Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Strange occurrences begin on the fourth floor of the school library after a fire incident.
• A new teacher sees a tall, blonde, strangely dressed man with a burned face and a silver cross, who disappears into the Borrowing Desk.
• Jiang Cheng and Yuan Xiaoyi plan to meet Xiao Hui, the ghost girl, in the library at midnight to find clues about the man.
• Fatty and Huai Yi stop Gao Yan from entering the woods where Jiang Cheng and Yuan Xiaoyi are discussing the library incident.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng shows concern and protectiveness towards Yuan Xiaoyi, reassuring her despite the dangers they might face.
• Fatty and Huai Yi demonstrate loyalty and concern for Jiang Cheng's safety by trying to prevent Gao Yan from entering the woods.
• Gao Yan shows determination and persistence in his actions, despite the potential risks and others' attempts to stop him.

Significant Themes

• The theme of facing fears and dangers head-on is evident in Jiang Cheng's decision to help Yuan Xiaoyi and confront the mysterious man in the library.
• The power of friendship and loyalty is shown through Fatty and Huai Yi's attempts to protect Jiang Cheng and their concern for his safety.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Yuan Xiaoyi share a mentor-mentee relationship, with Jiang Cheng showing care and guidance towards Yuan Xiaoyi.
• Fatty, Huai Yi, and Gao Yan's interactions highlight their differing opinions and stances on helping Yuan Xiaoyi, leading to a tense argument.
• Shen Mengyun acts as a mediator between the two groups, trying to calm everyone down and find a resolution.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Cheng shares information from Yuan Xiaoyi about the library.
• Professor Wu lectures Jiang Cheng about focusing on his studies.
• Wang Qi reveals that daylight will disappear in three days.
• Jiang Cheng and Wang Qi discuss the Heart-Corroding Demon's intentions and the remaining dangers.
• The group prepares to enter the library at night.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng demonstrates leadership and strategic thinking.
• Wang Qi shows patience and understanding towards Fatty.
• Gao Yan becomes suspicious of Jiang Cheng's withholding of information.
• Shen Mengyun shows concern for the group's safety and well-being.

Significant Themes

• The shortening of daylight and its implications.
• The Heart-Corroding Demon's motivations and methods.
• The group's unity and mutual support in facing danger.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Wang Qi discuss the mission's dynamics and dangers.
• Gao Yan and Jiang Cheng have a tense exchange due to Gao Yan's suspicions.
• The group members express their concerns and fears about the mission.
• Shen Mengyun shows care and understanding towards her teammates.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group discovers an old blackboard with lines visible to each person in different numbers.
• Jiang Cheng reveals he sees 47 lines, the most among them.
• They decide to share the lines they see in order, forming a story.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng: Shows exceptional aptitude by seeing 47 lines, hinting at his unique abilities.
• Wang Qi: Reveals his strength by seeing 11 lines, indicating he's not to be underestimated.
• Gao Yan: Initially underestimates Wang Qi and Jiang Cheng, but later reassesses them.

Significant Themes

• Aptitude: Each person's ability to perceive and interpret information varies, affecting their role in the mission.
• Unconventionality: Missions often involve unusual elements and individuals.

Character Interactions

• Gao Yan and Wang Qi: Gao Yan underestimates Wang Qi, leading to tension between them.
• Jiang Cheng and the group: Jiang Cheng's revelation about seeing 47 lines surprises and unsettles the group.
• Fatty and the group: Fatty's limited perception leads to him seeing only two lines, but he remains calm and analytical.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A lord receives three treasures from three individuals to help him ignore or eliminate his slaves, making him happy and keeping the givers as his guards.
• The group in the library realizes the exit is hidden within a fable, and they must decipher it to survive.
• At midnight, they enter the library and find an hourglass. When Jiang Cheng flips it, a door creaks open, and heavy footsteps approach.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng: Shows leadership and calmness under pressure, hiding his full knowledge of the situation.
• Gao Yan: Suspicious of Jiang Cheng's full knowledge but follows his lead.
• Wang Qi, Shen Mengyun, Fatty, Huai Yi: Display teamwork and individual initiative in hiding.

Significant Themes

• Ignorance and avoidance of unpleasant truths (as shown in the fable).
• The unknown and fear of the dark (library at night).
• The power of knowledge and understanding (deciphering the fable to find the exit).

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Gao Yan: A subtle power struggle, with Gao Yan suspicious of Jiang Cheng's full knowledge.
• The group: They work together, following Jiang Cheng's lead, and each finds a hiding spot when the footsteps approach.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A tall, intimidating ghost, once a foreign exorcist, appears in the university library.
• The ghost, now a cryptid, is searching for someone, driven by an unseen time constraint.
• The library's layout is reversed from daytime, with objects and furniture swapped from left to right.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng (Doctor) remains calm and analytical, observing the ghost and deducing its limitations.
• Fatty, initially scared, shows courage and critical thinking, noticing the library's layout change.

Significant Themes

• The theme of reversal is introduced, with the library's layout mirroring the ghost stories' settings.
• Time constraint is a new element, adding urgency to the ghost's actions.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Fatty work together, with Fatty providing crucial observations and Jiang Cheng piecing together the clues.
• The ghost's interaction with the environment reveals its limitations, such as its inability to accurately sense people's locations.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group encounters a scorched ghost in the library, which is restricted like them.
• They find a wooden sign on the stairs to the second floor, with a message about a "first treasure."
• The library is larger than expected, with a strange layout and hourglasses placed to track time.
• The ghost appears when an hourglass is flipped, and the group debates whether to flip it or not.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng maintains his leadership and strategic thinking.
• Gao Yan reveals his fear of death and suspicion of Jiang Cheng, showing his vulnerability.
• Wang Qi demonstrates decisiveness and authority, settling the argument between Jiang Cheng and Gao Yan.
• Huai Yi shows adaptability and resourcefulness, suggesting hiding near the ghost's exit door.

Significant Themes

• The struggle between survival and progress, as the group must decide whether to stay safe or risk moving forward.
• The theme of trust and suspicion, as Gao Yan questions Jiang Cheng's honesty.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Gao Yan have a tense exchange, revealing their differing opinions on how to proceed.
• Wang Qi mediates the argument between Jiang Cheng and Gao Yan, reaffirming his leadership role.
• The group works together to hide from the ghost, demonstrating their ability to cooperate under pressure.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Cheng, Fatty, and Huai Yi reach the second floor of the library.
• They encounter an invisible burnt ghost, which Jiang Cheng discovers through its footsteps and scent.
• Jiang Cheng hides behind bookshelves, narrowly avoiding the ghost, and warns others about its invisibility.
• Jiang Cheng analyzes the fable and the warning on the wooden plank, deducing that the first treasure is the ability to no longer see the ghost.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng demonstrates courage, quick thinking, and analytical skills in facing the ghost.
• Fatty and Huai Yi show concern for Jiang Cheng's safety and decide to leave the second floor to avoid distraction.

Significant Themes

• The theme of perception and reality is explored through the invisible ghost and the interpretation of the fable.
• The theme of courage and caution is evident in Jiang Cheng's actions, as he faces the ghost but also takes precautions.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng, Fatty, and Huai Yi work together to navigate the second floor, with Jiang Cheng taking the lead and the others supporting him.
• Jiang Cheng shares his deductions about the ghost and the fable with the group, showing leadership and problem-solving skills.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group reaches the third floor of the library, where they lose their ability to hear sounds related to the ghost.
• They realize that each floor imposes restrictions on their senses, with the fourth floor likely causing them to lose sight, hearing, and smell simultaneously.
• Jiang Cheng ponders the mission's objective and the ghost's behavior, concluding that the fourth floor is unavoidable.
• They find a blackboard with a message about receiving a second treasure, confirming their guess about the sense restrictions.
• Upon reaching the third floor, they find an hourglass and a librarian's desk. Jiang Cheng flips the hourglass to start the ghost's search.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng remains calm and analytical, showing leadership and strategic thinking.
• Gao Yan becomes more respectful and cooperative towards Jiang Cheng.
• Wang Qi, usually taciturn, offers insightful explanations about the sense restrictions.

Significant Themes

• The theme of loss and restriction continues, with the group losing their senses as they ascend the floors.
• The importance of adaptability and finding alternative ways to perceive and interact with their environment is highlighted.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Gao Yan develop a more cooperative relationship, with Gao Yan seeking Jiang Cheng's thoughts on the mission's way out.
• Wang Qi, despite his initial reluctance, shares his insights with the group, fostering a sense of teamwork.
• Jiang Cheng takes the lead in decision-making, with the group following his guidance.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Cheng, Fatty, and Huai Yi set up a trap using flour to track the ghost's movements.
• Gao Yan and Shen Mengyun run past, with Shen Mengyun injured and pursued by the ghost.
• Jiang Cheng decides to help Shen Mengyun, carrying her to a hiding spot.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng demonstrates leadership, strategic thinking, and a willingness to help others in need.
• Shen Mengyun shows vulnerability and desperation, understanding the risks of being injured in this situation.
• Gao Yan is portrayed as self-preserving, prioritizing his own safety over helping Shen Mengyun.

Significant Themes

• Survival of the fittest: Characters must prioritize their own safety while deciding whether to help others.
• Trust and betrayal: Characters must decide whom to trust and when to help each other.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Shen Mengyun: Jiang Cheng decides to help Shen Mengyun despite the risks, showing compassion and courage.
• Gao Yan and Jiang Cheng: Gao Yan's self-preserving actions contrast with Jiang Cheng's decision to help Shen Mengyun.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Cheng and Shen Mengyun wait in a room, surrounded by flour to track the scorched ghost's movements.
• They notice footprints, realizing the ghost has approached but is hesitant to cross the flour line.
• Jiang Cheng reflects on Wu's behavior and its potential origins.
• They spot a larger footprint, indicating the ghost has stepped on Gao Yan's footprints to avoid leaving traces.
• Jiang Cheng realizes the ghost is near and that Huai Yi and Fatty are unaware of its proximity.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng: Shows analytical skills and deductive reasoning, reflecting on Wu's nature and the ghost's intelligence.
• Shen Mengyun: Displays fear and tension, tugging at Jiang Cheng's sleeve to alert him to the ghost's presence.

Significant Themes

• The intelligence and adaptability of supernatural entities.
• The relationship between Jiang Cheng and Wu, and the potential threat Wu poses.
• The tension and fear experienced by the characters while facing the unknown.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Shen Mengyun: They work together to track the ghost, communicating non-verbally through gestures and touches.
• Jiang Cheng and the ghost: An unseen, tense interaction occurs as Jiang Cheng deduces the ghost's actions and proximity.
• Jiang Cheng and Huai Yi/Fatty: Jiang Cheng worries about their safety, as they are unaware of the ghost's nearness.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Cheng and Shen Mengyun encounter an invisible burnt ghost in the library.
• The ghost pulls out books from a shelf to check if anyone is hiding behind it, confirming its presence.
• Jiang Cheng infers that the ghost needs to see its victim closely before it can attack.
• A distant sound attracts the ghost, and it leaves the bookshelf.
• Jiang Cheng and Shen Mengyun discuss how Gao Yan's touching a sandglass alerted the ghost to his presence.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng demonstrates courage and quick thinking, saving Shen Mengyun twice.
• Shen Mengyun initially underestimates Jiang Cheng but later realizes he's sincere and reliable.
• Gao Yan is revealed to be careless, touching a sandglass that alerts the ghost to his presence.

Significant Themes

• The theme of fear and its psychological effects is emphasized as Shen Mengyun struggles to cope with the ghost's proximity.
• The importance of caution and careful action is highlighted, as Jiang Cheng infers the ghost's restrictions based on its behavior.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Shen Mengyun work together to survive the ghost's attack, leading to mutual respect and understanding.
• Jiang Cheng helps Shen Mengyun up after the ghost leaves, showing concern for her well-being.
• Jiang Cheng and Shen Mengyun discuss the events leading up to their encounter with the ghost, sharing information and speculating about the ghost's abilities.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Cheng learns from Shen Mengyun that Gao Yan moved the Sandglass before the ghost appeared.
• Jiang Cheng examines the Sandglass and discovers a burnt, shrunken eyeball inside, belonging to the burnt ghost.
• Shen Mengyun bites Jiang Cheng to snap him out of his trance caused by the eyeball.
• The last grain of sand in the Sandglass runs out, signaling the end of the mission on the third floor.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng shows courage and curiosity in investigating the Sandglass, leading to a dangerous encounter with the ghost's eye.
• Shen Mengyun demonstrates quick thinking and bravery in biting Jiang Cheng to save him from the ghost's influence.
• Wang Qi appears unharmed, likely due to Gao Yan's intervention.

Significant Themes

• The Sandglass serves as a symbol of temptation and danger, luring people to their doom.
• The ghost's eye represents the ghost's ability to observe and control its surroundings, adding a layer of horror to the story.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Shen Mengyun work together to uncover the truth about the Sandglass and the ghost.
• Fatty and Huai Yi join Jiang Cheng and Shen Mengyun, sharing their concerns and observations about the Sandglass.
• Wang Qi rejoins the group, revealing that he had been hiding and that Gao Yan hadn't responded to his message.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The mission on the third floor ends, and the team moves to the fourth floor.
• They encounter Gao Yan, who seems disheveled and strange.
• The fourth floor is decaying and filled with bookshelves and hourglasses.
• Fatty suggests not touching the hourglasses to delay the mission's start, but Gao Yan opposes this, revealing that the hourglasses are alive and dangerous.

Character Developments

• Fatty: Shows strategic thinking and courage by suggesting a plan, revealing a hidden competent side.
• Gao Yan: Reveals fear and withholds information about the hourglasses, suggesting he knows more than he's sharing.

Significant Themes

• Trust and Deception: Gao Yan's fear and withholding of information raise questions about his loyalty to the team.
• Perception and Survival: The loss of senses on previous floors and the invisibility of the ghost on the fourth floor highlight the importance of perception and adaptability for survival.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Fatty: Jiang Cheng supports Fatty's idea, suggesting a growing trust and partnership between them.
• Gao Yan and the Team: Gao Yan's behavior and fear create tension and mistrust within the team.
• Wang Qi and the Team: Wang Qi's playfulness and strategic thinking are evident in his response to Fatty's idea.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Cheng and the group discuss strategies to outsmart the ghost, deciding to flip the hourglass and stick together.
• They set up a flour trap at potential ghost paths and hide separately.
• Wang Qi's phone is thrown to distract the ghost, revealing his location.
• Jiang Cheng receives messages from Wang Qi's phone, realizing the ghost is using it to lure him.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng demonstrates strategic thinking and quick decision-making.
• Wang Qi shows courage and resourcefulness in trying to distract the ghost.
• Shen Mengyun expresses her concern for Jiang Cheng's safety.

Significant Themes

• Trust and deception, as the ghost uses Wang Qi's phone to trick Jiang Cheng.
• Survival and strategy, as the group tries to outwit the ghost.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Wang Qi communicate via text messages, with Wang Qi's phone being used by the ghost to lure Jiang Cheng.
• Jiang Cheng and Shen Mengyun have a brief interaction where she expresses her desire to hide near him and not be a burden.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Cheng realizes he's being tracked by the ghost through his phone messages.
• Shen Mengyun uses her phone's alarm to distract the ghost and save Jiang Cheng.
• Jiang Cheng finds a new hiding spot and contacts the others.
• Fatty is cornered by the ghost with Gao Yan, who tries to use Fatty as a decoy.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng shows concern for his teammates, especially Fatty, and gratitude towards Shen Mengyun.
• Shen Mengyun demonstrates quick thinking and selflessness in saving Jiang Cheng.
• Gao Yan reveals his cowardice and willingness to sacrifice others for his own survival.

Significant Themes

• Teamwork and individual survival instincts.
• The cat-and-mouse game between the humans and the ghost, reflecting the ghost's intelligence and the humans' desperation.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Shen Mengyun work together to evade the ghost.
• Gao Yan tries to manipulate Fatty into becoming a decoy for the ghost.
• Fatty is left to fend for himself, unaware of Gao Yan's schemes.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The group is circling bookshelves with a ghost, trying not to make noise.
• Gao Yan sets an alarm on a phone to startle the ghost and make Fatty its target.
• Fatty escapes by climbing onto a bookshelf, hiding above the ghost's eye level.
• The ghost, sensing Fatty's escape, accelerates and captures Gao Yan instead.
• Fatty reveals himself after the ghost and Gao Yan disappear, explaining his survival.

Character Developments

• Fatty: Shows quick thinking and bravery by hiding on the bookshelf, outsmarting the ghost.
• Gao Yan: Reveals his cunning side by setting up the alarm trap but pays the price for underestimating the ghost.
• Jiang Cheng: Demonstrates analytical skills by figuring out Gao Yan's plan.

Significant Themes

• Survival of the Fittest: The ghost targets the weakest or most noticeable, leading to Gao Yan's demise.
• Adaptability: Fatty's unique discovery about the ghost's visibility allows him to survive.

Character Interactions

• Fatty and Gao Yan: Their dynamic shifts as Gao Yan tries to use Fatty as bait, but Fatty outsmarts him.
• Jiang Cheng and Fatty: Jiang Cheng shows understanding and respect for Fatty's survival strategy.
• Shen Mengyun and Huai Yi: They work together to find the source of the scream but are surprised by Fatty's reappearance.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Cheng and the group find Fatty on a bookshelf, agilely climbing despite his physique.
• They discover a lending library with a strange librarian who retrieves a book for them, which is sticky and has a fishy smell.
• Upon leaving, the library bursts into flames, revealing the librarian to be Gao Yan, who burns alive while watching them.
• Jiang Cheng opens the retrieved book and learns about the Heart-Corroding Demon's plan to possess Yuan Xiaoyi's body.

Character Developments

• Fatty demonstrates unexpected agility, surprising the group.
• Jiang Cheng becomes more observant and analytical, noticing Fatty's increasing agility and feeling a growing familiarity with him.
• Gao Yan's fate reveals his role as a pawn in the Heart-Corroding Demon's plan.

Significant Themes

• Unreliable appearances: Fatty's agility, Gao Yan's true nature.
• Manipulation: The Heart-Corroding Demon's control over Gao Yan and its plan for Yuan Xiaoyi.
• Brutality: The violent death of Gao Yan.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Fatty: Jiang Cheng notices Fatty's agility and feels a growing connection with him.
• The group: They work together to retrieve the book and witness Gao Yan's demise.
• Jiang Cheng and the book: Jiang Cheng opens the book and learns the truth about the Heart-Corroding Demon's plan.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The personalities of Yuan Xiaoyi are hiding in various urban legends/mirror worlds corresponding to Jiangtan University.
• Jiang Cheng and Fatty (Fugui) plan to retrieve one of Yuan Xiaoyi's personalities to awaken her main personality.
• The campus is eerily quiet, with the day dawning later each day.
• Huai Yi reveals that Fatty was the first person targeted by the ghost in the library, but Wang Qi intervened.
• Jiang Cheng experiences a brief episode where he sees Wu's influence, worrying Huai Yi.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng: Struggles with his memories and Wu's influence.
• Fatty (Fugui): Sleeps peacefully, unaware of the supernatural events around him.
• Huai Yi: Becomes more suspicious of Wang Qi's motives and notices Jiang Cheng's strange behavior.

Significant Themes

• Deception: The title itself reflects the theme of deception, with characters hiding truths and motives.
• Identity: Characters grapple with their identities, both personal and within the context of the supernatural events.
• Memory: The importance of memory and the consequences of forgetting or repressing it.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Huai Yi: Share a private conversation about Wang Qi and notice Jiang Cheng's strange behavior.
• Jiang Cheng and Fatty: Fatty remains oblivious to the supernatural events, while Jiang Cheng and Huai Yi discuss them.
• Wang Qi and Fatty: Wang Qi seems to pay special attention to Fatty, though his motives are unclear.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Cheng meets Yuan Xiao Yi, who reveals that Xiao Yu, a missing girl, is trapped in the ominous sculpture hall inside the art center.
• The sculpture hall has a dark history: it was built on a former mass grave, and strange occurrences have plagued its construction and use.
• A previous incident involved a teacher who stayed late in the sculpture hall and was never seen again after the security guard fell asleep.

Character Developments

• Jiang Cheng: Shows empathy and determination to save Xiao Yu, despite the dangers.
• Yuan Xiao Yi (Heart-Devouring Demon): Displays exceptional acting skills, fooling Jiang Cheng momentarily.

Significant Themes

• The supernatural: The sculpture hall's history and the strange occurrences suggest a supernatural presence.
• The power of storytelling: Yuan Xiao Yi's narrative builds suspense and fear.
• The consequences of curiosity and disobedience: The teacher's disregard for the curfew led to his disappearance.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Cheng and Yuan Xiao Yi: They share a moment of emotional connection over Xiao Hui's fate, then Jiang Cheng listens attentively as Yuan Xiao Yi recounts the sculpture hall's history and the teacher's disappearance.
• The security guard and the teacher: Their interaction, or lack thereof, leads to the teacher's mysterious disappearance.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A security guard discovers a broken light switch and strange noises in the sculpture hall.
• He finds a person dressed in red, later revealed to be a male teacher, injured and bleeding, with mutilated hands.
• The male teacher is later found dead, and the murder weapon (sculpting tools) is found at the scene.
• Rumors circulate that the male teacher was killed by a statue in the sculpture hall, as photos show a statue present at the crime scene only in the initial photos taken before dawn.

Character Developments

• Security Guard: Initially brave but becomes terrified after discovering the injured male teacher.
• Yuan Xiaoyi: Relives the story with Jiang Cheng, showing fear and unease, but maintains her composure.

Significant Themes

• Fear and Unease: Yuan Xiaoyi's recounting of the story evokes fear and unease in both her and Jiang Cheng.
• Mystery and Suspense: The chapter builds suspense around the strange events and the unknown assailant.

Character Interactions

• Yuan Xiaoyi and Jiang Cheng: Yuan Xiaoyi shares the story with Jiang Cheng, who listens attentively and provides comfort when she becomes frightened.
• Security Guard and Male Teacher: The security guard finds the male teacher injured and later reports his death to the police.