Recaps

Xu Shi negotiated an alliance with Dongfang Xiao, offering to cover the Sea God Stone losses, oppose her enemies, and bring reforms to the Hualan Empire. He demanded her holy-light aid for his wife, permission to establish a new religion, and that Dongfang Xiao become his slave; she accepted the final condition after a long struggle.

• Dongfang Xiao asked Xu Shi to state his conditions, and he offered to give the royal family his Sea God Stone stock for free and help her confront Cheng Gujian.
• Xu Shi explained why he had chosen to ally with Dongfang Xiao and showed her Silver Pine Island’s development, arguing that he could help reform the Empire.
• Xu Shi gave Dongfang Xiao a carved bird that reminded her of a gift from Cheng Gujian, and she angrily knocked it off her desk before apologizing.
• Dongfang Xiao agreed to let Xu Shi use her holy-light ability to treat his wife and to issue an edict allowing him to establish a new religious sect.
• Xu Shi made his third condition that Dongfang Xiao become his slave, and she questioned how he differed from Cheng Gujian.
• After Xu Shi promised to keep his word, Dongfang Xiao took the collar and accepted his condition.

Xu Shi secured Dongfang Xiao’s agreement to become his slave, then began establishing control over her while arranging a cover for his visits to the palace. He transported her to his Liminal Space and ordered her to kneel, leaving her to submit despite her humiliation.

• Xu Shi persuaded Dongfang Xiao to accept their contract and planted a subtle seed in her by pinching her cheek.
• Xu Shi demanded that Dongfang Xiao wear a collar and call him Master; after she reluctantly did so, he excused her from wearing it or using the title in public for now.
• Dongfang Xiao asked how she should address Xu Shi, and he chose the title Imperial Tutor as a public explanation for his palace visits.
• Xu Shi reassured Dongfang Xiao that his daily visits could be justified by treating his wife's illness, then took her to his Liminal Space.
• Xu Shi made a collar and revealing clothes appear on Dongfang Xiao and ordered her to kneel; she bowed her head and began to address him as Master.

Xu Shi finished Dongfang Xiao’s first Liminal Space training session and confirmed that time passed four times slower inside. After reassuring her that he would honor their agreement, he reunited with his family, explained his plans to Cheng Gujian, and was approached by Lu Baiyan for a meeting at the church.

• Xu Shi checked on Dongfang Xiao after training, teased her by claiming he would break their deal, then assured her that the trade contracts and market-stabilizing funds would be delivered.
• Xu Shi reunited with his family and Cheng Gujian, where Shen Qin openly criticized Cheng Gujian for failing to help Xu Shi before.
• Xu Shi told Cheng Gujian that Dongfang Xiao had agreed to help Xie Qingyan and that he planned to establish a new church in the main city.
• Xu Shi told Xie Qingyan privately about his arrangement with Dongfang Xiao, while Xia Ke'an asked how he intended to establish the new church.
• Lu Baiyan approached Xu Shi outside the palace and invited him to the church for a brief conversation.

Xu Shi accepted Lu Baiyan’s invitation to the Church’s cathedral, where his curiosity about Night Sin City softened Xu Shi’s suspicions, though he refused to abandon his allegiance to the Church. The Saintess then opened negotiations by asking what the Church would have to offer for Xu Shi’s cooperation.

• Lu Baiyan invited Xu Shi to the Church on its behalf and accompanied him to the cathedral with his group.
• Xu Shi showed Lu Baiyan pictures of Night Sin City on his Communication Bracelet, and Lu Baiyan eagerly asked about them.
• Xu Shi invited Lu Baiyan to help foster exchanges between the city-states, but Lu Baiyan said he remained a Templar Knight first.
• Xu Shi arrived at the cathedral and met the Saintess and several Templar Knights, while sensing a powerful figure concealed behind a door.
• The Saintess asked Xu Shi what price would persuade him to cooperate with the Church.

Xu Shi negotiated with the Church, which sought aid and technological cooperation on terms equal to those granted to the royal family. He demanded Qin Yiyan as his personal maid and Luo Yu’s head; when the Church refused, he challenged them to kill him and left cooperation at an impasse.

• Xu Shi asked the Saintess for her name, learned that she had none beyond her title, and provoked Qin Yiyan by calling that pitiful.
• The Saintess outlined the Church’s requests for economic help and technological exchange, and Xu Shi agreed to discuss cooperation.
• Xu Shi demanded that Qin Yiyan serve as his personal maid and that Luo Yu’s head be given to him as a ball.
• The Saintess rejected the demands and offered other guards and an apology from Luo Yu, while the Pope said the Church would not trade a knight’s life for cooperation.
• Xu Shi refused the counteroffer, challenged the Church to kill him if it wished, and declared that they had never been close enough for severing ties to matter.

After rejecting the Church’s offer, Xu Shi explained why he intended to establish a new faith with the royal family’s backing, while Pan Ling tried to uncover his reasoning. Xu Shi later discussed the plan with Xia Ke'an and confronted her about hiding that she could change back.

• After leaving the Church, Xu Shi tested Pan Ling’s judgment, and she concluded that their side should avoid trusting a Church willing to betray its own people.
• Pan Ling questioned why Xu Shi would not cooperate with both the Church and the royal family, and he explained that the Church’s interests fundamentally conflicted with their plan to establish a new faith.
• Xia Ke'an took Pan Ling shopping in exchange for an answer, but admitted she did not know the reason and offered to ask Xu Shi instead.
• Xu Shi told Xia Ke'an that she would lead the new religion, with Pan Ling’s mind-reading and his own ability helping create convincing prophecies and strengthen believers’ faith.
• Xu Shi revealed that he had planned the strategy since the Sea God campaign and had used the Sea God Stone trade to weaken the Church’s influence while securing royal support.
• Xu Shi asked Xia Ke'an how long she had planned to hide that she could change back, and she reacted in shock.

Xu Shi confronted Xia Ke'an about hiding that she could freely switch between her child and adult forms, and she admitted she had feared he would make her stay an adult. After she changed back, they became intimate, but Xia Ke'an asked to speak with Wuyou first, so they stopped before going further.

• Xu Shi explained that he had inferred Xia Ke'an could control her transformations from her behavior during the campaign against the Sea God and from her reaction to his bluff.
• Xia Ke'an admitted she had concealed her ability because she preferred being his daughter in her child form and feared he would not let her change back.
• Xu Shi asked Xia Ke'an to change into her adult form, then kissed her and carried her to the bed.
• When Xia Ke'an asked to talk to Wuyou before they went further, Xu Shi agreed to stop and let her sit up.
• Xu Shi asked Xia Ke'an for a different kind of intimacy, and she agreed while teasing him about their father-and-daughter act.

Xia Ke'an revealed her adult form and her true identity to Xu Shi’s family, after which Xu Shi outlined preparations to establish a new cult against the Church. The group began assigning tasks, and Xu Shi named the cult the Sacred Fire Cat Cult.

• Xia Ke'an transformed into her adult form before the family, revealing that she was Xia Yuanqi, the Eldest Miss of Refraction.
• Xu Shi explained that he planned to establish a new cult, assigning Shen Qin to contact Silver Pine Island and Pan Ling and Xia Ke'an to practice recruiting and coordination.
• Xu Shi assigned security work to Shen Qin and Ye Shanshan, while telling Xie Qingyan to focus on recovering from her illness.
• Pan Ling offered Xia Ke'an milk or yogurt, prompting an embarrassed reaction that Xu Shi recognized as connected to their private history.
• When Pan Ling asked the new cult’s name, Xu Shi named it the Sacred Fire Cat Cult.

Xu Shi, Xia Ke'an, and Pan Ling opened the Sacred Fire Cat Cult and used free food and Xia Ke'an’s revelations to win the trust of Imperial Main City residents. After their first successful day, they prepared for an even larger crowd, and the next morning the streets outside were already packed.

• Residents mistook the renovated building for a blasphemous gathering, but entered when they learned visitors could receive free eggs.
• Xu Shi tried to put cat ears on Xia Ke'an, while Pan Ling welcomed the visitors and explained the cult’s charity.
• Xia Ke'an revealed where a man had lost his purse, and he returned with it, convincing the crowd that her guidance was genuine.
• More visitors lined up for revelations, and Xia Ke'an advised them until nightfall before Xu Shi sent them home to rest.
• After the visitors left, Xia Ke'an admitted the work had been easy, and Xu Shi predicted the next day would be the main event.
• The following morning, a huge crowd filled the streets outside the cult.

The Sacred Fire Cat Cult attracted more visitors as Xia Ke'an’s predictions gained credibility, while Xu Shi planned how to sustain the church with vague fortunes and future leadership. After the day’s work, Pan Ling asked whether Xia Ke'an’s prophecies changed the future or merely revealed it, leaving Xia Ke'an unable to answer.

• Xu Shi, Xia Ke'an, and Pan Ling organized visitors into a queue and private consultations as the Sacred Fire Cat Cult drew a larger crowd.
• Ye Shanshan stopped a man from trying to take extra free milk and sent him back to the line.
• Xu Shi explained to Xie Qingyan how vague fortunes could help the cult grow and remain influential after Xia Ke'an was no longer its Saintess.
• Pan Ling reported that attendance had doubled, while Shen Qin said Xia Ke'an had remained safe.
• Pan Ling asked whether Xia Ke'an’s prophecies changed the future or simply revealed it, and Xia Ke'an admitted she did not know.

The Royal Knights staged the arrest of Xu Shi and his group so Dongfang Xiao could publicly appoint him Imperial Tutor and make the Sacred Fire Cat Cult the state religion. After court, Dongfang Xiao privately knelt before Xu Shi and asked whether he was satisfied with her performance.

• Captain Chen and the Royal Knights raided the Sacred Fire Cat Cult gathering, and Xu Shi agreed to accompany them while Xia Ke'an reassured the detained followers.
• In the carriage, Captain Chen revealed the arrest was arranged by the Grand Duke and Dongfang Xiao, while Xia Ke'an asked Pan Ling for food.
• The convoy brought Xu Shi's group to the Imperial Palace, where Xia Ke'an received cake and Xu Shi was taken for questioning.
• Dongfang Xiao convened a grand court assembly and decreed that Xu Shi would become Imperial Tutor, receive a Count title, and lead the newly established state religion.
• Xu Shi entered the court, and Dongfang Xiao publicly knelt to greet him as her teacher before ordering the royal family to cover the people's losses through the cult.
• After court, Dongfang Xiao brought Xu Shi to the Imperial Study, changed clothes inside his Liminal Space, and knelt to ask whether he was satisfied with her performance.

After the Sacred Fire Cat Cult became the Hualan Empire’s state religion, Xu Shi and the royal family compensated people for losses from the Sea God Stone trade and prepared to expand the cult. The chapter ended with Xia Ke’an leading a crowd of new believers in the cult’s cat-themed doctrine.

• The royal family declared the Sacred Fire Cat Cult the state religion and arranged compensation for people harmed by the Sea God Stone trade.
• Xu Shi explained to Pan Ling that the cult’s aid was funded by profits from the trade, while Xia Ke’an objected to its cat-themed slogan and gestures.
• Xu Shi made Pan Ling rehearse the cult’s gestures and doctrine with Xia Ke’an before they appeared in front of the crowd.
• Captain Chen organized supply distribution and used Xu Shi’s detailed trader records to help verify claims and manage compensation.
• Xia Ke’an welcomed people who wished to join the cult, and the crowd repeated, “All who join my cult, meow meow meow meow!”

The Sacred Fire Cat Cult spread rapidly through the main city by distributing compensation and supplies, restoring public confidence and gaining the royal family's support. As the Church struggled with its lost status, its leaders argued over how to respond, while Lu Baiyan recalled Xu Shi's invitation to join him.

• The Sacred Fire Cat Cult gained followers across the main city, and the royal family hurried to build new churches.
• The city defense forces punished Sea God Stone speculators as Cat Cult compensation and public support spread.
• Steward Chen worried that Cheng Gujian's influence was weakening, but Cheng ordered him to watch the Church instead.
• Ji Bochang, Piao Guochang, and Qin Yiyan argued over Xu Shi and proposed attacking his people, while Lu Baiyan warned that the royal family was the greater obstacle.
• Lu Baiyan reflected on Xu Shi's invitation to join him and wondered whether he should change sides.

Lu Baiyan proposed that the church restore public support through expanded relief and efforts to win over nobles, while the Pope approved the plan and warned that force remained an option. Xu Shi reviewed the church’s response and joked with Xia Ke'an until Xia Wuyou arrived and found them in a collapsed recliner.

• Lu Baiyan urged the church to improve its relief stations and court nobles whose families had longstanding ties to the church, then suggested negotiating with Xu Shi if possible.
• The Pope endorsed Lu Baiyan’s proposals, ordered the church’s relief benefits to exceed the royal family’s, and warned the knights not to rule out force.
• Xu Shi received intelligence about the church’s plans and told Xia Ke'an that Lu Baiyan was likely behind them.
• Xu Shi handed Xia Ke'an prepared cult-leader lines, saying they could let the Sacred Fire Cat Cult’s branches operate without their constant involvement.
• Xu Shi and Xia Ke'an teased each other and tumbled into a playful tussle that broke the recliner.
• Xia Wuyou arrived after Xu Shi had promised her a surprise and angrily questioned what she saw in the courtyard.

Xia Wuyou discovered Xia Ke'an had returned to her adult form and realized she and Xu Shi were considering a relationship. She accepted the idea, easing Xia Ke'an’s guilt, then teased her aunt by demanding they switch terms of address.

• Xia Wuyou arrived and found Xia Ke'an sprawled atop Xu Shi beside a crushed lounge chair, leaving her stunned and Xia Ke'an flustered.
• Xu Shi explained that Xia Ke'an had returned to her adult form, and Xia Wuyou noticed her aunt seemed no older than before.
• Xia Wuyou asked whether Xia Ke'an intended to be with Xu Shi, and Xia Ke'an nervously admitted it while offering to return to her child form if Xia Wuyou objected.
• Xia Wuyou told Xia Ke'an she did not mind and said she had never blamed her for the hardships they had endured together.
• Xia Wuyou guessed Xu Shi had known about Xia Ke'an’s transformation earlier, and Xu Shi admitted it with a grin.
• Xia Wuyou told Xia Ke'an to call her “Mom” while she would keep calling her “Aunt,” making Xia Ke'an angrily accuse her of starting a rebellion.

After Xia Wuyou reunited with Xia Ke'an, she and Xu Shi drew the older woman into an intimate encounter that helped settle their complicated feelings. The next morning, Xia Wuyou confirmed that Silver Pine Island’s materials and pilot products were ready for developing the Hualan Empire, then left with Xia Ke'an to go shopping.

• Xia Wuyou thanked Xu Shi for helping her and Xia Ke'an, then kissed him while Xia Ke'an watched.
• Xia Wuyou pulled Xia Ke'an into the room with her and Xu Shi, and Xia Ke'an eventually stopped resisting and relaxed into their intimacy.
• The next morning, Xia Ke'an worried about what she had said while muddled, and Xia Wuyou teased her about calling Xu Shi Daddy.
• Xu Shi asked whether Xia Wuyou had handled his request, and she said the materials had been transported and Silver Pine Island’s renovations were progressing smoothly.
• Xia Wuyou said Sister Chengcheng had built pilot factories and brought finished tools and weapons, then left with Xia Ke'an to go shopping without Xu Shi.
• The author noted that Xia Ke'an’s character card was complete only for her younger form and would appear in a bonus chapter.

Xu Shi inspected the supplies and industrial progress Jiang Chengcheng had arranged for Silver Pine Island, then thanked her for supporting him while he was away. Xie Qingyan grew jealous of their closeness, and Xu Shi prepared to take her to the Imperial Palace for treatment as Jiang Chengcheng asked to come along.

• Xu Shi found Xia Wuyou and Pan Ling had gone out together, then joined Jiang Chengcheng and Xie Qingyan after they teased him for arriving late.
• Xu Shi and Jiang Chengcheng inspected Silver Pine Island’s expanded shipments, upgraded factories, improved communications network, and newly produced weapons.
• Xu Shi praised and embraced Jiang Chengcheng for her work, while Xie Qingyan felt overlooked and left the warehouse in a sulk.
• Xu Shi told Xie Qingyan they would go to the Imperial Palace to treat her illness, and Jiang Chengcheng asked to accompany them.

Jiang Chengcheng accompanied Xu Shi to the Imperial Palace, where she agreed to teach Dongfang Xiao about mechanical engineering and electrical circuits while urging Xu Shi to show Xie Qingyan more care. After Xie Qingyan's treatment, Jiang Chengcheng pushed Xu Shi to continue teaching Dongfang Xiao, leaving the little empress apprehensive about his lessons.

• Jiang Chengcheng encouraged Xu Shi to take the initiative in comforting Xie Qingyan, whose Sea God's corruption had affected her personality.
• Jiang Chengcheng and Xu Shi discussed making clothes for Ke'an from treated Rust Fog animal hides.
• Xu Shi introduced Jiang Chengcheng to Dongfang Xiao as his wife and as the mechanical engineering expert who would explain the promised inventions.
• Dongfang Xiao asked Jiang Chengcheng to teach her privately before instructing the people at her new institution, and Jiang Chengcheng agreed.
• Xu Shi, Jiang Chengcheng, and Dongfang Xiao treated Xie Qingyan, after which Jiang Chengcheng sent Xu Shi to teach Dongfang Xiao.

Xu Shi and his companions left Dongfang Xiao after a lesson and discussed the unexplained silence of Cheng Gujian and the need to guard against the Church. Near home, Xu Shi overheard Lu Baiyan asking the Feng and Ling sisters when their master would return.

• Xie Qingyan and Jiang Chengcheng amused themselves by editing photos of Xu Shi and Dongfang Xiao while the two were in the spiritual realm.
• Jiang Chengcheng proposed modifying Dongfang Xiao’s body during future spiritual lessons, and Dongfang Xiao panicked before Xu Shi promised not to do so without her consent.
• Jiang Chengcheng remembered Dongfang Xiao’s weapon-knowledge lesson and asked for time to prepare its materials.
• Xu Shi, Xie Qingyan, and Jiang Chengcheng left, then discussed Cheng Gujian’s silence and Xu Shi’s plan to strengthen their guards against possible Church retaliation.
• Xu Shi sensed Feng and Ling’s sisters and Lu Baiyan near the residence, then overheard Lu Baiyan asking when their master would return.

Pan Ling confronted Lu Baiyan over the Church’s lack of sincerity and urged him to reconsider his loyalty, while recognizing his desire to be Xu Shi’s friend. After Lu Baiyan left, Xu Shi praised Pan Ling for how she handled him.

• Lu Baiyan waited for Xu Shi, then met Pan Ling and Pan Feng when they returned home and asked them to pass on his request to speak with their master.
• Pan Ling warned Lu Baiyan that Xu Shi would not abandon his conflict with the Church and said the Church had shown no sincerity in meeting Xu Shi’s conditions.
• Pan Ling said she hated the Church and royal family for her father’s death, and supported Xu Shi despite his intent to kill Luo Yu.
• Pan Ling recognized that Lu Baiyan wanted to reconcile the two sides but challenged his naive hope and suggested he leave the Church and return to his royal ties.
• Lu Baiyan left without answering Pan Ling’s questions, and Pan Feng praised her for her confidence and eloquence.
• Xu Shi revealed he had been listening and told Pan Ling that she had done well.

Pan Ling earned Xu Shi’s praise for using her mind-reading ability to pressure Lu Baiyan and plant doubts among the Church’s watchers, though Xu Shi teased her over an absurdly low score. Pan Feng’s careless question about whether Xu Shi still liked men drew Xia Wuyou’s anger, and she was punished with copying the sect rules.

• Xu Shi praised Pan Ling for confronting Lu Baiyan, and she explained that she had hoped to influence both him and the Church officials monitoring him.
• Pan Ling admitted that she had read Lu Baiyan’s mind to guide her words, and Xu Shi approved of her using her ability on others.
• Xu Shi gave Pan Ling ninety-eight points out of a thousand, claiming he had deducted most of them because she had called him “my venerable master.”
• Xie Qingyan and Jiang Chengcheng scolded Xu Shi for teasing Pan Ling, and he jokingly postponed her spanking.
• Pan Feng asked whether Xu Shi still liked men, and Xia Wuyou punished her with copying the sect rules one hundred times.

Xu Shi explained to Xia Wuyou that he wanted to recruit Lu Baiyan for his rare Time Rewind ability, hoping to develop it into a way to eliminate Rust Fog. They also discussed the still-hidden Heavenly Principle observer and plans against the church, but their conversation was interrupted when Xie Qingyan asked to speak with Xu Shi alone.

• Xu Shi teased Xia Wuyou, then explained how Pan Ling had improved and might eventually take over his position in Night Sin City.
• Xia Wuyou realized Xu Shi wanted Lu Baiyan because his Time Rewind ability might help eliminate Rust Fog, and Xu Shi said Night Sin City's technology could help develop it.
• Xu Shi admitted he still had no way to identify the Heavenly Principle's observer in the Hualan Empire, so they would keep probing until the observer or the Heavenly Principle reacted.
• Xu Shi suggested they might deliberately expose a flaw to take down the church, but he had not worked out how to do it.
• Xie Qingyan knocked and asked to speak with Xu Shi alone.

Xie Qingyan confronted Xu Shi about their strained relationship, asking for more time together and a chance to contribute, but they argued and she left. Xia Wuyou told Xia Ke'an what happened, while Xu Shi postponed their Church plans and the conflict remained unresolved.

• Xie Qingyan asked Xu Shi to spend more private time with her, consider her feelings, and let her help with the group's work.
• Xu Shi insisted that Xie Qingyan rest until the Sea God's corruption was under control, and they argued over whether he understood her concerns.
• Xie Qingyan left in anger, and Xu Shi refused to stop her before returning to the postponed discussion of their plans against the Church.
• Xu Shi asked Xia Wuyou to keep the argument private, but she later told Xia Ke'an about it.
• Xia Ke'an advised waiting until Xie Qingyan's condition improved before trying to resolve the conflict.

Xu Shi and Xie Qingyan continued their cold war, worrying their disciples and Dongfang Xiao as Xu Shi focused on the Cat Cult and Imperial Palace reforms. Lu Baiyan remained torn over whether to support Xu Shi until he sensed someone watching him and demanded they stop.

• Pan Feng and Pan Ling discussed Xu Shi and Xie Qingyan's strained relationship, but Pan Ling chose not to intervene yet.
• Dongfang Xiao warned Xie Qingyan that her troubled state of mind could worsen the Sea God's corrosion, while Xu Shi ignored the tension and asked about the Imperial Palace renovations.
• Dongfang Xiao reported that the palace's electrical system and new weapons were in use, and Xu Shi said more supplies would arrive from Night Sin City.
• Xu Shi met Cheng Gujian, who warned that the Church was still plotting against him, but Xu Shi remained confident and hinted at a wider plan.
• Lu Baiyan weighed Pan Ling's advice to support Xu Shi, then noticed someone watching him and demanded to know how long they would keep doing so.

Lu Baiyan discovered that the Church had ordered Han Jingchuan to spy on him, then attended a grand meeting where the Pope announced a plan to exploit a rift in Xu Shi’s group and wage war against the Cat Cult and the royal family. The Church’s leaders rallied behind the Pope’s call to purge heretics and restore its power.

• Lu Baiyan confronted Han Jingchuan, who admitted he had been assigned to monitor him by the Church.
• Han Jingchuan told Lu Baiyan that the Pope had summoned everyone to a major meeting in the main cathedral.
• The Pope gathered the Church’s Templar Knights and regional leaders, who complained that Xu Shi’s Cat Cult had threatened their influence and livelihoods.
• Han Jingchuan reported that Xu Shi appeared to be at odds with one of his wives, whose Divine Punishment had changed her temperament.
• The Pope ordered the Church to worsen the rift and use it as a fuse for an attack on Xu Shi and the royal family.
• The gathered Church leaders supported the Pope’s plan, declaring that they would purge the heretics and restore the Church’s glory.