Chapter Summaries

Chapter 381 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Prefect Chen Hezhi continues to suspect that Wen Xu is the Crown Prince’s twin brother, separated at birth. However, he refuses to confirm the theory without evidence, knowing that exposing Wen Xu’s royal lineage could put him in immediate danger.
• Chen believes that someone is trying to kill Wen Xu precisely because of his possible royal identity. Since investigating a palace birth from thirty years earlier is nearly impossible for a prefect, he turns to the Crown Prince, who can investigate former palace servants and records.
• At the Shuntian Prefecture Yamen, Wen Xu speaks briefly with the Crown Prince but declines Chen Hezhi’s offer to stay under official protection. He insists that he is willing to risk his life to obtain justice and does not want Chunchou or Chen Zui endangered by association with him.
• While traveling back to Sincerity Tower, Wen Xu is diverted to a secluded residence. There, he discovers that the person who arranged the meeting is the Crown Prince.
• Wen Xu immediately identifies the Crown Prince and openly acknowledges both their resemblance and the possibility that they are twin brothers. He tells the Crown Prince that confirming the truth would be simple for him: he need only investigate palace servants who witnessed the Empress’s pregnancy thirty years earlier.
• The Crown Prince suspects that Wen Xu and Chen Hezhi have conspired to manipulate him. Wen Xu denies this, explaining that he has no need to scheme and would not have met the Crown Prince again if the Crown Prince had not summoned him.
• The Crown Prince had intended to persuade Wen Xu to abandon his revenge, believing him vulnerable and easily used as a political pawn. Instead, Wen Xu reveals a far more dangerous and determined side.
• Wen Xu declares that he will demand justice. If justice proves impossible, he will kill anyone who attempts to kill him and accept death himself.
• The Crown Prince asks whether Wen Xu would kill him as well. Wen Xu refuses, asking why he would kill him. This response causes the Crown Prince to emotionally accept, at least inwardly, that Wen Xu may truly be his brother.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu: Abandons his outwardly harmless and restrained persona. He demonstrates sharp awareness, boldness, and an uncompromising willingness to fight for justice. Although he is prepared to kill or die, he distinguishes the Crown Prince from his enemies and shows no personal hatred toward him.
• The Crown Prince: Reveals concern for Wen Xu’s safety and initially hopes to stop him from pursuing revenge. His encounter with Wen Xu unsettles him, especially when Wen Xu exposes the possible truth of their shared identity. By the end, the Crown Prince instinctively accepts Wen Xu as his twin despite lacking proof.
• Chen Hezhi: Acts cautiously and intelligently, balancing his desire to uncover the truth with concern that doing so could endanger Wen Xu. He admires Wen Xu’s resilience but recognizes that Wen Xu is far more formidable than he first assumed.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus survival: Wen Xu is prepared to pursue justice even if it costs him his life, presenting justice as more important than self-preservation.
• Nature versus circumstance: The Crown Prince and Wen Xu may share blood, yet their radically different lives have shaped them into contrasting men—one composed and privileged, the other hardened by suffering.
• Identity and royal blood: The possibility of Wen Xu’s true lineage threatens the political order and explains why he may be targeted.
• Appearances and hidden strength: Wen Xu’s gentle exterior conceals exceptional resolve and danger. The chapter emphasizes that surviving suffering has forged a strength greater than education, appearance, or status.
• Brotherhood and moral distinction: Despite their unequal lives and possible rivalry, Wen Xu does not automatically regard the Crown Prince as an enemy, suggesting the beginning of a complicated bond.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Hezhi and Wen Xu: Chen Hezhi offers protection, but Wen Xu refuses, insisting on facing danger independently.
• Wen Xu and the Crown Prince: Their second meeting shifts from guarded political conversation to a direct confrontation over identity, revenge, and justice. Wen Xu’s refusal to kill the Crown Prince deeply affects him and strengthens his belief that they are brothers.

Chapter Summary: Public Opinion

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu reveals to the Crown Prince that the assassination attempt against him was ordered by the Empress. She personally admitted it, so Wen Xu retaliated by breaking all ten of her fingers, ensuring she would suffer lasting pain.
• The Crown Prince initially cannot believe the Empress was responsible, but Wen Xu’s cold satisfaction and willingness to punish her convince him that Wen Xu is truly his brother. The revelation leaves him emotionally devastated and fearful.
• Meanwhile, Bian Chunchou devises a plan to use public opinion to expose the attack on Wen Xu-Xu and the mistreatment of the Provincial Graduates.
• He decides that Sincerity Tower is unsuitable because its wealthy and aristocratic guests will not sympathize with the scholars’ plight, and the group risks being expelled or imprisoned for causing trouble there.
• Bian instead targets Top Scholar Tower, a lodging house popular with Provincial Graduates and located near the Examination Institute. Its Literary Contest offers the ideal public platform for spreading Wen Xu-Xu’s name and shaping public sentiment.
• During the contest, Bian deliberately takes the stage after another scholar invites him to display his abilities. He introduces himself as an obscure Elementary Scholar from Jade Isle Commandery, then claims that his elder brother became a Provincial Graduate at eighteen.
• He creates curiosity by emphasizing the rarity of such an achievement and challenging the audience to identify his brother. Finally, he announces that his elder brother is Wen Xu, courtesy name Bu Jing, from Lushui County.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu: Demonstrates his ruthlessness, emotional control, and determination to retaliate against those who harm him. His decision to break the Empress’s fingers shows both his capacity for vengeance and his refusal to remain a powerless victim.
• The Crown Prince: Experiences a major emotional collapse. Learning that the Empress ordered Wen Xu’s assassination—and recognizing Wen Xu’s merciless response—forces him to confront the hostility and betrayal within his own family.
• Bian Chunchou: Reveals practical intelligence and an instinctive understanding of publicity. Drawing on his modern “online” experience, he carefully chooses the right audience and constructs a sensational introduction designed to make Wen Xu’s name widely discussed.
• Chen Zui: Remains straightforward and action-oriented, preferring direct violence to complicated schemes. His unfamiliarity with Mortal Realm customs, such as curfews and public opinion campaigns, provides comic contrast.
• The Empress: Though she does not appear directly, she is characterized as a political aggressor who secretly ordered Wen Xu’s assassination. Her punishment establishes the severity of the conflict between her and Wen Xu.

Significant Themes

• Public opinion as political power: Bian’s plan shows that reputation and popular sympathy can influence events as effectively as force or official authority.
• Family betrayal and political intrigue: The Crown Prince is caught between his mother and brother, revealing how imperial politics have corrupted familial relationships.
• Powerlessness and retaliation: Wen Xu and the Crown Prince are both described as “fish on the chopping block,” but Wen Xu responds to vulnerability through calculated revenge.
• Appearance versus reality: Wen Xu’s blindness does not make him helpless; Bian’s humble presentation conceals a deliberate publicity strategy; and outward status does not necessarily reflect true power.
• Knowledge and social influence: Bian’s modern understanding of media and attention allows him to manipulate a traditional scholarly setting, contrasting Mortal Realm customs with Cultivation Realm directness.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu and the Crown Prince: Wen Xu calmly informs the Crown Prince of the Empress’s role and his revenge. The Crown Prince’s disbelief turns into horror when he realizes Wen Xu’s actions confirm their shared bloodline and reveal the danger within their family.
• Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui: They discuss where to stage their campaign. Bian explains the importance of audience and public sympathy, while Chen dismisses the complexity of the plan and suggests attacking the palace directly.
• Bian and the Literary Contest audience: Bian manipulates the scholars’ curiosity by presenting himself as an unremarkable Elementary Scholar while gradually building suspense around his allegedly exceptional elder brother.
• Bian and the unnamed scholar: When the scholar challenges Bian to take the stage, Bian eagerly accepts, turning an attempted slight into an opportunity to publicize Wen Xu.

Chapter Summary: “One Stroke”

Plot Points and Events

• Bian Chunchou publicly introduces his “brother,” Wen Xu-Xu, at Top Scholar Tower. When Provincial Graduate Liu confirms that Wen Xu-Xu was a genuine scholarly prodigy who passed the provincial examination at eighteen, Wen’s reputation immediately rises.
• Bian embellishes Wen’s history, explaining that Wen came to the capital nine years earlier but was attacked twice on the way. Although he survived, the assaults left him with an eye disease and supposedly ended his chance of taking further examinations or entering official service.
• The scholars initially feel threatened by Wen’s talent, but after hearing of his suffering, they become indignant on his behalf and offer to help seek justice.
• Bian presents Wen’s essay, “Proclamation on My Own Fate,” as a work written out of frustration rather than a bid for fame. The manager of Top Scholar Tower displays a copy prominently, and the scholars praise its literary quality and Wen’s moral character.
• Bian and Chen Zui-Zui then spread the story through storytellers and tea houses across the capital. They deliberately appeal to the scholars’ shared origins and fears, encouraging people to see Wen’s persecution as a threat to all talented men from modest backgrounds.
• When Wen returns to Sincerity Tower, he learns that his name and essay have already become widely known. Bian asks about Wen’s meeting with the Crown Prince. Wen says the Crown Prince seems likely to become a benevolent ruler and may be able to uncover the truth about the old case from thirty years ago.
• With the investigation reaching a new stage, Wen, Bian, and Chen prepare to disguise themselves in black clothing and conduct nighttime activities. Bian humorously criticizes Chen’s intimidating appearance in the outfit.

Character Developments

• Bian Chunchou demonstrates considerable skill as a propagandist and storyteller. He carefully controls public opinion, turning Wen from a potential rival into a sympathetic victim and transforming his story into a political cause.
• Wen Xu-Xu gains a powerful public identity. His scholarly reputation spreads rapidly, and his essay establishes him as both intellectually gifted and morally sincere. His meeting with the Crown Prince also suggests that he is becoming more involved in uncovering the larger conspiracy surrounding his past.
• Provincial Graduate Liu validates Wen’s credentials and history, lending credibility to Bian’s story.
• The scholars shift from suspicion and resentment to sympathy, admiration, and anger toward Wen’s attackers.
• Chen Zui-Zui remains a loyal companion and participant in the plan, though his imposing appearance provides comic relief.

Significant Themes

• Public opinion as a weapon: Bian uses storytelling, emotion, and literary prestige to create a popular movement around Wen’s case.
• Shared vulnerability among scholars: Wen’s persecution becomes meaningful because other scholars fear that similar injustices could happen to them or their families.
• Reputation and identity: Wen’s name is deliberately constructed in public, showing how social standing can be created through narrative and collective belief.
• Justice versus official helplessness: The authorities have failed to resolve Wen’s case, so Bian turns to public outrage and popular pressure.
• Literature as political influence: Wen’s essay does more than display talent; it inspires sympathy, admiration, and action.
• Humor amid danger: The serious investigation and political intrigue are balanced by playful exchanges about disguises and Chen’s overly menacing appearance.

Character Interactions

• Bian manipulates the gathering at Top Scholar Tower while Provincial Graduate Liu confirms Wen’s background.
• The assembled scholars respond enthusiastically to Bian’s account and Wen’s essay, offering solidarity and promising to oppose the criminals responsible.
• Wen and Bian discuss the Crown Prince’s character and the possibility that he may uncover the thirty-year-old mystery.
• Bian and Chen prepare to go out at night, with Bian teasing Chen about looking more like a violent criminal than a stealthy investigator.

Chapter Summary

Plot and events

Bian Chunchou leads Chen Zui and Wen Xu through the imperial palace at night, skillfully avoiding its formations and heading toward the Empress’s residence. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince meets Empress Lu, who angrily condemns him for leaving the palace and for associating with Chen Hezhi, whom she distrusts after the collapse of Duke Ying’s Estate.
The Crown Prince asks to speak with her privately and reveals that he has learned something about Wen Xu’s identity and past—specifically, he questions whether Empress Lu truly gave birth only to him. Empress Lu reacts with shock and fury, denying everything and accusing him of being manipulated. When he attempts to continue, she abruptly shifts the subject to the Crown Princess Consort, declaring that the woman is doomed and suggesting that she has selfishly clung to life instead of dying for the Crown Prince and their child. This successfully silences and unsettles him. From the roof, Wen Xu and Bian Chunchou observe the exchange, recognizing Empress Lu’s manipulative tactics.

Character development

• The Crown Prince finally shows open emotional exhaustion and defiance toward his mother. Though he understands that she controls him through his concern for his wife and child, he remains too politically powerless and emotionally vulnerable to resist her completely.
• Empress Lu is revealed as deeply controlling and power-hungry. Her harsh discipline has shaped the Crown Prince’s insecurity, and she values preserving her authority and secrets above maternal affection.
• Wen Xu appears emotionally detached from Empress Lu’s accusations, likely because he has already rejected any hope of genuine familial affection. His past actions—breaking all ten of her fingers—suggest how completely their bond has fractured.
• Bian Chunchou acts as the practical guide and provides an outside, modern perspective, identifying Empress Lu’s behavior as emotional control rather than true concern.

Themes

• The absence of familial affection within the imperial household.
• Parental control and the denial of children’s independence.
• The psychological burden of power and succession.
• Political authority versus personal helplessness.
• Manipulation through guilt, duty, and emotional weakness.

Character interactions

The central interaction is the confrontation between the Crown Prince and Empress Lu. He seeks truth and perhaps recognition, while she responds with anger, denial, and emotional coercion. Her mention of the Crown Princess Consort exposes the Crown Prince’s deepest vulnerability and forces him into silence. Above them, Wen Xu and Bian Chunchou privately interpret the exchange, contrasting Empress Lu’s manipulation with Wen Xu’s apparent emotional distance.

Chapter Summary: Li Dai

Key plot points and events

• The Crown Prince reflects on his isolation from his family. His father, mother, maternal grandfather, and most of the Lu family have become distant, leaving only his young cousin Lu Ji as a comparatively close relation.
• He realizes that Empress Lu and the Lu Household were likely involved in Wen Xu’s disappearance and presumed death nine years earlier.
• The Crown Prince confronts Empress Lu, questioning whether concealing past crimes can truly restore peace. He begins to show open defiance toward her control.
• Wen Xu suddenly enters the Empress’s pavilion, demonstrating that he can freely infiltrate both the palace and the Lu Household. He mocks Empress Lu and criticizes the way she has treated the Crown Prince.
• When Empress Lu attempts to summon guards, Wen Xu seizes her by the throat and threatens her. He releases her only after the Crown Prince intervenes.
• Wen Xu forces Empress Lu to swallow a Disguise Pill, transforming her appearance and voice into those of the Crown Prince. He then orders the palace servants to escort her away as though she were the real Crown Prince.
• Empress Lu, terrified and humiliated, is unable to resist without exposing herself. Wen Xu declares that he wants her to “reap what she has sown,” and implies that she may regain the use of her injured fingers only if she performs well while impersonating the Crown Prince.

Character developments

• The Crown Prince: Moves from fear and resignation toward open resistance. He recognizes the extent of his mother’s manipulation and begins questioning her authority. Though shocked by Wen Xu’s brutality and supernatural methods, he is secretly satisfied by Wen Xu’s blunt defense of him.
• Empress Lu: Her usual composure collapses under Wen Xu’s threat and magical disguise. Her self-justification reveals that she views her cruelty as necessary protection of her son and political power, but she is ultimately ruled by her attachment to the Crown Prince’s position.
• Wen Xu: Displays confidence, theatrical cruelty, and complete control of the situation. Rather than simply killing Empress Lu, he chooses a humiliating punishment designed to force her to experience the burdens and responsibilities she has imposed on her son.
• The Lu family: Their past involvement in Wen Xu’s disappearance becomes increasingly clear, suggesting a larger political conspiracy tied to the Crown Prince’s maternal relatives.

Significant themes

• Family betrayal and political control: The Crown Prince’s mother treats him less as a son than as a political instrument, while the family’s protection is inseparable from their desire to preserve power.
• Revenge and justice: Wen Xu distinguishes revenge from hatred, emphasizing that he seeks consequences rather than emotional satisfaction.
• Power and role reversal: By transforming Empress Lu into the Crown Prince, Wen Xu literally forces her into the position she has controlled and exploited.
• Identity and appearance: The Disguise Pill highlights how political authority depends on outward identity, while also exposing the instability of roles within the imperial court.
• Suppressed truth: The Crown Prince begins to reject the idea that burying past crimes can maintain peace, setting him on a path toward uncovering the truth about Wen Xu.

Character interactions

• The Crown Prince and Empress Lu have a tense confrontation in which he challenges her insistence that he remain silent.
• Wen Xu intervenes as an ally of the Crown Prince, verbally attacking Empress Lu and openly mocking her authority.
• The Crown Prince unexpectedly pleads for Empress Lu’s life, showing that despite his resentment, he is not willing to watch her be killed.
• Empress Lu attempts to manipulate the Crown Prince through guilt, claiming that her crimes were committed for his sake, but Wen Xu dismisses her justification.
• Wen Xu humiliates Empress Lu by making her impersonate the Crown Prince and endure the neglect of the palace servants firsthand.

Chapter 386 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After exchanging identities with the Crown Prince, Empress Lu is forced to return to the Eastern Palace disguised as him. The cold, the lack of a sedan chair, and the servants’ poor tact leave her miserable.
• Because the Crown Princess remains confined after the incident at Duke Ying’s Estate, Empress Lu must take the Crown Prince’s place within the Eastern Palace. She hopes to sleep, but the palace officials immediately prepare her for the next morning’s court session.
• Horrified by the prospect of handling state affairs, Empress Lu realizes how demanding the Crown Prince’s responsibilities are. The officials’ reminders about discipline and court affairs effectively pressure her into working through the night.
• Wen Xu dismisses the unnecessary servants and prepares to leave. He mocks the absurdity of the identity exchange, while the Crown Prince explains that his mother cannot safely manage his position or be trusted to deal with the Crown Princess.
• Wen Xu gives the Crown Prince a Disguise Pill and challenges him to reconsider what he knows about his past, asking whether Empress Lu truly abandoned him—or whether the Emperor was responsible. The Crown Prince begins to suspect that his father may have manipulated or concealed the truth.
• Wen Xu, Bian Chunchou, and Chen Zui-Zui regroup in an empty palace hall. They discuss whether the Imperial Preceptor might see through Empress Lu’s disguise and decide that exposing her could also serve as a test of his abilities.
• Wen Xu analyzes the Emperor’s political position. Although the Emperor is capable, energetic, and presides over a prosperous realm, Wen Xu finds his emotional behavior abnormal: he shows little interest in women or affection for his children, remains unusually vigorous at fifty-two, and appears excessively threatened by the Crown Prince.
• Rather than leave the palace, Wen Xu decides to remain and watch Empress Lu attend morning court—and to observe the Emperor, whom he regards as his nominal father.

Character Developments

• Empress Lu: Her arrogance and lack of preparation are exposed when she must fulfill the Crown Prince’s duties. She realizes that ruling requires constant caution and exhausting administrative work, not merely noble status.
• The Crown Prince: His vulnerability becomes clearer. Though outwardly privileged, he is politically isolated, monitored by his father’s agents, and treated as a figurehead. His conversation with Wen Xu causes him to question his parentage and the story of his childhood.
• Wen Xu: He demonstrates sharp political insight, confidence, and a willingness to manipulate the imperial family’s internal conflicts. He also remains cautious about karma and avoids allowing his companions to interfere unnecessarily.
• Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui-Zui: They function as observers and companions, impressed by Wen Xu’s plan. Bian Chunchou shows concern about the consequences of interfering with the Mortal Realm but quickly becomes enthusiastic about witnessing the coming court session.
• The Emperor: Though not directly confronted, he is increasingly portrayed as suspicious and potentially dangerous rather than merely competent.

Significant Themes

• The burden behind status: The Crown Prince’s noble title conceals his lack of real authority and the constant danger surrounding him.
• Political manipulation and appearances: The imperial family must preserve its public image, while hidden power struggles determine what can safely be done.
• Identity and deception: The disguise exchange exposes how much imperial life depends on roles and appearances rather than personal truth.
• Parental betrayal and uncertainty: The Crown Prince begins questioning whether his father, rather than his mother, shaped his abandonment and precarious position.
• Karma and intervention: Wen Xu and his companions weigh the danger of interfering in mortal politics, especially when the Emperor’s fate may be linked to the entire nation.
• Abnormal power: The Emperor’s prosperous reign is contrasted with behavior that suggests something unnatural or concealed beneath the surface.

Important Character Interactions

• Empress Lu and the Eastern Palace officials: The officials pressure her to fulfill the Crown Prince’s duties, leaving her overwhelmed and resentful.
• Wen Xu and the Crown Prince: Wen Xu bluntly criticizes the Crown Prince’s weakness while offering him a chance to investigate the truth about his past. The Crown Prince responds with unusual openness.
• Wen Xu, Bian Chunchou, and Chen Zui-Zui: They discuss the risks of the disguise and the Imperial Preceptor, ultimately treating the situation as both a political operation and a test of the palace’s hidden powers.
• Wen Xu and the Emperor: They do not yet meet directly, but Wen Xu deliberately chooses to remain in the palace to observe him during morning court.

Chapter Summary: The Peach Tree Withers

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu, Bian Chunchou, and Chen Zui prepare for the day in the Eastern Palace. Wen Xu jokes about the Crown Prince’s exhausting schedule, while Chen Zui leaves to practice his blade.
• Bian Chunchou observes that Wen Xu has become calmer and more formidable since returning to the Mortal Realm. He suggests that they revisit Jade Isle Commandery once everything is settled, and Wen Xu agrees.
• Empress Lu, still trapped in the Crown Prince’s body, is forced to rise before dawn and attend morning court. She is terrified that her lack of knowledge about the Crown Prince’s duties will expose the body-switch.
• During court, she struggles to respond to the ministers, especially when they criticize the Crown Prince for allegedly protecting Duke Ying’s Estate and showing favoritism toward his wife’s family.
• Empress Lu endures the accusations in silence, hoping court will end quickly so she can contact the Imperial Preceptor. She plans to have him destroy or punish the “abomination” who has taken over her body and force the Crown Prince back under her control.

Character Developments

• Empress Lu is shown to be deeply dependent on stronger figures. Having spent her life relying first on her father, then the emperor and Crown Prince, she is unable to cope when stripped of power and authority. Her fear of the emperor contrasts with her confidence in manipulating the weaker Crown Prince.
• Her experience inside the Crown Prince’s body gives her a new understanding of his burdens. She realizes that ruling and facing the ministers is far more difficult than she had believed, though this empathy is limited and does not alter her determination to regain control.
• Wen Xu appears composed, sharp, and battle-ready after his experiences in the Mortal Realm. His calmness suggests renewed confidence and strength.
• Bian Chunchou remains playful and perceptive. He recognizes Wen Xu’s transformation and openly acknowledges Chen Zui’s loyalty.
• Chen Zui is portrayed as taciturn but fiercely devoted; despite his poor communication skills, he would willingly assassinate the emperor if Wen Xu asked him to.

Significant Themes

• Power and vulnerability: Empress Lu’s behavior reveals how people treat others according to perceived strength. She bullies those beneath her and fears those above her.
• The burdens of authority: By experiencing the Crown Prince’s life firsthand, Empress Lu discovers that power comes with relentless responsibility and scrutiny.
• Control and political ambition: Her desire to place the Crown Prince on the throne is motivated less by maternal love than by her wish to secure permanent influence and protection.
• Perspective and reluctant understanding: The body-switch forces Empress Lu to experience the pressures she once imposed on her son, though she remains unwilling to question her own conduct.
• Loyalty and companionship: Wen Xu, Bian Chunchou, and Chen Zui display trust and mutual support, contrasting with Empress Lu’s manipulative relationships.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu and Bian Chunchou banter about the Crown Prince’s exhausting schedule, establishing their familiar and teasing relationship.
• Bian Chunchou praises Chen Zui’s unquestioning loyalty, while Wen Xu confirms that he trusts Chen Zui’s willingness to act on his behalf.
• Bian Chunchou invites Wen Xu to return with him to Jade Isle Commandery, and Wen Xu readily agrees, suggesting strong mutual reliance.
• Empress Lu, now acting as the Crown Prince, faces hostile ministers who demand that he punish Duke Ying’s Estate. Her silence reflects both her unfamiliarity with court affairs and her fear of making a mistake.
• Her thoughts reveal that she views the Crown Prince primarily as a tool for her own future security, while regarding the emperor with genuine fear and respect.

Chapter 388 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• During the morning court audience, Minister Su harshly criticizes the Crown Prince for pleading with the Emperor on behalf of Duke Ying’s Estate. He accuses the Crown Prince of placing family interests above the law and failing to consider the Emperor’s difficulties.
• Empress Lu, secretly occupying the Crown Prince’s place, becomes increasingly enraged. Although she understands that the Crown Prince would have been criticized whether he intervened or not, she takes the minister’s attack as an insult to her own status.
• Minister Su deliberately escalates the confrontation, claiming he is incapable of correcting the Crown Prince and requesting permission to retire. The Emperor does not defend the Crown Prince; instead, he orders the Crown Prince to apologize and thank Su.
• Unable to tolerate the humiliation, Empress Lu openly refuses and insults Minister Su, calling him an “old bastard.” The court is stunned by the Crown Prince’s sudden defiance.
• The Emperor reprimands the Crown Prince for disrespecting Su, who had once been his teacher. Minister Su becomes furious and threatens to smash his head against the palace pillars, throwing the court into chaos.
• The Crown Prince’s attempt to return to court is completely undermined. He is reprimanded and ordered to write a self-criticism before he can resume attending court, with Minister Su’s forgiveness required.
• Even Chen Hezhi, whom Empress Lu dislikes, speaks briefly in the Crown Prince’s defense. Nevertheless, the punishment is still imposed.
• After the audience, Empress Lu is not allowed to leave. Ministers surround and escort her to the deliberation hall, where she must study governance and virtue. They continue lecturing her over every pause, movement, and even how much she eats.

Character Developments

• Empress Lu: Her pride, temper, and inability to endure public humiliation overwhelm her judgment. She openly challenges Minister Su and the Emperor, accidentally worsening the Crown Prince’s already fragile political position. Though she recognizes that the Crown Prince is politically weak, she does not seriously consider her own role in causing the disaster.
• The Crown Prince: His position is revealed to be extremely vulnerable. He lacks sufficient authority to withstand pressure from senior officials, and even a well-intentioned attempt to protect his wife’s family can be used against him.
• The Emperor: He appears to deliberately test and discipline the Crown Prince rather than protect him. By ordering an apology, he forces the Crown Prince into submission and exposes his political weakness.
• Minister Su: He acts as a stern, self-righteous senior official, using moral authority and his former status as the Crown Prince’s teacher to pressure him. His dramatic reaction helps turn the court dispute into a spectacle.
• Chen Hezhi: Despite being disliked by Empress Lu, he shows unexpected sympathy by speaking in the Crown Prince’s defense.
• The Hidden Observers: The three people using Invisibility Talismans, especially Bian Chunchou, find the situation absurd and comment on the extraordinary difficulty of being Crown Prince. Chen Zui remains detached, focusing only on his sword practice and ignoring the court turmoil.

Significant Themes

• The burden of princely duty: The Crown Prince is condemned whether he protects his wife’s family or refuses to help them, showing that political responsibility leaves him with no safe choice.
• Public image and political control: The court’s demand for an apology is less about justice than about forcing the Crown Prince to display submission and preserving the hierarchy of the court.
• Pride versus restraint: Empress Lu’s wounded pride causes her to abandon the restraint necessary for court politics, demonstrating how personal anger can produce serious political consequences.
• The fragility of power: Despite his rank, the Crown Prince has little real influence and can be publicly reprimanded by an elderly minister. His position is prestigious but insecure.
• Generational and institutional pressure: Senior officials invoke tradition, morality, and the authority of teachers to control younger members of the imperial family.
• Comic reversal and mistaken identity: Empress Lu’s behavior differs so greatly from the Crown Prince’s usual conduct that observers find the situation both shocking and humorous.

Character Interactions

• Empress Lu and Minister Su: Their confrontation drives the chapter. Su provokes her with criticism, while she responds with open hostility and insults.
• Empress Lu and the Emperor: She expects the Emperor to support the Crown Prince but is instead ordered to apologize, deepening her sense of betrayal and humiliation.
• The Emperor and Minister Su: The Emperor appears to use Su as an instrument to discipline and test the Crown Prince, while still publicly honoring him as a senior official.
• Empress Lu and Chen Hezhi: Although she normally despises him, his defense of the Crown Prince forces her to acknowledge that even an enemy can offer support when she is isolated.
• Empress Lu and the court officials: After the audience, the officials collectively supervise and lecture her, turning her punishment into an exhausting lesson in governance and virtue.
• The hidden observers: Their humorous commentary contrasts with the tense court scene and emphasizes how disastrous—and entertaining—Empress Lu’s behavior appears to outsiders.

Chapter Summary: “Hard to Kill”

Key plot points and events

• The chapter explains the history of the Star-Seizing Tower. It was originally a Star-Watching Hall inside the imperial palace, where the former Imperial Preceptor lived. After his death, his disciple, Imperial Preceptor Lan Qiao, moved the tower outside the palace and entered the palace only on the first and fifteenth days of each month.
• Empress Lu, desperate to resolve the Crown Prince’s strange condition, takes advantage of the fifteenth-day visit to seek Lan Qiao’s help. Wen Xu secretly assists her in escaping the Hall of State Affairs, while Chunchou questions her motives and whether she plans to involve the Emperor or persuade the Crown Prince to reverse their arrangement.
• Empress Lu races after Lan Qiao’s procession and asks to speak with him privately. Lan Qiao agrees, despite his high status, and reveals that he already knows she is not truly the Crown Prince.
• Wen Xu, Chunchou, and Chen Zui follow invisibly. Lan Qiao detects them despite their basic Invisibility Talisman, proving that his abilities exceed their expectations. Chen Zui immediately wants to capture and interrogate him, but Wen Xu and Chunchou restrain him.
• Lan Qiao explains that his sect is connected to the Zhou Imperial Clan and the nation’s fortune. Through their secret arts, he can identify that the “Crown Prince” has been altered by an outsider’s power. He offers to undo the transformation affecting Empress Lu.
• Wen Xu realizes that Lan Qiao may also be able to expose the spell or disguise he and his companions have used. He is struck by how many powerful and unusual figures exist in the Mortal Realm, and how deeply his own origins are entangled in imperial and supernatural schemes.

Character developments

• Empress Lu shows intense desperation and determination. She abandons her usual dignity to chase Lan Qiao, believing he may restore her position and future. Her earlier gratitude toward the former Imperial Preceptor also explains why she trusts this institution.
• Imperial Preceptor Lan Qiao is presented as perceptive, powerful, and politically significant. He immediately sees through Empress Lu’s disguise and detects the hidden observers, suggesting that he understands more about the imperial crisis than he reveals.
• Wen Xu undergoes a major internal reflection. He recognizes that his former revenge plan might once have led him to destroy everyone responsible for his suffering, even innocent people such as the Crown Prince. His relationships in the Cultivation Realm have taught him restraint and mercy.
• Wen Xu also begins questioning his past abandonment. He suspects it may not have been a simple act of cruelty, but the result of forces beyond the Mortal Realm. This complicates his understanding of his family, the imperial household, and his own fate.
• Chunchou remains cautious and practical, questioning Empress Lu’s intentions and helping prevent Chen Zui from acting recklessly.
• Chen Zui relies on instinct rather than evidence, immediately sensing that Lan Qiao is dangerous or unusual. His impulsiveness contrasts with Wen Xu and Chunchou’s restraint.

Significant themes

• Mercy versus revenge: Wen Xu contrasts his former desire for vengeance with the compassion and restraint he gained through cultivation and friendship.
• Hidden forces and destiny: The imperial crisis appears to involve powers beyond the Mortal Realm, suggesting that Wen Xu’s suffering and displacement may have been predetermined or manipulated.
• Limits of appearances: Disguises, altered identities, and political roles are repeatedly exposed as unreliable. Lan Qiao’s ability to see through them emphasizes that true identity cannot easily be concealed.
• Separation from worldly ties: Wen Xu recalls the idea of severing all worldly connections, but now recognizes that completely abandoning the Mortal Realm may have been based on incomplete understanding.
• Power and political influence: The Imperial Preceptor’s connection to the nation’s fortune demonstrates that spiritual authority and imperial power are closely intertwined.

Character interactions

• Empress Lu and Lan Qiao interact with formal respect, but the balance of power clearly favors Lan Qiao, who knows the truth about her identity and may control whether she is restored.
• Wen Xu, Chunchou, and Chen Zui function as a tightly bonded group. Chunchou and Wen Xu restrain Chen Zui’s aggressive impulse, while Chen Zui’s intuition alerts them to Lan Qiao’s unusual nature.
• Lan Qiao’s attitude toward Empress Lu is notably detached: despite her connection to the former Imperial Preceptor, he shows no special reverence toward her. This suggests that her relationship with him may be less secure than she believes.

Chapter Summary: “Direct Confrontation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu abandons his disguise and reveals himself directly before Empress Lu and National Preceptor Lan Qiao.
• Lan Qiao immediately recognizes him as the imperial child who was supposedly expelled from the palace years earlier—the bearer of an Emperor Star Destiny.
• Lan Qiao is shocked that Wen Xu not only survived but also entered the path of cultivation, something he believed should have been impossible for an imperial descendant.
• Empress Lu panics and orders Lan Qiao to capture Wen Xu, still believing the old prophecy that he is an “innately wicked spawn.”
• Lan Qiao attempts to distance himself from the past, suggesting that Wen Xu take revenge on Empress Lu while claiming he himself has no grievance against Wen Xu.
• Wen Xu rejects Lan Qiao’s attempt to appear innocent, pointing out that Lan Qiao is a cultivator who holds a direct grudge against him and was involved in the events surrounding his fate.
• Wen Xu launches an immediate attack. Despite Lan Qiao’s confidence and high standing within the mortal realm, he cannot withstand Wen Xu’s swordsmanship.
• In fewer than ten moves, Wen Xu cripples Lan Qiao by destroying his cultivation. The National Preceptor’s apparent power is exposed as insignificant compared with Wen Xu’s strength.
• Empress Lu is horrified by the effortless defeat of the man she regarded as nearly invincible. Wen Xu then calmly withdraws his ordinary sword, emphasizing how completely he overwhelmed Lan Qiao.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu: Reveals a bold, ruthless, and confident side. He no longer conceals his identity or intentions and refuses to accept Lan Qiao’s attempt to evade responsibility. His mocking comments and overwhelming swordsmanship show that he has surpassed the powerful figures who once controlled his fate.
• Lan Qiao: His confidence collapses as he realizes Wen Xu is far stronger than expected. Once accustomed to manipulating others and relying on destiny, political power, and cultivation, he is forced to experience helplessness and fear firsthand.
• Empress Lu: Her desperation and stupidity become more apparent. She continues to rely on the prophecy and views Wen Xu only as a monster, failing to understand the danger he poses until Lan Qiao is defeated.
• Bian Chunchou: Though mostly observing, he appreciates Wen Xu’s sarcastic verbal attack on Lan Qiao, providing a brief humorous reaction amid the confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Fate versus personal power: Lan Qiao questions whether destiny can truly be overcome after Wen Xu survives his intended fate and enters cultivation despite supposedly impossible circumstances.
• The collapse of false authority: Lan Qiao’s status as National Preceptor and his sect’s control over the realm’s spiritual power cannot protect him from Wen Xu.
• Revenge and accountability: Wen Xu refuses to let Lan Qiao separate himself from the crimes and schemes that shaped Wen Xu’s life.
• The danger of prejudice and prophecy: Empress Lu’s belief that Wen Xu is inherently evil blinds her to her own responsibility and prevents her from recognizing his true character.
• Power reversal: The former victim now confronts the people who treated him as a disposable chess piece, transforming the palace from a place of control into the setting of their humiliation.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu confronts Empress Lu and Lan Qiao openly, treating them without fear or deference.
• Lan Qiao attempts to negotiate by offering Empress Lu as a target for Wen Xu’s revenge, but Wen Xu exposes the self-serving nature of this proposal.
• Their verbal exchange quickly becomes a physical confrontation, with Wen Xu using sarcasm and relentless sword pressure to dominate Lan Qiao.
• Empress Lu watches in terror as her supposed protector is defeated, while Wen Xu’s calm response further underscores the reversal of power.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu defeats the Imperial Preceptor, Lan Qiao, by piercing and destroying his Dantian. Rather than killing him, Wen Xu leaves him powerless, causing his body to rapidly age and reducing him to an ordinary mortal.
• Lan Qiao’s backlash begins, and he panics at the realization that he has lost his cultivation and political authority.
• In his fury, Lan Qiao reveals that Wen Xu is the reincarnation of the Emperor Star. Empress Lu overhears this and realizes that Yutan and others deceived her about Wen Xu’s nature.
• Empress Lu attacks Lan Qiao, blaming him and the others for misleading her and for causing her to abandon Wen Xu in favor of her biological son, Lin’er, the current Crown Prince.
• Wen Xu separates them, removes Empress Lu’s disguise, and takes the wounded Lan Qiao toward Digan Palace, where the emperor resides.
• The palace guards mistake Wen Xu for the Crown Prince and demand that he release Lan Qiao. Wen Xu threatens to kill the Imperial Preceptor and orders them to guide him to the emperor.
• With help from Empress Lu and his companions, Wen Xu advances through the heavily guarded palace. Chen Zui’s formidable strength makes the palace defenses seem nearly irrelevant.
• Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui react with shock to the revelation of Wen Xu’s Imperial Destiny. Bian Chunchou becomes even more convinced that Wen Xu is the destined protagonist, while Chen Zui worries about how imperial destiny might affect cultivation.
• Lan Qiao, recognizing that Wen Xu’s destiny has surpassed the Crown Prince’s, accepts that the emperor’s plans are likely doomed. Wen Xu reaches Digan Palace and destroys its massive doors, preparing to confront the emperor.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu: Demonstrates overwhelming strength, mercy, and growing authority. He remains unconcerned with explaining his mysterious Imperial Star destiny and confidently forces his way toward the emperor.
• Lan Qiao: Falls from a powerful cultivator and Imperial Preceptor to a powerless, aging mortal. His arrogance collapses as he realizes that he and his master misjudged Wen Xu and tried unsuccessfully to control his destiny.
• Empress Lu: Her faith in the political and spiritual order shatters. Learning that Wen Xu is the true Emperor Star makes her regret abandoning him and choosing Lin’er, leading her to lash out violently at Lan Qiao.
• Bian Chunchou: Reacts with humorous admiration, revising his understanding of Wen Xu from a tragic figure into a heaven-blessed protagonist.
• Chen Zui: Remains practical and focused on the implications of Wen Xu’s imperial destiny for cultivation, especially the apparent incompatibility between ruling as emperor and continuing on the path of cultivation.

Significant Themes

• Destiny versus manipulation: Lan Qiao and the emperor believed they could control or exploit Wen Xu’s fate, but his innate destiny proves stronger than their schemes.
• The collapse of power: Lan Qiao’s loss of cultivation symbolizes the sudden destruction of political and spiritual authority.
• Truth and deception: Empress Lu discovers that her understanding of Wen Xu, Lin’er, and the Crown Prince was built on lies.
• The conflict between rulership and cultivation: The chapter raises the unusual problem of Wen Xu possessing both Emperor Star destiny and the ability to cultivate, apparently violating established laws.
• Hidden identity and revelation: Wen Xu’s true status is exposed at a crucial moment, changing how every major character understands him.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu humiliates and overpowers Lan Qiao while refusing to answer his questions about entering the Dao.
• Lan Qiao accidentally reveals Wen Xu’s identity, provoking Empress Lu’s fury and regret.
• Empress Lu attacks Lan Qiao, while Wen Xu intervenes and controls the situation.
• Bian Chunchou and Chen Zui privately reassess Wen Xu after learning of his destiny.
• Wen Xu confronts the palace guards and compels them to lead him to the emperor, culminating in his forceful entry into Digan Palace.

Chapter Summary: “Cramped”

Plot and events

Wen Xu, Bian Chunchou, and the injured Imperial Preceptor Lan Qiao enter the emperor’s isolated and freezing Digan Palace, where the emperor and Empress are confined. Wen Xu confronts his biological father, while Lan Qiao is forced to accompany him despite having lost his spiritual protection and being near death. Wen Xu declares that he has not come merely to pursue personal desires, but to bring about heavenly justice and retribution.
The Crown Prince, alarmed by news of the intrusion, arrives disguised with a Disguise Pill. This causes further confusion among the palace servants, who briefly see two Empresses and two Crown Princes. Bian Chunchou recognizes him and removes the disguise before the Crown Prince enters the hall.

The emperor’s revelation and decline

The emperor claims that, as ruler, he himself represents “heavenly justice” and believes the entire world should accompany him to the grave if he cannot cultivate the Dao or obtain immortality. He reveals that he once studied cultivation under True Person Yutan and briefly glimpsed the path to transcendence, but failed to enter it. After Wen Xu was born, he became convinced that Wen Xu was Heaven’s executioner—a child sent to take away his destiny and glory. Because of this, the emperor hated Wen Xu, though he could neither kill nor openly destroy him. His obsession has transformed him from a once-capable ruler into a paranoid and murderous madman.

Character developments

• Wen Xu remains calm and morally focused despite confronting the father who despises him. His words about retribution show that he sees the conflict as a matter of cosmic justice rather than simple revenge.
• The emperor is exposed as delusional, consumed by fear of death, immortality, and fate. His hatred toward Wen Xu stems from envy and the belief that Wen Xu caused him to lose his chance at transcendence.
• The Crown Prince finally understands why his father never favored him: the emperor’s hostility was directed primarily at Wen Xu. He is shocked by the emperor’s true nature and begins to recognize the cruelty Wen Xu has endured.
• Lan Qiao appears weakened and powerless, forced into a dangerous confrontation after suffering severe backlash.
• Bian Chunchou provides practical assistance by identifying and aiding the disguised Crown Prince.

Themes

The chapter explores fate versus personal will, especially the emperor’s refusal to accept the limits imposed on ordinary rulers. It also examines the corrupting effects of immortality and obsession, showing how the emperor’s failed pursuit of cultivation turns him against his own family. Other major themes include patricidal or familial betrayal, divine retribution, political power, and the emotional damage caused by parental rejection.

Character interactions

Wen Xu and the emperor confront one another directly, with the emperor taunting Lan Qiao and demanding to know Wen Xu’s purpose. Wen Xu responds with restrained moral authority rather than anger. The Crown Prince’s arrival creates a brief moment of comic confusion among the servants, but the mood quickly becomes grave when he hears the emperor’s confession. His stunned reaction and growing sympathy for Wen Xu mark a significant shift in the brothers’ relationship and in his understanding of their family’s history.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Wen Xu confronts the emperor, his biological father, and reveals that the emperor’s repeated attempts to kill him ultimately drove him toward cultivation. Demonstrating his power with a Fierce Fire Art, Wen Xu declares that he has already obtained the one thing the emperor desperately desired: a path beyond ordinary mortality. He clarifies that he has reached the Golden Core stage, granting him a lifespan of roughly five hundred years, though he has not yet attained immortality.
The emperor is stunned, having believed Wen Xu incapable of becoming a threat. Lan Qiao, despite having been crippled, confirms that Wen Xu may truly have come from the Upper Realm. The emperor’s lifelong ambitions—to escape the limitations of a mortal ruler and obtain greater power—collapse in the face of Wen Xu’s achievement.
Rather than killing the emperor, Wen Xu points out that killing his father and sovereign could create severe karmic consequences. Instead, he cruelly offers to take the emperor to the Cultivation Realm if he kneels, begs, and sincerely repents.

Character developments

• Wen Xu displays remarkable composure, confidence, and control. He no longer seeks parental affection or revenge; he has emotionally severed himself from the emperor and regards the old scholar who raised him as his true father. His power and status have transformed the balance between them.
• The emperor is forced to confront the consequences of his cruelty and his own inferiority. His arrogance gives way to disbelief, fear, and desperation when he realizes Wen Xu has achieved what he could never obtain.
• The Crown Prince recognizes the enormous difference between his own life and Wen Xu’s. Though he envies Wen Xu’s opportunity, he understands that Wen Xu paid an unbearable price for it and has no right to resent him.
• Lan Qiao confirms Wen Xu’s origins and cultivation but remains bitter and psychologically broken. His attempts to reach Wen Xu are rejected.
• Bian Chunchou enthusiastically admires Wen Xu’s dramatic confidence, while Chen Zui remains blunt and literal, creating comic relief amid the confrontation.

Significant themes

• Power and ambition: The emperor’s pursuit of immortality and supremacy is exposed as hollow when Wen Xu gains extraordinary power without becoming like him.
• Revenge versus restraint: Wen Xu has every reason to kill the emperor, but chooses a more controlled and psychologically devastating form of vengeance.
• Fate and karmic consequences: The emperor rejects fate and heavenly law, while Wen Xu understands that killing his father and sovereign could damage his cultivation.
• Parental rejection and chosen family: Wen Xu has stopped longing for the emperor’s love and instead recognizes the old scholar as his true father.
• The cost of transformation: Wen Xu’s future is vast, but it was earned through suffering and repeated attempts on his life.

Character interactions

Wen Xu confronts the emperor with calm honesty, while the emperor reacts with disbelief and increasingly frantic demands to be killed. Lan Qiao supports the truth of Wen Xu’s claims but is treated with disgust and distance. The Crown Prince quietly reassesses Wen Xu and accepts his superiority without resentment. Bian Chunchou celebrates Wen Xu’s verbal triumph, and Chen Zui’s practical comments about cultivation and age provide humorous contrast to the emperor’s emotional collapse.

Chapter Summary: “Straight to the Point”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu verbally and physically dominates the Emperor after defeating Lan Qiao, humiliating the Emperor before the court.
• He approaches the throne but deliberately stops just short of it, emphasizing both his power and his refusal to claim the throne directly.
• The Emperor bitterly acknowledges Wen Xu as his son and regrets not killing him in infancy. Wen Xu dismisses his regret as the excuse of a weak and incompetent person.
• Wen Xu mockingly asks whether the Emperor would kneel and beg for mercy—or for passage to the Upper Realm, where Wen Xu has gained extraordinary longevity and power.
• Empress Lu, realizing she has merely been used as a political pawn, loses respect for the Emperor and desperately offers herself instead, believing Wen Xu might take her to the Upper Realm.
• Wen Xu plays along with her claim, creating further humiliation and exposing the Emperor’s hesitation. Although the Emperor longs to enter the Upper Realm, he refuses to kneel, unwilling to sacrifice his imperial dignity.
• The Emperor reveals a final hostage: Prefect Chen Hezhi, imprisoned in an iron cage beneath the throne and tortured nearly to death.
• He accuses Wen Xu of causing Chen’s suffering by involving innocent people in his revenge, attempting to exploit Wen Xu’s concern about karmic consequences and prevent his return to the Upper Realm.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu: Displays complete control, emotional restraint, and ruthless intelligence. He humiliates the Emperor without anger, using calm words to dismantle the man’s pride. His reaction to Chen Hezhi’s condition suggests that, beneath his cold exterior, he still feels responsibility toward those harmed because of him.
• The Emperor: His authority and dignity collapse. He shifts between hatred, regret, fear, greed, and desperate hope for immortality. Despite craving access to the Upper Realm, he cannot bring himself to kneel, revealing that pride remains stronger than survival.
• Empress Lu: Recognizes that she has been manipulated and is not truly powerful. Her fear turns into contempt for the Emperor, followed by a desperate attempt to secure her own future by offering herself to Wen Xu.
• Lan Qiao: Completely defeated and disregarded, reduced to helplessly lying on the floor while others step over him.
• Bian Chunchou: Observes the conflict with uneasy amusement but recognizes the Crown Prince’s emotional distress and wisely avoids worsening it.
• Prefect Chen Hezhi: Becomes the Emperor’s final bargaining chip. His torture demonstrates the Emperor’s cruelty and his willingness to punish innocent people to hurt Wen Xu.

Significant Themes

• Power and humiliation: Wen Xu’s victory is not merely physical; he systematically strips the Emperor of authority, pride, and dignity.
• Revenge and justice: The confrontation raises the question of whether Wen Xu’s retaliation has caused innocent people to suffer.
• Pride versus survival: The Emperor’s refusal to kneel, even when immortality may be within reach, shows how deeply his pride governs him.
• Manipulation and political powerlessness: Empress Lu realizes she has always been a tool in others’ schemes, while the Emperor uses Chen Hezhi as leverage.
• Karma and moral responsibility: The Emperor tries to frame Chen’s suffering as Wen Xu’s fault, forcing Wen Xu to confront the consequences of his actions.
• Nature versus nurture: The Emperor claims Wen Xu inherited his own ruthlessness, but Wen Xu’s composure and motivations distinguish him from his father.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu and the Emperor: Their exchange is the chapter’s central conflict. Wen Xu remains calm and mocking, while the Emperor alternates between rage, fear, resentment, and reluctant admiration.
• Wen Xu and Empress Lu: Wen Xu manipulates her desperation, pretending to consider taking her with him in order to intensify the Emperor’s humiliation.
• The Emperor and Empress Lu: Their relationship collapses under pressure. She recognizes that he used her, loses respect for him, and openly competes for the chance to escape with Wen Xu.
• The Emperor and Chen Hezhi: The Emperor treats Chen as expendable bait, revealing his cruelty and willingness to weaponize an innocent man.
• Wen Xu and Chen Hezhi: Though they do not directly converse in the excerpt, Chen’s condition produces the first visible change in Wen Xu’s composure and becomes a test of his sense of responsibility.

Chapter Summary: “Elder Brother”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Hezhi awakens after being brutally punished by the Emperor. He is paralyzed, bleeding heavily, and poisoned mute because he uncovered the Emperor’s involvement in the case connected to the Crown Prince.
• Though unable to speak, Chen Hezhi wants Wen Xu to know that he does not blame him for hiding the truth and that he acted only out of duty.
• Chunchou breaks into the prison, frees Chen Hezhi, and forces him to swallow a large quantity of restorative pills. Chen Zui explains that the pills may keep him alive but cannot cure the Mortal Realm poison.
• Chen Zui determines that Chen Hezhi must be taken to the Cultivation Realm if he is to have any chance of surviving.
• Chunchou openly confronts and insults the Emperor, declaring that Wen Xu is under his protection. He reveals that he was the one who saved Wen Xu and helped him enter the Cultivation Realm after the Emperor’s persecution drove him into Dead Man Forest.
• Chunchou further humiliates the Emperor by revealing that he lacks a Spiritual Root and therefore could never cultivate, despite his belief that imperial status made him superior.
• The Emperor refuses to believe this and accuses Chunchou and Wen Xu of conspiring against him. The revelation devastates him so badly that he vomits blood, splattering the Empress.
• Chunchou continues condemning the Emperor for wasting his life pursuing power, but Wen Xu stops him and decides to personally bring the matter to an end.

Character Developments

• Chen Hezhi: His integrity is emphasized. Even after being crippled and silenced, he remains concerned that Wen Xu might misunderstand his actions. His suffering exposes the Emperor’s cruelty and strengthens the urgency of rescuing him.
• Chunchou: He acts impulsively but loyally, risking confrontation with the Emperor to save Chen Hezhi and defend Wen Xu. His lack of concern for rank allows him to challenge imperial authority directly. He also takes great satisfaction in verbally dismantling the Emperor.
• Chen Zui: He remains calm and practical amid the chaos. His knowledge of the human body allows him to assess Chen Hezhi’s condition, even though he lacks the antidote.
• Wen Xu: He is grateful for Chunchou’s defense but maintains emotional control. Rather than allowing Chunchou to continue provoking the Emperor, he chooses to resolve the remaining conflict himself. His possession of a powerful artifact from his master suggests he has prepared for this confrontation.
• The Emperor: His image of himself as an all-powerful ruler collapses. Learning that he has no Spiritual Root wounds his pride and reveals how dependent his identity is on superiority, status, and imagined destiny.
• The Empress: She remains largely passive, but her accidental splattering with the Emperor’s blood underscores the disorder and humiliation surrounding the imperial household.

Significant Themes

• The abuse of political power: The Emperor uses torture and poisoning against a loyal official simply because Chen Hezhi uncovered an inconvenient truth.
• Duty versus tyranny: Chen Hezhi represents principled service, while the Emperor treats loyalty as something to exploit and destroy.
• Chosen family and loyalty: Chunchou’s fierce defense of Wen Xu and Chen Hezhi contrasts with the Emperor’s betrayal of those closest to him.
• Humility and status: The Emperor’s belief that being the “son of a true dragon” makes him inherently superior is mocked by the revelation that he lacks the basic talent required for cultivation.
• The limits of worldly authority: Imperial rank has no value in the Cultivation Realm, where spiritual ability and moral conduct matter more than earthly power.
• Revenge and justice: Chunchou’s insults provide emotional retaliation for Wen Xu’s past suffering, while Wen Xu’s decision to take over suggests that the final reckoning will be more deliberate and personal.

Important Character Interactions

• Chen Hezhi and Wen Xu: Though Chen Hezhi cannot speak, his attempted reassurance shows mutual respect and trust.
• Chunchou and Chen Hezhi: Chunchou treats him with affectionate urgency, rescuing him as a valued ally despite his lack of concern for formal rank.
• Chunchou and Chen Zui: Their exchange contrasts Chunchou’s emotional impulsiveness with Chen Zui’s medical and physical pragmatism.
• Chunchou and the Emperor: Chunchou directly challenges, insults, and exposes the Emperor, turning the power dynamic upside down.
• Wen Xu and Chunchou: Wen Xu silently encourages Chunchou at first but eventually restrains him, showing both appreciation for his loyalty and confidence in handling the final confrontation himself.
• The Emperor and the Empress: The Emperor’s collapse physically affects the Empress, reflecting the broader damage caused by his pride and violence.

Chapter Summary

• Wen Xu confronts the emperor: After defeating the emperor, Wen Xu explains that he will not kill him because the emperor is both his biological father and the sovereign of Great Prosperity. Killing him would violate natural and political order and bring karmic backlash. However, Wen Xu declares that death would be too merciful and intends to punish him instead.
• The emperor’s past crimes are exposed: Wen Xu reveals that his Imperial Destiny was suppressed from childhood and accuses the emperor of orchestrating his abandonment, assassination attempts, and years of suffering. He connects the emperor to Yutan’s death, Lu’s failed attempt to relocate him, and the assassins who pursued him to Deadman Cliff. Wen Xu makes clear that he now understands the emperor’s schemes and is ready to retaliate.
• Wen Xu chooses the crown prince: Rather than retain the Imperial Destiny, which has brought him suffering and conflicts with his cultivation, Wen Xu decides to transfer it to the crown prince. He approaches Zhou Jia, only recently discovered to be his twin elder brother, and asks whether he wants the world—in other words, whether he dares to become emperor.
• Zhou Jia confronts his father: Overwhelmed by guilt and shocked by his father’s cruelty, Zhou Jia accepts Wen Xu’s offer. For the first time, he openly expresses his hatred toward the emperor, condemning his ruthlessness and the emotional manipulation inflicted on both Zhou Jia and his mother. He asks whether the emperor has ever regretted his actions, though he realizes that an answer is unnecessary.
• The Imperial Destiny is transferred: Wen Xu gives the artifact containing his Imperial Destiny to Zhou Jia. The transfer proceeds smoothly despite the danger of defying Heaven’s will and the potential punishment from the cultivation world. Wen Xu’s choice both frees him from the burden of Imperial Destiny and places Zhou Jia in a position to overthrow or replace their father.

Character Development and Interactions

• Wen Xu moves from uncovering the truth about his past to deliberately taking control of its consequences. He remains emotionally detached from the crown prince but acknowledges their shared blood and resemblance. His decision is motivated partly by justice, partly by his desire to escape the Zhou family, and partly by the satisfaction of inflicting the deepest possible blow on the emperor.
• Crown Prince Zhou Jia changes from a cautious, guilt-ridden imperial heir into someone willing to claim power and oppose his father. His acceptance of Wen Xu’s trust marks the beginning of his openly defiant identity as a potential ruler.
• The emperor is weakened physically and morally exposed. His belief that Wen Xu’s filial and political obligations will restrain him is challenged by Wen Xu’s calm, uncompromising determination.
• Wen Xu and Zhou Jia’s interaction centers on the meaning of brotherhood. Wen Xu, who grew up without family, offers Zhou Jia both the Imperial Destiny and the chance to become the wise sovereign he himself cannot be. Their identical appearances and newly recognized twin bond give the exchange a strong sense of fate.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus filial duty: Wen Xu refuses to kill his father because of cosmic and political consequences, but he also rejects conventional filial obedience, choosing a punishment more psychologically devastating than death.
• Fate and personal choice: Imperial Destiny is presented as both a great power and a source of suffering. Wen Xu reclaims agency by giving it away, while Zhou Jia must choose whether to accept the destiny and responsibility of rulership.
• Family betrayal and lost brotherhood: The brothers’ first genuine connection is formed through shared trauma and the emperor’s betrayal. Wen Xu’s offer becomes both an act of revenge and an attempt to experience the bond of siblings he was denied.
• Power as retribution: Transferring the Imperial Destiny to Zhou Jia allows Wen Xu to escape his burden while placing power in the hands of someone who may use it to overturn the emperor’s reign.

Chapter Summary: “Fate Arrives”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu severs his connection to the Imperial Destiny, realizing that he can no longer become emperor after choosing the path of cultivation. This action transfers the destiny to his twin brother, the crown prince, Zhou Jia.
• The transfer leaves Wen Xu feeling relieved and physically lighter, while Zhou Jia gains a powerful surge of warmth and strength.
• The old emperor rapidly ages and loses his health. Within three days, he is bedridden and unable to resist Zhou Jia’s succession.
• Zhou Jia ascends the throne, while the former emperor is dragged from the palace. Wen Xu mockingly fulfills the emperor’s desire for immortality by implying that he will be sent toward an eternal afterlife.
• Court officials quickly change their allegiance after Zhou Jia becomes emperor. Those who had opposed him, including Minister Su Qing, become terrified of possible punishment.
• Zhou Jia begins dismantling the Star-Seizing Tower and plans to permanently abolish the office of State Preceptor by adding the prohibition to the dynasty’s ancestral laws.
• The former Empress suffers severe supernatural retribution. She is unable to enjoy fine clothing, luxury, or imperial status without experiencing intense pain. She blames Zhou Jia for her suffering, though Wen Xu understands that her punishment stems from her own betrayal and persecution of him.
• Wen Xu agrees not to take further action against the Empress and asks Zhou Jia to deal with the Lu Household.
• The group discovers that Lan Qiao, despite having his cultivation crippled and suffering severe backlash, refuses to die. They suspect his life is being sustained by the Star-Seizing Tower.
• After the tower is demolished, an Inverted Star-Seizing Tower is revealed beneath it. Lan Qiao reacts with intense fear and resistance, suggesting that the State Preceptor lineage conceals deeper secrets.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu accepts that his imperial destiny is over and embraces his identity and future as a cultivator. He becomes more detached from revenge, choosing not to pursue further punishment against the Empress or the Lu family.
• Zhou Jia successfully becomes emperor and demonstrates both political authority and personal loyalty to Wen Xu. He is also determined to destroy the institutional power of the State Preceptors.
• The former emperor loses his throne, health, and dignity. His obsession with immortality and hostility toward Wen Xu lead to his complete downfall.
• The former Empress is consumed by resentment and self-inflicted consequences. Although she blames Zhou Jia, her suffering reflects her earlier abandonment and persecution of Wen Xu.
• Lan Qiao is revealed to have unusual means of survival and a possible connection to hidden powers beneath the State Preceptor’s stronghold.

Significant Themes

• Fate versus human choice: Wen Xu recognizes that destiny may be redirected through deliberate action. People are not entirely bound by inherited roles or heavenly arrangements.
• Retribution and consequence: The emperor and Empress suffer consequences for their cruelty, betrayal, and abuse of power.
• The collapse of corrupt institutions: The destruction of the Star-Seizing Tower and Zhou Jia’s plan to abolish the State Preceptor position represent the dismantling of a dangerous political and supernatural system.
• Power and impermanence: The former emperor’s sudden fall emphasizes how quickly imperial authority, wealth, and status can disappear.
• Healing through release: Wen Xu’s severing of Imperial Destiny symbolizes freedom from the burden of the throne and from the family’s political conflict.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu and Zhou Jia share a quiet but intimate understanding, discussing the emperor’s downfall, the Empress’s punishment, and the fate of the Lu Household.
• Zhou Jia reassures Wen Xu that the Empress’s suffering is not his fault, while Wen Xu shows compassion by refusing to worsen her punishment.
• Wen Xu and Zhou Jia cooperate in confronting the remaining threat posed by Lan Qiao and the hidden secrets of the State Preceptor lineage.
• Lan Qiao’s fearful reaction to the Inverted Star-Seizing Tower hints that the true source of the State Preceptors’ power—and perhaps the Heavenly Dao’s interest in Wen Xu—has yet to be revealed.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

Wen Xu investigates the connection between the Great Sheng Dynasty’s national fortune and Lan Qiao’s cultivation. After noting the dynasty’s worsening disasters, he destroys the underground Star-Seizing Tower with a single sword strike. The tower is revealed to be a structure designed not to “seize stars,” but to imprison and exploit the dynasty’s Dragon Vein, draining its power to support a cultivator. Wen Xu brings Zhou Jia into the Dragon Vein’s Crimson Realm, where they discover the soul of True Person Yutan feeding on the realm’s vitality. The old emperor realizes that Yutan had manipulated him and used the entire dynasty to sustain his own cultivation. Enraged, he attacks Yutan. Wen Xu instructs Zhou Jia to use a magical artifact to force Yutan to return the power he has absorbed. The Dragon Vein cooperates, trapping Yutan and reclaiming its stolen essence. It also notices that the Imperial Destiny has shifted to a new emperor, suggesting the dynasty may finally be freed from the old ruling family’s exploitation.

Character developments

• Wen Xu demonstrates overwhelming strength, sharp investigative reasoning, and practical ruthlessness. He quickly identifies that the dynasty’s problems stem from the Dragon Vein’s exploitation and takes decisive action.
• Zhou Jia remains obedient and trusting toward Wen Xu, while gaining a clearer understanding of the supernatural forces behind the dynasty’s decline.
• The old emperor undergoes a devastating realization: his lifelong efforts to protect and govern the empire were manipulated by Yutan, making him an unwitting provider of power for his enemy. His shock turns into furious determination to kill Yutan.
• True Person Yutan is exposed as the real mastermind behind the scheme. Rather than saving the emperor or serving the dynasty, he secretly drained the nation’s power for his own cultivation.
• The Dragon Vein is portrayed as a sentient, long-suffering force that has maintained the dynasty despite being exploited. It eagerly assists Wen Xu and welcomes the change in imperial destiny.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and manipulation: The old emperor discovers that his sacrifices and political schemes ultimately benefited Yutan.
• The cost of power: The dynasty’s prosperity was sustained by draining the Dragon Vein, showing how personal ambition can consume an entire nation.
• Truth beneath appearances: The Star-Seizing Tower’s true purpose and Yutan’s identity reveal that respected institutions and cultivators may conceal predatory motives.
• Changing fate and liberation: The transfer of Imperial Destiny offers hope that the Dragon Vein—and perhaps the realm itself—will no longer be controlled by the old imperial family and their advisers.
• Justice and repayment: The Dragon Vein’s recovery of its stolen essence reflects the restoration of balance after years of exploitation.

Character interactions

Wen Xu questions and mocks Lan Qiao, forcing him to confront the truth about his sect’s scheme. He explains the discovery to Zhou Jia and relies on him to use the artifact against Yutan. The old emperor confronts Yutan directly, accusing him of ruining his life and betraying the dynasty. Yutan initially taunts him, confident that victory is already assured, but Wen Xu’s intervention allows the Dragon Vein to turn against him.

Chapter Summary: “Several Turns”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Wen Xu encounters an ancient, childlike consciousness within the Dragon Vein, which reveals that it has known him since infancy.
• Through the Dragon Vein’s memories, Wen Xu witnesses his hidden origins:
  • He and Crown Prince Zhou Jia were born together in the imperial palace.
  • Palace officials attempted to kill him by suffocating him in his swaddling clothes.
  • Scholar Lu secretly took him away, but soon entrusted him to a servant for transport out of the capital.
  • The servant gambled away the travel funds and abandoned the search after Wen Xu disappeared.
  • An assassin later took Wen Xu, but a violent clash involving the Canal Transport Boat Gang interrupted the assassination.
  • Wen Xu eventually drifted downriver and ended up in a beggars’ den in Jade Isle Commandery.
• The Dragon Vein reveals that it secretly gave Wen Xu spiritual energy when he was an infant, helping him survive, and later nudged him toward cultivation through a “thread of spring breeze.”
• Wen Xu learns that he was not completely abandoned or left without help, though the Dragon Vein’s assistance may have been connected to his Destiny Pattern and royal birth.
• The Dragon Vein captures Yutan’s ghost and the old emperor, who had attempted to seize and exploit the nation’s fortune. It plans to punish them within the Immortality Illusion Realm, where they will remain trapped in mutual hatred and regret.
• Lan Qiao dies permanently. The Dragon Vein orders that his corpse be removed because it finds him distasteful.
• Wen Xu stores Lan Qiao’s body, then leaves the Crimson Realm with Zhou Jia.
• They return to the ruins outside the Star-Seizing Tower. Although they experienced a long sequence of revelations inside, only a single breath has passed in the outside world.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu gains a clearer understanding of his identity and tragic childhood. He discovers that he is connected to the imperial family and that his survival depended partly on the Dragon Vein’s intervention.
• His attitude toward his past shifts from feeling abandoned to recognizing that he received unexpected protection and kindness.
• Wen Xu also demonstrates a ruthless but creative side by proposing that the old emperor and Yutan be trapped in an illusion where they continually suffer and resent one another.
• The Dragon Vein is characterized as ancient yet childlike, affectionate toward Wen Xu, and fiercely protective of the nation’s fortune. Its approval of Wen Xu reinforces their bond.
• Zhou Jia gains firsthand exposure to supernatural power and begins questioning the dangers of allowing imperial authority to interact with cultivation and immortality.
• The old emperor and Yutan are reduced from manipulators of national destiny to helpless captives awaiting punishment.
• Lan Qiao reaches his final end, with even the Dragon Vein treating his corpse as contemptible.

Significant Themes

• Fate and survival: Wen Xu survives repeated attempts on his life and abandonment, suggesting that destiny and unseen assistance shaped his path.
• Hidden identity and origins: The revelation of Wen Xu’s birth connects his humble upbringing to the imperial palace, dramatically reframing his life story.
• Kindness amid betrayal: Although many people failed or tried to kill him, the Dragon Vein’s quiet aid proves that Wen Xu was not entirely forsaken.
• The corruption of power: The old emperor’s obsession with cultivation and immortality illustrates how rulers can lose their moral center when exposed to supernatural power.
• Justice and retribution: The Dragon Vein punishes those who attempted to steal the nation’s fortune, while Wen Xu favors a punishment based on enduring psychological torment rather than simple death.
• The separation of political and supernatural power: Zhou Jia concludes that imperial authority should not be allowed to access immortality techniques, since repeated exposure could corrupt even a well-intentioned ruler.

Character Interactions

• Wen Xu and the Dragon Vein share an affectionate, almost familial exchange, with the Dragon Vein repeatedly calling him a “good child.”
• Wen Xu thanks the Dragon Vein for saving his life, while the Dragon Vein explains its past interventions.
• Wen Xu and the Dragon Vein collaborate on the punishment of Yutan and the old emperor, revealing mutual trust and a shared sense of justice.
• Wen Xu and Zhou Jia leave the Crimson Realm together, with Zhou Jia reflecting aloud on the dangers of cultivation and imperial power.
• The Dragon Vein’s disdain for Lan Qiao emphasizes its moral judgment and its authority over the supernatural realm.

Chapter Summary: “Confession”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the destruction of the evil formation at the Dragon Vein, Wen Xu confirms that the area is now harmless—only mud, stones, and rubble remain. Lan Qiao’s corpse is taken away for disposal.
• Zhou Jia jokingly offers to build Wen Xu a prince’s residence, but Wen Xu reveals that he intends to leave Shengjing City permanently and will not return.
• Wen Xu gives Zhou Jia protective talismans for his children, then asks him to build an incense temple for Wen Xu’s adoptive father in Lu River Town. Zhou Jia agrees to oversee it personally.
• The two brothers part with mutual understanding. Zhou Jia recognizes that Wen Xu has a greater path ahead and resolves to protect Great Prosperity and rule virtuously rather than hinder him.
• After the crisis in Shengjing settles, Wen Xu, Bian Chunchou, Chen Hezhi, and Chen Zui leave Sincerity Tower and travel south.
• Chen Hezhi explains that he has resigned from office. Betrayed by the former emperor and still suffering from poisoning, he no longer wants a high-ranking position in the capital. He prefers an honest, quieter life devoted to helping ordinary people.
• During the journey, Bian Chunchou affectionately calls Chen Hezhi “Uncle Chen.” Their conversation reveals that Chen Hezhi never married because he refused relationships based on status or convenience, and because the late emperor later forbade him from marrying.
• Chen Hezhi then asks Wen Xu directly whether he is truly blind. The carriage falls silent, forcing Wen Xu to confront the deception he has maintained.

Character Developments

• Wen Xu: Chooses to leave Shengjing and sever his political connection with Zhou Jia, demonstrating independence and emotional restraint. He also begins confronting his long-standing pretense of blindness, recognizing that calling it harmless is a form of self-deception.
• Zhou Jia: Accepts Wen Xu’s departure despite his sadness. He shows genuine brotherly concern by agreeing to build a temple for Wen Xu’s adoptive father and commits himself to becoming a responsible ruler who protects Wen Xu’s interests.
• Chen Hezhi: Rejects further political advancement after being betrayed by the former emperor. His resignation reflects both disillusionment and a desire to return to an upright, people-centered life. Away from office, he becomes warmer and more approachable.
• Bian Chunchou: Remains open, curious, and affectionate, helping create a lighter atmosphere after the political turmoil. His innocent questions bring out Chen Hezhi’s personal history.
• Chen Zui: Quietly accompanies the group, becoming part of the tense silence when Wen Xu’s blindness is questioned.

Significant Themes

• Brotherhood and separation: Wen Xu and Zhou Jia care deeply for one another, but political schemes have damaged their relationship. Their farewell emphasizes love expressed through sacrifice and restraint rather than continued closeness.
• Duty versus personal freedom: Zhou Jia accepts the burden of ruling, while Wen Xu chooses to pursue his own path away from court politics.
• Betrayal and disillusionment: Chen Hezhi’s resignation reflects the lasting damage caused by the former emperor’s betrayal.
• Self-deception and confession: Wen Xu realizes that maintaining the image of blindness is not morally neutral. Although he originally adopted it as a defense and received kindness because of it, continuing the lie means avoiding the truth about himself.
• Healing through kindness: Wen Xu’s memories show how the care of teachers, elders, disciples, and friends gradually repaired his hostile view of the world.

Important Character Interactions

• Wen Xu and Zhou Jia share a restrained but emotional farewell, exchanging gifts and promises concerning Wen Xu’s adoptive father.
• Bian Chunchou and Chen Hezhi develop a warm, informal relationship, with Chunchou treating him like family and Chen Hezhi responding with amused tolerance.
• Chen Hezhi’s direct question about Wen Xu’s blindness abruptly changes the mood, exposing the central emotional conflict of the chapter and leaving Wen Xu to face the truth he has long avoided.