Chapter Summaries

Chen Qing Shan escaped west after killing a Barbarian General, while Wang Yang was captured by the Yidu Barbarians and brought to a sacrificial altar. There, he suddenly transformed and confronted Xiao Baoyue as a mysterious figure invoking the Century-Long Pact.

• Chen Qing Shan killed a Barbarian General and rode west with four Wenyang warriors following her.
• Wang Yang fell behind the pursuing Wenyang troops and was ambushed by Yidu Barbarians seeking to sacrifice him.
• Wang Yang escaped one rope trap briefly but was captured again and knocked unconscious.
• The Yidu Barbarians brought Wang Yang and Xiao Baoyue to a sacrificial altar.
• Wang Yang convulsed, then stood with a changed presence and asked Xiao Baoyue whether she remembered the Century-Long Pact.

Wang Yang and Xiao Baoyue deceived the Yidu Barbarians by pretending King Pan had appeared and named Wang Yang his Divine Envoy. The tribe rallied behind Wang Yang, who then challenged anyone who doubted him to step forward.

• Wang Yang claimed Xiao Baoyue was his Divine Slave, and she pretended to awaken and hailed him as King Pan.
• Xiao Baoyue asked King Pan to appoint a Divine Envoy, allowing Wang Yang to declare himself the envoy and threaten prosperity or destruction depending on the tribe’s support.
• Wang Yang pretended to receive King Pan’s message and led the barbarians in bidding the god farewell, until everyone knelt and joined the chorus.
• Wang Yang called for silence and asked those who believed in him to stay while those who doubted him stepped forward.

Wang Yang faced the Junior Ritualist’s challenge by presenting himself as a divine envoy and reframing King Pan’s supposed hatred of Han people. When the Junior Ritualist invoked the ancient shaman Badan’s command to sacrifice Han captives, Wang Yang claimed Badan had misheard—and used a dust explosion to make the crowd accept his authority.

• Baoyue bowed to Wang Yang and challenged the Junior Ritualist for interrupting the divine envoy, while Wang Yang invited him to ask questions.
• Wang Yang argued that King Pan could not hate the Han, since a supreme god could wipe them out but had allowed them to flourish.
• The Junior Ritualist cited Badan’s dream-command to sacrifice Han people, and Baoyue worried that challenging the revered shaman would undermine Wang Yang.
• Wang Yang insisted Badan had not lied but had mistaken “bad people” for “Han people,” then triggered a dust explosion that blasted the bronze brazier into the air.
• Wang Yang warned the terrified Junior Ritualist against blaspheming King Pan’s words, while Baoyue resented his gentle manner toward the man.

Wang Yang turned the Yidu Tribe’s grief and faith into allegiance, declaring himself King Pan’s sole divine emissary and beginning to preach his commands. Chieftain Tian Dadao arrived and, seeing the crowd’s devotion, quickly changed his angry accusation into a show of submission.

• Wang Yang explained Ba Dan’s mistaken teachings as an unwitting effort that had helped preserve and unite the Yidu Tribe, then condemned the tribe for clinging to them.
• Wang Yang promised to guide the tribe back to King Pan’s true way, and the young shaman and tribespeople bowed to him as Lord Divine Emissary.
• Wang Yang told the tribespeople to rise, then began preaching King Pan’s commands and proclaiming himself the only true divine emissary.
• Tian Dadao returned to the stockade, intending to deal with the supposed impostor, but changed his words and kowtowed when the crowd turned against him.

Wang Yang preached King Pan’s true way to the Yidu tribe, stirring the crowd with a promise of prosperity and introducing a ritual greeting that unified them. As the tribe adopted the gesture, Xiao Baoyue realized it was a way to teach obedience and strengthen Wang Yang’s authority.

• Wang Yang seated Tian Dadao in the front row and explained that a chief’s rank and responsibilities deserved respect.
• Wang Yang refused Tian Dadao’s offers of rest and a feast, insisting that the people hear the sermon first.
• Wang Yang described King Pan’s trials and declared that the Yidu tribe’s suffering would lead to prosperity, moving the crowd to shout in unison.
• Wang Yang whispered instructions to the Junior Ritualist, then taught the tribe to strike their shoulders with their fists and say, “Our God above.”
• Xiao Baoyue recognized that the repeated gesture was meant to foster obedience, while Tian Dadao remained wary despite joining the crowd’s cheers.

Tian Dadao tried to recall his troops but learned that Wang Yang had secretly gone to the army camp with the Junior Ritualist. In Jingzhou, Kong Changyu read an edict granting the Prince of Badong sweeping military and political authority, then used threats against officials and their families to force their submission; Le Zhan was the next official he ordered to set an example.

• Tian Dadao gathered his clan’s personal guards and sought the Bronze Tiger Tally so he could recall the Barbarian Army.
• A subordinate reported that Wang Yang had left the stockade with the Junior Ritualist and gone to the army camp, and Tian Dadao dropped the tally in shock.
• Kong Changyu read an edict appointing the Prince of Badong Great General Who Conquers the West and Commandant of the Southern Barbarians, with control over Jingzhou’s forces and treasuries.
• Wu Xiuzhi demanded to inspect the edict, and Kong Changyu had an armored soldier stab him to death.
• Yin Tancan also challenged Kong Changyu, but he backed down when Kong Changyu brought in his terrified son, Yin Xiao Wu.
• Kong Changyu demanded that Le Zhan, as the foremost provincial official, obey the edict and set an example.

Wang Yang used a staged blessing to appoint Wen Daoqi as his seventy-third Holy Guard, while Baoyue grudgingly maintained the steam that created his divine aura. Meanwhile, Kong Changyu confronted Le Zhan over the edict, and Le Xiaopang’s unexpected arrival led to a clash that left him ordered gagged and beaten.

• Wang Yang urged the frightened Wen Daoqi to declare his ambitions aloud until the boy vowed to master the saber, restore the Yidu Tribe, and fight for the Divine Envoy.
• Wang Yang blessed Wen Daoqi and named him the seventy-third Holy Guard, prompting the guards and gathered barbarians to chant their loyalty while Baoyue cursed over the bamboo steam apparatus.
• Kong Changyu pressed Le Zhan for an answer about obeying the edict, but Le Zhan continued reciting poetry and claimed his son was not in Jingzhou.
• Le Xiaopang arrived under military escort, and Le Zhan pretended to collapse from his heart condition after seeing him.
• Kong Changyu ordered the soldiers to seize Le Xiaopang for angering his father, and then had him gagged and beaten after Le Xiaopang accused him of abusing his office.

Tao Rui failed to persuade Yu Yi to support the Prince of Badong, while Yu Yi hinted that Jingzhou's situation was not settled. Wang Yi then revealed his authority as Chief Clerk and rallied commandery troops, prompting the Prince of Badong to ride out with sixty guards to confront him.

• Yu Yi refused Tao Rui's appeal and offered his sons and himself rather than yield to threats.
• Yu Yi told Tao Rui that Jingzhou was not settled, and Tao Rui received an urgent report about Wang Yi's actions.
• Kong Changyu learned that Wang Yi had established a Chief Clerk's Residence, declared the prince's military orders invalid without his countersignature, and mobilized troops toward Jiangling.
• The Prince of Badong rejected Kong Changyu's advice to stay behind Jingzhou's defenses and prepared to confront Wang Yi with sixty mounted guards.
• The Prince of Badong left Kong Changyu in charge of the city and led his cavalry out to meet Wang Yi.

Wang Yang waited in the barbarian stockade for Tian Dadao to choose whether to cooperate, then argued with Baoyue over who would sleep in the bed. He left Baoyue furious after beating her in two riddles and winning her valuables.

• Wang Yang explained to Baoyue why Tian Dadao was more likely to cooperate than join the other chieftains against him.
• Wang Yang took the bed, and Baoyue agreed to a riddle contest to decide who would sleep there.
• Wang Yang tricked Baoyue with a riddle about a man who passed out at a river, so she lost the first contest and had to sleep on the floor.
• Baoyue wagered her anklet and hairpin against Wang Yang's jade pendant and ten gold beads, demanding another contest.
• Wang Yang asked two riddles, Baoyue answered both incorrectly, and he claimed her gold hairpin and anklet.
• Baoyue realized Wang Yang had fooled her again and threatened to fight him to the death.

Wang Yang reflected on his battlefield mistakes and considered whether to kill Baoyue, while Baoyue struggled with fear and homesickness. Their teasing contest over a hairpin ended with Wang Yang solving her poetic riddle and Baoyue crying again.

• Wang Yang reviewed his capture and resolved to command more cautiously in future battles, then weighed the risks of killing or keeping Baoyue alive.
• Wang Yang tried to quiet Baoyue's crying by offering her a chance to ask him a question, and Baoyue challenged him with a poetic riddle.
• Wang Yang conceded without guessing, so Baoyue demanded the return of her hairpin and argued that their contest had included a wager.
• Wang Yang stopped Baoyue from grabbing the hairpin and then revealed that he had solved her riddle, explaining its clues and noting that it reflected her longing for her mother.
• Baoyue learned that Wang Yang had pretended not to know the answer to spare her from losing again, and she burst into tears.

Wang Yang comforted Baoyue by making her laugh, while Chen Qing Shan continued searching the forest for him and was ambushed by Xin Yi. Their fight ended in a wary standoff after they overheard two men discussing the Divine Envoy and a gathering that offered free food.

• Wang Yang imitated Baoyue’s sobbing and told her a ridiculous story until she laughed through her tears.
• Chen Qing Shan pressed deeper into the forest despite exhaustion and the scouts’ warnings that the search was hopeless.
• Xin Yi attacked Chen Qing Shan with a silver weapon, and Chen Qing Shan fought back with her spear.
• Chen Qing Shan forced Xin Yi to evade a sweeping spear strike, but both women hid when two men approached.
• The two men left after discussing the Divine Envoy’s supposed lightning powers and free food, and Chen Qing Shan and Xin Yi emerged to watch each other warily.

Chen Qing Shan and Xin Yi stopped fighting and realized they were both trying to rescue their captured young masters, Wang Yang and the young lord. After Wang Yang and Baoyue talked about missing their mothers, Xin Yi recruited Chen Qing Shan to help with her simple plan to sneak in and rescue them.

• Xin Yi and Chen Qing Shan argued over whether they trusted each other, then agreed to talk before resuming their fight.
• Wang Yang and Baoyue joked about sleep and music before recognizing that they both missed their mothers.
• Chen Qing Shan explained that she had come to rescue Wang Yang, and Xin Yi revealed that her young lord had also been captured.
• Chen Qing Shan persuaded Xin Yi that they could join forces, and Xin Yi announced a plan to sneak in, rescue the captives, and bring them out.

Chen Qing Shan persuaded Xin Yi to follow a rescue plan by claiming it was Wang Yang’s fallback plan. Meanwhile, Wang Yang and Baoyue shared memories of their mothers before Baoyue asked whether he wanted to kill her.

• Chen Qing Shan challenged Xin Yi’s plan to sneak into the Yidu Tribe and reasoned that they needed a better way to rescue their captive leaders.
• When Xin Yi started to leave, Chen Qing Shan claimed that Wang Yang had prepared a powerful fallback plan, convincing Xin Yi to join her.
• Wang Yang and Baoyue shared stories about their mothers, and Baoyue spoke sadly about her mother’s early death and the few memories she had of her.
• Baoyue asked Wang Yang why he was impersonating a Langya noble, admitted she had once considered silencing him, and then asked whether he wanted to kill her.

Wang Yang carefully answered Xiao Baoyue’s question about whether he had wanted to kill her, balancing candor with strategy. Baoyue accepted his explanation and left the exchange showing greater warmth toward him.

• Xiao Baoyue asked Wang Yang whether he had wanted to kill her, including during the battle.
• Wang Yang admitted that he had ordered a bounty for killing the enemy camp’s Han men and women, then explained that he had told Chen Qing Shan to capture Baoyue alive.
• Wang Yang explained that the bounty had been intended to keep his army fighting while Chen Qing Shan intercepted Baoyue because he wanted her alive for practical reasons.
• Baoyue challenged Wang Yang about the possibility that she might have died, and he declared that once he fought, he sought victory and would bear the consequences.
• Baoyue accepted Wang Yang’s reasoning, called him ruthless, and responded with softened affection.

Wang Yang persuaded Xiao Baoyue to help arrange his Langya Wang household registration by promising to fulfill a future favor and composing a poem for her. Baoyue explained that the master record alone would not secure his identity, leaving him aware of several other registration and genealogy records he still lacked.

• Wang Yang flattered Xiao Baoyue into reaffirming her offer to arrange his household registration and agreed to grant her a future favor.
• Baoyue demanded a poem, and Wang Yang improvised verses that softened her anger and delighted her.
• Wang Yang asked about the household registration, and Baoyue explained the four types of registers and how they supported a person's identity.
• Baoyue warned Wang Yang that he lacked an official letter, home and official register entries, and a place in the Langya Wang genealogy, so his claimed identity could still be exposed.

Xiao Baoyue explained why Wang Yang could not easily restore his Langya Wang identity, then guessed that he had been hunted and promised to help him exact revenge. Meanwhile, at Wang Yang’s house, Zhang Er probed Little A-Wu about the household’s hidden watcher and hinted that the servants should find a way out.

• Xiao Baoyue explained that cross-checking household registers and the Langya Wang genealogy made it nearly impossible for Wang Yang to fabricate or restore his gentry identity.
• Xiao Baoyue guessed that Wang Yang was a Langya Wang who had been erased from the records and hunted, and she promised to help him make his enemies pay.
• Zhang Er was caught inspecting the lock to the inner courtyard, but told Little A-Wu he was checking for a possible intruder.
• Little A-Wu revealed that her father had warned her the Young Master had planted a trusted watcher in the house, and Zhang Er denied being that person.
• Zhang Er brought up Lord Liu’s arrest and suggested that the servants should seek a way out, leaving Little A-Wu confused.

A-Wu tricked Zhang Er into handing over his money before Black Han captured him for attempting to steal the young master's gilt incense burner. Wang Yang negotiated with Baoyue for help with his household registration, and she pointed him toward Wang Tai, leaving him to wonder whether Wang Tai would assist him.

• Zhang Er persuaded A-Wu to help steal a valuable incense burner, but she demanded his money as security and took his pouch.
• Black Han gagged and bound Zhang Er, and A-Wu said the pouch would pay for the thief's food.
• Wang Yang pounded Baoyue's back under their negotiated agreement while trying to get her help with his household registration.
• Baoyue explained that Wang Tai could potentially secure Wang Yang's registration through his family ties and his father's connections.
• Baoyue asked Wang Yang whether Wang Tai would help him.

Wang Yang and Baoyue argued over whether he had used Xie Xinghan’s influence, then teased each other until Tian Dadao requested an audience with the Divine Envoy. Tian reported that two assassins had entered the stockade to kill Wang Yang, but had been caught and killed near his residence.

• Wang Yang kept his dealings with Wang Tai secret from Baoyue and claimed that Wang Tai would help him.
• Baoyue accused Wang Yang of seducing Xie Xinghan to borrow the Xie Family’s influence, then offered her own connections and teased him with Xin Yi.
• Wang Yang turned the teasing back on Baoyue, but a Holy Guard interrupted them with word that Tian Dadao wanted an audience.
• Baoyue delayed Tian Dadao’s entrance while she and Wang Yang pretended the Divine Envoy was asleep.
• Wang Yang welcomed Tian Dadao warmly and let him believe he might receive authority in the stockade after Wang Yang returned to the Han Lands.
• Tian Dadao told Wang Yang that two assassins had tried to kill him but had been caught and killed near his residence.

Wang Yang turned Chief Tian’s suspicions about the other chiefs into a plan to hold a three-day preaching assembly and secure supplies from all three clans. After the first day drew a huge crowd, Wang Yang ordered the other chiefs to appear with food or face removal and confiscation of their property, leaving Tian Dadao terrified.

• Tian Dadao claimed Chiefs Xiang and Cheng may have sent the two dead assassins, while Wang Yang suspected Tian was trying to sow distrust.
• Wang Yang asked Tian to provide food for a three-day preaching assembly, and promised the Tian Clan lucrative trade opportunities in return.
• Tian agreed to supply food for the first day, while Wang Yang said Chiefs Xiang and Cheng would provide it for the next two days.
• The first day’s assembly drew a huge crowd, who listened to Wang Yang and ate their fill.
• Wang Yang ordered Tian to summon Chiefs Xiang and Cheng with grain and demand that they bow before him, threatening to strip them of office and property if they refused.

Wang Yang celebrated his growing influence among the Yidu Barbarians with Baoyue, then took her warning about the High Shaman seriously and called for the Junior Ritualist. Meanwhile, the High Shaman prepared a secret move, and Chen Qing Shan arrived to ask whether Le Luoluo still intended to pledge allegiance and open trade with Wenyang.

• Wang Yang fooled Baoyue into worrying about his back, then teased her until they resumed roughhousing and finally rested together.
• Baoyue warned Wang Yang not to underestimate the High Shaman, and Wang Yang admitted he had become overconfident before asking her to fetch the Junior Ritualist.
• The High Shaman emerged from the Ritual Cave and assured Huan Yan and the other ritualists that his dreams had foretold everything, restoring their confidence.
• As Le Luoluo prepared to march into Yongning Barbarian territory, Chen Qing Shan arrived and asked whether Wenyang's offer of allegiance and trade still stood.