Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Fugui meets with a porter (implied to be an Ascendant) on the rooftop of Sky Peak Tower.
• They discuss the whereabouts of Zhaoyou, a rule that neutralizes misfortune, which is now with Yu Ziqian.
• Bai Fugui warns the porter about Yu Ziqian's unknown rule that manipulates cognition.
• Baizhi has a nightmare where she finds herself in an ancient village filled with coffins, with strange Notes appearing in her mind, advising her not to look, listen, smell, touch, think, or let it discover her.

Character Developments

• Bai Fugui: Shows knowledge about Ascendants and their rules, suggesting he's experienced and well-informed.
• Porter (implied to be Tuyu): Demonstrates caution and strategic thinking, planning to investigate Yu Ziqian before making a move.
• Baizhi: Experiences a Weird Event in her dream, receiving bizarre Notes that hint at potential dangers and her lack of understanding.

Significant Themes

• Ignorance and knowledge: Characters acknowledge the dangers of ignorance (e.g., not knowing Yu Ziqian's full capabilities) and the importance of gathering information.
• Rules and power: Ascendants possess rules that grant them unique abilities, which can be both beneficial and dangerous.
• Fear and curiosity: Baizhi's dream explores the tension between fear (of the unknown) and curiosity (the desire to understand).

Character Interactions

• Bai Fugui and the Porter: They discuss Yu Ziqian's capabilities and agree to work together, with Bai Fugui asking for payment first.
• Baizhi and the unknown entity: Baizhi interacts with an unseen force in her dream, following Notes that advise her not to engage with it.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Tian Chengchong, an unremarkable man, dies in an apparent suicide after surviving an electrical leak accident at Bishuiwan Manor.
• Tian Zaixu (his older brother) and Wu Lanshu (his sister-in-law) visit his grave, mourning his death.
• Tian Zaixu receives a phone call from someone claiming to be Tian Chengchong, despite him being deceased.

Character Developments

• Tian Zaixu: Struggles with guilt over not preventing his brother's suicide. Initially disbelieving but later hopeful about the mysterious phone call.
• Wu Lanshu: Initially frustrated and skeptical about the phone call but later shows sympathy towards her husband's distress.

Significant Themes

• Death and Grief: The characters grapple with the loss of Tian Chengchong and the emotional turmoil that follows.
• Truth and Perception: The discrepancy between Yu Ziqian's and the siblings' memories of Tian Chengchong's death raises questions about the nature of truth and reality.

Character Interactions

• Tian Zaixu and Wu Lanshu: The couple interacts with each other while visiting Tian Chengchong's grave, expressing their grief and frustration over his death. They later react together to the mysterious phone call, initially skeptical but eventually moved by the possibility of Tian Chengchong's survival.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe, disguised as a downtrodden man, enters an old internet café in Yundu City.
• He accesses the Ascendant Network using Yu Ziqian's account and finds a pinned post about Yin Family remnants in Yundu City.
• Ning Zhe discovers unread messages in Yu Ziqian's inbox, including one from an unknown user named "Listen" asking for help, addressed directly to "Ning Zhe."
• He sends a reply to "Listen" but receives no immediate response.
• Yu Ziqian's phone rings; it's Zhang Hanying, one of the twin sisters Yu Ziqian had placed a Thought Imprint on. She begs him to return, crying and pleading.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe demonstrates his ability to adapt and investigate, accessing the Ascendant Network and responding to the mysterious message.
• Zhang Hanying's desperation and clinginess are highlighted, showing the effects of the Thought Imprint on her.

Significant Themes

• The theme of disguise and deception is emphasized as Ning Zhe enters the internet café in disguise.
• The theme of communication and connection is explored through the Ascendant Network and the phone call from Zhang Hanying.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe interacts with the indifferent internet café attendant, highlighting his ability to blend in and go unnoticed.
• He communicates with the unknown user "Listen" via private message on the Ascendant Network.
• Ning Zhe interacts with Zhang Hanying over the phone, showing his irritation and reluctance to engage with her.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Tai overhears a woman's distressing call at an internet café.
• He receives a frantic call from his mother, who warns him not to come home and to hide, leaving cryptic instructions in a letter at West Suburbs Station.
• Ji Tai finds the letter, which contains ominous warnings and protective instructions for his journey to his grandmother's house.

Character Developments

• Ji Tai: Initially indifferent to the woman's call, he becomes worried and frantic after his mother's call, demonstrating his love and concern for her. He shows determination to follow his mother's instructions to ensure his survival.
• Ji Tai's Mother: Her desperate call reveals her strong will and protective nature towards Ji Tai. Her letter shows her resourcefulness and forethought in preparing for Ji Tai's safety.

Significant Themes

• Love and Protection: Ji Tai's mother's actions are driven by her love for her son and her desire to protect him.
• Fear and Survival: The unknown threat that Ji Tai's mother warns about instills fear, and Ji Tai must focus on survival.
• Trust and Obedience: Ji Tai trusts his mother's instructions and is determined to follow them, even when they seem strange or ominous.

Character Interactions

• Ji Tai and the Internet Café Attendant: There's minimal interaction, with Ji Tai only settling his bill and leaving in a hurry.
• Ji Tai and the Taxi Driver: They have a brief interaction, with Ji Tai expressing his gratitude for the driver's speedy service.
• Ji Tai and his Mother (via phone call): Their conversation is emotional and urgent, with Ji Tai's mother giving him crucial instructions and Ji Tai trying to understand the situation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Tai, unable to contact his family, decides to return home instead of waiting for the last bus to the Sheep Pen.
• He discovers two unsettling goat statues at the station entrance, reminiscent of his childhood.
• Realizing that the station has been defunct for a decade, Ji Tai boards the last bus to the Sheep Pen, with the route displayed as "[Yundu — Sheep Pen]".

Character Developments

• Ji Tai's anxiety grows as he tries to reach his family, leading him to make a decision to return home.
• He experiences a sense of unease and unfamiliarity with his city, hinting at his growing awareness of the strange occurrences.

Significant Themes

• Memory and Childhood: The goat statues trigger Ji Tai's memories of his childhood, suggesting that the past holds important clues.
• Isolation: Ji Tai's inability to contact his family and the empty station contribute to his feelings of isolation.
• Change and the Unfamiliar: The defunct station and the unfamiliar bus route reflect Ji Tai's growing realization that his city has changed in unsettling ways.

Character Interactions

• Ji Tai interacts minimally with the Driver and the conductor, with the conductor asking for his destination and fare. Their interactions are brief and functional, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Tai boards a bus from West Suburb Station, noticing its dilapidated state and strange passengers.
• A middle-aged man boards the bus without speaking, but his voice echoes from the doors after he's seated. Ji Tai realizes something's amiss.
• A woman in a long dress boards next, with no shadow beneath her feet. She sits a few seats away from Ji Tai.
• Ji Tai's phone loses network connection, suggesting he's in another world.
• The bus stops at Sheep Pen Village, and Ji Tai gets off, heeding the warning not to look back.

Character Developments

• Ji Tai: Initially curious and slightly scared, he becomes increasingly alarmed by the strange occurrences. He decides to disembark at Sheep Pen Village, showing a mix of courage and caution.
• The Middle-Aged Man: His silent boarding and delayed voice hint at an otherworldly presence. He remains silent throughout the journey.
• The Woman in a Long Dress: Her lack of a shadow and soft, alluring voice suggest she's not of this world. She also remains silent.

Significant Themes

• The Supernatural: The chapter introduces two passengers with strange characteristics, hinting at a world beyond our reality.
• The Unknown: Ji Tai's journey into the unknown, symbolized by the bus ride and his decision to get off at Sheep Pen Village.
• The Irreversible: The warning not to look back after disembarking implies that Ji Tai's decision is final and has consequences.

Character Interactions

• Ji Tai interacts with the ticket collector, who seems to understand the silent passengers' responses.
• Ji Tai observes the two strange passengers but doesn't interact with them directly. His fear and curiosity create a tense atmosphere.
• The middle-aged man and the woman in the long dress don't interact with each other or Ji Tai, maintaining their silent, eerie presence.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Tai follows his mother's instructions, entering Sheep Pen Village at night.
• He encounters an invisible entity that mimics his footsteps.
• At the Earth God shrine, he witnesses a mysterious figure performing prostrate worship, reciting strange chants, and leaving bloodstains.

Character Developments

• Ji Tai: Shows courage and patience in facing the unknown, following his mother's instructions despite fear.
• The mysterious figure: Reveals a ritualistic, possibly supernatural behavior, hinting at a deeper mystery in the village.

Significant Themes

• Supernatural elements: The invisible footsteps and the mysterious figure suggest a presence of the supernatural.
• Fear and courage: Ji Tai faces his fears, demonstrating bravery in the face of the unknown.
• Ritual and tradition: The figure's prostrate worship and chants indicate adherence to a specific ritual or tradition.

Character Interactions

• Ji Tai interacts with the invisible entity through his footsteps, feeling its presence but not seeing it.
• Ji Tai observes the mysterious figure from a distance, witnessing its ritualistic behavior but not engaging with it directly.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Tai arrives at an Earth God Temple and finds a black plastic bag, contrary to the instructions in his letter.
• Inside the temple, he discovers a desecrated Earth God idol with blood flowing from its seven orifices, nails in its eyes, lips sewn shut, nose sliced off, ears stuffed with dirt, and one foot smashed.
• The Earth God idol smiles, terrifying Ji Tai, who flees.
• Feng Yushu follows Ji Tai and witnesses the Earth God idol crawl out of the temple as a headless, ribcage-like creature with a bloodied tailbone, ignoring her and disappearing into a rice field.

Character Developments

• Ji Tai is shown to be highly suggestible and terrified by the supernatural, fleeing at the first sign of danger.
• Feng Yushu demonstrates caution and self-control, following Ning Zhe's advice to avoid rash actions and observe the situation before deciding how to react.

Significant Themes

• The desecration of the Earth God idol represents the corruption and disregard for tradition and respect.
• The fear of the unknown and the supernatural is explored through Ji Tai's reaction to the Earth God.
• The theme of self-control and restraint is shown through Feng Yushu's cautious approach to the situation.

Character Interactions

• Ji Tai and Feng Yushu are separated when Ji Tai flees in terror, and Feng Yushu is left to face the Earth God alone.
• Feng Yushu's calm and collected demeanor contrasts with Ji Tai's panic, highlighting their different coping mechanisms in the face of danger.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Tai, fleeing from an unknown danger, enters Sheep Pen Village, his mother's hometown.
• He encounters a human-bone serpent that calls out "Yin Taimian," pursuing him relentlessly.
• Ji Tai is cornered by the monster, which is revealed to be Granny Wang, a village resident from his childhood.

Character Developments

• Ji Tai, initially panicked, regains composure and decides to confront the monster to save himself.
• The human-bone serpent, revealed to be Granny Wang, is driven by an unknown purpose, seeking "Yin Taimian."

Significant Themes

• Identity and belonging: Ji Tai struggles to remember his younger sister and his connection to the village.
• Fear and its consequences: Ji Tai's fear drives him to flee, but facing his fear allows him to think clearly.
• Death and the afterlife: The human-bone serpent raises questions about what happens after death.

Character Interactions

• Ji Tai interacts with the human-bone serpent, trying to understand its intentions and find a way to escape.
• Ji Tai's past interactions with Granny Wang (in her human form) are briefly referenced, adding a layer of complexity to his current situation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Tai is killed by Granny Wang, a monstrous snake with human features, who pierces his chest with her ribs and bites off his Adam's apple.
• Ji Tai wakes up in a coffin, disoriented and confused.
• He realizes he's been in the coffin since the previous night and recalls the horrifying events leading to his death.
• Ji Tai discovers he's still alive but has transformed into a monster, confirming his death was real.

Character Developments

• Ji Tai: Initially terrified and confused, Ji Tai becomes enraged upon remembering his death. He then accepts his fate and explores his new monstrous form.

Significant Themes

• Death and Transformation: The chapter explores the fear and reality of death, as well as the transformation of Ji Tai into a monster.
• Acceptance: Ji Tai's acceptance of his new state, despite the horror, shows resilience and adaptation.

Character Interactions

• Ji Tai and Granny Wang: Their interaction is violent and deadly, with Granny Wang killing Ji Tai and transforming him into a monster.
• Ji Tai and himself: Ji Tai interacts with his own body, discovering the horrifying changes that have occurred, leading to self-acceptance.

• Plot Points & Events: Feng Yushu enters Sheep Pen Village, encountering an elderly woman who appears blind and deaf, struggling to pump water. She later meets a buzz-cut man who is rude and evasive. Feng Yushu notices numerous coffins openly displayed near houses.
• Character Development: Feng Yushu demonstrates her keen observation skills and caution, showing no fear despite the village's peculiarities. The buzz-cut man reveals his rude and secretive nature.
• Themes: The theme of aging and death is prominent, with the village's open display of coffins suggesting a unique relationship with mortality. The contrast between the old woman's frailty and the young Feng Yushu highlights the theme of youth and vitality.
• Character Interactions: Feng Yushu interacts with the elderly woman and the buzz-cut man. The old woman's lack of reaction to Feng Yushu's presence and the buzz-cut man's eagerness to help, followed by his evasiveness, hint at the village's secrets.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Tai wakes up in a coffin under the eaves of a rural house, finding himself in Sheep Pen Village.
• He sees two children, Jingyan and Xiao Rong, feeding fish in a nearby well. They seem unaware of Ji Tai's presence.
• Ji Tai discovers his reflection in the well, revealing a horrifying, zombie-like appearance.
• He realizes the house with the open coffin is his maternal grandparents' home.
• Inside the house, Ji Tai finds his grandfather and a younger version of himself, who are oblivious to Ji Tai's presence.

Character Developments

• Ji Tai: Wakes up in a coffin, discovers his horrifying appearance, and struggles to understand his situation. He's confused, frightened, and resentful.
• Jingyan and Xiao Rong: Children who seem unable to see or sense Ji Tai's presence.
• Ji Tai's Grandfather: Appears unchanged, still living in the old house, drinking tea, and reading. He's unaware of Ji Tai's presence.
• Younger Ji Tai: Appears dispirited and listless, unaware of the older Ji Tai's presence.

Significant Themes

• Death and Afterlife: Ji Tai's resurrection and his struggle to understand his current state.
• Unseen and Unaware: The inability of other characters to see or sense Ji Tai, highlighting his isolation.
• Memory and Nostalgia: Ji Tai's memories of his childhood in Sheep Pen Village and his grandparents' house.

Character Interactions

• Ji Tai observes Jingyan and Xiao Rong from a distance but cannot interact with them.
• Ji Tai watches his grandfather and younger self interact, feeling resentment and exclusion.
• There's no direct interaction between Ji Tai and any other character, emphasizing his isolation.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe discovers a sour jujube with a peculiar pit, and later finds a broken cupboard in Ji Tai's grandmother's house, suggesting an invisible presence.
• Sheep Pen Village is revealed to have many coffins and an unusual longevity among its elders.
• Ning Zhe learns about strange, elderly inhabitants and communicates with Feng Yushu about them. He directs her to meet him at the Earth God temple.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe demonstrates his observant nature and keen intuition, noticing the peculiarities in the cupboard and the village's coffins.
• Feng Yushu shows concern for Ning Zhe's safety and shares her observations about the strange elderly villagers.

Significant Themes

• The presence of an unseen, possibly supernatural entity in the village.
• The unusual longevity and strange behavior of the village's elderly inhabitants.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe and Feng Yushu communicate via messages, sharing their observations and arranging to meet at the Earth God temple.
• Ning Zhe interacts with Ji Tai's grandparents, though Ji Tai himself remains absent.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe returns to Sheep Pen Village and finds an ancient ginkgo tree on fire, with Grandmother and Younger Sister (Yin Lishang) offering incense nearby.
• The ginkgo tree has been burning for three years due to a lightning strike and is still alive.
• Ning Zhe learns that there is no 'death' in Sheep Pen Village.
• He discovers that the Earth God in the temple has been mutilated.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe (as Ji Tai) reconnects with his grandmother and Younger Sister, learning about their lives in the village.
• Yin Lishang is revealed to have severe skin issues and a weak voice.

Significant Themes

• The theme of life and death is explored, as Sheep Pen Village seems to defy natural aging and death.
• The power of nature and the divine is shown through the resilient ginkgo tree and the Earth God's condition.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe interacts with his grandmother, learning about the village's history and the ginkgo tree's origins.
• He meets his Younger Sister, Yin Lishang, for the first time since taking Ji Tai's identity.
• Ning Zhe's conversation with his grandmother reveals her devotion to Buddhism and her belief in the Earth God.

Key Plot Points and Events

+ Ji Tai's grandmother dies after hearing about Ji Tai's encounter with the Earth God.
+ Ning Zhe discovers that the day is marked as "Not Suitable For Anything" in the Almanac.
+ A human-bone snake appears and attacks He Nianjun, but is killed by Te Rang's rule.
+ After the snake's death, Ji Tai's grandmother comes back to life.

Character Developments

+ Ning Zhe demonstrates concern for his grandmother and is determined to protect her.
+ He Nianjun remains calm and unharmed despite the snake's attack.
+ Ji Tai's grandmother reveals knowledge about the Earth God and its territory.

Significant Themes

+ Death and resurrection, challenging the conventional understanding of mortality.
+ The power and influence of the Earth God and its territory.
+ The mysterious nature of the human-bone snake and its connection to the Earth God.

Character Interactions

+ Ning Zhe and his grandmother: Ning Zhe shows affection and concern for his grandmother, while she reveals important information to him.
+ Ning Zhe and He Nianjun: They work together to protect each other from the human-bone snake.
+ Ning Zhe and Yin Lishang: Yin Lishang is oblivious to the supernatural events happening around her, highlighting the contrast between her and Ning Zhe's experiences.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Tai's grandmother, who was presumed dead, returns to life.
• Ning Zhe suspects that the elderly people in Sheep Pen Village who refuse to die might be immortal.
• Ji Tai, now controlled by Ning Zhe, decides to take his sister Yin Lishang home.
• Ning Zhe instructs Feng Yushu to kill the old woman kneeling at the Earth God Temple. After she dies, her corpse disappears without a trace.

Character Developments

• Ning Zhe: He becomes more determined to unravel the mystery of immortality in Sheep Pen Village, showing a growing curiosity and resolve.
• Yin Lishang: She is portrayed as a sensitive, mature, and physically weak young girl who is self-conscious about her appearance due to her illnesses.

Significant Themes

• Death and Immortality: The chapter explores the theme of immortality and the fear of death, as seen through the eyes of Ning Zhe and the villagers who refuse to die.
• Belief and Superstition: The contrast between Ning Zhe's rational, modern beliefs and the villagers' superstitions is highlighted, particularly in Grandmother's insistence on worshipping the Earth God.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe and Yin Lishang: Ning Zhe shows kindness and understanding towards his younger sister, trying to boost her confidence despite her illnesses and appearance.
• Ning Zhe and Feng Yushu: They maintain a professional, task-oriented relationship, with Feng Yushu following Ning Zhe's instructions without question.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Tai, presumed dead, watches an impostor leading his younger sister, Yin Lishang, away from their home.
• Ji Tai follows them, witnessing various ghosts in the village that only he can see.
• A woman in red appears, kills Granny Wang (a ghost in the form of a human-bone snake), and disappears.
• Ji Tai decides not to follow Yin Lishang, wanting to warn his family about the impostor.
• A Noblewoman arrives in the village, kills Ji Tai's grandmother, and leaves.

Character Developments

• Ji Tai: Realizes he's a ghost, struggles to communicate with the living, and tries to protect his family from the impostor and the Noblewoman.
• The Impostor: Disguised as Ji Tai, leads Yin Lishang away. Can see and interact with ghosts, but his true intentions are unknown.
• The Noblewoman: Arrives in the village, kills Ji Tai's grandmother for unknown reasons, and seems to be documenting her actions.

Significant Themes

• Death and Afterlife: Ji Tai's ghostly existence explores the concept of life after death and the isolation of the deceased.
• Deception and Identity: The impostor raises questions about identity and trust, while the Noblewoman's true motives remain unclear.
• Communication Barrier: Ji Tai's inability to interact with the living highlights the barrier between the world of the living and the dead.

Character Interactions

• Ji Tai watches the impostor leading Yin Lishang, feeling helpless and protective.
• Ji Tai observes the Noblewoman killing his grandmother, feeling shocked and horrified.
• Ji Tai's internal struggle: He wants to warn his family but fears alerting the impostor.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ji Tai finds his mother's letter, which changes after his grandmother's death, revealing a dire situation.
• The letter warns Ji Tai about "they," humans more terrifying than ghosts, and advises him to find a hidden object in Sheep Pen Village to survive.
• Ji Tai decides to unravel the village's mystery and find the hidden object.
• Ning Zhe, wearing an evil ghost mask, appears and kills Ji Tai, revealing he had also died once.

Character Developments

• Ji Tai: Becomes determined to survive and protect his younger sister after reading his mother's letter.
• Ning Zhe: Reveals he has also died once, showing cunning and ruthlessness in killing Ji Tai.

Significant Themes

• Death and survival: Characters cannot die naturally but can be killed, and they must find a way to survive against powerful enemies.
• Trust and betrayal: Ji Tai's trust in his family is challenged, and Ning Zhe's betrayal is revealed.
• The unknown: The village's mysteries and the true nature of "they" remain unclear, driving the plot forward.

Character Interactions

• Ji Tai and his grandmother: Their interaction is brief but tense, with the grandmother's death triggering changes in the letter.
• Ji Tai and Ning Zhe: Their interaction is hostile, with Ning Zhe revealing he had killed himself and then killing Ji Tai.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ning Zhe and Feng Yushu encounter ghostly figures in Sheep Pen Village, which are people whose lives have reached zero and are constrained by the village's rules.
• Ning Zhe tells Feng Yushu the folk tale of the Nether Gloom Realm, a place neither in the underworld nor the realm of the living, where malformed spiritual beings roam.
• They die together using Zhaoyou's Instant Death rule, entering the Nether Gloom Realm on the -1st floor.
• A human-bone snake, resembling Ji Tai's Grandmother, attacks Feng Yushu, but Ning Zhe stops her from killing it.

Character Developments

• Feng Yushu becomes braver after experiencing several Weird Events.
• Ning Zhe demonstrates his calm and composed nature, even in dangerous situations.

Significant Themes

• Death and afterlife: The chapter explores the concept of what happens after death, introducing the Nether Gloom Realm and the hierarchy of spiritual beings.
• Fear: The ghostly figures and the human-bone snake represent the fears of both humans and ghosts.

Character Interactions

• Ning Zhe and Feng Yushu work together to navigate the dangers of Sheep Pen Village and the Nether Gloom Realm.
• Ning Zhe protects Feng Yushu from the human-bone snake and guides her through the challenges they face.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Feng Yushu and Ning Zhe wake up in a silent, monochromatic world after dying three times.
• They are in 'level -2', the world of 'Xi', where sound does not exist.
• They discuss the levels of existence: living (level 1), ghosts (level 0), Human Bone Snakes (level -1), and Xi (level -2).
• They question why they encountered a Human Bone Snake in the underworld (level 0) instead of the Nether Gloom Realm (level -1).

Character Developments

• Feng Yushu: Shows curiosity and analytical thinking, trying to understand their new situation.
• Ning Zhe: Remains calm and knowledgeable, guiding Feng Yushu through their new environment.

Significant Themes

• Death and Afterlife: The chapter explores different levels of existence after death.
• Sound and Silence: The absence of sound in 'level -2' emphasizes the eeriness and otherworldliness of their surroundings.

Character Interactions

• Feng Yushu and Ning Zhe communicate through text messages due to the lack of sound. They share information and theories, working together to understand their situation.