Chapter Summaries

Qin Siyang passed the Bureau’s checks for his solo expedition and earned twelve points, but he revealed that the three round armor plates he first presented were only part of his haul. His backpack spilled more plates across the floor, leaving the inspector and onlookers stunned as verification continued.

• A man ahead of Qin Siyang showed off his team’s fifteen points from hunting Rotary Blade Spiders, then left after the crowd mocked his 1.2-point share.
• The inspector verified Qin Siyang’s identity, confirmed he had hunted alone, and used a lie detector and memory-continuity test to clear him.
• The inspector approved Qin Siyang for twelve points and six thousand copper coins, then posted his solo expedition for reports.
• John called Qin Siyang lucky, while Sun Juhong watched with a dismissive gaze.
• Qin Siyang stopped the inspector from ending the inspection and opened his backpack, spilling a large number of round armor plates across the floor.

Qin Siyang presented 795 round armor plates at the safe-zone exit, and the inspector subjected him to checks before approving his haul. Qin Siyang earned 1,600 God-Hunting Points and substantial rewards, then realized he would have to give Li Tianming half.

• John and Sun Juhong accused Qin Siyang of obtaining the round armor plates illegally, but Qin Siyang demanded that the inspector follow the Bureau's regulations.
• The inspector checked the 795 plates, Qin Siyang's aura, his truthfulness, and his memory continuity, confirming that the plates came from Qin Siyang's God-Hunting Dagger.
• The inspector revealed that the plates came from long-legged worms, prompting the crowd to resent Qin Siyang for killing most of the Sandworm Servants.
• Li Tianming urged Qin Siyang to rein in his killing intent, and Qin Siyang returned to a student-like smile.
• The inspector awarded Qin Siyang 1,600 God-Hunting Points, 800,000 copper coins, and 80 bottles of Sequence Potion, to be collected at a Bureau office.
• Qin Siyang celebrated his fortune, then remembered that he still had to give Li Tianming half.

Qin Siyang learned that taking the top spot at Safe Zone Exit No. 38324 earned him privileges, prompting John to challenge him to a private combat-arena duel. Qin Siyang initially refused, but after John offered the Blind Blade and Li Tianming explained the arena rules, Qin Siyang reconsidered when he learned there would be no legal consequences if he killed John.

• Qin Siyang prepared to collect his rewards and pay Li Tianming, but John stopped him and challenged him to a fight in the combat arena.
• Li Tianming explained that Qin Siyang had displaced John from the exit’s top five and its privileges, while Qin Siyang confronted the inspector over the ten-percent copper-coin bonus.
• John offered money, a Sequence Potion, and two years of service as stakes, but Qin Siyang refused to fight him.
• John offered the Blind Blade if he lost, and Li Tianming told Qin Siyang that god-hunting items were exceptionally valuable.
• Li Tianming explained that combat-arena matches were private and ended when one fighter surrendered through a wristband.
• Qin Siyang learned that combat-arena fighters faced no consequences for killing one another and became interested in accepting John’s challenge.

Qin Siyang accepted John’s challenge to settle their dispute in the Combat Arena after discovering the power of John’s Blind Blade. They reached the arena with a crowd of curious Sequence Ability Users, and its administrator came out to meet them.

• Qin Siyang inspected John’s Blind Blade and learned it could blind a Long-legged Worm for about five minutes, then accepted John’s challenge.
• John agreed to pay the bus fare, and a crowd of Sequence Ability Users joined them on the trip to the Combat Arena.
• The packed bus headed directly to the Combat Arena stop, where John led Qin Siyang and the others to the dark building.
• John knocked on the arena’s small door, the lights came on, and the Combat Arena administrator appeared to ask who was settling a dispute.

Qin Siyang entered the combat arena with John, who ambushed him with the Blind Blade, but Qin Siyang revealed overwhelming strength and killed him with a single punch. He took the blade and began arranging the scene and an explanation for the fight before leaving the arena.

• Qin Siyang and John registered for a confidential arena match, while Sun Juhong predicted John would win because he was a level-two [Phantom Assassin] carrying the Blind Blade.
• Qin Siyang realized the sealed room was the arena, and John attacked him as soon as the door closed.
• Qin Siyang dodged John's strike, overpowered him with his boosted attributes, and killed him with one punch.
• Qin Siyang picked up the Blind Blade, fabricated a fatal wound, and altered John's face to conceal his punch.
• Qin Siyang settled on blaming the fight on his violent temper and planned to have Li Tianming carry him out because his skill would leave him drained.

Qin Siyang emerged from the combat arena covered in blood after killing John and winning the Blind Blade. Li Tianming took him to the Administration Bureau to collect their rewards, while the people at Safe Zone Exit No. 38324 reconsidered Qin Siyang’s strength.

• Qin Siyang walked out of the arena alone, bloodied and dazed, while John’s teammates rushed inside and came back vomiting.
• Sun Juhong saw John’s gruesome corpse and realized Qin Siyang had killed a powerful opponent in about a minute.
• Li Tianming picked up the Blind Blade after Qin Siyang dropped it, and the attendant let them leave with the artifact.
• Li Tianming dragged Qin Siyang to the bus stop, and they boarded a bus bound for the Administration Bureau to collect their rewards.
• Late-arriving spectators found the crowd and the vomit outside the arena, then learned that the fight was already over.

After defeating John, Qin Siyang and Li Tianming went to the bureau to collect the rewards for Qin Siyang’s god-hunting points. Qin Siyang received eighty silver coins and eighty Sequence Potions, then insisted on splitting the money with Li Tianming, who tried to refuse.

• Late-arriving spectators entered the arena, saw the aftermath of the fight, and vomited, causing the attendant to faint.
• Qin Siyang and Li Tianming rode to the bureau, where Li Tianming waited outside while Qin Siyang went in to collect his rewards.
• A bureau employee discovered that Qin Siyang had earned 1,600 God-Hunting Points and reacted with disbelief.
• The bureau gave Qin Siyang eighty silver coins and eighty Sequence Potions, and its employees learned that he had killed over seven hundred Long-legged Worms.
• Qin Siyang offered Li Tianming half the silver coins, but when Li Tianming tried to refuse, Qin Siyang cut him off and turned cold.

Li Tianming and Qin Siyang settled their reward dispute by exchanging forty silver coins for eight Sequence Potions. Concerned that Qin Siyang’s remaining potions made him a target, Li Tianming arranged for him to stay at school overnight.

• Li Tianming asked Qin Siyang for Sequence Potions instead of the agreed forty silver coins, but Qin Siyang refused to change their original deal.
• Li Tianming offered to buy eight potions for forty silver coins, and Qin Siyang accepted the discounted sale.
• Li Tianming warned Qin Siyang that people might target him for his eighty Sequence Potions and advised him to avoid registered lodgings.
• Qin Siyang explained that he had to keep attending school to remain eligible for the post-exam assessment, so Li Tianming offered him a bed in his office.
• Li Tianming and Qin Siyang took the bus back to school, where Qin Siyang again had Li Tianming pay his fare.

After returning to school with Li Tianming, Qin Siyang cleaned up and prepared to face the attention his new status brought. When Li Jingwen and Zhou Yang confronted him in class, he declared her his mortal enemy and forced Zhou Yang’s uncle to choose between them.

• Qin Siyang showered in Li Tianming’s hidden office bathroom, slept in the principal’s office, and left for class the next morning.
• Qin Siyang considered how to avoid trouble with the authorities over killing John and planned to blame the school’s moral education director.
• Li Jingwen and Zhou Yang asked Qin Siyang to stop holding a grudge against her, but he accused her of sleeping with Zhou Yang to secure his support.
• Qin Siyang made Zhou Yang call his uncle, Director Zhou Xing, and told him Zhou Yang was protecting his mortal enemy.
• Zhou Xing ordered Zhou Yang to cut ties with Li Jingwen and apologize to Qin Siyang, threatening to disown Zhou Yang’s family if Qin Siyang refused to forgive him.

Qin Siyang used Zhou Xing’s call to make Zhou Yang back down and abandon Li Jingwen, then refused Li Jingwen’s plea for forgiveness. Left isolated and afraid, Li Jingwen decided to target Zhu Li and Wen Shu as Qin Siyang’s possible weaknesses.

• Zhou Xing offered Qin Siyang a chance to discuss a special admission slot at Xingren University, and Qin Siyang agreed to meet him for a meal.
• Zhou Yang realized he could not afford to offend Qin Siyang, apologized, and promised to stop interfering in Qin Siyang’s business with Li Jingwen.
• Li Jingwen pleaded with Qin Siyang to forgive her, but he rejected her offer and warned her to enjoy her last moments of peace.
• As class began, Li Jingwen found herself isolated and resolved to use Zhu Li and Wen Shu to pressure Qin Siyang.

Qin Siyang used his recent earnings to persuade Teacher Zhu to get treatment for her stomach condition, then looked into helping Wen Shu afford private housing for college. He left Li Tianming furious after barging into the principal’s office while Li Tianming was with Teacher Yang.

• Qin Siyang learned that Zhao Wenlai had transferred schools and helped Teacher Zhu put books away in the library.
• Qin Siyang gave Teacher Zhu three silver coins from his earnings and persuaded her to go to the hospital for surgery.
• Qin Siyang offered to loan Wen Shu money for private housing near college, but she doubted he could afford the rent and said she could not repay him.
• Qin Siyang entered Li Tianming’s office and looked up private-room rental prices while Li Tianming and Teacher Yang were together.
• Li Tianming realized Qin Siyang was researching housing for Wen Shu and angrily accused him of chasing her.

Li Tianming explained to Qin Siyang that the eight colleges served privileged families and that housing near them was far too expensive for ordinary students like Wen Shu. He urged Qin to stop thinking about paying Wen Shu’s rent and to keep his expectations grounded, while Qin insisted he was not pursuing her.

• Qin Siyang balked at Li Tianming’s claim that renting near a college could cost hundreds of silver coins.
• Li Tianming explained that the eight colleges were located in wealthy districts and primarily served the children of the rich and powerful.
• Li Tianming told Qin that most college places were reserved for privileged students and described the steep rents near Lianrong College and other colleges.
• Li Tianming explained that Wen Shu had chosen Tiantong College or Renxing College because they offered studio dorms, while renting a separate place could leave her in debt for life.
• Li Tianming advised Qin not to spend a fortune on Wen Shu’s rent and warned him that love and marriage were uncertain.
• Qin insisted he was not pursuing Wen Shu, and Li Tianming concluded by urging him to keep his feet on the ground.

Qin Siyang was questioned by Qian Wendao and Inspector Olof about killing John Stepon, while Li Tianming helped explain Qin Siyang’s violent outbursts as a result of his troubled upbringing and the school’s neglect. The questioning continued with Olof waiting to speak to Qin Siyang alone.

• Qin Siyang asked Li Tianming whether killing someone and hiding the body together made people inseparable, prompting Li Tianming to grow wary.
• Qian Wendao and Inspector Olof arrived at Li Tianming’s office to question Qin Siyang about John Stepon’s death in the Combat Arena.
• Qian Wendao asked Qin Siyang why he killed John and how he defeated a stronger opponent, and Qin Siyang refused to reveal his confidential methods.
• Qin Siyang said he had killed John because John threatened him, then claimed he had smashed John’s head in a fit of agitation.
• Li Tianming told Qian Wendao that the school had neglected Qin Siyang and that he had appointed himself Qin Siyang’s [Insurance Provider] to guide and protect him.
• Olof said he wanted to question Qin Siyang alone after Qian Wendao finished.

Qian Wendao accepted Li Tianming’s explanation and left, allowing Olov to question Qin Siyang alone. Olov suspected Qin Siyang of manipulating Wang Defa and possibly causing Liu Dazhi’s death, but Qin Siyang denied involvement and challenged Olov to prove his theory about the timing of his Sequence awakening.

• Qian Wendao told Li Tianming that he would report the matter to the Administration Bureau, then asked him to leave Olov alone with Qin Siyang.
• Olov told Qin Siyang that he had been fooled by him and suspected he had directed Wang Defa’s actions.
• Qin Siyang denied that his relationship with Wang Defa was anything more than friendship and said he had researched his rights using Li Tianming’s office computer.
• Olov revealed that he suspected Qin Siyang of killing Liu Dazhi but acknowledged that Qin Siyang had a solid alibi based on school surveillance footage.
• Olov suggested Qin Siyang might have used his Sequence ability before pretending to awaken it last weekend, and Qin Siyang asked how he could prove that.

Inspector Olov connected Qin Siyang to the murders, the disappearance of the divine remains, and a falsified sequence, then pressed him to reveal what he had done with the remains. Qin Siyang denied everything but began considering killing Olov, while Olov threatened to have his sequence tested again and left Qin questioning what was wrong with that plan.

• Olov confronted Qin Siyang with evidence that John’s and Liu Dazhi’s bodies had been destroyed to prevent their memories from being read, while Qin denied responsibility for anything beyond killing John.
• Olov revealed that three burned corpses had been found near Safe Zone Exit No. 54320 and linked the murders to the disappearance of divine remains there.
• Olov told Qin that he cared about finding the stolen divine remains, not about the victims, and demanded to know where Qin had hidden them.
• Qin denied knowing anything about the remains and considered killing Olov to prevent him from causing trouble.
• Olov said he could expose Qin’s falsified sequence by having the Administration Bureau test him again, leaving Qin surprised because he believed the Bureau did not retest Sequence Ability Users.

Qin Siyang questioned Inspector Olof after discovering that Olof seemed unaware of the safe zone’s policy on Sequence Ability Users. He concluded that Olof had come from elsewhere and might have replaced the real Inspector Olof, then left both men facing mutual accusations and a shared admission of killing.

• Qin Siyang found that Sequence Ability Users were retested only after conviction, while Olof seemed unaware of the policy.
• Qin Siyang reviewed Olof’s career and questioned why a former police chief from other safe zones had become an inspector in Area No. 14121.
• Qin Siyang confirmed that safe zones had separate local networks, then accused Olof of coming from outside the area and replacing the real Inspector Olof.
• Qin Siyang explained that protests three years earlier had ended repeated mandatory testing, and challenged Olof for not knowing about the change despite his claimed history.
• Olof said he had never killed anyone, and Qin Siyang replied that neither had he, except John.

Qin Siyang rebuffed Olof’s attempt to recruit him, then heard Li Tianming warn that Olof’s unexplained transfer suggested powerful forces behind him. The chapter ended with Qin Siyang accepting the warning while trading barbs with Li Tianming about their partnership.

• Olof urged Qin Siyang to cooperate for humanity’s sake, but Qin Siyang refused to trust him or reveal anything.
• After Olof left, Qin Siyang told Li Tianming that Olof had uncovered much of what he had done despite lacking decisive evidence.
• Li Tianming recalled Olof solving a campus murder in days and explained that Olof had been transferred to the safe zone without any stated reason.
• Li Tianming warned Qin Siyang to avoid Olof because the forces behind him were likely more powerful than those behind Qin Siyang.
• Qin Siyang kept his identity and backing ambiguous, then joked that he would have taken Li Tianming’s forty silver coins if he were the greatest person in the world.

Qin Siyang asked Li Tianming about Zhou Xing’s offer of a special admission slot to Xingren University and learned how the competitive process worked. He realized Zhou Xing might be his only chance to qualify and decided to make amends at their upcoming dinner.

• Qin Siyang told Li Tianming that Zhou Xing had offered him a special admission slot to Xingren University.
• Li Tianming explained how officials nominated students for special admission and how the students’ God-Hunting Points determined their rankings.
• Li Tianming described the strict team-size requirements for earning qualifying points and explained that students could negotiate offers with universities.
• Li Tianming said Xingren University ranked near the bottom but that Qin Siyang could choose a better university if one recruited him.
• Qin Siyang realized Zhou Xing might be his only chance at a special admission slot and resolved to be more respectful during their dinner.

Qin Siyang left school to meet Zhou Xing at Good Fortune Restaurant, while bus passengers feared him because of his reputation for killing John. He met Zhou Xing and began looking over the menu, where a dish caught him off guard.

• Qin Siyang borrowed copper coins from Li Tianming and left school early after asking Wen Shu to lock the library.
• Qin Siyang rode the bus to the Safe Zone exit, and the passengers hurried off after learning who he was.
• Qin Siyang told Qian Wendao that Olof had discovered the problem with his sequence registration, and Qian Wendao assured him there was no need to worry about the Administration Bureau.
• Qin Siyang arrived at Good Fortune Restaurant and met Zhou Xing, who welcomed him and ordered the owner to bring a menu.
• Qin Siyang read the signature dishes on the menu and froze when he saw Red Fermented Bean Curd Braised Pig Trotter.

Qin Siyang met Zhou Xing over dinner to discuss a special admission slot, but Zhou Xing demanded Sequence Potions in exchange. Qin Siyang challenged the price and hinted that his status as an orphan who awakened a Sequence made him more significant than Zhou Xing assumed.

• Qin Siyang learned from Boss Du that pork still existed but was too expensive for ordinary people, and Zhou Xing ordered him braised pork trotters and other dishes.
• Zhou Xing explained how difficult it had been to secure a special admission slot and implied that he expected repayment.
• Qin Siyang directly suggested that Zhou Xing wanted Sequence Potions and asked how many he needed.
• Zhou Xing demanded fifty bottles, then lowered his demand to thirty after Qin Siyang refused and mentioned offers of eight silver coins per bottle.
• Qin Siyang asked whether Zhou Xing had ever seen an orphan from the edge of the safe zone awaken a Sequence.