Recaps

Kang De prepared for an approaching elf royal envoy while deciding to return his attention to the other world and its war. Back on Earth, he looked through old photos until Xiaoman woke and asked who the woman in one of them was.

• Kang De learned that an elf envoy would arrive within a day or two, and Hong San explained the envoy’s unofficial approach and the uncertain prospects for peace.
• Kang De decided to end his Earth vacation, told Hong San to keep the envoy waiting and handle the initial meeting, and approved preparing a wish list to extort the elves.
• Hong San showed Kang De the collected gold and jewelry, then left without asking about Kang De’s secrets and teased him about meeting Princess Tina.
• Kang De returned to Earth, carried the sleeping Xiaoman to bed, and looked through photos of his past in the other world.
• Xiaoman woke and asked Kang De who the woman in the photo was.

Kang De told Wang Xiaoman about the companion he had lost, and their reunion brought them closer before they fell asleep together. The next morning, he asked Xie Liqian to arrange weapons, investigate property near US bases in Japan, and provide access to a metalworking factory, then realized he could have elves make the heavy metal columns he needed.

• Wang Xiaoman asked about the woman in Kang De's photographs, and Kang De explained that Cleveland had been his comrade and dear friend who died in an ambush.
• Kang De and Wang Xiaoman reminisced about their childhood friendship, and she fell asleep in his arms after offering to help him.
• Kang De dreamed of a bloodied woman in red, woke beside Xiaoman, and ate breakfast with her before she ran home.
• Kang De visited Xie Liqian and asked him to arrange weapons from Southeast Asia, investigate properties near US military bases in Japan, and let him use a metalworking factory.
• Kang De wondered whether the elves could cast the heavy metal columns for him instead of using Xie Liqian's factory.

Kang De and Xiaoman spent two days in Xishuangbanna before he crossed into Myanmar to collect an arms shipment arranged by Xie Liqian. As Kang De and the Autobot set out for the goods, the Autobot sensed that something ancient on Earth was calling to him.

• Kang De and Xiaoman flew to Xishuangbanna, where Kang De planned to collect weapons from across the Myanmar border.
• Kang De and Xiaoman toured the area, discussed whether Kang De would return to university, and shopped together.
• Kang De left Xiaoman at the hotel and crossed into Myanmar, where Xie Liqian had arranged for an arms seller to leave the shipment in a secluded valley.
• Kang De summoned the Autobot, explained that Myanmar was part of Earth, and heard him describe a strange, ancient call before they headed to collect the weapons.

Kang De reflected on how historical knowledge could help him counter the Dusk Moon Dynasty and decided to seek Earth’s universities and think tanks to study the elves. After spotting a convoy in Myanmar, he changed course to reach the valley where his goods were waiting and prepared to disable anyone there.

• Kang De explained to Iron Son how colonial powers had left conflicts behind and how history could give Earth an advantage over the Dusk Moon Dynasty.
• Kang De decided to build a detailed model of the Dynasty and enlist universities and think tanks to find ways to defeat or dismantle it.
• Iron Son observed that Kang De had become less anxious and advised him that Goth should respond to his help rather than expect endless sacrifice.
• Kang De and Iron Son spotted a convoy of disciplined, soldier-like people, then took a remote route through the mountains to avoid trouble with Myanmar authorities.
• At the barren valley, Kang De and Iron Son detected people and electronic devices, and Kang De ordered them to destroy the devices, knock out the people, and throw them into the graveyard.

Kang De recovered the weapons in Myanmar and discovered that someone had planted trackers and sentries around the deal. After confronting Xie Liqian, he returned to Xishuangbanna, where Xiaoman prepared to leave with him; meanwhile, Wang Yongzhi sent people to bring them home, suspecting Xie Liqian had drawn them into danger.

• Kang De moved the weapons into the White Mist World, found five hidden sentries and electronic surveillance devices, and left the captured men for Xie Liqian to handle.
• Kang De let the Autobots examine the weapons and ammunition, then returned to the hotel in Xishuangbanna.
• Xiaoman argued with Wang Yongzhi over the phone, and she and Kang De agreed to catch a flight home after sleeping.
• Kang De told Xie Liqian that the operation had been sloppy, and Xie Liqian suspected either a rule-breaking middleman or a domestic competitor had interfered.
• Wang Yongzhi ordered Old Wu to fly to Xishuangbanna and bring Kang De and Xiaoman back, then wondered which bastard Xie Liqian had become involved with.

Kang De escorted Xiaoman home under Uncle Wang’s protection while planning to create magical-girl devices through Fantasy Enchantment. After revealing Iron Son to Xiaoman, he introduced the Autobot, who called her “Mother.”

• Uncle Wu met Kang De and Xiaoman at their hotel and escorted them to the airport, while the hotel manager checked that they were safe.
• During the flight, Kang De considered mass-producing magical-girl transformation devices and imagined using them on people in the other world.
• Uncle Wang picked up Kang De and Xiaoman in H City and urged them to stay safe, keeping his suspicions about Xie Liqian’s arms dealings to himself.
• Kang De told Xiaoman he planned to leave soon and asked her to cover for his absence, then confused her by saying he had created life.
• Kang De showed Xiaoman a video of Iron Son transforming, brought the Autobot through a portal into the garage, and introduced Xiaoman as its mother.

Kang De and Xiaoman met the Iron Son, whose teasing made Xiaoman suspect Kang De had written about her in his diary. The Autobot chose the name Horus and ended by asking Xiaoman if she would consider being his mother.

• The Iron Son called Xiaoman his mother, prompting Kang De and Xiaoman to protest and Xiaoman to ask about Kang De's diary.
• The Iron Son apologized for the mistake while privately hinting that he had meant to tease Kang De.
• Xiaoman introduced herself to the Iron Son and asked what name he had chosen for himself.
• The Iron Son explained that he chose the name Horus and asked Kang De for approval.
• Xiaoman defended Kang De and urged Horus to help protect his father, and Horus asked if she would consider being his mother.

Kang De said goodbye to Xiaoman on Earth, then returned to the White Mist World and reset the time ratio so seven days there would pass for every day on Earth. When he arrived at the Valentan residence, A Xing smelled another woman on him and demanded to know who she was.

• Xiaoman accepted that Kang De had to leave and said goodbye, while Iron Son promised to help her arrange a legal identity for him on Earth.
• After returning to the White Mist World, Kang De caught Iron Son sneaking away, scolded him for calling Xiaoman his mother, and sent him to work.
• Kang De used Akatum's divine power to change the time ratio so seven days in the other world equaled one day on Earth.
• Kang De returned to the Valentan residence, where A Xing embraced him and then sniffed him suspiciously.
• A Xing asked Kang De who the woman was.

Kang De learned that the elves’ special envoy had arrived and prepared to meet him on terms that showed the strength of the victor. Hong San advised him to project pride, then proposed charging the elves admission to visit the battlefield memorial; the envoy’s identity remained uncertain, though he appeared to be a prince.

• A Xing confronted Kang De about Xiaoman’s scent, learned Xiaoman was a woman, and clung to Kang De until he stopped her from licking him.
• Kang De learned from Hong San that the elven special envoy had arrived three hours earlier and was holding a memorial at the battlefield remains.
• Hong San advised Kang De to act as the victor and a powerful deterrent rather than approach the elves with humility.
• Hong San revealed that he had fenced off part of the battlefield as Kang De’s property and planned to charge the elves admission.
• Hong San told Kang De that scouts believed the special envoy was a prince, though his identity was unconfirmed.

After the destruction of six Twilight Moon legions, Tagelise led an unofficial elven delegation to Goth to negotiate for the dead and instructed its members to endure humiliation without retaliating. He revealed that the elves intended to save Kang De from someone plotting to kill him.

• Elven nobles surveyed the battlefield where Kang De had destroyed six Twilight Moon legions and raged at the defeat.
• Tagelise ordered the delegation to accept its role as the defeated party, negotiate for the dead, and endure insults without harming anyone.
• Tagelise said he would remember the dead as they had fallen, since they had fought for Twilight Moon.
• When an elf suggested killing Kang De, Tagelise warned that doing so carried great risks for the Dusk Moon Dynasty.
• Tagelise said someone else was eager to kill Kang De, but the elves would save his life.

Duke Tagelise argued that the elves should save Kang De and saw his destructive power as a potential source of deterrence and political leverage. He planned to pursue Kang De while the parliament secretly moved to hunt Goth, as riders approached from Valentan.

• Tagelise persuaded Elandil that Kang De's power made him important enough for the elves to compromise with and save.
• Tagelise suggested that if both the Dusk Moon Dynasty and the Human Empire possessed comparable destructive power, mutual deterrence could preserve peace.
• Tagelise decided to hunt Kang De and seek to bring him under the royal family's influence while the parliament's pro-war faction secretly planned to attack Goth.
• Tagelise told Elandil that he would need his help, invoking the Empress's command, and Elandil agreed.
• Tagelise dismissed Cathay as Kang De's homeland and argued that a great nation that repeatedly declined and fell had deserved its fate.
• Riders approached from Valentan, prompting the elven attendants to gather around Tagelise and draw their weapons.

Tagelise and Elandil approached Kang De’s forces expecting a courteous diplomatic welcome, but the Goth cavalry confronted them with hostility and demanded payment for entering the battlefield. Tagelise was left stunned by Kang De’s bizarre ticket-and-fine policy.

• Tagelise praised Kang De’s apparent courtesy and speculated about negotiating with him as the elves rode toward the battlefield.
• Elandil struggled to interpret the Disney Ticket Inspection and Enforcement Brigade’s banner, while Tagelise considered how Cathay’s empress might become a bargaining chip.
• The brigade charged through the battlefield remains, then stopped when the elves’ hippogriffs and pegasi frightened their horses.
• The cavalry leader rejected Elandil’s appeal to courtesy, explaining that Valentan’s nobles had died defending the city and that he was there to collect money.
• Tagelise introduced himself and politely requested a meeting with Kang De, but the leader said visitors had to pay a ticket and fines for entering the private battlefield.

After elves visiting the battlefield clashed with a grieving human cavalry leader, Duke Tagelise of Tiling defused the confrontation and requested a meeting with Kang De. Kang De learned that Tagelise was the elven empress Dairila’s scholarly, supposedly frail younger brother, and questioned whether his peaceful reputation could be trusted.

• An elven visitor grabbed the cavalry leader after being charged an entrance fee and fine, but hesitated when the grieving human said he welcomed death and would kill elves before joining his family.
• The cavalry leader spat on the elf, who tried to punch him, but Tagelise stopped the blow with one finger and Elandil threw the elf aside.
• Tagelise apologized, accepted the charge of 184 copper coins, and asked the cavalry leader to arrange a visit with Kang De.
• Kang De discussed Tagelise with Hong San, who described him as Dairila’s weak-bodied but powerful, scholarly brother and one of the Twins of Destiny.
• Hong San confirmed Tagelise’s identity because Elandil, the envoy who delivered the visit request, was his former acquaintance and his master’s friend.

Kang De prepared to escalate pressure on the elves but welcomed Duke Tagelise after the elven delegation landed outside Valentan. Kang De and Tagelise met face-to-face, both sensing that the other seemed familiar, and the chapter ended with Kang De asking whether they had met before.

• Kang De told Hong San to develop newspapers and public education, then watched the elven air force approach Valentan.
• Tagelise landed outside the city after his phoenix, Filadiano, sensed a frightening presence in Valentan.
• Elandil suspected Hong San's transformation and Kang De's rise were part of a broader plan connected to Cathay and his old friend.
• Kang De and Tagelise approached each other with their attendants and introduced themselves.
• Kang De shook Tagelise's hand and asked whether they had met somewhere before.

Kang De confronted Tagelise over the elves’ war and the suffering it had caused, challenging the duke’s claims of peaceful intent. The meeting ended with Kang De offering negotiations over the dead elves’ bodies while making clear that the war would continue either way.

• Tagelise asked Kang De whether they had met before, and Kang De replied that every elf who had met him was dead.
• Tagelise described how Selendron’s testimony for peace had led to his disgrace and exile, and accused Kang De of destroying him.
• Kang De pointed to Valentan’s devastation and accused elven cavalry of massacring a village, saying he had witnessed the crime and killed its perpetrators.
• Kang De argued that Tagelise benefited from the elves’ wars and mocked his understanding of their consequences, prompting Elandil and the other elves to threaten violence.
• A Xing confronted the elves as Kang De dared them to attack, and Tagelise chose to continue the negotiations.
• Kang De proposed settling the price for the elven corpses on the spot, saying the fighting would resume whether or not they reached a deal.

Kang De tried to pressure Duke Tagelise during their meeting, but the duke burst into tears and derailed the talks. After escorting the elves into the city, Kang De and Hong San wondered whether Tagelise had been pretending and what his apparent desire for peace meant.

• Kang De took a hard line with Duke Tagelise, insisting that the elves would keep fighting whether they reached an agreement or not.
• Tagelise began crying, accused Kang De of insulting him and his sister, and declared that he would talk no more.
• Kang De shouted at Tagelise, challenged him over abandoning peace talks, and apologized for insulting his sister.
• Elandil urged Kang De not to leave Tagelise in the wilderness, so Kang De arranged carriages to take the duke and his party into the city.
• Kang De watched a recording of Tagelise crying while Hong San wondered what the duke's words revealed about his intentions.
• Kang De said Tagelise looked like a woman.

Kang De arranged for the elven delegation to stay in Valentan and established a foundation to manage ownerless property and fund reconstruction. Meanwhile, Duke Tagelise revealed that he intended to protect Kang De from powerful outsiders, refusing to leave Valentan.

• Hong San settled the elves in a temporary embassy and established the Nick Valentan and Kang De special postwar reconstruction foundation to manage abandoned properties and support the city.
• Kang De told a municipal official to warn the elves to guard themselves, and Valentan’s residents continued rebuilding with his growing support.
• Elandil confronted Tagelise over his public display of grief, but Tagelise defended it as a tactic to counter Kang De’s pressure.
• Tagelise rejected Elandil’s suggestion that the elves leave, explaining that he planned to save Kang De from powerful beings who would target him for his destructive ability.
• Tagelise vowed to thwart those outsiders, saying it would be a waste to use Kang De’s power merely as a deterrent.

Kang De reviewed and saved images of Duke Tagelise crying, then invited him to dinner while hinting that he suspected something about the duke. Hong San recognized Kang De’s suspicion and, worried about his lord’s vulnerability, went to visit the elven envoy and resolved to account for every danger.

• Kang De, Leona, and A Xing watched footage of Tagelise crying as Kang De selected images he could use to pressure or embarrass the duke.
• Leona described the Duke of Tiling’s public reputation and contrasted it with his behavior, while Kang De hinted that he had formed an interesting guess about him.
• Kang De told Hong San to invite Tagelise to dinner and threatened to use the recording, edited pictures, or a remix song if the duke refused.
• Hong San realized Kang De was hiding a suspicion from Leona and considered what Tagelise might have come to do.
• Worried that Kang De lacked strength in personal combat, Hong San decided to plan for potential dangers and went to visit the elven envoy.

Hong San escorted Tagelise and Elandil to a private dinner with Kang De, enduring the elves’ pressure and probing questions about his loyalty and origins. At the Vidal Chamber of Commerce, Kang De greeted Tagelise with a handshake that turned into a bear hug, leaving the duke rigid as he declared they would become kindred spirits.

• Hong San noticed the elves’ contempt for Cathayans but maintained proper manners when he was received at the temporary embassy.
• Tagelise eagerly accepted Kang De’s dinner invitation despite Elandil’s objections and teased the sage as they set out.
• Hong San praised Kang De’s honesty and promised word, with Tagelise and Elandil recognizing that Kang De had kept his promise to Selendron.
• Tagelise questioned Hong San about Cathay and urged him to return, but Hong San said he would go wherever Kang De went.
• Hong San escorted Tagelise and Elandil to the Vidal Chamber of Commerce, where Kang De greeted the duke with a bear hug and called for them to become friends.

Kang De used an overly familiar approach and a pointed argument about Tagelise’s relationship with his sister to win the duke’s agreement to accept his help. Tagelise asked Kang De for that help, while Elandil remained wary.

• Kang De escorted Tagelise into the Vidal Chamber of Commerce with his arm around him, but Elandil used a spell to clear Tagelise’s dazed mind and pulled him away.
• Kang De proposed helping Tagelise overcome his discomfort around others by spending time with him, while Elandil tried to stop him.
• Kang De argued that Tagelise’s withdrawal had forced his sister to take on the burdens of rule and war, making Tagelise tearful and defensive of her.
• Tagelise agreed with Kang De’s criticism and asked him for help, and Kang De accepted while sharing a triumphant glance with Hong San.

Kang De hosted Tagelise and Elandil for a private feast, where Earth’s packaged snacks and drinks astonished the elven duke. The tipsy Tagelise offered to buy Kang De, then begged Kang De to buy him instead.

• Kang De welcomed Tagelise and Elandil to a private dinner attended by Hong San, A Xing, and Leona.
• Kang De served an assortment of packaged snacks, sweets, and drinks from the White Mist World, and Tagelise devoured them with delight.
• Tagelise asked Kang De to sell him his chef, and Kang De refused because he did not trade in people.
• Tagelise offered his chefs and maid in exchange, then declared that he would buy Kang De so they could share food.
• After Kang De said he was not for sale, Tagelise blushed and shouted that Kang De should buy him instead.

At Kang De’s banquet, Tagelise’s drunken advances gave way to a bitter account of how Elandil used magic to control his emotions. After leaving, Tagelise ordered Elandil not to interfere with his next choice, threatening to kill him and blame his death on Kang De.

• Elandil accidentally sprayed milk onto Hong San, and Hong San quickly dodged Kang De’s attempt to film him.
• Tagelise drunkenly asked to stay with Kang De and made an embarrassing remark, prompting Elandil to cast a Clear Mind Spell on him.
• Sobered, Tagelise accused Elandil and the other elves of using spells to control his feelings and shape him to their plans.
• Tagelise apologized to Kang De, accepted a bottle of Sprite, and left with Elandil to clear his head.
• Tagelise told Elandil that he wanted to make a choice of his own and threatened to kill him if he stood in the way.

After joking with Hong San about the unpredictable risks in his plans, Kang De received an elven delegation seeking to reclaim their fallen soldiers. The talks ended with Tagelise offering to release prisoners in exchange for the remains.

• Kang De shared rice porridge with Hong San and discussed how chance could undermine even careful plans.
• Hong San teased Kang De about adding another woman, then revealed that Kang De's letter should have reached Princess Tina; Leona and A Xing immediately demanded to know who Tina was.
• The next day, Kang De watched Hong San ominously as Tagelise arrived with Elandil and eight other elves to request the return of their fallen soldiers.
• Kang De and Hong San decided to include human officials and nobles in the talks to prevent the elves from controlling the account of what was said.
• Kang De agreed in principle to let the elves retrieve their dead but said the defeated side had to offer compensation.
• Tagelise offered to release the prisoners in exchange for the remains.

Kang De turned the elves’ proposal to exchange Goth prisoners for their fallen soldiers’ remains into a public humiliation, then demanded compensation from the Dusk Moon Dynasty. The chapter ended with Hong San announcing Kang De’s demand for eighteen million gold coins.

• Kang De mocked the elves’ claims of civilized conduct, prompting Elandil to defend the Dusk Moon Dynasty and Tagelise to blame the Valentan massacre on disgraced commander Selendron.
• Elandil rejected any obligation to compensate Goth, arguing that the elves had punished Selendron for violating their own laws, while Kang De reminded the Goths that their military victory had already restored their honor.
• Tagelise offered to exchange captured Goth soldiers for the remains of fallen elf soldiers, and Kang De countered by offering three hundred selected elf prisoners for every Goth prisoner the expeditionary force held.
• Kang De proposed marking exchanged prisoners to demean the other side, then demanded money from the elves as compensation for his suffering and expenses.
• Hong San announced Kang De’s demand for eighteen million gold coins, with at least half payable in Sovereign Gold Coins or equivalent pure gold.

Kang De demanded eighteen million gold coins from the elves and used his destructive power to warn that he could strike the Dusk Moon Dynasty’s vital targets if it attacked Goth. He offered to return the corpses for free in exchange for peace, but Tagelise countered with terms that would make Goth an autonomous vassal state and place Kang De at the heart of elven power.

• Kang De demanded eighteen million gold coins for the elven dead, and Elandil called the amount extortionate.
• Hong San and Kang De argued that the elves could not seize the corpses without risking retaliation against their empire.
• Kang De threatened to strike elven cities and infrastructure, and the elves stayed despite their anger.
• Tagelise asked for a better proposal, and Kang De offered the corpses for free if the elves ended military operations, returned occupied land, and signed a ten-year peace treaty.
• Tagelise offered reconstruction aid, compensation, and extensive military and political privileges in exchange for Goth becoming an autonomous vassal state and Kang De marrying Princess Tina.