Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe (disguised as Ye Yao) agrees to a partnership with Xia Chan, using his real name, Yu Ziqian.
• Xia Chan leaves to do Xia Yubing's Thought Imprint work.
• Ning Zhe ponders the criteria for Thought Imprints and encounters Duan Geng (Poguan), who knows about Xia Yubing's transformation by Taiyi.
• Duan Geng reveals that the Four-Faced Buddha is named Taiyi.

Character Developments

• Xia Chan: Shows business acumen and determination to minimize family losses, sees potential in Yu Ziqian.
• Ning Zhe: Continues his investigation into Thought Imprints and Taiyi, maintains his disguise.
• Duan Geng: Reveals his identity as Poguan, shows knowledge about Taiyi and Xia Yubing.

Significant Themes

• Disguise and identity: Ning Zhe continues to hide his true identity, using the name Yu Ziqian.
• Partnership and alliances: Xia Chan seeks an alliance with Ning Zhe to minimize family losses.
• Investigation and discovery: Ning Zhe tries to understand the criteria for Thought Imprints and learns about Taiyi from Duan Geng.

Character Interactions

• Xia Chan and Ning Zhe: They reach a partnership agreement, with Xia Chan extending her hand to seal the deal.
• Ning Zhe and Duan Geng: They meet in the parking garage, with Duan Geng revealing his knowledge about Taiyi and Xia Yubing.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe returns to Ancient Tablet Town for his graduation banquet and engagement to Chen Yaming.
• He meets Daoist Duan Geng, an Empowered One, who wants to forge a connection with him.
• Ning Zhe considers visiting his grandparents in the hospital before the banquet.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe reflects on his decision to bring his grandparents back from the brink of death, questioning whether it was the right choice.
• Chen Yaming shows concern for Ning Zhe's well-being and future, wanting to protect him from her family's greed.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of using the Fortune God's power to cheat death.
• The tension between family expectations and personal desires.
• The complex relationships between Empowered Ones and their use of weird rules.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe and Chen Yaming share an umbrella, highlighting their growing closeness and Chen Yaming's protectiveness towards Ning Zhe.
• Ning Zhe's brief interaction with Daoist Duan Geng shows the potential for cooperation and mutual benefit among Empowered Ones.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe, a top scorer in the college entrance exam, returns to his hometown with his girlfriend, Chen Yaming.
• He plans to move out of his rented house and end the lease.
• He receives messages from Zhang Hanying, asking him to return to Cloud Capital due to strange occurrences.
• Lan Shiwen calls him, revealing that both the Longevity-Character Black Coffin and the Fortune-Character Red Coffin in Gathering Immortals Garden are empty.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe (Yu Ziqian) is pragmatic and independent, preferring to manage tasks alone but agrees to travel to Cloud Capital with Chen Yaming.
• Chen Yaming is hesitant but eventually expresses her desire to spend summer vacation with Ning Zhe in Cloud Capital.
• Zhang Hanying shows concern and urgency in her messages, indicating a change in her usual demeanor.
• Lan Shiwen maintains a serious and straightforward attitude while delivering bad news.

Significant Themes

• Change and Adaptation: Ning Zhe's life changes with his exceptional exam score, and he must adapt to new circumstances.
• Loyalty and Trust: Zhang Hanying and Zhang Yunwen adhere to their agreement not to disturb Ning Zhe, but break it when faced with unusual events.
• Secrecy and Revelation: The empty coffins in Gathering Immortals Garden hint at hidden secrets being revealed.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe and Chen Yaming interact casually, with Ning Zhe initially reluctant to accept help but eventually agreeing to travel together.
• Ning Zhe and Zhang Hanying maintain a level of trust, with Zhang Hanying reaching out to him when she needs help.
• Ning Zhe and Lan Shiwen communicate openly, with Ning Zhe asking for the "less bad" news first.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe learns that two out of three coffins in Gathering Immortals Garden are empty, challenging his previous belief that they contained ghosts.
• He suspects that either Lan Shiwen is deceiving him, or there were other people/ghosts present in the garden.
• Zhang Hanying and Zhang Yunwen share an incident involving an old man who survived acute liver failure for an unusually long time before suddenly dying, which they believe is connected to Yin Lishang.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe: Becomes suspicious of Lan Shiwen and decides to visit Cloud Capital to investigate.
• Zhang Hanying and Zhang Yunwen: Grow more attached to Yu Ziqian (Ning Zhe's alias) and take care of Yin Lishang.

Significant Themes

• Trust and deception: Ning Zhe questions Lan Shiwen's honesty, while the twins trust Yu Ziqian implicitly.
• Death and survival: The old man's unusual survival and sudden death mirror Yin Lishang's strange condition.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe and Lan Shiwen: Their relationship becomes strained due to the revelation about the coffins.
• Zhang Hanying and Zhang Yunwen: They share a close bond, supporting each other and caring for Yin Lishang together.
• Yu Ziqian (Ning Zhe) and the twins: They maintain a long-distance connection, with the twins expressing their affection for Yu Ziqian.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Yin Lishang is hospitalized with an unprecedented number of ailments.
• Strange incidents occur at Cloud Capital Municipal Hospital, with critically ill patients suddenly stabilizing or refusing to die.
• Lan Shiwen visits Yin Lishang in the hospital.
• Ning Zhe learns about the situation and decides to go to Cloud Capital.
• Ning Zhe receives private messages on the Ascendant Network from Duo A, Ting Xiang, and Lan Shiwen.
• Ning Zhe moves to a new house in Taoyuan City and meets Xia Yubing, who brings him the equipment he requested.

Character Developments

• Yin Lishang's condition worsens, and she is hospitalized.
• Zhang Yunwen and Zhang Hanying are more concerned about Yu Ziqian's well-being than Yin Lishang's.
• Ning Zhe shows concern for the twins' safety but prioritizes dealing with the Weird Event in Cloud Capital.
• Xia Yubing is sent by Xia Chan to deliver equipment to Ning Zhe but is reluctant to do so.

Significant Themes

• The consequences of Yu Ziqian's actions and the responsibility he bears for them.
• The power dynamics and relationships between Ascendants and Bestowed Ones.
• The theme of love and enslavement, as seen through the twins' devotion to Yu Ziqian.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe interacts with Lan Shiwen, Duo A, and Ting Xiang through the Ascendant Network.
• Ning Zhe meets Xia Yubing in Riverside Park and learns that she was sent to deliver equipment to him.
• The twins express their desire to see Yu Ziqian and discuss their plans to surprise him upon his arrival.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe continues to explore the Weird World, encountering various Ghosts and forming connections.
• He meets Ye Yao, who can detach his shadow, and Five Connections, who trades life into copper coins.
• Ning Zhe discovers the multilayered world structure of Sheep Pen Village, with Taiwei Xiyi at its core.
• He encounters Yin Lishang and an unknown Ghost with memory-altering abilities.
• The volume ends with Ning Zhe acknowledging that their meeting was fate, regardless of past knowledge.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe grows more accepting of his role as a wanderer and the connections he forms in the Weird World.
• Ye Yao and Five Connections' abilities and flaws are revealed, adding depth to their characters.

Significant Themes

• Fate and destiny, as represented by the knots tied by fate.
• Connections and bonds, both good and ill, that characters form with each other.
• The exploration of the Weird World and its mysterious Ghosts.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe interacts with various Ghosts, learning about their abilities and forming bonds.
• The interactions between Ning Zhe and the Ghosts highlight the theme of connections and the consequences of their abilities.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Jiang Yehan, a poor student, defrauded a financial institution for loans and bet on the internet industry.
• He founded Baiwen Group, focusing on photographic equipment, and used aggressive tactics to suppress competitors.
• Baiwen Group became the dominant supplier for domestic smartphones and citywide surveillance systems.
• Jiang Yehan married Xia Yubing's mother to secure the Xia family's protection.

Character Developments

• Jiang Yehan: From a poor student to a legendary entrepreneur, he is keen-eyed, extreme in methods, and autocratic.
• Xia Yubing: She is a young girl who seems to have a mysterious connection to Ning Zhe and possesses a notebook with unusual properties.

Significant Themes

• Ambition and ruthlessness in business.
• The importance of powerful backers.
• The mysterious notebook and its potential significance.

Character Interactions

• Jiang Yehan and Xia Yubing's grandfather: Jiang Yehan married Xia Yubing's mother to secure the Xia family's protection.
• Xia Yubing and Ning Zhe: Xia Yubing brings a mysterious notebook to Ning Zhe, which seems to have a connection to her aunt and the notebook Ning Zhe possesses.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe and Xia Yubing discover they can communicate through their notebooks, a gift from Ning Zhe's aunt.
• Ning Zhe leaves, promising to meet Xia Yubing again on the next Gengshen Day (September 25).
• Ning Zhe returns to Yundu, where he meets Zhang Hanying and Zhang Yunwen, who take him to the hospital to visit Yin Lishang.
• Baizhi, a friend of Ning Zhe, reveals she's been having recurring nightmares about being ill.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe: He shows maturity and understanding when discussing marriage with Xia Yubing, revealing his empathetic nature. He also demonstrates his determination to uncover the truth about Yin Lishang.
• Xia Yubing: She struggles with her family's expectations and her own feelings, showing vulnerability and a desire for understanding.
• Baizhi: Her nightmares suggest she might be connected to Yin Lishang's condition, hinting at a deeper involvement in the mystery.

Significant Themes

• Identity: Xia Yubing questions Ning Zhe's identity, reflecting her struggle with her own role in life.
• Family and Expectations: Both Xia Yubing and Baizhi grapple with expectations placed upon them by their families.
• Illness as Metaphor: The illness in the title could refer to Yin Lishang's condition, Xia Yubing's emotional state, or Baizhi's nightmares, symbolizing various forms of suffering or entrapment.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe and Xia Yubing: Their interaction is tense yet revealing, with Ning Zhe offering Xia Yubing a glimpse into his perspective on life and relationships.
• Ning Zhe and Baizhi: Their brief exchange hints at a shared history and a mutual understanding, suggesting they might work together to solve the mystery.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe meets Baizhi, who shares a recurring dream about being in a hospital ward with moldy walls, feeling exhausted and not wanting to recover.
• Ning Zhe visits Cloud Capital Municipal Hospital, where Yin Lishang (the Plague God) is located. He learns that critically ill patients on the same floor have stabilized but not improved.

Character Developments

• Baizhi: She continues to have cryptic dreams related to Yin Lishang, showing signs of being affected by the Plague God's influence.
• Lan Shiwen: He has caught a cold that won't go away due to his proximity to the Plague God, demonstrating the ghost's impact on the living.

Significant Themes

• The influence of ghosts on the living: Baizhi's dreams and Lan Shiwen's cold illustrate how Yin Lishang affects those around him.
• The inevitability of decay and aging: The mold in Baizhi's dream and the stable yet worsening condition of the critically ill patients reflect the inexorable passage of time and the decline of health.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe and Baizhi: They meet to discuss Baizhi's dreams, with Ning Zhe offering to help her.
• Ning Zhe and Lan Shiwen: They discuss the situation at the hospital, with Ning Zhe advising Lan Shiwen to leave due to the Plague God's influence on his health.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lan Shiwen, despite his excellent health, has an unusually persistent cold, hinting at the Plague God's influence.
• He realizes that the Plague God's rules prevent critically ill patients from dying but also hinder their recovery.
• Ning Zhe suggests moving the patients or the Plague God to prevent further spread.
• Lan Shiwen reveals that one of the patients is a powerful, retired official whose children resist moving him.
• Ning Zhe offers to eliminate the official's family to remove resistance, but Lan Shiwen declines.
• Lan Shiwen receives a report about Sheep Pen Village, indicating that they may not have three days to resolve the situation.

Character Developments

• Lan Shiwen: Shows his dedication to maintaining order and preventing the formation of hereditary clans, even at the cost of personal health. He demonstrates restraint in dealing with the powerful official.
• Ning Zhe: Reveals his understanding of local politics and his willingness to help Lan Shiwen, despite their past conflict.

Significant Themes

• The struggle against hereditary clans and their influence.
• The consequences of the Plague God's rules on both the living and the dying.
• The political intrigue and power dynamics in Yun Province.

Character Interactions

• Lan Shiwen and Ning Zhe: Despite their differing views, they find common ground in dealing with the Plague God and the powerful official, leading to a temporary alliance.
• Lan Shiwen and the powerful official: Their conflict highlights the political tension and the official's resistance to change.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Lan Shiwen learns that the first team sent to Sheep Pen Village has gone missing, and the second team found a gigantic human face outline in the flames, suggesting the presence of a powerful ghost.
• Lan Shiwen decides to act immediately, disregarding the government's wishes to wait for an overseas medical team.
• Ning Zhe, riding a motorcycle, heads to Sheep Pen Village, encountering a wildfire spreading across the rice paddies.
• He Nianjun, a ghost in a crimson wedding dress, appears in the fireground, holding an Almanac.

Character Developments

• Lan Shiwen shows urgency and determination in dealing with the Weird Event, even defying government orders.
• Ning Zhe demonstrates his reckless and fearless nature, stealing a motorcycle and driving through the fire to reach Sheep Pen Village.
• He Nianjun's appearance hints at her growing involvement and potential importance in the ongoing events.

Significant Themes

• The urgency and danger of the Weird Event, with the ghost's power growing and threatening to enter the city.
• The conflict between government bureaucracy and the need for immediate action in dealing with supernatural threats.
• The potential connection between the Plague God and the events in Sheep Pen Village.

Character Interactions

• Lan Shiwen and Ning Zhe work together, with Lan providing information and Ning taking immediate action.
• Lan Shiwen's confrontation with the uniformed man showcases his determination and willingness to defy orders.
• Ning Zhe's encounter with He Nianjun suggests a possible alliance or interaction between them in the near future.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe, using the Almanac, awakens the Snake God Zhaoyou, which brings a taboo day upon Sheep Pen Village, where only specific activities are allowed.
• Ning Zhe is consumed by a wildfire, dies, and becomes a grotesque, serpentine creature called a 𫆏.
• He finds himself in a sea of fire with other 𫆏 snakes, all victims of the taboo day.
• Ning Zhe struggles to recall suitable activities for the day to avoid further taboo violations and death.
• He chants a sacrificial hymn to the Snake God, and his body reforms with Gu Yunqing's face.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe's desperation and fear grow as he faces the consequences of awakening the Snake God.
• He experiences physical and mental agony, losing his sight, hearing, and limbs, and becoming a 𫆏.
• Ning Zhe's emotions become increasingly volatile, fueled by rage, jealousy, and resentment.

Significant Themes

• Taboo and Consequences: The taboo day brings severe consequences for violating its rules, leading to death and transformation into a 𫆏.
• Emotional Turmoil: Ning Zhe's intense emotions, such as rage and jealousy, are amplified by his transformation and the surrounding fire.
• Transformation and Identity: Ning Zhe's physical transformation into a 𫆏 raises questions about his identity and humanity.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe interacts with other 𫆏 snakes, though not verbally; their actions are driven by primal instincts and the fire's influence.
• The faceless He Nianjun stands beside Ning Zhe's corpse, holding the Almanac, but there's no interaction between them.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe struggles to survive in a burning wasteland, his body blistering and mind muddled.
• He witnesses snakes fighting and humans brawling, their faces warping and twisting like clay figures in a kiln.
• Ning Zhe realizes that the emotions driving the chaos are like a virus, trying to control his mind and turn him into a Ghost.
• He resists the transformation, and his original appearance reemerges. He understands that he must transform into a Ghost to survive.
• Ning Zhe transforms into the Snake God, identical to the statue in He Family Village, and sees a giant human face branded into the ground, similar to Ji Wuxie and Ji Tai.
• The Snake God declares that those who violate taboos shall die, and the Ghost causing the blaze is killed. The fire recedes, leaving only bones and the Snake God's collapsed body.
• Ning Zhe awakens with multiple eyes, mouths, and voices on his body, representing the people he's encountered.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe struggles with his identity and survival, ultimately embracing his transformation into a Ghost to save himself.
• The Ghosts and humans in the wasteland are consumed by their negative emotions, leading to their destruction.

Significant Themes

• Identity and transformation: Ning Zhe grapples with his human identity and the necessity of becoming a Ghost to survive.
• Emotions as viruses: The chapter explores the idea of emotions spreading like a virus, controlling and consuming those who succumb to them.
• Consequences of taboo violation: The Snake God's rules emphasize the severe consequences of breaking taboos, leading to the Ghost's destruction.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe interacts with his own transformed body, which represents the people he's encountered, highlighting his connection to them and their shared experiences.
• The Snake God interacts with the giant human face, implying a connection to the Yin Family and their Ghosts.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe, struggling with his multiple personalities, finds Xia Yubing's compact mirror and attempts to use it to trigger the Thought Imprint.
• Yu Ziqian's spirit interferes, causing Ning Zhe to lose control of his body.
• Ning Zhe realizes the medium for the Thought Imprint isn't eye contact and struggles to find the answer before losing consciousness.
• The Four-Faced Buddha appears, calming Ning Zhe's mind and allowing him to regain control.
• Ning Zhe uses the mirror to place the Thought Imprint on himself, confirming it doesn't require eye contact.
• Ning Zhe writes a message to Xia Yubing using a special notebook, asking her to relay a message and hinting at a future meeting.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe: Struggles with his multiple personalities and discovers more about the Thought Imprint's medium. He remains resilient and determined even in dire circumstances.
• Xia Yubing: Shows concern for Ning Zhe and agrees to help him, despite her own reservations.

Significant Themes

• Identity: Ning Zhe continues to grapple with his multiple personalities and the true nature of his identity.
• Communication: The use of the notebook to communicate with Xia Yubing highlights the importance of connection and information exchange.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe and Yu Ziqian: Their interaction is hostile, with Yu Ziqian trying to stop Ning Zhe and Ning Zhe cursing in response.
• Ning Zhe and Xia Yubing: They communicate through the notebook, with Xia Yubing showing concern for Ning Zhe and agreeing to help him.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe returns to Sheep Pen Village after the fire.
• He discovers that the fire has assimilated people and 𫆏 snakes into porcelain objects with identical features.
• The fire's source is traced back to the ancient ginkgo tree, which was struck by lightning three years ago and has been burning ever since.
• Ning Zhe finds a stone talisman with the village's name broken in half at the entrance.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe realizes that the fire affected his judgment and caused him to act recklessly, unlike his usual cautious nature.
• He understands that the fire is a memetic infection that assimilates living things into identical porcelain objects.

Significant Themes

• The fire's ability to affect emotions and judgment.
• The viral nature of the fire, assimilating people and 𫆏 snakes into identical forms.
• The search for the object capable of killing an Ascendant, hidden in Sheep Pen Village.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe interacts with no other characters in this chapter, as he is alone in exploring Sheep Pen Village after the fire.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A sudden fire breaks out in Sheep Pen Village, causing destruction and casualties.
• Yin Lishang, a terminally ill girl, is obsessed with finding her brother, who she believes is still alive despite being told he died.
• Lan Shiwen, an Ascendant, receives a mysterious call warning him not to approach Sheep Pen Village until midnight.
• Ning Zhe, investigating the source of the fire, descends into the domain of "Xi" and observes changes in the earth god and the fire.

Character Developments

• Yin Lishang: Her fixation on finding her brother, despite knowing he's dead, suggests she's under the influence of a ghostly illusion created by Ye Yao.
• Lan Shiwen: He shows concern for Yin Lishang's well-being but is also intrigued by the possibility of learning a new method of controlling ghosts from Ye Yao.
• Ning Zhe: He demonstrates determination and resourcefulness in investigating the fire's source, using his knowledge of the Tao Te Ching to descend into the domain of "Xi."

Significant Themes

• The power of illusion and its ability to manipulate emotions and actions (Yin Lishang's belief in her brother's survival).
• The consequences of interfering with the natural order (the fire's sudden outbreak after Ning Zhe took Yin Lishang away).
• The dangers of approaching Sheep Pen Village, hinting at the power hidden within the village.

Character Interactions

• Lan Shiwen and Yin Lishang: Lan Shiwen is cautious around Yin Lishang due to her eerie demeanor, but he agrees to help her find her brother after midnight.
• Ning Zhe and Nian Jun: Ning Zhe summons Nian Jun to help him understand the changes in the earth god and the fire as he descends into the domain of "Xi."

Chapter Summary: “Those Near Fire Go Mad”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe uses the Almanac to take his own life and descend from the Xi layer to the Yi layer of the Seven-Layer World. In Yi, all sight and sound disappear, leaving only darkness, isolation, and the oppressive heat of the Fire Seed.
• He realizes that the Fire Seed’s influence grows stronger in deeper layers, affecting emotions and threatening to drive anyone nearby insane.
• Ning Zhe deduces that the Fire Seed was imprisoned in the deepest layer, Wei, by the Yin Family. The Earth God serves as its warden, but the fire has badly burned it.
• He reconstructs the former balance between the

Fire Seed, the Earth God, and the Plague God

• The Fire Seed continually scorched the prison and its warden.
• The Earth God contained the flames.
• The Plague God’s rules prevented the injured Earth God and the village’s inhabitants from fully recovering or dying, stabilizing the prison.
• When Ning Zhe removed the Plague God from Sheep Pen Village, this balance collapsed. The prison began to fail, the Earth God was severely burned, and the Fire Seed spread throughout the village.
• Ning Zhe concludes that the surviving Yin Family members may have deliberately opened the prison as an act of revenge against the Ascendants who destroyed their family and threatened to erase its bloodline.
• Unable to safely descend further because the Fire Seed may overwhelm his mind, Ning Zhe decides to summon the Plague God back. He changes his face using the Copper Coin and calls upon the Fortune God.
• In a parallel scene, a uniformed young man uses a Copper Coin to revive a dead driver so that Lan Shiwen can question him about Sheep Pen Village.
• The revived driver recalls seeing the rice fields apparently burning and another driver behaving violently. He then describes seeing a horrifying white snake with a human head crawling through the other driver’s car window.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe becomes more analytical and cautious. Rather than recklessly exploring deeper layers, he recognizes the danger of the Fire Seed’s psychological influence and chooses to restore the Plague God.
• He also gains a deeper understanding of the Yin Family’s motives, seeing their actions as the desperate retaliation of a bloodline facing extinction.
• Lan Shiwen is shown as ruthless and determined. He is willing to resurrect and interrogate an ordinary accident victim to learn what happened in Sheep Pen Village.
• The revived driver provides an eyewitness account linking the village’s supernatural disaster to violent madness and the appearance of the snake-headed entity.
• The uniformed young man demonstrates the practical use of the Copper Coin and assists Lan Shiwen in extracting information from the dead.

Significant Themes

• Proximity to destructive power: The Fire Seed represents a force that cannot be controlled or safely approached; those near it are driven toward madness and self-destruction.
• Fragile balance: The Fire Seed, Earth God, and Plague God form an unstable system in which removing one element causes the entire structure to collapse.
• Revenge and extinction: The Yin Family’s willingness to unleash catastrophe reflects the despair of a persecuted family whose survival and legacy are being erased.
• Order versus uncontrollable power: The Yin Family could imprison the Fire Seed but never truly master it, emphasizing the limits of human and supernatural control.
• Moral ambiguity: Both sides violate ordinary boundaries—Ning Zhe manipulates life and death, while Lan Shiwen resurrects a victim for interrogation—showing how extreme circumstances distort ethical limits.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe internally analyzes the relationship between the Earth God, Plague God, Fire Seed, and the Yin Family, preparing to intervene by summoning the Plague God.
• Lan Shiwen questions the resurrected driver, presenting himself as a rescuer while deliberately concealing the supernatural truth.
• The uniformed young man supports Lan Shiwen by reviving the driver and physically bringing him to the interrogation.
• The driver’s testimony introduces a disturbing connection between the spreading fire, human insanity, and the snake-headed creature.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A fire breaks out in Sheep Pen Village, which stops spreading once the Plague God returns.
• Ning Zhe (Ye Yao) meets Lan Shiwen and Yin Lishang at the village entrance.
• Ning Zhe explains that Sheep Pen Village is a prison for the Plague God to maintain the Earth God's stability.
• Ning Zhe offers to buy the land around Sheep Pen Village and build an estate, with government supervision.
• Ning Zhe receives a research paper on the frequency and outbreak locations of Weird Events from Lan Shiwen.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe shows concern for Yin Lishang's well-being and is willing to take responsibility for his actions.
• Lan Shiwen understands and respects Ning Zhe's unique morals and is cooperative in their exchange of information.

Significant Themes

• The relationship between knowledge of Weird Events and their occurrence.
• The responsibility of Ascendants in dealing with Weird Events and their consequences.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe and Lan Shiwen have a professional exchange, with Ning Zhe being open about Sheep Pen Village's situation in exchange for valuable information.
• Ning Zhe and Yin Lishang reunite, with Yin Lishang showing affection and dependence on Ning Zhe.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe discovers a possible reason for the increased frequency and intensity of Weird Events: the "information explosion" caused by the Internet.
• He realizes that the ease of spreading information, including rumors, has led to more people believing in and discussing weirdness, making Weird Events more likely to occur.
• Lan Shiwen decides to kill every member of the Liu family due to their interference in handling the Weird Event, despite most members being innocent.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe: Becomes more aware of the influence of information and rumors on Weird Events.
• Lan Shiwen: Shows extreme determination and radical philosophy in dealing with the Liu family, displaying his power and ruthlessness.

Significant Themes

• The impact of information and technology on society and Weird Events.
• The consequences of power and corruption, as seen through the Liu family's actions.
• The radical and extreme nature of some Ascendants, exemplified by Lan Shiwen.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe and Yin Lishang: Ning Zhe cares for Yin Lishang, who is asleep and clinging to him.
• Ning Zhe and Lan Shiwen: Ning Zhe tries to find Lan Shiwen to discuss the situation but fails, learning about Lan Shiwen's decision to kill the Liu family from camp staff instead.
• Lan Shiwen and the Liu family: Lan Shiwen's extreme response to the Liu family's interference, showing his unyielding stance and power.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Yushu, a woman from Yongzhou, meets Ning Zhe, a youth she's known for years, at a late-night barbecue restaurant in Yundu City.
• She's anxious and expectant about the meeting, thinking it's a date, but Ning Zhe clarifies it's a business meeting.
• Feng Yushu shares the results of an investigation Ning Zhe asked her to conduct: her husband, Bai Fugui, did nothing during his time in Ancient Tablet Town.

Character Developments

• Feng Yushu: She's nervous about the meeting with Ning Zhe, thinking it's a date, but is disappointed when she learns it's not. She's also confused about her husband's actions in Ancient Tablet Town.
• Ning Zhe: He's more concerned with business than romance. He's dressed up for a meeting, not a date, and is interested in the results of Feng Yushu's investigation.

Significant Themes

• The contrast between expectation and reality, as seen in Feng Yushu's hopes for a date and the actual business meeting.
• The mystery surrounding Bai Fugui's actions in Ancient Tablet Town, hinting at a deeper plot.

Character Interactions

• Feng Yushu and Ning Zhe: They have a friendly, comfortable rapport, but there's no romantic tension. They discuss business and share information.
• Feng Yushu and Bai Fugui: Their relationship is mentioned but not shown. Feng Yushu seems confused and curious about her husband's actions.