Arc 51Rebellion and the River War

Shen Tang secured Qu Country’s alliance while the Eternal Life Cult uprising spread and Lin Feng uncovered her brother Lin Su’s dream attack. Cui Zhi’s family reckoning deepened the crisis, and the arc ended with war breaking out as a young merfolk arrived to oppose Luo Yuan.

  • Shen Tang and Zhai Le negotiated a pact to divide the Central Continent, swearing their alliance by Luoshui while leaving open the possibility of betraying each other.
  • Cui Xiao and the Saint Child helped the Eternal Life Cult rebellion spread as believers seized a county town and the Southwest Coalition faced unrest and strained supplies.
  • Lin Feng discovered that her brother Lin Su had entered her dreams to turn her against Kang, and she and Lin Su fought through visions of their past lives before she escaped near death.
  • Shen Tang ordered an investigation into Lin Su as he fled toward Kang, while Cui Zhi left the campaign to reach Cui Hui amid an epidemic and his mother-in-law’s death.
  • Cui Xiao arrived at the convent too late to see his wife, then captured Cui Zhi and used his authority to help the Eternal Life Cult rebellion grow.
  • Lin Su sought Qi Shan’s help reviving his dead friend, revealed a pendant tied to Tan Qu, and learned that Qi Shan’s cloning research could not restore the dead person’s memories.
  • Mei Meng tried to disrupt Kang’s weather strategy, but Shen Tang exposed the allied spies and sent a volley of heads into the enemy camp, prompting the Sovereign of Qi to rally his officials against Kang.
  • Luo Yuan’s arrow began the war, and Shen Tang learned that more than forty Luo family ships had joined Kang before meeting a young merfolk who had come to oppose Luo Yuan.
Chapters 1252–1276 Vol. 13 Read

Ch. 12521251: Naval Warfare: No Playing Fair (Part Two)

Shen Tang’s officers considered using a submarine against the Southwest Continent, while Wei Shou later warned Gu Chi that the Central Region was trying to sway him and Lin Feng through family ties. Shen Tang trusted Lin Feng to remain loyal and planned to stall the Central Region, though she worried about protecting Lin Feng’s reputation.

  • Shen Tang proposed building a submarine, and Lin Feng persuaded Wei Shou that it could hide on a riverbed and ambush enemy ships.
  • After the planning meeting, Wei Shou gave Gu Chi a painful massage and privately revealed that the Central Region had approached him through a close relative.
  • Wei Shou told Gu Chi that Lin Feng was also being targeted through a troublesome blood relative living in the Central Region.
  • Gu Chi secretly informed Shen Tang, who trusted Lin Feng to weigh her loyalties and remain faithful to Kang.
  • Shen Tang decided to keep Lin Feng’s reputation clear and find a way to distract the Central Region.

Ch. 12531252: Naval Warfare: No Playing Fair (Part Three)

Shen Tang reassured Gu Chi that she would not retire before uniting the world and raising an heir, while Gu Chi and Bai Su discussed potential rivals for her affection. As the Southwest Coalition surrounded Shen Tang’s army and took heart from its supposedly poor naval drills, Shen Tang’s alliance with Qu Country threatened to distract the Central Region, and Zhai Le caught her sitting on his throne.

  • Gu Chi confronted Shen Tang about grooming Lin Feng as a future successor, and Shen Tang explained that she would not retire until the world was united and she had raised an heir.
  • Gu Chi asked Bai Su who might pursue Shen Tang, and Bai Su warned him to watch Jimò Qiu because of his wealth and devotion to their lord.
  • Scouts reported that the Southwest Coalition had encircled Shen Tang’s army, found no disruption to local livelihoods or supply routes, and believed Kang’s naval drills showed weakness.
  • Cui Zhi told the Southwest Coalition that Central Region countries were preparing to intervene against Kang, lifting the coalition’s spirits.
  • Shen Tang’s plan to ally with Qu Country aimed to keep the Central Region occupied, while Zhai Le caught her sitting on his throne and called for help.

Ch. 12541253: Severing Our Ties

Shen Tang urged Zhai Le to ally with Kang and divide the Central Continent, warning him about the approaching destruction of the world and the need to unite the continent. Zhai Le agreed to investigate her claims and said he would either oppose her as a rival or sever their friendship and join her enemies.

  • Shen Tang and Zhai Le traded barbs over her sitting on Qu's throne before she asked him to help divide the Central Continent with Kang.
  • Zhai Le rejected her request as a matter of statecraft, but Shen Tang argued that Qu should grow stronger and revealed that Kang was under pressure while she fought in the southwest.
  • Shen Tang told Zhai Le that a tightening curse tied to Yun Da threatened the world, and said she would rather face the end alongside him than yield her ambitions.
  • Zhai Le said he would consult someone else and verify Shen Tang's claims before deciding whether to ally with her or compete to unify the world.
  • After Shen Tang left, Yu Hai warned that Qu would become passive if Kang succeeded; Zhai Le declared he would either become Shen Tang's opponent or join the powers devouring Kang, depending on whether her warning was true.

Ch. 12551254: Did I Come at a Bad Time?

Yu Hai’s investigation convinced Zhai Le that Shen Tang’s warnings about the world’s destruction had merit, and Zhai Le met her to negotiate an alliance against the Central States. Their discussion ended in a dispute over how to divide the territory they planned to seize.

  • Yu Hai reported his findings to Zhai Le, who decided to discreetly contact supportive generals and meet Shen Tang.
  • Zhai Le and Yu Hai arrived at Shen Tang’s guesthouse, surprising her while she was drying her wigs, and Zhai Le invited her to discuss their plans over wine.
  • Zhai Le’s friend realized that Shen Tang was the lord Xiahou Yu served, while Zhai Le and Shen Tang went aside to negotiate.
  • Shen Tang demanded half the spoils, and Zhai Le countered with progressively larger shares for Qu Country before showing her the seven regions he wanted.
  • Shen Tang scowled at Zhai Le’s proposed territorial division and accused him of treating her as if he could put a knife under her pillow.

Ch. 12561255: The Oath at the Luo River and a Flexible Moral Compass

Shen Tang and Zhai Le negotiated an alliance to divide the Central Continent and sealed it with an Oath of Luoshui, while both understood that either might eventually break their word. Shen Tang then checked on the southwest front and ended with news from her original self, though the chapter left the good news undisclosed.

  • Shen Tang told Xiahou Yu that Zhai Le had rejected her initial terms, and Xiahou Yu warned that Qu Country might break any informal alliance if doing so served its interests.
  • Shen Tang and Zhai Le resumed negotiations, made progress toward dividing the Central Continent, and agreed to swear their pact by Luoshui.
  • Shen Tang and Zhai Le exchanged pointed remarks about Sima Yi and Cao Zhaobo, then sealed the alliance while each left open the possibility of future betrayal.
  • Shen Tang told Xiahou Yu that the southwest coalition had been probing her forces and disrupting the navy, and she hoped its harassment would buy time for a prepared surprise.
  • Shen Tang's original self communicated with her incarnations, admired her reflection, and told Qin Li that there was good news.

Ch. 12571256: The Cult Leader Is Me?! (Part One)

Shen Tang learned that Cui Xiao had rallied more than three hundred thousand Eternal Life Cult believers in Lu Country, and argued that their uprising stemmed from the southwestern rulers’ oppression. As the allied army debated the news, Gongyang Yongye exposed how landlessness had pushed commoners toward rebellion, while the Saint Child worried that the uprising could cost many lives.

  • Shen Tang told Qin Li that her incarnation Wu You had heard that Cui Xiao, the Eternal Life Cult’s Saint Child, had gathered more than three hundred thousand believers in Lu Country.
  • Shen Tang argued that the southwestern authorities, not desperate commoners or Wei Cheng and Wei Lou alone, were responsible for the conditions behind the cult’s growth.
  • Qin Li worried that the allied countries could suppress the believers, while Shen Tang explained that the uprising would disrupt their harvests and already strained supply lines.
  • Lu Country’s leaders suspected Kang Country had spread the news, but Gongyang Yongye challenged them to consider whether the fields and harvests belonged to the commoners at all.
  • Gongyang Yongye described how local clans had taken reclaimed land from tenant farmers, leaving many people with little to lose by rebelling.
  • Qi Cang suspected Kang Country had encouraged the uprising, while Cui Xiao told the worried Saint Child to trust the True God and promised that sweet rain would come.

Ch. 12581257: The Cult Leader Is Me?! (Part Two)

The Saint Child used a fabricated divine oracle to turn the Eternal Life Cult’s believers against their oppressors, and they seized a county town amid the southwest’s turmoil. Cui Xiao revealed that his Word Spirit’s effects were still lingering as the group prepared to withdraw and let the unrest spread.

  • The Saint Child told Cui Xiao that she planned to deliver a divine oracle to the Eternal Life Cult’s believers, while Cui Xiao insisted his lord’s preparations for disaster relief proved his divinity.
  • The Saint Child gathered thousands of believers and claimed the Mother Goddess had forgiven humanity, while evil spirits had deceived and tormented them.
  • The believers erupted into angry chants and shared accounts of their suffering, then beat spies who tried to leave and report the gathering.
  • Protected by a divine miracle, the believers stormed a nearby county town, killed its corrupt official, and seized the city walls.
  • The Saint Child noticed Cui Xiao’s lingering invisibility effects and learned he expected to recover soon as the group prepared to withdraw.

Ch. 12591258: The Cult Leader Is Me?! (Part Three)

The Saint Child refused to abandon the Eternal Life Cult believers and agreed to stay despite the risk to her life, while Cui Xiao used her resolve to prolong the rebellion. Elsewhere, Jiang Sheng read the fortunes of Kang’s leaders, and Lin Feng reunited with her long-lost elder brother, whose humble life and domestic skills suggested years of hardship.

  • The Saint Child argued that withdrawing would leave ordinary believers to be deceived or slaughtered, and Cui Xiao agreed she could stay if she accepted the danger of dying.
  • Cui Xiao told the middle-aged scholar that the Saint Child’s choice could extend the rebellion, while the scholar worried she would be made to bear the blame.
  • Su Shi Yilu complained to Jiang Sheng that he wanted to earn military merit directly, and Jiang Sheng showed him a scroll ranking leaders by fortune.
  • Jiang Sheng said Lin Feng faced a blood calamity involving siblings and that Cui Xiao’s Red Phoenix Star was about to fall, though Su Shi Yilu dismissed the warnings.
  • Lin Feng returned to her residence, where her elder brother had prepared food and sewn a dress for her.
  • Lin Feng recalled their childhood and realized from her brother’s plain clothes and skill at sewing that he had suffered hardship over the years.

Ch. 12601259: Siblings at Each Other’s Throats (Part One)

Lin Feng’s brother told her how the Lin family had been driven into poverty and humiliation after fleeing south, and why they could not return home. When he tried to leave her courtyard, Lin Feng confronted him, revealed she knew he had used his Way of the Scholar to enter people’s dreams, and challenged him to explain its nature.

  • Lin Feng’s brother described the family’s escape from Lingzhou, the deaths of their womenfolk, and the hardship and hostility they faced in their new home.
  • Lin Feng asked why he had not returned when Great-grandfather contacted him, and he explained that returning in defeat would dishonor the family’s losses and suffering.
  • Lin Feng’s brother revealed that he had turned to Daoist practice and evening lessons after being unable to continue his studies by ordinary means.
  • After Lin Feng studied her map, her brother tried to slip out of the courtyard at night, but Lin Feng intercepted him with her sword.
  • Lin Feng’s brother admitted he had come intending to turn her against her side, then said he would leave; Lin Feng detained him and revealed that she suspected he had entered dreams using his Way of the Scholar.
  • Lin Feng’s brother recognized that she had uncovered his ability, and Lin Feng began describing the transformation between Zhuang Zhou and a butterfly.

Ch. 12611260: Siblings at Each Other’s Throats (Part Two)

Lin Feng was trapped in a lifelike dream that made her experience her second brother Lin Su’s past, from his years of hardship to his journey toward the Northwest. She finally encountered her own past self and realized Lin Su might be reliving her life as well, leaving the siblings poised to fight.

  • Lin Feng recognized the young man’s dream as a trap, rejected his appeal to their family bond, and tried to attack him with the [Corpse Man Vine].
  • Lin Feng woke in Lin Su’s body and endured his mountain-school routine, then killed three classmates who had come to harass him.
  • Lin Feng learned from her older brother how harsh Lin Su’s school life had been, returned to their impoverished home, and decided to leave for the Northwest in search of a worthy lord.
  • Lin Feng traveled with her classmate, pursued her lord through Heyin Commandery and Longwu Commandery, and found her own past self beside Xun Zhen on a rocky ledge.
  • Lin Feng realized Lin Su might be experiencing her past in return and threatened to kill him, while he challenged her to try.

Ch. 12621261: Siblings at Each Other’s Throats (Part Three)

Lin Feng and Lin Su continued navigating the dream while disguised as one another, and Lin Su brought the Twelfth Prince’s head back to the army. At a celebration banquet, Lin Feng was stabbed by Gongyi under Gu Chi’s direction, revealing that Lin Su’s plans had been outmaneuvered.

  • Xun Zhen learned that Lin Su had killed the Ten Crows’ Twelfth Prince and took the headless corpse, while Lin Su refused his offer to help deal with Lin Feng.
  • Lin Feng’s classmate admitted he had followed her because he wanted to find Anzhi, and Lin Feng and Lin Su explained how they had entered the dream at different points in their pasts.
  • Lin Su rejoined the army with Lin Feng and her classmate, where he encountered Luan Xin and Gu Chi and introduced Lin Feng as his elder brother.
  • Gu Chi arranged a banquet to celebrate Lin Su’s achievement, and Lin Feng attended while suspecting that Lin Su was setting a trap.
  • As Lin Feng toasted with Lin Su and Gu Chi, Gongyi stabbed her through the heart, and Gu Chi praised Gongyi’s assassination while Lin Su realized he had been caught off guard by Gu Chi’s hidden advantage.

Ch. 12631262: A Happy Day for Justice

In the dream, Gu Chi exposed Lin Su’s identity and explained why he had planned to kill him, while Lin Feng arrived to save Gu Chi from being deceived. After Lin Su and Lin Feng were killed in the dream, Lin Feng woke in the water and ordered her people to leave and send a letter to Minister Luan.

  • Gu Chi told the wounded Lin Su that he had suspected him after Lin Su became wary of him, then revealed that Luan Xin had used his Way of the Scholar to uncover Lin Su’s identity.
  • Lin Feng arrived disguised as Lin Su, and Gu Chi explained that he and their ruler had decided to eliminate Lin Su after learning he was an outsider.
  • Lin Su revealed that the scene was a dream and that he had intended to use Gu Chi to kill Lin Feng, then admitted he had killed the fellow student because of the Perfection Ritual.
  • Lin Su dissolved after dying, and Luan Xin stabbed Lin Feng to end her dream; Lin Feng refused Gu Chi’s offer to behead her and waited for death.
  • Lin Feng woke after nearly drowning, drew her sword, ordered her people to leave, and told them to write to Minister Luan.

Ch. 12641263: That’ll Cost Extra

Lin Feng survived Lin Su’s attempt to extract information through a dream and ordered Tu Rong to kill him, while Shen Tang prepared to investigate his ties to the Assembly of Gods. Lin Su’s companion was killed after trying to persuade Wei Shou to defect, and Lin Su learned that pursuers had reached the area.

  • Lin Feng recalled that Lin Su had attacked her through a dream, and Tu Rong found Lin Su’s blood on an embroidery frame in her courtyard.
  • Lin Feng told Tu Rong to search for Lin Su and kill him if he could not be captured; Tu Rong found several bribed agents in the camp, but Lin Su escaped.
  • Shen Tang ordered Yuan Liang to investigate whether Lin Su was connected to the Assembly of Gods and set aside the captured agents for the Sacrifice Flag.
  • Wei Shou arrived with a box containing the head of Lin Su’s companion, who had tried to persuade him to defect.
  • Lin Su hid near the meeting place and concluded that his companion had been killed; a ghostly figure then warned him that Lin Feng’s pursuers had arrived nearby.

Ch. 12651264: One Battle to Pacify the Southwest (One)

Lin Su escaped Tu Rong and headed for Kang Country to find Qi Yuanliang, while Shen Tang uncovered Central Branch intelligence about Kang Country’s troop deployments. As Qi Country prepared for war, news of an uprising and plague in Tianqing Commandery sent Cui Zhi rushing to protect his former wife’s family.

  • Lin Su learned that Lin Feng had fought fiercely in the dream, then recalled how she had killed three people and tried to frame him.
  • After escaping a search party, Lin Su was wounded by Tu Rong’s arrow, hid by a river, and set out north for Kang Country to find Qi Yuanliang.
  • Tu Rong told his subordinates not to inform Lin Feng that Lin Su had escaped.
  • Shen Tang complained to Cui Zhi that she had been assigned poor troops and learned that the Central Branch had sent accurate intelligence about Kang Country’s deployments.
  • Cui Zhi gave the Kang Country defense map to the Qi Country Sovereign, who told him that rebellion and plague had devastated Tianqing Commandery and that troops were already being sent to quell the unrest.
  • Cui Zhi rushed to leave after learning that his former wife’s family was in Tianqing Commandery, while the Qi Country Sovereign asked whether he feared Cui Hui would go there herself.

Ch. 12661265: One Battle to Pacify the Southwest (Two)

Cui Zhi left the campaign to reach Tianqing Commandery after learning that his former wife, Cui Hui, had gone there to rescue her family. He arrived to find the commandery devastated by rebellion and epidemic, then headed for Clear Water Convent to find his mother-in-law.

  • Cui Zhi confronted the Sovereign of Qi about the crisis in Tianqing Commandery and refused to stay at the campaign, recommending Mei Meng take his place.
  • Cui Zhi left with several hundred private troops, while the Sovereign of Qi tried to suppress news of his departure.
  • Shen Tang suggested Cui Zhi might be retreating strategically, and Qi Cang wondered whether he had secretly backed both sides.
  • Cui Zhi learned that an epidemic had overwhelmed Tianqing Commandery and that Cui Hui had used his seal to take a third of the medicinal stores before going there.
  • Cui Zhi reached the ruined commandery and ordered his party to proceed to Clear Water Convent.

Ch. 12671266: One Battle to Pacify the Southwest (Three)

Cui Zhi reached Qingshui Convent and learned that Cui Hui’s mother had been killed while defending refugees from bandits. He stayed with Cui Hui as Eternal Life Cult followers gathered below the mountain, then agreed to treat their plague-stricken patients but refused to hand over the medicinal herbs.

  • Cui Zhi reached the convent after learning that Cui Hui and her mother might be in danger, and the guards let him pass.
  • Cui Zhi learned that the abbess had died from wounds sustained while defending the convent during a bandit raid.
  • Cui Hui told Cui Zhi how her mother had spent her final days haunted by past killings and had died after protecting the convent’s refugees.
  • Cui Zhi stayed beside Cui Hui and refused to leave the day after arriving, despite the war and the danger below the mountain.
  • More than two thousand people gathered below the mountain, and Eternal Life Cult followers sent an envoy to request medicinal herbs.
  • Cui Zhi refused to give the cultists the herbs but offered to treat their sick, and the envoy asked to pay respects at the abbess’s grave.

Ch. 12681267: One Battle to Pacify the Southwest (Four)

Cui Zhi escorted a Literary Scholar from the Eternal Life Cult to Clear Water Nunnery, where they discussed rebellion and the suffering that drove ordinary people to it. At the mourning hall, the scholar recognized Cui Hui as Ke Wu, demanded to know who lay in the coffin, and collapsed after learning the deceased had wished to remain unnamed.

  • Cui Zhi questioned the Literary Scholar about serving the Eternal Life Cult, and the scholar said people rebelled because they had been driven beyond what they could endure.
  • The Literary Scholar grew pale and suffered heart pain on the mountain path, then asked Cui Zhi about his mother-in-law's death.
  • Cui Zhi brought the scholar to the mourning hall and explained that his mother-in-law had cared for abandoned women, infants, and sick refugees.
  • The scholar wept before the coffin and reacted intensely when Cui Zhi explained that the deceased had requested no spirit tablet so she could atone as an unnamed person before King Yama's Palace.
  • Cui Hui entered, and the scholar recognized her as Ke Wu, demanded to know who was in the coffin, and then spat blood while questioning what it meant to be an unnamed person.

Ch. 12691268: One Battle to Pacify the Southwest (Five)

Cui Zhi discovered that the grieving scholar was Cui Xiao, his father-in-law and the long-estranged husband of the abbess in the coffin. After Cui Hui recounted her mother’s final days, Cui Xiao confronted the loss and revealed that his pursuit of power had drawn him into something dangerous.

  • Cui Zhi subdued Cui Xiao’s literary energy as grief threatened to injure him, and he realized the scholar resembled his brother-in-law and Ke Wu.
  • Cui Hui ordered mourning clothes for the newly arrived man, and her brother recognized him as their father, Cui Shanxiao.
  • Cui Zhi identified Cui Xiao as Kangguo’s Supervising Censor and recalled investigating his covert involvement in plots against Kangguo.
  • Cui Hui blamed Cui Xiao for arriving too late to see his wife, then told him the story of their mother’s death.
  • Cui Xiao bowed repeatedly before the coffin, opened it, and mourned the woman he had lost while realizing she had been the person who cared about him most.
  • Cui Xiao admitted that he had mistaken his attachment for ambition and had become involved in something he should not have.

Ch. 12701269: One Battle to Pacify the Southwest (Six)

After Cui Hui shared her mother's final words, Cui Xiao kept vigil and buried his elder sister, then abducted his former son-in-law Cui Zhi. He brought Cui Zhi back to his allies, but his own damaged meridians and Dantian revealed the cost of what he had done.

  • Cui Hui told Cui Xiao that her mother had forgiven him and understood why he had pursued status for their family.
  • Cui Xiao, Cui Zhi, and Cui Hui's brother kept vigil, buried Cui Xiao's elder sister, and found a message on Cui Xiao's Knife Fan saying he had borrowed Cui Zhi.
  • Cui Xiao ambushed Cui Zhi, sealed his Dantian and voice, and carried him past the mountain checkpoints.
  • Cui Xiao brought Cui Zhi to his allies and said they could use the Cui clan Patriarch to weaken or restrain the clan.
  • Cui Xiao coughed up blood, and his old friend discovered that his meridians, Dantian, and Heart Meridian were damaged; Cui Xiao said he had done it to himself.

Ch. 12711270: One Battle to Pacify the Southwest (Seven)

Cui Xiao kept Cui Zhi prisoner while Cui Hui left without him, and the two men exposed how much each had already maneuvered to protect the Cui family and their own interests. Cui Xiao then used Cui Zhi’s authority as head of the Assembly of Gods’ Southwest Branch to intensify the rebellion, while other players began watching for a chance to seize the spoils.

  • Cui Xiao refused to release Cui Zhi, and Cui Hui left after he warned her that she could no longer conceal her secrets from her husband.
  • Cui Xiao revealed that Cui Zhi’s hidden operatives had failed to find him and forged a letter, then admitted he knew Cui Zhi led the Assembly of Gods’ Southwest Branch through Qi Yuanli.
  • Cui Zhi revealed that he had long suspected Shen Youli’s side was working against Qi Country and had deliberately stayed silent while preparing safeguards for the Cui family.
  • Cui Xiao and Cui Zhi argued over their plans, with Cui Zhi explaining that the Cui family could survive whether Qi Country or Kang Country won.
  • Cui Xiao used Cui Zhi’s authority to help the Eternal Life Cult rebellion spread, while some observers noticed the strange developments and waited for an opportunity to replace the Cui family.

Ch. 12721271: One Battle to Pacify the Southwest (Eight)

Lin Su visited Qi Shan in Fengluo to investigate whether the Assembly of Gods' records on cloning could help bring his dead friend back. Qi Shan explained that cloning could not restore the dead man's memories, but Lin Su showed him a Qi Clan jade pendant that appeared to belong to Qi Shan's own lost friend.

  • Lin Su questioned a grain-shop owner about Kang's low grain prices and learned that licenses and government rules regulated grain sales.
  • Lin Su reached Lin Feng's residence but left without meeting his fourth uncle, Lin Chao, then accepted an invitation to visit Qi Shan.
  • Lin Su told Qi Shan that he was investigating records about cloning to find a way to revive his dead close friend.
  • The ghostly young man revealed that he was Lin Su's dead friend, and Qi Shan explained that cloning would create a newborn without the deceased's memories.
  • Lin Su showed Qi Shan a twin-fish jade pendant bearing the Qi Clan crest, which Qi Shan recognized as belonging to his lost close friend.

Ch. 12731272: One Battle to Pacify the Southwest (Nine)

Qi Shan confronted Lin Su over Tan Qu’s jade pendant and learned that Lin Su’s mysterious friend had given it to him, possibly with knowledge of Yuan Liang’s remains. After discovering the records on cloning techniques could not help him revive Qi Shan, Qi Shan found Lin Anzhi named as a spy and ordered Lin Su placed on the nationwide wanted list.

  • Qi Shan grabbed Lin Su by the throat after recognizing Tan Qu’s jade pendant, and Lin Su revealed that he suspected Qi Shan was actually Tan Qu using Qi Shan’s identity.
  • Lin Su’s illusion forced Tan Qu to relive memories of young Qi Shan, but Tan Qu rejected it and Qi Shan returned to reality.
  • Lin Su said a mysterious friend had given him the pendant and hinted that the friend might be connected to the dragon and Yuan Liang’s remains.
  • Qi Shan showed Lin Su his collection of cloning research and explained that the technology belonged to a previous human civilization and could not be reproduced in the present era.
  • Qi Shan found Lin Anzhi named in a front-line report as a spy in the Central Branch and ordered Lin Su put on the nationwide wanted list.

Ch. 1274A Battle to Settle the Southwest (10) [Happy National Day]

Lin Su explained that his deception of Qi Shan’s faction was meant to influence Kang and Qu, while revealing his own desire to end the world’s suffering through universal death. Shen Tang received conflicting intelligence about Lin Su, then prepared to move the allied forces as the political situation shifted.

  • Lin Su told the phantom that his encounter with Qi Shan’s faction was intended to affect Kang and Qu, and he suspected Qi Yuanliang genuinely wanted Shen Tang to unify the world.
  • Lin Su revealed that he hated the world’s injustice and believed everyone’s death would end its suffering.
  • Shen Tang investigated Lin Su through the Assembly of Gods’ channels and received conflicting reports, including one claiming he had died years earlier.
  • Qin Li warned Shen Tang that Lin Su’s unusual Way of the Scholar could make the report about his death possible.
  • Shen Tang set Lin Su’s background aside and told Qin Li that the allied forces were about to make their move.

Ch. 12751274: One Battle to Decide the Southwest (11) [Happy National Day]

Mei Meng struggled to command the Southwest Allied Army while Shen Tang’s forces uncovered spies planted among their camp. Shen Tang retaliated with a grisly display and a volley of arrows, ending with Gongyang Yongye stopping the eighth shot and sending a message to Mei Meng.

  • Mei Meng warned the allied leaders that Kang could reverse the river wind and ordered spies to identify and kill the Literary Scholars who controlled the weather.
  • Mei Meng imposed military discipline after allied leaders resisted her troop assignments, and her spies infiltrated the circles around Qin Li and other Literary Scholars.
  • Gu Chi uncovered the spies, who had posed as former Gao Country residents and private slaves of Wu Xian, and Qin Li suspected someone had framed Wu Xian.
  • Shen Tang ordered the captured spies used as an example and sent the headless corpses to the Southwest Allied Army’s scouts.
  • Shen Tang fired arrows carrying seven heads into the allied camp, and Gongyang Yongye stopped the eighth arrow before it could break the command banner.
  • Gongyang Yongye found a slip of paper on the arrow and sent it to Mei Meng.

Ch. 1276A Battle to Settle the Southwest (12) [Happy National Day]

The Sovereign of Qi dismissed a forged-looking note as Kang Country’s attempt to sow discord, while Luo Yuan’s arrow embarrassed the allied army into action. A sudden attack interrupted Shen Tang and Qi Cang’s fishing plans, and Shen Tang met a fleet led by a young man surnamed Luo who claimed he wanted to join her to oppose Luo Yuan.

  • The Sovereign of Qi recognized Mei Meng’s handwriting on the slip but publicly blamed Kang Country for trying to sow discord and called on the officials to answer its threat.
  • Luo Yuan shot an arrow toward Kang Country’s camp, shaming the allied army, while Qi Cang and Shen Tang abandoned their night-fishing plans when war broke out.
  • Shen Tang learned that more than forty ships bearing the Luo family name had arrived to join Kang Country and ordered Gu Chi to meet their leader.
  • Gu Chi and Jimò Qiu identified the young man’s Martial Gall Totem as a merfolk, and Shen Tang asked why he wanted to join her.
  • The young man said he had come to oppose Luo Yuan because their ancestors were enemies.
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