Blade, she actually scoffed at it. Ji Yunchen intended to use the Soul Searching Needle to forcefully expel the internal energy that had been discarded within him.
At the same time, he would engage in a mental sparring session or two with Zhou Fei so she could understand the essence of the Northern Blade. The two sat facing each other, each stating their moves. In their minds, it was as if they had entered a spiritual world of combat where their minds were connected.
Every action, every move, allowed Zhou Fei to personally experience the power of the Northern Blade and made her sincerely apologize for her previous offense. Zheng Luosheng had not yet caught up. Xie Yun was still unwilling to give up and wanted to advise Zhou Fei to advance and retreat with strategy, avoiding his sharp edge. However, a blade wielder must always advance bravely.
If she were to have any thought of retreat at this moment, it was likely that Zhou Fei would find it difficult to advance even half a step further in martial arts throughout her life. Seeing that Zhou Fei's mind was made up, Xie Yun said no more. Zhou Fei's promise to protect him was truly heartbreaking. Xie Yun regarded her as a confidante, yet he was misunderstood as being afraid of death.
Their minds were set, and there was no time to delay. Xie Yun stood guard nearby while Zhou Fei and Ji Yunchen sparred using moves and intentions. Mental sparring is unlike martial combat; any variable and mindset can determine victory or defeat. Mental sparring forced Zhou Fei to respond to each move individually, unable to use the Ephemeral Array to gain an advantage. Before long, Zhou Fei was sweating profusely.
Within Ji Yunchen's blade intent, she exchanged five moves and simultaneously experienced the true essence of the Southern Blade, integrating and furthering the moves she had learned in the past. The Southern Blade is fierce, possessing the momentum to cleave mountains and split water. However, Zhou Fei was not constrained by the moves; her intent settled upon impermanence. Zhou Fei was competitive and, once she grasped the essence of martial arts, she would happily forget to eat.
However, she was completely indifferent to the empty reputation of being number one in the world. Thus, as the sound of gongs and drums grew closer, Zhou Fei continuously sparred with Ji Yunchen on blade techniques, and danger drew nearer to them.
Episode 16 Recap
Zhou Fei had just finished her move exchange when the Azure Dragon Sect members rushed in upon hearing the sound. Just as they were about to engage, Xie Yun revealed the intricacies of the formation they had set up, and even pointed directly to the key to breaking it. Seeing the formation fail, Zheng Luosheng simply decided to fight in person.
But just as he was about to start, he couldn't resist his lustful nature and actually wanted to take Zhou Fei into his harem. Instead, Zhou Fei spoke sarcastically, directly pressing towards Zheng Luosheng. This was completely different from how she was a day ago, only able to bluster and then flee.
Zheng Luosheng immediately understood that having incurred Zhou Fei's enmity, he absolutely could not let her live, otherwise, in the future, there would definitely be no possibility of contending with her. The two tangled for several moves. Zhou Fei clearly had several opportunities to injure Zheng Luosheng, but her blade touched his body but could not go deep.
Only when his outer garment was cut open did she see a garment inside that was pure white all over, shimmering like moonlight. Xie Yun saw that this was the Twilight Cloud Gauze that Yin Wenlan had customized for his wife. The item was extremely light to the touch, and when worn, it was impenetrable to blades and spears. Yin Wenlan's treasures all fell into Zheng Luosheng's hands. The mastermind behind the Yin family tragedy was thus self-evident.
But Zheng Luosheng, having obtained various treasures from the Yin family, did not become a second Mountain and River Blade, and what Xie Yun referred to as "Sea and Sky As One Color" made Zheng Luosheng's face change greatly. Zhou Fei did not have Xie Yun's patience. She tangled with Zheng Luosheng again, but Xie Yun knew that Zheng Luosheng would not kill him, and he blocked blades for Zhou Fei everywhere.
Zheng Luosheng had no other options and set his sights on the helpless Wu Chuchu. Fortunately, Ji Yunchen timely used the Soul Searching Needle to successfully expel his former internal energy and saved Wu Chuchu from crisis. Xie Yun naturally knew what the Soul Searching Needle was and also knew that Ji Yunchen could not last long. So he had Zhou Fei unlock Yin Pei's acupoints, and the two sides combined forces. Yin Pei originally hated Zheng Luosheng deeply.
Immediately disregarding his own life and safety, he used himself as bait and forcibly tore off the Twilight Cloud Gauze Zheng Luosheng was wearing. Then, Zhou Fei killed him with a single strike. The crisis was over, but Ji Yunchen was at the end of his strength. This was because although the Soul Searching Needle could bring someone back from death, they were sure to die within three "ke".
He had sought fame for half his life, recalling his ambition back then, but now he would also disappear with the wind. Although Yin Pei was reluctant to part with the kindness of being raised, he ultimately could not let go of the hatred in his heart. But before leaving, he gave the Twilight Cloud Gauze to Wu Chuchu, only because she had kindly given him fruit before. A person, a blade, a world, would ultimately return to the earth.
Zhou Fei and Xie Yun buried Ji Yunchen on the spot, allowing him to rest in peace. They only hoped that in his next life, Ji Yunchen could still fulfill his ambitions. Those who live should cherish the present. They also hoped that Yin Pei, who parted ways with them here, could understand Ji Yunchen's painstaking efforts and not fail the heroic name of Yin Wenlan. The matter was just finished.
The three of them hurried on their way through the mountain flower fields. Xie Yun momentarily recalled being treated as a chess piece in his childhood. He had been picked up from a pool of blood with bodies strewn everywhere, recounting his experiences as a story. But during a brief moment of leisure, Zhou Fei suddenly felt her internal energy become disordered.
She originally didn't want to burden Xie Yun with worry, but she ultimately couldn't resist the surging vital energy of the Withered and Flourishing Hands and fainted on the spot. Xie Yun carried Zhou Fei on his back, intending to go to Hengyang City to seek help from an old friend. Along the way, he coincidentally met Wen Yu. It was just right to entrust Wu Chuchu to his care.
As he carried her along the way, in her daze, Zhou Fei mistook Xie Yun for Zhou Yitang. But she heard Xie Yun respond without hesitation, calling Zhou Fei "A-Yun". It is unknown if there was another meaning behind this. Meanwhile, Li Sheng, who had deeply inherited the true teachings of Chongxiaozi, was also planning to return to the Forty-Eight Strongholds. He coincidentally met Gu Tianxian of the Dizha (Earth Fiends) who was passing through here, heading towards Hengyang City.
Li Sheng changed his route because of this and unexpectedly met Wu Chuchu. It turned out that Wen Yu was originally passing through this place with Wu Chuchu. Because there were hunter's traps along the way, he went ahead alone to scout the path, and therefore left her here alone. The Dizha were behind, following closely. Li Sheng, to protect Wu Chuchu, jumped alone into a hunter's trap.
This attracted Gu Tianxian's attention, and he falsely claimed he was a local hunter. He said there were many hunters and hundreds of traps, consequently arousing Gu Tianxian's vigilance and concerns. Gu Tianxian and his group were heading to Hengyang City to deliver a message. Seeing their expressions and anxious rush, there must be some major conspiracy.
And Shen Tianshu, upon learning that Li Jinrong would also be unable to hold back and had again sent several people down the mountain, also decided to head to Hengyang City to meet an old friend. For a time, these people entangled by grievances and debts would reunite in Hengyang City.
Episode 17 Recap
Indeed, there were many traps set by hunters in the forest. Gu Tianxian was in a hurry to travel, so it was better not to cause unnecessary trouble, and he didn't doubt it, thus allowing Li Sheng to get rid of him with just a few words. As soon as the Earth Fiends left, Wen Yu rushed over.
After the three of them introduced themselves, they decided that Li Sheng would take Wu Chuchu back to the Forty-Eight Strongholds, while Wen Yu needed to immediately take the news of the Earth Fiends heading to Hengyang City to Zhou Yitang. At this time, Xie Yun had also arrived at an inn in Hengyang City with the seriously injured Zhou Fei to temporarily rest.
He then asked the waiter to help inquire about some information regarding the Rainbow Robe Troupe, but unexpectedly, Shen Tianshu, who had also arrived at the inn, learned of this. In the past few days, the Earth Fiends had consecutively killed several informants of the Rainbow Robe Troupe and taken the feather tokens from each informant. However, all the Rainbow Robe Troupe informants committed suicide to keep their secrets, making it difficult for Shen Tianshu to find further clues.
Just as he was wondering how to find the Rainbow Robe Troupe, Xie Yun became a useful pawn for him to follow behind the mantis. Xie Yun, who was unaware that his whereabouts were being tracked by Shen Tianshu, disguised himself as an old man and went to the Chunsheng Rouge Shop under the alias of Thousand Years of Worry to find Shopkeeper Wang. The Rainbow Robe Troupe was currently in a tense state.
Shopkeeper Wang, upon hearing that the person was looking for the whereabouts of the Rainbow Robe Troupe, immediately pushed Xie Yun out of the door with a flustered expression. Not long after Xie Yun left, when he returned to the Chunsheng Rouge Shop, Shopkeeper Wang had already died. The Rainbow Robe Troupe had been experiencing many incidents lately.
Chunsheng Rouge Shop should have been guarded by Lingbo, but unexpectedly, she fell asleep during her watch, causing Shopkeeper Wang to lose his life. When Lingbo followed Lingyu into the rouge shop to check and felt guilty for her negligence, she discovered Xie Yun, whose hands and feet were tied and thrown in a corner. Lingyu originally wanted to take the victim to Qiaoyun Residence to meet Madam Rainbow Robe.
After just a few steps, her sharp mind suddenly detected something was wrong. In a few words, she exposed Xie Yun's lie that he suffered this undeserved disaster for delivering storybooks. Xie Yun originally wanted to disguise himself as a victim so that the Rainbow Robe Troupe would personally take him to find Madam Rainbow Robe. Now that he was exposed, he simply told the truth. Zhou Fei was ill from internal energy disorder.
Only Madam Rainbow Robe's Floating Wave Hands could save her. However, it was a critical moment for the survival of the Rainbow Robe Troupe, and it was even more impossible for Lingyu to risk saving someone and put the Rainbow Robe Troupe in danger. Lingbo casually scattered sleeping powder, intending to stop Xie Yun from following. Unfortunately, Xie Yun was poisoned, and using poison to counter poison, this sleeping powder had no effect on him at all.
Xie Yun followed all the way, and after learning the exact location of Qiaoyun Residence, he quickly brought the unconscious Zhou Fei again to ask for help. It was currently the time of the Rainbow Robe Troupe's performance. Lingyu could not let Xie Yun shout outside the door, so she had to temporarily lead him to the side of the performance stage. The performance was not yet over.
Zhou Fei's limp hand, hanging down, made Xie Yun unable to wait any longer. He immediately interrupted the Rainbow Robe Troupe's performance. But even so, Madam Rainbow Robe saving someone required a great price, and even if Xie Yun was willing to pay any price, it was not enough to move Madam Rainbow Robe.
It was only when Xie Yun revealed that Zhou Fei was the successor of the Southern Blade that Madam Rainbow Robe, who had been unperturbed, changed her cold demeanor. She even looked at Zhou Fei with a touch of kindness in her eyes. Many years ago, Madam Rainbow Robe was saved by Li Zheng. Now knowing that the Southern Blade had a successor, she would definitely not stand by and watch her die.
However, if she were to save her, it would consume a large part of her internal energy, and if she were to encounter the Earth Fiends attacking again, Madam Rainbow Robe might lose her life. Therefore, Lingyu secretly found the two of them, knelt and pleaded, which indeed made Zhou Fei think of giving up on treatment. To express her guilt, Lingyu gave them many precious medicines from the Rainbow Robe Troupe.
However, Zhou Fei, unwilling to trouble others, secretly left while Xie Yun was getting the medicine. Fortunately, Xie Yun found her in time, preventing greater harm. Facing the unconscious Zhou Fei again, Madam Rainbow Robe decided to save her with the resolve to die. For her, this was repaying a debt of gratitude and also a kind of inheritance. Just as Madam Rainbow Robe finished treating Zhou Fei for a while, Shen Tianshu's voice was heard outside the door.
He had followed Xie Yun secretly. At this moment, Madam Rainbow Robe's internal energy was depleted. Even if she pretended to be fine, she probably couldn't hide it from Shen Tianshu's eyes.
Episode 18 Recap
Shen Tianshu deliberately seized this opportunity to enter when Madam Rainbow Robe's internal energy was depleted. He intended to threaten the lives of the Rainbow Robe Troupe disciples to extract information about Hai Tian Yi Se. Madam Rainbow Robe's internal energy was severely damaged, and now the disciples' lives were in someone else's hands. She could only reveal the secret that Hai Tian Yi Se was related to a treasure, and knew nothing else.
Madam Rainbow Robe did not care about herself, but she would not be indifferent to the lives of her disciples. Shen Tianshu believed the other party would not gamble with the lives of her disciples. Furthermore, Zhou Yitang was not far from Hengyang City. If they were to fight to the death, it would not benefit him. After weighing the options, Shen Tianshu immediately spared the lives of the Rainbow Robe Troupe members and left openly.
The danger from the Earth Fiends was temporarily over. Xie Yun sincerely thanked Madam Rainbow Robe. Xie Yun had met Madam Rainbow Robe under the guise of Qian Sui You. Now that his true appearance was shown, Madam Rainbow Robe also recognized his identity as Qian Sui You, but knew nothing about Xie Yun's personal background. After this incident, she suddenly developed an interest in the young man before her.
The news of the Forty-Eight Strongholds' secret informant betrayal reached Li Jinrong. The betrayal of a secret informant was a major event, and compounded by the lack of news from Li Sheng and others after they went down the mountain, it could not be ignored. After handing over the stronghold's defense to Deng Zhen, Li Jinrong personally led people down the mountain to find Zhou Yitang and discuss countermeasures.
At this time, Li Sheng was rushing all the way to the Forty-Eight Strongholds with Wu Chuchu. As night fell, he looked everywhere for an inn to rest. Li Sheng was concerned that Wu Chuchu had not eaten all night and personally brought her pastries. Seeing the serious injury on his wrist again, Wu Chuchu couldn't help but feel guilty. Their eyes met, and the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat subtle. Li Sheng made an excuse to leave as if fleeing.
Zhou Fei, saved by Madam Rainbow Robe, had not fully recovered but could already move normally. The two of them ate at the inn and discussed martial arts in the Jianghu. Masters like Mu Xiaoqiao and Shen Tianshu were top experts in the Jianghu, while founders of sects like Li Zheng and Yin Wenlan were rarely seen grandmasters.
After Zhou Fei came down the mountain, all her experiences involved entanglement with experts, so she had always felt inferior in martial arts. Now enjoying some peace, she heard that the rumors in the market had already made her out to be divine. Zhou Fei's martial arts were still considered second-rate, but in the Jianghu, she was already a standout. However, her own standards were quite high, so she inevitably belittled herself.
A night passed, and Zhou Fei had nightmares one after another. Dreaming of being chased by the Earth Fiends was a minor issue, but dreaming of being whipped by Li Jinrong made her extremely distressed. Zhou Fei constantly worried that if Li Jinrong found out what she had done down the mountain, she would truly be punished for causing her mother to lose face. Jianghu rumors were inevitably exaggerated.
Zhou Fei's deeds of overcoming the Earth Fiends by herself and intercepting and killing Zheng Luosheng at the foot of Mount Heng spread throughout Hengyang City. After Li Yan came down the mountain with Ma Jili, she arrived at Hengyang City with everyone. Being playful for a moment, she lingered in the lively streets and happened to hear a storyteller spreading false rumors about Li Zheng in a teahouse.
In a fit of anger, she publicly admitted that she was a descendant of Li Zheng. Among those who heard the rumors about Zhou Fei was Yang Jin, the master of Qingyun Gou. He was also of a similar age. Since a successor of the Southern Blade could make a name for herself even as a woman, he couldn't help but want to spar with her.
Even though Li Yan changed her tune and distanced herself from Li Zheng, Yang Jin took her words to heart and followed her all the way. Yang Jin cornered Li Yan in an empty alley, determined to spar with her. He could see that her footwork and saber techniques were unlike the Southern Blade lineage.
Although Yang Jin had doubts, the thought that Li Yan was a descendant of Li Zheng made him stubbornly believe that the other party was the successor of the Southern Blade. He immediately drew his saber to spar. Who knew that Li Yan, who seemed fearless of Yang Jin, fainted under his saber after just one move. This outcome was unexpected for Yang Jin. He had no choice but to take her back to his residence.
After Li Yan woke up, he explained everything. His appearance did not lack the innocence and simplicity a young man should have. Yang Jin seemed not very smart yet persistent. He insisted on waiting a few days for Li Yan to recover before sparring with her again. The two of them then got into a dispute.
Episode 19 Recap
Yang Jin was arguing endlessly with Li Yan in the room. No matter how she explained, he didn't believe this seemingly frail and somewhat willful woman before him wasn't the successor of the Southern Blade, until the head of the Peddler's Gang,Master Xu, came forward to clarify the misunderstanding.
Yang Jin had paid a large sum to hire Master Xu to search for the successor of the Southern Blade, and now he had come to report the result, which made him believe that someone else was the successor of the Southern Blade. If they were to provocatively challenge Zhou Fei to a spar without cause, she might not readily comply, so Master Xu had reservations.
He actually suggested to Yang Jin using Li Yan as a hostage to force Zhou Fei to agree to the spar. The two of them coaxed a bracelet that Li Yan carried with her, and led the disciples of the Peddler's Gang to cause trouble at the entrance of Qiaoyun Residence.
At this moment, Xie Yun was presenting a storybook, which he had written with his own blood and tears, to Madam Rainbow Robe, to thank her for saving his life. As the three chatted, Madam Rainbow Robe increasingly felt that Zhou Fei's temperament was exactly like Li Zheng's. Just as she was feeling emotional, she suddenly heard Lingyu report back that Yang Jin was causing trouble at the entrance.
The three of them led a group of Rainbow Robe Troupe disciples to confront the Peddler's Gang. Master Xu was past forty and well-acquainted with Jianghu matters, so he naturally dared not offend the Rainbow Robe Troupe. He was smooth and, with just a few words, unilaterally set the sparring appointment for three days later, as if Zhou Fei would become a dishonest and petty person if she didn't agree.
In contrast, Yang Jin was young and hot-blooded, acting straightforwardly without regard for so-called courtesy or smoothness, solely focused on making Zhou Fei agree to the spar, inevitably speaking rudely. However, Zhou Fei didn't care about false fame to begin with, and the other party's behavior was despicable, imprisoning Li Yan to achieve their goal, making her even more disdainful of sparring with him. Madam Rainbow Robe had lost her patience and ordered them to be seen out.
Seeing that both sides were still entangled endlessly, Master Xu feared they would completely offend the Rainbow Robe Troupe. Furthermore, Li Yan was forcibly held outside the room. If she didn't return for a long time and they also offended the Forty-Eight Strongholds, the consequences would be unimaginable. Master Xu understood the stakes and quickly pulled the unwilling Yang Jin away. Zhou Fei and Xie Yun followed the two of them, Yang Jin, all the way to their lodging.
When they climbed over the wall to check where Li Yan was being held, they saw the wronged look on Yang Jin and the other person's faces as they were being bullied by Li Yan. They suddenly felt their rescue attempt was somewhat unnecessary. Although there was no need to worry about Li Yan's safety, since they were already there, Xie Yun still separately distracted the two of them, Yang Jin, so that Zhou Fei could rescue Li Yan.
However, the playful Li Yan simply didn't want to leave. She was eager to spend a few more days with the silly Yang Jin, and also privately agreed to the three-day appointment for Zhou Fei, hoping that she could take the opportunity to properly teach Yang Jin a lesson and showcase the might of the Southern Blade.
Speaking of Qingyun Gou, it was actually a sect that studied pharmacology, but it's unclear why it produced a martial arts enthusiast with such outstanding talent as Yang Jin. Yang Jin knew nothing about pharmacology. His ability to become the head of Qingyun Gou relied solely on his martial prowess. He had also defeated many sects with his Thirteen Broken Geese Saber, and his strength should not be underestimated.
All the way back to Qiaoyun Residence, Zhou Fei finally had the thought of accepting the challenge. Although she had no desire for false fame, in the eyes of the outside world, Zhou Fei represented the Southern Blade. If it were Zhou Fei's personal reputation, she might not care at all, but regarding the honor of the Southern Blade, she could not shrink back or evade. Xie Yun's growth was full of twists and turns.
In his opinion, pursuing any fame was just reckless and violent, especially since Zhou Fei's injuries hadn't healed. Accepting the challenge, in his eyes, was merely foolhardiness. Zhou Fei's intention to accept the challenge angered Xie Yun. It was also the first time he had gotten into a spat with Zhou Fei, and even her apology with fine wine and food was useless.
On the same day, Li Sheng took Wu Chuchu to contact a secret informant belonging to the Forty-Eight Strongholds, originally to quickly inform Li Jinrong of the news from down the mountain. Wu Chuchu had already experienced a betrayal by a Forty-Eight Strongholds secret informant once before. Coupled with her being vigilant and intelligent, she saw through the suspicious behavior of the secret informant contact at a glance, thus managing to escape the other party's ambush.
The two of them had nowhere to stay and could only use the sky as their blanket in the vast night, finding themselves immersed in the beautiful starry sky. Li Sheng and Wu Chuchu, a single man and woman who had spent a long time alone together, appreciated each other's intelligence and chivalry. When their eyes met, there was always some bashfulness between the young man and woman.
Episode 20 Recap
At night, Xie Yun suddenly smelled bursts of wine fragrance, which kept him tossing and turning sleeplessly. He opened the door and, as expected, it was Zhou Fei who was behind it. Although Xie Yun craved wine, he was unwilling to compromise just like that. However, he couldn't resist Zhou Fei's requests, which were a mix of tough and gentle tactics.
Zhou Fei wanted to know the weakness of the Thirteen Broken Geese Saber, so Xie Yun explained carefully, implying in his words that accepting the challenge would bring no benefit whatsoever. Unfortunately, Zhou Fei's determination to accept the challenge was firm, and no matter how Xie Yun tried to stop or advise her, it was useless. The Thirteen Broken Geese Saber does not have the deep foundation of the Southern Blade.
With focused study, one can quickly achieve great mastery, but over time, its stamina is insufficient. The Southern Blade, on the other hand, is just the opposite. Yang Jin's saber is heavy and his moves are fast. Zhou Fei's foundational skills are not as deep as his. The only chance of winning lies in making her moves unpredictable, letting the opponent's fast saber fall into her own formlessness. There is still a slight chance of victory.
Amidst the chaos, the common people were living in dire straits. Even a large flatbread was excellent food. In turbulent times, disorderly people emerge, and many villains and bandits took the opportunity to oppress and bully ordinary citizens. Li Sheng, taking Wu Chuchu with him, was in a hurry to travel and was also being pursued. Although he had a chivalrous heart, he had no power to help.
Even if he could save them temporarily, he couldn't solve the root cause. Li Sheng scattered a handful of copper coins, originally to create chaos and seize the opportunity to leave the troublesome area. However, he didn't expect that only the two of them had no interest in the copper coins on the ground, which instead attracted the bandits' attention. Around the corner of the alley, Li Sheng and Wu Chuchu were ambushed by bandits.
To protect Wu Chuchu and ensure her safety, he used his flesh and blood body to block countless clubs. Li Sheng threw out a bag of money to resolve the situation. Wu Chuchu then took the heavily injured him to a small stream in the suburbs and carefully wiped him down. Li Sheng, despite his high fever, was still worried about Wu Chuchu being hungry.
Whether it was risking his life to protect her earlier, or just a simple flatbread now, such affection deeply moved her. For several days, Zhou Fei single-mindedly studied how to defeat Yang Jin's saber, even to the point of neglecting sleep and food. Xie Yun still didn't give up on trying to make Zhou Fei abandon the idea. He deliberately provoked her with words, causing her to strike.
Zhou Fei lightly struck Xie Yun with a palm, which instead triggered her own internal injuries. In this state, combined with Xie Yun's repeated dissuasion, she finally agreed to give up the challenge, but this abandonment inevitably carried a hint of resentment. In contrast, Yang Jin had few worries and didn't understand the troubles outside of martial arts practice. He practiced day and night, disturbing Li Yan's sleep.
Late at night, when Li Yan suddenly craved a snack, Yang Jin would satisfy her without any complaint. These past few days, Yang Jin showed no impatience towards Li Yan's willfulness and capriciousness. Instead, he was accommodating everywhere, which was quite rare. Yang Jin learned from Master Xu that Zhou Fei was still recovering from serious injuries, and even if he won, it wouldn't be a fair victory.
Coincidentally, Qingyun Gou was famous for its medical skills and naturally had no shortage of various valuable medicines. When the three days were up, Yang Jin specifically came with pills to restore internal energy. Using this as a price, he invited Zhou Fei to a fight. The two fought on the arena. Although Yang Jin's martial arts were far superior to Zhou Fei's, he lacked patience.
Seeing her constantly retreating and dodging, he lost his patience and then lost his composure. Yang Jin's fast saber only showed a moment of hesitation, and Zhou Fei seized the opportunity to win with one move. Yang Jin willingly conceded defeat. The two could be said to have become acquainted through fighting. Zhou Fei was constantly worried about Madam Rainbow Robe, who had lost most of her internal energy saving her and often coughed up blood.
Now that she had obtained the pills to restore internal energy, she immediately turned around and gave them to her. Only then did Madam Rainbow Robe realize that Zhou Fei's willingness to fight was not merely for false fame. For a moment, she was so moved that she couldn't express it in words. The saber Zhou Fei used in her match against Yang Jin was borrowed from Madam Rainbow Robe.
When she returned the saber, she also learned the story of this saber and sword. Back then, when Li Zheng, Yin Wenlan, and Madam Rainbow Robe first met, they found their temperaments compatible and became close friends. The saber was named Mountain, and the sword was named Snow. Madam Rainbow Robe specifically forged them for Li Zheng and Yin Wenlan. Now, both the saber and sword are still here, but the people are gone.
Episode 21 Recap
Silver frost covered the ground. Yin Wenlan and Li Zheng sparred in the flying snow, like a silent exchange. The two had long felt a deep connection, and now regarded each other as true confidants in this life. As the saber and sword clashed and broke into two halves, Yin Wenlan and Li Zheng showed no regret, but instead looked at each other and burst into laughter. Sabers and swords can break, but friendship cannot.
Madam Rainbow Robe later crafted another identical pair of saber and sword for them. However, upon learning that the other had acquired divine weapons, she was unwilling to present them as inferior goods. Who knew that two years later, they would never meet again? Now, Madam Rainbow Robe presented one of the sabers to Zhou Fei, which could be considered fulfilling her wish, and Zhou Fei naturally accepted it graciously.
Yin Pei awoke from a nightmare and subconsciously grasped the sword sheath he always kept with him, showing how paranoid he lived. At this moment, a child of seven or eight years old ran and jumped in from outside the door. Only then did Yin Pei remember that when he was surrounded by villains, an old Taoist priest had saved him, the same person the child referred to as Old Man Chongxiao.
The place where Yin Pei was staying was a temporarily built slum, specifically used by Chongxiaozi to accommodate refugees. Yin Pei's life experiences since childhood were filled with betrayal and conspiracy. In his eyes, this was merely a pretext for others to expand their influence under the guise of kindness. Even saving him was for the purpose of stealing his sword sheath. Ignoring Yin Pei's harsh words, the child pulled him to Chongxiaozi's dwelling. Facing Chongxiaozi's concern, Yin Pei sneered.
He had seen too many hypocrites who, under the name of his father's friend, first showed him concern and then secretly plotted to acquire the sword sheath. Seeing that Yin Pei distrusted every word he said, Chongxiaozi tried to make him fetch water, hoping to make him realize the truth about his weak constitution being unsuitable for martial arts. Unexpectedly, Yin Pei was too suspicious and completely ignored Chongxiaozi's kind persuasion.
It wasn't until the other party handed over Yin Wenlan's letter that Yin Pei, looking at the familiar and long-unseen handwriting in the letter, couldn't help but have his eyes turn red. According to Chongxiaozi, Yin Pei's physical condition at this moment not only prevented him from practicing martial arts but even drawing internal energy to fight others would result in the complete end of the Yin family lineage.
Both the yearning for his father and the cruel reality before him were facts that Yin Pei could not accept. After only half a day apart, when Zhou Fei and Xie Yun returned to Qiao Yun Residence, everything inside was gone; the place was deserted. Madam Rainbow Robe left without saying goodbye, which was a rule of the Feathered Robe troupe.
Zhou Fei initially wanted to pursue her upon seeing the teapot was not yet cold, but upon hearing Xie Yun's explanation, she gave up the idea. After reuniting with Ma Jili, Zhou Fei led Li Yan and a group of disciples from Forty-eight Strongholds back to the stronghold. Xie Yun followed behind, preparing to travel to Forty-eight Strongholds with them.
During this time, the group stopped at an inn and discovered that Yang Jin had actually followed them all the way there, declaring that he would stay in Forty-eight Strongholds to practice his saber until he could defeat Zhou Fei in a fight before giving up. Li Yan was already willful and harbored resentment towards him for forcing Zhou Fei into a fight.
She repeatedly questioned him about the mistake of kidnapping her, yet she did not think about how comfortable she had been during those days. Seeing Yang Jin pestering her relentlessly, Li Yan simply snatched the jade pendant from him and immediately gave it to Zhou Fei. This jade pendant was a token of the Traveling Gang. Wherever the bearer went, they could receive strong assistance from the Traveling Gang.
At this moment, in the small house beside the Washed Ink River in Forty-eight Strongholds, Koudan handed a letter she had inadvertently read to Yu Lao. This was a letter from Yu Wenzhi, expressing the idea of turning hostility into friendship with the Mingfeng Tower.
In Koudan's conversation with Yu Lao, she seemed very hopeful of easing the relationship between the Mingfeng Tower and Yu Wenzhi, and even wished to leave Forty-eight Strongholds to rebuild the reputation of the Mingfeng Tower in the martial arts world. As insightful as Yu Lao was, he naturally understood Koudan's hidden meaning. This person before him was his niece whom he had watched grow up since she was a child.
He certainly did not want her to go astray but also couldn't bear to be harsh with his words, so he intentionally offered a few hints. Unexpectedly, Koudan used the excuse of checking on the Qianji to visit again at night, deliberately wiping Yu Lao's teacup with a handkerchief, seemingly with unknown intentions. After Wen Yu arrived at the military camp, he brought the recent news to Zhou Yitang. Recently, there had been no news about Forty-eight Strongholds.
Now, Yu Wenzhi appeared in Di Sha Mountain Villa, and Gu Tianxian was plotting in Hengyang. Disturbances were happening from all directions. Zhou Yitang had suspicions but hoped that the reality was not as bad as he imagined.
Episode 22 Recap
At Chunhui Town at the foot of Forty-eight Strongholds, Zhou Fei and her party rested here. The street market was lively and noisy, which did not prevent Zhou Fei and Xie Yun from having a heart-to-heart talk under the moonlight. With her home just ahead, Zhou Fei didn't know the situation in the stronghold and was still thinking that it might be difficult to leave the mountain again after returning this time.
She was also more curious about where Xie Yun would go in the future. Unexpectedly, Xie Yun actually teased her with his words. However, the affection born out of this curiosity was indeed real. Just as the two were chatting, Ma Jili rushed over in a panic again to ask for help, all because Li Yan, being playful, had disappeared again.
When Zhou Fei and the other found her, they discovered that Li Yan was arguing with Yang Jin, who had saved her from her room, and went along with it. Coincidentally, at this moment, Li Sheng and Wu Chuchu also arrived at Chunhui Town and bumped right into Li Yan and the other.
The four returned to the inn and explained the general situation and dangers below the mountain to Ma Jili, wanting to rush back to the stronghold as quickly as possible. Late at night, Koudan could secretly turn off the Qianji Array, indicating that Yu Lao would surely suffer a terrible fate. It would still take an hour for the Qianji Array to be completely shut down and stop running.
Gu Tianxian then waited with a group of Di Sha disciples on the opposite bank of the Washed Ink River, ready to advance unopposed as soon as the time was right, like entering an uninhabited territory. Koudan, the leader of the Mingfeng Tower, led all her disciples in rebellion. They were skilled at strangulation with Qianji threads. Taking advantage of the unpreparedness of the other disciples of Forty-eight Strongholds, they broke through one by one.
For a time, blood flowed like a river. Zhou Fei, still unaware, was sitting with Xie Yun on the mountaintop opposite Forty-eight Strongholds at this moment. Having been away from home for a long time, her longing grew stronger, and even the moonlight seemed to become brighter and clearer. However, with a commotion on the opposite mountain, many birds were startled and flew away, attracting Xie Yun's attention.
Only then did the two realize that the stronghold might be undergoing a sudden change. Zhou Fei and Xie Yun reunited with the others, briefly learned about recent events, and rushed back to Forty-eight Strongholds overnight. At this time, Forty-eight Strongholds was like a group of dragons without a head, relying only on a few elders to strategize. But Li Jinrong was not in the stronghold to preside, and they had always been at odds with each other.
For example, Elders Zhao Qiusheng and Zhang Bolin were already arguing fiercely. By the time dawn broke completely, Gu Tianxian led the Di Sha in a formal attack on Forty-eight Strongholds. When Zhou Fei and her party infiltrated the stronghold via a small path, what met their eyes were corpses everywhere. From the state of the corpses, it could be seen that they were all the work of the Mingfeng Tower.
Combined with the fact that the Mingfeng Tower's hidden agents below the mountain had all rebelled, it was not difficult to guess the truth. Zhou Fei went all the way to the Elders' Hall, watching the two elders still blaming each other. Learning the rhetorical skills Xie Yun had taught her before coming here, she displayed authority and made a series of reasonable arrangements.
Originally, the two elders did not put a junior like Zhou Fei in their eyes, but they were temporarily intimidated by her aura. Coupled with Zhou Fei giving them enough face with the manners of a junior, the internal conflict was smoothly resolved. With the support of the Mingfeng Tower, there were no more obstacles for the Di Sha to enter Forty-eight Strongholds.
Fortunately, Li Sheng came up with a plan and secretly changed the positions of the Qianji threads in the forbidden forest with Deng Zhen and others, thus resolving the immediate danger. Meanwhile, Zhou Fei and her party met the Di Sha led by Gu Tianxian in a narrow path in the dense forest. Koudan led the Mingfeng Tower disciples and arrived subsequently, further instigating the people in the stronghold.
The Mingfeng Tower had a considerable reputation in the martial arts world. Koudan was unwilling to be subordinate to the Li family from the start, feeling imprisoned in Forty-eight Strongholds her whole life, becoming a watchdog for the stronghold. Back then, Yu Lao offered the Qianji Array to the Washed Ink River to show sincerity. To prevent the diagrams from leaking, he painstakingly captured Koudan back. Over the years, Koudan had always harbored resentment.
Now, by joining forces with Yu Wenzhi, she could not only gain freedom but also avenge her past humiliation. She naturally couldn't wish for anything more. Zhou Fei witnessed the Mingfeng Tower's rebellion firsthand and then heard with her own ears that Koudan had killed Yu Lao. Anger surged from her heart, and she immediately wanted to fight Koudan to the death. However, the elders in the stronghold were accustomed to comfort, considering themselves extraordinary.
Zhang Bolin was the first to step forward and challenge Gu Tianxian, but unexpectedly, after a few moves, he was completely defeated. Seeing Zhang Bolin defeated, Zhou Fei seized the opportunity, drew her saber, and stepped forward to fight Koudan. After several moves, although Koudan's moves were vicious, Zhou Fei had the advantage of knowing her fighting style and was able to handle it easily. Furthermore, with what Zhou Fei had gained from coming down the mountain this time, while she couldn't truly defeat Koudan, she could easily injure her.
Episode 23 Recap
The tokens of the vast sea and sky were divided into several parts: Li Jinrong had one, Wu Fei had one, and Yin Wenlan had one. Koudan speculated that after the Yin family was wiped out by Zheng Luosheng, they must have obtained the vast sea and sky token from Yin Wenlan. It was already widely known that Zhou Fei had killed Zheng Luosheng.
Koudan directly pointed out that Li Jinrong deliberately used the excuse of escorting Wu Chuchu, but in reality, secretly sent Zhou Fei to seize the vast sea and sky from Zheng Luosheng, thus establishing authority and seizing treasure simultaneously. After Wu Fei's death, his family was taken in by Forty-eight Strongholds. Koudan had even more reason to believe that the vast sea and sky from Wu Fei had fallen into the hands of Forty-eight Strongholds.
From the surface, this seemed like an undeniable fact, but luckily, no one present believed her provocative words. At this time, Li Sheng and Deng Zhen led the disciples of the stronghold, eliminating the lurking Di Sha and Mingfeng Tower traitors one by one in the outer areas. The next step was to capture the outer mountain gate.
Li Sheng was worried about the situation of Zhou Fei and others and intentionally sent someone to report the news, intending to announce that the outer areas had been brought back under the control of Forty-eight Strongholds and that the mountain gate had been retaken.
Just as Zhou Fei and the others were about to engage in a chaotic battle with Gu Tianxian, the person who came to report the news interrupted the tense atmosphere, causing Gu Tianxian and Koudan's expressions to change dramatically. With the situation now out of their control, the two also thought of retreating. Furthermore, although the Qianji Array was temporarily shut down, it would automatically restart after one hour, which also accelerated their decision to retreat.
The restart of the Qianji Array was Yu Lao's preventive measure. Zhou Fei and the others naturally knew this. Zhang Bolin originally wanted to beat the retreating enemy, but Zhou Fei's words exposed Li Sheng's plan, causing him to give up the pursuit. Although Li Jinrong was not presiding over the stronghold at the moment, Zhou Fei's performance convinced the two elders, and they no longer treated her as a child.
Li Sheng and Deng Zhen, spurred on, led their disciples to attack the outer mountain gate. Amidst flashes of blades and shadows of swords, and dozens of crossbow arrows flying simultaneously, just as everyone successfully took down the outer mountain gate, reinforcements from the Di Sha arrived. Li Sheng led his disciples and used their shields to defend the mountain gate to the death, successfully closing the gate and temporarily avoiding their onslaught.
Having failed in this attack on Forty-eight Strongholds, Shen Tianshu and Yu Wenzhi subtly blamed each other in their words, but for now, to achieve their goals, they had no choice but to continue cooperating. With the failed operation, Shen Tianshu borrowed Yu Wenzhi's private army, and under the guise of annihilate bandits, he detained the residents of Chunhui Town and swept away all the food in the town.
Chunhui Town was the only source of grain and provisions for Forty-eight Strongholds. Shen Tianshu used this to prevent the stronghold from receiving supplies, causing the stronghold to consume its internal resources, after which they could strike when it was weakened. If Forty-eight Strongholds sent troops to rescue the people, their internal defenses would be empty.
If they abandoned the people of Chunhui Town, their reputation would be damaged, and they would surely become a laughingstock in the martial arts world. At this moment, Zhou Fei and Xie Yun came to the Washed Ink River. Yu Lao was sitting in his small hut. If not for his purplish-black lips, he would have looked as if he were asleep.
Zhou Fei felt as if she could still see Yu Lao's disapproving look, but upon looking closely again, Yu Lao's corpse had not moved at all, which finally made Zhou Fei unable to hold back her sorrow. Zhou Fei touched Yu Lao's body and found that there was still residual warmth. She immediately wanted to call for a doctor to rescue him, but Xie Yun mercilessly stopped her.
According to Xie Yun, someone poisoned by Translucent Bone Blue, even if saved by the Guiyang Pill, would lack water in their body and need to live in a constantly humid and damp place. This was also the reason why their body temperature remained longer than ordinary people after death. The fact that Yu Lao had no heartbeat or pulse proved that Xie Yun's words were not false, and it completely shattered Zhou Fei's last hope.
However, there wasn't much time for her to grieve. Although the Qianji Array could barely resume operation, to truly protect Forty-eight Strongholds without worries, the Qianji Array needed to be genuinely restarted. Zhou Fei stared at the Qianji Array mechanism wall before her, recalling Yu Lao's every movement back then. She actually succeeded in restarting the Qianji Array. It was only then that Zhou Fei suddenly realized how much Yu Lao had taught her without her knowing.
Zhou Fei fell into sorrow again, but the intelligence from down the mountain about Chunhui Town being suppressed made her pull herself together once more. The two elders again argued fiercely over Chunhui Town. Zhou Fei appeared in time and proposed that she would go to Chunhui Town alone to capture Yu Wenzhi, using him to threaten the Di Sha and others to retreat.
The three forces, Di Sha, Yu Wenzhi, and Mingfeng Tower, were cooperating for their own selfish interests, but they would surely be suspicious of each other and guard against one another. This was the opportunity Zhou Fei could exploit.
Episode 24 Recap
The great battle is imminent. Li Sheng took Wu Chuchu and a group of Forty-eight Strongholds disciples' family members to hide in the cellar for safety. He, on the other hand, needed to go to the front line to fight. Whether he would return alive from this trip was unknown, but Wu Chuchu's single word of trust struck the softness in Li Sheng's heart and finally made him no longer conceal his inner emotions.
Li Sheng hugged Wu Chuchu tightly, then turned around resolutely without a word, containing within him much reluctance and the determination to protect her with his life. Just before leaving, Zhou Fei came to Ma Jili's residence to ask if the arrangement to dispatch ten disciples to descend the mountain together was proper, unaware that he was writing a letter to his wife and children. In it, Ma Jili's feeling of viewing death as a return home was fully evident.
Even the look in his eyes as he watched Zhou Fei leave was filled with reluctance and a sense of farewell, making one wonder if he had other plans in his heart. Meanwhile, Li Yan was following Li Sheng's instruction to go down the mountain via a small path to seek help from Zhou Yitang.
Li Yan thought this small path was discovered accidentally by her and Zhou Fei during childhood play and that no one else would know about it. Thus, she felt extremely relaxed along the way, which allowed the patrolling Di Sha ahead to easily spot and pursue her. Fortunately, Li Yan's advantage lay in her familiarity with the terrain. By hiding in a tree hollow, she was lucky enough to escape death.
Zhou Fei personally descended the mountain to launch a surprise attack on Yu Wenzhi. Xie Yun naturally understood the inherent dangers and performed divination with copper coins to predict fortune and misfortune. Afterwards, Xie Yun took out the Soul Searching Needle, recalling how Ji Yunchen had used needles to force out inner energy back then.
He likely intended to use the Soul Searching Needle to protect Zhou Fei in times of crisis, in which case the prediction from the divination was self-evident. Within Forty-eight Strongholds, the two elders oversaw the defense arrangements. Ma Jili was responsible for assigning guards within the stronghold gate and following up on the defense status. Deng Zhen and Li Sheng led the remaining disciples of the stronghold to strictly guard the crucial passage into the stronghold.
The stronghold was short on manpower. The first mountain gate was a strategic location and absolutely needed to be heavily guarded. If it were breached by the enemy, they could only retreat to the Rainbow Bridge. Once the Rainbow Bridge fell, the Di Sha could drive straight in, and Forty-eight Strongholds would be in great peril. Deng Zhen and Li Sheng had initially protected the stronghold gate like an iron barrel.
Who knew that after Shen Tianshu arrived, he would publicly announce the deaths of Old Madam Wang and Chen Fei? Deng Zhen, who had been unaware of the truth, instantly lost his composure and actually flew out of the stronghold gate alone to assassinate Shen Tianshu. Outside the gate were only Di Sha members. Deng Zhen's departure would undoubtedly be a futile death.
Li Sheng couldn't stop him in time and could only order everyone to retreat to the Rainbow Bridge while he alone rescued the already severely injured Deng Zhen. When Deng Zhen's home was destroyed as a child, Old Madam Wang had saved him and treated him as her own grandson. He made such an impulsive move because he couldn't bear his emotions for a moment.
In his final moments, Deng Zhen felt ashamed of Li Jinrong's entrustment before his departure and also believed that Li Sheng would protect their home well in his place. With that, he completely lost his breath. Taking advantage of the moment when the two returned to the stronghold and opened the gate, Shen Tianshu led his men to breach it in one fell swoop and drove straight in.
Although Li Sheng used his knowledge of Qimen to temporarily resist the Di Sha for a long time, he ultimately could not completely repel the enemy using this alone. At this moment, Li Sheng was seen shouting for the disciples to retreat. Alone, he held a fire crossbow, shooting through the pre-arranged lamp oil, intending to die together with the Di Sha. Several barrels of oil exploded.
The Di Sha suffered heavy losses, but their main force did not suffer too much damage. They simply waited for the fire before them to subside before launching another attack on Forty-eight Strongholds. As for Li Sheng, he was blown off the cliff by the airflow. Fortunately, he was quick-witted and grabbed a vine branch, then fainted on the trunk of a tree below.
Originally, Yu Wenzhi was supposed to lead his troops to launch a pincer attack from the Washed Ink River. When Shen Tianshu received intelligence that the other party was still holding back, he wasn't too surprised. Yu Wenzhi's decision not to move his troops was naturally to avoid losing a single soldier and to reap the benefits of a third party. There was never any trust in their cooperation; it was merely mutual exploitation.
Zhou Fei had now safely descended the mountain. Guided by Xie Yun, she successfully found Yu Wenzhi's hiding place, only to discover that the guards around him were surprisingly lax. Xie Yun saw at a glance that it was a scheme to lure the snake out of its hole.
Although Zhou Fei was unwilling to believe that there were still spies within the stronghold, she still led the group to rescue the civilians first, using the excuse of protecting them until the crisis passed to send away all the disciples around her. Although she didn't know why the news had leaked again, Zhou Fei was still unwilling to give up the assassination plan and successfully found Yu Wenzhi's real hiding place. Currently, war had broken out on the mountain.
It would be useless for Zhou Fei to turn back and rescue. If she couldn't successfully capture Yu Wenzhi, then Forty-eight Strongholds would lose a layer of protection. Meanwhile, the Di Sha had set up defenses on the path Li Yan had to take to deliver her message. Before, the Di Sha had encountered suspicious people in the forest. Now, the guard was bound to be strict.
Seeing Li Yan, a lone woman, behaving suspiciously, they were about to take her life with a blade. Just then, Yang Jin appeared from who knows where, showing up just in time to save Li Yan from danger.
Episode 25 Recap
After Yang Jin saved Li Yan, he originally wanted to escort her all the way, but he couldn't resist her insistence, so he had to compromise and turn to help Zhou Fei instead. Li Yan arrived safely at the covert contact point down the mountain. Who knew that the person responsible for contacting had already been controlled by the Di Sha?
Just as she was eager to ask for help from that person, two crossbow bolts were aimed right at her head. The covert contact person watched Li Yan hand over the most crucial letter of distress. He was anxious inside but couldn't say it openly, so he could only use his eyes to signal the surrounding danger. However, by the time Li Yan saw the situation clearly, it was already too late.
A sharp arrow flew past Li Yan's eyes, blocking her steps as she tried to leave. That letter naturally fell into the hands of the Di Sha members. When the Di Sha members opened the pouch, they found it was not a secret distress letter at all, but a blank sheet of paper.
Only then did Li Yan understand that Li Sheng had merely used the excuse of sending a letter to deceive her into descending the mountain, so that she could escape this life-or-death crisis. In the end, Li Yan escaped under the desperate protection of the covert contact person and went alone to seek help from Zhou Yitang.
Under the cover of night, Zhou Fei, in order to create an opportunity to assassinate Yu Wenzhi, disguised herself as someone from Mingfeng Tower and deliberately failed the assassination attempt on Yu Wenzhi before escaping. Yu Wenzhi received news today that someone from Forty-eight Strongholds had descended the mountain via a small path to seek help. Only then did Kou Dan remember that besides the mountain gate and the Washed Ink River, Forty-eight Strongholds had a third way out.
This had already made Yu Wenzhi suspicious, and now Zhou Fei's stratagem of sowing discord was even more effective. Zhou Fei and her companion waited bitterly all night, finally waiting for Yu Wenzhi to replace the Mingfeng disciples responsible for defense. Seeing that the time was ripe, Xie Yun used his profound lightness skill to lure the Di Sha members led by Gu Tianxian, while Zhou Fei alone infiltrated Yu Wenzhi's residence to assassinate him.
Kou Dan appeared in time, hindering Zhou Fei's attempt to capture Yu Wenzhi and plunging her into a perilous situation of being surrounded. Just as she was fighting desperately to resist, Yang Jin and Master Xu appeared with the members of the Xingjiao Gang just in time to rescue her, and the situation instantly reversed. Zhou Fei was able to break free from the group of minor characters and successfully placed her knife against Yu Wenzhi's neck.
By the time Gu Tianxian realized he had fallen for the 'lure the tiger away from the mountain' stratagem and rushed back, everything was already settled. At the main gate of Forty-eight Strongholds, Shen Tianshu, still unaware of the situation down the mountain, believed victory was within his grasp and was determined to flatten Forty-eight Strongholds today. The two elders also bore heavy responsibilities in this battle. For a time, corpses lay everywhere, and casualties were severe.
What made the two elders even more guilty was that not only had they failed to protect Forty-eight Strongholds this time, but even Li Sheng's life or death was unknown. The stronghold gate was successfully breached by the Di Sha members. Everyone in Forty-eight Strongholds held the determination to die, wanting to perish together with the Di Sha. Just then, a ceasefire horn suddenly sounded from down the mountain.
Shen Tianshu learned that Yu Wenzhi had been captured alive by Zhou Fei and had no choice but to announce the retreat of his troops. And when Zhou Fei and her companions escorted Yu Wenzhi forward, it completely boosted the morale of the people of Forty-eight Strongholds. The Di Sha were willing to retreat, but Zhou Fei was originally unwilling to release Yu Wenzhi immediately.
Who knew that Ma Jili, believing Kou Dan's slanders, thought that Zhou Fei offending Yu Wenzhi would implicate Forty-eight Strongholds and cause its demise, so he personally wounded Zhou Fei, allowing Yu Wenzhi to successfully escape. Without further worries, Shen Tianshu immediately ordered the retreating disciples to re-attack the mountain. Only then did Ma Jili realize he had been deceived. Ma Jili was filled with remorse and wanted to personally kill the traitor Kou Dan.
However, his skill was inferior, and he died by her hand. It was Zhou Fei, though, who personally avenged Yu Lao. Zhou Fei was clearly exhausted, but her heart, which wanted to protect her home, did not allow her to fall. However, Zhou Fei, who was already no match for Shen Tianshu, could not even withstand two moves from him at this moment.
Zhou Fei, with the resolve to die, handed the Wu family's Haitianyise to Xie Yun, entrusting him to return it to Wu Chuchu, and then rushed into the battlefield once again. Seeing this, Xie Yun made a decisive move, using the Soul Searching Needle to force out his inner energy and voluntarily confronted Shen Tianshu. The two exchanged palms and competed with their inner energy. Shen Tianshu was sent flying several meters, while Xie Yun was completely unharmed.
Xie Yun's Pushing Cloud Palm greatly shocked Shen Tianshu, and even Yu Wenzhi's expression changed unpredictably, seemingly having never gained any advantage when fighting Xie Yun before. Just then, Li Jinrong and others who were returning to Forty-eight Strongholds met Li Yan halfway. Upon learning of the stronghold's distress, they rode even faster and finally arrived in time.
Seeing that the tide had turned, Shen Tianshu knew that if Li Jinrong cut off their retreat path now, and then waited for Zhou Yitang's reinforcements to arrive, they would become trapped like turtles in a jar. They could only retreat shamefully.
Episode 26 Recap
While Shen Tianshu and others were fleeing, they happened to encounter Li Jinrong's team on a narrow path. The two fought without a word, grappling with each other. Li Jinrong's blade had always been dominant; she actually severed Shen Tianshu's iron hand with one strike but was also hit on her left shoulder by his severed hand. The Di Sha members took the opportunity to escape.
Wu Chuchu had previously heard that Li Sheng was missing near Feihong Bridge, so she searched below the river. This is how she found Li Sheng hanging under the bridge and brought Li Jinrong and others to rescue him. When facing the slowly waking Li Sheng, Li Jinrong felt some comfort and approval, but when facing the unconscious Zhou Fei, she was still dissatisfied with her various actions down the mountain.
Li Jinrong looked at the unconscious Zhou Fei, and the new blade placed beside her, and immediately understood what Li Zheng had said. The blade is a heritage; this seems like a destiny the Li family cannot escape, and Zhou Fei can no longer break free from the entanglements of the jianghu. Although deeply helpless, Li Jinrong could only accept it calmly.
Li Jinrong naturally loves her own daughter, but after checking that Zhou Fei was not seriously injured, the little bit of affection that had been revealed dissipated completely, replaced by sternness and reproach. But even this brief moment of warmth was enough to make Zhou Fei flattered and overwhelmed by favor, warming the motherly love she had longed for. As soon as Li Jinrong left, Li Sheng, whose body had recovered, came to show concern.
Although this concern seemed very unaccustomed, it was the most sincere. During this stronghold crisis, Li Sheng sincerely admitted that he was inferior to Zhou Fei and expressed his concern. Zhou Fei's call of "Brother" completely resolved the potential conflicts between the two before and also made Li Sheng feel uncomfortable and flee. Undisturbed, Zhou Fei fell into thought, but her attention was attracted by a familiar flute sound. Who else could be outside the door but Xie Yun?
Xie Yun restored his former playful appearance, pulled Zhou Fei to sit by the bed, tried his best to tease her with words, but saw Zhou Fei staring at him without moving. Zhou Fei had discovered long ago that the more relaxed Xie Yun felt, the more serious he was; conversely, the more troubles he had in his heart, the more improper he became.
Xie Yun had his thoughts seen through by her single sentence, so he also put away his rogue-like demeanor, waiting for Zhou Fei to inquire about his background and purpose. Based on Zhou Fei's understanding of Xie Yun, she knew that asking about his background would be useless; all she would get were various nonsensical excuses. She only wanted to know Xie Yun's purpose in investigating Haitianyise. In the end, Zhou Fei only received a perfunctory answer.
At the same time, she learned that the Yin family's scabbard, Wu Chuchu's longevity lock, and the Li family's bracelet were the tokens of Haitianyise. As for the rest, Xie Yun refused to say more; he even remained indifferent in the face of Zhou Fei's emotional response and struck her sleep acupoint. At this time, Yu Wenzhi was blaming Shen Tianshu for the failure of the attack.
But besides the Di Sha, he had no other available jianghu forces and had to tolerate the other party. This time, they had seen that Xie Yun was none other than the Xiao Chuan of yesteryear. Coupled with the fact that they forced Xie Yun, who was afflicted with Touguqing poison, to forcefully use his inner energy this time, he would certainly die from the poison in a few months, thus they felt this trip was not in vain.
Xie Yun originally wanted to spend more time with Zhou Fei in the Forty-eight Strongholds while he had little time left. However, although Li Jinrong thanked Xie Yun for his help, she also unceremoniously ordered him to leave. As separation was imminent, Xie Yun repeatedly reminded Zhou Fei not to get involved in troubles again, and even more so, not to actively associate herself with Haitianyise, otherwise her life would be in danger.
The two walked alone on the forest path in the stronghold, as if they had walked through everything they had experienced. Zhou Fei did not know that this meeting might be a farewell forever; her heart still felt sweet about the peace of this moment. When Zhou Fei, on the second day, took the pouch she had personally sewn, wanting to give it to Xie Yun, the other party had already disappeared.
Zhou Fei simply thought Xie Yun was just not in his room, and the arrival of Wu Chuchu completely diverted her attention. Zhou Fei originally wanted to take the opportunity to return the longevity lock. After weighing the pros and cons repeatedly, the two decided that it would be more appropriate to entrust such an important item to Li Jinrong for safekeeping. Zhou Fei also lost her last chance to seek out Xie Yun because of this.
The Forty-eight Strongholds escaped the calamity of destruction. The relationship between Li Sheng and Wu Chuchu also progressed further. Although the two had not explicitly stated their feelings, Wu Chuchu's way of addressing Li Sheng had become more intimate. They also longed for the day when Wu Chuchu's younger brother from the Wu family could be brought to the stronghold. Then they could live here peacefully, and the family would be reunited.
Episode 27 Recap
In an inn at the foot of the Forty-eight Strongholds, guests were discussing a story about a natural-born genius who, due to a difficult fate, was taken in as a disciple by an immortal, and later joined the army but was poisoned by a strange toxin. This reminded Zhou Fei of the story about a "deserter" that Xie Yun had mentioned, and how well he understood the Touguqing poison.
As for the mention of an immortal, Wu Chuchu remembered seeing a note in a martial arts manual that said, "Penglai's worldly old dream is cool, the sunset pushes clouds without a trace." The meaning of this phrase was not yet clear to the two of them. Connecting the two points, Zhou Fei vaguely felt that it was related to Xie Yun.
When she returned to the stronghold and asked the guards, she learned that he had already left, so she quickly went down the mountain to look for him. Huo Lianhao rallied martial arts practitioners to hold a convention to eliminate the evil forces, and he carved the water pattern mark on the invitation letters, making it difficult for everyone to refuse. Since it concerned the Huo family, Li Sheng volunteered to go.
Firstly, it was to investigate Huo Lianhao's true intentions. Secondly, Chong Xiaozi had shown kindness to Li Sheng and was still troubled by the death of Huo Changfeng. If the cause of Huo Changfeng's death could be investigated, it would also give Chong Xiaozi some closure. At this time, Chong Xiaozi, in order to protect Yin Pei, was planning to forge a fake Yin family scabbard to mislead the world.
When Chong Xiaozi returned to his residence, he found that Yin Pei's expression was strange, on the verge of death. Looking at the Phoenix Pills on the bed, only an empty box remained. He was greatly alarmed and quickly used his internal energy to help Yin Pei regulate his condition.
After Yin Pei was saved by Chong Xiaozi and his internal energy was stabilized, he accidentally triggered a mechanism in his room, opening a secret chamber where several Phoenix Pills were stored. Fortunately, Chong Xiaozi returned in time and explained that taking the Phoenix Pills required assistance from someone with deep internal energy to regulate the effects; otherwise, one would become a killing maniac and explode and die within two years.
The night passed, and Yin Pei woke up from a nightmare again. He suddenly realized the scabbard was gone and rushed into Chong Xiaozi's room like a madman. Seeing no one inside, he swallowed a Phoenix Pill again and stole all the remaining ones. On his way down the mountain, Yin Pei ran into the returning Chong Xiaozi.
Yin Pei mistakenly thought the other was trying to steal the real scabbard by casting a fake one, so in a fit of rage, he killed him with a single strike. This act gave Yin Pei an unprecedented sense of power, craving the thrill of controlling others' lives, clearly showing signs of going mad. Before he died, Chong Xiaozi wanted to give Yin Pei his whisk, instructing him that there was a way to save his life inside.
However, Yin Pei would not believe anything he said and disdained the so-called method to save his life. Huo Lianhao sent out numerous invitations, causing many jianghu people to gather in Lingling City. Inside the Lingling Inn, siblings Zhu Chen and Zhu Ying from the Xingnan Gate were resting. Seeing a man at the next table shivering in the summer, they kindly offered him a cotton coat.
They saw the man thank them and leave in a hurry; this person was the Xie Yun who had left without saying goodbye. On Xie Yun's table were several copper coins covered in ice shards, which attracted the poison doctor Ying Hecong to follow. But by the time he chased outside, Xie Yun was nowhere to be found. Zhou Fei happened to brush past Ying Hecong and entered the Lingling Inn.
With the help of the Foot Travelers' Gang along the way, she had tracked him here, only to miss him by a step. Suddenly, a group of white-robed people with ghostly masks broke the peace of the inn, surrounding the Zhu siblings. They were disciples of Ding Kui, the section master of the Black Tortoise Gate in Four Symbols Mountain. Ding Kui had come for the assembly to eliminate the evil forces but had not received an invitation.
He had to dispatch his disciples to snatch invitations from the powerless Zhu siblings, and thus the two sides became hostile. Ever since the Xingnan Gate's leader was seriously injured, his son Zhu Chen had been frail and unable to inherit the sect. He turned to business instead and had been greatly looked after by Huo Lianhao. This time, the siblings brought several people from their sect to boost the Huo family's prestige.
Before even meeting Huo Lianhao, they encountered Ding Kui trying to snatch their invitations. Just as they were unable to resist, Zhou Fei stepped in to help and repelled them. This exchange also forced Li Yan, who had been secretly following Yang Jin down the mountain, to travel with Zhou Fei. The matter of the assembly to eliminate the evil forces also attracted Chen Zichen and Mr. Bai to Lingling City.
Currently, Zhou Fei had asked the Foot Travelers' Gang to investigate Xie Yun's whereabouts, and Mr. Bai was an elder of the Foot Travelers' Gang, so he specially came to personally thank Zhou Fei for her help last time. In their conversation, Mr. Bai felt deeply that the assembly to eliminate the evil forces was fraught with hidden dangers, and thus he also wanted to find Xie Yun to personally persuade Chen Zichen.
Little did they know that at the same time, Xie Yun had already attempted to persuade Chen Zichen to leave while Mr. Bai was away, but without success. And on this trip, Xie Yun unintentionally learned from Chen Zichen that Zhou Fei had also come to Lingling City, making his movements even more cautious to avoid being found by her.
Episode 28 Recap
Xie Yun and Zhou Fei met face to face in Lingling City. Just then, Lingyu's carriage was parked nearby, and he immediately hid inside. By the time Zhou Fei walked to the carriage, she could only hear the sound of the carriage door closing. Xie Yun looked at Zhou Fei's retreating figure with reluctance, then thanked Lingyu and disappeared after exchanging a few words.
In a quiet, deserted alley, Xie Yun specifically changed into his Qiansuiyou attire to conceal his whereabouts. Who knew that after only a few steps, his path would be blocked by a sword he knew all too well. Xie Yun originally intended to pretend not to know her and sneak past, but the person he cared about was right in front of him. How could Zhou Fei allow him to escape again?
These days, Zhou Fei had come down the mountain secretly, disregarding the fledgling state of the Forty-eight Strongholds, ignoring the rare reunion with her mother, and putting everything aside, just for the ambiguous news from the Foot Travelers' Gang, searching for Xie Yun all the way to Lingling City.
Xie Yun looked at Zhou Fei's mumbling, which seemed both aggrieved and resentful, and only then did he realize that she hadn't just happened to run into him for the Assembly to Eliminate the Evil Forces. Zhou Fei's grievance had just found an outlet, but her inherent stubbornness wouldn't allow her to act that way, so she retorted petulantly that she came to investigate the water pattern mark.
Seeing Zhou Fei like this, Xie Yun's heart had long melted, but the passing of Ding Kui's increasingly powerful group awakened his reason. With only days left to live, Xie Yun didn't want to implicate Zhou Fei for a lifetime, but inadvertently, she pricked his sleeping acupoint. Zhou Fei pushed Xie Yun back to the entrance of the Lingling Inn using a wooden cart. There, she met Li Sheng and Wu Chuchu, who had just arrived.
After exchanging a few words, everyone returned to their rooms. At this moment, Ying Hecong, who had been watching Xie Yun, saw the straw hat left on the cart and finally found an opportunity to approach him. On the same day, Ding Kui personally arrived at the entrance of the Huo family stronghold, seeking entry under the pretense of cooperating to eliminate the Disha.
However, the front yard of the Huo family stronghold was protected by a Qimen Dunjia formation set up by Chong Xiaozi. Anyone who tried to force their way in without understanding its principles would surely die. Seeing that Huo Liantao disdained associating with him, Ding Kui could only leave a harsh remark and slink away. Having failed with one plan, Ding Kui specifically sought out Mu Xiaoqiao for cooperation.
Mu Xiaoqiao had a debt of gratitude to Huo Changfeng for a meal, and thus protected the Huo family stronghold. Ding Kui specifically brought forward a servant who had witnessed the cause of Huo Changfeng's death and presented him to Mu Xiaoqiao. At this point, Mu Xiaoqiao, knowing that Huo Changfeng had died by Huo Liantao's hand, would inevitably act to avenge him.
In these turbulent times, while the outcome of the Assembly to Eliminate the Evil Forces was still unknown, a supreme killer emerged in the jianghu. Gentle breeze rustles silken sleeves, bright moon illuminates clear radiance. Ever since Yin Pei killed Chong Xiaozi and coincidentally met Feng Wuyan, he has concealed his face with an iron mask, killing indiscriminately in the jianghu and leaving behind the four blood characters of Qinghui Zhenren.
At night, Madam Rainbow Robe came at Zhou Fei's invitation. After examining Xie Yun's pulse, she learned that he didn't have much time left due to the Touguqing poison. The only option now was to completely avoid using internal energy to delay the inevitable. After Madam Rainbow Robe left, Ying Hecong knocked on Zhou Fei's door under the guise of returning the straw hat.
Calling himself a poison doctor, he revealed the poison Xie Yun was afflicted with in one sentence, thus successfully gaining entry. Ying Hecong excitedly stared at Xie Yun, looking him up and down, clearly appearing like a poison enthusiast. Ying Hecong knew from his pulse and condition that Xie Yun had been poisoned with Touguqing for a long time and had only managed to survive until now thanks to a master transferring internal energy to suppress it.
He had previously forced out internal energy using the Soul-Searching Needle, which caused the poison to flare up. Ying Hecong researched medical principles for a long time, but finally confessed that he merely enjoyed collecting various poisons and could not heal people or treat illnesses. As a result, Zhou Fei kicked him out. The wounds from the Soul-Searching Needle, combined with Xie Yun's cold body, caused blood stasis around the needle points.
It was also because his body's metabolism had slowed down that he could temporarily avoid the side effects of the Soul-Searching Needle. Zhou Fei looked at the unconscious Xie Yun, finding it truly difficult to accept that he had deliberately forced out his internal energy for her sake, causing himself to be on the verge of death. Her feelings for Xie Yun completely erupted at this moment.
Zhou Fei used the Tianmen Lock borrowed from Madam Rainbow Robe to lock one of Xie Yun's hands and one of his feet, preventing him from secretly running away again. The Tianmen Lock has two layers of special locking surfaces. Without knowing the pattern, even Li Zheng and Yin Wenlan would not be able to break free from the Tianmen Lock's restraints.
Recently, Zhou Fei had already been troubled by matters concerning Xie Yun, and then faced multiple challenges from Yang Jin, which was truly bothersome. Seeing him as honest and easy to bully, and thinking about his impending agreement with Huo Liantao, she provoked Yang Jin in a few words, focusing his attention on the Assembly to Eliminate the Evil Forces.
Episode 29 Recap
A table of cold food was hard to swallow. Xie Yun would rather live one day less than suffer such torment. However, eating and drinking were related to his life and death, and all Zhou Fei could do was share the hardship with him, eating the cold food together. Xie Yun's persuasion was fruitless. He suddenly turned the topic to himself, and it was the first time he truly mentioned his past to Zhou Fei.
Many years ago, Xie Yun's senior uncle forcibly opened Xie Yun's meridians with internal energy, transferring all of his lifelong power to him without reservation. Depleting internal energy would inevitably lead to the sole outcome of running out of oil and lamp, which was simply trading one life for another. Xie Yun felt that the remaining half of his life was a pathetic and unfilial existence.
And as long as Xie Yun, a descendant of the former royal family, lived for one more day, it would give people the hope that the dynasty could eventually be restored. Then General Wang Lin's Anping Army would never lay down their swords, adding endless killing and suffering to the world. This was an unloyal existence that harmed the world. Living in such an unloyal and unfilial manner, Xie Yun felt every extra day was superfluous.
Only then did Zhou Fei understand that Xie Yun had been talking circuitously for a long time, only wanting to persuade her not to feel guilty. But for Zhou Fei, no matter the reason, she would not stand by and watch Xie Yun die, nor would she resign herself to waiting for death like him.
Even if the chances were slim, as long as there was still a breath left, Zhou Fei would not give up searching for hope to live. Having stayed in the room for a long time, the sky gradually darkened. Xie Yun used the excuse that it was inconvenient to take a bath and wanted to unlock the Tianmen Lock. Who knew that Zhou Fei would actually let Li Sheng lock himself together with him to make do with the bath?
Although Li Sheng had been reminded by Zhou Fei not to get angry and leave no matter how Xie Yun provoked him, it was indeed inconvenient to bathe and dress. Li Sheng had to temporarily unlock the Tianmen Lock. While getting dressed, Xie Yun chatted with Li Sheng behind the screen. When the time was right, he flew out the window and disappeared.
When Xie Yun was about to climb over the wall to escape, he was once again caught red-handed by Zhou Fei, who had been waiting there. He still could not escape the fate of having his hands and feet bound. Early the next morning, Xie Yun was awakened by Zhu Chen's knock. Seeing the other person had specially prepared delicious food for Zhou Fei, every action and expression showed his fondness for her, filling Xie Yun with jealousy.
Even with his hands and feet bound, Xie Yun had to make an identical dish to compare the two, and was even more unwilling to let Zhou Fei get close to others. It was then that he suddenly realized he would likely never be able to escape Zhou Fei's side in this life. Shen Tianshu suffered repeated setbacks. Previously, he had proactively invited Chu Tianyu to assist him in seizing the Shendu Seal.
Chu Tianyu obtained Huo Liantao's respectful obedience effortlessly and even promised to hand over the Shendu Seal after the Assembly. However, the news that Chen Zichen had also arrived in Lingling City now interested Chu Tianyu even more. The Assembly to Eliminate the Evil Forces was approaching. Huo Liantao wanted to use his old trick again, setting up tinder oil in the stronghold, and using the opportunity of martial artists gathering here to wipe them all out.
As for whether one could enter with or without an invitation, one only needed to take separate paths. Li Yan had already sneaked into the Huo family stronghold with Yang Jin ahead of time. Li Sheng worried about Li Yan's safety and went ahead with Wu Chuchu. Zhou Fei, on the other hand, transferred the Tianmen Lock from Xie Yun's foot to her own hand to prevent him from escaping.
The two coincidentally met Zhu Chen and his sister on the way. Zhou Fei learned that those with and without invitations took different routes, so she thanked Zhu Chen and left. The latter was full of reluctance but could do nothing. At this time, Li Yan and Yang Jin followed the guiding female attendant all the way and were eventually attracted by a red snake, which they then chased.
They happened to save Ying Hecong, who was almost killed by a Xuanwu disciple. Only then did the two know that the red snake was named Hongyu, carefully raised by Ying Hecong, and extremely precious. For some reason, after Hongyu arrived at this place, she seemed startled and scurried around, indicating that this place was highly suspicious.
Episode 30 Recap
Ying Hecong used his flute to call back Hongyu, but before he could reach out to retrieve it, Li Yan snatched it and took it for herself, forcibly keeping it by her side to play with for a few days. While they were talking, everyone gathered. Those with and without invitations were separated by the waterside pavilion.
Those without invitations had to pass through a Qimen Bagua formation to enter or exit, and those who didn't understand its principles would surely enter but not be able to leave. As the drumbeats sounded, Huo Liantao appeared on the high platform, deceiving the martial artists present with half-truths and half-falsehoods. The Huo family's ancestral Shendu Seal had a ripple pattern and was one of the tokens for Hai Tian Yi Se.
Huo Liantao used Hai Tian Yi Se as a treasure left by previous generations of martial artists, using the excuse of an election to choose a martial arts alliance leader through combat, so he could manage the Shendu Seal on behalf of others, thus inciting those present to kill each other. During this time, Madam Rainbow Robe suddenly arrived. Although it made Huo Liantao feel guilty, he quickly regained his composure and confronted her passionately again.
Just as the people present didn't know whom to believe, Chu Tianyu descended from the sky. As a court official, he showed Chen Zichen's waist token to testify for Huo Liantao. Taking advantage of the situation, he indeed made everyone's desire for plunder resurface. Chu Tianyu had already imprisoned Chen Zichen, Mr. Bai, and others in a room.
Showing his waist token now was merely a warning to Huo Liantao that if he did not offer the Shendu Seal with both hands, then the Huo family's only backing would cease to exist. Previously, Huo Liantao had offended many martial artists. Everyone was now focusing on the treasure. Once Huo Liantao lost the court's assistance, he would surely be destroyed by the revenge of various sects and factions.
The appearance of Chu Tianyu not only surprised Zhou Fei and others but also filled Ying Hecong, who was sitting behind, with rage, as if he wanted to devour this person alive. Xie Yun had already guessed that the only person who could know at a glance that he was afflicted with Touguging was a disciple of the Great Medicine Valley, which had been exterminated long ago.
Judging from Ying Hecong's hatred for Chu Tianyu, the calamity that led to the destruction of the Great Medicine Valley must have been caused by this person. Xie Yun worried that Ying Hecong might lose his life in a moment of impulse, but at this moment, he had more important matters. The waist token that Chu Tianyu showed just now was indeed Chen Zichen's personal token; one could imagine the other party's situation.
So Zhou Fei and Xie Yun infiltrated the interior of the Huo family stronghold together and successfully rescued Chen Zichen and others. Meanwhile, Chu Tianyu used the reason of distinguishing authenticity to make Huo Liantao willingly hand it over. Just as the Shendu Seal was mere millimeters away from Chu Tianyu's hand, it was suddenly snatched away by Mu Xiaoqiao, who descended from the sky.
Huo Liantao's face showed great joy, and he thought Mu Xiaoqiao had come to protect him. Only when the other party pushed out the former gardener did he realize that things would not end well today. Facing the human witness, Huo Liantao could not deny abandoning the paralyzed Huo Changfeng and letting him fend for himself. But in his agitated defense, he unintentionally revealed that Huo Changfeng had actually died from poisoning.
This truth completely enraged Mu Xiaoqiao, who was determined to find out the truth of the matter. Because she was chasing the escaped Hongyu, Li Yan happened to stumble upon Huo family disciples who wanted to ignite the tinder oil. Luckily, Yang Jin killed them and extinguished the fire in time. Otherwise, once the fire spread everywhere and everyone didn't know how to exit the formation, they would surely all be buried in the sea of fire today.
Just as Huo Liantao was being questioned by Mu Xiaoqiao, Li Yan, who had returned to report, let out a loud shout, startling everyone present into chaotic escape. Facing the current crisis, Zhou Fei originally wanted to unlock the Tianmen Lock, but who knew the key for the second layer fell into the lake amidst the pushing and shoving of the crowd.
Zhou Fei and Xie Yun, who were restricted, had no choice but to give up chasing Chu Tianyu and instead go to meet up with Chen Zichen. Meanwhile, Mu Xiaoqiao, who had the Shendu Seal with him, had his path blocked by Chu Tianyu and managed to retreat unharmed under his siege. The people present didn't understand the formation and naturally milled about like headless flies.
Ding Kui, regardless of right or wrong, was about to kill the guide to vent his anger but was stopped by Li Sheng. After Madam Rainbow Robe arrived, Li Sheng was about to lead everyone to escape the Qimen Bagua formation. But who knew that the enraged Ding Kui, to show off his authority, actually tried to forcibly keep everyone there.
Episode 31 Recap
Huo Liantao fled in panic and was blocked by Mu Xiaoqiao before he could escape. Before the two could exchange more than a couple of words, Huo Liantao's neck suddenly broke, and he died. Chu Tianyu's aim was the Shendu Seal; killing Huo Liantao was merely a convenience. Mu Xiaoqiao certainly wouldn't hand over the Huo family's item, so the two immediately began to fight.
After a few moves, Mu Xiaoqiao was no match and could only leap away to escape. In the past, Chu Tianyu was a minor official by Xie Yun's father's side. He later secretly learned skills and became treacherous, then joined the Di Sha and became a middle-ranking official in the current dynasty. Zhou Fei and Xie Yun had just rescued Chen Zichen from the enemy's hands when they encountered Chu Tianyu, who arrived shortly after.
The hatred for killing one's father is irreconcilable; in an instant, it became a life-and-death situation. Handing over accounts was more important than life itself. Zhou Fei naturally understood Xie Yun's determination. She unlocked the Tianmen Lock for him, and the two of them combined their strength to attack Chu Tianyu. If Chu Tianyu hadn't become an official and disdained matters of the martial world, how could Shen Tianshu have become the master of the Di Sha with his skills?
It is conceivable that Zhou Fei would certainly not be Chu Tianyu's opponent, and her saber broke into two pieces upon receiving his move. At a critical moment, Xie Yun channeled his inner energy throughout his body. With one palm strike, he aimed to trade his life for Chu Tianyu's, shaking the other party into discomposure and mental chaos. Xie Yun also suffered a backlash from Touguging due to forcefully using his inner energy.
Blood spurted out, and he could no longer continue. Just as the three were fighting with growing intensity, a thick white smoke suddenly drifted out, causing both Chu Tianyu and Zhou Fei to stumble with scattered steps, their bodies weak and powerless. The poison, Ninglu, the deeper one's inner energy, the faster the poison takes effect. This was specifically made by Ying Hecong to deal with Chu Tianyu.
Today, he could finally witness Chu Tianyu being poisoned and dying before his own eyes, and Ying Hecong felt greatly relieved. Although happy, Ying Hecong also clearly understood that if Zhou Fei and Xie Yun hadn't injured Chu Tianyu and disrupted his state of mind, such a poison wouldn't have been able to get close to him at all. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had no opportunity to use it for three years.
Ying Hecong was willing to repay the favor in the future, but unfortunately, what Zhou Fei wanted was something he couldn't provide. Ever since the Great Medicine Valley produced the traitor Lian Shen, who led the Di Sha to destroy the sect, only Ying Hecong, a disciple who previously only knew how to play, was left. He hadn't inherited any knowledge from the Great Medicine Valley at all. Ying Hecong was powerless to cure the Touguging poison.
After leaving the antidote for Ninglu, he left in solitude. With no other options, Zhou Fei could only think of carrying Xie Yun to a temple to pray to gods and Buddha. If not for being driven to desperation, who would place hope in such an ethereal matter? Xie Yun knew his end was near and only wanted to speak his true feelings to Zhou Fei.
If he could live with her in the Forty-Eight Fortresses, living an ordinary and carefree life, that would be Xie Yun's greatest wish. Zhou Fei's heart was worried about Xie Yun, and she didn't even have time to take the antidote Ying Hecong gave her. Now, dragging her severely injured and poisoned body, how far could she carry Xie Yun? Soon, both of them fainted in the forest.
Meanwhile, Li Sheng and Madam Rainbow Robe were originally going to find Ding Kui to eliminate a menace to the people. They then saw Ding Kui thrown onto the ground by a man dressed in black and wearing a mask, completely silent. Although Ding Kui was not a top-tier master, anyone who could kill him so easily could certainly not be an unknown figure in the martial world.
Madam Rainbow Robe did not know who this person was, but only Wu Chuchu saw Yin Pei's shadow in him. When Zhou Fei woke up from her coma, she surprisingly found herself in a small boat, and the one punting the boat was a monk of unknown origin. Zhou Fei thought Xie Yun was dead and for a moment did not know what to do.
Finally, enlightened by the monk, she understood that chivalry in the martial world is passed down through generations and that she should not be trapped by romantic love and become dejected. Seeing that Zhou Fei's mind was clear, the monk then let her enter the boat cabin to check. There, she saw that although Xie Yun's face was pale, he still had a faint breath.
The great sorrow and great joy made it difficult for Zhou Fei to calm her emotions. She couldn't help but lie in Xie Yun's arms, feeling his heartbeat and the joy of having him back. After Zhou Fei inquired, she learned that the monk was Master Tongming, a reclusive immortal from Penglai, and also Xie Yun's master. During their casual conversation, Master Tongming recalled the past.
Xie Yun extremely disliked the suffering brought by his noble status and dreamed of becoming the most ordinary person, not knowing that the most ordinary people are trapped by livelihood and also yearn to become royalty or nobles.
Episode 32 Recap
As a child, Xie Yun craved ordinary pleasures and was unwilling to bear any burden. But ever since he deliberately hid and wasn't seen, causing Eunuch Wang to mistakenly believe he had died in the sea, Eunuch Wang, out of guilt, left a suicide note and ended his life. Xie Yun never imagined that a simple game of hide-and-seek would lead to the death of a person. Eunuch Wang's death was deeply etched in Xie Yun's heart.
From then on, he became like a different person, diligent and hardworking in both strategy and martial arts. Years passed, and it was Xie Yun's first time leaving Penglai. It was also during this time entering the battlefield that he was poisoned by Touguging and rescued by his martial uncle, after which he could no longer fight with others. Mentioning much of the past, the most important thing was the method to save a life.
Touguging is the foremost poison concocted by the Great Medicine Valley, recorded in the Medicine King Sutra. Master Tongming guessed that the Medicine King Sutra might contain a detoxification method, but ever since the Great Medicine Valley was destroyed, this Medicine King Sutra has not been seen again. The only course of action now is for Master Tongming to take Xie Yun back to Penglai and use the Three Flavors Soup, which he painstakingly searched for, to sustain his life.
There are three doses of the Three Flavors Soup in total; they are sacred objects for dispelling cold scattered across various places. Master Tongming has only managed to prepare the first flavor, which can temporarily prevent his heart meridian from freezing. The second medicinal ingredient is the Fire Lotus, which grows in the extremely cold lands of the northwest. The lotus has nine stalks, and when nine flowers have fully grown, it is the best time for harvesting.
If missed, one must wait another ten years. The Three Flavors Soup treats the symptoms but not the root cause, but at least it can temporarily save his life. For this, it is enough for Zhou Fei to go through fire and water. Zhou Fei was eager to get the medicine, not even having time for one last look at Xie Yun.
As for the Shendu Seal, she had no intention of fighting for it and was unable to keep it safe, so she simply entrusted Master Tongming to keep it for her. After Zhou Fei left, Ying Hecong, who had been hiding in the dark, sneaked into the boat cabin. Just as he was about to steal Xie Yun's body, Master Tongming caught him red-handed.
Ying Hecong was sent flying directly out of the boat, hung on a tree branch, and fainted. The previous night, Wu Chuchu was talking with Li Sheng about Yin Pei. His transformation was visible to the naked eye, but a sudden surge in martial arts power must come at a painful cost unknown to others. Li Sheng did not envy Yin Pei at all.
At this moment, in his heart, only accumulating power bit by bit was the right way to practice martial arts. Wu Chuchu felt like a burden and unexpectedly took out the Withered Glory Hand technique she had previously recorded. Who knew that Yin Pei would suddenly arrive and find her attempting to practice martial arts in the Lingling Inn?
That slight kindness from the past has stayed with Yin Pei to this day, and he has always wanted to repay Wu Chuchu in some way. However, his current appearance truly made the other party dare not approach. Li Sheng appeared from nowhere and surprisingly found that Chongxiaozi's whisk was in Yin Pei's hands. The two fought.
Li Sheng was held by the neck by Yin Pei with the whisk and only got a chance to breathe after Wu Chuchu pleaded for him. Yin Pei had originally come to return the whisk. Becoming the master of the Four Peaks Mountain now was his way of taking revenge for himself. As for things that weren't his, he never cared for them.
Today, Li Yan and Yang Jin had originally gone out looking for Zhou Fei but by chance rescued Ying Hecong. Regarding what happened before, Ying Hecong was unwilling to say much, which led everyone to mistakenly believe that Chu Tianyu was killed by Zhou Fei. This news caused Li Sheng to fall silent. In the blink of an eye, Li Sheng's whereabouts became unknown. Wu Chuchu searched alone, causing Yin Pei worry, and he intended to follow after her.
Lian Shen, Hu Tianying's illness has reached a critical stage. Shen Tianshu painstakingly searching for Hai Tian Yi Se is merely to find the Medicine King Sutra within it to obtain a method to save her life. Xie Yun's Touguging was administered by Hu Tianying, so she naturally knows that the Fire Lotus can save his life.
She immediately ordered Shen Tianshu to dispatch Lu Tiankuang, known as "Snow Wolf," to the extremely cold lands of the northwest to intercept and kill Zhou Fei. Before Chu Tianyu died, he had sought out Liu Youliang of the Anping Army. He knew the secret of Hai Tian Yi Se well, something the Di Sha could not tolerate. Tong Tianyang pursued Liu Youliang all the way to the Lingling Inn.
Li Yan simply assumed that anyone who had a vendetta against the Di Sha was a good person, so she secretly sent Hongyu upstairs to ask for help and positioned herself in front of Liu Youliang first to protect him.
Episode 33 Recap
Yan Jin's knife and Ying Hecong's snake scared everyone, including Tong Tianyang, out of the inn. The three, taking Liu Youliang with them, quickly left the place of trouble. Li Yan and the three fled all the way to an abandoned broken temple. Liu Youliang originally didn’t trust the people before him, but upon hearing that Li Yan was the granddaughter of Li Zheng, he immediately revealed the secret he was hiding.
It turned out that this Liu Youliang was the tomb keeper protecting Hai Tian Yi Se. Twenty years had passed, the world had long changed hands, yet only he remained in the dark. It was probably feared that he couldn’t endure the loneliness and would leave the mountain. Previously, he had exchanged letters with Chongxiaozi, but recently, communication had stopped.
It was only then that Liu Youliang found the endless solitude and quiet unbearable and chose to leave the mountain to inquire about the situation. After descending the mountain, Liu Youliang heard that the Huo Family Fortress was holding a martial arts convention, publicly discussing the secret that his predecessors had painstakingly hidden in front of everyone. Because of this, he was discovered by Chu Tianyu and subsequently faced the pursuit before him.
Although Liu Youliang had guarded Hai Tian Yi Se for twenty years, even he didn’t know what Hai Tian Yi Se actually was. Hoofbeats not far away grew closer. There were also children who had wandered to the broken temple. If Li Yan and the three escaped, Tong Tianyang would definitely not spare these children. Since they couldn’t escape and couldn’t defeat them by force, the only path was mutual destruction.
Liu Youliang forced Li Yan to memorize a poem that hinted at the location of Hai Tian Yi Se. Everyone confronted the pursuing Tong Tianyang head-on. Liu Youliang threw a map to him, only to see it spontaneously combust the moment it was opened. Liu Youliang tightly hugged Tong Tianyang's leg, giving Li Yan and the three a chance to escape. He also died tragically at his opponent’s hands.
Liu Youliang lived in confusion for twenty years, unable to distinguish if he was human or ghost. Entrusting the secret of Hai Tian Yi Se to the future generation before his death can be considered dying a worthy death. Meanwhile, Lu Tiankuang deliberately had a merchant sell horses sensitive to cold to Zhou Fei, then followed her all the way to the extremely cold lands of the northwest.
This place was covered in ice and snow with whistling winds, but Zhou Fei showed no intention of retreating. Even if she had to rely on her own legs, she would climb to the top of the snowy mountain. Unexpectedly, Mu Xiaoqiao also came here to retrieve the Shendu Seal for the Huo family. Lu Tiankuang inquired about Zhou Fei's whereabouts from passersby.
As a result, he was recognized by a local resident as the child who once grew up with wolves in these snowy mountains, hence the name "Snow Wolf". The man looked as if he had seen a ghost, yelling loudly. Lu Tiankuang smiled mockingly and paid him no further attention. Zhou Fei climbed to the mountaintop with her own strength but was restrained by Mu Xiaoqiao first. The Fire Lotus was right before her eyes, yet she couldn’t pluck it.
The arriving Lu Tiankuang also came for the Shendu Seal. Mu Xiaoqiao already detested the Di Sha, so he stopped bothering Zhou Fei and turned to attack Lu Tiankuang. Just before Zhou Fei turned to pluck the Fire Lotus, a sudden avalanche occurred, causing her hand to be just moments away from fulfilling her wish. If not for Mu Xiaoqiao's help, Zhou Fei might have been buried alive in the snow mountain by now.
In a daze, Zhou Fei seemed to see Xie Yun advising her to give up and then bidding her farewell. Those who cared for each other seemed to have a connection. Although Xie Yun, in Penglai, had not yet woken up, when Zhou Fei encountered danger, he seemed to sense everything about her, constantly calling out Zhou Fei's name. Penglai Immortal Chen Junfu originally did not approve of Xie Yun leaving the mountain.
Each time he returned, he was half-dead, and now he was even delirious. Master Tongming, however, was more understanding. Regardless of the outcome, it was fate, something one couldn’t force. How could one let go if they hadn’t picked up? How could one meet a good match if they hadn’t descended the mountain? When Zhou Fei completely woke up from her coma, she found herself trapped in a snow cave, with Mu Xiaoqiao sitting beside her.
When they were alone, Mu Xiaoqiao discovered that Zhou Fei, like him, was willing to go through mountains of knives and seas of fire just for someone to look at them more often. Mu Xiaoqiao was naturally a person of temperament. This opportunity could be considered turning an enemy into a friend with Zhou Fei. Li Sheng was worried about Chongxiaozi's safety and returned alone to the abandoned Qimen, unaware that Feng Wuyan had already followed him. Although there was still a protective formation outside Qimen, how could this stop Feng Wuyan?
Episode 34 Recap
Wu Chuchu followed Li Sheng's footsteps all the way, finally arriving at the foot of Qimen. Because she was teased a few times in a teahouse, Yin Pei, who was secretly protecting her, had the tongues of all those people cut off and fed to the dogs. After that, Yin Pei heard that Wu Chuchu was traveling with a strange and suspicious man, and he went there himself.
Feng Wuyan had always struggled to recall how to completely pass through the formation and the dense forest, so he could only wait by the foot of the mountain. That's how he tricked Wu Chuchu into coming to the Qimen formation with him. Wu Chuchu naturally didn't know the method to pass through, which angered Feng Wuyan so much that he turned and left, abandoning her there alone.
Wu Chuchu was anxious about Li Sheng and rushed into the forest, getting lost. It was only with Yin Pei's guidance that she entered Qimen. Yin Pei deliberately dressed ordinarily, wearing a straw hat, pretending to be a common woodcutter so that Wu Chuchu wouldn't recognize him. As soon as he left the forest, he met Feng Wuyan coming up the mountain to ask for help.
When Yin Pei learned that the other party's goal was to kill Li Sheng, he was naturally happy to lead the way. Li Sheng was not Feng Wuyan's equal, but in this vast world, only Li Sheng understood Qimen Dunjia and Bagua techniques, so Feng Wuyan didn't dare to kill him. The two were in a stalemate, so Li Sheng simply feigned suicide. At that point, Feng Wuyan would be ashamed of the Qimen ancestors.
Hearing the word "ancestors" seemed to hit Feng Wuyan's weak spot. How could he not feel regret? Because he was young and impetuous back then, disdaining the techniques of Qimen, which led his father to value Chongxiaozi while neglecting him, and he even ran away from home in a fit of pique. Now that Qimen was destroyed, as the sect leader's son, he was unable to pass down the sect's unique knowledge.
Feng Wuyan was both remorseful and unwilling to admit it. Seeing Feng Wuyan's pathetic state, Li Sheng wrote down the techniques of Qimen for him to study. Feng Wuyan casually discarded the whisk he had seized. By chance, this allowed Li Sheng to discover the water ripple pattern hidden within the whisk. Just then, Wu Chuchu, who should have left, had actually left markers along the way, causing Tong Tianyang to lead his men here in pursuit.
Seeing that Tong Tianyang intended to snatch the sect leader's whisk, Feng Wuyan immediately engaged in a fierce struggle with him. As the two fought, the whisk fell to the ground. Li Sheng picked it up, pulled Wu Chuchu, and fled from the Taoist temple. He dropped the stone door, trapping everyone inside. During this time, Wu Chuchu was severely injured.
Li Sheng took her back to Lingling Inn, where they coincidentally met Zhu Chen, which allowed them to get a carriage to Hengyang to seek help from Madam Rainbow Robe. Still trapped in the snow cave, Zhou Fei and Mu Xiaoqiao made a deal. Since neither of them was there for fame, fortune, or to pursue Hai Tian Yi Se, Mu Xiaoqiao would stage a scene to help Zhou Fei obtain the Fire Lotus.
After it was done, she would return the Shendu Seal to Mu Xiaoqiao. Zhou Fei feigned being unable to defeat Mu Xiaoqiao and suddenly threw the "Shendu Seal" down the mountain, unwilling to let the other party gain an advantage. Lu Tiankuang indeed fell for the trick. After he chased all the way down the mountain, he discovered that the so-called "Shendu Seal" was just a rock. It was useless for him to turn back now.
Zhou Fei also took the opportunity to pick the Fire Lotus and came to the foot of the snowy mountain with Mu Xiaoqiao, agreeing to meet again at Lingling Inn another day. Mu Xiaoqiao had seen enough of the treachery in the martial arts world. This was the last time he was willing to trust others. Zhou Fei traveled tirelessly towards Penglai Island with the Fire Lotus, and then fell into a deep sleep.
Xie Yun had taken the second dose of medicine and had woken up, but he had to go into seclusion to recuperate, thus unable to meet Zhou Fei. In contrast, Zhou Fei didn't seem to care at all. She now only wanted to single-mindedly head towards the scorching hot lands of Southern Xinjiang to find the last ingredient, the Vermilion Ming Firetail Grass. Inside the Di Sha Manor, Yu Wenzhi personally came to find Hu Tianying.
Currently, although Liu Youliang burned the map, Tong Tianyang had seen it once. From the pattern, it could be inferred that Chongxiaozi's whisk was also one of the items. Shen Tianshu ordered Gu Tianxian to immediately go near Great Medicine Valley to scout, but unbeknownst to them, someone had quietly persuaded Hu Tianying to agree to leave the mountain. Neither Hu Tianying's physical condition nor Shen Tianshu's current state allowed them to forcefully engage in fights with others anymore. This was also the reason why they did not personally come out this time. While Hu Tianying was healing Shen Tianshu, he also recalled their past together.
Episode 35 Recap
Many years ago, Hu Tianying was expelled from the Great Medicine Valley because she was only devoted to studying poisons and knew nothing about methods for curing diseases and saving people, thus being considered morally corrupt. Since Hu Tianying was taken in by Shen Tianshu, her greatest wish in this life has been to help him fulfill his ambition of conquering the world.
Hu Tianying's first step back into the martial arts world was to personally go to Qingyun Gully to take Zhou Fei's life and retrieve the Shendu Seal. The Vermilion Ming Firetail Grass only grows in Qingyun Gully. Zhou Fei set off again without seeing Xie Yun, also taking the opportunity to go to the Anping Army barracks to meet Zhou Yitang and figure out what the Hai Tian Yi Se actually was.
By chance, Zhou Yitang had found a precious saber for Zhou Fei, named "Sui Zhe". Although this saber was not from a famous craftsman, it was the most suitable for Zhou Fei and was the only work of the blacksmith Lü Run. Legend has it that Lü Run was the last disciple of Guigu, proficient in military strategy, medicine, and martial arts, a very famous figure from the previous dynasty.
Lü Run's lifelong learning was passed down to three disciples: one founded the Great Medicine Valley, one established Qimen, and the youngest disciple, Huang Shenbian, studied military strategy and entered officialdom. Twenty-five years ago, when the previous dynasty's rebel army mutinied, Huang Shenbian, as a former general of the Anping Army, transported many treasures out of the palace and hid them near the Great Medicine Valley to preserve the court's strength.
This batch of treasures is the legendary Hai Tian Yi Se. Since Huang Shenbian's death, the secret of the Hai Tian Yi Se has spread throughout the martial arts world, which led to the tragic annihilation of the Yin family and the massacre of the Great Medicine Valley. Shen Tianshu, once a member of the Anping Army, became the Di Sha leader and made this Hai Tian Yi Se known to everyone.
No one knows what this treasure itself truly is; it is only rumored to contain the Yaowang Jing created by Huang Shenbian, or some items that can defy fate. In the end, it is merely people's desires at play. As a former dynasty prince, Xie Yun, the Hai Tian Yi Se was prepared for restoring the nation. Even if he disdains it, people's greed will cause the Hai Tian Yi Se to become like bone-maggots, entwining around Xie Yun.
Zhou Fei learned the entire story and became even more determined to save Xie Yun and help him achieve his wishes. Just as they were talking, the Third Prince Chen Zichen suddenly came to visit. Seeing Zhou Fei was also there, his gaze couldn't move away from her for a moment.
Even though Zhou Fei kept him at arm's length, he was still captivated by the sight of her leaving figure, unable to snap back to reality for a long time. Chen Zichen talked evasively about other things. When he finally stated his purpose, it turned out he had come to propose marriage. Xie Yun, who was on Penglai Island and unaware of the situation, slowly woke up from his dream.
He felt as though he had returned to the time when he first entered the martial arts world in his dream, unaware of worldly hardships and not understanding the value of external things like money. By chance, Xie Yun discovered that writing lyrics and composing music could also earn him a living and allow him to read extensively, which led to his later identity as Qian Suiyou.
Xie Yun didn't know if he would still be conscious when Zhou Fei returned, so he immediately began to paint his thoughts and feelings onto his artwork. Perhaps he didn't know what lay ahead, but no matter what hardships Xie Yun had experienced, ever since he met Zhou Fei, she represented all the beauty in his life.
At this time, Yang Jin and Ying Hecong were trying various herbs and testing various poisons to find a way to cure the Thorough Bone Frost poison. Li Yan received a letter from Zhou Fei and went ahead to Qingyun Gully to seek the medicine for her. The three arrived at the entrance of Qingyun Gully, which required covering their eyes with a black cloth to enter.
Even though Yang Jin was the sect leader of Qingyun Gully, he had no privileges whatsoever and lacked any sect leader's authority. The Vermilion Ming Firetail Grass grows in the restricted area of Qingyun Gully, which is extremely dangerous and has no exit. Yang Jin failed to obtain the medicine from the Qingyun Gully elders and even wanted to return his sect leader's token, insisting on entering the restricted area to retrieve the medicine.
This displeased the elders, who ordered Li Yan and Ying Hecong to be apprehended. Seeing the unfavorable situation, the two immediately ran. They unintentionally arrived outside the restricted area, drugged the patrolling disciples, and intended to accompany each other into the dangerous place to retrieve the medicine.
Episode 36 Recap
Vermilion Ming Firetail Grass grows in the miasma-filled forest. The patrolling disciples here must carry items to prevent miasma. Ying Hecong indeed found miasma-repelling sachets on the two Qingyun Gully disciples. After only a few steps, the two encountered Yang Jin, who had caught up.
It turned out that Qingyun Gully was about to choose a new leader, and Yang Jin, learning that the two had entered the restricted area disregarding their lives, was then able to chase after them alone. The miasma in the restricted area was thick. Li Yan, who unfortunately didn't recognize the Vermilion Ming Firetail Grass and wasn't skilled in martial arts, absolutely refused to abandon the two and hide alone to wait. She could only risk entering with them.
When the miasma became difficult to resist, Li Yan had a sudden idea: Yang Jin could hang the sachet around his neck and carry her forward on his back, allowing them to inhale the fragrance together to dispel the poison. The three ventured deeper into the forest. The Vermilion Ming Firetail Grass was right before their eyes, among the rocks not far away. Ahead were many eggs laid by venomous creatures.
If accidentally stepped on and crushed, they would instantly attract venomous creatures that would swarm over them. Li Yan was light and agile. She went forward alone and successfully retrieved the Vermilion Ming Firetail Grass under the worried gaze of Yang Jin and Ying Hecong. At the same time, Hu Tianying was bringing the Di Sha disciples to Qingyun Gully. With a flick of her hand, she knocked out the guarding disciples, entering as if no one was there.
Hu Tianying happened upon Qingyun Gully's selection of a new leader. She challenged the elders to a contest of medical skills. She was skilled at poisoning and immune to all poisons herself, easily causing the elder to become weak and unable to resist. Hu Tianying was skilled in using poison and claimed to be the sole successor of the Great Medicine Valley.
After the Di Sha members had controlled all the Qingyun Gully disciples, the elder finally recognized that the person before them was Lian Shen, the traitor who burned down the Great Medicine Valley. The elder originally didn't want to betray Li Yan and the others, but Hu Tianying threatened the lives of the disciples, causing one disciple who wasn't willing to sacrifice his life to voluntarily reveal that two strangers had come to the valley before.
After successfully getting the medicine, the three of Li Yan headed straight down the mountain to escape. Passing a tea stall in the mountains, they stopped to rest and learned from the shopkeeper that a group of fierce and menacing people had passed through here. After the woman leading the group asked for the location of Qingyun Gully, she casually threw a fruit to a wild dog, causing the creature to instantly lose its life.
Ying Hecong immediately knew that the person who had come was Lian Shen, Hu Tianying. Yang Jin secretly returned to Qingyun Gully via a small path. However, the Qingyun Gully people were poisoned and had difficulty moving. Only by him deliberately creating chaos could Ying Hecong and Li Yan seize the opportunity to steal the antidote. Unexpectedly, before the two could find the antidote, Hu Tianying returned first.
As Ying Hecong hid in the cabinet again, the shadow of his childhood once more invaded his heart. When the Great Medicine Valley was destroyed, Ying Hecong had hidden in a cabinet just like today, watching with his own eyes as Hu Tianying killed his master. This was a pain and fear he could never forget in his life. From the crack in the cabinet, Ying Hecong watched Hu Tianying getting closer and closer.
His forehead was covered in sweat, and his hands couldn't stop trembling. Only when Yang Jin suddenly appeared did Li Yan and the other person get a chance to breathe. Although Ying Hecong didn't know if it would be effective, he could only take out the antidote he had made and give it to Li Yan to detoxify everyone, while he resolved to face his fear directly.
Similarly, Hu Tianying's betrayal of her master and sect destruction was an indelible stain on her life, and Ying Hecong was the best proof of her disloyalty and injustice. Ying Hecong had been diligently studying how to counter Hu Tianying's poisonous needles, and the Di Sha disciples were also all poisoned. The detoxified Qingyun Gully disciples formed a surrounding formation. With her own state of mind unstable, Hu Tianying had no choice but to order a retreat.
After this incident, the Qingyun Gully elder finally understood that only with Yang Jin as the leader could the disciples dedicated to studying medical skills be protected and avoid repeating the tragedy of the Great Medicine Valley. Li Yan, having obtained the Qingyun Gully elder's permission, happily took the Vermilion Ming Firetail Grass away openly, while Ying Hecong resolved to stay in the small medicine valley from then on.
Li Sheng had entrusted Zhu Chen to wait here and inform Zhou Fei about his and Wu Chuchu's presence in the Yuyi Troupe. Zhu Chen also did it for a reason to meet the person he liked again, but unfortunately, this affection was ultimately difficult to bear fruit. Zhou Fei was solely concerned about Xie Yun. After waiting for Mu Xiaoqiao to arrive and fulfilling the handover of the Shendu Seal, she set off again towards Qingyun Gully.
Yin Pei, having transformed into Master Qinghui, stirred up trouble in the martial arts world, using force everywhere to compel other sects to submit. Previously, Yin Pei had sought out the Zhu Chen siblings, and it was only because Zhou Fei intervened to save them that they escaped disaster. Li Sheng wanted to unite people in the martial arts world to resist him. The Yuyi Troupe was his first backup. Although the Yuyi Troupe had always avoided worldly affairs, Madam Rainbow Robe, seeing that Yin Wenlan's son had gone astray, would naturally not stand by and do nothing.
Episode 37 Recap
Li Yan took a trip down the mountain. Although she still couldn't shake off her playful and willful habits, she now understands how to take responsibility when doing things seriously. The two escorted the Vermilion Ming Firetail Grass all the way. Suddenly, they realized they were being targeted by the Di Sha members. It was Li Yan who instructed Yang Jin not to act impulsively and cause trouble.
Li Yan worried that the sound of the horses' hooves would attract the Di Sha main force, so after having Yang Jin drive the horses away, they walked in another direction. While walking, Yang Jin was startled by movement around the corner ahead. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Li Sheng and Wu Chuchu passing by.
Yang Jin eagerly pulled Li Yan away from where she was clinging to Li Sheng, as if he were the relative he had missed for a long time. These past few days, Yang Jin had truly had enough of Li Yan. Now that he could finally return the responsibility of looking after her to Li Sheng, his joy was beyond words.
Although Yang Jin was annoyed, seeing Li Sheng scolding Li Yan with some concern, he couldn't help but defend her. When Li Yan presented the Vermilion Ming Firetail Grass as if showing off, Li Sheng was also somewhat surprised, but he still attributed his sister's achievement to luck. As the four were chatting idly, Lian Shen arrived in pursuit with a group of people.
Li Sheng pretended to want to hand over the Vermilion Ming Firetail Grass, but in reality, he was sending a signal. Li Yan took Wu Chuchu and fled first. Just as Li Sheng and Yang Jin were preparing to fight to the death, Zhou Fei, who had arrived in time after seeing the signal, blocked a blow from Lian Shen for them.
Li Sheng and Yang Jin were concerned about Li Yan and Wu Chuchu, so they left the battlefield to Zhou Fei. The Di Sha desperately wanted to stop Zhou Fei from getting the herbal medicine, as they only wanted to exchange Xie Yun's life for the Shendu Seal. However, at this moment, Lian Shen received a report from his subordinate that the Shendu Seal was already in Mu Xiaoqiao's hands.
She actually led the Di Sha members to retreat directly, unwilling to get further entangled with Zhou Fei. As Li Yan and Wu Chuchu were fleeing, they were surrounded and attacked by three Di Sha disciples. Li Yan's martial arts were mediocre and completely unreliable. However, Wu Chuchu had a quick wit. She used flour instead of poison powder, and only after the Di Sha relaxed did she sprinkle the real anesthetic powder, which allowed them to escape the danger.
At the same time, the retreating Lian Shen happened to encounter people from Xingnan Gate and immediately ordered them to be surrounded and killed. How could the people of Xingnan Gate be a match for the Di Sha? Blood immediately flowed everywhere. Only Zhu Chen was able to survive because his subordinates fought desperately to protect him.
Zhu Chen, who woke up from unconsciousness, looked at the corpses all over the ground and his tragically killed younger sister, his heart filled with surging hatred. Yin Pei seemed to have known about this long ago and deliberately rushed over to instigate him to take the Phoenix Pill and put on the iron mask that originally belonged to True Master Qinghui. To seek revenge, Zhu Chen, knowing that Yin Pei was using him, willingly took the pill.
After obtaining the Vermilion Ming Firetail Grass, Zhou Fei immediately rushed to Penglai Island. There, she saw Xie Yun lying on a rock under the sun, his mouth still muttering about her. This was the first time the two had truly met in several months. Unfortunately, no matter how much reluctance and unspoken words they had, it couldn't overcome the sleepiness that again came over Xie Yun.
When he was awake, Xie Yun could only write and draw to relieve his longing. Zhou Fei looked at the flowers and words on the wall, and the letter Xie Yun left for her on the stone table, and it was as if she could envision how Xie Yun looked when he was writing the letter and drawing.
The letter contained a painting of a girl in a red dress, which was the image of his beloved in Xie Yun's heart. If one day Zhou Fei wore a red dress, she would definitely look exactly like the woman in the painting. Responding to Xie Yun's message, Zhou Fei wanted to leave a few words for him. She had been racking her brain without success.
Seeing again Xie Yun's specific instruction that the brush could only be used on white paper, she immediately had an idea. As Zhou Fei drew and painted on Xie Yun's face, in that moment, she finally showed some of the liveliness and carefree nature that an innocent young girl should have. Li Sheng once again embarked on the path of finding allies alone.
He happened to hear that Master Liu was also gathering heroes from all over the world to jointly resist True Master Qinghui. He immediately went to visit him and borrowed the master's courtyard as the place to lure and kill True Master Qinghui. Master Liu and others clearly wanted to kill True Master Qinghui as quickly as possible, and they were immediately willing to fully cooperate with Li Sheng.
Episode 38 Recap
The third medicinal ingredient, Vermilion Ming Firetail Grass, after being taken by Xie Yun, could force out the last bit of vitality in his body, naturally creating a false impression of being full of energy. These three medicines could only prevent Xie Yun from dying silently, but they were only treating the symptoms, not the root cause, and would overdraw his vital energy. If the antidote could not be found, the consequences were predictable.
Xie Yun looked at the peaceful sleeping face of Zhou Fei, his thoughts drifting to the past. The world was in chaos, and the common people suffered terribly. Xie Yun had no intention of seizing the world and ignoring the lives of the people. Later, upon learning that Wang Lin was imprisoned, he returned to the Anping Army camp again.
Xie Yun wanted to take Wang Lin to escape, but saw graves all over the back mountain, one of which was already Wang Lin's grave. Xie Yun came this time so that the Anping Army token could be brought to Zhou Yitang by someone. Since Wang Lin had no worries about the future, he could bravely face death.
It was precisely because of this that the destinies of Xie Yun and Zhou Fei became closely linked; though they made no vows of eternal love, they could face life and death together. Xie Yun believed his time was short and only thought of forging a legendary saber for Zhou Fei. Previously, Xie Yun had also forged a saber, but his martial uncle melted it in the furnace because it was truly unsightly.
Xie Yun again sought advice on saber forging from his martial uncle. Before the forging even began, he had already thought of a name. Born at the wrong time means being born during war when human lives are cheap, ultimately inferior to a prosperous era where even ordinary villagers have rustic joys. Unfortunately, life cannot be chosen. If one were born at the break of dawn, they could welcome the warmth and hope of the rising sun.
Xie Yun named the saber "Xiwei", meaning the faint light of dawn. Though he resented the faintness of the morning light, dawn was approaching, and even if the sky was dark, one should be content. The plan to lure and kill True Master Qinghui was approaching. Master Liu, under the guise of his mother's birthday celebration, invited heroes from all over the world. In reality, they were all heroic descendants intending to jointly assassinate True Master Qinghui.
Li Yan happened to see Li Sheng tidying the invitation letters and thought it was something delicious and fun, complaining that Li Sheng wasn't taking her. Since returning to the Forty-Eight Strongholds, Wu Chuchu had been organizing martial arts classics. Even Li Jirong intended to entrust her with organizing the Li Family Southern Blade for posterity.
Li Yan originally came to inform about the birthday banquet, but coincidentally, Wu Chuchu was also planning to go down the mountain to seek guidance on martial arts from Master Liu. This further strengthened their resolve to go secretly. Xie Yun drank the three medicinal ingredients. Although his life was temporarily out of danger, he only had one year left.
His last wish was to take Zhou Fei to Jiankang to fulfill his promise of taking her to taste all sorts of delicious food. Xie Yun did not want to reveal his condition, but coincidentally, Zhou Fei overheard his conversation with Master Tongming. Zhou Fei understood Xie Yun's intentions and pretended she didn't know the truth. The two arrived in Jiankang.
The streets and alleys were bustling and lively, with endless acrobatic performances and street artists, truly a scene of a utopia untouched by war. Xie Yun took Zhou Fei to a shop because once a lover, to win the heart of his beloved, bought tens of thousands of lanterns and lit them for seven days and seven nights, finally achieving a happy ending. Since then, to commemorate this beautiful event, this shop only sold lanterns. The two entered the shop.
The shopkeeper, unaware of the situation, thought they were there to prepare for a wedding gift. Unexpectedly, this time it was Xie Yun who repeatedly denied it, while Zhou Fei frankly acknowledged their status as an engaged couple. When Zhou Fei took out the token from the Strongholds, it turned out that this was also one of the Forty-Eight Strongholds' secret posts. The shopkeeper praised Zhou Fei's legend non-stop, drawing bursts of laughter from Xie Yun.
Zhou Fei casually picked out a lantern to give to Xie Yun. It wasn't that she didn't put thought into it; rather, as long as Xie Yun wanted it, what difficulty was there in giving him the entire shop? The usually unrestrained and carefree Xie Yun suddenly felt as if his heart was being stirred by a girl for the first time. Although the two had never spoken their feelings aloud, their mutual affection had long been understood.
Xie Yun took Zhou Fei to the top floor of a restaurant. Looking down at the brightly lit and bustling streets below, and having his beloved by his side, even if he only had one year left to live, Xie Yun was content. The two drank wine together. Tonight, there was no sorrow, no killing, only the love and peace revealed in their gazing into each other's eyes.
Episode 39 Recap
Lips met, a faint warmth circulated between their teeth. Xie Yun had never imagined his first kiss would be initiated by Zhou Fei. Usually, it was Xie Yun who often acted shamelessly, but this time Zhou Fei had stirred his heart first. Zhou Fei had never understood matters of love, living like a man; now that she had taken the initiative, she rarely showed a hint of shyness.
Although they might not grow old together, it could be considered a lifetime spent together. Xie Yun had already come to terms with life and death. Now that he could meet Zhou Fei at the end of his life, even if they could only be together for one year, he would have no regrets in this life.
If the poison of Tougu Qing could not be cured within a year, Zhou Fei would naturally return to the Forty-Eight Strongholds to live out the rest of her life. Xie Yun mentioned the land of Xiangshui, which was where his father was buried. Xie Yun was only one year old then, and afterwards, he went from being a royal noble to a destitute, exiled prince.
In the future, whenever he encountered difficulties and confusion, he would always have a thought, as if only in Xiangshui could he find the answer. Master Liu's mother's birthday was approaching. Li Sheng and a group of martial arts experts had prepared traps and hidden weapons, just waiting for Yin Pei to walk into the net.
Before this, Li Sheng also prepared two letters, one for Yang Jin and one for Zhou Fei, inviting them to join the plan to assassinate Yin Pei. Yin Pei's martial arts had advanced considerably due to the Phoenix Pill, and Zhou Fei had already experienced it. Now, seeing that Li Sheng intended to kill him, she hurried to Liu Family Manor to assist.
On the day of the birthday celebration, True Master Qinghui indeed appeared at Liu Family Manor and easily fell into the trap set by Li Sheng. Just as everyone wondered how True Master Qinghui could be so vulnerable, suddenly seven True Master Qinghuis appeared simultaneously. Although the multiple True Master Qinghuis were dressed identically, their figures were different. Wu Chuchu, who had come to collect martial arts classics, immediately recognized that Yin Pei was not among them.
The situation exceeded everyone's expectations. The martial arts heroes who were previously filled with righteous indignation scattered like birds and beasts at this moment. Only Master Liu and his mother were willing to fight to the death. As the two sides fought, the multiple True Master Qinghuis actually used the Qimen array tactics. Yang Jin, at Li Sheng's request, joined the battle to delay time. Li Sheng glanced around and saw several stone tablets in the courtyard.
He immediately used the Qimen method to lead the multiple True Master Qinghuis into the array, defeating them one by one. With the help of Madam Rainbow Robe, Yin Pei, who was hidden among the minions, had nowhere to hide and was pursued by Zhou Fei, who had just arrived, into a nearby forest. Their martial arts were evenly matched, and both were struck by the other's palm.
Yin Pei was already paranoid, and coupled with the effects of the Phoenix Pill, he listened even less to Zhou Fei's persuasion. Yin Pei had originally intended to spare her life out of gratitude for Zhou Fei having saved him before, but how could Zhou Fei be someone who clung to life and feared death? Moreover, at this point, Yin Pei could not even lift his sword.
Zhou Fei was about to get up and attack, but saw several more True Master Qinghuis appear around them. Yin Pei also took the opportunity to escape. Zhou Fei was already injured, and "Sui Zhe" had also broken because of this. Just as she was finding it difficult to resist, one of the True Master Qinghuis suddenly defected, sacrificing his life to perish with the others. Upon dying, his iron mask shattered, revealing Zhu Chen's face.
If he had had the chance, Zhu Chen had always wanted to invite Zhou Fei back to Xingnan Gate. It was the season when osmanthus flowers were blooming everywhere, which would surely be a beautiful sight. Unfortunately, he died here before his wish could be fulfilled. If it had been when she first descended the mountain, Zhou Fei would definitely not have accepted the favor of being saved, and might even have found such an action utterly inexplicable.
However, the present Zhou Fei had already fallen in love, and only then could she truly understand how deep Zhu Chen's feelings were. Although this assassination plan allowed Yin Pei to escape, it also saved several young martial artists who had gone astray, believed Yin Pei's slanderous words, and worked for him. Everyone present, including Master Liu, was impressed by Li Sheng's righteousness and intended to recommend him as the leader of the martial arts world.
Facing the praise from the crowd, Li Sheng did not get carried away by his success. Instead, his mind remained clear, and he resolutely refused to lead the martial arts world. Without corresponding ability, sitting in a high position would only attract the covetousness of others, and whether it was a blessing or a curse would be unknown. After these matters were settled, Wu Chuchu proposed to the various sects the task of organizing martial arts classics.
Since their own martial arts could be passed down, everyone willingly cooperated fully. At the same time, the Shanchuan Sword manual, which Madam Rainbow Robe had guarded for Yin Wenlan for a long time, finally found its new owner. The Shanchuan Sword was originally supposed to be passed to Yin Pei, but given his current character, Madam Rainbow Robe thought it over and handed the sword manual to Wu Chuchu.
Episode 40 Recap
In the originally quiet mountain forest, suddenly came bursts of familiar singing. Zhou Fei followed the sound to search, only to see Mu Xiaoqiao sitting in the forest in white clothes, singing a song. The two hadn't seen each other for a long time and exchanged several moves.
Zhou Fei received praise from Mu Xiaoqiao, who said even Li Zheng, if he were alive, would likely not be her opponent, because Li Zheng's blade lacked the chilling killing intent Zhou Fei possessed. Previously, Mu Xiaoqiao deliberately made a big show of handling Huo Changfeng's funeral affairs, successfully luring Hu Tianying to appear. The two chased and exchanged several moves.
Hu Tianying failed to use poison and was instead taken advantage of by Mu Xiaoqiao, dying from her own poison. Mu Xiaoqiao was severely injured and believed he had killed Hu Tianying to avenge Huo Changfeng. This time, he specifically came to entrust the Shen Du Seal to Zhou Fei for safekeeping. Mu Xiaoqiao had left Huo Family Stronghold in a fit of pique, leading to Huo Changfeng's death by Hu Tianying's poison.
Now that his life was short, he could die without regret. However, the person Mu Xiaoqiao killed was merely one of Hu Tianying's deathsworn subordinates. She deliberately allowed the Shen Du Seal to fall into Zhou Fei's hands.
Only when Zhou Fei had collected all the Water Ripples completely, Hu Tianying could lead the Di Sha members to charge into the Forty-Eight Strongholds in one go to seize the tokens, which would be a method to solve the problem once and for all.
Ever since the trip to Jiankang, whenever Zhou Fei was separated from Xie Yun for even a moment, she would no longer hide her longing and would always proactively hug him tightly to feel at ease. Zhou Fei's "Sui Zhe" broke again, giving Xie Yun's "Xi Wei" a chance to be used, and his old promise was fulfilled at this moment. The Shanchuan Sword is only passed down to descendants of the Yin family.
Now that it had fallen into Wu Chuchu's hands, she actually burned it openly and righteously to prevent it from falling into the hands of villains. Just as a corner of the Shanchuan Sword manual was burned, Yin Pei, who was hiding nearby, snatched it back. However, the manual was already incomplete. To regain it completely, only Wu Chuchu, who had an photographic memory, could rewrite a copy. Yin Pei forcibly took Wu Chuchu to the Former Yin Family Residence.
Unexpectedly, in a moment of carelessness, the signal flare she fired not only brought Li Sheng to her rescue but also attracted the pursuit of Tong Tianyang. Li Sheng arrived at the Former Yin Family Residence first and successfully rescued Wu Chuchu from a secret chamber. However, he was no match for Yin Pei, and the two were forced to return to the Former Yin Family Residence again.
Yin Pei intended to threaten their lives to make Wu Chuchu recite the Shanchuan Sword manual from memory. Little did he know, they actually planned to reverse the order of the moves in the manual, luring Yin Pei to dig his own grave. Yin Pei was naturally suspicious and saw that the manual differed slightly from the original. Just as he became suspicious, Tong Tianyang suddenly appeared there.
Li Sheng's martial arts were insufficient, and Yin Pei was severely injured, so they could only watch helplessly as Tong Tianyang snatched the manual away. The manual itself had discrepancies. Tong Tianyang learned a few moves on the spot and increasingly felt his internal energy unstable. Yin Pei feigned surrender and gave the last Phoenix Pill to Tong Tianyang. Only then could he catch him off guard and tie him up tightly.
The enemy was close at hand, and the blood feud was finally about to be avenged, but Tong Tianyang suddenly revealed a shocking secret. It turned out that years ago, Tong Tianyang had a brother named Letang. Because he was free and undisciplined, he refused to join Di Sha and only wanted to engage in robbery and plunder, until the Central Plains leader Chang Huan encountered him on a narrow path.
Chang Huan had a son who was weak and sickly, relying entirely on ginseng and precious medicines to sustain his life. It was rumored that eating his flesh could cure all diseases. Letang had originally intended to intercept Chang Huan's beloved son, but Li Zheng and Madam Rainbow Robe intervened to save him and quickly got rid of Letang. After this, the two gave Chang Huan's son to Yin Wenlan to raise.
Because he carried a jade pendant with the character "Pei" engraved on it, he was named Yin Pei. Being Yin Wenlan's son was Yin Pei's lifelong glory and belief. Upon hearing this news, he no longer cared about Tong Tianyang's life or death and only focused on going to Madam Rainbow Robe to learn the truth.
Madam Rainbow Robe threw the jade pendant out the window, lamenting that Yin Pei had failed to live up to the expectations of the three of them. The last remaining beauty in Yin Pei's heart was also destroyed in that moment. Yin Pei chased out the window in a daze, wanting to retrieve his jade pendant, but was stepped on by Tong Tianyang, who had caught up.
It turned out that Tong Tianyang's internal energy had greatly increased after taking the Phoenix Pill, and he had been following behind the two all along. Just as he was about to kill everyone present, Zhou Fei arrived in time. At this time, Tong Tianyang was incomparable to before, and Zhou Fei was not his match for a moment.
At the critical moment of life and death, Yin Pei actually used himself to firmly restrain Tong Tianyang, which gave Li Sheng and Zhou Fei the chance to kill him. It was only regrettable that Zhou Fei had just heard from Mu Xiaoqiao that the Phoenix Pill might save Xie Yun's life, but this last pill had already entered Tong Tianyang's belly.
Episode 41 Recap
Yin Pei was the son of Yin Wenlan, a descendant of a prestigious righteous family. He personally avenged his entire family. This was Yin Pei's lifelong pride, and Zhou Fei's personal acknowledgment was his final solace in his dying moments. People of the Jianghu pursue the Hai Tian Yi Se. Like Yin Pei, who lived a life of suspicion, or for greed, or for protection, ultimately all turn into a pile of yellow earth.
Some people even have no one to collect their bodies after death. The Hai Tian Yi Se seems like a curse; whoever gets involved will not have a good end, which is truly lamentable. Zhou Fei and the other three rushed back to the Forty-Eight Strongholds with the Water Ripples tokens. Xie Yun, however, was troubled all the way. He had already displeased Li Jinrong because of Wang Lin's entrustment.
Before, he could run away, but now he could no longer escape. Xie Yun pleaded all the way, hoping Zhou Fei could help mediate and thinking of various ways to please Li Jinrong. Zhou Fei and the others thought the matter was temporarily over and they just needed to properly keep the tokens at the Forty-Eight Strongholds. But they didn't know that Li Jinrong's old injury had recurred at this time.
At this moment, if the news of Li Jinrong's old injury relapsing spread, it would inevitably bring disaster to the Forty-Eight Strongholds. Except for her close Adan, no one else knew this secret, and Li Jinrong therefore kept refusing to see doctors. Although Li Zheng gave the bracelet containing the Water Ripples to Li Jinrong, he never thought of telling her the truth, precisely because he didn't want the descendants to get involved in this trouble.
Now that Zhou Fei and the others had returned, bringing back all the tokens, Li Jinrong anticipated that the Di Sha members would soon attack the mountain. Also to avoid implicating the descendants, Li Jinrong decided to strike first, assassinating Shen Tianshu alone. With the Di Sha leaderless, they would surely disperse, thus protecting the Forty-Eight Strongholds from harm. Li Jinrong's birthday was approaching. She didn't invite outsiders or create unnecessary complications.
After confirming Zhou Fei's feelings for Xie Yun, she no longer obstructed them. Li Jinrong handed the defense mechanisms and personnel deployment map of the Forty-Eight Strongholds to Li Sheng. Li Sheng's actions at the Liu Family Manor fully demonstrated his strategic mind, and Li Jinrong could safely entrust the affairs of the stronghold to him. Today, the Di Sha underground palace welcomed another uninvited guest.
With Li Jinrong's birthday approaching, Yu Wenzhi believed that Zhou Yitang would surely leave the Anping Army and return to the Forty-Eight Strongholds. He came this time to ask Shen Tianshu to use Di Sha forces to intercept and kill him. Unfortunately, Shen Tianshu had his own ambitions; what he sought was not something Yu Wenzhi was willing to give up, and the two parted unhappily again. Thinking back then, only Li Zheng of Double Blades, Single Sword remained.
He was even willing to suck the Tou Gu Qing poison into his own body to save Duan Jiuniang's life. Shen Tianshu, with several subordinates, surrounded the heavily injured Li Zheng, but disdained to personally finish him off. Shen Tianshu firmly believed that without Li Zheng, the Forty-Eight Strongholds would be like loose sand, easily destroyed with a gentle blow. Li Zheng dragged his heavily injured body back to the Forty-Eight Strongholds.
The first thing he did was to have Li Jinrong establish her authority in the stronghold by defeating him, and under the guise of delivering a letter, sent away Li Jinrong and all the young elites of the stronghold. Li Zheng believed that the Jianghu was ever-evolving. Even if Double Blades, Single Sword no longer existed, younger generations would rise and create new legends. Midway, Li Jinrong suddenly felt something was amiss.
She opened the so-called secret letter only to find it was Li Zheng's last words to her. The Di Sha would certainly attack the Forty-Eight Strongholds while Li Zheng's life was short. Li Jinrong knew impulse was useless. She originally wanted to ask the Anping Army, who were indebted to the Forty-Eight Strongholds, for help. However, the battle situation was tense, making it impossible for Wang Lin to come to their rescue.
Zhou Yitang couldn't bear it and privately led some Anping Army troops to rush to the Forty-Eight Strongholds to help, which also allowed Li Jinrong to see her father one last time. After Li Zheng solemnly entrusted the bracelet to Li Jinrong, he breathed his last amidst the sounds of the stronghold rules recited by the younger generation. It was precisely because of this that Li Jinrong developed a rift with Wang Lin.
Episode 42 Recap
Back then, Zhou Yitang privately stole the military token to resolve the impending disaster of the Forty-Eight Strongholds, and therefore took the blame, crippling his own martial arts in front of the entire army to uphold the strict military discipline. Now, Zhou Yitang, as a crippled man, has once again taken charge of military power, showing his high strategic ability.
It was naturally within Zhou Yitang's expectations that someone would attempt to assassinate him on his way back to the Forty-Eight Strongholds. Yu Wenzhi's men launched a night raid on Zhou Yitang's carriage. Discovering it was empty, they knew they had fallen into a trap and hurriedly withdrew. Little did they know, Zhou Yitang was indeed within the convoy, but he had disguised himself as an accompanying soldier for concealment, successfully repelling the attackers without a fight.
Further ahead was the territory of the Forty-Eight Strongholds. Zhou Yitang ordered Wen Yu to rush back to the military camp to oversee the overall situation, and solemnly instructed him that no matter what rumors he heard, he must not let himself be thrown into disarray. Zhou Yitang seemed to know clearly that this trip was one of nine deaths and one life, and in his words, he intended to hand over military power to Wen Yu again.
By the Xi Mo River, Zhou Fei's martial arts posture captivated Xie Yun. He drew portraits and made them into Kongming lanterns. The two watched the Kongming lanterns fly towards the sky, carrying their aspirations for wishes to come true, free to come and go. Such a peaceful life was what Xie Yun sought his entire life; every moment spent together was the most precious instant for both of them.
That night, Hu Tianying disguised herself as a healer and infiltrated Chen Zichen's residence. With her excellent medical skills, she gained Mr. Bai's trust. On the sickbed, Chen Zichen was in a coma. Several doctors were arguing heatedly over his condition but could do nothing. Chen Zichen's coma was originally caused by Hu Tianying poisoning him.
When Mr. Bai saw her give a dose of medicine, Chen Zichen immediately turned from critical to stable and soon woke up, which made Mr. Bai trust Hu Tianying even more. Hu Tianying indicated that Chen Zichen's condition was caused by deep-seated lovesickness and that to completely remove the root cause of the illness, only proposing marriage at the Forty-Eight Strongholds would suffice. Without Shen Tianshu's help, Yu Wenzhi originally didn't expect to successfully assassinate Zhou Yitang.
Yu Wenzhi intended to use Hu Tianying to get involved, infiltrate the Forty-Eight Strongholds alone to create a situation, and force Shen Tianshu to act. Who knew that Shen Tianshu remained unmoved from beginning to end? He then turned the tables, threatening Yu Wenzhi that after they cooperated to obtain the Water Ripples token, he was not allowed to lay a finger on the treasure within the Hai Tian Yi Se.
With Mr. Bai acting as a matchmaker, Chen Zichen came to the Forty-Eight Strongholds with substantial betrothal gifts to propose marriage. Hu Tianying thus successfully infiltrated the interior of the Forty-Eight Strongholds and acted alone on the pretext of feeling unwell. Chen Zichen and Mr. Bai never suspected Hu Tianying's identity and went straight to meet Li Jinrong to propose the marriage alliance.
The Forty-Eight Strongholds never cared about the common etiquette practiced down the mountain; love between men and women was entirely voluntary. When Chen Zichen came to propose marriage, he naturally only needed to seek Zhou Fei's consent. When Zhou Fei heard that Chen Zichen had come to propose, she was not only not anxious but deliberately had Li Yan test Xie Yun's feelings.
Zhou Fei, disregarding Xie Yun's anxious look, took Chen Zichen alone to the banks of the Xi Mo River. During a spar, Zhou Fei used Chen Zichen's ordinary martial arts as an excuse but failed to make him retreat in the face of difficulty. She then declared that a wild flower on a stone in the Xi Mo River was required as the betrothal gift. The Xi Mo River was guarded by the Qianji Array.
Xie Yun went directly for the wild flower, making Chen Zichen understand that only he could afford this betrothal gift. Upon learning that Xie Yun and Zhou Fei had long since pledged their lives to each other, Chen Zichen instantly regretted proposing marriage. He found it even harder to understand that Xie Yun was actually willing to lower his status and become a live-in son-in-law at the Forty-Eight Strongholds alone.
But for Xie Yun, being able to live peacefully in the stronghold, teach and nurture others, and spend the rest of his time with Zhou Fei was already enough. With this move, Xie Yun then took advantage of being alone with Zhou Fei to officially propose to the woman he loved, presenting a wild flower from the mountain in his hand.
Xie Yun considered himself someone with a thin fate, a frail body, weak family ties, possessing nothing of value, and not having long to live. His only wish was to stay with Zhou Fei without letting her down; as long as he was alive for a day, he would not abandon her. The marriage proposal was settled.
Xie Yun asked Li Yan to help prepare a surprise and instructed her to go down the mountain to Coldwater Town to fetch a pot of Zhou Fei's favorite fine wine. Li Yan had originally wanted to go with Yang Jin, but who knew that this fool was obsessed with studying saber techniques with the stronghold disciples and completely forgot about going down the mountain? Li Yan had no choice but to go alone.
Episode 43 Recap
Li Jinrong's body became weaker by the day. Adan lit incense to help her sleep, but this nap was filled with nightmares. Shen Tianshu was like a specter in Li Jinrong's dream, threatening the lives of everyone in the Forty-Eight Strongholds, luring out all the worries she had suppressed for a long time. Hai Tian Yi Se was something guarded by the lives of her predecessors.
The lives of every person in the Forty-Eight Strongholds were also what Li Jinrong was willing to protect with all her might. Facing such a threat, Li Jinrong seemed to go mad, slashing and stabbing wildly, completely losing her usual composure. A pair of hands rested on Li Jinrong's shoulders. She turned around and stabbed a sword into Shen Tianshu's abdomen. But before she could be happy for long, she looked up and saw Zhou Yitang covered in blood.
The sight of killing her beloved with her own hands caused Li Jinrong to completely break down mentally. Luckily, the nightmare ended at that moment. Li Jinrong wiped her sweaty forehead, and her desire to assassinate Shen Tianshu became even more urgent. Just then, Wu Chuchu arrived regarding the matter of sorting out the Poxue Saber techniques, and only then did she happen to learn about the recurrence of Li Jinrong's old illness.
However, no one could get Li Jinrong to seek medical treatment and recover. She had long ago put life and death aside, and at this crucial moment, she could not afford any complications. Chen Zichen's proposal failed. Hu Tianying once again poisoned him subtly. Under the pretext that staying in the Forty-Eight Strongholds would stir up sad memories and thus harm his health, she persuaded Chen Zichen and Mr. Bai to leave the Forty-Eight Strongholds that very day.
Once Chen Zichen left that day, Hu Tianying would act that night, which would subtly frame Chen Zichen. Zhou Fei practiced her saber techniques by the river every day. To prevent Di Sha and others from attacking the stronghold for Hai Tian Yi Se, Xie Yun felt heartache, and even more guilt for dragging her into trouble. Xie Yun specifically requested to see Li Jinrong, hoping she would destroy all the tokens. This would be a permanent solution.
Moreover, he did not have long to live, and the so-called treasure for restoring the country was long meaningless. Hai Tian Yi Se was something that many people had protected with their lives. Li Jinrong was unwilling and unable to destroy it like this. Furthermore, Xie Yun made this decision because he didn't want to implicate Zhou Fei, so the final decision-making power should rest in her hands.
Seeing Li Jinrong's persistence, Xie Yun said no more and changed the topic to the matter of the Soul Searching Needles. Soul Searching Needles could temporarily force out the martial arts internal energy from a person's peak period, which was exactly what Li Jinrong needed most. She used the excuse of research to keep the remaining Soul Searching Needles from Xie Yun for her own use.
When Yu Wenzhi's subordinates failed to assassinate Zhou Yitang, they secretly sought help from Di Sha, but were captured by the Forty-Eight Strongholds' hidden sentinels. When Li Jinrong learned that Zhou Yitang was being pursued by Di Sha, certain to be used as a hostage, she decided to take people down the mountain that same day. Before setting off, Li Jinrong solemnly handed the Forty-Eight Strongholds' seal to Li Sheng, entrusting all hope and the future into his hands.
Zhou Fei was originally in the kitchen personally making food for Li Jinrong. By chance, she overheard Wu Chuchu discussing Li Jinrong's injury with a medical attendant. Zhou Fei had already learned from Xie Yun that Li Jinrong had requested the Soul Searching Needles. When she then met Li Sheng, who told her about Li Jinrong's unusual behavior, both of them felt something was wrong.
Just as Li Jinrong was preparing to go down the mountain with her disciples, she was blocked at the courtyard gate by Zhou Fei and Li Sheng. Zhou Fei prevailed with martial force. While Li Jinrong felt deeply comforted, she could only temporarily abandon the idea of going down the mountain.
That night, the congratulatory gift, the Mountain and River Painting, that Chen Zichen had given to Li Jinrong disappeared, causing a slight commotion and successfully luring away Adan, who stayed by Li Jinrong's side every day. Hu Tianying seized this opportunity to approach Li Jinrong in Chen Zichen's name. Although her identity was revealed, the candles in the room had already been poisoned.
Li Jinrong, already severely injured, was no match for Hu Tianying's hidden weapons and poisoning, resulting in her being poisoned and falling into a coma. Wu Chuchu came to deliver medicine to Li Jinrong and happened to encounter Hu Tianying escaping. She quickly shot a whistle arrow to alert everyone in the stronghold.
By the time Zhou Fei and Li Sheng arrived, Li Jinrong was already unconscious, and the longevity painting that Xie Yun had painted for Li Jinrong had stopped at the character for "longevity".
Episode 44 Recap
Although the toxins in Li Jinrong's body were suppressed in time and were not fatal, without knowing the poison, there was no way to detoxify it. Only by finding the poisoner could this be achieved. Li Sheng found the steel needles used for poisoning in the room, and then saw the poison hidden in the candles.
Zhou Fei remembered Mu Xiaoqiao had confessed that he did not clearly see the appearance of the person when he killed Hu Tianying back then, so she suspected that Hu Tianying was not dead. Before the incident, Li Jinrong had left a letter, originally meant to make arrangements for assassinating Shen Tianshu down the mountain in the future. It stated the location where the tokens were hidden, but now it was empty.
Li Sheng immediately ordered the mountain to be sealed and placed on high alert. Zhou Fei also investigated Hu Tianying's hiding place alone. Chen Zichen was stopped from going down the mountain, and the lost Mountain and River painting was found on them by the stronghold disciples. Zhang Bolin logically believed they were colluding with Di Sha and wanted to kill them on the spot. Fortunately, Xie Yun and Li Sheng arrived in time.
Li Sheng saw at a glance that this was Di Sha's scheme to sow discord and immediately allowed Chen Zichen and the others to leave, thus making the imperial court owe the Forty-Eight Strongholds a favor. Hu Tianying originally wanted to disguise herself and go down the mountain during the chaos. She happened to meet some stronghold disciples who were about to go block the small path, so she followed behind and killed several people on the spot.
After successfully leaving the stronghold, Hu Tianying hurried down the mountain with her attendant. More than pursuers, Hu Tianying was worried that carrying the tokens would attract the covetousness of others, and only by quickly returning to Di Sha Mountain Manor would she feel at ease. The gates of the Forty-Eight Strongholds were sealed, but Zhou Fei came chasing straight along the small path. Although she was careful enough, she still fell for Hu Tianying's dirty trick.
Even while poisoned, Zhou Fei endured the toxins and swung her saber down with force. However, her deadly blow was blocked by the female attendant, allowing Hu Tianying to successfully escape. Although this scheme showed Di Sha was a step ahead, Xie Yun and Chen Zichen did not become enemies and try to kill each other because of it, which truly enraged Yu Wenzhi.
He even promised Shen Tianshu then that as long as Di Sha helped him kill Xie Yun, he would no longer touch the Hai Tian Yi Se treasure. Unfortunately, Shen Tianshu didn't put Yu Wenzhi in his eyes at all. If Yu Wenzhi wanted to succeed, he could only make a move on Hu Tianying again. An atmosphere of vigilance and guilt permeated the Forty-Eight Strongholds.
In the midst of the crisis, Li Sheng calmly and composedly arranged the stronghold's defenses, then led several disciples and Yang Jin down the mountain together to pursue Hu Tianying. Li Yan had previously been asked by Xie Yun to go down the mountain to buy wine and was supposed to return today. Seeing that she had not returned after so long, Yang Jin inevitably felt anxious.
Regarding the matter of implicating the Forty-Eight Strongholds, Chen Zichen specifically asked Mr. Bai to stay and obey Li Sheng's orders. Through the investigation of the Travelers' Aid Gang, they learned that Shen Tianshu had already rushed to Hanshui Town to meet up with Hu Tianying, and Gu Tianxian was leading a large force to Hanshui Town. Zhou Fei was not deeply poisoned.
Xie Yun chased after her all the way and drew out all the toxins from her body, thus turning her danger into safety. Earlier, in order to save her life, Hu Tianying had revealed that there was a method within Hai Tian Yi Se to detoxify Li Jinrong. Zhou Fei and he decided to rush to Hanshui Town to intercept Hu Tianying and await support from Li Sheng and the others. Hanshui Town was full of Di Sha people.
However, Li Yan mistook Shen Tianshu for an innocent old man. Fearing he would be harmed by Di Sha, she actually took Shen Tianshu to a Forty-Eight Strongholds' hidden post to seek refuge. Shen Tianshu had heard Tong Tianyang mention that Liu Youliang had traveled with Li Yan before his death, so he immediately forced her to redraw the map.
When Li Yan realized that the person in front of her was actually Shen Tianshu, it was too late for regrets. Mr. Bai paid the price of losing several members of the Travelers' Aid Gang but still couldn't continue tracking Shen Tianshu. However, according to information transmitted by a disciple hidden near Yu Wenzhi, Shen Tianshu and Yu Wenzhi almost became enemies over the theft of the tokens.
Mr. Bai was worried that Yu Wenzhi would bring private soldiers, but Li Sheng couldn't ask for more. His intention was that only when Yu Wenzhi and Di Sha turned on each other could they reap the benefits of the fisherman.
Episode 45 Recap
Zhou Fei sought help from the Travelers' Aid Gang to intercept Gu Tianxian first. Coincidentally, Wu Chuchu also sent a secret letter seeking help from Madam Rainbow Robe. Forces from both sides annihilated Gu Tianxian and his group, leaving only Gu Tianxian to be used later. Without Gu Tianxian's support, Li Sheng and the others could better execute their plan to sow discord.
Li Sheng already knew that Hu Tianying's sneak attack on the Forty-Eight Strongholds was in collusion with Yu Wenzhi. Thus, he could use Yu Wenzhi's name to provoke a rift between them. He guessed that Hu Tianying, seeking self-preservation, would not easily hand over the tokens to Shen Tianshu. Regardless of Shen Tianshu and Hu Tianying's relationship, as long as Hu Tianying secretly met with Yu Wenzhi, it would surely cause suspicion and resentment in Shen Tianshu's heart towards her.
Li Sheng and the others temporarily lay low in an uninhabited village outside Hanshui Town. The Travelers' Aid Gang also sent a message to Mr. Bai, reporting that a man and a woman had entered Hanshui Town, the woman carrying a saber. They presumed this was Zhou Fei and Xie Yun. Receiving the message from the Travelers' Aid Gang, Zhou Fei and Xie Yun first sought to rendezvous with Li Sheng. Li Yan was still controlled by Di Sha.
Although she was frightened and timid, she did not reveal the poem that indicated the hiding place of Hai Tian Yi Se. Shen Tianshu was quite patient with Li Yan, coaxing her gently on the surface, but threatening the secret contact person. Li Yan could not bear to see others suffer because of her involvement, so she had no choice but to write the poem on paper, and demanded that Shen Tianshu release the innocent people.
Shen Tianshu was cautious and had Li Yan recite the poem to determine if she was deceiving him with a fake one, as it's difficult to recite something written randomly in panic without a single mistake. After finally confirming the authenticity of the poem, Shen Tianshu actually kept his promise and released the secret contact person. Shen Tianshu's patience with Li Yan, however, made Hu Tianying feel dissatisfied and even suspect that he disliked her for growing old.
Hu Tianying had been teased by Li Yan at Qingyun Gorge and desperately wanted to kill her, but Shen Tianshu repeatedly refused her request, which inevitably filled Hu Tianying with resentment. Lian Shen Hu Tianying, known for her cunning in the martial arts world, surprisingly displayed the jealous behavior of a young girl. Zhou Fei and Xie Yun met up with Li Sheng and the others.
After making a plan, they happened to hear the sound of Shen Tianshu and Li Yan arguing outside the secret post. If Xie Yun hadn't asked Li Yan to go down the mountain to buy things, she wouldn't have been implicated and fallen into danger. Xie Yun immediately offered himself in exchange for Li Yan.
Whether it was because Xie Yun's father had saved Shen Tianshu's life, or because Gu Tianxian had fallen into their hands, since Xie Yun was willing to swap hostages and release Gu Tianxian, Shen Tianshu, weighing the pros and cons, naturally agreed. The two sat alone in the hall, chatting about the past. Anyone who didn't know the situation would think they were truly old friends who hadn't seen each other for many years.
Back then, Shen Tianshu's life was saved by Xie Yun's father, and he was recruited into the Anping Army. However, he was dissatisfied with Zhou Yitang forbidding the killing of prisoners of war and the burning, killing, and looting of civilians, so he defected from the Anping Army, voluntarily leaving one hand behind. Shen Tianshu wanted to obtain Hai Tian Yi Se precisely to create an army a thousand times stronger than the Anping Army, to compete with Zhou Yitang.
Late at night, Yang Jin impersonated Yu Wenzhi to arrange a meeting with Hu Tianying. Besides creating suspicion between her and Shen Tianshu, it was also intended to assassinate Hu Tianying. Unexpectedly, she still managed to escape. At this moment, Shen Tianshu learned that Hu Tianying was meeting Yu Wenzhi with the tokens. He no longer entangled himself with Zhou Fei and the other person who had come to rescue Xie Yun, and hurried away in pursuit.
Zhou Fei and Xie Yun ambushed and killed Hu Tianying midway. Protected by the invulnerable Xie Yun, Zhou Fei easily severely wounded the opponent. Just then, Li Sheng and the others arrived in time to rendezvous and informed them that Shen Tianshu had already withdrawn. It turned out Hu Tianying had left a secret code earlier, leaving the real tokens with Shen Tianshu, while she met Yu Wenzhi with fake tokens.
By now, Shen Tianshu, who had obtained the tokens, had long since left, and Hu Tianying was merely a pawn he used to distract Zhou Fei and the others. Shen Tianshu had already decided to sacrifice a pawn to save the king. Severely wounded and unwilling to believe her lover's betrayal, Hu Tianying's old injuries flared up. Filled with unwillingness, she thus drew her last breath.
Episode 46 Recap
Shen Tianshu had always deceived Hu Tianying by saying that Hai Tian Yi Se could resolve the toxin backlash in her body, making this poor woman mistakenly believe that everything he did was out of love for her. Now, Hu Tianying learned Shen Tianshu's true face, but also died under the toxin backlash, which can be considered karmic retribution. Although Shen Tianshu had regrets, he did not regret it; for the great cause in his heart, any sacrifice was insignificant.
Currently, Shen Tianshu obtained the poem that indicated the location of Hai Tian Yi Se and was eager to solve its mystery and find the treasure. When Shen Tianshu defected from the Anping Army, he cut off one hand, and then had an iron hand forged at a blacksmith named Deng. He also learned from the blacksmith that his master once offered a rare iron-casting treasure to the imperial court.
This kind of treasure could make incredibly precise weapons, and any random knife made from it could cut through iron like mud. After the imperial court was destroyed, the treasure was hidden within Hai Tian Yi Se, which is precisely why Shen Tianshu spent his life trying to obtain it. Before Shen Tianshu could solve the mystery in the poem, Lu Tiankuang arrived to hold him accountable. What was most important in Lu Tiankuang's heart was Hu Tianying's safety.
Now that he learned she had been implicated and died, Lu Tiankuang even wanted to kill Shen Tianshu. However, Lu Tiankuang's mind was simple, and with just a few lies and instigation from Shen Tianshu, he directed his vengeful anger towards Zhou Fei and the others. Zhou Yitang has returned to the Forty-Eight Strongholds. He guessed that Master Tongming might be able to cure Li Jinrong's poison, so he planned to take her to Penglai Island as soon as possible.
Before departing, Zhou Yitang and Xie Yun had a heart-to-heart talk. With one sentence, he illuminated the other person: Hai Tian Yi Se caused great chaos in the martial arts world, but it is not inherently right or wrong. If this treasure could be used to restore peace to the world, why not do it? Whenever something happened, Li Yan couldn't help at all. This time, she was even more incredibly foolish.
She had always felt guilty and diligently practiced martial arts every day. Li Yan regretted being lazy in the past, otherwise, she could have become a master like Zhou Fei and been able to protect the Forty-Eight Strongholds. But now regret was useless. Li Yan surprisingly wanted to study poison techniques like Ying Hecong. Many people stayed at the Forty-Eight Strongholds originally to enjoy peace and avoid the troubles of the martial arts world.
Now that the stronghold was facing numerous crises, Chieftain Niu had thoughts of leaving, and therefore argued incessantly with several elders in the Elder Hall. Until Zhou Fei arrived, she not only promised that everyone was free to come and go as they pleased but also gave many precious medicinal materials and other items to Chieftain Niu.
Gu Tianxian, under Shen Tianshu's name, took the poem to search for the hiding place of Hai Tian Yi Se, but found no progress after searching many places. Shen Tianshu had no other options and could only seek help from Yu Wenzhi, but he showed no humility at all; instead, he threatened the other party with force.
Yu Wenzhi believed Shen Tianshu had the ability to take someone's head amidst ten thousand soldiers, and combined with the other party promising to do his utmost to help him seize power, he agreed to assist. With capable people under Yu Wenzhi, Gu Tianxian quickly found the entrance to Hai Tian Yi Se.
However, the poem seemed contradictory, yet faintly indicated that the entrance must be within the mountain cave before them, leading him to think there might be an error in the poem. Hai Tian Yi Se was already close at hand, and Gu Tianxian had no intention of pursuing the correctness of the poem for the time being.
The Forty-Eight Strongholds soon received news that Gu Tianxian had gone north, so Zhou Fei and the others decided to set off immediately down the mountain to search for Hai Tian Yi Se. Li Sheng originally wanted Yang Jin to stay behind to look after Li Yan and Wu Chuchu. Who would have thought that both of them had made up their minds and insisted on going together? The group was at a stalemate.
Finally, with Zhou Fei's consent, Li Yan and Wu Chuchu could go together. Although this journey was extremely perilous, Zhou Fei and the others had long since decided to face life and death together and have a final showdown with Di Sha.
Episode 47 Recap
Di Sha and Yu Wenzhi's men found a mushroom-shaped stone outside a mountain cave. A small stream flowed beside it. After some searching, they finally found a stone in the stream. The person studying the terrain turned the stone over, causing the flowing water to become still water, and then pressed the mushroom stone, whereupon the huge mountain gate slowly opened. Before they even entered the gate, Lu Tiankuang and Gu Tianxian started arguing.
Because of Hu Tianying and Yu Wenzhi's private collusion, Gu Tianxian completely distrusted Lu Tiankuang, and there was no talk of cooperation between the two, only mutual watching and restraint. After they entered the gate, they discovered that inside was actually a village like a paradise. Gu Tianxian originally wanted to inquire peacefully about Hai Tian Yi Se, but Lu Tiankuang unexpectedly ordered all the villagers to be imprisoned.
Although Gu Tianxian did not stop Lu Tiankuang's actions, he was quite disdainful of such brainless and reckless behavior. As Zhou Fei and her group searched down the mountain following the poem, Xie Yun was called away by a letter from Chen Zichen. The letter stated that the enemy army was attacking and hoped Xie Yun could return to the army to strategize. Zhou Fei and Xie Yun thus parted ways.
Halfway through his journey, Xie Yun suddenly heard the cries of the people around him for help. With recent constant battles, these sounds had become commonplace for soldiers. Xie Yun learned that General Wen Yu was stationed in this area and had engaged the enemy multiple times, so he immediately changed course for the Anping Army camp. For years, Xie Yun had seen too many people whose families were broken and lives ruined by war, with bodies strewn everywhere.
The Chen family's rule was already stable, and the people lived in peace and prosperity. Xie Yun did not want his personal desires to drag the people back into eternal damnation. Wen Yu was originally indebted to the previous dynasty. Now that Xie Yun had clarified his ambition, he also had plans for the future. As Zhou Fei and her group approached the entrance to Dayao Valley, they saw bodies scattered everywhere.
Deep in the grass, there was a surviving child. The group followed the child and were thus able to enter Dayao Valley. Upon entering the valley, Zhou Fei and the others saw that the villagers here were imprisoned separately by Di Sha, who intended to threaten their lives to force them to reveal where Hai Tian Yi Se was hidden.
Li Sheng did not want to act rashly like throwing eggs at rocks; he wanted to go down the mountain first to find Wen Yu for military help. But Di Sha would slaughter one person every half shichen, so they absolutely could not wait for reinforcements to be found. With Zhou Fei leading the group, though she hesitated for a moment, finding it difficult to choose, she ultimately decided to take the risk to save the countless lives before them.
Wu Chuchu drew a lot, requiring one person to go down the mountain to find Wen Yu for help. Zhou Fei challenged Lu Tiankuang and Gu Tianxian to lure them away, allowing Li Sheng and Yang Jin to take the opportunity to rescue the people, while Li Yan went alone to the back mountain to rescue the women and children who were imprisoned separately. Gu Tianxian found Zhou Fei's challenge suspicious, but could not stop the impulsive Lu Tiankuang.
Li Sheng and Yang Jin used m-poison darts to easily kill Di Sha's men and successfully rescued the villagers. Gu Tianxian realized Zhou Fei's tactic of luring the tigers out of the mountain and wanted to call back Lu Tiankuang. However, the two had been at odds for a long time and actually started competing and fighting internally while jointly resisting Zhou Fei. Wu Chuchu successfully found Wen Yu for help.
However, Li Yan was captured and locked in a cave. Fortunately, Ying Hecong, who had returned to Dayao Valley, disguised himself as a woman and used poison techniques via his mouth to ambush the Di Sha guards, thus allowing him to escape. Li Yan rendezvoused with Li Sheng, and they split up to evacuate the villagers, then went to rescue other villagers who were imprisoned elsewhere.
At this time, Xie Yun had also followed the secret signs left by Zhou Fei all the way to Dayao Valley. After searching repeatedly, he entered a grain storage area. Yu Wenzhi had been restless recently. Xie Yun originally wanted to destroy the grain, but his subordinates checked and found that under the rice and grain were all sand and stones. It seemed the real grain was not located here.
Episode 48 Recap
Li Sheng borrowed the lamp oil stored by the local villagers and blew up the last of Di Sha's guards, successfully rescuing everyone. The villagers who rushed out in a crowd made Shen Tianshu, who had just arrived, feel that things were not good. At the same time, Xie Yun also found the real grain and forage storage area. Wine jars shattered, and a few torches turned the place into ruins.
Seeing Zhou Fei again, she took advantage of the rift between Lu Tiankuang and Gu Tianxian to find a breakthrough, successfully subduing Gu Tianxian. Everyone also regrouped at this time. Zhou Fei had planned to use Gu Tianxian to threaten Di Sha, but unexpectedly, Lu Tiankuang voluntarily shot Gu Tianxian through the heart with an arrow, killing him on the spot.
Just as Lu Tiankuang was preparing to lead Di Sha to surround and attack Zhou Fei and the others, Wu Chuchu arrived in time with the Anping Army to provide support. The crisis for Zhou Fei and the others was temporarily resolved. Li Sheng looked up and saw the dazzling sunlight on the mountaintop ahead, where many birds were nesting and singing, which perfectly matched the poetic phrase for Hai Tian Yi Se.
Although Lu Tiankuang temporarily avoided the direct confrontation and retreated with Di Sha's men, he still left one person to secretly follow Zhou Fei and the others. Zhou Fei and the others escaped the danger but did not leave immediately, so Lu Tiankuang could immediately guess that they had found the entrance to Hai Tian Yi Se. Following the poem, Zhou Fei and the others found a mountain wall.
While searching around, they accidentally saw a stone shaped like an ocarina. When they pressed it, there was no movement. Li Sheng used the Qi Men method to find all the mechanisms. A stone door slowly lowered from the seemingly ordinary stone wall, and only then did Li Sheng realize that this place was actually the Forbidden Area of Qi Men. After everyone entered, Shen Tianshu also followed with Di Sha's men.
Although the stone door had closed, it was no difficulty for him. When the stone door reopened, Shen Tianshu deliberately left Lu Tiankuang outside the cave, clearly showing his distrust of him, which also caused dissatisfaction in Lu Tiankuang's heart. Zhou Fei and the others continued to go deeper, entering a spacious stone chamber. In the center were five strangely shaped stones, which were the Five Poisonous Beasts worshipped by the villagers who firmly believed in witchcraft.
On the walls were some murals that were difficult to understand. Ying Hecong also couldn't fully recognize these totem markings; he could only vaguely discern that it was a sacrifice, depicting a person being resurrected during the ceremony. Everyone continued deeper. Zhou Fei was reminding everyone to be careful of mechanisms when, before her words had finished, the ground suddenly gave way beneath her feet, and she fell into a mechanism together with Xie Yun.
The two accidentally entered the place where Lu Run lived before his death. They learned that Lu Run had studied medicine his entire life because his loved one had died. Lu Run's letter stated that the Phoenix Pellet could cure all poisons when guided by extreme Yang internal energy. Unfortunately, the Phoenix Pellet was no longer available. The cold air here was bone-chilling, unbearable for ordinary people, let alone Xie Yun, who was already susceptible to cold.
Zhou Fei had originally intended to search for mechanisms to escape this place, but she accidentally discovered a scroll resembling the Ephemeral Array. With nowhere else to go, Zhou Fei decided to study it on the spot, but she suddenly found herself unable to move. After Shen Tianshu entered, he also encountered a stone chamber. A painting of a chess game on the wall caught his attention.
The person in the painting who should have been using black pieces was holding white pieces, which made Shen Tianshu think about his own internal energy cultivation. It was inherently a mix of Yin and Yang, but up to the final layer, he took Yin to supplement Yang but found it difficult to make a breakthrough. Perhaps the path of Yin and Yang was fundamentally complementary.
After many twists and turns, Li Sheng and the others were separated by a mechanism and then reunited with difficulty, but they were soon caught up by Shen Tianshu. To avoid his attack, everyone hid in a stone chamber, but Shen Tianshu suffered heavy losses because he triggered the wrong mechanism. There were many hidden weapons and mechanisms here, and the walls were likely hollow in many places.
Shen Tianshu simply gave up on finding the mechanisms and decided to forcefully break through the wall with a large pillar. Plaster fell, and the stone wall trembled. Seeing that the wall couldn't hold on for much longer, Li Sheng suddenly noticed something unusual about the stone cauldron in the center of the stone chamber.
Episode 49 Recap
Only Li Sheng could comprehend a thing or two about the Qi Men Bagua technique. Shen Tianshu used everyone's lives and handing over the Yaowang Jing as conditions to make Li Sheng open Hai Tian Yi Se. Li Sheng pressed the mechanism on the stone cauldron, revealing a round iron plate with the patterns of the Five Elements and Bagua on it.
Li Sheng took out the water ripple pattern from the five tokens Shen Tianshu handed over and placed it one by one into the corresponding hidden slots according to the Five Elements and Bagua. The mechanism was triggered, the iron plate rotated, and the stone door in front of everyone gradually opened. The stone chamber was filled with rare treasures, but Shen Tianshu completely ignored the gold and treasures in front of him.
In the very center of the stone chamber was an iron box, containing the Yaowang Jing and the Sutie Fa that Shen Tianshu had long coveted. Shen Tianshu took the two treasures, having no intention of keeping his promise, and even planned to kill Li Sheng and the others. Zhou Fei was still practicing martial arts at Lu Run's residence, as if entering an illusion, and almost suffered qi deviation.
Fortunately, Zhou Fei's mind was firm, and she eventually turned danger into safety. The last marked point of the Qiwu Jue, the technique is perilous, a narrow escape from death. Zhou Fei was eager to cultivate and too reckless, but also gained an opportunity from it. Zhou Fei and Xie Yun had just escaped from Lu Run's residence when they ran right into Shen Tianshu.
Seeing the two rare books in his hand, Zhou Fei immediately wanted to seize them by force. Perhaps Hai Tian Yi Se reappearing in the world triggered the hidden chamber's self-destruct mechanism. Suddenly, the ground shook violently, and debris fell like rain. Zhou Fei was quick-witted and fast-handed. She grabbed the two rare books, cut them in half, and each of them got one.
Seeing that they would be buried alive if they didn't escape, Shen Tianshu took advantage of the chaos to seize Xie Yun. Zhou Fei couldn't rescue him in time. By the time she and the others escaped the cave, Shen Tianshu was long gone. Now the Yaowang Jing and Sutie Fa were split in two, and Xie Yun had fallen into Di Sha's hands. The two sides constrained each other.
Li Sheng, as if struck by inspiration, came up with a way to break the deadlock. Although Xie Yun was now under strict guard by Di Sha, Zhou Fei and the others were weak and unable to defeat them by force. Only by using strategy was there a glimmer of hope. Zhou Fei tracked Shen Tianshu all the way, thus finding the place where Xie Yun was held. Li Sheng then deliberately created chaos.
By the time Shen Tianshu reacted, Xie Yun had already memorized the Sutie Fa, and Zhou Fei had safely withdrawn. Xie Yun's movements were restrained by iron chains, making him unable to escape. But Shen Tianshu was still not at ease, keeping him close by to personally guard him. It wasn't until Zhou Fei came alone to demand him, exchanging the Sutie Fa for Xie Yun and the Yaowang Jing.
As soon as Shen Tianshu agreed to the exchange conditions, Zhou Fei burned the Sutie Fa. By the time Shen Tianshu stepped forward to stop her, the text on it was already incomplete. Knowing that Xie Yun had memorized the Sutie Fa, Shen Tianshu then proposed forging swords as an exchange. After undergoing extensive forging, Xie Yun obtained the Youhuang sword. Meanwhile, the blacksmith loyal to Di Sha also learned Xie Yun's method and forged a treasured saber.
After Xie Yun exchanged the knowledge of the final step of the process for the Yaowang Jing, he saw Shen Tianshu slash with a saber, cutting iron like mud. Seeing Zhou Fei and him leave, he had no intention of pursuing them further. After Zhou Fei and Xie Yun were temporarily safe, they discovered that a part of the Yaowang Jing had been erased by Shen Tianshu. To cure the Touguqing poison, one must use poison to counter poison.
Therefore, getting even one ingredient wrong could take a life. Ying Hecong could only do his best to try. From then on, Ying Hecong shut himself in his room all day, focusing solely on studying the Yaowang Jing. Finally, his hard work paid off, allowing him to achieve a breakthrough. However, Ying Hecong could not determine whether the last ingredient was Kumucao or Kuxueya. Once a mistake was made, there would be no power to reverse it.
Ying Hecong also wanted to test the medicine on animals, but the medicinal properties were strong, and animal bodies simply couldn't withstand them, making it difficult to truly test if it was feasible. Upon hearing of Ying Hecong's predicament, Zhou Fei surprisingly volunteered herself to test the medicine, willing to do so even if it meant sacrificing her life.
Episode 50 Recap
Shen Tianshu led Di Sha to withdraw from Dayao Valley. The local residents who originally lived there thought the crisis was over and returned to their homes one after another, expressing their gratitude to Zhou Fei and the others beyond words. In times of chaos, a moment of peace is rare. So Xie Yun took Zhou Fei to Chunhui Town, fulfilling a wish of his. When Xie Yun was in a daze, he once painted a portrait of Zhou Fei.
The woman in red was the only one he loved in his heart. Now, Xie Yun had secretly finished the red dress. So he brought Zhou Fei to a tailor shop in Chunhui Town and gave the red dress to Zhou Fei. Seeing Zhou Fei in red like the sunset glow, Xie Yun seemed mesmerized. He, who was usually glib, was unusually dull at this moment, as if his soul had been captured by Zhou Fei.
As Xie Yun gradually approached, Zhou Fei felt increasingly weak all over, and then fainted in his arms. It turned out that Xie Yun had already coaxed the truth out of Ying Hecong. He was originally someone whose life would not last long. Being saved was a gift from heaven, and there was no loss if there was no cure. Xie Yun would absolutely not allow Zhou Fei to test the medicine for him.
Xie Yun asked Ying Hecong for a colorless and odorless drug that could make Zhou Fei sleep for one night. As for his own fate, he would leave it to heaven. Xie Yun sent Zhou Fei back to the Forty-eight Strongholds. Looking at his beloved's sleeping face, he was very reluctant to part.
If he couldn't regain his life this time, Xie Yun hoped that in his next life he could become a piece of waterweed by the Ximo River at the Forty-eight Strongholds, forever guarding Zhou Fei's side. That would be enough. There were two bowls of medicine by Zhou Fei's bed. Xie Yun picked up one casually and drank it in one gulp, then lay peacefully beside Zhou Fei. Xie Yun treated this as the last moment of his life.
Reluctantly yet calmly, he looked at Zhou Fei, wanting to deeply engrave her appearance in his mind, so that he wouldn't forget it even in the next life. After Zhou Fei woke up, she saw that Xie Yun still had a faint breath, and quickly used Qiwu Jue to help him. They had once agreed to fish at Dongting Lake, watch the sea at Penglai, and bask in the sun in the Southern Border.
Xie Yun had promised to be Zhou Fei's hair-combing maid for a lifetime. But now, while the promise was still echoing in her ears, his life or death was uncertain. Until Zhou Fei's internal energy was exhausted, they both fell down again. Waking up, Zhou Fei didn't see Xie Yun. As she hurriedly searched all the way to the back mountain, a familiar voice reached her ears. Xie Yun's poison was completely removed.
Having survived the ordeal, the two cherished this hard-won time together even more. Peach blossoms fell like rain, embellishing their love. Their lips met, and their love was deep and lingering. Ying Hecong successfully completed his task and withdrew, reluctantly bidding farewell to Yang Jin and Li Yan. However, when he returned to Dayao Valley, he found that there was no one there. Only Xiao Hu hidden in a basket had escaped the disaster.
Ying Hecong learned that Di Sha had returned and imprisoned the villagers again. He immediately wrote a letter to ask for help from Zhou Fei and the others. Relying on the Go game painting he had seen in the Qimen secret chamber, Shen Tianshu practiced and fully comprehended the last layer of the technique. His martial arts had reached the peak, and the next step was to scheme for the world.
Shen Tianshu deliberately used the matter of obtaining Hai Tian Yi Se to lure Wen Yu out of the military camp alone. General Wen Yu lived a life of integrity and loyalty. He would naturally not collude with Di Sha. In the end, he ended up dead in the wilderness, and the Anping Army commander's seal was also taken by Shen Tianshu.
The blacksmith, using Xie Yun's method of forging swords, produced weapons that were extremely sharp but lacked durability and could be easily broken. Only then did he realize that Xie Yun had secretly tampered with the sword forging method. To save his life, the blacksmith researched and improved day and night and finally achieved great success, but he was killed by a single strike from Lu Tiankuang.
It turned out that Lu Tiankuang had long since secretly found out that Hu Tianying's death was caused by Shen Tianshu using her as bait and abandoning her. After killing the blacksmith this time, Lu Tiankuang deliberately altered it to look like a sword forging journal, just waiting for Shen Tianshu to reap what he sowed so that he could take his place.
Episode 51 (Ending) Recap
Everything was ready. Shen Tianshu's next step was to plot to take the Chen family's rule, and the easiest way to succeed was to take Chen Zichen as a hostage. Shen Tianshu learned that Chen Zichen was hunting on a certain mountain and easily captured him, imprisoning him in an iron cage. In his pride, he even showed Chen Zichen the newly forged weapon, which could easily penetrate Chen's armor. Nanling Prefecture was the southern defensive city of Jiankang.
Once Nanling was captured, they could march straight to take Jiankang. Shen Tianshu's attack on the city to seize the world was inevitable. Just then, a subordinate reported that the iron hand newly forged according to the Suotie Method had been completed, but it was smashed to pieces by Shen Tianshu with one punch. It turned out that Shen Tianshu had long known that Lu Tiankuang harbored ill intentions, and he had found the blacksmith's real notes long ago.
At this moment, he had already secretly re-forged weapons. Shen Tianshu remained calm, planning to use Lu Tiankuang's own methods against him, letting him dig his own grave. When the people of the Forty-eight Strongholds learned of Yu Wenzhi's and Di Sha's plot, Li Sheng then took Wu Chuchu to contact various ministers loyal to the imperial court, as well as General Wu's former subordinates, to jointly plan strategies to resist the enemy.
Many ministers were already dissatisfied with Yu Wenzhi, so Li Sheng and Wu Chuchu's trip was quite smooth. Zhou Fei, Xie Yun, and others also planned to attack Di Sha Mountain Manor. Ying Hecong distributed an antidote to each person so they would not be affected by the poisonous smoke at that time.
Shen Tianshu knew Zhou Fei and others were coming to attack, showed no surprise at all, and remained calm and composed, as if he did not take them seriously. The disciples of the Forty-eight Strongholds and Di Sha's people fought together. Zhou Fei and Xie Yun took advantage of the chaos to sneak into Di Sha Mountain Manor first and saw the imprisoned Chen Zichen and Lu Tiankuang, who was dreaming of becoming Di Sha's master.
Xie Yun stayed behind to deal with Lu Tiankuang. Now that the Touguqing poison in his body was removed, dealing with Lu Tiankuang was more than enough. Zhou Fei also went alone to confront Shen Tianshu. Holding Youhuang in her hand, she was not inferior to Shen Tianshu's iron hand in terms of weapon, but it was difficult to win for a while.
Just as Lu Tiankuang died, and Yang Jin and others, with the help of Ying Hecong's poisonous smoke, wiped out all of Di Sha's people in one fell swoop, Zhou Fei also killed Shen Tianshu at the cost of serious injury. This was also thanks to Xie Yun's more refined forging of Youhuang. Di Sha was eliminated, and Yu Wenzhi's plot could not continue, and he was ultimately executed by the emperor.
The people in various places cheered and rejoiced for the future peaceful and prosperous era. The name of "Southern Blade" Zhou Fei furthermore awed the martial arts world, even surpassing her grandfather Li Zheng. Li Yan went to the Southern Border with Yang Jin as agreed. Wu Chuchu had also been diligently compiling martial arts classics from all over the world.
Ying Hecong, on the other hand, dedicated his life to researching medicine and painstakingly sought out the divine physician Sun Simiao. Now that the world was peaceful, the Anping Army also returned home. Everything was waiting to be rebuilt, and in a way, all different paths led to the same destination. After Li Jinrong's body recovered, she returned to the Forty-eight Strongholds with Zhou Yitang.
Upon his return to the stronghold, he found that Xie Yun had already solved the chess game he had long been unable to understand. After all, Zhou Yitang was in the game, lost in the past. He was seen wiping away the chess game, and from then on, he should also look forward to the future. Li Sheng sent invitations in all directions, preparing to hold a martial arts gathering during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Having rarely experienced life and death, he also wanted to take advantage of the current peace to catch up with old friends. The reputation of the Forty-eight Strongholds was greater than before, and with this move now, most of the martial arts sects in the jianghu would come upon invitation. Zhou Fei would naturally also support Li Sheng. The two of them kept their promise and traveled all over the world, and then settled down in the Forty-eight Strongholds.
As Xie Yun had hoped, he taught and nurtured people amidst the beautiful mountains and rivers, while Zhou Fei taught children blade techniques. Whenever they were free, they would sit quietly and chat in the small house by the Ximo River, enjoying this hard-won peace and happiness.
