Chapter Summaries

Manager Hao recounted the Old Iron Alley district’s eerie history, including rumors of an ancient underground passage and strange incidents during construction. He also revealed that a worker who removed a disconnected stretch of buried sewer pipe died shortly afterward.

• Manager Hao described Old Iron Alley’s cramped, dark buildings and filthy sewers during his early site survey.
• Manager Hao said residents warned that cultural relics lay beneath the district and told him an ancient passage had been found during construction.
• Manager Hao recounted rumors that archaeologists and workers disappeared in the passage before a master from Mount Pushi declared it a road to the underworld and ordered it avoided.
• Manager Hao said construction crews later uncovered several disconnected sewer pipes buried underground.
• Manager Hao recalled that Old Liu, who directed the removal of the pipes, died a week or two later from a brain hemorrhage.

The interviewers heard Manager Hao describe repeated accidents and unsettling incidents during the 1997 Iron Alley Old District redevelopment. Wang Li dismissed many of the problems as poor planning but recounted seeing a child in an abandoned factory that should not have had a second floor.

• Manager Hao described Old Liu's death and a string of accidents, injuries, and disruptions during the redevelopment project.
• Manager Hao recalled an old worker reporting a figure entering the worksite, though searches found no one and nothing missing.
• The interviewers contacted Wang Li, who blamed the construction problems on rough preparations, inexperienced workers, and a new leader's planning.
• Wang Li explained that stories about an underground road to the underworld were local rumors tied to the Iron Alley name and a misplaced water pipe.
• Wang Li recalled seeing a child behind a second-floor window in a nearby abandoned factory, then running off, though he was unsure whether he had been dreaming.

The investigators traced the former Minqing Textile Factory site’s ownership and interviewed Xue Le, who described workers repeatedly seeing a little girl’s ghost during construction. Xue had not yet finished recounting what happened after he joined the workers at the site.

• An earlier construction worker told the investigators he had seen a little girl at the factory but nothing else strange.
• Investigators learned that Minqing Yikang Real Estate Company transferred the former factory site to Sanhai Investment, which built and opened a department store there.
• The investigators contacted Xue Le, Yikang’s former legal representative, who insisted that he had truly experienced something supernatural.
• Xue explained that he had left government work to establish Yikang with a classmate and had not visited the factory site before construction began.
• After a foreman reported trouble at the site, Xue arrived and learned that at least ten workers had seen a little girl appear and vanish around the construction area.
• Xue searched the site with the foreman and spent the night in a temporary cabin with the workers.

Mr. Xue recounted how a ghostly little girl appeared at the factory and asked him to take her home, but vanished when she could not leave without finding something she had lost. After Mr. Xue and the crew searched the site and his old schoolmate arranged a ritual, Old Qin called to report that everyone could hear a child crying.

• Mr. Xue woke at night, heard running and a child laughing, and saw a little girl standing in his room.
• The girl told Mr. Xue she wanted to go home, and he walked with her to the factory gate.
• The girl could not leave because she had lost something somewhere in the factory, then vanished.
• Mr. Xue had the construction crew search the site, but they found nothing and the girl did not appear again.
• Mr. Xue's old schoolmate arranged a daylong ritual with incense, chanting monks, and spirit money.
• Old Qin called Mr. Xue that night to say everyone at the factory had heard a child crying.

Mr. Xue recounted how he found and disposed of a child’s corpse after a ghost led him to it, and the investigators connected the case to You Fuxing and Ke Xiao. They told Mr. Han that they planned to enter Miss You’s room and confront the ghost, with Miss You’s help if necessary.

• Mr. Xue told the investigators that he found a child’s corpse in a factory drain after following a crying girl’s requests, then paid the workers to keep quiet.
• Mr. Xue said he took the corpse to the coast and threw it into the sea, where he saw the girl smile before disappearing.
• The investigators asked whether the ghost had lured Mr. Xue into finding and sinking the corpse, and he agreed that it might have.
• The investigators told Mr. Xue that the corpse could have belonged to You Fuxing’s younger sister and that the lost corpse could no longer help them confront the ghost.
• On September 7, 2001, the investigators told Mr. Han they planned to inspect Miss You’s room and confront the ghost, asking him to arrange a suitable time.
• Mr. Han agreed to check the schedule and asked the investigators not to hurt Xiao You.

Wu Ling questioned You Jing about her sister Qiqi and used You Jing’s blood to determine that Qiqi had entered the underworld. Wu Ling said Qiqi had gone to be reincarnated, leaving You Jing distressed that her sister had taken revenge on her.

• Wu Ling questioned You Jing about her childhood and what happened to Qiqi.
• You Jing recalled that their drunk father abused them, Qiqi disappeared, and later Qiqi killed their father and mother before You Jing was confined.
• You Jing said Qiqi had disappeared again after You Jing said something cruel to her.
• Wu Ling drew You Jing’s blood and chanted a spell, then said You Jing seemed to have entered the realm of the underworld.
• Wu Ling told You Jing that Qiqi had gone to be reincarnated, and You Jing concluded that Qiqi had been taking revenge on her.

The narrator watched a video about You Jing and fell asleep, then dreamed through You Jing’s memories in the Old Iron Alley District. The dream ended as You Jing’s drunken father came home and ordered her to approach him.

• The narrator reflected on You Jing’s fate after watching the video and wondered whether You Fuxing might face paranormal troubles in his next life.
• The narrator dreamed of following two young sisters through the maze-like Old Iron Alley District and recognized the older girl as You Jing.
• Young You Jing and her little sister returned to their cramped apartment, where they quietly pretended to do homework when they heard someone unlocking the door.
• You Jing’s drunken father came inside, shouted at the girls, threw money onto the floor, and ordered You Jing to come to him.

The narrator witnessed You Jing’s memories of her sister Qiqi’s death, years of abuse by You Fuxing, and Qiqi’s sudden return as a ghost. After Qiqi killed You Fuxing, she urged You Jing to join in taking revenge, leaving the narrator terrified as Qiqi guided You Jing to raise the knife.

• The narrator watched You Fuxing beat You Jing and force her to lie about Qiqi’s death while Ke Xiao remained silent.
• You Fuxing and Ke Xiao moved with You Jing, and You Fuxing continued abusing her for years as guilt and trauma consumed her.
• Qiqi appeared to You Jing in a new rental home and discovered the scars left by You Fuxing’s abuse.
• When You Fuxing returned home, Qiqi used a kitchen knife to attack him until he collapsed in a pool of blood.
• Qiqi urged You Jing to take revenge and guided her hand to raise the knife over You Fuxing.

You Jing killed You Fuxing under the female ghost’s control, then agreed to switch places with her sister. The ghost asked You Jing to help frame the returning woman by making her hold the cleaver.

• The female ghost forced You Jing to repeatedly strike You Fuxing with a cleaver until he died.
• The ghost told You Jing about being abandoned and blamed her for leaving her alone, then offered to let the sisters switch places.
• You Jing agreed to switch, and the narrator found herself looking at You Jing’s body from the ghost’s perspective.
• The ghost asked You Jing to grab the woman who was about to return and make her hold the cleaver.

You Jing’s memories revealed how the female ghost manipulated her into killing Ke Xiao and then sent her away as a ghost. The dream ended with the narrator realizing You Jing had never reincarnated and was trapped in Iron Alley and her own memories.

• You Jing tried to attack Ke Xiao when she came home, but Ke Xiao escaped after seeing the bloody kitchen and called the police.
• After the court sent the female ghost to a treatment center, she persuaded Han Jiesheng that she was mentally ill and later convinced You Jing to kill Ke Xiao.
• You Jing entered Ke Xiao’s home as a child, killed her, and cut off one of her fingers at the female ghost’s urging.
• The female ghost told You Jing to leave and kill anyone who discovered her, while the narrator realized she intended to use Greenleaf to kill You Jing.
• You Jing drifted to a residential complex, and the narrator recognized it as Iron Alley and realized You Jing had been trapped there in her memories.

After the storm, Qi contacted Wu Ling about You Jing’s case and went to work, where Zheng Wei brought a wary teenage relative named Fengfeng. Fengfeng’s behavior and Zheng Wei’s earlier gift of zongzi and fried chicken left Qi and his colleagues suspecting something supernatural was happening.

• Qi called Wu Ling and told her about his dream, and she promised to investigate the original site in the old Iron Alley neighborhood.
• Zheng Wei arrived at work with Fengfeng, a teenage relative who seemed relieved when he heard Zheng Wei’s mother was hospitalized.
• Qi and his colleagues checked on elderly property owners affected by the storm and learned that several had been hospitalized but no deaths had been reported.
• At lunch, Qi noticed Fengfeng ravenously eating the cafeteria food while Zheng Wei looked embarrassed and annoyed.
• Back at the office, Guo Yujie connected Fengfeng’s behavior to the zongzi and fried chicken Zheng Wei’s mother had given them, and the group realized Fengfeng might be something other than an ordinary boy.

The narrator told Wu Ling about the strange food and learned why You Jing could not be found in Iron Alley. Wu Ling warned that You Jing was trapped in a dangerous other space and linked her sister’s actions to a powerful ghost.

• Chen Xiaoqiu suggested visiting Zheng Wei’s mother in the hospital to confirm whether she had a problem.
• Wu Ling called from the new residential complex and reported that Iron Alley had been filled in and she could not find You Jing.
• Wu Ling explained that You Jing’s crimes, unstable state, memories, and connection to Iron Alley had bound her soul in an other space.
• Wu Ling warned the narrator not to remain in a dream with You Jing, who might pull the narrator into that space.
• Wu Ling said wandering souls near Iron Alley had become more lucid, and two old men recalled a terrifying ghost passing through the district around the time You Jing’s younger sister became a ghost.

Chen Xiaoqiu and her colleagues discussed the possibility that a powerful ghost was operating in People's Celebration City, but Yu Chuanfeng overheard them and confronted them about Fifth Grandma. He revealed disturbing things he had witnessed while she cooked and scrubbed her leg.

• Wu Ling explained that Yujing had disappeared after briefly renting an apartment in People's Celebration City, and the group suspected a powerful ghost might be involved.
• Yu Chuanfeng and Jiang You were caught outside the office door after Yu Chuanfeng had listened to the group's conversation.
• Wu Ling advised Chen Xiaoqiu to wait before visiting the old woman until they could go together.
• Yu Chuanfeng came into the office and said he had seen worms inside meat Fifth Grandma was cutting, which she dismissed as his mistake.
• Yu Chuanfeng said he had later seen Fifth Grandma scrub her bloodied leg with steel wool, claiming she was removing dirt from radishes.

Yu Chuanfeng showed the group a video that appeared to show Zheng Wei’s mother chopping off her fingers and putting them into dinner, though nobody else believed him. After Zheng Wei took Yu Chuanfeng away, the group suspected his mother’s case might be supernatural and connected to another incident.

• Yu Chuanfeng told the group he had seen Fifth Grandma injure her leg without pain and later noticed blood in the food she cooked.
• Yu Chuanfeng showed the group a video in which Zheng Wei’s mother appeared to chop fingers and prepare to put them into a pot.
• The group reassured Yu Chuanfeng and exchanged contact information with him, while remaining unsure whether the footage showed anything supernatural.
• Zheng Wei arrived and led Yu Chuanfeng away, and the group noticed no yin energy around him.
• The fat man wondered whether Zheng Wei’s mother might have been dead for some time.

The narrator and his companions visited Zheng Wei's mother at Minqing Hospital, but found no visible trace of anything supernatural. Wu Ling examined the ward and asked to discuss her findings in person, leaving the narrator concerned that the truth was serious.

• Wu Ling told the narrator that Han Jiesheng was unreachable on a storm-affected business trip, so they could visit Zheng Wei's mother first.
• The narrator, Zheng Wei's coworkers, and his companions visited Zheng Wei's mother at Minqing Hospital, where she appeared cheerful and ordinary despite her broken leg.
• Wu Ling, Gu Mo, and Nangong Yao briefly inspected the ward, then Wu Ling asked the narrator to meet her at Gu Mo's hotel to discuss the matter in person.
• Yu Chuanfeng called the narrator from a restaurant bathroom to ask about Fifth Granny, and the narrator told him his friends were investigating.
• The narrator and his companions arrived at the hotel, where Gu Mo asked why they looked as if they had eaten the old lady's secret-recipe rat meat.

The group discussed the grotesque hospital incident and analyzed Yu Chuanfeng’s video, while Nan Gong Yao explained how Greenleaf perceived people’s abilities. They realized the Thin One might be unconsciously activating his power through the supernatural things he believed in, but the extent of Tan Wenrui’s ability remained uncertain.

• The group watched Yu Chuanfeng’s video of the hospital incident while eating, and Wu Ling proposed that the boy might be its source or that he had imagined the events into reality.
• Nan Gong Yao said he had noticed Yu Chuanfeng’s ability and explained how Greenleaf could perceive the marks of different abilities.
• Nan Gong Yao explained that the Thin One might use his ability unconsciously whenever he believed in supernatural objects or phenomena.
• The Thin One admitted believing in several supernatural stories and objects, and Chen Xiao Qiu suggested his beliefs might have caused trouble for people connected to Western witchcraft.
• Wu Ling cautioned that they still did not know whether Tan Wenrui’s ability could affect such a large area.

Wu Ling explained how paranormal objects and spirits could arise from ghosts and collective human belief while the group discussed the Thin Man’s past superstitions. She suggested Huixiang had a spirit and began outlining how such spirits were formed, leaving the cause of Zheng’s mother’s condition unresolved.

• Nangong Yao showed the group a list of paranormal objects influenced by the Thin Man, and the Thin Man identified several as objects tied to ghost stories.
• The Thin Man described the historical accounts and competing legends behind a cursed mirror, while Guo Yujie challenged his belief that it could kill people.
• Wu Ling explained that a ghost could inhabit an object but that ghosts with reason rarely killed without purpose.
• Chen Xiaoqiu brought the discussion back to Zheng’s mother, and Wu Ling said Yu Chuanfeng’s influence was one possible cause while another possibility was more serious.
• Wu Ling asked about the Guide the narrator had met in Huixiang, then said the city probably had a spirit formed from human thought and shared beliefs.
• The Thin Man asked whether many spirits existed, and Wu Ling explained that most were weak while figures such as the God of Wealth endured as spirits through widespread belief.

Wu Ling explained how shared beliefs could create spirits and how the Guide had tried to become Hui Township’s new spirit by reshaping local beliefs. The group then considered whether the ghost behind Mother Zheng’s condition was doing something similar, but they still could not explain its power or motive.

• Wu Ling explained that unstable spirits could appear unpredictably and could not be destroyed, while Nangong Yao said another game-related spirit might form from modern games.
• Wu Ling said the Guide had tried to weaken the City God and alter Hui Township’s beliefs so he could become its new spirit, and she described how the Zhou family’s decline had weakened the City God.
• Chen Xiaoqiu asked whether Mother Zheng’s situation resembled the Guide’s, and Wu Ling said the ghost affecting her was likely influencing people much as the ghosts in Hui Township had been influenced.
• Wu Ling asked whether People’s Celebration City had a shared belief that could explain the ghost, but the group could name none, leaving its extraordinary power and purpose unexplained.
• The skinny man wondered aloud whether the ghost was simply a sicko who liked putting poison in people’s food.

Wu Ling and the others investigated the strange food connected to Zheng Wei’s mother and learned that Jiang You had recently moved to Minqing, which might explain why he reacted to a zongzi. After Yu Chuanfeng reported finding eyeballs and fingernails in fruit at Zheng Wei’s home, he vanished, and Wu Ling learned that a child from the family had run away.

• Wu Ling concluded that the group needed to investigate Zheng Wei’s mother and her past to understand the ghost behind the questionable food.
• The group learned that Jiang You had only recently moved to Minqing and might have eaten less of the local food than the others.
• The narrator went home and checked that his family showed no obvious signs of harm from the food.
• Yu Chuanfeng called the narrator and said he had found eyeballs and fingernails mixed into fruit at Zheng Wei’s home.
• After Zheng Wei’s family interrupted the call, Yu Chuanfeng could not be reached, and Wu Ling reported that a child from the family had run away.

Lin Qi and his coworkers feared Yu Chuanfeng might be in danger after running away from home, and Wu Ling arranged to speak with him. At dinner, Lin Qi learned he had wandered off as a child too and began to wonder whether his own childhood held something unusual.

• Lin Qi spent the night waiting for news of Yu Chuanfeng, then discussed the missing boy with his coworkers at lunch.
• As they left work, Chen Xiao Qiu wondered whether Zheng Wei and his brother might also be in danger, making Lin Qi and the others uneasy.
• Wu Ling told Lin Qi that police had found Yu Chuanfeng and said she would contact Director Chen and try to speak with the boy.
• Lin Qi told his family about Yu Chuanfeng, and his parents recalled that he had refused to come home after getting upset as a young child.
• Lin Qi suspected his parents were concealing more about the incident and wondered whether he had been unusual as a child, like Nangong Yao and Ye Qing.