Chapter Thirty-Four: Ever-Growing Hit List
⚠️ 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
During a photo shoot with the Vermilion Bird, Zetian reflects on the guilt she feels for manipulating Shimin and using him as a tool. The photographer struggles to pose her in a way that balances aggression and subservience—a contrast to the male-dominated media norms. Zetian has decided to kill An Lushan for what he did to Shimin, adding him to her hit list.
After the shoot, they meet other pilots on the launchpad: Qieluo, Xiuying, and their partners. Zetian notices that both female pilots have stronger spirit pressures than their male partners. Xiuying explains that female pressures always feel more acute, even though the men’s actual values are higher. Tensions rise when Zhu Yuanzhang, Xiuying’s partner, calls Shimin and Qieluo barbarians due to his personal history with the Rongdi. Qieluo unexpectedly calls Shimin “Khan” (meaning King), surprising him. Before heading to Chang’an for the Match Crowning, Zetian learns they must make a detour for another photo shoot—in the rice terraces of her hometown.
Key Events
- Zetian and Shimin participate in a photo shoot with the Vermilion Bird.
- Zetian mentally reaffirms her intention to kill An Lushan for abusing Shimin.
- The group learns Gao Qiu has arranged for Qieluo, Xiuying, and their partners to attend the Match Crowning.
- Zetian notices an anomaly: both female pilots feel stronger in spirit pressure than their male partners.
- Xiuying explains that in Balanced Matches, female pressures are always more perceptible.
- Zhu Yuanzhang erupts in racist anger at Shimin and Qieluo, calling them barbarians.
- Qieluo privately addresses Shimin with the Xianbei title “Khan,” which he responds to with surprise.
- The chapter ends with the announcement of a detour to Zetian’s home province for a sunset photo shoot.
Character Development
Zetian
Her guilt over using Shimin is raw and unresolved. She acknowledges she has become just another person who has used him, but she feels unable to apologize or undo the harm. This chapter deepens her internal conflict as she simultaneously plans to avenge Shimin by killing An Lushan—an act she sees as the least she can do. Her growing sensitivity to the systemic oppression of female pilots fuels her defiance against media expectations.
Shimin
Shimin remains largely silent and reactive, but his emotional vulnerability appears when Qieluo calls him “Khan.” The nickname—rooted in their shared Xianbei heritage—momentarily brightens his face, showing his longing for belonging and acceptance. He is also visibly hurt by Zhu Yuanzhang’s ethnic slur.
Qieluo
Previously hostile toward Zetian, Qieluo shows complexity here. While she refuses to acknowledge the relationship with Shimin directly, her act of acknowledging his Xianbei identity with respect suggests a possible softening or at least solidarity along ethnic lines.
Xiuying
Xiuying serves as an information source and mediator. Her explanation about female spirit pressure reinforces the theme of hidden female strength. She also struggles with her partner’s racism, trying to excuse it while avoiding outright confrontation.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Gender roles in media: The photographer’s difficulty posing Zetian illustrates how society cannot reconcile female aggression with traditional femininity. Zetian’s own refusal to be reduced to a “reward” or “motivation” for the male lead challenges this binary.
- Ethnic prejudice: Zhu Yuanzhang’s bigotry reflects real-world tensions between the Han and non-Han tribes (Rongdi vs. Xianbei). The chapter shows how historical trauma can fuel irrational hatred, even among allies.
- Spirit pressure as a symbol of hidden strength: Xiuying’s explanation that female pilots always feel more powerful to spirit sense suggests that women in this world possess an innate force that the system tries to suppress or undervalue. It connects to Zetian’s own experience of being underestimated.
- The “hit list” motif: Zetian’s mental list of people she will kill grows—she is becoming an accumulating force of vengeance, not justice. The word “ever-growing” implies that violence begets more violence.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter deepens Zetian’s moral complexity: she cannot reconcile her love for Shimin with the harm she has caused him. It also expands the world’s social conflicts by introducing ethnic divisions among the pilots. The revelation about female spirit pressure hints at a systemic lie—perhaps women are not actually weaker, but the patriarchy has created a framework to make their power seem lesser. The detour to Zetian’s hometown sets up an emotional confrontation with her past. Finally, Qieluo’s use of “Khan” offers a rare moment of solidarity for Shimin and suggests that future alliances may cross former enmities.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Zetian feel she cannot apologize to Shimin for using him?
Zetian believes that an apology would be meaningless because she is already too deep into the deception and manipulation. She sees herself as just another person who has used Shimin as a tool, and she does not know how to take back the harm she has caused. Her guilt is compounded by the fact that she continues to rely on him for her own survival and goals.
2. What does Xiuying’s explanation about female spirit pressure reveal about the society’s attitude toward women?
Xiuying claims that female pilots always feel stronger in spirit sense than their male partners, yet their actual measured values are lower—supposedly because men can fluctuate higher in battle. This explanation naturalizes a discrepancy that could actually be a result of biased measurement or training. It suggests that the system may be designed to undervalue women’s real power, making them believe they are inferior even when they are not. The reference to higher pain tolerance also echoes real-world stereotypes that mask inequality.
3. How does Qieluo’s act of calling Shimin “Khan” shift the dynamics between them?
Up to this point, Qieluo has openly despised both Shimin and Zetian. By addressing him in their shared Xianbei language with a title meaning “King,” she acknowledges his heritage and gives him a mark of respect that cuts through the ethnic prejudice Zhu Yuanzhang displayed. This moment suggests that ethnic solidarity can create unexpected alliances, and it leaves open the possibility of future cooperation.