Chapter Summaries

Smith and Hou Liangbing watched as the Eastern Frontier Theater’s forces surrounded the Martyrs' Cemetery, and Qin Qianshan revealed that he had not summoned them. The commanders saluted Elder Xu and awaited his orders.

• Jin Dapao announced that the assembled forces were ready, leaving Smith stunned and Hou Liangbing collapsed.
• Hou Liangbing accused Qin Qianshan of illegally mobilizing troops across theater boundaries and threatened him with a court-martial.
• Qin Qianshan said he was not the one who had summoned the army, prompting Hou Liangbing to suspect Elder Xu.
• Commanders from the Eastern Frontier Theater arrived at the Cemetery and marched past Qin Qianshan toward Elder Xu.
• The commanders saluted Elder Xu and announced that their units had assembled, then awaited his orders.

Elder Xu revealed his authority by summoning the Eastern Frontier forces and rallied the generals against the Eagle Country agents at the cemetery. As Smith threatened to call Xiao Tian Ce, the War God arrived in person.

• Dozens of generals saluted Elder Xu as their Chief, shocking Hou Liangbing, Smith, Jin Dapao, and Yue Xiaofei.
• Elder Xu thanked the assembled commanders, then denounced the Eagle Country agents for insulting Dragon Kingdom heroes and called for the Eastern Dragon to roar again.
• Li Hu, Li Yunlong, and other generals pledged their forces, while hundreds of thousands of troops roared in support and frightened the agents into dropping their guns.
• Smith accused Elder Xu of rebellion and threatened to report him to Xiao Tian Ce, the Eastern Frontier Theater's highest commander.
• Xiao Tian Ce announced his arrival and told Smith there was no need to call.

Xiao Tian Ce arrived at the Cemetery and revealed that the order mobilizing the Eastern Frontier Theater's forces had come from the Supreme Military Command. He saluted Elder Xu and reported that three hundred thousand soldiers were assembled and ready for inspection.

• Xiao Tian Ce entered the Cemetery, and Hou Liangbing accused Elder Xu and Qin Qianshan of illegally mobilizing troops.
• Xiao Tian Ce said the order had not come from him because he lacked authority to send the Navy, Army, and Air Force into Modu.
• Xiao Tian Ce revealed that the Supreme Military Command had issued the order, leaving Hou Liangbing and Smith stunned.
• Xiao Tian Ce saluted Elder Xu and reported that he had assembled three hundred thousand soldiers for inspection.

Xu Anbang addressed the assembled Eastern Frontier Theater troops after Hou Liangbing and Smith were subdued, then Xiao Tian Ce revealed Xu’s legendary identity. Yue Xiaofei realized Xu’s influence might offer hope of clearing his father’s wrongful conviction.

• Xiao Tian Ce saluted Elder Xu as Commander Xu, and Xu returned the salute before addressing the gathered troops.
• Xu Anbang urged the soldiers to honor the fallen and defend the Dragon Kingdom, prompting the assembled forces to roar their support.
• Hou Liangbing and Smith collapsed under the army’s overwhelming presence and demanded to know Xu’s identity.
• Xiao Tian Ce revealed that Xu was Xu Anbang, a founding hero and the first commander of the Dragon Kingdom Navy, known as one of the Twin Pillars of the Dragon Kingdom.
• Yue Xiaofei recognized Xu’s stature and believed he might help overturn his father’s wrongful conviction.

Plot points and events

• Hou Liangbing realizes that Elder Xu is Xu Anbang, a revered national figure he had been ordered to find. Instead, Hou had arrested him and pointed a gun at him.
• Hou begs for mercy, but Xu condemns him for colluding with foreign enemies and dishonoring fallen heroes. Hou’s fate appears sealed.
• After his subordinates disable the signal jammer, Hou calls his father-in-law, Zhong Zhenguo. Zhong angrily disowns him and says his daughter will divorce him, cutting off Hou’s last hope of protection.
• Xiao Tian Ce orders Hou, Smith, and the Eagle Country agents to surrender. The agents comply, but Smith laughs and claims powerful backers will free him and continue pursuing Yue Xiaofei.
• A military alert reveals that Eagle Country’s Ninth Fleet is approaching Modu in battle formation, suggesting the confrontation is far from over.

Character developments and interactions

• Hou Liangbing collapses from arrogant authority into terror and desperation. His plea to Xu fails, and Zhong rejects him to protect the Zhong family.
• Xu Anbang remains stern and resolute, refusing to show mercy despite Hou’s groveling.
• Zhong Zhenguo shifts from Hou’s potential protector to his bitter opponent, severing their family ties.
• Smith remains defiant even while surrounded, hinting that he expects rescue and that Yue Xiaofei is central to a larger plot.
• Yue Xiaofei realizes he may have been the true target all along, not merely a means for Hou to strike at Yue Feng.
• Xiao Tian Ce takes command of the surrender, but the approaching fleet raises the stakes beyond the cemetery.

Significant themes

• Power and accountability: Hou’s status cannot shield him once his misconduct is exposed.
• Loyalty and self-preservation: Zhong abandons Hou to protect his family.
• Hidden conspiracies and escalating conflict: Smith’s confidence and the Ninth Fleet’s advance reveal a larger threat centered on Yue Xiaofei.
• National duty and resistance: Xu and Xiao stand firm against foreign agents and their collaborators.

Smith threatened the Dragon Kingdom after learning Eagle Country’s Ninth Fleet was approaching Modu, but Xu Anbang ordered the East Wind to block the fleet. The chapter ended with the East Wind Carrier Strike Group locking its fire-control radar onto the Ninth Fleet.

• Smith demanded that the Dragon Kingdom release him and Yue Xiaofei, threatening an attack by the Ninth Fleet.
• Xiao Tian Ce stopped the furious generals from shooting Smith, knowing he lacked authorization to open fire on Eagle Country.
• Xu Anbang called Jingtao and ordered him to lead the East Wind against the invading fleet.
• Jingtao accepted Xu Anbang’s order and vowed to advance without hesitation.
• General William dismissed the likelihood that the Dragon Kingdom would resist, but his radar operator reported that the East Wind Carrier Strike Group had locked onto the Ninth Fleet.

General William ordered Eagle Country's Ninth Fleet to press toward Dragon Kingdom waters, but Xu Jingtao's carrier group locked onto the fleet and threatened to attack. William ultimately ordered a retreat, and Xu Jingtao mocked him over the channel as the fleet turned away.

• General William spotted the East Wind Carrier Strike Group and ordered the Ninth Fleet to maintain course at full speed.
• Xu Jingtao warned the fleet to withdraw from Dragon Kingdom waters and began a countdown after William refused.
• The East Wind locked onto the fleet with more than 120 weapons, launched carrier-based aircraft, and prompted a report that the Ninth Fleet had less than a one-percent chance of surviving an engagement.
• As Xu Jingtao counted down to one, William gave in and ordered all ships to turn around and return to base.
• Xu Jingtao taunted William over the public channel as the Ninth Fleet began retreating.

General William’s Ninth Fleet fled after confronting the East Wind, and Smith learned that Eagle Country had abandoned him. Elder Xu condemned Smith for threatening the Dragon Kingdom and declared that its power had changed.

• General William’s Ninth Fleet turned back after the East Wind’s weapons gave them almost no chance of surviving a fight.
• Xiao Tian Ce told Smith that William had fled and that Eagle Country had abandoned him.
• Smith called General William, who confirmed the Ninth Fleet’s retreat and cursed Smith before ending the call.
• Elder Xu rebuked Smith and declared that the Dragon Kingdom would meet threats with force.

After Smith was arrested and Eagle Country’s Ninth Fleet retreated, the Dragon Kingdom celebrated its victory at the Martyrs' Cemetery. The celebration ended when Air Force One landed and General MacArthur arrived in person.

• Elder Xu’s proclamation sparked a huge celebration among the soldiers, while Smith feared that Skull and Bones had abandoned him.
• An aircraft approached the Cemetery, and Xiao Tian Ce recognized it as Eagle Country’s Megatron series and ordered first-level combat readiness.
• A disarmed Eagle Country agent identified the aircraft as Air Force One, and Smith rejoiced, believing he had been saved.
• Air Force One landed outside the Cemetery, and General MacArthur emerged wearing the insignia of a five-star general.

MacArthur arrived at the Martyrs' Cemetery and demanded that the Dragon Kingdom surrender someone accused of colluding with Asura Hall. Xu Anbang confronted him with memories of his defeat at Chosin Reservoir and named the man who had forced him to flee: Tiger Braves.

• MacArthur descended from the aircraft and kicked Smith aside after Smith begged him for help.
• MacArthur recognized Xu Anbang as Silver Fox and declared that he had come to take someone to Eagle Country for trial.
• Xiao Tian Ce challenged MacArthur, who belittled him and weakened the Dragon Kingdom side's resolve.
• Xu Anbang stopped Jin Dapao from attacking and reminded MacArthur of his defeat at Chosin Reservoir.
• Xu Anbang named Tiger Braves as the man who had forced MacArthur to flee the encirclement.

Xu Anbang named Tiger Braves, triggering MacArthur’s fear and revealing Yue Xiaofei’s suspicion that Tiger Braves was his grandfather, Yue Qinhu. MacArthur praised Tiger Braves as the greatest general Eagle Country had ever faced, then declared that only Tiger Braves and he stood supreme among the world’s heroes.

• Xu Anbang said Tiger Braves, and MacArthur began shaking with fear as Yue Xiaofei remembered his grandfather’s calligraphy praising the general.
• Smith tried to deny that MacArthur was afraid, but MacArthur admitted he feared Tiger Braves and considered surviving a fight with him his proudest military glory.
• MacArthur declared Tiger Braves superior to every general Eagle Country had produced, criticizing Patton, Eisenwell, and Washington by comparison.
• MacArthur told Xu Anbang that only Tiger Braves and he stood supreme among the world’s heroes.

Xu Anbang exposed MacArthur’s defeat and lasting trauma at the hands of Tiger Braves, then claimed Tiger Braves was alive and revealed Yue Xiaofei as his apparent younger self. MacArthur recognized Yue Xiaofei’s resemblance to the legendary general and trembled in terror.

• Jin Dapao, Li Hu, and other Dragon Kingdom generals rebuked MacArthur for comparing himself to Tiger Braves.
• Xu Anbang told MacArthur that Tiger Braves had wounded him at Chosin Reservoir and left him with lasting fear and trauma.
• Xu Anbang revealed that Tiger Braves had captured MacArthur’s Corncob Pipe and sent him a mocking message to go home and grow soybeans.
• MacArthur admitted that he feared Tiger Braves but insisted the general was dead.
• Xu Anbang brought Yue Xiaofei forward and declared that Tiger Braves stood before MacArthur.
• MacArthur saw Yue Xiaofei’s resemblance to Tiger Braves and shook uncontrollably with fear.

Yue Xiaofei called his grandfather, Yue Qinhu, to prove that [Tiger Braves] was alive, but the confused old man initially seemed to confirm MacArthur’s doubts. When MacArthur mocked him, Yue Qinhu awakened and roared orders from the Korean Battlefield, leaving MacArthur stunned.

• Elder Xu revealed that Yue Xiaofei was [Tiger Braves]’s grandson and told him to call his grandfather.
• Yue Xiaofei video-called Yue Qinhu, who appeared confused and gave a muddled reply.
• MacArthur and Smith mocked Yue Qinhu and accused Elder Xu of using a senile impostor.
• Yue Qinhu’s demeanor transformed when he heard MacArthur laughing, and he recognized the general’s voice.
• Yue Qinhu issued fierce battlefield orders and declared that he crushed Eagle Country’s elite troops.

Yue Qinhu’s battlefield memories awakened as he recognized MacArthur and issued orders through Yue Xiaofei’s phone. Dragon Kingdom’s generals and soldiers saluted him and pledged to follow his command, while MacArthur’s pride collapsed.

• Yue Qinhu heard MacArthur’s name and erupted into battlefield orders, revealing that his supposed dementia had concealed his past as Tiger Braves.
• Lin Tiejun, Sun Desheng, and Xu Anbang recognized Yue Qinhu and reacted with tears, salutes, and reverence.
• Yue Qinhu called out Li Yunlong, Wang Dachui, and the 7th Armored Company, prompting the generals to recognize his historic command.
• Jin Dapao, Li Hu, Xiao Tian Ce, and the other Dragon Kingdom generals saluted Yue Qinhu and declared their units ready to fight.
• Hundreds of thousands of soldiers vowed to follow the Great General Tiger Braves’ command, and MacArthur admitted defeat.

Yue Qinhu heard the soldiers sing their military anthem and mistook their reports for victories from the war seventy years earlier. When Xu Anbang called himself Yue's old comrade, Yue accused the elderly man of impersonating the thirty-year-old Xu Anbang and being an Eagle Country spy.

• Yue Qinhu began singing, and Xu Anbang, Xiao Tian Ce, Lin Tiejun, and the assembled generals and soldiers joined him.
• MacArthur panicked at the familiar song, while Smith's confidence in Eagle Country's forces collapsed.
• Yue Qinhu asked whether the fighting had been won, and Li Hu, Xiao Tian Ce, and other commanders reported victories as if they were on the old battlefield.
• Xu Anbang took Yue Xiaofei's phone and reminded Yue Qinhu how they had fought together in Goryeo.
• Yue Qinhu rejected Xu Anbang's claim, saying the real Xu Anbang was thirty, and accused the old man of being an Eagle Country spy.

Xu Anbang convinced Yue Qinhu that seventy years had passed and told him how the Dragon Kingdom had fulfilled the hopes of their generation. The chapter ended with Xu Anbang proudly describing the nation’s powerful military and achievements in space.

• Xu Anbang reminded Yue Qinhu of private memories from their time fighting in Goryeo, and Yue began to recognize him.
• Yue Qinhu saw his aged reflection in a mirror and realized that seventy years had passed.
• Yue Qinhu asked whether the people had enough food, warm clothing, and reunited families, and Xu Anbang assured him they did.
• Yue Qinhu asked whether the army could defend the country without sacrificing soldiers against superior enemies, and Xu Anbang described its modern forces and equipment.
• Xu Anbang told Yue Qinhu about the Dragon Kingdom’s space program and other achievements, declaring that the nation had become everything Yue had hoped for.

Xu Anbang told Yue Qinhu that the Dragon Kingdom had become prosperous and strong, and Yue Qinhu learned from his grandson Yue Xiaofei that their sacrifices had not been in vain. The old man then asked what had happened to his three sons, leaving their fate unresolved.

• Xu Anbang described the Dragon Kingdom’s space program, national defense, and satellite network to the astonished Yue Qinhu.
• Yue Qinhu mourned the comrades he had lost and rejoiced that the country and its people were now safe and prosperous.
• Yue Xiaofei called Yue Qinhu Grandpa, and Yue Qinhu recognized his grandson.
• Yue Qinhu asked that his comrades be told they had won and their blood had not been shed in vain.
• Yue Qinhu asked what had happened to Chang Kong, Chang Hai, and Chang Long.

Yue Qinhu fondly recalled his three sons before Xu Anbang told him that Yue Zhangkong and Chang Hai had died as heroes. Overcome with grief, Yue Qinhu asked whether his youngest son, Chang Long, was still alive.

• Yue Qinhu reminisced about Yue Zhangkong's dream of becoming a pilot, Chang Hai's ambition to sail the oceans, and Chang Long's desire to become a soldier.
• Xu Anbang apologized to Yue Qinhu and warned him to brace himself before revealing the news about his sons.
• Xu Anbang explained that Yue Zhangkong died steering a malfunctioning fighter away from a residential area.
• Xu Anbang told Yue Qinhu that Chang Hai sacrificed himself by ramming the Sea Dragon into an enemy flagship after ordering his crew to abandon ship.
• Yue Qinhu cried that he had protected the country but failed to protect his family, then desperately asked whether Chang Long was still alive.

Yue Xiaofei reassured Yue Qinhu that Yue Changlong had fulfilled his heroic ambitions, hiding his imprisonment and treason charges. When MacArthur and Smith tried to flee the cemetery, Xu Anbang stopped them and declared that Smith would stand trial in the Dragon Kingdom.

• Yue Xiaofei took the phone and told Yue Qinhu about Yue Changlong's military achievements, leaving out his imprisonment.
• Yue Qinhu rejoiced at hearing that his son had become a hero and said that he needed to rest.
• Yue Qinhu asked whether MacArthur had been captured, prompting MacArthur, Smith, and the Eagle Country agents to run toward their plane.
• Xu Anbang halted the fleeing group and accused Smith of bribing Hou Liangbing and forcing his way into the heroes' burial grounds.
• Xu Anbang declared that Smith would remain in the Dragon Kingdom and face trial.

Plot points and events

• Elder Xu orders judgment on Smith, who panics and calls for General MacArthur to rescue him.
• MacArthur escapes aboard Air Force One, abandoning Smith and the other Eagle Country agents. Dragon Kingdom officers mock the retreat, and Li Hu warns that Smith faces at least life imprisonment.
• Smith refuses to accept the judgment and reveals a tattoo of an eye above a pyramid—the Eye of Omniscience.
• Seeing the symbol alarms Elder Xu and Xiao Tian Ce, though most of the soldiers, including Yue Xiaofei, do not recognize it.
• Smith declares that he is a member of Skull and Bones. He claims the secret society stands above governments, controls major financial, political, media, and technology elites, and influences wars and world events.
• Smith then threatens Xu: judging him, he says, would mean declaring war on Skull and Bones.

Character developments

• Smith shifts from terrified prisoner to defiant, using his secret-society membership as a last resort. His confidence returns when he sees that senior Dragon Kingdom figures recognize the symbol.
• MacArthur is revealed as self-preserving and willing to abandon his own people when danger rises.
• Elder Xu and Xiao Tian Ce show that Smith’s affiliation poses a serious concern, even as they remain in command.
• Yue Xiaofei is unsettled by the tattoo and begins to realize the confrontation involves forces beyond the battlefield.

Character interactions

• Smith’s pleas for MacArthur’s help go unanswered; MacArthur’s escape leaves him isolated.
• Jin Dapao and Li Hu ridicule the fleeing general and Smith’s predicament.
• Smith uses his tattoo and claims about Skull and Bones to intimidate Xu and challenge his authority.

Significant themes

• Abandonment and loyalty: MacArthur’s escape contrasts with the agents he leaves behind.
• Power behind power: Smith presents Skull and Bones as a force operating beyond national governments.
• Defiance through intimidation: Facing judgment, Smith tries to turn his vulnerability into leverage by invoking a supposedly world-spanning organization.
• Uncertainty and escalation: The revelation transforms a local judgment into a potential international confrontation.