Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “Peerless Fist Might”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zhou Ji reports that Zhang Yunhe, a formidable Daoist from Returning Dragon Abbey’s outer sect, accompanied Uncle Shui to investigate Li Family Village.
• Zhang performed the same rites as the previously deceased Li Yunfeng. However, Zhou Ji witnessed two yellow-robed Daoists participating beneath the locust tree: Zhang Yunhe and the supposedly dead Li Yunfeng.
• After the rites, Uncle Shui killed Zhang Yunhe with a single palm strike, just as he had killed Li Yunfeng.
• Zhou Ji later inspected Li Yunfeng’s grave and discovered that the corpse had vanished. The undisturbed snow and footprints suggested that Li Yunfeng had crawled out of the grave and returned to Li Family Village by himself.
• These events convince Xie An that the supernatural force behind the village—possibly the Grain-Collecting Ghost—is far more dangerous and mysterious than expected. Uncle Shui’s two attempts have failed to resolve the situation.
• Zhou Ji reveals that Zhang Yunhe’s younger brother, Zhang Yunfan, collected his body. Zhang Yunfan is also a martial prodigy and is expected to attend a coming poetry gathering, creating a possible future complication for the Xie Household.
• Xie An orders Zhou Ji to continue monitoring Li Family Village from a safe distance. He also learns that Zhou Ji’s injured father is recovering and promises to send Physician Li to examine him.
• Determined to become strong enough to protect himself, Xie An trains with Zhou Ji. He reveals that he has opened 160 great tendons and reached the Second Barrier of Full Muscle-Tendon Tempering.
• Xie An instructs Zhou Ji not to hold back. Using the artistic-conception martial art Black Crane Form and his powerful Five Mountains Collapse technique, he overwhelms Zhou Ji, who is nearly at Organ Tempering.
• The chapter ends with Zhou Ji being blasted backward more than ten steps, crashing into a pomelo tree, and coughing blood.

Character Developments

• Xie An: Becomes increasingly alarmed by the supernatural threat at Li Family Village but remains composed and analytical. He recognizes his lack of strength and resolves to cultivate rapidly. His martial progress is shown to be extraordinary: his artistic conception has advanced, and his combat power far exceeds what his cultivation level suggests.
• Zhou Ji: Continues serving as Xie An’s informant and demonstrates courage by investigating Li Yunfeng’s grave. Though initially confident in his superior cultivation, he is shocked by Xie An’s improvement and decisively defeated.
• Uncle Shui: His repeated ability to kill the “dead” Daoists highlights his ruthlessness and experience, but his failure to resolve the village’s curse reveals the limits of conventional martial strength.
• Li Yunfeng and Zhang Yunhe: Both are revealed to have been dead before participating in the village rites, suggesting that corpses or spirits can be manipulated by the force within Li Family Village.
• Zhang Yunfan: Introduced as Zhang Yunhe’s younger brother and a peerless martial prodigy. His brother’s death may bring him into conflict with Xie An and the Xie Household.

Significant Themes

• The limits of human power: Even skilled martial artists and Daoist exorcists cannot easily oppose the supernatural force at Li Family Village.
• Escalating supernatural horror: Dead people appear to return, corpses move on their own, and the mystery grows increasingly beyond reason.
• Growth through danger: Xie An’s fear of the village motivates him to strengthen himself rather than remain dependent on his elders.
• Hidden strength and underestimated talent: Zhou Ji initially dismisses Xie An’s cultivation level, only to discover that Xie An’s technique and artistic conception make him extraordinarily powerful.
• Consequences and future conflict: Zhang Yunfan’s arrival creates the possibility of retaliation, while the Grain-Collecting Ghost may threaten the Xie Household directly.

Character Interactions

• Zhou Ji gives Xie An a detailed account of the failed investigation, while Xie An questions him closely and verifies that he has not been corrupted or harmed by the village.
• Xie An reassures Zhou Ji about his father’s recovery and promises further medical assistance.
• Xie An and Zhou Ji then transition from a serious discussion of supernatural events to a martial exchange.
• Zhou Ji agrees to fight seriously, but Xie An’s Black Crane Form and Five Mountains Collapse exceed his expectations and leave him badly injured.

Key plot points and events

• After perfecting the killing move of Taishan Fist, Xie An easily defeats Zhou Ji, a Half-Step Organ Tempering fighter, and rewards him.
• Seeking a more challenging sparring partner, Xie An recruits Li Dao, a taciturn former constable who left the yamen after colleagues stole credit for his work. Xie An offers him better pay and medicinal decoctions.
• Xie An trains with Li Dao daily. Over seven days, he opens all 485 great tendons in his body and becomes strong enough to win about four out of ten exchanges against Li, despite remaining at Muscle-Tendon Tempering.
• That night, Xie An’s recurring nightmare of Li Family Village continues beyond where it previously ended. A sinister tax collector enters the house, kills Zhao Hu, and asks Xie An whether he has paid his “Grave Tax.”
• Xie An wakes terrified and discovers through Spirit Sight and Qi-Gazing that the sinking qi in his body has grown stronger. Suspecting he may have been tainted by a Specter, he decides to visit Zhao Hu and check whether he is safe.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie An grows more confident and powerful through relentless training, but his physical progress is now matched by growing fear that something supernatural is affecting him.
• Li Dao moves from wary disbelief to respect after experiencing Xie An’s strength firsthand. Their daily sparring becomes central to Xie An’s development.
• Zhou Ji acknowledges Xie An’s superiority and accepts his reward.
• Qiu Lan helps Xie An prepare after he wakes; Xie An asks her to arrange a gift for his visit to Zhao Hu.
• Zhao Hu, though silent in the nightmare, becomes the focus of Xie An’s concern because the dream depicts his gruesome death.

Significant themes

• Discipline and rapid advancement: Repetitive training and medicinal treatments drive Xie An’s extraordinary improvement.
• Power and responsibility: Xie An uses his growing resources to reward and recruit capable guards.
• The supernatural intruding on ordinary life: The increasingly vivid dream and worsening sinking qi suggest that the nightmare may be connected to a real Specter.
• Uncertainty and foreboding: Xie An can no longer dismiss the dream as ordinary fear, and his decision to visit Zhao Hu signals the danger may extend beyond his sleep.

Chapter Summary: “Zhao Hu Had Died Long Ago”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Troubled by a nightmare in which Zhao Hu was killed by the Grain-Collecting Ghost, Xie An prepares to visit him.
• He sends Qiu Lan to buy osmanthus cakes, baby clothes, shoes, and socks as gifts for Zhao Hu’s pregnant wife.
• Xie An retrieves the yellow lantern from Li Family Village, remembering that its absence in his nightmare supposedly allowed the ghost to enter the Li Residence.
• He initially asks Li Dao to summon Chen Lutang, a Dark Force expert, for protection. However, Chen Lutang is absent, so his daughter Chen Mo accompanies Xie An instead.
• Xie An, Li Dao, and Chen Mo travel to Zhao Hu’s home in the impoverished Sheep-Dung Alley.
• They find Zhao Hu and his wife, Liu Fu, sharing a tender domestic moment. Zhao Hu is awkwardly making shoes for his unborn child, expressing his hopes that the child will continue his family line.
• Using Qi-Gazing, Xie An discovers that Zhao Hu is covered in deathly qi and has a strand of qi “sinking downward”—signs that Zhao Hu has already died.
• Xie An realizes Zhao Hu may have been a walking corpse for some time and that the Storax Pill he used was likely masking the smell of a corpse rather than merely warding off evil.
• Xie An examines Liu Fu and finds that although she possesses Vital Breath, the fetus in her womb is already dead and displays the same downward-sinking qi.
• This confirms that the events from Xie An’s nightmare may reflect reality. He becomes terrified that the next nightmare may involve his own death.
• Unable to understand why he has Vital Breath while Zhao Hu has deathly qi, Xie An orders Li Dao to return to the residence, gather all guards, locate Uncle Shui, and bring him immediately.

Character Developments

• Xie An: Becomes increasingly cautious and fearful as his nightmares are proven to contain real information. His investigation shifts from simple concern for Zhao Hu to confronting the possibility that he himself has been marked by the same supernatural threat.
• Zhao Hu: Revealed to have been dead for some time, despite appearing to live normally. His loving behavior toward his wife and unborn child makes his condition especially tragic. His desire to preserve the Zhao family line and fulfill his parents’ wishes deepens the emotional impact.
• Liu Fu: Appears devoted and hopeful, comforting Zhao Hu and imagining a bright future for their child. Her pregnancy is revealed to be connected to the same supernatural corruption affecting Zhao Hu.
• Li Dao: Demonstrates familiarity with Zhao Hu’s personal life and remains dependable, immediately carrying out Xie An’s orders.
• Chen Mo: Accompanies Xie An in place of her absent father, Chen Lutang. Her presence provides some support, though Xie An remains uneasy without a stronger Dark Force expert.
• Qiu Lan: Efficiently fulfills Xie An’s instructions and supplies the gifts intended for Zhao Hu’s family.

Significant Themes

• The unreliability of appearances: Zhao Hu and Liu Fu seem to be an affectionate, ordinary couple, but supernatural signs reveal that their household is already touched by death.
• Family and lineage: Zhao Hu’s intense wish to continue his family line reflects traditional obligations to ancestors and the emotional burden of inherited expectations.
• False hope and tragic domestic happiness: The couple’s plans for their child—education, martial arts, and a future resembling Xie An’s—are built around a child who is already dead.
• Nightmares as supernatural warnings: Xie An’s dreams appear to reconstruct or foreshadow real events, making sleep itself a source of danger and knowledge.
• Death hidden beneath normal life: The chapter emphasizes how death can coexist with familiar routines, affection, and apparent vitality.
• Growing supernatural terror: The mystery of Li Family Village expands, especially through the Grain-Collecting Ghost, the Grave Tax, and the unexplained differences between Xie An’s and Zhao Hu’s qi.

Character Interactions

• Xie An and Li Dao discuss Zhao Hu’s family history, giving Xie An important clues about Zhao Hu’s past.
• Xie An directs Li Dao to summon Chen Lutang or Chen Mo, showing his growing reliance on powerful allies.
• Zhao Hu and Liu Fu interact lovingly as they discuss their unborn child, highlighting their shared hopes and Zhao Hu’s desire to make handmade shoes.
• Xie An silently observes the couple before using Qi-Gazing to uncover the horrifying truth hidden beneath their affectionate exchange.
• Xie An ultimately sends Li Dao away to summon Uncle Shui, prioritizing immediate protection and expert assistance over continuing the visit.

Chapter Summary: “The Real Zhao Hu”

Plot Points and Events

• Xie An visits Zhao Hu and his pregnant wife, Liu Fu, bringing gifts for their unborn child.
• Although he behaves warmly at first, Xie An secretly orders Chen Mo to guard the courtyard and kill Zhao Hu and Liu Fu if they attempt to escape.
• In private, Xie An confronts Zhao Hu, revealing that he knows Zhao Hu is already dead. He explains that Zhao Hu’s stiffness, hollow strength, and the corpse-concealing effects of the medicinal incense aroused his suspicion.
• Zhao Hu collapses in despair, believing Xie An has come to kill him. He begs for enough time to see his long-awaited child born.
• Zhao Hu explains that Liu Fu previously suffered two miscarriages, and that he desperately sought doctors, religious aid, and talismans to preserve this pregnancy.
• Xie An reveals that the fetus may be stillborn—or even an evil monster. Zhao Hu is devastated but agrees to let Uncle Shui, a Dark Force expert, examine the child.
• Xie An promises to seek a cure if the fetus is truly monstrous, then asks Zhao Hu to explain how he died.
• Zhao Hu recounts experiencing two dreams after leaving Li Family Village. The second continued directly from the first: the Grain-Collecting Ghost entered Li Degui’s home, demanded Grave Tax, and attacked Zhao Hu after he refused to answer.
• In the dream, the ghost tore open Zhao Hu’s chest and devoured his organs. Upon waking, Zhao Hu discovered that his body had actually been hollowed out in the same manner.
• Xie An is horrified because Zhao Hu’s dreams precisely match his own, suggesting that their deaths or fates are connected.

Character Developments

• Xie An: Becomes suspicious, cautious, and ruthless, taking precautions against Zhao Hu while still showing compassion toward his suffering. His investigation becomes personal when he learns that Zhao Hu experienced the same supernatural attack he did.
• Zhao Hu: Is revealed to be dead but still functioning, likely due to a supernatural force. His deep desire to become a father explains his attachment to his pregnant wife and his desperation to remain alive. He remains loyal and trusting toward Xie An despite his terror.
• Liu Fu: Though she has little direct dialogue, her difficult pregnancy and history of miscarriages deepen the emotional stakes and explain Zhao Hu’s desperation.
• Chen Mo: Notices Xie An’s sudden coldness but obeys his orders, acting as a protective guard.
• Uncle Shui: Is established as an expert whose examination may determine whether Liu Fu’s fetus is living, dead, or monstrous.

Significant Themes

• The boundary between life and death: Zhao Hu continues to act and feel despite being physically dead, raising questions about what makes someone truly alive.
• Desperation and parenthood: Zhao Hu’s wish to have a child drives him to endure supernatural corruption and cling to his existence.
• Trust and loyalty: The bond between master and servant is tested by Xie An’s suspicion, but Xie An ultimately chooses to help Zhao Hu rather than condemn him immediately.
• Supernatural contagion and shared fate: The identical dreams experienced by Xie An and Zhao Hu suggest that the Grain-Collecting Ghost’s curse may spread or link its victims.
• Appearance versus reality: Zhao Hu appears to be an ordinary man preparing for fatherhood, but beneath the incense and concealment he is a corpse, while the unborn child may be something far more sinister.

Important Character Interactions

• Xie An and Zhao Hu exchange gifts, establishing their mutual affection and history before the confrontation.
• Xie An privately orders Chen Mo to prevent the couple from fleeing, showing that he does not fully trust them.
• Xie An confronts Zhao Hu about his death; Zhao Hu responds with fear and a heartfelt plea to live until his child is born.
• Xie An comforts Zhao Hu and promises medical or supernatural assistance, reinforcing their master-servant bond.
• Zhao Hu’s testimony about the Grain-Collecting Ghost reveals that he and Xie An may have suffered the exact same supernatural fate.

Chapter Summary: “Monster Strain”

Key Plot Points and Events

• During a violent thunderstorm, Xie An discovers the horrifying truth about Zhao Hu: his chest is rotting and hollow, revealing that he has been dead for some time.
• Zhao Hu explains that he remained conscious after dying because he wanted to see his unborn child, hear it call him “Father,” and continue repaying Xie An’s kindness. He concealed his corpse-like condition with Storax Pills and continued training with Xie An until his body became too stiff to function normally.
• Zhao Hu plans to see his child born and then bury himself somewhere isolated. Xie An promises to provide financial support, education, and martial training for Zhao Hu’s wife, Liu Fu, and their child after his death.
• Xie An asks Uncle Shui to examine the child’s Vital Breath. When Uncle Shui arrives, Xie An privately explains Zhao Hu’s condition and his own nightmare.
• Uncle Shui examines Liu Fu’s pregnancy using Dark Force. He discovers that the unborn child absorbs his power directly and identifies it as an exceptionally powerful Monster Strain.
• Uncle Shui secretly decides that Liu Fu and Zhao Hu must be taken to the Xie Clan White Shrine, where the child can supposedly be safely dealt with. He tells Zhao Hu that the shrine will provide physicians and protect the baby’s birth.
• Before they can leave, Liu Fu screams from the bedroom that labor has begun unnaturally and that the child is crawling out by itself, ending the chapter on a dramatic cliffhanger.

Character Developments

• Xie An shows compassion and responsibility. Although horrified by Zhao Hu’s corpse, he treats him with dignity and promises to protect his family. At the same time, he recognizes that the unborn child may be dangerous and agrees that it must be dealt with if necessary.
• Zhao Hu is revealed as a tragic, devoted figure. Despite being dead and physically decayed, his love for Liu Fu and his desire to meet his child sustain his remaining consciousness. His loyalty to Xie An is also reaffirmed.
• Liu Fu remains warm, hospitable, and unaware of the full danger surrounding her pregnancy. Her affectionate interactions with Zhao Hu emphasize the normal family life they are trying to preserve.
• Uncle Shui demonstrates both formidable martial ability and serious knowledge of supernatural threats. His grave reaction confirms the severity of the situation.
• Chen Mo and Li Dao serve as observers and assistants, while Chen Mo’s concern for Xie An highlights the household’s awareness of the emotional strain surrounding the event.

Significant Themes

• Love and devotion beyond death: Zhao Hu’s continued existence is driven by love for his unborn child and loyalty to Xie An.
• Humanity amid horror: The peaceful domestic scene of Zhao Hu and Liu Fu preparing lunch contrasts sharply with Zhao Hu’s rotting body and the supernatural danger within Liu Fu.
• Duty versus compassion: Xie An wants to save Zhao Hu’s family, but he also understands that the Monster Strain may need to be destroyed to prevent catastrophe.
• Concealed truths: Zhao Hu hides his death from Liu Fu, while Uncle Shui conceals the true nature of the unborn child to prevent panic.
• The boundary between life and death: Zhao Hu’s consciousness persists after death, while the unborn child represents an unnatural and potentially monstrous form of life.

Character Interactions

• Xie An and Zhao Hu share an emotional conversation in which Zhao Hu confesses his condition and his hopes for his family. Xie An responds by promising long-term support.
• Xie An checks with Chen Mo about Liu Fu’s behavior, confirming that she appears ordinary and kind.
• Xie An privately informs Uncle Shui about Zhao Hu and the nightmare, leading Uncle Shui to investigate.
• Zhao Hu introduces Uncle Shui as a trusted expert and persuades Liu Fu to allow the examination of her unborn child.
• Uncle Shui reassures Zhao Hu while secretly recognizing the child as a dangerous Monster Strain.
• The chapter closes with Liu Fu’s sudden cry for help, as the unnatural birth begins before the family can reach safety.

Chapter Summary: “Obtained Talent: Withered Abyss”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Fu suffers agonizing labor as the creature inside her violently claws, bites, and attempts to escape her womb.
• Despite the horror, Zhao Hu remains devoted to her, comforting her and refusing to abandon her. He eventually realizes that their unborn child is a Monster Strain, as Xie An had warned.
• Liu Fu dies after the creature consumes her from within. Zhao Hu mourns her and blames himself for failing her.
• The monster bursts out of Liu Fu’s abdomen as a blood-covered, unnatural white infant. It immediately devours its mother’s corpse, rapidly growing into a white youth.
• The creature then attacks and eats Zhao Hu, growing further until it resembles the mysterious grain-tax collector Xie An encountered previously.
• The Monster Strain reveals its identity through ominous words about collecting “grain tax,” taking people’s lifespan when they cannot pay, and demands to know whether Xie An has paid his “Grave Tax.”
• Li Dao and Chen Mo attempt to protect Xie An, but Uncle Shui stops them, explaining that the creature is not an ordinary ghost or possessing spirit. Having been reborn through a human womb, it has surpassed normal physical limits and cannot safely be confronted.
• The Monster Strain escapes by climbing across the ceiling and walls like a spider, disappearing into the heavy rain.
• Afterward, Xie An gathers Liu Fu and Zhao Hu’s remaining clothes, intending to give them an empty grave. Upon touching the clothes, his supernatural panel activates a new entry: “Obtained Talent: Withered Abyss (Pending Activation).”

Character Developments

• Zhao Hu: Demonstrates deep love and loyalty toward Liu Fu, staying beside her even after learning their child is monstrous. His grief and helplessness culminate in his death, as the creature he once considered his child consumes him.
• Liu Fu: Becomes the victim of the Monster Strain’s birth and dies in extreme torment, emphasizing the creature’s unnatural and parasitic nature.
• Xie An: Is shaken by the Monster Strain’s recognition of him and its direct threat concerning the “Grave Tax.” His compassion remains intact as he tries to honor the dead, and this act leads to the acquisition of a mysterious new talent.
• Uncle Shui: Acts as the group’s experienced protector and voice of caution. He correctly identifies the creature’s nature and prioritizes Xie An’s safety over attacking an enemy they cannot defeat.
• Li Dao and Chen Mo: Both overcome their fear enough to draw their weapons and shield Xie An, showing loyalty and courage despite knowing the creature vastly outclasses them.

Significant Themes

• Parental love versus monstrous nature: Zhao Hu continues to love and defend the unborn child even after recognizing it as a Monster Strain, only to be killed by it.
• The horror of corrupted birth: Birth is transformed into an act of slaughter, with Liu Fu’s body serving as the creature’s incubation chamber and first source of nourishment.
• Helplessness before supernatural forces: The group’s weapons and martial abilities are useless against the reborn Monster Strain, reinforcing the limits of human strength.
• Death, debt, and judgment: The creature’s references to grain taxes, lifespans, ledgers, and “Grave Tax” suggest a supernatural system in which life and death are treated as accounts to be collected.
• Compassion amid horror: Xie An’s attempt to prepare graves for the dead contrasts with the creature’s total lack of humanity and may be connected to his newly obtained Withered Abyss talent.

Character Interactions

• Liu Fu desperately clings to Zhao Hu and begs him to save her, while Zhao Hu comforts her and promises to remain by her side.
• Zhao Hu addresses the unborn monster as his child, revealing his emotional attachment even as the creature attacks Liu Fu.
• Uncle Shui calls on Zhao Hu to retreat but later prevents Li Dao and Chen Mo from attacking the escaped Monster Strain.
• Li Dao and Chen Mo instinctively place themselves between the creature and Xie An, demonstrating their protective loyalty.
• The Monster Strain focuses its threatening gaze on Xie An, suggesting a prior connection or special interest in him.
• Xie An’s final act of gathering the couple’s clothes triggers the appearance of the new talent, linking his respect for the dead to the mysterious Withered Abyss ability.

Chapter Summary: “The Village Butcher”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie An learns that he has acquired a second talent, identified by Ten Thousand Questions. He suspects it may have originated from the teenage Monster Strain called Withered Abyss, but he does not yet understand its nature.
• After the Monster Strain kills and partially devours Zhao Hu and his wife, Xie An gives their clothes to Li Dao so an empty grave can be prepared. This shows his respect for Zhao Hu and his concern for proper burial despite the supernatural danger surrounding them.
• Xie An asks Uncle Shui whether the Monster Strain had specifically targeted him. Uncle Shui confirms that Xie An is probably its next victim, but says the creature fled because it had something more urgent to do—not because it feared Uncle Shui.
• The scene shifts to Qingwu County’s outer city, where two yamen runners, Xiao Bin and Xiao Chen, head out in heavy rain to collect overdue autumn taxes.
• The runners complain about Zhu Youcai, the Tax Office Clerk known as “Zhu the Skinner.” They learn that he previously accepted bribes from wealthy families and slaughtered entire villages, including Li Family Village under the Xie Residence, to seize grain for military funding.
• Rather than punish Zhu, the authorities praised him because his brutality helped supply the army during famine and border conflicts. This reveals the corruption and cruelty of the local government.
• Hoping to curry favor with Zhu, the runners buy him plum wine and visit his home. They smell an overwhelming stench of blood and discover Zhu standing naked in the doorway, his mouth smeared with human flesh.
• Inside, Zhu’s wife and child have been disemboweled, apparently by Zhu himself. He attacks and devours Xiao Bin and Xiao Chen, leaving only blood and scraps of clothing.
• Zhu then takes their uniforms and equipment, transforms into a grotesque tax collector, and begins striking his gong while calling for grain and tax payments.

Character Developments

• Xie An: Displays compassion and responsibility by arranging an empty grave for Zhao Hu and his wife. Although terrified of the Monster Strain, he remains observant and tries to understand why it targeted him.
• Uncle Shui: Acts as a grim source of knowledge. His warning confirms the seriousness of Xie An’s danger but offers no reassuring explanation for the creature’s departure.
• Li Dao: Shows loyalty and reverence toward Xie An, praising him as compassionate when accepting the clothing for burial.
• Zhu Youcai: Is revealed to be far more monstrous than the rumors suggested. Previously a ruthless, corrupt official who slaughtered villages, he now appears to have become—or revealed himself as—a cannibalistic supernatural entity.
• Xiao Bin and Xiao Chen: Begin as cynical but relatively ordinary functionaries. Their fear and opportunism emerge when they learn of Zhu’s crimes, yet they still attempt to flatter him, leading to their deaths.

Significant Themes

• Monstrous corruption: Zhu’s transformation reflects how political cruelty and supernatural horror mirror each other. His slaughter of villages was already monstrous before his physical mutation.
• Institutionalized violence: The government justifies mass murder as necessary for military funding, exposing a system in which famine victims and tenant farmers are treated as expendable resources.
• Fear and self-preservation: The runners’ behavior shifts from mockery to cowardice and finally desperate submission, showing how terror destroys ordinary moral judgment.
• Death and burial: Xie An’s effort to provide Zhao Hu and his wife with an empty grave contrasts with Zhu’s desecration of his own family and victims.
• Predation hidden behind authority: Zhu retains the appearance and function of a tax collector, using official symbols—uniform, register, brush, and gong—to disguise or institutionalize his monstrous appetite.

Character Interactions

• Xie An and Uncle Shui discuss whether the teenage Monster Strain is hunting Xie An, reinforcing their uneasy dependence on one another.
• Xie An and Li Dao share a respectful master-servant relationship, with Li Dao recognizing Xie An’s compassion.
• Xiao Bin and Xiao Chen bond through complaints about their superiors, but Xiao Chen is more cautious while Xiao Bin is initially boastful.
• Their discussion of Zhu Youcai reveals the yamen’s complicity in his crimes and causes Xiao Bin to change from contemptuous to obsequious.
• Zhu’s final interaction with the runners turns their attempted flattery into a trap: he kills them, consumes them, and literally uses their uniforms to continue the work of collecting taxes.

Key plot points and events

• After the Monster Strain boy leaves the Zhao residence, Uncle Shui takes Xie An, Chen Mo, and Li Dao back to the Xie residence, warning them to tell no one what happened and that they may also be targets.
• Uncle Shui orders a guard to secure the Zhao residence, then arranges for Chen Mo to stay at the Xie residence under the pretense that she is helping Xie An train.
• At the Xie residence, Uncle Shui orders the servants to ring the grounds with lanterns marked “Xie Clan White Shrine,” an apparent protective measure that puts the household on emergency footing.
• Alone in a medicinal bath, Xie An relives the deaths and horror at Zhao Hu’s home. Fearing he will die after another nightmare, he checks his martial-arts panel and decides to activate his dormant Withered Abyss talent. The activation will consume 1.8 units of qi and blood, leaving him little margin, but he hopes it may help him fight supernatural threats.

Character development

• Xie An moves from fear and helplessness toward desperate resolve. He remains terrified, but his attachment to his new life makes him willing to risk an unknown, possibly demonic power.
• Uncle Shui takes command of the crisis, protecting the group, restricting information, and using the White Shrine lanterns as a safeguard.
• Chen Mo remains respectful and cautious around Uncle Shui, accepting his order to stay despite her reluctance.
• Li Dao follows Uncle Shui’s instructions and drives the group back to safety.

Significant themes

• Fear versus the will to live: Xie An’s terror is counterbalanced by his refusal to surrender the life he has built.
• Power and risk: Facing enemies beyond ordinary martial strength, Xie An considers embracing a potentially dangerous supernatural ability.
• Secrecy and protection: The characters conceal the incident while the Xie household mobilizes against an uncertain threat.

Character interactions

• Uncle Shui reassures Xie An, warns Chen Mo and Li Dao that they may be targeted, and directs Chen Mo to remain at the residence.
• He speaks courteously with Chen Mo about her father, Lu Tang, while still making clear that his decision is not open to challenge.
• Xie An asks his martial-arts panel to estimate the cost of activating Withered Abyss, then gives the order to proceed.

Chapter Summary: “Aberrant Ability”

Key Plot Points and Events

• After using Ten Thousand Questions, Xie An’s blood vitality drops catastrophically to 0.1, causing dizziness and disturbing visions of ghosts. He takes a Vital Blood Pill, though replenishing his vitality is slow and prevents him from repeatedly using the ability.
• Xie An activates his newly obtained talent, Withered Abyss, discovering that it causes anything he touches to rapidly decay.
• He tests the talent on furniture, a wooden tub, a tea table, and a stool, reducing them to rotten deadwood. His own body is unaffected by the power.
• He tests Withered Abyss on an evergreen plant, which quickly withers and dies, then uses it on a strong rooster. The animal becomes a dried, rotten corpse almost instantly, despite Xie An using less than one-tenth of the talent’s full power.
• Xie An speculates that the ability could instantly kill Organ Tempering and Blood Tempering martial artists, though powerful internal martial masters might resist it. He also wonders whether it can affect demons, monsters, and ghosts, but is unwilling to test it on his own people.
• Concerned about the Grain-Collecting Ghost and the possibility of another fatal nightmare, Xie An leaves to learn what his father and Uncle Shui plan to do.
• At the White Goddess Shrine, Uncle Shui reports the crisis to Xie Zhengtang. To protect Xie Mingxi, he has placed the shrine’s yellow lanterns around the Xie Residence as a temporary safeguard.
• Uncle Shui reveals that the family may need to rely on Xie Zhengtang’s hidden trump card, kept secret for ten years, and that doing so will require the sacrifice or involvement of Xie Zhengtang’s daughter, Yu’er.
• Xie Zhengtang visits Yu’er in a secluded room. She is revealed to be a grotesque, skinless female entity living inside a water vat. She feels ashamed of her appearance and avoids her father.
• Xie Zhengtang admits that he must ask Yu’er for help because Xie Mingxi has been targeted by a ghost. Yu’er immediately becomes worried about her younger brother.

Character Developments

• Xie An gains confidence in Withered Abyss but remains cautious about its limits. Despite possessing an extremely lethal power, he retains moral restraint and refuses to experiment on his guards or innocent people.
• Xie Zhengtang is shown as a deeply concerned father willing to sacrifice his family’s long-hidden advantage to save his only son. His guilt over Yu’er’s suffering becomes clear, and the crisis makes him appear emotionally and physically aged.
• Uncle Shui demonstrates loyalty and practical judgment by protecting Xie Mingxi without acting recklessly. He understands the severe cost of summoning Yu’er’s aid.
• Yu’er is portrayed as tragic and self-conscious, yet loving toward her father and younger brother. Despite her horrifying appearance and circumstances, her first concern is Mingxi’s safety.
• Xie Mingxi remains off-page but is established as the immediate target of the ghostly threat and the reason the family must resort to desperate measures.

Significant Themes

• Power and danger: Withered Abyss is extraordinarily destructive, but its exact limits against martial artists and supernatural beings remain unknown.
• The cost of protection: Saving Xie Mingxi may require exposing or sacrificing Yu’er, suggesting that the family’s survival depends on painful personal choices.
• Family loyalty and guilt: Xie Zhengtang’s willingness to use his hidden trump card reflects his devotion to his son, while his regret over Yu’er’s fate reveals the emotional cost of past decisions.
• Humanity amid horror: Yu’er’s monstrous appearance contrasts with her tenderness and concern, emphasizing that compassion and familial love can survive within terrifying forms.
• Fear of the supernatural: Even with his new talent, Xie An recognizes that ghosts remain a serious threat, especially the Grain-Collecting Ghost’s ability to kill through dreams.

Important Character Interactions

• Xie An experiments alone with Withered Abyss, using objects, plants, and finally a rooster to determine its effects.
• Xie An speaks briefly with Chen Mo and Li Dao, instructing them to remain in the West Courtyard while he investigates the family’s response.
• Uncle Shui reports the supernatural crisis to Xie Zhengtang and explains the protective measures already taken.
• Xie Zhengtang and Uncle Shui discuss the necessity of involving Yu’er and the sacrifice required to protect Mingxi.
• Xie Zhengtang approaches Yu’er with guilt and sorrow, while Yu’er responds with shame about her appearance but immediately asks what happened to her younger brother.

Chapter Summary: “Revealing Her Cards”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Uncle Shui discovers that the mysterious skinned woman who lived inside a wooden jar for ten years is Xie Yu, Xie Zhengtang’s first child and Xie An’s elder sister.
• Xie Yu reveals that she was skinned alive and subjected to the Beast-Making Art by people from Returning Dragon Abbey, forcing her to hide in the jar.
• After putting on a new artificial skin, Xie Yu emerges disguised as a wandering female Daoist named Yusu.
• She analyzes the supernatural killings connected to Li Family Village, concluding that the village’s deaths alone could not have created a powerful dream-killing evil presence. She suspects someone is manipulating events from behind the scenes.
• The group travels toward the Zhao Residence, but Xie Yu changes course to meet Xie An first. She intends to use the investigation as his first practical lesson.
• Xie Yu decides not to reveal her true identity to Xie An because she believes she has little time left to live and wants to spare him the grief of losing her.
• At the Xie Residence, Xie An, already fearful that the nightmare connected to Li Family Village may target him, meets Yusu. Trusting his father and Uncle Shui, he agrees to accompany her back to the Zhao Residence.

Character Developments

• Xie Yu is revealed as deeply scarred—physically and emotionally—but remains strong, knowledgeable, and protective of her younger brother. Her years at Returning Dragon Abbey gave her expertise in handling demons and evil spirits.
• Xie Zhengtang is overwhelmed by guilt over Xie Yu’s suffering and grief at having lost her for ten years. He nevertheless supports her decision to protect and teach Xie An.
• Uncle Shui acts as a loyal and compassionate intermediary, comforting Xie Zhengtang while helping reunite the family.
• Xie An is shown to possess exceptional martial talent, having reached Full Muscle-Tendon Tempering and opened all 485 great tendons in only a month. He also demonstrates courage by agreeing to confront the supernatural mystery again despite his fear.
• Xie Yu and Xie An meet without him knowing they are siblings, creating a bittersweet relationship in which she can guide and protect him only under a false identity.

Significant Themes

• Family love and sacrifice: Xie Yu hides her identity to protect Xie An from the pain of losing her.
• Guilt and redemption: Xie Zhengtang blames himself for the decision that led to Xie Yu’s torture, while Xie Yu seeks to make her remaining time meaningful by preparing her brother for danger.
• Hidden identities and painful truths: Xie Yu’s disguise allows her to remain close to Xie An, but it also emphasizes the emotional cost of concealed family relationships.
• Mentorship and inheritance: Xie Yu plans to pass on the knowledge she gained from the great sects, ensuring that Xie An can defend himself after she is gone.
• Supernatural investigation: The chapter suggests that the Li Family Village deaths are part of a deliberate scheme rather than a simple haunting.

Important Character Interactions

• Xie Zhengtang and Xie Yu share an emotional reunion, with both mourning the years stolen from them.
• Uncle Shui comforts Xie Zhengtang and recognizes Xie Yu as the family’s eldest daughter.
• Xie Yu questions Uncle Shui about Xie An, showing how closely she has continued to care about him despite their separation.
• Xie Yu persuades her father to conceal her identity and present her as a Daoist instructor.
• Xie An formally meets Yusu, unaware that she is his elder sister, and agrees to let her lead him into the dangerous investigation at the Zhao Residence.

Plot points and events

• Xie An, his father Xie Zhengtang, Uncle Shui, and Daoist Master Yusu arrive at the Zhao Residence to investigate Zhao Hu’s death. No one has visited while they were away.
• Daoist Master Yusu examines the bloodstains and reconstructs the Monster Strain’s actions: it emerged from Liu Fu, devoured her and Zhao Hu, grew into a youth, spoke to Xie An, then escaped through a window.
• Yusu explains that the Monster Strain could not have originated from Zhao Hu’s encounter with Liu Fu: Liu Fu was already nine months pregnant, so the evil energy could have killed the unborn child but not transformed it into a Monster Strain.
• She then questions Xie An about his experiences in Li Family Village, using them to explain how a specter’s frightening influence works. Xie An asks her to clarify further.

Character development and interactions

• Xie An is curious and eager to learn, but also wary of Yusu’s immense power. His Qi-Gazing cannot penetrate the darkness around her, and she detects him using it.
• Yusu is aloof but not hostile toward Xie An; she patiently answers his questions and shows unusual attentiveness toward him.
• Uncle Shui confirms Yusu’s extraordinary strength, saying ten versions of himself could not withstand even one finger from her.
• Xie Zhengtang and Uncle Shui treat Yusu’s reserve and abilities as familiar, while Xie An is newly impressed by her.
• Yusu guides Xie An through his memories of the village, turning their conversation into an explanation of the supernatural threat.

Significant themes

• Limits of ordinary understanding: Yusu’s knowledge and abilities surpass what Xie An has encountered, revealing how much he still has to learn.
• Fear and perception: Xie An’s initial alarm at the village’s corpses and strange sounds was tempered by what seemed plausible; his true fear began when events contradicted that reasoning.
• Reason versus the supernatural: The apparent normality of events can disguise a haunting, while inconsistencies expose its presence.
• Hidden rules of supernatural power: Yusu suggests that a specter’s special ability is connected to the moment a person’s fear truly takes hold, though her explanation remains unfinished.

Chapter Summary

Xie Yu explains the concept of the Six-Sense Cocoon Chamber, the framework through which mortals understand reality using their six faculties, consciousnesses, and sense objects. Ghosts, fiends, and demons can distort this framework through an ability called Cocoon Force, manipulating a person’s senses, thoughts, and fears. This explains why even Dark Force masters struggle to fight supernatural beings: their perceptions of attacks and reality itself may already be false.
Xie An realizes that Cocoon Force was responsible for the identical nightmares he and Zhao Hu experienced after visiting Li Family Village. Their “evil affliction” was actually the result of being exposed to a ghost’s Cocoon Force, which guided their thoughts and created the shared nightmare.
While recounting his visit to the village, Xie An describes seeing a tax official collecting grain beneath a crooked locust tree hung with bloody corpses, while an old Daoist performed a ritual warning people not to answer when questioned. Xie Yu identifies the daytime tax official and the nighttime Grain-Collecting Ghost as the same entity. She determines that Zhao Hu was afflicted because he spoke to the official, but Xie An also recalls that he responded with a casual “Mm” when the official addressed him. That seemingly harmless reply fulfilled the ghost’s condition and exposed Xie An as well.
Xie Yu explains that the dead Daoist had likely discovered the village’s supernatural rules and continued warning others after death. Xie An is horrified by how easily ordinary people could unknowingly fall into such traps.
The discussion then turns to Zhao Hu’s rotting body and missing organs. Xie Yu states that Cocoon Force alone can only create nightmares and cannot directly cause physical damage. Someone must have deliberately manipulated events and intensified the fear. She also reveals that Liu Fu’s fetus becoming a Monster Strain was likely intentional.
Searching the room, Xie Yu discovers a small white cloth doll hidden in the wardrobe. It has cinnabar-painted features, scarlet eyes, a person’s birth details, and a blood talisman associated with the Six Ding and Six Jia. Xie An’s Qi-Gazing reveals that the doll possesses sinister, living spiritual energy. He suspects that this doll—not merely the ghostly nightmare—was responsible for physically removing Zhao Hu’s internal organs.

Character Developments and Interactions

• Xie Yu establishes herself as highly knowledgeable about ghosts, Cocoon Force, and the rules governing supernatural afflictions. She patiently guides Xie An through the mystery by questioning his memories.
• Xie An gains a deeper understanding of supernatural logic and recognizes his own accidental involvement in triggering the village’s curse. His confidence is replaced by unease as he realizes how defenseless mortals are against manipulated perception.
• Zhao Hu is revealed to have been affected after speaking with the Grain-Collecting Ghost, making him a victim of both the curse’s rules and deliberate supernatural interference.
• Xie An and Xie Yu work together to reconstruct the events at Li Family Village, with Xie An supplying details and Xie Yu interpreting their hidden significance.

Major Themes

• Perception versus reality: The supernatural can alter the senses themselves, making ordinary defenses useless.
• Fear and psychological control: Ghosts magnify instinctive fears by trapping victims within a distorted sensory world.
• Hidden rules and human vulnerability: A single innocent response can trigger a deadly curse when people do not understand supernatural taboos.
• Deliberate manipulation: The nightmares and physical deaths may be part of a larger scheme rather than random hauntings.
• The limits of human knowledge: Mortals rely on common sense, but ghosts operate beyond the boundaries of human logic.

Chapter Summary: Is It You Who's Harming Me?

Key Plot Points and Events

• Daoist Master Yusu reveals that the object behind the disaster in Li Family Village is a Yin Cloth Doll containing the Malevolent Nightmare Suppression Art. It is not an ordinary cursed object: it brings misfortune to households and can be activated by Cocoon Force to attack people directly.
• The doll had caused the fetus in Liu Fu’s womb to become a Monster Strain and was primarily responsible for Zhao Hu’s gruesome death. Because its Cocoon Force shares the same origin as that in Li Family Village, it could coordinate with the nightmares and kill its victims at the moment they awoke.
• Yusu explains that an identical Yin Cloth Doll was likely hidden in Xie An’s bedroom. When Xie An experienced his third nightmare, the doll would have activated and torn out his organs.
• Returning to the Xie Residence, Yusu searches Xie An’s room and discovers the second doll beneath his bed. Xie An realizes that his life was saved only because he used Qi-Gazing, investigated Zhao Hu, and brought Yusu into the matter before the third nightmare occurred.
• Xie Zhengtang and Uncle Shui react furiously and order an immediate investigation into whoever targeted the Xie family.
• Xie An questions his servants about who had entered his room. Qiu Lan recalls that Zhou Yun, a grain-shop manager, entered the West Courtyard about a month earlier while Xie An was away.
• Zhou Yun becomes the main suspect, especially because his report originally prompted the investigation into Li Family Village. However, Xie An restrains his impulse to attack him immediately, suspecting that someone more powerful may be directing Zhou Yun.

Character Developments

• Xie An shifts from fear to anger and determination. The discovery that human malice—not merely supernatural possession—was behind the events makes him recognize how vulnerable he is. He resolves to strengthen his martial cultivation, reach the Dark Force realm, learn methods for dealing with supernatural threats, and uncover the culprit.
• Daoist Master Yusu demonstrates her expertise by identifying the Yin Cloth Doll, explaining its connection to the nightmares, and preventing Xie An’s likely death. She remains calm, authoritative, and perceptive.
• Xie Zhengtang shows strong paternal concern, comforting Xie An before leaving to personally oversee the investigation. His anger reveals the seriousness with which he views the attack on his son.
• Uncle Shui is similarly protective and openly murderous toward whoever endangered Xie An.
• Qiu Lan initially fears being blamed but quickly provides the crucial lead about Zhou Yun.
• Zhou Yun is established as a suspicious figure whose actions may connect the supernatural plot, the tenant farmers’ disappearance, and the attack on Xie An.

Significant Themes

• Hidden human malice behind supernatural phenomena: The apparent possession in Li Family Village conceals a deliberate scheme involving cursed objects and human planning.
• Vulnerability and the need for strength: Xie An recognizes that cleverness and luck saved him, but that his current martial ability is insufficient in a dangerous world.
• Investigation versus impulsive revenge: Although Xie An wants to kill Zhou Yun immediately, he chooses caution because Zhou Yun may only be a pawn.
• Family protection and loyalty: Xie Zhengtang, Uncle Shui, and the household servants rally around Xie An, emphasizing the protective bonds within the Xie Residence.
• Fate altered through insight: Xie An’s Qi-Gazing and willingness to investigate Zhao Hu change what would otherwise have been a fatal outcome.

Character Interactions

• Yusu explains the Yin Cloth Doll’s powers to Xie An and demonstrates its danger when it briefly comes alive and attacks him.
• Yusu instructs Uncle Shui to withdraw the guards and keep the discovery secret, showing her control over the investigation.
• Xie Zhengtang and Uncle Shui reassure Xie An while taking responsibility for uncovering the culprit.
• Xie An questions Qiu Lan about access to his room; her answer points toward Zhou Yun.
• Xie An orders Chen Mo and Li Dao to remain inside the Xie Residence, signaling his growing caution and suspicion as the investigation begins.

Chapter Summary: “Blood Is Thicker Than Water”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie Zhengtang, Xie Yu, and Uncle Shui discuss the attack involving the Yin Cloth Dolls and the danger posed to Xie Mingxi, the Xie Household’s only son.
• They conclude that Zhou Yun likely led Mingxi to Li Family Village and may have planted the Yin Cloth Doll in Xie An’s bedroom. Zhou Yun is therefore suspected of working for a hidden enemy.
• Xie Yu proposes taking Mingxi with her to investigate, both to help uncover the conspiracy and to expose him to greater experience. Xie Zhengtang initially hesitates because Mingxi is only sixteen, but agrees after hearing of his unusual abilities and maturity.
• Xie An arrives and independently presents a plan: he will mention the Yin Cloth Doll to Zhou Yun while inspecting the grain store, hoping to frighten Zhou Yun into contacting his superior. The Xie family can then follow him and uncover the entire conspiracy.
• Impressed by Xie An’s courage and careful reasoning, Xie Zhengtang asks about his future ambitions. Xie An declares that he will train diligently, reach the Dark Force realm, and shoulder the family’s burdens despite the dangers.
• Xie Zhengtang gives Xie An unrestricted access to the household’s resources for martial arts training.
• He then reveals that Xie Yu—publicly known as Daoist Master Yusu—is willing to teach Xie An how to combat ghosts and fiends. To protect her identity, Xie An must call her “Elder Sister,” though she asks him to call her “Sis.”
• When Xie An does so, Xie Yu is overcome with emotion and begins to cry.

Character Developments

• Xie An/Mingxi: He demonstrates growing intelligence, composure, courage, and strategic ability. Once viewed by his father as an inexperienced child, he proves capable of devising a sophisticated plan and accepting the risks of his dangerous world.
• Xie Zhengtang: His protective, regretful feelings toward his children become clear. He realizes that he has underestimated Xie An and begins treating him as a capable adult, offering both emotional approval and practical support.
• Xie Yu: She is revealed to be deeply concerned for Mingxi and the Xie family. Her desire to take Mingxi under her guidance reflects both her trust in his potential and her wish to strengthen their relationship. Her tears suggest that being called “Sis” carries profound personal meaning.
• Uncle Shui: He supports Xie Yu’s assessment of Mingxi and validates Xie An’s investigative plan.
• Family relationships: The chapter shifts Xie An’s position within the household from protected son to a participant capable of sharing its burdens.

Significant Themes

• Family loyalty and affection: The title is reflected in Xie Zhengtang’s renewed recognition of his son and in the emotional bond between Xie Yu and Mingxi.
• Coming of age: Xie An moves beyond childhood dependence by confronting fear, accepting responsibility, and committing himself to martial training.
• Courage versus fear: Xie An admits that he was frightened but insists that fear cannot solve problems; bravery and action are necessary.
• Hidden identities and danger: Xie Yu’s concealed identity and the investigation into Zhou Yun emphasize the importance of secrecy and deception in a world threatened by ghosts, fiends, and conspiracies.
• Recognition and redemption: Xie Zhengtang’s realization that he has neglected to notice Xie An’s growth allows him to make amends and actively support his son’s future.

Important Character Interactions

• Xie Yu and Xie Zhengtang discuss Mingxi’s abilities and the threat against the family, with Xie Yu persuading her father to let her guide him.
• Xie An and Xie Zhengtang bond over their shared investigation and Xie An’s determination to face danger.
• Xie Zhengtang publicly praises Xie An, grants him greater freedom, and entrusts him to Xie Yu’s instruction.
• Xie An’s simple change from calling Xie Yu “Elder Sister” to “Sis” triggers an unexpectedly emotional response from her, hinting at a deeper family connection.

Plot points and events

• Daoist Master Yusu reveals that she once met Xie An when he was a small child, explaining her familiar manner toward him. Her emotional reaction hints at a personal connection to the Xie family.
• Xie Zhengtang entrusts the investigation of the Yin Cloth Doll and Nightmare Suppression Technique to Xie An and Yusu. He and Uncle Shui leave, believing the two have been reunited at last.
• Yusu predicts that the culprit will try to get Zhou Yun out of the city after learning that she seized two Yin Cloth Dolls. She and Xie An hurry to the Xie Grain Shop.
• They learn Zhou Yun has left for home, supposedly because his wife is ill. A shop assistant also says Zhou has seemed unhappy since remarrying a month earlier.
• At Zhou’s residence, Xie An hears signs that the couple are packing to flee. During their conversation, he mentions the Nightmare Suppression Technique and the murdered Zhao family, watching Zhou’s reactions.
• When Zhou agrees that the culprit should be punished, Xie An crushes his teacup lid and uses a porcelain shard to kill him instantly. He then accuses Zhou’s wife of having arranged for the Yin Cloth Doll to be placed beneath his bed and orders her to come out.

Character developments and interactions

• Xie An acts decisively, following Yusu’s lead and confronting Zhou. His first killing leaves him nauseated and shaken, but he suppresses his reaction and continues the investigation.
• Xie Yu / Daoist Master Yusu demonstrates sharp insight into Specters and the culprit’s likely escape plan. She also quietly tells Xie An something that shocks him, though its contents are not revealed here.
• Xie Zhengtang and Uncle Shui show deep emotion at Xie An and Yusu’s apparent reunion, suggesting a meaningful history between them.
• Zhou Yun tries to maintain a friendly façade, but his expression betrays alarm when Xie An mentions the doll and the Nightmare Suppression Technique. His flight preparations reinforce the suspicion against him.
• Zhou’s wife remains unseen but becomes the next focus of Xie An’s investigation.

Significant themes

• Family bonds and lost connections: Yusu’s memories and Xie Zhengtang’s tears suggest a long-separated sibling relationship.
• Trust and hidden guilt: Zhou’s polite behavior conceals apparent complicity and preparations to flee.
• Justice and its cost: Xie An seeks justice for the Zhao family, but carrying it out forces him to confront the physical and emotional reality of killing.
• Knowledge versus inexperience: Yusu’s expertise guides Xie An, who is still learning to navigate the dangers surrounding Specters.

Chapter Summary: “Get Down on Your Knees for Me”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Elder Sister reveals that she overheard Zhou Yun’s wife instructing him to place the Yin Cloth Doll. After the secret was exposed, she urged Zhou Yun to flee while she pretended ignorance.
• Xie An realizes that Zhou Yun’s marriage to the chief clerk’s adopted daughter was likely motivated by her interest in him—the legitimate eldest son of the Xie Residence. Zhou Yun may have been coerced into the marriage, explaining his unhappiness.
• Xie An, Xie Yu, and Daoist Master Yusu confront Zhou Yun’s wife in her bedroom. Although Xie An expects Yusu to act, the Daoist silently leaves the responsibility to him.
• Xie An enters cautiously, using his Qi-Gazing talent, Withered Abyss, the Taishan Fist, and the Five Animal True Form Diagram to prepare for danger.
• A gray-clad woman suddenly attacks him with a powerful soft sword. She proves to be extremely fast and dangerous, forcing Xie An to fight defensively.
• Lacking a weapon, Xie An uses the door, doorframe, and even a wardrobe as improvised weapons. When the woman attempts to escape, he brings down the entire room by repeatedly striking the walls.
• Xie An retrieves a butcher’s knife and waits for the woman to emerge from the rubble. He orders the frightened maidservant to bring cooking oil, intending to burn the woman out.
• After several buckets of tea seed oil are poured over the ruins, the woman bursts out. Xie An intercepts her, striking her sword with the butcher’s knife and knocking it from her hand, though the knife is broken.
• With the opponent disarmed, Xie An launches the third form of the Taishan Fist, Five Mountains Collapse, and commands her to kneel. The chapter ends as his devastating punch is about to land.

Character Developments

• Xie An: Demonstrates major physical growth after a month of intense training. He can now fight an Organ Tempering expert barehanded and possesses immense strength, speed, and combat instinct. However, he recognizes that he remains vulnerable to weapons and compensates through improvisation and overwhelming force.
• Daoist Master Yusu: Remains calm and detached during the confrontation, refusing to intervene immediately and allowing Xie An to test himself. Her composure contrasts with the danger of the battle.
• Zhou Yun’s wife: Is revealed as an active conspirator rather than a passive bystander. She is highly skilled with a sword, extraordinarily quick, and willing to ambush Xie An and flee when the situation turns against her.
• The maidservant: Is terrified throughout the encounter but obeys Xie An after he threatens her, showing the chaos and intimidation created by the confrontation.
• Zhou Yun: Though absent from the battle, his troubled marriage and possible coercion become clearer, suggesting that his wife’s motives were connected to Xie An’s identity and inheritance.

Significant Themes

• Power gained through hardship: Xie An’s month of training is put into practice for the first time, showing the transition from preparation to real combat.
• Improvisation and adaptability: Xie An’s ability to turn doors, furniture, walls, oil, and a butcher’s knife into weapons emphasizes practical intelligence alongside martial strength.
• Hidden motives and betrayal: The revelation about Zhou Yun’s wife expands the mystery surrounding the Yin Cloth Doll and shows that danger is concealed within seemingly respectable relationships.
• Confidence balanced by caution: Xie An is eager to prove himself but remains aware of his vulnerabilities, especially against blades and surprise attacks.
• Brute force versus refined technique: The woman relies on speed and swordsmanship, while Xie An counters with overwhelming physical power and unconventional tactics.

Character Interactions

• Elder Sister secretly informs Xie An of the wife’s plot, allowing him to understand the relationship between Zhou Yun, his wife, and the Yin Cloth Doll.
• Xie An silently pressures both Xie Yu and Daoist Master Yusu to act, but Yusu returns the responsibility to him.
• Xie An taunts the hidden woman before entering, then engages her in a violent battle involving swordplay, collapsing architecture, and improvised weapons.
• He intimidates the maidservant into helping him flush the woman from the rubble.
• The chapter concludes with Xie An taking control of the fight after disarming his opponent and preparing to crush her with the Five Mountains Collapse technique.

Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie An battles a vicious woman who resembles Qiu Qianchi and appears to be Zhou Yun’s unsettling second wife. She possesses extraordinary physical resilience, including the ability to reset her own broken ribs, and uses a slippery defensive martial art alongside metal-plated, poison-coated fingernails.
• Although Xie An’s strength is greater, her evasive techniques and iron claws make the fight difficult. She repeatedly wounds him while neutralizing most of his attacks.
• The woman claims she only wants a chance to survive, but Xie An tricks her by pretending that Registrar Xu has arrived, then strikes her again with the Taishan Fist.
• She reveals that she placed the Yin Cloth Doll beneath Xie An’s bed and attempts to kill him with a poisoned metal nail. Xie An counters with Withered Abyss, which rots away both the poison and her hand, causing the corruption to spread up her arm.
• To stop the withering, Xie An cuts off her entire right arm with his soft sword. He then threatens her remaining arm and demands to know who ordered the Yin Cloth Doll’s placement.
• The woman insists she acted alone, claiming hatred for Xie An and his family because the Xie Household allegedly hoarded immense stores of grain and silver in famine-stricken Wuqiao Town.
• Skeptical of her explanation, Xie An demands that she create a Yin Cloth Doll on the spot as proof. When she refuses, he cuts off her left arm as well, continuing to press her for the identity of the mastermind.

Character Developments

• Xie An demonstrates superior strength, tactical intelligence, and growing ruthlessness. This is his first true mortal combat, but he remains composed after being stabbed and uses Withered Abyss decisively.
• His methods become increasingly brutal: he deceives the woman, destroys her hand, amputates both arms, and shows no sympathy while seeking information.
• Xie An’s suspicions shift toward Registrar Xu Zhengyang, because of the woman’s connection to him, though he remains cautious and wants definitive evidence before acting.
• The woman is revealed to be highly resilient, desperate, fanatical, and driven by resentment toward the Xie family. Her willingness to sacrifice herself and her refusal to betray her supposed accomplice suggest either extreme loyalty or concealment of the true mastermind.
• Xie An also begins questioning his own family’s hidden wealth and activities, realizing he was apparently unaware of the vast grain and silver reserves allegedly stored in Wuqiao Town.

Significant Themes

• Retribution and moral ambiguity: The woman justifies her attack as revenge for the suffering of Wuqiao’s starving population, raising questions about whether the Xie family’s wealth was acquired through exploitation.
• Violence and coercion: Xie An’s interrogation shows how quickly self-defense turns into ruthless punishment when the truth is withheld.
• Hidden family corruption: The revelation of enormous food and silver reserves suggests that Xie An’s family may possess secrets or bear responsibility for broader social suffering.
• Survival and fanaticism: Both fighters refuse to yield, with the woman relying on pain tolerance and desperation while Xie An relies on overwhelming force and determination.
• Proof versus accusation: Xie An refuses to accept the woman’s claims without evidence, demanding that she demonstrate her connection to the Yin Cloth Doll.

Character Interactions

• Xie An and the woman engage in a tense battle marked by taunts, deception, and mutual threats.
• The woman accuses Xie An’s family of hoarding resources while commoners starve, framing her attack as collective vengeance rather than personal hatred.
• Xie An challenges her claims and repeatedly demands the name of the mastermind behind the Yin Cloth Doll plot.
• His suspicion of Registrar Xu Zhengyang creates an important political and familial tension, since the woman is Xu’s adoptive daughter and Xu is related to Xu Wenjie.

Chapter Summary: “The Xie Household’s Meticulous Plan”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A Shan, a female thief and infiltrator, is captured after attacking or framing the Xie Household. Despite having both arms severed and vomiting blood, she refuses to reveal who is behind her actions. Instead, she taunts Xie An and provokes him to kill her.
• Xie An recognizes that A Shan deliberately wants to die and restrains his anger, deciding to keep her alive because she may help expose the mastermind.
• He devises a plan to use the sword taken from A Shan as bait. Xie An intends to show it to Xu Wenjie, a collector of weapons, and claim that he seized it from a female thief. He expects Xu Wenjie’s uncle, Xu Zhengyang, to recognize the sword and take action, thereby revealing the people connected to A Shan.
• Xie Yu, disguised as Daoist Master Yusu, praises Xie An’s composure, combat ability, and strategic thinking. She realizes that he is becoming capable of acting independently, despite his still-inadequate martial cultivation.
• Xie An admits that this was his first time killing someone. He explains that although he initially felt nervous, he eventually enjoyed the sensation of controlling another person’s fate.
• Xie An spares Osmanthus, a terrified maid who witnessed the events, but orders her to keep silent and brings her into the West Courtyard of the Xie Residence so she can be monitored.
• Xie Yu returns to the Central Courtyard and reports to Xie Zhengtang and Uncle Shui. She explains that Xie An managed the operation almost entirely by himself.
• The family is pleased by Xie An’s growth, but their satisfaction is interrupted when Xie Yu reveals that A Shan knew precise details about the Xie Household’s secret construction of granaries and silver vaults in Wuqiao Town.
• Xie Zhengtang realizes that the information could only have come from a small number of insiders, suggesting that Registrar Xu and possibly Wuqiao Town’s four major clans are involved.

Character Developments

• Xie An: Demonstrates restraint, tactical intelligence, and growing ruthlessness. Rather than kill A Shan impulsively, he recognizes her psychological tactic and develops a long-term plan to draw out her backers. His first killing marks a major step in his transformation into a decisive and potentially formidable heir.
• Xie Yu/Daoist Master Yusu: Moves from protector and martial instructor to an openly approving elder sister. She is deeply impressed by Xie An’s judgment and concludes that he is beginning to stand on his own.
• A Shan: Revealed as fanatically loyal, fearless, and willing to die rather than betray her employer. Her knowledge of the Xie Household’s hidden activities makes her valuable even in captivity.
• Osmanthus: Introduced as a frightened witness who becomes a controlled servant within the Xie Residence rather than being killed.
• Xie Zhengtang and Uncle Shui: Initially worried about the operation, they become proud of Xie An’s maturity but are alarmed by the breach of secrecy surrounding the Wuqiao Town project.

Significant Themes

• Restraint versus impulsiveness: Xie An’s refusal to kill A Shan in anger shows that strategic patience is more valuable than emotional revenge.
• Maturation and succession: Xie An’s first killing and successful handling of the crisis signal that he is growing into his role as the Xie Household’s heir.
• Power and psychological control: The chapter emphasizes the ability to control others’ choices, whether through fear, manipulation, bait, or political pressure.
• Secrecy and betrayal: The Xie Household’s carefully concealed economic plan may have been compromised, introducing a larger conspiracy involving officials and powerful clans.
• Family expectations and approval: Xie Yu and Xie Zhengtang’s pride demonstrates the importance of Xie An proving himself to his family.

Character Interactions

• Xie An and A Shan engage in a psychological confrontation: she attempts to provoke him into granting her death, while he counters by recognizing and exploiting her desire to die.
• Xie An and Xie Yu discuss the failed interrogation and his plan to use the sword as bait. Her questioning allows him to demonstrate his reasoning and composure.
• Xie An reassures and controls Osmanthus, offering her survival in exchange for silence and bringing her under the Xie Household’s supervision.
• Xie Yu reports to Xie Zhengtang and Uncle Shui, correcting their assumption that she was primarily responsible for the night’s success and emphasizing Xie An’s achievements.
• The final exchange between Xie Yu and Xie Zhengtang shifts the mood from pride to concern as the family confronts evidence of a deeper conspiracy against the Xie Household.

Chapter Summary: “Transplanting the Red Sun Saber Technique”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie An returns to the West Courtyard with Osmanthus and the captured assassin, A Shan.
• He orders Li Dao to imprison A Shan in the rear courtyard and sends Qiu Lan to obtain a physician from the Peaceful Medicine Furnace to treat her wounds.
• Reflecting on his fight with A Shan, Xie An recognizes how dangerous the battle was. Although she possessed only Four Barriers Organ Tempering cultivation, her agile swordsmanship, bone-setting technique, evasive movements, and poisoned fingernail made her extremely difficult to defeat.
• Xie An realizes that he survived largely because of Withered Abyss and the unseen protection of Daoist Master Yusu. He concludes that relying on external protection is temporary and that he must strengthen himself.
• He identifies his lack of weapon training as a major weakness and decides to begin cultivating a weapon technique.
• Xie An asks Chen Mo which weapons would suit his great strength and learns that heavy weapons such as sabers, spears, axes, and hammers are appropriate.
• After considering several options, he chooses a heavy straight saber.
• Chen Mo explains the principles required before weapon training, including the inner and outer “three harmonies”: coordinating the body’s joints, hands and feet, heart, intent, qi, and strength.
• She recommends Yongsheng Martial Arts Hall’s strongest saber art, the Red Sun Saber Technique, and writes the entire manual from memory.
• Xie An studies the technique and discovers that it consists of thirteen movements divided among four forms: Tiger-Subduing Stance, Sinking Pressure Stance, Pushing Mountain Form, and Red Sun Form.
• Using the Martial Arts Grand Model, he asks Ten Thousand Questions to calculate the qi-blood cost of transplanting the first stance. The system estimates 1.8 units and Xie An commands it to transplant the Tiger-Subduing Stance.

Character Developments

• Xie An: Becomes more aware of his combat weaknesses and the danger of real battles. His victory over A Shan increases his confidence, but the experience also makes him cautious and determined to become self-reliant. He begins moving from relying on innate physical strength and protective allies toward deliberate martial cultivation.
• Chen Mo: Demonstrates her expertise as a martial arts instructor. She recognizes Xie An’s extraordinary achievement of opening all 485 major tendons and treats him as a rare martial arts prodigy. Her respectful but professional guidance establishes her as an important training resource.
• Daoist Master Yusu: Though she does not directly intervene, her presence as Xie An’s safety net becomes clearer. Her decision to let him face danger suggests that she is intentionally tempering him through practical experience.
• A Shan: Remains captured and wounded after her failed assassination attempt, but her unusual techniques and dangerous methods leave a lasting impression on Xie An.

Significant Themes

• Self-reliance and personal strength: Xie An understands that protection from his family and Daoist Master Yusu cannot last forever. Survival in the chaotic, ghost-haunted world ultimately depends on his own cultivation.
• The danger of real combat: Even a physically superior fighter can be threatened by technique, deception, poison, and mobility. Small mistakes in a life-or-death battle can be fatal.
• The importance of foundations: Chen Mo emphasizes that weapons are extensions of the body and cannot be mastered without proper coordination, body methods, grappling, intent, qi, and strength.
• Innate talent versus disciplined training: Xie An possesses extraordinary physical potential, having opened every major tendon, but he still needs specialized training to convert that potential into effective combat ability.
• Practical adaptation: Rather than choosing a weapon based only on appearance or prestige, Xie An evaluates which one best matches his physique and strength.

Character Interactions

• Xie An and his servants: He gives Li Dao and Qiu Lan direct orders regarding A Shan’s imprisonment and treatment, showing his authority and concern for maintaining control after the attack.
• Xie An and Chen Mo: Their conversation shifts from weapon selection to martial theory. Xie An respects Chen Mo’s expertise, while her astonishment at his physical foundation deepens her respect for him.
• Xie An and Daoist Master Yusu: Although they do not interact directly in the chapter, Xie An reflects on her deliberate decision not to interfere in his battle. He accepts her harsh but effective teaching style.
• Xie An and the Martial Arts Grand Model: Xie An uses the system to bypass the long training period normally required for the Red Sun Saber Technique, beginning with the transplantation of the Tiger-Subduing Stance.

Chapter Summary: “Bearing Great Fortune”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xie An successfully transplants the first form of the Red Sun Saber Technique, using a tremendous amount of blood and qi and leaving him temporarily weakened.
• Through the Ten Thousand Questions system, he experiences years of simulated saber training and masters the Tiger-Subduing Stance, the technique’s opening form.
• After recovering with a Vital Blood Pill, Xie An tests the form despite not yet having a saber, then decides he needs a real weapon.
• He obtains Li Dao’s ordinary thirteen-jin broadsaber and asks Chen Mo to spar with him.
• Chen Mo warns him about the dangers of saber techniques, but Xie An immediately executes the Tiger-Subduing Stance with astonishing precision and power.
• Chen Mo effortlessly deflects his attacks with a flick of her finger, demonstrating the overwhelming strength of a Manifest Force Martial Master.
• Xie An repeatedly attacks, combining the Red Sun Saber Technique with Taishan Fist and the Five True Forms. Chen Mo gradually realizes that his physical strength and martial mastery are far beyond what should be possible for someone at his stage.
• She recognizes that Xie An has already mastered all Five True Forms and appears to have gained complete proficiency in the saber technique almost instantly.
• Believing he may possess legendary Awakening Enlightenment or extraordinary natural fortune, Chen Mo’s admiration and respect for him increase greatly.
• Xie An, focused only on becoming strong enough to protect himself, decides to use Chen Mo as a training partner. He then activates Withered Abyss through his saber strike to test whether the technique can injure a Manifest Force expert.

Character Developments

• Xie An: Demonstrates terrifying learning speed, physical power, and combat adaptability. He becomes more confident in exploiting his advantages and is willing to test dangerous techniques against stronger opponents. His primary motivation remains self-protection.
• Chen Mo: Begins as a cautious instructor concerned about Xie An’s safety, but becomes shocked and deeply impressed by his talent. She starts viewing him as someone blessed with extraordinary martial fortune.
• Li Dao: Remains protective and cautious toward Xie An, warning him about the dangers of wielding a saber, though he ultimately lends him his weapon.
• Uncle Shui’s influence: By assigning Chen Mo as Xie An’s sparring partner, he indirectly gives Xie An access to an ideal training opponent and trusted protector.

Significant Themes

• Extraordinary talent and enlightenment: Xie An’s instant mastery challenges ordinary ideas about cultivation and suggests he may possess rare, almost legendary insight.
• Practical use of power: Rather than hiding his abilities, Xie An deliberately seeks strong opponents and uses sparring to accelerate his growth.
• Strength and self-protection: His rapid progress is driven less by ambition or glory than by fear of danger and the need to protect himself.
• Respect earned through ability: Chen Mo’s attitude changes as Xie An’s actions prove that his apparent weakness and inexperience conceal exceptional power.
• Dangerous martial arts: The chapter emphasizes that saber techniques require precise control and can injure both the opponent and the practitioner.

Important Character Interactions

• Xie An and Chen Mo: Their sparring session becomes the chapter’s central interaction. Chen Mo initially intends to teach him gradually, but Xie An forces her to recognize his unusual mastery. He treats her as a safe but powerful test opponent.
• Xie An and Li Dao: Xie An orders Li Dao to hand over his broadsaber, while Li Dao warns him against using a deadly weapon without training.
• Xie An and Withered Abyss: By activating the technique during Chen Mo’s defensive finger flick, Xie An deliberately tests whether this mysterious ability can penetrate the defenses of a Manifest Force Martial Master.