Chapter Summaries

Li Chen and Zhu Zhuying attended the Tasha Kingdom’s Ball-Toss Marriage Match after meeting Zhao Jing, who praised Li Chen without realizing he was the emperor. The Princess aimed her Embroidered Ball at Li Chen, hoping to marry him, but Zhao Jing revealed she was already pregnant, and Li Chen started to leave.

• Zhao Jing introduced himself to Li Chen and Zhu Zhuying, offered to pay for their meal, and learned they were seeking hotpot restaurant franchisees.
• Zhao Jing praised the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty and its emperor, while Li Chen wondered whether he had been recognized.
• Zhao Jing explained that the Tasha Princess was holding a Ball-Toss Marriage Match, so Li Chen, Zhu Zhuying, and Zhao Jing went to watch.
• The Princess spotted Li Chen in the crowd and threw the Embroidered Ball toward him, but cultivators intercepted it and fought over it.
• Zhao Jing told Li Chen that the Princess was already pregnant and the royal family was trying to arrange a cover-up through the ball toss.
• Li Chen realized the cultivators were steering the ball toward him and turned to leave, alarming the Princess.

The princess's attempt to make Li Chen catch her embroidered ball failed when Zhang Qi seized it, but the king still summoned Li Chen and his party to the palace. At the banquet, Li Chen sat with the king and queen while Zhang Qi remained convinced he would become the prince consort.

• The princess's guards secretly directed the embroidered ball toward Li Chen, but it stopped against an invisible barrier and Zhang Qi caught it.
• The king congratulated Zhang Qi and invited him to the palace, while the Imperial Guards approached Li Chen.
• Li Chen accepted the king's invitation, bringing Zhu Zhuying and Zhao Jing with him, and left Zhang Qi unaware that the princess still favored him.
• The guards escorted Zhang Qi to the palace as the deputy commander planned to pressure him into withdrawing from the contest.
• At the royal banquet, Zhang Qi sat in a corner while Li Chen and Zhao Jing received seats of honor beside the king and queen.

Li Chen met privately with the king of the Tasha Kingdom, who discovered that his guest was the emperor of the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty. After Li Chen questioned the kingdom’s ties to the Eternal Day Empire, the king left the side hall trembling and followed Li Chen back to the banquet like a servant.

• The king invited Li Chen to a side hall, where Li Chen asked to meet the Tasha Kingdom’s envoy.
• The envoy recognized Li Chen as the emperor of Heavenly Strategy and knelt before him, shocking the king into kneeling as well.
• Li Chen asked whether the Tasha Kingdom had dealings with the Eternal Day Empire, and the king and envoy denied any disloyalty.
• The king stopped his daughter from entering the side hall and sharply ordered her to leave.
• Li Chen and the king returned to the banquet, where Zhao Jing saw the king trailing behind Li Chen with a servile smile.

The King of the Tasha Kingdom treated Li Chen with extreme deference, believing him to be the Emperor of the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty, and took him on an incognito inspection of the capital. At breakfast, Li Chen and the king encountered a young couple from the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty angrily confronting restaurant staff over the prices.

• The King of the Tasha Kingdom seated Li Chen at the place of honor, poured his wine, and refused to let the Tasha Queen toast him.
• The king invited Li Chen to inspect the kingdom, and Li Chen agreed so he could see local conditions for himself.
• The next day, Li Chen and the king visited an Enlightenment School where a teacher praised the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty and urged students to study hard.
• Li Chen and the king walked through a newly built street and entered an upscale restaurant for breakfast, where the king wiped Li Chen's stool before he sat.
• A young couple from the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty berated the restaurant staff, complaining that the lodging and meal prices were excessive.

Li Chen watched Qian Zaili expose a couple who had pretended to be Heavenly Strategy citizens, then toured the Tasha Kingdom’s military preparations with its king. After Li Chen departed, the king punished the fraudsters and ordered schools to teach Heavenly Strategy culture.

• Qian Zaili demanded proof from a couple claiming to be Heavenly Strategy citizens, and they admitted they were impostors from a nearby small country.
• Qian Zaili paid the restaurant’s listed price, earning Li Chen’s approval and praise from the king of the Tasha Kingdom.
• The king showed Li Chen the Tasha Kingdom’s defenses and ordered a confused commander to cooperate with the advancing Heavenly Strategy army.
• After escorting Li Chen to the border, the king rebuked his queen and princess, ordered the impostors publicly whipped, and decreed Heavenly Strategy culture lessons in every school.

The King of Tasha weighed whether to send troops to aid the Hundred Brahma Kingdom after the Uluoya Empire attacked it. The Hundred Brahma army swiftly defeated the Uluoya forces and reached their capital, leaving the King of Tasha to realize they had never needed help.

• The King of Tasha learned that the Uluoya Empire had gone to war with the Hundred Brahma Kingdom and debated whether to intervene.
• A scout reported that the Hundred Brahma army had broken through the Uluoya border defenses and was advancing into the empire.
• The King of Tasha discovered that the Hundred Brahma army used Heavenly Strategy equipment and tactics, while the Uluoya Empire had received inferior weapons from the Eternal Day Empire.
• The Hundred Brahma army captured eight Uluoya cities, distributed grain to residents, and won their support.
• On the third day, the Hundred Brahma army reached the Uluoya Royal Capital, and the King of Tasha understood why the King of Hundred Brahma had not asked for help.

The King of Tasha decided not to intervene in Hundred Brahma’s war against the Uluoya Empire and explained why he trusted the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty over the Eternal Day Empire. In the Starfall Empire, Dai Xiaoyao asked Zhu Yingxiong to help him rebel against his brother so he could protect their country from the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty’s growing power.

• The King of Tasha refused to send troops to aid the Uluoya Empire and said Hundred Brahma intended to conquer it without outside help.
• The King of Tasha told his officials that the Eternal Day Empire cared mainly about profit and would not risk itself to protect its allies.
• Dai Xiaoyao told Zhu Yingxiong that Hundred Brahma had reached the Uluoya Royal Capital in three days with Heavenly Strategy equipment.
• Zhu Yingxiong said Starfall would be far weaker than Uluoya without the Eternal Day Empire’s garrison.
• Dai Xiaoyao asked Zhu Yingxiong to help him rebel against Dai Wuchang, then knelt and pleaded for his help.

Dai Xiaoyao won Zhu Yingxiong’s support for a rebellion against Dai Wuchang, while Dai Wuchang considered sacrificing his brother to appease the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty. Li Chen watched the Hundred Brahma Kingdom’s army and continued his pressure campaign along the border, leaving the Starfall Kingdom caught between rival powers and a covert struggle for the throne.

• Dai Xiaoyao asked Zhu Yingxiong for help, and Zhu agreed to support him with old military subordinates.
• Dai Wuchang learned that the Eternal Day Empire was exploiting Starfall Kingdom and that the Tasha Kingdom had acquired Heavenly Strategy equipment.
• After the Heavenly Strategy army advanced another thousand meters, Dai Wuchang sought advice from his envoy about secretly appeasing Li Chen.
• The envoy suggested making Dai Xiaoyao a scapegoat, and Dai Wuchang hesitated because his brother had Zhu Yingxiong’s support.
• Li Chen and Zhu Zhuying watched the disciplined Hundred Brahma Kingdom army as Li Chen explained that his daily advances were meant to intimidate neighboring countries.

Xu Zifeng and Yun Xu followed Li Chen’s strategy of advancing without provoking the Southern Kingdoms, while Li Chen visited a city newly occupied by the Hundred Brahma Kingdom. There he saw Heavenly Strategy merchants helping rebuild the city and learned that the Hundred Brahma king had once studied at Kindling Combat Academy under the Previous Emperor’s guidance.

• Yun Xu refused Xu Zifeng’s suggestion to seek trouble with nearby countries, saying they had to follow Li Chen’s strategy.
• Li Chen entered a city held by the Hundred Brahma Kingdom and found Heavenly Strategy merchants already directing construction work.
• Hundred Brahma Kingdom soldiers beat local thugs who had stolen a merchant’s money pouch, drawing cheers from onlookers.
• Zhu Zhuying asked about the Hundred Brahma king, and Li Chen recalled that the Previous Emperor had guided him at Kindling Combat Academy.

Zhao Wenyuan and Liu Minghan discussed Li Chen’s absence, the Southern Expeditionary Army’s advance, and the stability of the court. Zhao worried about who would succeed him as chancellor, while Guo Poyun prepared to meet a messenger from Zhao’s residence.

• Liu Minghan asked Zhao Wenyuan when Li Chen might return, and Zhao said the officials should shoulder more of the emperor’s burdens.
• Liu Minghan reported that the Southern Expeditionary Army had advanced another thousand meters and that Southern Kingdoms were strengthening their forces or seeking goodwill.
• Zhao Wenyuan said Li Chen’s show of force had unsettled the Southern Kingdoms and that the Eternal Day Empire had no reason to start a costly war.
• Zhao Wenyuan told Zhao Mingyuan he feared a disloyal future chancellor could bring turmoil to Heavenly Strategy, then resolved to warn Li Chen about unruly young officials.
• Guo Poyun harvested cabbages for Li Chen and learned that a messenger from Zhao Wenyuan’s residence had come to discuss an important matter.

Lin Mo went to stop Xiao Ming and Fang Qian from fighting over Wei Manying, but they only postponed their duel after exhausting themselves. Meanwhile, Li Chen met the king of the Hundred Brahma Kingdom during an incognito inspection, and the king grew puzzled when Li Chen failed to recognize his identity.

• Wei Manying asked Lin Mo to break up Xiao Ming and Fang Qian's duel on the outskirts of the Imperial Capital.
• Lin Mo ordered Xiao Ming and Fang Qian to stop, but they ignored him and resumed fighting.
• Xiao Ming and Fang Qian eventually agreed to fight another day after their strength was spent, while Lin Mo realized his status gave him little influence.
• Li Chen and Zhu Zhuying met the king of the Hundred Brahma Kingdom, who was inspecting a city formerly belonging to the Uluoya Empire.
• The king invited Li Chen to his Temporary Palace to continue their conversation and wondered why Li Chen had not guessed who he was.

The King of Hundred Brahma tried to impress Li Chen and recruit him without revealing his identity, but Li Chen remained unmoved. At the welcoming banquet, an envoy recognized Li Chen as the Emperor of Heavenly Strategy, and the King of Hundred Brahma realized whom he had been trying to recruit.

• The King of Hundred Brahma showed Li Chen his wealth, connections, and cultivation, but Li Chen gave only mild responses.
• The King of Hundred Brahma left to prepare a feast and planned to reveal his identity by assembling his court in Imperial Robes.
• Li Chen and Zhu Zhuying toured the Temporary Palace, where Zhu Zhuying identified the Guardian Deity Statue.
• At the banquet, an envoy recognized Li Chen as the Emperor of Heavenly Strategy and knelt to pay his respects.
• The Hundred Brahma Kingdom's officials and the King of Hundred Brahma hurriedly prostrated themselves before Li Chen.
• Li Chen walked toward the seat of honor and asked the King of Hundred Brahma whether he knew where Li Chen's seat was.

Li Chen attended the Hundred Brahma Kingdom’s victory banquet after revealing he was the emperor of the Heavenly Strategy Empire, then left when a special envoy from the Eternal Day Empire arrived. He and Zhu Zhuying headed for the Starfall Kingdom, where both Zhu Zhuying and King Dai Wuchang faced the problem of restoring the kingdom’s protection.

• The King of the Hundred Brahma Kingdom gave Li Chen the seat of honor and waited on him while his ministers remained prostrate.
• Li Chen avoided discussing state affairs at the banquet, then reminded the king that the Previous Emperor judged people by their actions rather than their words.
• A guard announced that a special envoy from the Eternal Day Empire had arrived, but Li Chen left and the king personally escorted him out of the city.
• Li Chen and Zhu Zhuying set off for the Starfall Kingdom, where Zhu Zhuying worried about persuading her king to return to the Heavenly Strategy Empire’s fold.
• King Dai Wuchang wondered how he could regain the Heavenly Strategy Empire’s protection and avert the danger of his kingdom’s destruction.

Dai Wuchang sought help from the Eternal Day Empire against Dai Xiaoyao’s rebellion, but the garrison commander refused to fight and sold him ten thousand sets of elite equipment instead. Dai Xiaoyao and Zhu Yingxiong turned to the Hundred Brahma Kingdom for weapons, and it agreed to sell them at a higher price while offering an alliance.

• Dai Wuchang asked the Eternal Day Empire’s garrison commander to intervene in the civil war, but the commander refused, citing orders to resist the Heavenly Strategy Dynasty.
• The commander offered Dai Wuchang elite armor and weapons inlaid with thunder essence stones, and Dai Wuchang ordered all ten thousand available sets.
• Dai Xiaoyao told Zhu Yingxiong that Dai Wuchang had bought the equipment and challenged them to fight at Flat-Topped Slope in three days.
• Zhu Yingxiong proposed seeking weapons from the Hundred Brahma Kingdom because the Heavenly Strategy Empire had not answered their request.
• The Hundred Brahma Kingdom agreed to an alliance and offered to sell Dai Xiaoyao Heavenly Strategy weapons and armor at a higher price.

Li Chen met the incognito Emperor Charles Stan at Drunken Dream Manor, where their conversation revealed Charles Stan’s resentment toward the Holy See’s influence over his rule. Charles Stan was left echoing Li Chen’s blunt advice to kill disobedient family members as masked figures entered the manor.

• Dai Xiaoyao bought twenty thousand sets of military equipment through the King of Hundred Brahma, and a thousand-man unit trained his troops to use it.
• Charles Stan watched the armies outside the Starfall Empire’s Imperial City while discussing his troubled relationship with the Holy See with his guards.
• Li Chen arrived at Drunken Dream Manor with Zhu Zhuying, and Charles Stan invited him to sit after sensing he was unusual.
• Li Chen and Charles Stan discussed trade, politics, and cultivation before Charles Stan asked how to handle powerful family members who would not obey him.
• Li Chen advised Charles Stan to kill them, and Charles Stan echoed the suggestion bitterly because the Holy See was too powerful.
• More than ten masked figures in black entered Drunken Dream Manor carrying weapons.

Dill, a Red-robed Cardinal of the Holy See, attacked Charles Stan and the Mountain Villa with a devastating fireball. Li Chen shattered the attack with one casual strike and sent Dill crashing into a lotus pond, leaving Charles Stan to realize Li Chen was no ordinary merchant.

• George spotted men forming a circle around the villa while Dill learned that Charles Stan and his attendant were upstairs.
• Dill unleashed his saint-realm power, setting the villa ablaze and sending a fireball plunging toward it.
• Charles Stan recognized the attack as the work of a Red-robed Cardinal and realized the Holy See had sent Dill to kill him.
• Li Chen casually swept out his palm, shattered the fireball, and blasted Dill into the lotus pond.
• George identified the fallen attacker as Dill, and Charles Stan watched Li Chen with new suspicion and awe.

Li Chen revealed that he was the Emperor of Heavenly Strategy after Dill, a Red-robed Cardinal, threatened him and Charles Stan. Unable to attack Li Chen, Dill accused Charles Stan of colluding with the enemy and planned to report him to the Pope for treason.

• Charles Stan considered recruiting Li Chen, while Dill climbed out of the mud and threatened Li Chen with the Holy See’s power.
• Li Chen showed no fear, and Zhu Zhuying identified him as the Emperor of Heavenly Strategy.
• The merchants and Charles Stan were stunned by Li Chen’s identity, and Dill abandoned his threat against him.
• Dill accused Charles Stan of secretly colluding with Li Chen and decided to report him to the Pope for treason.

Li Chen drove Dill and his black-clad men away after they attacked the Mountain Villa, while Charles Stan considered whether he could enlist Li Chen against the Holy See. Meanwhile, Dai Xiaoyao defeated Dai Wuchang and returned to the Starfall Imperial City to public acclaim.

• Dill fled after Li Chen demonstrated his strength, and the black-clad men ran from the Mountain Villa rather than attack.
• Li Chen declined Charles Stan’s offer of gratitude and left, while Charles considered seeking his help against the Holy See but worried about the cost.
• Charles Stan resolved to deal less mercifully with his younger brother after learning of his betrayal.
• Dai Xiaoyao’s better-equipped army defeated Dai Wuchang, who fled the Starfall Empire alongside Eternal Day garrison troops.
• Zhu Yingxiong’s followers spread stories discrediting Dai Wuchang and praising Dai Xiaoyao as he rode back to the Imperial City to cheers.

After taking the throne, Dai Xiaoyao was summoned to meet Li Chen and realized that his survival and Starfall Kingdom’s fate depended on Li Chen’s favor. As Li Chen spoke with Zhu Yingxiong, a palace maid quietly approached Zhu Zhuying.

• Dai Xiaoyao finished arranging the troops and defenses, then headed for the Imperial Palace to enjoy his new privileges before his coronation.
• A guard told Dai Xiaoyao that Li Chen had arrived at Zhu Yingxiong’s residence, so Dai Xiaoyao hurried there to pay his respects.
• Dai Xiaoyao knelt before Li Chen, credited his victory to Li Chen’s support, and sat nervously in a lower-ranking seat.
• Li Chen chatted with Zhu Yingxiong while Dai Xiaoyao sat aside, increasingly afraid of Li Chen’s power over him and his kingdom.
• A palace maid quietly approached Zhu Zhuying.

At the Grand General's Residence, Zhu Zhuying learned that her sister, Empress Zhu Zhujing, was seeking help for the Starfall Empire's consorts and devised a plan to protect them from Dai Xiaoyao. She joined Zhu Zhujing and the consorts in the palace, leaving her plan underway but not yet revealed.

• Li Chen spoke with Zhu Yingxiong while Dai Xiaoyao sat nervously nearby, unable to find the courage to address him.
• A palace maid told Zhu Zhuying that Zhu Zhujing had sent for help, hoping Zhu Yingxiong would persuade Dai Xiaoyao to treat the palace consorts kindly.
• Zhu Zhuying decided she would not let Dai Xiaoyao take Zhu Zhujing and the consorts into his harem, and she went with the maid to the palace.
• Zhu Zhujing's consorts pleaded for her help, and the palace maid reported that Zhu Zhuying had arrived as an imperial consort of the Heavenly Strategy Empire.
• Zhu Zhuying insisted the consorts stay, reunited with Zhu Zhujing, and questioned her about what she planned to do under Dai Xiaoyao's rule.