Chapter Summaries

Bai Xiaowen recruited Zhang Zhongjing to help Ge Xuan treat Ma Teng and arranged for the physician to live in Liaodong and write his medical book. Meanwhile, Bai Xiaowen continued studying the Great Peace Scripture, completing its first section of the upper volume and growing more sensitive to nearby Psionic Particles.

• Bai Xiaowen inspected Zhang Zhongjing, discovered his Medical Sage technique, and persuaded him to settle in Liaodong and write his medical book instead of traveling to Lingnan.
• Ge Xuan began refining pills to remove Ma Teng's curse while Zhang Zhongjing treated his injuries and guarded his health.
• Bai Xiaowen declined Ma Yunlu's visit of thanks, prompting his teammates to speculate about his motives in the Team Channel.
• Bai Xiaowen told his teammates to use their Source Crystals for Awakening Skill missions and explained that he was prioritizing the Heavenly Books and the Origin Force technique over awakening Intimidation.
• Bai Xiaowen finished the Jia section of the Great Peace Scripture's upper volume and reflected on his growing sensitivity to Psionic Particles.

Bai Xiaowen investigated Ma Teng’s death and blamed a hidden cultivator who sought to provoke conflict between the Western Liang Army and the imperial court. In Chang'an, Jian Yong learned that Ma Chao had sent Ma Teng to Ye Capital for treatment and warned that he had sent him into a tiger’s jaws.

• Dong Zhao told Bai Xiaowen that Ma Teng had died after Ge Xuan’s Golden Core treatment caused his qi and blood to run wild.
• Bai Xiaowen questioned Ge Xuan and Zhang Zhongjing, concluded that an unknown cultivator had framed him, and gained Ge Xuan’s promise to help expose the culprit.
• Ma Dai, Ma Xiu, and Ma Yunlu mourned Ma Teng as Bai Xiaowen promised posthumous honors and allowed the Ma clan to take his coffin home.
• Jian Yong visited Ma Chao in Chang'an on Liu Bei’s orders and learned that Ma Chao had sent Ma Teng to Ye Capital for treatment.
• Jian Yong warned Ma Chao that he had sent Ma Teng straight into a tiger’s jaws.

Jian Yong convinced Ma Chao that Yuan Xi might have caused Ma Teng’s death, while Bai Xiaowen prepared troops to guard against a Western Liang attack. After Ma Teng’s coffin arrived in Chang'an and Zhang Lu’s letter cleared him of suspicion, Ma Chao vowed to march on Ye City and confront Yuan Xi.

• Jian Yong warned Ma Chao that Yuan Xi had both a motive and the means to harm Ma Teng, and that Ma Teng might be detained or killed in Ye Capital.
• Bai Xiaowen sent Qiao Rui and Li Shuyi with twenty thousand troops to reinforce Cao Ren at Tong Pass, anticipating that Western Liang might turn hostile.
• Tian Feng suspected Bai Xiaowen had arranged Ma Teng’s death through Langya Zi, but Bai Xiaowen denied ordering it.
• Ma Chao grieved at Ma Teng’s coffin in Chang'an and concluded that Jian Yong had been right to suspect Yuan Xi.
• Ma Chao read Zhang Lu’s letter renouncing his claim to the Three Dependencies, then vowed to lead an army into Jizhou and demand an accounting from Yuan Xi.

Ma Chao believed Jian Yong’s claim that Yuan Xi had killed Ma Teng, persuaded Han Sui to join his rebellion, and marched on Tong Pass. Cao Ren’s forces repelled the first Western Liang assault, while Bai Xiaowen received an urgent report and convened his officials in Ye Capital.

• Ma Chao persuaded the hesitant Han Sui to join him, sent Ma Xiu to escort Ma Teng’s coffin home, and marched with Han Sui toward Tong Pass.
• Cao Ren chose to fight the approaching Western Liang Army, while Qiao Rui prepared the pass’s archers and crossbowmen.
• Ma Chao defeated Niu Jin and killed Zhu Ling, forcing Cao Ren to sound the retreat to Tong Pass.
• Cao Ren thanked Qiao Rui for preparing the defenses and ordered his troops to hold the pass until reinforcements arrived.
• Bai Xiaowen received the Raven Messenger’s report about Ma Chao’s attack, sent a reply, and convened a council in Ye Capital.

Bai Xiaowen received the quest to consolidate the north and prepared to lead an expedition against Ma Chao’s Western Liang Army while guarding against Zhang Yan and other bandits. He brought Zhang Xiu into the expedition and asked whether he had seen Jia Xu.

• Bai Xiaowen learned that he had to unify northern China and eliminate organized resistance before his free exploration time ended.
• Bai Xiaowen chose to lead fifty thousand troops toward Tong Pass, assigning Tian Feng, Xun Yu, and Zhang He to defend Ye Capital and manage supplies.
• Bai Xiaowen explained that Zhang He would guard against Zhang Yan and other bandits while the main army fought Ma Chao.
• Bai Xiaowen visited Zhang Xiu, who readily agreed to join the western expedition.
• Bai Xiaowen used Insight to assess Zhang Xiu’s spear skills and then asked him whether he had seen Jia Xu.

Bai Xiaowen arrived at Tong Pass with reinforcements and faced Ma Chao’s Western Liang Army. After Zhang Liao and Xu Huang struggled against Ma Chao, Zhang Xiu joined the fight from the flank.

• Bai Xiaowen asked Zhang Xiu to help recruit Jia Xu, who was hiding nearby and planned to wait for Bai Xiaowen to suffer a setback before offering counsel.
• Jia Xu told Zhang Xiu that he could not yet judge Bai Xiaowen and suspected Bai Xiaowen already knew he was there.
• Ma Chao tried to provoke Cao Ren’s defenders into leaving Tong Pass, but Cao Ren held his position and used Battle Inspiration to strengthen their morale.
• Bai Xiaowen arrived at Tong Pass with fifty thousand elite troops and ordered his army to march out and confront the Western Liang Army.
• Ma Chao charged at Bai Xiaowen after he challenged Ma Chao’s motives, then fought Zhang Liao and Xu Huang until both began to lose ground.
• Zhang Xiu charged in from the side to attack Ma Chao’s flank.

Bai Xiaowen’s army fought Ma Chao and the Western Liang Army at Tong Pass, with Xu Huang and Zhang Xiu containing Ma Chao while Yu Jin’s shield wall met his cavalry charge. The charge broke the line in places, and both armies became locked in a chaotic melee.

• Bai Xiaowen used Insight on Ma Chao and learned that his Vengeance State had greatly increased his already exceptional strength and agility.
• Xu Huang and Zhang Xiu fought Ma Chao together, while Gao Lan intercepted Pang De and Ma Chao gradually lost the edge of his spear technique.
• Ma Chao activated Breakthrough Charge, enveloping his cavalry in Super Armor and sending them against Yu Jin’s shield soldiers.
• Bai Xiaowen used Intimidation to stop more than half of the charging cavalry, but the remaining troops struck Yu Jin’s shield line.
• Ma Dai, Ma Tie, and several cavalry captains broke through the shields, and the two armies became entangled in a chaotic melee.

Bai Xiaowen used a feint to make Ma Chao believe Tong Pass was receiving large reinforcements, while Ma Chao considered seeking help from the Qiang. The chapter left the two armies preparing for the next stage of their conflict.

• Bai Xiaowen and Rageclaw strengthened their army with team-wide buffs during a costly battle, which ended with both sides withdrawing.
• Bai Xiaowen proposed a Feint Stratagem in which Qiao Rui and Li Shu would secretly leave Tong Pass and return disguised as reinforcements.
• Xun You agreed to write down his interpretation of the plan on sealed white silk, while Jia Xu claimed he had independently identified the Western Liang Army's weakness.
• Ma Chao heard reports that Tong Pass had received forty thousand reinforcements and called his generals to discuss the threat.
• Ma Chao rejected Ma Dai's suggestion to clarify the cause of his father's death and said he would recruit tens of thousands of Qiang warriors.

Bai Xiaowen crossed the Wei River and secured a foothold west of it, using Ge Xuan’s weather-changing abilities to build a frozen-earth fortress overnight. Ma Chao led an army to attack the new camp, and Xun You proposed an ambush to defeat him.

• Bai Xiaowen led fifty thousand troops across the Wei River at Puban Ferry while Cao Ren remained at Tong Pass, and Ma Chao harassed the crossing with five thousand cavalry.
• Bai Xiaowen’s army suffered losses crossing the thin ice but held off Ma Chao’s cavalry and established a position on the western bank.
• Bai Xiaowen asked Ge Xuan to bring north winds and snow, allowing the soldiers to freeze wet sand into a fortress overnight.
• Ma Chao discovered the completed fortress and, fearing an attack from both sides, left twenty thousand troops under Ma Dai while leading the rest to attack Bai Xiaowen.
• Xun You proposed feigning defeat and using four concealed forces to ambush Ma Chao’s army.

Bai Xiaowen used Xun You’s Four-Sided Ambush to defeat Ma Chao’s army, which lost ten thousand soldiers, though Ma Chao escaped. As Ma Chao welcomed reinforcements from Han Sui and the Western Liang Qiang, Camille urged Han Sui to abandon him and gave him a letter from Yuan Xi.

• Bai Xiaowen arranged four ambush forces and used Xu Huang to lure Ma Chao into a Four-Sided Ambush.
• Ma Chao’s army was thrown into disorder, but Ma Chao and Pang De fought their way out, and Bai Xiaowen pursued them to their main camp.
• Bai Xiaowen’s forces inflicted ten thousand casualties, and he promoted Xu Huang to General Who Pacifies the West.
• Han Sui arrived with twenty thousand troops, and Ma Chao welcomed him before describing his recent defeats.
• Camille warned Han Sui that Ma Chao would lose to Yuan Xi and handed him a letter Yuan Xi had secretly sent her.

Camille pursued a private correspondence with Yuan Xi, prompting Han Sui to consider it a possible escape if Ma Chao’s cause failed, though he refused to betray his sworn alliance. Ma Chao discovered Camille’s reply and confronted Han Sui at a banquet, accusing him of plotting to hand over his head.

• Han Sui read Yuan Xi’s letter and learned Camille admired him; he allowed her to reply but refused her suggestion that he secretly cooperate against Ma Chao.
• Han Sui advised Camille to answer Yuan Xi with The Bent Tree, and she sent the poem in a letter that Ma Chao’s patrol captured.
• Ma Chao read Camille’s letter, grew furious, and summoned Han Sui to a banquet after his advisers warned him against confronting Han Sui directly.
• Camille cautioned Han Sui that Ma Chao’s invitation might be dangerous, but Han Sui dismissed her concern and attended.
• At the banquet, Han Sui urged Ma Chao to make peace with Yuan Xi, and Ma Chao revealed Camille’s letter and accused Han Sui of plotting to take his head as her dowry.

Ma Chao detained Han Sui after accusing him of colluding with Yuan Xi, but Han Qi rescued her father and joined Bai Xiaowen’s forces in attacking Ma Chao’s camp. Amid fires and infighting, Ma Chao’s army collapsed, forcing him to flee toward Chang’an.

• Ma Chao tried to kill Han Sui over Han Qi’s letters, but Pang De and Ma Dai persuaded him to detain Han Sui and seize control of his troops instead.
• Ma Chao’s scouts disappeared, and a camp fire drew him away just as Han Qi, Han Yang, and Li Shu rescued Han Sui from the main camp.
• Han Qi accused Ma Chao of imprisoning her father, and her group fought his soldiers while Han Sui admitted that Ma Chao’s actions had turned him against him.
• Han Xu held Ma Chao off with his shield as fires and attacks from Yuan Xi’s army and Han Sui’s troops engulfed the camp.
• With his forces in disarray, Ma Chao abandoned the fight and fled toward Chang’an with Pang De, Ma Dai, and his personal guards.

After the Western Liang Army surrendered, Bai Xiaowen trapped Ma Chao and his remaining forces inside Chang'an. He risked meeting Ma Chao in person to explain the suspicions surrounding Ma Teng’s death, leaving both men prepared to hear each other out.

• Han Sui and Li Shuyi called on the Western Liang soldiers to surrender, and most laid down their weapons; Ma Tie was captured.
• Ma Chao’s fleeing force fought past Zhang Liao and Han Meng, joined Ma Yunlu, and continued toward Chang'an despite her urging him to seek peace.
• Ma Chao and his followers entered Chang'an but were trapped inside the outer enclosure by Bai Xiaowen’s forces, who had already seized the city.
• Ma Chao tried to kill himself, but Pang De, Ma Dai, and Ma Yunlu stopped him; Bai Xiaowen offered to meet him face-to-face and clear up the misunderstanding.
• Bai Xiaowen descended from the walls on a White Eagle and met Ma Chao on the ground, promising to spill his blood if he could not resolve Ma Chao’s doubts.

Bai Xiaowen convinced Ma Chao that Jian Yong may have helped orchestrate Old General Ma’s murder to provoke war between Ma Chao and the imperial court, possibly benefiting Liu Bei. Ma Chao agreed to attack Hanzhong and investigate Zhang Lu, while postponing his loyalty to Bai Xiaowen until the clue was confirmed.

• Bai Xiaowen asked Ma Chao why he suspected him, and Ma Chao explained that Jian Yong had predicted Old General Ma’s danger in Ye Capital.
• Bai Xiaowen proposed that Jian Yong had planted suspicions in Ma Chao and persuaded Zhang Lu to send a letter, making Bai Xiaowen appear to be the sole suspect.
• Bai Xiaowen suggested capturing Zhang Lu in Hanzhong to learn whether Jian Yong had urged him to write the letter, and Ma Chao decided to march there.
• Ma Yunlu reminded Ma Chao that his troops were gone, so Bai Xiaowen offered to have Ma Chao receive an imperial title and borrow troops for the campaign.
• Ma Chao accepted the arrangement but swore he would serve Bai Xiaowen only if evidence cleared Lord Yuan of his father’s murder.

After Ma Chao helped Bai Xiaowen pacify Western Liang, Bai Xiaowen rewarded his allies and explained how he had exploited divisions in Ma Chao’s army. Camille clarified that their love letters had been for business and revealed she did not like men.

• Bai Xiaowen appointed Ma Chao Chenglie General and planned to return to Ye Capital before supporting his campaign against Zhang Lu.
• Bai Xiaowen explained to the White Phoenix Team that he had accepted the war to pacify Western Liang and advance Grand Unification Main Quest 2.
• Bai Xiaowen revealed that he and Xun You had identified inconsistent command as the Western Liang Army’s weakness and had planned to sow discord between Han Sui and Ma Chao.
• Bai Xiaowen pardoned Han Sui, recommended him as Marquis of Western Liang, and appointed him Inspector of Western Liang, while asking him to send his family to Ye Capital.
• Camille told Bai Xiaowen that their love letters had served the Grand Unification effort and said she had briefly been tempted but did not like men.

After Bai Xiaowen pacified Western Liang, Dong Zhao arranged for him to become Duke of Yan, despite Xun Yu’s objections. Bai Xiaowen accepted the title after the court rejected his attempt to resign it, while Xun Yu fell ill and withdrew from public life.

• Dong Zhao proposed making Bai Xiaowen Duke of Yan, and most court officials supported the elevation.
• Xun Yu wrote to Bai Xiaowen urging him to refuse the title, but Bai Xiaowen ignored the letter and sent Dong Zhao white jade discs.
• The emperor welcomed Bai Xiaowen back to Ye Capital and issued an edict granting him the title of Duke of Yan and three special privileges.
• Xun Yu resigned from his Secretariat duties, and Bai Xiaowen appointed him Governor of Jizhou while urging him to focus on local affairs.
• After Xun Yu again asked Bai Xiaowen to withdraw the title, Bai Xiaowen submitted a resignation memorial, but Dong Zhao and the ministers persuaded the emperor to reject it.
• Xun Yu took to his bed with an illness, and Dong Zhao visited him before leaving after Xun Yu pointed him toward the door.

Bai Xiaowen strengthened his rule by pacifying Zhang Yan’s followers and settling them as farmers, then received envoys from Jingzhou seeking Liu Cong’s appointment as governor. He rejected the request and recruited Hua Xin, who agreed to serve him.

• Bai Xiaowen promised Ma Chao troops to campaign against Zhang Lu within a month and told him to keep the plan secret.
• Zhang Yan surrendered to Zhang He, and Bai Xiaowen made him Marquis of An'guo Pavilion while dispersing most of his followers into farming communities.
• Bai Xiaowen ordered land and two years of tax relief for Zhang Yan’s former followers, then Zhang He marched into Bingzhou to fight the mounted bandits.
• Hua Xin told Bai Xiaowen that Liu Qi had died and defended Liu Cong’s succession as Governor of Jingzhou.
• Bai Xiaowen offered Hua Xin a position in Ye Capital, and Hua Xin agreed to serve as his vanguard.

After recruiting Hua Xin, Bai Xiaowen learned that Sun Ce and Liu Bei had made peace and planned to secure Sichuan before confronting them. Meanwhile, Zhang He defeated the Bingzhou bandits, and Bai Xiaowen ordered him to continue north against the Hu tribes.

• Bai Xiaowen appointed Hua Xin as an Inquiry Officer and Adviser, then questioned him about the conflict between Sun Ce and Liu Bei.
• Hua Xin reported Sun Ce’s strength, Sun Yi’s battlefield feats, Liu Bei’s capable officers, and the two families’ truce over Jingxiang.
• Bai Xiaowen appointed Liu Cong Governor of Jingzhou and Liu Bei Grand Administrator of Jiangxia, while planning to seize Sichuan before fighting the Sun and Liu families.
• Zhang He reported that he had crushed the Bingzhou bandits, killed more than a thousand, and captured four hundred horses.
• After learning most of the bandits were Hu people based in Yunzhong Commandery, Bai Xiaowen ordered Zhang He to continue north while Gao Gan arranged supplies.

Bai Xiaowen led a campaign against the Wuhuan and used the first battle to honor Pang De with lavish praise, a robe, and the Green Steel Sword. Zhao Rong then offered Pang De a place in Bai Xiaowen’s service, but Pang De refused to leave Ma Chao, saying he would serve Bai Xiaowen only if Ma Chao submitted first.

• Bai Xiaowen refused Ma Chao’s request to lead the Wuhuan campaign and instead asked Pang De to accompany him.
• Bai Xiaowen welcomed Pang De warmly, then sent him to lead the first attack against the Wuhuan.
• Pang De killed three Wuhuan officers, helping the Yuan Clan army rout the enemy and drive them back a hundred li.
• Bai Xiaowen praised Pang De, gave him a brocade robe, and bestowed the Green Steel Sword on him.
• Zhao Rong told Pang De that Bai Xiaowen wanted him in his service, but Pang De said he would pledge loyalty only after Ma Chao submitted.

Bai Xiaowen destroyed the Wuhuan threat, rewarded Pang De and Yan Rou, and returned to Ye Capital after Zhang He’s victories in Bingzhou. Pang De fell ill after Ma Chao rebuked him, and Bai Xiaowen’s care won his loyalty, while Ma Chao regretted his treatment of Pang De.

• Bai Xiaowen defeated the Wuhuan, captured the Left Wise King, and ordered Yan Rou to burn their camp, leaving the tribes badly weakened.
• Bai Xiaowen rewarded Pang De and appointed Yan Rou Wuhuan Commandant, then returned to Ye Capital as Zhang He reported victories against the Xianbei and other tribes.
• Ma Chao sarcastically confronted Pang De, who returned the Green Steel Sword and collapsed after Ma Chao dismissed him.
• Bai Xiaowen summoned Fan A to treat Pang De and personally brought him medicine, promising to lead an army to help Ma Chao take Hanzhong.
• Ma Chao overheard Pang De pledge to serve Bai Xiaowen once he learned whether Bai Xiaowen had been involved in the old general’s death.