Chapter Summaries

Xu Quan delivered Qin Li a letter from Xu Xie confirming that Qin Li’s family was safe, freeing him to openly leave Wu Xian’s faction. At the victory banquet, Qin Li’s formal greeting to Wu Xian hinted at his changed allegiance, while Shen Tang arrived in a dazzling red dress and kept stealing glances at him.

• Xu Quan gave Qin Li Xu Xie’s letter confirming that Qin Li’s family had been moved to safety, and Qin Li destroyed the letter after reading it.
• Qin Li discussed Xu Xie’s favor with Chu Yao and accepted the debt while resolving to keep Xu Xie from crossing moral lines.
• Qin Li and Chu Yao joined the spartan victory banquet, where the injured Zhao Feng boasted and saved Qin Li a seat.
• Wu Xian arrived, and Qin Li addressed him as “Lord Wu” rather than “our lord,” drawing wary attention from the gathered officials.
• Shen Tang arrived in a bright red dress, teased the banquet guests with her good mood, and repeatedly glanced at Qin Li.
• Zhao Feng noticed Qin Li’s flushed cheeks and damp collar and loudly asked whether he was feeling unwell.

At the victory banquet, 秦礼 resigned from 吴贤’s service and explained that years of neglect and infighting had broken their ties. He revealed that 赵奉’s aide’s family had been targeted and 赵奉’s home surrounded, leaving 吴贤 exposed as unaware of the turmoil in his own camp.

• 顾池 joked about the banquet and exchanged secret messages with 姜胜 and 褚曜 while 沈棠 and 吴贤 drank together.
• 吴贤 wept over his fallen followers, and 沈棠 presented 黄烈’s head and praised 白素 for killing him.
• 沈棠 praised 秦礼’s contributions, prompting 吴贤 to promise to reward him.
• 秦礼 surrendered his official seal and told 吴贤 he was leaving because their ties had run their course.
• 秦礼 confronted 吴贤 about the murder attempt on 赵奉’s aide’s family and the troops surrounding 赵奉’s residence, while 吴贤 denied knowing about either incident.

Qin Li exposed how Zhao Feng’s family had been persecuted in Tianhai, while Wu Xian’s allies threatened the departing group. Shen Tang offered Zhao Feng and Qin Li a place with her, leaving Qin Li to consider her proposal.

• Qin Li told Wu Xian that Zhao Feng’s household had been attacked, and that a pregnant woman had been denied medical help and died after begging for her child to be cut from her womb.
• Ning Yan condemned the perpetrators, and Qin Li demanded the heads of the culprits before he and his people departed.
• Zhao Feng defended Qin Li and accused Wu Xian’s people of hiding the crimes and threatening their families.
• Shen Tang criticized those threatening the departing group and invited Zhao Feng to join her, but Zhao Feng said he would follow Qin Li’s decision.
• Shen Tang urged Qin Li to consider his family’s safety and swore she would let him leave if he later chose another lord.

Shen Tang swore a weighty oath to win Qin Li and Zhao Feng’s faction from Wu Xian, then urged Wu Xian to deal with the officials who had abused them. As Qin Li’s group moved to Shen Tang’s camp, Wu Xian confronted the man responsible and demanded that he accept punishment.

• Shen Tang’s oath convinced Qin Li and Zhao Feng to pledge themselves to her, and their faction followed.
• Shen Tang warned Wu Xian that the mistreatment of Qin Li’s group had damaged his reputation and threatened his control, so Wu Xian promised an answer by the next day.
• Zhao Feng reassured his comrades about joining Shen Tang and suggested that qualified women in their families could train in a separate unit.
• Cui Xiao arrived to help Qin Li’s group move their belongings to Shen Tang’s camp, then warned Qin Li that Gu Wangchao was easily jealous.
• Wu Xian questioned his subordinates and ordered the man who admitted targeting Qin Li and Zhao Feng to face them, threatening him with death if he refused.

Wu Xian executed the ringleader behind the plot against Zhao Feng’s family, then sent the body to Shen Tang’s camp, where Zhao Feng and Qin Li accepted the matter as settled. Qin Li warned that Wu Xian might not live long amid the danger in Tianhai, and the chapter ended with Xu Quan arriving with a reward from Shen Tang.

• Wu Xian beheaded the general who had pleaded for Demao and demanded to know how the plot in Tianhai had been concealed from him.
• Wu Xian ordered the corpse delivered to Shen Tang’s camp, where Zhao Feng recognized the dead man as the culprit behind the attack on his family.
• Qin Li accepted the body and told Wu Xian’s guard that they would let the matter end there, while Shen Tang warned Zhao Feng that others involved might still resent him.
• Zhao Feng planned to take his brother’s remains home for burial and save the culprit’s ashes to scatter at the family graves.
• Qin Li told Zhao Feng that Wu Xian might not have long to live because his leniency could leave a greater threat in Tianhai.
• Xu Quan arrived at Shen Tang’s lodgings with a wooden box containing a reward from their lord.

Shen Tang sent Qin Li a box of rings after mistaking his fondness for wearing them, then struggled through a string of bizarre accidents linked to Kang Jishou’s bad luck. Yu Zi revealed that she had awakened her Way of the Scholar, Evil Purple Seizes Vermilion, and Shen Tang called for Kang Jishou in fury.

• Qin Li accepted a box of rings from Shen Tang, and Xu Quan clarified that she had sent them because she thought Qin Li liked rings.
• Shen Tang explained that she had designed rings as New Year gifts and a company emblem because she could not afford to give out gold or silver.
• Yu Zi went to find Shen Tang, whose temporary conference hall had collapsed, and learned that Shen Tang had moved through several tents after further accidents.
• Yu Zi told Shen Tang that she had awakened her Way of the Scholar during battle, and Shen Tang comforted her as she began to cry.
• A rock struck the tent, so Shen Tang carried Yu Zi outside and continued working in the open air behind a barrier.
• Yu Zi revealed that her Way of the Scholar was Evil Purple Seizes Vermilion, and Shen Tang shouted for Kang Jishou.

Shen Tang and Kang Shi discussed how to control Yu Zi’s dangerous Way of the Scholar, [Evil Purple Seizes Vermilion], and Yu Zi vowed to restrain it. After Shen Tang sprained her ankle chasing Kang Shi, Chu Yao brought her three enemy corpses bearing a mark that matched the cloth found on Zhang Yongqing, and Yun Ce identified it as no lineage crest.

• Shen Tang confronted Kang Shi over Yu Zi’s newly awakened Way of the Scholar, and Kang Shi explained that it stole Qi Yun from allies and enemies to amplify her power.
• Kang Shi warned Yu Zi that her Way of the Scholar could conflict with her future self, while Yu Zi insisted she had chosen her path and wanted to rise higher.
• Shen Tang urged Yu Zi to restrain her nature, and Yu Zi promised to remember her advice.
• Shen Tang chased Kang Shi after he fled, fell, and sprained her ankle, then returned to meet Chu Yao and the others.
• Chu Yao showed Shen Tang three dead enemy soldiers with tattoos matching the fabric found on Zhang Yongqing, and Yun Ce said the mark was not a lineage crest.

After learning that the Assembly of Gods used symbols for nuclear, biological, and chemical hazards, Shen Tang considered whether someone from her world had founded it long ago or whether her current world was actually the future. She left the mystery unresolved and asked Gu Chi to help investigate the Assembly of Gods’ capabilities.

• Yun Ce showed Shen Tang the tattoo shared by his sect, the corpse, and a piece of cloth, while Chu Yao explained that the Assembly of Gods was an alliance of powerful talents and rulers.
• Shen Tang read the gathered intelligence, judged the Assembly of Gods a threat to unification, and asked her subordinates to learn more and find a spy among its members.
• Gu Chi drew the Assembly of Gods’ membership symbols, and Shen Tang recognized them as hazard signs for nuclear radiation, biological threats, and chemical weapons.
• Shen Tang privately told Gu Chi about her lost memories and proposed that a traveler from her world had founded the Assembly of Gods or that this world was the future of her own.
• Shen Tang worried that the Assembly of Gods might possess devastating weapons, asked Gu Chi to help investigate, and summoned Gongxi Chou.

Gongxi Chou told Shen Tang that the Gongxi Clan’s legends described an ancient refuge called Peach Blossom Spring and a feud with the Assembly of Gods. Shen Tang pursued a possible archaeological lead while enduring a streak of misfortune, and the chapter ended with her falling toward the edge of a city wall.

• Gongxi Chou identified the designs Shen Tang showed him, linked one to the Assembly of Gods, and recounted the Gongxi Clan’s legends about Peach Blossom Spring and its ancient conflict with the Assembly’s ancestors.
• Shen Tang decided to visit the Gongxi Clan’s ancestral lands to inspect its surviving records, despite Gongxi Chou warning that most had been seized or lost.
• Gu Chi told Shen Tang that the Assembly of Gods had approached Qi Yuanliang, and Shen Tang decided to ask him about it in person without sending a letter.
• Gongxi Chou mentioned a Mass Grave described in the High Priest’s manuscript, so Shen Tang copied the passage and asked Lin Feng to find people who knew the burial trade.
• After suffering repeated accidents and spraining both feet, Shen Tang met Qin Li and invited him for a walk.
• The rubble beneath Shen Tang’s crutch gave way, sending her tumbling toward the city wall’s edge.

After Kang Shi’s Way of the Scholar nearly caused Shen Tang to fall from the battlements, she discussed the danger with Qin Li, who then raised concerns about his personal troops and recommended someone who might help with her search for clues. The chapter left Shen Tang surprised that Qin Li knew a tomb raider, while the question of military arrangements remained unresolved.

• Shen Tang survived a fall from a gap in the battlements and let the workers responsible for the wall go after ordering repairs.
• Shen Tang explained to Qin Li that Kang Shi’s dangerous Way of the Scholar had caused the incident.
• Qin Li raised the question of how Shen Tang would handle the generals’ personal troops, and Shen Tang said she would discuss arrangements after Ganzhou was secured.
• Qin Li explained that he was concerned about the future of his veteran soldiers and then asked Shen Tang about her search for tomb raiders.
• Qin Li offered to recommend someone, leaving Shen Tang surprised that he knew a tomb raider.

Shen Tang questioned a former tomb robber about strange ancient objects and learned of possible sites along Ten Crows' western border and the Northern Desert's northern border. After leaving his tent, she asked Qin Li how far his Way of the Scholar could reach.

• Qin Li explained how he had found his former retainer, a tomb robber, during the kingdom's collapse and brought him into his service.
• Shen Tang visited the injured retainer and showed him drawings of modern objects, but he could not recognize them.
• The retainer recalled family journals describing strange materials that were difficult to find and said they might wash ashore near Ten Crows' western border or lie beneath the Northern Desert's northern ice.
• Shen Tang considered the possible connection between the strange places and ghost qi, then asked Qin Li how large an area his Way of the Scholar could cover.

Shen Tang showed Qin Li how [Cloudy Sky and Foggy Land] could help plan cities, highways, and jobs for wounded and elderly soldiers, and Qin Li agreed to support her plans. The chapter ended with Qin Li’s Literary Qi Incarnation returning from surveying terrain with a stack of papers.

• Shen Tang asked Qin Li to display [Cloudy Sky and Foggy Land] above Chaoli Pass and explained its uses for city planning and highway routes.
• Shen Tang asked Qin Li what he thought of Da Yi’s work in her camp, and Qin Li voiced his concerns about Martial Gall Warriors leaving the battlefield before promising to stand by her.
• Shen Tang proposed using nearby commanderies and counties to find suitable local work for disabled and older soldiers, then accidentally fell from the roof after getting carried away.
• Zhao Feng told Qin Li that Huang Lie’s brothers had escaped with their forces, but Qin Li dismissed the report as unimportant.
• An identical Qin Li emerged from the tent, handed Qin Li a stack of papers, and dissolved into literary qi, revealing himself as a Literary Qi Incarnation.

Shen Tang explained her reconstruction plans to Gu Chi, who warned her not to trust Qin Li too readily, before Qin Li overheard their teasing and Shen Tang's embarrassing remarks. Meanwhile, Zhao Feng killed one of Huang Lie's younger brothers and claimed the military achievement from his furious old rival in Tianhai's forces.

• Qin Li carried out Shen Tang's reconstruction work while Zhao Feng noticed that he continued working even as he ate.
• Gu Chi warned Shen Tang that her growing power would attract self-interested followers and urged her not to trust Qin Li completely.
• Shen Tang defended her judgment and teased Gu Chi, but Qin Li arrived and heard her call him a handsome rich guy and Gu Chi a faithful old wife.
• Shen Tang and Wu Xian spent more than two additional months conquering Ganzhou, and Zhao Feng killed one of Huang Lie's three younger brothers while escorting provisions.
• A Tianhai general accused Zhao Feng of stealing his military achievement, but Zhao Feng proved he had been escorting provisions and taunted the general for delivering the achievement to him.

Zhao Feng seized Huang Xiguang’s head from Tianhai’s forces and delivered the provisions safely, while Shen Tang prepared to defend his actions and use the military merit in negotiations with Wu Xian. Shen Tang then returned to consulting local farmers and officials about flood control and waterways.

• Zhao Feng taunted Tianhai’s general, took the prisoners and Huang Xiguang’s head, and left with his men.
• Tianhai’s general erupted in anger and led his troops to pursue the matter after Zhao Feng departed.
• Zhao Feng safely delivered the provisions to Zhao Wei and asked where Shen Tang was.
• Zhao Feng presented the head in Shen Tang’s tent, frightening the old farmer and other guests before Shen Tang calmed them.
• Shen Tang learned Zhao Feng had taken the head from Tianhai’s forces and promised to defend him, planning to use the merit to secure a larger share of the spoils from Wu Xian.
• Shen Tang returned to her discussion with local people about flood control and the Miao River’s waterways.

Shen Tang gathered local knowledge to plan river works across Yanzhou, deciding Martial Gall Warriors could build channels and mountains faster and with less harm to commoners than conscripted labor. As the project moved toward its test sites, Wu Xian arrived, and Shen Tang considered how to kill him.

• Shen Tang listened to Li Lianghua's river knowledge and promised to have her experience recorded under her name.
• Qin Li silenced several scholars who secretly disrespected Shen Tang, and she decided not to appoint them if they lacked real talent.
• Shen Tang chose to use Martial Gall Warriors for the river project rather than conscript commoners, and she and Qin Li realized she had not told him the Dynasty Name.
• The river project was prepared for test sites across Yanzhou, while the rejected scholars left the camp unharmed and some other candidates received appointments or rewards.
• Wu Xian came to see Shen Tang, who wondered how to kill him.

Shen Tang met with Wu Xian to dispute Tianhai’s claim that Zhao Feng had stolen military credit and to negotiate the division of conquered territory. When Wu Xian proposed taking valuable lands from Lingzhou and Yanzhou, Qin Li objected by arguing that Shang Nan should pass to Gu Ren’s children.

• Shen Tang brought Qin Li and Zhao Feng to meet Wu Xian, then used a tearful display to unsettle him before negotiations began.
• Wu Xian accused Zhao Feng of taking Tianhai’s military credit, but Shen Tang defended Zhao Feng’s actions as legitimate battlefield luck and offered partial compensation instead.
• A Tianhai general angrily rejected Shen Tang’s offer, prompting her guards to draw their swords before Wu Xian ordered the general to apologize.
• Wu Xian proposed that Shen Tang take Ganzhou while he gained Shang Nan, Yiru, and two prefectures in Yanzhou, along with his promise to help attack Kunzhou.
• Qin Li objected to the proposed division, arguing that Gu Ren’s children should inherit Shang Nan and their father’s former subordinates.

Shen Tang and Qin Li pressured Wu Xian into recognizing Gu Ren’s children’s claim to Shang Nan, then negotiated a preliminary division of the remaining territories. Shen Tang left confident that Heyin’s strategic position and Xu Xie’s loyalty would deter Wu Xian from retaliating.

• Qin Li argued that Shang Nan should be returned to Gu Ren’s orphaned children and widow, while Shen Tang backed him by recalling Gu Ren’s service and Zheng Qiao’s promise to grant land to campaign heroes.
• Wu Xian’s adviser challenged Qin Li and dismissed the idea as misplaced kindness, but Shen Tang reminded the gathering that Shang Nan had been Gu Ren’s fief.
• Wu Xian agreed to leave Shang Nan to Gu Ren’s family, then negotiated with Shen Tang over Yiru and other territories, reaching a preliminary division of the spoils.
• After Shen Tang departed, Wu Xian ordered his people to investigate Shang Nan, while Shen Tang celebrated that he would have to accept the loss.
• Shen Tang told Qin Li that Wu Xian was unlikely to attack because Heyin bordered Shang Nan and Xu Xie was unlikely to return to Wu Xian’s side.

After Shen Tang and Wu Xian defeated Huang Lie, Xu Xie worried that Wu Xian would punish the Xu Clan for its ties to Shen Tang, but news that Gu Ren's relatives and Qin Li's faction had switched sides reassured him. Meanwhile, Zhao Feng's wife prepared to face imprisonment alongside her sons as other families gathered to join them.

• Xu Xie learned that Shen Tang and Wu Xian had won and Huang Lie had been destroyed, then feared that Wu Xian might seize Heyin and punish the Xu Clan for its divided loyalties.
• Xu Xie heard that Gu Ren's close relatives had been moved to safety in Sibao Prefecture and concluded that Wu Xian could take Yiru at most, leaving Heyin secure.
• Xu Xie learned that Qin Li's faction had switched sides and told his wife that the orphan in their care connected the Xu Clan to Zhao Da Yi, Qin Gongsu, and their allies.
• Xu Xie's wife suggested arranging a marriage tie with Shen Tang, and Xu Xie agreed to seek a suitable young man while warning the clan to remain cautious.
• Wu Xian's wife confronted Zhao Feng's family, but Zhao Feng's wife and three sons declared they were ready to go to prison, and more women and children arrived with their families and luggage.

Madam Wu accused the families of Zhao Feng’s faction of plotting rebellion, but Zhao Feng’s wife challenged her to produce evidence and led them inside. Meanwhile, Shen Tang learned that a female soldier was pregnant after a consensual encounter and demanded an explanation for her breach of military discipline.

• Madam Wu confronted the families gathered at Zhao Feng’s residence and accused them of secretly planning to defect to Shen Youli.
• Zhao Feng’s wife denied the accusation, demanded proof, and dared Madam Wu to arrest them before leading everyone into the residence.
• The white-clad woman worried that Madam Wu would find evidence, while Zhao Feng’s wife reassured her and offered to make food for the children.
• Shen Tang questioned a pregnant female soldier, and Gu Chi explained that she had willingly slept with a man she found attractive during a lull in the fighting.
• The female soldier insisted that no one had forced her, and Shen Tang reprimanded her for violating military discipline and hiding the pregnancy.

Shen Tang investigated a pregnant Female Soldier and discovered that her camp lacked rules and knowledge about preventing pregnancy. She called an awkward meeting to discuss reproductive health and proposed using National Fortune to help ordinary people avoid dangerous repeated pregnancies.

• Shen Tang questioned the Female Soldier, then sent people to find the man involved so they could compare accounts before deciding on punishment.
• Shen Tang ordered the army physician to examine the camp and asked Wuhui to add clauses to the military code.
• Shen Tang scolded her subordinates for their ignorance about contraception and argued that Martial Gall Warriors and Literary Scholars could use their energy to prevent pregnancy.
• Shen Tang summoned her trusted aides and explained that childbirth could endanger ordinary women and their babies.
• Shen Tang conjured the National Seal and proposed setting aside National Fortune to address reproductive health.