Chapter Summaries

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu and Bloodmark use a disguised phone call to deceive a follower of the White-Robed Heavenly King. By pretending to be Qiusang and discussing the failure involving Xiang Yixiu, they keep the call active for over two minutes.
• Dragon Eye successfully traces the signal to within a meter, but the target is traveling in a speeding car. Because the roads are crowded and surveillance is limited, the team cannot determine the White-Robed Heavenly King’s exact identity or location.
• Lin Xiaosu discovers the ancient manual Great Void Spiral, the temple-defending divine art of Great Sun Free-and-Easy Temple and the foundation of the White-Robed Heavenly King’s power.
• Xiang Yixiu, who deliberately acted as a chess piece in their plan, leaves for medical treatment with his junior brothers. He jokingly threatens Lin Xiaosu while making clear that he does not blame them for using him.
• Lin Xiaosu decides to enter seclusion and study Great Void Spiral. Bloodmark remains behind to guard him while recovering from his own serious injuries.
• At the Tali River, Lin Xiaosu begins cultivating the technique. Because all of his meridians—including rarely accessible Micro-Meridians—are exceptionally well developed, he rapidly masters its basic principles.
• Using leaves as projectiles, Lin Xiaosu reaches the technique’s second stage, “peerless might,” in a single night. He learns that the higher realm involves concealing the projectile’s power during flight and releasing it only upon impact—“light as motes of dust, heavy as a mountain collapse.”

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates strategic intelligence, confidence, irreverent humor, and growing ambition. He moves from relying mainly on healing and movement techniques toward seeking a genuine killing art suitable for battle.
• His unusually complete meridian network and powerful Blood Pagoda make him ideally suited to Great Void Spiral, allowing him to progress far faster than ordinary cultivators.
• Bloodmark remains practical and sharp-minded. He helps maintain the deception, analyzes the signal-tracing results, worries over their failed opportunity, and recovers from major injuries while continuing to support Lin Xiaosu.
• Xiang Yixiu accepts his role as a sacrificial chess piece but retains his pride and combative personality. His banter shows that his relationship with Lin Xiaosu is hostile on the surface but grounded in mutual trust and familiarity.
• The White-Robed Heavenly King remains absent, but the chapter reveals that Great Void Spiral is central to his strength and that his organization believes Xiang Yixiu has been eliminated.

Significant Themes

• Deception and counterintelligence: The phone conversation succeeds because the protagonists manipulate emotion and exploit the opponent’s assumptions.
• The frustration of near-success: Tracing the signal to a moving car gives them precise information but no practical way to capture their enemy.
• Faith versus hypocrisy: Lin Xiaosu criticizes people who claim religious devotion while secretly violating the principles they profess, contrasting genuine belief with political or personal manipulation.
• Sacrifice and strategic morality: Xiang Yixiu knowingly allows himself to be used for the larger plan, raising questions about loyalty, guilt, and the cost of victory.
• Adaptation and growth: Lin Xiaosu recognizes that his existing techniques are poorly suited to killing and seeks a new martial path. His rapid mastery reflects both preparation and exceptional natural ability.
• Power through rotation and foundations: Great Void Spiral presents strength as the result of a stable foundation, complete meridian circulation, and controlled rotational force.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Bloodmark cooperate closely but constantly trade sarcastic insults, especially about faith, guilt, money, and Xiang Yixiu’s treatment.
• Xiang Yixiu confronts Lin Xiaosu and Bloodmark before departing, insisting that he chose his role and jokingly threatening them to hide his vulnerability.
• Bloodmark and Lin Xiaosu share both professional trust and comic rivalry, particularly when discussing mission rewards and Bloodmark’s decision to guard Lin Xiaosu.
• The unseen White-Robed Heavenly King’s followers reveal their hostility toward Formless Temple and their confidence that their larger plan remains intact, creating a continuing conflict between the rival religious forces.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu’s use of the Great Void Spiral creates a massive disturbance, nearly disrupting Bloodmark’s healing. He moves several hundred meters away so he can continue guarding Bloodmark without interfering.
• He spends more than a day relentlessly training the technique, using his Secret Rejuvenation Art and Blood Pagoda to replenish true qi almost as quickly as he expends it.
• Lin Xiaosu reaches a breakthrough: the Great Void Spiral’s visible power begins to weaken, but this is actually a sign that the technique has reached a higher level. Eventually, a nearly invisible blade of grass destroys a tree by turning it into dust.
• Realizing that any small object can now become a deadly weapon, Lin Xiaosu becomes highly confident in his abilities. He demonstrates the technique by killing and preparing a rabbit with effortless precision.
• Bloodmark finishes recovering and joins Lin Xiaosu. He admits that, compared with Gene Humans and Lin Xiaosu, his own healing ability gives him little advantage in the modern martial world.
• The two prepare to begin their mission the next day and board Bloodmark’s flying car, traveling toward their destination.
• During the journey, they discuss Formless Temple and its relationship with the Great Sun Free-and-Easy Temple. Bloodmark believes Formless Temple could become an ally against their mutual enemies.
• Lin Xiaosu warns Bloodmark not to assume that the White-Robed Heavenly King was deceived during their previous conversation. He suggests that White-Robed may already have known the Great Sun Free-and-Easy Temple had fallen and may have deliberately allowed himself to be contacted, raising questions about his true motive.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates extraordinary talent, mastering and greatly advancing the Great Void Spiral in only a day and a night. His inexhaustible true-qi recovery gives him confidence that he could defeat stronger opponents through endurance.
• His success causes him to become boastful and playful, though he also gains insight into why the mysterious White-Robed Heavenly King behaves arrogantly.
• Bloodmark recovers from his injuries but becomes more self-aware about his limitations. He recognizes Lin Xiaosu’s healing and stamina as major battlefield advantages.
• Bloodmark also reveals his strength as a strategist, analyzing the political and religious factions surrounding the mission.
• Lin Xiaosu shows greater caution and skepticism than Bloodmark, refusing to accept an apparently convenient political interpretation without examining possible deception.

Significant Themes

• Relentless cultivation and breakthrough: Lin Xiaosu’s extreme training shows that pushing a technique beyond its apparent limits can lead to a higher form of mastery.
• Adaptability and hidden strength: Ordinary objects such as grass, stones, and leaves can become weapons when skill and control reach a sufficient level.
• Endurance as power: Lin Xiaosu’s rapid recovery gives him the ability to sustain prolonged combat and potentially exhaust stronger enemies.
• Quality of life versus survival: The humorous argument over fresh and stale tea reflects a deeper difference between Lin Xiaosu’s desire to savor life and Bloodmark’s practical focus on mission priorities.
• Political complexity and deception: The discussion of Formless Temple emphasizes that apparent alliances and rivalries may be more complicated than they seem.
• Strategic skepticism: Lin Xiaosu stresses the danger of assuming that an enemy has been fooled, suggesting that White-Robed may have been manipulating events from the beginning.

Character Interactions

• Bloodmark is initially disturbed by Lin Xiaosu’s destructive training but later discusses his abilities directly, probing Lin Xiaosu’s healing and combat advantages.
• Lin Xiaosu responds by warning Bloodmark against probing his secrets, though he still shares food and works cooperatively with him.
• Their conversation aboard the flying car highlights their contrasting personalities: Bloodmark is pragmatic, mission-oriented, and analytical, while Lin Xiaosu is irreverent, pleasure-loving, and philosophically committed to enjoying life despite danger.
• Bloodmark proposes using Formless Temple as an ally because it opposes the Great Sun Free-and-Easy Temple and may also oppose the Kun Cang forces.
• Lin Xiaosu challenges Bloodmark’s assumptions, suggesting that White-Robed’s apparent mistakes may have been intentional. The chapter ends with Bloodmark realizing that White-Robed’s actions may conceal a deeper plan.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu and Bloodmark analyze a suspicious call supposedly made by the White-Robed Heavenly King’s master. Lin Xiaosu warns that tracing the White-Robed One through an insider in Luoba Prefecture could expose and eliminate Qianlong’s hidden agent.
• They focus on the unexpected mention of Formless Temple and its supposed opposition to Great Sun Free-and-Easy Temple. Lin Xiaosu suspects this information was deliberately planted to manipulate Qianlong into investigating Formless Temple.
• Lin Xiaosu argues that Great Sun Free-and-Easy Temple contains elements of Han Buddhism, while the Great Void Spiral is a distinctly Han Buddhist martial art. This suggests the relationship between the two temples is more complicated than it appears.
• Bloodmark urges Lin Xiaosu to join Qianlong permanently, but Lin Xiaosu refuses to discuss it.
• To enter Luoba Prefecture, Lin Xiaosu proposes that they act in ways “no one else could possibly expect,” avoiding predictable plans.
• Lin Xiaosu reveals that he has mastered the Great Void Spiral in only two days and one night, astonishing Bloodmark. He leaves the ancient book with Bloodmark because he no longer needs it.
• The two travel to Luoba Prefecture under false identities: Bloodmark becomes a university professor, while Lin Xiaosu disguises himself as his graduate student, Du Qingquan. Their destination, Manlins University, lies near the location identified through Dragon Eye.
• The chapter shifts to the White-Robed Heavenly King in Aman City. He explains to a beautiful blonde companion that the call attributed to his master was actually made by an enemy.
• The White-Robed One recognized the deception because the caller failed to detect a hidden trap concerning Formless Temple. He concludes that the call’s purpose was to locate him, activate Qianlong’s hidden agents, and expose their identities.
• He reveals that he had anticipated such a move and deliberately arranged circumstances to create a counter-trap. He plans to activate his own forces and observe who investigates the relevant vehicle and route, thereby identifying Qianlong’s covert network.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates exceptional strategic insight, recognizing multiple layers of deception in the call and identifying Formless Temple as a likely bait. His mastery of the Great Void Spiral confirms his extraordinary martial talent and positions him as a potential equal to the White-Robed Heavenly King.
• Bloodmark gains greater respect for Lin Xiaosu, both as a strategist and martial artist. His request that Lin Xiaosu join Qianlong reflects his belief that the organization needs Lin’s abilities, though Lin firmly rejects the suggestion.
• The White-Robed Heavenly King is shown to be highly perceptive and cautious. He sees through the false call, understands the enemy’s objectives, and responds with his own elaborate counter-operation.
• The blonde woman serves as the White-Robed One’s confidante and intelligence partner. Though knowledgeable about Kun Cang, she realizes that her understanding of the organization remains incomplete.

Significant Themes

• Counterintelligence and layered deception: Both sides anticipate the other’s plans, turning attempts at surveillance into traps designed to expose hidden agents.
• Uncertainty and concealed identities: False calls, disguised agents, hidden affiliations, and deliberately misleading information dominate the chapter.
• Strategic unpredictability: Lin Xiaosu and the White-Robed One both believe that success depends on acting beyond the enemy’s expectations.
• Martial arts as intellect and power: The mastery of the Great Void Spiral represents not only physical ability but also Lin Xiaosu’s exceptional comprehension and potential.
• Cultural and ideological conflict: The descriptions of Aman City and Great Xia’s development contrast Western prestige with Great Xia’s modernization, while also framing the broader struggle as part of an East–West contest.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Bloodmark collaborate closely, combining Lin’s analytical instincts with Bloodmark’s organizational knowledge. Their discussion reveals mutual trust and growing respect.
• Bloodmark’s invitation to Lin Xiaosu to join Qianlong introduces a personal tension between professional cooperation and Lin’s independent position.
• The White-Robed Heavenly King and the blonde woman discuss the false call, the hidden structure of Kun Cang, and the enemy’s likely objectives. Their exchange highlights his superior understanding and her growing alarm.
• Both strategic pairings—Lin Xiaosu with Bloodmark and the White-Robed One with the blonde woman—mirror each other as they interpret clues, anticipate traps, and prepare countermeasures.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• A white-robed strategist explains his plan to use Formless Temple as a “meat grinder” against Qianlong. By presenting Formless Temple as a possible ally, he hopes to lure Qianlong into a dangerous trap. However, he also recognizes that Formless Temple could be exposed if his opponent sees through the scheme.
• Lin Xiaosu and Bloodmark arrive in Xila and trace a vehicle connected to their target without using Qianlong’s vulnerable police contacts. Lin Xiaosu’s Time Reversal ability allows him to identify the vehicle’s route and locate an estate.
• Lin Xiaosu discovers the identity and location of the White-Robed Heavenly King: Lu Xiushu, also known as Xiuke. Lu is an international businessman, a disciple of Qiusang from Great Sun Free-and-Easy Temple, and one of the temple’s successful overseas disciples.
• Lu Xiushu is hiding at the Cress family estate, where he controls the household through fear and violence. Isa Cress, the estate’s heir, is his lover and effectively his subordinate.
• Bloodmark and Lin Xiaosu confront Lu Xiushu. Bloodmark immediately reveals his identity, declaring that their meeting will end in a fight to the death.
• Lu launches the first attack using his Great Void Spiral, shattering a teacup and firing the fragments like bullets. Bloodmark evades the attack with his Heavenly Afterimage technique and counters with his Earth-Rending Blade.
• The chapter ends as their long-awaited battle begins.

Character Developments

• The white-robed strategist is shown to be a highly calculating Wisdom Path player. He understands that even a transparent trap can be effective if circumstances force an opponent to enter it.
• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates his investigative value and confidence. His Time Reversal ability enables him to track Lu without risking Qianlong’s informants. His humorous obsession with being paid contrasts with his formidable abilities.
• Bloodmark has matured dramatically over three years. Once humiliated and wounded by Lu Xiushu, he has cultivated to the Eight-Star Voidbreaking Realm and is now only one step from Peering into Heaven. His patience and preparation have been directed toward this revenge.
• Lu Xiushu is revealed as ruthless, controlling, and arrogant. He eliminates anyone he distrusts, dominates the Cress estate, and treats Isa as an expendable possession. Despite his confidence, he recognizes Bloodmark as a serious opponent.
• Isa Cress is portrayed as both Lu’s lover and a victim of his domination. Her relationship with him is based partly on the pleasure he provides, but she remains powerless within his household.

Significant Themes

• Strategic manipulation: The discussion of Formless Temple emphasizes the difference between a hidden trap and an “open scheme” that remains dangerous even when recognized.
• Control and freedom: Lu’s supposed philosophy of freedom and ease is exposed as tyranny. His control over the estate depends on surveillance, fear, and eliminating anyone who might resist him.
• Revenge and perseverance: Bloodmark’s three years of painful cultivation represent sustained determination to overcome his past humiliation.
• Identity beneath appearances: Lu’s respectable public image as an international businessman conceals his role as the White-Robed Heavenly King.
• Risk and sacrifice: Avoiding the activation of informants shows the importance of protecting long-term resources rather than pursuing immediate convenience.

Character Interactions

• The white-robed strategist and the beauty discuss the strategic use of Formless Temple, revealing their shared involvement in a larger conflict between Great Sun Free-and-Easy Temple and Qianlong.
• Lin Xiaosu and Bloodmark combine Lin’s supernatural investigative ability with Bloodmark’s determination, while joking about money and the value of capturing enemy Heavenly Kings.
• Bloodmark and Lu Xiushu exchange hostile but composed words before fighting. Their dialogue reflects their shared history: Lu remembers the humiliation he inflicted, while Bloodmark has spent three years preparing to erase it.
• Lu’s relationship with Isa reveals his possessive and exploitative nature, while Bloodmark’s arrival interrupts the estate’s private order and challenges Lu’s sense of absolute control.

Chapter Summary: “Repay Him in His Own Coin”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After three years, Lu Xiushu—the White-Robed Heavenly King—has greatly improved his movement technique, the Free-and-Easy Lotus Steps, and clashes with Bloodmark in the garden of his manor.
• Lu Xiushu’s Gene Human subordinates join the fight, but Lin Xiaosu, concealed nearby, quickly kills nearly all of them.
• Lu Xiushu realizes that Lin Xiaosu has reached the Heavenly-King Level, having grown dramatically since their previous encounter on Etorofu Island.
• Lu Xiushu launches two extremely fast, concealed pebbles at Bloodmark and Lin Xiaosu. Bloodmark blocks his pebble with his dagger and Dragon Armor, though the attack still pierces the armor.
• Believing he has created an opening, Lu Xiushu activates special flying boots and attempts to escape into the air.
• Lin Xiaosu reveals that Lu Xiushu has fallen into his trap. He throws a dagger that initially appears ordinary but suddenly activates the Great Void Spiral, a technique modeled after Lu Xiushu’s own secret art.
• Because Lu Xiushu is airborne and unable to use his footwork effectively, the dagger strikes him fatally, killing him.
• Lin Xiaosu and Bloodmark withdraw as police arrive. Isa discovers the corpses and Lu Xiushu’s severed head, while the manor descends into chaos.
• Bloodmark plans to return to the hotel, but Lin Xiaosu stays behind in disguise. He intends to photograph and identify the high-ranking Hydra members who will come to retrieve Lu Xiushu’s hidden possessions.
• Bloodmark leaves as well, recognizing that the area around Hydra’s headquarters will soon become extremely dangerous.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates extraordinary growth, rising from someone Lu Xiushu once regarded as immature to an equal-level Heavenly King capable of defeating him through strategy.
• He displays not only overwhelming combat ability but also exceptional tactical intelligence, deliberately exploiting Lu Xiushu’s predictable behavior.
• Bloodmark proves himself a powerful and experienced fighter, surviving Lu Xiushu’s pebble attack and contributing to the battle. He is thrilled by the possibility of receiving the Qianlong Medal for killing a genuine Heavenly King, even though Lin Xiaosu dealt the decisive blow.
• Lu Xiushu remains highly skilled and cunning, but his confidence in his own strategic judgment becomes his weakness. His instinct to flee when he lacks the advantage allows Lin Xiaosu to defeat him.
• Isa awakens after the battle and is traumatized by the destruction of the manor and Lu Xiushu’s death.
• Lin Xiaosu’s mastery of disguise and concealment is emphasized, showing that his abilities extend beyond direct combat.

Significant Themes

• Repaying an opponent in his own coin: Lin Xiaosu defeats Lu Xiushu with a perfected version of Lu Xiushu’s own signature technique, turning the Heavenly King’s methods against him.
• Growth and transformation: Lin Xiaosu’s rapid advancement over three years overturns Lu Xiushu’s outdated assumptions about him.
• Strategy versus fixed thinking: Lu Xiushu considers himself a wise planner, but his predictable habit of retreating when disadvantaged becomes a pattern Lin Xiaosu can exploit.
• Combat intelligence and preparation: Victory depends not only on strength but on anticipating an enemy’s choices and controlling the circumstances of battle.
• Political and organizational consequences: The death of a high-ranking Hydra figure creates turmoil within the organization and is likely to draw out other senior members.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Lu Xiushu: Their exchange is both personal and ideological. Lu Xiushu recognizes Lin Xiaosu’s unexpected growth, while Lin Xiaosu mocks his inability to escape conventional thinking.
• Lin Xiaosu and Bloodmark: They fight as coordinated allies, with Lin Xiaosu relying on Bloodmark to pressure Lu Xiushu while preparing the final trap. Afterward, Lin Xiaosu assigns Bloodmark to leave while he investigates Hydra’s response.
• Lu Xiushu and Bloodmark: Their direct duel shows that they are evenly matched. Lu Xiushu’s attack injures Bloodmark’s armor but fails to stop him.
• Isa and the aftermath: Isa’s discovery of the bodies and Lu Xiushu’s remains highlights the human cost of the battle and the collapse of the manor’s apparent security.
• Lin Xiaosu and Hydra: Though he has killed Lu Xiushu, Lin Xiaosu immediately turns his attention to the wider organization, planning to identify and track Hydra’s upper management.

Chapter Summary: “Reviving Magic Hand, A Casual Theft”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the White-Robed Heavenly King is killed, Lu Xiushu’s manor descends into chaos. Li Shanhe, Lu Xiushu’s presidential assistant and a Hydra operative, realizes that the death of his powerful patron has destroyed his carefully built future.
• Lin Xiaosu secretly kills Li Shanhe by touching the back of his head, then uses his Qi Disguise technique to transform himself into Li Shanhe. He hides the corpse in a wardrobe and takes Li Shanhe’s identity, clothing, glasses, and access privileges.
• Lin chooses Li Shanhe because he has black hair and eyes, resembles Lin’s build, wears glasses that can conceal the Dragon Eye, and has legitimate access to Lu Xiushu’s private study.
• Using the Dragon Eye hidden in the glasses, Lin records the identities and appearances of everyone at the manor, including police officers, officials, and witnesses.
• A black flying car arrives carrying Duke Nalance, his granddaughter Catherine, and three mysterious bodyguards. Duke enters Lu Xiushu’s study to claim or inspect Hydra’s secret files.
• Lin notices that Catherine’s elf-shaped ring emits an unusual spectrum and appears capable of locating a specific object or aura.
• Catherine uses the ring to track a small bloodstained object that fell from Lu Xiushu’s body during his death. She deliberately pretends to stumble, crosses the police cordon, and secretly retrieves it.
• Lin intercepts Catherine before she can leave. Pretending to recognize her as a former classmate, he hugs her and uses a sudden burst of qi to overwhelm her senses. During the distraction, he steals the mysterious object from her wrist guard.
• Catherine realizes the item is missing only after Lin has departed. Furious and humiliated, she learns that her attacker was supposedly “Li Shanhe” and goes to confront him at his room.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates his growing skill in disguise, infiltration, surveillance, and theft. He exploits both Li Shanhe’s identity and Catherine’s momentary vulnerability, showing his opportunistic and audacious nature.
• Li Shanhe: His ambitions collapse with the death of the White-Robed Heavenly King. He is killed before he can react, becoming the identity Lin uses to move freely through the manor.
• Catherine Nalance: Introduced as a highly capable mysticism graduate with access to advanced tracking technology and enough skill to retrieve a dangerous object unnoticed. Her confidence is shaken when Lin casually steals from her through an unconventional distraction, motivating her to pursue him.
• Duke Nalance: Identified as a powerful Xila parliament member and a likely Hydra authority figure. His arrival suggests that Lu Xiushu’s secret files and organization will become central to the next stage of events.

Significant Themes

• Identity and deception: Lin’s transformation into Li Shanhe allows him to penetrate the manor’s security and exploit existing relationships.
• Power through improvisation: Rather than relying only on strength, Lin combines technology, disguise, psychological manipulation, and physical technique to achieve his goals.
• The aftermath of power struggles: The White-Robed Heavenly King’s death destabilizes Hydra’s local network and draws powerful figures to the manor.
• Hidden technology and mysticism: Catherine’s ring, Lin’s Dragon Eye, and the mysterious object retrieved from Lu Xiushu suggest a world where advanced science and supernatural abilities overlap.
• Humiliation and retaliation: Catherine’s anger stems not only from the theft but from Lin’s deliberately shameless method, creating a personal conflict between them.

Character Interactions

• Lin kills and replaces Li Shanhe, then uses Li’s professional status to approach the study.
• Police officers prevent Lin from entering the study, unknowingly helping him identify Duke Nalance as the important person he is waiting for.
• Lin observes Catherine’s tracking and theft of the mysterious object, then deceives her by pretending to be an old classmate.
• During their brief encounter, Lin overwhelms Catherine with qi, steals the object, and escapes before she can identify him.
• Catherine, enraged after discovering the theft, identifies “Li Shanhe” as the culprit and heads to his room, setting up their next confrontation.

Chapter Summary: The Mysterious Elf Totem

Key Plot Points and Events

• Catherine discovers a corpse hidden inside a wardrobe at Xila Manor. The dead man has been disguised as Li Shanhe, revealing that the real Li Shanhe was actually the mysterious murderer.
• Realizing that she has been deceived, Catherine concludes that the killer disguised himself as Li Shanhe, murdered the White-Robed Heavenly King, and remained under her nose. He also stole an ancient bone artifact she had obtained.
• The murderer is revealed to be Lin Xiaosu. He escapes Aman City, changes his appearance and clothing, and resumes his identity as the overseas student Du Qingquan.
• Lin Xiaosu examines the stolen artifact inside his Mystic Realm. It is an ancient bone totem carved with a beautiful elf and radiates a strange aura. Because the Mystic Realm suppresses its aura, Catherine cannot track or identify its thief.
• Lin Xiaosu reunites with Bloodmark. They flee Aman City by traveling underwater, crossing into Danmai, and catching a flight from Kazan Airport to Yangcheng before the authorities begin their full-scale search.
• After the plane departs, Aman City is placed under intense investigation. Police and even the prime minister become involved, while Duke Nalance confirms that the culprit was one of the Qianlong Heavenly Kings.
• Catherine learns that the killer’s identity may eventually be revealed when Qianlong issues a medal for eliminating the White-Robed Heavenly King. She vows to deal with him personally.
• In Yangcheng, Lin Xiaosu gives Bloodmark images captured by Dragon Eye. The photographs contain information on more than a hundred people connected to the manor, which will be analyzed to uncover Hydra’s networks.
• Lin Xiaosu identifies Duke Nalance as a confirmed Hydra higher-up because he handled the White-Robed Heavenly King’s belongings and was the only person permitted into the study.
• Bloodmark tells Lin Xiaosu that Changye has survived her latest period of Genetic Rejection and is about to emerge from seclusion.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates exceptional deception, disguise, escape planning, and supernatural ability. He successfully tricks Catherine, steals the elf totem, and escapes across an international border before the investigation begins.
• Catherine shifts from confidence to fury and humiliation after realizing she was deceived and robbed. Her determination to find and kill Lin Xiaosu intensifies.
• Duke Nalance is exposed as a confirmed senior Hydra figure, making him an important future target despite the decision not to attack him immediately.
• Bloodmark remains calm and professional during the escape and mission debriefing, but his private sorrow reveals deep concern for Changye. His relief at her survival shows that he is more emotionally invested in her than he openly admits.
• Changye is portrayed as extraordinarily resilient. Unlike ordinary members of the genetic realm, whose Genetic Rejection is painful, hers is a recurring life-or-death crisis. She survives another dangerous period, though future episodes remain a serious threat.
• Blue Demon is shown to care deeply for Changye, choosing to remain at Unit 101 and watch over her instead of participating in the mission.

Significant Themes

• Deception and identity: Disguises, false identities, and manipulation drive the central action. Lin Xiaosu wins by making others believe he is someone else.
• Cunning versus power: The chapter emphasizes that intelligence, preparation, and supernatural techniques can overcome even powerful opponents.
• Secrecy and hidden organizations: Hydra’s influence extends into elite figures such as Duke Nalance, while the Qianlong organization works covertly to investigate and counter it.
• Loyalty and emotional restraint: Bloodmark hides his concern for Changye behind jokes and professionalism, while his private reaction reveals the personal costs of his responsibilities.
• Survival and mortality: Changye’s repeated struggle with Genetic Rejection highlights the fragility of life and the courage required to survive.
• Consequences of victory: Although Lin Xiaosu’s mission succeeds, his theft of the totem and Catherine’s pursuit create future danger.

Character Interactions

• Catherine and the disguised killer: Catherine believes she is interacting with Li Shanhe, while Lin Xiaosu secretly manipulates and deceives her before stealing the artifact.
• Catherine and Duke Nalance: Catherine demands the killer’s identity, while Duke Nalance explains that Qianlong will likely expose the culprit through its reward system.
• Lin Xiaosu and Bloodmark: They cooperate efficiently during their escape and later review the mission’s intelligence. Their banter about Lin Xiaosu’s payment and romantic life creates a lighter contrast to the danger surrounding them.
• Lin Xiaosu and Bloodmark regarding Changye: Lin Xiaosu’s relieved reaction shows his affection for Changye. Bloodmark teasingly suggests Lin Xiaosu is like an unfaithful husband, but privately recognizes the depth of his concern.
• Bloodmark, Blue Demon, and Changye: Their actions reveal a protective network around Changye, especially during her life-threatening Genetic Rejection.

Chapter Summary: “Ding Ruoshui Called”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu returns home by high-speed train after completing a dangerous mission in the Southern Frontier.
• Working with Bloodmark Heavenly King, he successfully tracks and kills White-Robed Heavenly King at Chris Manor in Xila.
• Lin gains a major new ability, Great Void Spiral, an ultimate killing technique capable of killing a Heavenly King in one strike. His combat strength has now reached the Heavenly-King level.
• The killing of White-Robed Heavenly King creates major political consequences:
  • Hydra faces a massive internal upheaval.
  • Kun Cang is likely to react to the destruction of Great Sun Free-and-Easy Temple.
  • Qianlong must reconsider its delicate understanding with Kun Cang, since Bloodmark openly attacked one of Kun Cang’s affiliated forces.
• Ding Ruoshui unexpectedly calls Lin. She says her mother is pressuring her to bring Lin home and pretend to be romantically involved with her, offering him their previous fee of four hundred thousand.
• Lin suspects Ding’s return from Kun Cang may not be merely a family matter. He wonders whether Springwater Palace, the Kun Cang organization to which she belongs, is using the fake romance as a way to approach or manipulate him.
• Lin views Ding as a potentially valuable and more pleasant lead into Kun Cang than the dangerous Formless Temple connection previously offered by Lu Xiushu.
• At Qianlong’s Unit 101 base, Blue Demon waits anxiously for her close friend Changye to recover from a critical condition. Changye’s health finally stabilizes, allowing her to leave seclusion.
• Miaoyin Heavenly King contacts Blue Demon and reveals that Bloodmark was not punished for attacking Great Sun Free-and-Easy Temple. Instead, the operation has been vindicated because Bloodmark and Lin Xiaosu successfully killed White-Robed Heavenly King.
• Miaoyin explains that Lin designed the entire plan. His strategy linked Xiang Yixiu, Great Sun Free-and-Easy Temple, and White-Robed Heavenly King together, adapting perfectly to changing circumstances and ultimately leading to White-Robed’s death.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: His strength and reputation rise dramatically. He is now capable of confronting Heavenly Kings directly, but his increasing influence also makes him a target for Hydra, Kun Cang, and other major powers. He remains cautious and analytical, immediately questioning Ding Ruoshui’s motives.
• Ding Ruoshui: Reappears after months of silence and resumes her playful, transactional relationship with Lin. Her call may represent either a genuine family problem or Kun Cang’s first deliberate move against him.
• Bloodmark Heavenly King: His risky decision to attack Great Sun Free-and-Easy Temple is justified by the successful hunt for White-Robed Heavenly King. His standing within Qianlong improves because the operation produced an enormous strategic victory.
• Blue Demon: Revealed as a powerful but emotionally loyal figure. Her anxiety over Changye’s survival shows her capacity for deep friendship and concern despite her status as a Heavenly King.
• Changye: Recovers fully from her life-threatening condition, allowing Blue Demon to relax after guarding her for a month.
• Miaoyin Heavenly King: Acts as the bearer of important news. Her admiration for Lin’s planning becomes clear as she describes the brilliance and precision of his operation.

Significant Themes

• Consequences of power: Even after reaching Heavenly-King-level strength, Lin realizes that greater power brings more complicated political dangers rather than simplifying his life.
• Strategy and adaptability: Lin’s success comes not merely from strength but from his ability to connect clues, anticipate possibilities, and adjust his plan as circumstances change.
• Political balance: Qianlong and Kun Cang maintain a fragile understanding, and every major action risks upsetting the balance between them.
• Trust and hidden motives: Ding Ruoshui’s call raises questions about whether personal relationships are genuine or being used as tools by larger organizations.
• Friendship and loyalty: Blue Demon’s month-long vigil for Changye contrasts with the chapter’s broader political maneuvering, emphasizing the emotional bonds that still exist within powerful organizations.
• Vindication through results: Bloodmark’s controversial actions are judged favorably because the final outcome—the death of White-Robed Heavenly King—proves their necessity.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui: Their bantering phone call revives their fake-romance arrangement, but Lin privately suspects that her return may be part of Kun Cang’s agenda.
• Blue Demon and Changye: Blue Demon remains at Unit 101 to protect and support Changye during her dangerous recovery, revealing their close friendship.
• Blue Demon and Miaoyin: Miaoyin informs Blue Demon of White-Robed Heavenly King’s death and explains Lin’s central role in the operation. Blue Demon reacts with shock and admiration.
• Lin Xiaosu and Bloodmark Heavenly King: Though Lin is not present in the later conversations, Miaoyin’s account establishes that their partnership combined Bloodmark’s power with Lin’s exceptional planning to achieve a historic victory.

Chapter Summary: “Changye Emerges from Seclusion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Blue Demon leaves Unit 101 to welcome Bloodmark’s return and hear the fuller story behind his killing of the White-Robed Heavenly King. She suspects Bloodmark’s report omitted crucial details, possibly concealing Lin Xiaosu’s involvement or a major breakthrough.
• Her departure is also timely because Changye has survived her dangerous seclusion and no longer needs Blue Demon to guard the area.
• After three months submerged in a poisonous pool, Changye suddenly emerges, having undergone a successful “Nirvana rebirth.”
• Her poison has grown significantly stronger. It destroys her specialized protective suit, leaving her unable to dress safely without harming others.
• Xin Yue produces a rare fourth-generation nanotechnology protective suit, secretly prepared with Blue Demon’s help. The suit isolates Changye’s toxins and allows her to dress normally again.
• Changye destroys the two letters she had written before entering seclusion—one for Xin Yue and one for Lin Xiaosu—because she has survived and no longer wants them read.
• Xin Yue admits that she secretly read the letters and teases Changye about their romantic, intimate contents concerning Lin Xiaosu.
• Changye tries to make Xin Yue promise not to reveal the letters’ contents, but Xin Yue instead bargains for help in escaping her status as a reserve member of Qianlong.
• Xin Yue tells Changye that Li Diandian, Lin Xiaosu’s childhood sweetheart, has become a Gold Badge member, provoking Changye’s competitive and romantic jealousy.
• Changye agrees to arrange another test for Xin Yue. Xin Yue flees while joking that she will tell everyone Lin Xiaosu never slept with Changye.
• The chapter ends with Changye sitting on a swing, summoning Dragon Eye, and ordering it to search for Lin Xiaosu’s itinerary.

Character Developments

• Changye: Emerges dramatically stronger after surviving Nirvana rebirth. Her poison has become nearly impossible to control, but her energy, movement technique, and combat strength have improved enormously. She is embarrassed and defensive about her relationship with Lin Xiaosu, while also showing growing concern and affection for him.
• Xin Yue: Remains mischievous, shameless, and opportunistic. She read Changye’s private letter, uses its contents to tease and bargain with her, but also demonstrates genuine loyalty by helping secure Changye’s protective suit.
• Blue Demon: Shows loyalty and foresight by remaining near Changye during her ordeal and arranging emergency assistance through Xin Yue. She is also intellectually curious about the unexplained circumstances of Bloodmark’s victory.
• Bloodmark/Lin Xiaosu: Though absent from the chapter’s main events, Bloodmark’s mysterious report and Lin Xiaosu’s connection to Changye drive much of the conversation and Changye’s final decision to locate him.
• Li Diandian: Her promotion to Gold Badge status establishes her as a rival or source of pressure for Changye and Xin Yue.

Significant Themes

• Rebirth through extreme trials: Changye’s survival represents transformation through suffering, granting her immense power at the cost of greater difficulty controlling her poison.
• Friendship and loyalty: Blue Demon and Xin Yue both assist Changye, though Xin Yue’s help is mixed with relentless teasing and manipulation.
• Privacy, intimacy, and embarrassment: Changye’s destroyed letters symbolize her attempt to control her private feelings, while Xin Yue’s discovery exposes the romantic relationship she hoped to keep secret.
• Power and advancement: Bloodmark’s unexplained victory, Changye’s sudden growth, Xin Yue’s desire for promotion, and Li Diandian’s Gold Badge all emphasize competition within the martial and organizational hierarchy.
• Jealousy and romantic rivalry: Changye becomes interested in Lin Xiaosu’s whereabouts after hearing about Li Diandian’s advancement, suggesting her feelings are becoming harder to conceal.

Important Character Interactions

• Blue Demon and Miaoyin discuss the gaps in Bloodmark’s report and question how he killed the White-Robed Heavenly King.
• Changye and Xin Yue exchange comic banter over Changye’s nudity, her poisonous body, the protective suit, and the contents of her letters.
• Changye confronts Xin Yue for reading her private letter and forces her to promise not to reveal it.
• Xin Yue exploits Changye’s embarrassment to request help in earning full Qianlong membership.
• News of Li Diandian’s Gold Badge status triggers Changye’s competitive instincts and leads her to offer Xin Yue another evaluation.
• Changye’s final act—searching for Lin Xiaosu—signals that she intends to reconnect with him after her transformation.

Chapter Summary: “A Wedding Banquet Tomorrow”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu returns to River City after completing a lucrative assignment. Unit 101 paid 2.5 million, while Ding Ruoshui paid him another 400,000 to act as her boyfriend.
• Ding Ruoshui picks him up and explains that she needs him to accompany her to a high-profile wedding the next day. Her former pursuer, He Bin—the mayor’s son—has recently returned to China and will attend.
• She wants Lin Xiaosu to appear as her boyfriend so He Bin will finally give up pursuing her.
• The wedding is between the Lei and Xia families: Lei Xiaojun’s Changsheng Group is joining forces through marriage with Xia Zhongliang’s Seven Stars Group. Because the companies are major competitors in the genetics industry, Lin Xiaosu suspects the alliance may conceal deeper business motives.
• Instead of buying jewelry, Ding Ruoshui takes Lin Xiaosu directly to her family’s villa. Her mother warmly welcomes him and actively treats him as a future son-in-law.
• Ding Ruoshui’s mother asks about Lin Xiaosu’s family and apologizes for Ruoshui’s long absence in the northwest. Lin Xiaosu reassures her that their relationship allows each person personal freedom.
• The chapter also explains Ding Lizhong’s unusual role as president of Changsheng Group: he ignores most managerial and social duties to focus entirely on scientific research, leaving others to handle the company’s practical affairs. Despite this, the state-owned majority shareholder approves of his dedication.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Returns confident and pleased with his financial success. He remains witty and shamelessly negotiates his “boyfriend” performance as a business transaction, but he also shows sharp commercial instincts by questioning the motives behind the corporate marriage.
• Ding Ruoshui: Demonstrates her independence and reluctance toward romantic pressure. She does not dislike He Bin because he is immoral—indeed, he is portrayed as hardworking and admirable—but simply because she does not like his personality or type. She relies on Lin Xiaosu as a convenient and convincing shield.
• Ding Ruoshui’s mother: Becomes even more openly enthusiastic about Lin Xiaosu, treating him with warmth and trying to build his sense of belonging in the Ding family. She clearly hopes their relationship will become genuine.
• Ding Lizhong: Is characterized as an eccentric but highly dedicated scientist who uses his executive position to protect his research. His unconventional management style is tolerated because of his value and sincerity.
• He Bin: Though absent, he is established as a persistent former suitor and a notably respectable second-generation official who supported himself while studying abroad.

Significant Themes

• Love versus business: Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui frame their relationship as a paid arrangement, while Ding Ruoshui’s mother interprets it as genuine romance.
• Family and social expectations: Ding Ruoshui must attend the wedding because of longstanding family ties, and her mother pressures her toward a more conventional relationship.
• Powerful alliances: The wedding suggests how marriage can serve as a strategic partnership between major business families.
• Individual freedom: Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui defend their arrangement by emphasizing personal space rather than constant romantic attachment.
• Dedication versus conventional responsibility: Ding Lizhong’s commitment to research challenges the usual expectations of a company president, raising the idea that social roles can be fulfilled in unconventional ways.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui exchange flirtatious, sarcastic banter about payment, attractiveness, and their fake relationship.
• Ding Ruoshui reveals her plan to use Lin Xiaosu to deter He Bin, while Lin Xiaosu teases her about rejecting an otherwise admirable man.
• Lin Xiaosu’s conversation with Ding Ruoshui’s mother is warm and respectful. He reassures her about his family and praises their relationship arrangement, intensifying her belief that he is an ideal son-in-law.
• Ding Ruoshui reacts with embarrassment and irritation as her mother and Lin Xiaosu enthusiastically reinforce the illusion of a loving relationship.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Mother Ding leaves the young couple to prepare dinner, including her notorious “stir-fried tomatoes with tomatoes.”
• Ding Ruoshui takes Lin Xiaosu to the villa’s underground area, revealing that the basement is the true heart of the Ding family’s estate.
• The basement contains:
  • A locked laboratory belonging to Ding Ruoshui’s father, Ding Lizhong.
  • A concealed mechanical workshop where her brother, Ding Dong, is building advanced flying-car components.
• Ding Dong makes a dramatic transformation from a hardworking mechanic in protective gear into a flamboyant playboy.
• He jokes that Lin Xiaosu is foolish for dating Ding Ruoshui and warns that she may eventually beat him. Ding Ruoshui kicks him, creating a playful family interaction.
• Lin Xiaosu correctly identifies a flying-car engine component, surprising both Ding Dong and Ding Ruoshui. This reveals that Lin Xiaosu possesses considerable mechanical knowledge beyond his known expertise in ancient paintings.
• Ding Dong boasts about his inventions and even claims he wants to build an atomic bomb, prompting Ding Ruoshui to cut off the subject.
• Ding Dong discovers that he is late for dinner dates with three women and rushes away. Ding Ruoshui explains that his lateness will cost him millions in compensatory gifts; his record is eight dates in one night.
• Lin Xiaosu teases Ding Ruoshui about increasing her dating budget, leading to a suggestive exchange in which she mentions that their relationship requires her to risk her first kiss and virginity.
• After returning upstairs, they meet Ding Lizhong, whose mood and appearance have dramatically improved because he is now pursuing research he genuinely enjoys.
• The family has dinner, including Mother Ding’s questionable tomato dish and an extremely expensive bottle of wine.
• Lin Xiaosu later speaks privately with Ding Lizhong about whether the current Changsheng Group fulfills his ambitions. Ding Lizhong explains that he has learned to be satisfied with progress and values the research process, even if he cannot achieve his ultimate goal.
• The chapter ends with Lin Xiaosu asking what Ding Lizhong’s ultimate goal is.

2. Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates unexpected mechanical expertise by recognizing advanced flying-car components. His intelligence and adaptability continue to exceed the expectations of the Ding family. He also becomes increasingly comfortable joking with Ding Ruoshui and interacting with her eccentric relatives.
• Ding Ruoshui: Acts as the bridge between Lin Xiaosu and her family. She is embarrassed by her mother’s cooking and her brother’s behavior but is affectionate and playful with both. Her comments about sacrificing her first kiss and virginity suggest that her fake or strategic relationship with Lin Xiaosu may involve genuine emotional or personal stakes.
• Ding Dong: Revealed as both a gifted engineer and an extreme playboy. His careless, extravagant lifestyle contrasts sharply with his impressive technical abilities. Despite his vulgar humor and irresponsible dating habits, he appears relaxed, charismatic, and close to his sister.
• Ding Lizhong: Has undergone a major emotional change. Once gloomy and burdened, he is now optimistic and energized because he can pursue research according to his own interests. His outlook reflects a mature acceptance that fulfillment lies in the journey as much as in achieving a final objective.
• Mother Ding: Remains extravagant, self-confident, and comically oblivious to the poor quality of her cooking. She seeks praise rather than improvement and proudly treats professional approval of her dish as proof of culinary success.

3. Significant Themes

• Passion and personal fulfillment: The Ding family members devote themselves intensely to what they love—research, engineering, cooking, or luxury. Their happiness comes from following their interests, even when their behavior appears excessive.
• Contrasting identities: Ding Dong embodies the contrast between genius and hedonism, while Ding Lizhong’s public identity as a business leader contrasts with his private identity as a passionate researcher.
• Family eccentricity and affection: The family’s extravagance, teasing, and bizarre habits create a chaotic but warm atmosphere. Their interactions show affection through mockery, indulgence, and familiarity.
• Authenticity versus performance: Ding Ruoshui’s relationship with Lin Xiaosu may have begun as an act, but her references to intimacy and sacrifice blur the line between pretense and genuine feeling.
• Satisfaction versus ambition: Ding Lizhong acknowledges that ultimate goals may remain unattainable, yet he finds meaning in controlling his own direction and enjoying the process.

4. Character Interactions

• Ding Ruoshui and Lin Xiaosu tease each other about her mother’s cooking and visit the basement together, strengthening their playful intimacy.
• Ding Dong immediately jokes about Lin Xiaosu’s relationship with Ding Ruoshui, while she responds by scolding and kicking him.
• Lin Xiaosu earns Ding Dong’s interest by recognizing his mechanical work, establishing a potential bond based on shared technical knowledge.
• Ding Ruoshui repeatedly restrains Ding Dong’s reckless talk and protects Lin Xiaosu from being dragged into his dangerous ambitions.
• Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui exchange increasingly suggestive remarks about their relationship, revealing tension beneath their joking arrangement.
• Ding Lizhong warmly welcomes Lin Xiaosu and later engages him in a thoughtful discussion about ambition, contentment, and the meaning of research.

Chapter Summary: “Luxury Wedding Banquet”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ding Lizhong explains that his biological-control research could be revolutionized by Huang Chengwang’s neutrino technology. Neutrino signals can penetrate obstacles and maintain contact with organisms even underground, solving biological control’s main communication problem.
• He indirectly reveals that his work aligns with a major national research program involving the Purple Demon Stone, the neutrino project, and Changsheng Group’s transformation into a state-controlled enterprise.
• Lin Xiaosu learns that Lei Xiaojun strongly supports Ding Lizhong’s research with funding, equipment, and personnel. Lei’s son is marrying the daughter of Xia Zhongliang, chairman of Seven Stars Group, once Changsheng Group’s fierce business rival.
• After leaving Ding Lizhong’s study, Lin Xiaosu is visited by Ding Ruoshui. Her mother has sent her to spend time with him and encourage their romantic relationship.
• Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui jokingly argue about whether their fake relationship should become genuine, with money and the eight hundred thousand paid for their arrangement becoming a recurring source of teasing.
• Ding Ruoshui invites Lin Xiaosu to travel with her to the northwest. He initially hesitates because he must be present at Willow Grove Temple on the first day of the first lunar month for the Equatorial Sun Rift, an important event connected to the Dao Book.
• They agree to postpone the journey until after the New Year, when the weather becomes warmer and the scenery is more beautiful.
• The following day, Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui leave together for the wedding. Their closeness delights Ding Ruoshui’s mother, though she simultaneously complains about her son Dong’s repeated absences and womanizing.
• The wedding takes place at the enormous Imperial Dynasty Hotel beside East Lake. The extravagant outdoor venue features a massive red-carpet Double Happiness symbol and attracts major figures from business and politics.
• Because Ding Ruoshui represents Ding Lizhong, she and Lin Xiaosu receive prominent seating near the top of the character, reflecting the status-based hierarchy of the guests.
• While waiting at the banquet, they discuss the wedding’s style and jokingly speculate about their own future marriage. Ding Ruoshui becomes suspicious when Lin Xiaosu suddenly claims to be looking at a handsome man.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates increasing awareness of the national significance behind Ding Lizhong’s research and Changsheng Group’s political and technological transformation. He also remains cautious about changing the timing of his plans because of the mysterious event at Willow Grove Temple.
• Ding Lizhong is shown to be deeply integrated into a sensitive national research effort. His work is no longer merely private scientific experimentation but part of a broader state-backed strategy.
• Ding Ruoshui becomes more openly interested in spending time with Lin Xiaosu, proposing a northwest trip and compromising when he cannot travel before the New Year. Her playful hostility masks growing emotional familiarity.
• Ding Ruoshui’s mother enthusiastically pushes the couple toward a real relationship, while displaying humorous double standards by condemning her son’s romantic behavior despite encouraging her daughter’s.
• Lei Xiaojun and Xia Zhongliang represent the reconciliation of two former corporate rivals through their children’s marriage, symbolizing the merging of powerful business interests.

Significant Themes

• Science and national power: Neutrino technology and biological control are presented as potentially transformative technologies with military, industrial, and strategic implications.
• Corporate transformation and state influence: Changsheng Group’s shift from a dangerous Hydra-controlled company to a state-backed enterprise reflects the way private industry can be absorbed into national objectives.
• Marriage as alliance: The wedding unites two rival business empires and demonstrates how marriage can reshape commercial and political relationships.
• Romance versus pretense: Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui continue to label their relationship as an act, but their banter and plans for travel suggest genuine emotional attachment developing underneath.
• Comedy and social hypocrisy: Ding Ruoshui’s mother’s matchmaking, her double standards regarding her children, and the couple’s arguments about money provide comic relief amid the chapter’s larger political and scientific developments.
• Fate and hidden timing: Lin Xiaosu’s concern about the Equatorial Sun Rift shows that his personal choices are constrained by larger mystical or prophetic events.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Ding Lizhong: Their discussion combines scientific speculation with veiled political disclosure. Lin Xiaosu carefully interprets what Ding Lizhong cannot openly state.
• Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui: They trade flirtatious insults about money, marriage, and the possibility of turning their fake relationship into a real one. Their planned northwest trip brings them closer.
• Ding Ruoshui and her mother: Her mother pressures her to develop intimacy with Lin Xiaosu, while Ding Ruoshui complains about the lack of boundaries in the encouragement.
• Ding Ruoshui’s mother and Aunt Mei: Their conversation highlights the mother’s eagerness to see Ding Ruoshui marry and her contradictory attitude toward her son’s behavior.
• Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui at the banquet: Their discussion of weddings becomes indirectly personal, with Lin Xiaosu hinting at Ding Ruoshui as a possible future partner before pretending to admire another man, provoking her suspicion.

Chapter Summary: Murder at the Wedding Banquet

Key Plot Points and Events

• At a wedding banquet attended by River City’s elite, He Bin—the mayor’s son and a prominent second-generation official—approaches Ding Ruoshui, whom he has been pursuing.
• He Bin ignores Ruoshui’s boyfriend, Lin Xiaosu, and insults him, insisting that he does not belong among the elite. When Lin refuses to leave, He Bin physically grabs his shoulder and attempts to throw him into the swimming pool.
• Lin Xiaosu does not move; instead, He Bin is unexpectedly thrown into the pool. Lin dismisses him as a supposed “clear stream” among officials’ children.
• He Bin is found motionless in the water. Despite being pulled ashore and examined by attendants and doctors, he has no signs of life.
• Because hundreds of guests witnessed the confrontation, Lin is immediately treated as the murderer. The incident becomes especially serious because the victim is the mayor’s only son and the death occurred at a prominent wedding.
• Criminal Investigation Brigade captain Shen Yinchuan arrives. Several officials accuse Lin, while provincial police officer Director Li confirms that he saw Lin knock He Bin into the pool.
• Shen recognizes Lin as a former ally and hesitates to arrest him, believing he would not commit such an obvious crime. Lin insists that he only threw He Bin into the pool and that another hidden cause led to his death.
• Forensics finds no visible external injuries and says an autopsy is necessary. Lin refuses to leave with the police, arguing that doing so would make the case harder to explain, and asks to examine He Bin himself.
• As the crowd and Director Li criticize Shen for hesitating, renowned detective He Jiang offers to investigate He Bin’s death without immediately resorting to an autopsy. Director Li approves his involvement.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Remains calm and restrained when insulted, but becomes serious once He Bin dies. His confidence in his innocence and insistence on identifying the real cause of death reveal his investigative instincts and refusal to accept a false accusation.
• Ding Ruoshui: Publicly introduces Lin as her boyfriend and reacts angrily to He Bin’s arrogance. Although normally composed because of her Ancient Martial Arts training, He Bin’s death leaves her deeply unsettled.
• He Bin: His entitlement, possessiveness, and contempt for Lin are exposed. His attempt to humiliate Lin backfires, resulting in his apparent death.
• Shen Yinchuan: Torn between his duty as a police officer and his loyalty to Lin, a former comrade. He doubts Lin’s guilt but recognizes the overwhelming public evidence against him.
• Director Li: Acts as a forceful representative of official procedure, pressing Shen to arrest Lin and accusing him of dereliction of duty.
• He Jiang: Introduced as River City’s leading detective. His intervention offers a possible way to uncover the truth without immediately arresting Lin or performing an autopsy.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The witnesses believe they saw Lin kill He Bin, but the lack of visible injuries suggests the apparent cause of death may be misleading.
• Prejudice and social hierarchy: He Bin’s arrogance stems from his status as the mayor’s son, while Lin is judged as an outsider who does not belong among the elite.
• Justice versus public pressure: Shen must balance proper police procedure with the crowd’s demand for immediate punishment.
• Loyalty and trust: Shen’s past cooperation with Lin causes him to question the obvious explanation and trust Lin despite the evidence.
• Hidden methods and unexplained death: The chapter establishes a mystery surrounding how He Bin died after being thrown into the pool.

Character Interactions

• He Bin openly challenges and humiliates Lin while attempting to assert his claim over Ding Ruoshui.
• Ding Ruoshui defends Lin’s position by formally presenting him as her boyfriend, but He Bin dismisses the relationship.
• Lin and He Bin’s confrontation becomes the central public spectacle before abruptly turning into a death investigation.
• Lin appeals to Shen Yinchuan’s prior knowledge of his character, while Shen struggles to protect their relationship without compromising his responsibilities.
• Director Li challenges Shen’s leniency, increasing the pressure to arrest Lin.
• He Jiang’s offer to examine the body creates a temporary compromise between Lin’s demand for investigation and the authorities’ need to establish the cause of death.

Chapter Summary: The Top Detective Brought Down from His Pedestal

Key Plot Points and Events

• He Jiang examines He Bin’s corpse and concludes that the victim’s heart was shattered into four pieces through Ancient Martial Arts.
• Because Lin Xiaosu is known to practice Ancient Martial Arts, suspicion immediately falls heavily on him. Even Ding Ruoshui and Captain Shen Yinchuan begin to doubt his innocence.
• River City Mayor He Gaosheng arrives after learning of his son’s death and demands that the murderer be arrested. Shen Yinchuan nearly orders Lin Xiaosu’s arrest.
• Lin Xiaosu insists on examining the body himself, arguing that arresting him would play into the real murderer’s plan. Despite the police surrounding him with guns, he uses his extraordinary movement technique to reach the corpse.
• Lin Xiaosu agrees that He Jiang correctly identified the damage to the heart but rejects the Ancient Martial Arts explanation. He claims that a strange insect sliced the heart apart from inside the body.
• When He Jiang mocks the idea, Lin Xiaosu identifies a suspicious waiter in the crowd. The waiter attempts to escape, revealing himself to be a Gene Human.
• Shen Yinchuan captures and searches him, finding a strange box. A green, snake-like insect with serrated scales and a dagger-shaped head emerges from it.
• The insect attacks Shen Yinchuan, then reenters the waiter’s nostril. The waiter dies, and Shen kills the insect.
• Forensic examination confirms that the waiter died in the same manner as He Bin, proving that the insect was responsible for both deaths.
• Shen Yinchuan concludes that the waiter was a Gene Human who controlled the insect to murder He Bin, but the creature ultimately killed its own master.
• Lin Xiaosu is cleared, while He Jiang’s authoritative conclusion is publicly discredited.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu remains calm under extreme pressure. Rather than becoming defensive, he directly challenges He Jiang’s conclusion and demonstrates his superior observational and investigative abilities.
• He Jiang begins the chapter confident and condescending, convinced that his Ancient Martial Arts theory proves Lin Xiaosu’s guilt. After the insect is discovered, his certainty collapses, and his reputation as River City’s “top detective” is severely damaged.
• Shen Yinchuan struggles between his legal duty to arrest Lin Xiaosu and his personal belief that Lin may be innocent. His willingness to pause the arrest and allow Lin to investigate shows growing trust in him.
• He Gaosheng is portrayed as both a grieving father and a public official. Though devastated by his son’s death, he restrains himself and leaves the investigation to the law.
• Ding Ruoshui becomes visibly anxious and uncertain about Lin Xiaosu’s guilt. Her relief and physical closeness to him after the truth is revealed suggest deep concern and trust.
• The Gene Human waiter is exposed as the actual murderer, though he dies when the insect he controlled turns against him.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The seemingly conclusive Ancient Martial Arts evidence points toward Lin Xiaosu, but the true method is far stranger and more concealed.
• The danger of premature judgment: He Jiang’s respected status allows his theory to influence everyone, yet his confidence causes him to overlook an unconventional explanation.
• Truth versus reputation: Lin Xiaosu’s innocence is established by evidence rather than reputation, while He Jiang’s prestigious title is weakened when his conclusion proves false.
• Duty and personal emotion: He Gaosheng and Shen Yinchuan must suppress grief, suspicion, and personal feeling in order to follow legal procedure.
• Exceptional insight: The chapter emphasizes that solving unusual crimes requires imagination and the ability to look beyond accepted explanations.
• Public humiliation and reversal: The investigation transforms into a contest between the two detectives, ending with Lin Xiaosu publicly displacing He Jiang as the superior investigator.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and He Jiang: Their confrontation is the chapter’s central conflict. He Jiang accuses Lin of murder, while Lin calmly exposes the flaws in He Jiang’s reasoning and ultimately overturns his conclusion.
• Lin Xiaosu and Shen Yinchuan: Shen initially moves toward arresting Lin but hesitates when Lin presents an alternative explanation. Their cooperation during the search confirms their developing mutual trust.
• Lin Xiaosu and He Gaosheng: Lin appeals to the mayor’s rational judgment, warning that arresting him would allow the true murderer to escape. He Gaosheng remains emotionally distant but ultimately accepts the corrected findings.
• Shen Yinchuan and the Gene Human: Shen’s quick reaction prevents the insect from attacking him and allows the waiter’s identity and guilt to be uncovered.
• Lin Xiaosu and Ding Ruoshui: After Lin is cleared, Ding Ruoshui takes his hand, revealing her fear for him and her emotional relief.

Chapter Summary: “At the Wedding Banquet, Suppose There Was a Black Hand”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the wedding banquet massacre, Lin Xiaosu and Shen Yinchuan leave the scene while Ding Ruoshui remains behind, devastated and ashamed because she brought Lin Xiaosu to her best friend Lei Xiaoya’s brother’s wedding.
• Two people have died, and Lin Xiaosu is still under suspicion despite Shen Yinchuan personally believing in his innocence.
• At the Criminal Investigation Brigade, Lin Xiaosu questions why Shen arrived so quickly. Shen explains that the case was reported as an S-class alert, a classification reserved for crimes involving super experts and known only to insiders.
• The alert was filed by Li Lishan, a Provincial Department official attending the wedding. Lin Xiaosu points out that River City’s famous detective, He Jiang, was also present.
• Lin Xiaosu reveals that he previously encountered Li Lishan and He Jiang in Phoenix City while investigating a strange-beast murder. Their mistaken plan to destroy an ancient tower could have released the sealed Inner-Earth Race, specifically the Litian Tribe.
• Lin Xiaosu suggests that Li Lishan and He Jiang may not have acted accidentally in that earlier incident. Shen acknowledges that the possibility is disturbing, though there is no direct proof.
• Their discussion turns to Li Lishan’s history with Shen. Li was once nominated to become Criminal Investigation Brigade captain, but Mayor He Gaosheng rejected him because Li lacked the martial ability required for the dangerous position. Shen received the post instead, possibly giving Li a motive for resentment.
• Lin Xiaosu reconstructs the wedding incident by examining who ultimately benefited from the apparent plot. Most participants—including himself, He Bin, Mayor He, the wedding hosts, and Shen—suffered severe losses.
• The only apparent beneficiaries are He Jiang and Li Lishan. He Jiang’s supposed deduction about He Bin’s shattered heart could greatly enhance his reputation and restore his status after being outperformed by Lin Xiaosu in Phoenix City.
• The chapter ends as Lin Xiaosu begins analyzing how Li Lishan might have benefited.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu remains calm and analytical despite being the primary suspect. He shifts the investigation from the immediate crime to the hidden motives behind it.
• Shen Yinchuan demonstrates personal trust in Lin Xiaosu but is constrained by his official responsibility. He becomes increasingly unsettled by the possibility that influential figures manipulated the investigation.
• Ding Ruoshui is consumed by guilt, believing her decision to bring Lin Xiaosu may have indirectly caused her best friend’s family’s disaster.
• Li Lishan emerges as a potentially resentful and ambitious official whose past rivalry with Shen and previous involvement in suspicious investigations make him a possible conspirator.
• He Jiang is portrayed as a detective with much to gain from the incident. His public “deduction” could elevate his reputation while discrediting Lin Xiaosu.
• Mayor He Gaosheng suffers the personal loss of his only son, He Bin, while his earlier decision to appoint Shen over Li may have created lasting political tension.

Significant Themes

• Hidden manipulation and conspiracy: The incident may be more than a spontaneous murder, with powerful figures possibly arranging events for long-term goals.
• Following the benefits: Lin Xiaosu and Shen adopt the principle that the person who gains from a plot may reveal its architect.
• Appearance versus reality: Official actions, investigations, and seemingly reasonable decisions may conceal deeper motives.
• Political rivalry and ambition: Li Lishan’s failed promotion and resentment toward Shen suggest how institutional competition can fuel darker schemes.
• Justice under suspicion: Shen must investigate Lin Xiaosu despite trusting him, showing the conflict between personal judgment and official duty.
• Larger supernatural threat: The mention of the Inner-Earth Race expands the case beyond ordinary crime and suggests that human institutions may be exploited by hidden nonhuman forces.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Shen Yinchuan engage in a cautious but intellectually cooperative interrogation. Shen asks for Lin’s theory, while Lin tests Shen’s knowledge and willingness to consider conspiracy.
• Lin Xiaosu forces Shen to reconsider the roles of Li Lishan and He Jiang by connecting the wedding incident to the Phoenix City case.
• Ding Ruoshui’s silent distress reflects the emotional consequences of the tragedy, especially in relation to Lei Xiaoya and the wedding family.
• Lin Xiaosu and Shen ultimately work together to reconstruct the plot, moving from the visible victims to the possible beneficiaries—particularly He Jiang and Li Lishan.

Chapter Summary: “Hidden Dragon Enters the Field”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu explains to Shen Yinchuan that Li Lishan may be maneuvering to replace him as captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade. Shen’s conflict with Mayor He Gaosheng and dissatisfaction from higher authorities could create an opening for Li.
• Legal Supervision suddenly arrives at Shen’s office after receiving a report from Li Lishan accusing Shen of favoritism and collusion with Lin Xiaosu.
• Wang Yufei argues that Lin’s ability to identify the Aberrant Insect, the murderer, and the weapon so precisely suggests that he may have secretly planted the evidence using Ancient Martial Arts.
• Although Shen and Lin insist the allegations are only suspicions, Wang claims the principle of acquittal in cases of doubt applies only at trial, not during investigation. He orders both men to be taken for questioning.
• Hidden Dragon No. 88 and Changye arrive before this can happen. No. 88 displays his Gold Badge, immediately overriding Legal Supervision’s authority and taking control of the case.
• No. 88 asks only who filed the complaint. Upon learning that it was Li Lishan, he dismisses Wang Yufei and the other officers.
• Afterward, Lin, Shen, No. 88, and Changye begin planning a counterattack against Li Lishan. Lin reasons that the trap at the wedding must have been organized within the twenty-five hours after his return to Great Xia and change of travel plans.
• Lin identifies Ding Ruoshui—who invited him to the wedding—as a potentially important link, though he refuses to draw conclusions about her yet.
• The chapter ends with Lin suggesting that Li Changsheng may provide a way to reconstruct Li Lishan’s movements during the crucial twenty-five-hour period.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates sharp strategic reasoning, calmly identifying the political motives behind the investigation and tracing the wedding trap to a narrow time window.
• Shen Yinchuan realizes that the accusations against him may be part of a larger plot to remove him from power. Though suspicious of Li Lishan, he must remain cautious and obey official procedures.
• Li Lishan emerges as the likely central antagonist. He may be exploiting the murder case and Legal Supervision to weaken Shen and position himself for advancement.
• Wang Yufei acts firmly under Legal Supervision’s authority but is forced to withdraw once Hidden Dragon intervenes.
• Hidden Dragon No. 88 is revealed as a powerful former ally of Lin and Shen. His arrival instantly changes the balance of power and signals that the matter involves national-level interests.
• Changye reunites with Lin and shows personal concern for him while remaining focused on the investigation.
• Ding Ruoshui becomes a possible suspect or at least an important investigative lead because her invitation brought Lin to the wedding at exactly the right time for the trap.

Significant Themes

• Political maneuvering and institutional power: The case is not merely a murder investigation; it is connected to promotions, rivalries, and attempts to control law enforcement.
• Suspicion versus proof: The chapter examines how uncertainty can be manipulated during investigations, especially when authorities use procedural loopholes.
• Hidden alliances and larger conspiracies: Li Lishan’s actions suggest that the wedding murder may be part of a broader scheme against Lin and Shen.
• The importance of timing: Lin’s reconstruction of the twenty-five-hour window shows how precise chronology can expose conspiratorial activity.
• Power and authority: Legal Supervision can control ordinary police officers, but Hidden Dragon represents a higher level of national authority that can immediately override it.
• Trust and loyalty: Shen cooperates with Lin despite official pressure, while No. 88 and Changye return to support their former comrades.

Character Interactions

• Lin and Shen discuss Li Lishan’s possible ambitions, with Lin pushing Shen to recognize the political danger surrounding him.
• Wang Yufei confronts both men, accusing them of collusion and attempting to detain Lin.
• Shen silently signals Lin to cooperate, showing practical trust and awareness of the consequences of resistance.
• No. 88 intervenes, dismisses Legal Supervision, and protects Lin and Shen from immediate interrogation.
• Lin and Changye share a restrained but emotional reunion, communicating mutual reassurance without openly embracing.
• The group then shifts from defense to offense, agreeing to investigate Li Lishan and trace his actions before the wedding.

Chapter Summary: “Li Lishan Taken into Custody”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu, Shen Yinchuan, Number 88, and Qianlong agents confront Legal Affairs Office director Li Lishan at the Provincial Department.
• Li Lishan remains confident despite knowing Shen Yinchuan reported him, arguing that reporting officials is his right and that Qianlong’s involvement will ensure an impartial investigation.
• Number 88 formally orders Li Lishan to cooperate with Lin Xiaosu’s investigation.
• Rather than interrogating Li Lishan immediately, Lin Xiaosu retraces his movements through the office building over the previous twenty-five hours. Using extraordinary observational and reconstruction abilities—including lip-reading—he determines that Li’s actions inside the building appeared outwardly normal.
• Lin then leads the group to a secluded park and reveals that Li met River City’s famous detective, He Jiang, there at 7:08 p.m. the previous night.
• Li denies the meeting and accuses Lin of framing him, but Lin exposes financial evidence:
  • He Jiang transferred two million Eagle dollars to Li shortly after their meeting as payment for helping arrange Lin’s murder.
  • He Jiang had also transferred three million Eagle dollars twenty days earlier.
  • Lin suggests the earlier payment was connected to He Jiang’s plan to manipulate Li into ordering the destruction of an ancient pagoda.
• Li admits that he ordered the Phoenix City Criminal Investigation Brigade to destroy the pagoda, claiming it was necessary because a dangerous strange beast was believed to be hiding inside. However, Lin implies that Li does not understand the pagoda’s true importance or the larger conspiracy surrounding it.
• Li becomes unable to defend himself once Lin identifies his secret Ruili Bank account. The account contains money connected to corruption and has been used to purchase overseas assets, providing concrete evidence against him.
• Number 88 orders Li’s arrest. Two Qianlong agents take Li into custody, while Lin watches the scene with an enigmatic smile.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates an extraordinary investigative ability, reconstructing Li’s movements and uncovering hidden meetings and financial transactions without conventional questioning or searches. He appears confident, controlled, and deliberately provocative, using public exposure to unsettle Li before presenting decisive evidence.
• Li Lishan: Initially arrogant and composed, believing his official position and procedural rights protect him. His confidence collapses when Lin reveals the secret meeting, assassination payment, and hidden bank account. He remains defensive about the pagoda order but is ultimately powerless against the financial evidence.
• Number 88: Acts as the authority overseeing the investigation. Though initially skeptical of Lin’s unusual methods, he recognizes the strength of the evidence and authorizes Li’s arrest.
• Shen Yinchuan: Serves as both a participant and observer, remaining puzzled by Lin’s unconventional investigative style but supporting the operation.
• Changye: Privately trusts Lin’s actions because of their intimate relationship and recognizes that his seemingly strange behavior always serves a purpose.
• He Jiang: Though absent, he emerges as a major off-screen antagonist who paid Li, attempted to arrange Lin’s murder, and manipulated official actions for an unknown larger objective.

Significant Themes

• Truth versus appearances: Li’s conduct appears proper on the surface, but Lin exposes the hidden corruption beneath it.
• Unorthodox justice: Lin’s investigative methods fall outside normal criminal-investigation procedures, suggesting that extraordinary abilities can uncover truths conventional systems cannot.
• Power and accountability: Li’s rank and confidence cannot protect him once Qianlong intervenes and evidence of corruption is established.
• Conspiracy and hidden motives: The payments, assassination plot, and destruction of the ancient pagoda point toward a wider scheme that Li himself may only partially understand.
• Trust and loyalty: Lin relies on the authority of Qianlong, while Changye’s confidence in him reflects their personal bond and her belief in his hidden purpose.
• The limits of knowledge: Li believes he acted for public safety in ordering the pagoda’s destruction, but Lin implies that his understanding of the situation was manipulated or incomplete.

Character Interactions

• Lin and Li: Their confrontation is a psychological battle. Li attempts to maintain authority and accuse Lin of overreach, while Lin calmly strips away his defenses with increasingly specific revelations.
• Lin and Number 88: Number 88 initially studies Lin’s methods skeptically but ultimately accepts his findings and gives him control of the investigation.
• Lin and Shen Yinchuan: Shen acts as a professional investigator witnessing methods beyond his own training, reinforcing Lin’s exceptional abilities.
• Li and the authorities: Li’s official status initially gives him confidence, but Number 88’s direct command and the arrival of Qianlong agents reduce him from a powerful director to a detainee.
• Li and He Jiang: Their relationship is revealed as corrupt and transactional, involving large payments, manipulation, and a plot against Lin.

Chapter Summary: “Xin Yue’s Nth Test”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xin Yue returns and reports that Wang Yufei secretly contacted He Jiang after learning that Qianlong had entered the case. He warned He Jiang to flee and hide.
• Qianlong reveals that Wang Yufei had been monitored from the beginning. Rather than stopping his warning call, they allowed it so the call would expose He Jiang and complete their trap.
• Number 88 orders He Jiang’s arrest. He Jiang attempts to escape in a flyer, ignores repeated demands to surrender, and is shot down by Qianlong aircraft. His flyer crashes into a mountain, and genetic testing confirms his death.
• The wedding murder case is resolved:
  • He Jiang was the mastermind.
  • Li Lishan and Wang Yufei were paid accomplices who did not know the deeper secrets behind the plot.
  • The red-clad waiter carried out the murder but was killed by the Aberrant Insect.
  • Li Lishan and Wang Yufei are taken into Qianlong custody.
• Number 88 rejects Lin Xiaosu’s suggestion that Qianlong is acting as his personal protection, insisting that Qianlong intervened only because justice and the evidence supported him.
• After the investigation team leaves, Lin Xiaosu and Changye walk together and discuss their separation, his recent exploits, and Changye’s dangerous transformation.
• Changye reveals that her poison has become so powerful that even kissing her could be fatal.
• The chapter ends with Changye questioning Lin Xiaosu about Ding Ruoshui’s suspicious explanation for bringing him to the wedding. Lin Xiaosu admits her excuse was logically absurd, yet he believed her because of his trust in the Ding family.

Character Developments

• Xin Yue: Continues struggling with Qianlong’s rules and point deductions. She accidentally reveals classified information and panics when she realizes Shen Yinchuan may have heard her. Despite her recklessness, she provides the crucial intelligence that leads to He Jiang.
• Number 88: Demonstrates Qianlong’s calculated, efficient investigative methods. He appears stern but fair, refusing to shield Lin Xiaosu blindly. His departure without inviting Changye hints at emotional or professional tension between them.
• Lin Xiaosu: Gains confidence from Qianlong’s support but is reminded that their aid is based on justice rather than personal favoritism. He remains affectionate and playful with Changye while also beginning to question Ding Ruoshui’s motives.
• Changye: Has survived months of dangerous tribulation and grown stronger, but her enhanced poison makes physical intimacy hazardous. Her memories of Lin Xiaosu’s affection helped sustain her will to live. She is more openly flirtatious and emotionally vulnerable than before.
• He Jiang: Is exposed as the mastermind behind the wedding incident. His attempt to escape confirms his guilt and ends in his death.
• Li Lishan and Wang Yufei: Are revealed as corrupt but comparatively uninformed accomplices. They accepted money and performed favors without understanding the larger conspiracy.
• Ding Ruoshui: Remains suspicious. Her stated reason for bringing Lin Xiaosu to the wedding does not withstand scrutiny, raising questions about her true intentions.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus personal protection: Qianlong helps Lin Xiaosu because the evidence supports him, not because he is entitled to special treatment.
• Calculated investigation and deception: Qianlong’s strategy depends on allowing suspects to act so their actions reveal the entire network.
• The danger of forbidden knowledge: Li Lishan and Wang Yufei understand that corruption may be survivable, but involvement in deeper secrets can be fatal.
• Love as a source of survival: Changye’s memories of intimacy with Lin Xiaosu gave her the emotional strength to endure her life-threatening tribulation.
• Trust versus logic: Lin Xiaosu recognizes that Ding Ruoshui’s explanation was irrational, yet his favorable feelings toward her family led him to believe it.
• Transformation and danger: Changye’s growing power comes with a severe cost, making closeness with her both desirable and potentially deadly.

Character Interactions

• Xin Yue reports to Changye and Number 88, revealing information while nervously trying to avoid punishment.
• Number 88 and Lin Xiaosu exchange humorous but meaningful remarks about Qianlong’s role in protecting him.
• Changye and Number 88 share an understated moment of tension when he leaves without asking her to accompany him.
• Lin Xiaosu and Changye reunite romantically by the river, teasing each other about their separation, finances, marriage, and physical intimacy.
• Changye explains the emotional importance of their past encounter, revealing that it helped keep her alive.
• Their affectionate walk shifts into a serious discussion about Ding Ruoshui, ending with unresolved doubts about why she truly brought Lin Xiaosu into the wedding’s deadly conflict.

Chapter Summary: The Ultimate Showdown of Detective Arts

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu reflects on Ding Ruoshui and concludes that although she seems to favor him, her actions are mainly intended to draw him into Springwater Palace rather than harm him. However, he suspects she has unknowingly become a pawn in a larger scheme, possibly orchestrated by her friend Lei Xiaoya, the daughter of Lei Xiaojun.
• Changye assumes the case is finished, but Lin Xiaosu identifies several unresolved questions:
  • The true origin of the red-clad waiter.
  • The source of the earth-core Aberrant Insect that killed the victims.
  • Whether the person who died was actually He Jiang.
• Lin Xiaosu argues that the corpse could not have been He Jiang because it possessed normal human bones. He suspects He Jiang was not human, but connected to the mysterious Litian Tribe or the Heart-of-the-Earth Clan.
• He links the attempted destruction of the Tashan tower to an ancient sealing array beneath it, suggesting that He Jiang may have been working to release the Heart-of-the-Earth Clan.
• He further identifies the murder weapon as the terrifying earth-core Aberrant Insect known as the Silk Wraith Cord.
• While Changye prepares to challenge Lin Xiaosu in a battle of detective skills, Lin Xiaosu casually disappears, demonstrating his confidence and teasing her by taking advantage of their physical closeness.
• Lin Xiaosu spends over an hour riding aimlessly through River City, using the journey to confirm his deductions and trace He Jiang’s whereabouts.
• He eventually finds He Jiang at a restaurant beside River City No. 9 Kindergarten. He Jiang is disguised as businessman Li Qiutang, complete with a false passport and identity.
• Lin Xiaosu confronts him, revealing that he recognized the death-substitution scheme that fooled Qianlong.
• He Jiang admits that he deceived Qianlong but failed to deceive Lin Xiaosu. The chapter ends with He Jiang demanding to know how Lin Xiaosu saw through an apparently flawless plan.

Character Developments

• Lin Xiaosu demonstrates exceptional deductive ability, noticing the inconsistency between the presumed identity of He Jiang and the corpse’s normal human bones. His investigation expands the case from an ordinary murder into a conflict involving ancient clans and supernatural forces.
• He also displays confidence, composure, and playful arrogance. Even while preparing for a major confrontation, he remains relaxed enough to flirt with Changye.
• Changye shifts from believing the case is closed to realizing that Lin Xiaosu has uncovered a much deeper conspiracy. Her admiration and romantic affection for him grow, though she remains exasperated by his teasing behavior.
• Ding Ruoshui is reinterpreted as a potential pawn rather than an active enemy. Her attempt to approach Lin Xiaosu may have been part of Springwater Palace’s plans, but she does not appear to intend him immediate harm.
• He Jiang is revealed to be alive and highly calculating. His thirteen-year use of a substitute’s genetic identity shows extraordinary foresight and willingness to challenge established investigative methods. He is also established as Lin Xiaosu’s intellectual rival.

Significant Themes

• Deduction versus conventional assumptions: Lin Xiaosu succeeds because he questions the premise that He Jiang was an ordinary human and notices details overlooked by experienced investigators.
• Identity and deception: False identities, substitute bodies, forged genetic records, and staged deaths all undermine the supposedly infallible systems used by Qianlong and the police.
• Conspiracy and hidden powers: The case points toward the Litian Tribe, the Heart-of-the-Earth Clan, ancient sealing arrays, and supernatural agents operating within human society.
• Chess pieces and manipulation: Ding Ruoshui may be unknowingly controlled by a larger player, emphasizing how individuals can become tools in unseen schemes.
• Rivalry between detectives: The chapter frames Lin Xiaosu and He Jiang as equals who understand one another’s methods, creating an impending contest of intelligence.
• Human warmth amid darkness: The kindergarten scene contrasts the supernatural conspiracy with ordinary family affection, highlighting the human world being threatened by hidden forces.

Character Interactions

• Lin Xiaosu and Changye argue over whether the case is truly closed. Their exchange combines serious investigative discussion with romantic teasing and physical flirtation.
• Lin Xiaosu explains his theories about He Jiang, the Litian Tribe, and the Silk Wraith Cord, shocking Changye and inspiring her to propose a direct contest of detective skill.
• At the restaurant, Lin Xiaosu confronts He Jiang beneath his Li Qiutang disguise. Their conversation is controlled but tense, with mutual recognition of each other as brilliant detectives.
• He Jiang’s final question—how Lin Xiaosu uncovered the death substitution—sets up the chapter’s central intellectual showdown.

Chapter Summary: He Jiang’s True Origins

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lin Xiaosu reveals that he has deduced He Jiang is a member of the Litian Tribe, a hybrid race whose genetic structure differs from that of ordinary humans.
• This explains He Jiang’s earlier use of a stand-in for genetic registration and his need to remain outside official systems.
• Lin Xiaosu explains that his suspicions arose from two incidents:
  1. He Jiang’s role in the Phoenix City tower explosion.
  2. The appearance of a Silk Wraith Cord, an Aberrant Insect associated with the Heart-of-the-Earth Clan, at the wedding banquet.
• During the conversation, Lin Xiaosu detects and kills two Silk Wraith Cords hidden in He Jiang’s glasses.
• He Jiang attacks using the Litian Tribe’s unique physiology: his flesh can transform into blade-like bone. However, Lin Xiaosu effortlessly defeats him, severing two fingers and holding a dagger to his forehead.
• He Jiang’s fingers begin regenerating, revealing another Litian ability: their muscles can rearrange themselves into replacement bones and limbs.
• Lin Xiaosu points out that He Jiang is legally “dead” because his identity was erased through his false-death scheme. Therefore, killing him would create no legal murder case, leaving He Jiang without any protection.
• Lin Xiaosu offers He Jiang a choice between death and cooperation, clearly wanting information about the remaining Litian Tribe members.
• He Jiang refuses to betray his people and admits that his ultimate goal is to help bring about the release of the Inner-Earth Outsiders, allowing his people to awaken their ancestral powers.
• Lin Xiaosu challenges He Jiang’s beliefs, arguing that the Litian Tribe has betrayed the human society that sheltered it for ten thousand years. He also warns that, as mixed-blood descendants, they would likely be inferior to pure-blooded Inner-Earth Outsiders after the seal is broken.
• Lin Xiaosu finally reveals that He Jiang came to the location not merely to escape, but to see his wife and son before disappearing. The woman in red and the round-headed boy he noticed earlier were He Jiang’s family.

Character Developments

• He Jiang: His secret identity and biological origins are exposed. Once confident and well-prepared, he becomes increasingly helpless as Lin Xiaosu dismantles his safeguards, defeats him physically, and removes the protection of the law. His unwavering loyalty to the Litian Tribe is shaken when Lin Xiaosu forces him to confront the possibility that his people will never gain the superior status they desire.
• Lin Xiaosu: Demonstrates exceptional detective work, combat skill, and psychological insight. He has not only uncovered He Jiang’s origins but also understood his motives, vulnerabilities, family ties, and ideological weaknesses. His willingness to kill He Jiang shows that he is far more ruthless than He Jiang expected.
• He Jiang’s family: Though they do not directly participate in the confrontation, his wife and son reveal He Jiang’s remaining emotional attachments and suggest that his actions are motivated not only by ideology but also by the fear of losing his family.

Significant Themes

• Identity and belonging: He Jiang is torn between his human heritage and his Inner-Earth ancestry, raising questions about whether ancestry or lived experience determines one’s true people.
• Faith versus reality: He Jiang sees the liberation of the Inner-Earth Outsiders as an inevitable historical movement, while Lin Xiaosu views that belief as dangerous fanaticism.
• Betrayal and loyalty: The two men disagree over whom He Jiang is betraying—his ancestral people, humanity, or the society that protected his tribe.
• The consequences of one’s plans: He Jiang’s false-death strategy successfully removes him from the legal system, but it also leaves him vulnerable to being killed without consequence.
• Power and vulnerability: Despite the Litian Tribe’s regenerative abilities, He Jiang is powerless against Lin Xiaosu’s superior preparation and combat ability.
• Family versus ideology: He Jiang’s devotion to his people is tested against his attachment to his wife and son, revealing the personal cost of his larger scheme.

Character Interactions

• The chapter centers on a tense interrogation between Lin Xiaosu and He Jiang, with Lin Xiaosu controlling both the conversation and the physical confrontation.
• Lin Xiaosu methodically explains how he identified He Jiang as Litian, while He Jiang acknowledges that his disguise failed because he underestimated his opponent.
• Their ideological exchange becomes increasingly hostile: He Jiang defends ancestral loyalty and historical inevitability, while Lin Xiaosu condemns the Litian Tribe as traitors and exposes the practical weaknesses of their plans.
• The final revelation about He Jiang’s family shifts the confrontation from an abstract conflict over races and history to a deeply personal struggle involving love, separation, and survival.