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.

Xin's first true campaign as a soldier comes at last, but when Wei makes a surprise move, the battle doesn't go as he expected.

Zheng's flashback shows the lengths to which a black marketeer was willing to go to make sure he got home and became King of Qin, against all odds.

The battle at Shanyang is underway. Xin and his fellow temporary thousand-man commanders must face the fearsome Lian Po--and the deadly Lun Hu.