Chapter Summaries

Si Yehan investigated the cruise ship’s deaths and summoned the remaining participants to discuss what he had learned. He told them there were eight killing rules, leaving their meeting poised for his explanation.

• Si Yehan reasoned that the ship’s staff did not share information and decided to use the other participants to test the rules.
• Si Yehan found Xu Yuanjin dead, then summoned the four surviving participants to the fifth-floor observation deck.
• Wang Yuxiu, Jin Zhiguang, Cheng Zhuiyu, and Chen Zhongshou discussed the deaths and the danger posed by the ghosts and ship’s powerful natives.
• Si Yehan rejected Cheng Zhuiyu’s plan to capture and torture the natives, then said he had learned there were eight killing rules.

Si Yehan fabricated eight killing rules for the other participants, mixing truths with lies so they would trust him and test the dangers for him. The group believed his account, while Si Yehan planned to use them to investigate the rules and protect himself from the ghosts.

• Jin Zhiguang, Chen Zhongshou, Cheng Zhuiyu, and Wang Yuxiu each offered Si Yehan a favor or information in exchange for the killing rules.
• Si Yehan began listing invented rules, claiming that mentioning sex or falling asleep without extreme happiness could cause death.
• Si Yehan said that sleeping with malicious thoughts and looking in mirrors under certain conditions were fatal, and the four participants accepted his explanations.
• Si Yehan claimed that staying awake all night without looking at the sea would cause death, and Chen Zhongshou eagerly volunteered to test the rule by watching the sea.
• Si Yehan added rules about fearing the deep sea, failing to meet a real ghost’s eyes, and attacking a ghost, while planning to use the group to test the dangers.

Si Yehan explored the cruise ship and planned to lure Cheng Zhuiyu into the Mirror Corridor to test its killing rule. He then visited the cargo hold and discovered that the ship was trafficking people alongside weapons and drugs.

• Si Yehan found the Mirror Corridor and decided Cheng Zhuiyu would be a suitable person to lure into it and kill.
• Si Yehan went to the deck and asked the security guard Yang Rui to take him to the cargo hold.
• Yang Rui claimed Si Yehan was Yan Jingxing's honored guest, and the guards let them enter the cargo hold.
• Si Yehan found people imprisoned in iron cages, including two resentful siblings whom Yang Rui gagged.
• Si Yehan considered the captives potential prey and thought he could kill Yang Rui while slaughtering some of them.

Si Yehan took four captives and pain-enhancing drugs from Yang Rui, then killed Yang Rui and tortured the captives in his room. After disposing of the bodies, he let the cleaners remove the blood and wondered whether this instance followed the same mechanics as the previous one.

• Si Yehan ordered four doses of a pain-enhancing drug and four captives from Yang Rui, including the sister and brother who had cursed earlier.
• Yang Rui delivered the captives and drugs to Si Yehan's room, where Si Yehan stabbed him to death.
• Si Yehan injected the captives with the drug, shot them, and tortured them; the two women died first, and he threw their bodies and Yang Rui's into the sea.
• Si Yehan swapped the siblings' eyes and organs, dissected them after they died, and disposed of their bodies in the sea.
• The cleaners arrived and removed the blood from Si Yehan's room.

Si Yehan investigated the engine room, killed the guard who escorted him, and arranged surveillance to monitor his companions as he planned their deaths. He left Yan Jingxing with the room numbers of Chen Zhongshou, Wang Yuxiu, and Jin Zhiguang, expecting one more participant to die that night.

• Si Yehan dismissed Yan Jingxing’s warning, gave him his name, and asked to inspect the Iblis’s engine room.
• Yan Jingxing sent an armed guard to escort Si Yehan, who found the engine room useful as a potential hunting ground.
• Si Yehan shot the guard from behind and returned to planning how to kill Cheng Zhuiyu and the others under the killing rules.
• Si Yehan went to the fourth floor and asked Yan Jingxing to install miniature surveillance cameras in three participants’ rooms.
• Si Yehan told Yan Jingxing that he had killed two people, a Ghost Slave had killed another, and another would probably die that night, then gave him the room numbers of Chen Zhongshou, Wang Yuxiu, and Jin Zhiguang.

Si Yehan left Yan Jingxing with the three other old creatures and spent the day preparing to lure Cheng Zhuiyu into the mirror corridor. He locked her inside after she entered, hoping the ghost would kill her before he had to act himself.

• Su Qiuyue, the obese old man, and the spotted old woman met with Yan Jingxing and Si Yehan, and the old woman said she looked forward to watching the ghost kill Si Yehan.
• Si Yehan returned to his room, spent the day watching horror movies, and waited until the evening party began.
• Si Yehan found Cheng Zhuiyu at the party and coaxed her into the mirror corridor by suggesting they talk over food.
• Cheng Zhuiyu became trapped in the dark corridor, and Si Yehan escaped and locked the door behind him.

Cheng Zhuiyu followed Si Yehan's mirror-survival method but was killed by the mirror ghost. Si Yehan then killed a hostess outside the restaurant and headed back to the entertainment hall.

• Cheng Zhuiyu stayed focused on her reflection, but a ghost crawled out of the mirror and pursued her through the corridor.
• The mirror ghost dragged Cheng Zhuiyu into the darkness and devoured her as Si Yehan watched from the doorway.
• After the ghost returned to the mirror, Si Yehan encountered a hostess who offered to help him.
• Si Yehan killed the hostess, carved marks into her spine, and cut a smile into her mouth.
• Si Yehan left the corpse outside the second-floor restaurant and planned to return to the entertainment hall.

Si Yehan arranged a plan to target Jin Zhiguang and drew Chen Zhongshou, Wang Yuxiu, and Jin Zhiguang into a discussion about the ship’s ghosts and their own survival. After steering their thinking toward the danger, he left, intending to let the trap unfold the next day.

• Si Yehan asked a bartender to send two or three attractive hostesses to Jin Zhiguang’s room, but the bartender said he would handle it himself.
• Si Yehan found Chen Zhongshou, Jin Zhiguang, and Wang Yuxiu and joined their conversation about the other participants who had died or gone missing.
• Wang Yuxiu argued that at least two ghosts were active and revealed that she had killed a ship’s waitress to test the natives.
• Chen Zhongshou agreed that natives could be killed, while Jin Zhiguang said he wanted to avoid killing anyone unless it was necessary to clear the instance.
• Si Yehan learned about the others’ motives and moral limits, then left after guiding their discussion toward his plan.

Si Yehan left the entertainment hall to find someone to kill, while Su Qiuyue, Yan Jingxing, the old woman, and the fat old man discussed the coming great purge and their plans for the sacrifices. In a corridor, Si Yehan attacked two cruise ship workers, and Sister Cheng was cut as she tried to help her companion.

• Si Yehan planned to leave at ten and hunt for prey so he could sleep peacefully.
• Su Qiuyue, the old woman, Yan Jingxing, and the fat old man discussed guarding the meeting hall, killing survivors, and ending their curses through the great purge.
• Su Qiuyue invited Yan Jingxing to find some fun, but he declined, and she left alone.
• Si Yehan went onto the deck and into a dark corridor to find someone alone to torment and kill.
• Si Yehan knocked down a worker who asked where he was going, and the man urged Sister Cheng to get help.
• Sister Cheng tried to push Si Yehan away and help the man, but Si Yehan sliced through her palm.

Si Yehan tortured Sister Cheng and Aci, forcing Aci to gouge out his own eyes before killing them both. As footsteps approached from the corpse-clearing group, Si Yehan disappeared into the darkness and went to sleep, thinking about testing fictional methods of torture in the outside world.

• Si Yehan tormented Sister Cheng and kicked Aci, leaving Sister Cheng badly injured and Aci terrified.
• Si Yehan threatened to gouge out Sister Cheng’s eyes unless Aci blinded himself, and Aci obeyed by removing both eyes.
• Si Yehan stabbed Sister Cheng through both eyes and left her dying as Aci groped for her.
• Si Yehan made Aci bite Sister Cheng’s corpse, then revealed what he had bitten; Aci died in rage and grief.
• Hearing the corpse-clearing group approach, Si Yehan vanished into the darkness and considered trying new torture methods once he gained supernatural powers outside.

Si Yehan returned to his cabin while Jin Zhiguang left the banquet and accepted an invitation from four women, mistakenly believing he had not violated the killing rule. That night, female ghosts attacked Jin Zhiguang and the women, and he realized Si Yehan had deceived their group.

• Si Yehan checked his cabin for surveillance, showered, and went to sleep after reflecting on his dreams and recent killings.
• Wang Yuxiu returned to her cabin, while Jin Zhiguang and Chen Zhongshou decided to leave the banquet and go to bed early.
• Jin Zhiguang invited his former dance partner and three other women into his room, believing the killing rule only prohibited mentioning sex.
• A hidden camera recorded Jin Zhiguang and the four women as they fell asleep together.
• Female ghosts entered Jin Zhiguang's room and attacked the five sleepers, and Jin Zhiguang realized Si Yehan had tricked their group.

Jin Zhiguang and four women were killed by the female ghosts, while Chen Zhongshou and Wang Yuxiu tried to survive the night by following the rules. By morning, Chen Zhongshou had drowned in his bed, and Si Yehan prepared to check the results.

• Jin Zhiguang and four women were torn apart and eaten by the female ghosts.
• Chen Zhongshou kept his eyes on the sea to avoid falling asleep and survived the ghosts’ attack through the night.
• Wang Yuxiu invented happy memories to follow the supposed rule, but the ghosts killed her after she fell into extreme happiness.
• Chen Zhongshou celebrated surviving the night, then drowned when water gushed from his bed.
• Si Yehan woke after a dreamless night and said it was time to check the results.

Si Yehan killed the armed hostesses guarding the meeting hall and watched surveillance footage confirming three cruise-ship killing rules. He then shot the four powerful figures who emerged, killing Yan Jingxing, Su Qiuyue, and the fat old man after gravely wounding them.

• Si Yehan shot the two hostesses who tried to bar him from the meeting hall and entered to wait for the bosses.
• Yan Jingxing showed Si Yehan footage confirming that lust before sleep, pursuing pleasure before sleep, and staying awake to watch the sea each led to death.
• Si Yehan learned that the female ghost slaves had once worked on the ship and that Su Qiuyue had handled the extreme banquets that killed them.
• Su Qiuyue, the old woman, and the fat old man emerged with Yan Jingxing, and Si Yehan shot all four, wounding Su Qiuyue and the fat old man and shooting Yan Jingxing through the crotch.
• Si Yehan stabbed Yan Jingxing through the eye and temple, then beat and shot Su Qiuyue and fired dozens of shots into the fat old man, killing them.

Si Yehan searched the rooms behind the fourth-floor seats and found Yan Jingxing and Su Qiuyue’s backup plan for the Great Cleansing. He decided to lure everyone to the entertainment hall and use its poison gas system, leaving him to prepare for the next stage of his plan.

• Si Yehan searched four rooms marked with surnames matching the dead figures, collected portable firearms and equipment, and found more supplies.
• Si Yehan ate on the third floor and decided to begin the Great Cleansing, then returned to the fourth floor to search the documents at the seats.
• Si Yehan found Yan Jingxing and Su Qiuyue’s document describing plans to kill the ship’s tourists, insured personnel, and cargo, and to destroy Tianxia No. 4.
• Si Yehan learned that the entertainment hall’s poison gas system could kill those gathered there, and decided he would not need to move the bodies before sinking the ship.
• When a woman reported that the morning’s bodies had been disposed of, Si Yehan ordered her to invite all guests, singers, and dancers to the entertainment hall, then slapped her for questioning him.

Si Yehan killed the four bosses and the woman in white, then triggered a deadly mist in the entertainment hall. He watched the guests and security personnel die as a storm swept over the cruise ship.

• Si Yehan found the four bosses dead and realized the ship’s order would collapse before it reached shore.
• The woman in white entered, saw the corpses, and attacked Si Yehan, who killed her.
• Si Yehan went to the crowded entertainment hall and pressed the red button behind the stage.
• As deadly mist filled the hall, Si Yehan shot anyone blocking his exit and watched from outside while the guests and security personnel died.
• A fierce storm gathered over the ship, and Si Yehan stood beneath his umbrella as rain fell amid the screams.

Si Yehan cleared the entertainment hall and killed the armed men guarding the fourth floor. He left the ship’s leader dead beside the rotting corpses of the four powerful guests.

• Si Yehan inspected the poisoned entertainment hall and decided to head to the fourth floor for weapons.
• A group of women in protective suits blocked Si Yehan from entering, so he shot them and checked that none had survived.
• Si Yehan threw corpses through the guarded room’s door to draw fire and learn where the five people inside were positioned.
• Si Yehan used two blades to disarm two guards, then entered and shot the four armed men.
• Si Yehan shot the leader in the thigh, accused him of being a loyal dog, and killed him with a blade.

Si Yehan armed himself and slaughtered the security guards in the cargo hold before ordering Li Rui to kill the prisoners in exchange for safe passage. When Li Rui turned on the prisoners and tried to kill three little girls, Si Yehan shot him in the leg and revealed he had never intended to let him live.

• Si Yehan took a blade and submachine gun, then followed Yang Rui's route toward the cargo hold.
• Si Yehan killed the guards on duty and stabbed the fallen bodies to make sure none survived.
• Si Yehan found Li Rui among the prisoners and promised him a chance to live if he killed everyone in the cages.
• Li Rui began killing the prisoners, grew bolder, and turned his attention to three little girls.
• Si Yehan shot Li Rui in the leg as he raised his knife against the girls, then mocked him for trusting the promise.

Si Yehan slaughtered the captives in the cargo hold, set the cages ablaze, and killed the restaurant staff while gathering food. After restoring his strength, he headed for the bridge to see what remained of the ship.

• Si Yehan killed Li Rui and the captives locked in the iron cages.
• Si Yehan maimed the remaining captives, set the cargo hold on fire, and left as the flames consumed them.
• Si Yehan entered the restaurant and shot the service staff who fled from him.
• Si Yehan collected refrigerated food, bread, and milk, then ate to regain his strength.
• Si Yehan headed to the bridge to investigate the ship.

Si Yehan finished purging the cruise ship, killed the man steering it, and returned to his room to sleep. As night fell, he appeared in a vision above a sea of blood and human heads while countless voices chanted about Vengeful Ghosts.

• Si Yehan reached the bridge and killed the middle-aged man who had been steering the ship.
• Si Yehan confirmed that nobody aboard remained alive, then considered the instance’s easy killing rules and the threats posed by Worldwatch and Jiang Shanghan.
• Si Yehan returned to his room, reflected on the possible consequences of the city massacre, and went to sleep.
• The rain stopped as dark clouds lingered, and Si Yehan’s consciousness sank into darkness.
• A vision showed a blood-covered sea, a mound of human heads, and Vengeful Ghosts roaming the mortal world as Si Yehan stood above them, pleased.

Si Yehan relived the night he killed his biological parents, Si Xuanye and Murong Yu, in a dream. As the dream continued to replay his past, night had fallen outside it.

• The sea of blood and purple flames showed Si Yehan the faces of those he had killed, then revealed his biological parents, Si Xuanye and Murong Yu.
• The scene shifted to Si Yehan’s eighteenth birthday, where his relatives and servants gathered for the celebration his father had once wanted to hold.
• Si Yehan dismissed the crowd and stabbed Si Xuanye and Murong Yu, recreating their deaths in the burning villa.
• Si Xuanye died cursing Si Yehan, while Murong Yu confessed her love before dying in the fire.
• The dream continued to show the aftermath, including Si Yehan dealing with his family’s inheritance and the deaths being ruled accidents, while the night passed outside the dream.