Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• The young master (Feng Yuner) and Elder Bai discuss the Fox Demon's escape and the capture of Xue Jiu.
• Feng Yuner discovers Xue Jiu alive in the courtyard, much to Elder Bai's surprise.
• Xue Jiu, actually Zhao Mou in disguise, attacks Elder Bai using a technique from the Town Stone sect.

Character Developments

• Feng Yuner demonstrates his intelligence and calm demeanor, seeing through Elder Bai's schemes.
• Elder Bai shows his fear and desperation as Feng Yuner exposes his thoughts.
• Zhao Mou, disguised as Xue Jiu, exhibits cunning and strategic thinking in his plan to infiltrate Master Feng's birthday banquet.

Significant Themes

• Trust and betrayal among the characters.
• The consequences of underestimating one's enemies.
• The use of disguise and deception as a means to an end.

Character Interactions

• Feng Yuner and Elder Bai: Tense and confrontational, with Feng Yuner exposing Elder Bai's schemes.
• Xue Jiu (Zhao Mou) and Elder Bai: Hostile, with Xue Jiu attacking Elder Bai without warning.
• Feng Yuner and Xue Jiu (Zhao Mou): Indirectly hostile, as Feng Yuner questions Elder Bai about Xue Jiu's supposed death.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The white-haired elder summons a Stone Beast to confront Sister Xue, but it's easily shattered by her ghost infant.
• The elder realizes Sister Xue is in a bad state and plans to use this to his advantage.
• Zhao Mou, disguised as Sister Xue, stabs the elder to death.
• Er Hong, the young master, arrives and engages in a conversation with Zhao Mou.

Character Developments

• The white-haired elder shows his cunning and manipulative side, trying to use Sister Xue's state to his advantage.
• Zhao Mou, disguised as Sister Xue, displays his ruthlessness and resourcefulness.
• Er Hong, the young master, reveals his scheming and calculating nature.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and its consequences (the elder's betrayal and subsequent death).
• Disguise and deception (Zhao Mou's disguise as Sister Xue).
• Power dynamics and manipulation (the elder's attempt to manipulate Sister Xue and Er Hong).

Character Interactions

• The white-haired elder and Zhao Mou (disguised as Sister Xue) have a tense, deadly interaction.
• Er Hong and Zhao Mou (disguised as Sister Xue) engage in a conversation filled with schemes and calculations.
• The white-haired elder and Er Hong have an unspoken understanding, with the elder thinking Er Hong is waiting to see his fate.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Er Hong, the Young Master, is revealed to be a skilled infiltrator.
• Zhao Mou, disguised as Xue Jiu, encounters Er Hong and plays along with his ruse.
• Er Hong brings the 'unconscious' Xue Jiu back to their base, believing she's still loyal to Master Wanban.
• Er Hong decides to use Xue Jiu to gain favor with Master Wanban, as he sees the true threat posed by the fox demon and his allies.

Character Developments

• Er Hong shows his strategic thinking and manipulative skills.
• Zhao Mou demonstrates his adaptability and acting skills.
• Xue Jiu, though not present, is shown to be resilient and cunning, waiting for an opportunity to strike back.

Significant Themes

• Deception and manipulation are key to survival in this world.
• Loyalties can shift based on perceived power dynamics.
• The fox demon's influence and the threat posed by his allies are becoming increasingly clear.

Character Interactions

• Er Hong and Zhao Mou (as Xue Jiu) engage in a tense game of deception.
• Er Hong shows a level of respect for Xue Jiu's abilities, despite his intentions to use her.
• The black-robed duck shows loyalty to Er Hong, understanding his unspoken commands.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A young man, previously injured and with his legs severed, is now walking with reattached legs, but they're still bleeding and twisted.
• He's followed by mice, Yu Xing, and Ghost Wine, trying to hide his bloody footprints.
• He's confused and terrified by his condition, questioning his humanity.

Character Developments

• The young man: Struggles with his new condition, questioning his identity and humanity. He's anxious, confused, and scared.
• Yu Xing: Shows empathy towards the young man, trying to reassure him. He's patient and understanding.

Significant Themes

• Identity and self-perception: The young man grapples with his new physical state and its impact on his self-image.
• The extraordinary in the ordinary: Despite the strangeness of the situation, Yu Xing tries to normalize it, reflecting the theme of the unusual being commonplace in the town.

Character Interactions

• The young man and Yu Xing: Yu Xing tries to comfort and reassure the young man, offering him a sense of normalcy and understanding.
• The young man and Ghost Wine: Ghost Wine's presence is noted but not interacted with directly. He's disdainful of the young man's state.

• Key Plot Points: Zhao Yijiu gains control over the Ghost Wine, proving his efforts have paid off. He decides to handle things from now on, relieving Zhao Mou's worries. They plan to attend the Qian family's birthday banquet the next day, requiring the vengeful spirit's consciousness for disguise.
• Character Developments: Zhao Yijiu shows growth and confidence in managing his powers. Yu Xing displays understanding and support for Zhao Yijiu's decisions. The boy, despite his fear, leads them to the Qian family's home.
• Significant Themes: Control and acceptance of one's powers, teamwork and understanding between partners, and the boy's growing role in the story.
• Character Interactions: Zhao Yijiu and Yu Xing have a heartfelt conversation, showing their bond and mutual understanding. The boy's interaction with them is brief but significant, showing his courage and acceptance of their unusual presence.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter begins with Yu Xing, Zhao Yijiu, and a boy observing Qian San's residence in the affluent North City of Fengtou Town.
• They encounter two vengeful spirits, an old woman and a young woman, along with a small girl sewn onto the young woman's back, who is also a vengeful spirit.
• The vengeful spirits initially ignore them, but the little girl notices Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu and calls out to her sister, causing the vengeful spirits to turn their attention to them.
• The little girl asks her sister to marry Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu instead of Qian San.

Character Developments

• Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu show no fear of vengeful spirits, but they try to avoid attracting their attention to maintain the element of surprise in their plan to capture Qian San.
• The boy, a resident of Fengtou Town, is accustomed to seeing ghosts but still fears vengeful spirits and retreats when they appear.

Significant Themes

• The theme of avoiding unwanted attention and maintaining stealth in their mission to capture Qian San.
• The theme of fear and caution towards vengeful spirits, despite Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu's lack of fear.

Character Interactions

• Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu interact with the vengeful spirits, trying to avoid a confrontation.
• The boy interacts with Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu briefly before retreating when the vengeful spirits appear.
• The little girl interacts with her sister, trying to get her to marry Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu instead of Qian San.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A female ghost approaches Qian San's courtyard, wanting to marry him.
• Yu Xing observes the ghost and deduces she's been refused by Qian San.
• The ghost, along with an old woman and a little girl ghost, engage in a violent conflict.
• The little girl ghost eats the old woman's flesh, causing distress to Zhao Yijiu.

Character Developments

• Yu Xing demonstrates his keen observational skills and deductive reasoning.
• Zhao Yijiu shows empathy towards the old woman ghost, revealing his protective nature towards the weak.
• The ghosts' behavior suggests that resentment can distort their personalities, even after death.

Significant Themes

• Resentment and its corrupting influence on the dead.
• The contrast between the living and the dead, and the rules governing each.
• The struggle for power and control among the ghosts.

Character Interactions

• Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu observe the ghostly conflict without intervention, revealing their different reactions to the situation.
• The ghosts' interaction highlights their resentment and disregard for each other's well-being.
• Yu Xing calms Zhao Yijiu's anger with a casual remark, showing their growing bond.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A green-clothed woman, Lian Xiang, is revealed to be a vengeful spirit, along with an old woman, her grandmother.
• Lian Xiang and the old woman are sewn together, unable to separate, reflecting their intertwined fate and conflict.
• Zhao Yijiu observes this and realizes the red string bracelet he has might be connected to this sewing method.
• Lian Xiang is planning to enter Qian San's room to kill someone and needs help to do so.

Character Developments

• Lian Xiang: Revealed to be a vengeful spirit with a complex relationship with her grandmother, displaying fierce and sinister behavior.
• Zhao Yijiu: Realizes the potential connection between the red string bracelet and the sewing method, showing curiosity and strategic thinking.

Significant Themes

• Interconnected fate and conflict, symbolized by the characters being sewn together.
• The complexity of relationships, particularly between family members, as seen in Lian Xiang's relationship with her grandmother.

Character Interactions

• Lian Xiang and the old woman: Their interaction reveals their intertwined fate and conflict, with Lian Xiang displaying vengeful behavior towards her sister and the old woman.
• Zhao Yijiu and Yu Xing: Zhao Yijiu shows curiosity about the red string bracelet, while Yu Xing hints at its future use without revealing its true purpose.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Xing weaves a hand bracelet while talking to Zhao Yijiu.
• Zhao Yijiu becomes entranced by Yu Xing's weaving skill.
• Yu Xing shares his past experience of raising his daughters, Qu Xianqing and Zhu Yan, which involved making toys and handicrafts to satisfy Zhu Yan's interests.
• Zhao Yijiu realizes Yu Xing is talking about Qu Xianqing, and he briefly envisions Yu Xing as a domestic, knitting husband, but quickly dismisses the thought.
• Lianxiang, a vengeful spirit, appears, asking Yu Xing if he wants to kill Qian San, testing his intentions.
• Yu Xing confidently confirms his desire to kill Qian San, aligning with Lianxiang's goal.

Character Developments

• Yu Xing: Shows his skill in handicrafts, reveals his past as a single father, and demonstrates his determination to kill Qian San.
• Zhao Yijiu: Shows interest in Yu Xing's weaving skill, briefly envisions Yu Xing as a domestic husband, and remains focused on the task at hand.
• Lianxiang: Tests Yu Xing's intentions, shows her intelligence in retaining consciousness and balancing other vengeful spirits, and expresses her desire to marry Qian San.

Significant Themes

• Parenthood and the responsibilities it entails (Yu Xing's experience raising his daughters).
• Trust and deception (Lianxiang testing Yu Xing, Yu Xing's plan to give Zhao Yijiu a hand bracelet).
• Alignment of goals (Yu Xing and Lianxiang both wanting Qian San's demise).

Character Interactions

• Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu: Engage in conversation, with Yu Xing sharing personal experiences and Zhao Yijiu showing interest in Yu Xing's skill.
• Yu Xing and Lianxiang: Interact through Lianxiang's test, with Yu Xing passing and aligning with her goal.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lotus Incense meets Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu, expressing her desire to kill Qian San.
• Yu Xing's hidden quest buff, [Silk Drawing], is triggered by Lotus Incense, indicating she's a new clue.
• Lotus Incense reveals her past and her sister's death, which was caused by a Feng Family retainer's attempt to force her into marriage.

Character Developments

• Lotus Incense: She's driven by revenge and has no interest in cooperation with living people, only wanting Qian San's death. She reveals her past, showing a calm demeanor despite her tragic history.
• Yu Xing: He's cunning and manipulative, using Lotus Incense's past to extract information and progress his hidden quest. He shows no fear or respect towards the vengeful spirits.
• Qian San: Not present but mentioned as the main target of Lotus Incense's revenge. His actions against Lotus Incense are implied to be more heinous than the Feng Family retainer's.

Significant Themes

• Revenge: Lotus Incense's sole purpose is to take revenge on Qian San, reflecting the theme of revenge and its consuming nature.
• Manipulation: Yu Xing manipulates Lotus Incense to reveal information, highlighting the theme of using others for personal gain.
• Guilt and Responsibility: Lotus Incense feels responsible for her sister's death, showing the theme of guilt and the weight of responsibility.

Character Interactions

• Lotus Incense and Yu Xing: Lotus Incense is initially dismissive of Yu Xing but later shares her past due to his manipulation. Yu Xing sees her as a means to progress his quest.
• Lotus Incense and her younger sister: Their relationship is strained. The younger sister is disobedient and angry, while Lotus Incense is calm and distant.
• Lotus Incense and Qian San: Lotus Incense hates Qian San and wants to marry him as an act of revenge, showing a deep-seated hatred and desire for retribution.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lotus Incense shares her past with her younger sister, revealing the origin of her resentment and the tragedy that befell them.
• Lotus Incense's past involves her supporting her family by selling goods, facing gossip and rumors, and being pursued by a Feng Family retainer.
• The Feng Family retainer plans to turn Lotus Incense into a ghost puppet after she dies, but she learns about his plan from a blind fortune teller.
• Lotus Incense kills the Feng Family retainer with the fortune teller's help, and they form a Karma bond. She marries the fortune teller, Qian San, but soon realizes his true intentions.

Character Developments

• Lotus Incense: She shows resilience and determination in supporting her family despite facing harsh gossip and rumors. She also demonstrates cunning and resourcefulness in dealing with the Feng Family retainer and Qian San.
• Qian San (the fortune teller): He initially appears helpful and knowledgeable, but it's revealed that he has sinister intentions. He manipulates Lotus Incense into marrying him and plans to harm her family.

Significant Themes

• Resilience and determination in the face of adversity (Lotus Incense's struggle to support her family)
• Manipulation and deception (Qian San's true intentions and Lotus Incense's realization of them)
• The consequences of forming agreements or pacts without fully understanding the terms (Lotus Incense's marriage to Qian San)

Character Interactions

• Lotus Incense and her younger sister: Their relationship is complex, with the younger sister initially resentful towards Lotus Incense but later showing curiosity about their past.
• Lotus Incense and the Feng Family retainer: Their interactions highlight the retainer's persistence and Lotus Incense's determination to protect her family.
• Lotus Incense and Qian San: Their interactions reveal Qian San's manipulative nature and Lotus Incense's initial naivety, which later turns into realization and fear.

Plot Points and Events

• Qian San captures Lotus Incense's family to create a powerful vengeful spirit.
• He stitches together Lotus Incense, her younger sister, and grandmother, killing them to create the spirit.
• The vengeful spirit, Lotus Incense, returns and attacks Qian San, severely wounding him.
• Lotus Incense haunts Qian San daily, tormenting him mentally and physically for years.

Character Developments

• Lotus Incense evolves from a desperate woman to a vengeful spirit driven by hatred for Qian San.
• Qian San, initially cunning and powerful, becomes terrified and weakened by Lotus Incense's torment.

Significant Themes

• Revenge and its consequences.
• The power of resentment and mental torment.
• The manipulation of fate and birth charts.

Character Interactions

• Lotus Incense's family dynamics: her love for her younger sister and grandmother, and her guilt for implicating them.
• The twisted relationship between Lotus Incense and Qian San: from a fake marriage to a haunting obsession.
• Qian San's fear and desperation in the face of Lotus Incense's relentless torment.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Xing learns that Master of Ten Thousand is creating vengeful spirits by fusing souls with completely Yin birth charts, potentially creating an immense power.
• Qian San's scheme to create a powerful vengeful spirit to replace the "Young Master" is revealed. He was outsmarted by the Young Master, likely Er Hong.
• Yu Xing suspects that Master of Ten Thousand's scheme to create vengeful spirits is a desperate measure to prepare for a dire crisis, possibly related to the impending great flood and the Ye River.

Character Developments

• Yu Xing: Realizes the potential power of Master of Ten Thousand's vengeful spirits and the possible reason behind their creation. He also suspects that Aran, not Master of Ten Thousand, is the creator of the stage world.
• Qian San: His past actions and motivations are revealed. He tried to create a powerful vengeful spirit to replace the Young Master but was outsmarted.
• Er Hong (likely the "Young Master"): His cunning and potential power are hinted at. He outsmarted Qian San and is now a key figure in Master of Ten Thousand's organization.

Significant Themes

• Power and manipulation: Master of Ten Thousand's forbidden arts allow him to manipulate souls and create powerful vengeful spirits. Qian San and the Young Master also manipulate others for their own gain.
• Trust and deception: Qian San's betrayal shows the lack of trust within Master of Ten Thousand's organization. Yu Xing's deductions about Aran's true role highlight the theme of deception.

Character Interactions

• Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu: They work together to deduce the truth behind Master of Ten Thousand's actions and the stage world's creator. Their partnership deepens as they share their thoughts and insights.
• Qian San and the "Young Master" (likely Er Hong): Their past conflict reveals the power dynamics within Master of Ten Thousand's organization and the cunning of the Young Master.
• Yu Xing and Lotus Incense: Though brief, their interaction leads to Yu Xing learning about Master of Ten Thousand's method of creating vengeful spirits.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu discuss Aran's behavior, speculating that she's not against the River Witch but has her own agenda.
• They decide to find Qian San, the deducer they suspect is a traitor, to use his disguise skills.
• They successfully infiltrate Qian San's courtyard, discovering a formation with a well at its center and a seemingly sleeping parrot in a birdcage.

Character Developments

• The boy (Qian San) expresses his desire to leave Fengtou Town and gains confidence in his abilities.
• Yu Xing shows understanding and support for the boy's decision to leave.

Significant Themes

• Trust and deception: Aran's true motives are still unknown, and Qian San has been deceiving the Master of Ten Thousand.
• Freedom and control: The boy yearns for freedom from the Master of Ten Thousand's control, while Qian San's courtyard is filled with protective formations, symbolizing his desire for control and security.

Character Interactions

• Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu work together to infiltrate Qian San's courtyard, demonstrating their trust and compatibility.
• Yu Xing shows empathy and understanding towards the boy, fostering a sense of trust and security in him.
• Qian San's parrot, though seemingly insignificant, may play a role in the courtyard's formation, hinting at his connection to the parrot spirit.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The chapter introduces a complex formation set up by Qian San using a dead parrot as its core, acting as an alarm to detect intruders.
• Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu plan to find a safe passage through the formation to avoid triggering it.
• Yu Xing uses his Spiritual Eye to analyze the formation, discovering a hidden, plant-based formation beneath the visible one, and a ghostly creature nurtured in the well.

Character Developments

• Yu Xing: Demonstrates his ability to analyze complex formations and expresses interest in the ghostly creature in the well, hinting at a possible connection to his own powers.
• Zhao Yijiu: Shows his ability to sense and analyze the environment, and his willingness to work with Yu Xing as a teammate.

Significant Themes

• Trust and Teamwork: Zhao Yijiu and Yu Xing work together, acknowledging each other's strengths and trusting in their abilities.
• Complexity and Deception: The formation's complexity and the hidden plant-based formation reflect the deceptive nature of Qian San and his actions.

Character Interactions

• Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu: The two characters work together, with Yu Xing leading the analysis of the formation and Zhao Yijiu providing support and sensing the environment. They acknowledge each other's strengths and share a sense of camaraderie.
• Yu Xing and the Ghostly Creature: Yu Xing expresses interest in the ghostly creature in the well, hinting at a potential interaction or conflict between them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qian San, a cultivator with enhanced senses due to practicing evil arts, feels an ominous presence and has difficulty sleeping.
• He hears strange noises in his courtyard, specifically from the well, suggesting an intruder.
• Qian San prepares to confront the intruder but finds no evidence of a struggle or corpse.
• He throws his parrot, which can sense intruders, into the well, and the well Ghost (a pale hand) emerges unharmed.
• Qian San asks if someone was there, but the well Ghost doesn't respond.

Character Developments

• Qian San: Struggles with insomnia due to his heightened senses and the potential threat of Lotus Incense and the well Ghost. He is cautious, calculating, and maintains a refined appearance despite his evil nature.

Significant Themes

• The duality of Qian San's nature: He presents a refined, scholarly image to the world while practicing evil arts and harboring malicious intentions.
• The ominous presence and foreboding sense: Qian San's enhanced senses warn him of impending danger, reflecting the theme of intuition and premonition.

Character Interactions

• Qian San and the Well Ghost: Qian San interacts with the well Ghost, questioning it about the intruder, but the Ghost doesn't respond, indicating a lack of communication or understanding between them.
• Qian San and the Parrot: Qian San tosses the parrot into the well, using it as a test or a way to provoke a reaction from the well Ghost.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qian San throws a dead parrot into the well to test its inhabitant, which reacts by throwing the parrot back out.
• A ghostly hand emerges from the well, lunging at Qian San, indicating the presence of a fierce ghost.
• Qian San triggers his formation, causing the courtyard's plants to ooze blood, bloom vibrantly, and emit a curse-like whisper, "I want to bloom."
• Zhao Yijiu, hidden, resists the curse and deduces Yu Xing's actions in the well.
• Qian San attempts to send a message using a talisman, but Zhao Yijiu intercepts and destroys it.
• Yu Xing emerges from the well, appearing ghostly and menacing.

Character Developments

• Qian San demonstrates vigilance and decisiveness, triggering his formation's attack mode.
• Zhao Yijiu shows analytical skills and resistance to the curse, deducing Yu Xing's actions.
• Yu Xing exhibits stealth and cunning, eliminating the well's ghost and emerging menacingly.

Significant Themes

• Vigilance: Qian San's vigilance leads him to trigger his formation, while Zhao Yijiu's vigilance helps him resist the curse.
• Illusions and Reality: The chapter blurs the line between illusions and reality, with whispers and visions challenging characters' perceptions.
• Power and Control: Characters use their powers (formation, curse, stealth) to control the situation, reflecting the theme of power dynamics.

Character Interactions

• Qian San and Zhao Yijiu: Qian San underestimates Zhao Yijiu, who secretly manipulates shadows to bind Qian San and destroy his talisman.
• Qian San and Yu Xing: Qian San is unaware of Yu Xing's actions in the well until Yu Xing emerges menacingly.
• Zhao Yijiu and Yu Xing: Zhao Yijiu deduces Yu Xing's actions but doesn't interfere, indicating a level of trust or understanding between them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The day of the Feng family's birthday banquet begins with the wealthy merchants and their families leaving for the banquet in their finest attire, leaving their servants behind.
• Qian San, despite not being a wealthy merchant, also receives an invitation and prepares to attend the banquet.
• Qian San encounters a neighbor who tries to pry into his invitation, leading to a tense exchange.
• Qian San is invited into a carriage by a maid belonging to Madam Xue, where he meets Madam Xue, her husband, and the maid herself.

Character Developments

• Qian San shows a rare display of irritation when dealing with his neighbor, hinting at his disdain for their curiosity and envy.
• Madam Xue is portrayed as cunning and manipulative, using her maid to subtly assert her power and influence.
• The Xue family man is shown to be submissive and obedient to Madam Xue, even admiring her maid's boldness.
• The maid, Yu Xing, is confident and uninhibited, displaying a level of power and influence within the Xue household.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics and social hierarchy among the wealthy merchants and their families.
• The influence and manipulation of women within these households.
• The envy and curiosity of the common people towards the wealthy and powerful.

Character Interactions

• Qian San's tense exchange with his neighbor highlights the envy and curiosity of the common people towards the wealthy.
• Qian San's interaction with Madam Xue, her husband, and Yu Xing in the carriage showcases the power dynamics and manipulation within the Xue household.
• The dynamic between the Xue family man and Yu Xing hints at his admiration for her boldness and the extent of Madam Xue's control over him.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group arrives at the Feng estate for the birthday banquet.
• The estate is heavily guarded by a resentment-based barrier, preventing entry without an invitation.
• The butler greets guests, including wealthy merchants seeking the Master of Ten Thousand's favor.

Character Developments

• Yu Xing (disguised as a maid) observes the hypocrisy and desperation of the merchants.
• Ren Yi (disguised as Qian San) feels the oppressive atmosphere and the town's unhealthy reverence for the Master of Ten Thousand.
• The butler is suspicious of Yu Xing's presence but is reassured by Madam Xue's explanation.

Significant Themes

• Hypocrisy and flattery among the wealthy merchants.
• The corrupting influence of power and wealth.
• The manipulation of the townspeople's beliefs by the Master of Ten Thousand.

Character Interactions

• Yu Xing and Ren Yi discuss the manufactured nature of the Master of Ten Thousand's divine status.
• The butler is initially wary of Yu Xing but accepts her presence after Madam Xue's reassurance.
• The merchants' subservient behavior towards the butler highlights their desperation for the Master of Ten Thousand's favor.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group enters the Feng Manor, noticing the thick resentment and paper figurine servants.
• They split up at the main courtyard: Zhao Mou (as Xue family man) sits with wealthy merchants, Madam Xue with ladies, and Yu Xing (as maid) observes from the shadows.
• The banquet is filled with top-caliber guests, and many try to find the Master of Ten Thousand's residence.
• Deducers and Master of Ten Thousand's subordinates are mixed among the guests, acting as surveillance.

Character Developments

• Zhao Yijiu (as Zhao Mou) maintains his cover and intimidates guests.
• Yu Xing uses his unique abilities to observe and gather information discreetly.
• Injured Zhao family members and Luo Yan attend despite their condition, closely monitored by the Master of Ten Thousand's subordinates.

Significant Themes

• Deception and infiltration: Characters use disguises and subterfuge to gain access and information.
• Power dynamics: The Master of Ten Thousand's influence is evident in the manor's servants and guests' behavior.
• Resentment and dark arts: The thick resentment in the manor and the dark arts practiced by some guests hint at the sinister nature of the event.

Character Interactions

• Zhao Yijiu and Yu Xing work together, with Zhao maintaining his cover and Yu Xing gathering information.
• Deducers subtly interact, acknowledging each other's presence but maintaining their own plans.
• Guests interact with the Master of Ten Thousand's subordinates, trying to gain favor or information.