Xin discovers Ying Zheng, the young King of Qin, who's fleeing his half-brother's uprising. Piao's killer arrives to murder Ying Zheng. Xin, who's learned that Piao died serving as Zheng's stand-in, must decide which to help and which to kill.
Xin and Zheng entrust their escape to young Diao, who knows a secret way out of Heibei Village. Xin still blames Zheng for Piao's death, and even as this simmering conflict boils over, a new and deadly pursuer takes up the chase.
Fleeing pursuit, Zheng and Xin struggle with exhaustion and with each other. When they reach the appointed meeting site, there's no sign of Zheng's sole supporter, Lord Changwen . . . and the murderous tracker Mu Ta is hot on their trail.
Xin, who's vowed in the name of his own ambitions to help the King, must singlehandedly face the treacherous assassin Mu Ta. Meanwhile, General Wang Yi brings a piece of tribute to the Court that seems to spell the end for all young King Zheng's hopes.
Xin hears a tale of Piao's heroism during Wang Yi's ambush, but he also learns that King Zheng has even fewer allies than he'd been told. With little time left to forestall a civil war, Zheng decides on a dangerous path, to seek out unlikely allies.
Xin sets out into the western mountains with Zheng and his handful of soldiers, seeking the aid of the mountain king. The mountain folk, though, have little liking for flatlanders, and when he meets them, King Zheng is forced to make a perilous choice.
In the stronghold of the mountain folk, Zheng treats with their king, who seems determined to kill the young King of Qin in retribution for longstanding grudges. And the arrival of Xin and his companions pushes this confrontation to its crisis.
Zheng and Xin return to where Lord Changwen waits. They make ready to ride to the capital, but they'll need remarkable strategy to overcome the terrible odds. Meanwhile, in the capital, Jie Shi has raised a vast army to face the formidable Lu Buwei.
Zheng, Xin, and their companions arrive at the gates of Xianyang, capital of the Qin Kingdom, with a force far too small to assault such a great fortress. A stratagem may get them inside the walls, but they won't reach the Royal Court without a fight.
Blocked by Wei Xing's elite crossbowmen, the forces of Zheng and the mountain folk split up. Xin accompanies a smaller force to seek out the usurper Cheng Jiao in the palace... but their way, too, is blocked, by the deadly assassin Zuo Ci and his men.
Xin, Bi, and the breakaway force, fighting to reach the throne room, face the seemingly invincible Zuo Ci in the "Right-Side Dragon" corridor, while outside, the King and Lord Changwen hold out against Si Shi and Wei Xing.
The breakaway force reaches the Throne Room, only to find the traitor Cheng Jiao guarded by his monstrous "pet," who's seemingly impervious to weapons. Ba Jio reveals a previously unseen savagery, but can he contend with the brute strength of Lan Kai?
His companions battered, Xin must rise to face the monstrous Lan Kai; in doing so he learns something of the true nature of the sword. Outside, Zheng's desperate fight is interrupted by the unwelcome arrival of the mysterious and powerful General Wang Yi.
A face-off with Jiao Cheng awaits, but before that can come, Zheng Ying, facing death at General Wang Yi's hand, must convince the "Strange Bird of Xin" that his vision of the future makes him a worthy successor to his great-grandfather, King Zhao.
The recalcitrant and powerful Lü Buwei finally makes his appearance, accompanied by his more-than-formidable "Four Pillars." But condescension and a scarcely veiled threat of violence show right through his half-hearted show of respect to King Zheng Ying.
The Fourth Army's victory against the chariots gives Lord Biao an idea. How far can he push behind enemy lines if the infantry's survival is no object?
Just when it seems the battle on the She Gan Plain is finally going their way, Qin's forces are suddenly surprised by the advent of three generals: their own, the enemy's... and one who's not even supposed to be there!
Xin and his comrades march into battle together again, this time under the command of the great general Wang Yi. Meanwhile, the Royal Court begins to suspect that Wang Yi has his own ulterior motive for taking on this particular battle.
The battle against Zhao is underway, and both sides have tricks up their sleeves. In recognition of Xin's growth as a commander, Wang Yi gives his squadron a special mission that could determine the outcome of the war.
Xin has his first taste of fame, and Wu Meng is back to leading the Qin offensive. Will it go the same way as the last one, or does Wu Meng have a trick up his sleeve?
Wang Yi smells something fishy about Zhao's sudden retreat, but his endgame remains the same: find and kill Nuan Pang. Xin and Qiang Lei give him a little inadvertent help.
Nuan Pang is still unleashing the wrath of the gods on all around him, and at this point he seems almost untouchable. But this is the Fei Xin Force's camp, and they're not giving up without a fight.
The Fei Xin Force scatters, running deep into the mountains with Wan Ji in hot pursuit. This time they're on a self-assigned mission: protect their leader at all costs.
King Zheng Ying receives some disturbing news about Zhao's forces, Diao and Meng Yi learn the true identities of their fellow spectators, and the war begins to take a new turn.
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