Chapter Summaries

Gongxi Chou taunted and fought the Qi State reinforcements while Shen Tang attacked forces claiming to be rescuing the Sovereign. Gongxi Chou remained in control of the battle, and Shen Tang defeated an enemy general in a single exchange.

• Gongxi Chou overwhelmed the first generals who challenged him, then removed his martial armor and invited the reinforcements to attack him together.
• The reinforcements saw the bound Qi State Sovereign displayed on a Great Banner, and one general managed to sound a battle drum infused with martial energy.
• Wei Cheng and Luo Sha watched Gongxi Chou dominate the fighting, while Shen Tang intercepted forces claiming to protect the throne and declared she would attack them.
• Shen Tang knocked an enemy general from his horse, used the horse to evade his palm attack, and struck him down with her chain-like weapon.

Shen Tang captured two Qi generals and forced them to submit by threatening their lives and the soldiers under their command, then revealed that she had protected the prisoners and properly buried the dead. The generals accepted her leadership after realizing her threats had been a bluff, while Luo San wondered at Shen Tang’s strange way of winning people over.

• Shen Tang captured the enemy general, ordered Luo San to keep him alive, and threatened both generals with execution and the deaths of their troops unless they submitted.
• The two generals agreed to serve Shen Tang, and she assured them she would spare their former subordinates.
• Shen Tang explained that the pit was for burying fallen soldiers and that captured troops had been treated well, then reunited the generals with their deputy generals.
• The generals learned that Shen Tang had neither abused their men nor mistreated the dead, and they reluctantly accepted that they had misjudged her.
• Shen Tang compared her recruitment strategy to breaking into a widower’s home to repair his roof, leaving Luo San bemused by her explanation.

Shen Tang recruited and defeated forces on the way to Qi State’s royal capital, where she reunited with Gongxi Chou and learned that Xiahou Yu had arranged for the Qi State Sovereign to be killed by an arrow blamed on his own rescuers. The royal capital had fallen, and the surviving loyalist forces were left demoralized and disgraced.

• Luo San urged Shen Tang to use romantic entanglement to win Gongxi Chou over, but she rejected the idea and insisted on a proper ruler-and-minister relationship.
• Two captured generals tried to persuade other forces to stand aside, but some refused and were defeated when Shen Tang attacked them.
• Shen Tang gathered the surrendered troops and headed for Qi State’s royal capital, where she reunited with Gongxi Chou after he had defeated the forces outside the city.
• Gongxi Chou told Shen Tang that Xiahou Yu had arranged for the Qi State Sovereign to be shot with an arrow while displayed on the Great Banner, making the rescuers appear to have killed him themselves.
• The Qi State Sovereign’s death shattered the rescuers’ morale and gave them an excuse to withdraw, while Gongxi Chou mocked them for the deed.

Gongxi Chou routed the Qi State forces after a hidden arrow killed their Sovereign, capturing prisoners as Shen Tang prepared to consolidate her power. The chapter ended with Shen Tang teasing Gongxi Chou about his fear of being reported to his big brother, while Xiahou Yu remained wary of him.

• Gongxi Chou taunted the enemy after a hidden arrow from their ranks killed the Sovereign, and one enemy general collapsed from rage.
• Gongxi Chou opened the city gates and pursued the demoralized enemy, capturing many prisoners for labor.
• Shen Tang recognized that the Sovereign's death had let her gather Qi State's powers and consolidate her forces.
• Gongxi Chou pleaded with Shen Tang not to tell his big brother about his conduct, while Xiahou Yu voiced concerns about his domineering ways.
• Shen Tang told Xiahou Yu to appeal to Gongxi Chou's big brother if Gongxi Chou caused trouble, leaving Xiahou Yu wary of both brothers.

After defeating the reinforcements, Shen Tang offered their commanders a choice between joining her and retiring in exchange for ransom, then presided over a victory banquet that became a government session. The National Seal was found in a palace well, leaving Shen Tang to postpone the question of a new Dynasty Name by claiming there were no auspicious days.

• Gongxi Chou warned the captured commanders to behave before bringing them to Shen Tang’s victory banquet.
• A burly commander asked Gongxi Chou to help complete a collection of Fundoshi, and Gongxi Chou questioned him about the series.
• Shen Tang revealed herself as the ruler and invited the captured commanders to join her or retire; most submitted, while one chose to pay ransom for his freedom.
• Shen Tang and her officials discussed reorganizing Qi’s regional divisions and restoring local government as the prisoners watched.
• A soldier reported that the National Seal had been found in a palace well, and Shen Tang decided to delay choosing a new Dynasty Name by citing the lack of auspicious days.

After the victory banquet’s exhausting political discussions, Shen Tang sent Luo San to deliver the National Seal to Kang’s emperor and investigate Yuanfu Prefecture. Luo San revealed that Yuanfu was named after a man who could use time as an arrow, and set out intending to find and dig up his grave.

• Luo San heard that his former subordinate had been worn out by the victory banquet, where soldiers also grumbled about Shen Tang delaying the founding of a dynasty.
• Luo San warned his former subordinate that the soldiers’ impatience could endanger Shen Tang’s plans and told him to keep quiet.
• Shen Tang asked Luo San to carry the National Seal to Kang’s emperor in person, and he agreed after suspecting she was hiding a plot.
• Shen Tang also asked Luo San to investigate Yuanfu Prefecture because contact with the new prefect had been lost.
• Luo San revealed that Yuanfu Prefecture was named after Yuan Fu, a man who could use time as an arrow, and said he would look for his grave and dig it up.

Shen Tang learned that Yuanfu Prefecture and several other isolated territories had fallen in a coordinated takeover, and she ordered an investigation as Kang Country prepared for war. Luo San reached Yuanfu Prefecture, found a Yuan family descendant governing in Miao Ne’s place, and discovered a prisoner who might be Governor Miao.

• Luan Xin asked Shen Tang to investigate Miao Ne’s disappearance after she and Li Wan stopped sending letters from Yuanfu Prefecture.
• Qin Li reported that Yuanfu Prefecture and several other isolated territories had vanished from the National Seal’s map, prompting Shen Tang to summon a Court Session and order intelligence gathering.
• Luo San traveled northwest toward Yuanfu Prefecture and visited the Yuan family’s ancestral graves, where two strangers arrived to investigate his presence.
• Luo San found Yuanfu Prefecture under lockdown and discovered that a man surnamed Yuan had replaced Miao Ne as governor.
• Luo San entered the prison, spotted a shackled boy who noticed him, and asked which prisoner was Governor Miao.

Luo San found Miao Ne imprisoned in Yuanfu Prefecture and broke her, Gongyang Yongye, and the wounded Cui Xiong out of the dungeon. Their escape was intercepted by a red-robed archer, whose Time Arrow regressed Luo San’s cultivation from the 11th Rank Right Geng to the 20th Rank Che Hou, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

• Luo San confirmed that Miao Ne was the person Xiahou Li had asked him to find, then heard how the Rebel Army and local families had seized Yuanfu Prefecture and imprisoned her, Gongyang Yongye, and Cui Xiong.
• Miao Ne asked Luo San to deliver Cui Xiong’s token to the Cui clan Patriarch and rescue him, and Luo San agreed before breaking the group out of prison.
• Outside the city, Gongyang Yongye planned to gather allies to rescue Xiang Zhao, but a red-robed woman carrying a great bow arrived and confronted them.
• The archer questioned Luo San about kicking Yuan Fu’s gravestone and raised her bow after he admitted his hostility toward Yuan Fu and the Yuan clan.
• The red-robed woman fired a Time Arrow at Luo San, who took it head-on and revealed that it had reduced his cultivation from the 11th Rank Right Geng to the 20th Rank Che Hou.
• Luo San asked the archer to let the others go while privately wondering how many more arrows she could fire.

Miao Ne and Gongyang Yongye withdrew after the red-robed woman took Xiang Zhao, and Luo San explained the effects of the Time Bow Technique. The group reached Kang territory, where Miao Ne sought help for the prisoners and an examination for their altered bodies, while Luo San departed for Fengluo to pursue his own urgent business.

• The red-robed woman refused to explain why she considered Xiang Zhao one of her kind, then vanished with Xiang Zhao while Miao Ne and Gongyang Yongye agreed to return to the royal court and arrange a prisoner exchange.
• Luo San explained that the Time Bow Technique could send its victims sixty years into the past or future, and Miao Ne realized Xiang Zhao had not visibly changed after being struck by the arrow.
• Luo San helped Cui Xiong through a dangerous fever, then asked Miao Ne to promise him a favor; Cui Xiong woke in alarm when he thought Luo San was arranging a match for her.
• After the group entered Kang territory, Miao Ne identified herself to Zhao Wei, who sent an urgent message to the royal court and arranged for an army Xinglin Physician.
• Luo San left for Fengluo to attend to his pressing business, while Miao Ne and the others stayed behind to recover and await help.

Shen Tang learned that a mysterious archer had captured Kang Country’s people and agreed to send Luan Xin to negotiate their release. As Luo San approached with the National Seal and plans to assassinate her, Shen Tang prepared to meet the die-hard fan who wanted her incarnation Zixu to take the throne.

• Shen Tang read Miao Ne’s urgent dispatch about the Central Continent’s attack, the captured prisoners, and a terrifying archer who could send targets to the past or future.
• Shen Tang agreed to ransom the prisoners and let Luan Xin lead the negotiations, promising to send him with enough protection.
• Shen Tang told Luan Xin that someone else would arrive soon, referring to Luo San, Xiahou Li’s devoted supporter and the Captain of Shanyong Commandery.
• Gu Chi rushed in and warned Shen Tang that a 20th Rank Che Hou planned to assassinate her while presenting the National Seal.
• Shen Tang explained that Luo San was acting on his own because he wanted Zixu to usurp her throne, and she resolved to meet him herself.

Gu Chi warned Shen Tang that Luo San might become dangerous after learning the truth, but Luo San soon confronted him and demanded an explanation for his insult against Che Hou. Bai Su intervened when Luo San held Gu Chi, and she asked what Gu Chi had said to provoke him.

• Gu Chi advised Shen Tang to remain in the traveling palace while Luo San was nearby, and Shen Tang urged Gu Chi to visit Bai Su and arranged for an Xinglin Physician to examine her.
• Luo San confronted Gu Chi on the road, immobilized him, and demanded to know what he had meant by saying Che Hou had bad brains.
• Gu Chi realized Shen Tang had sent him out knowing Luo San would find him, and he tried to deflect Luo San's anger toward Shen Tang.
• Luo San accused Gu Chi of betraying Lady Xiahou, while Gu Chi retorted that a ruler determined how a subject regarded them.
• Bai Su attacked to free Gu Chi, then questioned Luo San about his grievance and asked Gu Chi what he had said to insult him.

Shen Tang reconciled with Luo San and explained her plan to resettle people from the mountains and use Literary and Martial Qi to improve ordinary people’s lives. Luo San admired her vision, and the chapter ended with them sharing fine wine at the temporary palace.

• Shen Tang joked that Bai Su had beaten Gu Chi, and Luo San let go of his resentment after realizing Shen Tang had arranged the situation to settle the matter.
• Luo San returned the item he had escorted and accepted Shen Tang’s invitation to the Night Market, showing that he had accepted her as the Sovereign of Kang Country.
• Shen Tang told Luo San that Kang Country was resettling people from the mountains, registering households, and arranging farmland and homes for them.
• Luo San questioned Shen Tang’s decision to settle people of different surnames apart, and Shen Tang explained that Literary and Martial Qi could reduce corvée labor and let everyone benefit from Heaven’s power.
• Luo San praised Shen Tang’s choice and drank to her future, then joined her at the temporary palace to open its cellar’s fine wine.

Shen Tang visited the recovering Gu Chi, discussed Luo San’s allegiance and Luan Xin’s mission to Yuan Fu, then learned that the Central Branch was targeting Kang. The chapter left Tan Ting missing after appearing at a Central Branch meeting and Kang facing a threat modeled on the Assembly of Gods’ past actions against Wu Kingdom.

• Gu Chi complained that Shen Tang had favored Luo San and made him suffer, but Bai Su forced him to drink his medicine.
• Shen Tang explained that Luo San had shown goodwill but would remain a hidden trump card rather than be publicly presented as Kang’s Che Hou.
• Gu Chi offered to travel to Yuan Fu in Luan Xin’s place, but Shen Tang said Luo San had already agreed to escort Luan Xin and protect him from Yuan Fu’s Time Arrow heir.
• Gu Chi asked whether Xiang Zhao and another person were connected to Shen Tang, and she said the connection was possible but not necessarily the reason Xiang Zhao could use the Time Arrow without aging.
• Shen Tang asked for news of the missing Tan Ting and learned from Qi Shan that he had appeared at a Central Branch meeting before disappearing.
• Qi Shan reported that the Central Branch had isolated the Northwest and Southwest Branches, blacklisted Yu Hai, and was considering dealing with Kang as it had once dealt with Wu Kingdom.

Shen Tang ordered a search for Tan Ting and saw Luan Xin off, while Chu Yao warned Gu Chi that his response to Luan Xin learning the truth about Qiu Wenyan could endanger them all. Gu Chi abandoned his attempt to stop Luan Xin and vowed to repay Shen Tang’s debt with his own life if Luan Xin turned against her.

• Shen Tang ordered Qi Shan to use the Central Branch’s resources to find Tan Ting and contacted Wu You to prioritize the search.
• Shen Tang saw Luan Xin off as he left the city, while Luo San and Luan Xin discussed the court’s complicated relationships and Gu Chi watched from afar.
• Bai Su found Gu Chi writing outrageous stories, then Chu Yao arrived and revealed that his Willow Dark Flower Bright had activated in a dream.
• Chu Yao warned Gu Chi that Luan Xin might learn Shen Tang had ordered Qiu Wenyan’s death, and Gu Chi rode out to stop Luan Xin before Chu Yao talked him down.
• Gu Chi realized Chu Yao’s warning concerned his own danger and promised not to kill Luan Xin, but said he would let Luan Xin kill him if he stood in Shen Tang’s way.

Shen Tang confronted Gu Chi for trying to manage Luan Xin’s departure and learned that Luan Xin might kill himself if he discovered the truth about Qiu Cheng’s death. She sent Jimò Qiu to seek help from Qiu Cheng’s widow, Madam Miao, who was offered a title for her son in exchange for reconciling Shen Tang and Luan Xin.

• Shen Tang rebuked Gu Chi for deciding on her behalf and demanded to know why he had tried to trade his life for Luan Xin’s.
• Gu Chi explained that Luan Xin would never serve Shen Tang after learning she had caused Qiu Cheng’s death, and might take his own life instead.
• Shen Tang asked about Qiu Cheng’s family and ordered someone to invite his widow, hoping to resolve the conflict through her.
• Jimò Qiu visited Madam Miao and offered her son a title if she helped reconcile Shen Tang and Luan Xin.
• Madam Miao admitted she had little influence over Luan Xin, and Jimò Qiu showed her an item belonging to Shen Tang as further leverage.

Madam Miao agreed to Shen Youli’s generous terms for Qiu Cheng’s descendants after realizing how much Luan Xin mattered to the lord. Luan Xin recovered from a severe allergic reaction and arrived with the negotiating delegation at a guarded military camp, where unseen watchers made him uneasy.

• Madam Miao accepted the proposed settlement and told her eldest son to cultivate a relationship with Luan Xin, even considering asking him to become his adoptive father.
• Madam Miao recalled how jealousy had driven her to mistreat Miao Shu and wondered whether she would meet the powerful person at the center of the negotiations.
• Luan Xin developed a severe allergic reaction, and Gongyang Yongye identified the culprit in Luo San’s prescription and treated him with a new medicine.
• Luan Xin’s party was intercepted before reaching Yuanfu Prefecture and escorted to a mountain camp holding at least thirty thousand troops.
• Luan Xin sensed unseen eyes and a disturbing jumble of auras throughout the military camp.

Luan Xin learned that the Central Continent’s alliance was controlled by interlinked noble families led by the Zhao family, then attended a feast where he traded barbs with their scholars. The gathering ended with the leader asking whether Xiang Lai Qu had been a Yuan family retainer.

• Gongyang Yongye and Luo San reported that Xiang Lai Qu was not being held in their camp and that they had nearly been discovered while investigating.
• Gongyang Yongye explained that the Central Continent’s forces were united under noble families rather than individual countries, with the Zhao family leading them.
• Luan Xin discussed whether the noble families’ generations of exceptional talent came from bloodline or from adopted commoners, and connected the issue to the Word Spirit “No Poor Families Among the High Grade, No Noble Families Among the Low Grade.”
• A hidden observer confirmed that Gongyang Yongye’s suspicions were correct and invited Luan Xin and his companions to a feast.
• At the feast, Luan Xin answered the scholars’ insults and explained that he had come to bring his student Xiang Lai Qu home.
• The leader asked the Yuan family whether Xiang Lai Qu had been their retainer.

Luan Xin and Gongyang Yongye confronted the allied army over Xiang Zhao, who appeared to have joined the Yuan clan willingly. Luan Xin discovered that the woman before them might not truly be Xiang Lai Qu, and the chapter ended with him suspecting that she had been possessed through a body-stealing method.

• Luan Xin defended Kang and mocked the Yuan clan, while Gongyang Yongye threatened to kill their clansmen if Xiang Zhao was harmed.
• Xiang Zhao appeared unharmed, sat with the Yuan clan, and told Luan Xin that leaving Kang had been her own choice; Luan Xin accepted that they had taken different paths.
• Luan Xin negotiated the prisoners’ ransom at a price thirty percent above the usual rate, while Xiang Zhao was removed from the ransom list.
• Luan Xin secretly told Gongyang Yongye and Luo San that the woman they had seen was not entirely Xiang Lai Qu and that an outside force had interfered with her aura.
• Luan Xin raised the possibility of Soul Possession, and Gongyang Yongye recalled a secret account of experiments involving the exchange of bodies.

Luan Xin dreamed of the days after Miao Shu’s death and witnessed how the Qiu clan’s ransom might drive Qiu Cheng toward suicide. The dream left him reeling as he realized the fate he feared had been confirmed.

• Gongyang Yongye and Luo San kept watch over the sleeping Luan Xin, with Luo San refusing to put away his weapon.
• In his dream, Luan Xin learned that Shen Youli had given Miao Shu Poisoned Wine and decided she deserved a dignified burial.
• Luan Xin arranged Miao Shu’s burial and helped a grateful Martial Gall Warrior prepare to leave the city.
• Luan Xin overheard Shen Tang and Gu Chi conclude that Qiu Cheng would respond to the Qiu clan’s ransom with death.
• Luan Xin staggered away from the window and fell, insisting that what he had heard was only a dream.

Luan Xin confronted the truth about Qiu Wenyan’s death, remembered how Qiu Cheng had saved him, and chose to die by Shen Tang’s sword. As darkness took him, he resisted a foreign force trying to possess him.

• Luan Xin heard Shen Tang and Gu Chi confirm they had agreed that Qiu Cheng had to die, and recognized how he had deceived himself by blaming Gu Chi alone.
• Luan Xin relived how Qiu Cheng had rescued him after he was tortured and offered him a way to rebuild his life.
• Qiu Cheng’s memory challenged Luan Xin to choose between serving Shen Tang and avenging him, and Luan Xin admitted he could neither leave nor kill her.
• Time resumed, and Shen Tang and Gu Chi discovered Luan Xin holding Shen Tang’s sword; Luan Xin asked why she had insisted on killing Qiu Wenyan.
• Shen Tang explained that Qiu Wenyan had offended her authority and Gongxi Chou, and Luan Xin asked to take his own life before cutting his throat.
• In the void, Luan Xin resisted a blurry shadow’s attempt to possess him.