This novel constructs a story in which a hard-core military shell wraps a free-spirited core. Every battle is a dual display of military logic and life will, and every sacrifice is a dialectical unity of calm calculation and passionate choice.
The ultimate expression is a kind of "unfettered loyalty" - precisely because Chiying can leave at any time, every time it stays becomes a vote for Chengyue's personality and beliefs; precisely because Chengyue gives Chiying complete freedom, their contract transcends master and servant and becomes an alliance between two life forms forged in the flames of war.
