Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After breakfast, Ye Yiren drags Ling Mengxue to the United Alliance’s assessment facility to test her combat ability and potentially assess her for the Star Engraving Alliance.
• Ling Mengxue remains disguised as “Ling Feng,” while worrying that Ye Yiren might discover her true identity and misunderstand her.
• Ye Yiren explains that entry into the alliance requires identity verification, a positive mindset, and sufficient strength. A hidden detection crystal screens applicants for hostile intentions.
• The enormous assessment arena contains training grounds and instructors for various combat and magical disciplines.
• Ling Yue, a Second-Order Star Warrior from an ancient martial arts family, arrives to register. He believes joining the alliance will give him status and allow him to challenge the Magic Association after returning.
• Ling Yue recognizes Ling Mengxue and insults her, prompting an immediate confrontation.
• Ye Yiren angrily defends “Brother Feng,” while Ling Mengxue calmly accepts Ling Yue’s challenge.
• When Ling Yue tries to claim that the fight would be unfair and asks for a substitute fighter, the inspection girl mocks him. Embarrassed, he agrees to fight personally.
• A formal one-on-one PK match is arranged on the basic training platform, with the inspection girl serving as referee and both contestants given ten minutes to prepare.

Character Developments

• Ling Mengxue: Continues maintaining her male disguise and concealing her identity. She is increasingly confident in her strength, detached from outside opinions, and willing to settle conflicts directly. Her calm response to Ling Yue shows greater composure and self-assurance.
• Ye Yiren: Becomes more openly protective of Ling Mengxue, immediately defending her from Ling Yue’s insult. She is energetic, straightforward, and eager to test Ling Mengxue’s abilities.
• Ling Yue: Reveals himself as arrogant, status-conscious, and vindictive. Despite boasting about his abilities, he hesitates when faced with a direct fight, exposing his insecurity. His pride eventually forces him to accept the duel.
• Ling Lexuan and Nan Muya: Show concern for Ling Yue’s chances of passing the assessment, noting that his current strength is below the alliance’s normal standard. Their reactions also suggest they recognize his recklessness.
• The inspection girl: Acts as an impartial referee but clearly favors Ling Mengxue’s composed and attractive demeanor. She is curious about Ling Mengxue’s unexplained familiarity and looks forward to seeing her fight.
• Su Yun: Earlier, she quietly observes the interactions between Ling Mengxue and Ye Yiren, hinting at her continued hope that Ling Mengxue might become connected to the Star Engraving camp.

Significant Themes

• Identity and concealment: Ling Mengxue’s disguise creates tension, especially as she forms friendships with people who do not know who she really is.
• Strength versus reputation: Ling Yue relies heavily on family background and imagined status, while Ling Mengxue’s quiet confidence comes from actual ability.
• Pride and insecurity: Ling Yue’s reluctance to fight reveals the gap between his arrogance and his true confidence.
• Found family and loyalty: Ye Yiren instinctively defends Ling Mengxue, demonstrating the protective bonds forming between them.
• Testing and belonging: The alliance assessment represents more than a strength test; it determines whether characters are trustworthy and worthy of joining a powerful organization.
• Appearance and attraction: Ling Mengxue’s male disguise attracts attention, while her behavior and mysterious aura make others increasingly curious about her.

Character Interactions

• Ye Yiren and Ling Mengxue share a teasing but increasingly affectionate friendship, with Ye Yiren pressing her to reveal her secret.
• Ling Mengxue and Ye Yiren discuss Su Yun’s feelings, with Ling Mengxue humorously questioning why Su Yun would be attracted to her.
• Ling Yue’s hostile reunion with Ling Mengxue quickly escalates into a public challenge.
• Ye Yiren takes Ling Mengxue’s side without hesitation, while Ling Mengxue remains calm and refuses to be intimidated.
• Ling Lexuan and Nan Muya attempt to warn Ling Yue about the difficulty of the assessment, but he ignores them.
• The inspection girl encourages the duel, ridicules Ling Yue’s attempt to use a substitute, and becomes intrigued by Ling Mengxue.

Chapter Summary

• Preparation and concerns: Ye Yiren confidently pairs with Ling Mengxue for the upcoming challenge, trusting her friend’s overwhelming strength. Ling Lexuan and Nan Muya, meanwhile, worry about Ling Yue’s reckless decision to fight Mengxue. Both understand the conflict involving Ling Yue’s family and Miss Su, but neither wants to become involved or damage their relationship with Su.
• Challenge begins: A crowd of young women gathers to watch the match at the Star Engraving Alliance’s newcomer platform. The spectators expect either a personal grudge match or a contest to determine who might qualify as a trainee. The Alliance’s standards are emphasized: warriors must possess at least Low Tier Destiny Engraver-level combat strength because Astral Mark Girls face extremely dangerous missions.
• Ling Yue’s opening attack: Ling Yue draws an impressive, skull-adorned broadsword and launches a dramatic aerial strike. Ling Mengxue does not even draw a weapon; she simply shifts aside and avoids the blow. She then kicks him hard enough to send him rolling across the arena, apparently breaking several ribs and nearly knocking him out.
• Ling Yue’s breakthrough: Rather than accept defeat, Ling Yue laughs and unexpectedly breaks through to the next stage of his cultivation. His strength and speed increase, and he becomes convinced that he can now challenge Mengxue. He charges again with renewed confidence, boasting that they are now equal.
• Mengxue dominates the fight: Mengxue remains completely unimpressed. She suppresses much of her own power and uses the elegant Pure Lotus Shadow-Stacking Step technique to evade every attack. Her graceful, illusion-like movements captivate the spectators, who admire her style even more than her overwhelming strength. Ling Yue cannot touch her and grows increasingly furious.
• The slap and humiliation: When Ling Yue angrily demands that Mengxue stop dodging and let him hit her, she casually slaps him across the face, sending him flying. She sarcastically claims she slapped him on Zhao Ping’s behalf because Ling Yue was talking too much. Humiliated and enraged, Ling Yue calls on Ling Lexuan and Nan Muya to avenge him.
• Others refuse to help: Ling Lexuan and Nan Muya recognize that Ling Yue has simply lost and quietly step back, unwilling to interfere or worsen the situation. Ling Yue is shocked that his supposed allies abandon him.
• Ning Rong intervenes: The tester, Ning Rong, grabs Ling Yue by the collar and lifts him into the air, warning him that he is the seventy-seventh person to cause trouble in the Alliance. Ling Yue is left furious and humiliated, reflecting that his trip to Star Prefecture has turned from a vacation into an endless series of public defeats.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Ling Mengxue displays overwhelming confidence, restraint, elegance, and a mischievous willingness to crush Ling Yue’s arrogance rather than defeat him instantly.
• Ling Yue is revealed as powerful but reckless, boastful, shameless, and unable to accept humiliation. His breakthrough briefly inflates his confidence, but his defeat becomes even more embarrassing.
• Ye Yiren shows unwavering trust and affection toward Mengxue, openly supporting her.
• Ling Lexuan and Nan Muya become increasingly detached from Ling Yue’s conflict. Though they sympathize with him and understand the family tensions, self-interest and fear of becoming involved lead them to refuse assistance.
• Ning Rong acts as a strict, unimpressed authority figure, immediately shutting down Ling Yue’s disruptive behavior.

Significant Themes

• Arrogance versus true strength: Ling Yue relies on dramatic attacks and confidence, while Mengxue’s effortless skill proves that genuine power needs no display.
• Humiliation as a lesson: Mengxue deliberately allows Ling Yue to struggle so that his inflated pride will be thoroughly broken.
• Appearance and spectacle: The spectators are fascinated by Mengxue’s beautiful movements, highlighting the Alliance’s appreciation for stylish combat even while it dismisses “flashy” magic.
• Self-preservation and divided loyalties: Ling Lexuan and Nan Muya’s refusal to help reflects the tension between family obligation, personal interests, and avoiding dangerous conflicts.
• Comedy through exaggerated pride: Ling Yue’s dramatic boasts, demands for rescue, and refusal to accept defeat turn the serious assessment into a humiliating farce.

Chapter 303 Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ling Yue continues ranting after losing, loudly promising revenge once his “divine technique” is complete. Everyone, including Ling Lexuan and Nan Muya, finds his behavior embarrassing and childish.
• Examiner Ning Rong forcibly throws Ling Yue into a Void Gate, which transports him outside the Star Engraving Alliance. He reappears high above the security-room entrance and crashes onto the concrete, suffering serious injuries.
• Despite his humiliation, Ling Yue blames others—including Ling Lexuan and Nan Muya—for abandoning him and resolves to grow stronger and join a more powerful faction.
• Ling Mengxue successfully completes the United Alliance assessment. The girls warmly welcome her, and several immediately compete for her attention, jokingly inviting her to dinner or trying to court her.
• Ning Rong offers to register Ling Mengxue and Ye Yiren as United Alliance members, but Ling Mengxue declines because she and Ye Yiren originally came only to spar.
• Ye Yiren challenges Ling Mengxue to a match. Although Ling Mengxue wins, Ye Yiren suspects she held back and angrily drags her from the training ground.
• Ye Yiren decides to proceed with her secret-realm mission. The mission involves investigating the “Murder Demon” in Happy Town, and she invites Ling Mengxue to assist her.
• Ling Mengxue reveals that she has previously entered secret realms during a Survival Challenge, shocking Ye Yiren and exposing that she had not been entirely truthful about her experience.
• Ye Yiren warns Ling Mengxue not to underestimate dangerous horror secret realms, but trusts her strength and intelligence. She promises Ling Mengxue the mission rewards and a meal in exchange for help.
• The two receive their entry tickets and prepare to enter the secret realm, while the chapter explains the wider system of secret-realm commissions, civilian requests, government protection, and the limited manpower available to deal with supernatural incidents.
• Just before departure, an exceptionally adorable blue-haired girl enters the mission building. Ling Mengxue notices the girl’s unusually pure and harmless demeanor and suspects she may possess a temperament-based ability.

Character Developments

• Ling Yue: His arrogance and immaturity become more obvious after his defeat. Rather than reflecting on his own behavior, he blames his allies and doubles down on revenge. However, his humiliation also pushes him toward self-reliance and a desire to become stronger.
• Ling Lexuan: She is deeply embarrassed and hurt by Ling Yue’s reckless behavior, feeling that he disregards the efforts and feelings of his relatives and friends.
• Nan Muya: She comforts Ling Lexuan and shows a more practical attitude, having grown accustomed to Ling Yue’s arrogance and unwillingness to change.
• Ling Mengxue: She proves herself powerful enough to pass the assessment with ease. Although shy and uncomfortable with the attention, she remains kind, humble, and considerate. She also demonstrates past experience with secret realms and a willingness to help Ye Yiren.
• Ye Yiren: She becomes more competitive and ambitious, wanting a high newcomer ranking to obtain better items and skill books. Despite teasing Ling Mengxue, she genuinely worries about her safety and trusts her abilities.
• Ning Rong and the United Alliance girls: They show strong enthusiasm toward Ling Mengxue, whose natural warmth and possible affinity-based influence make others instinctively like her.
• Blue-haired girl: She is introduced as a mysterious, extremely pure and adorable newcomer whose harmless appearance may conceal an unusual ability or significance.

Significant Themes

• Arrogance versus genuine strength: Ling Yue relies on status and boasts, while Ling Mengxue demonstrates real power through calm action.
• Humiliation and personal growth: Ling Yue’s defeat may become a turning point, though his initial response is still resentment rather than self-reflection.
• Friendship and concern: Ye Yiren’s teasing masks sincere worry, while Ling Mengxue’s willingness to help strengthens their bond.
• Competition and ambition: The United Alliance is portrayed as a highly competitive organization where rankings, rewards, items, and skill books matter greatly.
• The burden of supernatural crises: The chapter broadens the world-building by showing that secret-realm incidents affect ordinary civilians and that organizations lack the resources to help everyone.
• Appearance versus reality: Ling Yue looks powerful but behaves foolishly, while Ling Mengxue’s gentle, unassuming personality conceals considerable strength and experience.

Character Interactions

• Ling Lexuan and Nan Muya bond over their frustration with Ling Yue, with Nan Muya comforting her cousin.
• Ning Rong handles Ling Yue roughly but welcomes Ling Mengxue warmly, clearly favoring her calm and approachable personality.
• The United Alliance girls surround Ling Mengxue and compete playfully for her attention, making her embarrassed until Ye Yiren intervenes.
• Ye Yiren and Ling Mengxue spar, argue over whether Ling Mengxue held back, and then quickly reconcile when discussing the upcoming mission.
• Ye Yiren confronts Ling Mengxue about her secret-realm experience. Although annoyed that Ling Mengxue had concealed it, she ultimately expresses genuine concern.
• The chapter ends with Ling Mengxue and Ye Yiren preparing for the Happy Town investigation, just as the mysterious blue-haired girl enters the building.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xia Keke, the Great Leader of the Star Engraving Alliance, joins Ling Mengxue and Ye Yiren in a secret realm called 'Happy Town' (Bliss Town).
• The secret realm is set in a female-dominated world, the Iceblue Empire.
• Upon entering the realm, Ling Mengxue and Xia Keke arrive in a dark alley without any mission assignment or occupational identity.

Character Developments

• Xia Keke: Shows curiosity and adaptability, quickly understanding and adjusting to the new environment. She also demonstrates a carefree and innocent personality.
• Ling Mengxue: Acts as a guardian to Xia Keke, showing concern and responsibility. She also displays a desire for a normal life after spending too long in horror worlds.

Significant Themes

• Gender roles and societal norms: The secret realm challenges traditional gender roles, with women holding the highest status and men adopting more feminine characteristics.
• Identity and adaptability: Characters must adapt to new identities and environments, highlighting the importance of understanding and adjusting to change.

Character Interactions

• Ling Mengxue and Xia Keke: The two form a bond, with Ling Mengxue acting as a protective figure to Xia Keke. They support and learn from each other as they navigate the new environment.
• Xia Keke and Ye Yiren: Although not present in this chapter, their interaction prior to entering the secret realm shows Xia Keke's innocence and Ye Yiren's initial hesitation and later acceptance of their situation.

After arriving in the world of Happy Town, Ling Mengxue and Xia Keke encounter a society dominated by women, with men fulfilling traditional female roles. Ling Mengxue struggles to adapt to this reversed gender dynamic, while Xia Keke finds it all fascinating. They check into a guesthouse, and Ling Mengxue plans to look for Ye Yiren the next day. That night, they hear police sirens, possibly related to the serial killer in the main plot. Ling Mengxue considers investigating but decides against it after her takeout arrives. The delivery girl, despite being exhausted, admires Ling Mengxue's appearance, highlighting the reversed gender dynamics in this world.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ling Mengxue speaks with a delivery woman who warns her not to go outside at night because the “Murder Demon” kills people in Happy Town. The woman refuses Ling Mengxue’s invitation to stay, explaining that she must return before it gets too late.
• Ling Mengxue considers investigating the Murder Demon by deliberately wandering the streets at night, wondering whether the killer targets anyone who violates the town’s nighttime danger.
• Instead, she chooses to remain at the inn, eat dinner, and rest. She notes that ordinary players can likely survive the dungeon by hiding and avoiding the main quest.
• Ling Mengxue shares fried chicken with Xia Keke across the balconies. Xia Keke offers her “otherworldly fried noodles,” but only if Ling Mengxue says the slogan, “Meeting in another world, savoring delicious food!” Ling Mengxue realizes they both use similar food-related slogans, creating an awkward but amusing moment.
• Ling Mengxue reflects on her inability to drink alcohol or consume food containing alcohol because of an allergy. She then advises Xia Keke to sleep early before returning to her room.
• The next morning, Ling Mengxue overhears the inn receptionist scolding her younger brother for visiting a female classmate at night. The receptionist fears the girl may be attempting to seduce or harm him, highlighting the town’s exaggerated anxieties and strange social norms.
• Outside, Ling Mengxue hears that three more people died during the night, including a streamer who was reportedly attacked inside her home. This suggests the Murder Demon is becoming bolder and that even staying indoors may not guarantee safety.
• Ling Mengxue becomes the focus of a crowd because of her striking appearance. Her beauty causes traffic congestion and unwanted attention, forcing her to escape through Spatial Teleportation after buying breakfast.
• Upon returning to the inn via a teleportation array, she discovers Xia Keke has entered her room through the balcony. Xia Keke was worried because Ling Mengxue did not answer her knock and accidentally witnesses the teleportation.
• Xia Keke asks how Ling Mengxue appeared suddenly. Ling Mengxue openly states that she can use “Spatial Blink,” leaving the ability unexplained and potentially revealing that she is far stronger than an ordinary player.

Character Developments

• Ling Mengxue: She remains cautious and analytical, trying to understand the Murder Demon and the rules of Happy Town. Although she considers provoking the killer to gather information, she ultimately prioritizes rest and preparation. Her protective instincts toward Xia Keke become clearer, especially when she gives her food, worries about her vulnerability, and treats her gently. Her teleportation ability also reveals that she possesses unusual power.
• Xia Keke: Xia Keke grows increasingly comfortable and affectionate toward Ling Mengxue, viewing her as a warm and reliable “big brother.” She initiates casual interaction, shares food, worries about Ling Mengxue’s safety, and even enters her room to check on her. Her curiosity about Spatial Blink suggests she is beginning to recognize that Ling Mengxue is not an ordinary player.
• The delivery woman: She is portrayed as kind, practical, and grateful for the generous delivery fees. Though attracted to Ling Mengxue’s appearance, she remains cautious and leaves before night becomes more dangerous.
• The receptionist: Her overprotective attitude toward her younger brother reveals the town’s pervasive fear and suspiciousness, as well as the unusually dangerous relationships between men and women in Happy Town.

Significant Themes

• Beauty as both advantage and burden: Ling Mengxue’s appearance attracts admiration, romantic interest, and even public chaos. Her beauty grants her social attention but also makes ordinary movement difficult.
• The danger of appearances and assumptions: Townspeople judge others by their looks, while the receptionist assumes the female classmate may be dangerous or manipulative. The chapter humorously questions whether appearance can be trusted.
• Trust and protection: Ling Mengxue and Xia Keke’s relationship develops through small acts of care, especially sharing food and worrying about each other’s safety.
• Survival through caution: The Murder Demon’s ongoing killings emphasize the need to understand the town’s rules. Ling Mengxue’s decision to gather information and avoid unnecessary risks reflects a strategic approach to the dungeon.
• Hidden strength and secrecy: Ling Mengxue conceals or downplays her abilities, but her use of Spatial Teleportation exposes her exceptional capabilities to Xia Keke.

Character Interactions

• The delivery woman warns Ling Mengxue about the Murder Demon and declines her invitation to enter the inn.
• Ling Mengxue and Xia Keke share food and joke about their matching slogans, establishing a playful, familial dynamic.
• The receptionist reprimands her younger brother for visiting a female classmate, demonstrating the town’s exaggerated fear of romantic entanglements.
• Xia Keke enters Ling Mengxue’s room out of concern, witnesses her teleportation, and questions her about it. Ling Mengxue reassures her, pats her head, gives her breakfast, and casually reveals that she can use Spatial Blink.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ling Mengxue continues disguising herself as the male player “Duskfall” while traveling with Xia Keke. She explains teleportation as though it were an ordinary skill, and Keke innocently admires her abilities.
• To avoid being seen or recorded using magic in this non-magical world, Ling Mengxue teleports only along deserted paths before taking Keke into town.
• The town appears familiar and prosperous, but its gender dynamics—powerful women and physically weaker men—remind Ling Mengxue that this world is fundamentally different from her own.
• In the town square, they learn that the police have supposedly captured the “Murder Demon,” and that three victims from the previous night have been found. However, no mission-completion prompt appears, indicating that the arrested person is probably not the true murderer.
• Ye Yiren, now playing the role of a police detective, finds Ling Mengxue and Xia Keke. She brings them to a café and explains that another player, a male police officer, has mishandled the investigation by abusing his character’s authority and confusing the evidence.
• The arrested woman was merely found near the crime scene and was declared guilty without proper investigation. The police intend to execute her publicly the next morning.
• The case is further complicated by the influence of another player assigned the identity of Happy Town’s famous “great detective.” His deductions are trusted almost unquestioningly because of the authority associated with the character.
• Ye Yiren gives Ling Mengxue case files and asks her to help solve the mystery. The suspect’s photograph reveals that she is the delivery woman who brought food to Ling Mengxue and Keke the previous night.
• Feeling partly responsible for the woman’s arrest, Ling Mengxue considers rescuing her. She learns that the woman is being held alone at the police station.
• To gather information and monitor the station, Ling Mengxue gets a temporary job at the White Night Bar across the street. She leaves Xia Keke nearby with instructions and Soul Coins while she begins working.
• The bar’s owner and manager, Zheng Yalan, welcomes Ling Mengxue warmly and immediately shows romantic interest, even inviting her to a candlelit dinner. Ling politely refuses by claiming that her “little sister” is waiting at home.

Character Developments

• Ling Mengxue: Becomes increasingly suspicious of the official investigation and recognizes that the apparent solution is a setup or mistake. She shifts from passive observation to active investigation, motivated both by the mission and guilt over the delivery woman’s arrest. Her resourcefulness is shown through teleportation, phone tracking, disguise, strategic employment, and careful planning.
• Xia Keke: Remains innocent, trusting, and fascinated by Ling Mengxue’s powers. She accepts Ling’s explanations without question and follows her instructions while helping her move through town.
• Ye Yiren: Adapts to her police-detective role and shows frustration with the incompetent investigation. She trusts Ling Mengxue’s judgment and actively recruits her help, treating her as a brilliant detective despite Ling’s modest self-image.
• Zheng Yalan: Is introduced as a confident, successful bar owner and master bartender. She quickly becomes interested in Ling’s disguised male identity and openly flirts with her.
• The other players: Their behavior reveals that character roles strongly influence the secret realm. The police player exploits his authority, while the “great detective” benefits from people’s automatic trust.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The supposed capture of the Murder Demon is likely false, while respected roles and official identities conceal incompetence and deception.
• The danger of authority without competence: The police blindly trust influential players, allowing an innocent woman to be condemned.
• Moral responsibility: Although Ling did not directly cause the arrest, her connection to the delivery woman makes her feel obligated to intervene.
• Identity and disguise: Ling’s male persona, long hair, magical transformation, and fabricated job identity all highlight the instability of appearances in the secret realm.
• Social and gender reversal: The world’s powerful women and frail men create a constant contrast with Ling’s original reality and complicate her attempts to remain unnoticed.
• Investigation versus blind faith: The chapter contrasts Ling’s skepticism and evidence-based reasoning with the town’s unquestioning belief in official authority and the “great detective.”

Character Interactions

• Ling and Xia Keke share a warm, comedic exchange about teleportation and Ling’s unusually long hair, with Keke treating her as an amazing older brother.
• Ye Yiren reunites with Ling and Keke, then privately explains the flawed murder investigation and asks Ling to solve the case.
• Ling and Ye Yiren discuss the police’s mistaken arrest, the corrupting influence of player identities, and the mysterious “great detective.”
• Ling shows Keke the suspect’s photograph and realizes the arrested woman is their delivery worker, creating an emotional connection to the case.
• Ling instructs Keke to wait nearby while she infiltrates the local information network by working at the bar.
• Zheng Yalan welcomes Ling as a new employee, flirts openly, and invites her to dinner; Ling rejects the invitation while preserving her disguise.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ling Mengxue checks Xia Keke’s investigation report, only to discover that Xia has spent the afternoon sampling and reviewing food found near the Murder Demon’s crime scenes. Although largely unhelpful, the report suggests that food may be connected to the murders.
• During her shift at White Night Bar, Ling observes the customers and overhears women celebrating the Murder Demon’s impending public trial. They plan to humiliate the killer, unaware that the real Murder Demon is still at large.
• Ling reviews the case details:
  • Murders are concentrated mainly in eastern Happy Town.
  • The killing methods vary widely, including stabbing, burning, and salting corpses.
  • Nearly half of the victims were chefs, though other professions are represented.
  • Ling wonders whether the motive relates to food or is simply amusement.
• Ye Yiren sends Ling a map of the detention center and updates her on the players’ patrol assignment. With most guards temporarily away, the facility’s defenses will be weaker, creating an opportunity for Ling’s planned jailbreak.
• After work, several female customers flirt aggressively with Ling, invite her to eat, and ask for her contact information. She rejects them coldly and leaves.
• Manager Zheng Yalan attempts to persuade Ling to stay for dinner. Ling refuses by claiming that her younger sister is waiting at home. Zheng’s concealed hostility and killing intent make Ling suspect that the manager may pose a threat.
• At the bar’s entrance, Ling notices a masked woman carrying a gun. Using her abilities, she identifies the woman as Zhang Ju, the highly respected director of Happy Town.
• Ling becomes suspicious of Zhang’s visit to White Night Bar and decides to investigate her further. Before she can do so, someone suddenly grabs her from the darkness.

Character Developments

• Ling Mengxue: Becomes increasingly methodical in her investigation, connecting the crime scenes, victims’ occupations, and possible food-related motives. She remains cautious around Zheng Yalan and Zhang Ju, while continuing to plan the detention-center rescue.
• Xia Keke: Displays her carefree and food-obsessed personality, turning an investigation assignment into an extensive culinary review. Despite her lack of seriousness, she may have uncovered a potentially relevant pattern.
• Ye Yiren: Continues supporting Ling’s plans by providing operational information and a map of the detention center.
• Zheng Yalan: Reveals a darker side. Her polite invitation masks hostility and possible murderous intent toward Ling.
• Zhang Ju: Is introduced as an armed, mysterious authority figure who secretly visits the bar. Her presence suggests she may be connected to the Murder Demon case or another hidden operation.
• Bar customers: Their exaggerated attraction to Ling highlights how unusual and striking her appearance is in this world.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The public believes the Murder Demon has been caught, while the true killer remains free. Respectable figures such as Zheng Yalan and Zhang Ju may also conceal dangerous secrets.
• Investigation amid misinformation: Ling must sift through unreliable reports, public assumptions, and incomplete evidence to identify the real culprit.
• Food as a possible clue: The large number of chef victims and Xia Keke’s discoveries raise the possibility that the murders are tied to cuisine, ingredients, or the killer’s personal fixation.
• Surveillance and danger: Ling constantly observes others while realizing that she, too, is being watched or targeted.
• Gender and social reversal: The bar’s female-dominated environment reverses Ling’s expectations from her original world, while the women’s aggressive flirting places her in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable position.
• Power and magic versus technology: The detention center’s cameras and security systems may be formidable, but Ling believes magical abilities can bypass ordinary defenses.

Important Character Interactions

• Ling and Xia Keke exchange messages about the “investigation,” with Ling reprimanding Xia for focusing on food rather than evidence.
• Ling overhears the bar patrons discussing and condemning the Murder Demon, giving her insight into public opinion.
• The female customers flirt with Ling and attempt to make her stay, but she firmly rejects them.
• Zheng Yalan invites Ling to dinner and reacts coldly when Ling refuses, exposing tension between them.
• Ye Yiren provides Ling with information crucial to the planned detention-center operation.
• Ling identifies Zhang Ju as she enters the bar, but before she can approach or investigate her, an unseen person pulls Ling into the darkness.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Ling Mengxue is suddenly transported by Xia Keke to a roadside barbecue stall. Although Mengxue is frustrated that their tavern investigation was interrupted, she reluctantly agrees to eat and asks Keke to investigate someone at the tavern later.
• The two eat barbecue, but Mengxue’s blunt comment that it is merely “okay” kills the cheerful atmosphere. The proprietress mistakes Mengxue for a shy, handsome boy and shows romantic interest, but Keke jokingly—and possessively—claims that Mengxue is hers.
• Mengxue leaves to investigate the delivery driver connected to the murder case. She travels to a detention center and uses a Fate Mall “Universal Interference Device” to disable surveillance and electronic equipment within a one-kilometer radius.
• After assessing the guards with Spatial Perception, Mengxue disguises her intentions by pretending to be a lost, emotionally distressed boy. When the security guard is distracted, Mengxue disappears and infiltrates the detention center.
• Inside, Bai Tangyin is awaiting execution after being falsely identified as the “Murder Demon.” She recalls the events that led to her arrest: she encountered the real killer while making a delivery, attacked him with a brick in self-defense, and accidentally became covered in the victim’s blood. Because her fingerprints were on the abandoned murder weapon and the blood on her uniform matched the victims, the corrupt authorities framed her.
• Mengxue contacts Bai Tangyin remotely through a magical surveillance device. She offers Bai a chance to escape, causing Bai’s shackles and chains to break mysteriously.
• Mengxue promises to provide a Hint Letter, an Invisibility Potion, and a Teleportation Potion. The magical items suddenly appear inside Bai’s cell, completely shattering Bai’s understanding of reality.

2. Character Developments

• Ling Mengxue: Remains calm, resourceful, and strategically minded. She tolerates Xia Keke’s impulsiveness, uses advanced Fate Mall tools to disable security, and successfully infiltrates the detention center without exposing her true purpose. Her bluntness and awkward attempts at acting innocent also reveal a dry, unintentionally humorous side.
• Xia Keke: Shows her playful, carefree, and food-loving personality. She is easily distracted by barbecue but still agrees to help with Mengxue’s investigation. Her possessive comment about Mengxue suggests strong attachment and possibly romantic interest.
• Bai Tangyin: Is established as an innocent woman trapped by corruption and circumstantial evidence. Despite her despair, resentment, and fear, she reacts quickly when offered freedom. Her worldview changes radically when she encounters Mengxue’s supernatural abilities and escape tools.
• The proprietress: Becomes interested in Mengxue’s appearance, mistaking her for a handsome young man. Her interaction with Keke adds comic relief and emphasizes Keke’s possessiveness.

3. Significant Themes

• Corruption and injustice: Bai Tangyin’s wrongful conviction demonstrates how authorities can ignore evidence, suppress dissent, and manipulate the legal system to create a convenient scapegoat.
• Freedom versus confinement: Bai is physically imprisoned and condemned to death, while Mengxue’s intervention represents an unexpected path to freedom.
• Magic disrupting ordinary reality: Modern settings such as police stations, surveillance systems, detention centers, and laptops coexist with potions, spatial abilities, and magical devices.
• Trust and intervention: Mengxue chooses to intervene in Bai’s case despite the risks, while Bai must decide whether to trust an unknown voice offering impossible assistance.
• Comedy amid danger: Xia Keke’s enthusiasm, the barbecue scene, the proprietress’s misunderstanding, and Bai’s stunned reaction balance the darker themes of murder, corruption, and execution.

4. Character Interactions

• Mengxue and Keke’s meal highlights their contrasting personalities: Mengxue is reserved and practical, while Keke is cheerful, impulsive, and focused on food.
• Keke playfully rejects the proprietress’s attempt to flirt with Mengxue, declaring that Mengxue belongs to her.
• Mengxue manipulates the female security guard by pretending to be a lost and vulnerable boy, exploiting the guard’s sympathy before vanishing.
• Mengxue and Bai initially communicate only through an unseen voice, creating confusion and fear. Mengxue’s offer of escape transforms their relationship from complete strangers into potential allies.
• Bai’s reaction to the broken shackles and magical supplies marks the beginning of her involvement in Mengxue’s larger investigation and escape plan.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ling Mengxue and Xia Keke investigate Director Zhang, finding him in a suspicious meeting at a bar.
• Ling Mengxue discovers the hotel's surveillance footage from the night before has been wiped, possibly related to the Murder Demon case.
• The next morning, they hear about a commotion outside, and Xia Keke mentions the Murder Demon has escaped.

Character Developments

• Ling Mengxue: She becomes more suspicious of the police department's involvement in the case, especially Director Zhang. She also shows concern for Bai Tangyin's safety.
• Xia Keke: She demonstrates her investigative skills by using her Astral Mark powers to see through objects. She also shows affection towards Ling Mengxue, asking about his girlfriend.

Significant Themes

• Corruption and power abuse within the police department.
• The struggle between truth and deception, reality and illusion.
• The theme of trust and betrayal, as Ling Mengxue becomes more suspicious of those around her.

Character Interactions

• Ling Mengxue and Xia Keke: They work together to investigate Director Zhang, showing a growing partnership. Xia Keke also expresses her affection towards Ling Mengxue, while Ling Mengxue remains distant.
• Ling Mengxue and the hotel staff: Ling Mengxue interacts with the hotel staff, first with a handsome receptionist and later with the female receptionist and a police officer, discussing the missing surveillance footage.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Happy Town’s police force is beginning to split into factions. The chief has taken control of administrative investigations and transferred the Murder Demon case to another unit, while some officers have started conducting unofficial investigations because the information they receive is inconsistent.
• Much of the surveillance footage connected to the recent incidents has been destroyed, and a virus has corrupted the hard drives. Ling Mengxue decides not to interfere openly, fearing the police may mistake her for a suspect.
• Ling asks Xia Keke to secretly pass useful clues to a trustworthy police officer. Xia agrees, despite Ling’s lack of confidence in her reliability.
• Ling meets Ye Yiren at a café and learns that the police are frantically searching for the escaped Murder Demon. Ye is also puzzled by how Ling managed to disable surveillance systems without triggering alarms.
• At White Night Tavern, manager Zheng Yalan makes increasingly suggestive and threatening remarks toward Ling, pretending to worry about her safety while clearly expressing interest in her. Ling remains wary and returns to work.
• Ling recalls that the police chief secretly met Zheng Yalan at the tavern the previous night and suspects the two may have made a secret deal. She considers accepting Zheng’s invitation to dinner so she can investigate further.
• Meanwhile, Bai Tangyin remains hidden inside a cellar beneath the detention center warden’s office. She searches old case files for evidence proving that she was framed as the Murder Demon, but discovers that most relevant records have been removed or destroyed.
• Bai is unexpectedly confronted by Lin Bei, the supposedly famous “Great Detective.” He claims to have deduced her hiding place and theatrically orders her to surrender.
• Lin shows Bai photographs apparently proving that she killed someone: she is covered in blood and holding a bloody knife outside the victim’s home. Bai insists the evidence is fabricated, but Lin points out that no murders occurred after her arrest, making her appear guilty.

Character Developments

• Ling Mengxue becomes more cautious and strategic. Rather than directly exposing what she knows, she tries to support honest police officers indirectly while investigating the connection between Zheng Yalan and the police chief.
• Xia Keke attempts to regain Ling’s trust by volunteering to deliver clues to the police, while their playful exchange highlights Ling’s continuing doubts about her dependability.
• Ye Yiren acts as an information source for Ling but must maintain her own cover and leave quickly after their meeting.
• Zheng Yalan reveals a more disturbing side. Her flirtation with Ling becomes overtly possessive and predatory, suggesting that she may use her position and influence to control him.
• Bai Tangyin remains determined to clear her name despite being hunted as the Murder Demon. Her frustration grows as she finds that the evidence needed to defend herself has disappeared.
• Lin Bei presents himself as a confident detective, but internally he is frightened and uncertain after unexpectedly encountering Bai. His exaggerated performance contrasts sharply with his actual lack of power.

Significant Themes

• Corruption and institutional division: The police force is no longer unified, and missing evidence suggests that powerful individuals may be manipulating official investigations.
• Framing and unreliable evidence: Bai’s apparent guilt is supported by convincing photographs, yet she claims to have been set up, raising doubts about whether visual proof can be trusted.
• Deception and hidden identities: Nearly every major character is concealing information, working under false assumptions, or maintaining a public persona that differs from reality.
• Power and vulnerability: Zheng’s behavior toward Ling reflects the danger of people using authority, wealth, or social position to exploit others.
• Survival through caution: Ling and Bai both avoid direct confrontation, relying on secrecy, indirect communication, and careful observation to survive.

Character Interactions

• Ling and Xia exchange teasing dialogue that demonstrates both their familiarity and Ling’s declining trust in Xia.
• Ling and Ye share intelligence about the police investigation, with Ye questioning Ling about her mysterious actions.
• Zheng repeatedly flirts with and intimidates Ling, while Ling responds politely but remains internally uncomfortable and suspicious.
• Ling works alongside a fellow tavern employee and uses the cleaning task as cover to observe Zheng’s office and think through her investigation.
• Bai and Lin meet in the detention center cellar. Lin tries to intimidate her with theatrical detective rhetoric, but Bai challenges the official narrative and pleads that she was framed.
• Their confrontation ends with Bai trapped by apparently overwhelming evidence, while Lin is privately terrified of the dangerous person he has discovered.

Summary of Chapters 158–160

Key Plot Points and Events

• Bai Tangyin, the delivery worker mistakenly suspected of being the Murder Demon, confronts the man she believes is the “great detective” Lin Bei. Instead of acting cold and competent, he panics, begs for his life, and tries to escape. Bai Tangyin forces him to stay and asks for help clearing her name.
• Remembering the mysterious letter and potion that directed her to a tavern, Bai Tangyin suspects that a magical ally may rescue her. She agrees to spare Lin Bei if he helps her escape.
• At the White Night Tavern, Ling Mengxue works while secretly investigating the owner, Zheng Yalan. Through her special vision, she discovers Zheng hiding bloody knives, bandages, seasonings, and a firearm in her office.
• Ling Mengxue becomes increasingly suspicious of a connection between Zheng Yalan, the Murder Demon case, and the police chief. The police investigation appears corrupt, since the case was hastily closed and key evidence concealed.
• Bai Tangyin arrives at the tavern disguised with her face and neck covered. Zheng Yalan invites Ling Mengxue to a private “candlelit dinner,” apparently intending to isolate her.
• Ling Mengxue recognizes Bai Tangyin as the delivery worker from the earlier incident. Rather than exposing her, she approaches her directly and reveals that she knows what happened.
• Ling Mengxue identifies herself—at least in Bai Tangyin’s eyes—as the mysterious Magical Boy and promises to clear Bai Tangyin’s name, provided Bai Tangyin helps bring the real culprit to justice.
• Bai Tangyin explains how she was captured by the Murder Demon and how she managed to drive the killer away. Ling Mengxue is impressed by her courage.
• After returning to the bar, Ling Mengxue continues to regard Zheng Yalan as the leading suspect. Zheng then takes her by car to a deserted, poorly lit street where only one ominously lit restaurant remains open.

Character Developments

• Bai Tangyin changes from a frightened victim into a determined survivor. Although terrified, she acts decisively by confronting Lin Bei and later recounting her experience to Ling Mengxue.
• Lin Bei is revealed to be far less intimidating than his reputation suggests. His cowardly reaction destroys Bai Tangyin’s idealized image of him as a cool, brilliant detective.
• Ling Mengxue becomes more investigative and proactive. She gathers evidence against Zheng Yalan, forms connections between the tavern, the police, and the Murder Demon, and recruits Bai Tangyin as an ally.
• Zheng Yalan appears increasingly threatening. Her outwardly friendly invitations contrast with her hidden weapons, disturbing supplies, and sinister intentions toward Ling Mengxue.
• Bai Tangyin and Ling Mengxue develop an unexpected alliance based on mutual recognition: Bai Tangyin realizes Ling Mengxue is connected to magic, while Ling Mengxue sees her as a courageous witness who can help expose the killer.

Significant Themes

• Appearances versus reality: Lin Bei’s impressive public image hides cowardice, while Ling Mengxue’s apparent identity as a “Magical Boy” conceals her true nature.
• Courage under pressure: Bai Tangyin’s willingness to resist the Murder Demon contrasts with the fear and helplessness expected of an ordinary civilian.
• Corruption and concealed truth: The police chief’s possible involvement suggests that official investigations may be manipulated, forcing individuals to pursue justice independently.
• Predator and prey dynamics: Zheng’s friendly behavior masks possible murderous intent, while Ling Mengxue deliberately allows herself to be drawn into danger to investigate her.
• Trust and cooperation: Victims, outsiders, and magical figures begin forming an alliance against a hidden enemy.

Important Character Interactions

• Bai Tangyin confronts and intimidates the panicked Lin Bei, forcing him to cooperate.
• Zheng Yalan repeatedly pressures Ling Mengxue to spend private time with her, disguising menace beneath flirtatious hospitality.
• Ling Mengxue meets Bai Tangyin in secret at the tavern and offers protection in exchange for her testimony and assistance.
• Bai Tangyin’s amazement at Ling Mengxue’s beauty and magical identity adds comic relief, while Ling Mengxue remains focused on the investigation.
• The final interaction between Ling Mengxue and Zheng Yalan shifts the story into a more dangerous phase as Zheng drives her to an isolated restaurant, suggesting a possible trap.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ling Mengxue accompanies Zheng Yalan to an isolated restaurant that she recognizes as a possible crime scene connected to the Murder Demon case.
• Before entering, Ling calls Ye Yiren for an update. Ye reports that:
  • Director Zhang secretly possessed firearm-sale records and documents related to the Murder Demon.
  • The “great detective” has abruptly withdrawn from the investigation after appearing terrified.
  • Surveillance footage has provided the delivery woman with an alibi, though she still must be questioned.
  • Ye intends to follow Zhang again after Zhang leaves with the suspicious cookbook.
• During dinner, Ling notices that Zheng’s car contains dangerous weapons, including knives and a rifle-like firearm. She becomes increasingly suspicious of Zheng’s intentions.
• While Ling is in the restroom, she uses Spatial Sight to observe Zheng secretly adding a colorless drug—her personally made aphrodisiac—to Ling’s juice.
• Ling returns and deliberately provokes Zheng by claiming she enjoys “keeping fish,” disguising her investigation beneath an irritating, flirtatious persona. Zheng becomes visibly disgusted but continues pretending to be friendly.
• Ling drops a notebook containing information about the Murder Demon case. When Zheng bends down to retrieve it, Ling uses Spatial Swap to exchange their drinks. Zheng unknowingly drinks the drugged juice.
• Ling then tests Zheng by claiming that the delivery woman is innocent and that she witnessed the delivery woman fighting the real Murder Demon. She also suggests that the Murder Demon’s appearance seems familiar.
• Zheng’s composure cracks: she drops a glass, becomes visibly tense, and asks whether Ling feels dizzy. When the drug affects Zheng instead of Ling, she realizes she has been tricked and openly accuses Ling.
• Zheng seals the restaurant by dropping all the curtains and has two emotionless waiters approach with weapons or dangerous “props.” The chapter ends with Ling recognizing that Zheng never intended to let her leave alive.

Character Developments

• Ling Mengxue: Demonstrates strong caution, deception, and tactical thinking. She keeps up her innocent “Little Brother Duskfall” persona while secretly observing Zheng, detecting the drug, manipulating the drinks, and provoking Zheng into revealing herself. Her confidence grows as she turns Zheng’s trap against her.
• Zheng Yalan: Presents herself as a wealthy, charming tavern owner, but her predatory and ruthless nature becomes increasingly obvious. She drugs Ling, likely intends to incapacitate or control her, and is prepared to kill her if necessary. Her normally polished composure collapses once she realizes she has been poisoned instead.
• Ye Yiren: Continues investigating the wider case, uncovering Director Zhang’s suspicious activities and tracking developments involving the delivery woman and the Murder Demon.
• Director Zhang and the great detective: Although absent, both become more suspicious. Zhang’s hidden weapons and research suggest deeper involvement, while the detective’s sudden fear-driven withdrawal hints that he discovered something disturbing.

Significant Themes

• Mutual deception and psychological warfare: Both Ling and Zheng attempt to trap and manipulate each other, but Ling’s observation and improvisation give her the advantage.
• Appearance versus reality: Zheng appears refined and generous but is secretly a violent predator. Ling appears naïve and frivolous while carefully controlling the situation.
• Trust and hidden identities: The delivery woman’s innocence, the unknown identity of the Murder Demon, and Zheng’s concealed crimes all reinforce the uncertainty surrounding everyone’s loyalties.
• Reversal of power: Zheng believes she has complete control through drugs, weapons, and the isolated restaurant, but Ling reverses the situation by making Zheng consume her own trap.
• Investigation under pressure: The characters must gather clues while facing threats from both the Murder Demon case and people who may be manipulating the investigation from within.

Character Interactions

• Ling and Zheng engage in a tense dinner conversation filled with false politeness and veiled threats.
• Ling deliberately irritates Zheng with provocative jokes about dating and “keeping fish,” testing how well Zheng can maintain her façade.
• Zheng attempts to pressure Ling into drinking the drugged juice, while Ling tricks her into consuming it herself.
• Ling uses the notebook and her claims about witnessing the delivery woman fight the Murder Demon to provoke a reaction. Zheng’s physical and emotional responses confirm that Ling has struck close to the truth.
• Their interaction ends with Zheng abandoning all pretense and preparing to imprison or kill Ling, while Ling remains outwardly calm despite being surrounded.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Zheng Yalan openly admits that she is the “Murder Demon” and reveals her intention to drug, assault, and kill Ling Mengxue.
• She destroys Ling Mengxue’s phone and attacks her, but Ling calmly avoids the drug and sends Zheng flying with overwhelming strength.
• Zheng draws a bloodstained knife, but Ling catches it between two fingers and crushes the blade. The two restaurant waiters, who were preparing to restrain Ling, are terrified and unable to act.
• Zheng retrieves a concealed handgun, but it explodes in her hands before she can fire. The blast severely injures and disfigures her while setting part of the restaurant on fire.
• Ling demonstrates further supernatural ability by throwing a broken blade with Little Li’s Flying Dagger technique, narrowly missing Zheng and embedding the weapon in the wall.
• Ling reveals that she has preserved evidence using a hidden recording device and sends it to Ye Yiren, ensuring that Bai Tangyin can be proven innocent.
• Zheng admits that she is not the sole Murder Demon. She identifies “Director Zhang” as a more powerful accomplice and suggests that Zhang has institutional protection and advanced technology.
• Ling deduces that Director Zhang is likely the mastermind, based on the Murder Demon’s connection to food, cooking-related victims, seasonings, and culinary crime scenes.
• Zheng explains that her own motive is simply the thrill of killing and the freedom to murder anyone she dislikes, especially because someone powerful protects her.
• While Ling is questioning Zheng, Ye Yiren reports that Director Zhang has committed another murder. Ye Yiren, Xia Keke, and other allies surround the scene, allowing Zhang to be apprehended.
• Ling traps Zheng inside the restaurant with a Spatial Rubik’s Lock and prepares to leave the secret realm.
• A hidden player, “Freebie Hero,” begs Ling to take him with her, but she refuses, believing he will be removed when the mission ends. She leaves with a bottle of the restaurant’s unusual juice.

2. Character Developments

• Ling Mengxue: Reveals extraordinary physical strength, supernatural movement, advanced combat techniques, spatial abilities, and careful preparation. Though she adopts a villain-like, theatrical attitude, she remains focused on completing the mission and protecting Bai Tangyin. Her calmness and indifference toward Zheng’s threats contrast sharply with Zheng’s instability.
• Zheng Yalan: Her façade collapses completely. She is exposed as a sadistic killer who enjoys murder for its own sake and depends on a powerful protector. Even after being gravely injured, she remains arrogant and gleeful until she realizes Director Zhang has been caught.
• Director Zhang: Emerges as the probable mastermind behind the Murder Demon crimes. She appears to possess authority, advanced technology, and enough influence to suppress investigations and frame scapegoats.
• Ye Yiren: Demonstrates competence and authority by securing the latest crime scene, notifying the police, and coordinating with Xia Keke and the others to capture Zhang.
• Freebie Hero: Is revealed to be a fellow player who concealed his identity and attempted to attack Ling alongside the waiters. His later plea for help is rejected because Ling does not trust or sympathize with him.

3. Significant Themes

• Justice versus institutional corruption: The case is not merely about a lone murderer; it involves a powerful superior who suppresses evidence, protects criminals, and frames others.
• Evidence and truth: Ling’s hidden recording devices and backup phone ensure that Zheng’s confession and actions can be used to clear Bai Tangyin and expose the criminal network.
• The absurdity of evil: Zheng’s motive is not tragic or ideological. She kills because she enjoys it, emphasizing the frightening irrationality of genuine sadism.
• Power and intimidation: Zheng relies on weapons, authority, and her protector, but all of these become meaningless against Ling’s overwhelming abilities.
• Role-playing and hidden identities: The secret realm encourages players to blend into ordinary society, making observation and deduction essential for identifying both allies and enemies.
• Humor amid danger: Ling treats the deadly confrontation with casual irreverence, focusing on looking cool, stealing juice, and dismissing the trapped player even after witnessing extreme violence.

4. Character Interactions

• Ling and Zheng: Their confrontation moves from interrogation to open combat. Zheng attempts to intimidate and overpower Ling, but Ling repeatedly humiliates her through effortless defense and superior strength. Ling later questions Zheng about her motive and accomplices.
• Ling and the waiters: The waiters initially assist Zheng by preparing ropes, but Ling’s crushing of the knife and display of power frighten them into submission.
• Ling and Ye Yiren: Ye Yiren receives Ling’s evidence and reports the successful pursuit of Director Zhang, showing cooperation between the two investigators.
• Zheng and Director Zhang: Zheng identifies Zhang as her protector and accomplice, while also implying that Zhang is more important and powerful within the Murder Demon operation.
• Ling and Freebie Hero: Freebie Hero asks Ling for rescue after being trapped, but she refuses because of his earlier attempt to attack her and his lack of trustworthy behavior.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• After the Murder Demon’s latest incident, police surround a noodle shop on Beiping Street. The public assumes the case is nearly solved, but one confused officer remains troubled because he previously saw a delivery worker who did not match the police’s conclusion that Director Zhang was the Murder Demon.
• Ye Yiren, Ling Mengxue, and Xia Keke leave to investigate a second suspected accomplice. Ye Yiren teases the officer, calling him a “great police beauty,” while he remains too stunned to respond.
• Xia Keke praises Duskfall, revealing that he treats her kindly by talking with her, ordering food, and carrying her “in his palm.” Ye Yiren is shocked and worries that Duskfall has influenced the girl.
• Elsewhere, Ling Mengxue walks through a park after accidentally drinking alcohol. Feeling dizzy and weakened, she realizes the drink must have contained alcohol and tries to return home.
• A group of children approaches Ling Mengxue and mistakes her for a beautiful “big brother.” When she instinctively uses “Inverted Instant Shift” to teleport behind them, the children are amazed and assume she is a magical boy.
• Ling Mengxue jokingly identifies herself as an “Astral Mark Girl” and agrees to play hide-and-seek with them. She becomes the “cat” and follows the children back to the park.
• The children explain the idea of a Magical Boy to Xiaoxia, the lone boy in the group. Though initially skeptical because his parents told him magic was fake, he changes his mind after Ling Mengxue creates a floating basketball-sized ball of water without chanting.
• The children become fascinated, while Xiaoxia concludes that real magic must exist and decides to join in rather than remain skeptical. Ling Mengxue, encouraged by their excitement, prepares to demonstrate even more magic, unknowingly becoming increasingly intoxicated and carried away.

Character Developments

• Ling Mengxue: Her accidental alcohol consumption makes her dizzy and lowers her usual restraint. Instead of leaving the children, she indulges them, plays along with their fantasy, and openly demonstrates teleportation and water magic. Her increasingly playful behavior suggests she is temporarily losing her normal composure.
• Ye Yiren: She remains suspicious of Duskfall and protective of Xia Keke, teasing her about being influenced by him and warning her to keep her distance.
• Xia Keke: She openly defends Duskfall and reveals a close, affectionate relationship with him, showing that she trusts and admires him.
• The police officer: He is left mentally overwhelmed by the contradiction between his own eyewitness account and the official evidence identifying Director Zhang as the Murder Demon.
• The children: They enthusiastically interpret Ling Mengxue’s abilities through the lens of magical-girl fantasies. Xiaoxia shifts from rational skepticism to complete belief after witnessing genuine magic.

Significant Themes

• Appearance versus reality: The police investigation is complicated by conflicting identities and evidence, while Ling Mengxue is mistaken for a boy despite being a girl.
• Innocence and imagination: The children transform ordinary events into an exciting magical adventure, showing the power of youthful fantasy.
• Loss of restraint: Ling Mengxue’s alcohol-induced disorientation causes her to act more openly and playfully than usual.
• Belief versus skepticism: Xiaoxia’s assumptions about magic being fake collapse when confronted with direct evidence.
• Comedic identity confusion: The chapter repeatedly plays with mistaken identities, including the “male police beauty,” the Murder Demon’s identity, and Ling Mengxue’s supposed status as a Magical Boy.

Character Interactions

• Ye Yiren mocks the confused police officer while taking charge of the investigation.
• Xia Keke warmly defends Duskfall against Ye Yiren’s criticism, leaving Ye Yiren horrified by her wording.
• The children eagerly pursue Ling Mengxue, invite her into their hide-and-seek game, and question her about being a Magical Boy.
• Ling Mengxue responds patiently and playfully, agreeing to participate and demonstrating her powers.
• Xiaoxia initially doubts his friends, but Ling Mengxue’s water magic convinces him that their “magical” claims are real.

Summary

Plot Points and Events

• Ling Mengxue demonstrates her magical abilities to a group of children, including creating a powerful water spell.
• She transforms into her Astral Mark Girl appearance, surprising the children.
• Ling Mengxue plays hide-and-seek with the children, easily finding them all using her Spatial Third Sight.
• She returns to the inn where she encounters Ye Yiren and Xia Keke, who are surprised by her appearance and behavior.

Character Developments

• Ling Mengxue shows off her magical skills and enjoys interacting with the children, displaying a more carefree side.
• Ye Yiren and Xia Keke are shocked by Ling Mengxue's state, suggesting she might be under the influence of Alcohol Allergy Syndrome.

Significant Themes

• The power of magic and its impact on those who witness it.
• The joy of simple pleasures, like playing with children.
• The consequences of alcohol consumption, as hinted by Ling Mengxue's behavior.

Character Interactions

• Ling Mengxue interacts with the children, teaching them about magic and playing games with them.
• Ye Yiren and Xia Keke encounter Ling Mengxue, expressing surprise and concern about her condition.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ling Mengxue, in a drunken state, reveals her true identity to Xia Keke and Ye Yiren.
• Ye Yiren is determined to uncover Ling Mengxue's secret and knocks on her door, but Ling Mengxue throws Xia Keke out and closes the door.
• The next morning, Ling Mengxue wakes up and realizes her secret has leaked. Bai Tangyin delivers breakfast to her, and they have a brief conversation.
• Ye Yiren arrives and sees Ling Mengxue with Bai Tangyin, leading to a tense moment.

Character Developments

• Ling Mengxue: Struggles with her secret being revealed, tries to avoid the situation, and is nervous about facing Ye Yiren.
• Ye Yiren: Determined to uncover Ling Mengxue's secret, is curious and somewhat upset that Ling Mengxue didn't confide in her.
• Xia Keke: Excited about the revelation of Brother Duskfall's true identity, is thrown out by Ling Mengxue but remains unconcerned.
• Bai Tangyin: Grateful to Ling Mengxue for helping her, delivers breakfast as a token of thanks, and shows no sign of her previous aggressive behavior.

Significant Themes

• The struggle with revealing one's true identity and the fear of rejection or judgment.
• Friendship and trust, as Ye Yiren feels hurt that Ling Mengxue didn't confide in her.
• The consequences of one's actions, as Ling Mengxue faces the reality of her secret leaking.

Character Interactions

• Ling Mengxue and Ye Yiren: Tense and awkward, with Ye Yiren determined to confront Ling Mengxue about her secret.
• Ling Mengxue and Xia Keke: Xia Keke is excited about the revelation, while Ling Mengxue is nervous and throws her out.
• Ling Mengxue and Bai Tangyin: Cordial and polite, with Bai Tangyin expressing her gratitude to Ling Mengxue.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ye Yiren and Ling Mengxue have a standoff at the door, with Ye Yiren playfully teasing Ling Mengxue.
• Xia Keke wakes up and joins them, unaware of the tension.
• Ye Yiren reveals she knows Ling Mengxue's secret and forces her to transform.
• Ling Mengxue admits she is the princess of the Star Engraving United Alliance.
• Xia Keke reveals she has been searching for the princess and is delighted to have found her.
• Ling Mengxue agrees to join the United Alliance as their princess.
• Xia Keke gives Ling Mengxue a contract to sign, which stabilizes their realms and allows them to break through.

Character Developments

• Ye Yiren shows her playful and confident side, teasing Ling Mengxue and forcing her to reveal her secret.
• Ling Mengxue shows her reluctance to accept her role as the princess but ultimately agrees to join the United Alliance.
• Xia Keke shows her genuine happiness and excitement in finding the princess and having her join the United Alliance.

Significant Themes

• The theme of destiny and one's role in it is explored through Ling Mengxue's reluctance to accept her role as the princess.
• The theme of friendship and camaraderie is shown through Xia Keke's excitement in finding the princess and having her join the United Alliance.

Character Interactions

• Ye Yiren and Ling Mengxue have a playful standoff, with Ye Yiren teasing Ling Mengxue and forcing her to reveal her secret.
• Xia Keke joins them and is delighted to find out that Ling Mengxue is the princess she has been searching for.
• Ling Mengxue and Xia Keke have a heart-to-heart conversation about joining the United Alliance.
• Ye Yiren, Ling Mengxue, and Xia Keke work together to sign the contract, which stabilizes their realms and allows them to break through.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ye Yiren receives a significant attribute boost after signing a Magic Contract, which surprises her.
• Ling Mengxue, Ye Yiren, and Xia Keke complete their mission in the secret realm, and Ye Yiren ranks first.
• Ling Mengxue returns to the real world in Yanjing and encounters a boy in the men's restroom.
• Ling Mengxue contacts Su Xiaoxiao for help and learns that Xi Yan has not been attending school.

Character Developments

• Ye Yiren: Shows excitement and surprise at her attribute boost and ranks first in the mission.
• Ling Mengxue: Displays calm and composure in unexpected situations, such as teleporting into the men's restroom and encountering a boy.
• Su Xiaoxiao: Shows excitement and eagerness to help Ling Mengxue, despite being vague about Xi Yan's situation.

Significant Themes

• The impact of Magical Girls on the real world and their interactions with ordinary people.
• The importance of trust and friendship among Magical Girls, as seen in Ling Mengxue's decision to contact Su Xiaoxiao for help.

Character Interactions

• Ye Yiren, Ling Mengxue, and Xia Keke work together to complete their mission and support each other.
• Ling Mengxue and the boy in the men's restroom have an awkward encounter.
• Ling Mengxue and Su Xiaoxiao discuss Xi Yan's situation and make plans to meet up.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ling Mengxue visits Luo Xiyan's home, finding her transformed into a child.
• They decide to exchange bodies temporarily to help Luo Xiyan recover.
• Luo Xiyan cooks lunch for Ling Mengxue in her current body.

Character Developments

• Ling Mengxue: Struggles with her new child form but remains determined to support Luo Xiyan.
• Luo Xiyan: Shows affection and care for Ling Mengxue, even in her child form.

Significant Themes

• Love and Support: Ling Mengxue's unwavering support for Luo Xiyan despite their current circumstances.
• Acceptance of Change: Both characters accept and adapt to their temporary body swap.

Character Interactions

• Ling Mengxue and Luo Xiyan: Their relationship deepens as they navigate their unusual situation, with Luo Xiyan showing affection and Ling Mengxue displaying understanding and support.