Ch. 481The Girl in the Painting (3)
Key Plot Points and Events
- The protagonist, a ghost, follows a group of bird-faced girls to an underground parking lot where they are digging up bodies.
- The girls, later revealed to be bird monsters, dig out several people, including Yuan Kang, who is killed, and True Master Xuan Qing, who is alive.
- The bird monsters want to make a trade: they want four specific people (their father, his lover, and two suitable bodies) in exchange for releasing the captives and digging up the rest of the bodies.
- True Master Xuan Qing asks for five items (hair, placenta, door panel, mirror, sand) to fulfill his part of the bargain, hinting at a reincarnation ritual.
- The protagonist realizes the monsters' origin and decides to change the target of his dreamscape, returning to a hospital room where an old man (presumably the monsters' father) lies on his deathbed, cared for by a bird-faced girl.
Character Developments
- The protagonist shows resourcefulness and strategic thinking, deciding to target the monsters' origin to prevent their full formation.
- True Master Xuan Qing demonstrates calmness and cunning, negotiating with the monsters and hinting at a plan to defeat them.
Significant Themes
- The theme of reincarnation and rebirth is introduced through the monsters' origin and True Master Xuan Qing's request for specific items.
- The struggle between humans and monsters (or otherworldly entities) continues, with the protagonist seeking a way to defeat the monsters.
Character Interactions
- The protagonist observes True Master Xuan Qing's interaction with the bird monsters, learning from his calm and calculated approach.
- The protagonist feels a gaze from True Master Xuan Qing, hinting at a possible connection or understanding between them.