Chapter Summaries

The Dragon King and Weiwei told Fang Weiyan that the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings opened each year, sending powerful, seemingly undying creatures toward the Human Sovereign’s dynasty. Fang Weiyan began preparing the Jiang Kingdom’s Yin Gods and soldiers for the coming defense, then returned to Earth to consider buying weapons.

• The Dragon King warned Fang Weiyan that he had to defend the passages into the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings when the Golden Crow weakened, or its creatures would invade the Jiang Kingdom.
• Fang Weiyan learned from Yunxi that most local Yin Gods were only at the Transformation stage and ordered the remaining purple-grade incense given to Fude, the City God of Pingshui City.
• Fang Weiyan asked Tao Lingluo about the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings, and Weiwei explained that its creatures appeared in many forms, numbered immensely, and could be no weaker than the Transformation stage.
• Tao Lingluo promised to help fight the creatures after taking a peach tree as her body, and Fang Weiyan agreed to send her.
• Fang Weiyan returned to Earth to consider purchasing weapons for the Jiang Kingdom’s soldiers.

After arranging to buy weapons overseas, Fang Weiyan prepared Jiang Kingdom’s forces to enter the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings by ordering more training and plans for a defensive wall. At the arms dealer’s warehouse, he challenged armed men to Russian roulette, and the dealer arrived and ordered them to accept.

• Fang Weiyan agreed to attend Su Qingyun’s company celebration and asked her to connect him with an overseas arms dealer; she found a contact for him.
• Back in the Jiang Kingdom, Fang Weiyan ordered Lin Liyun to intensify the soldiers’ training, confirmed Weiwei’s sketch of the passage, and arranged to stockpile cement and train builders for a city wall.
• Fang Weiyan obtained a passport, contacted the arms dealer about a large purchase, and flew abroad to meet him.
• At the warehouse, armed men surrounded Fang Weiyan and mocked him, so he challenged them to Russian roulette, offering to use five bullets while they used one.
• The armed men refused until a voice from outside ordered them to agree, and Fang Weiyan turned to see who had arrived.

Fang Weiyan bought heavy weapons and ammunition from an arms dealer, moved them to a warehouse in the Jiang Kingdom, and returned to assess their effect on the kingdom’s strength. In Great Qian, its ruler learned about the Jiang Kingdom’s high-yield crops and found seeds brought back by a spy.

• Fang Weiyan played a round of Russian roulette with the tattooed brute, survived, and went inside with the arms dealer to negotiate.
• Fang Weiyan bought heavy machine guns, Gatling-type guns, rifles, and ammunition, then secretly transported the crates to the Jiang Kingdom.
• Fang Weiyan inspected the weapons and Yanhuai City’s pale cyan fortune, and learned that the new smelting plant had begun operating.
• The ruler of Great Qian read a secret report about corn and sweet potatoes yielding nearly ten thousand jin per mu and realized they could ease his kingdom’s food shortages.
• The ruler of Great Qian searched for the seeds his spy had brought back and found bags containing corn, rice, and vegetable seeds.

Fang Weiyan inspected Jiang Kingdom’s new steelworks and shipyard, then learned that the imperial peaches could extend his lifespan. Weiwei confirmed the peaches’ power and brought the Mountain Spirit Clan to pledge allegiance, while Fang Weiyan realized they had been wary of the cost of their blessings.

• The ruler of Great Qian planted seeds stolen from Jiang Kingdom to test their reported yield and wondered whether Jiang Kingdom could defend the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings.
• Fang Weiyan inspected the operating steelworks and the shipyard’s new ability to build small vessels.
• Weiwei urged Fang Weiyan to eat a ripe peach, and she sensed that his lifespan had increased after he ate it.
• Weiwei visited her hidden clanswomen and told them the peaches could extend life, prompting them to accompany her to the palace and offer their allegiance.
• Fang Weiyan questioned Weiwei’s motives, and she admitted that the Mountain Spirit Clan had come because he possessed immortal peaches and did not need their blessings.

Fang Weiyan welcomed the Mountain Spirits into the Jiang Kingdom and discovered that their presence greatly increased his national strength. As Lin Liyun arrived to train with firearms, the national strength above Yanhuai City reached cyan, leaving Fang Weiyan eager to learn how powerful his kingdom could become.

• Fang Weiyan accepted Weiwei and the Mountain Spirits, and they became Flower Blooming Realm experts while beginning their Human Tribulations.
• Fang Weiyan saw that the Mountain Spirits had raised the Jiang Kingdom’s national strength and urged Weiwei to summon more of her clan members.
• Weiwei sent several sisters to find the other Mountain Spirits, while Fang Weiyan turned his attention to checking on factories commissioned by the Ministry of Works.
• Lin Liyun arrived at Yanhuai City, and Fang Weiyan demonstrated firearms and Gatling guns before ordering Lin Liyun’s soldiers to train with them.
• Fang Weiyan worried about the cost of ammunition and considered buying a production line to make the Jiang Kingdom more self-sufficient.
• Fang Weiyan saw that the national strength above Yanhuai City had reached cyan and wondered how it compared with other dynasties ruled by Human Sovereigns.

Fang Weiyan left the Jiang Kingdom after seeing Lin Liyun’s soldiers become combat-ready and attended Su Qingyun’s celebration banquet for Starlight Pharmaceuticals. There, Su Qingyun introduced him as a major shareholder to business figures and officials, while Starlight’s promising new drugs drew the attention of Wenhai City’s leaders.

• Fang Weiyan observed Lin Liyun’s trained soldiers and hoped they would be ready for the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings, though Tao Lingluo remained in seclusion refining the peach tree.
• Fang Weiyan said goodbye to Yunxi, promised to bring her sundaes and cake, and traveled to Earth for Su Qingyun’s banquet.
• Su Qingyun greeted Fang Weiyan at the winery and led him around, drawing jealous looks from women at the gathering.
• Su Qingyun introduced Fang Weiyan as a major shareholder in Starlight Pharmaceuticals to a jealous man, disrupting his plans to gain influence over the company through her.
• Su Qingyun introduced Fang Weiyan to prominent business figures and officials, and a senior Wenhai City official praised Starlight’s new drugs and offered his support.

At a celebration banquet, Fang Weiyan reunited with Su Qingyun, discussed weapons and medicinal-rootlet supplies with her, and later returned to the Jiang Kingdom with desserts for Yunxi. He checked on Tao Lingluo’s progress refining a peach tree before reading a memorial about an inspector who had captured a demon bird seeking revenge.

• Su Qingyun introduced Fang Weiyan to the banquet guests, then teased him after several women tried to get his contact details and he returned to her side.
• Su Qingyun drove Fang Weiyan away from the estate and asked about his weapons purchase and the supply of medicinal rootlets; he said the purchase was handled and promised to look into increasing production.
• Fang Weiyan bought desserts for Yunxi, returned to the Jiang Kingdom, and found her delighted with the treats.
• Fang Weiyan visited Tao Lingluo in the imperial garden and learned that she had only partly refined the unusual peach tree, so he told her to take her time.
• Fang Weiyan read the inspector’s memorial and learned that the inspector had taken in an injured demon bird, which later tried to kill him to avenge an official the inspector had killed.

Fang Weiyan opened a passage to the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings and ordered Lin Liyun’s troops to guard it. As Yin Spirits began stirring beyond the passage, the Corpse Emperor plotted to keep it open long enough to invade the Land of Eternal Radiance, while Fang Weiyan noticed the Golden Crow’s light fading.

• Fang Weiyan reviewed requests for imperial funds and planned to boost revenue through regional trade, factories, salt, paper, and Kaiping Treasure Currency.
• The imperial jade seal revealed that the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings was about to open, so Fang Weiyan went to the guarded valley outside Yanhuai City.
• Fang Weiyan warned Lin Liyun that the passage could unleash incorporeal evil entities, then opened it as soldiers and craftsmen prepared to enter and fortify the area.
• The passage’s foreign presence awakened the dead in the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings, and the Corpse Emperor ordered his forces to attack continuously so the passage would remain open for half a year.
• Other Human Sovereigns let Fang Weiyan’s passage draw the first wave of evil entities, while Fang Weiyan sensed the Golden Crow’s light weakening after the passage opened.

Fang Weiyan led Jiang Kingdom forces into the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings and began building fortifications as they waited for sinister creatures to emerge. After learning that Jiang Kingdom’s grain could yield over ten thousand jin per mu, Empress Wanxi decided to open her own passage and send a warning to Fang Weiyan to win his goodwill.

• Fang Weiyan entered the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings with Lin Liyun and ordered fortifications built around the passage.
• Fang Weiyan returned to the Jiang Kingdom, ordered Weiwei and her clanspeople to help guard the passage, and sent construction supplies to the site.
• Empress Wanxi delayed opening her passage because the creatures in the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings seemed increasingly organized.
• Empress Wanxi learned from a letter that Jiang Kingdom’s crops yielded over ten thousand jin per mu and decided the report might be true.
• Empress Wanxi ordered a Yin God to warn Fang Weiyan about the dangers of opening a passage early, then began preparing to open her own passage.

Fang Weiyan prepared the Jiang Kingdom for the coming attack from the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings while Weiwei and Lin Liyun oversaw the defenses inside. As strange sounds heralded the enemy’s awakening, a Yin God serving Empress Wanxi arrived in the palace, leaving Fang Weiyan to ask why he had come.

• Fang Weiyan arranged to buy cement from Earth and reassured Yunxi that his preparations did not mean the danger was immediate.
• Lin Liyun’s company commander heard strange roars, and Weiwei explained that sinister things were waking and would attack once fully prepared.
• Weiwei and another Mountain Spirit worried about the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings, though Weiwei trusted Fang Weiyan’s preparations and the city under construction.
• Fang Weiyan sent cement, fuel, and other supplies into the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings and accelerated preparations after hearing that the strange sounds were growing more frequent.
• A Yin God serving Empress Wanxi arrived at the Jiang Kingdom’s palace, and Fang Weiyan asked what had brought him there.

The Yin God warned Fang Weiyan that opening the first passage had brought him greater pressure and that the sinister creatures in the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings seemed to be growing more intelligent. After inspecting the land with Weiwei, Fang Weiyan discovered a vast force of creatures and withdrew, uncertain how difficult they would be to stop.

• The Yin God delivered Empress Wanxi’s warning about the dangers of opening the first passage and offered cooperation, which Fang Weiyan cautiously accepted.
• The Yin God warned that the sinister creatures seemed more intelligent than before, and Fang Weiyan went to the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings to investigate.
• A deputy general showed Fang Weiyan gold ore found nearby, but Fang Weiyan dismissed mining it as too dangerous while the creatures threatened the passage.
• Fang Weiyan asked Weiwei whether she knew the creatures possessed intelligence, and she said she had never heard that before.
• Fang Weiyan and Weiwei discovered countless sinister creatures gathering ahead, then retreated to avoid provoking them before the defenses were ready.

Fang Weiyan and Empress Wanxi prepared their forces around their passages as the sinister creatures in the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings awakened and attacked. Machine guns held the Jiang Kingdom’s city walls, and Fang Weiyan decided to keep monitoring the battle before committing more Yin Gods.

• Fang Weiyan returned to the city with Weiwei, inspected the machine guns and supplies, and asked where the other Human Sovereigns were stationed, but Weiwei did not know.
• Empress Wanxi learned that the Jiang Kingdom’s Human Sovereign acknowledged owing her a favor, then ordered her soldiers to fortify the passage and prepare defenses.
• Three days later, the sinister creatures awakened together and charged toward the passages; Lin Liyun and Weiwei’s forces prepared to defend the city.
• Lin Liyun ordered the machine guns to fire, and the bullets repeatedly brought down the charging creatures, while Weiwei and her clanswomen watched in surprise.
• Lin Liyun tested incendiary bottles, but the creatures ignored the flames, so he stopped the fire attack and continued relying on the machine guns.
• A scout reported the battle to Fang Weiyan, who was reassured that firearms could delay the creatures and chose to keep the Yin Gods outside to protect the Jiang Kingdom’s cities.

Lin Liyun’s troops repelled the first assault in the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings, while Fang Weiyan received news of their success and considered ammunition supplies and trade with neighboring countries. The Corpse Sovereign learned that one passage was unusually difficult to conquer because the Jiang Kingdom’s weapons destroyed his forces before they could reach it.

• Lin Liyun’s soldiers rested and resupplied after repelling the creatures of darkness, and he praised them for standing firm against the attack.
• The soldiers declared their loyalty to Fang Weiyan and the Jiang Kingdom, citing the emperor’s relief efforts and the improved lives of their families.
• Lin Liyun ordered the troops to keep watch and checked how much ammunition remained after the battle.
• Fang Weiyan learned that the first wave had been repelled with no soldier casualties apart from one burn, then reviewed neighboring countries’ requests to open trade.
• The Corpse Sovereign heard that most passages might take a month to occupy, but the passage formerly belonging to the Great Li Kingdom resisted his forces.
• The general told the Corpse Sovereign that the new Human Sovereign’s unfamiliar weapons wiped out the undead soldiers before they could reach the positions.

Fang Weiyan honored his trade agreement with Uncle Bai and increased the monthly rootlet supply in exchange for fertilizer. On Earth, Fukanglingding reached pharmacies as a diabetes cure, giving a mother and her son hope that he could recover without insulin.

• The Corpse Sovereign dismissed the metal-firing weapons as a minor threat and ordered his general to capture the passageways and keep Yin Qi flowing into the Land of Eternal Radiance.
• Fang Weiyan agreed to Uncle Bai's trade and increased the quota, accepting one million rootlets in exchange for ten portions of fertilizer.
• A pharmacy doctor introduced a worried mother to Fukanglingding, and a customer who had taken two boxes said she was close to recovering from diabetes.
• The mother bought three boxes, checked reports confirming the medicine's effectiveness, and brought it home for her son.
• After verifying the news himself, the son realized his diabetes could be cured and celebrated the prospect of no longer needing insulin injections.

Weiwei and the Mountain Spirits struggled to hold the passage against a massive force of sentient Yin Gods, who tried to cut them off from reinforcements. Tao Lingluo emerged and turned the battle with her lightning-struck peach wood, leaving the Mountain Spirits stunned by her strength.

• Weiwei and the Mountain Spirits found themselves overwhelmed by more than two hundred Yin Gods and debated whether to seek reinforcements while defending the passage.
• A Yin God revealed that the creatures were sentient and announced their plan to seize the passage and invade the Land of Eternal Radiance.
• The Yin Gods surrounded Weiwei and her clanswomen, blocking their attempts to send someone for help.
• Tao Lingluo appeared and destroyed countless Yin Gods with lightning from her peach wood weapon.
• Tao Lingluo explained that His Majesty had helped make the lightning-struck peach wood powerful, and Weiwei realized the Mountain Spirits were no match for her.

Tao Lingluo helped Weiwei hold the passage against the intelligent Yin Gods, and Weiwei reported the attack to Fang Weiyan. After noticing the sky had grown unnaturally gray, Fang Weiyan went to the Dragon King of the Wu River to ask how the world had changed over time.

• Tao Lingluo struck down several Yin Gods and agreed to stay and defend the passage after Weiwei warned that they would return.
• Weiwei returned to the imperial palace and told Fang Weiyan that the Yin Gods had shown intelligence and nearly overwhelmed their defenses.
• Fang Weiyan wondered why the Yin Gods had hidden their intelligence and whether they could occupy the passage and prevent it from closing.
• Fang Weiyan flew into the sky, saw gray haze obscuring the land, and suspected that something from the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings had contaminated the world.
• After Judge Wen could not answer whether the sky had always been dim, Fang Weiyan went to the Wu River Dragon Palace to ask the Dragon King about the changes.

Fang Weiyan confirmed that the Golden Crow’s light had dimmed and warned the other Human Sovereigns about the danger surrounding the opened passage. Meanwhile, the Wu Kingdom’s court welcomed a trade deal with the Jiang Kingdom and began planning purchases, while its ruler worried about the Jiang Kingdom’s rapid rise.

• Fang Weiyan asked the Dragon King whether the Golden Crow’s light had grown dimmer, and the Dragon King confirmed that it had.
• Fang Weiyan returned to the imperial palace and sent state letters to the other Human Sovereigns to inform them of the danger.
• A Wu Kingdom envoy reported that the Jiang Kingdom had agreed to trade, prompting ministers to debate the risks posed by the opened passage in the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings.
• The envoy praised the Jiang Kingdom’s treasures, especially a material that hardened into stone for building roads and bridges, and the ministers grew eager to buy goods for resale.
• The Wu Kingdom’s emperor approved plans to use treasury silver for trade, while worrying that the Jiang Kingdom’s growing strength could threaten smaller neighboring kingdoms.

Fang Weiyan prepared the Jiang Kingdom for a possible threat from the intelligent creatures of the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings, while Empress Wanxi received his warning and realized their recent attacks might signal a larger scheme. The passage remained defended, but the creatures’ intentions were still unknown.

• Fang Weiyan ordered the Jiang Kingdom to stockpile supplies, recruit soldiers, and establish military production lines, then traveled to Earth, won money in a gambling city, and purchased equipment.
• Fang Weiyan returned to the Jiang Kingdom and learned from Yunxi that the Yin Gods were attacking the passage frenziedly, though Tao Lingluo and reinforcements were holding them back.
• Fang Weiyan reviewed the recovering Yin Gods and inspected the military workshop, instructing Gu Zhan to ensure production quality and secrecy.
• Fang Weiyan inspected the small power plant and recognized that a full power grid would be costly and difficult to build and maintain.
• Empress Wanxi received Fang Weiyan’s diplomatic letter revealing that the creatures of the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings possessed intelligence, and connected the news to their recent desperate attacks.

Fang Weiyan strengthened the Jiang Kingdom’s defenses against the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings while discussing the kingdom’s rapid growth with Yunxi. He planned further development through trade and a canal, and remained focused on raising the kingdom’s strength as the threat persisted.

• Empress Wanxi grew wary of the beings in the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings and ordered more Yin Gods sent to defend the passage.
• Fang Weiyan’s new recruitment drew a vast number of volunteers, who supported him because his promises to improve their lives had been fulfilled.
• Fang Weiyan reassured Yunxi that Tao Lingluo, the Yin Gods, weapons, and Mountain Spirit experts could hold the passage while the Jiang Kingdom prepared for danger.
• Yunxi told Fang Weiyan that she had trained palace maids to attend him in bed, and he declined to choose among them.
• Fang Weiyan discussed opening a canal and beginning trade with nearby vassal states, expecting these projects to boost the Jiang Kingdom’s national strength.
• Fang Weiyan reflected that the kingdom’s growing strength was increasing his own power, but he resolved to keep preparing for the unknown forces in the Land of Ten Thousand Witherings.

The Zhou Kingdom's princess arrived in Yanhuai City and was astonished by its prosperity, low prices, and energetic people, while the envoy explained the currency exchange and their actual trade goals. Fang Weiyan learned of her arrival, ordered her protected discreetly, and prepared to sell grain as the autumn harvest approached.

• The Zhou Kingdom's princess entered Yanhuai City and noticed how much its prosperity and appearance had changed since the envoy's last visit.
• The princess was excited by the low prices of local goods, but the envoy explained that exchanging silver for Kaiping Treasure Currency reduced the savings and reminded her they had come to buy valuable goods such as pearls and body wash.
• The princess and envoy compared the vitality of Jiang Kingdom's people with the people of the Zhou Kingdom, leaving the princess worried that Jiang Kingdom might eventually expand its territory.
• Fang Weiyan heard that the Zhou Kingdom's princess had arrived and ordered his guards to protect her secretly without requiring her to visit the imperial palace.
• Fang Weiyan reviewed plans to sell grain from the coming bumper harvest to the Zhou Kingdom and put the ships built near Yanhuai City to use.