Chapter 17 Summary & Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The chapter opens with Xingyin standing before General Jianyun's desk, uncertain why she has been summoned. She has rarely seen him since beginning training with Captain Wenzhi and his troops. The general's office contains an ornate rosewood desk inlaid with mother-of-pearl, a detail that surprises her given his pragmatic reputation. She recalls that despite his forbidding exterior, he has shown her kindness.

Jianyun praises her performance on her first assignment, then offers her a choice between two possible next assignments. The first is harvesting rare herbs in the Golden Desert, which borders the Demon Realm but is expected to be peaceful under the existing treaty. The second is accompanying Captain Wenzhi to the Eastern Sea, where the king has requested aid due to recent unrest. Wenzhi has expressed a preference for her company, but the choice is hers.

Xingyin's mind drifts to a tale her mother used to tell about the Eastern Sea and the dragons. She whispers the word