Chapter Summary: Black Market Observations

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Jiang Qiao explores the sewers beneath Dandong Port, which serve as a black market with many entrances and stalls run by people from all walks of life.
• He observes the market’s wares: herbs (some real with supernatural aura, many fake), bones (animal and human, some carved with useless runes or bearing teeth marks), and bottles of colored liquid that can heal fatal injuries but at the cost of aging the user / consuming lifespan.
• Most buyers are ordinary townsfolk; few have any supernatural aura. Genuine Supernatural Items are essentially absent—only low-grade contaminated or aura-bearing objects are for sale.
• Jiang Qiao stops at a stall selling a foot-tall stone statue of the River God. It has a faint spiritual resonance, similar to a River God he encountered before.
• He questions the vendor about the statue’s origin. The vendor claims his ancestor obtained it from a village by the Bali River, that worshipping it brought the family wealth, and that he now plans to move to England, where native beliefs are not allowed.
• Jiang Qiao pays for the story but notices the vendor is hiding something. He cryptically says, “I hope you make it to England alive,” before vanishing.
• The vendor is terrified when he realizes Jiang Qiao appeared and disappeared unnaturally, immediately packs up his stall, and hurriedly leaves the market early.

2. Character Developments

• Jiang Qiao: Shows sharp observational skills and deep knowledge of supernatural items. He can detect true auras, spot fakes, and see through lies. He is also intimidating—using money and vague threats to unsettle the vendor, and he is not afraid to cause psychological fear.
• The Stall Owner: Greedy, flattering, and quick to claim noble ancestry for his goods. He initially tries to swindle Jiang Qiao but becomes panic-stricken after realizing the customer is something unnatural, revealing cowardice and superstition.

3. Significant Themes

• Low-Tier Supernatural Black Market: The market is a place for ordinary people and shady figures to trade cheap, often fake or dangerous supernatural goods.
• Deception and Hidden Dangers: Vendors exaggerate origins and effects; buyers often touch what they shouldn’t or buy things that may carry curses or side effects.
• The Cost of Power: Items like healing liquids require trading away lifespan—survival has a price.
• Fear of the Unknown: The vendor’s terror at encountering a true supernatural being shows the gap between casual black-market trade and real occult danger.

4. Character Interactions

• Jiang Qiao and the Vendor: A tense negotiation. Jiang Qiao uses banknotes to extract information, then subtly exposes the vendor’s dishonesty and leaves a threat. The vendor tries to grab him, but Jiang Qiao vanishes, leaving the vendor shaken and fleeing.
• Jiang Qiao and the crowd/buyers: He observes them silently, noting their ordinariness and the market’s low quality, and laughs internally as people consider buying worthless bones for protection.

Here is a concise summary of the chapter "Why the Hu Family Did It," covering the requested elements.

Summary of "Why the Hu Family Did It"

This chapter reveals the backstory of the tragedy at Blue Village and the origin of the "River God" curse through Jiang Qiao's deductions.

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• The Little Boss's secret exposed: After being startled by Jiang Qiao, the Little Boss flees. Jiang Qiao deduces that the Little Boss's panic stems from his secret being seen through: the "River God" idol is cursed.
• The River God's true nature: The River God is an evil entity that formed a symbiotic relationship with the riverside villages. It accepted worship and gave blessings in return.
• The School's destruction: Decades earlier, a school built by a wealthy native (the Little Boss's ancestor) was erased. Jiang Qiao theorizes the River God saw the school's spread of a foreign religion (Western Christian Messiah) as a threat to its domain and destroyed it.
• The Hu Family's role: The old Hu patriarch (Hu Yongchang) used a mysterious tree to contaminate and take control of the River God. This corrupted the River God, turning its followers into walking corpses who still worshipped it, while siphoning their faith to nourish Hu Yongchang.
• The Little Boss's plan: Unable to escape the curse by simply discarding the idol, the Little Boss sought to sell it, hoping someone else's worship would transfer the faith and free him.
• The Revelation of death: Jiang Qiao realizes that every village along the Bali River is dead; their populations have all become walking corpses.
• A false path to immortality: Jiang Qiao examines the Black Market (located in sewers) and sees strange wooden puppets in the walls. He dismisses the Hu Family's grand plan for "Becoming Immortal" as a scam they fell for due to their ignorance. He decides to observe what they summon, wondering if it connects to the island he's investigating.

2. Character Developments

• Jiang Qiao: Demonstrates his sharp observational skills and deep knowledge of the supernatural. He reconstructs the entire history of the tragedy through logic and small clues. He adopts a skeptical, pragmatic approach, viewing the Hu Family's ambition as the result of ignorance rather than a legitimate path to power.

3. Significant Themes

• Corruption of Faith: The River God's symbiotic relationship with the villagers is perverted by the Hu Family, turning a source of protection into a mechanism for parasitism and death.
• Hubris and Ignorance: The Hu Family's misguided pursuit of immortality leads to catastrophic consequences, showing how a lack of understanding of the supernatural can lead to self-destruction.
• Culture Clash: The destruction of the school highlights the theme of native beliefs clashing with foreign religious influence.

4. Character Interactions

• Jiang Qiao and the Little Boss: The chapter is framed by Jiang Qiao's reaction to the Little Boss's fearful retreat. While there is no direct dialogue, the interaction's aftermath drives the entire chapter's revelations.
• Jiang Qiao (Observing): He observes Luo Mo and a middle-aged man at a market stall discussing charms. Jiang Qiao only watches from afar, not interacting.

Chapter Summary: "Luo Mo Borrows Money"

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Luo Mo, a wealthy but powerless young man, attends the Black Market with a friend called "Brother" to buy a protective talisman against an evil spirit he believes is haunting him (from a prior encounter with the Stone of the Evil Day).
• The stall owner, colluding with Brother, warns Luo Mo that he is covered in "Ghost Qi" and being followed by an evil spirit, scaring him into buying a jade talisman priced at 300,000 yuan.
• Luo Mo only has 100,000 on him, so Brother offers to lend him the remaining 200,000, and Luo Mo insists on writing an IOU.
• The transaction ends with all three men grinning—Luo Mo believes he got protection, Brother gets the IOU and a cut, and the seller gets money.
• The narrator (Jiang Qiao) reveals the talisman is a fake, worth at most 30 yuan, and the whole “brotherhood” was a scam.

2. Character Developments

• Luo Mo: Desperate, superstitious, and paranoid due to his haunting experiences (sleep paralysis, shadowy figure). He is also a legitimate son whose half-brother (a Special Ability User) overshadows him in the family. His desire for supernatural power and fear of losing his inheritance drive him to take reckless risks. He is easily manipulated by flattery and fear.
• Brother: A cunning conman who poses as a friend and "Special Ability User." He uses false camaraderie and psychological pressure to trap Luo Mo into a loan scheme. His true nature is exploitative and self-serving.
• Stall Owner: A colluding fraudster who plays the role of a blunt, arrogant expert to convince Luo Mo the talisman is real and valuable.

3. Significant Themes

• Exploitation of desperation: Luna takes advantage of Luo Mo’s fear and vulnerability to deceive him.
• Family rivalry & inheritance: Luo Mo’s resentment toward his half-brother and his fear of losing the family business to him is a key motivation.
• Gullibility & self-deception: Luo Mo convinces himself the exorbitant price and rude seller mean the talisman is genuine.
• Irony of "win-win": All parties feel they benefited, but only the scammers truly did.
• Supernatural era’s social shifts: Special Ability Users hold power and status, while ordinary people like Luo Mo feel inferior and are easily preyed upon.

4. Character Interactions

• Brother ↔ Luo Mo: Brother showers Luo Mo with fake brotherly affection ("we hit it off right away"), offers unconditional help, and subtly pressures him to buy. He then “generously” lends money, strengthening Luo Mo’s trust.
• Stall owner ↔ Luo Mo: The owner uses insults and threat ("your life isn't worth three hundred thousand") to make Luo Mo feel the talisman is both necessary and worth the high price.
• Brother ↔ Stall owner: They exchange hidden glances to coordinate the scam, but publicly pretend to argue over the price to appear genuine.
• Luo Mo’s internal thoughts: Reveal his family issues, his fears of the ghost, and his secret hope of making Brother his subordinate in the future—showing his own sense of entitlement and ambition.

Murder Case Escalates — Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points & Events

• Day three of the murder case. Jiang Qiao reads the newspaper at breakfast in the Nanyang Grand Hotel.
• The case has escalated: killings now occur in broad daylight, not just at night.
• Rice shop owner (east city): found dead in his own storeroom, chest torn open with a huge hole, organs missing.
• Rickshaw puller (west city): killed in an alley on a busy street within three minutes; all skin and flesh stripped from his body.
• The Indra Family murders (north city): the family head and his legitimate grandson—both Special Ability Users of high standing—found dismembered in their room, with no signs of resistance or disturbance. This was the first case involving Special Ability Users and shattered the theory that the killer only targeted ordinary people.
• A sedan belonging to the Kusuma Family's youngest son crashes into a building outside the hotel. Onlookers flee in horror after seeing inside; Jiang Qiao's enhanced vision reveals the two occupants (a man and woman) are freshly killed "bloody skeletons," their skin and flesh completely shaved away.
• Omens: Jiang Qiao senses the two eerie auras above the city, previously distinct, have now nearly fused together—implying the malevolent forces are merging or growing stronger.

2. Character Developments

• Jiang Qiao: Remains calm and observant despite the chaos. Demonstrates supernatural perception (can see through the car's shell at distance and sense the auras). His detachment suggests a hidden role or awareness beyond ordinary people.
• The public: Growing terror; the city's elites no longer feel safe; theories about the killer keep collapsing.

3. Significant Themes

• Escalation and unpredictability: The killer's behavior defies established patterns (daytime attacks, higher-status victims), making the situation increasingly uncontrollable.
• Class and vulnerability: Wealth, status, or Special Ability powers no longer guarantee safety; all are equally prey.
• Institutional incompetence: City administrators are publicly condemned for failing to solve the case.
• Merging of evil: The two auras fusing suggests the threat is not a singular killer but an accumulating supernatural force.

4. Character Interactions

• Gold-rimmed glasses young man vs. fat man in suit: Debate whether the killer is a human hiding in the sewers or a vicious ghost; the young man blames sewer-dwelling criminals and the city's negligence, the fat man argues it must be a supernatural entity.
• Foreign guests: Discuss leaving Tanjung Sepat for safer places like Siam, reflecting the city's deteriorating reputation.
• The crowd: Initially rushes to help after the car crash, then screams and retreats upon glimpsing the skeletal corpses—showing the horror overcoming human instinct.
  Note: The chapter primarily builds atmosphere and escalates stakes; Jiang Qiao remains a mostly passive observer, though his final observation hints that the true crisis is only beginning.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Hu Family's ritual begins, causing supernatural phenomena to appear in Tanjung Sepat, isolating the city.
• The sky darkens, and strange clouds gather, indicating the creation of a Ghost Domain.
• Jiang Qiao observes the ritual's progress and realizes that Hu Yongchang is being reverse-controlled by the Ghost Tree, which aims to provide coordinates for an unknown entity to descend.

Character Developments

• Hu Yongchang's body transforms into a plant-like tree, and his aura rapidly increases as he absorbs energy from corrupted entities.
• Jiang Qiao demonstrates his extensive knowledge and experience in supernatural matters, deducing the ritual's purpose and Hu Yongchang's condition.

Significant Themes

• The power of the supernatural and its influence on the real world.
• The consequences of reverse-control and possession by supernatural entities.
• The isolation and fear caused by supernatural phenomena.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Qiao observes the Hu Family's activities from afar, while the Hu Family members remain unaware of his presence.
• In the sewers, a vagrant teenager interacts with a group of thugs, revealing hints of his recent change in fortune and potential connection to the Big Tycoon Nightclub.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Mad Dog, a gang member, informs a young boy that the protection fee for operating on Lion Street will increase by fifty percent.
• The boy, initially intimidated, suddenly attacks Mad Dog and escapes.
• Mad Dog and his men encounter mysterious, eerie figures in the sewers and are attacked.
• Screams are heard in the Black Market, prompting two men (the boy's Big Brother and the stall owner) to discuss the commotion.

Character Developments

• The boy demonstrates unexpected bravery and ruthlessness, attacking Mad Dog when cornered.
• Mad Dog shows cowardice and fear when faced with the unknown creatures in the sewers.
• Brother, the boy's Big Brother, displays caution and prudence, deciding to leave the sewers due to the strange events.
• The stall owner initially appears fearless but later shows shock and fear when confronted with the corpses in the sewers.

Significant Themes

• Survival of the fittest in the sewers, where only the strong and cunning can thrive.
• Fear and its impact on characters' decisions and actions.
• The unknown and its potential dangers.

Character Interactions

• Mad Dog and the boy: Mad Dog attempts to intimidate and bully the boy, but the boy surprises him with his sudden attack.
• Brother and the stall owner: They discuss the strange events in the sewers, with Brother showing caution while the stall owner initially dismisses the danger.
• The boy and the mysterious creatures: Though not directly interacting, the boy's escape from Mad Dog leads to the gang encountering the creatures, hinting at a possible connection.

Chapter Summary: “Brother Comes Knocking”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At exactly noon, Tanjung Sepat is engulfed in an eerie ink-green darkness resembling midnight.
• A supernatural barrier, described as a Ghost Wall, seals the entire city. Anyone attempting to leave—by land, sea, or road—returns to their starting point.
• All communications fail, including telephones, radio, telegraphs, and supernatural messaging. Tanjung Sepat is completely isolated.
• Luo Mo, unaware of the crisis because he has been sleeping, spends the afternoon practicing the Five Tigers Severing the Gate Saber, a technique he purchased from the Black Market.
• His servant informs him that supernatural incidents are spreading throughout the city and that businesses are closing.
• Fearing that Tanjung Sepat may be facing a disaster on the scale of other cities destroyed by evil entities, Luo Mo immediately decides to flee to his family’s countryside home.
• At the gate, he encounters his “Big Brother,” the middle-aged man who previously took him to the Black Market.
• Brother reveals that escape is impossible because the city has been sealed by a supernatural force, possibly a Ghost Domain.
• The city’s authorities, powerful supernatural families, major figures, and even previously persecuted Secret Organizations are gathering to search for a solution.
• Brother suggests that Luo Mo move to the Nanyang Grand Hotel, believing it will be safer because of its powerful owner and skilled guests.

Character Developments

• Luo Mo shows a strong survival instinct. Though he can be careless and somewhat naïve, he quickly recognizes the danger and prioritizes escape once he understands the situation.
• His interest in supernatural abilities continues to develop. He has begun practicing the saber technique because it may become a supernatural weapon when used by a Special Ability User.
• Luo Mo’s lack of awareness about the crisis emphasizes his sheltered lifestyle and his tendency to sleep through or overlook important events.
• Brother appears concerned about Luo Mo’s safety and claims he came to protect him. However, his hesitation and embarrassment suggest that self-interest may also motivate him.
• Brother demonstrates greater knowledge of the supernatural situation, understanding that the city’s isolation may represent an extremely dangerous Ghost Domain.

Significant Themes

• Isolation and helplessness: The city’s physical and supernatural barriers cut residents off from the outside world, removing all ordinary means of escape or assistance.
• The limits of power and authority: The fact that government officials, elite families, and Secret Organizations must cooperate suggests that the threat exceeds the control of any single faction.
• Survival instinct: Luo Mo’s immediate reaction is to flee rather than investigate or fight, reflecting the terrifying scale of supernatural disasters.
• Trust and hidden motives: Brother presents himself as loyal, but his awkward behavior leaves open the question of whether his intentions are entirely selfless.
• The merging of martial arts and supernatural power: Luo Mo’s saber practice hints at his growing involvement in the supernatural world and the possibility that ordinary skills can become extraordinary abilities.

Character Interactions

• Luo Mo’s servant alerts him to the supernatural crisis, prompting his decision to leave.
• Luo Mo and Brother meet at the courtyard gate, where Luo Mo learns that escape is impossible.
• Their conversation reveals their contrasting attitudes: Luo Mo panics and seeks a way out, while Brother offers practical information and recommends a safer gathering place.
• Luo Mo is touched by Brother’s apparent concern, but Brother’s evasiveness creates uncertainty about the true nature of their relationship.

Chapter Summary: “Come to the Meeting Tonight”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Nanyang Grand Hotel is introduced as one of the safest and most prestigious hotels in the South Seas. Its protection covers both physical violence and supernatural attacks, making it a refuge even during major Supernatural Events.
• The hotel’s reputation was established through past incidents, including a massacre on Penang Island when Vicious Ghosts emerged from an ancient well. Although the hotel itself was attacked, the guests inside survived, and the ghosts mysteriously disappeared after entering.
• Brother wants to stay at Nanyang Grand Hotel because of its supernatural protection, but he cannot afford the expensive membership fee. Instead, he relies on Luo Mo, whose membership allows him to guarantee Brother’s stay.
• Brother checks in and returns to his room, leaving Luo Mo in the hotel café.
• Big Brother Balai, a member of the Stone of the Evil Day and Luo Mo’s sponsor, arrives to meet him. Balai tells Luo Mo that the organization’s chief has called a meeting at 9:30 that night at Number Eighteen Ten Thousand Crows Street.
• The meeting will address the Vicious Ghost that has sealed off Tanjung Sepat. Balai assures Luo Mo that the situation, though dangerous, can be resolved.
• Balai reveals that the crisis may also be an opportunity: if everything goes according to plan, Luo Mo will become a Special Ability User that night.

Character Developments

• Brother: His practical and money-conscious nature is emphasized. Despite understanding the hotel’s importance, he refuses to pay the membership fee himself and seeks Luo Mo’s guarantee instead. His successful check-in gives him access to a secure refuge.
• Luo Mo: He has recovered from his injuries and is increasingly involved in the supernatural world. Balai’s promise that he may become a Special Ability User fills him with excitement and hope, showing how deeply he wants to advance.
• Balai: He appears calm, confident, and authoritative. His knowledge of the Tanjung Sepat crisis and his certainty about Luo Mo’s future suggest that the Stone of the Evil Day has a deliberate plan.
• Jiang Qiao: Though absent from the scene, he is mentioned as having entered the hotel through a VIP channel using a Heaven-Bearing Society introduction, contrasting his status with Brother’s less privileged access.

Significant Themes

• Safety amid supernatural chaos: The hotel represents order and protection in a world threatened by unpredictable supernatural forces.
• Power, privilege, and money: Access to safety depends on membership, wealth, status, or personal connections. Brother can enter only because Luo Mo guarantees him.
• Danger as opportunity: The Tanjung Sepat disaster is not merely a threat; organizations such as the Stone of the Evil Day see it as a chance to gain power and advance their members.
• Ambition and transformation: Luo Mo’s possible promotion to Special Ability User reflects his desire to gain supernatural abilities and establish a stronger position in this dangerous world.
• Secrecy and hidden power: The hotel’s methods of neutralizing Vicious Ghosts remain unexplained, while Balai hints that his organization possesses knowledge and plans unknown to outsiders.

Character Interactions

• Brother and Luo Mo: Brother depends on Luo Mo’s membership guarantee, while Luo Mo is left behind after helping him check in. Their relationship combines cooperation with financial complications.
• Balai and Luo Mo: Balai acts as a mentor and recruiter. He gives Luo Mo important instructions, reassures him about the crisis, and prepares him for his first formal organizational meeting.
• Luo Mo and Balai regarding Tanjung Sepat: Luo Mo expresses fear and seeks information, while Balai responds with controlled confidence, encouraging him to remain calm and trust the organization’s plan.

Chapter Summary: “Stone of the Evil Day”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During a supernatural lockdown of Tanjung Sepat, Luo Mo travels at night to the Stone of the Evil Day’s headquarters at Ten Thousand Crows Street.
• The organization holds its meeting in a large basement containing roughly one hundred members:
  • About sixty ordinary members sit in the outer circle.
  • More than thirty strange-looking Special Ability Users occupy the inner circle.
• The masked Chief tests Luo Mo upon his arrival, briefly stripping away his senses and making him feel like a dead body observed from outside. The Chief concludes that Luo Mo is not a spy and permits him to join the meeting.
• Balai arrives with another newcomer, Vardani, a formidable-looking woman who is also a Special Ability User. Both are formally introduced to the organization.
• The Chief explains that a terrifying Vicious Ghost has sealed Tanjung Sepat inside a Ghost Domain, cutting the city off from the outside world.
• The city government and all major factions—including rival organizations and powerful families—have agreed to temporarily suspend their conflicts and cooperate to survive the crisis.
• Rather than attempting to defeat the unknown Vicious Ghost, the Chief’s strategy is to preserve as many members as possible. He predicts that the destroyed city may later be left under the temporary administration of surviving local organizations.
• The Stone of the Evil Day has been assigned to investigate Yellow Rice District, specifically Lion Street, and gather information about the supernatural crisis.
• Luo Mo is placed on a team tasked with investigating Lion Street.

Character Developments

• Luo Mo remains cautious and socially restrained, carefully hiding his fear and presenting himself as obedient and cooperative. His reaction to the Chief demonstrates how vulnerable he is to powerful supernatural abilities, but he successfully passes the Chief’s anti-spy test.
• The Chief is established as an intimidating, highly capable leader. His ability to manipulate Luo Mo’s senses suggests extraordinary supernatural power. He is also pragmatic, prioritizing survival, political positioning, and future influence over directly confronting the Vicious Ghost.
• Balai continues to act as Luo Mo’s superior and intermediary, approving of his punctuality and introducing him to the meeting.
• Vardani is introduced as a new Special Ability User. Despite her fierce appearance and sinister aura, she is friendly enough to smile at Luo Mo, contrasting with his nervous avoidance of her.
• Luo Mo’s private judgment of Vardani’s appearance reveals his tendency to make humorous or uncharitable assumptions internally while maintaining a polite exterior.

Significant Themes

• Survival over conflict: The supernatural emergency forces enemies and competing factions to set aside old grudges and cooperate.
• Political opportunism during crisis: The Chief views the disaster not only as a threat but also as a chance for the Stone of the Evil Day to gain influence over a weakened city.
• The unknown supernatural threat: The Vicious Ghost remains unidentified and seemingly too powerful to confront directly, emphasizing helplessness and uncertainty.
• Power and hierarchy: The organization’s seating arrangement distinguishes ordinary members from Special Ability Users, while the Chief’s test reinforces his dominance.
• Pragmatism and sacrifice: The organization accepts that the city may be devastated and focuses on preserving enough members to benefit afterward.

Character Interactions

• Luo Mo and Balai: Balai welcomes Luo Mo, praises his early arrival, and directs him into the meeting, reinforcing their hierarchical relationship.
• Luo Mo and the Chief: The Chief subjects Luo Mo to a frightening supernatural examination, then acknowledges his composure and allows him to stay.
• Luo Mo and Vardani: Vardani offers a friendly smile, but Luo Mo avoids eye contact because he senses her sinister supernatural aura. He remains outwardly polite despite privately mocking her appearance.
• The Chief and the organization: The Chief briefs the members, explains the political agreement among Tanjung Sepat’s factions, and assigns the organization’s investigative mission.
• Balai and Vardani: Balai escorts Vardani into the meeting and presents her as a new member alongside Luo Mo.

Chapter Summary: “Patrol Anomaly”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Luo Mo, Vardani, and three ordinary Stone of the Evil Day members patrol Lion Street in Yellow Rice District, an area threatened by a possible Vicious Ghost outbreak.
• Luo Mo feels watched and suspects the patrol members are being used as expendable scouts. He is also frustrated because Balai promised to help him become a Special Ability User but later postponed the arrangement.
• Vardani reassures Luo Mo by explaining that previous city-sealing incidents usually develop gradually. During the first three days, there are generally few major changes beyond the city becoming impossible to leave.
• The team investigates buildings using slingshots to break windows and provoke reactions from anyone inside, avoiding direct contact because of the danger.
• After completing the initial inspection of Lion Street without finding anything unusual, the team prepares to return.
• Vardani suddenly stops Luo Mo after realizing that two members, Ade and Old Mo, have disappeared.
• She suspects their disappearance is connected to a nearby sewer manhole, though she did not witness what happened.

Character Developments

• Luo Mo remains inexperienced and anxious, but he becomes increasingly observant and wary. His resentment toward Balai and the organization grows because he feels deceived and looked down upon.
• Vardani is revealed to be both capable and considerate. She patiently explains the danger to Luo Mo and takes responsibility for protecting the group, although even her supernatural perception cannot fully explain the disappearances.
• The three ordinary patrol members demonstrate practical experience and caution but treat Luo Mo dismissively. They respect Vardani because she is a Special Ability User.
• The Short Man shifts from confident reassurance to alarm when he realizes two teammates have vanished.

Significant Themes

• Expendability and hierarchy: The organization appears to send inexperienced or ordinary members into danger while protecting veteran personnel, making Luo Mo suspect he and others are being used as cannon fodder.
• Fear of the unknown: The dark, decaying environment and invisible supernatural threat create constant tension, especially because the Vicious Ghost cannot be directly detected.
• False security: The calm patrol and lack of abnormalities give the group a misleading sense of safety before two members disappear without warning.
• Distrust and broken promises: Luo Mo’s anger at Balai reflects the unreliable support and internal politics of the organization.
• Professional caution versus recklessness: The patrol members use indirect methods such as slingshots to investigate buildings, highlighting how survival depends on avoiding direct exposure.

Character Interactions

• Vardani speaks warmly with Luo Mo, explains past Vicious Ghost incidents, and reveals her own history as an independent Special Ability User who joined the organization for protection.
• The other patrol members ignore Luo Mo but defer respectfully to Vardani, emphasizing the status gap between ordinary people and Special Ability Users.
• When Ade and Old Mo vanish, the Short Man immediately turns to Vardani for an explanation, recognizing her as the group’s best source of supernatural awareness.
• Vardani physically restrains Luo Mo and warns the group not to move, ending the chapter with everyone focused on the suspicious sewer cover.

Summary: “The Short Man’s Coercion”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The short man discovers that the sewer manhole is open and pitch-black. Two teammates, Ade and Old Mo, have disappeared after entering or approaching it.
• Afraid to investigate himself, the short man orders Luo Mo to inspect the manhole. Luo Mo refuses, recognizing that the sewer is clearly dangerous and arguing that they should retreat and report the incident.
• The short man angrily pressures Luo Mo, accusing him of avoiding responsibility and warning that he will be held accountable if the missing men are harmed.
• Their argument escalates when Luo Mo insults the short man and challenges his courage as a veteran member of the Stone of the Evil Day.
• The short man draws a gun and forces Luo Mo toward the manhole. When Luo Mo continues protesting, he fires a warning shot beside Luo Mo’s feet, threatening further punishment.
• Vardani intervenes and stops the confrontation. She concludes that Ade and Old Mo are probably already dead and that investigating the sewer would only risk another life. She orders the group to leave and settle any dispute with the organization later.
• The short man backs down because Vardani is a Special Ability User, whose strength gives her authority over him despite his resentment.
• As the group leaves Lion Street, the short man claims that someone is following them. The surroundings suddenly become unnaturally dark, though Vardani senses no Supernatural Aura.
• Vardani urges everyone to leave quickly. After walking only a short distance, she turns around and discovers that the short man has mysteriously vanished.

Character Developments

• Luo Mo reveals both his caution and his temper. Though initially submissive as a newcomer hoping to gain protection and supernatural abilities, he refuses to risk his life as expendable cannon fodder. When threatened with a gun, his defiance gives way to fear, but he still attempts to invoke the organization’s authority.
• The short man is shown to be cowardly, domineering, and vindictive. He avoids investigating the danger himself but uses rank, intimidation, and a firearm to force Luo Mo into it. His primary motivation becomes restoring his pride and authority rather than rescuing the missing teammates.
• Vardani demonstrates calm judgment, courage, and leadership. She recognizes that the missing men are likely dead and prevents a pointless rescue attempt. Her status as the only Special Ability User gives her practical authority over the group.
• Ade and Old Mo remain absent, but their disappearance establishes the sewer and surrounding area as a serious supernatural threat.

Significant Themes

• Cowardice disguised as authority: The short man demands bravery from Luo Mo while refusing to face the danger himself.
• Power and hierarchy: Although the short man has seniority and a gun, Vardani’s supernatural ability gives her greater influence. The chapter emphasizes that strength determines leadership.
• Self-preservation versus duty: Luo Mo prioritizes survival, while the short man invokes duty and accountability mainly to manipulate him.
• Uncertainty and supernatural danger: The unexplained disappearances, increasing darkness, and final disappearance of the short man create a sense that the group is being watched or trapped by an unseen entity.
• Fragile group cohesion: The team’s internal conflict prevents cooperation, leaving them vulnerable just as the external threat intensifies.

Character Interactions

• The short man repeatedly attempts to dominate Luo Mo through accusations, threats, and finally gunfire.
• Luo Mo resists verbally, exposing the short man’s hypocrisy and refusing to accept blame for the missing teammates.
• Vardani intervenes as a mediator and authority figure, protecting Luo Mo and silencing the dispute.
• Luo Mo immediately becomes grateful to Vardani, viewing her as an ally, while the short man develops further resentment toward both of them.
• The chapter ends with the power dynamic overturned: after forcing others to obey him, the short man disappears without explanation, leaving Vardani and Luo Mo facing a growing supernatural threat.

Chapter Summary: “Answers Slowly Beginning to Reveal Themselves”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Luo Mo and Vardani discover that their short companion has mysteriously vanished. Sensing that the surrounding area is changing and that they may become trapped, Vardani urges Luo Mo to leave immediately.
• Near a bakery, Luo Mo recognizes the Black Market stall owner from the previous night. However, the man is now a decaying corpse controlled by a Vicious Ghost.
• The corpse attacks them, but Vardani uses her supernatural ability to create crimson footprints beneath it. When the ghost steps on them, its legs break, allowing Vardani to defeat it and seal it in a cocoon of bloody flesh.
• Luo Mo is deeply impressed by Vardani’s power and becomes even more determined to obtain supernatural abilities himself.
• Meanwhile, Jiang Qiao observes the Hu Family’s ritual from the hotel. The ritual has intensified, with the underground palace shaking from the chanting of the family’s exhausted but fanatical descendants.
• Hu Yongchang has completely merged with the mysterious tree, transforming into a treant. Its roots cover the underground palace, and its blossoms emit a faint trace of Immortal Aura.
• Jiang Qiao connects this aura to the Moon Laurel in the Guanghan Ruins and to the mysterious world he witnessed while leveling up Thunder Art—a world possibly connected to the origin of supernatural powers.
• He realizes that the mysterious island he plans to visit, the phenomenon of Dual Pupils, the Moon Laurel, and the Hu Family’s tree may all be linked to the Supernatural Source World.
• Jiang Qiao begins to understand why the Three Lives Stone sent him back to this Timeline: the deeper truths behind the supernatural world are only now starting to emerge.

Character Developments

• Luo Mo remains inexperienced and easily frightened, but his ambition grows stronger after witnessing Vardani defeat the ghost. He becomes increasingly determined to gain supernatural power.
• Vardani demonstrates calm judgment, strong intuition, and considerable combat ability. She correctly identifies the danger surrounding them and recognizes that the Black Market owner has become a Vicious Ghost.
• Jiang Qiao makes a major conceptual breakthrough. By comparing the Immortal Aura found in different locations, he begins piecing together the hidden connections behind the supernatural world and his return to the past Timeline.
• Hu Yongchang completes his transformation, abandoning his human form and becoming fully integrated with the mysterious tree.

Significant Themes

• The boundary between life and death: The Black Market owner’s corpse retains movement and supernatural agency, showing how death can become a vessel for a Vicious Ghost.
• The pursuit of power: Luo Mo’s awe and desire reflect the temptation and ambition surrounding supernatural abilities.
• Hidden connections and revelation: Jiang Qiao begins linking seemingly separate mysteries—the Moon Laurel, Dual Pupils, the mysterious island, and the Supernatural Source World.
• Transformation and loss of humanity: Hu Yongchang’s merger with the tree illustrates the extreme consequences of pursuing supernatural power and immortality.
• Fate and the Timeline: The Three Lives Stone’s decision to return Jiang Qiao to this Timeline appears increasingly deliberate, suggesting that this period is crucial to uncovering the world’s deepest secrets.

Character Interactions

• Luo Mo and Vardani: Vardani takes the lead, protecting and directing Luo Mo while he follows her instructions. Her supernatural strength inspires his admiration.
• Luo Mo and the Black Market boss: Luo Mo initially tries to recognize and greet the man, but quickly realizes that the familiar figure is now a horrifying corpse.
• Vardani and the Vicious Ghost: Vardani confronts and defeats the ghost using her blood-related ability, showing her effectiveness against supernatural threats.
• Jiang Qiao and the Hu Family: Although Jiang Qiao does not confront them directly, he watches their ritual and analyzes Hu Yongchang’s transformation, using it to deepen his understanding of the larger supernatural mystery.

Chapter Summary: “Hotel Closure”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After escaping a deadly supernatural encounter, Luo Mo returns to the Nanyang Grand Hotel. He reflects on the patrol team’s losses: three members have disappeared and are almost certainly dead.
• He tells Watu that the Black Market boss who sold him an amulet has been killed. Luo Mo conceals his involvement with the Stone of the Evil Day, claiming only that he discovered the boss’s rotting corpse outside a bakery.
• Watu is deeply alarmed, especially because he remembers hearing strange screams in the sewers earlier. He concludes that a ghost may have killed the Black Market boss and feels fortunate to have fled.
• Hotel manager George announces that the Nanyang Grand Hotel is closing its doors because supernatural events throughout the city are worsening. Guests may leave, but anyone who leaves will not be allowed to return.
• George explains that the hotel can reduce the risk of supernatural attacks but cannot guarantee absolute safety. His unusually stern manner emphasizes the seriousness of the crisis.
• Luo Mo realizes he must choose between remaining in the hotel for possible protection or leaving to carry out missions for the Stone of the Evil Day. Staying could cost him the organization’s trust and any chance of gaining supernatural abilities; leaving would mean giving up the hotel as a refuge.
• Before he can decide, a weathered Westerner announces that no one can leave after all. The city is suddenly engulfed in darkness, and ghostly cries and screams erupt everywhere.
• Horrific creatures emerge throughout the streets, rooftops, and alleys. They resemble humanoid tree stumps, with bark-like skin, hollow black facial features, vines growing from their bodies, and foul ink-green sap leaking from within.

Character Developments

• Luo Mo becomes increasingly fearful and cautious after witnessing the deaths and disappearances of fellow patrol members. He also demonstrates greater strategic awareness, carefully weighing the relative safety of the hotel against the benefits and dangers of the Stone of the Evil Day.
• Watu/Brother is revealed to have ties to the Black Market boss and is shaken by the man’s death. His earlier decision to flee the sewers now appears to have saved his life.
• Manager George shifts from his usual friendly demeanor to a firm, authoritative tone, revealing how seriously he views the supernatural emergency.
• The weathered Westerner acts as a decisive observer, declaring that the guests’ choice has effectively been taken from them by the unfolding disaster.

Significant Themes

• Survival and uncertainty: Characters must make life-or-death decisions without reliable information or guarantees.
• Trust versus self-interest: Luo Mo must choose between the hotel’s uncertain protection and the Stone of the Evil Day’s dangerous opportunities.
• The collapse of normal society: The hotel’s closure and the empty streets show ordinary institutions failing as supernatural forces overwhelm the city.
• Fear of the unknown: Deaths, missing people, unexplained ghosts, and grotesque new creatures intensify the sense that the crisis is beyond human control.
• False security: The hotel appears to be a refuge, but its protection is limited, suggesting that nowhere may truly be safe.

Character Interactions

• Luo Mo reports the Black Market boss’s death to Watu while deliberately hiding his connection to the Stone of the Evil Day.
• Watu reacts with shock and fear, connecting the death to the mysterious screams he heard earlier.
• George addresses the hotel’s guests collectively, warning them about the dangers outside and defending the hotel’s limited protective measures.
• Luo Mo and Watu discuss whether leaving the hotel is worthwhile, though Luo Mo conceals the real reason for his hesitation.
• The chapter ends with the guests’ debate rendered meaningless when supernatural creatures overrun the city and the hotel becomes their only apparent refuge.

Summary of “The Lit Lamps”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A large group of terrifying Vicious Ghosts approaches the South Seas Hotel, causing panic among the guests. Several Special Ability Users prepare to defend the building.
• Hotel manager George reassures everyone that the ghosts cannot enter. When the ghosts reach the dim yellow light cast by the hotel’s antique exterior lamps, they abruptly lose their purpose, forget their target, and leave.
• The guests realize that the lamps are powerful Supernatural Items capable of interfering with a Vicious Ghost’s thoughts or instincts rather than destroying it.
• Jiang Qiao observes the event from upstairs and compares the lamps’ effects to Shen Boxia’s ability to hypnotize Vicious Ghosts. He concludes that the lamps erase the ghosts’ recent memories, making them forget what they intended to do.
• Jiang Qiao then surveys the Hu Family Manor. The entire Hu family and their servants have transformed into Wooden-Stake People but continue behaving as though nothing is wrong.
• Beneath the manor, Hu Yongchang and his direct descendants have disappeared, while the Ghost Tree has grown into a massive tree filling the underground palace. Its roots and vines are breaking through the earth, and cracks are releasing “Immortal Aura.”
• Jiang Qiao predicts that the tree will break through the ground by the following day and that the spatial passage being created will fully form shortly afterward. He wonders whether Hu Yongchang is summoning an island or an unknown immortal entity.
• In the hotel, Watu and Luo Mo relax after witnessing the ghosts leave. Many guests become confident that the hotel is a safe refuge.
• However, Richard privately confronts George, suggesting that activating the lamps so early indicates George may not be as confident in the hotel’s defenses as he claims.

Character Developments

• George maintains a calm, reassuring public image, presenting the hotel as completely safe while concealing his true concerns.
• Jiang Qiao demonstrates sharp analytical ability by identifying the lamps’ function and monitoring the rapidly worsening situation at the Hu Family Manor. His curiosity about the summoning ritual grows.
• Watu becomes relaxed and grateful toward Luo Mo after realizing the hotel can protect them without forcing them into dangerous missions.
• Luo Mo, initially terrified, gains renewed confidence in the hotel’s safety and begins to regard it as more dependable than the Stone of the Evil Day.
• Richard acts as a perceptive and skeptical counterpoint to George, recognizing that the early use of the lamps may reveal hidden weakness or urgency.
• Hu Yongchang remains absent, but his transformation into or fusion with the Ghost Tree continues to drive the supernatural crisis.

Significant Themes

• False security versus hidden danger: The hotel appears perfectly safe, but Richard’s observation implies that its defenses may have limits.
• Supernatural technology and control: The lamps do not destroy the ghosts; they manipulate memory and instinct, showing that supernatural powers can operate through psychological interference.
• Transformation and loss of identity: The Hu family retain their routines and apparent awareness despite becoming tree-like beings, emphasizing the disturbing separation between outward behavior and true identity.
• Escalating supernatural catastrophe: The growing Ghost Tree, spreading roots, cracks, and emerging Immortal Aura suggest that a much larger event is imminent.
• Observation and uncertainty: Jiang Qiao watches events unfold rather than intervening, emphasizing the chapter’s atmosphere of suspense and anticipation.

Character Interactions

• George addresses the frightened guests and reassures them that the Vicious Ghosts cannot enter.
• The Special Ability Users react with shock and admiration when the lamps repel the ghosts through memory manipulation.
• Jiang Qiao internally analyzes the lamps and connects their effects to Shen Boxia’s abilities.
• Watu thanks Luo Mo for bringing him to the hotel, while Luo Mo reassures him that remaining there is the safest choice.
• Richard challenges George privately, questioning whether the early activation of the lamps exposes a lack of confidence in the hotel’s defenses.

Key plot points and events

• Richard questions why the South Seas Hotel shelters guests during supernatural crises. George explains that it is his duty, then prepares to light the Sacred Lamp, which should offer protection for a few days. What the hotel can do once its oil runs out is uncertain.
• The hotel guests initially take comfort in the lamp and believe they will be safe. Meanwhile, Richard and George commiserate over their bad luck.
• By the next day, the city is nearly swallowed by dark-green gloom. The hotel’s protective lights still repel the Vicious Ghosts, but their reach has shrunk by half, suggesting the protection is weakening.
• Cut off from the outside world, the guests hear screams and have no way to learn how many people have died or whether the authorities are mounting a response.
• At the municipal government, Special Ability Users have fought through the night but are overwhelmed by the endless ghosts. They have not managed to coordinate with the city’s great clans and recognize that their immediate priority is survival.
• A powerful entity breaks into their supposedly secure underground basement. Slimy vines emerge through the ceiling, kill one fighter, and effortlessly destroy the group’s supernatural attacks. The survivors flee.

Character developments and interactions

• Richard is frustrated and fearful, recognizing that his investigation has led from one supernatural danger to another.
• George remains practical and resigned to following orders, while acknowledging that the hotel’s defenses may not last.
• The hotel guests’ confidence gives way to anxiety as the lockdown’s dangers become impossible to ignore.
• The municipal fighters move from determined resistance to despair. Their discussion reveals the failure of city factions to unite, and the vine attack turns their fear into panic.

Significant themes

• Fear of the unknown: Isolation and lack of information torment the hotel guests and heighten the danger for everyone.
• Fragile safety: The hotel’s light and the government basement offer only temporary shelter; both appear vulnerable as the supernatural threat escalates.
• Unpreparedness and disunity: The city’s defenders have little time to organize, and factions fighting separately are unable to withstand the crisis.
• Escalating supernatural power: The vines’ ability to penetrate solid ground and erase supernatural attacks signals that the lockdown is becoming far more dangerous.

Chapter Summary: Calamity of the Great Families

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tanjung Sepat is overwhelmed by a supernatural disaster. Enormous vines erupt from underground, spreading across streets and buildings and forming a net over the city. The smell of decaying earth and blood fills the air, while screams from survivors abruptly cease as vicious ghosts attack.
• At the Nanyang Grand Hotel, ordinary guests panic while special ability users monitor the catastrophe through supernatural perception. They notice that neither city hall nor the great families have mounted a visible response.
• The hotel residents speculate that the authorities and great families may be conserving their strength, abandoning the rest of the city, or—most frighteningly—already fighting for survival or having been overrun.
• In reality, the great families are not safely defending themselves. The Indra Family’s estate is under direct assault by countless deadly vines.
• Dharma Indra, head of the family, uses a powerful curved blade to cut through the vines, but they continuously regenerate and attack from every direction. Nearly the entire family is slaughtered, leaving only about twenty people.
• Dharma rescues his grandson, whose supernatural ability can repel the vines temporarily, but the ability is insufficient to stop the overwhelming assault.
• Realizing that the supernatural lockdown has become far more dangerous than expected by only the third day, Dharma begins to despair. He had believed there would be time to organize an evacuation based on experiences from other cities.
• The ground finally erupts beneath Dharma and the remaining survivors. The vines overwhelm them, dragging Dharma and the others underground.
• Similar massacres occur across nearly every great family.
• As the calamity escalates, the city itself begins to transform: buildings grow roots beneath their foundations and rise from the ground like ancient monsters awakening.

Character Developments

• Dharma Indra shifts from a powerful, commanding family head to a desperate survivor. His combat ability remains formidable, but the endless vines reveal the limits of individual strength.
• Dharma’s grandson demonstrates a supernatural power that repels or disrupts the vines through the stench of corpses. However, his ability is defensive and temporary, emphasizing his helplessness in the face of the larger disaster.
• The hotel survivors and ability users become increasingly fearful and uncertain. Their assumptions about the great families’ strength begin to collapse as they confront the possibility that no outside rescue will come.

Significant Themes

• The collapse of established power: City hall and the great families, normally viewed as protectors, are either powerless, isolated, or already being destroyed.
• False security and miscalculation: The powerful factions assumed the first days of the lockdown would be manageable, but the crisis escalates far faster than expected.
• The limits of individual power: Even Dharma’s exceptional weapon and the grandson’s supernatural ability cannot overcome an inexhaustible supernatural force.
• Abandonment and self-preservation: The hotel guests recognize that the great families may not save even their own members, reflecting the ruthless priorities of the city’s ruling powers.
• Nature and supernatural horror: The spreading vines, roots, soil, blood, and awakening buildings create the impression that the entire city is being consumed and transformed by a living, monstrous force.

Character Interactions

• Hotel guests and special ability users discuss the silence from city hall and the great families, debating whether they are withholding help or have already fallen.
• Dharma fights alongside his family and guards, repeatedly cutting through the vines while trying to protect the remaining survivors.
• Dharma responds to his grandson’s cry for help by cutting through the attacking vines and pulling him to safety.
• A butler urgently asks Dharma what they should do, but Dharma has no answer, revealing that the family’s leadership and confidence have finally broken down.

Plot points and events

• Tanjung Sepat’s buildings come alive, walking on masses of writhing, tooth-filled roots. As they collide, some collapse while others grow stronger, killing people inside and turning them into bloody mist.
• A building approaches the Nanyang Grand Hotel. Its walls are made of rotting human flesh, including faces and limbs—an image that links it to recent murders in which victims were left without bones.
• The hotel’s Sacred Lamps barely keep the creature at bay. George estimates they will fail within half an hour and leaves to prepare another defense.
• The darkness suddenly gives way to an eerie pale-green light, revealing the monstrous city and a vast, seemingly unreal vortex in the sky. George and Richard are overwhelmed by its presence.
• Jiang Qiao recognizes the vortex as a passage summoned by Hu Yongchang, who merged with the Ghost Tree and became its coordinates. Though Jiang is now exceptionally powerful, the passage still inspires dread.
• The Simulator updates his quest, noting that the passage may lead directly to the island tied to the Hu Family’s Ascension Plan. Its oddly tentative wording makes Jiang suspect that entering may be dangerous.

Character developments and interactions

• George remains focused on protecting the hotel but becomes increasingly alarmed by the crisis’s speed and scale.
• Richard, usually experienced and adventurous, is shaken by the vortex and retreats from the window in instinctive terror.
• Jiang Qiao remains analytical, interpreting the supernatural events and carefully scrutinizing the Simulator’s hint rather than acting impulsively.
• Hotel guests collectively recoil from the flesh-filled building, sharing their fear even though they cannot explain what is happening.

Significant themes

• The collapse of ordinary reality: The living buildings and impossible vortex surpass both scientific and familiar supernatural explanations.
• Fear and helplessness: Darkness, mutilated bodies, and the city’s sudden transformation leave even trained Special Ability Users powerless.
• Warnings hidden in guidance: The Simulator appears to point Jiang toward the passage while subtly signaling that the choice may be perilous.
• Escalating catastrophe: The events are worsening far faster than past supernatural disasters, raising the stakes for everyone in Tanjung Sepat.

Summary

• After fifty years pursuing immortality and forty years in hiding in the South Seas, the Hu Family’s plan reaches its climax. Hu Yongchang has transformed into a vast Ghost Tree, with eighteen enormous hearts hanging in its canopy. His descendants are enclosed in the hearts, while other family members, servants, and guards have become tree-like beings, tethered to the tree by vines.
• A column of blue smoke rises from the tree into a vast, darkening vortex in the sky, apparently connecting the manor to another realm. Convinced that the passage will let the family ascend, Hu Yongchang declares that he has made the Hu Family a clan of immortals. His relatives share his ecstatic belief.
• Jiang Qiao suddenly appears and calls their supposed immortality a delusion. The tree people attack him with vines, supernatural forces, and hurled buildings, but the attacks vanish before reaching him. His Stove Fire burns through the vines and engulfs much of the manor, killing some tree people and driving others to flee. The flames cannot reach the Ghost Tree, however, stopping short of it.
• Hu Yongchang finally asks who Jiang Qiao is and what he wants. Jiang introduces himself and says he intends to dissuade Hu Yongchang from pursuing immortality, learn why he is doing so, and find out where the passage in the sky leads.

Character developments and interactions

• Hu Yongchang is revealed to have fully merged with the Ghost Tree, losing his human form while remaining consumed by his ambition and certainty that his family will ascend. His confidence is shaken by Jiang’s arrival and power, though he still confronts him.
• Jiang Qiao remains calm and irreverent amid the danger, mocking the Hu Family’s beliefs and explaining his purpose directly. His immense power is established by the way he effortlessly neutralizes their attacks and sets the manor ablaze.
• The Hu Family moves from triumphant frenzy to fear and confusion when Jiang challenges their plan and retaliates.

Significant themes

• Delusion and ambition: The Hu Family mistakes a terrifying transformation and mysterious gateway for a path to immortality.
• Family legacy and sacrifice: Hu Yongchang frames the transformation as the culmination of generations of effort, even though he and his descendants have lost their humanity.
• Power and confrontation: Jiang’s intervention exposes how helpless the family is against an outside force, setting up a clash over both their beliefs and the nature of the gateway.

Key plot points and events

• Hu Yongchang confronts Jiang Qiao and offers to spare him if he gives up his supernatural power, cuts off both arms, and leaves. He claims the Hu Family is about to “ascend to immortality.”
• Jiang Qiao mocks the offer and suggests the family has been deceived: Hu Yongchang has become part of a tree, not an immortal.
• Jiang Qiao suspects the Hu Family’s ritual is opening a passage for an entity trapped on an island. The family may have carried saplings from the island back to the mainland, unknowingly helping that entity establish a connection and escape through God-Invocation.
• Hu Yongchang attacks, extinguishing Jiang Qiao’s flames with powerful green smog and a lethal Yin Wind. His fused Ghost Tree is Eighth Tier, a force capable of killing even the strongest supernatural fighters within seconds.
• Jiang Qiao remains unharmed and wonders whether breaking the void during Divine Descent could let a summoned being leave behind a permanent avatar. Hu Yongchang is stunned that Jiang Qiao is still alive.

Character developments

• Jiang Qiao stays confident and taunting under pressure, but his jokes conceal serious deduction. He begins testing his theory about the passage and the entity behind the Hu Family’s ritual.
• Hu Yongchang displays extreme arrogance and believes his transformation places him beyond mortal challenge. His surprise at Jiang Qiao’s survival hints that his confidence may be misplaced.

Significant themes

• False promises and greed: The promised immortality may be a trap, and the Hu Family’s ambition may have blinded them to the danger.
• Power and hubris: Hu Yongchang treats Jiang Qiao as insignificant, while Jiang Qiao questions whether the supposed path to immortality is actually leading to catastrophe.
• Knowledge as a weapon: Jiang Qiao’s careful reasoning about the island, tree, and ritual offers a possible way to understand—and counter—the threat.

Character interactions

• Hu Yongchang threatens and patronizes Jiang Qiao, offering mercy only if Jiang surrenders his power.
• Jiang answers with mockery and pointed questions, challenging Hu Yongchang’s belief that the ritual will make him immortal.
• Their exchange turns into a display of force: Hu Yongchang unleashes his deadly abilities, but Jiang’s survival disrupts the old man’s certainty.

Key events

• Hu Yongchang is astonished that Jiang Qiao survived unharmed and concludes he must be one of the supposedly extinct “monsters living in seclusion.” He claims Jiang Qiao’s era is over and refuses to answer questions about the Hu Family’s plans or the mysterious island.
• Hu attacks by opening a huge, corpse-like maw in the ground. It swallows at Jiang Qiao, but an unseen barrier prevents it from making contact.
• A grotesque, towering creature called Old Beggar crawls out of the maw and tries to bind Jiang with straw ropes. Those attacks also stop short, leaving Jiang untouched.
• Realizing Jiang is stronger than expected, Hu becomes more serious—but quickly falls back into a fanatical belief that killing Jiang will complete a trial on his path to immortality. He sends a massive, mouth-covered tentacle at him.
• Hu claims the “Old Emperor” assigned him this trial. Jiang seizes on the unfamiliar name, ending the chapter with the question: “The Old Emperor?”

Character developments and interactions

• Jiang Qiao remains calm, amused, and curious throughout the attacks. Rather than retaliate, he probes Hu about the island, Hu’s transformation, and the creatures he commands. His attention shifts to investigating the Old Emperor.
• Hu Yongchang reveals both fear and delusion: he recognizes Jiang as a formidable opponent, yet interprets the confrontation as a divine test and remains committed to becoming immortal.
• The two men are engaged in a one-sided exchange: Jiang questions and mocks Hu, while Hu ignores the questions and launches increasingly monstrous attacks.
• Old Beggar appears to act by instinct, repeatedly trying to capture Jiang without understanding why he cannot reach him.

Significant themes

• Immortality and its cost: Hu’s ambition has transformed him into something neither human, ghost, nor plant, and he treats suffering and danger as necessary steps toward immortality.
• Power and mystery: Jiang’s unexplained defensive ability makes him appear almost untouchable, while Hu’s attacks reveal an unsettling world of hidden monsters and supernatural forces.
• Faith versus reason: Hu’s belief in an “Old Emperor” and a prescribed trial drives him toward fanaticism, even as Jiang approaches the situation with skeptical curiosity.