Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Of One Heart”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Snowfall Pavilion remains closed after Chen Cheng damaged part of the building earlier that day. Many wealthy patrons expect Augudin to retaliate, but he does not appear.
• Zhixin gathers all the women of the pavilion and announces that their contracts of sale will be returned. She intends to dissolve their connection to Snowfall Pavilion so they can leave and support themselves independently.
• The women react angrily because the pavilion provides them with wealth and status, while the madam—also a Snowfall Order agent—quietly resists Zhixin’s decision. Zhixin uses her overwhelming aura to silence everyone.
• Rather than forcing the women to leave immediately, Zhixin cuts all ties between the madam, Snowfall Pavilion, and the Snowfall Order, allowing the madam to keep the pavilion as compensation.
• Zhixin leaves before the madam can apologize. The madam is overcome with regret, remembering Zhixin’s past kindness and guidance.
• While walking alone afterward, Zhixin questions whether founding the Snowfall Order was a mistake. She realizes that many members joined for wealth or social standing rather than out of devotion to her cause of revenge.
• She considers purging the organization and recruiting only people who genuinely share her convictions. However, she plans to use the Snowfall Order for one final mission first. Her decision suggests that the century-old organization may soon dissolve.
• Elsewhere, Chen Cheng leaves Snow Maiden while she changes clothes after shopping, escaping her constant requests for his opinion. Snow Maiden spends time with the deer beastkin girls, buying them clothing and jewelry and growing genuinely close to them.
• Chen Cheng feels comfortable leaving Snow Maiden with them because their friendship has made him trust the situation.

Character Developments

• Zhixin: Reveals her uncompromising ideals and deep disappointment with the Snowfall Order’s corruption of purpose. She recognizes that revenge—not power, wealth, or status—is the foundation of her life and considers rebuilding or dismantling the organization.
• The madam: Her priorities are exposed as worldly and practical. Although she values the status and influence that come with running the pavilion, she ultimately feels guilt and sorrow over betraying Zhixin’s ideals and losing their personal bond.
• The pavilion girls: Their reaction challenges the romanticized idea that courtesans universally dream of escape. Most have willingly embraced the wealth and lifestyle Snowfall Pavilion offers and view Zhixin’s plan as a threat rather than liberation.
• Snow Maiden: Becomes more socially connected and compassionate, forming sincere friendships with the deer beastkin girls and showing generosity toward them.
• Chen Cheng: Remains wary and protective of Snow Maiden but is increasingly willing to trust her relationships with others.

Significant Themes

• Ideals versus self-interest: Zhixin’s revenge-driven mission conflicts with the madam’s ordinary desire for wealth, security, and status.
• Reality versus romanticized stories: The chapter rejects the familiar storybook image of courtesans longing to escape, emphasizing that real people may willingly choose prosperity and comfort over freedom.
• Leadership and loyalty: Zhixin questions whether an organization can remain true to its founder when its members do not share the founder’s convictions.
• The cost of severing ties: Although Zhixin grants the madam freedom and property, the separation is emotionally painful because of their shared history.
• Friendship and trust: Snow Maiden’s growing bond with the beastkin girls allows Chen Cheng to relax his suspicion and leave her in their care.

Important Character Interactions

• Zhixin and the pavilion girls: Zhixin attempts to release them from their contracts, but they oppose her because they value the life Snowfall Pavilion provides.
• Zhixin and the madam: Their confrontation is restrained but emotionally significant. Zhixin’s decision to sever their relationship reflects her disappointment, while the madam’s remorse shows that she still cares for her former leader.
• Snow Maiden and the deer beastkin girls: Shopping together transforms their relationship from mere acquaintance into genuine friendship.
• Chen Cheng and Snow Maiden: Their interaction is light and comedic, with Chen Cheng escaping the tedious task of judging Snow Maiden’s clothing choices, while his willingness to leave demonstrates growing trust.

Chapter Summary: “Opening His Jaws Like a Lion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng returns to the City Lord’s Mansion with She Li and is now treated respectfully by the attendants because City Lord Ailafu has learned about Chen Cheng’s confrontation at Snowfall Pavilion.
• The attendants warn Chen Cheng that Augudin, whom he injured, is the mansion’s guard captain.
• In Ailafu’s office, Chen Cheng finds Augudin with both arms in casts. Ailafu orders Augudin to apologize.
• Chen Cheng pretends to feel guilty, apologizes for the incident, and offers 5,000 Gold Coins as compensation. The enormous sack of coins shocks both Augudin and Ailafu.
• Augudin accepts the money and leaves. Ailafu, distracted by the fortune and eager to profit, does not pursue the matter further.
• Brother Octopus secretly uses his powers to intensify the greed and desire of both men, causing them to lose their composure.
• Ailafu activates a Sound-Sealing Array and privately reveals that he knows Chen Cheng and She Li were sent by the King of the Hazy Kingdom.
• Believing they are royal envoys seeking his help with the Grand Council, Ailafu says he can use his connections but demands payment.
• He claims the Hazy Kingdom has also approached other major kingdoms, information that surprises Chen Cheng and She Li.
• When Chen Cheng asks for Ailafu’s price, Ailafu boldly demands one million Gold Coins.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng: Demonstrates composure, adaptability, and skill at deception. He uses generosity as a strategic tool, concealing his true motives while encouraging Ailafu’s greed. However, the demand for one million Gold Coins shocks him and threatens to disrupt his plans.
• She Li: Remains cautious and prepared for violence, briefly reaching for his weapon when Ailafu implies he knows their secret. He relaxes once Ailafu reveals his mistaken assumption about their mission.
• Ailafu: Shifts from a friendly, authoritative city lord into an openly corrupt official driven by bribery. His confidence grows because he believes he has uncovered valuable political leverage.
• Augudin: Despite his status as a Platinum Rank guard captain, he is humbled by his injuries and overwhelmed by the sight of Chen Cheng’s money. He apologizes and eagerly takes the compensation.
• Brother Octopus: Quietly manipulates the emotions of those around him, amplifying greed and desire to influence the negotiation in Chen Cheng’s favor.

Significant Themes

• Greed and corruption: Ailafu’s corruption becomes unmistakable as he immediately turns political assistance into a financial transaction.
• Deception and miscommunication: Chen Cheng and She Li maintain a false identity, while Ailafu mistakes them for official envoys from the Hazy Kingdom.
• The power of wealth: The physical presence of the Gold Coins has a stronger psychological effect than the abstract idea of money, overwhelming even powerful individuals.
• Manipulation and negotiation: Both sides attempt to control the conversation, but Brother Octopus’s supernatural influence gives Chen Cheng’s side an unseen advantage.
• Appearance versus reality: Chen Cheng appears humble and remorseful while secretly maneuvering the situation; Ailafu appears refined and confident but reveals himself as a greedy opportunist.

Character Interactions

• The attendants show Chen Cheng unusual respect and secretly warn him about Augudin.
• Chen Cheng and Augudin exchange a formal apology and compensation, with Chen Cheng pretending to accept blame.
• Ailafu orders Augudin to apologize, then dismisses him once the money is offered.
• Ailafu privately confronts Chen Cheng and She Li, assuming they are royal agents.
• Chen Cheng plays along with Ailafu’s misunderstanding and asks how much assistance will cost.
• Ailafu responds with an exorbitant demand of one million Gold Coins, setting up the chapter’s central negotiation and conflict.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Ailafu, the greedy City Lord, tries to persuade Chen Cheng and She Li to bribe him with one million Gold Coins in exchange for helping Hazy Kingdom complete missions across several major kingdoms.
• Chen Cheng agrees to inspect the fur goods supposedly held at the Engela Kingdom military camp before committing to the arrangement.
• Ailafu demands an advance payment. Chen Cheng refuses to provide the full million but offers the fifty thousand Gold Coins he brought with him as an initial payment.
• Chen Cheng proposes that the remaining five hundred thousand Gold Coins serve as collateral rather than an immediate bribe. If Ailafu fails, the money will be lost; if he succeeds, the rest will be paid later.
• Though furious at losing control of the full amount, Ailafu accepts the arrangement while adding that he will charge interest on the collateral.
• Ailafu arranges for Chen Cheng and She Li to meet someone at White Elegance Residence the following day and visit the military camp.
• After they leave, Ailafu discovers the Space Bag of Gold Coins that Chen Cheng deliberately left behind. He is delighted by the wealth.
• A shadow-creature informant emerges and questions whether the travelers are truly the people described in intelligence reports, particularly expressing suspicion toward the unnamed woman accompanying them.
• Ailafu explains his interpretation of the group: “Brown” is likely the leader, the quiet man is his guard, and the woman may be attempting to seduce him. He insists that he trusts only gold, not people.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates strategic thinking and composure. He uses the fur-goods transaction as a cover for the bribe and limits the immediate payment while still appearing cooperative.
• Chen Cheng also displays controlled anger toward Ailafu’s escalating demands. His genuine irritation helps reinforce Ailafu’s mistaken belief that the negotiations are legitimate.
• She Li remains largely silent but supports Chen Cheng throughout the negotiation, reinforcing the appearance that Chen Cheng is the group’s leader.
• Ailafu is shown to be extremely greedy but not entirely irrational. His greed has been intensified by Brother Octopus, making him more grasping and emotionally sensitive to the prospect of losing money.
• Despite his corruption, Ailafu remains politically cautious: he understands that he is dealing with a kingdom rather than merely two individuals.
• Ailafu’s shadow subordinate reveals that the City Lord maintains an intelligence and assassination network.
• Ailafu’s obsession with gold is emphasized as his defining motivation; he claims money is the only thing he truly trusts.

3. Significant Themes

• Greed and corruption: Ailafu disguises bribery as commercial business and demands extra compensation even for money held as collateral.
• Deception and manipulation: Chen Cheng uses a fake trade negotiation to gain access to the military camp, while Ailafu believes he is exploiting the envoys.
• Political bargaining: The discussion reflects the tension between individual corruption and the authority of an entire kingdom.
• Appearances versus reality: Both sides maintain false identities and motives. Chen Cheng’s anger is partly genuine but also serves as a performance, while Ailafu misreads the group’s hierarchy and intentions.
• Trust and materialism: Ailafu’s claim that he trusts only gold illustrates how completely wealth has replaced loyalty, morality, and political allegiance in his worldview.

4. Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Ailafu: Their conversation is a tense negotiation in which Chen Cheng appears submissive while subtly controlling the outcome. Ailafu presses for more money, and Chen Cheng counters with a carefully limited offer.
• Chen Cheng and She Li: They communicate largely through exchanged glances, suggesting coordination and mutual understanding during the deception.
• Ailafu and his shadow subordinate: The subordinate warns him about possible inconsistencies in the travelers’ identities, but Ailafu dismisses the concern because the promised Gold Coins matter more to him.
• Ailafu and the unseen group member: Ailafu incorrectly assumes the woman is using seduction as part of the group’s plan, not realizing that his own assumptions may be misleading him.

Chapter Summary: Chen Cheng’s Compassion

Key plot points and events

• After leaving the City Lord’s Mansion, Brother Octopus reveals that he nearly exposed himself while helping Chen Cheng deceive Ailafu. She Li warns that another person—likely an Epic Rank expert—had been hiding in the office. Had Chen Cheng and his companions failed to gain Ailafu’s trust, they might not have escaped.
• Having obtained the information they needed, Chen Cheng, She Li, Snow Maiden, and the others prepare to travel to Engla’s garrison camp. Their goal is to cross the heavily fortified route to the Great Wall.
• The chapter explains the garrison’s three major types of Magic Arrays:
  • Offensive arrays, which amplify elemental magic but can overload.
  • Detection arrays, which monitor fixed areas and identify intruders.
  • Composite arrays, which combine with military formations to create powerful Harmony Formations capable of using vast numbers of soldiers or civilians.
• Chen Cheng intends to have She Li use the Shadow Demon to scout for a weakness in the garrison’s defenses—ideally a gap large enough for a shadow to pass through. Once inside, Chen Cheng hopes to study the military’s Magic Arrays and find a way past them.
• Before leaving White Elegance Residence, Chen Cheng secretly gives the deer beastkin girl, Lu, a Space Bag filled with money and instructions. He tells her to lead the other beastkin girls away from the city while he and his companions are absent.
• Lu initially tells the girls that Chen Cheng and Snow Maiden intend to take them south, but once they are safely outside the city, she explains the truth: Chen Cheng is undertaking a dangerous mission that may anger Ailafu, and he does not want the girls to be harmed because of him.
• Chen Cheng’s money will allow the beastkin girls and their clans to relocate and recover elsewhere.

Character developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates strategic caution and compassion. Although he is focused on his mission, he takes responsibility for the vulnerable beastkin girls and arranges their escape before confronting Ailafu’s forces.
• She Li is established as the group’s experienced scout and enemy evaluator. His past in the City of Sin has made him especially skilled at recognizing hidden threats.
• Brother Octopus remains boastful and self-interested, demanding that Chen Cheng acknowledge the debt he incurred by helping conceal his presence, but his assistance proves valuable.
• The deer beastkin girl, Lu, develops into a responsible leader. She protects the others by keeping Chen Cheng’s plan secret until they are outside the city, then honestly explains his intentions and guides them toward safety.
• The other beastkin girls, having been treated kindly by Chen Cheng and Snow Maiden, become willing to trust them and consider leaving their current situation.

Significant themes

• Compassion and responsibility: Chen Cheng does not treat the beastkin girls as disposable servants. He uses his resources to protect them from the consequences of his conflict with Ailafu.
• Trust and secrecy: The group survives by deceiving Ailafu, while Lu must carefully manage what the beastkin girls know until they are out of danger.
• Strategy versus strength: Rather than confronting the garrison directly, Chen Cheng plans to exploit weaknesses in its magical defenses through scouting, knowledge, and cooperation.
• Power and vulnerability: The discussion of Harmony Formations shows the overwhelming power of kingdoms and armies, while the beastkin girls’ situation emphasizes how powerless individuals can be within such systems.
• Knowledge as power: Chen Cheng’s understanding of Magic Arrays, gained through discussion with military array masters, may allow him to overcome defenses that ordinary force could not breach.

Important character interactions

• Brother Octopus jokingly demands repayment from Chen Cheng after helping him avoid detection.
• She Li warns Chen Cheng about the hidden Epic Rank expert and discusses the dangers of crossing the garrison.
• Chen Cheng and She Li coordinate their roles: She Li will scout with the Shadow Demon, while Chen Cheng will search for weaknesses in the defensive arrays.
• Chen Cheng quietly entrusts Lu with money and instructions before departing.
• Lu reassures the beastkin girls in the city, then later reveals Chen Cheng’s true intentions and explains that his generosity is meant to help them escape danger rather than bind them to him.

Chapter Summary: “Military Camps Stretching in Unbroken Lines”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter explains the harsh conditions faced by beastfolk and mountain tribes. Discrimination from humans, combined with dwindling resources in their homelands, forces many beastfolk to seek work outside their territories. Although they are not always captured violently, recruiters often lure them away under false promises, after which they are sold into slavery.
• The deer beastfolk girls’ tribe is suffering from exactly this crisis. Chen Cheng’s generous financial assistance gives them an alternative to accepting recruitment. Their sisters agree to remain with the tribe rather than risk being enslaved, then hurry home to share the news.
• Chen Cheng, Snow Maiden, and their companions travel with Augudin toward the Northern Frontier military grounds. Augudin warns Chen Cheng not to violate military regulations, since the camp is governed by the Marquis Who Guards the North and military law.
• Augudin reveals the political tension between City Lord Ailafu and the Marquis. Although Ailafu is the highest civilian authority, military discipline belongs to the Marquis, a strict Legendary Rank commander. Their relationship resembles that of a military commander and a powerful inspector, with underlying rivalry and conflicting interests.
• After crossing the Great Snow Mountain, the group sees the enormous first military camp of Engela’s Northern Frontier garrison. More than 200,000 troops and over thirty Epic Rank generals are stationed there, under the command of the Legendary Rank Marquis Who Guards the North.
• The travelers also observe a large military market outside the camp. Merchants enter through a special western gate to sell goods, buy spoils, and support the soldiers. Chen Cheng recognizes that the market serves both commercial and political purposes: it supplies the army, provides soldiers with an outlet for their frustrations, and helps ease tensions between Ailafu and the Marquis.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates compassion and practical influence by giving the deer beastfolk girls enough money to avoid recruitment and possible enslavement. He also remains observant and politically cautious, using casual conversation with Augudin to investigate the military camp’s power structure.
• Augudin shifts from an injured subordinate who once owed Chen Cheng compensation into his guide and source of information. His resentment toward the Marquis and loyalty to Ailafu reveal his position within the city lord’s faction.
• The deer beastfolk girls gain a chance to preserve their freedom and remain with their tribe. Their decision reflects both desperation and solidarity with one another.
• Ailafu and the Marquis Who Guards the North emerge as rival authorities. Their conflict is not directly acted out in the chapter, but their competing jurisdictions and opposing temperaments shape the political atmosphere.
• Snow Maiden remains attentive and curious, drawing attention to the merchants gathered outside the camp.

Significant Themes

• Exploitation disguised as employment: The chapter emphasizes how vulnerable groups can be enslaved through apparently legitimate labor arrangements rather than open force.
• Survival versus freedom: The beastfolk must choose between remaining in an impoverished homeland and risking enslavement elsewhere, showing how extreme poverty can make coercion appear voluntary.
• Power and divided authority: The tension between Ailafu and the Marquis illustrates the instability created when civilian and military leaders possess separate spheres of influence.
• Commerce supporting warfare: The military market demonstrates how armies depend on merchants not only for supplies but also for morale, intelligence, and logistical support.
• Practical governance: The market is presented as a way to prevent unrest among soldiers, suggesting that successful rule requires managing human needs as well as enforcing discipline.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and the deer beastfolk girls interact through his financial aid, which changes their decision about leaving the tribe.
• Chen Cheng questions Augudin about whether Ailafu controls the military camp, prompting Augudin to explain the Marquis’s authority and the rivalry between the two leaders.
• Augudin acts as both guide and political informant, while his comments reveal his personal resentment and allegiance.
• Snow Maiden’s observation of the merchants leads the group to examine the purpose and significance of the military market.

Chapter Summary: “The Spiritual Imprint Within the Token”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the entrance to the military camp market, Augudin gives Chen Cheng a temporary Governor’s Token and warns him not to look around carelessly, since the camp contains secrets even the City Lord might not be able to protect him from.
• Augudin explains that the token is not genuine. It is a temporary forgery containing spiritual essence carved into it by City Lord Ailafu. After roughly one day, the essence will disappear, leaving only a worthless piece of wood.
• Chen Cheng initially wishes the token were real, since it could help him and his companions bypass the military camp’s defenses.
• He offers Augudin an extremely valuable magic scroll in exchange for an ordinary merchant’s token. Though this pass cannot evade the camp’s surveillance arrays, it allows Chen Cheng, Feng and the young lady accompanying him to move around the market more freely.
• Augudin accepts the scroll and gives Chen Cheng the merchant pass, while clarifying that Chen Cheng will still need the temporary Governor’s Token to inspect goods in the warehouses.
• Chen Cheng realizes that the merchant passes only authorize trade within the market; they do not conceal their holders from the military camp’s detection arrays. The Governor’s Token, by contrast, grants genuine passage privileges and can avoid detection to some degree.
• Augudin leaves to report to Ailafu and have the magic scroll appraised, intending to sell it for cultivation resources rather than risk keeping it and attracting Ailafu’s suspicion.
• After Augudin departs, Chen Cheng examines both tokens through his Nascent Divine Domain. He identifies the Governor’s Token’s power as a temporary spiritual imprint and begins considering whether he can reproduce or prolong it.

Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates caution, resourcefulness, and growing magical insight. He asks about the tokens before entering the camp, negotiates cleverly with Augudin, and uses his Nascent Divine Domain to analyze their hidden properties.
• He also reveals a practical and opportunistic side: he briefly considers stealing or retaining a genuine Governor’s Token and strategically sacrifices an expensive magic scroll to obtain a useful merchant pass.
• Augudin appears pragmatic and self-interested. He fulfills his role as guide but is primarily concerned with profiting from the magic scroll. His fear of Ailafu also shows that he understands the danger of possessing something the City Lord might covet.
• Ailafu, though absent, is shown to possess considerable authority and magical ability. His spiritual essence is powerful enough to distinguish the Governor’s Token from ordinary passes and temporarily empower forged versions.

Significant Themes

• Authority and identity: The tokens symbolize different levels of official recognition. Ordinary merchants receive limited access, while the Governor’s Token represents the City Lord’s authority and grants special privileges.
• Appearance versus reality: The plain, undecorated Governor’s Token seems insignificant but contains a powerful spiritual imprint, while the merchant token’s visible markings are little more than anti-counterfeiting measures.
• Power, risk, and exchange: Chen Cheng trades a rare and costly magic scroll for limited access, highlighting the material sacrifices required to navigate dangerous political and military systems.
• Knowledge as power: Chen Cheng’s Nascent Divine Domain allows him to perceive what ordinary people cannot and potentially gives him a way to reproduce or extend the token’s effects.
• Political danger and self-preservation: Both Chen Cheng and Augudin carefully avoid attracting Ailafu’s suspicion, showing how the City Lord’s authority shapes everyone’s decisions.

Character Interactions

• Chen Cheng and Augudin: Their conversation is polite but transactional. Chen Cheng probes for information and manipulates the negotiation by offering the magic scroll, while Augudin recognizes the scroll’s value and grants him the merchant pass.
• Augudin and Ailafu: Though they do not interact directly in the chapter, Augudin’s fear of Ailafu motivates his decision to sell the scroll rather than keep it.
• Chen Cheng and Ailafu: Their indirect connection becomes more significant as Chen Cheng studies the spiritual imprint created through Ailafu’s genuine Governor’s Token and considers reproducing its effect.

Chapter Summary: “The Deity Opened His Eyes”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Cheng uses a mysterious token and enters his consciousness space, where his spiritual deity—an exact replica of himself—appears surrounded by purple qi, divine light, and mist.
• The pill in his lower dantian transforms incoming power of faith into five-colored qi, which strengthens and solidifies the spiritual deity.
• A strange, ancient mark appears before the deity’s brow. When the deity opens its eyes, an invisible thread connects to the mark, causing it to become more substantial before disappearing from Chen Cheng’s consciousness.
• Chen Cheng removes the token and appears normal, but Brother Octopus senses that something significant has changed. He is so startled that he falls from Chen Cheng’s shoulder.
• Brother Octopus questions whether Chen Cheng “opened his eyes” and warns him to complete his mission quickly, though he refuses to explain the danger. Chen Cheng becomes uneasy but cannot investigate further in their current surroundings.
• Chen Cheng realizes the mark is not an ordinary symbol but a fragment of a unique world. This confirms that the Formation World discussed by the Magic Array masters truly exists.
• He also understands why he could not reproduce the Engela Kingdom’s military formation: it is a legendary array capable of condensing an entire Formation World, far beyond his current abilities.
• The setting then shifts to the Beastmen’s northern homeland. Their strongest clans live beyond the ice plains, in the volcanic Flame Wasteland surrounding the Heavenly North Pole.
• The Beastmen King visits the Great Priest, who reveals that the Abyss is becoming increasingly unstable. The ancestral god has warned that the coming Black Calamity will destroy the Beastmen clan, forcing them to migrate south.
• The Beastmen King refuses to flee. Because his people opened the Abyss, he believes they must remain and seal it, even if that means sacrificing themselves.
• He gives the Great Priest the Bloodfury Battleaxe, a symbol of royal authority, instructing him to pass it to a new king and lead the surviving Beastmen south.
• The Beastmen King departs to face the demons in the Abyss, accepting that his people will henceforth be branded a sinful clan.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Chen Cheng: Gains a deeper understanding of the token and the Formation World. His spiritual deity demonstrates mysterious abilities, suggesting that Chen Cheng’s inner power is connected to forces beyond ordinary cultivation. He is also unsettled by Brother Octopus’s reaction.
• Brother Octopus: Displays unusual fear and urgency, implying that Chen Cheng’s awakened spiritual deity may have triggered a dangerous or world-altering event. He avoids explaining himself, creating further mystery.
• Chen Cheng and Brother Octopus: Their exchange shows their familiar, argumentative relationship, but Brother Octopus’s alarm reveals that he may know more about Chen Cheng’s powers than he admits.
• The Beastmen King: Develops from a ruler into a willing sacrificial guardian. He accepts personal death and the destruction of his clan’s reputation as the price for containing the Abyss.
• The Great Priest: Acts as spiritual guide and protector of the Beastmen people but is forced to accept the king’s decision. His grief highlights the enormous cost of the coming calamity.
• Beastmen King and Great Priest: Their confrontation centers on duty. The Great Priest prioritizes survival through migration, while the king insists that responsibility for the Abyss must come before his own life.

Significant Themes

• Responsibility and sacrifice: The Beastmen King chooses to remain behind because his ancestors created the Abyss, demonstrating a willingness to sacrifice himself for future generations.
• Inherited guilt: The Beastmen are condemned to become a “sinful clan,” showing how the actions of past generations burden their descendants.
• Hidden power and awakening: Chen Cheng’s spiritual deity opening its eyes suggests the emergence of a dormant force with consequences that even he does not understand.
• Limits of knowledge and ability: Chen Cheng recognizes that the Formation World is beyond his current mastery, emphasizing the vast gap between his understanding and the legendary powers involved.
• Impending catastrophe: The unstable Abyss, the coming Black Calamity, and Brother Octopus’s warning establish a sense of approaching disaster on both personal and cosmic levels.

Chapter Summary: “Abyss”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter introduces Heaven’s Far North, where the continent appears to end in a vast, unnatural chasm called the Abyss. Its strange spatial laws contradict Chen Cheng’s understanding of the world as a spherical planet.
• The Orc race has lived beside the Abyss for a thousand years, building stone settlements around it and guarding it to prevent the escape of the Black Demons within.
• The Barbarian King returns to the Orc settlement and is informed that the Abyss has recently stirred again. Several Black Demons have emerged, and a far greater power is gathering below—stronger than during the previous upheaval four years earlier.
• The king announces that he is stepping down and orders the Orc tribes to abandon the Far North before the Abyss erupts completely. The royal guards are shocked, since guarding the Abyss has been the Orcs’ ancestral duty.
• The chapter reveals the origin of the Abyss: during humanity’s rebellion against the ancient Orc empire, the Orcs performed a catastrophic ritual using divine artifacts and the blood of millions, summoning a demon god and nearly destroying the world.
• Jingjihua the First, aided by the legendary God of War, ended the disaster. He gathered the shattered remnants of the world into the Abyss and imprisoned the demon god’s lingering divine consciousness there.
• As punishment and atonement, the Orcs were condemned to guard the Abyss for generations. However, the High Priest has divined that the Orcs no longer possess enough strength to suppress the coming eruption.
• The Barbarian King chooses to remain behind, intending to fight until death while allowing the rest of the Orc race to escape.
• At the Abyss, he destroys Black Demons that manage to climb out, but some disappear through the chasm’s spatial laws and are transported elsewhere across the Northern Icefield. These creatures are revealed to be the source of the Black Demons appearing throughout the wider world.

Character Developments

• The Barbarian King is shown as self-sacrificing and resigned. Though he abandons his title, he refuses to abandon his people entirely and plans to stay behind as the final defender of the Abyss.
• His departure from kingship marks the collapse of the Orcs’ ancient system and suggests that their thousand-year period of atonement is coming to an end.
• Sartos and the royal guards initially resist the idea of leaving, believing withdrawal would betray their ancestors and expose the Orcs to retaliation from other races. Their despair grows when they learn that humanity may no longer be capable of helping.
• The High Priest remains offstage but is established as a powerful spiritual authority whose divination confirms that the Abyss can no longer be contained.
• Chen Cheng is not present, but the description of the Abyss emphasizes how profoundly it would challenge his understanding of reality.

Significant Themes

• Atonement and inherited guilt: The Orcs continue to suffer for the crimes of their ancestors, even though the current generation did not cause the original catastrophe.
• Sacrifice and duty: The Barbarian King’s decision to remain behind reflects the burden of leadership and the willingness to die for the survival of his people.
• The collapse of old orders: The Orcs’ withdrawal signals the failure of a thousand-year institution and the weakening of the world’s traditional powers.
• Consequences of reckless power: The ancient ritual demonstrates how the pursuit of victory through forbidden means can damage the entire world for generations.
• Unstable reality and cosmic danger: The Abyss is not merely a physical chasm but a rupture in space and the world’s laws, making it a continuing source of supernatural catastrophe.

Character Interactions

• The Orc guards report the Abyss’s worsening condition to the Barbarian King and ask when the High Priest will bring the ritual artifacts.
• The king gently but firmly tells them they are no longer required to guard the Abyss and must lead their clans south.
• Sartos physically grabs the king’s hand and argues that the Orcs should seek humanity’s help rather than abandon their ancestral duty.
• The Barbarian King rejects this hope, explaining that the High Priest’s prophecy leaves little chance of success and that humanity itself is politically broken.
• Their exchange highlights the conflict between loyalty to the past and the need to preserve the Orc race’s future.

Chapter Summary: “Northern Great Wall Army”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Northern Great Wall, an ancient and seemingly indestructible defense against the beastmen of the Arctic Wasteland, still stands, but the army guarding it has greatly declined from its former glory.
• Deputy Commander Ye Rong, an aged Demigod over three hundred years old, oversees the army in Prince Pingbei’s absence. His white hair, damaged divine armor, and weathered appearance reflect centuries of service.
• Half-orc logistics soldier Hu San informs Ye Rong that the army’s monthly supplies have again been reduced. He suspects that military provisions are being skimmed and protests that the soldiers’ rations should not be sacrificed.
• Ye Rong learns that Hu San has served for eighty-four years after being rescued from a catastrophe that destroyed most of his tribe. He reflects on how half-orcs and other beastmen have loyally defended the wall, despite being despised by people in the empire’s interior.
• Ye Rong orders Hu San to take him to the officials responsible for stealing or withholding supplies, warning that such corruption traditionally warrants the destruction of the offender’s family and clan.
• At the foot of the wall, where the Great Wall’s mechanisms create a warm region suitable for farming, Ye Rong encounters a military supply handover between the Great Wall Army and several kingdoms.
• The supplies have been mishandled, with grain scattered into mud and dirt. The poorly equipped but battle-hardened Great Wall soldiers face officers from the kingdoms wearing polished armor.
• When a Chamo Kingdom officer dismisses the wasted grain as insignificant, Ye Rong strikes him without any visible movement or energy fluctuation, sending him crashing into a distant mountain.
• Terrified, the kingdom representatives agree to repay all the wasted grain and swear an oath to do so.

Character Developments

• Ye Rong: Demonstrates that despite his age and the army’s weakened political position, he remains overwhelmingly powerful, disciplined, and fiercely protective of his soldiers. His calmness masks deep exhaustion and long-suppressed anger. His decision to force the kingdoms to swear an oath, rather than kill the offending officer, reveals how much the Great Wall Army’s authority has diminished.
• Hu San: Is established as a loyal half-orc veteran who deeply respects Ye Rong and the human soldiers. His personal history shows how the Great Wall Army saved his life and how former enemies have become devoted defenders.
• The Great Wall soldiers: Though poorly supplied and wearing damaged armor, they remain highly disciplined, alert, and battle-ready. Their appearance contrasts sharply with the polished but intimidated officials from the kingdoms.
• Kingdom supply officers: They are exposed as complacent and corrupt. Their confidence collapses once Ye Rong displays his power.

Significant Themes

• Decline of a once-great institution: The Great Wall and its army remain formidable, but the Empire’s former support and authority have eroded.
• Sacrifice and neglect: Soldiers, including former beastmen enemies, have spent generations defending the interior lands while receiving little recognition or adequate supplies.
• Unity across racial divisions: Half-orcs who were once outsiders now serve alongside humans, demonstrating loyalty born from shared hardship and mutual protection.
• Corruption and injustice: The kingdom officials’ mishandling of supplies represents the broader indifference of the interior toward those defending its peace.
• Power constrained by political reality: Ye Rong could once have executed the offenders, but now must limit himself to intimidation and sworn repayment, emphasizing the army’s helplessness despite its strength.
• Duty and endurance: The Great Wall Army survives through farming, recruitment, and generations of unwavering service rather than imperial support.

Character Interactions

• Ye Rong and Hu San: Their conversation reveals mutual respect and the general’s recognition of the half-orcs’ sacrifices. Ye Rong validates Hu San’s concerns and acts on his behalf.
• Ye Rong and the supply officers: The confrontation exposes the gulf between the exhausted defenders and the privileged kingdoms. Ye Rong’s single effortless attack forces the officers to acknowledge their responsibility.
• Ye Rong and the Great Wall Army: The soldiers salute him as a respected commander, while his defense of their rations reinforces his role as their protector.
• Humans and half-orcs: Their shared military service reflects an uneasy but meaningful integration formed through common struggle and dependence.

Chapter Summary: “Intimidation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Generals from the major kingdoms attempt to leave after delivering military supplies, but Ye Rong stops them with overwhelming pressure.
• After Hu San checks the accounts, Ye Rong reveals that the kingdoms have withheld part of the supplies. He demands that everything missing be restored within seven days and threatens to invoke military law against their commanding generals.
• The confrontation reflects the larger political conflict: the Great Wall Army considers itself loyal to the fallen Empire rather than to the major kingdoms, while the kingdoms argue that the army cannot act independently without imperial authorization.
• Kui Niu and several other Legendary- and Demigod-level commanders arrive to support Ye Rong. Their presence terrifies the kingdom representatives and reinforces Ye Rong’s position.
• Kui Niu openly threatens to confront the kingdoms if they fail to replace the stolen supplies. Sinister jokingly suggests disguising themselves as bandits and robbing future supply convoys.
• When a kingdom quartermaster challenges Ye Rong’s leadership, Bu Jiu slaps him and warns him not to show disrespect. Although the quartermaster apologizes, he secretly harbors murderous resentment.
• Surrounded and intimidated by Ye Rong’s forces, the representatives of the five major kingdoms have no choice but to swear an oath to replace the missing supplies.

Character Developments

• Ye Rong demonstrates firm leadership, military authority, and controlled intimidation. Although he lacks the imperial power to execute corrupt commanders, he refuses to tolerate continued exploitation of the Great Wall Army.
• Kui Niu is shown as fiercely loyal, intimidating, and blunt, but also humorous and cooperative with Ye Rong. His past as a displaced Half-Orc chieftain explains his allegiance to the Great Wall Army.
• Sinister reveals a more cunning and mischievous side through his suggestion to rob supply convoys.
• Bu Jiu acts as a strict defender of Ye Rong’s authority, immediately punishing disrespect.
• The kingdom officials appear outwardly submissive but inwardly resentful, showing that the conflict is unresolved despite their oath.

Significant Themes

• Power and intimidation: The Great Wall Army uses its superior military strength to force compliance from politically stronger but militarily weaker kingdoms.
• Political legitimacy and loyalty: The army’s identity as the Empire’s force places it in an unstable position between obedience to imperial law and independence from the major kingdoms.
• Corruption and exploitation: The withheld supplies reveal how the kingdoms abuse the army’s vulnerable political status.
• Unity through loyalty: Ye Rong’s commanders, including Kui Niu and Bu Jiu, stand together against outside interference, demonstrating the Great Wall Army’s internal solidarity.
• Fragile peace: The oath prevents immediate conflict, but the concealed hostility of the kingdom officials suggests that war remains a possibility.

Character Interactions

• Ye Rong confronts the kingdom generals and forces them to acknowledge the missing supplies.
• He exchanges friendly, familiar banter with Kui Niu, even threatening him with punishment while clearly valuing his loyalty.
• Kui Niu and Sinister humorously discuss threatening or robbing the kingdoms, worsening the officials’ anger.
• Bu Jiu physically defends Ye Rong when a quartermaster speaks disrespectfully.
• The kingdom representatives submit publicly, but their resentment and concealed killing intent show that their relationship with the Great Wall Army remains deeply antagonistic.

Chapter Summary: Sword God Ye Rong

Plot and events

After the supply convoys from the various kingdoms depart, Ye Rong and the other commanders of the Northern Great Wall Army are left worried about their army’s declining prestige, mounting casualties, illness, aging soldiers, and the possibility that the supposedly allied dukes and marquises may eventually turn against them. The Great Wall then detects Abyss fluctuations more violent than those seen four years earlier. Ye Rong orders a meeting of all camp generals and predicts that the Beastmen will soon move south, possibly because a thousand-year period of suppression is ending and they can no longer contain the Abyss.

Character developments

Ye Rong appears increasingly burdened by responsibility and concerned for the Great Wall Army’s future rather than his own reputation. Kui Niu reveals a pragmatic, politically shrewd side beneath his seemingly simple-minded exterior, explaining that the Orcs’ ancient oath to guard the Abyss was originally a survival strategy and may be abandoned if necessary. Sinister remains cynical and provocative, while Bu Jiu acts as both observer and tactical supporter. The four commanders’ unity is reinforced despite their constant teasing and conflict.

Character interactions

Sinister mocks Kui Niu’s explanation of the Orcs’ past and ridicules their defeat by the First Emperor. Kui Niu responds proudly, defending his race’s intelligence and survival. Their verbal argument escalates into a full-scale fight between two Legendary Rank warriors. Bu Jiu encourages Sinister and even points out Kui Niu’s supposed weakness, while the soldiers and Ye Rong watch without intervening. The battle is partly a deliberate show of force intended to intimidate the kingdoms’ soldiers and end their political wrangling before the coming crisis.

Major turning point

As Kui Niu and Sinister nearly lose control and prepare to fight with full strength, Ye Rong intervenes with a single sword strike. His sword aura tears open the sky, splits the clouds, and cleaves a nearby Great Snow Mountain in two. The overwhelming display terrifies the convoy soldiers, who conclude that Ye Rong must be a god. Before the scene ends, the soldier who says this is abruptly decapitated, leaving the identity and motive of the killer as a dramatic unresolved point.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes the collapse of old alliances, the tension between ideals and survival, and the harsh pragmatism required in times of crisis. It also establishes the growing threat of the Abyss, the likely southward advance of the Beastmen, and the impending “Black Calamity.” Finally, the commanders’ demonstrations of power show how fear and awe can be used as political tools, while Ye Rong’s sword strike establishes him as a force far beyond ordinary Legendary or Demigod-level fighters.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Ye Rong’s devastating sword strike shatters space and terrifies the allied armies, a commanding general executes a mentally broken soldier who had spoken of demons and gods. The execution is intended to suppress panic and restore discipline.
• The supply convoys divide and hurry toward their assigned garrisons. Beneath the Great Wall, Ye Rong calls the gathered experts to a meeting once the spatial rift closes.
• Sinister praises Ye Rong as the “Sword God,” claiming that no one could withstand his attack. Ye Rong disagrees, insisting that Samlet, the master of the Demigod Temple, could block it.
• The other demigods recall their youthful attempts to challenge Samlet and the painful beatings they received from his powerful fists. They believe Samlet may have already surpassed the ordinary demigod realm.
• Ten thousand li away, Samlet is fleeing from the Elves. After sneezing and deciding he cannot continue flying, he lands, changes his appearance from a middle-aged man into a young gentleman, and enters the royal capital of the Kingdom of Como.
• The city’s history reminds Samlet of the betrayal and destruction surrounding Hughes Hopps, the Fifteenth Thorn Blossom, and Queen Sophia. Seeing the capital where Hisslaj was rewarded for destroying Hughes’s restoration army reignites Samlet’s anger.
• Samlet nearly loses control and considers destroying the city, but a speeding royal carriage interrupts his thoughts. His killing intent frightens the magic-blooded horse, causing the carriage to stop violently and injure the princess inside, Qianxi.
• The coachman blames Samlet for standing in the road. Qianxi emerges, notices Samlet’s striking appearance and cold demeanor, and appears intrigued by him.

Character Developments

• Ye Rong is established as an immensely powerful and humble warrior. Despite his ability to split space, he recognizes Samlet as his superior and does not overestimate himself.
• Samlet is shown to possess overwhelming strength, a playful vanity about his youthful appearance, and deep unresolved grief and anger over Hughes and Queen Sophia’s fate. His rage is powerful enough to threaten an entire capital, though he regains control.
• Sinister, Bu Jiu, and the other demigods are reminded of their inferiority to Samlet. Their memories of being beaten by him reveal both their pride and their respect for his absolute strength.
• Qianxi is introduced as a spoiled or imperious royal princess, but her reaction to Samlet suggests she is also easily captivated by his appearance.
• The coachman is fearful of Qianxi’s temper and immediately attempts to shift blame to avoid punishment.

Significant Themes

• Fear and control: The soldiers’ panic after Ye Rong’s attack is managed through violence, showing how authorities use intimidation to preserve order.
• Absolute strength and hierarchy: Even powerful demigods acknowledge Samlet’s unmatched might, creating a clear hierarchy among the world’s strongest figures.
• Trauma and suppressed anger: Samlet’s memories of Hughes and Sophia reveal that past betrayals continue to shape his emotions and actions.
• Appearance versus identity: Samlet disguises himself as a young man, contrasting his youthful appearance with his true age, experience, and immense power.
• Power, injustice, and political betrayal: The royal capital symbolizes the regime that rewarded Hisslaj for destroying Hughes, making the city a painful reminder of corruption and treachery.

Character Interactions

• Ye Rong and Sinister discuss the limits of Ye Rong’s sword and Samlet’s superiority, while the other demigods recall their humiliating encounters with Samlet.
• Samlet’s memories connect him emotionally to Hughes Hopps and Queen Sophia, even though they are not physically present.
• Samlet’s encounter with Qianxi begins confrontationally: her carriage nearly hits him, the coachman accuses him, and Qianxi sees him as both an inconvenience and an attractive stranger.

Chapter Summary

• Plot and events: Princess Qianxi encounters Samlet after her carriage nearly hits him. Mistaking his concealed killing intent for an elaborate “cold and aloof” seduction tactic, she invites him into her carriage. Samlet accepts, partly to investigate whether the Kingdom of Como is preparing an ambush related to the upcoming Grand Council and Brown. Once inside, he continues emitting killing intent to test her reaction—but Qianxi becomes intensely excited rather than frightened. Her heartbeat and blood circulation rise to dangerous levels, forcing Samlet to stop. After recovering, Qianxi claims that she has “admitted defeat,” implying that Samlet has fulfilled the condition for becoming her husband.

Character developments

• Qianxi is revealed to be extremely bored, thrill-seeking, and perverse. She is accustomed to men flattering her and finds ordinary romantic tactics tiresome, but Samlet’s genuine hostility fascinates her. She misinterprets the situation as a romantic or erotic game and becomes increasingly shameless and forward.
• Samlet remains suspicious and cautious. He assumes Qianxi may be trying to lure him into a trap and checks the surrounding area for powerful enemies. He is confused by her reactions and increasingly unsettled by her behavior, though he still helps her when she collapses.
• The coachman understands Qianxi’s temperament and initially assumes she intends to toy with Samlet. He is shocked by her sudden outburst and strange behavior.
• Character interactions: Qianxi repeatedly flirts with and provokes Samlet, calling him a “bad man” and asking him to help her up. Samlet responds bluntly and clinically, even asking whether she is having a seizure when she begins flushing and breathing rapidly. Their opposing interpretations create the chapter’s central misunderstanding: Qianxi believes Samlet is engaging in a deliberately cruel courtship game, while Samlet believes she may have discovered his identity or be setting a trap.
• Themes: The chapter emphasizes comic misunderstanding, the danger of boredom and excessive privilege, and the contrast between genuine menace and romanticized danger. Qianxi’s royal status has made conventional admiration meaningless to her, causing her to seek extreme sensations. Her marriage rule—that only someone who defeats her may become her husband—further enables her to interpret Samlet’s hostile behavior as proof of romantic interest.

Chapter Summary: The Clear-Headed Perverted Little Princess

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qianxi stops Samlet from leaving and gives him an unusually frank account of her life and personality.
• Despite being adored as the Como Kingdom’s little princess, Qianxi claims her life has been “empty, lonely, and cold” because she has never faced hardship and has always been surrounded by flatterers.
• She admits that her dissatisfaction is not genuine suffering but the result of having obtained everything too easily. She compares herself to a player using cheats who loses interest after becoming invincible.
• Qianxi correctly deduces that Samlet is not from Como and bears a grudge against the kingdom. She also suspects that he came to the capital because of the upcoming Grand Council.
• She proposes that Samlet marry her so he can “torment” her instead of disrupting the council, revealing both her provocative personality and willingness to use herself as bait.
• Samlet considers exploiting Qianxi’s position to discover the true purpose of the Grand Council, whose early convening makes him suspicious.
• Qianxi dismisses the danger of Samlet manipulating her, even suggesting that she does not care if he acts against the kingdom because she is merely a favored princess, not its ruler.
• Samlet tests her perverse reactions by threatening her and briefly choking her, then throws her aside in disgust.
• Rather than answer Qianxi’s marriage proposal, Samlet directly demands to know why the Grand Council was called ahead of schedule. He does not believe the official explanation that it is meant to address the Kingdom of Moss.

Character Developments

• Qianxi: Reveals herself to be self-aware rather than spoiled or unintelligent. She recognizes the source of her dissatisfaction and understands the consequences of her privileged upbringing. Her sharp deductions show political awareness, while her flirtatious and masochistic behavior remains extreme and unsettling.
• Samlet: Initially views Qianxi as a shallow, “cheap” princess, but revises his opinion after hearing her honest self-analysis. He still finds her behavior intolerable, yet recognizes her potential usefulness as a source of information. His hostility toward the Kingdom of Como and concern about the Grand Council become more pronounced.

Significant Themes

• Privilege and emptiness: Qianxi’s wealth, status, and constant adoration have deprived her of challenge and purpose.
• Self-awareness versus genuine suffering: Qianxi knows that her misery is largely self-created, distinguishing her from someone truly oppressed.
• Manipulation and political suspicion: Both characters openly acknowledge the possibility of using each other, creating a tense exchange built on calculated honesty.
• Desensitization and the need for stimulation: Qianxi seeks stronger sensations because ordinary experiences no longer satisfy her, while Samlet seeks answers and revenge.
• Hidden political motives: The early Grand Council suggests a deeper threat or secret agenda beyond the stated concern over the Kingdom of Moss.

Character Interactions

• Qianxi physically restrains Samlet and speaks openly about her history, earning a reluctant shift in his opinion.
• She analyzes Samlet’s motives and repeatedly provokes him with flirtation and suggestive comments.
• Samlet responds with cold threats and displays of killing intent, which excite Qianxi rather than frighten her.
• Their exchange becomes a contest of provocation, suspicion, and attempted manipulation: Qianxi offers herself as a possible ally or target, while Samlet tries to extract political information from her.
• The chapter ends with Samlet forcing the conversation away from Qianxi’s provocative proposal and toward the hidden reason for the Grand Council.

Chapter Summary: “A Weapon Shop”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Samlet interrogates Qianxi about the information he needs, but she claims she must first return and ask the Como king.
• Suspecting that Qianxi is connected to the Kingdom of Como’s rebellion, Samlet threatens her and nearly strangles her.
• Rather than reacting normally to the torture, Qianxi takes pleasure in it, revealing herself to be a masochistic pervert. Samlet is disturbed and leaves her behind.
• Samlet enters the Como Royal Capital by blending into the crowds.
• The capital is described as a vast, highly developed city divided into four rings:
  • The fourth ring is the commercial district.
  • The third ring contains noble-owned farmland and rural scenery.
  • The second ring houses the upper class, the Royal Academy, Consecration Institute, cathedral, and Royal Guard headquarters.
  • The first ring contains the royal palace.
• Samlet intends to visit the Royal Academy and Consecration Institute, where he has old acquaintances.
• He enters an apparently ordinary weapon shop near the Adventurer’s Guild and uses an outdated secret passphrase.
• The shopkeeper reveals that the establishment is a secret organization’s entrance, not merely a weapons store. After identifying Samlet’s connection to the late Doyle, he leads him underground through a hidden staircase.
• Beneath the shop lies a massive man-made tunnel, apparently part of the capital’s old drainage system.

Character Developments

• Samlet remains ruthless and intimidating, willing to kill Qianxi if she cannot help him. However, Qianxi’s unusual reaction to torture unsettles him, exposing a rare moment of discomfort and helplessness.
• Qianxi is revealed to have extreme masochistic tendencies. Although she verbally asks Samlet not to punish her again, her behavior makes it clear that she desires further torment. She also agrees to gather intelligence for him.
• The weapon-shop owner is introduced as a pale, secretive man connected to an older underground network. He recognizes Samlet’s use of an obsolete code phrase and knows the history of “old Doyle.”

Significant Themes

• Power and complicity: Qianxi’s privileged life is presented as inseparable from the Como kingdom’s rebellion, suggesting that benefiting from injustice creates responsibility for it.
• Moral ambiguity: Samlet acts violently, yet the narrative also portrays him as disturbed by Qianxi’s perversion, complicating his otherwise cold image.
• Hidden histories and secret networks: The outdated passphrase and concealed passage suggest that the capital contains remnants of older organizations and forgotten alliances.
• Civilization versus destruction: The grandeur of Como’s capital contrasts with Samlet’s awareness that even magnificent cities can be destroyed, emphasizing the fragility of power.
• The passage of time: The changed password and Doyle’s death indicate that Samlet is returning to a world that has continued without him.

Important Character Interactions

• Samlet’s confrontation with Qianxi shifts from interrogation to physical intimidation, but her unexpected pleasure reverses the emotional balance and forces him to retreat.
• Samlet’s conversation with the shopkeeper reveals his connection to Doyle and establishes that he has a history with the underground organization.
• Their exchange also introduces the idea that Samlet is linked to an older generation, while the current network and its codes have evolved in his absence.

Chapter Summary: Crimson World

Key Plot Points and Events

• Samlet enters a hidden sewer passage with the help of a pale-faced man carrying Crimson World, a special spatial divine artifact disguised as an oil lamp.
• The lamp’s crimson light creates a concealed space containing a staircase, allowing the men to bypass walls, barriers, and much of the city while traveling underground.
• They emerge in a sealed room beneath the Kingdom of Como’s inner city and enter a secret Adventurer’s Guild contact point using the code phrase “Spicy Red Sunflower Wine.”
  • “Red Sunflower Wine” indicates someone seeking a member of the Royal Academy.
  • “Spicy” reveals that the target is also an Attendant of the Consecration Institute.
• Samlet pays 5,000 Gold Coins for a forged or newly issued Royal Academy student identification document. He is told that no place is currently available at the Consecration Institute, but the person he seeks will be staying at the academy during the upcoming Grand Council.
• Before Samlet leaves, the pale-faced man lends him Crimson World for protection, warning that his target is extremely powerful and dangerous.
• The man reveals that he gave Samlet the artifact to fulfill his deceased father’s final wish and tells the Guild contact that he is prepared for enemies to come seeking revenge.
• In the inner city, Samlet encounters Jin Hong, a friendly noble youth and the son of the kingdom’s powerful Treasury Minister. Jin Hong notices the unusual lamp and offers to help Samlet find the Royal Academy, which Samlet has difficulty locating after nearly two centuries away.

Character Developments

• Samlet is shown to be focused, secretive, and determined. He spends a large sum to infiltrate the academy and pursue someone connected to both the academy and the Consecration Institute. His impatience reflects the urgency and seriousness of his mission.
• The pale-faced man proves more loyal and courageous than initially apparent. He risks his own safety by lending Samlet Crimson World and accepts that doing so may provoke revenge from dangerous enemies. His actions are motivated by his father’s final wish.
• Jin Hong is introduced as a wealthy but unusually approachable noble. Despite being ignored and dismissed by Samlet, he remains polite and helpful, suggesting that he is open-minded rather than arrogant.

Significant Themes

• Secrecy and infiltration: The hidden spatial passage, coded language, forged identity, and underground Guild contact all emphasize covert movement and clandestine dealings.
• Sacrifice and inherited obligations: The pale-faced man’s decision is driven by his father’s dying wish, showing how family promises can shape dangerous choices.
• Power and danger: Samlet’s target is powerful enough to threaten both Samlet and those assisting him, while the Guild operates under strict rules and risks serious consequences.
• Change over time: Samlet struggles to recognize the capital after nearly two hundred years, highlighting the passage of time and the transformation of familiar places.
• Contrasting social attitudes: Samlet is distant and mission-oriented, whereas Jin Hong uses his privileged position to offer genuine assistance rather than flaunt his status.

Character Interactions

• Samlet and the pale-faced man cooperate efficiently, though Samlet questions the man’s motives when offered Crimson World.
• The Guild contact treats the transaction professionally, requiring payment and verifying the code phrase while warning that the old code has not been used for over a century.
• The Guild contact is surprised by the pale-faced man lending out Crimson World, recognizing that the artifact is essential to the man’s safety.
• Jin Hong repeatedly attempts to engage Samlet despite being rebuffed. His friendly persistence establishes him as a potential ally and guide as Samlet begins his search for the Royal Academy.

Chapter Summary: “Bamboo Leaf Green Fisher Doge”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Samlet meets Jin Hong, the eldest son of a powerful Imperial Court estate. Jin Hong explains that he wants to befriend Samlet because Samlet recognized his status but repeatedly ignored him.
• Samlet distrusts Jin Hong, believing that someone from a prestigious family would ultimately serve his own interests rather than help Samlet and Chen Cheng restore their kingdom. He secretly considers killing him.
• To conceal his identity, Samlet claims to be the son of a rural tailor who entered the Royal Academy through the Warrior Institute. He asks Jin Hong to escort him back to the academy so he can participate in the Academy Selection.
• Jin Hong guides Samlet through the Capital’s Second Ring. He interprets Samlet’s cold demeanor as the attitude of an unaffiliated warrior who earned his position independently and continues trying to recruit him as an ally.
• At the academy gates, Samlet thanks Jin Hong before entering. Jin Hong assumes this may indicate acceptance of his friendship, but Samlet’s thanks is actually a warning: he has decided not to kill Jin Hong.
• Samlet reflects on his true purpose. Along with investigating why the Grand Council was summoned early, he has returned to seek revenge against traitors who betrayed his kingdom and escaped punishment for two centuries.
• Inside the Royal Academy, Samlet follows a familiar path to an old bamboo hut where Fisher Doge, once known by the codename “Bamboo Leaf Green,” lives.
• Samlet destroys the thorn-covered vines sealing the gate, deliberately announcing his presence. Fisher Doge recognizes Samlet’s former face and voice, but reacts with fear and hostility, retreating into the hut and slamming the door.
• Samlet calmly enters the courtyard and sits down, prepared to confront the old man.

Character Developments

• Samlet: Reveals himself as calculating, distrustful, and driven by long-suppressed revenge. Though he remains outwardly composed, his hidden killing intent and decision to confront former enemies show how dangerous and determined he has become after being freed from captivity.
• Jin Hong: Demonstrates intelligence, social awareness, and political ambition. He tries to build a relationship with Samlet, likely because of the coming Academy Selection and the broader succession struggle in Como.
• Fisher Doge: Is introduced as an elderly, irritable former associate of Samlet. His fearful reaction suggests guilt, unresolved conflict, or knowledge of Samlet’s past and the betrayals he intends to punish.

Significant Themes

• Revenge and delayed justice: Samlet returns after two hundred years to punish traitors who lived comfortably while spreading slander about past rulers.
• Political maneuvering: The Academy Selection is connected to the hidden Succession Struggle in the Kingdom of Como, with the Grand Council Tournament serving as a contest among princes.
• Identity and concealment: Samlet hides behind a fabricated student identity and altered appearance, while his old codename and face reveal his true history to those who knew him.
• Trust and manipulation: Jin Hong’s friendliness may be politically motivated, and Samlet carefully distinguishes genuine loyalty from attempts to recruit or exploit him.
• The past confronting the present: The unchanged academy and the preserved bamboo hut connect Samlet’s current mission with events from centuries earlier.

Character Interactions

• Samlet and Jin Hong engage in a polite but tense exchange: Jin Hong seeks friendship, while Samlet views him as a potential enemy and keeps his intentions hidden.
• Samlet’s brief thanks to Jin Hong carries an unspoken threat rather than gratitude alone.
• Samlet’s reunion with Fisher Doge is highly charged. Samlet approaches him with familiarity, while Fisher Doge responds with alarm, immediately withdrawing behind a closed door.

Chapter Summary: “Signing Up to Participate”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fisher Doge, terrified by Samlet’s presence, hides in his bamboo house until Nando from the Academic Affairs Office arrives.
• Nando comes to ask whether Fisher Doge—also known as Doug—will recommend a disciple for the Academy’s upcoming grand selection tournament.
• Doug unexpectedly recommends Samlet, who is living under the false identity “Sam.” Samlet presents forged student identification and is officially registered as a participant.
• After Nando leaves, Samlet confronts Doug about the nearly two centuries he has spent living comfortably as an Academy master.
• Doug reveals that he has actually been under house arrest and surveillance, restricted to the Academy and Royal Palace. He claims to have survived by maintaining connections and identities across multiple factions.
• Samlet threatens Doug with the Demigod Temple’s “family law,” which mandates death for betrayal, reminding him that he remains bound to the former emperor and the Temple.
• Frightened, Doug promises to obey Samlet and reveals his willingness to provide information.
• Samlet asks Doug to uncover the real reason the rebel factions are convening the Grand Council ahead of schedule, rejecting the public explanations given to outsiders.

Character Developments

• Samlet remains controlled, intimidating, and suspicious. He accepts participation in the tournament because it may help preserve his current identity and does not believe registration can truly restrain him.
• Doug/Fisher Doge/Bamboo Leaf Green is shown as a cautious survivor and political opportunist. Though he claims helplessness, he is actually a powerful elder with influence in many factions. His fear of Samlet exposes his guilt and insecurity regarding his past neutrality.
• Nando acts as a dutiful Academy official. He initially prepares to reprimand Samlet but immediately changes his attitude upon realizing Samlet is under Doug’s protection.
• Doug’s role shifts from seemingly obscure Academy recluse to a well-connected intelligence source whose neutrality has allowed him to survive political upheaval.

Significant Themes

• Political survival and loyalty: Doug’s strategy of maintaining ties with every faction has kept him alive, but Samlet questions whether survival justifies failing to act for one’s true sovereign.
• Power and intimidation: Samlet does not need physical force; his authority, reputation, and knowledge of the Temple’s laws are enough to terrify Doug into cooperation.
• Hidden identities and deception: Samlet uses the name “Sam” and forged credentials, while Doug maintains multiple identities within competing organizations.
• The cost of neutrality: The chapter distinguishes between cowardly fence-sitting and strategically cultivated influence, suggesting that neutrality can be either weakness or power depending on the individual.
• Uncovering the truth: Public explanations are portrayed as misleading, while real political motives remain hidden behind official events such as the early Grand Council.

Character Interactions

• Samlet and Nando: Nando initially views Samlet as an ordinary student but backs down when Doug identifies him as a recommended disciple.
• Samlet and Doug: Their exchange is tense and sarcastic. Samlet mocks Doug’s comfortable position, while Doug pleads for understanding and emphasizes his supposed lack of influence. Samlet ultimately forces him to acknowledge his loyalty and usefulness.
• Doug and his past allegiance: Doug insists he never truly joined the rebellion and was merely trapped by circumstances, but Samlet’s reminder of the Temple’s oath makes clear that past obligations still bind him.
• Samlet and the wider political factions: Through Doug, Samlet intends to investigate the rebels’ motives and learn why the Grand Council is being called ahead of schedule.

Chapter Summary: “Mobilizing Military Supplies”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Doug admits to Samlet that he has long been under surveillance and knows nothing about the Grand Council’s sudden early convening. He explains that the Grand Council is separate from the Academy Alliance and claims he cannot provide any useful intelligence.
• To save himself from Samlet’s growing anger, Doug suggests that Samlet enter the grand competition. If Samlet wins and participates in the Grand Council’s contest, he will be in a position to uncover or stop whatever conspiracy is underway.
• Samlet threatens to take Doug away if his explanation proves false. After Samlet leaves, Doug bitterly curses the people involved for bringing a dangerous “star of calamity” into the situation.
• Suspecting that something connected to Como XIV and the Royal Palace is about to happen, Doug decides to investigate. He creates a nearly identical clone to remain in his courtyard while his true body secretly departs.
• In the Northern Frontier, Chen Cheng, She Li, and their companion enter an Engla military garrison using Governor’s Tokens. A logistics officer leads them through the supply warehouses, which contain enormous quantities of Magic Beast hides and other processed materials.
• She Li secretly releases the Shadow Demon. Enhanced by the Governor’s Token, it can move through the camp undetected and examine weaknesses in the military camp’s defensive Magic Array.
• Their inspection is interrupted by a sudden commotion caused by a military supply inspection. Chen Cheng and the others hide inside a warehouse to avoid being exposed for participating in the trafficking of military supplies.
• The inspection is connected to the five kingdoms’ delivery of supplies and to the military’s demand for Magic Beast meat. The army had previously withheld supplies to provoke Ye Rong, whose powerful sword strike forced them to submit.
• A supply officer arrives demanding every remaining portion of Magic Beast meat for the Great Wall Army. The local logistics official hesitates because the meat has already been sold or promised to merchant guilds, creating a conflict between military demands and the Governor’s illicit commercial arrangements.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Doug is portrayed as cautious, deceitful, and highly survival-oriented. He avoids investigating dangerous matters unless forced, but Samlet’s threat compels him to act. His use of a clone demonstrates his resourcefulness and distrust.
• Samlet remains intimidating and suspicious. His killing intent frightens Doug, but he also accepts the possibility that winning the competition could provide a legitimate way to confront the conspiracy.
• Chen Cheng acts confidently and deceptively, pretending to inspect military goods while secretly aiding the investigation. He understands the political danger of being caught.
• She Li works discreetly with Chen Cheng, using the Shadow Demon to gather information without alerting the garrison.
• The fat logistics officer is increasingly impatient with Chen Cheng’s questions but later attempts to protect him by hiding the group when the inspection begins.
• The military supply officer is angry and under pressure after one of his men was humiliated and killed. He prioritizes obtaining supplies immediately and shows little concern for the Governor’s commercial interests.
• The chapter highlights tension between the Governor’s faction and the military command, with Chen Cheng and his companions caught in the middle.

Significant Themes

• Political conspiracy and uncertainty: Characters act on incomplete information, relying on suspicion and indirect clues.
• Survival through deception: Doug’s lies, his clone, Chen Cheng’s false inspection, and the Shadow Demon’s concealment all show characters using trickery to stay alive and advance their goals.
• Conflict between military necessity and private profit: Magic Beast resources intended for the army have been diverted and resold, exposing corruption in the supply system.
• Power struggles within the state: The Governor, military officers, the Royal Palace, and the Grand Council appear to be pursuing conflicting agendas.
• Escalating danger: The early Grand Council, the military inspection, and the shortage of supplies suggest that a much larger political or military crisis is approaching.

Chapter Summary: “Sneaking Out”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• A quartermaster representing the commander-in-chief arrives at a warehouse controlled by Governor Ailafu’s faction and demands the stored Magic Beast meat.
• The fat warehouse official objects, arguing that military supplies were already arranged by Ailafu and accusing the quartermaster’s faction of trying to seize resources for profit.
• The quartermaster invokes military law, threatens him, and has his soldiers draw their swords in formation. When the fat man resists, the quartermaster kicks him down and orders the warehouse emptied.
• The quartermaster privately realizes that the warehouse contains only five million jin of meat, while the army requires eight million jin. Much of the stored meat has already been diverted by the fat man, and the next hunting teams will not return for seven days.
• To cover the shortage, the quartermaster decides to requisition four million jin of high-grade Magic Beast meat—valuable resources normally needed to strengthen the Great Wall Army’s cultivation.
• Meanwhile, Chen Cheng overhears the dispute from inside the warehouse and realizes that the convoy will be transporting the meat toward the Northern Great Wall.
• Seeing an opportunity to escape the warehouse’s complex formations, Chen Cheng plans to hide inside the convoy with Snow Maiden and She Li.
• Snow Maiden transforms into a snowball and hides in Chen Cheng’s pocket. She Li uses her Shadow Demon and Shadow Evasion to transport herself and Chen Cheng into the piles of Magic Beast meat being loaded.
• The chapter ends with the convoy preparing to leave while the defeated fat man silently vows to report the incident to Governor Ailafu, expecting revenge against the quartermaster and his men.

2. Character Developments

• Chen Cheng demonstrates quick thinking and strategic awareness. Rather than attempting to break through the warehouse formations directly, he exploits the political conflict and supply convoy to create a safer escape route.
• She Li proves the usefulness of her Shadow Demon abilities. Although she cannot fully overcome the warehouse’s defensive formations, she can perform a short-range evasion that allows the group to infiltrate the convoy.
• Snow Maiden maintains her independent and somewhat fastidious personality by refusing to hide among the foul-smelling meat, instead transforming and staying in Chen Cheng’s pocket.
• The quartermaster becomes increasingly ruthless and desperate. He begins by asserting military authority, then resorts to violence and ultimately sacrifices the Great Wall Army’s valuable high-grade resources to avoid angering the commander-in-chief.
• The fat warehouse official is humiliated but remains politically calculating. He recognizes that the quartermaster has offended Ailafu and intends to use the incident to seek retaliation.

3. Significant Themes

• Factional conflict and political corruption: The dispute over meat is really a struggle between Ailafu’s faction and the commander-in-chief’s faction, with military supplies treated as political and financial assets.
• Exploitation of the Great Wall Army: The army’s resources are repeatedly diverted, restricted, or commandeered by outside powers, leaving it vulnerable and impoverished.
• Desperation and coercion: Fear of powerful figures—especially Ye Rong and the commander-in-chief—drives the quartermaster to make morally and strategically damaging decisions.
• Resource inequality: High-grade Magic Beast meat represents both military sustenance and cultivation potential, highlighting how limited resources affect the Great Wall Army’s future.
• Cunning over force: Chen Cheng escapes not through direct confrontation, but by observing the situation carefully and exploiting a moment of disorder.

4. Character Interactions

• The quartermaster and the fat official clash over who has authority over the warehouse, escalating from verbal accusations to threats and physical violence.
• The quartermaster’s soldiers support him by forming a combat-ready formation, reinforcing the imbalance of power.
• Chen Cheng consults with She Li and Snow Maiden, presenting a cooperative escape plan.
• She Li agrees and provides the means to infiltrate the convoy, while Snow Maiden reluctantly adapts by hiding in Chen Cheng’s pocket.
• The fat man’s final silent resolve establishes an impending confrontation between Ailafu’s faction and the commander-in-chief’s supporters.