Chapter Summaries

Meng Zhao summoned trusted reinforcements from the Lingwu Meng Family and convened the Divine Might Army’s leaders to discuss its shortage of supplies. The commanders debated raiding wealthy clans, but Si Peng and Xiang Qing objected, leaving the council’s decision unresolved.

• Meng Zhao sent He Xin to Lingwu City with a letter to summon Meng Family experts and secretly tested whether he would obey.
• The Divine Might Army held its morning drills, and Meng Zhao called the Five Great Holy Emissaries and six guards generals to his tent.
• Meng Zhao gave spiritual pills to Xu Fei, Xiang Qing, and Luo Ning to help heal the injuries he had inflicted.
• Xu Fei, Shen Zhihang, Mo Li, Li Ao, and Fang Gongming proposed raiding powerful clans and sects for supplies and recruits.
• Si Peng and Xiang Qing opposed the raids, warning that armed clans could retaliate and that the army should first target easier opponents.

Meng Zhao’s commanders debated how to obtain provisions for the Divine Might Army without exposing it, and Meng Zhao proposed absorbing Lifeng Trading Company and seeking support from Fire Dragon Cave. He revealed that he had previously met Shen Tianci and earned his praise, surprising the council.

• Xiang Qing and Si Peng warned that raiding aristocratic families or bandit camps would either expose the Divine Might Army or fail to provide enough grain.
• Xiang Qing proposed taking over Lifeng Trading Company as a discreet, stable source of supplies, and Meng Zhao agreed.
• Meng Zhao explained that supplies from his family would be only a one-time measure and suggested seeking grain from local clans, including Fire Dragon Cave.
• Li Ao and the other commanders were shocked at the prospect of borrowing grain from Fire Dragon Cave.
• Meng Zhao recounted how his past dealings with Fire Dragon Cave disciples had brought him into contact with Shen Tianci and helped him rise to prominence in Nan'an.

Meng Zhao explained why approaching Fire Dragon Cave could expose his army to the Great Yong Dynasty, then proposed funding the army through planned robberies and using Lifeng Trading Company as a supply channel. The generals agreed that taking control of the company would require dealing with its central figure, Widow Xie.

• Meng Zhao recounted his past dealings with Shen Tianci, revealing that Shen had praised him when he first rose to fame in Ji Prefecture.
• Meng Zhao explained that his close relationship with Tang Ling'er could help him seek Fire Dragon Cave's aid, but the cave might report his army's preparations to the Dragon Court.
• The generals abandoned the idea of seeking support from Fire Dragon Cave because it could provoke the Great Yong Dynasty to destroy them.
• Meng Zhao proposed robbing bandits for wealth and seizing Lifeng Trading Company to gain both money and a channel for purchasing supplies.
• The generals concluded that Widow Xie was the key figure they had to deal with to take control of Lifeng Trading Company.

Meng Zhao assigned Xiang Qing to investigate Widow Xie and the Lifeng Trading Company, which he intended to bring under his control to secure supplies for the army. He also laid out his plans for the Divine Might Army and Ji Rushuang, then began explaining the wider political situation to his commanders.

• The commanders stayed silent about how to deal with Widow Xie, while several privately expected Meng Zhao to take charge of seizing the Lifeng Trading Company.
• Meng Zhao ordered Xiang Qing to work with Yuan Qing to investigate Widow Xie and the Lifeng Trading Company within seven days, after which he would handle the matter himself.
• Meng Zhao told the commanders to keep the Divine Might Army's operations unchanged, conceal his identity, and accept Ji Rulin as the new Seventh Guard Commander.
• Meng Zhao announced that he had chosen Ji Rushuang, Ji Rulin's pregnant and newly widowed sister, as his concubine, and explained that the match would give him ties to the Dan Chi Clan.
• Si Peng questioned whether taking Ji Rushuang would harm Meng Zhao's standing, and Meng Zhao said she would help him gain influence in Danchi.
• Li Ao asked whether the army would have to remain hidden in Hu Mountain, and Meng Zhao began explaining matters the commanders could not learn about at the border.

Meng Zhao explained to the officers why the southern rebellion had resisted the Imperial Court, identifying the Nine Surnames Li Family and other powerful factions as its hidden supporters. He left them with a warning that Great Yong’s internal divisions and harsh treatment of aristocratic families had created a backlash that would be difficult to quell.

• Li Ao said Gao Yingzhong and Luan Xiaojie had raised a hundred thousand troops through their fame, wealth, and military talent.
• Fang Gongming suggested that the rebels’ support among the people of Xu Prefecture helped them endure.
• Xiang Qing argued that the rebellion’s size and staying power required powerful backers behind the two leaders.
• Meng Zhao revealed that the Nine Surnames Li Family was likely directing the rebellion, with the Cangwu Sect and the Bai Family of Yuan Prefecture also supporting it.
• Meng Zhao explained that Great Yong’s regional divisions and hostility toward meritorious aristocratic families had fueled the crisis.

Meng Zhao explained that Great Yong was weakened by conflict with the noble powers and the Great Snow Disaster, then persuaded the Divine Might Army’s leaders to trust his ambitions. He left them with a plan to keep the army hidden in Liang Prefecture, build its strength, and eventually join forces for a campaign into the Northern Lands.

• Meng Zhao’s followers reasoned that Great Yong’s failure to suppress the southern rebellion reflected a struggle between the Beitang Imperial Clan and powerful noble families.
• Xiang Qing, Si Peng, Hong Tianzheng, and Shen Zhihang realized Meng Zhao was using his account of the dynasty’s weakness to strengthen their confidence in him.
• Si Peng asked whether the Divine Might Army would continue rebelling, but Meng Zhao answered with silence, and the officers dropped the question.
• Meng Zhao rejected the original plan to besiege Lingwu City alongside the Pudu Cult and said the Divine Might Army would instead remain a secret force under his control.
• Meng Zhao ordered the army to train, sweep away bandits, recruit soldiers, and gather supplies before joining the Yangwu Army, Meng Family forces in Ji Prefecture, and Yanzhou’s army in a future invasion of the Northern Lands.
• Meng Zhao’s plan dispelled the officers’ doubts and stirred their loyalty and ambition.

Meng Zhao and his companions traveled through war-torn Liang Prefecture to approach Lifeng Trading Company and secure supplies for the Divine Might Army. They focused on exploiting Third Steward Xie Wen, while Meng Zhao concluded that secretly taking over the vast company was unlikely.

• Meng Zhao, Si Peng, Xiang Qing, and Wei Hua journeyed toward Jichang County and witnessed widespread starvation, violence, and collapsed local government.
• The group decided to target Lifeng Trading Company's Third Steward Xie Wen to gain information, supplies, or wealth for the Divine Might Army.
• Xiang Qing investigated Xie Wen's business authority, sexual misconduct, and fear of Widow Xie, identifying weaknesses the group could exploit.
• Meng Zhao judged that threatening Xie Wen might yield useful information or personal wealth but could not give them control of Lifeng Trading Company.
• Meng Zhao recognized that Lifeng Trading Company's extensive alliances and resources made a quiet takeover virtually impossible.

Meng Zhao and his companions visited Xie Wen to investigate Widow Xie's order cutting off Lifeng Trading Company's supplies to the Divine Might Army. Xie Wen readily agreed to tell them what he knew, though Si Peng remained suspicious of his motives.

• Meng Zhao, Xiang Qing, Si Peng, and Wei Hua traveled to Xie Wen's mansion in Jichang County.
• Xie Wen welcomed the group and told them that Madam Xie had ordered Lifeng Trading Company to stop supplying the Divine Might Army.
• Xie Wen said Madam Xie was angry that Meng Zhao had taken command of the army after the Xie Family had helped train its elite soldiers.
• Xie Wen assured Meng Zhao that Madam Xie's harsh words were only venting, and Meng Zhao said he would not take offense.
• Xie Wen offered to answer their questions, but Si Peng warned him not to conceal a scheme; Xie Wen insisted that he was cooperating sincerely because he feared death.

Meng Zhao and the others questioned Xie Wen about why the Xie Family had supported the Divine Might Army, and learned that Madam Xie funded it to pursue vengeance while influential people in Lifeng Trading Company wanted to continue backing it. Xie Wen explained that the company could afford the supplies and saw the army as a valuable investment, leaving the visitors hopeful they could secure further support.

• Meng Zhao asked Xie Wen whether Madam Xie had supported the Divine Might Army because of a rumored affair with Longcheng, and Xie Wen denied the rumor.
• Xie Wen said Madam Xie had used her private treasury to fund the Divine Might Army because she wanted to kill someone she hated, possibly in revenge for her late son-in-law's death.
• Xie Wen revealed that some people within Lifeng Trading Company had replenished Madam Xie's funds and wanted to support the army, though she had not permitted them to proceed.
• Meng Zhao and the others realized that the company's hidden supporters might provide the Divine Might Army with further funding even if Madam Xie stopped helping.
• Si Peng asked whether those supporters could afford the army's costs, and Xie Wen explained that Lifeng Trading Company could supply goods at cost and considered the army's strength worth investing in.

Xie Wen explained that Lifeng Trading Company wanted to support the Divine Might Army because merchants had sensed Great Yong’s impending collapse and feared the chaos ahead. He offered introductions to two powerful proprietors willing to fund the army, in exchange for its help with their troubles.

• Xie Wen stressed that the Divine Might Army’s skilled generals and disciplined soldiers made it far more valuable than ordinary troops.
• Xiang Qing asked why Lifeng Trading Company needed an army when it already had many martial experts, and Xie Wen explained that merchants’ instincts had alerted them to gathering upheaval.
• Xie Wen said Liang Prefecture and its neighboring regions were likely to descend into chaos, and that Great Yong’s rule might not last much longer.
• Si Peng asked Xie Wen to introduce the people willing to fund the Divine Might Army, and Xie Wen named two major proprietors who wanted the army’s help against their enemies.
• Meng Zhao left the negotiations to Si Peng and Xiang Qing while considering whether to approach Madam Xie.

Meng Zhao went to Rongde Mountain Villa to seek cooperation with Widow Xie, hoping to gain her resources and influence in Liang Prefecture. He arrived at the villa and was led inside by one of Xie Wen’s trusted servants.

• Xie Wen kept Meng Zhao, Xiang Qing, Si Peng, and Wei Hua at the Xie residence and sent beautiful women to attend them; Si Peng and Wei Hua accepted.
• Xie Wen arranged a meeting between two Lifeng Trading Company factions and Meng Zhao’s group, while Meng Zhao left the negotiations to Xiang Qing and Si Peng.
• Meng Zhao traveled to Rongde Mountain Villa to explore an alliance with Widow Xie and considered how her connections could help him establish support in Liang Prefecture.
• An Xie family servant guided Meng Zhao into Rongde Mountain Villa, where he was already familiar with the people and grounds.

Meng Zhao visited Madam Xie at Lifeng Trading Company to discuss support for the Divine Might Army, but she warned that other merchants wanted control of the army and mocked his confidence. He dismissed their threat, while remaining uncertain whether Madam Xie herself was the formidable martial expert in the room.

• Meng Zhao waited in a courtyard at Lifeng Trading Company and sensed a powerful martial presence nearby.
• Meng Zhao met Madam Xie, who questioned why he had come and criticized Xie Wen for sharing the company's internal affairs.
• Madam Xie warned Meng Zhao that other merchants might use their supplies to gain command over the Divine Might Army.
• Meng Zhao defended his handling of Xie Wen and said the merchants would be no match for him.

Meng Zhao met Widow Xie and sought her full support for the Divine Might Army, while she challenged his motives and explained that her earlier aid had been tied to Commander Bai. She admitted she had invested in Dragon City for potential returns, but dismissed Meng Zhao’s warning about his character.

• Widow Xie praised Meng Zhao’s ability to seize the Divine Might Army from Commander Bai while accusing him of pursuing selfish ambitions.
• Meng Zhao asked Widow Xie to support him fully, saying he could secure help from others in Lifeng Trading Company but wanted her backing most of all.
• Widow Xie questioned whether he expected her support after taking the army from Commander Bai, since she had aided it because of Commander Bai.
• Meng Zhao asked whether she had supported the army because Dragon City might command it, and Widow Xie said she had backed Dragon City as an investment and denied that their acquaintance went further.
• Meng Zhao warned that Dragon City might repay her kindness with enmity, but Widow Xie said she relied on mutual value and profit rather than gratitude.

Meng Zhao tried to persuade Madam Xie to support him by offering to help avenge her late husband, but she doubted that he could match Commander Bai’s Grandmaster abilities. The chapter ended with Meng Zhao realizing her enemy was powerful enough to remain beyond reach.

• Meng Zhao asked Madam Xie to support him and cooperate with him, promising greater returns than Commander Bai could offer.
• Madam Xie refused, explaining that she had spent money on the Divine Might Army because Commander Bai had promised to resolve a major problem for her.
• Meng Zhao brought up Madam Xie’s late husband, provoking her anger and confirming that her unresolved vengeance was tied to her support for Commander Bai.
• Madam Xie questioned whether Meng Zhao could help when he was only at the Innate realm, while Commander Bai possessed Grandmaster martial arts.

Meng Zhao pressed Widow Xie for details about the enemy who killed her husband, and she revealed that the man was at least a Great Grandmaster, possibly a Celestial. Meng Zhao suspected the enemy was one of the Ten Absolute Grandmasters, but Widow Xie warned that many powerful Grandmasters existed beyond that group.

• Meng Zhao asked Widow Xie whether her enemy was a Grandmaster, Great Grandmaster, or Celestial.
• Widow Xie said her husband had been a Grandmaster and that his killer had likely reached the Great Grandmaster realm, perhaps even the Celestial realm.
• Widow Xie explained that she could not risk waiting for Meng Zhao to grow strong enough to avenge her.
• Meng Zhao considered the Ten Absolute Grandmasters and asked whether one of them was Widow Xie's enemy.
• Widow Xie praised Meng Zhao's insight, then reminded him that the Divine Continent had many Grandmasters beyond the Ten Absolute Grandmasters.

Madam Xie began explaining why her late husband might have been connected to the Ten Absolute Grandmasters by asking Meng Zhao about the Solar and Lunar Bodies. Meng Zhao suspected the couple possessed those physiques and wondered whether they had a child with a Chaos Body, but the chapter ended before Madam Xie revealed the truth.

• Meng Zhao questioned how Madam Xie's late husband could have been connected to the Ten Absolute Grandmasters, given his ordinary merchant background.
• Madam Xie asked Meng Zhao whether he knew of the ancient Solar and Lunar Bodies, and he described their powers and the misfortunes said to follow their bearers.
• Meng Zhao guessed that Madam Xie's late husband had possessed the Solar Body and Madam Xie the Lunar Body.
• Meng Zhao recalled the legend that a child born to Solar and Lunar Body bearers would possess the supreme Chaos Body.
• Meng Zhao wondered whether Madam Xie and her late husband had secretly had a child, but he considered it likelier that her husband had died before they could conceive.

Widow Xie told Meng Zhao how Nangong Yao took her in as a child, guided her into a loving marriage with his other disciple, and later revealed his sinister intentions. The story left off as the couple considered seeking Nangong Yao’s help to have a child who might possess a Chaos Body.

• Meng Zhao realized Widow Xie’s lost Lunar bloodline and her late husband’s Solar Body had once offered hope of producing a Chaos Body.
• Widow Xie explained that Nangong Yao took her as his disciple when she was eight and cared for her like a father.
• After Widow Xie’s parents died, Nangong Yao brought her his other disciple, and the two fell in love.
• Widow Xie and her husband asked Nangong Yao for permission to marry, and he appeared to support their union.
• Three years after their marriage, Widow Xie and her husband considered asking Nangong Yao for help having a child with a possible Chaos Body, setting the tragedy in motion.

Widow Xie recounted how Nangong Yao betrayed her and her husband, stealing their bloodlines and killing their child to strengthen his martial potential. Meng Zhao understood how Nangong Yao had gained his power and judged his actions despicable.

• Widow Xie's late husband discovered Nangong Yao's plan to use his Spirit Seizing Art to steal the couple's bloodlines, so the pair tried to flee Liang Prefecture.
• Nangong Yao captured them, cut their premature child from Widow Xie's womb, and absorbed its Chaos bloodline.
• Nangong Yao killed the child and burned its corpse before the couple, then violated Widow Xie and stole her Lunar bloodline.
• Nangong Yao threatened Widow Xie, forcing her husband to give up his Solar energy in exchange for Nangong Yao's promise to spare her.
• Meng Zhao concluded that Nangong Yao had gained only part of the Chaos Body's potential and found his methods hateful.

Meng Zhao questioned the credibility of Widow Xie's account but judged that Nangong Yao had become a formidable threat after taking part of the Chaos Body's aptitude. He urged Widow Xie to trust him instead of Commander Bai, leaving her to decide whether to support his eventual fight against Nangong Yao.

• Meng Zhao considered the unanswered questions about Nangong Yao's restraint and the Spirit Seizing Secret Art, and withheld his doubts from Widow Xie.
• Meng Zhao told Widow Xie that Nangong Yao was likely far beyond Commander Bai's ability to defeat.
• Widow Xie explained that she had helped train the Divine Might Army because Commander Bai claimed tens of thousands of soldiers could kill Nangong Yao in a battle formation.
• Meng Zhao warned Widow Xie that Commander Bai was likely exploiting her and argued that his army might suffer devastating losses without defeating Nangong Yao.
• Widow Xie asked whether Meng Zhao would truly risk making an enemy of Nangong Yao for her sake.
• Meng Zhao said he would fight Nangong Yao regardless and invited Widow Xie to support him, calling the man a future threat to the Divine Land.

Widow Xie agreed to give Meng Zhao ten years to kill Nangong Yao, promising him all her wealth and connections if he succeeded. After revealing the scars she carved into her own face for her dead child and husband, she warned him not to betray her trust, and Meng Zhao vowed to bring her Nangong Yao’s head.

• Widow Xie weighed Meng Zhao’s offer, believing he might be her best chance for revenge against Nangong Yao.
• Meng Zhao clarified that he wanted help for his own purposes, and that the Divine Might Army was only a tool to him.
• Widow Xie offered Meng Zhao Lifeng Trading Company’s wealth and connections if he killed Nangong Yao within ten years, but threatened him if he failed or deceived her.
• Widow Xie lifted her veil and showed Meng Zhao the scars she had carved into her face for her dead child and husband.
• Meng Zhao promised to kill Nangong Yao and deliver his head before Widow Xie’s deadline.