Chapter Summaries

Tang Li persuaded Tao Ju to confront the people aboard the Steel Jade, and the group forced their way onto the yacht’s stern dock. The chapter left Tao Ju fighting the security personnel as he began his reckless showdown with his fourth brother’s circle.

• The Steel Jade appeared offshore, and Tang Li urged Tao Ju to use the chance to confront his enemies.
• Lang Jin failed to dissuade Tang Li, who ordered the boat toward the yacht and invented an excuse to demand an inspection.
• Tao Ju identified the floating dock at the Steel Jade’s stern and revealed that he had once been considered one of the yacht’s owners.
• The Steel Jade’s crew ordered them to keep away, but Tang Li and Wang Peilie continued toward the dock and heard Bambi recognize Tao Ju over the radio.
• Tang Li hauled Tao Ju upright as their boat rammed onto the dock, sending Tao Ju into the security personnel, whom he began punching.

Tang Li led Tao Ju, Lang Jin, and Wang Peilie through the Steel Jade yacht, overcoming its weak defenses as they tried to reach Wu Sigong. They found Wu Sigong and his companions safe behind the third-floor partition, where Tang Li began taunting him.

• Lang Jin and Wang Peilie fought the yacht's security personnel while wondering whether Tang Li was connected to an Evil Cult, the Resistance Army, or was genuinely insane.
• Tang Li led the group through the yacht, riding a mechanical load-bearing platform and dismantling parts of weapons and Cybernetics units along the way.
• Tao Ju explained that Wu Sigong was protected by a reinforced bedroom, escape routes, and elite bodyguards, while Tang Li insisted their mission was to rescue victims.
• The group reached the third deck and found partygoers scattered outside the sealed Safe Zone, with Wu Sigong and his companions sheltered behind its transparent partition.
• Wu Sigong insulted Tao Ju and looked toward Tang Li, who warned him that the Safe Zone would not save his life and urged him to come out.

Tang Li exposed weaknesses in Wu Sigong’s defenses and deduced that Bambi had likely escaped the yacht by submarine rather than helicopter. The helicopter departed as Tang Li turned his attention to finding the submarine and its passenger.

• Wu Sigong deployed drones to threaten the people outside the barrier, but Tang Li sent his mechanical dog into it and cracked its outer layers.
• Tao Ju fired at the barrier and struck it in frustration, but his attacks barely damaged it; Tang Li pulled him back and asked where Bambi was.
• Tao Ju realized Bambi was absent, while Tang Li argued that the drones were not explosive and that Wu Sigong’s defenses and finances were weak.
• Lang Jin shot down a drone, confirming that it did not explode, and Tang Li deduced that Bambi had left by helicopter or submarine.
• A helicopter took off, but Tang Li dismissed it as a decoy and judged that Bambi had more likely escaped aboard the submarine.

Tang Li exposed the man posing as Wu Sigong and tried to identify the dangerous criminal aboard the yacht. The fake Wu Sigong escaped deeper into the ship with a suspected East 725 District operative, while Tang Li asked whether the operative had companions.

• Tang Li argued that the man behind the partition was not Wu Sigong, and Tao Ju identified him as Song Peng.
• Tang Li reasoned that the real Wu Sigong had escaped by submarine and that a dangerous criminal might have left with him or aboard the helicopter.
• Tang Li questioned the apparent Wu Sigong, prompting the guests to grab at him and demand an explanation.
• The fake Wu Sigong threw the guests aside and disappeared toward a bedroom, followed by the tough-looking man suspected of being from East 725 District.
• Tang Li asked the guests whether the tough-looking man had come with companions, while Wang Peilie questioned Tang Li's stated purpose.

Tang Li and the others left the sealed partition as trouble erupted near the submarine bay, while Lang Jin learned that the fugitive aboard the Steel Jade was Pawa. The Great District Center sent help, but Tang Li continued directing events from a distance as the crisis remained unresolved.

• A woman confirmed that Fourth Young Master Wu had prepared two tea sets, and Tang Li warned that he might have taken a companion onto the submarine or helicopter.
• An explosion sounded near the submarine bay, and people inside the partition reported that Song Peng was fighting a guest.
• Tang Li led Lang Jin, Wang Peilie, and Tao Ju toward the lower deck, where the yacht shone a light on someone who had fallen into the sea.
• Lang Jin answered Ke Wei's call and, after Tang Li fired at a cabin, claimed they were pursuing a criminal who had kidnapped Wu Sigong.
• Ke Wei said the fugitive was probably Pawa and promised an emergency team and negotiators within twenty minutes; Lang Jin admitted he had heard of Pawa.

Lang Jin realized Tang Li and Pawa were partners manipulating the apparent conflict, while Tang Li questioned the account of Pawa’s escape and recommended assaulting the submarine. The Great District Center rejected the assault and ordered cautious negotiations and a continued search, leaving Lang Jin uneasy about his role in Tang Li’s plan.

• Lang Jin reported the mission details to Tang Li, including that Pawa had seized the submarine and taken Wu Sigong hostage.
• Tang Li questioned how Butler Bambi could have fallen into the sea and remained missing, suggesting that Pawa might have faked his escape.
• Tang Li recommended a direct assault to verify who was inside the submarine, but the Great District Center rejected the plan.
• The Great District Center ordered the team to demand a verbal response from Wu Sigong and intensify the search for the person in the sea.
• Lang Jin wondered why Tang Li had revealed his connection to Pawa, while Tang Li described the cautious orders as an easy mode and warned that life offered no choice of difficulty.

After Tang Li’s operation uncovered the wounded Wu Sigong and Bambi, Tao Ju was left alone and decided to seek Zuo Tai’s protection. Pawa captured him and revealed that he planned to accompany Tao Ju to visit Zuo Tai, despite Tao Ju’s warning that her authority could expose Pawa as a fake.

• Tang Li’s team and the Great District Center’s support personnel stormed the submarine compartment and found Wu Sigong and Bambi gravely wounded.
• The Great District Center escorted Tang Li away, while Lang Jin and Wang Peilie went with him and Tao Ju was left at the pier.
• Tao Ju decided to seek protection from Zuo Tai and planned to contact his mother while avoiding Wu Executive’s men.
• Pawa grabbed Tao Ju before he could leave the pier and ordered him to return to his soldiers.
• Pawa revealed that Fourth Madam had sent him to protect Tao Ju and said he would accompany him to visit Zuo Tai.
• Tao Ju warned Pawa that Zuo Tai’s authority could expose his disguise, but Pawa dismissed the concern and struck the back of Tao Ju’s head.

Pawa drove Tao Ju away from the Wanhua Hotel and explained that he wanted to approach Zuo Tai to clear his name and find leverage. He urged Tao Ju to become his partner, leaving Tao Ju considering how he might make himself essential to a partnership involving Pawa and Zuo Tai.

• Pawa took Tao Ju from the Wanhua Hotel in a borrowed car while the soldiers there remained unaware of the latest events.
• Pawa said he wanted to meet Zuo Tai because her strained relationship with Wu Executive might give him a chance to clear his name and gain support.
• Tao Ju considered how Pawa might use him to approach Zuo Tai, but doubted he could trust his dangerous new partner.
• Pawa urged Tao Ju to embrace a reckless alliance and said they could bring Tang Li into it as well.
• Tao Ju recognized that Pawa's encouragement to go mad resembled Tang Li's, and Pawa claimed the two of them had especially good Tacit Understanding.

Tao Ju and Pawa went to Lady Rong Wu Xiang’s residence, suspecting Wu Executive had set a trap there. Pawa kicked through the entrance and triggered a gunfight with the people waiting inside.

• Pawa told Tao Ju he no longer intended to kill Tang Li and suggested that their actions reflected a tacit understanding.
• Tao Ju declined Lady Rong Wu Xiang’s call, then changed their route to her home after she messaged him to come back quickly.
• Pawa noticed suspicious cars and security at the Orange Palace, leading Tao Ju to fear Wu Executive had already moved against his mother.
• Pawa urged Tao Ju to face the danger and drove the SU into the underground garage of the residence.
• Pawa kicked the metal entrance door off its hinges, knocking down people waiting behind it as gunfire erupted.

Tao Ju fought through the attack on Orange Palace and rescued his mother, Rong Wu Xiang, as Pawa battled the armed attackers inside. The Orange Palace Guard arrived under Zuo Tai’s authority, and Tao Ju seized the chance to demand a meeting with her.

• Tao Ju followed Pawa into the villa, where gunfire and explosions overwhelmed the attackers and set parts of the building ablaze.
• Tao Ju found Rong Wu Xiang handcuffed, recognized her as his mother, and carried her away from the flames.
• Tao Ju and a bodyguard from Wu Sigong’s detail exchanged fire until Zuo Tai’s authority prohibition immobilized them.
• Tao Ju dragged Rong Wu Xiang out of the villa as Pawa and Song Peng continued fighting beyond the prohibition’s control.
• The Orange Palace Guard arrived, and Tao Ju accused Song Peng of betraying them before being restrained by the authority prohibition.
• Tao Ju shouted that he wanted to see Zuo Tai.

Tao Ju waited at Zuo Tai’s residence, where she arranged for his mother to recuperate and told him to visit often, which he took as a sign of support. But he left unsure whether he could safely return to the Military Camp, and Pawa’s phone number was no longer in service.

• Pawa called Tao Ju and asked him to relay his offer to help Zuo Tai on the outer front in exchange for being cleared, warning Tao Ju not to betray their partnership.
• Tao Ju spent the night rehearsing how to explain his connection to Pawa to Zuo Tai.
• Aunt Hu told Tao Ju that Zuo Tai was speaking with his mother and wanted her to stay at the residence to recover.
• Aunt Hu told Tao Ju to return often to visit his mother, and Tao Ju interpreted this as Zuo Tai’s support and a possible chance to challenge Wu Executive.
• Tao Ju worried that returning to the Military Camp would put him in Wu Executive’s reach and tried to call Pawa, but the number was no longer in service.

Tao Ju sought Tang Li and his companions at the Twelve Great Districts High-Energy Center, hoping their connection could help hedge the risks of being Pawa’s partner. After Tang Li left the center freely and agreed to Tao Ju’s invitation, Tao Ju learned that Tang Li planned to return to East 725 District, leaving his hoped-for support uncertain.

• Tao Ju decided he could not return to camp and drove north to seek Tang Li as a possible source of support against the risks of partnering with Pawa.
• Tao Ju used an acquaintance’s appointment clearance to enter the High-Energy Center and found Lang Jin and Wang Peilie waiting in a Reception Room after a tense encounter with Deputy Director Ke Wei and Deputy Director Li Hongxiang.
• Tang Li appeared and accepted Tao Ju’s offer to take the group for tea, saying their business at the center was more or less settled.
• Tao Ju drove Tang Li, Lang Jin, and Wang Peilie away from the High-Energy Center without being stopped.
• Tang Li asked Lang Jin to reassure the hospitalized Lao Sun and said they should consider returning, startling Tao Ju with the realization that Tang Li would soon leave for East 725 District.

Tao Ju told Tang Li about the dangers surrounding him and hoped Tang Li would help, but Tang Li was leaving East 824 District that night. After Tang Li jokingly advised him to invite a deity home and trust in sincere worship, Tao Ju realized he might act on the advice as he drove past the ruined hills north of the city.

• Tao Ju explained to Tang Li and Lang Jin how Zuo Tai had saved him and described his fears about the crisis involving Pawa and Wu Executive.
• Tao Ju noticed Lang Jin's reaction when he mentioned Pawa and became convinced Tang Li was leaving that night, despite his own hopes for help.
• Tang Li read Tao Ju's desire for someone to draw Wu Executive's attention and joked that Tao Ju should invite a deity home or worship a tree.
• Tang Li and Lang Jin departed in Wanhua Hotel's courtesy car, leaving Tao Ju behind at the teahouse.
• Tao Ju drove away, then stopped as Tang Li's words about sincerity and spiritual response turned over in his mind while he looked toward the ruined hills north of the city.

Tao Ju wandered into the northern mountains in a panicked, disoriented state while trying to escape the threats closing in around him. A string of bells led him to an ancient banyan tree near ruined religious buildings, where he found old prayer ribbons and signs that people still left offerings there.

• Tao Ju ignored Zou Fang’s order to return to camp and realized the call suggested his location was being watched.
• Tao Ju regretted failing to use his connection to Zuo Tai as leverage and feared that calling anyone would expose him to his pursuers.
• Tao Ju kept his phone on in case Pawa called, then continued through the mountain forest.
• Tao Ju heard faint bells and followed them to the remains of an old religious site.
• Tao Ju found bells and prayer ribbons tied to a massive banyan tree, including some ribbons added in recent years.

Tao Ju prostrated himself before a banyan tree and found a fallen piece of bark, which seemed to confirm Tang Li’s strange advice. As an armed helicopter closed in and the Internal Affairs Bureau summoned him over a shooting investigation, his fear caused him to crush the bark, and a numbing chill spread through his hand.

• Tao Ju knelt and kowtowed before the banyan tree, questioning what he truly wanted from life and whether his devotion would bring help.
• A thin piece of moss-covered bark fell from the tree, and Tao Ju carefully picked it up after recalling Tang Li’s advice about sincerity and bark.
• Police Officer Liu from the Internal Affairs Bureau called Tao Ju about a report accusing him of involvement in a serious shooting, and Tao Ju recognized him as the hypnotist Liu Diancheng.
• Tao Ju spotted an armed military helicopter approaching and hid beneath the banyan tree, fearing its surveillance equipment would find him.
• As Tao Ju tried to reject another call and shut off his phone, he crushed the bark in his hand, and a numbing chill spread across his palm and wrist.

After crushing the banyan tree’s bark moss, Tao Ju was overwhelmed by spreading numbness and his Cybernetics began failing, but he entered a strange state that concealed him from the searching aircraft and expanded his perception across the mountains. He woke at dusk in the tree hollow, still sensing the supernatural world, and heard a familiar voice outside ordering him to get up.

• Tao Ju spotted a drone circling near his coat but found himself unable to move as numbness spread through his body.
• Aerial roots drew Tao Ju into a hollow in the banyan tree, shielding him from the drone and armed helicopter.
• The spreading poison triggered errors in Tao Ju’s Cybernetics, and his consciousness merged with the roots and earth as his perception expanded across the mountains toward the city.
• Tao Ju lost consciousness and later woke in the tree hollow at dusk, with his ordinary senses returning alongside his expanded supernatural perception.
• Tao Ju sensed someone pacing beyond the aerial roots and heard a familiar voice tell him to get up.

Tao Ju emerged from a Tree Hollow after surviving gunfire, apparently protected by a strange power that made him blend with soil and roots. He told Pawa about meeting Tang Li and receiving the advice “Sincerity Leads to Spiritual Response,” and Pawa suspected the resulting ability had the flavor of an Evil Cult.

• Tao Ju discovered bullet wounds on his body and learned from Pawa that searchers had shot into and chopped open the Tree Hollow where he hid.
• Pawa guessed Tao Ju had used an ability to become part of the soil and tree roots, though Tao Ju denied being an Enhancer.
• Tao Ju suspected his new power came from “Sincerity Leads to Spiritual Response” and told Pawa about meeting Tang Li.
• Pawa examined the traces on Tao Ju’s palm and remarked that the power seemed like a genuinely evil kind of Evil Cult.

Tao Ju learned that Pawa had attacked Wu Sigong and Bambi to build a reputation and make their enemies fear him, then faced returning to a city in turmoil. At the Sub-District Center, Lang Jin informed Tang Li and Mei Zhu that Pawa had been marked as a wanted criminal in the latest crackdown notice.

• Pawa told Tao Ju that Tang Li had no registered enhancement ability and that his recent powers made him suspicious.
• Pawa explained that Tao Ju needed influence or achievements to make The Other Side fear threatening him, then revealed Song Peng's severed head as proof of his own actions.
• Pawa said he had pulled the hospital tubes of Wu Sigong and Bambi, claiming he intended to threaten them rather than ensure their deaths.
• Pawa told Tao Ju that the city was in turmoil and that he could find Tao Ju through one of his abilities.
• Lang Jin visited Tang Li's office, where Mei Zhu was meeting with him, and reported that Pawa had been marked with a star on the district's latest wanted-person list.

Lang Jin briefed Tang Li and Mei Zhu on Pawa’s killings and reviewed East 725 District’s active evil cults with them. The chapter ended with Mei Zhu warning that the Black Sun Sect’s powerful believers and organ-harvesting rituals made it a difficult threat to confront.

• Lang Jin told Tang Li and Mei Zhu that Pawa had killed registered personnel from the High-Energy Center and Intelligence Management Center, including Song Peng and an East 824 District colonel.
• Tang Li compared the Great District Center’s priority-target list with the Internal Affairs Bureau’s list and asked Mei Zhu which cults were active locally.
• Mei Zhu explained that East 725 District faced local cults, global cult branches, and cults linked to Resistance Army bandit gangs.
• Mei Zhu warned that the Lost Kingdom had plans for large-scale blood-sacrifice rituals and that high-ranking members had recently been active in the district.
• Tang Li marked the Lost Kingdom as a dangerous target and told Lang Jin to report related information immediately.
• Mei Zhu described the Black Sun Sect’s organ-harvesting rituals and influential believers, prompting Tang Li to consider the complications of acting against it.

Lang Jin investigated Tang Li’s possible ties to the Black Sun Sect while handling office business and a threatening call from Tao Ju. Tang Li called Tao Ju back, addressing him as “Coward Eight,” with Lang Jin still present.

• Tang Li ordered Lang Jin to compile information on key figures linked to the Black Sun Sect and requested detailed profiles of several sects.
• Lang Jin considered whether Tang Li’s behavior and connections pointed to an Evil Cult or the Resistance Army, but could not determine what Tang Li was hiding.
• Secretary Qiao forwarded an agitated call from Tao Ju, who demanded to speak with Tang Li and threatened to report him as an Evil Cultist.
• Lang Jin warned Tao Ju that the call could be recorded and traced, and Tao Ju ended the call.
• Lang Jin reported Tao Ju’s threat to Tang Li, who called the number and greeted him as “Coward Eight.”