Chapter Summaries

Summary: “Replacing Flesh, Replacing Skin”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran assesses the political danger posed by Duke Ranchi’s arrival in North Sea Port. Although Ranchi’s conflict with the Dark Council may threaten the stability of Hippo Ancient City and Li Ziran’s Red Fan District plans, Li prioritizes treating Anfuni.
• Anfuni is unconscious and severely injured after the battle on Sulfur Island. Her body is covered in Wind Blade wounds, which contain a destructive magical energy that prevents ordinary healing.
• Li Ziran discovers that the Revival Potion is ineffective because the wounds contain embedded, crystal-like Wind Blades. These magical fragments have pulverized the surrounding flesh and continue tearing apart nearby tissue.
• He determines that the Wind Blades were created by an exceptionally powerful human Wind Archmage or Title Magister, likely through repeated elemental recombination.
• Since he cannot neutralize the magic directly, Li Ziran removes every section of affected flesh, replacing it with inferior materials from his basement. He also replaces Anfuni’s damaged skin, reconnects nerves, heals her neck, and substitutes one ruined eye with a beautiful but ordinary eye from a Rainbow-tail Girl.
• The surgery is difficult and prolonged, but Li Ziran manages to restore Anfuni’s body to a functional state. He leaves her asleep to recover.
• After leaving the basement, Li Ziran notices that the Red Fan District has been transformed by the arrival of the 20,000 slaves ordered from Iron Hammer, many of them human women. He wonders whether the specially requested human female Mage Wolverine has arrived as well.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran demonstrates compassion and dedication toward Anfuni, despite his usual pragmatic and exploitative outlook. He is deeply disturbed by the pain she endured and personally performs an exhausting operation to save her.
• His medical and analytical abilities are emphasized. Unable to counter the magical energy directly, he improvises through surgery and body replacement, while also studying the Wind Blade fragments as valuable evidence.
• Li Ziran becomes increasingly concerned about Duke Ranchi’s power and the possibility that Ranchi’s allies could destabilize Hippo Ancient City. His business interests and long-term Red Fan District plans remain central to his thinking.
• Anfuni is revealed to have suffered far more severely during the Sulfur Island battle than she admitted. Her earlier attempts to act cheerful concealed the extent of her injuries and exhaustion.
• Duke Ranchi is established as a major threat, protected by formidable forces that may include an elite human Wind Archmage.
• The mysterious Mage Wolverine becomes a potential new figure of interest through Li Ziran’s anticipation of her arrival.

Significant Themes

• The limits of healing and the necessity of replacement: Ordinary medicine cannot repair damage caused by advanced magic, forcing Li Ziran to replace flesh and skin rather than simply restore them.
• The brutality hidden beneath appearances: Anfuni pretended to be fine despite unbearable injuries, showing how outward composure can conceal extreme suffering.
• Pragmatism versus compassion: Li Ziran is motivated by his interests in stability, slaves, and business, yet he also feels genuine pity and concern for Anfuni.
• Human ingenuity and specialization: Li Ziran admires humans for refining single-element magic, particularly the terrifyingly advanced Wind Blades used against Anfuni.
• Power, instability, and survival: The conflict between Duke Ranchi and the Dark Council threatens to disrupt the region, while Li Ziran tries to protect his own plans amid larger political struggles.
• The body as something replaceable: The chapter treats flesh, skin, nerves, and even eyes as materials that can be removed and exchanged, reinforcing the story’s unsettling blend of medicine, magic, and exploitation.

Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Anfuni’s interaction is largely one-sided during the surgery, but his careful treatment and emotional reaction reveal concern and sympathy. He anesthetizes her, removes the damaged tissue, replaces her body parts, and chooses not to wake her afterward.
• Li Ziran mentally weighs his interests against Duke Ranchi and the Dark Council, recognizing that Ranchi’s survival could endanger the Red Fan District.
• He considers exploiting Ivy and Ranchi’s other daughters through Curse Art but decides against approaching the Dark Council, recognizing that he lacks the status and leverage to bargain safely.
• His final observations connect his private medical work to the wider commercial and political world: the arrival of the human slaves marks the rapid development of the Red Fan District and hints at future interactions with Mage Wolverine.

Chapter Summary: “A Lesson for a Little Chick”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Cockroach Builders rapidly complete the Red Fan District, transforming it into a brightly lit, pink entertainment district filled with newly opened “Mills” and enslaved women from various races.
• Li Ziran surveys the district with satisfaction, viewing it as his successful creation. He praises Iron Hammer’s efficiency in organizing the construction, remodeling the area, and putting the enslaved women to work.
• The chapter emphasizes the brutality of the slave trade. Most of the women have been coerced, controlled, or recently transported there, but Li Ziran accepts this cruelty as part of the world’s “Survival Law” and chooses not to intervene.
• In an alley, Li Ziran witnesses three Doghead People threatening a human slave who attempts to escape. Before he can leave, the girl unleashes a powerful spiritual ability: a golden Purification Flame that expels and destroys the attackers’ souls.
• Intrigued by her unusual power, Li Ziran follows the girl as she flees into an abandoned part of the district. She hides in a shabby Mill, apparently seeking refuge or concealment.
• Li Ziran enters the establishment and pretends to be a customer looking for newly acquired women. He uses money and threats to force the owner to bring him a group of eleven enslaved girls.
• Among them is the burlap-clad girl with the Purification Flame. Li Ziran deliberately pressures the terrified women, presenting submission as the only way to survive and claiming that suicide would not free them from exploitation.
• He singles out the mysterious girl and attempts to draw her toward him. Before she can respond, another human girl volunteers instead and attacks Li Ziran with a glowing dagger hidden in her hand.
• The chapter ends as Li Ziran realizes that the group’s apparent helplessness is an act and that a larger trap or conspiracy may be underway.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: He is portrayed as calculating, exploitative, and confident in his control over the Red Fan District. He treats the slave trade as a business and judges people primarily by their usefulness. However, the Purification Flame catches his attention, revealing his strong interest in rare abilities and potentially valuable individuals. His casual manipulation of the enslaved women also shows his willingness to use fear and deception.
• Iron Hammer: Although he does not appear directly, he is praised for his extraordinary efficiency in building and organizing the district. Li Ziran rewards him by granting him entry-level VIP status, suggesting that Iron Hammer has earned Li Ziran’s trust and investment.
• The burlap-clad human girl: She is revealed to possess advanced spiritual power, using Purification Flame and a form of soul judgment to destroy the souls of her attackers. Despite her physical weakness and malnourished appearance, she is courageous and dangerous. Her flight suggests that she is hiding both her identity and her abilities.
• The other human girl: She appears frightened but suddenly volunteers to approach Li Ziran, using the opportunity to launch a concealed dagger attack. This reveals that at least some of the enslaved women are cooperating and resisting rather than being passive victims.
• The enslaved women: They are introduced as frightened, vulnerable, and deprived of freedom, but the final attack shows that they may possess agency, solidarity, and a plan of their own.

Significant Themes

• Exploitation and dehumanization: The Red Fan District’s prosperity is built on slavery and the commodification of women. The chapter deliberately contrasts the district’s cheerful appearance with the violence underlying it.
• Power and survival: Characters must use whatever abilities or strategies they possess to survive. The enslaved women rely on spiritual powers, deception, and resistance, while Li Ziran relies on wealth, intimidation, and manipulation.
• Moral indifference: Li Ziran recognizes the cruelty of the system but rationalizes it as natural law. His perspective exposes how economic success can coexist with deliberate moral disengagement.
• Hidden strength: Physical appearance is deceptive. The seemingly weak, malnourished girl possesses extraordinary power, while the frightened human girl conceals a weapon and the courage to attack.
• Control versus resistance: Li Ziran believes he controls the district and everyone within it, but the girls’ actions challenge that assumption and introduce the possibility of organized rebellion or a hidden agenda.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Iron Hammer: Though indirect, Li Ziran’s praise and promotion of Iron Hammer establish a business relationship based on efficiency and usefulness.
• The Doghead People and the fleeing human girl: Their attempted intimidation demonstrates the everyday violence of slavery, while the girl’s Purification Flame reverses the power dynamic and destroys them spiritually.
• Li Ziran and the burlap-clad girl: He follows her because of her rare power, treating her less as a person than as an intriguing and potentially valuable asset. He later tries to isolate and intimidate her among the other women.
• Li Ziran and the Mill owner: Li Ziran uses money, status, and threats to obtain access to the enslaved girls. The owner recognizes that Li Ziran is dangerous and influential but still attempts to profit from him.
• Li Ziran and the enslaved women: He lectures and threatens them under the guise of giving survival advice. The women appear intimidated, but their final coordinated deception reveals that they are not as powerless as he assumes.
• The human girl and Li Ziran: Her sudden dagger attack turns the apparent victim-and-customer dynamic into a confrontation, ending the chapter on a cliffhanger.

Chapter Summary: “The Prototype of a Base”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran secretly captures a human priestess and several other girls at the Mill, using Transformation Spells to prevent them from escaping. He suspects the priestess’s Purification Flame may connect her to the Justice Alliance.
• Before he can flee, Daniel, a Wolverine Orc acquaintance, arrives. Li discovers that the captured women are actually slaves Daniel had intended to give him, including several human priests.
• Daniel explains that the Mill’s slaves had rebelled, leading to a violent incident. After the area is cleaned up, Li accepts the delivered female slaves, both to study human priests and to strengthen his relationship with Daniel.
• Councilman Iron Hammer arrives with several slave owners and reveals that they have gathered 22,514 slaves for Li’s Beauty Salon. He offers Li money and encourages him to demolish his small building and expand.
• Instead of accepting compensation, Li agrees to relocate and proposes constructing a twenty-story Beauty Salon, an unprecedented structure in Hippo Ancient City.
• The slave owners enthusiastically offer labor, funding, and additional rare slaves, hoping to gain access to more alteration slots.
• Iron Hammer organizes the construction, using Mantis Tribe workers and a special Cockroach Race Fusing Agent mixed with gravel to create a reinforced concrete-like structure.
• Construction proceeds at astonishing speed. Li works through the night, increasing the number of available Beauty Salon slots by another hundred despite severely draining his spiritual power.
• Li secretly arranges for a six-story basement beneath the building. He moves the human priests there, installs multiple Teleportation Arrays with the help of the Spatial Mantis, and establishes the basement as his hidden experimental headquarters.
• He plans to use the Beauty Salon’s profitable business to finance future research into Magic Organ alterations and the cultivation of special living Embryos.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran becomes more ambitious and strategic. Rather than merely running a small business, he begins building a large-scale commercial empire and a secure personal base.
• He demonstrates increasing resourcefulness by exploiting the slave owners’ desire for alteration slots while retaining control over his own long-term plans.
• Li also shows ruthless pragmatism: he accepts human priests as research subjects and secretly maintains experiments beneath a public business.
• Daniel is revealed to be a powerful slave owner and a useful ally. His generosity and enthusiasm help Li obtain valuable human priests and strengthen their partnership.
• Iron Hammer acts as Li’s main business patron and construction sponsor. His willingness to provide resources shows how dependent the slave owners have become on Li’s Beauty Salon.
• The various slave owners, initially focused on profit and access to beauty slots, become eager supporters of Li’s expansion.

Significant Themes

• Economic power and dependence: Li’s alteration abilities make him indispensable to the slave-owning elite, allowing him to gain labor, resources, and political protection.
• Expansion and ambition: The proposed twenty-story building symbolizes Li’s shift from a small operator to a major force in Hippo Ancient City.
• Hidden identity and secrecy: The public Beauty Salon conceals a private research facility, reflecting Li’s need to maintain a respectable façade while pursuing dangerous experiments.
• Exploitation and moral ambiguity: The chapter treats slavery, forced labor, and experimentation as tools within the city’s brutal social order, emphasizing Li’s willingness to benefit from that system.
• Adaptation and technological innovation: Li combines unfamiliar racial technologies—such as the Mantis Fusing Agent, reinforced construction, and Teleportation Arrays—to create something far beyond the city’s existing architecture.
• Building a foundation for survival: The new base gives Li security, financial independence, research space, and the means to develop future biological and magical technologies.

Character Interactions

• Li and Daniel maintain a joking, commercially motivated friendship. Daniel misunderstands or overlooks Li’s actions at the Mill, while Li carefully avoids revealing his true intentions.
• Li and Iron Hammer develop a mutually beneficial partnership. Iron Hammer provides funding, labor, and political backing, while Li promises enormous profits and increased alteration capacity.
• The slave owners compete to gain Li’s favor by offering rare slaves, money, and resources, revealing how valuable his services have become.
• Li negotiates firmly with the group, refusing compensation while securing greater support and freedom to design the building according to his own plans.
• His interactions with the Cockroach chief and Spatial Mantis show Li beginning to coordinate multiple races and technologies toward the creation of a concealed headquarters.

Chapter Summary: “Anfuni’s Confession”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Anfuni repeatedly questions Li Ziran about the purpose of his twenty-story construction project in the Red Fan District. Li insists he only wants to develop the area and provide entertainment for women, though Anfuni clearly suspects a hidden agenda.
• They discuss the recent massacre at North Sea Port, where at least a thousand suspected Demon collaborators were killed. The purge has destabilized the Dark Council and may lead to new senators and a change in leadership.
• Anfuni reveals that North Sea Port’s forces also attacked Pearl Island, a Demon stronghold, using hundreds of steam battleships and dozens of Archmages. They discovered more than a thousand bottles of Soul Plasma, including an extremely valuable batch compressed on the Seventy-Second Layer of the Abyss.
• Li learns that Soul Plasma greatly increases spiritual power and has become essential to Magisters’ advancement. Its value explains why Duke Lanchi, human Magisters, and multiple major races are competing for control of the discovery.
• Anfuni explains that Lanchi is unlikely to survive with such a treasure in his possession. The Elven Queen and other races may support the Dark Council’s plan to assassinate him, after which the Soul Plasma will likely be divided or smuggled away.
• The Elves do not intend to seize the Soul Plasma directly. Instead, Anfuni asks Li to use his business connections in Hippo Ancient City to purchase slaves and exchange them with Demons for Soul Plasma. The Elves would provide the funds, while Li would act as their intermediary.
• Li is shocked that the Elves are willing to trade with Demons. Anfuni argues that the Elves fear human expansion even more than a Demon invasion and desperately need Soul Plasma to strengthen their Magisters.
• Anfuni reveals that Demons require souls because the Endless Abyss cannot naturally produce soul power. The Red Soil Continent’s inhabitants are valuable to them because reproduction creates new souls. Hippo Ancient City’s major hidden industry is therefore the supply of souls to Demons.
• She admits that her involvement in the Shadow Society was partly motivated by access to this trade. After taking over Jon’s former position, her supply routes were cut off.
• Anfuni also reveals that Shadow Elder is untrustworthy. During the escape from Sulfur Island, he forced her to return and cover the retreat after she had already escaped.
• Finally, she exposes the crescent-shaped mark associated with Sandrew as a Puppet Mark, implying that Shadow Elder or another power controls its bearer. She claims that she and Li are now on the same side.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Initially indifferent to North Sea Port and Soul Plasma, Li becomes increasingly interested once he understands its value and the political conflict surrounding it. He is disturbed by the moral implications of slave trading and the revelation that living beings may be treated as sources of souls. His distrust of Anfuni remains, but he recognizes that she is revealing genuine secrets.
• Anfuni: Moves from teasing suspicion to an outright confession of her political and economic motives. She reveals her loyalty to the Elven Queen, her desire to restore access to Soul Plasma, and her willingness to cooperate with Demons. She also presents herself as a potential ally against Shadow Elder and the controlling forces behind the Shadow Society.
• Duke Lanchi: Though absent, Lanchi becomes central to the chapter. His massacre at North Sea Port and possession of the Soul Plasma make him a target for assassination by rival factions and races.
• Shadow Elder/Sandrew: Shadow Elder is portrayed as selfish and manipulative, while the crescent mark suggests that Sandrew may be controlled through a Puppet Mark rather than acting freely.

Significant Themes

• Political power and greed: The Soul Plasma discovery transforms a military campaign into a struggle for wealth, magical advancement, and control of North Sea Port.
• Moral hypocrisy: Races that publicly oppose Demons are willing to trade with them when powerful resources are involved. The Elves’ beauty and apparent nobility contrast sharply with their willingness to participate in slave trafficking.
• Exploitation of life: The revelation that Demons use the continent’s inhabitants as sources of souls reframes the Demon invasion as an economic and biological system of exploitation.
• Hidden alliances and shifting loyalties: Elves, humans, Demons, and the Dark Council may cooperate temporarily despite being enemies, united by their desire for Soul Plasma or opposition to rivals.
• Control and free will: The Puppet Mark raises questions about whether powerful figures within the Shadow Society are acting voluntarily or under magical domination.

Character Interactions

• Anfuni persistently probes Li about his skyscraper project, while Li deflects her questions with humor and denials.
• She deliberately tempts him with increasingly valuable information about the Soul Plasma, eventually gaining his full attention.
• Li challenges Anfuni’s morality and questions why the Elves would cooperate with Demons. Anfuni responds pragmatically, prioritizing her people’s magical strength over ideological opposition.
• Their conversation shifts from suspicion to tentative cooperation. Anfuni asks Li to become an intermediary in the slave-for-Soul-Plasma trade, while Li questions the risks and motives behind the proposal.
• By revealing Shadow Elder’s betrayal and the Puppet Mark, Anfuni attempts to convince Li that they share a common enemy and should work together.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Anfuni reveals that Shadow Elder uses a Puppet Mark to control or restrict subordinates, confirming that the Shadow Crescent Moon may also function as a form of restraint on Li Ziran.
• Li Ziran realizes that Shadow Elder’s true objective is obtaining high-grade Soul Plasma, a substance that only Demons can produce by shattering souls within the Abyss.
• Anfuni asks Li Ziran to help establish a future Soul Plasma trading channel with the Demons. Li considers the opportunity but does not commit, recognizing the risks and moral complications of the slave trade.
• Li rejects the idea of becoming a conventional slave trader because large-scale operations would require stable supply networks, transportation, and competition with entrenched powers.
• Instead, he focuses on developing his own businesses: the ladies’ modification business, special-creature cultivation, and organ modification. His real goal is acquiring rare Magic Organs from powerful beings such as Dragons and Phoenixes.
• Anfuni explains that the regional market is being disrupted by Duke Lanchi, who controls North Sea Port and has damaged the interests of the Elves, Dwarves, Dwarfs, and other races.
• She insists that Lanchi will soon be killed, with multiple factions offering rewards for his death. If that happens, the Demon market and Soul Plasma trade will be reorganized.
• Li agrees only conditionally to help after Lanchi’s death, avoiding a firm promise while keeping the opportunity open.
• Li then shows Anfuni his newly completed twenty-story building, constructed in less than five days by the Cockroach Builders. The building is designed as a lavish commercial center for his beauty and body-modification businesses.

2. Character Developments

• Li Ziran becomes more calculating and pragmatic. He weighs the dangers of Demon dealings and slave trafficking against the enormous potential profits and access to rare Magic Organs.
• He maintains his moral reservations about slavery but is unwilling to reject an opportunity that could significantly increase his wealth and power.
• Li also demonstrates improved political awareness, understanding that the conflict surrounding Lanchi involves powerful races, secret trade channels, and broader struggles over regional influence.
• Anfuni is shown to be desperate and politically pressured. Her Elven faction is losing ground, and she needs Li’s help to preserve access to Soul Plasma.
• She becomes more manipulative, realizing that Li needs a meaningful reward or leverage before he will cooperate. Her hostility toward Lanchi is personal and intense, though she masks it with strategic reasoning.
• Li and Anfuni’s relationship develops into a cautious alliance based on mutual benefit rather than trust.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and control: The Puppet Mark and Shadow Crescent Moon represent the restrictions imposed by powerful organizations on those who benefit from them.
• Moral compromise: Li is uncomfortable with slavery but considers participating because of the wealth, influence, and rare resources it could provide.
• Political and economic competition: Soul Plasma is not merely a commodity; control over its supply determines influence among the major races and factions.
• Pragmatism versus idealism: Li prioritizes building his own strength and business empire instead of becoming entangled in unstable political conflicts.
• Transformation and bodily enhancement: Li’s businesses reflect a central interest in modifying bodies, acquiring special organs, and using technology or magic to create new forms of power.
• Instability and opportunity: Lanchi’s expected death could radically reshape the regional market, creating both danger and opportunity for Li.

4. Character Interactions

• Anfuni pressures Li to cooperate with the Elves and Demons, while Li carefully avoids giving her a definite answer.
• Their conversation reveals mutual suspicion: Anfuni wants leverage over Li, while Li fears being drawn too deeply into her faction’s political struggles.
• Li questions Anfuni about Soul Plasma and the Demons, prompting her to disclose information about Shadow Elder, Sulfur Island, Lanchi, and the shifting regional power structure.
• After the tense negotiation, Li deliberately changes the subject by showing Anfuni his new building.
• Anfuni is impressed and surprised by the building’s scale and luxurious design, while Li promotes his business by offering her a discount on custom bodily modifications.

Chapter Summary: “Housewarming Celebration”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Anfuni inspects Li Ziran’s new twenty-story skyscraper, expecting to find hidden secrets or evidence of his larger plans. She sees only the Beauty Salon and its unusual construction materials, though she remains convinced the building conceals a deeper purpose.
• The Cockroach Race works through the night to transform the skyscraper into Li Ziran Beauty Salon. The building includes reception and exhibition areas, consultation rooms, specialized operating rooms, potion and cultivation floors, research and materials areas, a library, guest rooms, and a private top floor.
• By dawn, the building is complete, its white exterior and blue ocean quartz glass making it a striking landmark. The surrounding streets fill with female customers eager to attend the housewarming celebration and receive special benefits.
• Aimer Mill contributes VIP cards, while Swan Smile, Giant Cannon Fire Elephants, rainbow displays, Griffins, drums, and other festivities create a grand public spectacle. The celebration resembles a major opening ceremony rather than a simple relocation.
• Emily announces that minor procedures are free, major skin modifications are discounted by ninety percent, and selected residents of the Red Fan District will receive complimentary exquisite skins.
• Ivy, Aimer, and Ailey announce a permanent twenty-percent discount for all Sea Folk members. Although some spectators protest the racial privilege, the Sea Folk women celebrate enthusiastically.
• Li Ziran emerges to overwhelming cheers and realizes that the Beauty Salon has turned him into something resembling a celebrity.
• Iron Hammer arrives with his cousin Gold Hammer, a Golden Dwarf. Gold Hammer presents Li Ziran with a magical gold scalpel called “Magic Breaker,” a rare weapon made with the Golden Dwarves’ unique magic-breaking craft.
• Li Ziran welcomes Gold Hammer and the slave masters connected to Iron Hammer, recognizing them as valuable potential clients and business partners. He sends Gold Hammer to the top floor for examination and invites the others to a banquet.
• Just as the official guests have entered, Cavis unexpectedly appears in the crowd and asks to be invited inside. Li Ziran is shocked because he had believed Cavis was dead.

Character Developments

• Anfuni remains suspicious of Li Ziran. She cannot discover the building’s secrets but continues to believe he is far more significant and dangerous than he appears. Her dismissive attitude toward the female residents also reveals her elitism and distance from ordinary slaves.
• Li Ziran demonstrates growing business ambition and political awareness. He understands that the Beauty Salon is not merely a medical or beauty facility but a means of binding himself to Iron Hammer, the slave masters, and the Red Fan District through shared commercial interests.
• He also shows strategic generosity by allowing Ivy, Aimer, and Ailey to announce the Sea Folk discount, giving them a sense of achievement and strengthening their loyalty.
• Emily serves as the salon’s public representative, confidently presenting its offers and embodying the beauty transformations associated with Li Ziran’s work.
• Ivy, Aimer, and Ailey move from being clients or associated figures to active participants in the salon’s public relations and business operations.
• Iron Hammer reinforces his role as Li Ziran’s ally and promoter. His presence, labor organization, and introduction of Gold Hammer help legitimize the salon.
• Gold Hammer is introduced as a powerful and valuable potential client because of his Golden Dwarf heritage, access to rare materials, and political and economic influence.
• Cavis’s sudden appearance creates a major mystery and immediately shifts the chapter’s tone from celebration to suspense.

Significant Themes

• Business and political alliance: The Beauty Salon becomes a network connecting Li Ziran, Iron Hammer, the slave masters, the Sea Folk, and the Red Fan District.
• Power through commerce: Li Ziran expands his influence not through force alone but by offering services, discounts, gifts, and economic opportunities that make others dependent on him.
• Public image and celebrity: The grand ceremony shows how reputation and spectacle can create authority. Li Ziran’s public persona grows alongside the salon.
• Social hierarchy and discrimination: The special Sea Folk discount and Anfuni’s contempt for low-ranking female slaves highlight the rigid racial and class divisions of the setting.
• Rarity and magical technology: The Magic Breaker scalpel emphasizes the importance of rare materials and specialized craftsmanship, while also hinting at future cooperation between Li Ziran and the Golden Dwarves.
• Hidden identities and unresolved threats: Anfuni’s suspicions and Cavis’s unexpected survival suggest that the apparent celebration conceals deeper dangers and secrets.

Character Interactions

• Anfuni accompanies Li Ziran through the building but refuses to participate in the salon’s celebration, claiming that serving low-ranking slaves would not benefit her.
• Li Ziran privately explains that the celebration strengthens his relationship with the Sea Folk women and helps establish his broader business network.
• Emily publicly represents Li Ziran and announces the salon’s benefits, while Ivy, Aimer, and Ailey secure special privileges for their race.
• Iron Hammer embraces Li Ziran, introduces Gold Hammer, and privately explains Gold Hammer’s influence and contributions to the district.
• Gold Hammer gives Li Ziran the Magic Breaker scalpel, establishing a promising relationship between them.
• Li Ziran hosts Iron Hammer and the slave masters as prospective clients, but Cavis’s appearance at the end leaves him stunned and raises the question of how Cavis survived.

Chapter Summary: “Don’t Let Anything Happen”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran is alarmed when Cavis, whom he believed to be dead, suddenly appears at the Beauty Salon’s housewarming celebration.
• Cavis’s arrival is clearly connected to the Judgment Spell and the Holy Scripture Li Ziran acquired. He implies that Li Ziran may keep the Scripture as a “gift,” revealing that he already knows Li Ziran has learned the spell.
• Cavis reunites warmly with his three students—Ivy, Ailey, and Aimer—who proudly tell him about their new property and the lessons they learned under Li Ziran’s protection.
• Li Ziran worries that Cavis may have come to reclaim the mermaid girls, capture Anfuni, or punish him for teaching the girls new survival principles and allowing them access to the Judgment Spell.
• The main guests gather upstairs for the celebration. Present are members of the Dark Council, slave owners, Anfuni, Cavis, the three mermaid girls, and Emily.
• Li Ziran gives a toast, and Iron Hammer helps ease the tension by turning the event into a lively drinking party.
• Anfuni deliberately flirts with and probes Cavis, treating their interaction as a tense exchange between opposing races rather than genuine affection.
• Iron Hammer brings more than two hundred women from the various Mills to the gathering, transforming the housewarming into a massive social and drinking event.
• Iron Hammer reveals that the Red Fan District has become profitable enough for him to form his own slave corps, including pangolin cavalry. He also offers to help Li Ziran gain a seat on the Dark Council, emphasizing the protection and influence such a position would provide.
• As Li Ziran searches for the missing Cavis and Anfuni, a scream announces that someone has been murdered.
• Two blood-covered bodies are discovered. Li Ziran initially relaxes when he realizes they are not Cavis or Anfuni—but then recognizes one victim as Iron Hammer, who was alive only moments earlier.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran becomes increasingly cautious and suspicious. He recognizes that his salon has become a political crossroads filled with enemies, allies, and conflicting factions, leaving him responsible for preventing disaster.
• Cavis appears calm and affectionate toward his students, but his concealed knowledge of the Judgment Spell and the Holy Scripture makes his visit threatening and deliberate.
• Ivy, Ailey, and Aimer show growing confidence and attachment to Li Ziran. They openly credit him with protecting them and helping them learn how to survive.
• Anfuni demonstrates her bold, manipulative nature by physically teasing and probing Cavis, apparently testing his identity, intentions, and strength.
• Iron Hammer proves himself a valuable ally by promoting Li Ziran’s interests and offering him political protection, but his sudden death creates a major shock and destabilizes the celebration.
• Cavis and Anfuni remain unaccounted for when the murder occurs, making them immediate subjects of suspicion.

Significant Themes

• Hidden agendas and political danger: Nearly every guest has competing interests, and Li Ziran cannot tell whether Cavis’s visit is friendly, hostile, or strategic.
• Power and protection: Iron Hammer’s offer of a Dark Council position highlights how commercial success alone cannot ensure safety in Hippo Ancient City.
• Trust and uncertainty: Li Ziran must rely on people whose motives are unclear, including Cavis, Anfuni, and the Dark Council members.
• Social gatherings as political arenas: The celebration becomes less a private party and more a meeting point for business deals, alliances, seduction, and factional maneuvering.
• Sudden violence beneath apparent celebration: The cheerful atmosphere collapses instantly when Iron Hammer is murdered, showing how fragile Li Ziran’s newfound influence and security really are.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Cavis: Their polite welcome masks mutual suspicion. Cavis’s knowledge of the Judgment Spell creates an unspoken threat between them.
• Cavis and the mermaid girls: The girls treat him as a beloved mentor, while he praises Li Ziran for protecting them.
• Li Ziran and Anfuni: Li Ziran watches her anxiously, fearing she may provoke Cavis or become his target.
• Anfuni and Cavis: Anfuni openly leans against and touches Cavis, testing him through provocative behavior and racial tension.
• Li Ziran and Iron Hammer: Iron Hammer treats Li Ziran as a trusted business partner and offers him a path into the Dark Council, strengthening their alliance shortly before Iron Hammer’s death.
• Li Ziran and the assembled guests: Li Ziran attempts to maintain control and hospitality, but the banquet turns into an unruly social gathering beyond his ability to manage.

Chapter Summary: “It Was I Who Killed Him”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Iron Hammer is found dead during the housewarming celebration of the Red Fan District. Three weapons have pierced his heart, abdomen, and waist, making the killing appear deliberate and impossible to survive.
• Li Ziran immediately recognizes that Iron Hammer’s death threatens the future of the Red Fan District, whose success depends heavily on Iron Hammer’s leadership and Li’s beauty-treatment business.
• Gold Hammer, Iron Hammer’s cousin, takes control of the investigation. Dwarf soldiers gather and interrogate the guests, though Li realizes the process is merely a performance rather than a genuine search for the murderer.
• Li is questioned separately and brought into a private room with Gold Hammer, Daniel—the Wolverine Grand Witch Doctor—and several of Iron Hammer’s former financial partners.
• Gold Hammer reveals that he orchestrated Iron Hammer’s assassination to seize control of the Red Fan District. He offers Li a 20 percent share of the profits, while the investors divide the rest.
• Gold Hammer also demands that Li accept Daniel as an assistant so that Daniel can learn Li’s Witch Doctor techniques. Daniel offers Li his own share of the profits, as well as other extravagant compensation, in exchange for instruction.
• Li recognizes Daniel as a highly skilled Witch Doctor capable of advanced techniques such as organ extraction, transformation, regeneration, and Sprite Grafting. Although he dislikes the attempt to access his secrets, he sees the potential value of having a genuine expert as a mentor.
• Gold Hammer publicly blames Iron Hammer’s murder on a Gray Dwarf assistant, intending to clear Li’s name and prevent suspicion from falling on the conspirators.
• Li pretends to accept the arrangement and asks for Iron Hammer’s corpse, claiming he wants to use it as a demonstration that he treats his friends well. Gold Hammer agrees, believing Li has submitted.
• Once outside, Li’s friendly expression disappears. He takes Iron Hammer’s body through a secret teleportation gate to his hidden underground facility.
• The facility contains preserved magical organs and other secret experiments. There, Li introduces Anfuni to an eyeless Cavefolk who appears to be imprisoned and forced to perform surgical work.
• Li orders the Cavefolk to resurrect Iron Hammer. The Cavefolk begins casting a powerful Resurrection Spell, astonishing Anfuni and raising the possibility that Li has secretly acquired or created someone capable of performing forbidden miracles.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Demonstrates political caution, strategic intelligence, and emotional control. He immediately understands the power struggle behind Iron Hammer’s death and pretends to cooperate with Gold Hammer while secretly planning his own course. His interest in Daniel reveals his desire to expand his knowledge of Witch Doctor magic, but he remains fiercely protective of his techniques.
• Gold Hammer: Is revealed as ambitious, manipulative, and ruthless. He murders Iron Hammer not out of justice but to take control of the Red Fan District and increase his own profits. His friendly demeanor masks coercion and greed.
• Daniel: Appears respectful and politically shrewd. He offers up his own profit share and additional rewards to gain access to Li’s knowledge. His abilities as a Grand Witch Doctor make him both a valuable potential ally and a possible threat.
• Anfuni: Becomes increasingly suspicious of Li and curious about his hidden operations. Her surprise at the secret laboratory and the Cavefolk’s Resurrection Spell suggests that she is beginning to understand how extensive and morally questionable Li’s experiments may be.
• Iron Hammer: Though dead, he remains central to the conflict. His death exposes the instability and greed surrounding the Red Fan District and turns his corpse into an object of political manipulation and magical experimentation.
• The Cavefolk: Is introduced as a mysterious, mutilated servant or prisoner who possesses extraordinary magical power, particularly the ability to resurrect the dead.

Significant Themes

• Political betrayal and opportunism: Iron Hammer’s murder is presented as a business maneuver, showing how quickly alliances collapse when wealth and power are at stake.
• Appearance versus reality: Gold Hammer stages an investigation while concealing his guilt, and Li publicly acts grateful while privately rejecting the arrangement.
• Knowledge as power: Li’s Witch Doctor techniques are more valuable than the Red Fan District’s profits. Gold Hammer and Daniel’s offer is ultimately an attempt to obtain Li’s secrets.
• Pragmatism and survival: Li does not seek immediate revenge. Instead, he cooperates outwardly, evaluates the situation, and uses the opportunity to gain resources and information.
• Ethical ambiguity: The hidden laboratory, preserved organs, mutilated Cavefolk, and resurrection experiments suggest that Li’s pursuit of magical advancement comes at a serious moral cost.
• Death and utility: In Hippo Ancient City, murder is treated as routine, and the dead are valuable mainly for the power, wealth, or knowledge they can provide to the living.

Character Interactions

• Gold Hammer publicly interrogates Li but privately reveals the conspiracy and attempts to force him into cooperation.
• Li and Gold Hammer exchange false friendliness: Gold Hammer believes Li has accepted his authority, while Li is secretly manipulating the situation.
• Daniel approaches Li with respect and offers wealth and personal benefits to persuade him to teach Witch Doctor techniques.
• Anfuni eavesdrops on the negotiation and later confronts Li about his performance and secrets.
• Li brings Anfuni into his hidden laboratory, exposing her to his magical-organ experiments and the mysterious Cavefolk.
• The chapter ends with Anfuni witnessing the Cavefolk begin resurrecting Iron Hammer, leaving her to wonder whether Li himself is responsible for this impossible ability.

Chapter Summary: “Iron Hammer Wants to Follow”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In a sealed basement, Li Ziran successfully uses a secret Resurrection Spell to revive Iron Hammer. His wounds heal completely, his soul returns to his body, and his heart eventually begins beating.
• Anfuni is stunned that Li Ziran, an apparently insignificant Cavefolk, possesses the Justice Alliance’s closely guarded resurrection technique. She begins questioning his true identity and possible connections to powerful organizations.
• Iron Hammer recalls being assassinated. He remembers being stabbed by a young woman whose face transformed into that of Daniel, the Wolverine Orc. The experience leaves him frightened and confused.
• After recovering, Iron Hammer declares that he wants revenge. He vows to seize control of the Red Fan District, punish the traitors who betrayed him, and publicly torture the guilty slave masters.
• Li Ziran asks Iron Hammer to capture Daniel alive because Daniel is valuable to him. Iron Hammer immediately agrees and launches an uprising in the Red Fan District.
• Iron Hammer’s forces ambush the district’s guards using coordinated attacks, including fireballs and unusually powerful arrows. They defeat the opposition and execute dozens of people connected to the Mill, while sparing the young women.
• The retaliation continues for hours. Several slave masters are brought out to calm the surviving women, while others are placed on elevated railings to be roasted alive as punishment.
• Iron Hammer fails to locate Daniel, who has disappeared along with Iron Hammer’s cousin. Li Ziran is unsurprised, recognizing that Daniel, as a Grand Witch Doctor, would naturally be capable of escaping.
• Li Ziran brings Iron Hammer through the hidden Teleportation Gate and shows him his secret underground facilities, including rooms filled with organs, frogs, fire pillars, and the operating theater.
• Deeply impressed and humbled, Iron Hammer confesses that he concealed the truth about his political and financial connections. He reveals that Danforth, a slave master and elder of the Dark Council’s Lower House, is the Red Fan District’s primary financier and the true power behind much of Iron Hammer’s authority.
• Iron Hammer announces that he does not merely want to assist Li Ziran—he wants to become his retainer and follow him permanently.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: His resurrection ability confirms that he is far more powerful and mysterious than he appears. He remains calm, pragmatic, and in control throughout Iron Hammer’s revival and revenge campaign. Rather than seeking gratitude, he evaluates Iron Hammer’s usefulness and tests his capabilities.
• Iron Hammer: He changes from a local political figure who underestimated Li Ziran into a deeply respectful and devoted subordinate. His near-death experience intensifies his ruthlessness and determination. After seeing Li Ziran’s hidden facilities and recognizing his extraordinary power, Iron Hammer chooses to gamble his future on serving him.
• Anfuni: She becomes increasingly suspicious of Li Ziran’s origins and abilities. His possession of the Resurrection Spell challenges her understanding of him and raises the possibility that he is connected to the Inquisition, the Shadow Society, or another powerful organization.
• Daniel: Though absent, Daniel’s importance grows. His assassination attempt, magical disguise, and successful escape establish him as a dangerous and highly capable enemy.

Significant Themes

• Power hidden beneath appearances: Li Ziran appears to be an ordinary Cavefolk, yet he possesses forbidden resurrection magic and a vast secret operation. The chapter emphasizes the danger of judging people by their status or appearance.
• Loyalty through strength: Iron Hammer decides to follow Li Ziran not because of affection or obligation, but because he believes strength and power determine survival and advancement.
• Debt and submission: Resurrection creates a profound obligation. Iron Hammer interprets Li Ziran’s act as proof that he should surrender his independence and become a retainer.
• Revenge and political control: Iron Hammer’s violent purge demonstrates how authority in the Red Fan District is maintained through fear, brutality, and the control of profitable but illicit trade.
• Secrets and hidden alliances: Iron Hammer’s confession reveals that apparent leaders are often controlled by larger financial and political forces. The chapter also deepens the mystery surrounding Li Ziran’s affiliations and ambitions.

Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Anfuni: Anfuni silently questions Li Ziran’s identity and power, while Li remains unconcerned with her suspicions.
• Li Ziran and Iron Hammer: Li comforts Iron Hammer after his resurrection, gives him a direct mission, and observes his ability to reclaim the Red Fan District. Iron Hammer’s attitude shifts from treating Li as a minor business partner to addressing him respectfully and seeking to serve him.
• Iron Hammer and his enemies: Iron Hammer responds to his assassination and betrayal with a violent purge, executing the district’s conspirators and making an example of them.
• Iron Hammer and Danforth: Iron Hammer admits that Danforth promoted and financially supported him, making Danforth the true power behind the Red Fan District. Nevertheless, Iron Hammer now considers Li Ziran more valuable and powerful than Danforth.
• Iron Hammer and Daniel: Daniel is both Iron Hammer’s attempted murderer and the target of Li Ziran’s orders. Iron Hammer seeks revenge, but Daniel escapes, leaving their conflict unresolved.

Chapter Summary: “The First Set of Organs Given Away”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Iron Hammer reveals that he shared the Red Fan District plan with three people: Danforth, his cousin Gold Hammer, and Deputy Commander Pangke.
• He explains that Hippo Ancient City is effectively controlled by the military of North Sea Port. The city’s rulers must surrender half their income, and Pangke—son of the powerful General Hannibal—supports Iron Hammer’s control of Ninth Street.
• Li Ziran realizes that Iron Hammer’s strategy is based on dependence and gaining protection from stronger powers. He rejects Iron Hammer’s desire to become his follower, insisting that Iron Hammer should develop his own strength and leadership.
• Li begins an experimental operation on Iron Hammer, replacing and modifying twenty-eight organs. He installs a complete fire-attributed magical organ system, including an Intermediate Fire Element Gland, as well as sensory organs and biological components from other races.
• The surgery transforms Iron Hammer into a hybrid being with enhanced vision, hearing, smell, and other abilities while preserving his basic appearance.
• After recovering, Iron Hammer discovers that he can use Dual Fire Element magic. He creates powerful fireballs and learns that he has become an Intermediate Fire Mage, capable of casting seven fireballs in rapid succession.
• Rather than becoming passively dependent on Li, Iron Hammer is motivated by his newfound power. He immediately promises to capture Daniel and bring him back to Li.

Character Development

• Li Ziran becomes more assertive about his principles. He refuses to accept a follower who merely clings to stronger forces and attempts to reshape Iron Hammer’s worldview through empowerment rather than control.
• Li also reveals his ambition to develop an organ-modification and organ-trading business, using Iron Hammer as his first major experiment.
• Iron Hammer is initially frightened and uncertain about the surgery, but the transformation gives him extraordinary abilities and renewed confidence. His former dependence on external protectors begins shifting toward confidence in his own strength.
• Iron Hammer remains loyal to Li, but Li encourages him to become an independent force rather than a subordinate.
• Anfuni witnesses Li’s growing surgical mastery and is astonished by the extent of his biological experimentation.

Significant Themes

• Independence versus dependence: Li condemns Iron Hammer’s instinct to seek protection from powerful figures and argues that true strength comes from developing one’s own abilities.
• Transformation and identity: The surgery blurs racial and bodily boundaries, turning Iron Hammer into a hybrid composed of organs and traits from multiple species.
• Power through knowledge: Li’s unique understanding of magical organs gives him immense influence and creates the foundation for a potentially lucrative new industry.
• Ethics and ambition: The disturbing operation raises questions about experimentation, bodily autonomy, and whether extraordinary power justifies radical physical alteration.
• Empowerment as control: Although Li claims he does not want followers, he gives Iron Hammer abilities that make him dependent on Li for future upgrades.

Character Interactions

• Li and Iron Hammer clash over Iron Hammer’s decision to rely on Danforth, Gold Hammer, and Pangke.
• Li challenges Iron Hammer to become a leader in his own right rather than someone who constantly seeks powerful patrons.
• During and after the operation, Li adopts a teasing but commanding attitude, while Iron Hammer reacts with fear, confusion, gratitude, and amazement.
• Anfuni silently observes Li’s surgical work and recognizes that his skill has advanced dramatically.
• After gaining his new powers, Iron Hammer recommits himself to helping Li, choosing to pursue Daniel as proof of his usefulness.

Chapter Summary: “Searching for Daniel”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After receiving mysterious enhancements from Li Ziran’s beauty salon, Iron Hammer leaves determined to capture Daniel, now driven not only by revenge but also by his own future and newfound power.
• He mobilizes the Gray Dwarf clan, requests reinforcements, hires elite fighters from Mr. Danforth, and seals the entire Red Fan District under martial law.
• Gray Dwarf soldiers, pangolin riders, giant rhinoceroses, and shadow archers clear the streets and suppress resistance. The district becomes a scene of fear and violence, with civilians and workers confined inside the Mills.
• Soldiers conduct a thorough, room-by-room search for Daniel and Gold Hammer, while Iron Hammer personally oversees the operation. Despite repeated reports that the fugitives have not been found, he remains confident.
• Daniel and Gold Hammer are secretly hiding inside a wine barrel in the basement of the ** Mill, which Daniel has maintained as a private location. Gold Hammer panics, while Daniel insists that their hiding place is secure and believes he can escape if necessary.
• Iron Hammer discovers Daniel’s scent, Gold Hammer’s scent, and a strand of golden fur in Daniel’s private room. Realizing they are still inside the Mill, he evacuates everyone and searches the building alone.
• Using his enhanced hearing and sense of smell, Iron Hammer locates the wine cellar. He deliberately announces that he has found Daniel, causing Gold Hammer to reveal their presence.
• Iron Hammer ignites the wine barrels with blue flame. Daniel reacts quickly, transforming Gold Hammer into a small golden rat so that he can escape through the chaos.

Character Developments

• Iron Hammer becomes dramatically more powerful and confident after Li Ziran’s intervention. His enhanced senses, strength, and fire abilities allow him to command an organized military operation and hunt his targets with exceptional precision.
• His leadership also becomes more ruthless. He accepts widespread violence and terror as necessary tools, treating the entire Red Fan District as territory under his absolute control.
• Daniel remains calculating and self-assured, but his confidence is shaken when Iron Hammer unexpectedly survives. He recognizes that he underestimated Li Ziran and realizes that his earlier attempt to kill Iron Hammer failed.
• Daniel demonstrates resourcefulness under pressure by using transformation magic on Gold Hammer and attempting to flee rather than fight directly.
• Gold Hammer loses his earlier confidence and becomes increasingly frightened. He repeatedly warns Daniel about Iron Hammer’s power and influence, but his fear and lack of discipline eventually expose their hiding place.

Significant Themes

• Power and transformation: Iron Hammer’s physical and magical enhancements fundamentally change his position, giving him the confidence and authority to become a formidable pursuer.
• Revenge versus personal ambition: Iron Hammer’s pursuit of Daniel begins as revenge but develops into a mission tied to his own future and rising status.
• Authority and oppression: The Gray Dwarves’ military occupation shows how power can be imposed through discipline, surveillance, fear, and indiscriminate violence.
• Overconfidence and miscalculation: Daniel believed Iron Hammer was dead and underestimated Li Ziran’s intentions, while Gold Hammer’s panic creates an immediate danger for both fugitives.
• Predator and prey: The chapter reverses the earlier power dynamic. Iron Hammer, once presumed dead, now methodically hunts Daniel, who is forced into hiding and escape.

Character Interactions

• Iron Hammer gives his subordinates uncompromising orders, demonstrating his authority over the Gray Dwarf soldiers and his willingness to use outside forces.
• Li Ziran watches the operation from above and quietly recognizes that his enhancements have increased Iron Hammer’s confidence and strength.
• Gold Hammer repeatedly expresses fear and doubt to Daniel, while Daniel dismisses his concerns and treats him contemptuously.
• Iron Hammer psychologically tests the hidden fugitives by calling Daniel’s name rather than immediately attacking.
• Gold Hammer’s involuntary shout betrays their location, prompting Daniel to insult him and use transformation magic to turn him into a rat.
• The chapter ends with Iron Hammer setting the wine barrels ablaze and Daniel beginning an escape, leaving the confrontation unresolved.

Chapter Summary: “Li Ziran, Your Daniel”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Iron Hammer carefully ignites one wine barrel to test whether Daniel and Gold Hammer are still alive. He detects movement and realizes they are escaping through the cellar.
• He discovers Gold Hammer transformed into a fat golden rat, while Daniel has become a gray rat. The two are attempting to climb out using a wall and each other.
• Iron Hammer attacks Daniel with rapid-fire magic missiles. One fireball sets Daniel’s tail ablaze, forcing him to bite it off to escape.
• Daniel successfully dodges most of Iron Hammer’s inaccurate fireballs and escapes the cellar, while Iron Hammer’s magic temporarily runs out.
• After Daniel disappears into the Mill, Iron Hammer captures Gold Hammer and orders the building surrounded. He offers ten gold coins for Daniel’s capture.
• Several dwarves suddenly die without visible wounds as Daniel uses a terrifying ability to rip out and consume their hearts. He repeatedly escapes through rat holes while Iron Hammer and the dwarves pursue him.
• The wine-cellar fire spreads throughout the Mill. Despite Emily’s protests—because the Mill belongs to Li Ziran—Iron Hammer allows the building to be destroyed in his desperate attempt to catch Daniel.
• Daniel escapes the burning Mill, but Iron Hammer finally tracks him down outside. With assistance from Danforth’s men, a magic arrow strikes Daniel’s hind leg.
• Iron Hammer’s fireballs burn away Daniel’s front paws, leaving him helpless. He grabs the agonized rat and rushes to Li Ziran’s Beauty Salon, proudly presenting him as “Li, your Daniel!”

Character Developments

• Iron Hammer: Becomes increasingly obsessive and desperate to capture Daniel, driven by his responsibility to Li Ziran and his wounded pride. His pursuit overrides his concern for the Mill and its workers. He also demonstrates newly acquired fire magic, though his poor aim repeatedly frustrates him.
• Daniel: Shows remarkable intelligence, adaptability, and combat ability. He escapes through rat holes, dodges magic, sacrifices his tail to survive, and uses a lethal heart-ripping technique against the dwarves. Despite his ingenuity, he is eventually overwhelmed by injury, fire, and numbers.
• Emily: Acts as the Mill’s protector and objects strongly to Iron Hammer destroying it, emphasizing the building’s importance to the Red Fan District and its connection to Li Ziran.
• Gold Hammer: Is reduced to a helpless golden rat and captured unconscious by Iron Hammer.
• Li Ziran: Does not participate directly but remains the central motivation behind Iron Hammer’s actions and the emotional significance of Daniel’s capture.

Significant Themes

• Obsession and duty: Iron Hammer’s determination to fulfill Li Ziran’s expectations becomes extreme, leading him to sacrifice property and endanger others.
• Destruction versus loyalty: The Mill’s destruction contrasts with Iron Hammer’s belief that Daniel is more important and cannot be allowed to escape.
• Predator and prey: The pursuit reverses expectations: Daniel is physically small but resourceful and deadly, while Iron Hammer’s greater strength is undermined by inaccurate magic and frustration.
• Transformation and identity: Gold Hammer and Daniel’s rat forms conceal their identities, forcing Iron Hammer to rely on scent and instinct to recognize them.
• Power and fear: Daniel’s ability to extract hearts horrifies the dwarves, while Iron Hammer’s fire magic creates destruction even when used imperfectly.

Character Interactions

• Iron Hammer confronts Daniel repeatedly through a prolonged chase involving fireballs, traps, and rat holes.
• Daniel indirectly causes the deaths of several dwarves while evading capture.
• Emily confronts Iron Hammer and tries to stop him from destroying the Mill, but he has her removed.
• Iron Hammer uses Danforth’s hired men to help corner Daniel.
• The chapter ends with Iron Hammer presenting the badly injured Daniel to Li Ziran, triumphantly calling him “your Daniel.”

Chapter Summary: “God Descends to Earth”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran tests his organ-based magic system by reviving Daniel through rat blood. Daniel reappears horribly mutilated and refuses to teach Li Ziran witchcraft, so Li transforms him into a frog and keeps him as a living experimental subject.
• Iron Hammer enthusiastically explores his newly modified magical organs. He discovers that he can cast fireballs and potentially use a range of low-level fire spells because Li implanted a source of fire magic rather than a single fixed ability.
• Iron Hammer asks whether Li can grant similar abilities to other dwarves. Li explains that he is willing to trade organ modifications, but he wants rare “Magic Organs” instead of money.
• Li educates Iron Hammer about valuable magical organs, including:
  • Golden Dwarves’ organs for sensing gold elements
  • Cockroach adhesive-melting glands
  • Human Magic Glands
  • Demonic Soul Eyes
  • Dwarven brains
  • Paladin organs, including the Resurrection Gallbladder
• Iron Hammer proposes bringing Li a valuable organ in exchange for gaining the Golden Dwarves’ ability to detect gold. Li agrees to evaluate the goods first. Iron Hammer leaves to obtain them and promises to return within two hours.
• Anfuni asks to trade for magical organs, but Li explains that the low-level organs are useless to her Primordial Elf body. She instead reveals that she can sense a paladin organ within Cavefolk Jon and suggests obtaining one from Cavis, a powerful paladin.
• Anfuni tempts Li with the chance to study the internal organs of Jon, a Title Magister, but Li refuses to directly pursue Cavis. He recognizes Cavis as too dangerous and believes he is not yet sufficiently advanced to benefit fully from studying Jon’s organs.
• Anfuni considers attacking Cavis and mentions his connection to the Mermaids. Li sharply warns her not to involve them, revealing that he has a strong protective feeling toward them. Anfuni backs down, though she still intends to investigate Cavis.
• After waiting two hours, Li is approached by Iron Hammer and four Gray Dwarves carrying a crate containing a gigantic silver-skinned being. Iron Hammer dramatically identifies the captive as “God Descends to Earth.”

Character Developments

• Li Ziran becomes increasingly confident as an organ-modification researcher and potential merchant. He moves beyond experimentation toward building a secret, highly profitable trade network based on magical organs.
• Iron Hammer grows from a submissive former slave into an ambitious and commercially minded leader. His desire to empower other dwarves and expand his influence shows increasing independence, greed, and strategic thinking.
• Daniel remains defiant despite his helpless condition. His refusal to cooperate demonstrates the secrecy and pride associated with witchcraft, while Li’s transformation of him shows Li’s willingness to use coercive experimentation.
• Anfuni continues to act boldly and unpredictably. She recognizes the value of paladin organs and openly considers hunting Cavis, revealing her ruthlessness and opportunism.
• Li and Anfuni’s relationship becomes more complex: they bargain, tease, and respect each other’s abilities, but Li clearly understands that Anfuni is difficult to control.
• Li’s character also shows a stronger moral boundary when he angrily forbids Anfuni from targeting the Mermaids.

Significant Themes

• Power as a commodity: Magical abilities and organs are treated as tradeable resources, suggesting the emergence of a secret biological-magic economy.
• Knowledge versus ownership: Wizards and powerful beings guard their abilities, while Li seeks to dissect, transfer, and commercialize them.
• Transformation and ambition: Iron Hammer’s magical empowerment reflects his transition from oppressed servant to aspiring political and economic force.
• Ethics of experimentation: Li’s research involves coercion, bodily modification, and the treatment of living beings as materials, raising questions about the limits of scientific curiosity.
• Preparation and restraint: Li recognizes that possessing an opportunity is not the same as being ready to use it. He delays studying Jon until his own understanding of high-level organs improves.
• Trust and contracts: Li emphasizes keeping promises and establishing fair values before trading, presenting integrity as necessary for long-term cooperation.
• Survival in a chaotic world: The rebuilt mill and bustling city contrast with the earlier massacre, reinforcing the idea that society quickly absorbs violence and continues functioning.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Daniel: Li attempts to recruit Daniel as a teacher, but Daniel insults and rejects him. Li responds by transforming Daniel into a frog, establishing Li’s dominance.
• Li Ziran and Iron Hammer: Their relationship shifts toward partnership. Iron Hammer seeks magical power and resources, while Li sees him as a promising business associate and political investment.
• Li Ziran and Anfuni: They negotiate over magical organs and challenge one another intellectually. Anfuni pushes Li toward acquiring Cavis’s paladin organ, while Li refuses to risk a direct confrontation.
• Li Ziran and the Mermaids: Although they are not present, Li’s fierce warning against harming them reveals their importance to him and exposes a rare emotional vulnerability.
• Iron Hammer and the Gray Dwarves: Iron Hammer now commands enough authority to mobilize dwarves for kidnapping and acquisition, demonstrating his growing influence.
• Iron Hammer and the mysterious silver giant: The chapter ends on a cliffhanger as Iron Hammer presents the enormous captive—“God Descends to Earth”—as the valuable offering he intends to trade to Li.

Chapter Summary: “The Problem Lies in the Flesh”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Iron Hammer presents Li Ziran with an enormous, rare God Descendant Dwarf, a legendary Dwarf species that can grow to gigantic proportions and possesses near-total immunity to elemental magic.
• Li tests the Dwarf with a Transformation Spell, confirming that the spell disintegrates upon touching its skin. The Dwarf’s Elemental Magic-Immunity Body is genuine.
• Li agrees to dissect the Dwarf in exchange for the magical-organ transplant work he previously promised Iron Hammer. He recognizes that the Dwarf’s anti-elemental ability could be an extremely valuable addition to his own body.
• Before beginning the main dissection, Li examines a Golden Dwarf’s organs. He discovers that Golden Dwarves possess a system involving the lungs, heart, and small intestine, which absorbs Golden Element.
• Li realizes that transplanting these organs into Iron Hammer could conflict with Iron Hammer’s existing fire-element organ system, particularly his heart, which serves as the central energy hub for his fire magic.
• Li and the Corpse Witches anesthetize the giant Dwarf. Because of its immense size and toughness, Li must use an axe rather than a scalpel to open its body.
• He examines the major internal organs, but finds no Magic Organs, runes, or obvious source of the Dwarf’s elemental rejection.
• He then studies the brain, expecting it to react if it controls or detects the special ability. However, even direct magical stimulation produces no reaction, suggesting the ability is not controlled by the brain.
• Li devises a laborious experiment: he removes small pieces from different parts of the Dwarf and implants them into Frogs, observing whether the Frogs develop unusual reactions or growth.
• Iron Hammer catches Frogs from a nearby pool while the Corpse Witches assist with the experimental transplants. After more than two days of testing, many Frogs become abnormally large.
• Li concludes that the source of Elemental Rejection is not an organ but the Dwarf’s flesh itself. The mutation is distributed through the body’s tissues and operates independently of the brain.
• Although he has identified the general cause, Li continues investigating to determine which areas of the flesh possess the strongest anti-elemental properties, intending to eventually use the tissue in his own body.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran demonstrates his growing scientific skill and willingness to experiment methodically. Rather than accepting failure, he develops increasingly unconventional tests until he identifies the true source of the Dwarf’s ability.
• His ambition becomes clearer: he is not merely dissecting the Dwarf for profit but intends to incorporate its flesh into himself after fully understanding its properties.
• Iron Hammer remains a cooperative and good-natured business partner. His initial confidence in the God Descendant is justified, though he becomes anxious when Li’s early examination yields no results.
• Iron Hammer also proves physically dependable, carrying the giant crate and spending days catching Frogs, though the work leaves him exhausted.
• The Corpse Witches function as Li’s assistants, carrying out anesthesia, dissection, and transplantation tasks.

Significant Themes

• The limits of conventional knowledge: Li expects special abilities to originate in organs or the brain, but the Dwarf challenges this assumption by possessing a mutation embedded throughout its flesh.
• Scientific perseverance: The chapter emphasizes repeated experimentation, patience, and willingness to use crude methods when standard techniques fail.
• The body as a source of power: Flesh, organs, and bodily systems are treated as mechanisms that can create, store, or transmit magical abilities.
• Ethics and mutual benefit in business: Li acknowledges that he should not exploit Iron Hammer completely and wants both sides to profit from their partnership.
• The danger and promise of self-modification: Li’s desire to implant the Dwarf’s flesh into his own body highlights both his resourcefulness and his willingness to take significant risks for greater power.

Character Interactions

• Iron Hammer seeks Li’s evaluation of the God Descendant and trusts him enough to allow the Dwarf to be dissected.
• Li reassures Iron Hammer when the initial examination appears unsuccessful, maintaining control of the investigation despite his own uncertainty.
• Their partnership is reinforced through cooperation: Iron Hammer provides the specimen and labor, while Li offers knowledge, medical expertise, and the possibility of upgraded Magic Organs.
• Li directs the Corpse Witches and Iron Hammer throughout the Frog experiments, turning the basement into a large-scale laboratory.
• By the end of the chapter, Li’s relationship with the Dwarf shifts from simple study to personal interest, as he decides that the anti-elemental flesh may become part of his own body.

Chapter Summary: “One Body, Two Sets of Organs”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After three days of experimentation on 18,200 Frogs, Li Ziran determines which parts of the God Descendant Dwarf’s body possess the strongest Elemental Rejection. The chest and soles of the feet are nearly immune to elemental damage, while other areas are more vulnerable.
• Recognizing the enormous advantage of an element-rejecting body during the Elemental Tide, Li Ziran decides to transplant the Dwarf’s flesh and blood throughout his own body.
• The Corpse Witch performs an extensive reconstruction, replacing Li Ziran’s skin, blood, nerves, and other tissues while he lies under anesthesia. Iron Hammer watches, astonished by Li Ziran’s willingness to mutilate and rebuild himself.
• After the operation, Li Ziran successfully blocks a Poison Fireball with his new skin. However, he soon begins growing rapidly because of a side effect of the Dwarf flesh.
• Li Ziran then fulfills his promise to Iron Hammer by transplanting the Golden Dwarf’s elemental-perception organs into him.
• Rather than remove Iron Hammer’s existing flame-based Magic Organ system, Li Ziran creates a completely new internal system alongside it. He constructs additional blood vessels, nerves, organs, and even modifies bones to make room.
• The operation succeeds: Iron Hammer now possesses two independent sets of organs. One produces flame magic power, while the other refines Golden Element.
• Daniel, who observes the procedure, is overwhelmed by Li Ziran’s innovation and decides that he wants to become Li Ziran’s disciple.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran demonstrates extreme determination, scientific curiosity, and self-sacrifice. He treats his own body as an experimental subject in pursuit of greater power and survival.
• His confidence and physical condition improve after gaining Elemental Rejection, allowing him to perform the extraordinarily complex reconstruction of Iron Hammer’s body.
• Li Ziran’s relationship with Iron Hammer develops into one of mutual benefit and gratitude. Because Iron Hammer provided the God Descendant Dwarf, Li Ziran rewards him with an unprecedented enhancement rather than merely completing the original transplant.
• Iron Hammer becomes more trusting and less fearful of magical surgery after seeing Li Ziran’s successful transformation. He accepts the operation despite his earlier anxiety.
• Daniel undergoes a major change in perception. He initially views Li Ziran as someone with only minor cosmetic talents, but witnessing the organ reconstruction convinces him that Li Ziran is a revolutionary genius and potential master.

Significant Themes

• Innovation beyond established knowledge: Li Ziran’s work surpasses conventional Witch Doctor techniques, emphasizing imagination and original thinking over inherited methods.
• The body as something that can be redesigned: The chapter treats flesh, organs, nerves, and blood vessels as components that can be rebuilt or combined like an advanced machine.
• Risk and reward: Both Li Ziran and Iron Hammer accept severe physical danger in exchange for extraordinary abilities.
• Mutual exchange and fortune: The organ-trading business proves highly profitable, with the Dwarf body worth roughly a month of Beauty Salon income.
• Imperfection within power: Li Ziran gains exceptional Elemental Rejection but also suffers rapid bodily growth, reinforcing that powerful blessings come with drawbacks.
• Creation versus imitation: Li Ziran is not merely transplanting organs; he is inventing an entirely new biological configuration, creating something that should not naturally exist.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Iron Hammer’s cooperation deepens when Li Ziran personally performs the complicated operation as repayment for Iron Hammer’s valuable gift.
• Iron Hammer watches Li Ziran’s self-surgery with shock, then willingly submits to a second major procedure after seeing its potential benefits.
• Daniel silently observes the operations and compares Li Ziran’s work with conventional Witch Doctor practices. The success of the dual-organ system leaves him awestruck.
• At the end, Daniel desperately tries to express his desire to become Li Ziran’s student, marking the beginning of a possible master-apprentice relationship.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Exhausted after performing two rounds of visceral modifications on Iron Hammer, Li Ziran collapses into a peaceful sleep. In his dreams, he longs for his missing master and briefly feels less alone in the unfamiliar world.
• Iron Hammer awakens and discovers that Li Ziran’s modifications have given him access to the Golden Element, a power revered by dwarves and associated with the Dwarf Royal Family. He realizes this ability could greatly increase his influence and begins planning how to build a powerful following around Li Ziran.
• Iron Hammer’s growing status becomes visible throughout Hippo Ancient City. Supported by the Gray Dwarves and neighboring tribes, he gathers warriors and continuously sends rare creatures from the Ice Plains to Li Ziran’s Beauty Salon for experimentation.
• Danforth, a powerful dwarf, investigates Iron Hammer’s transformation. Impressed by Iron Hammer’s rapid rise, changing tribal allies, and apparent new abilities, Danforth decides to nominate Li Ziran for membership in the Lower House of the Dark Council alongside Iron Hammer.
• Li Ziran continues studying witchcraft under Daniel. Daniel demonstrates Organ Extraction, a spell that removes an organ from a living creature without damaging its body. Li Ziran struggles to reproduce the technique but recognizes its value.
• Li Ziran and Daniel agree to exchange knowledge: Daniel teaches traditional witchcraft, while Li Ziran shares surgical principles. They begin collaborating as fellow researchers rather than master and disciple.
• Li Ziran examines several Snow Women and discovers that their organs are relatively ordinary, with their main special trait being the ability to absorb snow elemental energy. His hopes of finding powerful organs on the Ice Plains are diminished.
• His research shifts toward creating a body with two separate visceral systems: one centered on an Elemental Gland for magical power and another centered on a Purification Heart for miraculous abilities. He also continues working on flesh replacement, the Judgment Spell, and the Sprite Grafting Spell.
• While Li Ziran considers whether to accept Danforth’s invitation, Anfuni bursts in with major news:

Lanchi, described as “that old bastard,” has finally died.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran: Becomes increasingly ambitious and scientifically focused. He seeks stronger organs, advanced body modifications, and deeper knowledge of witchcraft. He also begins recognizing the importance of collaboration and outside alliances, though he remains wary of the restrictions that membership in the Dark Council might impose.
• Iron Hammer: Gains immense confidence and political potential after receiving the Golden Element. His reverence for Li Ziran deepens, and he begins treating Li Ziran as the foundation of his future power. He also starts actively gathering followers and building a faction.
• Daniel: Shifts from a potentially suspicious figure into a trusted research partner. His expertise in traditional Witch Doctor magic makes him valuable to Li Ziran, particularly in the areas of Organ Extraction and Sprite Grafting.
• Danforth: Demonstrates sharp political judgment. Rather than dismissing Iron Hammer’s unusual rise, he investigates it and chooses to support Li Ziran’s admission into the Dark Council.
• Anfuni: Remains energetic and direct, delivering the chapter’s climactic news about Lanchi’s death.

Significant Themes

• Power and political legitimacy: Iron Hammer’s Golden Element transforms him from an ordinary dwarf into a figure with royal and political significance. His abilities attract tribal support and the attention of the Dark Council.
• Scientific ambition and bodily transformation: Li Ziran continues pushing the boundaries of anatomy, organ replacement, magical modification, and the creation of entirely new biological systems.
• Cooperation and shared knowledge: Li Ziran’s partnership with Daniel shows the value of combining surgical science with witchcraft rather than relying on a single tradition.
• Isolation versus belonging: Li Ziran’s dream of having a father figure and his growing relationships with Iron Hammer and Daniel contrast with his earlier loneliness in the Wasteland.
• Opportunity versus restriction: The Dark Council offers Li Ziran influence, resources, and protection, but joining it could also limit his independence.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Iron Hammer: Their relationship grows stronger. Iron Hammer views Li Ziran as his “treasure” and the source of his transformation, while Li Ziran treats him as both a valuable subject and a guide to advanced organ modification.
• Danforth and the Dark Elf informant: Danforth questions the elf about Iron Hammer’s fireball display and uses the information to assess his potential. He then writes a formal invitation and nomination for Li Ziran.
• Li Ziran and Daniel: They move toward an equal research partnership, exchanging knowledge in surgery and witchcraft.
• Li Ziran and Anfuni: Anfuni interrupts Li Ziran’s deliberations with urgent news, abruptly shifting the chapter’s focus toward the consequences of Lanchi’s death.

Chapter Summary: “Strategy”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran learns that Grand Duke Lanchi, ruler of North Sea Port and the greatest obstacle to the Demon Soul Essence trade, has died.
• Lanchi was reportedly killed by a powerful curse that caused his intestines to rot over half a month. Li suspects the Sludge Curse and realizes that only a highly skilled wizard could have bypassed the protection of the Holy Knights and the Justice Alliance.
• The Dark Council claims responsibility for the assassination, though the identity of the actual attacker remains unknown.
• Anfuni is thrilled because Lanchi’s death creates an opportunity for the Soul Plasma trade to expand. She suggests exploiting the chaos in North Sea Port and using Iron Hammer’s military connections.
• Iron Hammer warns them not to act immediately. The Human Race has sealed North Sea Port, while major factions negotiate, and the Dark Council is waiting until the Human Race identifies a scapegoat.
• Li admits that he wants to establish a long-term smuggling route for Soul Plasma, which he needs for his cultivation.
• They discuss Pangke, a young Dwarf deputy regiment commander in North Sea Port. Iron Hammer explains that Pangke is cautious, principled, and unlikely to participate in smuggling, but is deeply interested in gaining greater military authority.
• Li decides to prepare for future opportunities by approaching Pangke indirectly. He obtains portraits of Pangke and Pangke’s superiors, Leien and Hibert.
• In a disturbing final reveal, Li creates or operates on a corpse-like being resembling Pangke. He presents it as a possible “meeting gift,” implying a calculated plot to manipulate or pressure Pangke.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran remains calm and strategic. Rather than rushing into North Sea Port’s turmoil, he focuses on establishing a stable, long-term source of Soul Plasma and identifies military authority as the key to controlling a smuggling route.
• Anfuni is shown to be highly motivated by profit and Soul Essence. Her excitement initially causes her to act impulsively, but she accepts Iron Hammer’s caution and begins thinking more strategically.
• Iron Hammer demonstrates practical knowledge of North Sea Port’s political and military structure. He acts as the voice of caution and clarifies that Pangke is not easily tempted by ordinary bribes.
• Pangke is introduced indirectly as a young, cautious military officer with strong principles, but also as someone ambitious for greater authority.
• Lanchi’s death shifts the balance of power and creates a major opening for smugglers, the Dark Council, and competing factions.

Significant Themes

• Opportunity amid chaos: Lanchi’s death destabilizes North Sea Port, creating both danger and opportunities for those prepared to exploit the resulting power vacuum.
• Strategy over haste: The chapter repeatedly emphasizes that rushing into a turbulent situation would be disastrous; careful preparation is necessary for lasting success.
• Political power and corruption: Military authority, rather than simple wealth, is shown to be the real foundation of a successful smuggling network.
• Moral ambiguity and manipulation: Li’s willingness to use a corpse resembling Pangke as a “gift” highlights the ruthless and deceptive methods required in this world.
• Power struggles between factions: The Human Race, Dark Council, military leaders, and smugglers all maneuver around North Sea Port’s uncertain future.

Character Interactions

• Li and Anfuni discuss how Lanchi’s death could revive the Soul Plasma trade, with Li tempering her enthusiasm.
• Li ends his study session with Daniel because the political implications of Lanchi’s death require immediate attention.
• Iron Hammer rejects Anfuni’s proposal to move into North Sea Port immediately and explains the military blockade and ongoing negotiations.
• Li openly reveals his interest in Soul Plasma to Iron Hammer, strengthening their partnership.
• Iron Hammer explains Pangke’s character and ambitions, giving Li the information needed to devise a recruitment strategy.
• The chapter ends with Li shocking Anfuni and Iron Hammer by revealing the corpse-like imitation of Pangke, suggesting that his “meeting gift” is the first step in a larger scheme.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran, Anfuni, and Iron Hammer examine a corpse crafted to resemble one of three important officers. They realize that presenting an identical corpse to Pangke could cause tremendous shock and potentially be used to manipulate him. Iron Hammer also considers using similar imitations against Leimeng and Higgins.
• Iron Hammer initially wants to deliver the corpse to Pangke immediately, but Li Ziran stops him so they can discuss the larger issue of dealing with demons.
• Iron Hammer explains that demon-related slave trading requires enormous quantities of living beings. Even Danforth allegedly supplies about 3,000 ordinary slaves and 50–60 special slaves each month, while the larger slave traders handle far more.
• Hippo Ancient City’s economy is revealed to depend heavily on slave trading, with tens of thousands of slaves entering the system monthly. Some tribes even operate “meat factories,” breeding and rapidly raising slaves for sale.
• These artificially raised beings are cheap but mentally deficient because their souls have not been tempered by time and the Elemental Tide. They are mainly used by demons to produce Soul Plasma.
• Iron Hammer reveals that he is trying to establish his own Slave-Catching Group. He has financial resources and some dwarven support, but lacks experienced personnel and powerful experts.
• Li Ziran recognizes that Iron Hammer’s goals and his own interests align: Iron Hammer needs a stronger organization, while Li Ziran needs a stable slave supply to obtain Soul Plasma, a valuable resource he can use for himself or trade for rare organs.
• Li Ziran offers to modify the organs of Iron Hammer’s subordinates, granting them special abilities and helping the Slave-Catching Group develop rapidly. He plans to dedicate an entire floor of his twenty-story building to these modifications.
• Iron Hammer decides he wants to eventually strengthen at least five hundred members, and leaves to organize his people and acquire slaves.
• Before departing, Iron Hammer is instructed to report immediately if he learns anything about Pangke.
• After Iron Hammer leaves, Li Ziran criticizes Anfuni and the elves for expecting him to handle the entire Soul Plasma operation. He insists that Anfuni should take responsibility for contacting and trading with the demons, especially since neither he nor Iron Hammer understands the Endless Sea.

Character Development

• Li Ziran becomes more strategically involved in the slave-trading network. Rather than merely responding to events, he sees an opportunity to build influence through Iron Hammer’s organization and control access to his own organ-modification abilities.
• Iron Hammer shifts from being a subordinate seeking survival and influence to an ambitious organizer with a concrete plan. He recognizes that joining the Soul Plasma trade could elevate his status and becomes determined to prove his usefulness.
• Anfuni remains supportive of Li Ziran but is also exposed as someone who has been relying heavily on him to advance the elves’ interests. Li Ziran forces her to accept greater responsibility.
• Danforth, although absent, is further characterized as a mid-level participant in a massive and exploitative slave economy.
• Pangke, Leimeng, and Higgins become potential targets of psychological manipulation through the use of corpse imitations.

Significant Themes

• Power through organization: Individual strength is not enough; influence depends on manpower, supply chains, experts, and institutional structure.
• Exploitation and commodification of life: Living beings are bred, sold, mixed into shipments, and treated as raw materials for producing Soul Plasma.
• Moral corruption under economic demand: The slave trade has become normalized because demons and merchants profit from it, even when the slaves are artificially raised and mentally damaged.
• Mutual benefit and transactional alliances: Li Ziran and Iron Hammer cooperate not out of pure loyalty, but because each needs what the other can provide.
• Knowledge as power: Li Ziran’s understanding of organ modification gives him leverage, while Anfuni’s knowledge of the Endless Sea and demon trade is shown to be equally important.
• Manipulation and political shock: The imitation corpse represents a broader strategy of destabilizing powerful figures through fear, deception, and uncertainty.

Important Character Interactions

• Li Ziran and Iron Hammer negotiate the practical requirements of building a Slave-Catching Group.
• Iron Hammer enthusiastically accepts Li Ziran’s offer of organ modifications, while also understanding that the help will require compensation.
• Li Ziran restrains Iron Hammer’s eagerness to deliver the corpse and redirects the conversation toward long-term strategy.
• Li Ziran and Anfuni exchange a brief moment of approval before he rebukes her for leaving the demon trade entirely to him.
• The chapter ends with Li Ziran assigning Anfuni a more active role in establishing contact with the demons and managing Soul Plasma transactions.

Chapter Summary: “A Summons from Shadow Elder”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Ziran continues experimenting with organ transplantation, training Daniel in the delicate surgical replacement of eyeballs. Daniel understands the theory poorly and instinctively wants to rely on witchcraft instead of surgery.
• Li Ziran also struggles to master the traditional organ-extraction spell, which is necessary for learning the Sprite Grafting Spell. After repeated failures, he abandons the attempt and uses his Sacrifice-related abilities instead.
• He employs his newly acquired Purification Flame to burn impurities from a frog’s soul after using the Judgment Spell. The process is intensely pleasurable and strengthens his interest in consuming and judging souls.
• Li Ziran’s Spirit Crystals are beginning to merge, suggesting that he is close to advancing to the rank of Witch Priest.
• He continues modifying members of Iron Hammer’s Slave-Catching Group. He implants Cavefolk eyes, Tunafolk gills, Swallow Race wings, and stronger wings from Leio, while also offering crocodile teeth and scorpion tails as more advanced modifications.
• Li Ziran deliberately keeps the cost of his services low but refuses to give away truly powerful organs for free. He wants the Slave-Catching Group to become a dangerous, self-reliant force rather than a dependent organization.
• Anfuni returns from successfully arranging a secret Soul Essence transaction in the Endless Sea with the help of Sea Elves.
• Their plan to attract Pangke’s attention using Pangke’s duplicate fails. Pangke mocks Iron Hammer and demands that Li Ziran come to North Sea Port himself, showing that he dismisses Li Ziran as an insignificant outsider.
• Before Li Ziran and Anfuni can devise another strategy, Shadow Elder suddenly summons all members of the Shadow Society.
• Li Ziran teleports to the Society’s crude underground meeting chamber, where he sees Shadow Elder and, for the first time since Blackwind Pass, encounters his former teacher Sandrew.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran grows more confident and ruthless in his experimentation. He combines surgical methods, witchcraft, soul manipulation, and organ transplantation to expand his power and business.
• His enjoyment of consuming purified souls hints at a potentially dangerous addiction and a growing willingness to commercialize morally disturbing abilities.
• He demonstrates strategic patience by gradually upgrading the Slave-Catching Group instead of giving them his strongest resources immediately.
• Daniel remains eager but confused under Li Ziran’s instruction, revealing the gap between conventional witchcraft and Li Ziran’s unfamiliar surgical techniques.
• Anfuni proves capable of managing covert international dealings, especially through the Sea Elves, but remains anxious because the Soul Essence trade is being obstructed.
• Pangke is established as arrogant and difficult to approach, creating a major obstacle for Li Ziran and Anfuni.
• Sandrew’s appearance reconnects Li Ziran with his past and suggests that their relationship—or Sandrew’s role in the Shadow Society—may become important.

Significant Themes

• Power through exchange versus charity: Li Ziran believes valuable resources must be earned, since freely granted power is unlikely to be respected.
• Transformation and experimentation: The chapter emphasizes the blending of surgery, magic, and biological modification, reflecting Li Ziran’s unconventional approach to advancement.
• Moral corruption and temptation: His pleasure in consuming souls and willingness to dissect living beings suggest that power is gradually eroding ordinary ethical boundaries.
• Ambition and independence: Li Ziran wants to build forces capable of challenging stronger powers rather than remaining dependent on him.
• Political and economic maneuvering: The Soul Essence trade, secret alliances, and Pangke’s refusal to cooperate show that influence depends as much on status and connections as on strength.
• The unknown threat of the Shadow Society: Shadow Elder’s urgent summons interrupts Li Ziran’s immediate plans and signals a larger mission or crisis.

Character Interactions

• Li Ziran teaches Daniel organ-transplant techniques, though Daniel’s confusion contrasts with Li Ziran’s confidence.
• Li Ziran works with Iron Hammer’s Slave-Catching Group by providing increasingly powerful body modifications.
• Anfuni questions Li Ziran about the failed attempt to contact Pangke and reacts with surprise when he admits he has no immediate solution.
• Their conversation mixes irritation, sarcasm, and cooperation, showing that despite Anfuni’s prejudice against him, she relies heavily on Li Ziran’s resourcefulness.
• Li Ziran and Anfuni discuss their joint Soul Essence plans and the Sea Elves’ assistance.
• At the chapter’s end, Li Ziran reunites with Sandrew during the Shadow Society gathering, creating anticipation for their first formal interaction since Blackwind Pass.

Chapter Summary: “Trade Chain, Task Assignments”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Shadow Elder convenes an important meeting of the Shadow Society to discuss reopening trade with the Demons after negotiations between the Human Race and the major races conclude.
• The Human Race agrees not to pursue Lanchi’s death further, provided that a new Bauhinia Duke assumes control of the Bauhinia Lineage. This removes the main obstacle to Demon trade.
• Shadow Elder and Sandrew reveal that they have negotiated with five Demon tribes—Succubi, Strength Demons, Short-Tailed Imps, Lava Demons, and Ice Demons—to purchase Ancient Demon Overlord Embryos.
• The first order includes:
  • 10 Succubi
  • 18 Strength Demons
  • 50 Short-Tailed Imps
  • 1 Lava Demon
  • 1 Ice Demon
• The Lava Demon and Ice Demon orders are especially valuable because their Flame Plasma and Frost Plasma can strengthen the spirits of those who consume them.
• Shadow Elder emphasizes that the first transaction must succeed without error. Failure will result in severe consequences.
• A complete trade network is organized:
  • Li Ziran: develop and cultivate the Demon embryos.
  • Rhine Duke: establish factories and standardize mass production.
  • Polo Bart: seize an island in the Shallow Sea Region to serve as a trading point.
  • The Dark Elf: provide the transport fleet.
  • Anfuni: protect North Sea Port, relying on Iron Hammer’s connections.
  • Gegwu: transport goods from the Rhine factories to North Sea Port.
  • The Spatial Mantis: serve as backup and transport materials.
  • Ogre Tutulu: conduct the final trade with the Demons.
  • Sandrew: coordinate the entire operation.
• Li Ziran realizes that the trade chain runs from Demon cultivation in the Grasslands, through inland transport and North Sea Port, to the Shallow Sea Islands and finally the Demons.

Character Developments

• Li Ziran remains wary and protective of his cultivation techniques. He immediately recognizes that assigning Rhine Duke to build factories may weaken his technological monopoly and expose his methods to outsiders.
• He accepts responsibility for cultivation because the assignment fits his expertise, but he remains suspicious of Shadow Elder’s motives and the Society’s attempt to distribute control.
• Sandrew appears calm and dutiful despite his injuries and the loss of his Bone Dragon. He accepts the burdensome role of coordinating the entire operation, even though he will not directly handle the Soul Plasma.
• Sandrew’s subtle request for Li Ziran’s detailed material list suggests that he wants a private conversation with him after the meeting.
• Rhine Duke eagerly volunteers to establish the factories, revealing his willingness to expand his own influence within the project.
• Anfuni nervously accepts the dangerous task of protecting North Sea Port. Her confidence depends largely on Iron Hammer’s connections, leaving Li Ziran doubtful about her chances.
• Polo Bart claims responsibility for capturing an island, while the Dark Elf takes charge of the fleet.
• Tutulu, the Ogre, is assigned the crucial final trade with the Demons. Sandrew’s uneasy smile hints that Tutulu’s role may be politically or strategically significant.
• Shadow Elder demonstrates his intention to prevent Li Ziran from maintaining complete control over the products by placing production in Rhine Duke’s hands.

Significant Themes

• Power and control: The Shadow Society seeks to profit from Li Ziran’s knowledge while preventing him from monopolizing the cultivation process.
• Complexity and vulnerability of trade: The success of the Soul Plasma business depends on every link functioning properly, from cultivation and manufacturing to transport, security, and final negotiations.
• Trust and secrecy: Li Ziran distrusts the other members and recognizes that the techniques and trade route will attract the attention of rival powers.
• Political compromise: The reopening of the Demon market depends on the Human Race’s settlement over Lanchi’s death and the appointment of a new Bauhinia Duke.
• Risk and responsibility: Each member accepts a dangerous assignment, but Sandrew warns that failure will bring Shadow Elder’s punishment.
• Institutional control versus individual expertise: Shadow Elder’s distribution of duties shows an effort to turn Li Ziran’s unique skill into a standardized, industrial operation.

Character Interactions

• Li Ziran quietly observes Sandrew, hoping to ask about his mentor and his injuries, but postpones the conversation because of the serious meeting.
• Sandrew directly assigns Li Ziran the cultivation work and later requests a detailed list of materials, creating an opportunity for a private discussion.
• Rhine Duke volunteers to work alongside Li Ziran, but Li Ziran inwardly resents the attempt to gain access to his methods.
• Anfuni repeatedly seeks Li Ziran’s attention after accepting the North Sea Port assignment, clearly hoping he will help her devise a solution.
• Sandrew’s restrained reaction to assigning Tutulu the Demon negotiations suggests unease or hidden tension between them.
• Sandrew’s stern warning unites the meeting under pressure, reminding everyone that the project is being closely controlled by Shadow Elder and that failure will not be tolerated.