Destiny of an Emperor - 7th Slot Bug Speedrun Uses

I found this old FAQ by MeteorStrike that explains in detail how the 7th slot bug works: https://web.archive.org/web/20170905204823/http://www.ign.com/faqs/2009/destiny-of-an-emperor-item-disappearing-bug-exploit-974431

After reading though it, I have a pretty good understanding of how the bug works and how we could use it to our advantage.  Since not only can it marked chests/hidden spots as picked up (bad), it can also clear them so we can pick them up again (good).

Route changes I am trying out:

1) Mi Zhe and Huo Hu can both survive and the 7th slot bug overwriting can be safely avoided, as it only affects 1 levelup (Dong Min).
	-This could allow the early game to be a bit more aggressive in spots.
	-Using Huo Hu in the first slot for the Dong Zhuo 1 fight makes it a bit safer.  He has more HP and his Lian Huo hits harder.
	-If both Mi Zhe and Huo Hu survive until the Dong Min fight (Chang An first gate battle), the 7th slot bug will need to be avoided.
		-So far I like putting Guan Yu in 7th and Huo Hu in 1st to tank damage.
		-NOTE: Having a tactician in the 7th slot is safe after this fight, all the way through Yuan Shu.
	-If this isn't avoided, there is a chance the Trident and the Ling Ling Sword can be marked as picked up, it depends on Guan Yu's HP (lowest byte).

2) A second Chi Tu Ma can be safely re-spawned in the Yuan Shu fight
	-Huo Hu will need to be in 7th, as he is the only one who learns Jie Ce for this level.  It doesn't matter if he is dead.
	-The earliest (best) time to pick up Chi Tu Ma is probably after clearing Jing Zhou, will need 1 extra Gullwing in Bo Hai shopping and 1 extra Smoke Pot in Gui Yang.  Money probably isn't an issue.
	-Having a second Chi Tu Ma is very nice, but there could be tradeoffs with inventory space.

3) Chang Sha and Gui Yang Swords can be safely re-spawned in the Yuan Shao fight
	-Xu Zhe will need to be put into the 7th slot for this fight/levelup (level-ups before this fight are not safe).
		-NOTE: This assumes that Xu Zhe inherited Liu Feng's inventory (and slot) earlier, which I believe most people do. Also Xu Zhe's HP must be full, which it should always be.
	-The best time to pick the Swords up is right at the end of the Zhu Ge Liang wing sequence.
	-This could open up a few options:
		-Could have 5 Swords to start Shu (normally it is 3x Sword, Trident, Bow)
		-Selling the Trident and Bow can give extra money - Could buy 3 Ring Ms in Chang Sha (replace Leathers or whatever armor)
		-Could sell both Swords and get full party Ring Ms, or somewhere in-between (net Gold will be 9000g selling both Swords)

I looked at some other areas, for instance you could clear Chi Tu Ma again (as well as some Swords and Battleaxes) in the Ling Tong fight.  But it would take a bit more setup for that one and I don't think a 3rd Chi Tu Ma nor the weapons are useful at that point in the game.

While its possible to respawn more items, the bug can only occur during levelups were we learn tactics (2 through 31) so we are limited where it can be used.