Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Mi Hayou the Lackey”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aiou reflects on Infinite City’s history of regulating thieves. The city once permitted stolen goods to be resold, but this created an exploitative industrial chain, forcing authorities to ban the practice.
• He becomes suspicious of the First Dessert Shop after discovering that it may function not only as a money-laundering operation but also as an assassin platform. However, he decides not to investigate personally, leaving the matter to the enforcers.
• Mani grows tired of searching for the shop and wants to return home because she misses her sister, Maning. Aiou agrees, and they return to Maning’s villa.
• At home, Mani humorously charges Aiou ten Gold Coins for a can of premium fruit juice. Maning soon arrives, scolds Mani for disappearing, and distrustfully orders Aiou to leave after learning he is Mani’s “long-term meal ticket.”
• Aiou spends the next five days lounging in a park and browsing the Forum. He reflects humorously on how women can help restrain men from drifting into unhealthy lifestyles.
• A seemingly intimidating man approaches Aiou and demands that he come with him. When the man threatens violence, Aiou uses his mysterious “mother’s” power to immobilize him and injects him with truth serum.
• The man reveals that he is Mi Hayou, a criminal who accepted a Black Market bounty placed on the person who posted the Forum image of Mani eating cake. The bounty offers five million Gold Coins for identifying the poster and twenty million for delivering him.
• Under the truth serum, Mi Hayou confesses to numerous crimes, including fraud, extortion, and deception. He also reveals that he kept a diary documenting his crimes and hid it behind a brick in his bathroom.
• Aiou blackmails Mi Hayou with the diary and forces him to become his lackey. Though Mi Hayou briefly admits he still wants to kill Aiou, Aiou’s control over him prevents escape or resistance.
• Mi Hayou instantly changes from a cold bounty hunter into a groveling servant. Aiou orders him to lead him to the Black Market while pretending to have captured him.

Character Development

• Aiou: Remains curious and highly perceptive but avoids unnecessary official involvement. He displays his overwhelming power and playful cruelty when dealing with threats, manipulating Mi Hayou through truth serum, intimidation, and blackmail. Rather than fleeing from the Black Market bounty, he deliberately chooses to infiltrate it.
• Mani: Shows affection for her sister and a strong desire to return home. She remains mischievous, greedy, and shamelessly exploitative toward Aiou, treating him as both a companion and a source of money.
• Maning: Acts as a protective and responsible older sister. She is annoyed by Mani’s disappearance and immediately suspicious of Aiou, whom she dismisses as an unwanted outsider.
• Mi Hayou: Initially presents himself as a cold, confident bounty hunter, but truth serum exposes him as a thoroughly corrupt criminal. Once Aiou gains leverage over him, Mi Hayou becomes fearful, submissive, and eager to serve, establishing himself as Aiou’s new lackey.

Significant Themes

• Rules and loopholes: Infinite City’s attempt to regulate theft illustrates how authorities’ policies often produce new countermeasures and hidden systems.
• Corruption and criminal networks: The First Dessert Shop and the Black Market bounty suggest that underground organizations can adapt quickly to official crackdowns.
• Power and coercion: Aiou’s ability to control Mi Hayou demonstrates the vast difference between apparent confidence and genuine power.
• Humor through reversals: The intimidating hunter is rapidly reduced to a frightened servant, while Aiou treats a potentially dangerous situation as an amusing opportunity.
• Family and attachment: Mani’s longing for Maning and Maning’s concern for her highlight the sisters’ genuine bond beneath their constant teasing and conflict.

Character Interactions

• Aiou and Mani: Their relationship is playful and transactional. Mani exploits Aiou’s generosity, while Aiou tolerates her behavior because he finds her amusing.
• Mani and Maning: Their reunion reveals both affection and familiar irritation. Maning scolds and physically fusses over Mani, while Mani responds warmly by calling her “Big Sister.”
• Aiou and Maning: Maning views Aiou as a suspicious nuisance and orders him away, while Aiou leaves without offense.
• Aiou and Mi Hayou: Their encounter shifts from confrontation to domination. Aiou humiliates Mi Hayou, extracts his confessions, blackmails him, and turns him into an unwilling guide to the Black Market.

Chapter Summary: “Black Market”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mi Hayou leads Aiou out of Infinite City and through the forest to the hidden Black Market, located in a separate plane controlled by an unknown player.
• Aiou hides his presence from the market’s security and follows Mi Hayou inside undetected.
• The Black Market, situated in the disorderly “Black Valley,” serves as a trading center for stolen goods and illegal activities. Its Black Gold House functions as a bounty and assassination platform.
• At the Black Gold House, Aiou confronts Teng Xun, the clerk who helped arrange the bounty against him.
• Aiou immobilizes Teng Xun and uses truth serum—along with an intimidating threat—to force him to reveal that Wang Yi, a professional broker known as the Thousand-Faced Advisor, placed the bounty.
• Teng Xun admits that he, Mi Hayou, and Wang Yi once raided an Immortal King’s tomb together, earning the nickname “the Three Bastards Who Deserve Death.”
• Because Wang Yi’s whereabouts and identities are constantly changing, Aiou decides to wait for him to return to the Black Gold House rather than pursue him directly.
• Aiou orders Teng Xun to notify him when Wang Yi appears, then continues exploring the Black Market with Mi Hayou.
• Aiou learns that most of the market’s visible merchandise consists of stolen goods, while more unusual or valuable contraband is sold through auctions.

Character Developments

• Aiou demonstrates increasing confidence and control. He treats the Black Market as an opportunity to investigate his enemies and expand his knowledge rather than immediately destroy it.
• He also displays his characteristic ruthlessness and dark humor, using supernatural abilities and truth serum to intimidate and interrogate Teng Xun.
• Mi Hayou becomes even more submissive and fearful of Aiou. He repeatedly tries to justify his criminal past but quickly confesses when threatened.
• Mi Hayou’s history is further exposed: he was involved in tomb raiding and associated with Wang Yi and Teng Xun.
• Teng Xun initially attempts to protect his client’s identity but immediately gives in under Aiou’s coercion, revealing his lack of loyalty when faced with danger.
• Wang Yi is introduced as a highly elusive broker whose shifting identities and connections make him difficult to locate.

Significant Themes

• Hidden criminal networks: The Black Market operates beyond the reach of Infinite City’s enforcers, emphasizing the existence of secret systems beyond official authority.
• Power and intimidation: Aiou’s overwhelming strength allows him to control situations without relying on formal rules or institutions.
• Betrayal and self-preservation: Mi Hayou betrays his associates to save himself, while Teng Xun abandons his client’s secrecy when threatened.
• Moral corruption: The Black Market’s inhabitants, including the “Three Bastards,” openly profit from theft, assassination, and grave robbery.
• Identity and deception: Wang Yi’s many disguises and professional manipulation reflect the chapter’s broader focus on hidden motives and unreliable appearances.

Character Interactions

• Aiou controls Mi Hayou throughout the journey, using him as a guide while remaining suspicious of his explanations.
• Teng Xun recognizes Mi Hayou but is shocked to discover that Mi Hayou has brought Aiou to the Black Market.
• Aiou confronts Teng Xun directly, extracting information about Wang Yi through fear and truth serum.
• Mi Hayou attempts to distance himself from his criminal history, but Aiou mocks his excuses and forces him to admit the truth.
• By the end, Aiou has turned both Teng Xun and Mi Hayou into unwilling sources while setting a trap for Wang Yi.

Aiou explored the Black Market and took Mi Hayou’s money while waiting for Wang Yi to appear. Wang Yi gathered allies to confront whoever was waiting for him, and Teng Xun finally told Aiou that Wang Yi had arrived.

• Aiou toured the Myriad-No-Taboo Auction House and explored the Black Market with Mi Hayou.
• Aiou used Truth Serum to learn Mi Hayou had one billion in assets, then confiscated his money and made him pay for their expenses.
• After three days of waiting at the Black Gold House, Aiou learned Wang Yi still had not appeared.
• Wang Yi’s divinations warned him of a dangerous trap at the Black Market, so he gathered several allies and ordered them to kill anyone lying in wait for him.
• Teng Xun messaged Aiou that Wang Yi had arrived while Aiou ate with the miserable Mi Hayou.

Chapter Summary: “Shit Delivered a Thousand Miles”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter opens by explaining the intimidating power of Resurrection Coins: repeatedly killing someone can be more frightening than killing them permanently, especially when the victim’s family and friends may be forced to pay for their resurrection.
• Wang Yi meets Teng Xun in a private room at Black Gold House to demand an explanation for why the organization cannot locate Aiou. Teng Xun knows the truth but is mysteriously unable to speak about Aiou’s abilities.
• Aiou and Mi Hayou enter the room. Aiou reveals that he created the Player Forum post Wang Yi was investigating and demands to know who commissioned the search.
• When Wang Yi refuses to reveal his client, Aiou uses supernatural control and Truth Serum to force him to answer. Wang identifies the client as Ma Leiwei, a minister of the Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce.
• Aiou learns that the Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce is a powerful, secretive organization controlling several conglomerates and operating legitimate, gray, and criminal businesses throughout the All Heavens and Myriad Realms.
• Aiou forces Wang Yi to dismiss the assassins he had arranged and then uses him to contact Ma Leiwei.
• Aiou confronts Ma Leiwei and discovers that he is connected to Jin Jiu, an aggressive Black Dragon and chairman of the Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce. After a violent confrontation, Aiou forces Jin Jiu to acknowledge his mistake and extorts a large “filial tribute” payment.
• Ma Leiwei is left terrified and kneeling, implying that Aiou has effectively destroyed his position and future.
• Afterward, Mi Hayou tries to become Aiou’s permanent subordinate by emphasizing his knowledge and connections within Infinite City. Aiou repeatedly tries to dismiss him, but Mi Hayou’s shameless persistence succeeds in keeping him around.
• Their conversation turns into absurd and disgusting humor about bizarre fan-benefit practices involving teleportation arrays. Horrified, Aiou rejects Mi Hayou’s suggestion to attend a girl-group performance, and the two continue bickering as they walk away.

Character Developments

• Aiou demonstrates his overwhelming power, using physical control, Truth Serum, intimidation, and manipulation to uncover the conspiracy against him. He resolves the threat with both violence and financial extortion.
• Wang Yi shifts from a confident intermediary to a helpless captive. His professional principles collapse once Aiou forces the truth from him.
• Teng Xun is shown to be completely intimidated by Aiou. Even though he knows important information, Aiou’s power prevents him from speaking freely.
• Mi Hayou becomes increasingly devoted to Aiou after witnessing him defeat a major underworld figure. He decides that serving Aiou is his best chance for advancement and adopts an exaggeratedly obsequious attitude.
• Jin Jiu is revealed to be aggressive and powerful, but ultimately unable to resist Aiou. His defeat establishes Aiou’s dominance over influential figures in Infinite City.
• Ma Leiwei is exposed as the person behind the attempt to locate Aiou and is left disgraced and frightened after Aiou’s intervention.

Significant Themes

• Intimidation versus death: The opening emphasizes that the threat of repeated death can control people more effectively than permanent death, particularly when resurrection creates endless financial and emotional burdens.
• Power and coercion: Aiou’s ability to control others renders conventional resistance useless. The chapter portrays power as the ability to force truth, obedience, and even financial submission.
• Hidden forces and social hierarchy: The Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce represents the secret organizations operating behind Infinite City’s visible society. Aiou’s effortless defeat of its leaders shows that hidden influence does not guarantee safety.
• Fear and opportunism: Mi Hayou’s immediate decision to become Aiou’s lackey illustrates how people rapidly shift loyalties when confronted with overwhelming power.
• Absurdity and dark comedy: The chapter balances threatening violence with grotesque humor, especially through Mi Hayou’s bizarre knowledge and Aiou’s horrified reactions.

Character Interactions

• Wang Yi and Teng Xun: Wang Yi appeals to their former partnership, but Teng Xun remains unable to help him and ultimately cooperates out of fear.
• Aiou and Wang Yi: Aiou calmly interrogates and controls Wang Yi, turning an attempted escape into a complete submission.
• Aiou, Teng Xun, and Mi Hayou: Aiou uses both men as sources of information about Ma Leiwei and the Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce.
• Aiou and Jin Jiu: Their confrontation establishes Aiou’s superiority. Jin Jiu’s aggression is overcome through force, leaving him battered and submissive.
• Aiou and Mi Hayou: Their relationship develops into one of reluctant master-and-lackey comedy. Mi Hayou desperately seeks to remain useful, while Aiou alternates between irritation, disgust, and reluctant tolerance.

Aiou and Mi Hayou watched expert commentary on the match between Abe no Seimei and Zhang Sanfeng, in which Abe no Seimei’s shikigami and enormous Nine-Tailed Fox faced Zhang Sanfeng’s Tai Chi. The commentator identified the fox as a Nine-Tailed Boar Fox, leaving Aiou baffled by the breed.

• Mi Hayou lamented losing his bet on Abe no Seimei after Zhang Sanfeng won their match.
• Aiou replayed the match through Jennie’s commentary and learned about the fighters’ classes and abilities.
• Abe no Seimei summoned Jorogumo, then fed her to his life-bound shikigami, the Nine-Tailed Tamamo-no-Mae.
• Tamamo-no-Mae attacked Zhang Sanfeng with beams of light, but Zhang Sanfeng absorbed and reflected the attack with Tai Chi.
• Zhang Sanfeng defeated Abe no Seimei’s other summoned shikigami as Tamamo-no-Mae awakened and filled the arena with demonic power.
• Jennie identified Tamamo-no-Mae as a Nine-Tailed Boar Fox, and Aiou wondered what that breed was.

Chapter Summary: “Matchmaking by Martial Contest?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jennie explains the origins and nature of the Nine-Tailed Boar Fox, a powerful anomaly from Burrowing World created through the combined sacrifice of a Nine-Tailed Fox and a Mountain God Lord. It is extremely lazy, easy to recruit, and possesses an enormous appetite—so much so that it may eat its keeper if unfed.
• During the battle, the Nine-Tailed Boar Fox’s white flames overwhelm Zhang Sanfeng’s qi-based Tai Chi, forcing him into increasingly narrow spaces as the flames destroy the ground around him.
• Just as Zhang Sanfeng’s escape routes are sealed, he uses a talisman and the technique “Fire Release, Shrinking Earth to Inches” to cross the battlefield instantly and appear beside the distracted Abe no Seimei.
• Zhang Sanfeng unleashes a rapid series of palm strikes that completely blows Abe no Seimei apart, winning the match through a sudden and decisive counterattack.
• Jennie praises Zhang Sanfeng’s battle awareness and explains that he deliberately appeared weakened after the Boar Fox entered the fight, lowering Abe no Seimei’s guard before delivering the finishing blow.
• Aiou remains puzzled by both the Nine-Tailed Boar Fox and the extraordinary power behind Zhang Sanfeng’s palm strikes. He decides to investigate Zhang Sanfeng directly.
• Mi Hayou locates Zhang Sanfeng in District 1086, the Ancient Martial Artists District, and leads Aiou there via teleportation.
• Upon arrival, they learn that the Murong Family is holding a matchmaking martial contest. Aiou initially claims he does not want to interfere with the marriage because of his own irresistible appearance, but he secretly wants to see the spectacle. He dons a Blacklight Mask to conceal his identity and presence.
• At the contest, Aiou and Mi Hayou discover that the Murong Family’s situation is suspicious. The family’s two leaders, Murong Bo and Murong Fu, ran Murong Security together. Murong Bo lost thirty consecutive matches during the First Martial Arts Tournament, while Murong Fu subsequently disappeared.
• With Murong Security lacking both a reliable leader and a powerful protector, the family organized the martial contest to find a husband—and likely a new expert capable of protecting the family and business.

Character Developments

• Zhang Sanfeng is shown to be highly strategic rather than merely powerful. He deliberately conceals his true capabilities, manipulates his opponent’s perception, and waits for the perfect opening.
• Abe no Seimei becomes overconfident after Zhang Sanfeng appears increasingly constrained by the Boar Fox’s flames, allowing himself to be caught off guard.
• Aiou demonstrates sharp judgment and skepticism. Although he jokes about his appearance and pretends reluctance, he quickly recognizes that the Murong Family’s matchmaking contest is likely concealing a serious problem.
• Mi Hayou continues acting as a sycophantic but useful subordinate. He tries to prove his value by locating Zhang Sanfeng, gathering information, and facilitating Aiou’s investigation.
• Jennie serves as an insightful commentator, clarifying both the Boar Fox’s origins and Zhang Sanfeng’s tactical brilliance.

Significant Themes

• Strategy over brute force: Zhang Sanfeng wins not by overpowering the Boar Fox but by exploiting timing, deception, and battlefield awareness.
• Concealed strength and misdirection: The battle emphasizes how appearing weak can manipulate an opponent into lowering their guard.
• Power and responsibility: The Nine-Tailed Boar Fox’s strength comes with the practical danger of feeding and controlling it.
• Suspicion beneath appearances: The seemingly ordinary matchmaking contest is revealed to be connected to the Murong Family’s leadership crisis, suggesting hidden motives.
• Loyalty and usefulness: Mi Hayou’s behavior reflects the precarious position of a subordinate trying to prove his continued value.

Character Interactions

• Jennie analyzes the battle for the spectators and praises Zhang Sanfeng’s tactical execution.
• Aiou questions the apparent legitimacy and logic of Zhang Sanfeng’s victory, showing his ability to notice unusual techniques.
• Mi Hayou flatters Aiou and offers to investigate Zhang Sanfeng, hoping to establish himself as a useful lackey.
• Aiou and Mi Hayou exchange humorous banter about Aiou’s appearance, with Mi Hayou providing him a mask so they can watch the matchmaking contest unnoticed.
• After hearing the Murong Family’s story, both Aiou and Mi Hayou independently recognize that the contest is deeply suspicious and may be “inviting a wolf into the house.”

Chapter Summary: “Aiou Equals a Monkey”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aiou suspects that the Murong Family’s marriage-by-combat is connected to Murong Fu’s disappearance and Murong Bo’s level resetting to zero.
• During the competition, Zhuo Buqun fights Murong Roudang. Aiou mocks her name by calling her “Miss Meat Soup,” and notices that she appears to be deliberately losing despite being stronger.
• Aiou contacts the Enforcement Team, suspecting a kidnapping and conspiracy. Enforcers soon arrive, arrest Zhuo Buqun, and disperse the crowd.
• Aiou secretly follows a suspicious spectator, captures him, and uses Truth Serum to interrogate him.
• The suspect reveals that Murong Fu is being held by someone named Brother Langshan. His group kidnapped Murong Roudang and forced the Murong Family to hold the competition so they could infiltrate and seize control of the family’s assets.
• Aiou sends the confession to the Enforcement Team and orders the criminal to surrender. Although he solves the case, the Murong Family blames him for exposing their scandal and damaging their reputation.
• Aiou and Mi Hayou then seek out Zhang Sanfeng, hoping to uncover further secrets or evidence of wrongdoing.
• They find Zhang Sanfeng cooking in a mountain temple. He serves them “Zodiac Cycle Stew,” made from meat representing all twelve zodiac animals.
• Eating the stew causes physical traits associated with the eater’s inner nature to appear. Mi Hayou develops dog-like features, Zhang Sanfeng shows ox and dragon traits, and Aiou transforms into a monkey-like creature with goat horns and tiger eyes.
• Aiou is horrified that the dish appears to reveal him as a monkey, despite his self-image as an elegant and handsome man.

Character Developments

• Aiou: Demonstrates strong detective instincts, quickly identifies the marriage contest as a cover for criminal activity, and successfully extracts the truth through clever surveillance and Truth Serum. He remains arrogant and vain, especially when the stew reveals animal characteristics he finds humiliating.
• Mi Hayou: Continues acting as Aiou’s loyal follower and guide. His appetite and dog-like transformation suggest that his personality strongly resembles a dog.
• Murong Roudang: Appears to cooperate with the conspiracy by intentionally losing to Zhuo Buqun, though she is actually being manipulated or threatened.
• Zhuo Buqun: Presents himself as a handsome martial artist but is relatively weak. He is arrested as part of the attempted takeover.
• Zhang Sanfeng: Is revealed to be less dignified and mystical than his public image suggests. He is eccentric, comfortable with bizarre culinary experiments, and apparently has no concern about eating unusual creatures.
• Murong Bo and Murong Fu: Though absent, their circumstances drive the chapter’s central mystery. Murong Bo’s loss of power creates the opportunity for the attack, while Murong Fu remains captive elsewhere.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The marriage contest looks like a traditional martial-world event but is actually a carefully planned criminal operation. Likewise, Zhang Sanfeng’s noble image contrasts with his scruffy appearance and strange cooking.
• Law versus martial-world customs: District 1086 prefers settling conflicts through martial traditions rather than contacting authorities. Aiou’s involvement with the Enforcement Team disrupts this custom and earns him the Murong Family’s resentment.
• Greed and exploitation: The criminals exploit Murong Bo’s weakness and Murong Roudang’s vulnerability to seize the family’s wealth and influence.
• Identity and inner nature: The Zodiac Cycle Stew physically exposes animal-like aspects of each person’s personality. The transformations become a humorous challenge to the characters’ self-perceptions.
• Comedy amid danger: Kidnapping, political manipulation, and family seizure are treated alongside jokes about names, food, bodily transformations, and Aiou’s wounded pride.

Character Interactions

• Aiou and Mi Hayou bond through their mockery of Murong Roudang’s name and work together to investigate the suspicious fight.
• Aiou interrogates the captured conspirator, using intimidation and Truth Serum to uncover the entire plot.
• The criminals manipulate the Murong Family through the kidnapping of Murong Roudang and the disappearance of Murong Fu.
• Aiou and Zhang Sanfeng interact as suspicious investigator and eccentric host, though Aiou’s plan to expose Zhang Sanfeng’s possible crimes is interrupted by the bizarre stew.
• The stew creates a comic contrast among the three diners: Mi Hayou resembles a dog, Zhang Sanfeng exhibits ox and dragon traits, and Aiou becomes a monkey-like figure, provoking his outrage and embarrassment.

Chapter Summary: “Nineteen Cat-Subduing Palms”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhang Sanfeng reveals that Aiou’s transformation into a giant monkey will last about three days, with possible additional benefits. Aiou reluctantly accepts the situation after eating several bowls of meat soup.
• Aiou asks Zhang Sanfeng about the mysterious technique that instantly killed Abe no Seimei during the First Martial Arts Tournament. Zhang Sanfeng refuses to explain, treating it as a secret trump card.
• Embracing his transformation, Aiou creates a headband and Sun Wukong costume. He summons the Sea-Calming Divine Chopsticks from the Myriad Universe and enlarges them into a staff resembling the Ruyi Jingu Bang.
• Mi Hayou accompanies him and is humorously assigned the identity of the “Big Yellow Spirit,” accepting the role despite feeling overlooked.
• While traveling through the wilderness, Aiou encounters arguing sparrows and uses bird language to declare himself Sun Wukong, frightening them away.
• In District 1086, martial artist Xiao Fengjing fights a group of black-clad attackers while protecting an infant. He uses the bizarre but deadly Nineteen Cat-Subduing Palms, whose attacks create cat-paw wounds that kill victims if they look at them.
• Xiao Fengjing’s enemy, Xiao Tiantian, reveals that he has tampered with the infant and uses it to attack Xiao Fengjing. Their battle escalates, with Xiao Tiantian repeatedly regenerating after being destroyed.
• Aiou and Mi Hayou, who have been watching from a tree, interrupt the fight because they initially believe it is a comedic performance. Aiou introduces himself as the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, while Xiao Fengjing and Xiao Tiantian cautiously show him respect.
• The chapter ends with Aiou mocking the grand claim that the Nineteen Cat-Subduing Palms are “the greatest palm technique under heaven,” joking that Xiao Fengjing’s world must be rather small.

Character Developments

• Aiou: Moves from irritation over his monkey transformation to enthusiastically embracing the role of Sun Wukong. His playful and irreverent personality becomes more prominent as he uses the transformation for entertainment. He remains curious about powerful martial techniques but is unable to pry Zhang Sanfeng’s secret from him.
• Zhang Sanfeng: Continues to act carefree and mysterious. He teases Aiou and refuses to disclose the secret behind his instant-kill technique, reinforcing his status as a powerful but enigmatic figure.
• Mi Hayou: Acts as Aiou’s loyal, somewhat submissive companion. Although disappointed by being assigned a minor role, he quickly cooperates and enjoys the natural environment.
• Xiao Fengjing: Is introduced as a desperate but determined protector of his infant son and guardian of the Nineteen Cat-Subduing Palms. His technique is deadly despite its absurd name, and he becomes suspicious of Aiou when he appears.
• Xiao Tiantian: Appears cunning, dangerous, and extremely difficult to kill. He manipulates Xiao Fengjing through the infant and possesses regenerative or duplicative abilities, making him a formidable rival.

Significant Themes

• Comedy amid danger: The chapter deliberately contrasts ridiculous names, costumes, and misunderstandings with genuinely lethal combat.
• Appearance versus reality: Aiou looks like a giant monkey but is treated as Sun Wukong; the Nineteen Cat-Subduing Palms sound absurd yet are extraordinarily powerful.
• Power and secrecy: Zhang Sanfeng’s refusal to explain his ultimate technique emphasizes that great fighters protect their hidden abilities.
• Role-playing and identity: Aiou knowingly adopts the identity of Sun Wukong, blurring the boundary between cosplay, performance, and actual supernatural power.
• Misunderstanding across worlds: Aiou initially thinks Xiao Fengjing and Xiao Tiantian are filming a comedy, illustrating how unfamiliar customs and techniques can make serious events appear ridiculous.

Character Interactions

• Aiou and Zhang Sanfeng exchange teasing remarks over Aiou’s transformation and Zhang’s concealed technique.
• Aiou and Mi Hayou share a humorous master-servant dynamic, with Aiou assigning roles and Mi Hayou obediently playing along.
• Aiou’s encounter with the sparrows provides comic relief and highlights his ability to understand other creatures.
• Xiao Fengjing and the black-clad attackers clash over possession of the Nineteen Cat-Subduing Palms; the attackers’ curiosity and carelessness lead to their deaths.
• Xiao Fengjing and Xiao Tiantian engage in a tense, personal battle involving betrayal, manipulation, regeneration, and mutual suspicion.
• Aiou interrupts their fight and adopts an amused, superior attitude, while both combatants cautiously acknowledge him as a potentially powerful senior.

Chapter Summary: “Sun Wukong Beats White Bone Three Times”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aiou investigates the origins of Xiao Fengjing’s Nineteen Cat-Subduing Palms.
• Xiao Fengjing was an ordinary martial artist and former food courier who adopted a stray cat. After the cat died, it revealed itself in a dream as the Heavenly Cat and taught him the technique.
• The nineteen palms are lethal: once a victim sees the wound and cries out, “Ah, I’m dead,” the technique normally kills them instantly.
• Xiao Tiantian explains that he became Xiao Fengjing’s “son” by secretly implanting his vital essence into Fengjing. After Fengjing’s wife became pregnant, the resulting child was actually part of Xiao Tiantian’s martial arts.
• Aiou tests both men’s techniques. He survives Xiao Fengjing’s cat-based palm because his own power neutralizes its death effect.
• Xiao Tiantian uses the disgusting Green Lad Palm on Aiou, causing Aiou to feel contaminated. Enraged, Aiou kills him with one strike of his staff.
• Xiao Tiantian resurrects elsewhere in a mountain stronghold rather than at the usual resurrection plaza. Mi Hayou tracks him down.
• Aiou pursues Xiao Tiantian and crushes him again with the Sea-Calming Divine Chopsticks, killing him a second time.

Character Developments

• Aiou becomes increasingly suspicious of the bizarre martial arts of District 1086. His curiosity leads him to deliberately test dangerous techniques, but his amusement quickly turns to fury after Xiao Tiantian’s indecent attack.
• Xiao Fengjing is revealed to be an essentially ordinary man whose success comes from a supernatural technique. He realizes that the palms may have caused his declining fortune, family collapse, and possibly his wife’s infidelity.
• Xiao Tiantian is shown to be manipulative, shameless, and difficult to eliminate because of his unusual resurrection ability. Despite his confidence, he becomes terrified once Aiou targets him.
• Mi Hayou continues acting as Aiou’s enthusiastic subordinate. He is eager to prove his usefulness by locating Xiao Tiantian.
• Xiao Fengjing becomes fearful of Aiou after witnessing how effortlessly Aiou kills Xiao Tiantian.

Significant Themes

• Absurdity and parody: The chapter humorously twists wuxia conventions, presenting deadly martial arts based on cats, pregnancy, and contamination.
• Power and moral consequences: Aiou warns that the Nineteen Cat-Subduing Palms may have been created by a player exploiting stolen life force. The user gains the killing power, while the creator accumulates benefits and the user bears the karmic consequences.
• Deception and exploitation: Xiao Tiantian’s method of creating a “child” illustrates how martial arts can violate ordinary morality and manipulate others.
• Resurrection and persistence: Xiao Tiantian’s ability to resurrect in unpredictable locations makes him difficult to destroy, though Aiou’s determination prevents him from escaping.
• Karma and misfortune: Xiao Fengjing’s ruined family life is presented as possibly linked to the unnatural and unethical technique he has practiced.

Character Interactions

• Aiou interrogates Xiao Fengjing and Xiao Tiantian about their backgrounds.
• He treats Xiao Fengjing almost like a test subject, inviting him to use the Nineteen Cat-Subduing Palms.
• Xiao Fengjing is impressed when Aiou survives the technique and recognizes his overwhelming strength.
• Aiou challenges Xiao Tiantian to attack him as well, but Xiao Tiantian’s Green Lad Palm provokes Aiou’s disgust and retaliation.
• Aiou orders Mi Hayou to locate the resurrected Xiao Tiantian, leading to the second confrontation.
• The chapter ends with Aiou crushing Xiao Tiantian again while a woman from the stronghold witnesses the scene and faints.

Chapter Summary: “Granny Liu Storms the Grand Manor”

Key Plot Points and Events

• An old woman discovers Yui unconscious outside a bathhouse and raises the alarm. When several players attack Aiou, he effortlessly repels them and focuses on tracking down Xiao Tiantian.
• Mi Hayou locates Xiao Tiantian’s soul frequency in Zone 654. Xiao has transformed from a small child into his adult form, but is immediately attacked by Granny Liu, a retired powerhouse known as the “Heaven-Shaking Ox Elephant.”
• Granny Liu identifies Xiao as a member of the Wedding-Gown Divine Sect and declares that such criminals deserve death. She kills him with a single punch, destroying his head and body.
• Granny Liu explains that she cultivated the Ox-Demon Elephant Divine Art, a technique that grants immense strength but causes female practitioners to become increasingly large and spherical. Despite her intimidating appearance, she is compassionate toward the child whose body Xiao had used.
• Aiou arrives, recognizes Xiao’s corpse, and confirms that he is Xiao’s enemy. After hearing Aiou describe Xiao’s crimes, Granny Liu decides to join him in hunting Xiao down.
• Xiao respawns in the ancient Zone 004, a dangerous area known for hiding powerful figures. Aiou and Granny Liu pursue him, fearing that he will escape or use the Green Lad Palm on more victims.
• They are stopped at the private manor of Huan Linghai. Since Aiou has no invitation, Granny Liu attacks the guards, and the pair force their way inside.
• Aiou destroys shields and sends bodyguards flying with his Sea-Calming Divine Chopsticks, while Granny Liu smashes through shields and sealing techniques with her punches. They defeat the guards quickly.
• After entering the manor, they discover its decadent interior, including numerous women belonging to Huan Linghai’s harem.
• A larger force of bodyguards surrounds them, but Aiou and Granny Liu break through and rush toward the nursery. The nursery has been emptied, and the open window suggests that Xiao Tiantian has already been moved or escaped.
• The bodyguards realize that the young master has been kidnapped and pursue Aiou and Granny Liu as they flee through the window.

Character Developments

• Aiou: Remains focused and ruthless in pursuing Xiao Tiantian, but he is also willing to cooperate with Granny Liu after witnessing her strength and moral opposition to Xiao’s crimes. His disgust toward Xiao’s use of the Green Lad Palm is emphasized through his animated complaints.
• Granny Liu: Is introduced as a retired but extremely powerful expert. Her intimidating appearance contrasts with her decisive morality and concern for innocent victims. She immediately takes responsibility for punishing Xiao and chooses to help Aiou continue the hunt.
• Xiao Tiantian: Is shown as desperate and dangerous, using transformations and bodily possession to survive. His inability to withstand Granny Liu’s attack highlights the limits of his power against veteran experts.
• Mi Hayou: Acts as Aiou’s reliable tracker, repeatedly locating Xiao’s soul frequency and providing critical information.
• The bodyguards: Though trained in defensive techniques, they are completely outmatched by Aiou and Granny Liu. Their loyalty to Huan Linghai’s household causes them to pursue the intruders even after suffering heavy losses.

Significant Themes

• Justice and punishment: Granny Liu believes that Xiao’s crimes justify immediate execution and that anyone who encounters him should act against him.
• Power versus appearance: Granny Liu’s round, unglamorous body conceals tremendous strength, challenging assumptions that beauty or conventional appearance indicate ability.
• The cost of power: The Ox-Demon Elephant Divine Art grants overwhelming physical force but permanently alters the practitioner’s body, showing that great power comes with serious sacrifice.
• Protection of the innocent: Granny Liu’s intervention is motivated not only by hatred of Xiao but also by sympathy for the child and mother harmed by his actions.
• Corruption and decadence: Huan Linghai’s enormous private manor, harem, and heavy security portray the excess and isolation of the powerful.
• Relentless pursuit: Xiao’s repeated revival keeps the conflict ongoing, while Aiou and Granny Liu’s determination prevents him from escaping accountability.

Character Interactions

• Granny Liu confronts and kills Xiao Tiantian, establishing herself as his powerful new enemy.
• Aiou and Granny Liu quickly form an alliance based on their shared hatred of Xiao’s crimes.
• Mi Hayou supports Aiou remotely by tracking Xiao and guiding the pursuit.
• Granny Liu reassures the grieving mother without directly revealing the uncertainty surrounding her child’s fate.
• Aiou and Granny Liu fight side by side against Huan Linghai’s guards, combining Aiou’s weapon techniques with Granny Liu’s overwhelming punches.
• The bodyguards attempt to defend the manor and nursery, but their loyalty brings them into direct conflict with the two protagonists.

Aiou and Granny Liu pursued Xiao Tiantian, who killed himself to escape capture, then sought Prince Lanling’s advice on stopping the Green Lad Palm. Prince Lanling recommended tracking Xiao Tiantian with a blood curse and killing his descendants, but Granny Liu struck him for the suggestion.

• Aiou used Mi Hayou to find Xiao Tiantian, and Granny Liu knocked him down before he slit his own throat to avoid capture.
• Aiou and Granny Liu fled as the Enforcement Team and bodyguards arrived, then decided to seek help with the Green Lad Palm.
• Granny Liu took Aiou to the Spiral Mandarin Duck Towers to meet Prince Lanling, who agreed to help after hearing about Xiao Tiantian.
• Aiou attacked Prince Lanling after being called a monkey, but Granny Liu intervened because they still needed his advice.
• Prince Lanling proposed using a blood curse to track Xiao Tiantian and killing his descendants, so Granny Liu slapped him and sent him spinning onto the sofa.

Chapter Summary: “Granny Liu Battles Don Quixote”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Granny Liu leaves Prince Lanling angrily after he offers a crude but apparently effective solution to Xiao Tiantian’s problem. Aiou follows her, while Prince Lanling secretly pursues them because he does not trust Granny Liu to travel alone.
• Aiou realizes that Hawkins ignored Xiao Tiantian’s crimes because the “children” Xiao Tiantian had harmed were only artificial shells or puppets, not real human beings.
• Concluding that Prince Lanling’s method may be the only workable solution, Granny Liu decides that Xiao Tiantian must die.
• Using Mi Hayou’s tracking abilities, Aiou and Granny Liu locate Xiao Tiantian near District 648 and Endless Lake. Xiao Tiantian has hidden himself on an island protected by a concealment array.
• Prince Lanling follows them, but is intercepted by bodyguards and enforcers who mistake him for their target. He removes his peaceful mask, reveals a blood-colored mask beneath it, and battles them while Aiou and Granny Liu continue toward the island.
• On the island, Aiou knocks on a house pretending to be a food deliverer. A blond giant attacks him, followed by several men wielding poisoned flying knives.
• Granny Liu identifies them as Don Quixote’s Round Table Knights—assassins who use the reputation of “knights” to conceal their criminal activities.
• Aiou realizes that Xiao Tiantian deliberately led them to Don Quixote’s secret base, hoping the assassins would kill them.
• The chapter ends with Aiou and Granny Liu fighting the Round Table Knights. Aiou knocks the blond giant into the sea, while Granny Liu overwhelms the bearded assassins and forces them to attack her together.

Character Developments

• Granny Liu: Her anger and embarrassment give way to determination. Although she realizes she unfairly judged Prince Lanling, her pride prevents her from admitting it. She becomes firmly committed to killing Xiao Tiantian.
• Aiou: He demonstrates increasing insight by correctly interpreting Hawkins’s behavior and recognizing Xiao Tiantian’s trap. He also acts decisively in battle and remains curious about the unfamiliar enemies.
• Prince Lanling: He shows concern for Granny Liu despite their strained relationship, following her to protect her. His hidden blood-colored mask reveals a more dangerous and battle-ready side.
• Xiao Tiantian: He proves resourceful and manipulative, using concealment arrays and deliberately directing his pursuers into Don Quixote’s territory.
• Don Quixote’s Round Table Knights: They are established as ruthless assassins rather than honorable warriors. Their immediate attacks show their willingness to kill anyone who discovers their base.

Significant Themes

• Pride and misunderstanding: Granny Liu’s embarrassment prevents her from apologizing to Prince Lanling even after realizing she misjudged him.
• Appearance versus reality: The “children” are only artificial shells, the “knights” are assassins, and Prince Lanling’s calm exterior conceals a violent combat persona.
• Manipulation and survival: Xiao Tiantian survives by exploiting the conflicts and dangers around him, turning Don Quixote into a weapon against his pursuers.
• Protection and loyalty: Despite Granny Liu’s rejection, Prince Lanling continues to follow and protect her, while Aiou remains loyal to Granny Liu throughout the pursuit.
• Power and deception: Concealment arrays, masks, tracking methods, and false identities all shape the characters’ movements and encounters.

Character Interactions

• Granny Liu and Aiou develop a cooperative partnership, with Aiou providing insight and Granny Liu making the final decisions.
• Granny Liu and Prince Lanling remain emotionally awkward: she is offended by him, while he continues pursuing her out of concern.
• Prince Lanling clashes with the bodyguards and enforcers, delaying them so Aiou and Granny Liu can continue their mission.
• Aiou confronts the blond giant while Granny Liu faces the bearded assassins, creating two simultaneous battles.
• The Round Table Knights underestimate Granny Liu, especially the bearded man who crudely flirts with her, only to discover her overwhelming strength.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• A blond giant attacks Aiou from the sea using freezing water and a highly flexible, armor-piercing sword. Despite the weapon’s power, it cannot penetrate Aiou’s unusually durable body.
• The giant abandons his ambush when Granny Liu comes under attack. A bearded assassin blocks Aiou’s path, attempting to delay him until the other assassins defeat Granny Liu.
• Aiou overwhelms the bearded man by refusing to defend against his attacks and using the Sea-Calming Divine Chopsticks’ ability to extend unexpectedly. He kills the assassin with a follow-up strike.
• Realizing the battle is turning against them, the blond giant signals the women stationed at Don Quixote’s secret base. One woman activates a hidden mechanism, causing fighter jets and transforming robots to emerge from the sea.
• A highly skilled young female pilot uses a transforming fighter jet to distract and delay Aiou rather than kill him. She repeatedly evades his attacks through creative midair transformations.
• Aiou increases the force and speed of his attacks, eventually enlarging the Chopsticks into a club-like weapon. The pilot sacrifices one “leg” of the mecha to evade his blow, leaving the machine badly unbalanced but still airborne.
• Impressed by her skill, Aiou praises her as an exceptional mecha pilot instead of immediately finishing her.

Character Developments

• Aiou/Sun Wukong: His invulnerable body allows him to fight recklessly, but he recognizes that he is not naturally a sophisticated fighter. He relies on durability, overwhelming strength, and the Chopsticks’ unexpected abilities. His playful personality remains evident in his jokes, theatrical behavior, and admiration for genuine talent.
• The blond giant: Revealed to be a skilled assassin despite his massive appearance. He is cautious and strategically minded, shifting targets and calling for reinforcements when his team begins to lose. He is especially concerned about protecting his position and avoiding punishment from Don Quixote and Joan of Arc.
• The bearded assassin: Shows skill with a curved blade and poisoned throwing knives, but his cautious strategy fails against Aiou’s immense defense and aggressive fighting style.
• The young pilot: Emerges as a gifted and courageous combatant. She demonstrates exceptional control, tactical creativity, and willingness to sacrifice part of her machine to protect the whole. Her ability earns Aiou’s sincere respect.
• Xiao Tiantian: Watches from hiding after manipulating events so that Don Quixote’s assassins would attack Aiou and Granny Liu. His expectations are overturned when the assassins prove unable to defeat them, though he continues waiting for Don Quixote’s hidden strength to appear.
• Granny Liu: Remains capable of holding her own in battle, forcing the assassins to use distractions and reinforcements rather than defeating her directly.

Significant Themes

• Cultural ignorance and perspective: Aiou reflects on how different cultures ignore one another, explaining why the blond giant does not recognize Sun Wukong. Cultural influence tends to follow power and visibility.
• Strength versus technique: Aiou possesses overwhelming physical durability, while the assassins depend on specialized weapons, poison, stealth, and precision. The chapter contrasts brute resilience with refined combat skill.
• Improvisation and adaptability: The pilot’s transforming mecha and Aiou’s extending weapon show that unpredictable tactics can overcome situations that appear impossible.
• Loyalty and exploitation: The women at the base have been removed from their worlds and taught to regard the men as gods, suggesting a system of manipulation and dependency. The young pilot’s loyalty to the blond giant places her in danger.
• Respect between opponents: Although Aiou defeats or outmatches his enemies, he recognizes and praises the pilot’s abilities, showing that combat can produce admiration rather than simple hostility.

Character Interactions

• Aiou and the blond giant exchange brief words after the sword fails to injure Aiou; Aiou responds with theatrical confidence and deliberately plays up his identity as the Great Sage.
• Aiou fights the bearded assassin in a clash of opposing styles: the assassin seeks to stall and avoid direct confrontation, while Aiou forces an aggressive, high-risk exchange.
• Xiao Tiantian observes the battle from hiding, hoping the assassins will eliminate Aiou and Granny Liu, but becomes increasingly surprised and concerned by Aiou’s strength.
• The blond giant relies on the young pilot to delay Aiou, while she fights defensively to protect him and the base.
• Aiou and the pilot develop a moment of mutual recognition: he tests her limits as an opponent, then openly acknowledges her exceptional piloting skill.

Chapter Summary:

Black Knight—Don Quixote

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aiou uses Three Thousand Mothers’ Love and pretends to immobilize opponents with the Immobilization Technique by shouting “Freeze!” He successfully stops a young girl and a bearded man, convincing the blond giant that Aiou is overwhelmingly powerful.
• Granny Liu ambushes the blond giant, breaking his bones and sealing his movements with internal energy. Aiou then defeats the remaining minor opponents.
• Just as Aiou and Granny Liu prepare to enter the house and confront Xiao Tiantian, the sea freezes and a mysterious black-armored knight riding a skeletal horse appears.
• The knight identifies himself through his actions as Don Quixote and calmly orders them to leave, claiming to be protecting his own sense of justice and warning that they have already caused enough trouble.
• Granny Liu attacks Don Quixote, but he blocks her with a bone shield. He counters with Dark Bone Dragon Hand, summoning countless skeletal arms through a spatial rift and forcing her to retreat.
• Aiou intervenes with the Sea-Calming Divine Chopsticks, destroying many of the skeletal hands. Granny Liu and Aiou coordinate attacks, but Don Quixote repeatedly blocks, evades, or counters them with ease.
• Don Quixote’s Flicked Sword Pellet launches Granny Liu across the ocean, demonstrating his overwhelming combat ability. Xiao Tiantian, observing from hiding, is shocked by the knight’s strength.
• Don Quixote then attacks Xiao Tiantian and shatters his body, discovering that Xiao Tiantian is physically much weaker than Aiou and Granny Liu despite his cunning.
• Aiou and Granny Liu resume their assault. Aiou’s “Freeze!” no longer affects Don Quixote, who effortlessly blocks both Granny Liu’s fist and Aiou’s staff strike.
• Realizing that Don Quixote is not merely powerful but nearly flawless in combat, Aiou questions his identity. Don Quixote refuses to answer and knocks both attackers away.
• Granny Liu notices blood inside the house, and Aiou contacts Mi Hayou to locate Xiao Tiantian. They learn that Xiao Tiantian has already escaped to another residential district.
• Since fighting Don Quixote would be dangerous and unnecessary, Aiou and Granny Liu decide to withdraw and pursue Xiao Tiantian instead.

Character Developments

• Aiou: Displays confidence and theatrical arrogance, using his apparent “Freeze” technique to deceive enemies. However, Don Quixote’s effortless defenses shake his confidence. Aiou begins suspecting that the knight may be connected to one of his alternate identities.
• Granny Liu: Shows overwhelming physical strength and courage, attacking Don Quixote directly despite recognizing the danger. After seeing that the knight cannot easily be defeated, she becomes pragmatic and prioritizes pursuing Xiao Tiantian.
• Don Quixote: Emerges as an extremely powerful, disciplined, and enigmatic figure. He follows a personal code of justice, avoids unnecessary speech, and fights with precise, economical movements rather than brute force.
• Xiao Tiantian: Changes from a hidden observer to a frightened target. His surprise attack fails against Don Quixote, and his body is destroyed with ease, revealing that he is far less durable than Aiou or Granny Liu.
• The blond giant and other enemies: Are quickly defeated, establishing Aiou and Granny Liu’s dominance over ordinary opponents before the arrival of a truly superior combatant.

Significant Themes

• False appearances and deception: Aiou’s “Freeze” command appears to be a legendary technique, but its true mechanism is hidden, emphasizing the gap between appearance and reality.
• Overwhelming strength versus technical mastery: Don Quixote is not merely stronger; his timing, defense, movement, and counterattacks make him seem completely impervious.
• Justice and moral codes: Don Quixote does not attack out of simple bloodlust. He believes he is protecting his own form of justice and defending the island.
• Pragmatism over pride: Although Aiou and Granny Liu are confident fighters, they recognize that continuing the battle would be foolish once their real objective—finding Xiao Tiantian—takes priority.
• Mystery and identity: Don Quixote’s sealed armor and refusal to reveal himself deepen the mystery surrounding him, while Aiou wonders whether the knight could be another version of himself.

Important Character Interactions

• Aiou intimidates the blond giant by pretending to freeze enemies, leading the giant to realize that the attack may be a conspiracy.
• Granny Liu defeats the blond giant and later directly challenges Don Quixote, while Aiou supports her with his staff and magical abilities.
• Don Quixote repeatedly demonstrates his superiority over both Aiou and Granny Liu, blocking their combined attacks and throwing them aside.
• Don Quixote’s attack on Xiao Tiantian exposes the latter’s vulnerability and prevents him from remaining a passive observer.
• Granny Liu and Aiou ultimately cooperate strategically, abandoning the unwinnable confrontation with Don Quixote to continue hunting Xiao Tiantian.

Chapter Summary: “Computation”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mother is revealed to have split into countless independent identities. These incarnations do not necessarily recognize one another; Aiou, for instance, knows Li Xiao but not Owl.
• Aiou and Granny Liu leave the island after their confrontation with the other identities. Granny Liu is injured but quickly heals after taking medicine.
• Determined to avenge the mothers whose children were stolen, Granny Liu and Aiou pursue Xiao Tiantian using information supplied by Mi Hayou.
• They track Xiao Tiantian through several locations and kill him repeatedly. Each time, however, he resurrects through another puppet.
• Xiao Tiantian attempts to evade them by moving away from teleportation arrays and considers manipulating powerful factions into killing his pursuers.
• He deliberately arranges a trap in District 002, a region inhabited by many powerful players. Before dying again, he causes a mother to write “Sun Wukong” in blood beside the bodies of herself and her child.
• Aiou and Granny Liu arrive shortly afterward and are confronted by the child’s powerful father, a rugged and furious player who believes they murdered his family.
• The man attacks them without allowing an explanation. He severely injures Granny Liu and repeatedly knocks Aiou through buildings and rock formations.
• Although Aiou initially tries to reason with him and even mentions his technique, the man continues attacking. The chapter ends as Aiou finally becomes angry.

Character Developments

• Aiou: Shows compassion toward the grieving mothers and supports Granny Liu’s revenge, despite understanding that Xiao Tiantian’s victims were puppets rather than fully conscious individuals. He remains playful and confident during the pursuit, but his repeated injuries eventually provoke genuine anger.
• Granny Liu: Her protective and vengeful side becomes more prominent. Although she does not enjoy killing, the harm done to the mothers drives her to pursue Xiao Tiantian relentlessly. She is willing to enter the dangerous District 002 despite recognizing the risk.
• Xiao Tiantian: Demonstrates exceptional cunning and ruthlessness. He uses his puppet network to gather secrets, repeatedly resurrects through new hosts, and designs a trap intended to make Aiou and Granny Liu appear responsible for murder. His goal shifts from simple escape to arranging a future opportunity for revenge.
• Mi Hayou: Functions as Aiou’s information source, rapidly locating Xiao Tiantian and guiding the pursuit.
• The rugged player: Introduced as a powerful, emotionally driven fighter. His love for his gentle wife and devotion to his child fuel his immediate hostility toward Aiou and Granny Liu.

Significant Themes

• Identity and individuality: Mother’s countless incarnations raise questions about whether separate identities can be considered distinct people, especially when they do not know one another.
• Grief and revenge: Even though Xiao Tiantian’s victims are technically puppets, the mothers’ emotional loss is real. Granny Liu’s pursuit reflects the difference between physical identity and genuine emotional bonds.
• Manipulation and misinformation: Xiao Tiantian weaponizes limited information, framing Aiou and Granny Liu for his murders and exploiting the rugged player’s grief.
• Power and survival: Xiao Tiantian survives by using resurrection, secrecy, and political manipulation, while Aiou and Granny Liu rely on pursuit and force.
• Appearance versus truth: The evidence left at the crime scene creates a false narrative, showing how easily appearances can trigger violence before the truth is known.

Character Interactions

• Aiou and Granny Liu cooperate closely, with Aiou locating Xiao Tiantian and Granny Liu carrying out the killings.
• Granny Liu’s anger contrasts with Aiou’s more lighthearted attitude, though both are united by sympathy for the mothers.
• Xiao Tiantian uses the indirect information carried by his puppets to stay ahead of his pursuers and set them against others.
• The rugged player repeatedly attacks Aiou while largely sparing Granny Liu, partly because he associates Aiou with the blood-written name “Sun Wukong” and partly because he retains some restraint toward the elderly woman.
• Aiou attempts to communicate, but grief and rage prevent the player from listening, turning the pursuit into a new conflict.

Chapter Summary: “All-Out Hunt”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aiou empathizes with Bai Mu’s anger but refuses to let him continue attacking. He uses his ability, “Freeze,” to immobilize Bai Mu and confronts him about his grief, explaining that his wife, child, and betrayal were manipulated through Green Lad Palm.
• Aiou suspects that Don Quixote may be one of his alternate identities, since Don Quixote resisted the effects of Three Thousand Motherly Loves while Bai Mu could not.
• Granny Liu explains to Bai Mu that Xiao Tiantian’s child was only a puppet, created through Green Lad Palm. Bai Mu is devastated to learn that his son never truly existed and that his wife’s death resulted from the deception.
• After calming down, Bai Mu apologizes to Aiou and Granny Liu, provides Granny Liu with healing medicine, and summons numerous friends and former teammates to help hunt Xiao Tiantian.
• The group learns that Xiao Tiantian is in District 025 and sets out to find him. Bai Mu is revealed to be a Fighter with fifty victories in the First Martial Arts Tournament. Several allies, including the Weapons Specialist Li Donglai, introduce themselves.
• Meanwhile, Prince Lanling is released from the Enforcement Bureau after the authorities confirm the circumstances surrounding the earlier incident. He discovers that the Player Forum has exposed Green Lad Palm and revealed methods for identifying its puppet children.
• The revelation causes widespread panic. Parents rush to perform DNA tests, uncovering both Green Lad Palm victims and other infidelities. Families collapse, and public outrage turns into a massive hunt for Xiao Tiantian.
• By the time Aiou and the others reach Xiao Tiantian, he has already been brutally dismembered by an unknown swordsman. However, Mi Hayou confirms that Xiao Tiantian is repeatedly resurrecting.
• A forum post offers a one-million reward for killing Xiao Tiantian. Victims and sympathetic players join the hunt, repeatedly finding, attacking, and killing him whenever he revives.
• Xiao Tiantian is eventually captured and brought to the Enforcement Bureau, but he commits suicide, apparently fearing that the Bureau possesses a way to permanently suppress his resurrection.
• Aiou and Granny Liu conclude that every martial art has weaknesses, and Xiao Tiantian’s resurrection technique must have one. The continuing player hunt prevents him from successfully reviving in Infinite City.

Character Developments

• Aiou demonstrates both empathy and firmness. He understands Bai Mu’s suffering but refuses to excuse violence against innocents. His confidence also grows as he boasts about his strength and continues investigating Don Quixote’s possible identity.
• Bai Mu changes from a rage-driven attacker into a remorseful and determined avenger. After learning that his family was manipulated, he accepts responsibility for attacking Aiou and Granny Liu, apologizes, and organizes a large-scale pursuit of Xiao Tiantian.
• Granny Liu acts as a calming mediator. She explains the truth to Bai Mu, prevents Aiou from escalating the conflict, and encourages the group to focus on justice rather than blind anger.
• Prince Lanling remains smug and irreverent after leaving custody, but he gains a clearer understanding of the wider consequences of Green Lad Palm through the forum reports.
• Xiao Tiantian becomes the target of universal hatred. His power and resurrection ability cannot protect him once the entire player community coordinates against him.

Significant Themes

• Empathy versus accountability: Bai Mu’s suffering is understandable, but Aiou insists that pain does not justify attacking others.
• Manipulation and false reality: Green Lad Palm creates artificial children and fabricated family relationships, showing how easily love and trust can be exploited.
• The consequences of mass revelation: Once the truth becomes public, knowledge brings justice for some but also destroys families and exposes painful betrayals.
• Collective vengeance and mob justice: The players’ hunt begins as righteous anger but quickly becomes brutal and excessive, raising questions about whether revenge can remain morally justified.
• Limits and weaknesses of power: Xiao Tiantian’s resurrection appears nearly unstoppable, yet the Enforcement Bureau and Granny Liu’s reasoning suggest that every technique has a vulnerability.
• The reality of love: Even though Bai Mu’s child was a puppet, his love for the child was genuine, emphasizing that emotional bonds can remain real even when their object is false.

Important Character Interactions

• Aiou restrains and verbally challenges Bai Mu, preventing him from continuing his attack.
• Granny Liu explains the truth about Xiao Tiantian and Green Lad Palm, leading Bai Mu to recognize his mistake and apologize.
• Bai Mu gathers former comrades and friends, transforming a personal grievance into an organized hunt.
• Li Donglai questions Aiou about his strength, allowing Aiou to boast about his supposed superiority.
• Prince Lanling learns about the crisis through the Player Forum rather than directly participating in the group’s journey.
• Aiou, Granny Liu, and the others analyze Xiao Tiantian’s repeated resurrection and infer that the Enforcement Bureau may possess the means to counter it.

Chapter Summary: “Disappearance”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After Xiao Tiantian repeatedly revives through hidden “pawns,” he suddenly disappears completely. Mi Hayou can no longer track him, and players across Infinite City fail to locate him.
• The group considers several explanations: Xiao Tiantian may have exhausted his puppets, fled to another world, or been protected by a powerful organization.
• As time passes, public interest fades. Xiao Tiantian becomes like an internet celebrity who quickly turns into yesterday’s news, and the temporary search group risks disbanding.
• Bai Mu refuses to give up because Xiao Tiantian’s actions caused him immense personal pain, including the loss of a child who never truly existed and the betrayal of his wife.
• Aiou reveals that although Mi Hayou could not locate Xiao Tiantian, Aiou himself can. He admits he delegated the task simply because searching was troublesome.
• Aiou activates Three Thousand Motherly Loves, producing a compass that tracks the person Bai Mu hates most. The compass points west, indicating Xiao Tiantian’s location.
• The group resumes the hunt and follows the compass. Since Xiao Tiantian remains stationary, they suspect he is being sheltered by a major force or secret organization.
• The chapter broadens its worldbuilding by describing Jovians, an alien species from another world, and their very different biology, culture, reproduction, and social customs.
• It also explains that Infinite City contains many hidden organizations and outside forces. Hawkins tolerates some of their activities because their interactions with players help him study and monitor external powers.

Character Developments

• Bai Mu becomes the emotional center of the pursuit. His anger and desire for revenge remain strong despite the lack of progress, showing that his motivation is deeply personal rather than based merely on justice.
• Aiou demonstrates that he has far greater abilities and information than he initially reveals. His laziness and reliance on subordinates contrast with his overwhelming capabilities.
• Granny Liu remains practical and realistic. She recognizes that people cannot persist indefinitely without a clear goal and is prepared to abandon the search until Aiou offers a reliable method.
• Li Donglai provides comic relief, readily accepting Aiou’s self-serving logic and enthusiastically agreeing to continue the pursuit.
• The wider player community is shown to be fickle: its attention quickly shifts away from Xiao Tiantian once no new developments appear.

Significant Themes

• Persistence versus uncertainty: People can endure hardship when they can see progress, but an invisible or unreachable goal gradually destroys their motivation.
• Revenge and personal betrayal: Bai Mu’s determination reflects the lasting damage caused by Xiao Tiantian’s deception and manipulation.
• The fleeting nature of public attention: Xiao Tiantian’s fame declines rapidly, comparing online popularity to a short-lived celebrity phenomenon.
• Cultural relativism: The Jovians’ unfamiliar reproduction and family structures demonstrate that customs considered natural by one species may seem bizarre or disturbing to another.
• Power, secrecy, and manipulation: Hidden organizations exploit players, while Hawkins allows limited corruption in order to observe outside forces and understand their intentions.
• Human self-overestimation: The discussion of transmigration and cultivation mocks the belief that people would automatically thrive if given extraordinary opportunities.

Character Interactions

• Aiou, Bai Mu, Granny Liu, and Li Donglai debate whether continuing the search is worthwhile.
• Granny Liu challenges Aiou’s contradictory claims about Xiao Tiantian’s whereabouts, prompting him to explain that he simply considered searching too bothersome.
• Bai Mu’s hatred activates Aiou’s tracking compass, turning his personal anger into the group’s means of locating Xiao Tiantian.
• The group unites again once Aiou provides a concrete solution, transforming a directionless investigation into an organized pursuit.
• The chapter also contrasts human and Jovian social values, emphasizing that communication and cooperation can exist even when cultures and bodies are radically different.

Chapter Summary: “Nine-Headed Dragon Jade”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aiou, Granny Liu, Bai Mu, Li Donglai, and their companions enter District 77777 while pursuing Xiao Tiantian, who is being sheltered by an organization attempting to smuggle him out of Infinite City.
• The district has changed from a busy spaceport into an eerily empty, heavily industrialized area filled with skyscrapers and hidden dangers. The group realizes they are being watched.
• Aiou discovers a warehouse containing numerous Slaughterer robots and destroys part of the building to expose them. The group is attacked, prompting a battle with the robots.
• The warehouse’s black-suited manager, Carter, livestreams the incident and reports the group to the Enforcement Bureau, portraying them as criminals who attacked his property.
• Aiou counters Carter’s manipulation by freezing him with supernatural power and publicly interrogating him using Truth Serum. He launches livestreams on multiple platforms, turning the confrontation into a spectacle.
• Under the serum’s influence, Carter confesses to a long history of crimes and reveals that the warehouse belongs to Nine-Headed Dragon Jade, a gray-market organization involved in both legitimate businesses and illegal industries.
• Carter admits that he was ordered to stop the group from locating Xiao Tiantian. He had deliberately directed murderous intent toward them in hopes of earning a promotion within the organization.
• Just as Carter is about to reveal Nine-Headed Dragon Jade’s headquarters, an unknown attacker fires a volley of golden arrows. The group dodges, but Carter is killed by an arrow through the head, preventing him from giving further information.

Character Developments

• Aiou remains irreverent, confident, and theatrical. He mocks the enemies, uses humor to undermine their intimidation tactics, and cleverly turns Carter’s livestream against him. His willingness to expose Carter publicly also demonstrates his resourcefulness and confidence in his powerful backing.
• Granny Liu acts as the cautious and observant member of the group, recognizing the robots as military-grade Slaughterers and realizing that Carter’s legal complaint technically has merit.
• Bai Mu provides knowledge of District 77777’s history, explaining its transformation from a major port and recalling its earlier protests.
• Li Donglai offers a more ordinary, skeptical perspective, joking that he is not a cultivator and admitting how difficult it is for most people to follow every event in Infinite City.
• Carter is revealed to be a corrupt and morally depraved criminal who runs a robot branch for Nine-Headed Dragon Jade. His ambition and desire for promotion led him to obstruct the protagonists, but his attempt to manipulate public opinion ultimately fails.
• The mysterious archer or attackers introduced at the end appear to be connected to Nine-Headed Dragon Jade or another force seeking to conceal the organization’s secrets.

Significant Themes

• Power and public perception: Carter uses livestreaming and legal accusations to frame the protagonists as criminals, while Aiou reverses the situation by publicly exposing Carter’s crimes.
• Corruption beneath respectable institutions: District 77777 and Nine-Headed Dragon Jade present legitimate appearances while concealing criminal enterprises, including the sale of untraceable war robots.
• The danger of secrecy: Carter’s forced confession threatens to expose the organization, leading to his sudden assassination before he can reveal its headquarters.
• Theater and satire: Aiou treats the confrontation like entertainment, mocking villain conventions, introducing himself dramatically, and turning interrogation into a livestreamed performance.
• The instability of Infinite City: Multiple factions control different entrances, districts, and industries, showing that Infinite City is increasingly fragmented and vulnerable to outside influence.

Character Interactions

• Aiou and the group debate the strange condition of District 77777 before proceeding despite its dangers.
• Aiou’s sarcastic exchanges with Carter escalate the conflict, especially when Carter attempts to use the Enforcement Bureau and livestream audiences against him.
• Aiou publicly humiliates Carter through Truth Serum, forcing him to confess both personal crimes and organizational secrets.
• The group cooperates in fighting the Slaughterer robots, though they are frustrated by Carter’s legalistic attempt to redefine the confrontation as property damage.
• The chapter ends with the group facing a new, unseen enemy when golden arrows kill Carter before he can provide the location of Nine-Headed Dragon Jade’s headquarters.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Carter’s revelations expose that Nine-Headed Dragon Jade sheltered Xiao Tiantian and was involved in criminal activities, but his testimony cannot serve as legal evidence because Aiou drugged him with an alleged truth serum.
• Aiou ends the livestream, declaring that they now know enough and will confront Nine-Headed Dragon Jade directly.
• Aiou, Bai Mu, Granny Liu, Li Donglai, and the others leave the warehouse and destroy buildings while pursuing evidence. Several attackers try to ambush them, but those enemies are murdered to eliminate witnesses.
• The Enforcement Team observes rather than intervenes. Their captain explains that, without admissible proof, they must wait and hope Aiou’s group uncovers evidence strong enough for official action.
• Nine-Headed Dragon Jade mobilizes masked, highly trained combat players to intercept Aiou’s group. These fighters are sponsored by the organization and conceal their identities to avoid creating evidence.
• Bai Mu confronts a masked swordsman. Although he initially holds his own, two assassins exploit the battle and seriously injure him with a coordinated sneak attack.
• Granny Liu and the others join the fight, while Aiou remains separate on his Somersault Cloud and draws out another hidden enemy.
• A spear-wielding fighter attacks Aiou and activates the powerful-looking Dragon Blood Yin Soul Spear. Aiou effortlessly withstands the attack, then counters with an absurdly grand attack name and an ordinary staff strike that knocks the man back.

Character Developments

• Aiou demonstrates both strategic awareness and his usual irreverent personality. He understands that legal proof is lacking, provokes enemies into revealing themselves, and remains confident even when attacked. His joking behavior contrasts with his overwhelming strength.
• Bai Mu shows courage and combat ability by directly challenging the masked swordsman, but his straightforward fighting style leaves him vulnerable to coordinated assassins.
• Granny Liu acts as a practical leader, criticizing Aiou for treating the battle like entertainment and ordering the group to intervene after Bai Mu is wounded.
• Sea-Calming Divine Chopsticks displays a developing personality after its evolution. It speaks rarely but asks to participate in the dramatic shouting, showing greater individuality and attachment to Aiou.
• The Enforcement Team captain emerges as cautious and politically astute. He recognizes Nine-Headed Dragon Jade’s influence and chooses to let both sides expose themselves before acting.
• Nine-Headed Dragon Jade’s combatants are portrayed as disciplined but underhanded, relying on masks, ambushes, legal loopholes, and overwhelming force rather than honorable confrontation.

Significant Themes

• Evidence versus truth: Everyone understands that Carter’s accusations are essentially true, but truth without legally admissible proof has little power.
• Corruption and complicity: Nine-Headed Dragon Jade operates through both legitimate businesses and criminal enterprises, while some enforcers secretly depend on or protect the organization.
• Justice outside the law: Since official authorities cannot act, Aiou’s group pursues the organization directly, blurring the line between justice and destruction.
• Public image and concealment: The livestream creates public outrage, but the masked attackers and symbolic insignia show how criminals exploit uncertainty and legal technicalities.
• Comedy amid danger: Aiou’s clowning, exaggerated attack names, and casual attitude undercut the seriousness of the battle while emphasizing how powerful and unpredictable he is.

Character Interactions

• Aiou and Carter’s livestream exposes Nine-Headed Dragon Jade to the public, but Aiou acknowledges that the evidence may not hold up legally.
• Bai Mu angrily condemns Nine-Headed Dragon Jade and challenges its masked representative, leading to a fierce duel.
• Granny Liu repeatedly reacts to Aiou’s irresponsible behavior, balancing his humor with practical battlefield judgment.
• Aiou deliberately baits the hidden spear wielder, only to reveal that he had been bluffing. Their exchange highlights Aiou’s playful provocations and the enemy’s frustration.
• Sea-Calming Divine Chopsticks asks Aiou to imitate the enemy’s dramatic battle cries, and Aiou enthusiastically cooperates.
• The spear fighter expects Aiou’s flamboyant attack to possess extraordinary power, only to be bewildered when the move is merely a standard staff strike that nevertheless forces him backward.

Chapter Summary: “The Fickle-Tempered Monkey”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Aiou battles a masked warrior from Nine-Headed Dragon Jade using flamboyant, absurdly named techniques such as “Supreme Purity Demon-Slaying…” and “Spaghetti Staff.”
• When the warrior mocks the name “Spaghetti Staff,” Aiou uses a brick to force him to admit that even an ordinary brick can function as a weapon. He then claims that his bizarrely named technique is equally valid.
• Frustrated and unwilling to continue fighting, the warrior retreats. Aiou humorously presents this as the result of “reason” rather than violence.
• Aiou livestreams the ongoing battle, providing commentary on Granny Liu, Bai Mu, Li Donglai, and the masked fighters. His commentary repeatedly irritates Granny Liu and embarrasses the combatants.
• One masked warrior admits that he is not truly loyal to Nine-Headed Dragon Jade and would retreat if the situation became dangerous. He also suggests that the organization may be protecting Xiao Tiantian to obtain the valuable Green Wolf Bridal Robe Divine Art.
• The same warrior sneak-attacks Granny Liu’s nose, provoking her fury. Although he initially matches and suppresses her, Aiou secretly drains his stamina, allowing Granny Liu to defeat him.
• After Granny Liu wins, she and Bai Mu help Li Donglai and the others defeat the remaining masked fighters.
• The livestream audience discusses the conflict and concludes that Nine-Headed Dragon Jade may be interested in the Green Wolf Bridal Robe Divine Art because of its powerful life-preserving properties.
• The group resumes tracking Xiao Tiantian with Bai Mu’s pointer. Aiou’s teasing song causes tension, but Li Donglai reminds everyone that Xiao Tiantian may be moved at any moment.
• The group hurries toward their target, worried that Nine-Headed Dragon Jade will relocate Xiao Tiantian to eliminate evidence.

Character Developments

• Aiou continues to display his chaotic, shameless, and comedic personality. He combines trickery, psychological manipulation, livestream theatrics, and covert assistance in battle. Despite claiming to favor “reason,” he readily uses force and underhanded tactics.
• The Sea-Calming Divine Chopsticks begin absorbing Aiou’s twisted logic. After witnessing the brick demonstration, the weapon develops a newfound confidence that anyone questioning it can be “educated” with violence.
• Granny Liu is shown to be highly prideful and particularly sensitive about her appearance, especially her nose. The masked warrior’s sneak attack turns a tactical fight into a personal vendetta. Her anger drives her relentless final assault.
• The masked warrior is characterized as pragmatic rather than fanatically loyal. He is willing to withdraw, questions Nine-Headed Dragon Jade’s motives, and admits that he is motivated more by payment and survival than sacrifice.
• Bai Mu remains practical and easily annoyed by Aiou’s behavior, especially his singing and jokes, but understands the urgency of the mission.
• Li Donglai acts as a mediator, keeping the group focused on the larger objective instead of their personal squabbles.
• The livestream audience helps interpret the political and economic motives behind Nine-Headed Dragon Jade’s actions, especially the potential value of Xiao Tiantian’s cultivation method.

Significant Themes

• Absurdity and wordplay: Aiou turns ridiculous names and faulty logic into weapons, emphasizing the chapter’s comedic tone.
• Violence disguised as reason: Aiou humorously reframes coercion and assault as rational instruction, exposing the hypocrisy of moral justifications.
• Pragmatism versus loyalty: The masked warrior’s willingness to flee contrasts with Nine-Headed Dragon Jade’s apparent strategic investment in Xiao Tiantian.
• The commercialization of power: The Green Wolf Bridal Robe Divine Art is treated as a valuable commodity, suggesting that cultivation techniques are traded and exploited for profit.
• Public perception and livestream culture: Aiou’s broadcast transforms the battle into entertainment and shapes how outsiders understand the conflict.
• Urgency and pursuit: The heroes must balance fighting their enemies with reaching Xiao Tiantian before he can be secretly relocated.

Character Interactions

• Aiou and the masked warrior argue over whether a “Spaghetti Staff” can be a legitimate technique, escalating into Aiou’s brick-based demonstration.
• Aiou treats the Sea-Calming Divine Chopsticks like a child, encouraging its confidence and teaching it his distorted philosophy.
• Aiou mocks Granny Liu during the livestream, prompting her to tell him to stop talking. He later defends her honor indirectly after the attack on her nose.
• Granny Liu’s personal anger toward the masked warrior intensifies the fight, while Aiou secretly helps her by exhausting his stamina.
• The masked warriors reveal internal disagreement about Nine-Headed Dragon Jade’s actions, including one fighter’s belief that Xiao Tiantian should die.
• Bai Mu and Granny Liu repeatedly react with irritation to Aiou’s antics, while Li Donglai keeps the group focused on rescuing or intercepting Xiao Tiantian.