Recaps

Li Qinwu tried to reach the God-Emperor and was warned by Sigurd that the Imperium could imprison him in a Stasis Field if he kept using Psychic Power publicly. Determined to secure a memorial bell for the Broken-winged Angels Chapter, Li Qinwu left to try to meet the God-Emperor himself.

• Li Qinwu spent a month trying various ways to get the God-Emperor's attention, but his efforts failed.
• Sigurd summoned Li Qinwu and warned him that the High Lords might capture him and imprison him in a Stasis Field for using Psychic Power publicly.
• Li Qinwu asked Sigurd to arrange for Hero's Tower to ring its bell 999 times for the fallen Broken-winged Angels Chapter, but Sigurd said Terra's rulers would not acknowledge the Cursed Founding's mistakes.
• Sigurd told Li Qinwu that only the God-Emperor could make the bell-ringing happen, and urged him to stop causing trouble.
• Li Qinwu left Sigurd's office, determined to meet the God-Emperor, while Sigurd shouted after him and threatened to break his legs.

Li Qinwu reached the Ladder of Ascension and tried to use the True One Armor Shard to gain an audience with the God-Emperor. The Adeptus Custodes ignored him, and he was left standing unnoticed as the pilgrims began worshipping.

• Li Qinwu traveled to Saints' Avenue as nearly a hundred thousand pilgrims were admitted in an orderly batch.
• Li Qinwu strode ahead of the pilgrims and climbed the white jade steps to the black Adamantium dividing line.
• Li Qinwu stopped before the Adeptus Custodes, raised the True One Armor Shard, and demanded to see the God-Emperor.
• The Adeptus Custodes remained motionless and ignored Li Qinwu and the shard.
• The Saints arrived, knelt at the dividing line, and began worshipping while Li Qinwu stood alone with the shard held aloft.

Li Qinwu left the Ascension Stairway feeling humiliated after the Adeptus Custodes ignored him and reflected on his failed plans on Terra. He gave his driver his cigarettes and headed to the Asian Plains, his home, for one final stop before leaving the Sol System.

• Li Qinwu brooded in the car about the Custodes ignoring the True One Armor Shard he had held up for ten minutes.
• He gave his driver coordinates, caught him breathing in the secondhand smoke, and tossed him the pack of cigarettes.
• Li Qinwu recalled his failed attempts to help Nova, acquire a warship, ring a Chapter's bell, and become a Living Saint.
• He decided to make one last stop on Terra before returning to the Golden Land and continuing his expedition.
• Li Qinwu told his driver that the coordinates led to the Asian Plains, his home.

Li Qinwu visited the coordinates of his old home on Terra and found that the site had become God-Emperor Square. After sitting at the precise location and reliving memories of his family, he confronted the fact that the square was not home, then met an old man feeding pigeons.

• Li Qinwu followed his memorized home coordinates across the Asian Plains to a God-Emperor Square built above the site.
• He checked the terminal’s coordinates and walked to the exact location of his former home beside the statue.
• Li Qinwu sat on a bench and recalled spending time at home with his parents, watching television, and playing games.
• He felt a deep sense of loss, smoked a cigarette, and sighed.
• An old man beside him remarked that sighing could drive away his good fortune while feeding pigeons.

Li Qinwu complained to an old man feeding pigeons about how Terra’s officials had obstructed him despite his great service to the Imperium. The old man identified Li Qinwu’s real desire as privilege, and objected when Li Qinwu argued that his merits entitled him to it.

• Li Qinwu met a white-haired old man feeding pigeons and described his ambitions and accomplishments.
• Li Qinwu recounted how he had saved billions, fought Daemons, and helped reclaim a planet.
• Li Qinwu complained that Terra’s nobles and officials had denied him recognition, resources, and access to the God-Emperor.
• The old man said Li Qinwu had sought privilege by becoming a hero and that Terra’s elites had shown his merits were not enough.
• Li Qinwu admitted he wanted exceptional political power and argued that his achievements entitled him to privilege.
• The old man grew serious and said he could not agree with Li Qinwu.

Li Qinwu argued with an old man about whether the Imperium should reward his merits, and the old man gave him a one-yuan coin as a medal. After Li Qinwu realized the coin came from China in the 3K Era, he turned back to find the old man and pigeons had vanished.

• Li Qinwu insisted that the Imperium should reward his achievements with resources and privileges, while the old man argued that heroes did not need rewards.
• The old man invoked the God-Emperor’s sacrifice, making Li Qinwu reflect on who could possibly reward him.
• The old man admitted he was not a High Lord, then offered Li Qinwu a medal on the High Lords’ behalf.
• The old man placed an ordinary one-yuan coin in Li Qinwu’s hand, and Li Qinwu thanked him before leaving.
• Li Qinwu recognized the coin as Chinese currency from the 3K Era, turned back, and found the old man and pigeons gone.

Li Qinwu discovered that the old man he had spoken with in God-Emperor Square could not be seen by the driver and set off for the Pilgrims' Corridor. There, a golden-armored warrior carrying a tattered Astartes Chapter banner crossed into the God-Emperor's palace domain and entered the Hall of Heroes.

• Li Qinwu asked the driver whether he had seen the old man feeding pigeons, learned that the driver had seen no one and that pigeons were extinct, then ordered him to drive to the Pilgrims' Corridor.
• An Imperial Cult priest told the pilgrims that only heroes such as Astartes Chapter Masters, high-ranking Inquisitors, and Living Saints could pass the black Adamantium line and enter the Hall of Heroes.
• A golden-armored warrior carrying a battered Chapter banner shouted for the pilgrims to make way and climbed the Ladder of Ascension.
• The warrior crossed the black Adamantium line without the Adeptus Custodes stopping him and continued toward the Hall of Heroes.
• The priest and the pilgrims knelt and prayed as the warrior entered the Great Hall of Heroes.

Li Qinwu secured the Broken-winged Angels Chapter’s recognition in the Great Hall of Heroes, where the Great Bell of the Dead tolled 999 times for its fallen. On Mountain Array, he traded the True One Armor Shard to Gregor for a Lunar-class Cruiser and its supporting forces, then ordered his crew to take possession.

• The Imperial Cult rang the Great Bell of the Dead 999 times to mourn the Broken-winged Angels Chapter’s fallen, while trillions across the Sol System paid their respects.
• Li Qinwu placed the chapter’s battle banner in the Great Hall of Heroes, securing its recognition despite Terra’s political factions.
• Gregor, Chapter Master of the Imperial Fists, invited Li Qinwu to Mountain Array after learning he wanted a warship.
• Gregor offered a Lunar-class Cruiser, its crew of ninety thousand, thirty Shuttles, forty Fury Interceptors, and ammunition for Li Qinwu’s True One Armor Shard.
• Li Qinwu accepted the trade, and Gregor took the shard; Li Qinwu then contacted the captain of the Golden Road to send people to take over the cruiser.

Li Qinwu wondered why the Imperial Fists had traded him a Lunar-class Cruiser for the True One Armor Shard. The Adeptus Custodes had arranged the deal to reclaim the Emperor's relic, then worried that the God-Emperor might disapprove.

• Li Qinwu inspected the Lunar-class Cruiser and pondered why the Imperial Fists had offered it for the shard.
• A Custodian recalled how Li Qinwu had stood before him holding up the shard, and later told his brothers about it.
• The Adeptus Custodes decided to recover the Emperor's armor shard and discovered that Li Qinwu needed a capital ship.
• The Custodians arranged for the Chapter Master of the Imperial Fists to trade an idle Lunar-class Cruiser for the shard.
• Li Qinwu took possession of the cruiser, and the Custodians placed the shard in a containment field while fretting that the God-Emperor might be angry.

Li Qinwu familiarized himself with the Lunar-class Cruiser and arranged a pilgrimage to Terra before proposing to buy Mars’s ownerless battlecruiser in installments. Mars accepted the idea only at a revised price of 500 million Thrones.

• Li Qinwu spent more than three months inspecting and learning the Lunar-class Cruiser, finding no spies and confirming its powerful guns, shields, speed, and teleportation device.
• The captain told Li Qinwu that the Golden Land and Mining Mule had earned 150 million Thrones, though their repair business had dwindled to minor jobs.
• Li Qinwu ordered his people to make a pilgrimage along Saints' Avenue in three waves, then went alone to the Temple of the Machine God.
• Li Qinwu offered the Grand Sage 100 million Thrones upfront and proposed paying another 300 million in installments for the unfinished battlecruiser, allowing Mars to keep his payment if he defaulted.
• The Grand Sage consulted Mars and returned with its counteroffer: the battlecruiser would cost 500 million Thrones.

Li Qinwu bought a battlecruiser from Mars and visited Grand Mentor Sigurd before leaving Terra. He gave Sigurd sacred Tang Sancai statues, easing their strained relationship, and learned that the Solar Lord wanted to see him.

• Li Qinwu agreed to pay an extra 100 million for the battlecruiser and learned he could cover the remaining debt to Mars with scarce minerals.
• Li Qinwu visited Grand Mentor Sigurd, who was under political pressure after Li Qinwu's actions in the Great Hall of Heroes.
• Li Qinwu presented Sigurd with eleven sacred Tang Sancai statues depicting the God-Emperor, Malcador, and the nine Loyalist Gene-Primarchs.
• Sigurd recognized that the statues could help fight Daemons and accepted them, then warned Li Qinwu that someone had proposed dealing with him at a High Lords meeting.
• Sigurd told Li Qinwu to visit the Solar Lord before leaving Terra because the Solar Lord wanted to ask him something.

Li Qinwu met with the Solar Lord, who apologized for his wife’s earlier threat and asked Li to give an honest assessment of his son Dallas. After Li described Dallas’s abusive behavior, the Solar Lord asked him to take Dallas along as an aide and help educate him.

• Li Qinwu visited the Solar Lord’s residence and learned that Little Sun’s mother had been summoned as well.
• The Solar Lord thanked Li for bringing back his youngest son and made Little Sun’s mother apologize for threatening him.
• The Solar Lord asked Li for his honest opinion of Dallas, and Li recounted Dallas’s mistreatment of his rescuers and the ship’s crew.
• Little Sun’s mother tried to defend Dallas, but the Solar Lord silenced her and ordered her to leave.
• The Solar Lord asked Li to take Dallas as an aide and help educate him.

Solar Lord asked Li Qinwu to take Baron Dallas away and teach him to become a responsible man. Li Qinwu warned that Dallas might never change or return alive, and Solar Lord accepted the risks before they discussed any payment.

• Li Qinwu deduced that Solar Lord wanted him to look after Little Sun, whose parents’ neglect and indulgence had helped make him spoiled and abusive.
• Solar Lord explained that he hoped taking Dallas away from his mother and familiar surroundings would give him a chance to change.
• Li Qinwu refused at first, saying Dallas was difficult to reform and suggesting his family was partly responsible for his behavior.
• Solar Lord acknowledged his own failures as a father and offered to negotiate benefits if Li Qinwu took Dallas as an aide.
• Li Qinwu warned that he might not return to Terra, Dallas might remain unchanged, and Dallas could die before coming home.
• Solar Lord agreed to all three risks.

Li Qinwu traveled to the moon to acquire scientists, biochemical supplies, and ancient Terra species after negotiating Little Sun’s education with the Solar Lord. He spent his remaining Thrones on animals, plants, and materials for his future flower and bird market and the Explorer’s Astartes production.

• After settling the terms for Little Sun’s education, Li Qinwu left the Solar Lord to have a final family meal with his son.
• Li Qinwu traveled to the moon to collect ten senior Rejuvenation Doctors, one hundred apprentices, and one hundred senior biological scientists.
• Li Qinwu agreed to buy one thousand Mammoth fertilized eggs for one million Thrones and one thousand Blue Whale fertilized eggs for five million Thrones.
• Over two days, Li Qinwu spent twenty million Thrones on revived animals and nearly a hundred varieties of plants for his planned flower and bird market.
• Li Qinwu spent his remaining thirty million Thrones on biological experimental materials to support large-scale Astartes production aboard the Explorer.

Li Qinwu planned the Fortune’s route toward Kebohongde Star while arranging stops for trade and Inquisition investigations. He confronted Little Sun’s mother about her fear and indulgence of her son, leaving her pale after identifying the insecurity behind her behavior.

• Li Qinwu chose Kebohongde Star as a possible destination and had the captain plot a route with five trading stops along the way.
• The captain objected to Little Sun joining the Fortune, but Li Qinwu explained that he had the Solar Lord’s permission to keep the boy under control.
• Li Qinwu learned that Little Sun’s mother had come aboard and was begging to see him, so he went to the hibernation pod where they were both sleeping.
• Little Sun’s mother knelt and begged Li Qinwu not to torment her son, and Li Qinwu lifted her to her feet.
• Li Qinwu told Little Sun’s mother that her fear of losing the Solar Lord’s favor had caused her to indulge Little Sun, and she turned pale at his words.

Li Qinwu persuaded Little Sun’s mother to let her son leave Terra and set out with his fleet for Mandeville Point. After waking Little Sun from hibernation, Li Qinwu and the Traffic Light Trio revealed his parents had drugged him before sending him away, then began whipping him as his “100 pulls” welcome aboard.

• Li Qinwu told Little Sun’s mother that her son’s siblings might have manipulated him and that leaving with Li Qinwu was his last chance to improve, persuading her to let him go.
• Li Qinwu’s fleet departed for Mandeville Point, and he woke Little Sun from his hibernation pod with the Traffic Light Trio watching.
• Little Sun learned his father had drugged him during their final meal and began crying and cursing at Li Qinwu and the trio.
• The Traffic Light Trio sang and produced cowboy hats and whips while Li Qinwu prepared to punish Little Sun.
• Li Qinwu struck Little Sun with his whip and announced that the good news was he would get 100 pulls upon boarding the ship.

Li Qinwu punished Little Sun with a hundred lashes, then sent him to train with Rudosen’s infantry company. Little Sun’s arrogance quickly made him the company’s target, and Rudosen forced him through a grueling run and push-ups.

• Li Qinwu whipped Little Sun a hundred times, healed his wounds with a Green Needle, and ordered Rudosen to train him with the recruits.
• Three days later, the fleet entered the Warp, and Little Sun had already offended Rudosen and the recruit company.
• Rudosen assigned Little Sun to an armed four-kilometer run, but Little Sun stopped after thirty meters and insulted the soldiers.
• Rudosen kicked Little Sun all the way to the finish, then canceled dinner and ordered the company to do a hundred push-ups for leaving him behind.
• Little Sun mocked the soldiers doing push-ups, so Rudosen knocked him down and ordered him to do push-ups too; Little Sun’s failed attempts left Rudosen despairing over his command.

Little Sun's poor training, food stealing, and bullying infuriated his company, while Rudosen struggled to enforce discipline. After Little Sun reported his comrades for avoiding him, the soldiers retaliated by reporting him for playing with himself, leaving Rudosen exasperated.

• Little Sun offended the soldiers with his arrogant orders, failed at physical training, and stole food from a comrade's plate.
• Little Sun complained to Rudosen that the soldiers were giving him the cold shoulder and violating military discipline.
• Rudosen punished the company with one hundred push-ups and ordered Little Sun to do them too for reporting his comrades.
• Two soldiers planned to report Little Sun in retaliation, and seven or eight soldiers later dragged him pantsless into Rudosen's office.
• A soldier reported Little Sun for playing with himself, and Rudosen declared that taking command of him had erased his past sins.

Li Qinwu visited Agricultural World 496B, where Nightingale showed him their sons’ Knight Guards and the planet’s growing industrial capacity. He asked to inspect the factories, leaving the next step in the planet’s military expansion open.

• Li Qinwu trained with Li Dadan and Li Zhongdan in Nightingale’s family gym, and agreed to watch their Knight Guards’ exercise.
• Li Dadan and Li Zhongdan’s ten-thousand-man mechanized Knight Guards assaulted simulated enemy positions with Knight Mechs, Leman Russ tanks, Chimera Transports, and infantry.
• Nightingale told Li Qinwu that the Knight Guards were the planet’s strongest armed force and that their factories supplied their vehicles.
• Li Qinwu asked to see the production lines, and Nightingale brought him to the industrial zone on an island near the equator.
• Nightingale explained that the island’s factories and environmental facilities supported a three-billion-ton steel mill and planned increases to tank and transport production.

Li Qinwu toured Agricultural World 496B’s factories with Nightingale and gave her blueprints for new weapons and armor, while Ye Ying reported that a Nuclear Industrial Chain would soon arrive. They discussed the technology needed for future Squire Mechs and Plasma Weapons, and Li Qinwu planned to obtain the latter from Iron Skull Archmagos.

• Nightingale showed Li Qinwu the factories and explained how she was building industry to secure their children’s future.
• Li Qinwu gave Nightingale blueprints for Walking Mechs, heavy artillery, weapons, and Fleet Iron Guard, and instructed her to expand production.
• Ye Ying said Industrial World 496A’s Archmagos would send Nuclear Industrial Chain facilities and technical personnel to their moon within a few months.
• Nightingale explained that obtaining a Planetary Forge required surrendering most of the planet’s industrial output and control to the Adeptus Mechanicus, so Li Qinwu postponed pursuing it.
• Nightingale raised the need for Plasma Weapons technology, and Li Qinwu promised to obtain it from Iron Skull Archmagos in exchange for establishing the Nuclear Industrial Chain.

Li Qinwu visited Resurrection Island with Nightingale and their children to inspect its laboratory and plans for a prehistoric wildlife park. After learning that the blue whale embryo was already conscious, he planned to bring schoolchildren there to strengthen their connection to Terra, while Li Danü discovered she could communicate with the embryo.

• After a week of indulgence with Nightingale, Li Qinwu saw her pregnancy test show two lines and decided to abstain from sex to regain his strength.
• Li Qinwu, Nightingale, and their four children traveled to Resurrection Island to inspect the Biological Laboratory and Rejuvenation Hospital.
• A scientist showed the family a healthy blue whale embryo and explained its size, intelligence, and signs of consciousness.
• Li Qinwu ordered a Terra module for primary schools and proposed building a Gravity Track so children could visit Resurrection Island.
• Li Danü held Nightingale's hand and realized she could communicate with the blue whale embryo.

Li Qinwu returned to Agricultural World 496B and oversaw the activation of its Psychic Church, which spread the God-Emperor’s power across the planet and created a navigational beacon. The beacon drew merchant fleets to the world, which became known as the Little Astronomican.

• Ye Ying told Li Qinwu to visit the completed Psychic Church and install the Saint's Remains.
• Li Qinwu brought ten sets of Saint's Remains and the Emperor Shrine to the church, and The Devout One arranged their installation.
• The Silent One lit the Ever-Burning Lamp as Imperial Cult members and believers prayed across the planet.
• Faith gathered through the formation and created a golden psychic flame that protected the planet, drove away heretical Cultists, and reduced Warp energy to zero.
• Navigators saw a steady new beacon in Warp Vision, and merchant fleets began traveling to Agricultural World 496B, turning it into the Little Astronomican.

Li Qinwu returned to the Explorer with biological supplies for rebuilding the Broken-winged Angels Chapter and showed Saint Raiser footage of Terra ringing the Great Bell of the Dead for the Chapter’s fallen. Saint Raiser was moved to tears, but Li Qinwu’s teasing quickly made him furious.

• Li Qinwu supervised Tech-Priests as they moved valuable biological materials into the Explorer’s cold storage for future Astartes.
• Saint Raiser ignored Li Qinwu’s attempts to placate him and focused on inventorying the supplies needed to rebuild the Chapter.
• Li Qinwu showed Saint Raiser footage of the Great Bell of the Dead being rung for the 999 fallen members of the Broken-winged Angels Chapter.
• The footage showed Li Qinwu overcoming obstacles on Terra and placing the Chapter’s banner in the Great Hall of Heroes.
• Saint Raiser was overwhelmed by the tribute and nearly cried, but Li Qinwu leaned into his face and asked whether he really had cried.
• Saint Raiser’s anger returned as he clenched his mechanical fist at Li Qinwu.

Li Qinwu learned that a Leagues of Votann mining ship had been traveling alongside the Explorer, bringing him face to face with the chance to fulfill his promise to the Dwarfs aboard his fleet. The chapter left him considering whether to send the 108 Dwarfs he had rescued back to their kin.

• Saint Raiser accepted Li Qinwu’s leadership after Terra rang the Great Bell of the Dead for the Cursed Legion.
• Li Qinwu told Saint Raiser that he could not repair his damaged Dreadnought until his industries could forge adamantium.
• The captain told Li Qinwu that a twelve-kilometer ship had traveled alongside the Explorer for a month and identified itself as a Leagues of Votann mining vessel.
• Li Qinwu recalled his promise to return the 108 rescued Dwarfs to their people if he encountered a Space Dwarf ship or planet.

After Li Qinwu found a Dwarf survey ship, he honored his agreement and sent Buni Tansen and the other Dwarfs home. Before departing, Buni gave Li Qinwu blueprints for a reliable Dwarf Semi-automatic Fission Meltagun.

• Buni Tansen and Busi argued over factory automation and fought with wrenches until Li Qinwu told Buni he had found a Dwarf ship.
• Li Qinwu gave the 108 Dwarfs crates of grain liquor, and Buni and Busi shared a drink before taking a photograph together.
• Li Qinwu opened a Portal, and the Dwarfs returned through it; six hours later, he revived aboard the Explorer and showed them their survey ship.
• Buni discovered that Busi's photograph showed only the top of his head and complained to Li Qinwu about the prank.
• Buni asked whether Li Qinwu had considered hiding the ship's discovery, and Li Qinwu admitted he had considered it but chose to honor his promise.
• Buni thanked Li Qinwu for his honesty and gave him blueprints for a Semi-automatic Fission Meltagun.