Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “The Final Battle!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jing Kingdom celebrates Fang Yun’s rise in status, speculating that victory in the Literary Battles could allow him to become Master of the World, an unprecedented honor comparable to an additional Void Sage title.
• Fang Yun has won nine consecutive Literary Battles, each through different methods—including linked poetry, military strategy, the Plague Sickness Scripture, abundant Literary Qi, and powerful Protective War Poetry.
• His victories prove that he is an exceptionally versatile scholar, possibly already matching the strength of the Ten Old Masters of the Metropolitan Graduates.
• Qing Kingdom’s supporters become increasingly desperate, but Xin Zhi and Zong Wuyuan argue that Fang Yun is exhausted. They believe the rested and highly experienced Qu Hange has a decisive advantage in the tenth battle.
• Zong Jibing openly warns Fang Yun that he will lose the final battle, while refusing to reveal the information behind his confidence. He also threatens that Fang Yun may find it difficult to leave Qing Kingdom after defeat.
• Qu Hange, a ninety-year-old Metropolitan Graduate and one of the Ten Old Masters, is introduced as physically frail but extraordinarily dangerous. His greatest strengths are his pure, hardened will, powerful Lip Spear and Tongue Sword, and vast combat experience.
• Zong Jibing asks Qu Hange to defeat Fang Yun, preserve Xiang Prefecture, and restore Qing Kingdom’s prestige. Qu Hange accepts the responsibility.
• Before the battle begins, Fang Yun respectfully greets Qu Hange. Qu Hange instead accuses Jing Kingdom of repeatedly humiliating Qing scholars during the Qixi Literary Gathering.
• Fang Yun answers firmly that Qing Kingdom has never shown mercy to Jing Kingdom, earning enthusiastic support from the Jing Kingdom crowd and setting an openly hostile tone for the final contest.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun: Demonstrates extraordinary versatility and resilience by winning nine battles in succession. Although physically and mentally drained, he remains composed, respectful, and confident. His reply to Qu Hange shows that he will not be intimidated by age or seniority.
• Qu Hange: Emerges as Fang Yun’s most formidable opponent. Despite his old age and fragile appearance, he possesses immense explosive strength, disciplined willpower, refined combat techniques, and unmatched experience.
• Zong Jibing: After being defeated by Fang Yun, he shifts from direct combat to psychological pressure, warning Fang Yun of certain defeat and hinting at information that may influence the final battle.
• Xin Zhi and Zong Wuyuan: Attempt to restore Qing Kingdom’s confidence by emphasizing Fang Yun’s exhaustion and Qu Hange’s advantage as a rested opponent.
• The people of Jing and Qing Kingdoms: Their emotions intensify as the battle becomes a matter of national honor. Jing Kingdom celebrates Fang Yun’s achievements, while Qing Kingdom places its remaining hope in Qu Hange.

Significant Themes

• Endurance versus preparation: Fang Yun’s nine consecutive victories contrast with Qu Hange’s rest and careful preparation.
• Youthful versatility versus accumulated experience: Fang Yun possesses many powerful techniques, while Qu Hange relies on decades of refined judgment and battle experience.
• National pride and political rivalry: The Literary Battle represents more than personal competition; it concerns Xiang Prefecture, national prestige, and the long-standing hostility between Jing and Qing Kingdoms.
• Respect versus defiance: Fang Yun observes proper etiquette toward the elderly Qu Hange but refuses to accept moral accusations or surrender psychological ground.
• Appearance versus true strength: Qu Hange looks weak and near death, yet his age has forged his will and combat abilities into something exceptionally formidable.

Character Interactions

• Jing Kingdom citizens discuss Fang Yun’s possible elevation to Master of the World and celebrate his victories.
• Xin Zhi and Zong Wuyuan reassure demoralized Qing supporters that Fang Yun’s exhaustion makes him vulnerable.
• Zong Jibing confronts Fang Yun, predicting his defeat and attempting to undermine his confidence.
• Zong Jibing then appeals to Qu Hange to defend Qing Kingdom’s honor.
• Fang Yun greets Qu Hange respectfully, but Qu Hange immediately provokes him by revisiting past conflicts between the two kingdoms.
• Fang Yun counters that Qing Kingdom has never spared Jing Kingdom, turning the exchange into a direct ideological confrontation before the final battle.

Chapter Summary: “Qu Hange’s Strength”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qu Hange criticizes Fang Yun for provoking conflict between Qing and Jing Kingdoms during a crisis, arguing that Fang Yun’s Literary Battle for Xiang Prefecture weakens humanity.
• Fang Yun counters that he is only responding to the Qing Lord’s attempt to obstruct the Book Repository, which represents the Instructional Sacred Way. He argues that blocking it is a greater crime than ten Metropolitan Graduates engaging in a Literary Battle.
• Fang Yun challenges the Qing Lord to face him directly and appeal for Sage Judgment. Qu Hange cannot accept the challenge because the Qing Lord would risk Sacred Academy condemnation and possibly abdication.
• The chapter emphasizes Fang Yun’s political and sacred authority as the Void Sage. Because of his status, the Qing Kingdom and the Lei Family can no longer openly attack, frame, or secretly eliminate him as they might an ordinary scholar.
• Qu Hange changes tactics and proposes a draw, claiming Fang Yun has exhausted all his available powers. A draw would end the ninth battle and allow Qing Kingdom to retain Xiang Prefecture.
• Jing Kingdom’s people recognize this as a strategic attempt to undermine Fang Yun’s confidence, while Qing Kingdom celebrates because Fang Yun appears to be running out of options.
• Scholars familiar with Fang Yun’s performance in the Hunting Grounds speculate that he may still possess Golden Resonance of Jade, an extremely rare War Poetry phenomenon capable of multiplying the effects of his poems.
• They debate whether Golden Resonance of Jade could produce overwhelming attacks, such as thousands of arrows or countless volcanoes, but conclude that Qu Hange may possess an even stronger advantage: a Star Position granted by the Zong Saint.
• The chapter ends as Fang Yun and Qu Hange prepare to enter the Literary Battle Arena.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun: Demonstrates confidence, sharp reasoning, and complete control of the political and rhetorical situation. His status as Void Sage gives him unparalleled protection and allows him to challenge the Qing Lord without fear. Despite appearing to have exhausted his abilities, he remains a hidden threat because of the suspected Golden Resonance of Jade.
• Qu Hange: Reveals himself as more than a political debater. Though outwardly arguing for stability, he is attempting to weaken Fang Yun psychologically and secure a draw. His apparent confidence suggests that he may possess Star Position power, making him a formidable opponent despite his limited lifespan.
• The Qing Lord: Is portrayed as fearful and indirect. He repeatedly attempts to hinder Fang Yun through decrees and covert schemes but dares not confront him openly.
• The Qing Kingdom and Zong Family: Their willingness to grant Qu Hange a powerful Star Position demonstrates how far they are prepared to go to preserve control of Xiang Prefecture and oppose Fang Yun’s Instructional Sacred Way.
• The observing scholars: Their discussion reveals growing respect for Fang Yun’s hidden capabilities while also increasing concern about Qu Hange’s possible trump card.

Significant Themes

• Authority versus political power: Fang Yun’s sacred authority as Void Sage places him beyond the ordinary reach of kings, families, and kingdoms.
• The Instructional Sacred Way: The Book Repository is presented not merely as a library but as a means of advancing humanity’s education and sacred civilization. Obstructing it is therefore treated as an attack on humanity’s future.
• Open conflict versus covert manipulation: The Qing Lord cannot challenge Fang Yun directly and must rely on administrative obstruction and behind-the-scenes schemes. Fang Yun’s directness contrasts with Qing Kingdom’s evasiveness.
• Strategic restraint and hidden strength: Both sides conceal their true capabilities. Qu Hange claims Fang Yun has exhausted his powers, while observers suspect Fang Yun still controls Golden Resonance of Jade and Qu Hange has gained Star Position power.
• Sacrifice for political advantage: The possible granting of a Star Position to Qu Hange, despite his short remaining lifespan, shows that the Qing Lord and Zong Family are willing to pay a heavy price to retain Xiang Prefecture.
• Reputation and psychological warfare: Qu Hange’s proposal of a draw is technically reasonable but designed to disrupt Fang Yun’s momentum and confidence after eight victories.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun and Qu Hange: Their exchange is a battle of logic and authority before the formal Literary Battle begins. Fang Yun repeatedly forces Qu Hange into defensible but humiliating positions, while Qu Hange attempts to reframe Fang Yun as reckless and unreasonable.
• Fang Yun and the Qing Lord: Though the Qing Lord does not appear directly, Fang Yun openly challenges him to Sage Judgment, exposing his unwillingness to confront Fang Yun face-to-face.
• Qu Hange and the Qing Kingdom: Qu Hange acts as Qing Kingdom’s representative and defender, but his proposed draw also reveals his role as a strategist trying to preserve Qing Kingdom’s control of Xiang Prefecture.
• The observing scholars: Their secret transmissions show divided expectations. Some believe Golden Resonance of Jade could guarantee Fang Yun’s victory, while others fear Qu Hange’s Star Position power may surpass it.

Chapter Summary: “Whipping!”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun and Qu Hange openly clash during the Literary Battle, with Fang Yun rejecting Qu Hange’s appeals to age and seniority. He argues that Literary Battles should be judged by merit, not by respect for the elderly.
• When Qu Hange asks why Fang Yun accused him of “crooked conduct,” Fang Yun exposes Qing Kingdom’s long history of sending scholars to Jing Kingdom to compete, humiliate opponents, and suppress Jing’s literary community.
• Fang Yun lists the damage caused by these campaigns, including deaths, shattered or damaged Literary Guts, and countless injuries. He directly blames Qu Hange and his associates for participating in this oppression.
• Fang Yun accuses Qu Hange of hypocrisy: Qu Hange demands mercy for Qing Kingdom but never showed mercy to Jing Kingdom’s victims.
• The people of Jing Kingdom strongly support Fang Yun. His words represent their long-suppressed anger and transform what were once “wails of the weak” into a powerful rebuke against Qing Kingdom.
• Humiliated and enraged, Qu Hange vows to defeat Fang Yun decisively and declares that Qing Kingdom will continue suppressing Jing Kingdom and taking its territory.
• Fang Yun counters that Qing Kingdom has recently declined in its challenges to Jing Kingdom, while many Qing scholars have already suffered because of him. He declares that Jing Kingdom—not Qing Kingdom—will achieve greatness.
• Qu Hange regains his composure and reveals his formidable status as a Poetry Maniac and Blood-Bathed Warrior. His aura becomes terrifying, filled with visions of suffering Demon Barbarians.
• The Literary Battle begins in earnest. Fang Yun is transported to a strange mountain peak facing Qu Hange across a deep precipice, establishing the battlefield for their decisive confrontation.

2. Character Developments

• Fang Yun: Demonstrates confidence, sharp wit, moral courage, and deep anger over Jing Kingdom’s long mistreatment. He moves beyond merely defending himself and openly challenges Qing Kingdom’s political and literary oppression.
• Qu Hange: Initially attempts to claim moral superiority through age, seniority, and appeals to tolerance. Fang Yun exposes his hypocrisy, causing humiliation and fury. He then suppresses his emotions and reveals the terrifying strength and experience of a veteran Blood-Bathed Warrior.
• The Jing Kingdom people: Their attitude shifts from watching Fang Yun’s dispute to openly embracing him as the voice of their collective resentment and national pride.
• Ji Zhibai: Despite his personal hatred of Fang Yun, he is emotionally stirred by Fang Yun’s condemnation of Qing Kingdom. His divided loyalties become apparent.
• The Left Prime Minister: Briefly shows admiration for Fang Yun’s performance, but this is quickly obscured by hostility and political restraint.

3. Significant Themes

• Merit versus seniority: Fang Yun rejects the idea that age or rank should determine victory in a Literary Battle.
• Hypocrisy and moral accountability: Qu Hange’s demand for mercy is exposed as hypocritical because Qing Kingdom has repeatedly harmed Jing Kingdom without showing compassion.
• National humiliation and resistance: Fang Yun gives voice to Jing Kingdom’s accumulated suffering, turning past weakness into public defiance.
• History and reputation: Because the battle will be recorded in historical records, both victory and defeat carry lasting consequences. Tarnishing a scholar’s literary reputation is treated as an extreme personal offense.
• Power, justice, and retaliation: The confrontation reflects the larger struggle between Qing Kingdom’s aggression and Jing Kingdom’s desire to reclaim dignity and strength.
• Words as weapons: Fang Yun’s accusations function like a “whip,” striking Qing Kingdom’s conscience and weakening Qu Hange before the physical Literary Battle begins.

4. Character Interactions

• Fang Yun and Qu Hange: Their exchange evolves from verbal sparring into a profound moral confrontation. Fang Yun repeatedly turns Qu Hange’s arguments against him, while Qu Hange responds with increasing rage and finally challenges Fang Yun to a decisive battle.
• Fang Yun and Jing Kingdom’s audience: Fang Yun articulates the people’s suppressed grievances, earning their enthusiastic support and strengthening their national confidence.
• Fang Yun and Ji Zhibai: Fang Yun’s words momentarily overcome Ji Zhibai’s personal animosity, though Ji ultimately restrains his feelings because of his political and familial ties.
• Fang Yun and the Left Prime Minister: The Prime Minister silently recognizes Fang Yun’s strength and eloquence but remains politically hostile and emotionally guarded.
• Fang Yun and Qu Hange on the battlefield: After Qu Hange releases his terrifying aura, Fang Yun responds with formal composure, saying, “Please enlighten me,” as the two are transported to opposing mountain peaks for the Literary Battle.

Chapter Summary: “Flood Dragon-Sparrow Twins”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun and Qu Hange face each other across two steep, hundred-zhang mountains separated by a river. Their distance creates a stalemate: neither can launch an effective attack unless one descends and risks exposing himself.
• Fang Yun assesses Qu Hange as an exceptionally dangerous opponent. Qu Hange has Third-Realm War Poems, powerful Zither Way offense, strong Chess Way defense, vast experience, and the advantage of having studied Fang Yun’s previous nine Literary Battles.
• Despite recognizing Qu Hange’s superiority in experience and equipment, Fang Yun remains calm and resolute. He adopts the mindset that the only task is to defeat the enemy before him.
• Qu Hange offers Fang Yun the chance to withdraw and calls the battle a draw, claiming he is preserving Fang Yun’s dignity. Fang Yun counters by mocking Qu Hange for spending time on boastful speeches instead of advancing to the Hanlin realm through Classic Interpretation.
• Offended, Qu Hange declares that he will teach Fang Yun a lesson. Fang Yun begins his standard preparations, writing the Sword-Summoning Poem and Edge-Concealing Poem before preparing to summon his combat assistants.
• Qu Hange reveals his weapons:
  • The upgraded Single-Chant Zither, a powerful Hanlin Literary Treasure.
  • The Mountains-and-Rivers Go Board, refined into a complete Literary Treasure.
  • Most importantly, the legendary Flood Dragon-Sparrow Twins, one set of black and white Go pieces possessing immense power.
• Observers on the Upper Viewing Platform are shocked. The Flood Dragon-Sparrow Twins are exceedingly rare, possibly Grand Academician-level treasures, and may have been empowered by Zong Saint himself.
• With four major Literary Treasures—his zither, Go board, and two sets of powerful Go pieces—Qu Hange gains an overwhelming equipment advantage. The spectators conclude that Fang Yun has fallen into an almost impossible situation, though they still admire his composure.
• Qu Hange launches his attack by invoking a profound saying about following or opposing the Way. The entire battlefield appears to collapse around Fang Yun, ending the chapter on a major cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun: Demonstrates exceptional composure, discipline, and determination. Although he recognizes Qu Hange’s advantages and the possibility of defeat, he refuses to be intimidated. His calm insult also shows increased confidence and sharpness under pressure.
• Qu Hange: Reveals himself as proud, experienced, and deeply confident in his preparations. His apparent offer of mercy is partly a provocation and an attempt to establish psychological dominance. Fang Yun’s response wounds his pride, prompting him to fight more aggressively.
• The Observers: Their reactions emphasize the seriousness of the battle. Even knowledgeable experts believe Qu Hange’s resources may be nearly insurmountable, while Fang Yun’s calmness earns admiration.

Significant Themes

• Resolve against overwhelming odds: Fang Yun faces an opponent with greater experience and vastly superior treasures but refuses to surrender mentally.
• Pride and psychological warfare: Qu Hange attempts to control the battle through condescension and intimidation, while Fang Yun counters with calm, cutting words.
• Preparation versus talent: Qu Hange’s study of Fang Yun’s previous battles and his carefully assembled treasures demonstrate the importance of preparation and accumulated experience.
• The burden of responsibility: The observers stress that Fang Yun is not fighting only for himself; he carries the hopes of a nation and a province.
• The Way and destiny: Qu Hange’s final declaration introduces the philosophical idea that following the Way brings fortune while opposing it brings disaster, foreshadowing the immense power of his attack.

Character Interactions

• Qu Hange offers Fang Yun a humiliating “draw,” presenting it as an act of respect while implying Fang Yun cannot win.
• Fang Yun rejects the offer and calmly criticizes Qu Hange’s priorities and excessive talking, striking at his pride.
• Qu Hange reacts angrily, claiming Fang Yun lacks respect for his elders, and vows to defeat him decisively.
• Their verbal exchange reflects the larger conflict: Qu Hange relies on authority, experience, and overwhelming resources, while Fang Yun relies on composure, confidence, and an unwillingness to acknowledge defeat before the battle is over.

Chapter Summary: “Third-Realm Chess Way, Falling Stars Form an Army”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun realizes that Qu Hange has obtained the power of the Zong Saint Star Position and is using the Shizi Sacred Way, also known as the Cosmic Sacred Way.
• The Shizi Sacred Way governs the concepts of space and time and manifests as a terrifying vision of the universe collapsing: the sky splits apart, the earth crumbles, and lava erupts.
• Qu Hange uses the principle “Follow the Way, and fortune comes; defy the Way, and calamity follows” to impose judgment on Fang Yun. The power attempts to make Fang Yun believe that resisting Qu Hange and opposing the Zong Family are morally wrong and doomed to fail.
• Because Fang Yun no longer possesses the Demon Ancestor Star Position or Sacred Blood, he cannot counter the Sacred Way through overwhelming force. Instead, he relies on his Second-Realm Literary Guts, Hard as Stubborn Rock, forming a barrier that withstands the attack.
• Fang Yun writes Liangzhou Lyrics, summoning the Jade Gate Pass. However, the world’s depleted vitality delays the poem’s completion and weakens his ability to use rapid War Poetry.
• Qu Hange reveals that the battle is occurring inside the Third-Realm Chessboard, created by merging the Shizi Sacred Way with his Literary Treasure Go Board, forming the domain Chess Suppresses Mountains and Rivers.
• The terrain transforms into mountains and rivers, after which 361 stars appear. One becomes the central star, while the other 360 descend as powerful star generals.
• Each star general creates an army from the surrounding environment—stone soldiers from mountains and armored water soldiers from rivers—producing 360 armies totaling 360,000 troops.
• The chapter ends with the activation of the Third-Realm Chess Way: Falling Stars Form an Army, while additional stars begin gathering for another wave of reinforcements.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates exceptional mental and spiritual resilience. Despite the Shizi Sacred Way attempting to distort his judgment and will, he refuses to submit and withstands the attack through his Literary Guts.
• His situation becomes increasingly dangerous: he lacks the Demon Ancestor Star Position, is trapped in an artificial chess world, and must fight in an environment with severely limited vitality.
• Qu Hange grows more confident and aggressive. He believes he has trapped Fang Yun and openly declares his intention to destroy Fang Yun’s reputation and resistance before millions of scholars.
• Qu Hange’s hatred of Fang Yun becomes explicit, and his mastery of the chessboard allows him to transform the surrounding world into a massive military formation.

Significant Themes

• Defiance against imposed orthodoxy: Qu Hange presents the Shizi Sacred Way as absolute law, portraying resistance as sinful and doomed. Fang Yun’s resistance emphasizes the importance of independent judgment.
• Willpower versus fate: The Sacred Way attempts to force Fang Yun into accepting defeat, but his Literary Guts symbolize the strength to resist externally imposed destiny.
• The danger of incomplete power: Although the Shizi Sacred Way is profound, it is not a complete Sacred Way. Its effectiveness depends heavily on how Qu Hange combines it with the Chess Way.
• Strategic warfare and environmental control: The battle is not merely a contest of personal strength. The chessboard alters geography, restricts vitality, and converts mountains, rivers, and stars into military assets.
• Overwhelming numbers versus individual greatness: Fang Yun’s legendary strength is challenged by an ever-growing army, presenting a conflict between a single heroic figure and a vast, organized force.

Character Interactions

• Qu Hange directly confronts Fang Yun through both spiritual pressure and verbal provocation, declaring that Fang Yun is trapped and refusing any possibility of negotiation.
• Fang Yun does not answer with surrender or argument; instead, he responds through action by stabilizing himself with Literary Guts and using poetry to defend against the Sacred Way.
• Their confrontation reflects opposing beliefs: Qu Hange claims authority through orthodoxy, judgment, and collective power, while Fang Yun relies on personal resolve, endurance, and resistance to coercion.

Chapter Summary: Chess Pins Down the Void Sage

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the three hundred and sixty thousand troops’ battle cry, Qu Hange transforms the battlefield by activating his Literary Treasure Chessboard. Three hundred and sixty chess pieces move across it while a layer of Holy Light reinforces the board.
• Using the Third Realm of Zither Way—Sound Beyond the Strings, Qu Hange plays the Guangling Melody, a musical piece associated with the assassin Nie Zheng.
• Through his supreme Literary Heart, Dual-Mindedness, Qu Hange simultaneously plays the qin and controls the chessboard. Sixty generals and their accompanying armies disappear from the battlefield, transformed into invisible assassins represented as Dark Chess.
• The spectators realize that Qu Hange is using an exceptionally powerful combination of the Zither Way and Chess Way, strengthened by the Shizi Sacred Way and the Zong Saint Star Position.
• Fang Yun is pulled into the Chess Realm, a world formed within the Literary Treasure Chessboard. The audience can only observe this realm through a projected image, while Qu Hange remains outside it, controlling the battle.
• Qu Hange declares, “Nineteen by Nineteen, Lock Down the Heavenly Origin!” Fang Yun, standing at the center of the Go board, becomes bound to the Heavenly Origin and cannot escape without moving the entire world around him.
• Qu Hange then deploys thirty ranged units, whose arrows bombard Fang Yun’s Jade Gate Pass, gradually wearing down its defenses.
• He follows with thirty cavalry units, which combine their spears into a massive flaming cavalry spear and launch it toward the Jade Gate Pass.

Character Developments

• Qu Hange reveals the full extent of his mastery as one of the Ten Old Masters of the Metropolitan Graduates. His control of both the qin and chessboard demonstrates a rare level of talent and makes him appear nearly invincible.
• He is portrayed as calm, commanding, and increasingly ruthless, issuing concise commands in Go terminology while steadily tightening his control over Fang Yun.
• Fang Yun is placed under severe pressure. Although his War Poetry and Jade Gate Pass remain powerful, he is trapped within a battlefield specifically designed to neutralize his strengths.
• Fang Yun’s allies and spectators begin to fear that he cannot overcome Qu Hange’s Chess Realm, especially without a Star Position or the ability to use the Voice of the Sacred Way safely.

Significant Themes

• Mastery versus overwhelming specialization: Fang Yun excels in War Poetry, but Qu Hange’s combined mastery of the Zither and Chess Ways creates a battlefield where conventional military strength is insufficient.
• Strategic control and imprisonment: The Chess Realm transforms combat into a game of positional domination. Fang Yun is not merely attacked; he is restricted, immobilized, and gradually surrounded.
• The legacy of suppressed talent: The spectators emphasize that the Ten Old Masters possess abilities comparable to higher-ranked scholars despite remaining at the Metropolitan Graduate level, suggesting the danger of talent constrained by circumstance.
• Political and ideological conflict: Fang Yun is fighting not only Qu Hange but also the influence of the Miscellaneous School and Zong Saint, making the duel symbolically larger than a personal contest.
• Hope amid apparent defeat: Although most observers predict Fang Yun’s loss, some continue to regard him as glorious even if defeated, highlighting admiration for resistance against overwhelming odds.

Character Interactions

• Qu Hange directly confronts Fang Yun through his commands, treating him as a piece trapped on a Go board rather than as an equal battlefield commander.
• The spectators debate Fang Yun’s chances, with some expressing regret that he lacks a Star Position and others insisting that he may still possess an undisclosed countermeasure.
• Chen Jing, Zhang Zhixing, and other former companions discuss possible ways Fang Yun might have been strengthened, revealing their concern and respect for him.
• The scholars from Qing Kingdom celebrate Qu Hange’s apparent victory, while Fang Yun’s supporters defend his honor despite the increasingly hopeless situation.
• The chapter ends with Qu Hange escalating his assault, as the combined cavalry spear races toward Fang Yun’s weakening Jade Gate Pass.

Chapter Summary: “Destroying the Sword!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qu Hange’s Protective War Poetry, “Liangzhou Lyrics,” creates a powerful spear that strikes Jade Gate Pass and cracks Fang Yun’s defensive formation.
• Fang Yun summons his two True Dragon Ancient Swords, strengthened by Ancestral Dragon True Blood, and sends them against Qu Hange’s archer and cavalry formations.
• Qu Hange repeatedly combines tens of thousands of soldiers to form barriers around the swords. Although the formations slow the swords, they cannot contain them for long because of their overwhelming strength and Fang Yun’s superior sword-control technique.
• Qu Hange eventually gathers 180,000 soldiers and uses the ability “Sever” to cut off Fang Yun’s connection with the True Dragon Ancient Swords, leaving them motionless.
• Rather than simply claim victory, Qu Hange deliberately announces that he will destroy Fang Yun’s swords, intending to damage Fang Yun’s Literary Guts and cripple nearly half of his strength.
• Observers from Jing Kingdom furiously condemn Qu Hange. Even many scholars from Qing Kingdom are uneasy, recognizing that destroying a Void Sage’s Lip Spear and Tongue Sword would harm the Human Race as a whole.
• Qing Lord hypocritically tells Qu Hange to stop, despite knowing Qu Hange cannot hear him and clearly benefiting from the situation. Ao Huang angrily curses Qing Lord, creating a humiliating spectacle for the Qing ruler.
• Fang Yun, enraged by Qu Hange’s intentions and insults toward Jing Kingdom, demands to know whether Qu Hange truly means to destroy his swords. Qu Hange confirms it and declares that Jing Kingdom will eventually submit to Qing Kingdom.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun: Demonstrates exceptional control over his True Dragon Ancient Swords and remains composed while fighting, but Qu Hange’s threat finally provokes intense anger. His determination hardens as the battle becomes a personal and political confrontation.
• Qu Hange: Reveals a vindictive and arrogant side. Though he has already gained the advantage, he chooses to destroy Fang Yun’s swords out of resentment and to humiliate Jing Kingdom, exposing his hostility toward Fang Yun and Jing.
• Ao Huang: Abandons his earlier restraint and openly defends Fang Yun. His furious insults toward Qing Lord show his loyalty and outrage, while also humiliating Qing Kingdom’s sovereign.
• Qing Lord: Acts outwardly as though he opposes Qu Hange’s cruelty, but his behavior is portrayed as insincere and politically motivated.
• Jing Kingdom’s scholars and generals: Unite in anger against Qu Hange, treating the attempted destruction of Fang Yun’s swords as an attack on Jing Kingdom and on the Human Race’s broader power.
• Fang Yun’s treasures and companions: Mist Butterfly, Ink Maiden, and even the usually evasive Inkstone Turtle react with anger, emphasizing the seriousness of the threat.

Significant Themes

• Political rivalry and national hostility: The Literary Battle becomes a symbol of the conflict between Jing and Qing Kingdoms, with Qu Hange openly presenting Fang Yun’s defeat as a step toward Qing’s domination of Jing.
• The greater importance of Fang Yun’s weapons: Lip Spear and Tongue Sword are not merely personal techniques; they are vital weapons that allow Human scholars to resist powerful Demon Race opponents. Destroying them would weaken the entire Human Race.
• Honor versus vengeance: Qu Hange could win without destroying Fang Yun’s swords, but chooses revenge instead, contrasting honorable victory with malicious humiliation.
• Hypocrisy and political maneuvering: Qing Lord’s false objection illustrates how rulers may pretend to uphold morality while quietly supporting actions that benefit them.
• Collective loyalty and resistance: Fang Yun’s allies and the people of Jing Kingdom rally around him, showing that the attack on one scholar is perceived as an attack on an entire nation and civilization.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun and Qu Hange engage in both a tactical and ideological confrontation, with Qu Hange using the battle to insult Jing Kingdom and Fang Yun responding with cold fury.
• Ao Huang openly clashes with Qing Lord, cursing him for his hypocrisy and defending Fang Yun.
• Jing generals and scholars collectively denounce Qu Hange, while Qing scholars remain largely silent because they recognize the broader consequences of destroying Fang Yun’s swords.
• Zong Wuyuan rebukes Ao Huang for violating proper conduct, but Ao Huang dismisses him and continues supporting Fang Yun.
• The chapter ends with Qu Hange preparing to destroy the immobilized True Dragon Ancient Swords, leaving Fang Yun’s strength—and the outcome of the Literary Battle—in immediate danger.

Chapter Summary: Killing Amid the Mortal Dust

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun faces Qu Hange in the Chess Realm while continuing to gather heaven-and-earth vital energy to compose War Poetry.
• Qu Hange uses 180,000 chess soldiers to sever Fang Yun’s connection with his Lip Spear and Tongue Sword—the two True Dragon Ancient Swords—hoping to destroy them and cripple Fang Yun’s Literary Guts.
• The True Dragon Ancient Swords unexpectedly evade an attack despite being disconnected from Fang Yun, demonstrating that their origin in Ancestral Dragon True Blood gives them abilities beyond ordinary Literary Treasures.
• Qu Hange sacrifices 60,000 chess soldiers in an attempted “Take” attack, but the swords survive by releasing countless imitation swords to absorb the explosion.
• Enraged, Qu Hange summons 200,000 more chess soldiers and declares that he will be remembered as the person who severed Fang Yun’s Sacred Way.
• Fang Yun begins writing what appears to be Liangzhou Lyrics, causing Jade Gate Pass to appear. However, he uses Literary Heart Contradictory Speech to conceal the true poem beneath its opening lines.
• The completed poem describes a heroic youth who helps others without seeking reward, throws himself into danger, and kills enemies amid chaos. Its decisive lines are: “They cast themselves amid flashing blades, killing amid the mortal dust.”
• The poem produces several extraordinary phenomena, including Golden Resonance of Jade and Red Sleeve Adds Fragrance. The latter elevates the poem from Metropolitan Graduate rank to Hanlin Academician rank.
• The poem becomes a unique First-Copy Transmissible Dual Literary-Rank Battle Poem: it functions as Metropolitan Graduate War Poetry for lower-ranked scholars and Hanlin Academician War Poetry for Hanlin scholars.
• Qu Hange launches an all-out attack with hundreds of thousands of chess soldiers. Jade Gate Pass is destroyed, and Fang Yun appears to be overwhelmed.
• Fang Yun transforms into blood-red mist, allowing the chess army’s suicidal assault to pass harmlessly through him. He then appears beside Qu Hange in the real world and kills him with a single slash.
• Fang Yun returns to the Chess Realm’s Tianyuan position, and Qu Hange’s Chessboard loses its power after his death.
• Fang Yun achieves his tenth consecutive victory, securing Xiang Prefecture for Jing Kingdom and shocking the entire viewing platform.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates extraordinary patience, tactical deception, Literary talent, and murderous resolve. Rather than immediately defending his swords, he uses Qu Hange’s confidence against him and secretly composes a far more powerful poem.
• Fang Yun’s calmness gives way to chilling killing intent once Qu Hange threatens his Sacred Way. His final attack reveals that he is capable not only of scholarly brilliance but also of terrifying decisiveness.
• Qu Hange is portrayed as an experienced and powerful Chess Way master, capable of commanding hundreds of thousands of soldiers and employing sophisticated battlefield tactics. However, his arrogance causes him to underestimate Fang Yun’s hidden plan.
• Qu Hange becomes increasingly desperate as his attacks fail. His confidence collapses when he realizes Fang Yun has used Contradictory Speech and created an unprecedented War Poetry. His final regret is recognizing too late how dangerous Fang Yun truly is.
• Fang Yun’s allies and observers gain a new appreciation of his potential, realizing that his achievements may significantly strengthen the Human Race’s future scholars and warriors.

Significant Themes

• Strategic deception and patience: Fang Yun wins by concealing his true intentions and allowing Qu Hange to believe he understands the situation.
• The power of literature: Poetry is not merely artistic expression but a weapon capable of summoning defenses, creating assassins, altering literary ranks, and changing the balance of power between nations.
• Innovation and inheritance: Fang Yun creates a poem with dual Literary Ranks, allowing scholars to preserve and strengthen their cultivation as they advance in status.
• Heroism without reward: The poem praises people who act courageously for justice and others without seeking recognition.
• Killing and righteousness: The chapter presents violence as a necessary response to those who threaten the Sacred Way, blending scholarly virtue with lethal martial resolve.
• Human advancement: Fang Yun’s transmissible assassination poem raises the potential combat strength of Metropolitan Graduates and Hanlin Academicians across the Human Race.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun and Qu Hange engage in a battle of wills, with Qu Hange openly announcing his intention to destroy Fang Yun’s Sacred Way and Fang Yun responding with restrained but increasingly ominous confidence.
• Qu Hange repeatedly taunts Fang Yun and commands increasingly massive chess formations, while Fang Yun quietly gathers vital energy and prepares his counterattack.
• Fang Yun’s poem directly answers Qu Hange’s threat: the declaration “The one who severs my Sacred Way dies!” becomes reality when Fang Yun personally assassinates him.
• The spectators, including Zhang Poyue, Jiang Hechuan, the Left Prime Minister, and Ji Zhibai, react with awe, excitement, or disbelief. Zhang Poyue and Jiang Hechuan especially praise the poem’s forceful killing intent.
• Jing Kingdom’s scholars celebrate wildly because Fang Yun both defeats Qu Hange and secures Xiang Prefecture, while the wider Human Race rejoices at the creation of a historically unprecedented transmissible Dual Literary-Rank assassination poem.

Chapter Summary: “Ten-Year Deadline”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun defeats Qu Hange in the final match of the Literary Battle after using his newly created First-Realm War Poem, “Red Dust Kill.” The poem allows him to shift between illusion and reality, making his body immune to attacks while enabling him to move, assassinate his opponent, and return to his original position.
• Qu Hange’s death gives Fang Yun a perfect score of ten victories against Qing Kingdom. The Literary Battle Arena disappears, and all participants return to the Prefectural Academy of Xiang Prefecture.
• The contrast between the deaths of Qiu Chongshan and Qu Hange is emphasized: Qiu dies peacefully and is mourned, while Qu Hange’s violent death is largely overshadowed by the importance of Fang Yun’s poem.
• Fang Yun names the poem “Red Dust Kill.” Scholars immediately recognize its potential as an assassination, movement, counterattack, and possibly defensive War Poetry. They plan to study and reproduce it as a Literary Treasure.
• Jiang Hechuan announces that Xiang Prefecture has returned to Jing Kingdom as a result of Fang Yun’s victory. Jing scholars celebrate, while Qing Lord and Qing officials are humiliated and distressed.
• The defeat severely damages both Qing Kingdom and the Zong Family, who had attempted to obstruct Fang Yun’s Sacred Way. Fang Yun’s victory becomes a public warning: those who try to sever his path will suffer disastrous consequences.
• The territorial gains also benefit Jing Kingdom’s education and political structure. Fifty counties are expected to be allocated for the Palace Examination, giving many Metropolitan Graduates a path into the Sea of Learning and making them indebted to Fang Yun.
• Fang Yun’s success undermines the Left Prime Minister Faction. Many promising scholars who might have joined it will instead seek Fang Yun’s support, weakening the faction’s future recruitment and influence.
• The Eastern Sage formally places the Fang Clan Library under Sacred Academy protection. For the next ten years, no kingdom may imitate or obstruct it, and violators will be punished severely.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun emerges as a major political, military, and literary force. His victory demonstrates not only exceptional talent but also strategic foresight: he uses the Literary Battle to reclaim territory, weaken his enemies, protect his library, and strengthen Jing Kingdom.
• Qu Hange becomes the final casualty of the battle. His brutal death symbolizes Qing Kingdom’s complete defeat and the failure of the Zong Family’s plans.
• Qiu Chongshan is remembered with dignity, his peaceful death contrasting sharply with Qu Hange’s violent end.
• Qing Lord is placed in an extremely vulnerable position. Although he is furious and humiliated, he cannot openly blame Fang Yun or Zong Saint. Qing Kingdom’s citizens and officials are likely to direct their anger toward him for losing another territory.
• Zong Wuyuan and the Zong Family suffer a significant loss of reputation. Their attempt to damage Fang Yun instead costs Qing Kingdom an entire prefecture and may threaten their interests in Bamboo Mountain Prefecture.
• Ji Zhibai and the Left Prime Minister Faction face a long-term political crisis. Fang Yun’s territorial settlement indirectly creates a large group of scholars who owe him their futures, reducing the faction’s ability to attract new talent.
• He Ludong and Jiang Hechuan publicly celebrate Fang Yun’s achievement and emphasize its benefits for Jing Kingdom’s future.

Significant Themes

• Victory through strategy rather than force: Fang Yun’s success comes from combining literary talent, battlefield innovation, and political calculation.
• The consequences of attacking a rising power: The chapter repeatedly reinforces that those who obstruct Fang Yun’s Sacred Way will suffer severe retaliation.
• Political power through education and patronage: By providing counties for the Palace Examination and supporting the Fang Clan Library, Fang Yun gains influence over future scholars and strengthens Jing Kingdom’s national power.
• Public reputation and moral authority: Fang Yun’s victory wins the gratitude of ordinary scholars, especially because they gain access to “Red Dust Kill.” This makes it increasingly difficult for others to defend Qing Kingdom or the Zong Family.
• Long-term planning: The ten-year protection order is presented as Fang Yun’s true objective. Ten years will allow the Fang Clan Library to become established throughout the Human Race and secure Fang Yun’s influence.
• National strength through individual achievement: Fang Yun’s personal victory directly changes territorial control, political factions, scholarly advancement, and Jing Kingdom’s future military and cultural power.

Character Interactions

• Military leaders such as Zhou Junhu and Chen Zhixu discuss the practical value of “Red Dust Kill,” treating Fang Yun’s poem as a revolutionary development in warfare.
• He Ludong asks Fang Yun for the poem’s name and congratulates him on the territorial and educational benefits of his victory.
• Jiang Hechuan formally declares Xiang Prefecture’s return to Jing Kingdom and joins in praising Fang Yun’s achievement.
• Fang Yun’s victory creates an indirect conflict with Ji Zhibai, whose political faction loses access to many promising Metropolitan Graduates.
• The defeat exposes the strained relationship between Qing Lord and the Zong Family: although the Zong Family’s failure caused the disaster, Qing Lord will likely bear much of the public blame.
• The Eastern Sage’s final decree validates Fang Yun’s broader goals and provides official protection for the Fang Clan Library, turning Fang Yun’s personal victory into a lasting institutional and political achievement.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Eastern Sage rules that the Zong Family must wait ten years before establishing a Book Repository. The Zong Family is relieved, believing Fang Yun will need much longer than ten years to become powerful enough to threaten them.
• Fang Yun remains confident, intending to use the coming decade to develop further influence and force the great aristocratic clans to follow his lead.
• Qing Lord arranges lavish funerals for Qiu Chongshan and Qu Hange and promises rewards for their descendants.
• Fang Yun observes a division among Qing officials: older officials seem eager to return to Jing Kingdom, while younger officials distance themselves from their Xiang Prefecture colleagues, suggesting political realignment.
• After Jing Kingdom’s victory in the Literary Battle, Zhou Junhu demands that Qing Kingdom cede Bamboo Mountain Prefecture, previously won by Fang Yun in a Military Way Duel.
• Zong Wuyuan refuses because Bamboo Mountain is sacred to the Zong Family. Fang Yun proposes taking Linjiang Prefecture instead.
• Linjiang is far more valuable than Bamboo Mountain because it controls privileged shipping and commerce along the Yangtze River. Qing Lord attempts to negotiate an alternative, but Fang Yun demands additional Imperial Examination slots as compensation for giving up Linjiang.
• Xin Zhi angrily accuses Fang Yun of bullying Qing Kingdom. Fang Yun orders him to leave within five breaths, publicly asserting Jing Kingdom’s authority over Xiang Prefecture.
• Qing Lord rebukes Xin Zhi and has him escorted away. Xin Zhi then recites a sorrowful poem, comparing himself to a loyal but wronged woman and implying that Qing Lord has sacrificed him despite his service.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun: Demonstrates growing political confidence and authority. He shifts from diplomatic restraint to openly commanding Qing officials, showing that victory has transformed his position from guest and rival into the dominant figure in Xiang Prefecture.
• Zong Wuyuan and the Zong Family: Remain confident that Fang Yun is still too young and underdeveloped to threaten them. Their refusal to surrender Bamboo Mountain shows their determination to protect the Zong Family’s symbolic and ancestral interests.
• Qing Lord: Becomes increasingly trapped between preserving Qing Kingdom’s economic assets, satisfying Jing Kingdom’s demands, and controlling his own officials. His decision to remove Xin Zhi reveals his willingness to sacrifice a subordinate to maintain order.
• Xin Zhi: Falls from military authority to disgrace after his defeat and Qing Kingdom’s loss. His final poem expresses resentment, loyalty, humiliation, and a sense of betrayal by Qing Lord.
• Zhou Junhu: Acts as Jing Kingdom’s confident negotiator, pressing Qing Kingdom to honor the consequences of its defeat.
• Qing officials: Their divided reactions suggest that Fang Yun’s victory is encouraging older officials to favor Jing Kingdom while younger officials remain politically opposed or uncertain.

Significant Themes

• The struggle between rising talent and established power: The Zong Family believes time will prevent Fang Yun from becoming a serious threat, while Fang Yun plans to use those same ten years to surpass their expectations.
• Political authority following military and literary victory: Fang Yun’s victory gives him practical power, not merely prestige. He can now demand territory, reforms, and respect.
• Symbolic land versus economic power: Bamboo Mountain represents ancestral and sacred legitimacy, while Linjiang represents wealth, trade, and strategic control. The dispute highlights the different forms of power valued by aristocratic families and rulers.
• Loyalty and betrayal: Xin Zhi’s final poem portrays him as a loyal servant discarded by his lord, exposing the personal cost of political defeat.
• Humiliation and shifting allegiance: Qing Kingdom’s defeat weakens its authority and causes officials to reconsider their loyalties.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun and the Zong Family: Their conflict remains restrained but deeply antagonistic. Fang Yun challenges their interests indirectly through territorial and political demands, while Zong Wuyuan openly defends the family’s sacred ground.
• Fang Yun and Qing Lord: Fang Yun negotiates from a position of victory, forcing Qing Lord to choose between surrendering valuable territory and granting political concessions.
• Fang Yun and Xin Zhi: Their confrontation marks Fang Yun’s public assertion of dominance. Fang Yun’s command that Xin Zhi leave humiliates the defeated general and makes clear that Qing Kingdom officials can no longer insult him without consequence.
• Qing Lord and Xin Zhi: Qing Lord sacrifices Xin Zhi to preserve political order, while Xin Zhi’s poem indirectly condemns him for abandoning a loyal subordinate.
• Jing Kingdom and Qing Kingdom: The negotiations reveal Jing Kingdom’s newly strengthened position and Qing Kingdom’s loss of control over Xiang Prefecture.

Chapter Summary: “Seeing Him Off for Ten Miles”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun’s actions during the banquet and the ten Literary Battles have seriously damaged the relationship between the Qing Lord and his officials. By writing a poem that defended a dancer while criticizing the Qing Lord, Fang Yun exposed divisions within Qing Kingdom’s court. The loss of Xiang Prefecture made the humiliation even more painful, creating a “thorn” in the Qing Lord’s heart that can only be removed if Qing Kingdom eventually recaptures the prefecture.
• Fang Yun leaves the Prefectural Academy, announcing that Jing Kingdom’s officials will handle the negotiations over Xiang Prefecture and the additional commandery. He plans to return to Jing Capital the next day.
• Outside, the people of Baling City gather to see him. When Fang Yun acknowledges their suffering, decades of suppressed grief and resentment erupt. Elderly residents celebrate Xiang Prefecture’s return to Jing Kingdom, remembering relatives and ancestors who suffered under Qing rule.
• The younger generation is also moved by the moment. Xiang Prefecture’s restoration promises equal status for its people and access to its own Imperial Examination positions, though migrants from other parts of Qing Kingdom face possible relocation.
• Fang Yun returns to his residence and continues reading despite the day’s extraordinary events. Exhausted by the ten Literary Battles, which strain both his body and his literary cultivation, he sleeps for three shichen instead of his usual one.
• The following day, Fang Yun departs Baling City in a luxurious Dragon Horse carriage. Qing Kingdom’s officials, including the Qing Lord, gather at the eastern gate to see him off. Because of the importance of ritual propriety—and because the Lei Family’s punishment has made the Qing Lord fearful—the Qing Lord personally walks beside Fang Yun for ten miles.
• At Ten-Mile Pavilion beside the Yangtze River, the Qing and Jing officials formally bid Fang Yun farewell. Minister of Culture Gu Fu proposes that three young scholars present farewell poems to Fang Yun, both as a matter of etiquette and as a chance for them to gain literary fame.
• Gu Fu selects Yan Yukong as the first poet. Yan Yukong, Fang Yun’s longtime friend and fellow former Huiyuan, steps forward to write or present his farewell poem.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun: Demonstrates political influence, moral courage, and emotional sensitivity. He has not merely won Xiang Prefecture for Jing Kingdom; he has become a symbol of liberation for its people. His growing status is emphasized by the reversal in his position: once a young poet seeking recognition, he is now a Void Sage before whom other young scholars compete to present poems. Despite his exhaustion, he remains disciplined and focused on reading and returning to Jing Capital.
• The Qing Lord: Is politically humiliated and increasingly cautious around Fang Yun. Though he resents Fang Yun’s victory, he must observe courtly rites and personally see him off. The Qing Lord’s authority appears weakened by the loss of Xiang Prefecture and by Fang Yun’s ability to expose tensions between ruler and ministers.
• Gu Fu: Acts as the representative of Qing Kingdom’s ritual dignity. Although cold and intimidating, he ensures that the farewell follows proper etiquette and chooses worthy young scholars to honor Fang Yun.
• Yan Yukong: Is reaffirmed as Fang Yun’s close friend and equal in literary potential. Their shared history in the Sacred Ruins and Hunting Grounds distinguishes him from other Qing scholars. His loyalty to Fang Yun, despite public pressure in Qing Kingdom, has already caused dissatisfaction among Qing citizens.
• The people of Xiang Prefecture: Move from long-suppressed resentment and political subjugation toward hope and national belonging. Their emotional reaction shows how deeply the change in sovereignty affects their identity.

Significant Themes

• National identity and liberation: Xiang Prefecture’s return to Jing Kingdom is portrayed as the restoration of equality, dignity, and historical identity.
• The conflict between political power and moral authority: Though the Qing Lord formally outranks Fang Yun, Fang Yun’s literary achievements and moral courage give him greater practical influence in the scene.
• The power of literature: Fang Yun’s poem has political consequences, while farewell poetry becomes a way for young scholars to honor him and establish their own reputations.
• Ritual and political appearances: The Qing Lord’s ten-mile farewell reflects the importance of etiquette even amid hostility. Public ceremonies conceal but also reveal the changing balance of power.
• Historical memory and generational trauma: Older residents remember Qing Kingdom’s suppression directly, while younger people inherit their grief and hopes. The chapter shows how political borders affect family honor, tombstones, examinations, and future opportunities.
• Friendship amid political division: Yan Yukong’s continued friendship with Fang Yun demonstrates that personal loyalty can survive national rivalry and political pressure.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun’s words to the people of Baling City transform their restrained sorrow into open mourning and celebration.
• The Qing Lord walks beside Fang Yun in a ceremonial but politically humiliating farewell, symbolizing Qing Kingdom’s reluctant acknowledgment of Fang Yun’s victory.
• Gu Fu and Fang Yun interact respectfully, with Fang Yun accepting Gu Fu’s proposal for farewell poems and allowing Qing Kingdom to preserve its image as a land of ritual propriety.
• Gu Fu’s intimidating presence controls the eager young scholars, while his selection of Yan Yukong recognizes the friendship and literary rivalry between Yan and Fang Yun.
• Yan Yukong’s appearance at the end reinforces the chapter’s emphasis on enduring friendship, shared achievement, and the complicated relationship between Fang Yun and Qing Kingdom.

Chapter Summary: “Top-Rank Madman”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qing Kingdom largely sympathizes with Yan Yukong rather than condemning him for opposing Fang Yun. Many believe that geniuses of their stature should not become enemies, since their conflict could harm the entire Human Race.
• Yan Yukong approaches Fang Yun before presenting his farewell poem and asks Fang to show mercy in the Palace Examination. He claims that the Yan Family focuses on practical deeds rather than widely circulated writings, and asks Fang to let him secure a top grade in either official administration or people’s livelihood.
• Yan then analyzes all ten Palace Examination subjects, explaining why Fang Yun is likely to dominate several:
  • Education: Fang’s Fang Clan Library and educational writings make him nearly unbeatable.
  • Agriculture: Neither Fang nor Yan has a strong advantage.
  • Criminal justice: The Legalist School has effectively reserved the field.
  • History: Fang has potential through his planned History of the Ancient Demons, but its completion is uncertain.
  • Military affairs: Fang’s political restrictions and lack of military authority weaken his chances.
  • Engineering: Neither is competitive.
  • Literary work: Fang is nearly certain to achieve the top grade.
  • Medicine: Fang has a strong chance, especially if he completes the second half of the Plague Treatise.
  • Official administration: Yan believes Fang will be obstructed by the Left Prime Minister’s influence over Mi Prefecture, leaving room for Yan to compete.
  • People’s livelihood: Fang’s difficult assignment in Ning’an County makes success uncertain, so Yan also intends to compete here.
• Fang realizes that Yan’s request is partly a public warning to other examinees not to challenge him in official administration or people’s livelihood. Fang refuses to promise mercy, insisting that as Ning’an’s magistrate he must do his best in every area.
• Yan jokes that all the other Palace Examination Metropolitan Graduates will unite against Fang to prevent him from monopolizing the top grades. If Fang takes more than five—or even all ten—top grades, the other examinees will become historical laughingstocks. The crowd laughs and labels Fang both the “Guts-Shattering Madman” and the “Top-Rank Madman.”
• Yan finally presents a farewell poem about willow branches, drifting blossoms, and hoping that a departing traveler returns. Fang and the others praise it, though some Qing scholars resent the implication that Fang might return to claim more of Qing Kingdom.
• Qing Literary Chancellor Gu Fu then calls on several other scholars to present poems. After receiving a secret message, he unexpectedly asks the hostile Hanlin Academician Zong Wuyuan to write the next farewell poem, creating immediate tension.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun: Demonstrates confidence, restraint, and political awareness. He refuses to make promises that could compromise his duties as a county magistrate, while also recognizing Yan’s strategic motives.
• Yan Yukong: Shows both friendship and rivalry. He cleverly disguises a warning to other examinees as a request for mercy and openly acknowledges Fang’s overwhelming advantages. His humor helps ease political tension, but his competitive spirit remains strong.
• Gu Fu: Appears cautious and politically calculating. His secret communication and sudden invitation to Zong Wuyuan suggest that he is deliberately escalating the farewell gathering.
• Zong Wuyuan: Is positioned as a likely source of hostility because of the Zong Family’s role in provoking the Literary Battle and obstructing Fang’s interests.

Significant Themes

• Personal rivalry versus the greater good: The chapter stresses that conflicts between great human talents can endanger the entire Human Race.
• Merit, politics, and institutional obstruction: Success in the Palace Examination depends not only on ability but also on factional influence, school traditions, and political suppression.
• Fang Yun’s overwhelming talent: His broad accomplishments make him a threat to every other examinee, turning admiration into anxiety and resentment.
• Duty over competition: Fang refuses to prioritize examination subjects merely for personal gain; he emphasizes his responsibility to govern Ning’an County properly.
• Humor amid political tension: Yan’s complaints and the crowd’s nicknames turn serious rivalry into comedic public banter.

Character Interactions

• Fang and Yan share a relationship built on mutual respect, past hardship, and intense competition. Yan openly critiques Fang’s advantages, while Fang responds with amused but firm refusal.
• The scholars collectively laugh at Yan’s complaints, revealing both admiration for Fang and fear that he will monopolize the examination’s honors.
• Qing scholars react uneasily to Yan’s farewell poem because it expresses hope for Fang’s return, which could imply further losses for Qing Kingdom.
• Gu Fu’s decision to summon Zong Wuyuan shifts the mood from friendly farewell to dangerous confrontation, setting up the next major conflict.

Chapter Summary: “Memories of Jiangnan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• He Ludong objects to Zong Wuyuan being chosen as Qing Kingdom’s third representative because Zong is an older Hanlin Academician rather than a genuine member of the younger generation.
• Zong Wuyuan dismisses the objection, emphasizing his high status as a descendant of a Half-Sage Family and a Hanlin Academician before age thirty.
• Fang Yun publicly praises Zong’s reputation, unintentionally—or deliberately—deepening the resentment of officials who already dislike Zong.
• Zong presents Fang Yun with the personal sword of Gu Qingyuan, a famous Qing Kingdom general who once conquered territory from Jing Kingdom.
• He recites a farewell poem based on the historical story of Ji Zi giving a sword to a deceased friend. Though seemingly sincere, the allusion implies a curse that Fang Yun will die before receiving the sword.
• Jing Kingdom’s representatives are enraged but cannot formally challenge Zong because of his powerful family background and Zong Saint’s influence.
• Qing Kingdom officials hope Fang Yun will lose his temper or respond improperly. Instead, he remains calm and decides to answer with two lyric poems.
• Fang Yun recites “Memories of Jiangnan,” praising the beauty of the region with vivid imagery of red river flowers, green waters, sunrise, and spring.
• The poem initially receives universal acclaim. A young scholar then questions how Fang Yun could claim familiarity with Jiangnan when he has never personally visited it.
• The hidden meaning becomes clear: Jiangnan was once Jing Kingdom territory, so Fang Yun is speaking as a Jing Kingdom man reclaiming and remembering lands that should return to Jing.
• Fang Yun’s poem counters Zong’s insult on a higher, more dignified level, presenting him as a victorious statesman rather than a petty rival.
• He leaves the second lyric unfinished, declaring that he will bring the treasured sword and present the poem personally when he reaches Qing Kingdom’s imperial palace. Qing Lord is visibly shaken.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates extraordinary composure, literary mastery, and political intelligence. Rather than reacting emotionally to Zong’s malicious poem, he answers through layered symbolism and controlled confidence.
• Zong Wuyuan is revealed as arrogant, provocative, and willing to exploit historical allusions to insult Fang Yun while maintaining plausible deniability.
• He Ludong acts as a defender of propriety and Jing Kingdom’s dignity, though he is unable to prevent Zong’s appointment.
• Qing Kingdom officials and scholars are divided: some enjoy Zong’s attack on Fang Yun, while others—particularly high-ranking scholars—disapprove of the petty and disrespectful tactic.
• Qing Lord initially allows the confrontation to proceed but becomes alarmed when Fang Yun openly hints at visiting the Qing imperial palace as a conqueror and delivering the second half of his response.

Significant Themes

• Literary combat as political warfare: Poems and historical allusions function as weapons, allowing scholars to attack one another without direct confrontation.
• Plausible deniability and hidden meaning: Zong’s poem appears sincere but conceals a death curse; Fang Yun’s poem appears to be a landscape lyric but carries a clear political claim.
• Dignity versus pettiness: Zong relies on a veiled insult, while Fang Yun responds with elegance, confidence, and historical vision.
• National memory and territorial legitimacy: Fang Yun’s reference to remembering Jiangnan evokes Jing Kingdom’s lost lands and suggests their eventual restoration.
• Power and privilege: Zong can insult Fang Yun with little fear of punishment because of his noble lineage and the protection of Zong Saint.
• The victor’s bearing: Fang Yun reframes the farewell ceremony, transforming it from a Qing Kingdom display of superiority into a demonstration of his own eventual triumph.

Character Interactions

• He Ludong challenges Zong’s right to represent Qing Kingdom, but Zong confidently silences him.
• Fang Yun praises Zong publicly, causing those who resent Zong to dislike him even more and subtly exposing the political tension within Qing Kingdom.
• Zong attempts to humiliate Fang Yun through the sword and poem, while Jing Kingdom’s scholars are forced to suppress their anger.
• Fang Yun refuses to engage in a direct quarrel and instead defeats Zong rhetorically through “Memories of Jiangnan.”
• His final statement directly addresses Qing Lord, turning the exchange into a promise of future confrontation and leaving the Qing ruler deeply unsettled.

Chapter Summary: “Shameless”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Fang Yun’s victory in the Literary Battle for Xiang Prefecture, Ao Huang openly confronts the Qing Lord and Zong Wuyuan. He condemns them for forcing Qiu Chongshan into an impossible challenge and arranging for Zong Wuyuan to curse Fang Yun.
• The Qing Lord argues that the Literary Battle was a legitimate contest and that Qing suffered the greater losses, including Qiu Chongshan and Qu Hange. Ao Huang rejects this defense, insisting that Qu Hange brought about his own death by destroying the True Dragon Ancient Sword despite Fang Yun’s warning.
• Fang Yun’s parting words carry the force of a Void Sage, unsettling the Qing officials. They speculate anxiously about how he intends to retaliate against the Qing Kingdom and whether he might eventually confront Zong Saint.
• Fang Yun returns to Jing Kingdom aboard the Skyfaring Tower Ship. During the journey, Jing scholars discuss and admire his two World-Passing War Poems, Liangzhou Lyrics and Red Dust Kill, but conclude that both are extremely difficult to imitate or surpass.
• The ship arrives safely at Jing Kingdom Academy, where officials, nobles, scholars, and tens of thousands of students welcome Fang Yun with repeated cries of “Victory!” Nunu joyfully leaps into Fang Yun’s arms, while Ao Huang celebrates his role as a victorious hero.
• A lavish imperial banquet is held in Fang Yun’s honor. The Empress Dowager announces that fifty additional acting county magistrate positions will be created for the lower-ranked Metropolitan Graduates because Fang Yun’s recovery of Xiang Prefecture has created a large need for officials.
• The newly appointed graduates gratefully toast Fang Yun, and more than twenty formally acknowledge him as their teacher. The banquet becomes a major triumph for the Imperial Party, while the opposing factions are politically humiliated.
• Ji Zhibai secretly instructs officials in Ning’an County to hold the next Literary Assembly immediately upon Fang Yun’s arrival, hoping to catch him unprepared.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun returns as a celebrated national hero. Although he remains calm and courteous, his statement that he will return to Xiang Prefecture hints at a firm intention to seek revenge against Qing.
• Ao Huang becomes Fang Yun’s outspoken defender and aggressively vents his anger toward the Qing Lord and Zong Wuyuan. His crude insults provide comic relief while emphasizing his loyalty.
• The Qing Lord and Zong Wuyuan are shown as politically weakened and unable to defend themselves effectively. They endure Ao Huang’s abuse because Jing’s victory has left them without moral or rhetorical authority.
• The Jing scholars and officials increasingly admire Fang Yun’s literary achievements and seek to benefit from or learn from his War Poems.
• The fifty lower-ranked Metropolitan Graduates become politically and personally indebted to Fang Yun, with many forming a teacher-student relationship with him.
• Ji Zhibai remains hostile and scheming. Rather than accept Fang Yun’s victory, he immediately plans a surprise challenge through the Ning’an Literary Assembly.

Significant Themes

• Justice and retaliation: Fang Yun’s victory does not end the conflict. The chapter emphasizes that Qing’s previous actions—especially against Qiu Chongshan and Fang Yun—will eventually demand repayment.
• Political power and prestige: The Literary Battle dramatically shifts influence toward Fang Yun and the Imperial Party, while damaging the Qing Kingdom’s reputation and weakening Jing’s rival factions.
• The importance of literary achievement: Fang Yun’s poems are not merely artistic works; they possess military and political power, transform combat methods, and strengthen the Human Race.
• Public triumph versus hidden conflict: The welcoming ceremony and banquet suggest peace and victory, but Ji Zhibai’s secret order reveals that political opposition and danger continue beneath the celebration.
• Loyalty and recognition: Ao Huang’s defense of Fang Yun, Nunu’s affection, and the graduates’ gratitude demonstrate the strong personal loyalty Fang Yun has earned.

Character Interactions

• Ao Huang repeatedly insults the Qing Lord and Zong Wuyuan, accusing them of shamelessness and refusing to accept their justifications.
• Fang Yun travels with Jing scholars, discussing the structure, imagery, and power of Liangzhou Lyrics and Red Dust Kill.
• The Jing Kingdom’s leaders and citizens publicly celebrate Fang Yun, while the Empress Dowager rewards his achievement by expanding opportunities for Metropolitan Graduates.
• The newly appointed graduates toast Fang Yun and many call him “teacher,” strengthening his political and scholarly influence.
• Ji Zhibai acts behind the scenes, directing Ning’an officials to confront Fang Yun unexpectedly at the next Literary Assembly.

Chapter Summary: “Enfeoffed Land!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun’s successful recovery of Xiang Prefecture from Qing Kingdom sparks unprecedented celebrations across Jing Kingdom. Fireworks, firecrackers, and memorial tablets honoring Fang Yun become extremely popular, especially in Jiangzhou and Xiang Prefecture.
• The people of the two prefectures have deep family ties but were separated for decades after Xiang Prefecture was lost. Fang Yun’s victory fulfills the long-held hopes of countless families.
• At a grand imperial banquet, the Empress Dowager announces Fang Yun’s reward. According to the Founding Ancestor’s decree, reclaiming a prefecture would make him a king and grant his family an inheritable county for three generations.
• Because Fang Yun reclaimed Xiang Prefecture without deploying soldiers or harming civilians, the court extends the inheritance of his royal title to six generations.
• The greater reward is that Fang Yun is allowed to personally choose his enfeoffed land. This is highly significant because he can select any county in Xiang Prefecture rather than accept one assigned by the Grand Secretariat.
• Ji Zhibai objects, claiming that allowing Fang Yun to choose his territory violates ancestral laws. Officials from the Left Prime Minister and Prince Kang factions join the opposition.
• Literary Chancellor Jiang Hechuan reveals that the people and officials of Xiang Prefecture are overwhelmingly demanding that Fang Yun choose their county. Many counties have submitted petitions signed by thousands of residents, and competition among them has become so intense that unrest may break out if Fang Yun is not allowed to decide.
• The officials recognize that residents want Fang Yun as their ruler because his reputation, virtue, Popular Will, and future potential as a Half-Sage promise prosperity and protection.
• The chapter ends when a Metropolitan Graduate announces that he is presenting a memorial on behalf of General Zhang Poyue.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun gains immense prestige throughout Jing Kingdom. He is no longer merely a successful scholar or military figure but a national benefactor whose achievement has restored families, territory, and national pride.
• He remains observant and politically perceptive, recognizing the value of Liu Shan’s network of supporters and understanding how political responsibility can be shifted onto subordinates.
• Liu Shan demonstrates his skill as a political strategist. Rather than personally opposing Fang Yun’s reward, he allows his followers to object, protecting himself from losing Popular Will or suffering a public political defeat.
• Ji Zhibai continues to act as an outspoken opponent of Fang Yun, attempting to block the reward by appealing to tradition and ancestral law.
• Jiang Hechuan supports Fang Yun’s privilege while exposing the popular demand behind it. His statement places the opposition in a difficult position by showing that rejecting Fang Yun’s choice could cause civil disorder.
• The people of Xiang Prefecture emerge as active political participants, competing to become Fang Yun’s subjects rather than resisting royal enfeoffment.

Significant Themes

• National restoration and collective memory: Fang Yun’s victory repairs a historical wound and reconnects families separated for generations.
• Popular Will and legitimacy: The people’s support becomes a powerful political force, strong enough to justify and protect Fang Yun’s extraordinary reward.
• Virtuous rule versus hereditary privilege: Unlike corrupt princes who exploit their territories, Fang Yun is trusted because his reputation suggests he will protect and improve the lives of his subjects.
• Political power and factional maneuvering: The conflict shows how court factions use subordinates, tradition, and procedural objections to oppose rivals while avoiding direct political costs.
• Law versus exceptional merit: Ji Zhibai invokes ancestral law, while Jiang Hechuan and the Empress Dowager treat Fang Yun’s unprecedented achievement as deserving an unprecedented reward.
• The importance of political networks: Liu Shan’s ability to rely on loyal followers illustrates how influence and protection operate within the imperial court.

Character Interactions

• The Empress Dowager publicly honors Fang Yun and grants him extraordinary privileges, while Fang Yun responds with formal gratitude.
• Ji Zhibai directly challenges the Empress Dowager’s decision, leading He Ludong and Jiang Hechuan to defend the legitimacy of the decree.
• Jiang Hechuan tests Liu Shan by asking for his opinion, but Liu Shan avoids taking direct responsibility and leaves his faction to oppose the measure.
• Fang Yun watches Liu Shan carefully, recognizing that the Left Prime Minister’s political strength lies in having others bear the consequences of opposition.
• Jiang Hechuan counters the court’s objections by presenting the petitions from Xiang Prefecture, shifting the debate from legal procedure to the people’s demand and the threat of unrest.

Chapter Summary: “Suspicion Over the Map”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Poyue unexpectedly sends a lieutenant general to submit a memorial recommending that Fang Yun’s fief be established in Gu County, Mi Prefecture—Zhang’s own hometown. His stated reason is that Fang Yun should leave the secure heartland and help defend the frontier against the Grass Barbarians.
• The revelation causes widespread confusion, followed by laughter when officials realize Zhang is openly trying to secure Fang Yun’s fief for his native county.
• Other officials begin competing to have Fang Yun choose their own hometowns. Vice Minister Sai recommends Guo County, his birthplace; Right Prime Minister Cao Dean recommends Mi County, where he rose to prominence; numerous other officials promote their own counties.
• Officials from across Jing Kingdom send Fang Yun letters praising the advantages of their counties. Even the magistrate of Ji County petitions for Fang Yun’s fief, hoping to elevate the county’s status.
• The Empress Dowager becomes irritated by the quarrel and decrees that Fang Yun may choose only a county in Xiang Prefecture, ordering him to select it personally at the Grand Secretariat.
• At the Grand Secretariat, officials crowd around a map of Xiang Prefecture to observe Fang Yun’s decision. Fang Yun initially considers Tu County, encouraged by suggestions that a prosperous county along the Yangtze River would be ideal.
• Before Fang Yun can announce his choice, a mysterious streak of white light emerges from his Literary Palace and lands on Zhengde County on the map. No one else sees it.
• Fang Yun is left puzzled, while several observant figures closely study his reaction, suspecting that the incident was significant rather than an illusion.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun remains detached and mildly amused by the officials’ scramble, refusing to be manipulated by their hometown-based appeals. His calmness contrasts with the political importance others attach to his fief.
• Zhang Poyue is shown to be both unconventional and extremely determined. He uses an indirect public maneuver to promote his hometown, Gu County, when a private request would likely have been ignored.
• The Empress Dowager demonstrates authority and political pragmatism by ending the officials’ self-serving dispute and limiting Fang Yun’s choice to Xiang Prefecture.
• Ji Zhibai experiences inner conflict. He briefly imagines that gaining Fang Yun’s favor could strengthen the Ji Family, but suppresses the thought because betraying Liu Shan would bring disastrous consequences.
• Little Fox/Nunu develops an affectionate bond with the Ink Maiden, revealing its curiosity, gentleness, and capacity for companionship.
• The officials are exposed as opportunistic and eager to exploit Fang Yun’s prestige to benefit their own regions.

Significant Themes

• Political self-interest: Officials disguise personal and regional ambitions as arguments for Fang Yun’s welfare or Jing Kingdom’s prosperity.
• The influence of a sage: Fang Yun’s fief is treated as so valuable that merely associating a county with him could transform its fortunes and status.
• Power and factional politics: The chapter highlights the tension between Fang Yun, the Left Prime Minister faction, and other political forces, while showing how personal ambition complicates factional loyalties.
• Fate and hidden forces: The unexplained white light choosing Zhengde County introduces an element of mystery and suggests that forces beyond ordinary political decision-making may influence Fang Yun’s path.
• Companionship and innocence: The tender interaction between Nunu and the Ink Maiden provides a gentle contrast to the officials’ scheming and rivalry.

Character Interactions

• Zhang Poyue’s lieutenant general publicly presents his proposal, causing Fang Yun and the court officials to react with surprise and amusement.
• Officials openly compete with one another, each urging Fang Yun to choose a county connected to their own background.
• Fang Yun ignores the political lobbying and instead relaxes with food and wine while observing the proceedings.
• Nunu and the Ink Maiden form an immediate, affectionate connection, while the Inkstone Turtle attempts unsuccessfully to escape.
• The Empress Dowager sternly silences the officials and directs Fang Yun to make his decision in the Grand Secretariat.
• At the map, Qiao Juze and Cao Dean encourage Fang Yun to choose a prosperous county along the Yangtze River, but the mysterious appearance of the white light disrupts his apparent selection of Tu County and points toward Zhengde County.

Chapter Summary: “Earthquake”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun discovers that only he can perceive a mysterious white light in his Literary Palace. The light surrounds the Seven-Colored Bracelet, an artifact that appeared after his experience in the Spring and Autumn World.
• He recalls that the mysterious D Luo had previously attached a point of white light to the bracelet. The light has now split in two: one part remains on the bracelet, while the other reaches Zhengde County.
• Believing D Luo’s power has deliberately targeted Zhengde County, Fang Yun chooses it as his hereditary fief. He justifies the choice by citing the county’s connection to the Ancient Mountain Range and its discoveries of Oracle Bone Script.
• The officials warn Fang Yun that Zhengde is a poor, mountainous, demon-threatened region and therefore an undesirable fief. Jiang Hechuan urges him to reconsider, but Fang Yun remains determined.
• Shortly after Fang Yun makes his choice, Zhengde County experiences an earthquake. The quake destroys over a hundred homes and injures more than thirty people, though no one dies. The event strongly suggests that Fang Yun’s choice is connected to the mysterious white light.
• Fang Yun returns to Spring Garden and prepares to travel to Ning’an County aboard a Skyfaring Tower Ship, where he will assume office and participate in the Palace Examination.
• His enormous private army arrives. It includes:
  • Two thousand elite Demon Iron Cavalrymen equipped with powerful armor and Flood Dragon Horses.
  • Several hundred private soldiers belonging directly to Fang Yun through his Literary Rank.
  • Eight Barbarian Marquises, including Dragon-Blood Ox Barbarian Marquises and a Horse Barbarian Marquis assigned to protect Yang Yuhuan.
  • Ten Turtle Demon Marshals with False Dragon Bloodlines, valued for their exceptional defensive abilities.
  • Two hundred Dragon-Blood Horse Barbarian Commanders wearing superior armor supplied by the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates confidence and decisiveness by choosing Zhengde County despite its obvious disadvantages. His decision is driven by intuition and his awareness of the white light’s connection to the region.
• He also appears increasingly powerful and influential, possessing wealth, a prestigious title, mysterious artifacts, and a formidable private army.
• Jiang Hechuan acts as a cautious adviser, reminding Fang Yun that the fief will remain in his family for six generations and should be selected carefully.
• Ji Zhibai and other officials view Fang Yun’s decision as a serious mistake, revealing their continued confidence that he will fail or misjudge the situation.
• Fang Yun’s military resources emphasize his growing status. His forces combine the strength of the Jing Kingdom, the Human Race, and the Dragon Palace.

Significant Themes

• Mystery and destiny: The white light and Seven-Colored Bracelet suggest that Fang Yun’s fate is connected to forces and secrets beyond his current understanding.
• Intuition versus conventional wisdom: While officials judge Zhengde County by its poverty and strategic weakness, Fang Yun follows a deeper instinct that proves potentially significant when the earthquake occurs.
• Power and political status: Fang Yun’s enormous army reflects his exceptional position and the influence he commands despite opposition from powerful officials.
• Hidden significance beneath apparent weakness: Zhengde County appears worthless to others, but its connection to D Luo and the earthquake implies that its true importance is concealed.
• Military strength and alliances: The chapter highlights cooperation among Human, Barbarian, and Dragon forces, showing the breadth of Fang Yun’s protection and resources.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun discusses his choice of fief with the assembled officials, who react with hesitation and concern.
• Jiang Hechuan respectfully advises him to reconsider, but Fang Yun politely yet firmly refuses.
• Ji Zhibai and several officials silently celebrate what they believe is Fang Yun’s blunder.
• Fang Yun inspects his private army, whose varied troops demonstrate the loyalty and support he has gained from the Jing Kingdom, influential families, Barbarian forces, and the Eastern Sea Dragon Palace.
• The presence of a female Horse Barbarian Marquis specifically assigned to protect Yang Yuhuan indicates the importance of Fang Yun’s personal relationships and the protection afforded to those close to him.

Chapter Summary: “Setting Out, the Palace Examination!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun’s private army is formally assembled before his departure for Ning’an County and the upcoming Palace Examination.
• His forces include:
  • Four hundred powerful Demon Barbarian private soldiers, most of whom are Demon Marshals or Demon Marquises.
  • The Demon Iron Cavalry and other Barbarian Generals and Commanders supplied by aristocratic clans.
  • One hundred and forty-six Human Race scholar-soldiers from many regions and academic schools.
• The scholar-soldiers undergo extremely strict investigations by the Hall of Punishment, including examinations using Sacred Books and Half-Sage treasures, ensuring their loyalty. They sign contracts ranging from ten years to a lifetime.
• Fang Yun personally remembers the names, appearances, and temperaments of nearly all his subordinates, demonstrating his attention to and control over the army.
• Ao Huang announces that the Demon Barbarians have completed their training and may now enter battle. Fang Yun declares that he will take responsibility for their actions.
• Fang Yun gives his army a rallying speech, emphasizing that they defend his dignity and must face all enemies without fear. The soldiers answer with the oath: “Trample the Myriad Worlds, never rest until death!”
• The procession of more than two thousand people leaves the capital. Fang Yun travels with Yang Yuhuan, Su Xiaoxiao, Nunu, and his household servants.
• Citizens, scholars, children, and elders line the streets to see him off. They praise him, wish him success in the Palace Examination, encourage him to oppose the Left Prime Minister, and hope he will become National Chief and climb Book Mountain again.
• The people recite and sing Fang Yun’s famous poems and patriotic verses, turning the farewell into a powerful public demonstration of support.
• The procession reaches Jing Kingdom Academy, where students, officials, military figures, and the lower-ranked Metropolitan Graduates await them beside the Skyfaring Tower Ship.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun appears increasingly authoritative and confident. He has transformed from a solitary scholar into the leader of a formidable, loyal force.
• His careful recruitment and personal knowledge of his private soldiers show his strategic ability, responsibility, and concern for those who serve him.
• Fang Yun’s speech reveals his growing political and military ambitions: he is prepared to confront both Demon Barbarians and hostile Human officials.
• Ao Huang acts as Fang Yun’s enthusiastic military trainer and supporter. His boastful, comedic manner contrasts with his immense power and prestigious status as a True Dragon.
• The private soldiers shift from being potential recruits or followers into a unified army openly devoted to Fang Yun’s cause.
• The Human scholars’ varied backgrounds highlight Fang Yun’s growing influence among people marginalized or suppressed by existing political and aristocratic structures.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and allegiance: The private soldiers choose Fang Yun not merely for profit but because they believe he represents their ambitions and the future of the Human Race.
• Merit versus social hierarchy: Many recruits are talented scholars overlooked or suppressed by aristocratic clans and political factions. Fang Yun offers them a chance to realize their abilities.
• Leadership and responsibility: Fang Yun accepts responsibility for his followers and unites people of different races and backgrounds under one command.
• Public faith and legitimacy: The citizens’ enthusiastic farewell demonstrates that Fang Yun possesses broad popular support, not just military strength or official rank.
• National pride and resistance: The procession reflects hopes that Fang Yun will strengthen Jing Kingdom, challenge corrupt officials, and raise the Human Race’s status.
• The beginning of a greater journey: The departure symbolizes Fang Yun’s first major step into open political and military conflict, with danger ahead rather than an easy path.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun and Ao Huang exchange a humorous but meaningful moment as Ao Huang presents the trained Demon Barbarians and pushes Fang Yun to address them.
• Fang Yun directly motivates his mixed-race army, and Human and Demon Barbarian soldiers respond together, showing their newly formed unity.
• The citizens interact with Fang Yun through shouted blessings, advice, praise, and political expectations, treating him as both a heroic scholar and a potential national leader.
• Fang Yun’s companions—Yang Yuhuan, Su Xiaoxiao, Nunu, and the household servants—join him on the journey, reinforcing the personal and familial side of his departure.
• The arrival at Jing Kingdom Academy connects Fang Yun’s private army to the wider official and scholarly world, where civil officials, military officers, and Metropolitan Graduates gather to witness the next stage of his rise.

Chapter Summary: “Last Rank in Ten Categories”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fang Yun departs for the Palace Examination from Ning’an County amid an enormous public farewell. Thousands salute him as the “Void Sage,” reflecting his extraordinary status and Jing Kingdom’s hopes for survival.
• He boards a luxurious Skyfaring Tower Ship accompanied by four hundred Demon Barbarian private soldiers and more than one hundred scholar-advisers. This entourage is unprecedented, even among the greatest noble families.
• The ship travels at extreme speed toward Ning’an County. Fang Yun orders Ao Huang to let the soldiers rest during the journey.
• Yang Yuhuan joins Fang Yun at the bow. When he asks whether she is afraid, she declares that wherever he is, that place is home.
• During the journey, Fang Yun sees Jade Sun Pass, a crucial military stronghold guarding the only passage through the surrounding mountains. The Eagle-Soaring Army stationed there is responsible for defending Ning’an County from Demon Barbarian invasion.
• Fang Yun realizes that his enemy, Ministry of War Vice Minister Tong Luan, will soon control Jade Sun Pass and command the army. If Tong Luan fails to assist Ning’an County during an invasion, the county could fall.
• Such a disaster would cause Fang Yun to receive the last rank in every category of the Palace Examination—the worst result in the history of the Human Race.
• Meanwhile, in Qing Kingdom, Qing Lord angrily discusses Jing Kingdom’s demand to exchange examination quotas for control of Linjiang Prefecture.
• Zong Wuyuan reveals the real purpose behind Qing Kingdom’s plan for the Literary Battle: forcing Fang Yun to reveal all his abilities so the Demon Realm can learn his weaknesses and prepare more effective means to kill him.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun: His public influence and political importance are emphasized. He remains calm and dignified, but seeing Jade Sun Pass makes him recognize how vulnerable his future is to military and political sabotage.
• Yang Yuhuan: She shows increased emotional strength and commitment, firmly assuring Fang Yun that she is not afraid as long as they remain together.
• Ao Huang: He acts as Fang Yun’s subordinate in commanding the private soldiers, enthusiastically embracing the role of drillmaster.
• Tong Luan: Although absent, he is established as a major threat because he will control the military force responsible for Ning’an County’s defense.
• Zong Wuyuan: He is revealed as a calculating strategist who intends to sacrifice political advantages in order to expose Fang Yun’s hidden capabilities.
• Qing Lord: His anger over the cost of dealing with Jing Kingdom shows his concern for Qing Kingdom’s resources, though he ultimately considers the strategic value of weakening Fang Yun more important.

Significant Themes

• National hope and political fragility: Fang Yun is treated as Jing Kingdom’s central hope because the kingdom lacks another figure capable of protecting it from Qing and Wu Kingdoms.
• The burden of exceptional talent: Fang Yun’s status as a Void Sage brings immense support but also makes him the focus of enemy schemes and national expectations.
• Military power and bureaucratic control: The Palace Examination depends not only on scholarship but also on governing, military coordination, and relations with officials and local powers.
• Luck versus responsibility: Fang Yun’s possible last-place ranking could result from circumstances beyond his direct control, raising the question of whether failure is caused by incompetence or bad fortune.
• Strategic deception and information warfare: Qing Kingdom seeks to make Fang Yun reveal his abilities before the Demon Realm, demonstrating that knowledge of an opponent’s “hidden cards” can be more valuable than immediate political gains.
• Home and loyalty: Yang Yuhuan’s statement that home is wherever Fang Yun is reinforces the personal bonds supporting him amid national and political crises.

Important Character Interactions

• Fang Yun receives a public farewell from the citizens, officials, soldiers, and Metropolitan Graduates of Jing Kingdom, showing his exceptional reputation.
• Fang Yun directs Ao Huang to dismiss and rest the private soldiers, highlighting their organized military relationship.
• Fang Yun and Yang Yuhuan share a quiet, intimate exchange in which she expresses unwavering loyalty and courage.
• Qing Lord confronts Zong Wuyuan about his earlier strategy, while Zong subtly explains that the Literary Battle is designed to expose Fang Yun’s capabilities for future enemies.

Summary: “Arrival at Ning’an County”

Key Plot Points and Events

Fang Yun arrives at Ning’an County aboard the Skyfaring Tower Ship, accompanied by Yang Yuhuan, Ao Huang, Nunu, Little Ink, and the Inkstone Turtle. Although this is his first visit, the county’s name and importance are already deeply familiar to him.
Ning’an County is a vital transportation hub in northern Jing Kingdom, situated near the Yishui River. Grain and supplies for the northwest, north, and northeast pass through it. Despite its proximity to the front lines, the city appears peaceful, with cooking smoke rising from homes and residents living relatively comfortable lives.
The county is divided into three contrasting areas:

• A military district where recruits train before being sent to the Three Frontiers.
• A commercial district filled with merchant ships and trade.
• A residential district whose inhabitants enjoy a slow, secure life supported by the Temple of Sages and Ning’an’s prosperity.
  Fang Yun recognizes that these conflicting conditions—military severity, commercial activity, and civilian idleness—make governing Ning’an extraordinarily difficult. He recalls that Ji Zhibai’s poor score in the people’s livelihood portion of the Palace Examination was understandable because local welfare involved far more than simple administration.
  Before landing, Fang Yun assesses Ning’an’s political structure. Four major forces dominate the county:

1. The Transport Office, which controls supplies and labor for the Three Frontiers and possesses considerable military power.
2. The Northern Mang Army, responsible for the city’s defenses.
3. Ning’an Trading Company, controlled by powerful local clans and deeply embedded in the county’s economy.
4. The entrenched county officials, whose families have governed local affairs for generations.
   All four forces are aligned with Left Prime Minister Liu Shan, making Ning’an a dangerous political environment for Fang Yun. He has received limited support from the Chen Family, the Zhang Heng Household, and other influential families, as well as military intelligence from the Empress Dowager. However, these resources only prevent him from being completely isolated.
   Fang Yun’s main reliable support is his private army of more than two thousand soldiers. He understands that the local powers may not openly challenge him, but they possess countless ways to obstruct and weaken a county magistrate.
   At the Three-Li Pavilion outside the city, Fang Yun finds the road sealed by the Prefectural Army and the officials of Ning’an gathered to receive him. When he descends from the ship, everyone—including high-ranking military officers, officials, and relatives of powerful families—bows and formally welcomes him as the Void Sage. Fang Yun responds calmly, telling them that from now on they are “one family,” while privately recognizing the looming political danger.

Character Developments

• Fang Yun demonstrates sharp political awareness and a practical understanding of governance. He does not allow his title as Void Sage to make him overconfident, instead viewing himself as an ordinary county magistrate with limited official authority.
• He also displays controlled authority and confidence. His composed appearance and commanding presence cause the gathered officials to treat him with genuine caution and respect.
• Fang Yun’s reliance on his own judgment and private army emphasizes his growing independence. He knows that allies exist, but he cannot depend entirely on them.
• Yang Yuhuan remains a supportive companion, holding Fang Yun’s hand as they observe the county.
• Ning’an’s officials and local powers outwardly show perfect respect, but their collective allegiance to Liu Shan suggests that their submission may be strategic rather than sincere.

Significant Themes

• The complexity of governance: Ning’an reveals that governing a region requires balancing military defense, commerce, public welfare, local customs, and entrenched interests.
• Contradiction within society: The county combines warlike discipline, bustling trade, and civilian leisure, showing how prosperity and danger can exist side by side.
• Political power versus formal rank: The Transport Office has a lower official rank than several other institutions but possesses greater practical influence because the armies depend on it.
• Isolation and hidden opposition: Fang Yun’s prestigious title cannot automatically grant him authority. He enters Ning’an surrounded by people who appear respectful but are politically aligned against him.
• The calm before conflict: The peaceful scenery contrasts with the county’s strategic importance and factional tensions, creating a sense that confrontation is imminent.
• Authority and perception: Fang Yun’s entrance is carefully staged and symbolic. His bearing causes others to see him as a ruler or Great Scholar, even though he knows his actual power is limited.

Character Interactions

• Fang Yun shares a quiet moment with Yang Yuhuan while observing Ning’an from the ship.
• Nunu, Little Ink, Ao Huang, and the Inkstone Turtle accompany Fang Yun, reinforcing the unusual and powerful entourage surrounding him.
• Fang Yun mentally evaluates the officials and military leaders waiting for him, particularly Geng Ge, the Transport Office director and Liu Shan’s relative by marriage.
• The assembled officials bow deeply and welcome Fang Yun as the Void Sage, displaying formal submission despite their political ties to his enemies.
• Fang Yun answers their ceremony with the diplomatic phrase, “From this day forward, we are one family,” masking his awareness that Ning’an is likely to become a hostile political battlefield.