The Dragon’s Recompense
The demonic monk Xuan Kong of Anguo Temple uses the chastity of women as a "cauldron" to practice black magic, aiming to seize the throne of the Dragon Kingdom. Emperor Ye Yuan discovers this and engages in a life-or-death battle with the monk, leaving both severely injured. Upon returning to the temple, Xuan Kong orders his lover, Liu Rumei, to bring the innocent Yun Xi to heal his wounds. During this time, Yun Xi escapes deep into the mountains and accidentally encounters the injured Ye Yuan. As a herbalist, she attempts to treat him, but in the darkness, she mistakenly gives him a potent aphrodisiac instead of a coagulant herb. To save Ye Yuan and escape Liu Rumei’s persecution, Yun Xi initiates an intimate encounter, and Ye Yuan gifts her his dragon-crested jade pendant. Later, Liu Rumei pushes Yun Xi off a cliff and finds the pendant. Recognizing it belongs to the Emperor, she realizes the man Yun Xi was with is Ye Yuan and decides to impersonate Yun Xi to enter the palace. Meanwhile, Yun Xi survives and gives birth to three little dragon cubs, eventually making her way into the palace as well.