Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: The French Plane Tree: This Palace Will Favor You Just This Once

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng, Cow-Horse, and Nile Doctor discuss fertility-related items. Liu reveals the Mermaid Princess’s First Tear, which Nile Doctor explains is one of the main ingredients in the Ninefold Union Pill. Cow-Horse becomes eager for another pill, but Nile Doctor admits he does not know the complete recipe.
• Liu and Cow-Horse visit Rose Street, where Wang Manni delivers three newly made Laughing-Gas Bombs. The bombs normally explode, but if thrown without matching their grinning expression, they release laughing gas instead.
• Wang Manni apologizes for failing to obtain a Blastproof Bubble. Liu reassures her and encourages her to continue searching for useful defensive items. He also tells Cow-Horse to escort her, though she declines because her company has already provided protection.
• Liu approaches the French Plane Tree before the auction and asks for cooperation against Peacock, who is expected to attend. He proposes that they jointly bid if Peacock targets the same item.
• After Liu flatters the tree’s status and impending evolution into a Phoenix, the French Plane Tree agrees to help him “just this once.”
• They discuss the rising price of High-Phoenix Blood Tea leaves, caused by the Six-Feather Tea House. The tree worries that its Phoenix evolution is becoming increasingly difficult. Liu promises to support it even if all of Metropolis becomes hostile.
• An auction executor named Projection Man arrives and prepares them to participate remotely. Liu submits several items for appraisal and possible sale, including the Mermaid Princess’s First Tear, Colorful Essence Jelly, a Universal Key, and a Non-Wishing Monkey’s Paw.
• Liu chooses to watch the auction’s opening ceremony, despite the French Plane Tree’s disinterest. The remote projection shows Penguin, the auction house’s owner and host, joking aggressively with the collectors before the bidding begins.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng continues to rely on strategy, manipulation, and social charm rather than strength alone. He openly admits that his goal in cooperating with the French Plane Tree is to undermine Peacock.
• He also shows growing confidence in using explosives and other items to compensate for his limited combat power.
• Cow-Horse remains shameless, impulsive, and obsessed with obtaining fertility-enhancing medicine. His exaggerated reactions provide comic relief.
• Nile Doctor is practical and knowledgeable but refuses to invent a pill recipe he does not know. His comments reveal the biological differences between Ra’s Lineage and other long-lived species.
• Wang Manni becomes more dependable and eager to assist Liu, though she remains nervous about disappointing him. Liu’s reassurance strengthens their cooperative relationship.
• The French Plane Tree displays pride, vanity, and a strong susceptibility to flattery. Although it initially refuses to help Liu, his praise and provocation persuade it to cooperate. It also reveals anxiety about the competition surrounding its Phoenix evolution.
• Penguin is established as both the auction’s host and its owner, explaining his unusually arrogant and irreverent behavior.

Significant Themes

• Alliance through mutual interest: Liu cannot challenge Peacock alone, so he seeks support from a stronger collector by appealing to pride and shared goals.
• Manipulation and flattery: Liu successfully influences the French Plane Tree by combining provocation with excessive praise.
• Power and resource competition: The rising price of High-Phoenix Blood Tea reflects the intense rivalry surrounding evolution and rare materials.
• Survival through preparation: Liu gathers bombs, keys, defensive tools, and allies to offset his vulnerabilities.
• Comedy amid danger: Fertility pills, absurd explosives, palace-intrigue novels, and Penguin’s crude auction banter soften the otherwise threatening atmosphere of Metropolis.
• Trust and loyalty: Liu reassures Wang Manni and promises to stand beside the French Plane Tree even against overwhelming opposition, though his relationships remain mixed with self-interest.

Character Interactions

• Cow-Horse pressures Nile Doctor for another fertility pill, while Nile Doctor explains its rarity and the incomplete recipe.
• Liu treats Wang Manni kindly after she fails to obtain the requested defensive item, encouraging her rather than blaming her.
• Liu and the French Plane Tree engage in playful insults and bargaining. He manipulates its pride into accepting a temporary alliance against Peacock.
• Liu promises the French Plane Tree that he will help retaliate against anyone who threatens its Phoenix transformation, though the tree dismisses this as empty bravado.
• Projection Man acts as the professional auction representative, while Liu attempts to tip him and is stopped by the French Plane Tree.
• Penguin interacts mockingly with the collectors during the opening ceremony, establishing the auction as a chaotic and irreverent gathering of powerful, eccentric beings.

Chapter Summary: “Dancing Flamenco in Si Xue’s Minefield”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng attends a bizarre auction in Metropolis, hosted by Penguin and supported by a Projection Man. The auction’s atmosphere resembles a chaotic comedy show rather than a formal event.
• Penguin announces that the famous Penguin Dance will not be performed because of Liu Zheng’s previous behavior, and threatens that its three brothers may retaliate if the auction fails to satisfy it.
• The auction begins with Liu Zheng’s own item, the Mermaid Princess’s First Tear, being offered first. Penguin publicly explains that it improves water-element affinity and greatly enhances fertility and sexual performance, embarrassing a cloaked bidder named Ebaier.
• While the auction proceeds, Liu Zheng chats and smokes with the Projection Man. Their randomly flavored cigarettes produce grotesque effects: the Projection Man’s smells like flatulence, while Liu Zheng’s tastes like fermented canned herring.
• Liu Zheng directly asks whether Peacock is attending. The Projection Man confirms that she is and reveals that one auction item—a cloak made from the hides of three different Red Dragons—matches her usual interests.
• Liu Zheng immediately recognizes the danger. He believes Peacock may purchase the cloak and bring it back to the Restaurant, where Si Xue could interpret it as a provocation. If Liu Zheng fails to obtain it first, he expects Si Xue to punish him severely.
• In exchange for information, Liu Zheng agrees to help the Projection Man torment a former HR employee who caused his dismissal. The Projection Man provides a detailed dossier and requests that her screams serve as her apology.
• The chapter ends with bidding for the Mermaid Princess’s First Tear becoming intense while Liu Zheng worries about how to secure the dragon-hide cloak.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng remains bold, opportunistic, and shamelessly adaptable. He tolerates disgusting cigarettes to build rapport, willingly offers violence as a service, and begins strategizing to protect himself from Si Xue’s expectations.
• Penguin is established as petty, theatrical, and aggressively irreverent. It deliberately provokes the audience, humiliates bidders, and turns the auction into entertainment.
• The Projection Man appears outwardly calm and professional but is deeply resentful over being fired. His history as an “optimized” employee reveals corporate exploitation beneath his composed demeanor.
• The Projection Man also shows initiative and long-term planning: he exchanged his year-end bonus to attend specifically because he knew Liu Zheng would be present and had already prepared the HR woman’s information.
• Peacock remains offstage but becomes a major source of tension. Her presence and collecting habits place Liu Zheng in conflict with the interests of both her and Si Xue.
• Si Xue does not appear directly, but her reputation for extreme retaliation dominates Liu Zheng’s thinking.

Significant Themes

• Absurdity and dark comedy: The auction combines grotesque creatures, humiliating announcements, workplace trauma, and bizarre products in a deliberately ridiculous social environment.
• Corporate cruelty and resentment: The Projection Man’s dismissal reflects how companies discard employees while rewarding superficial achievements. His anger toward HR shows how personal cruelty can intensify institutional harm.
• Transactional relationships: Liu Zheng and the Projection Man quickly convert conversation into negotiation. Information, favors, violence, and even cigarettes function as social currency.
• Fear and survival: Liu Zheng’s decisions are driven by the need to anticipate powerful figures such as Peacock and Si Xue, showing how survival in Metropolis depends on reading hidden threats.
• Performance and humiliation: Penguin’s auction relies on public embarrassment, while the Projection Man’s composed “professional” identity conceals intense anger. Characters constantly perform roles while hiding their real motives.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and the Projection Man bond through cynical jokes about work, layoffs, and unpleasant cigarettes before negotiating information and revenge.
• Penguin humiliates Ebaier by exposing his desperate desire for the fertility-enhancing tear, illustrating its disregard for privacy.
• Liu Zheng and the Projection Man discuss workplace injustice, with Liu Zheng sympathizing with the Projection Man’s account of being targeted by HR.
• Their conversation becomes a pact: Liu Zheng promises to punish the HR employee, while the Projection Man reveals Peacock’s attendance and likely interest in the dragon-hide cloak.
• Liu Zheng’s interactions with the Projection Man also highlight his ability to turn casual social contact into practical alliances, even in an environment filled with deception and danger.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• A dwarf bids an Aken Gemstone for Liu Zheng’s Mermaid Princess’s First Tear, shocking the auction hall because Aken Gemstones are among the dwarves’ greatest treasures. The gemstone is only pinky-fingernail-sized, prompting ridicule, but its appraisal reveals several powerful abilities:
  • It produces eternal light.
  • It strengthens light-element magic and restores magical power.
  • It can be used to craft extraordinary items.
  • It acts as a powerful tonic for inorganic lifeforms and may even trigger their evolution.
• Liu Zheng realizes the gemstone could benefit the Stone Spirit Clan, potentially helping them locate Mountain Cores and assisting him with his commission from Everything Shop. He chooses to wait before accepting the bid.
• To identify auction items, Liu Zheng purchases a Chaos Club Membership Card for one million, granting him free appraisals. The card features the four Penguin leaders.
• The Projection Man introduces the Penguin hierarchy:
  • Captain, the leader.
  • Kavas, responsible for intelligence and technology.
  • Rike, responsible for combat and explosives.
  • Rookie, responsible for being cute.
• Liu Zheng becomes interested in Rike, but learns that Rike is mentally unstable, frequently escapes psychiatric hospitals, and may attack or eat people.
• A hybrid tiger-gecko named Gecko bids his regenerating tail. The tail can absorb one fatal injury and temporarily grant its user Gecko’s exceptional running speed. Liu Zheng is strongly tempted by this offer because it could provide both protection and an advantage in winning another Gold Champion Medal.
• A scholar initially offers a university recommendation letter, but Kavas rules that such a mundane item does not qualify as an auction bid. The scholar replaces it with a Reality Magnifying Glass, which enlarges objects—especially low-quality ones—and could dramatically increase the value or usefulness of items such as the miniature Aken Gemstone or Epoch Acorn.
• With three attractive bids now available—the gecko tail, Reality Magnifying Glass, and Aken Gemstone—Liu Zheng confirms that he is interested. The auction proceeds to its final stage after the countdown.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng shows increasing enthusiasm for the auction and begins to appreciate the strategic value of seemingly unusual treasures. He also demonstrates caution, consulting the Projection Man before making decisions and weighing each item’s practical usefulness.
• His financial limitations become clear when he struggles to afford appraisal fees and the membership card, despite recently gaining unexpected wealth.
• The Projection Man acts as Liu Zheng’s guide and appraiser, offering practical advice while revealing information about the auction’s rules and participants.
• French Plane Tree continues teasing and mocking Liu Zheng, particularly over his ignorance and inability to appraise items himself, but also serves as a knowledgeable observer.
• Penguin Captain is established as an authoritative, intimidating leader who controls the auction and manages conflicts among bidders.
• Penguin Rike is portrayed as an extremely dangerous and bizarre figure despite his outwardly comic appearance.
• Gecko is revealed to be a rare tiger-gecko hybrid with extraordinary speed, regenerative abilities, and uncertain gender.
• The dwarf and scholar display strong pride in their respective offerings and nearly come to blows over whether a recommendation letter is a legitimate auction item.

Significant Themes

• Value is broader than price: Items are judged not only by rarity or monetary worth but by how useful they are to specific individuals. Liu Zheng values the Aken Gemstone for its potential benefits to the Stone Spirits, while the gecko tail and magnifying glass appeal to his immediate goals.
• The allure and danger of collecting: Liu Zheng becomes increasingly captivated by the auction, realizing that even ordinary-looking objects may possess extraordinary applications.
• Knowledge as power: Proper appraisal is essential because supernatural items often conceal their true value. Liu Zheng’s dependence on the auction house emphasizes the importance of expertise.
• Practicality versus prestige: The Aken Gemstone is enormously prestigious, but its small size makes it less impressive to the crowd. Similarly, a recommendation letter may be socially valuable but does not meet the auction’s standards for extraordinary goods.
• Comedy amid danger: The chapter combines bizarre humor—such as Rike spitting out the dwarf’s hammer—with genuine threats and high-stakes supernatural items.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and the Projection Man negotiate appraisal fees and the membership card, with Liu Zheng complaining about the auction’s expensive services.
• Liu Zheng and French Plane Tree exchange sarcastic remarks, reflecting their ongoing teasing relationship.
• Liu Zheng questions the Projection Man about the Penguin bosses and jokingly suggests he would get along with Rike.
• Gecko challenges the scholar’s recommendation-letter bid, while the dwarf mocks the scholar’s offer, leading to a heated confrontation.
• Penguin Captain controls the conflict by ordering Rike to return the dwarf’s hammer and threatening the participants with Rike’s violence.
• Kavas formally supports the dwarf’s objection and rejects the recommendation letter, prompting the scholar to offer the Reality Magnifying Glass instead.
• Ultimately, Liu Zheng accepts all three bids as possibilities, leaving the final exchange to be decided in the next stage of the auction.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The first auction round concludes when Liu Zheng selects the Miniature Aken Gemstone over the Gecko Tail and Reality Magnifying Glass. He chooses it because it is the most valuable option and may help him build ties with the Stone Spirit Clan, giving him another escape route in the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
• The auction house’s fourth leader, Penguin Rookie, is introduced. His conceptual ability makes everyone perceive him as the cutest creature alive, explaining his influence over the auction house.
• Liu Zheng receives the gemstone and learns that it can be used to craft extraordinary items or strengthen beings with inorganic-related bloodlines. It is also connected to the dwarves’ claim that its possessor can become their king.
• The second auction item is revealed: a filthy iron trash can that is actually a witchcraft trap. When overturned or damaged, it summons a powerful vengeful spirit to punish the person responsible.
• Because most collectors value rarity and amusement rather than offensive tools, few people are interested in the trash can.
• A collector offers a pair of Duke’s Dirty Underwear, which grants the wearer an aura of nobility and allows them to designate an uncontrollably obedient maid. Projection Man appraises it for Liu Zheng, who considers its potential usefulness.
• Liu Zheng eventually offers his Unfathomable Cigarettes as a competing item. At the captain’s suggestion, he adds the matching Cunning Lighter, making the set more valuable and helping secure the exchange.
• The trade succeeds: Liu Zheng receives the trash can, while the auction house receives the cigarette-and-lighter set.
• After examining the trash can’s full description, Liu Zheng discovers a major drawback that the captain failed to mention: if the vengeful spirit does not kill its victim within three minutes, its resentment transfers to Liu Zheng. He realizes he may have been deliberately misled.

2. Character Developments

• Liu Zheng demonstrates quick judgment and strategic thinking during the auction, selecting items based not only on immediate value but also on future alliances and escape options.
• His curiosity and opportunism are shown when he considers obtaining Duke’s Dirty Underwear for use in the hierarchical Metropolis.
• He also reveals a tendency to take risks when he believes an item may have practical combat value, underestimating the dangers of the trash can because of its entertaining premise.
• Penguin Captain is established as a powerful, knowledgeable, and theatrical auction host. He understands the value of the items and manipulates the mood of the auction with jokes and selective explanations.
• Penguin Rookie is revealed to possess a powerful conceptual ability, making him far more than a cute mascot.
• Projection Man acts as Liu Zheng’s adviser and intermediary. His special member-only appraisal service proves valuable, though his suggestion to add the lighter hints that the auction house may be maneuvering Liu Zheng toward the trade.
• French Plane Tree maintains its sarcastic, superior attitude but also helps explain auction culture and why collectors prefer rare or amusing objects over straightforward weapons.

3. Significant Themes

• Deception and hidden costs: The trash can’s dangerous drawback illustrates that items can be much more complicated than their initial descriptions suggest.
• Value is subjective: Collectors judge objects according to rarity, entertainment, practicality, and personal interest rather than simple combat strength.
• Strategic bargaining: Liu Zheng uses information, timing, and the addition of the matching lighter to improve his chances in the auction.
• Power and social status: The Aken Gemstone’s connection to dwarven kingship and the Dirty Underwear’s ability to create an aura of nobility both emphasize how objects can grant political or social influence.
• Humor amid danger: The chapter repeatedly uses absurd descriptions, penguin hosts, dirty underwear, and pop-culture references to contrast with the genuinely dangerous supernatural effects of the auction items.
• Trust and manipulation: Liu Zheng’s final realization reinforces that even apparent allies, such as the auction host and French Plane Tree, may not fully disclose an item’s risks.

4. Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng interacts with Projection Man, relying on him for appraisals and receiving advice about adding the lighter to strengthen his bid.
• He exchanges sarcastic remarks with French Plane Tree, especially over whether the tree would value the Aken Gemstone merely as a collectible.
• Penguin Captain jokes with Ebaier about Ebaier’s terrifying wife, using the comparison to advertise the trash can’s punishment.
• The captain negotiates with Rike, asking whether he will auction his own pack of rare cigarettes; Rike refuses without speaking.
• A collector challenges the decision to auction the cigarettes without the matching lighter, prompting Liu Zheng to add it and improving the item’s collectible value.
• By the end, Liu Zheng feels betrayed by Penguin Captain and French Plane Tree, believing they encouraged him to acquire the trash can without revealing its most dangerous limitation.

Chapter Summary: “The Fool’s Twin Brother?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng reflects on his previous trade, deciding that exchanging two useless items for a powerful trash-can weapon was worthwhile despite its dangerous side effects.
• The third auction item is the Paradox Prize Draw Box, which grants better prizes in exchange for the user’s luck. However, sacrificing too much luck drastically lowers the user’s own chances of receiving anything good.
• Liu Zheng considers combining the box with the Black Carp Dragon’s Grievance Sarira and the Three-Rank Fortune Golden Lotus Seed to exploit their luck-related effects, but abandons the idea because the box’s maximum possible reward is unknown.
• He bids the Cursed Horseshoe, an item that grants Strength but is now useless to him. His bid fails.
• The fourth item is a poetry manuscript by Bai Langzi, an unknown Snakefolk poet. Although the poems appear mediocre, several collectors sense that they contain something extraordinary.
• A gray cat dressed almost exactly like the Fool offers a mysterious manuscript as a bid. Its appearance, clothing, and familiar gray mist convince Liu Zheng that it must be closely connected to the Fool.
• The gray cat’s bid is appraised as part of The Witch and Her False Redemption, a bestselling novel by the mysterious author “Chariot.” The manuscript can temporarily grant the abilities of a random character or summon one using “Flesh.”
• Liu Zheng notes that both “Chariot” and “The Fool” are tarot-card titles. Projection Man confirms that many people suspect Chariot and the Fool are the same person, though the Fool has publicly denied it.
• Liu Zheng contacts the Fool, who agrees to come inspect Bai Langzi’s manuscript. The Fool arrives in a strange carriage made partly of gray mist.
• Since the Fool cannot see the auction’s projection, Liu Zheng gives him the original manuscript. The Fool cannot recognize anything unusual through ordinary reading, but proposes another method of investigation.
• As the auction deadline approaches, the Fool produces a book made entirely of gray mist from his hat. When he brings it near the poetry manuscript, the poems transform into the figure of a Snakefolk, which shrinks dramatically.
• The Fool hurriedly puts the Gray Mist Book away and declares that he now knows what the manuscript is.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng remains cautious and analytical. He evaluates items not only for their immediate use but also for possible combinations and loopholes, though he recognizes when a plan is too uncertain to attempt.
• His growing knowledge of the supernatural auction world allows him to identify connections between tarot symbolism, mysterious collectors, and powerful artifacts.
• The Fool is shown to be far more mysterious and capable than his public reputation suggests. Though he admits that poetry is outside his expertise, he possesses a specialized investigative technique involving the Gray Mist Book.
• The Fool also displays a strong sense of propriety: despite being powerful enough to bypass the auction’s restrictions, he refuses to do so and respects the rules.
• Kavas demonstrates intellectual humility. Although he can identify that the poetry is unusual, he admits he lacks the artistic insight needed to understand its deeper value.
• Projection Man continues to act as a knowledgeable guide, providing detailed appraisals and background information.
• French Plane Tree/Cow-Horse maintains his abrasive, insulting attitude toward Liu Zheng, though Liu describes their relationship as one forged through shared life-and-death experiences.

Significant Themes

• Luck, gambling, and risk: The Paradox Prize Draw Box embodies the danger of sacrificing future fortune for immediate rewards. The auction’s setting also emphasizes Metropolis’s obsession with gambling and unpredictable supernatural bargains.
• Hidden value and perception: The poetry manuscript appears ordinary to most observers, but experienced individuals sense an intangible quality within it. The chapter contrasts technical analysis with intuition and artistic understanding.
• Identity and doubles: The gray cat’s resemblance to the Fool, the connection between “Chariot” and “The Fool,” and the title’s suggestion of a “twin brother” all raise questions about alternate identities, counterparts, and hidden relationships.
• Art as a supernatural medium: The poems are not merely literary works; they can manifest a Snakefolk figure when examined through the Gray Mist Book, suggesting that art may preserve or summon spiritual existence.
• Trust and reputation: The Fool’s denial of being Chariot is generally accepted because of his good reputation, while Liu Zheng remains skeptical enough to consider that the two figures may still be connected.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng bargains indirectly through the auction and later discusses the mysterious gray cat and Chariot with Projection Man.
• Liu and the Fool speak respectfully but familiarly. Liu trusts the Fool enough to invite him to inspect the manuscript, while the Fool responds immediately and seriously.
• The Fool politely greets French Plane Tree and Projection Man, receiving a respectful response from Projection Man but only a restrained acknowledgment from French Plane Tree.
• Liu describes Cow-Horse as his boss and life-and-death companion, prompting Cow-Horse to mock the idea of friendship.
• The Fool warns everyone not to interfere while he uses the Gray Mist Book, emphasizing the danger of his investigation.
• The chapter ends with the Fool recognizing the manuscript’s true nature, setting up the revelation in the next section.

Chapter Summary: “Faraway Ideal Land”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng learns that the poetry manuscript, a Book of Literary Fortune by Bai Langzi, possesses spirituality equivalent to a Platinum Author’s work. Its value is limited only because Bai Langzi lacked sufficient fame and sales.
• Fool reveals that the gray cat, Chariot, is actually the evil corpse he severed from himself after writing Amon and His Monocle. Chariot is attempting to change from long-form fiction to poetry so that it can eventually surpass or merge with Fool and possibly ascend to the Narrator realm.
• To prevent Chariot from obtaining the manuscript, Liu Zheng deliberately rejects every competing offer during the auction. The poetry-manuscript auction fails, allowing Fool to obtain it indirectly.
• During the fifth auction round, the featured item is Faraway Ideal Land, an imitation of Avalon. Instead of granting healing and protection, its Rune-based counterpart is called Hell Before One’s Eyes, or Helheim, and causes rapid aging and increased damage while amplifying attacks.
• A female collector offers a preserved heart belonging to a Vampire Count and vow knight. The heart would grant the recipient the vampire’s power and combat experience, but also impose three strict vows.
• Liu Zheng considers obtaining the heart for Vampire Girl, both to strengthen her and restrain her from potentially becoming more dangerous after he leaves.
• He bids his Universal Key (Bloodline Curse), a Perfect-quality item with a dangerous misfortune effect when used by a blood relative. His bid succeeds, and he receives Helheim.
• Helheim’s true abilities are revealed: it greatly increases the user’s attack power but also causes severe aging and multiplies incoming damage. Liu Zheng gives the scabbard to French Plane Tree to borrow, trusting that it will eventually return it—or at least dealing with that problem later.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng demonstrates loyalty and practical judgment. He prioritizes Fool, his only true friend, over the potential value of the auction and accepts the financial penalty for deliberately ending the poetry auction.
• He also shows concern for Vampire Girl, seeking a way to improve her strength and give her moral safeguards through the vampire knight’s vows.
• Fool is shown to have complex internal conflict. His severed evil corpse, Chariot, is not fully obedient and is pursuing its own path toward transcendence. Fool appreciates Liu Zheng’s trust and generosity.
• Chariot, represented by the gray cat, becomes frustrated when the poetry manuscript cannot be obtained. Its ambition and independence emphasize that even a divided self develops its own desires.
• French Plane Tree remains greedy and unreliable, but its interaction with Liu Zheng shows that the two have developed a casual, trusting relationship. It even admits that it might technically keep the borrowed scabbard.
• Penguin Captain reinforces its authority by defending the failed auction and explaining that collectible exchanges depend on mutual preference, not merely objective value.

Significant Themes

• Independence of the self: Fool’s severed corpse has become an autonomous individual with goals that may conflict with the original. The chapter suggests that even one’s own divided aspect cannot be completely controlled.
• Friendship and loyalty over profit: Liu Zheng sacrifices a valuable auction opportunity and pays additional fees to ensure Fool receives the manuscript.
• Power and its costs: Both the poetry manuscript and Helheim offer immense potential, but advancement and strength require risks, sacrifices, or dangerous side effects.
• Identity and transformation: Chariot seeks to change its literary foundation, while Helheim reverses Avalon’s identity and functions. The chapter repeatedly contrasts originals with distorted or opposing versions.
• Contracts, vows, and trust: The vampire knight’s power depends on strict vows, while Liu Zheng’s exchange with French Plane Tree relies on informal trust and the creature’s inability to lie.
• Moral restraint: Liu Zheng considers using the vampire knight’s vows to keep Vampire Girl from becoming dangerous, suggesting that strength can be paired with ethical limitations.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and Fool: Fool explains Chariot’s origins and ambitions. Liu Zheng reassures Fool that he is willing to give him the poetry manuscript because Fool is his only friend. Fool responds with gratitude and admiration.
• Liu Zheng and Projection Man: Projection Man explains the auction rules, the vampire knight’s heart, and the effects of the competing items. Their exchanges provide much of the chapter’s exposition.
• Liu Zheng and Penguin Captain: Liu Zheng praises Penguin Captain for defending the failed auction; Penguin Captain’s response highlights its authority and competence.
• Liu Zheng and Chariot: Though they do not directly converse, Liu Zheng’s deliberate rejection of all bids frustrates Chariot and prevents it from acquiring the poetry manuscript.
• Liu Zheng and French Plane Tree: Liu Zheng lends Helheim without hesitation. French Plane Tree jokes about keeping it, while Liu Zheng relies on its earlier statement that it was borrowing the item, creating a playful but uncertain bond.

Chapter Summary: The Shrunken Pyramid and Nile Doctor’s Request

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng earns French Plane Tree’s reluctant respect through his sincerity and is praised by Fool for his ability to build relationships in Metropolis.
• He asks Fool for help competing against Peacock in the auction. Fool agrees to return home and gather more supernatural items, explaining that Peacock cannot openly attack him because of his status in the Writers Association and his potential to become a Narrator.
• Projection Man offers to become Liu Zheng’s friend even without requiring Liu Zheng to complete his commission, strengthening their developing relationship.
• During the sixth auction round, a shrunken pyramid is presented. It contains at least three Mummies and a Ra’s Altar, and may originate from outside Metropolis.
• Liu Zheng immediately contacts Nile Doctor, who asks him to win the pyramid. Nile Doctor admits that he lacks suitable items to contribute, leaving Liu Zheng responsible for securing it.
• Motivated by gratitude and Nile Doctor’s connection to the nearly extinct Ra’s Lineage, Liu Zheng decides to spend heavily, even if doing so jeopardizes his own plans.
• Several powerful items are offered in the bidding:
  • Demon Gentleman’s Duel Glove, which forces two people into a deadly duel where supernatural items are disabled.
  • Master Chef’s Cutting Board, which offers strong defensive abilities and can transform mentally uncontrolled enemies into fish.
  • Reaper’s Register, Liu Zheng’s Perfect-quality item, which creates kill lists and grants rewards but forces the user to complete at least one list per dungeon.
  • Spirit Realm Coin Pouch, containing coins that summon Spirit Realm creatures in exchange for flesh.
• The bidding becomes extremely competitive, with the pyramid’s seller hesitating between Liu Zheng’s Reaper’s Register and the Spirit Realm Coin Pouch.
• Just before the auction closes, the seller grants every bidder one final chance to add another item.
• Rather than sacrifice another Perfect-quality item, Liu Zheng adds Old Man’s Endless Itch, a Fine-quality single-use item that causes unbearable mental or physical itching.
• Liu Zheng hopes this unusual collectible will secure the pyramid. If he loses, he resolves to find another way to bring Nile Doctor members of the Ra’s Lineage.

Character Development

• Liu Zheng demonstrates growing social intelligence and emotional loyalty. Although he normally prioritizes efficiency, he is unwilling to ignore Nile Doctor’s request after receiving extensive support from him.
• He also becomes more willing to take calculated risks, placing valuable items into the auction despite needing resources for Si Xue’s mission.
• Fool is shown to possess considerable status and political protection. His possible advancement to Narrator gives him confidence that Peacock will not attack him directly.
• Projection Man shifts from a transactional relationship with Liu Zheng toward genuine friendship, offering friendship even before Liu Zheng fulfills his commission.
• Nile Doctor reveals his emotional investment in the survival of the Ra’s Lineage and his inability to provide more aid, creating a rare moment of vulnerability.
• French Plane Tree continues to bicker with Liu Zheng but acknowledges the unusual value of the item he once obtained from her.
• Peacock remains an indirect threat: she does not appear, but her influence and wealth shape the auction’s tension.

Significant Themes

• Sincerity and friendship in a corrupt society: Liu Zheng reflects that genuine sincerity is rare in Metropolis, yet his honest dealings gradually create real alliances.
• Repaying debts and moral obligation: Liu Zheng feels compelled to help Nile Doctor because of the doctor’s past assistance, even when doing so conflicts with his own interests.
• Risk versus practicality: The auction forces Liu Zheng to decide how much of his limited inventory he is willing to sacrifice for a potentially greater moral and strategic goal.
• Humanity reflected in monsters: Liu Zheng’s changing view of Cow-Horse and French Plane Tree suggests that the strange inhabitants of Metropolis may be no worse than ordinary humans.
• The value of collectibles and power: The auction treats supernatural objects as both practical weapons and culturally significant artifacts, blurring the line between utility and personal worth.
• Resourcefulness under pressure: Liu Zheng relies on intuition and unconventional items, such as the backscratcher, when stronger resources are unavailable.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and Fool: Liu Zheng asks Fool for assistance against Peacock, while Fool reassures him that his position in the Writers Association provides protection.
• Liu Zheng and Projection Man: Their business arrangement evolves toward friendship, with Projection Man voluntarily offering trust rather than demanding payment.
• Liu Zheng and Nile Doctor: Liu Zheng informs him of the pyramid and accepts responsibility for winning it, recognizing the emotional importance of its surviving Mummies and Ra’s Altar.
• Liu Zheng and French Plane Tree: Their argumentative exchange over the “swindled” backscratcher reveals their increasingly familiar, almost companionable relationship.
• Liu Zheng and the auction participants: His Reaper’s Register raises the quality of the bidding and makes him a major contender, while the Spirit Realm Coin Pouch becomes his chief rival.
• Liu Zheng and the unseen seller: The seller’s final extension gives Liu Zheng one last opportunity to influence the outcome, ending the chapter on suspense over whether the pyramid will be his.

Chapter Summary: “So I’m Actually This Loaded?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The auction’s sixth round concludes with Reaper’s Register and Old Man’s Endless Itch winning their bids.
• Liu Zheng retrieves a miniature pyramid he won for Nile Doctor, but discovers it weighs more than ten tons and cannot be moved himself.
• He pays Cow-Horse to transport it to Nile Doctor’s clinic. Cow-Horse initially refuses, but immediately agrees once offered money.
• French Plane Tree mocks Liu Zheng for bribing Cow-Horse and recalls how Cow-Horse once sold it fake liquor. Liu Zheng humorously defends his boss while emphasizing that he is one of the few people willing to help French Plane Tree evolve into a Phoenix without enslaving or exploiting it.
• The seventh auction item is revealed to be Gem Crystal Dung, crystallized excrement from an Elder Gem Dragon. It contains the dragon’s power and resentment and can summon or create undead dragons, though it may provoke Gem Dragons.
• A suited Aberrant Insect bids an Attribute Equalization Card, which equalizes the user’s and an enemy’s attributes. Liu Zheng recognizes its tremendous combat value and considers bidding for it.
• While searching for something to offer, Liu Zheng realizes he has accumulated an enormous collection of powerful and rare items, including several perfect-quality treasures. He briefly considers trading away the dangerous Chaos Club Gold Card but decides against it.
• Liu Zheng finally offers Centipede Flower Blossom and Colossal Radial Blood Gem, both acquired beyond the Borderlands.
• The auction house and other bidders react with surprise and excitement because items from outside the Borderlands are extremely rare. Another collector attempts to negotiate privately, while the original seller urges the auction to continue.
• Liu Zheng briefly worries that he may have offered too much, but decides that the gamble is worthwhile.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng shows increasing confidence as a collector and bidder. He recognizes that he has become extraordinarily wealthy in supernatural items, describing himself as practically a “humanoid treasure vault.”
• Despite his wealth, Liu Zheng remains cautious and strategic. He protects items needed for future quests, preserves his best treasures for the Red Dragon Cloak, and refuses to trade dangerous or irreplaceable objects casually.
• Cow-Horse is portrayed as shamelessly money-driven but reliable once paid. Liu Zheng insists that greed itself is not a flaw as long as Cow-Horse still fulfills its responsibilities.
• French Plane Tree continues to act hostile and resentful, especially toward Cow-Horse, but its attitude toward Liu Zheng is gradually softened by respect for his willingness to help it evolve freely.
• Penguin Captain becomes increasingly excited by the quality and rarity of the auction items. Its regret at being unable to bid reveals that its enthusiasm is genuine despite its role as auction owner.

Significant Themes

• Wealth and hidden power: Liu Zheng discovers that his accumulated inventory is far more valuable than he realized, suggesting how dramatically he has grown since entering the supernatural world.
• Pragmatism and bargaining: Money, rare items, and strategic trades determine relationships and progress. Cow-Horse’s cooperation and Liu Zheng’s auction strategy both reflect this transactional environment.
• Trust and loyalty: Liu Zheng defends Cow-Horse despite its flaws and maintains a complicated but meaningful relationship with French Plane Tree.
• Risk versus caution: Liu Zheng must balance the desire to acquire powerful items against preserving irreplaceable resources and avoiding cursed or dangerous objects.
• The absurdity of the supernatural world: A dragon’s magical excrement is treated as a valuable collectible, combining grotesque humor with serious magical utility.
• Freedom versus exploitation: French Plane Tree’s desire to evolve into a Phoenix without becoming someone’s ingredient or fertilizer highlights the importance of autonomy.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and Cow-Horse: Liu Zheng asks Cow-Horse to deliver the pyramid. After refusing out of laziness, Cow-Horse accepts payment and completes the task efficiently.
• Liu Zheng and French Plane Tree: French Plane Tree criticizes Liu Zheng for bribing Cow-Horse and questions his defense of it. Liu Zheng counters that his support for French Plane Tree proves he values its freedom, though French Plane Tree denies having any special feelings toward him.
• Liu Zheng and Penguin Captain: Liu Zheng participates actively in the auction and carefully introduces his Borderlands items when asked. Penguin Captain is impressed by their rarity.
• Liu Zheng and the other bidders: His unusual offerings attract immediate attention, including an attempt by another collector to trade with him directly. This confirms that Liu Zheng’s inventory has significant market value.
• Liu Zheng and himself: Much of the chapter focuses on his internal evaluation of his possessions, revealing both pride in his growing wealth and anxiety about wasting valuable resources.

Chapter Summary: “No One Is Allowed to Bid on My Boss’s Horsewhip!”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng completes a successful bid, obtaining the Elder Gem Dragon’s Crystallized Fecal Impaction, a strange but potentially useful item filled with the dragon’s resentment.
• He compares it with the Nature’s Grudge Crystal, wondering whether the two resentment-based objects can be combined or used to strengthen one another.
• Liu Zheng also realizes he needs to find a skilled craftsman to make use of several neglected items, including the Dragon-Fishing Rod and Giant Crescent Blood Gem.
• During the next auction round, a badly crafted Red Dragon-hide cloak appears.
• Peacock unexpectedly bids for it using a bull horn and a horsewhip—objects Liu Zheng immediately recognizes as having been taken from his boss, Cow-Horse.
• Liu Zheng becomes furious upon realizing that Peacock has stripped Cow-Horse of more than just his physical possessions, likely taking away their supernatural essence as well.
• He threatens French Plane Tree and Projection Man, ordering them not to reveal the truth to Cow-Horse. Liu Zheng is determined to prevent his boss from being humiliated over the loss of his horn and whip.
• To compete with Peacock’s bid, Liu Zheng offers the Yin Fish and Yang Fish, extraordinary fish that grant enhanced physical attributes and the Yin-Yang Power skill.
• Peacock counters by offering the legendary Cage in the Palm, a rare birdcage capable of transforming prisoners into birds while preserving their memories. She reveals that she killed the bird that had previously occupied it.
• Refusing to back down, Liu Zheng produces the Non-Wishing Monkey’s Paw, a corrupted version of Metropolis’s famous Wishing Monkey’s Paw. He explains that Gravekeeper once shot, judged, and burned it.
• This revelation shocks the entire auction, raising major questions about the power of Gravekeeper, the Monkey’s Paw, and the mysterious conflict between them.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng shows strong loyalty and protectiveness toward Cow-Horse. His anger is driven less by the lost items themselves than by Cow-Horse’s dreams and dignity being violated.
• He demonstrates increasing confidence and ruthlessness, openly threatening stronger beings and even invoking his connections to Fire Mage and City Hall.
• Despite his aggression, Liu Zheng remains calculating. He avoids bidding too early, tries to conceal his true intentions, and carefully selects items that might outperform Peacock’s offerings.
• Peacock is portrayed as ruthless, composed, and extravagantly dominant. She casually uses Cow-Horse’s stolen possessions and later offers an exceptionally rare magical artifact without concern for others’ reactions.
• French Plane Tree/Dai Lego continues to act sarcastic and antagonistic toward Liu Zheng, but their exchanges reveal familiarity and an underlying friendship.
• Projection Man cooperates with Liu Zheng because he still depends on him for revenge, showing practical self-interest rather than genuine loyalty.
• Penguin Captain remains an enthusiastic auctioneer and knowledgeable appraiser, though his excitement over rare objects occasionally clashes with the grim circumstances surrounding them.
• Gravekeeper never appears directly, but his reputation grows significantly through the revelation that he defeated the Monkey’s Paw.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and brotherhood: Liu Zheng’s willingness to risk a major confrontation with Peacock emphasizes his devotion to Cow-Horse.
• Humiliation and dignity: The horsewhip and bull horn symbolize Cow-Horse’s identity and aspirations, making their theft a personal violation rather than a simple material loss.
• Power and reputation: The auction is shaped not only by the value of objects but by the status and history attached to them. Gravekeeper’s single attack creates widespread fear and speculation.
• Improvisation and strategy: Liu Zheng must balance secrecy, timing, resources, and emotional impulses while competing against Peacock.
• Absurdity and grotesque comedy: The chapter mixes serious emotional stakes with bizarre objects, fecal relics, supernatural fish, magical birdcages, and playful insults.
• The danger of extraordinary artifacts: Many items possess disturbing effects, showing that in Metropolis, even valuable collectibles can carry curses, resentment, or terrifying consequences.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and French Plane Tree argue over whether to reveal Cow-Horse’s humiliation. Their threats and insults escalate, but their banter ultimately reveals mutual familiarity and a reluctant bond.
• Liu Zheng invokes his friendship with French Plane Tree while simultaneously threatening violence, showing the complicated mixture of trust, pride, and hostility between them.
• Liu Zheng asks French Plane Tree to evaluate the Yin Fish and Yang Fish, using their relationship and his promise of liquor to secure cooperation.
• Liu Zheng warns Projection Man to remain silent, and Projection Man agrees because he still needs Liu Zheng’s help.
• Liu Zheng and Peacock engage in an indirect confrontation through the auction. Peacock’s bids force Liu Zheng to continually raise the stakes, while Liu Zheng’s counterbids demonstrate that he will not allow her to dominate unopposed.
• Penguin Captain’s explanation of the Monkey’s Paw and Gravekeeper transforms Liu Zheng’s personal bidding contest into an event that captivates the entire auction.

Chapter Summary: “Peacock: You Dare Compete with Me for Something?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The auction between Liu Zheng and Peacock escalates dramatically as both compete for the Red Dragon Cloak.
• Peacock first offers the Wage-Recovery Banner, a powerful artifact capable of inflicting True Damage on exploitative employers. Its history is revealed through the tragic story of the Mad Lawyer, whose fight for unpaid workers led to massacres, revenge against corrupt bosses, and later labor reforms.
• Liu Zheng counters with the Ninefold Union Pill, an extremely rare Taoist treasure capable of solving major problems for powerful beings. Its appearance shocks the entire auction hall because it has not been seen in Metropolis for over thirty years.
• Peacock identifies Liu Zheng as the Bloodstained Restaurant’s human Deliveryman. The two openly insult and challenge one another, confirming that their rivalry has become personal.
• Peacock escalates again by offering the Acquired Five Direction Flags, counterfeit versions of the legendary Primordial Five Direction Flags. Though imperfect, the complete set can repel all evil and resist countless techniques, even allowing someone to survive the Garbage Processing Plant.
• Concerned that the conflict may spiral out of control, Penguin Captain secretly orders Kavas to summon Minister Simba for intervention.
• Liu Zheng responds by offering a Third Eye of the Three-Eyed Race, taken from Garcia, the last known member of that race in Metropolis and a bishop of the Round God Sect. He also adds a red pill and a blue pill, though the chapter ends before their functions are explained.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng becomes increasingly reckless and determined. Although he knows he is spending priceless treasures on an item he may not even need, he refuses to surrender to Peacock, especially because she previously auctioned Cow-Horse’s whip.
• Peacock reveals herself as an extraordinarily wealthy and dangerous collector with access to rare artifacts. Her indifferent attitude shifts into genuine interest and irritation once Liu Zheng produces the Ninefold Union Pill.
• Penguin Captain remains professional but clearly recognizes the danger of the escalating confrontation. He provides item explanations while discreetly arranging outside intervention.
• Mad Lawyer, though absent from the present action, is established as a legendary and tragic figure whose resistance against wage exploitation became a major historical event in Metropolis.
• The collectors in the hall shift from amusement to alarm as the bidders reveal increasingly powerful treasures.

Significant Themes

• Class conflict and exploitation: The Wage-Recovery Banner embodies resistance against abusive employers and symbolizes the power of collective worker solidarity.
• Escalation and pride: Liu Zheng and Peacock repeatedly increase their bids not only to obtain the cloak but also to avoid losing face.
• Power and hidden danger: Many artifacts offer tremendous abilities but carry risks, such as the Three-Eyed Race’s bloodline attracting corruption or the danger associated with entering the Garbage Processing Plant.
• Value beyond utility: The collectibles possess historical, symbolic, and legendary significance, making them valuable even when their practical functions are limited.
• Institutional power and accountability: The Mad Lawyer’s actions force City Hall to enact labor protections, while the auction’s organizers attempt to prevent the personal duel from becoming a disaster.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and Peacock exchange increasingly hostile remarks, moving from indirect competition to direct personal provocation.
• Peacock exposes Liu Zheng’s identity, and he responds with open defiance rather than fear.
• Penguin Captain acts as mediator and commentator, explaining the artifacts while joking with the crowd and monitoring the danger.
• The auction spectators react with disbelief and anger at both bidders for using priceless treasures in a contest over the Red Dragon Cloak.
• Penguin Captain’s secret order to summon Minister Simba demonstrates that the auction staff view the rivalry as potentially dangerous enough to require intervention.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• During the auction, Penguin Captain showcases rare medicines, including True Sight and Spirit Sight Pills. His exaggerated claims are mocked by the attendees.
• Peacock receives news that Minister Dante and Minister Simba are visiting her estate. Enraged by the interruption and by Liu Zheng’s continued bidding, she unleashes overwhelming pressure on the auction hall.
• Penguin Rike attempts to defend Penguin Captain by producing a massive missile, but Peacock effortlessly nullifies the attack and later causes the missile to reappear, pinning both penguins beneath it before leaving.
• With Peacock gone, the auction resumes. Liu Zheng is declared the winner of the Red Dragon Cloak after Peacock withdraws, though he feels the victory came at an enormous cost.
• The cloak is revealed to be a Fine-quality item with defensive and fire-resistance benefits, as well as the “Dragon Might” status. Its crude construction suggests it may be capable of being upgraded.
• Liu Zheng realizes that Fool arranged for powerful officials to intervene and pressure Peacock into leaving. Fool later confirms that Minister Dante acted because of the reputation of Fool’s organization.
• Liu Zheng reports the Nine-Dragon Coffin commission to Fool while concealing details involving Si Xue. Fool praises Liu Zheng’s effectiveness and expresses a desire for them to eventually stand at the top of Metropolis.
• Before Liu Zheng leaves, the auction house gives him a platinum VIP card and Kavas’s Universal Toolbox as compensation for the excitement and expense he caused.
• Liu Zheng returns Cow-Horse’s Tiger Soul Fragment. He jokes that relying on Cow-Horse’s reputation is a form of strength, leading to playful punishment and banter.
• Si Xue summons Liu Zheng to her office. She praises his success in humiliating Peacock and offers to grant him almost any request, except leaving the Restaurant or becoming its boss. Liu Zheng asks to make a phone call before deciding what he wants.

2. Character Developments

• Liu Zheng demonstrates resourcefulness, boldness, and willingness to sacrifice heavily to achieve his goals. Although he technically wins the cloak, he recognizes that the victory depended on Fool’s political maneuvering rather than his own power alone.
• Peacock is shown to be immensely powerful, arrogant, and easily irritated when challenged. Her pride is wounded by the auction and by the outside interference that forces her withdrawal.
• Penguin Captain remains humorous and politically cautious. Despite being humiliated by Peacock, he manages the situation diplomatically and keeps the auction moving.
• Penguin Rike proves fiercely loyal to his brother and boss, though his attempts at defense only create more comedic danger.
• Fool emerges as a strategic ally who uses influence and connections instead of direct force. His support strengthens his partnership with Liu Zheng.
• Si Xue reveals a playful, vindictive side, taking great pleasure in Peacock’s frustration. She also acknowledges Liu Zheng’s sacrifice and rewards his loyalty and success.
• Cow-Horse continues to act as Liu Zheng’s skeptical, exasperated superior. Their relationship is marked by teasing, threats, and reluctant fondness.

3. Significant Themes

• Power and influence: Liu Zheng’s victory shows that political connections and reputation can overcome overwhelming financial and personal power.
• Strength through alliances: Fool’s intervention and Liu Zheng’s association with Cow-Horse demonstrate that connections can be as valuable as individual ability.
• Pride and humiliation: Peacock’s anger, Penguin Captain’s embarrassment, and Liu Zheng’s reluctant victory all emphasize the social consequences of challenging powerful figures.
• Cost of success: Winning the cloak requires Liu Zheng to expend nearly all of his valuable items, reminding him that success often comes with substantial sacrifice.
• Trust and cooperation: Fool and Liu Zheng deepen their professional relationship, while Projection Man’s increased trust reflects Liu Zheng’s growing reputation.
• Comedy amid danger: Threats involving psychiatric hospitals, missiles, overwhelming pressure, and forced punishment are consistently balanced with sarcasm and absurd humor.

4. Character Interactions

• Penguin Captain and Rike provide comic relief through their exaggerated sales pitch and chaotic attempt to resist Peacock.
• Peacock directly clashes with Liu Zheng and the auction organizers, using intimidation before ultimately being forced to withdraw.
• Liu Zheng and Fool exchange mutual praise, with Fool subtly revealing how he arranged the intervention that enabled Liu Zheng’s victory.
• Liu Zheng and Cow-Horse trade insults about luck, reliance on connections, and idioms, reinforcing their humorous but hierarchical relationship.
• Si Xue praises Liu Zheng while mocking Peacock and offers him a significant reward, creating anticipation about what he will request.
• The chapter ends with Liu Zheng asking to make a phone call, leaving the nature of his desired reward unresolved.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng consults the Nile Doctor about the pyramid. Four mummies were found inside, but only one remains conscious, and treating him will be difficult.
• The Nile Doctor reveals that Peacock auctioned off the horn and whip taken from Liu Zheng’s boss, suggesting that Peacock was involved in the boss’s injuries. He asks Liu Zheng to deal with Peacock.
• Liu Zheng learns that hospitals might be able to treat Cow-Horse’s injuries, but the cost would exceed eight figures, and Cow-Horse would be vulnerable without proper backing.
• Liu Zheng asks Si Xue to cure all of Cow-Horse’s injuries and illnesses. Si Xue agrees and offers a discount because Peacock caused the damage.
• Si Xue gives Liu Zheng two dangerous pills obtained from City Hall. Taken together, they are known as the “Daylight Ascension Pill,” which can either kill the user or cause them to “ascend.” Their real nature reflects the cynical relationship between City Hall, death, religion, and the afterlife in Metropolis.
• Liu Zheng asks Si Xue for more of the special flame previously added to his Super-Fireproof Corn Cob Pipe. She grants his request, then demands the return of the Red Dragon Cloak.
• Si Xue borrows feathers and blood from the imprisoned Phoenix, painfully tearing out feathers while Liu Zheng collects the Phoenix’s blood in his pipe.
• Using the Phoenix materials, Si Xue creates a Crude Phoenix Cape and gives it to Liu Zheng. The cape grants the “King of All Birds” status, boosts defense and fire resistance, allows low-altitude flight, and improves all attributes by 20% when interacting with birds.
• After leaving Si Xue, Liu Zheng realizes he forgot to tell her who should place the food order connected to his ability. He decides the Nile Doctor can probably help if necessary.
• Liu Zheng returns to the lounge and exchanges banter with Cow-Horse. Cow-Horse is then summoned by Si Xue, making it nervous despite Liu Zheng’s reassurance.
• Liu Zheng uses the opportunity to ask the Weaver Lady whether she can repair and improve the crude Phoenix Cape. She indicates that she can, but requires Spirit Thread. Liu Zheng questions why she cannot make Spirit Thread herself despite being a chief tailor.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng demonstrates increasing caution and strategic thinking. He carefully words his request to Si Xue so she cannot exploit ambiguities, showing that he has learned from past tricks. At the same time, he remains opportunistic, repeatedly asking for additional favors and resources.
• His relationship with Si Xue becomes more cooperative and familiar. He recognizes her generosity when someone works sincerely, flatters her openly, and appears genuinely pleased with her treatment of him.
• Si Xue shows a rare moment of good humor and generosity, offering discounts, extra leave, magical resources, and powerful equipment. However, she remains domineering and indifferent to the Phoenix’s suffering, reinforcing her ruthless nature.
• The Nile Doctor is shown to be responsible toward his people, worried about the surviving mummy and willing to seek treatment. He also trusts Liu Zheng to retaliate against Peacock.
• Cow-Horse remains boastful and comic but is now physically vulnerable because of its injuries. Its anxiety about being summoned hints at its fear of Si Xue’s authority.
• The Weaver Lady continues to communicate only through squeaks and gestures, but her skill is valuable enough that Liu Zheng willingly puts up with her social awkwardness.

Significant Themes

• Power and exploitation: The Phoenix is treated as a source of raw materials, while Cow-Horse’s injuries and the mummy’s condition reveal how vulnerable weaker beings are in Metropolis.
• Bureaucracy controlling life and death: City Hall regulates the movement of souls, treats the dead as civic property or labor, and charges gods for taking believers away.
• Trust mixed with manipulation: Liu Zheng trusts Si Xue more than before but still assumes she may exploit wording. Their relationship depends on negotiation, favors, and mutual usefulness.
• Work rewarded by power: Si Xue’s belief that sincere effort deserves generosity is reflected in the powerful cape she gives Liu Zheng.
• Comedy amid suffering: Serious injuries, death, and supernatural exploitation are repeatedly undercut by sarcasm, workplace banter, and Liu Zheng’s shameless opportunism.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and the Nile Doctor discuss the mummy survivor, Cow-Horse’s possible treatment, and Peacock’s responsibility for the boss’s condition.
• Liu Zheng negotiates with Si Xue for Cow-Horse’s cure, receives dangerous pills and flame, and returns the Red Dragon Cloak.
• Si Xue uses the Phoenix’s feathers and blood to produce Liu Zheng’s new cape, with Liu Zheng serving as an assistant despite being unprepared.
• Liu Zheng and Cow-Horse trade insults and jokes before Cow-Horse is summoned by Si Xue.
• Liu Zheng seeks the Weaver Lady’s help in refining the Phoenix Cape, beginning another negotiation over Spirit Thread.

Chapter Summary: “Just a Few Dried Fish—Why Risk Your Life?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Weaver Lady finishes repairing Liu Zheng’s coat and hat. Liu jokes about his supposed massage expertise, leading to a humorous exchange about their respective skills.
• Liu sleeps in the break room and wakes to discover that Cow-Horse has apparently beaten him while he slept, leaving hoofprints on his face and his Legendary Deliveryman Persona. Despite being unconscious, Cow-Horse remains alert and pretends to sleep.
• On the tenth day of Liu’s stay in Metropolis, he begins arranging his planned journey to the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
• Liu calls Yoko. They discuss her exhausting work, her punishment from Granny Tang, Hachijo and the others, and the possible transfer of Yoko’s brother-in-law. Liu encourages Yoko to seek a better job, but she asks whether remaining at Night Parade Bathhouse would help him.
• Liu admits that Yoko’s assistance would be useful, but insists that her having a better life matters more to him. Their conversation reinforces their mutual affection, though Liu undermines the sincerity of his statement with self-deprecating humor.
• Liu contacts Minister Thirteen Yao and asks him to relay a message to the Stone Spirit Clan. He wants to hire them as guides for his expedition into the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
• Thirteen Yao agrees to contact Shi Tiantian, a Stone Spirit woman Liu previously massaged. He explains that the Stone Spirits have extensive knowledge of the mountains and that their women generally possess high status.
• Liu receives a normal delivery order for a cup of Super-Concentrated Silly Bean Soy Juice for Zhuge Ling. The drink significantly lowers the user’s Intelligence but makes zombies and other Dead creatures less aggressive toward them.
• He rents a Cayenne S and drives to the clinic, where he visits the injured Sphinx. The Sphinx remains angry that dried fish persuaded him to risk himself for Liu, but still eagerly accepts another fish—along with part of Liu’s tentacle.

Character Development

• Liu Zheng: Demonstrates practical planning by arranging guides and contacts before leaving for the Hundred Thousand Mountains. He continues to use humor, bargaining, and social connections to solve problems. His concern for Yoko’s future reveals genuine loyalty and affection, while his willingness to risk himself and pursue dangerous journeys remains unchanged.
• Yoko: Shows independence and resilience. Although she works under difficult conditions and has suffered punishment, she refuses to rely excessively on Liu or her sister. Her question about whether staying at Night Parade Bathhouse would help him suggests that she is emotionally invested in him and willing to make sacrifices.
• Thirteen Yao: Remains blunt, teasing, and transactional, but is willing to help Liu because he considers him reliable. His willingness to contact the Stone Spirits reflects a growing level of trust.
• Shi Tiantian: Though absent from the chapter, she is established as a likely cooperative contact because she appreciated Liu’s previous massage and belongs to a powerful, knowledgeable clan.
• Sphinx: Is recovering from serious injuries and feels embarrassed and resentful about having been manipulated by dried fish. Nevertheless, his continued appetite shows that his relationship with Liu remains begrudgingly affectionate.
• Weaver Lady and Cow-Horse: Provide comic relief. Weaver Lady is puzzled by Liu’s bizarre claims about massage, while Cow-Horse is revealed to be physically dangerous even while apparently asleep.

Significant Themes

• Trust and loyalty: Liu repeatedly relies on relationships with Yoko, Thirteen Yao, Shi Tiantian, and the Sphinx while also trying to repay those who have helped him.
• Self-interest versus genuine concern: Liu’s delivery work is often motivated by practical benefits, but his concern for Yoko shows that he values the well-being of his allies beyond their usefulness.
• Humor amid danger: Physical violence, punishment, dangerous travel, and potentially harmful magical items are treated with constant jokes and banter.
• The cost of survival: The soy drink’s effect—becoming temporarily unintelligent to avoid zombies—illustrates the strange and often humiliating compromises required to survive in Liu’s world.
• Social connections as power: Liu’s ability to navigate Metropolis depends less on force than on favors, reputation, negotiation, and the network of people and factions he has cultivated.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu and Weaver Lady joke about sewing, tentacles, and massage.
• Liu wakes after Cow-Horse’s unexplained assault, establishing their comic but dangerous relationship.
• Liu and Yoko discuss work, family, mutual support, and Liu’s possible departure from Metropolis.
• Liu and Thirteen Yao negotiate contact with the Stone Spirit Clan, with Thirteen Yao teasing Liu about his many “side jobs.”
• Liu visits the Sphinx, whose anger is undercut by his immediate willingness to accept another dried fish.

Chapter Summary: “Easy to Grow Bigger, Hard to Shrink Again”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng visits Nile Doctor and finds Niu Daji training while wrapped in extremely heavy bandages. He encourages Niu Daji to continue developing its strength.
• Liu Zheng asks Nile Doctor to process Nature’s Grudge Crystal and the Elder Gem Dragon’s Crystallized Fecal Impaction. Nile Doctor explains that they can become either:
  • A weaker, safer tonic, or
  • A highly lethal poison that preserves and intensifies the resentment within them.
• Since Liu Zheng currently lacks powerful offensive weapons, he chooses the poison. Nile Doctor agrees to prepare it in a form that can kill through contact or inhalation and promises to make antidotes for Liu Zheng.
• Liu Zheng asks Nile Doctor to accompany him to the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Nile Doctor accepts, noting that the Sphinx has mostly recovered and that he has acquired a powerful miniature pyramid.
• Nile Doctor reveals that he modified the pyramid using divine power. It is now smaller and lighter, but once enlarged, it can never be shrunk again. Because of the difficulty of recovering a multi-million-ton pyramid, he intends to use it only in emergencies.
• Liu Zheng shamelessly secures a large glass of honey beer from Nile Doctor before leaving with Niu Daji.
• Before traveling, Liu Zheng decides to settle Cow-Horse’s family problems. He meets Mountain Ogre and returns his repaired hat. In exchange, Mountain Ogre identifies the teacher troubling Cow-Horse’s wife as Huang Jiongjiǒng, who lives in Workers’ New City and is related to both the cram-school owner and an influential film-academy teacher named Huang Shishishi.
• Liu Zheng considers three possible solutions:
  1. Deal directly with Huang Jiongjiǒng.
  2. Target the cram-school owner, thereby addressing the root of the problem.
  3. Use Huang Shishishi’s influence against Huang Jiongjiǒng.
• He initially favors confronting the cram-school owner but realizes that involving Silver Wolf, a City Hall employee, could be dangerous because Cow-Horse may eventually enter smuggling and become politically opposed to Silver Wolf. He therefore decides to handle Huang Jiongjiǒng himself.
• Liu Zheng speaks with Silver Wolf about transferring jobs and agrees to accept a dinner invitation from Silver Wolf’s family, though Silver Wolf plans to order a delivery from him.
• Liu Zheng and Niu Daji arrive at a mysterious building marked only with a question mark. Liu Zheng enters alone while Niu Daji stands guard outside.
• Inside, he finds a pale, freezing girl sitting beside an overheated stove. She identifies him as a deliveryman and asks for her meal. She claims to be Zhuge Ling and points him toward documents that could verify her identity.
• Despite her apparent cooperation, Liu Zheng remains suspicious and asks whether he may call someone else inside. The chapter ends as the situation begins to appear potentially dangerous.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng continues to act as a resourceful leader and protective friend. He prepares carefully for danger, evaluates political and personal consequences, and prioritizes solving Cow-Horse’s family troubles before his own expedition.
• He also displays his usual shameless humor, exploiting his friendship with Nile Doctor to obtain free beer.
• Niu Daji becomes more devoted and enthusiastic. It trains intensely, eagerly accompanies Liu Zheng on a delivery, and takes its new role as the third-generation leader of the Delivery Gang seriously.
• Nile Doctor is shown to be highly versatile, combining medical, scholarly, magical, and priestly abilities. His relationship with Liu Zheng remains teasing but cooperative.
• Mountain Ogre proves useful as an information source, though he remains wary of losing work time and wages.
• Silver Wolf grows closer to Liu Zheng by inviting him to dinner, but Liu Zheng consciously withholds information about Cow-Horse’s wife to avoid creating future conflicts.
• Zhuge Ling is introduced as an enigmatic and apparently ill or supernatural woman. Her unnatural coldness, despite sitting beside intense heat, immediately makes Liu Zheng suspicious.

Significant Themes

• Power and its consequences: The pyramid’s increased power comes with a permanent loss of flexibility, emphasizing that greater strength often creates greater practical burdens.
• Strategic decision-making: Liu Zheng weighs direct action, indirect influence, and political repercussions before choosing how to intervene.
• Loyalty and responsibility: He works to protect Cow-Horse’s family and brings Niu Daji along, treating both friendship and leadership as obligations.
• Trust and suspicion: Even when Zhuge Ling cooperates and provides identification documents, Liu Zheng refuses to lower his guard.
• Growth versus control: Niu Daji’s physical training reflects the desire to become stronger, while the pyramid and poison demonstrate how difficult it is to manage power once expanded.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and Niu Daji share a humorous but loyal boss-and-subordinate relationship, with Liu Zheng encouraging its training and Niu Daji eager to prove itself.
• Liu Zheng and Nile Doctor exchange sarcastic remarks while cooperating on the creation of a deadly weapon and planning the journey.
• Liu Zheng and Mountain Ogre maintain a transactional relationship: Liu Zheng returns the repaired hat, while Mountain Ogre supplies intelligence.
• Liu Zheng and Silver Wolf show mutual trust, but Liu Zheng deliberately keeps Cow-Horse’s situation secret because their future interests may conflict.
• Liu Zheng’s first interaction with Zhuge Ling is cautious and investigative. Her suspicious condition and unusual building make him treat an ordinary delivery as a possible trap.

Chapter Summary: “A Woman Even Cow-Horse Feared”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng delivers Super-Concentrated Silly Bean Soy Juice to Zhuge Ling, a seemingly frail woman living in a heavily fortified house.
• Before accepting the delivery, Zhuge Ling demands compensation in the form of knowledge. She explains that her exceptional intelligence and memory force her to think constantly, making her abilities feel like a curse.
• Liu Zheng offers to explain the game Three Kingdoms Kill and begins describing the factions, rules, and generals’ skills.
• Zhuge Ling tries to make him explain every general, but Liu Zheng stops when the delivery time runs short. He promises to return and continue the explanation.
• Zhuge Ling finally accepts the food, warning Liu Zheng to return within two hours. She intends to drink the soy juice afterward, which causes emotional instability and may lead her to retaliate against him if he breaks his promise.
• After leaving, Liu Zheng asks Niu Daji about Zhuge Ling’s strength. Niu Daji thinks she seems physically weak, but Liu Zheng contacts Cow-Horse for more information.
• Cow-Horse recounts previously fighting Zhuge Ling and being repeatedly teleported away by the defenses surrounding her ancestral home. Even a direct assault by the entire Animal Farm band eventually failed, forcing Cow-Horse to negotiate before she accepted the delivery.
• Cow-Horse warns Liu Zheng not to underestimate Zhuge Ling or become romantically interested in her, since her intelligence would allow her to manipulate him easily.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng remains cautious and pragmatic, but his curiosity about Zhuge Ling grows. He uses humor, threats, and negotiation to complete the delivery, while recognizing that she is far more dangerous than she appears.
• Zhuge Ling is established as extraordinarily intelligent, fearless, manipulative, and emotionally detached. Her vast memory and constant thinking are portrayed as both a power and a psychological burden. Despite her frail appearance, she possesses formidable magical and defensive resources.
• Niu Daji continues to act as Liu Zheng’s loyal but somewhat naïve assistant. He senses no obvious physical strength from Zhuge Ling and underestimates her danger.
• Cow-Horse reveals its past failure against Zhuge Ling and shows nostalgia for the former Animal Farm band. Its frustration over the band’s collapse hints at unresolved grief connected to Red Pig and Chihaya.

Significant Themes

• Intelligence as both gift and curse: Zhuge Ling’s extraordinary mind grants her immense knowledge and influence but prevents her from resting mentally.
• Appearance versus reality: Zhuge Ling looks weak and harmless, yet her home and abilities make her one of the most dangerous people Liu Zheng has encountered.
• Negotiation versus force: Liu Zheng and Cow-Horse both discover that brute strength is ineffective against Zhuge Ling; success requires bargaining or exploiting circumstances.
• Promises and manipulation: Liu Zheng values keeping his word, while Zhuge Ling openly embraces double standards and uses her promise as leverage.
• Loneliness and loss: Cow-Horse’s memories of the Animal Farm band reveal sadness over its disappearance and the separation from former companions.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and Zhuge Ling engage in a tense verbal duel, with Zhuge Ling repeatedly forcing him to adjust to her terms.
• Zhuge Ling mocks Liu Zheng’s intelligence and challenges his threats, while Liu Zheng attempts to preserve authority through intimidation and negotiation.
• Liu Zheng and Niu Daji share a brief exchange after the delivery, with Liu Zheng seeking Niu Daji’s assessment of Zhuge Ling.
• Liu Zheng consults Cow-Horse, learning that Zhuge Ling previously defeated both it and the Animal Farm band through layered defenses and teleportation.
• Cow-Horse jokingly suspects Liu Zheng may be attracted to Zhuge Ling, but ultimately warns him that she would manipulate him completely.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng receives two calls: Cow-Horse discusses their ongoing bet, while Thirteen Yao informs him that Shi Tiantian, a member of the Stone Spirit Clan, has agreed to meet at Night Parade Bathhouse.
• Because Night Parade Bathhouse possesses a unique medicinal bath, Liu Zheng agrees to meet Shi Tiantian there as a customer rather than disguise himself as a worker.
• He needs someone to place a delivery order as part of his plan. Thirteen Yao refuses to help, and Liu Zheng also rejects Niu Daji’s offer because Niu Daji is his only subordinate. He instead asks Yuan Bao’er for assistance.
• During the call, Yuan Bao’er reproaches Liu Zheng for previously using his own regenerating flesh to pay off a debt, believing he had insulted her generosity. She has since ordered the flesh destroyed and threatened Hui San for taking advantage of Liu Zheng.
• Yuan Bao’er agrees to help arrange the delivery and offers support for Liu Zheng’s upcoming trip to the Hundred Thousand Mountains, where the Stone Spirit Clan is connected to dangerous enemies from Mount Oe. Liu Zheng refuses to bring a large group, fearing his area attacks could harm allies and that Yuan Bao’er’s enemies might retaliate against her bathhouse.
• Yuan Bao’er instead agrees to find him a guide and prepare supplies.
• Back at the Restaurant, Liu Zheng jokes and argues with Cow-Horse, who has obtained another day off and demands payment. Liu Zheng warns Cow-Horse to use the Memorial Medal for protection if Peacock seeks revenge against him.
• Ghost Hand arrives to make a delivery. The first order is mislabeled as Golden-Coated King Crab Meat but contains Imperial Crab Meat, causing the Legendary Delivery Box to reject it. Liu Zheng returns to correct the order.
• The genuine king crab dish is accepted, though its item description humorously reveals that the crab resents being eaten. Liu Zheng prepares to deliver it to Blissful Bathhouse.
• Before departing, he contacts the driver and orders the explosive weapon “Hound” readied. He teasingly asks whether the ammunition is sufficient to blow up several mountains, hinting at the dangers awaiting him in the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

2. Character Developments

• Liu Zheng continues to act cautiously despite his provocative humor. He plans carefully, avoids unnecessary disguises, limits the number of allies accompanying him, and relies on the Legendary Delivery Box to detect fraudulent or incorrect items.
• He also shows greater awareness of social obligations, acknowledging that using his own flesh to repay Yuan Bao’er’s debt was insensitive, even though he still dislikes owing others favors.
• Yuan Bao’er demonstrates gratitude, authority, and loyalty toward Liu Zheng. She treats his past help as a life debt and becomes an active supporter against the Stone Spirit Clan.
• Cow-Horse remains Liu Zheng’s sarcastic but dependable partner. Its teasing, suspicion, and willingness to continue working reveal a familiar, bickering relationship.
• Niu Daji shows eagerness to be useful, but Liu Zheng’s refusal suggests that Liu Zheng values preserving his limited manpower.
• Ghost Hand displays practical intelligence by drinking the honey beer while retaining the cup, suggesting it can learn from Liu Zheng’s behavior.
• The driver becomes excited at the prospect of using large-scale explosives, reinforcing his enthusiasm for destruction and combat.

3. Significant Themes

• Debts, favors, and repayment: Yuan Bao’er’s displeasure emphasizes that gratitude and repayment carry deep social and moral weight. Liu Zheng’s reluctance to owe favors contrasts with her insistence on repaying him properly.
• Trust and deception: The incorrect crab order highlights the dangers of fraud and the value of Liu Zheng’s supernatural delivery tools. His upcoming meeting with the Stone Spirit Clan likewise involves uncertainty and potential betrayal.
• Preparation versus recklessness: Although Liu Zheng jokes constantly, he carefully evaluates risks, avoids exposing Yuan Bao’er, and prepares for possible conflict with Hound and additional supplies.
• Human habits amid supernatural circumstances: Liu Zheng retains ordinary habits—removing his delivery box, discussing crab varieties, and bantering with coworkers—even while dealing with monsters, magical items, assassins, and explosive weapons.
• Comedy in a dangerous world: Much of the chapter’s tension is balanced by absurd humor, including Liu Zheng’s flirtatious exchange with Yuan Bao’er, his verbal sparring with Cow-Horse, and the offended item description of the king crab.

4. Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and Thirteen Yao: They negotiate the conditions of his meeting with Shi Tiantian, with Thirteen Yao refusing to provide medicinal bath supplies or place the order.
• Liu Zheng and Yuan Bao’er: Their conversation shifts from reprimand to flirtatious banter and finally to strategic cooperation. Yuan Bao’er agrees to aid Liu Zheng while warning him about the Stone Spirit Clan’s likely retaliation.
• Liu Zheng and Cow-Horse: They exchange constant sarcasm over money, work, Peacock’s possible revenge, and Liu Zheng’s romantic behavior. Their antagonistic humor reflects mutual familiarity.
• Liu Zheng and Niu Daji: Niu Daji offers to help, but Liu Zheng rejects the offer to preserve his only subordinate’s usefulness.
• Liu Zheng and Ghost Hand: Liu Zheng gives Ghost Hand honey beer, while Ghost Hand quietly avoids repeating the mistake of surrendering the cup.
• Liu Zheng and the driver: Their exchange establishes the possibility of an explosive confrontation at Night Parade Bathhouse and foreshadows a larger campaign in the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Chapter Summary: “Driver: You’re About to Make a Fortune”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng bargains with the driver for ammunition and a military budget, intending to borrow ten million from Yuan Bao’er for the upcoming Mount Oe operation. The driver agrees but expects Liu Zheng to provide plenty of explosions in return.
• The Hound transports Liu Zheng and Niu Daji from the clinic back toward Bathhouse Street, where they plan to negotiate with the Night Parade Bathhouse rather than immediately fight.
• The Sphinx is left behind after Liu Zheng distracts it with dried fish, leading to a humorous exchange in which it angrily complains about being treated like a pet.
• While traveling through the forest, the group is attacked by a massive sandworm. The driver identifies its behavior as playful rather than immediately hostile and explains that it may be an unusually intelligent Erakos Sandworm.
• The driver reveals that Erakos Sandworms are valuable mutated organisms whose economic products have changed after being introduced to Metropolis. If captured, this creature could make them a fortune.
• The sandworm repeatedly launches the tank into the air, apparently treating it as a toy. The driver devises a plan to deliberately charge into its mouth, allowing Liu Zheng and Niu Daji to attack it from within.
• The Hound successfully enters the sandworm’s mouth. Liu Zheng and Niu Daji exit into its body, where they face crushing walls, teeth, and violent internal movements.
• Niu Daji protects Liu Zheng with his body and Ancestral Armor. Liu Zheng’s attempts to use his tentacles fail because the sandworm’s flesh crushes them instantly.
• Unable to use the Laughing-Gas Bomb without killing Niu Daji, Liu Zheng activates Iron Block, greatly strengthening his body at the cost of stamina. The skill allows him to resist the sandworm’s crushing pressure, and he draws Seven Sins: Wrath to begin the internal attack.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng continues to act as a resourceful but increasingly battle-hardened leader. He negotiates boldly, adapts quickly under pressure, and prioritizes Niu Daji’s survival by rejecting an explosive weapon that would endanger him.
• The driver demonstrates extensive knowledge of Metropolis’s biology, military history, and dangerous creatures. His ruthless combat style and enthusiasm for fighting reveal a veteran soldier with a strong appetite for violence and rare prey.
• Niu Daji remains intensely loyal to Liu Zheng. Though somewhat awkward and naïve, he willingly follows dangerous orders and uses his body and armor to shield his boss.
• The Sphinx becomes a source of comic relief. Its pride and intelligence clash with Liu Zheng’s casual treatment of it, particularly when it is fed dried fish like an animal.
• The Erakos Sandworm is established as an intelligent, potentially valuable creature rather than a mindless monster.

Significant Themes

• Profit and danger: Valuable opportunities in Metropolis are often connected to extreme physical danger. The sandworm may bring enormous wealth, but only if the group survives capturing it.
• Trust and cooperation: Liu Zheng must rely on the driver’s experience and Niu Daji’s protection, while the driver depends on Liu Zheng and Niu Daji to carry out his risky plan.
• Adaptability under pressure: The group survives by rapidly changing tactics, using the tank’s strength, Niu Daji’s armor, and Liu Zheng’s Iron Block skill.
• Human control versus nature: The conversation about the Biological Management Bureau and protected creatures highlights the tension between exploitation, commerce, and ecological preservation.
• Humor amid danger: Sarcastic dialogue, the Sphinx’s resentment, and Liu Zheng’s discomfort with Niu Daji’s embrace contrast with the life-threatening battle.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and the driver negotiate over ammunition, money, and the expected scale of the Mount Oe mission, revealing their mutually exploitative but cooperative relationship.
• Liu Zheng orders Niu Daji to accompany him, and Niu Daji immediately reaffirms his loyalty despite fearing another confrontation.
• Liu Zheng and the Sphinx exchange comic insults after he throws it dried fish and leaves without properly saying goodbye.
• The driver educates Liu Zheng about sandworms, the Biological Management Bureau, the Great Desert, and the Erakos breed, while refusing to explain politically sensitive details about Metropolis’s past.
• During the internal assault, Liu Zheng instructs Niu Daji to curl up and rely on his armor. Niu Daji follows obediently and protects him, strengthening their bond as comrades.
• The chapter ends with Liu Zheng overcoming the sandworm’s crushing pressure through Iron Block and preparing to fight with Seven Sins: Wrath.

Chapter Summary: Legacy of the Erakos Sandworm

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng and Niu Daji attempt to escape from inside an Erakos Sandworm. Using the Dragon-Scale Blade, Liu drills through the creature’s hardened inner wall while Daji helps tear the opening wider.
• The sandworm’s blue blood gushes into the cramped space. Its scent creates an intense urge to drink, but Liu warns Daji not to consume it.
• The driver searches the tank and finds an old, spoiled insecticide designed to kill sandworms. Liu injects it into the wound, causing the sandworm to contract violently.
• As the space collapses, Liu uses Sunfire to force Daji away and tries to escape. Daji, severely crushed, bites Liu’s hoof and holds on, allowing Liu to return to the tank.
• Daji survives but has accidentally consumed sandworm blood. The driver explains that the blood can heal injuries and extend life, but is dangerously addictive and may cause physical and mental mutations. Liu insists that Daji must be saved, regardless of the cost.
• The insecticide eventually kills the sandworm. Hound bursts through its mouth and emerges near Bathhouse Street.
• The spoiled drug causes the sandworm’s body to turn into weathered stone, destroying most of its valuable “Crystal Teeth.” Liu salvages the remaining teeth but is disappointed by the loss of potential wealth.
• Following the driver’s instructions, Liu reenters the corpse to search for a valuable internal object. He experiences a powerful mental attack but resists it due to his Sanity Decline Immunity.
• Liu locates and removes a smooth spherical object, apparently the sandworm’s hidden inheritance or core, and begins carrying it back toward the exit.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng demonstrates resourcefulness, endurance, and leadership. He improvises with the Dragon-Scale Blade, protects Daji during the collapse, and refuses to abandon him after learning about the dangers of sandworm blood.
• His concern for Daji reveals a strong sense of loyalty beneath his sarcastic and profit-minded attitude. His anger at the driver’s suggestion that Daji may not be “worth” saving shows how personally he values his subordinate.
• Liu also displays growing confidence in confronting dangerous supernatural phenomena, surviving both the sandworm’s physical attack and its mental assault.
• Niu Daji proves exceptionally resilient and loyal. Even while being crushed nearly flat, he refuses to let go of Liu and helps ensure Liu’s escape. His accidental consumption of sandworm blood creates a serious future danger involving addiction and mutation.
• The driver/Colonel reveals extensive knowledge of sandworms, military experimentation, and the potential use of their blood to create ideal soldiers. His practical, detached attitude contrasts sharply with Liu’s personal loyalty, though he ultimately continues helping the group.
• The driver’s comments suggest a disturbing connection to the former Third Reich’s attempts to weaponize Erakos Sandworms and their blood.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty and human worth: Liu rejects the idea that Daji’s value should be measured economically or strategically, insisting on finding a cure regardless of the cost.
• Exploitation of nature: The discussion of sandworm blood and “perfect soldiers” reveals how powerful creatures and biological resources were exploited for war.
• The consequences of technological decay: The spoiled insecticide remains useful but produces destructive side effects, turning the sandworm’s valuable corpse into stone.
• Survival through adaptability: Liu repeatedly improvises under extreme pressure, using his weapons, abilities, and companions creatively to survive.
• Inheritance and hidden value: The sandworm’s corpse may contain more than commercial materials; the mysterious sphere and mental attack imply that it carries ancient knowledge, power, or memories.
• Morality versus pragmatism: Liu’s emotional commitment to Daji clashes with the driver’s cold calculations about cost and usefulness.

Character Interactions

• Liu and Daji cooperate physically to breach the sandworm’s inner wall, with Daji providing the strength Liu lacks.
• Liu protects Daji from the sandworm’s constriction and later shields him from further injury.
• The driver guides Liu through the escape, supplies the insecticide, and diagnoses Daji’s condition, but his indifferent attitude toward Daji causes tension with Liu.
• Liu and the driver exchange sarcastic remarks about military ideals, the sandworm’s value, and their accidental “ride” through the creature.
• Despite their arguments, Liu relies on the driver’s expertise, while the driver continues supplying practical assistance.
• The chapter ends with Liu alone inside the dead sandworm, carrying the mysterious sphere and facing the possibility that its mental attack concealed valuable knowledge or power.

Chapter Summary: “Liu Zheng Takes the Sedan Chair, an Eight-Bearer Palanquin”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng emerges from his encounter with the Erakos Sandworm carrying a milky-white sphere: the creature’s ganglion, which contains Spice, a highly valuable and addictive substance.
• The driver explains that Spice is more potent than Sandworm blood and dangerous if consumed. Because the amount inside the ganglion cannot be safely detected without causing it to combust, Liu Zheng decides to sell the ganglion intact, treating it like a “rough stone.”
• Liu Zheng stores the ganglion in his Headless Mandarin Ducks Pouch and plans to consult Nile Doctor, Sa Duyou Trading Company, or Healing Bee Pharmacy about selling it.
• He contacts 4399 about the Sandworm corpse. Since the creature attacked him first, the incident may qualify as self-defense, allowing him to retain or profit from the remains rather than having them confiscated.
• Returning to Bathhouse Street, Liu Zheng brings the injured Niu Daji to its family. Niu Baji and Niu Jiuji receive him and prepare their clan’s medicinal soup.
• Liu Zheng harshly threatens the Niu clan, especially Niu Xiaoji, warning that they will suffer if Niu Daji dies. He then gives Niu Baji and Niu Jiuji substantial sums of money to purchase the best possible treatment.
• Liu Zheng learns that Niu Daji is regarded as the Niu family’s greatest hope for restoring the clan’s fortunes. The family has become conservative after previous attempts at expansion ended in failure, while Daji has already brought them significant returns.
• An eight-bearer palanquin from Blissful Bathhouse arrives to take Liu Zheng to Yuan Bao’er. He accepts the ride, keeping his delivery slip ready in case of danger.
• At Blissful Bathhouse, Yuan Bao’er explains that she sent the palanquin because Liu Zheng’s delivery deadline is approaching. Liu Zheng hands the delivery to her niece, Secretary Yuan Xiaoqin, and immediately heads toward Night Parade Bathhouse.
• On the way, Liu Zheng encounters the poor Black Dumplings he previously helped. They have saved his money toward buying a house. Touched by their gratitude, he gives them more money.
• The Black Dumplings reward him with a special item, Black Dumplings’ Gift, allowing him to transform into one of them for ten minutes inside a building and gain some of their abilities. Their selfless gift reinforces Liu Zheng’s reluctance to leave Metropolis permanently.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng demonstrates practical judgment by preserving the Spice ganglion intact for maximum profit. He also shows increasing authority and protectiveness toward the Niu family, combining intimidation with genuine financial support.
• His concern for Niu Daji reveals that he values loyalty and sacrifice. Although he threatens the family, he personally funds Daji’s recovery and encourages the younger Minotaurs.
• Liu Zheng’s kindness toward the Black Dumplings deepens his emotional connection to Metropolis. Their poverty and gratitude affect him enough that he continues delaying his departure from the instance.
• The driver remains a pragmatic adviser, explaining the nature and market value of Spice while maintaining a detached attitude toward Liu Zheng’s emotional arguments about command and responsibility.
• Niu Baji and Niu Jiuji show loyalty to their injured relative and respect for Liu Zheng as their employer and “boss.”
• Yuan Bao’er acts efficiently and cooperatively, prioritizing Liu Zheng’s delivery deadline and introducing him to her relative, Yuan Xiaoqin.
• The Black Dumplings are portrayed as impoverished but ambitious and grateful creatures. Their decision to give Liu Zheng their only meaningful possession— themselves—shows their affection and moral sincerity.

Significant Themes

• Value and commerce: Spice, the Sandworm corpse, delivery work, and the Black Dumplings’ savings all reflect the chapter’s concern with turning dangerous or humble resources into economic opportunity.
• Loyalty and responsibility: Liu Zheng’s response to Niu Daji’s injury shows that leadership involves protecting subordinates, not merely issuing orders.
• Power tempered by compassion: Liu Zheng threatens the Niu clan with extreme violence but also provides money and encouragement, while his interactions with the Black Dumplings reveal a gentler side.
• Inherited identity and social stagnation: The Niu family’s inherited armor, medicine, and physical traits have helped them survive but also contributed to their conservative refusal to pursue greater ambitions.
• Gratitude and emotional bonds: The Black Dumplings’ gift demonstrates that even weak creatures can offer meaningful loyalty. Their generosity strengthens Liu Zheng’s attachment to the strange community of Metropolis.
• The tension between departure and belonging: Liu Zheng is still working toward completing his delivery and leaving the instance, yet his relationships with Niu Daji and the Black Dumplings make departure increasingly difficult.

Character Interactions

• Liu Zheng and the driver discuss Spice, leadership, and the commercial handling of the Sandworm remains.
• Liu Zheng confronts Niu Baji about the Niu family’s responsibility for Daji, then balances his threat with financial assistance and encouragement.
• Yuan Bao’er helps Liu Zheng meet his delivery deadline and introduces him to Yuan Xiaoqin, who receives the delivery.
• Liu Zheng playfully communicates with the Black Dumplings despite their inability to understand his words. Their shared exchange of money, praise, and affection culminates in their giving him the transformation mark before disappearing into the shadows.

Chapter Summary: “I’m a Worker, Not a Wish-Granting Machine”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zheng arrives at Night Parade Bathhouse on foot, attracting hostile attention from the guests and doormen. He intimidates the troublemakers by reminding everyone—implicitly through his killing intent and reputation—that he has slain gods.
• The doormen escort him inside rather than risk a confrontation. Liu Zheng tips them generously and is assigned to the attendant All Pungs, whose miserable demeanor reflects the Bathhouse’s strange and oppressive working environment.
• Liu discovers that the Bathhouse has separate guest and employee elevators. By bribing and threatening All Pungs, he forces the attendant to take him through the dangerous masked elevator reserved for employees.
• Liu selects the elevator marked with the Anger mask and reunites with One-Shot Samurai, the sword-bearing guardian trapped within it. One-Shot Samurai impatiently asks about Liu’s progress toward reviving his wife and children.
• Frustrated by One-Shot Samurai’s repeated demands, Liu angrily confronts him, declaring that he is a worker—not a machine capable of granting wishes instantly. He reminds the samurai that reviving his family is far more difficult than simply eliminating an enemy.
• Liu threatens to burn the entire Bathhouse with his Super-Fireproof Corn Cob Pipe if One-Shot Samurai continues pressuring him. This forces the samurai to back down.
• Liu then offers reassurance and new hope. He reveals that a Deadman’s Brain Core could increase the intelligence of the Dead without altering their personality, while the Grudge Fish orb contains enough spiritual energy to restore even fragmented souls.
• One-Shot Samurai accepts Liu’s explanation and agrees to continue their partnership. Liu clarifies that he came primarily to meet someone else but visited the samurai to reassure him and to ensure he would not be harmed by the woman Liu plans to meet.
• Liu asks One-Shot Samurai to help connect the Restaurant Elevator with other elevators. Since the samurai lacks paper and a pen, Liu promises to provide them so the elevators can begin communicating through letters.
• When Liu’s floor arrives, One-Shot Samurai disappears and the elevator returns to normal. Liu helps the badly injured attendant out and waits while he recovers using a family breathing technique.
• Intrigued by the attendant’s recovery method, Liu asks to learn it. The attendant explains that the version he knows only works on his family and that the original technique has been lost.
• Liu turns the money he gave the attendant into a “deposit” and orders him to locate the original Breath Regulation Method, leaving the attendant even more distressed.

Character Developments

• Liu Zheng: Demonstrates confidence, intimidation, opportunism, and practical generosity. He remains willing to use violence, threats, and bribery, but he also honors agreements and provides genuine hope to those dependent on him. His outburst reveals his frustration with being treated as an endlessly useful problem-solver, while his interest in the breathing technique shows his constant search for ways to improve his survival and recovery.
• One-Shot Samurai: Initially impatient and threatening, he is reminded of Liu’s limits and eventually retreats from confrontation. His trust in Liu deepens after hearing about the Brain Core and Grudge Fish orb. He is also shown to be socially awkward and inexperienced with ordinary tasks, such as finding writing materials.
• All Pungs: Continues to appear anxious and submissive, but his endurance and family technique show that he is more capable than his miserable expression suggests. He becomes another reluctant person drawn into Liu’s expanding network of errands and obligations.
• The injured attendant/waiter: Though badly hurt, he possesses discipline and a useful inherited technique. His interaction with Liu shifts from fearful service to unwilling cooperation when Liu hires him to search for the lost original technique.

Significant Themes

• Exploitation versus cooperation: Liu rejects being treated as an endlessly available servant while simultaneously treating others—especially All Pungs—as workers who can be bribed, threatened, or hired.
• Power and negotiation: The chapter emphasizes that survival in Metropolis depends on projecting overwhelming strength, knowing when to threaten, and balancing intimidation with rewards.
• Hope amid grotesque circumstances: The possibility of restoring One-Shot Samurai’s wife and children provides emotional motivation beneath the chapter’s violence and absurdity.
• Work, responsibility, and boundaries: Liu insists that difficult tasks require time and effort, rejecting the expectation that he should solve every problem immediately.
• Exchange and networking: Money, favors, information, and supernatural resources connect characters and institutions. Liu continually expands his alliances by turning encounters into practical partnerships.
• Recovery and adaptation: The Brain Core, Grudge Fish orb, and Breath Regulation Method all reflect the characters’ attempts to overcome death, injury, and physical limitations.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu intimidates the Bathhouse guests and forces the doormen to protect him.
• He bribes and threatens All Pungs into taking him through the dangerous employee elevator.
• He confronts One-Shot Samurai over his impatience, then reassures him with concrete information about possible resurrection methods.
• Liu and One-Shot Samurai reaffirm their partnership through a symbolic handshake.
• Liu recruits One-Shot Samurai to help establish communication between supernatural elevators.
• After the elevator journey, Liu questions the injured attendant about his recovery ability and turns the lost original technique into a new assignment.