Chapter Summaries

Li Wei traveled through a storm to Crescent Moon House for Erika Cromwell’s debut banquet, suspecting Count Nost Cromwell had invited him for reasons beyond matchmaking. He learned the banquet was not until two days later, leaving him to wonder why the count had summoned him early.

• Li Wei considered the Cromwell Family’s uncertain future and suspected Count Nost Cromwell wanted his help with a family matter.
• Li Wei chose to attend the banquet out of curiosity, while Katie declined and stayed at the Tower.
• Li Wei drove through heavy rain to Crescent Moon House and found the mansion beside a vast lake.
• The elderly butler told Li Wei that Erika Cromwell’s banquet was scheduled for the day after tomorrow.
• Li Wei showed the butler his invitation, was admitted as Count Cromwell’s honored guest, and wondered why he had been summoned early.

Earl Nost Cromwell hired Li Wei to choose the next head of the Cromwell Family, fearing that his son-in-law had gained control over the family and might pose a threat. Li Wei accepted the commission and was about to meet the potential heirs at dinner.

• The Old Butler led Li Wei to meet Earl Nost Cromwell, who offered him tea and refreshments.
• Earl Nost Cromwell explained that he wanted Li Wei to appoint the next head of the Cromwell Family because he distrusted the candidates and opposed his money-minded son-in-law.
• Earl Nost Cromwell offered Li Wei one-fifth of the family’s assets and trust securities, and revealed that his will gave Li Wei authority to choose the heir.
• Li Wei suspected Earl Nost Cromwell had uncovered a dangerous secret about his son-in-law but could not disclose it without endangering the family.
• Earl Nost Cromwell said he would introduce the candidates at dinner and announce Li Wei’s authority at his birthday banquet two days later.
• Li Wei accepted the commission, and Earl Nost Cromwell invited him to meet the family over dinner.

Li Wei arrived at Count Cromwell’s home a day early and joined the family dinner, where Count Cromwell introduced him to the relatives eligible to inherit the family leadership. Li Wei began observing them for the secrets behind the count’s suspicions of Herman Cromwell.

• As the Cromwell family waited for dinner, Gladys Cromwell teased Bianca Cromwell about a new guest, while Richard Cromwell and his nephew argued over manners and discipline.
• Count Cromwell entered, announced his guest, and welcomed Li Wei, explaining that he had mistakenly invited him a day early for the birthday banquet.
• Count Cromwell introduced Li Wei to Ava Cromwell, Bianca Cromwell, Richard Cromwell, Gladys Cromwell, Marilyn Cromwell, Isaac Cromwell, Sophie Cromwell, and Herman Cromwell.
• Li Wei recalled Count Cromwell’s suspicions that Herman had persuaded Marilyn to return home and had changed their surnames to rejoin the Cromwell Family despite being wealthy.
• After seeing the family’s varied reactions and noting that all present could inherit leadership, Li Wei resolved to investigate what they were hiding.

After Gladys told Li Wei that Andre's drowning might have been murder, Li Wei suspected the old count had invited him to investigate. He sent out a tiny Doll to spy on the household.

• Li Wei joined Gladys, Eva, and Bianca for cards in the salon, then talked with Gladys after Eva went to bed.
• Gladys said she thought Andre's death in Crescent Moon Lake had been suspicious and asked Li Wei to investigate.
• Gladys recounted how Andre had hurried out after receiving a letter during heavy rain, only for his body to be found in the lake the next day.
• Gladys suggested Marilyn and Herman might have been involved, and Li Wei pointed out that all the family members could have had motives.
• Back in his room, Li Wei considered the possibility that the old count had invited him to solve Andre's death and released a tiny Doll to spy on the others.

Li Wei used his twin-tailed reconnaissance unit to spy on the guests and overheard Herman worrying that Li Wei had come to investigate him. The next morning, the family found Count Cromwell unresponsive in his bedroom, and Li Wei confirmed that he had died.

• Li Wei listened as Gladys blamed Herman for Andre's death and as Bianca told Lady Eva she admired Li Wei.
• Li Wei overheard Herman questioning Marilyn about what she had told Count Cromwell and warning her that Li Wei might investigate their family.
• Li Wei found Sophie calling his name in her sleep and realized she was fantasizing about him; Isaac and Richard later returned drunk, offering no useful information.
• The next morning, the family noticed Count Cromwell was missing from breakfast and went to his locked bedroom.
• Li Wei and the others broke down the bedroom door, and Li Wei entered to examine the motionless count.
• Li Wei told the family that Count Cromwell had passed away.

After discovering Count Cromwell dead, Li Wei secured the room and kept the news from the women while they waited for a doctor. His attempt to fetch medical help was interrupted when a mudslide blocked the only road, leaving the household isolated.

• Li Wei found Count Cromwell dead and said the cause would have to await a doctor's examination.
• Gladys argued that the Cromwell family could not be trusted with the room key, so Richard entrusted it to Li Wei.
• Li Wei told the women that Count Cromwell was ill, but Isaac reported that the communicator could not connect.
• Li Wei, Gladys, and Isaac drove through the rain to find a doctor, with Gladys saying the family doctor was due back.
• Li Wei stopped when a mudslide buried the road, and Gladys confirmed there was no alternate route.

After a mudslide trapped the Cromwells at Crescent Moon House, Li Wei inspected their food stores and discovered a mailbag containing banquet invitations that had never reached their guests. Isaac suspected someone had sabotaged the family’s reputation to affect the inheritance, and Li Wei planned to investigate after lunch.

• The Old Butler told the family the blocked road would likely remain impassable until the rain eased, and confirmed they had enough food in storage.
• Li Wei, Gladys, and Isaac followed the Old Butler to the cellar to inspect the supplies for the household and banquet.
• Li Wei noticed a forgotten bag in the cellar, and Gladys found a stack of banquet invitations inside it.
• Isaac recognized the invitations as ones he had given to the postman, but recalled leaving the postman alone briefly before he disappeared.
• Isaac accused someone of trying to ruin the Cromwell Family’s reputation and questioned Gladys, who denied hiding the invitations.
• Li Wei stopped their argument and said they would inform the others after lunch and investigate the missing mail.

Li Wei agreed to investigate how the invitations to Sophie’s birthday banquet had been left undelivered, after the discovery triggered accusations among the Cromwell heirs. Bianca joined him as his assistant, and they prepared to question the servants.

• Isaac revealed that the invitations for Sophie’s banquet had been found in a mailbag in the cellar, and he suspected deliberate sabotage.
• Gladys and Herman accused each other of trying to undermine the other’s inheritance claim, until Bianca asked Li Wei to investigate.
• Li Wei examined the invitations and considered whether an heir or Count Cromwell might have had a motive.
• Bianca asked to assist Li Wei, and he agreed to begin the investigation by questioning the servants.

Li Wei questioned the servants who had unloaded the banquet supplies to test Isaac’s account of giving a letter to the postman, but their testimony contradicted it. He went to examine the mailbag, while Charlie began to recall seeing someone in the cellar.

• Li Wei learned that Rodes, Pock, and Charlie were former soldiers employed as servants at Crescent Moon House.
• Rodes told Li Wei that he and Pock unloaded the delivery while Charlie carried supplies into the cellar, and that they saw nothing unusual.
• Li Wei dismissed the servants and told Bianca that Isaac’s account had no evidence to support it.
• Li Wei took Bianca and the mailbag to the library to examine it for clues.
• As the servants left, Charlie recalled that he might have seen a person in the cellar while carrying supplies, but could not remember who it was.

While Katie waited at home for Li Wei, he examined the mailbag and found a fresh white petal that offered a clue. The Old Butler then reported that Charlie had fallen down the stairs and apparently died, and Li Wei went to investigate.

• Katie spent the evening at home, breaking up Buck and Betty's fights and reassuring Alice that Li Wei would return soon.
• Li Wei examined the mailbag and found a pliable white petal caught in a seam.
• Li Wei told Bianca that people tend to make lies believable by drawing on details from their own lives.
• The Old Butler told Li Wei that Charlie had fallen down the stairs, cracked his head, and apparently died.
• Li Wei pocketed the petal and asked the Old Butler to take him to see Charlie.

Li Wei investigated Charlie’s fatal fall and concluded that the servant had been murdered before he fell from the chandelier landing. He found suspicious footprints in a passage near the garden but left Bianca wondering what they meant.

• Li Wei examined Charlie’s body and learned that the servant had fallen from above while cleaning the chandelier.
• Li Wei questioned Rodes and Pock, who said Charlie had taken the kitchen staff’s route to the cellar and had gone alone to clean the chandelier.
• Li Wei privately concluded that someone had struck Charlie in the back of the head before he fell, but he did not reveal his suspicion to the gathered household.
• Li Wei traced Charlie’s route through the kitchen passage and found a side passage leading toward the garden and storeroom.
• Li Wei pointed out footprints by a crate and claimed they showed a man standing while a woman crouched nearby, then teased Bianca when she asked what they had been doing.

After a guest died at the castle, Li Wei questioned the Old Butler about the postman, the garden renovations, and a past accident involving Andre that resembled the current events. Lady Marilyn then visited Li Wei to plead for her husband Herman, leaving Li Wei unwilling to promise more than that he would consider her request.

• Li Wei finished dinner while the other guests struggled to eat, then asked the Old Butler about the postman's schedule and the garden renovations.
• The Old Butler recalled that workers had been moving shrubs in the northeastern garden and revealed that Andre's accident had occurred just before a banquet meant to announce him as the family's successor.
• Li Wei considered how to prove his suspicions and identify the killer's motive, then received a late-night visit from Lady Marilyn.
• Lady Marilyn defended Herman's hard work and charity, and asked Li Wei to support him becoming head of the Cromwell Family.
• Li Wei said he would consider Marilyn's request but made no promise to help Herman.

Li Wei used the storm to investigate the grounds and found something suspicious near the hedge maze, then learned from Mrs. Eva’s conversation with Isaac that she had understood his deductions. He began his next move by inviting Sophie for a walk after breakfast.

• Li Wei searched the manor grounds with the Black Cat Doll and found something amiss beside the hedge maze.
• Mrs. Eva discussed the Ite People and the difference between people’s claims and their actions with Li Wei.
• Isaac reacted tensely when he saw The Sorrow of the Ite, and Mrs. Eva returned the book to him.
• Li Wei realized Mrs. Eva had been hinting at something and concluded that his deductions had fallen into place.
• Li Wei invited Sophie to take a walk with him after breakfast.

Li Wei walked with Sophie, learned her father’s former surname, and arranged for the Old Butler to search the grounds. At Sophie’s birthday party, Li Wei exposed the missing postman as the presumed murderer, and the Old Butler reported finding his corpse buried beside the maze garden.

• Li Wei comforted Sophie in the garden by placing a white fragrant orchid in her hair, while watching a furious man at a second-floor window through the Doll Cat.
• Sophie told Li Wei that her father’s former surname was Cohen, and Li Wei later asked the Old Butler to carry out a task during the party.
• Bianca told Li Wei she had struggled to sleep after seeing the corpse, and he advised her to have tea and sweets.
• At Sophie’s birthday party, Li Wei explained that Isaac’s account of the postman leaving did not add up because the mailbag remained behind.
• The Old Butler returned and announced that he had found the postman’s corpse buried in a mound beside the maze garden.

Li Wei exposed Isaac as the killer of the Postman and Charlie, then uncovered Herman and Richard’s role in the Cromwell family’s troubles. After Count Cromwell revealed the succession plan and Li Wei named Gladys as heir, Isaac and Herman drew guns, but Li Wei shot both of them in the hands.

• Li Wei explained that Isaac killed the Postman after handing him the invitations, then buried him in the Garden Maze with Sophie’s help.
• Li Wei revealed that Isaac had murdered Charlie to silence a witness, and Count Cromwell entered to testify that he had seen the killing.
• Count Cromwell disclosed that Li Wei had authority to choose the family heir, and Li Wei selected Gladys.
• Li Wei exposed Herman’s illegal businesses and Richard’s debt-driven betrayal, while Richard admitted passing along information about Andre’s succession.
• Isaac and Herman drew guns and threatened the gathering, but Li Wei shot both men in their right hands.

Li Wei recounted the aftermath of the Cromwell case to Katie, then reported his concerns about wealthy Ite People entering noble families to the Queen. He left after realizing she had her own plans, and a letter informed him that his airship was finished.

• Li Wei told Katie that Herman and Isaac had been sentenced to death, Richard and Marilyn had been imprisoned, Sophie had been sent to a monastery boarding school, and Gladys was helping Count Cromwell manage the family.
• The investigation revealed that Herman had arranged Andre's murder to prevent him from becoming head of the family.
• Li Wei warned the Queen that Ite capitalists marrying into noble families could threaten the Empire, and she said nobles were responsible for protecting the country.
• Li Wei inferred that the Queen was allowing the capitalists to accumulate wealth so the Empire could seize it when war came, then took his leave.
• Katie vowed to accompany Li Wei wherever he went after hearing about the case, and Kane delivered Li Wei a letter saying his airship was finished.

Li Wei inspected the newly completed Eye of the Sky, met its crew, and launched the airship on its first mission. The vessel headed for the Death Forest in the Bisbaru District, where Li Wei planned to confront Solomon.

• Li Wei visited the Royal Second Shipyard and saw that Howard Dylan had completed the advanced airship Eye of the Sky.
• Howard explained the Eye of the Sky’s systems, including its distributed gas cells, Difference Engine, radio, rainwater ballast, weapons, and auxiliary engines.
• Li Wei met First Officer Williams Horn, the other officers, and Henry’s Marine Corps contingent, forming a crew of thirty.
• Li Wei told the crew they would face threats beyond ordinary human enemies and announced an immediate operation.
• The Eye of the Sky launched from the assembly hall and set course for the Death Forest in the Bisbaru District, where Li Wei declared he was back for Solomon.

Li Wei took his airship to the Death Forest and used Soul Sight to discover that a vast supernatural growth was pursuing a group of survivors. After the airship attacked and destroyed one of its towering vine-like parts, Li Wei received a rescue request and prepared to go down to the forest.

• Li Wei ordered the airship to reach the Death Forest and examined the forest with Soul Sight, revealing a vast red entity and people fleeing from it.
• Li Wei ordered the crew to load incendiary rounds, descend, and prepare the Steam Mech Troopers and landing pod for combat.
• Li Wei directed the airship to fire on the forest, where tangled vines rose from the flames and revealed a huge eyeball.
• Lieutenant Huo En ordered another barrage, and the burning vine creature collapsed as the red presence across the forest dimmed.
• Li Wei received a message from the survivors requesting rescue and ordered the crew to reply with a meeting location before he went down to meet them.

Li Wei brought Officer Victor and the other survivors aboard the Eye of the Sky, then explained to its crew that their mission was to fight monsters. Soul Sight revealed a huge creature beneath the Northeastern Mountains at the source of the Death Forest, and Li Wei prepared to descend and confront it.

• Officer Victor told Li Wei how a search party entered the sealed forest, became trapped, and saw some of their companions transform into monsters.
• Li Wei rescued Victor and four other survivors, confined them in the cargo hold under guard, and told the Eye of the Sky's crew that they fought monsters.
• Li Wei directed the airship toward the Northeastern Mountains and used Soul Sight to locate a massive underground creature connected to the forest.
• Li Wei ordered the crew to bombard several glowing nodes, weakening the forest's red glow without drawing out the creature.
• Li Wei ordered a landing pod prepared and told Lieutenant Huo En that the crew's role was to support him in combat.
• Li Wei took Katie with him to descend toward the monster.

Li Wei and Katie descended into the mountain to lure out a powerful creature, discovering an ancient underground city on the way. At the edge of a platform, Li Wei used a doll cat to look down and finally see the creature's true form.

• Li Wei told Henry and the others to secure the drop pod and wait above while he and Katie went underground.
• Li Wei and Katie rode the drop pod into a deep cave and found a vast abandoned city carved into the mountain.
• Li Wei contacted Lieutenant Horn to report the city, then continued exploring with Katie while keeping watch for danger.
• A faint groaning sound echoed through the city, and Li Wei suspected the enormous creature below was snoring.
• Li Wei sent a doll cat over the edge of a raised platform and saw the creature's true form through its eyes.