The Heaven Sword Sequel, Part One: The Sacred Flame Crosses West

Zhang Wuji and Zhao Min have spent three years living in seclusion by Taihu Lake, treating the sick. Then a Persian refugee suddenly dies outside their clinic, clutching half of a Sacred Flame Token in his hand. His only words are, “They have arrived in the Central Plains.” The sacred mountain is in danger: Xiao Zhao is trapped amid an internal conflict in the Persian Ming Order, where the Lord of the Flame has begun hunting down old allies under the pretext of purging “heretics from the Central Plains.” Zhang Wuji sets sail west with Zhao Min, his disciple Lu Qingya, and Hu Nu. Every step of the journey is fraught with danger. He seeks no dominion, only to save Xiao Zhao from the sacred mountain and return the “flame of the Ming Order” from the struggle over altars and authority to the lamps that light ordinary homes. A crisis at Taihu Lake leads to storms at sea: They sow discord and provoke infighting, rescue children through cleverness, and A Na reveals her face. His medical skills first make an impression. Currents stir beneath the sacred mountain, and medicine wins hearts: He reunites with old friends, while beauty burns like a fire in his heart. He wins people over through medicine, and the Three Envoys arrive together. The origins of the faith lead to a raid on Eagle’s Nest for the token: They search the scriptures for clues, uncover Guo Xiang’s writings from a foreign land and Huo Shan’s notes, and set the record straight. Storm and thunder at the grand ceremony lead to a parting across mountains and seas: The ceremony takes a sudden turn, the Three Envoys switch sides, and a new flame is kindled. A Na is appointed “Guardian of the Sacred Flame.” The Purple-Clad (Daiqisi) protects the tinder with her life, and in the end they part with a pipa melody and the words, “Let the Sacred Flame and the lamps of home each shine where they belong.”