Chapter Summaries

Jin MuCong’s blind date with Zhu Ning ended in heartbreak, while Shen Lang secured a secret agreement with Monarch Ning Yuanxian to raise three million gold coins for military funds in exchange for Ning Zheng eventually receiving the title of Duke of Yue. Shen Lang then unveiled Golden Dragon Blood as his way to raise the money, leaving the capital waiting to see whether his plan would work.

• Jin MuCong answered Zhu Ning’s questions about farts, stars, and his ideal, and Zhu Ning tried on the glasses he brought her before admitting she did not find him handsome enough to marry.
• Shen Lang told Ning Yuanxian that he would raise three million gold coins within half a month, and they agreed that Ning Zheng would be made Duke of Yue after the war if Shen Lang succeeded.
• Ning Yuanxian appointed Ning Zheng Minister of Raising Military Funds and publicly gave him one month to raise three million gold coins, stirring speculation that he was setting Ning Zheng against Crown Prince Ning Yi.
• Shen Lang found Jin MuCong heartbroken and urged him to become handsome and strong if he wanted to attract Zhu Ning.
• Huang Tong offered three million gold coins from the Heavenly Dao Society, but Shen Lang refused the loan and revealed Golden Dragon Blood, priced at three thousand gold coins per vial, as his fundraising plan.

Shen Lang used diluted, short-lived Golden Dragon Blood to attract buyers while Ning Zheng steadily brought the City Garrison under control and prepared a purge of the capital’s criminal networks. Rumors about the blood drew Wang Bi to Shen Lang, where he drank a free sample and felt his strength surge.

• Shen Lang explained to Huang Tong that Golden Dragon Blood was a fabricated tonic made from failed Gu Worm samples, and Huang Tong asked to take some for his uncle.
• Ning Zheng trained the City Garrison alongside the Nirvana Army, investigated the capital’s gang bosses, reshuffled obstructive officials, and received the Monarch’s approval to act as he saw fit.
• Ning Yuanxian read reports on Ning Zheng’s patient methods and learned that Shen Lang had begun promoting Golden Dragon Blood to raise the required military funds.
• The Crown Prince, Third Prince, and Hidden Origin Society ordered merchants to refuse Shen Lang’s business, while rumors spread that his Golden Dragon Blood could improve bloodline talent.
• Wang Bi persuaded Yun Mengze to bring him secretly to Shen Lang, who offered him a vial sample and implied he could buy the rest if it worked.
• Wang Bi drank the sample, felt strength flood his body, and lifted a two-hundred-jin stone weight.

Queen Arunana received Shen Lang’s advice to keep Qiang Kingdom neutral in the coming war, then gave birth to a son named Aruzhuang. In the capital, Shen Lang sold Wang Bi the supposed Golden Dragon Blood, using its effects to secure money and a pledge of support for Ning Zheng while anticipating more customers.

• Shen Lang’s secret letter persuaded Queen Arunana that Qiang Kingdom should remain neutral and protect its western frontier rather than send troops to Yue Kingdom.
• Queen Arunana went into labor, gave birth standing up to a healthy prince, and named him Aruzhuang before preparing to resume official duties.
• Wang Bi tested Shen Lang’s Golden Dragon Blood, felt stronger, and persuaded his father, Viscount Wang Shu, to provide six thousand gold coins for the rest.
• After drinking the remaining blood, Wang Bi promised Shen Lang that he would support Ning Zheng and keep the secret, though he privately planned to show off and abandon the pledge.
• Shen Lang counted the five thousand gold coins he had earned and expected Wang Bi’s boasting to attract more wealthy customers.

Shen Lang sold Golden Dragon Blood to masked nobles and playboys, raising far more than the three million gold coins required to secure Ning Zheng’s elevation. The chapter ends with Shen Lang discovering that the sales brought in 4.93 million gold coins, all destined for the national treasury as military funds.

• Wang Bi defeated Hua Xiong in a martial contest after drinking Golden Dragon Blood, then drunkenly revealed where he had bought it.
• A masked buyer paid Shen Lang six thousand gold coins for Golden Dragon Blood, tested its effects, and left after hearing Shen Lang’s warning not to touch women for a month.
• Noble buyers began secretly visiting Changping Marquis Manor to drink Golden Dragon Blood and pay Shen Lang, while the Crown Prince and Third Prince knew the trade was happening but could not stop it.
• Shen Lang handed the sales over to Wu Lie and Xian Nu, then spent his time experimenting on how to change ordinary people’s bloodlines.
• When the half-month deadline arrived, Shen Lang stopped the sales and gathered the proceeds for the national treasury.
• Shen Lang learned that the Golden Dragon Blood sales had raised 4.93 million gold coins, far exceeding the Monarch’s three-million requirement.

Shen Lang delivered 4.93 million gold coins to Ning Yuanxian, who praised his restraint in the succession struggle and appointed Ning Zheng to recite the Heaven Worship text. With officials protesting and only three days left, Shen Lang promised to make Ning Zheng’s performance dazzling despite his worsening stutter.

• Shen Lang sent a hundred carts of exposed gold through the capital, drawing huge crowds and prompting the Imperial Guard and Ning Zheng’s City Garrison to reinforce the escort.
• Shu Botao and Shu Tingyu watched the convoy and resolved to thwart Shen Lang’s effort to build a second Nirvana Army by striking at what he valued most.
• Ning Yuanxian received the gold, learned it totaled 4.93 million, and promised to confer the title Duke of Yue on Ning Zheng while warning Shen Lang that Golden Dragon Blood buyers would soon discover they had been deceived.
• Ning Yuanxian praised Shen Lang for supporting Ning Zheng without attacking the Crown Prince or Ning Qi, then announced that Ning Zheng would recite the Heaven Worship text at the ceremony in three days.
• Civil and military officials protested Ning Yuanxian’s decision, but he held firm despite his growing doubts about the risk.
• Ning Zheng panicked over his severe stutter, and Shen Lang assured him that he would deliver a dazzling performance at the ceremony.

Shen Lang prepared a grand Heaven Worship Memorial and helped Ning Zheng overcome his stutter with a potion and Golden Dragon Blood, then proposed that Grand Eunuch Li Mu amplify Ning Zheng’s voice using the Heavenly Demon Sound Art. With the Monarch’s approval, they perfected the plan, and the Heaven Worship Ceremony began three days later amid widespread doubts about Ning Zheng’s performance.

• Shen Lang adapted classical prose into a Heaven Worship Memorial and composed a solemn melody for Ning Zheng to chant.
• Ning Zheng stumbled through his practice, so Shen Lang gave him a potion that let him chant fluently and confidently, followed by Golden Dragon Blood to strengthen his voice.
• Shen Lang proposed that Grand Eunuch Li Mu use the Heavenly Demon Sound Art to amplify Ning Zheng’s chanting, and Ning Yuanxian approved the plan.
• Ning Zheng and Li Mu tested the voice amplification in a remote place, where it blended flawlessly and carried clearly over a great distance.
• Ministers protested Ning Yuanxian’s decree and warned that Ning Zheng’s stutter would bring disaster, while rumors spread that his practice remained disastrous.
• The Heaven Worship Ceremony began three days later with Ning Zheng still appointed to chant the memorial.

Ning Zheng recited the Heaven Worship Memorial with astonishing skill as a gale swept away the clouds and sunlight broke through, turning the ceremony into an apparent heavenly sign in his favor. The ceremony ended in triumph, leaving Ning Yuanxian and the court wondering whether Heaven had marked Ning Zheng as the Yue Kingdom’s destined ruler.

• Ning Yuanxian rejected calls to postpone the ceremony and ordered it to continue despite the dark clouds and thunder.
• Ning Yuanxian asked Shen Lang whether the weather would clear, but Shen Lang admitted he was unsure.
• Ning Zheng drank a hidden vial, overcame his nervousness, and began reciting the Heaven Worship Memorial without stammering.
• Ning Zheng’s chant, aided by Li Mu’s Heavenly Demon Sound Art, silenced the thunder as a gale scattered the clouds and sunlight shone upon him.
• The soldiers hailed Ning Zheng and the Yue Kingdom, while Ning Yuanxian finished the ceremony in triumph.
• Ning Yuanxian and the ministers wondered whether the spectacle meant Heaven favored Ning Zheng as the next ruler.

After Crown Prince Ning Yi and Third Prince Ning Qi’s allies plotted to seize Shen Lang’s Zero Bloodline Bearers, Shen Lang endured a mob’s escalating harassment while Ning Zheng prepared Spring Thunder Operation. The crackdown began when the mob set fire to Changping Marquis Manor, and the City Garrison attacked as the crowd tried to flee.

• Zhu Hongzhu advised Ning Yi to build his standing through the Nan'ou Kingdom War and prevent Shen Lang from growing stronger, while arranging cooperation with Ning Qi’s faction to seize the Zero Bloodline Bearers.
• Zhuo Zhaoyan and Xue Xue agreed to divide the captured Zero Bloodline Bearers equally between the Crown Prince and Third Prince’s sides.
• Playboys and hired thugs besieged Changping Marquis Manor, demanding repayment for Shen Lang’s Golden Dragon Blood and increasingly harassing his household.
• Ning Zheng took command of Spring Thunder Operation after the City Garrison completed its training, and twenty thousand soldiers marched toward the capital.
• Shen Lang’s infiltrators set fire to Changping Marquis Manor, prompting the City Garrison to surround the mob and Kutou Huan to order an attack as the thugs tried to break out.

Shen Lang used the Monarch’s Spring Thunder Operation to force the capital’s young nobles to admit they had voluntarily donated money, while the crackdown crushed gangs across the region. After Lian Jin tried to blackmail him with a ledger implicating Golden Mountain Pavilion, Shen Lang agreed to speak to Ning Zheng but secretly ordered Lian Jin’s clan eliminated and prepared to strike the Hidden Origin Society.

• Kutou Huan’s soldiers killed hundreds of rioters, arrested Cheng Qian, and Shen Lang used the Monarch’s proclamation and a roster to punish gang members and intimidate noble heirs into signing donation certificates.
• Over a thousand young dandies signed declarations that they had voluntarily donated military funds, while thirty men whose names were on the Spring Thunder Operation list were arrested after Shen Lang returned their money.
• Ning Zheng’s Spring Thunder Operation swept through the capital and surrounding areas, arresting thousands, executing criminals, and dismantling the Plum-Folding Gang after rescuing abducted children.
• Ning Zheng ordered the arrest of the Plum-Folding Gang, whose hidden master was the celebrated poet Lian Jin, backed by Bian Qing and connected to Duke Bian Xiao’s family.
• Lian Jin and Bian Qin presented Shen Lang with a ledger implicating Golden Mountain Pavilion in the gang’s business and threatened to expose him unless he persuaded Ning Zheng to spare Lian Jin.
• After Lian Jin left, Shen Lang ordered his entire clan, including Bian Qin, wiped out and told Shen Shisan to prepare for the Hidden Origin Society’s planned attack in three days.

Shen Lang uncovered Lian Jin’s child-trafficking operation and his ties to the Hidden Origin Society, then killed Bian Qin and had Lian Jin tortured to protect Consort Bian and Ning Zheng from the scandal. He warned Ning Yuanxian against openly attacking the Society and promised a devastating move in three days.

• Madman Lan told Shen Lang he had recognized an abducted girl at Golden Mountain Pavilion and traced her to Cherish Flowers Pavilion, exposing Lian Jin as the hidden master of the Plum-Folding Gang.
• Ning Zheng chose to pursue justice despite the danger to Consort Bian’s reputation, and Shen Lang agreed to act with him.
• Lian Jin tried to flee as Kutou Huan’s Nirvana Army stormed his residence; Qiu Shi severed Lian Jin’s hamstrings and captured him, while Bian Qin was also seized.
• Shen Lang killed Bian Qin and ordered Wu Lie to subject Lian Jin to Death by a Thousand Cuts, then told Ning Yuanxian and Consort Bian what had happened.
• Ning Yuanxian backed Shen Lang’s decision, and Ning Zheng thanked him before comforting Consort Bian.
• Shen Lang refused Ning Yuanxian’s offer to attack the Hidden Origin Society openly and promised a shocking strike against it and the Crown Prince in three days.

Shen Lang secured a tentative connection to Floating Pagoda Mountain through Wu Jue while secretly preparing to destroy the Hidden Origin Society’s headquarters. As the Society’s Tide-Watching Gathering began, mysterious enemies attacked the convoy carrying Shen Lang’s 3,700 Blank Zero Bloodline Bearers at Longevity Fort.

• Shu Botao decided not to expose Cherish Flowers Pavilion’s scandal yet and ordered Grace Relief Building to appear lightly defended while its warriors prepared to seize Shen Lang’s bloodline bearers.
• Wu Jue visited Shen Lang, revealed that Xueyin had once been a disciple of Floating Pagoda Mountain, and asked him to stop his bloodline research and join the organization.
• Shen Lang swore brotherhood with Wu Jue, handed him research materials and gifts for Wu Tuzi, and sent a secret letter hoping to draw Floating Pagoda Mountain closer.
• Yun Mengze warned Shen Lang that Wu Tuzi was a dangerous martial arts grandmaster known as the Stone Demon, but Shen Lang still saw her as a possible ally and shield.
• Shen Lang prepared to exploit the Tide-Watching Gathering and Grace Relief Building’s underground passages, while the Hidden Origin Society’s warriors moved toward Longevity Fort.
• After the 3,700 Blank Zero Bloodline Bearers arrived at Longevity Fort, mysterious enemies attacked Shen Lang’s forces and tried to seize them.

The Hidden Origin Society, the Crown Prince, and the Third Prince seized all 3,700 Zero Bloodline Bearers from Shen Lang’s escort, while Shen Lang hid his reaction to the loss. As the Hidden Origin Society celebrated the great tide at Grace Relief Building, Shen Lang’s plan destroyed its headquarters in a massive explosion.

• Zhuo Zhaoyan, Shu Tingyu, and Xue Xue used Soul-Severing Powder to disable the escort at Longevity Fort, then divided the 3,700 Zero Bloodline Bearers among their factions.
• Kutou Huan and Tang Yan led the surviving warriors away, while Li Qianqiu refused to kill the incapacitated recruits and departed through the main gate.
• Shen Lang received news of the recruits’ capture, raged in public, then concealed his true reaction; Shu Botao received Shen Lang’s threatening letter.
• Shu Tingyu and the Hidden Origin Society hosted a tide-watching gathering at Grace Relief Building and sent warriors to inspect its underground waterways.
• Hidden Origin Society warriors found the iron support pillars burning, then White Phosphorus ignited Fish Oil barrels and triggered explosions that collapsed Grace Relief Building.

Shen Lang destroyed the Hidden Origin Society’s Grace Relief Building in a devastating attack, then the Society used the disaster to demand repayment from Monarch Ning Yuanxian and pressure him to punish Shen Lang. After Zhu Hongzhu refused to help Ning Yuanxian, the Monarch visited Shen Lang, who announced he was resigning and returning home.

• Shen Lang staged a bloody attack on a Hidden Origin Society warehouse, giving himself and his men an apparent alibi for the coming disaster.
• The ground beneath Grace Relief Building erupted, collapsing the tower and killing or injuring hundreds as the tide swept over the ruins; Huang Tong survived with a sprained ankle.
• Shu Botao learned that fish oil explosions and melted iron pillars had caused the collapse, then ordered the Hidden Origin Society to blame negligence, compensate victims, and demand repayment from Ning Yuanxian.
• The Hidden Origin Society announced that Ning Yuanxian owed it 12.6 million gold coins and demanded either repayment or Shen Lang’s arrest, while Shen Lang discovered that he owed the Heavenly Dao Society 3.15 million.
• Ning Yuanxian sought help from Zhu Hongzhu, but the Prime Minister claimed illness and refused to meet him, deepening the rift between them.
• Ning Yuanxian told Shen Lang that he had lost his Prime Minister and could no longer shield him, and Shen Lang replied that he was resigning from all his posts and returning home.

Shen Lang persuaded Ning Yuanxian to let him leave the capital so the Monarch could ease tensions with the Great Yan Empire and the Zhu Clan while Ning Zheng quietly consolidated his position. After Shen Lang was publicly stripped of his titles and driven out, Bian Xiao and Zhang Chong agreed they could support Ning Zheng in the future.

• Shen Lang explained to Ning Yuanxian that the Zhu Clan and other powerful families served Great Yan’s interests, and urged the Monarch to compromise while preparing for the coming war against Lord Jun.
• Shen Lang laid out a plan to leave the capital, strengthen Ning Qi’s position, and let Ning Yi and Ning Qi resume competing while Ning Zheng kept a low profile; Ning Yuanxian agreed.
• Bian Xiao publicly feuded with Shen Lang, prompting Ning Yuanxian to issue decrees condemning Shen Lang, stripping him of his honors, and ordering him into exile; Jin Zhuo and Queen Arunana opposed his arrest, while Consort Bian protected Ning Zheng’s title and office.
• Shen Lang left the capital through a side gate with Jin MuCong, Bing'er, his companions, and a small group of followers, under orders to go into exile and never be employed again.
• Bian Xiao told Zhang Chong that he had changed his view of Shen Lang and could support Ning Zheng; Zhang Chong answered that they would support him together.

After Shen Lang left the capital, the Crown Prince and his allies plotted to bring down Ning Zheng, but Ning Yuanxian used appointments to shatter their alliance and strike back at the Crown Prince faction. Shen Lang reached Xuanwu City, where MuLan reunited with Bing'er and baby Shen Mi, then went to Lanxue Mountain to ask Grandmaster Lan Dao to join his new Nirvana Army.

• Ning Zheng, Madman Lan, and Xian Nu mourned Shen Lang's departure, while the Crown Prince, the Third Prince, and the Hidden Origin Society agreed to impeach Ning Zheng and seize his Nirvana Army.
• Crown Prince supporters prepared fabricated evidence accusing Ning Zheng's City Garrison of impersonating bandits and murdering Flower-Cherishing Young Master's family, with Kutou Huan targeted for execution.
• At court, Ning Yuanxian appointed Ning Gang and Royal Uncle Ning Qi to important posts, then considered moving Third Prince Ning Qi to Tianbei Province and Xue Che to Tianyue, throwing the Crown Prince faction into panic and derailing the impeachment.
• The Crown Prince rushed to Zhu Hongzhu's residence after court, realizing the Monarch had turned against him and the Zhu Clan.
• MuLan hurried out to meet Shen Lang's convoy, but found only Bing'er, Jin MuCong, and baby Shen Mi; Bing'er let MuLan hold the child while Shen Lang was away meeting someone.
• Shen Lang went to Lanxue Mountain and asked crippled Grandmaster Lan Dao, a famed martial artist and archer, to come down from the mountain and help train his second Nirvana Army.

Shen Lang brought Li Qianqiu and Qiu Shi to recruit the crippled Grandmaster Lan Dao, while Zhu Hongzhu resigned as Prime Minister only to secure the Crown Prince’s position and political concessions. After returning home to MuLan and their baby, Shen Lang soon departed for Nirvana Island to begin training the Second Nirvana Army under Lan Dao.

• Shen Lang offered to treat Lan Dao’s severed meridians and recruit him to teach archery, but Qiu Shi had Tang Yan carry the protesting Grandmaster away.
• Zhu Hongzhu explained that the Monarch was using Ning Qi to contain the Crown Prince while protecting Ning Zheng, and urged the Crown Prince to stake everything on victory against Lord Jun.
• Zhu Hongzhu pretended to resign before Ning Yuanxian, who pleaded with him to stay; Zhu Hongzhu left without raising Zhang Zixu’s appointment, which the Monarch took as agreement.
• Shen Lang returned to Xuanwu Marquis Manor, reunited with MuLan and baby Shen Mi, and shared a family meal with his relatives and companions.
• Shen Lang spent five days at home before taking Li Qianqiu, Qiu Shi, Lan Dao, and Tang Yan to Nirvana Island, where he presented the Second Nirvana Army for Lan Dao to train.

Xue Che returned to Yue Kingdom’s court and was appointed Tianyue Province Grand Governor as the kingdom prepared for war against Nan'ou. On Nirvana Island, Shen Lang transformed 3,900 Zero Bloodline Bearers into a powerful Second Nirvana Army and began surgery to restore Grandmaster Lan Dao’s limbs.

• The Monarch cleared Zhang Zixu of baseless corruption charges and appointed him Central Governor of Tianxi Province.
• Xue Che returned from Yan Capital, warned Ning Qi that the struggle for the throne depended on military power, and urged him to watch Shen Lang.
• The Monarch appointed Xue Che Tianyue Province Grand Governor and sent 80,000 troops south toward the Nan'ou Kingdom battlefield.
• Shen Lang revealed that the apparent mass abduction of Zero Bloodline Bearers had concealed the recruitment of a Second Nirvana Army of 3,900 people.
• Shen Lang injected all 3,900 recruits with Golden Bloodline energy Gu Worms and operated on Grandmaster Lan Dao’s legs.
• Three days later, all 3,900 recruits awoke with dramatically increased strength, agility, and speed.

Shen Lang watched the Second Nirvana Army endure brutal training and saw Grandmaster Lan Dao recover enough to lead them as chief instructor. As MuLan’s due date approached, Shen Lang left Nirvana Island and raced back to Xuanwu City, arriving just as she was about to give birth.

• The Second Nirvana Army completed a deadly forced march with all 3,900 men returning on time, though fifteen had died, and Lan Dao stood up in shock at their return.
• The survivors intensified their training, later completing another forced march with zero deaths as Lan Dao recovered and underwent surgery on his arms.
• Lan Dao took command of the army, teaching its soldiers mental cultivation and archery through increasingly harsh exercises until they could shoot accurately in difficult conditions.
• After Qiu Shi revealed her recovering face and went to show it to Li Qianqiu, Shen Lang left Nirvana Island because MuLan was nearing her due date.
• Shen Lang reached Xuanwu Marquis Manor, where Jin Jianniang and Bing'er told him that MuLan was about to give birth.

While Yue Kingdom struggled with looming wars and Nangong Ao’s stalled campaign in Nan'ou Kingdom, Shen Lang anxiously waited through MuLan’s dangerous, prolonged labor. After Shen Lang pricked the baby with a Silver Needle to prompt the birth, MuLan delivered a healthy boy, and Shen Lang discovered the newborn had an extraordinarily powerful Golden Bloodline.

• Ning Zheng endured public anger as he imposed grain controls and forced conscription to prepare Yue Kingdom for wars with Chu Kingdom and Great Nan Kingdom.
• Nangong Ao’s army remained bogged down in Nan'ou Kingdom until Lord Jun unified the Sha Barbarians, founded Great Nan Kingdom, and sent a hundred thousand troops toward Nan'ou Kingdom.
• MuLan’s labor lasted three days without her water breaking or cervix opening, and Shen Lang prepared for a cesarean section as her condition worsened.
• After Shen Lang’s mother suggested pricking the baby, Shen Lang used his X-Ray Eyes to guide a Silver Needle into the baby’s butt, and MuLan’s labor promptly progressed.
• MuLan gave birth to a healthy, beautiful boy, and Shen Lang discovered that the newborn possessed a dazzling Golden Bloodline.

After MuLan fell into a deep sleep following Shen Ye’s birth, Shen Lang tried desperately to save her and discovered that his newborn son’s Golden Bloodline had vanished. Suspecting Horizon Sea Pavilion was involved, Shen Lang went there to seek bloodline knowledge, but its gatekeeper refused to admit him.

• MuLan weakened after giving birth to Shen Ye and fell into a deep, coma-like sleep despite Shen Lang and the manor’s experts trying to revive her.
• Shen Lang concluded that Shen Ye’s Golden Bloodline had drained MuLan’s life force and that changing her bloodline might be the only way to save her, but his experiments failed.
• Zhuo Zhaoyan offered Shen Lang a deal: surrender Kutou Huan, the Nirvana Army, and his bloodline-modifying medicine in exchange for the Crown Prince seeking Horizon Sea Pavilion’s help; Shen Lang rejected her and ordered Li Qianqiu to kill her.
• Two Horizon Sea Pavilion scholars examined MuLan and Shen Ye but declared they could not save MuLan; Shen Lang learned they had come to investigate Shen Ye’s bloodline, which had disappeared.
• Shen Lang and Li Qianqiu traveled to Horizon Sea Pavilion so Shen Lang could obtain bloodline texts, but an acquaintance at the gate denied knowing him and ordered him to leave.
• Shen Lang demanded that Ning Han come out because he wanted to make a deal with her.