Chapter Summaries

Lu Chen asked King Yama to help save Zhang Hui from a Heavenly-Triggered Killing Intent, and King Yama agreed to seek aid from the [Plague Department]. Lu Chen told Zhang Hui’s family he intended to worship a Plague God, while King Yama arrived at the Nine Dragon Palace to meet the Western Plague-Bringing Envoy.

• Lu Chen contacted King Yama, who identified Zhang Hui’s affliction as the work of the [Plague Department] and learned from the Book of Life and Death that she was a Nine-Lifetime Benevolent Person with forty years left to live.
• King Yama agreed to seek help from the [Plague Department] after Lu Chen offered him ten million Netherworld Currency, but warned that success was unlikely and the Plague Gods were dangerous and unpredictable.
• Lu Chen told Zheng Changguo, Yu Feng, and Secretary Fan that he was waiting for King Yama’s message and would worship a Plague God to resolve Zhang Hui’s calamity.
• King Yama went to the Nine Dragon Palace seeking the Eastern Plague-Bringing Envoy, learned that Lord Zhou was away, and entered the hall of the Western Plague-Bringing Envoy, Lord Zhu.

Old King Yama sought Zhu Tianlin’s help to remove Lu Chen’s Heavenly-Triggered Killing Intent, but Zhu refused and pointed him toward the Star Lord. After Li Qi also declined, Old King Yama revealed that his mortal adoptee had brought him thousands of worshippers.

• Old King Yama offered Zhu Tianlin Azureflame Wine and asked him to help lift Lu Chen’s Heavenly-Triggered Killing Intent.
• Zhu Tianlin explained that the Plague Department’s cultivation depended on Heavenly-Triggered Killing Intent and refused to make an exception.
• Old King Yama left Zhu Tianlin’s palace and accepted Li Qi’s invitation to visit him.
• Li Qi said only the Star Lord could change assignments marked with Heavenly-Triggered Killing Intent and suggested Old King Yama seek an audience.
• Li Qi asked whether Old King Yama’s adopted son had brought him any benefits, and Old King Yama said several thousand mortals now worshipped him.

The Yama King secured Lu Chen an audience with the Plague Great Emperor Haotian, who offered him a chance to plead for Madam Zheng’s life. Lu Chen summoned the Plague Emperor, and the chapter ended with the god demanding that he convince him before half an incense stick burned.

• Li Qi doubted the Yama King’s claim that he had gained thousands of worshippers in two days, then offered to teach Lu Chen in exchange for a chance to gain believers.
• The Plague Emperor summoned the Yama King and, after hearing about Lu Chen, agreed to personally hear Lu Chen’s request to save Madam Zheng.
• The Yama King returned to Lu Chen and explained that the Plague Emperor would give him an opportunity, but that he had only one chance to persuade him.
• Lu Chen prepared an offering and summoned the Plague Emperor, causing terrifying thunderclouds to cover Qianjiang City.
• Lu Chen found himself before the Plague Emperor’s colossal divine form, which gave him half an incense stick to convince him.

Lu Chen persuaded the Plague Great Emperor Haotian to recruit him by proposing ways to restore the Plague Department’s Incense Fire, then accepted a seven-day trial to save Madam Zheng. He returned to the study and rushed toward her, only to find powerful Spirit Cultivators gathered with Elder Zheng, who said Lu Chen had caused the recent phenomenon.

• Lu Chen proposed rebuilding the Plague Department’s reputation, attracting worshippers through medicine and temples, and using plague powers against demons and other threats.
• The Plague Emperor Haotian invited Lu Chen to become his agent, and Lu Chen accepted by kneeling and calling him Master.
• Haotian gave Lu Chen a Plague-Chiming Pearl and seven days to eliminate its Tribulation Karma and restore vitality to Madam Zheng, warning that Lu Chen would bear the vow’s consequences if he failed.
• Lu Chen returned to his study, realized Madam Zheng was still in danger, and rushed out to find her.
• Lu Chen encountered Elder Zheng and five powerful Spirit Cultivators, and Elder Zheng identified him as the person who had triggered the phenomenon.

Lu Chen dispersed the miasma around Madam Zheng and learned that he had seven days to resolve her karmic tribulation. After securing a hundred nether soldiers from Old King Yama, he headed to Qianjiang City's Mission Hall and claimed all forty-eight available C- through A-rank missions.

• Elder Zheng stopped the experts from pressuring Lu Chen, and Lu Chen entered Madam Zheng's room to find the miasma gone and the Plague-Chiming Pearl floating above her.
• Lu Chen told Zheng Changguo that Madam Zheng could still be saved if he returned within seven days, then asked for a car and promised to do everything he could.
• Lu Chen summoned Old King Yama, negotiated for a hundred nether soldiers, and learned that [Black Crow Balefulness] could protect them from sunlight at the cost of spiritual power.
• Lu Chen left for Qianjiang City's Mission Hall, where Zheng Changguo bowed and entrusted his wife to him as the city’s influential figures watched.
• Lu Chen reviewed the forty-eight available missions at the Mission Hall and used his special-grade badge to claim them all.

Lu Chen accepted all forty-eight missions in Qianjiang City and began clearing them with his Underworld forces, using the Plague-Chiming Pearl to test his plague powers. After saving three Spirit Awakeners from dog demons, he secretly infected their leader and let it escape toward the Mountain Lord’s lair.

• The Qianjiang City Mission Hall recognized Lu Chen as a Special Grade student, and he insisted on accepting all forty-eight available missions.
• The Plague Emperor told the Plague-Wielding Young Lord that he had removed Madam Zheng’s karmic tribulation burden and said he had his own measure for dealing with the Empress.
• Lu Chen and his companions cleared an abandoned warehouse and a haunted old residence, where his plague ability suppressed the ghosts.
• Lu Chen defeated two dog demons attacking three Spirit Awakeners and released their leader after secretly planting a plague ability in its soul.
• Lu Chen watched the surviving dog demon flee toward the Mountain Lord’s lair, while Black and White Impermanence and Ox-Head and Horse-Face recognized his plan.

Lu Chen used the Plague Character Formula and the Plague-Chiming Pearl to poison the Mountain Lord and its demon lair, then wore down the tiger demon in a chase until it died. After revealing that his power came from the Plague Department, he left the three livestreaming women to explore the devastated cave and marvel at his speed.

• Lu Chen pursued the dog demon to the Mountain Lord's cave, while the three adventure streamers followed and began broadcasting.
• The dog demon reported that Lu Chen had killed its brothers, then exploded into a plague miasma that filled the cave and began killing the demons inside.
• Lu Chen rushed into the cave, drove the poisoned Mountain Lord back, and kept poisoning and taunting it as he fled from its attacks.
• The Mountain Lord eventually collapsed and died, and Lu Chen took its demon core before confronting the three streamers hiding nearby.
• Lu Chen told the women that he had used a divine power of the Plague Department, advised them to use their brains, and left them to descend the mountain.
• The women explored the cave and found the demon nest destroyed in under ten minutes, while their livestream viewers flooded the chat with praise and questions about worshipping the Plague God.

Lu Chen raced through Qianjiang City's dungeons, using his plague divine ability to clear them and reduce the Tribulation Karma in the Plague-Chiming Pearl. Videos of his exploits went viral, leaving officials and netizens astonished as he continued working to save Zheng Changguo's wife.

• After defeating the Mountain Lord, Lu Chen saw that the Tribulation Karma in the Plague-Chiming Pearl had faded and led his Yin Messengers and Yin soldiers toward the next target.
• Videos showed Lu Chen solo-clearing dungeons with azure plague miasma that destroyed demons and ghosts while sparing humans, and the footage made worshipping the Plague God a trending topic.
• Zheng Changguo watched Lu Chen's footage beside his sleeping wife, whose sinister green aura had disappeared, and trusted that Lu Chen would save her.
• Huang Yaowu reviewed Lu Chen's record and dungeon videos, marveling at his rise and worrying that people imitating his worship of the Plague God could bring either fortune or disaster.
• Yu Feng laughed at Lu Chen's exploits and considered worshipping an obscure deity himself, while Sun Yourong watched the footage and sighed at Lu Chen's antics.

Lu Chen exhausted Qianjiang City’s available missions while pursuing tribulation karma, then prepared to use Water Vein Profound Connection to return toward Jiangdu City. Just as he leapt toward the sea, his father called with news that something terrible had happened.

• Sun Yourong watched comments mocking Lu Chen’s underhanded tactics and wondered which deity he would eventually worship in his main hall.
• Young Master Zhao ordered Zhao Zhihong to raise Lu Chen’s observation level from C-rank to B-rank.
• Lu Chen’s relentless mission clearing left Qianjiang City’s mission hall nearly empty, and Manager Pan urged him to return to Jiangdu City.
• Lu Chen decided to use Water Vein Profound Connection to travel across the sea, since the remaining S-rank demon dungeons were beyond his solo ability.
• Lu Chen leapt toward the sea, but his father, Lu Jianming, called and urgently told him that something terrible had happened.

Lu Chen rushed back to Jiangdu City after learning that a fight among customers had led the yamen to question his parents over the popular Great Silver notes. Sun Yourong helped secure their release, and the chapter ended with her and Lu Chen alone in the car after his parents went upstairs.

• Lu Jianming told Lu Chen that customers had fought over Great Silver notes and that he and Mother Lu had been taken to the yamen for questioning.
• Lu Chen asked Sun Yourong to help his parents, then used Water Vein Profound Connection to travel rapidly toward Jiangdu City.
• Sun Yourong left for the yamen, and Sun Dechang told Song that the Lu Family might soon surpass the Sun family despite three generations of effort.
• Sun Yourong helped Lu Jianming and Mother Lu complete the yamen formalities, and Lu Chen arrived to meet them.
• Lu Chen told his parents that he had no Great Silver notes left and would address the growing business after his current obligations.
• At the Southern Mountain Residential Compound, Lu Chen and Sun Yourong stayed alone in the car after his parents went upstairs.

Lu Chen expanded his mission-clearing efforts and entered the S-rank Rebirth Academy dungeon to hunt a red-clad vicious ghost. He left the Underworld constables on standby and faced the academy’s gatekeeper after resisting the dungeon’s illusion.

• Sun Yourong offered Lu Chen help scaling up his ghost-money business and promised to provide a car like hers.
• Lu Chen returned to the school mission hall, then cleared more dungeons around Jiangdu City with the Yanluo Token and summoned underworld soldiers.
• With less than twenty hours left in the seven-day deadline, Lu Chen killed a vicious ghost attacking a team of spiritualists, but the surviving old man blamed him for the deaths of his family.
• Lu Chen punched the old man after mistaking his grief for possession, then sent the three dead team members’ souls to the Underworld with Underworld Divine Lightning.
• Fan Rusong and Xie Qingyi warned Lu Chen that the red-clad ghost could flee, so he entered the Rebirth Academy dungeon alone while the constables waited in the Underworld.
• Lu Chen resisted the academy’s illusion with Purest Water and met a flesh-eating gatekeeper who told him class was about to start.

Lu Chen entered Rebirth Academy and violently confronted its ghosts, drawing out the red-clothed vicious ghost that threatened to make him its food. He revealed that he had four Yin Officials, whose combined ghost domains shattered the academy’s domain, and prepared to kill the red-clothed vicious ghost.

• Lu Chen forced the ghost guard to lead him to Classroom Four, ignoring the eerie students watching him from the other classrooms.
• Lu Chen kicked down Classroom Four’s door, destroyed a ghost student, and fought off the spirits that gathered around the classroom.
• Lu Chen grabbed the ghost teacher and demanded that it summon the red-clothed vicious ghost, then crushed the teacher when the powerful ghost arrived.
• The red-clothed vicious ghost condemned Lu Chen to be eaten and bound to the academy, then revealed its overwhelming blood aura and threatened to kill him.
• Lu Chen summoned the Four Yin Officials, whose combined power shattered Rebirth Academy’s ghost domain and terrified the red-clothed vicious ghost.

Lu Chen and the four Underworld Constables killed the red-clad fierce ghost after it revealed an ability to wield lightning. They found a Yin-Yang Co-Engraved plaque made of Yin-Thunder Wood, whose inscription revealed that someone was trying to refine Yin Gods.

• The red-clad fierce ghost unleashed a lightning attack and tried to escape, but Lu Chen expanded Black Crow Balefulness to help the Underworld Constables trap it.
• The fierce ghost struck at Fan Rusong and Horse-Face with more lightning, but Ox-Head blocked the attack with Hellfire while Xie Qingyi cut off its head and killed it.
• Lu Chen recalled that the Rebirth Academy mission had mentioned the fierce ghosts' resistance to lightning and realized the ghost's lightning ability might explain it.
• Xie Qingyi found a black wooden plaque engraved with both yin and yang characters, and Lu Chen suspected it honored a living dead existence.
• Horse-Face and Ox-Head identified the plaque as Yin-Thunder Wood, and Fan Rusong read its inscription and warned Lu Chen that someone was trying to refine Yin Gods.

Lu Chen and the Yin officials discovered that the red-clothed vicious ghost was part of a scheme to refine a Yin God and achieve immortality through corpse liberation. After clearing the Rebirth Academy instance, Lu Chen took the Yin-Thunder Wood and headed for Qianjiang City, while the hidden culprit and the Plague Emperor both reacted to the outcome.

• Fan Rusong explained that the Yin-Thunder Wood, Yin-Soul Curse, and red-clothed vicious ghost formed a method for refining a Ghost Immortal by erasing its consciousness and taking its body.
• Lu Chen recognized the Yin-Yang Engraving on the plaque and concluded that the culprit intended to pursue corpse liberation while keeping a path open for both the dead and the living.
• Fan Rusong determined that the intended immortal specialized in lightning arts, and Lu Chen realized someone had deliberately created the Rebirth Academy instance to raise a ghost and that they had disrupted the scheme.
• Lu Chen confirmed that the Tribulation Karma in the Plague-Chiming Pearl had dissipated, stored the Yin-Thunder Wood in his Sumeru Ring, and set out for Qianjiang City with the Yin officials.
• The unseen culprit awoke in a dark place and angrily demanded to know who had harmed the red-clothed puppet, then concealed the rage when someone entered.
• The Plague Emperor sensed that Lu Chen had cleared the trial within seven days and flew from the Nine Dragon Palace toward a towering divine hall.

The Plague Emperor won approval from Her Majesty to excuse a shortfall in this year’s merit quota after Lu Chen fulfilled their wager, though a sudden shock in his divine sea left him horrified. Lu Chen returned to Qianjiang City to save Zheng Changguo’s wife, only to find she had died and Zheng Changguo was about to take his own life.

• The Plague Emperor told Her Majesty that Lu Chen had earned enough merit to erase one Heavenly-Triggered Killing Intent quota, and she forgave this year’s shortfall while warning him to meet next year’s quota.
• The Plague Emperor left the palace, then felt lightning erupt in his divine sea and turned pale as he looked between the mortal realm and the palace.
• Secretary Fan told Zheng Changguo that Lu Chen had been seen at Jiangdu City docks and was returning to Qianjiang City.
• Zheng Changguo rejoiced at Lu Chen’s return, but his wife convulsed, vomited blood, and died in his arms.
• Lu Chen arrived by water escape, sensed blood in the villa, and rushed upstairs as Zheng Changguo prepared to stab himself.
• Lu Chen summoned the underworld constables, and Xie Qingyi struck Zheng Changguo away from the knife; Lu Chen demanded to know what he was doing, and Zheng Changguo cried that his wife was dead.

Lu Chen learned that Madam Zheng's soul could still be retrieved before it was registered in the underworld, and he set out with four underworld officials to reach the City God Street. At the entrance, they warned him that his blazing yang energy made it dangerous to enter, so they would have to pass their yin energy to him.

• Lu Chen stopped himself from confronting the Plague Emperor after Fan Rusong explained that Madam Zheng's soul could still be recovered within roughly one shichen.
• Lu Chen vowed to protect Fan Rusong, Xie Qingyi, Ox-Head, and Horse-Face if they helped him retrieve Madam Zheng's soul, then warned Zheng Changguo not to harm himself.
• Fan Rusong explained that they would find Madam Zheng at the Soul-Capturing Bureau and use underworld banknotes to persuade the judge on duty to let them take her soul.
• Lu Chen gave the four underworld officials underworld banknotes, offered incense at the City God Temple, and followed them to the cypress-tree entrance to City God Street.
• Fan Rusong and Xie Qingyi stopped Lu Chen from entering because his yang energy could endanger him, then explained that they needed to pass their yin energy to him.

Lu Chen and the four Yin Messengers entered a ghost city during the once-in-a-decade City God Assembly to find Madam Zheng, only to learn that the City God had summoned her to his palace. They raced there to reach her before the City God formally received her and sent her soul to the Netherworld.

• Lu Chen absorbed yin power from Fan Rusong and Xie Qingyi, then entered the ghost city with the four Yin Messengers.
• Fan Rusong revealed that dozens of City Gods had gathered for the assembly, and the group flew to the Soul-Capturing Bureau to search for Madam Zheng.
• Lu Chen and the others learned that Zhang Hui had not been processed at the Bureau, and the judge told them the City God had invited her to his palace as a rare Nine-Lifetime Benevolent Person.
• Fan Rusong explained that the City God could grant Zhang Hui a jade plaque and send her directly to the Netherworld, so Lu Chen agreed to try to rescue her before that happened.
• The four Yin Messengers carried Lu Chen toward the City God's palace, while the judge called after them that their fathers were escorting Zhang Hui.

Lu Chen reached City God Street with Fan Rusong and Xie Qingyi to recover Madam Zheng’s soul and investigate her unjust death. After hearing his appeal and weighing the risks, Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujie agreed to let him take her back to the living world.

• Fan Rusong explained that a ghost domain like City God Street required both dharmic power and a divine fruit position.
• Lu Chen and the others recognized Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujie escorting Madam Zheng, a Nine-Lifetime Benevolent Person, to the City God Hall.
• Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujie confronted their daughters and Lu Chen after he said he had come to take Madam Zheng’s soul.
• Fan Rusong explained that the case involved Lord Yama and the Plague Emperor of the [Plague Department], and Xie Qingyi pleaded for help.
• Lu Chen argued that he would take responsibility and that helping Madam Zheng could benefit the Netherworld’s efforts to spread its Incense Fire faith.
• Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujie agreed to let Lu Chen take Madam Zheng back to the world of the living.

Lu Chen and his allies tried to spirit Madam Zheng’s soul out of City God Street, but the Prefectural City God’s forces surrounded them and demanded they surrender her. As the standoff turned dangerous, Lu Chen raised a dazzling mass of silver money, hoping to exploit the ghosts’ greed and buy time.

• Xie Bi'an ordered Ox-Head to return to the Netherworld and ask Lord Yama to come, while Lu Chen secretly told Ox-Head about benefits that might persuade him.
• Xie Bi'an and Fan Wujie helped Lu Chen’s group flee with Madam Zheng’s soul, but the Prefectural City God’s yin lightning knocked them down and his soldiers surrounded them.
• Lu Chen identified himself with the Yanluo Token and pleaded for Madam Zheng, but the Prefectural City God refused to bend the rules, and Li City God pressured Lu Chen to kneel.
• As the City God’s forces tightened their encirclement, Lu Chen asked Fan Rusong whether ghosts were especially fond of money, then raised a dazzling mass of silver before the assembled soldiers and officials.

Lu Chen used promises of enormous salaries and bonuses to persuade the City God Street troops to join his Netherworld forces. The Prefectural City God was left facing Lu Chen with more than 3,000 soldiers behind him.

• Lu Chen offered City God Street’s ghost soldiers rewards for laying down their weapons, but the Prefectural City God seized his 600,000 taels and refused to surrender.
• Lu Chen promised the ghost soldiers 10,000 taels a month and displayed the money he gave his personal officers to prove his wealth.
• Lu Chen announced lavish salaries for his ghost officers and personal soldiers, prompting them to pledge loyalty to him.
• Lu Chen offered City God Street’s soldiers and generals higher pay and benefits than they received from the City Gods.
• More than 3,000 ghost soldiers and generals joined Lu Chen, who told the livid Prefectural City God that his troops now belonged to him.