Rules of Arrogance

The story opens with the protagonist, Townsend, waking from a life-freezing capsule to find himself in a completely unfamiliar world: the old order is collapsing, new powers are rising layer by layer, and gunpowder smoke mingles with intrigue. The thing most alien to Townsend—and impossible to avoid—is “extraordinary ability.” In this world, extraordinary power has lit cigarettes and slaughtered cities. To survive, he must learn the rules of this world from scratch and become an ability user step by step.

Townsend’s character defies easy labels of “hero” or “villain.” He loves beautiful women, loves life, and loves to throw his weight around; he is capable of peeping and of sneak attacks, and he believes in settling scores and repaying kindness in full. He is cunning and meddlesome, yet values loyalty above all. He often schemes against others, often wins his battles, and even goes into business with a space merchant. The author sums up the protagonist’s temperament as “very much a spoiled young master, very much a macho man, very much a homebody.”

The novel follows Townsend’s growth as its main thread, moving from street brawls to smoke-filled battlefields, interspersed with the power struggles of the ability users’ guild, lordship management, and territorial expansion. It weaves together three strands—leveling up through training, settlement building, and wars of supremacy—and ultimately points toward Townsend’s declaration: “Give me a fulcrum, and I can pry loose the continent of Ferris.” The book’s tone is brisk and direct, making it one of the more representative works on Qidian’s fantasy channel in the early 2010s.