Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Setting Up a Stall TV3”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qinwu finally finds a safe opportunity to sell the valuable supplies he has accumulated over nearly ten years. His security comes from several major advantages: Inquisitor Thraxol, the mobile and potentially airborne Hideout, Agricultural World 496B, and the ability to escape with his family into the Warp Vault.
• At Purple Diamond Star, a popular tourist route near Terra, he sets up a stall aboard his warship and sells miraculous consecrated items, including bracelets, pendants, and censers that improve mental strength and resistance to the Warp.
• Wealthy Terran nobles, Imperial Cult priests, and Tech-Priests eagerly purchase his goods for hundreds of thousands of Thrones each. He is astonished by how casually the inhabitants of Terra’s sphere of influence spend fortunes.
• After three days, Li Qinwu sells nearly all of his stored inventory. Only Power Swords, which his shipboard factory can continue producing, remain available.
• He counts his earnings and discovers he has made 53 million Thrones, equivalent to nearly 100 billion Renminbi in his calculations.
• Busi informs him that this fortune could buy several Sword-class frigates or a large cruiser. Although new ships from Martian shipyards would require centuries of waiting, Li Qinwu plans to purchase an existing vessel from a nobleman on Terra and eventually build his own fleet.
• Li Qinwu’s staff ask whether they should establish settlements on Paradise Planet as they have done elsewhere. He rejects the idea because the tourist world is far too expensive for ordinary living, but he allows the men to visit the planet in groups.
• With most of the major business finished, Li Qinwu and his crew prepare to personally explore Paradise Planet before continuing toward Terra.

Character Developments

• Li Qinwu grows more confident and ambitious. With his financial reserves converted into enormous wealth, he begins thinking beyond survival and trade, imagining himself as the owner of a fleet.
• His long-standing caution remains evident, but his improved resources and escape options allow him to take greater risks and operate openly.
• His curiosity about Terra intensifies. He wants to see humanity’s ancient cradle after forty thousand years and hopes to meet the Emperor himself.
• Busi acts as a practical financial adviser, calculating Li Qinwu’s wealth and clarifying what kind of warship it can purchase.
• Little Knife and the other staff members reveal their excitement and curiosity about Terra’s affluent society. Their desire to travel shows their growing confidence and interest in life beyond military service.

Significant Themes

• Wealth and social inequality: The chapter emphasizes the enormous gap between ordinary people and Terra’s wealthy elites, who casually spend fortunes on small luxury items.
• Trade as power: Li Qinwu’s accumulated goods become the foundation for a possible fleet and a major expansion of his influence.
• Security enabling ambition: His escape methods, allies, and hidden resources allow him to move from cautious hoarding toward open commercial and political aspirations.
• Tourism versus ordinary life: Paradise Planet appears attractive to visitors but is prohibitively expensive for permanent settlement, highlighting the difference between luxury consumption and practical living.
• Satire of the Warhammer 40,000 setting: Li Qinwu treats the Emperor’s horrific condition, Terra’s institutions, and the enormous wealth of the Imperium with a mixture of business calculation, humor, and modern-world disbelief.

Character Interactions

• Li Qinwu actively pitches products to different customers, tailoring each item to nobles, priests, and Tech-Priests.
• He consults Busi about his earnings and whether he can afford a warship. Busi tempers his excitement by explaining the long wait for newly built vessels.
• Li Qinwu’s private thoughts reveal his desire to visit the Imperial Palace, photograph the Emperor, speak with him, and investigate the mysterious Roman She-Wolf.
• Little Knife and the staff negotiate with Li Qinwu about settling on or visiting Paradise Planet. Li Qinwu refuses permanent settlement but grants them permission to explore it.
• The chapter ends with Li Qinwu deciding to join his men in visiting the planet, while continuing preparations for the journey to Terra.

Chapter Summary: “Tourism”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Paradise World, located in the Purple Diamond Star system, is introduced as a luxurious resort planet easily accessible from Terra through the Stargates.
• Unlike heavily industrialized worlds, Paradise World preserves most of its natural environment. It features forests, grasslands, lakes, oceans, wetlands, snowfields, wildlife, resort cities, private villas, floating residences, and underwater domes.
• The planet’s main Hive City contains essential infrastructure such as reactors, space elevators, and administrative centers, while the rest of the world remains largely undeveloped and scenic.
• Li Qinwu arrives in the city with his group of aides from Agricultural World 496B. They explore the streets, marveling at the prosperity, advanced facilities, beautiful people, and unfamiliar luxuries such as cotton candy and ice cream.
• The group becomes emotionally overwhelmed by the contrast between Paradise World and their poorer, harsher home planet.
• Li Qinwu reassures them that Agricultural World 496B is already improving through centralized governance, the suppression of gangs, better resource distribution, and industrialization. He predicts that within roughly twenty years, ordinary people there could enjoy living standards comparable to those on Paradise World.
• Li Qinwu then takes the group to an extravagant restaurant and books the enormous High Lord Suite.
• In a comedic final exchange, he orders an absurdly elaborate bodybuilding-style meal for himself—protein, carbohydrates, fiber, supplements, protein-powder gravy, and iced creatine—while ordering children’s meals for all his underlings.

Character Developments

• Li Qinwu is portrayed as confident, flamboyant, generous, and somewhat ridiculous. He enjoys displaying wealth but also remains attentive to his followers’ emotional state. His reassurance reveals his faith in political organization and long-term development.
• Joel and the other aides experience awe, envy, and insecurity when confronted with Paradise World’s luxury. Their reactions emphasize how limited and difficult their former lives were.
• The group gradually regains hope after Li Qinwu explains that their home planet is progressing and may eventually achieve similar prosperity.

Significant Themes

• Class inequality: The chapter contrasts Paradise World’s privileged elite with the poorer inhabitants of Agricultural World 496B.
• Development and reform: Li Qinwu argues that effective governance, industrialization, and fairer resource distribution can transform a disadvantaged planet within a generation.
• Culture shock: The aides’ amazement at simple luxuries highlights the enormous differences between worlds within the Imperium.
• Privilege and excess: Paradise World’s extravagant resorts and Li Qinwu’s lavish restaurant choice emphasize the opulence available to the upper classes.
• Hope and social progress: Despite the inequality, the chapter suggests that poorer societies can improve rather than remaining permanently trapped in deprivation.
• Comedy and parody: The characters’ “country bumpkin” reactions, Bikini Bottom-style clothing, and Li Qinwu’s exaggerated fitness meal create a playful contrast with the grand science-fiction setting.

Character Interactions

• Li Qinwu jokingly tells his excited followers to act sophisticated, but they immediately continue reacting loudly to ice cream and other attractions.
• Joel openly compares Paradise World’s glamorous citizens with the hardships of life on 496B, prompting silent agreement from the others.
• Li Qinwu responds sympathetically rather than dismissively, explaining his optimistic vision for their home planet and easing their feelings of inferiority.
• At the restaurant, Li Qinwu takes charge of the group’s experience, treating them to an extravagant venue while humorously giving himself an extreme nutritional meal and the others inexpensive children’s meals.

Chapter Summary: “Inquisitor Thraxol’s Plan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qinwu and his muscular subordinates finish a large meal at a luxury restaurant. Despite concerns that his supplement-heavy diet could damage his kidneys, Li orders another serving and casually says he can replace his kidneys if necessary.
• He asks the waiter about notable attractions and learns about the Era Promenade, also called the Time Promenade or

Time Corridor

• A luxury slow train that circles the planet along the equator.
• The route passes through cities and societies recreated to represent major periods of humanity’s forty-thousand-year history.
• Six billion inhabitants live according to the customs and technology of their assigned historical eras.
• The month-long journey ends in the modern era, where visitors meet Aifeisi, the Terra-born noblewoman who created and funded the project.
• Intrigued by the attraction and impressed by Aifeisi’s enormous undertaking, Li Qinwu pays with his purple card and leads his brothers toward the promenade, intending to inspect it and meet its creator.
• Elsewhere, Inquisitor Thraxol shares a private meal with the planetary governor, Mr. Stomach Bag, in the planet’s Hive City Spire.
• The governor praises Thraxol’s achievements, noting that he has rescued or secured several important worlds and suppressed a dangerous Xenos infiltration. He predicts that Thraxol will soon be promoted to Grand Inquisitor.
• Thraxol privately credits much of his success to Li Qinwu, whose unconventional methods helped him resolve several otherwise disastrous crises.
• Determined to keep Li Qinwu as an ally, Thraxol reveals that he has already sent the Pale Baron back to Terra to pursue a Warrant of Trade for Li Qinwu, ideally one granting authority over a minor sector.
• Thraxol plans to make Li Qinwu a formal Inquisitor under his command. If Thraxol becomes a Grand Inquisitor, he intends to give Li Qinwu a position, fleet, and freedom to conduct missions across the galaxy, allowing both men to benefit from Li’s future accomplishments.

Character Developments

• Li Qinwu is portrayed as fearless, wealthy, physically extreme, and casually confident. His willingness to replace his organs and his immense appetite reinforce his eccentricity. His curiosity about the Time Promenade also shows an interest in history, grand projects, and influential people.
• Inquisitor Thraxol becomes increasingly strategic and ambitious. Although he outwardly accepts praise modestly, he privately recognizes his dependence on Li Qinwu’s talents and seeks to secure Li as a long-term political and military asset.
• Aifeisi is introduced as a powerful and visionary noblewoman whose historical recreation project has made her a major figure among Terra’s nobility.
• The planetary governor serves mainly as a source of praise, emphasizing Thraxol’s reputation and potential advancement.

Significant Themes

• Power through alliances: Thraxol understands that personal success depends on securing capable allies and intends to formalize his relationship with Li Qinwu.
• Ambition and political maneuvering: The prospect of promotion, sectoral authority, fleets, and Warrants of Trade highlights the hierarchical and feudal nature of the Imperium.
• History as spectacle: The Time Promenade transforms humanity’s entire history into a massive commercial and cultural attraction, reflecting both reverence for the past and the extravagance of the Imperium.
• Instrumental relationships: Thraxol admires Li Qinwu, but his plan also reveals that he views Li as a valuable resource whose talents can strengthen his own future power.
• Human achievement and scale: Both the Time Promenade and Thraxol’s ambitions emphasize the immense scale of human civilization, from recreating forty thousand years of history to commanding fleets across the galaxy.

Character Interactions

• Li Qinwu interacts with the waiter in a blunt, humorous manner, ignoring health warnings while gathering information about local attractions.
• The waiter explains the Time Promenade and its connection to Aifeisi, prompting Li’s decision to visit it.
• The planetary governor flatters Thraxol and praises his accomplishments, while Thraxol responds with controlled humility.
• In his private thoughts, Thraxol links his achievements directly to Li Qinwu and plans to elevate their relationship from informal cooperation to an official political and military partnership.

Chapter Summary: “Perfect Creation”

Key plot points and events

Inquisitor Thraxol visits the planetary governor, who introduces him to Lady Aifeisi, the ancient head of the Aifis military-aristocratic family. Aifeisi is renowned for creating the Time Corridor, a massive living historical project involving six billion people on Purple Diamond Star. The inhabitants are forced or arranged to live according to different periods of human history, creating a “living” record of humanity’s development. Aifeisi invites Thraxol to visit the project, but he dismisses it as irrelevant to his military and political duties. She then reveals that his arrival has made the work more complete because it previously lacked a modern inquisitor. The governor explains that Thraxol has now become a real participant in her historical artwork.

Character developments

Thraxol initially reacts to Aifeisi’s beauty, but his political judgment quickly overrides his attraction. He views her as an aging, declining aristocrat who has wasted centuries on an artistic project rather than strengthening her family. His arrogance and narrow military worldview lead him to underestimate her. Aifeisi appears elegant, confident, and mysterious, presenting herself modestly while subtly implying that Thraxol has been incorporated into her creation. The governor remains an enthusiastic admirer of Aifeisi and her work.

Significant themes

The chapter explores the contrast between military power and artistic or historical influence, as well as the arrogance of judging people by social strength and practical usefulness. It also introduces unsettling questions about whether history can be recreated by controlling living populations. The idea of “perfection” carries an ominous undertone: Aifeisi’s project may not merely observe history but actively use real people—including Thraxol—as components of an artwork.

Character interactions

The governor acts as an intermediary, introducing Thraxol and Aifeisi and praising her accomplishments. Aifeisi attempts to engage Thraxol intellectually, but he politely rejects her invitation and belittles her work through his disinterest. She responds calmly and turns his refusal into a cryptic compliment, suggesting that his presence completes the modern era of her artwork. The governor’s laughter confirms that Thraxol may have unknowingly become part of something far larger—and potentially more sinister—than a simple banquet or artistic exhibition.

Li Qinwu toured the Era Promenade, where actors and elaborate recreations depicted prehistoric life and second-century Rome and Great Qin. Disturbed by a realistic staged stoning in Rome, he accelerated the villa toward the next era.

• Li Qinwu boarded a mobile villa with his underlings and learned to control its speed with a remote.
• He watched prehistoric humans hunt a mammoth and eat its raw flesh as the attendant explained their reenactment.
• Li Qinwu slowed the villa to admire second-century Rome and Great Qin, while the attendant described their civilizations.
• Li Qinwu saw a prisoner being stoned in Rome and asked whether the reenactors were actually killing someone.
• The attendant said the victim was a dummy, but Li Qinwu found the crowd’s performance unsettling and accelerated toward the next era.

Chapter Summary: “Witch Hunts”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qinwu continues traveling through different historical eras and cities aboard the Era Promenade. He becomes increasingly convinced that the people and settings outside are not staged performances but genuine historical realities.
• In fifteenth-century Trier during the Little Ice Age, he witnesses a public witch-burning. Food shortages, social instability, and widespread hardship have made the population desperate and volatile.
• An elderly woman named Magdalena is accused of witchcraft for causing a neighbor’s goat to become infertile, making the neighbor impotent, and supposedly seducing him.
• Magdalena mockingly exposes the neighbor’s wife’s sexual past and illness, causing the crowd to laugh. The crowd appears less interested in justice than in spectacle, cruelty, and scandal.
• The priest then lists more serious evidence against Magdalena: crows gathering around her home, her apparent ability to float, and her use of lightning to kill bandits. Magdalena admits she possesses unusual abilities but argues that these powers do not make her evil.
• The priest insists that only God may possess supernatural power and declares Magdalena a witch for supposedly stealing divine authority.
• When the first torch is deflected by Magdalena’s power, the priest orders the guards to shoot her. Two crossbow bolts pierce her chest, after which the priest burns her alive.
• Li Qinwu senses Magdalena’s soul leaving her body and entering the Warp, confirming that she was genuinely a powerful supernatural being rather than an ordinary woman in an acted scene.
• Disturbed by this discovery, Li Qinwu questions the waiter’s earlier claim that everything along the Era Promenade is merely an act.

Character Developments

• Li Qinwu: His skepticism grows into suspicion. His psychic abilities allow him to recognize that Magdalena’s death and soul were real, forcing him to reconsider the nature of the Era Promenade and the historical scenes he has witnessed.
• Magdalena: She is portrayed as defiant, sharp-tongued, and unwilling to accept the accusations against her. Despite her age and physical weakness, she possesses extraordinary powers and attempts to defend herself, though she ultimately cannot overcome her attackers.
• The Priest: He represents fanaticism and institutional authority. He manipulates religious belief to justify violence, treating any supernatural ability outside the Church’s control as an offense against God.
• The Crowd: The townspeople are shown as desperate and desensitized. They respond to the execution as entertainment, laughing at vulgarity and then joining the priest in prayer after the killing.

Significant Themes

• Scapegoating during crisis: The Little Ice Age, famine, poverty, and social disorder create conditions in which vulnerable or unusual people can be blamed for collective suffering.
• Religion as a tool of power: The priest uses doctrine to preserve authority, declaring that only God—and therefore the Church’s interpretation of God—may legitimize supernatural power.
• Spectacle and mob cruelty: The crowd seeks entertainment and emotional release through public torture, revealing how fear and hardship can turn people toward collective violence.
• Truth versus official narratives: Magdalena is genuinely powerful, but the authorities’ accusations are mixed with absurd rumors and personal slander. The chapter shows how factual supernatural events can be distorted into propaganda.
• Reality hidden behind illusion: Li Qinwu’s discovery suggests the Era Promenade may display authentic historical worlds rather than harmless recreations, raising questions about the nature and purpose of the journey.

Character Interactions

• Magdalena verbally clashes with the priest, denying the accusations while ridiculing her neighbor and his wife.
• The priest uses the crowd’s anger and religious beliefs against Magdalena, escalating from public condemnation to torture and execution.
• The townspeople shift between laughing at Magdalena’s insults, supporting her punishment, and praying with the priest afterward.
• Li Qinwu observes the entire event from Gravity Villa and then confronts the waiter, asking whether the historical scenes are truly only performances.

Li Qinwu realized the Time Promenade was a Warp-tainted trap and tried to escape with his inner circle. After they jumped from their runaway Gravity Villa, they found themselves in the middle of the Normandy landings.

• Li Qinwu recognized Magdalena as a historical witch and suspected the Promenade’s attractions were not merely performances.
• The attendant refused to send Li Qinwu back, so Li Qinwu killed him and discovered that contact with the Golden Road and access to the Warp were blocked.
• Li Qinwu concluded that the Era Promenade was part of a Daemon ritual and warned his companions not to reach the Terminal Station.
• When the Gravity Villa began moving on its own, Li Qinwu smashed its glass and led his inner circle in jumping out, using his psychic power to lower them safely.
• Li Qinwu and his companions landed on the Normandy battlefield during the American landing on June 6, 1944, and he identified Operation Overlord as they took cover from gunfire.

Chapter Summary: “Normandy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• American troops land on Normandy Beach under intense German MG34/MG42 machine-gun fire. Many soldiers are killed, but others reach the beach through gaps in the bunkers’ overlapping fields of fire.
• A squad of American soldiers takes shelter in the same shell crater as Li Qinwu and his companions, who are dressed in strange beachwear. The Americans mistake them for bizarre civilians or vacationers.
• Because the Americans speak modern English while Rudosen and the others speak Gothic, the two groups cannot communicate effectively. Li Qinwu, however, understands the Americans.
• Li Qinwu identifies the black Gravity Track nearby—the mechanism connected to their Gravity Villa and their movement through different historical eras. The Americans cannot see it, suggesting that they are affected by neural interference or contamination.
• The Gravity Track extends backward through time toward the German bunker complex. Li Qinwu theorizes that traveling along it may allow the group to escape the Era Promenade, though remaining on the track might cause them to be absorbed into it.
• Rudosen suggests waiting for the Americans to destroy the bunkers, but Li Qinwu rejects the plan. He fears that once the battle calms, the Americans will investigate and detain the strangely dressed group.
• When an American demolition soldier is killed, Li Qinwu takes his Bangalore torpedo and destroys the barbed wire blocking the advance.
• He then charges alone toward Bunker No. 14 while the American soldiers remain pinned down by machine-gun fire.
• Li Qinwu reaches the bunker and performs an impossible leap, jumping over thirty meters onto its roof. The American sergeant witnesses the feat in disbelief.

Character Developments

• Li Qinwu demonstrates quick thinking, leadership, and fearlessness. He rapidly assesses the battlefield, identifies the Gravity Track’s importance, and chooses immediate action over waiting for the Americans.
• His concern about being captured shows that he is not only focused on combat but also understands the danger of the Era Promenade’s realistic historical simulation.
• Rudosen remains observant and practical, offering a tactical suggestion to use the American assault as cover. Although Li Qinwu rejects it, Rudosen’s advice reflects his growing ability to analyze unfamiliar situations.
• The American soldiers are portrayed as courageous but terrified. Despite heavy casualties, they continue attacking the German defenses. Their sergeant is especially confused by Li Qinwu’s group and later astonished by Li Qinwu’s superhuman movement.

Significant Themes

• Collision between eras: Future Imperium travelers appear in the middle of a twentieth-century historical battle, emphasizing the contrast between advanced technology, ancient or futuristic cultures, and modern warfare.
• Perception and reality: The Americans cannot see the Gravity Track, while Li Qinwu can. This raises questions about neural interference, simulated reality, and who can perceive the true structure of the Era Promenade.
• Survival amid chaos: Li Qinwu uses the confusion of the Normandy assault to avoid investigation and escape before the battlefield becomes orderly.
• Human courage and sacrifice: The American soldiers repeatedly advance despite devastating machine-gun fire, while individual deaths are treated as part of the larger assault.
• The extraordinary within the ordinary: Li Qinwu’s superhuman leap contrasts sharply with the historically realistic setting, shocking soldiers who understand the battlefield only through ordinary human limitations.

Character Interactions

• The American squad encounters Li Qinwu’s group and reacts with confusion and hostility because of their beachwear and inability to explain themselves.
• Rudosen asks Li Qinwu to interpret the Americans’ language and weapons, revealing the cultural and linguistic gap between the groups.
• Li Qinwu attempts to direct the Americans’ attention toward the Gravity Track, but they see only sand and dismiss him as insane.
• After the American demolition soldier dies, Li Qinwu takes over his task without explanation, indirectly helping the squad advance.
• The American sergeant observes Li Qinwu’s attack and is left stunned by his inexplicable leap onto Bunker No. 14.

Li Qinwu captured Machine Gun Bunker 14 and armed his companions before leading them through German-held trenches in Normandy. He continued clearing the way ahead while the American soldiers watched in stunned disbelief.

• Li Qinwu used Gravity Control to reach Machine Gun Bunker 14, then killed the German soldiers inside and seized the bunker.
• Li Qinwu signaled Little Knife and the staff officers to join him, and he told them to arm themselves with the captured weapons.
• Rudosen took an MG42, while Li Qinwu loaded up on grenades and insisted he would lead the group with his axe.
• When a German squad came to retake the bunker, Li Qinwu killed the soldiers at the entrance and slaughtered the squad in the trench.
• Li Qinwu led his companions through the trenches as the American squad reached Bunker 14 and watched him fight in astonishment.

Chapter Summary: “Normandy 3”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qinwu and his staff group fight through the German trenches, killing large numbers of soldiers with axes, bayonets, grenades, and brutal close-quarters combat.
• They reach the rear staging area, where thousands of resting German troops are housed in barracks. Li Qinwu hesitates to attack directly because he must protect his staff and conserve his limited strength.
• An American squad that previously fought alongside them arrives. The Americans are impressed and frightened by Li Qinwu’s inhuman combat abilities but continue following him to advance their own mission.
• Li Qinwu asks the American sergeant whether the squad can call in naval artillery. Using their radio and surveying equipment, the Americans transmit the coordinates of the German staging area.
• Allied naval guns bombard the position, annihilating more than a thousand German soldiers and reducing the staging area to shell craters.
• As Li Qinwu’s group advances along the Black Gravity Track, a German Tiger Tank survives the bombardment and pins both groups down with machine-gun and cannon fire.
• An American Bazooka fails to penetrate the Tiger’s armor. Li Qinwu then charges the tank alone, evades its machine guns, climbs onto the turret, kills the commander, and throws grenades inside.
• The resulting explosion destroys the Tiger Tank. Li Qinwu continues along the Gravity Track without looking back, while his staff follows him.
• The American sergeant calls out in admiration. Li Qinwu responds with an OK sign, and the sergeant celebrates their contribution to the Allied anti-fascist war.

Character Developments

• Li Qinwu is portrayed as extraordinarily powerful, fearless, and tactically capable. Despite his brutal reputation, he shows responsibility by worrying about his staff’s safety and conserving his energy for future battles.
• He also demonstrates adaptability by recognizing the value of the American squad’s radio and naval support rather than relying solely on his own abilities.
• Rudosen remains observant and curious, questioning Li Qinwu about his knowledge of Old Terra’s language. Li Qinwu maintains his secrecy and refuses to reveal his background.
• The American sergeant and his squad shift from fear and suspicion to cooperation and admiration. They recognize Li Qinwu as a terrifying but valuable ally.
• The staff group continues to trust Li Qinwu completely, following him through overwhelming danger.

Significant Themes

• Overwhelming individual power versus coordinated warfare: Li Qinwu can destroy enemies personally, but naval artillery proves even more efficient and demonstrates the value of combining individual strength with military technology.
• Trust between unlikely allies: The Americans initially fear Li Qinwu, yet shared objectives allow them to cooperate effectively.
• Survival and resource management: Li Qinwu must balance his immense abilities against limited stamina and the unknown battles ahead.
• Humanity amid brutality: Although Li Qinwu fights with extreme violence, his concern for his companions reveals loyalty and responsibility beneath his monstrous appearance.
• Historical and temporal displacement: References to Old Terra, Normandy, and the Gravity Track emphasize the chapter’s blending of different eras and battlefields.

Character Interactions

• Li Qinwu directs the American sergeant to request naval artillery, turning the American squad’s equipment and expertise into a decisive advantage.
• Rudosen challenges Li Qinwu about his hidden identity, but Li Qinwu deflects the question.
• The American soldiers avoid provoking Li Qinwu, lowering their weapons because they fear being mistaken for enemies.
• After destroying the Tiger Tank, Li Qinwu silently acknowledges the American sergeant’s praise with an OK gesture, creating a brief moment of mutual respect and camaraderie.

Li Qinwu led his staff through the Era Promenade from the Normandy beach to the Battle of the Somme, where they discovered that the simulated eras enforced the technology available in each period. After their modern clothes vanished, Li Qinwu realized the Promenade’s rules had been rewritten by Warp energy and urged the group to return to the Initial Station.

• Li Qinwu led his staff across an empty pasture and through a forest, concluding that the Era Promenade depicted different eras in separated zones.
• Li Qinwu identified the muddy battlefield as the 1916 Battle of the Somme and chose to cross through the German trenches to avoid fire from both sides.
• Li Qinwu’s group entered the deserted German trenches at the edge of the era, where Little Knife noticed their clothes and shoes disappearing.
• Li Qinwu explained that their nylon and plastic clothing vanished because people in 1916 could not manufacture those materials, while their weapons and canvas gear remained.
• Li Qinwu concluded that Warp energy had rewritten the Era Promenade’s rules and called for the group to return to the Initial Station so a warship could destroy it.

Chapter Summary: “Somme River 2”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qinwu and his companions discover that the trench they occupy is a German supply station containing food, weapons, boots, and German military uniforms.
• They disguise themselves as German soldiers and eat canned food to restore their strength. Because most of the group has European appearances, they hope to move unnoticed through the German trench system.
• Li Qinwu, now over two meters tall and conspicuously muscular, leads the group deeper into the heavily occupied German trenches. Their goal is to pass through without wasting energy on unnecessary fighting.
• Several German soldiers question Li Qinwu about his identity and unit. Since he understands neither German nor the soldiers’ questions, he responds with random phrases remembered from a video game. Surprisingly, the soldiers interpret his strange replies as legitimate orders or useful information and allow the group to continue.
• A German officer eventually stops Li Qinwu and assumes he is carrying orders from headquarters. Li Qinwu responds to every question by nodding, then blurts out the word “And!” after running out of ways to answer.
• The officer treats the word as a military command or battle signal. He repeats it, blows his whistle, and unintentionally orders the German troops to launch a full assault on the British trenches.
• Thousands of German soldiers charge across the battlefield while machine guns and artillery open fire. British forces respond with their own machine-gun fire and shelling.
• Li Qinwu’s group is caught in the resulting bombardment. Many nearby German soldiers are killed or blown apart, forcing Li Qinwu and his aides to flee through the trenches to avoid being destroyed by artillery.

Character Developments

• Li Qinwu demonstrates confidence, physical intimidation, and quick improvisation. Although he cannot speak German, he repeatedly survives questioning through bluffing, nodding, and absurdly improvised phrases.
• His enormous size makes him highly conspicuous and causes him to be questioned repeatedly, but it also contributes to the impression that he is an important or unusual soldier.
• Li Qinwu shows practical judgment by initially trying to conserve his psychic strength rather than fighting through the trenches. Once the battle begins, however, he quickly recognizes the danger and takes responsibility for getting everyone to safety.
• Rudosen and the aides remain nervous throughout the infiltration. They rely heavily on Li Qinwu’s supposed expertise and are increasingly frustrated by his reckless improvisation.
• Rudosen becomes openly angry when Li Qinwu’s nonsense appears to trigger the German offensive, even worrying about his hair amid the bombardment.

Significant Themes

• Improvisation and absurd luck: Li Qinwu repeatedly succeeds not because he understands the situation, but because others misinterpret his meaningless words as authoritative.
• The danger of misunderstanding: A single unintelligible phrase escalates into a full-scale military assault, showing how easily confusion can have catastrophic consequences in war.
• Survival in chaos: The group must constantly adapt—finding uniforms, blending into enemy lines, and escaping artillery once their disguise collapses.
• Comedy amid war: The chapter contrasts slapstick dialogue and accidental success with the brutal reality of World War I trench warfare, machine-gun fire, and exploding shells.

Character Interactions

• Li Qinwu directs the group and instructs everyone to stay quiet and avoid attention.
• Rudosen pushes Li Qinwu to answer when a German soldier becomes suspicious, then later questions and distrusts his bizarre “German.”
• German soldiers and officers repeatedly interpret Li Qinwu’s gestures and random phrases according to their own assumptions.
• The German officer’s interaction with Li Qinwu directly causes the battlefield assault, turning a clumsy disguise attempt into a major military engagement.
• After the attack begins, Rudosen blames Li Qinwu, while Li Qinwu admits that he has no idea what he said and orders everyone to escape.

Chapter Summary: Somme River 3

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qinwu leads his group through intense artillery fire toward the edge of the temporal era, using Psychic Shield to protect them.
• A misunderstanding causes a German major to order an early charge, coinciding with a planned British assault. The British deploy Mark I tanks, with thirty-two successfully crossing the muddy battlefield.
• The tanks overwhelm the German positions, terrifying the soldiers and massacring those trapped in the trenches.
• One tank’s machine-gun fire threatens Li Qinwu’s group. He erects a large Psychic Shield, halting the bullets, and orders Rudosen to evacuate everyone to a safer trench bend.
• Once his companions are secure, Li Qinwu rises into the air and attacks the British advance. He uses Psychic Lightning to destroy Mark I tanks by piercing their thin roofs and detonating their ammunition.
• British troops panic upon seeing a flying German combatant. They fire thousands of rifle and machine-gun rounds at him, but Li Qinwu evades them through gravity manipulation and protects himself with his shield.
• After destroying ten tanks, Li Qinwu’s intervention restores German morale. German troops launch a counterattack from their trenches, engaging the British in close combat while worshipfully regarding Li Qinwu as a divine “German Superman.”

Character Developments

• Li Qinwu shifts from cautious escort leader to battlefield-dominating superhuman combatant. Though reluctant to kill British soldiers in a British-created world, he accepts that destroying them is necessary to clear his path.
• His resourcefulness is emphasized through his combined use of Psychic Shield, Psychic Lightning, and gravity manipulation.
• Rudosen demonstrates quick thinking and leadership by immediately organizing the group’s retreat when Li Qinwu orders them to withdraw.
• The German soldiers’ morale transforms from terror and collapse to fanatic confidence after witnessing Li Qinwu destroy the tanks.

Significant Themes

• The shock of technological warfare: The Mark I tanks represent humanity’s first mechanized weapons, inspiring fear and confusion among soldiers unfamiliar with them.
• Supernatural power versus modern warfare: Li Qinwu’s abilities completely overwhelm the era’s tanks, rifles, and machine guns.
• Morale and mythmaking: His appearance turns a losing German force into an inspired counterattacking army, as soldiers interpret him as a divine protector.
• Unintended consequences: A conversation and misunderstanding trigger a premature German attack, which escalates into a chaotic battle involving both armies.
• Moral conflict: Li Qinwu dislikes killing people from Britain, particularly in a world created by Britain, but prioritizes protecting his group and advancing.

Character Interactions

• Li Qinwu commands Rudosen and the rest of the group, prioritizing their safety before engaging the British forces.
• Rudosen responds efficiently to Li Qinwu’s orders and leads the retreat.
• British infantry and tank crews react with disbelief and fear to Li Qinwu’s aerial assault, calling him a devil or “German Superman.”
• German officers and soldiers interpret Li Qinwu’s intervention as divine support, praising him and charging the British with renewed determination.

Chapter Summary: “The Author Patches the Plot Holes”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qinwu, acting as “German Superman,” helps the German forces decisively defeat the British army in under three minutes. His overwhelming display causes the British soldiers to flee and the Germans to worship him.
• Unable to understand the German officer praising him, Li Qinwu delivers a series of nonsensical phrases. The Germans misunderstand this as a request for supplies or medical assistance and throw ammunition pouches at his feet, while medics rush forward.
• Rudosen signals that Li Qinwu can leave, so Li rejoins his companions and informs them that a nearby forest may lead to the next era.
• Yellow Hair questions why the group must continue traveling “upstream” through successive eras. He suggests moving north or south to escape the Era Promenade entirely.
• Li Qinwu realizes that the Era Promenade may be a narrow artificial strip of land circling the equator. If so, reaching its northern or southern edge might allow them to leave without crossing more eras.
• The group reaches the boundary between eras and rests while Li flies north to scout.
• From the air, Li discovers that the forest separating the eras stretches impossibly far—far beyond what they saw when moving between previous eras.
• After flying more than twenty kilometers, Li encounters Little Knife, Little Joel, and the others ahead of him, despite having traveled in a straight direction. He concludes that the Era Promenade is a looping maze or Warp-generated construct.
• Realizing that traveling north or south cannot lead them out, Li accepts that they must continue moving upstream through the eras.

Character Developments

• Li Qinwu enjoys the admiration of the German soldiers and embraces his temporary identity as “German Jiahao” or German Superman, though his inability to speak German creates comic misunderstandings.
• His confidence in finding a shortcut is challenged when the Era Promenade proves more complex than expected. He shifts from optimism to frustration and resignation.
• Yellow Hair demonstrates practical thinking by questioning the group’s assumptions and proposing an alternative route.
• Greenhead reveals the physical strain of the journey after carrying a machine gun and ammunition for over twenty kilometers.
• Rudosen continues acting as a quiet leader, coordinating the retreat and signaling Li when it is time to move on.
• Little Knife and Little Joel reappear as evidence that the group’s navigation has been distorted by the looping environment.

Significant Themes

• The absurdity of war and hero worship: Li’s unintelligible words are treated as profound commands, while his superhuman appearance inspires instant religious devotion.
• The artificiality of the world: The battlefield edges resemble unfinished video-game terrain, exposing the Era Promenade as a constructed, rule-bound environment.
• Limits of apparent freedom: Although the characters initially believe they can escape by moving laterally, the looping forest reveals that the world restricts their choices.
• Exploration and uncertainty: Each apparent solution creates a deeper mystery about the Warp and the structure of the eras.
• Comic relief amid danger: Exaggerated battles, misunderstandings, exhaustion, and Li’s crude pseudo-language balance the darker setting of war and entrapment.

Character Interactions

• German soldiers kneel before Li and treat him as a divine warrior, while Li unknowingly responds with gibberish that they interpret as a meaningful request.
• Rudosen silently authorizes Li’s departure, maintaining their coordinated escape.
• Yellow Hair challenges Li’s plan, prompting the group to reconsider their route.
• The exhausted companions agree to rest while Li scouts ahead, showing their dependence on his abilities.
• Li’s meeting with Little Knife and Little Joel exposes the maze-like nature of the Era Promenade and forces him to abandon the idea of escaping north or south.

Chapter Summary — “19th Century”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qinwu reveals that the Era Promenade is an enormous project encircling the planet’s equator and may have twisted space itself. Rudosen condemns it as a blasphemous, corrupted creation.
• Little Knife realizes that constructing such a project would have required the planetary governor’s involvement. He worries that the governor may have been corrupted or may have harmed Inquisitor Thraxol, who had gone to meet him.
• Li Qinwu becomes deeply anxious because his future ambitions depend on Thraxol. He hopes Thraxol will become a Grand Inquisitor and help him gain both political authority and the status of a Rogue Trader.
• Li Qinwu considers killing himself to revive at the Hideout and rescue Thraxol, but doing so would abandon his six staff members inside the Era Promenade. Without his protection, they would probably die during the coming historical stages.
• Ultimately, Li Qinwu chooses to remain with his staff rather than risk their lives to save Thraxol. He tells them to prepare for the next era, and they continue forward together.
• After passing through a forest, the group reaches a bay where two small ironclad warships are exchanging cannon fire.
• Li Qinwu identifies the scene as the 1862 Battle of Hampton Roads during the American Civil War—the first major battle between ironclad warships.
• He explains that this battle marked the transition from wooden sailing ships to ironclad naval vessels. Joel humorously recognizes these primitive ships as the ancestors of Imperial starships.

Character Developments

• Li Qinwu: Faces a serious moral dilemma between preserving his political future by saving Thraxol and protecting his vulnerable companions. His decision demonstrates loyalty and responsibility toward his staff, even though he privately recognizes that Thraxol’s life carries far greater political value.
• The six staff members: Their confidence in Li Qinwu is strengthened when he chooses them. They feel relieved and moved, though also conflicted because they understand that their lives are objectively less important than those of an Imperial noble.
• Rudosen: Reacts strongly to the Era Promenade’s apparent corruption and later silently resolves something after learning that Li Qinwu has chosen the group over Thraxol.
• Little Knife: Shows growing strategic awareness by connecting the construction of the Era Promenade to the planetary governor and suspecting that Thraxol may be in danger.
• Joel: Provides an admiring and curious perspective on the primitive ironclads, helping emphasize the technological distance between the historical era and the Imperium.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty versus ambition: Li Qinwu must choose between his grand political aspirations and the people who depend directly on him.
• The value of ordinary lives: Although his staff are described as “worthless” compared with an Imperial noble, Li Qinwu’s choice gives their lives personal and moral significance.
• Historical progress: The chapter presents the ironclad battle as a technological turning point, showing how major innovations develop from primitive beginnings.
• Corruption and hidden danger: The Era Promenade’s enormous scale and apparent spatial distortion suggest a deeply corrupt project involving powerful authorities.
• The continuity of civilization: The joke about Imperial starships descending from ironclad warships highlights the connection between humanity’s distant past and its far-future achievements.

Character Interactions

• Little Knife raises his concerns about the planetary governor and Thraxol directly with Li Qinwu, forcing Li Qinwu to confront the danger he had been ignoring.
• The staff silently observe Li Qinwu’s hesitation and understand the sacrifice involved in his decision.
• Rudosen later asks about Thraxol, prompting Li Qinwu to explain that Thraxol has his own guards and that he cannot risk abandoning the group.
• Joel asks Li Qinwu to identify the new historical era, and Li Qinwu educates the group about the Battle of Hampton Roads and its importance to naval development.

Chapter Summary: American Civil War

Key Plot Points and Events

• Two Civil War ironclads exchange cannon fire for over ten minutes, but their armor is too strong for their smoothbore guns to penetrate. Li Qinwu concludes that the battle will be pointless and leads the group onward along the black Gravity Rail.
• The group discovers that their World War II weapons and ammunition have vanished. Li Qinwu explains that:
  • Their smokeless-powder ammunition is incompatible with 1862 technology.
  • Their guns and fire axe were made with advanced alloys, such as chromium-molybdenum steel, which Civil War-era humans could not process.
  • Their wool uniforms remain because wool production was technologically simple and had existed since ancient times.
• The group is left with only bayonets and their clothing. Rudosen jokes that at least they are not naked, while the others react to the loss of their equipment.
• Rudosen questions Li Qinwu’s unusual historical and technological knowledge. Li Qinwu jokingly claims to be a wealthy “young master from Terra” who could summon a million warships, but the others dismiss this as exaggerated boasting.
• Joel asks why the American Civil War began. Li Qinwu explains that the industrial North favored emancipation and expanded industry, while the agricultural South depended on slavery. Their conflicting economic interests led to war, which the North won, resulting in emancipation and America’s industrialization.
• The group hides when a Southern supply wagon escorted by more than twenty Flintlock-armed soldiers approaches.
• A black hound detects the group and charges into the forest. Li Qinwu kills it by crushing its neck, then carries its body outside.
• When the dog’s owner angrily tries to shoot Li Qinwu, Li Qinwu throws the corpse at him with overwhelming strength, killing the soldier instantly.

Character Developments

• Li Qinwu: Demonstrates extensive knowledge of history, weapons, metallurgy, and technology. He remains calm and practical after losing the group’s advanced weapons, though he responds brutally when threatened. His mysterious background continues to provoke suspicion.
• Little Knife: Notices the disappearance of the group’s weapons and ammunition, prompting the explanation of how historical technology affects their equipment.
• Rudosen: Provides comic relief through jokes about Li Qinwu’s identity and their remaining clothes. He also openly challenges Li Qinwu’s mysterious origins.
• Joel: Shows curiosity and genuine interest in human history, asking thoughtful questions about the Civil War.
• The group: Their reliance on advanced weapons is abruptly removed, forcing them to depend on concealment, physical strength, and improvised tactics.

Significant Themes

• Technology and historical compatibility: Objects transported through time or eras are judged by the technological capabilities of that period; advanced materials and ammunition cannot survive in an earlier setting.
• Power beyond weapons: Even without firearms, Li Qinwu’s physical strength makes him extremely dangerous, suggesting that personal ability can compensate for technological disadvantages.
• History versus moral simplicity: Although the North’s victory appears righteous because it ended slavery, Li Qinwu hints that the real historical process was more complicated than a simple struggle between good and evil.
• Humor amid danger: The characters use sarcasm and jokes to cope with their strange circumstances and sudden loss of equipment.
• Mystery of Li Qinwu’s identity: His knowledge and abilities make the others suspect he is more than an ordinary person from the Lower Hive.

Character Interactions

• Little Knife questions why both modern weapons and steel equipment disappeared, leading Li Qinwu to explain the importance of smokeless powder and advanced alloys.
• Rudosen teases Li Qinwu about his claims of being a powerful noble from Terra, while the group collectively treats the story as unbelievable.
• Joel engages Li Qinwu in a historical discussion, allowing Li Qinwu to explain the causes and outcome of the Civil War.
• The group cooperates silently when hiding from the Southern convoy, but the dog’s barking forces a confrontation.
• Li Qinwu’s violent encounter with the dog and its owner establishes the group’s continued vulnerability while also highlighting his lethal strength.

Chapter Summary: “17th Century”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qinwu and his companions ambush a transport convoy from the American Civil War era. When twenty riflemen attack, Li easily blocks their bullets with a Psychic Shield and reflects them back, killing the soldiers.
• He kills the coachman by throwing a bayonet into his forehead. The entire convoy—including the soldiers, coachman, and dog—is defeated almost instantly.
• The group takes the heavy wooden-and-steel carriage for transportation through multiple historical eras. Li determines that its technology is simple enough to remain usable across time periods.
• They examine the captured firearms but decide not to take them. Li explains that although their construction is primitive and could theoretically be replicated with ancient technology, their percussion caps depend on nineteenth-century mercury fulminate and would eventually become unusable.
• The carriage contains sugar, chocolate, canned beef, and Black Powder explosives. Li recognizes sugar’s historical value and suggests it may serve as a valuable bribe in future eras. He also distributes the explosives as weapons and tools of intimidation.
• The group travels along the Black Gravity Track, cuts through a forest separating eras, and enters a new historical period.
• They arrive at a large siege encampment surrounding a city. By examining the weapons, armor, artillery, uniforms, and flags, Li identifies the setting as the Siege of Pilsen during the Thirty Years’ War, around 1618.

Character Developments

• Li Qinwu remains calm, highly knowledgeable, and overwhelmingly powerful. His effortless victory reinforces his role as the group’s protector and historical expert.
• He demonstrates practical leadership by evaluating which supplies and technologies are worth preserving across eras rather than taking everything indiscriminately.
• Rudosen shows increasing initiative, suggesting that the carriage could serve as long-term transportation and asking about the captured guns.
• Joel has become genuinely interested in human history and now actively asks questions about each era, indicating growing intellectual engagement with the group’s journey.
• Little Knife continues to rely on Li’s judgment and curiosity, asking why he finds the cargo amusing.

Significant Themes

• Technology and historical continuity: The chapter distinguishes between objects that can survive across eras and technologies dependent on specialized materials or industrial processes.
• The value of resources: Sugar, once more valuable than gold, illustrates how the worth of goods changes according to historical context.
• Knowledge as power: Li’s understanding of metallurgy, firearms, chemistry, and military history allows the group to exploit opportunities and identify their location.
• Human progress and warfare: The chapter contrasts Civil War-era firearms with seventeenth-century matchlocks, showing the gradual development of weapons and military technology.
• Adaptation across time: The group prepares to survive by selecting transport, supplies, and weapons that remain useful in different historical periods.

Character Interactions

• Rudosen and Li discuss the carriage’s usefulness as the group’s future means of travel.
• Rudosen asks whether the firearms can be taken along, prompting Li’s explanation of their technological limitations.
• Little Knife questions Li’s laughter, leading to Li’s explanation of sugar’s historical importance.
• Joel’s questions reveal his growing fascination with history, while Li responds as the group’s instructor and guide.
• Li orders the group to remain alert as they enter the unfamiliar seventeenth-century battlefield, emphasizing his authority and concern for their safety.

Chapter Summary: “Thirty Years’ War”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Qinwu identifies the battlefield as the 1618 Siege of Pilsen by recognizing the flags of the Bohemian Protestant Coalition and the Holy Roman Catholic Army.
• He explains the battle’s historical importance to Joel:
  • It marked the transition from medieval armored warfare to early modern firearm warfare.
  • Matchlock muskets, artillery, and line infantry tactics were becoming widespread.
  • Soldiers increasingly wore only breastplates and helmets instead of full plate armor.
  • The conflict helped establish a balance between Catholic and Protestant power and symbolized the shift toward modern ideology and society.
• After leaving the battlefield, the group encounters a river crossed by a bridge. Rather than following the gravity track across it, Li Qinwu chooses to travel downstream.
• Li Qinwu decides to obtain plate armor for Rudosen and the others, believing it will provide a major advantage on future historical battlefields, especially before the development of firearms and ironworking.
• The group discovers a large, water-powered seventeenth-century blacksmith’s workshop with more than thirty workers and several forge-driving waterwheels.
• The suspicious blacksmiths block the carriage and threaten the strangers. Because Li Qinwu cannot speak Bohemian, he communicates through gestures.
• He offers the blacksmiths a box containing five kilograms of refined white sugar. Since white sugar is extremely rare and expensive in seventeenth-century Bohemia, the workers regard it as nearly equivalent to gold.
• The older blacksmith accepts the sugar in astonishment and asks Li Qinwu, whom he assumes is from the “Porcelain Country,” what he wants.

Character Developments

• Li Qinwu displays extensive historical knowledge and takes pride in explaining the significance of the Siege of Pilsen. His boastful confidence is undercut by the revelation that the author helped research the information.
• He also demonstrates practical strategic thinking: rather than merely observing history, he exploits the era’s technology and economic conditions to prepare his companions for future journeys.
• Joel reacts with admiration and fascination, strengthening his image as an eager student of human history.
• Rudosen becomes increasingly irritated by Li Qinwu’s self-congratulatory behavior and doubts whether Li Qinwu truly possesses all the knowledge he displays.
• The blacksmiths, initially defensive and suspicious, shift to awe and fear when confronted with Li Qinwu’s enormous size and the extraordinary value of his sugar.
• The old blacksmith becomes overwhelmed by the unexpected gift, recognizing that it may represent a fortune greater than anything he has ever possessed.

Significant Themes

• The transition from medieval to modern warfare: The chapter emphasizes how firearms, artillery, and organized infantry replaced full armor and traditional melee combat.
• History as a resource: Li Qinwu uses historical knowledge not only to understand the past but also to make practical decisions and acquire protective equipment.
• Cultural and technological exchange: The group’s advanced or foreign goods, particularly refined sugar, have a dramatic impact on seventeenth-century Europeans.
• Relative value and perception: An ordinary commodity to Li Qinwu becomes “gold” to the blacksmiths, highlighting how value depends on scarcity, technology, and place.
• The boundary between historical observation and interference: Li Qinwu is traveling through historical events while actively altering local circumstances by trading with and influencing the inhabitants.
• Comedy and self-awareness: The authorial asides, Li Qinwu’s bragging, and the exaggerated reactions of the blacksmiths create a humorous contrast with the chapter’s serious historical discussion.

Character Interactions

• Li Qinwu teaches Joel about the siege and receives enthusiastic praise.
• He secretly acknowledges the author’s assistance, creating a meta-fictional exchange between the character and the writer.
• Rudosen challenges Li Qinwu’s decision to avoid the bridge and later criticizes his habit of showing off.
• Li Qinwu attempts to communicate with the blacksmiths despite the language barrier, using his size, friendly gestures, and the sugar as a peace offering.
• The old blacksmith and his apprentice anxiously discuss the gift, interpreting Li Qinwu’s generosity as mysterious and potentially threatening.
• The chapter ends with the old blacksmith formally asking Li Qinwu to explain his intentions, setting up negotiations for the armor.

Chapter Summary: Thirty Years’ War 2

Key Plot Points and Events

• With their finances secured, Li Qinwu uses ten crates of white sugar to pay a Bohemian smithy for equipment.
• He commissions seven complete suits of plate armor for himself and his companions, insisting that the armor and weapons be finished before they depart the following morning.
• The blacksmiths, inspired by the valuable payment and the opportunity, work through the night. More than thirty men forge armor and equipment with extraordinary determination.
• While supervising the work, Li Qinwu discovers the broken breech of a massive medieval cannon. He decides to turn it into an enormous greatsword.
• The blacksmith doubts that Li Qinwu could lift such a weapon and explains that the smithy lacks a furnace large enough to melt the cannon metal.
• Li Qinwu proves his superhuman strength by lifting and casually tossing the roughly hundred-kilogram cannon breech with one hand, astonishing the smiths.
• Determined to create the sword as a symbol of intimidation, Li Qinwu uses his Psychic Power and Warp-related abilities to melt the iron without a furnace.
• He then suspends the molten metal in midair through Gravity Control, leaving the blacksmith convinced that Li Qinwu possesses divine or supernatural power.

Character Developments

• Li Qinwu demonstrates increasing confidence in both his physical enhancements and Psychic Power. He takes personal responsibility for protecting his advisers and thinks strategically about how to deter larger armies.
• His strength and supernatural abilities become impossible for ordinary people to dismiss, causing the smiths to view him as something beyond human.
• The old blacksmith evolves from a skeptical craftsman into an awestruck believer in Li Qinwu’s extraordinary nature. His professional pride and excitement also motivate him to work far beyond normal limits.
• The apprentices and other smiths become energized by the project, treating the forging process almost like a sacred battle.
• Little Knife and the advisers are shown as exhausted from their travels and dependent on Li Qinwu’s leadership and protection.

Significant Themes

• Resource and technology exchange: White sugar functions as a valuable economic resource, allowing Li Qinwu’s group to obtain advanced armor and weapons in a war-torn era.
• Superhumanity and awe: Li Qinwu’s strength and Psychic Power blur the boundary between man, monster, and god in the eyes of ordinary people.
• Preparation and survival: The armor and greatsword are not merely equipment; they are necessary preparations for crossing dangerous historical eras and facing powerful armies.
• Intimidation as strategy: Li Qinwu intends the oversized sword to make enemies hesitate before attacking, using reputation and fear to protect his smaller group.
• Craftsmanship and dedication: The blacksmiths’ relentless labor reflects their pride, passion, and willingness to devote themselves to a rare opportunity.

Character Interactions

• Li Qinwu instructs his advisers to sleep while he remains awake to supervise the smiths and ensure their equipment is properly made.
• Little Knife questions Li Qinwu’s refusal to rest, prompting him to explain that his modified body gives him exceptional stamina.
• Li Qinwu struggles to communicate his unusual demands to the old blacksmith through gestures, especially his request to forge a giant sword from a cannon breech.
• The blacksmith warns him that the weapon would be too heavy and that the smithy cannot melt the metal, but Li Qinwu answers both objections through displays of strength and psychic manipulation.
• The final transformation of the cannon metal causes the blacksmith to collapse in religious shock, crying out, “God!”

Li Qinwu and his group left the smithy in newly made plate armor and traveled through the forest into a ruined coastal city. After surveying the city from a tower, Li Qinwu recognized Constantinople and guessed they had arrived shortly before its fall in 1453.

• Li Qinwu told Rudosen and the others to put on their new armor, eat, and fill their waterskins before leaving the smithy.
• Rudosen, Little Knife, Little Joel, and the others donned their armor, and Li Qinwu led the group away in the carriage.
• The group followed the Gravity Track to the forest boundary and crossed into the next era, emerging inside a vast, eerily deserted walled city.
• Li Qinwu led the group up an abandoned stone tower, where they saw the sea, warships, and the city's enormous western wall.
• Li Qinwu recognized Hagia Sophia and identified the city as Constantinople, likely just before its fall in 1453.