Yang Qin

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Yang Qin (杨沁)
Alias(es)	“Longjing sister”; “Cha Cha” (both used by Wu Hen) 11 28
Species/Race	Human; later an Insect-Eyed Half-Human host controlled by a Golden Insect 35 38
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Lixue High School; previously traveled with Wu Hen and Su Li's group 11 13
Occupation/Role	High-school student; reluctant survivor in the Otherworld Desolate Dust 11 17
Status	Her body survives, but was parasitized and controlled by a Golden Insect after entering a corrupted Soul Flower 38
First Appearance	Chapter 1 1

Background

Yang Qin was Wu Hen's high-school classmate. She had previously gone out of her way to become his deskmate, bringing gifts to teacher Wang Shan so he would move her seat beside Wu Hen. When Wu Hen's family went bankrupt, however, she was too concerned with her classmates' judgment to give him a proper farewell and insisted they were only ordinary classmates 1.

She is forcibly drawn into the Otherworld Desolate Dust without preparation, awakening in an unfamiliar Vessel after falling asleep in her school library. Terrified by the hostile environment, she begs Wu Hen to protect her; he recognizes her behavior as calculated and initially refuses to take responsibility for her 11.

Otherworld Survival

After being rejected by a group defecting to the Black Shirt Organization, Yang Qin joins Wu Hen and Su Li's remaining party. She repeatedly panics under the pressure of Evil Spirits and the Midnight Mass, but continues traveling because being left behind would mean certain death 12 13.

As the group crosses the old train station and escapes the Evil Soil, Yang Qin is forced to contribute rather than remain a protected bystander. Scar-faced Uncle makes her inspect the train for dormant Midnight Mass, and she later performs carrying, gathering, and other labor without complaint 16 17.

She also proves capable of noticing danger when she reports that Scar-faced Uncle may have failed to inspect the train's undercarriage, despite feeling indebted to him for saving her 17. Following Su Li's disappearance, Yang Qin continues toward the Soul-Resting Tree with Wu Hen, carrying supplies collected from the dead members of their group 20 21.

Soul-Resting Tree Incident

Yang Qin is desperate to return to her homeland and initially nearly enters a corrupted Soul-Resting Tree in the stone valley. She ultimately trusts Wu Hen's warning, only realizing the danger after seeing the tree's concealed Eyed-Insect form 29.

She later enters a Soul Flower after Wu Hen tasks her with identifying who else returned from the Soul-Resting Tree to Lixue High School 30. The flower is later revealed to have dissolved her and allowed a Golden Insect to parasitize and control her body in the homeland 38.

Appearance

Before parasitization, Yang Qin's Vessel gradually reshapes itself to resemble her original appearance. Wu Hen describes her clean-faced appearance as attractive, though he frames the observation as a sign that the Desolate Dust has affected his judgment 21.

• Her initial Otherworld Vessel becomes increasingly similar to her original face over time 21.
• She is frequently dirty, exhausted, and burdened with supplies during the journey through the Desolate Dust 17 21.
• As an Insect-Eyed Half-Human, her head can split open to consume an entire crate of medicinal herbs 34.
• Her Golden Fungus Centipede Woman form has numerous golden legs, blade-like fungal limbs, and a hard Golden Silk Mask covering her face 36.
• Removing the mask exposes writhing fungal threads between it and her facial tissue 37.

Personality

Yang Qin is initially image-conscious and hesitant to act openly on her feelings for Wu Hen when doing so could damage her social standing 1. Once trapped in the Otherworld, that composure gives way to fear, dependence, and attempts to secure protection from stronger survivors 11 12.

Her survival instincts gradually make her more useful to the group. She accepts physical labor, studies the handbook on Soul-Resting Trees, and warns Wu Hen and Su Li about Scar-faced Uncle despite her conflicted feelings 17 21. Her eagerness to return home remains her most consistent motivation, leaving her vulnerable to the Eyed-Insect Tree's deception 28 29.

The murderous hostility and grand ambitions displayed by the Golden Fungus Centipede Woman are attributed to the parasitic Golden Insect rather than conclusively to Yang Qin herself 35 38.

Abilities & Skills

Insect-Eyed Half-Human Physiology

While controlled by the Golden Insect, Yang Qin's body becomes a powerful parasitic organism.

• Can transform golden mycelium into spears, tentacles, blades, and centipede-like limbs 34 36.
• Can move rapidly along walls and surfaces in her centipede form 35.
• Her fungal shell withstands concentrated gunfire, although bullets can shred her softer limbs 36.
• Can regenerate destroyed limbs and damaged fungal tissue at high speed 36.
• Can consume and digest large quantities of material, including crates of medicinal herbs 34 35.

Golden Silk Mask

The Golden Silk Mask functions as the parasitic core or “Golden Face Worm” controlling Yang Qin's transformed body.

• Protects her face from bullets and conventional attacks 36.
• Is fused to her face through living, writhing fungal threads 37.
• Its removal disables the parasite's hold; Xiao Yi subsequently devours the escaping worm 37.
• Anti-parasitic herbs cause the Golden Fungus body severe digestive distress, weakening her before the confrontation 35 36.

Relationships

• Wu Hen — Former classmate whom Yang Qin had pursued before his family bankruptcy. In the Desolate Dust, she relies on him for survival, later realizes that the mysterious “big brother” accompanying her is Wu Hen, and is ultimately saved from execution after her parasitic control is exposed 1 11 30 38.
• Su Li — Fellow survivor and leader of the group Yang Qin joins. Su Li protects her during the train escape but does not excuse her from necessary work 14 16.
• Wang Rui — Yang Qin takes him hostage after revealing her parasitic form. His mistaken herb labels contribute to the anti-parasitic poisoning that weakens her 34 35.
• Yu Yu — Helps Wu Hen restrain Yang Qin during the final battle by pinning her fungal willow-blades with arrows 37.
• Order Maintenance Personnel — Wu Hen uses the campus force to ambush and weaken Yang Qin; she kills several personnel while attempting to reach him 36.

Parasitic Outbreak

Yang Qin returns to Lixue High School as the central Golden Insect host. She assists with the medicine warehouse operation before revealing her true form, killing an Order Maintenance officer and taking Wang Rui hostage 34.

After accidentally consuming toxic anti-parasitic herbs and a crate of He Ding Hong, her Golden Fungus body becomes severely destabilized. Wu Hen reveals that he had suspected her connection to the Insect-Eyed Half-Humans and had used the situation to identify the Insect Mother Wood in Flower Valley 35.

Wu Hen then lures her into an ambush by the Order Maintenance force. In the ensuing battle, Yang Qin regenerates through sustained gunfire and pursues Wu Hen across the school sports field, where he identifies her Golden Silk Mask as the parasite's core 36.

With Yu Yu's archery and the Order Maintenance force's covering fire, Wu Hen uses Xiao Yi's improvised Nine-Toothed Rake to tear away the mask. Xiao Yi intercepts and devours the escaping parasite 37.

Aftermath

Following the battle, students attempt to burn Yang Qin, believing her to remain a threat. Wu Hen intervenes after determining that she does not remember traveling with him in the Desolate Dust, concluding that the Golden Insect—not the surviving Yang Qin—had controlled her body 38.

Wu Hen orders the campus disinfected and all students dewormed. Despite her past role as the parasite's host, he decides to help Yang Qin and the other survivors on their future journey through the Desolate Dust 38.