Chapter Summaries

After returning to Jiangling Prefecture, Lister found that he could not see the players whose locations appeared in public chat outside the city, though he found them inside Jiangling City. The players recognized him as Count Merrick, leaving the reason for the strange separation outside the city unresolved.

• The Yongping Emperor repeatedly questioned Lister about the Kingdom of Lucian before urging him to leave, so Lister departed the Imperial City and traveled back toward Jiangling Prefecture.
• Lister reflected on his visualization methods and the low prices of passive skills, then worried about how players could level up if slain monsters did not respawn.
• Lister saw player messages reporting nearby locations but found no players around him, raising the possibility that players and natives occupied separate worlds.
• Lister rode to Jiangling City and found natives at the gates but no players until he entered the outer city.
• Players recognized Lister as the Kingdom of Lucian's envoy, Count Merrick, and the War God of Jiangling Prefecture identified him as a neutral NPC known from the closed beta.

Lister investigated the rules of Jiangling Prefecture’s real-interaction area and tested what happened when an NPC attacked a player inside the city. The system could not punish him, so it imposed a severe penalty on Chen Xinhe instead, leaving him red-named and wanted.

• Lister became a player skill instructor who could teach the Merrick Saber Technique, then investigated the city and reread the old bug report about his anomalous NPC status.
• Lister concluded that Jiangling Prefecture’s inner city was a real-interaction area and considered how its rules might apply to him as an NPC.
• Lister chose Love of a Lifetime as his test subject and struck him down inside the city before escaping.
• Love of a Lifetime respawned, learned that Chen Xinhe had killed him, and threatened him and the Green Nourishment Group’s supposed enemies in a public broadcast.
• The system failed to penalize Lister and instead assigned the penalty to Chen Xinhe, who lost 10,000 experience and became red-named and wanted for seven days.

Lister discovered that his player-character Chen Xinhe took the blame and red-name penalty for his city kill, then learned another passive skill and spent two hours grinding monsters near Jiangling City. The chapter ended with players reporting that monsters had stopped respawning in the areas Lister had cleared.

• Lister confirmed that Chen Xinhe appeared as a red name in chat after killing Love of a Lifetime, while Lister himself faced no penalty, and he accepted Chen Shanqiang's friend request.
• Lister learned Killing Intent Wave after ten days of studying visualization diagrams, bringing his total to six passive skills.
• Lister left Jiangling City to grind monsters, and the guards saluted him for killing the Bloodmane Spirit Bear and saving the city.
• Lister cleared nineteen groups of demonic beasts in two hours and gained 22,000 experience points.
• Players reported that monsters had stopped respawning in the coordinates Lister had visited, while monsters continued appearing in areas he had not cleared.

Lister discovered that killing demonic beasts in his world permanently removed them from the players’ mirrored world, so he moved to Jiangxia Prefecture to farm higher-level beasts without depriving players of resources. After clearing the outskirts, he found the beasts had gathered there again, and he spotted two auction listings for the passive Skill Book he needed.

• Lister tested his theory by clearing three demonic beast areas and confirmed that the monsters stopped respawning in the players’ world.
• Lister traveled to Jiangxia Prefecture, where Governor Yang told him the Yongping Emperor had secretly urged him to return to the Kingdom of Lucian.
• Lister stayed in Jiangxia Prefecture and spent several days killing the plentiful demonic beasts around the city to gain experience.
• Lister found Soul-Breaking Oxen gathered in areas he had cleared and wondered whether the beasts had returned or migrated from deeper territory.
• Lister spotted two copies of the Concentration Method Visualization Method listed in a twenty-four-hour auction for seven gold coins each.

Lister studied the dynastic histories and suspected Great Chu had deliberately preserved demonic beasts to prevent internal strife, perhaps even raising giant beasts. After winning a Concentration Method Visualization Method Skill Book, he faced General Yu, who had come to force him to lead the delegation to the Kingdom of Lucian.

• Lister read the histories of Great Qian, Great Yu, and Great Chu, noticing that demonic beasts returned as earlier dynasties weakened while Great Chu never tried to eliminate them nationwide.
• Lister suspected Great Chu's emperors had kept demonic beasts as an external enemy and might have raised giant beasts, and he wondered if Yongping Emperor wanted to turn the western mission into a real war.
• Lister won the Concentration Method Visualization Method Skill Book at auction, learned it, and gained an Intelligence-boosting passive that completed his set of four attribute passives.
• General Yu arrived at the Qingcheng Inn and demanded that Lister lead the delegation to the Kingdom of Lucian, mocking him while Rolf tried to keep him out.
• General Yu kicked Rolf toward Lister, leaving Rolf badly injured; Lister caught him, gave him holy water, and confronted General Yu.
• General Yu taunted Lister over his saber skills and demanded an apology and that he set out for the Kingdom of Lucian.

Lister killed Yu Yang after Yu Yang provoked him and attacked his guard captain, leaving Governor Yang to deal with the political fallout. Governor Yang hesitated to arrest Lister, who insisted the Yongping Emperor could be told the truth and showed no fear of consequences.

• Yu Yang, jealous of Lister's growing fame, provoked him publicly to win a reputation by defeating him.
• Lister examined Yu Yang's strength, drew his saber, and severed Yu Yang's right arm in their first clash.
• Yu Yang begged for his life and claimed his status as a Great Chu envoy, but Lister cut off his left forearm and killed him.
• The other members of Yu Yang's delegation knelt as General Zou and Governor Yang arrived at the scene.
• Governor Yang asked why Lister had killed Yu Yang, and Lister said Yu Yang had provoked him and struck his guard captain first.
• Lister told Governor Yang to report the truth to the Yongping Emperor and remained unconcerned about the consequences.

After Governor Yang let Lister return to Jiangling Prefecture, Lister taught Chen Shanqiang the Merrick Saber Technique and discovered that players’ skill growth granted him experience. He began planning to attract more players to saber techniques, then hit on an idea for showing them how powerful saber users could be.

• Governor Yang declined to arrest Lister and told him to return to Jiangling Prefecture while he awaited any imperial decree.
• At the Evergreen Inn, Lister refused Chen Shanqiang’s request to take an assassination job but told him that level-10 Class Holders could learn the rare C-rank Merrick Saber Technique for five gold coins.
• Chen Shanqiang paid Lister five gold coins and learned the Merrick Saber Technique, reaching level 3 in the skill.
• Lister received experience when Chen Shanqiang leveled up the skill and realized that teaching players could bring him vast amounts of experience.
• Lister considered the small share of players who chose martial arts and saber techniques, then came up with an idea to make saber users seem more powerful.

Lister used Chen Xinhe’s city killings to build a reputation and advertise the Merrick Saber Technique. After a guide revealed that players could learn the rare skill from Count Merrick for five gold, player interest surged.

• Lister arranged with Chen Shanqiang to kill One Sword Opens the Heavens in the city, then killed him with a single Iai Slash and left before facing punishment.
• One Sword Opens the Heavens reported Chen Xinhe to the Green Nourishment Group, whose bounty messages brought more attention to the killing.
• Players praised Chen Xinhe’s saber technique, and he spent five days taking 11 assassination jobs for rival groups.
• Players concluded Chen Xinhe had an item that concealed his red name, and the name Outlaw—Chen Xinhe became famous.
• A guide team announced that players could learn the C-grade Merrick Saber Technique from Count Merrick at the Evergreen Inn for five gold coins, sparking widespread enthusiasm.

Lister taught the Merrick Saber Technique to more than 270,000 players and accumulated experience, then learned Sharp Blade and upgraded his passive skills. After raising the Yellow Court Saber Art Visualization Method to level 40, his rating rose to A-rank lord-class, just as he sensed a powerful, hostile presence approaching the Evergreen Inn.

• Lister moved his skill-teaching sessions to the outer city and taught the Merrick Saber Technique to 274,312 players over six days, earning nearly nine million experience points.
• Chen Shanqiang sent Lister several Skill Books, and Lister chose the Sharp Blade Visualization Method without asking for compensation.
• Lister spent eight million experience points to raise the Yellow Court Saber Art Visualization Method to level 40, then used the remainder to raise Killing Intent Wave to level 14.
• Lister's overall rating improved from B-rank to A-rank lord-class, and he tested his heightened perception in his room.
• Lister sensed a powerful repulsive presence approaching the Evergreen Inn, where the noise abruptly stopped.

Duke Wei confronted Count Merrick over the death of his adjutant, General Yu, and delivered the Yongping Emperor’s order for Lister to leave for the Kingdom of Lucian. Lister refused to let Great Chu dictate his return and agreed to fight Duke Wei in the outer city.

• Duke Wei arrived at the inn, intimidated the innkeeper, and demanded that Count Merrick come down.
• Lister confronted Duke Wei and learned that General Yu, whom he had killed, had been Duke Wei’s adjutant.
• Duke Wei ordered Lister to set out for the Kingdom of Lucian that day, while roughly a hundred soldiers approached the inn.
• Lister agreed to go but said that, as an envoy, he would decide when to return, and argued that Great Chu’s decree did not apply to him as a count of Lucian.
• Duke Wei prepared to attack, but Lister suggested they move the fight to the outer city to avoid the inner city.
• Duke Wei accepted the suggestion and agreed to fight in the outer city.

Lister fought Duke Wei and his hundred soldiers in the outer city, effortlessly overwhelming them with the Merrick Saber Technique. After killing Duke Wei, Lister left the watching players in awe and reignited their enthusiasm for learning the technique.

• Duke Wei challenged Lister, but their first exchange left Duke Wei badly injured while Lister remained unharmed.
• Duke Wei ordered his hundred soldiers to attack, and Lister rushed into their ranks and killed them all with one Iai Slash.
• Duke Wei recognized Lister’s overwhelming strength but tried to deter him by invoking his imperial status and the alliance between their nations.
• Duke Wei launched a sword-qi attack that struck nearby players, then used Sword Dance against Lister.
• Lister dodged the attack and killed Duke Wei with a single vertical slash, prompting the watching players to celebrate the Merrick Saber Technique.

Lister killed the Duke of Wei and General Yu, warning the Yongping Emperor not to try to control him. The emperor abandoned plans to capture Lister, instead ordering the Duke of Zhen to follow him toward the Kingdom of Lucian and concealing the deaths as a demonic beast attack.

• Lister killed General Yu and the Duke of Wei, believing his display of strength would warn the Yongping Emperor.
• Chief Steward Xia brought the emperor an urgent report about the killings, and the Yongping Emperor ordered Li Fu to bring Lister in alive.
• Li Fu warned that the Brocade Guards could not withstand Lister and advised the emperor to rely on the great generals or an army.
• The Yongping Emperor chose to let Lister return toward the Kingdom of Lucian and ordered the Duke of Zhen to follow him and seek a chance to kill him there.
• The Yongping Emperor ordered officials to claim the Duke of Wei and General Yu had died in a demonic beast tide.

After Duke Wei’s death, Lister exploited his growing fame by teaching the Merrick Saber Technique to hundreds of thousands of players and considered upgrading it for the next act. He found the Robust Physique passive in the Auction House and entered a fierce bidding war, raising his offer to 300 gold coins as the auction neared its end.

• Lister’s relationship with Lord Yang cooled after word arrived that Duke Wei had died defending against demonic beasts, leaving Lister free to act independently in Jiangling Prefecture.
• Players flocked to learn the Merrick Saber Technique, and Lister taught more than 870,000 of them while considering raising the skill’s grade for the next act.
• Lister found the Robust Physique passive, which increased HP by 10% per level, listed in the Auction House.
• Bidders drove the price of Robust Physique past 180 gold coins, and Lister entered the contest with a 200-gold bid.
• After another bidder raised the price to 201 gold, Lister bid 300 gold coins in the auction’s final minute.

Lister bought Robust Physique and used a Radiance of Extreme Transcendence to raise the Merrick Saber Technique to B-rank. A mysterious, hard-to-perceive visitor appeared at his door, and Lister discovered the Level 40 Faceless One had an arsenal of powerful skills.

• Love of a Lifetime bid against another player for a passive skill, then celebrated when he mistakenly thought his rival had paid 500 gold for it; Lister had actually won Robust Physique for 301 gold.
• Lister won the Radiance of Extreme Transcendence for 1,600 gold and used it to advance the Merrick Saber Technique from C-rank to B-rank, improving its damage and resistance to control effects.
• Lister confirmed he could still teach only the C-rank version of the Merrick Saber Technique and expected new teaching options after the second act began.
• A voice knocked at Lister’s door late at night, and he opened it to find no one there before sensing a presence behind him.
• Lister confronted a red-robed, androgynous visitor whose concealment had evaded his perception, then scanned them and identified them as the Level 40 Faceless One.

Lister met a faceless A-grade powerhouse who could steal traits and skills, and learned that the stranger was helping the King of Qin investigate him. The visitor revealed he was the King of Qin’s senior brother from the Mohist School, leaving Lister wary but less hostile.

• Lister recognized the stranger’s Devious Theft skill and suspected he was the future-famous Devious Thief.
• The stranger said he had been born without a face and explained that he often wore the face of his first friend, who had died during a beast tide.
• Lister asked whether the stranger was the King of Qin, and the stranger transformed into the King of Qin’s likeness and confirmed he had been sent to investigate Lister.
• The stranger said the King of Qin was his junior brother and that he had come at a junior sister’s request and out of personal interest in Lister.
• The stranger explained that he and the King of Qin had studied the Mohist School Mechanism Method together, establishing that he was the King of Qin’s senior brother.

Lister learned that Wu Yan had died after attempting to assassinate the emperor, and received the Resolute Qi Visualization Method she had left for him. The Devious Thief arranged to join Duke Zhenguo's delegation to the Kingdom of Lucian, then revealed he might use Lister's face to copy his skills and strength.

• The Devious Thief told Lister that Wu Yan had died in prison after the emperor's guards captured her during an assassination attempt.
• Lister received the Resolute Qi Visualization Method Wu Yan had entrusted to the Devious Thief, and paid him the agreed three hundred gold coins.
• Lister questioned why the Devious Thief had handled Wu Yan's affairs, and realized he had used other people's faces to study under many factions.
• The Devious Thief explained that the Prince of Qin had sent him to learn about the Kingdom of Lucian and asked to travel with Duke Zhenguo's delegation.
• Lister agreed to let the Devious Thief join the delegation, and the Devious Thief offered him a favor in exchange for using his face.
• The Devious Thief vanished from the room, and Lister concluded that he wanted to copy Lister's skills and strength.

After spending two months in Jiangling Prefecture, Lister prepared to leave as the demonic beast threat grew and players neared the end of the first act. He used most of his accumulated experience to max out his passive skills, raising his overall rating to S-rank, Overlord Tier, and set his sights on returning to Lucian to prepare for his next class advancement.

• Lister noted that demonic beasts were gathering around Jiangling Prefecture and decided to leave the next day.
• Lister spent nearly all his experience points upgrading his passive skills to LV40.
• Lister's upgraded passives increased his strength and perception, and his overall rating rose from A-rank to S-rank, Overlord Tier.
• Lister planned to reach level 60, fill his base attributes to the barrier limit, and pursue his second class advancement quest.
• Lister's desire to return to Lucian grew as he considered his next preparations.

Lister discovered that the “Devious Theft” had impersonated the Duke of State and joined his journey back to Lucian. When a demonic beast tide blocked the road, his Overlord Tier aura and the Vajra Demon Bull’s fear made the beasts retreat and open a path for his group.

• Lister scanned the delegation and realized the Duke of State was the “Devious Theft” in disguise, after she had killed the real Duke and taken his place.
• Lister and the Duke of State led their groups out of Jiangling Prefecture toward Lucian, and she admitted she had killed the Duke because he was trouble for Lister.
• Lister’s group encountered a massive demonic beast tide that blocked their route, and his powerful aura made the lesser beasts retreat.
• The Vajra Demon Bull recognized Lister and feared his saber, then pleaded for mercy when Lister considered attacking it.
• The Vajra Demon Bull and the rest of the demonic beasts moved aside, allowing Lister to lead his group through the horde.

Lister returned to Lucian with the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty’s envoy, Chen Tuo, and learned that the kingdom was preparing for war. After Hughes confirmed the empire’s existence and strength, he warned that Lucian might not have much time left.

• Lister and his companions crossed the Lost Land, and players received notice that Act One had ended and Act Two would begin in three days.
• Lister reached level 60, then returned to Bode with Wang Yue and the Sixth Guard after more than half a month of travel.
• Lister saw soldiers and military preparations throughout Bode’s outer city and learned that Kerry had died and Hughes had become king.
• Lister introduced Chen Tuo to Hughes and presented the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty’s diplomatic documents and token.
• After Chen Tuo described the empire, Hughes asked Lister whether it was stronger than Lucian, and Lister confirmed that it surpassed the kingdom in territory, population, and military strength.
• Hughes concluded that Lucian had little time left.

Hughes prepared to wage war against the Kingdom of Tyrande, while Lister declined to join the campaign and received a hereditary earldom and other rewards that were of little use to him. Unable to buy the special turquoise stock solution, Lister decided to use the favor Wang Yue owed him to pursue it another way.

• Hughes told Lister he planned to declare war on the Kingdom of Tyrande and offered him a generalship, but Lister refused and said he would return to the Duchy of Will.
• Hughes awarded Lister a hereditary earldom, a copper mine, three hundred bottles of grade C turquoise solution, and a thousand bottles of grade D healing water.
• Lister spent several days searching the royal city for Lucian's Special Turquoise Stock Solution, but Tim reported that it was unavailable for purchase and could only be obtained through royal rewards or military merits.
• Lister concluded Hughes's reward had been chosen to spite him and decided to ask Wang Yue for help, since Wang Yue owed him a favor.