Chapter Summaries

Kunpeng trapped everyone in the restaurant with the Water-Moon Mirror and revealed himself as the Primordial Great Demon. The Queen Mother recognized the danger, while Qin Fen’s question about Kunpeng being struck by lightning further enraged him.

• Kunpeng’s devilish energy engulfed the restaurant, cutting it off from the outside and disabling its lights, devices, and phone signals.
• Kunpeng used the Water-Moon Mirror to freeze the mortals and prevent anyone from leaving.
• The Queen Mother identified the mirror as a projection of the Underworld’s Water-Moon Mirror, a treasure belonging to the Heavenly Dao.
• Kunpeng attacked by drawing in light and darkening the space, and the Queen Mother recognized him as the Primordial Great Demon.
• Qin Fen asked whether Kunpeng had been struck dead by lightning, provoking Kunpeng’s fury.

Kunpeng fell into demonic corruption again, and the Heavenly Demon empowered him as he confronted Qin Fen and the Queen Mother. When Kunpeng’s demoness ally attacked, Qin Fen declared that she could not exist, and his words erased her.

• Qin Fen’s taunts stirred Kunpeng’s demonic nature, allowing the Heavenly Demon to restore and amplify Kunpeng’s power.
• Kunpeng summoned a doll-like demoness and ordered her to occupy the Queen Mother while he attacked Qin Fen.
• The Queen Mother warned Qin Fen to flee, but he told her to leave instead, and they expressed their willingness to face death together.
• Qin Fen called the demoness Sadako and declared that she did not exist, causing her to turn to ash and vanish.

Kunpeng attacked Qin Fen and the Queen Mother after deciding that the demoness’s death had been a coincidence, while the Primordial Heavenly Demon broke out of his prison and possessed him. The Heavenly Demon recognized Qin Fen and realized Kunpeng had brought it face-to-face with him.

• The demoness vanished after Qin Fen said he did not believe she existed, leaving the Queen Mother and Kunpeng baffled while Qin Fen denied causing her death.
• Kunpeng regained confidence, attacked Qin Fen with demonic energy, and forced the Queen Mother to block the strike with the Heaven-Measuring Ruler.
• Kunpeng revealed his demonic transformation and gathered power through the Water-Moon Mirror as the Queen Mother recognized the danger.
• The Primordial Heavenly Demon tore open its prison and emerged, while Qin Fen’s storage-ring hand twitched before settling down.
• The Queen Mother urged Qin Fen to flee, but the Heavenly Demon recognized him and cursed Kunpeng for bringing it into contact with him.

Qin Fen accidentally summoned the Primordial Heavenly Demon back into his phone by pretending to be his father, then summoned the Haotian Tower against Kunpeng. A notification announced that the Demon-Subduing Set was complete and unlocked the Pokémon GO Trial Version.

• The Heavenly Demon recognized Qin Fen and panicked, while Kunpeng urged him to help kill the Queen Mother and Dongwang Gong.
• Qin Fen greeted the Heavenly Demon and called him his son, inviting him home for dinner.
• The Heavenly Demon was pulled away from Kunpeng and returned to Qin Fen’s phone.
• Kunpeng realized Qin Fen was the true danger, and the Haotian Tower appeared before him.
• A notification told Qin Fen that the Primordial Great Demon had been detected, the Demon-Subduing Set was complete, and the Pokémon GO Trial Version had unlocked.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Kunpeng is cornered by Qin Fen’s Haotian Tower. Without the Heavenly Demon’s support, he realizes that his overwhelming advantage has vanished and that he is now vulnerable to being captured.
• Qin Fen activates the Haotian Tower, whose golden light immobilizes Kunpeng and begins pulling him inside.
• At the same time, the Water-Moon Mirror responds to Qin Fen’s grasp of the tower. His phone scans it and announces that it is the core component of the Sin Mirror Platform, activating a new “sign-in” feature.
• Confused, Kunpeng charges at Qin Fen but strikes the Pangu Axe hidden within or associated with the phone, knocking himself unconscious.
• The Haotian Tower successfully captures and shrinks Kunpeng before flying into Qin Fen’s hand.
• Almost immediately, WeChat absorbs the tower and converts it into another Pokémon GO-style game function, just as it previously did with the Demon Refining Pot. Qin Fen loses the physical treasure before he can properly use it.
• The spatial disturbance caused by the battle freezes everyone nearby. Qin Fen tries to restore normality by slapping the Water-Moon Mirror. Surprisingly, this works, and the surrounding customers begin moving again.
• The mirror speaks after being struck, complaining about what happened and asking where the “lunatic” Kunpeng went.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen continues to gain immense power and treasures without fully understanding how to use them. Despite possessing artifacts capable of defeating or imprisoning a Primordial Great Demon, he remains unfamiliar with spells and relies on improvised, mundane solutions.
• His phone and WeChat become increasingly powerful and mysterious, absorbing divine treasures and transforming them into digital-game or social-media functions.
• Kunpeng suffers a humiliating reversal. He goes from believing himself nearly invincible to being unconscious, captured, and converted into a game-related acquisition.
• Queen Mother becomes increasingly bewildered by Qin Fen. She recognizes his overwhelming strength but is frustrated by his lack of common sense and his casual treatment of priceless magical artifacts.
• The Heavenly Dao realizes that its attempts to strengthen Kunpeng have only benefited Qin Fen. It regrets granting Qin Fen the Water-Moon Mirror, since doing so gives him access to the Sin Mirror Platform and greater authority over the Six Paths.

Significant Themes

• Power through absurdity and unintended consequences: Qin Fen gains treasures not through planning or expertise, but through accidental interactions with his phone and WeChat.
• Reversal of fortunes: Kunpeng’s position changes instantly from dominant predator to helpless captive.
• Bureaucratic and technological parody: Divine treasures are reinterpreted as smartphone applications, notifications, Pokémon GO mechanics, and sign-in features.
• The Heavenly Dao’s loss of control: Its attempts to manipulate events repeatedly strengthen Qin Fen instead, turning the supposed “Benefactor Boy” into a source of cosmic frustration.
• Appearance versus reality: Qin Fen looks calm and confident, but he is genuinely confused and inexperienced. Queen Mother mistakes his bewilderment for deliberate composure.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen and Kunpeng: Kunpeng curses Qin Fen for pretending to be calm, then accidentally knocks himself out by charging into the Pangu Axe. Qin Fen ultimately captures him with the Haotian Tower.
• Qin Fen and Queen Mother: Queen Mother repeatedly questions Qin Fen’s strange methods and tries to guide him, especially by suggesting he search for inscriptions on the mirror. Qin Fen’s casual response—that he solved the problem by hitting it like an old television—leaves her even more exasperated.
• Qin Fen and the Water-Moon Mirror: The mirror becomes linked to Qin Fen’s phone and activates the Sin Mirror Platform. After Qin Fen slaps it, it recovers and speaks, creating a bizarrely informal exchange between a divine artifact and its new owner.
• Qin Fen and the Heavenly Dao: Though they do not directly converse in this scene, the Heavenly Dao views Qin Fen as an uncontrollable beneficiary who keeps turning its schemes and gifts against it.

Qin Fen matched with Lucifer on WeChat and casually urged him to take a vacation, not realizing Lucifer was Hell’s ruler. The Wish Stone brought Lucifer to the Mortal Realm, leaving the Heavenly Dao distraught over the chaos threatening the Hell Path.

• The Queen Mother reflected on how Qin Fen’s powers and the Sin Mirror Platform had ended up together, while the restaurant owner resumed service with a discount after the apparent danger passed.
• Qin Fen told Sun Yujie that a woman had invited him onto a show and said he expected news about the Robot Competition soon.
• Qin Fen matched with a Mortal Realm user posing as Ziwei, who asked to borrow a condom, and he told the user to scram.
• Qin Fen matched with Morning Star, who said he watched over a place for his father and wanted time to see the world.
• Qin Fen advised Morning Star to leave his duties to his underlings and take a few days off, and the Wish Stone transported Lucifer to the Mortal Realm.
• The Heavenly Dao panicked because Lucifer’s absence threatened the Hell Path and the order of the Six Paths.

Qin Fen encouraged Lucifer to leave Hell for a vacation, and a Wish Stone shattered as a heavenly stairway appeared. After Lucifer departed, Qin Fen put down his phone and plunged Hell into darkness, prompting the demon kings to fear an invasion by Extraterritorial Celestial Demons.

• Lucifer hesitated to leave Hell because he feared the demon kings would cause trouble, but Qin Fen urged him to go explore and clear his mind.
• A Wish Stone in Qin Fen's ring shattered, and a heavenly stairway appeared in Hell; Lucifer mistook it for a sign from his father and decided to take Mai Zi on vacation.
• Lucifer and Mai Zi left, and the demon kings wondered how he had escaped Hell's restrictions.
• An enormous figure appeared above Hell, and Qin Fen put down his phone as darkness and silence engulfed the realm.
• Samael shouted that Extraterritorial Celestial Demons were invading, throwing Hell into chaos.

After Qin Fen’s stunt stirred chaos in Hell and the Underworld, Lucifer and Mai Zi arrived in China and tried to find a way to make money. The chapter ended with Qin Fen’s new Pokémon GO app identifying Mai Zi as a “seasoned pro.”

• A jailer reported that agitated souls were overwhelming the Underworld’s understaffed forces, and Lu Pan suspected Huang Feihu was obstructing help from Mount Tai.
• Lucifer and Mai Zi appeared in a Chinese city, where Lucifer used his powers to question a young man about what was popular.
• Lucifer abandoned his plan to open a brothel after learning it was illegal and considered investing in a big-sword business instead.
• The young man directed Lucifer and Mai Zi to a foot-massage club, leaving Lucifer furious when he realized he had been mocked.
• Qin Fen’s Pokémon GO app detected Mai Zi and described her as a genuine “seasoned pro.”

Qin Fen mistook Mai Zi for a Pokémon, then captured the Eastern Ghost Emperor by throwing Poké Balls at a jelly-like creature. The Eastern Ghost Emperor vanished before reaching Yin Mountain, leaving Ksitigarbha uneasy as the Underworld crisis continued.

• Qin Fen followed a Pokémon alert and mistook Mai Zi for a catchable target, but hesitated when he realized she was a real person.
• Ksitigarbha and Lu Pan struggled to contain the Underworld unrest as departed souls absorbed negative emotions and the Ghost Emperors delayed their aid.
• The Eastern Ghost Emperor told his brothers that the Mount Tai Lineage would use the crisis to regain influence and demand Huang Feihu’s Divine Office back.
• Qin Fen threw his three Poké Balls at a jelly-like creature, accidentally capturing the traveling Eastern Ghost Emperor instead.
• Ksitigarbha learned that the Eastern Ghost Emperor had not arrived and feared that something terrible was about to happen in the Underworld.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen examines the Pokémon-style game after capturing the Eastern Ghost Emperor. The capture device, originally transformed from WeChat, resembles the legendary Haotian Tower, making Qin Fen worry that he has once again damaged a Primordial Supreme Treasure.
• The captured Eastern Ghost Emperor appears as an ugly, jelly-like creature in a “wild” form with poor growth potential. Qin Fen is disappointed that his first capture is weak and has no starter supplies or candies.
• While exploring the game’s map, Qin Fen finds no additional ghosts but discovers a stinky-tofu vendor whose presence is strangely reflected inside the game.
• After purchasing stinky tofu, the food vanishes from Qin Fen’s hand and is transmitted into the game. He assumes it can be used to train or feed the Ghost Emperor.
• The Eastern Ghost Emperor is forcibly fed the tofu. The food causes severe discomfort, lowers his growth progress, and gives him diarrhea. The Heavenly Dao watches and mocks Qin Fen’s incompetence.
• Believing the Ghost Emperor to be useless, Qin Fen releases him through the game’s transfer function, expecting to receive candies or another reward.
• Releasing the Ghost Emperor unexpectedly restores him to freedom and triggers a heavenly merit event. Qin Fen receives a large Merit reward, while the Heavenly Dao is forced to pay for it through the game’s system.
• Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao are horrified that Qin Fen has manipulated the situation into becoming a meritorious act, effectively portraying Dongwang Gong as rescuing the Ghost Emperor.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen remains reckless, opportunistic, and completely unfamiliar with the game mechanics. His ignorance leads him to use stinky tofu as training food and discard the Ghost Emperor, but his actions accidentally produce enormous benefits.
• The Eastern Ghost Emperor is portrayed as a helpless victim. Already reduced to a childish and underdeveloped state, he is captured, force-fed terrible food, suffers physical distress, and is finally released without understanding why this happened.
• The Heavenly Dao becomes increasingly exasperated and helpless. It recognizes Qin Fen’s stupidity but is forced to honor the game’s mechanics and pay the resulting Merit compensation.
• Hongjun reacts with disbelief and frustration, realizing that Qin Fen has once again exploited the Heavenly Court’s rules through shameless luck and trickery.

Significant Themes

• Accidental fortune through ignorance: Qin Fen’s lack of knowledge repeatedly causes disasters, but those same mistakes generate unexpected advantages.
• Exploitation of heavenly rules: The chapter humorously shows Qin Fen turning ordinary game mechanics into cosmic events with real consequences.
• Powerlessness of divine authorities: Even the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun cannot simply override the rules once the system recognizes an action as legitimate.
• Satire of game mechanics: Capturing, feeding, transferring, growth bars, rewards, and top-ups are exaggerated into metaphysical events involving gods, Merit, and destiny.
• Humor through suffering and misunderstanding: The Ghost Emperor’s forced feeding and punishment contrast with Qin Fen’s casual attempts to “train” him, creating much of the chapter’s comedy.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen interacts with the stinky-tofu vendor and unknowingly turns her food into an item within the game.
• Qin Fen’s actions directly torment the Eastern Ghost Emperor, who cannot resist the game’s forced feeding or transfer functions.
• The Heavenly Dao observes and comments on Qin Fen’s behavior, repeatedly calling him an idiot while being unable to stop him.
• Hongjun and the Heavenly Dao react in outrage after Qin Fen’s release of the Ghost Emperor is interpreted as Dongwang Gong performing a meritorious rescue.
• The chapter ends with Qin Fen benefiting financially through Merit while the Heavenly Dao and Hongjun are left frustrated by his absurdly successful manipulation.

Chapter Summary: “Return, and the Foreigners Were Furious”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen considers exploiting the Pokémon game’s loopholes to earn Merit and become wealthy, horrifying Heavenly Dao with his reckless ideas.
• He casually plays Pokémon on his Huawei phone while Queen Mother and her sister observe, reinforcing his carefree, unconventional attitude.
• Qin Fen leaves without checking on the tea party’s outcome, continuing his habitual “hands-off” approach to major events. Heavenly Dao, increasingly exasperated by him, disappears.
• A group connected to the Robot Wars production arrives to persuade Qin Fen to return:
  • Director Liu,
  • Jed, Qin Fen’s rival and a competing designer,
  • a senior Magic City official,
  • and a television-station representative.
• The Robot Wars organizers urgently need Qin Fen because the European side, particularly the Queen and Benedict, refuses to proceed without him. The Chinese authorities therefore make a personal effort to bring him back.
• The senior official apologizes for Qin Fen’s treatment, praises the importance of his Mechanism Arts, and promises to reprimand Director Liu. By acknowledging Qin Fen’s grievances and appealing to his sense of national pride, he gives Qin Fen a dignified reason to return.
• Qin Fen initially remains deliberately noncommittal, but the official’s appeal to promote Yan-Huang civilization and preserve traditional crafts persuades him. He agrees to consider returning.
• A wealthy European military-industrial company owner then arrives with his family. Recognizing Qin Fen from a previous mountain-rescue incident, he learns that Qin Fen withdrew from Robot Wars and immediately blames Jed for mishandling the situation.
• Qin Fen truthfully explains that Jed had not found him initially. The foreign businessman interprets this as a work failure, scolds Jed, and orders him to explain himself to Qin Fen.
• Jed is unfairly saddled with the blame despite having tried to persuade Qin Fen to stay. Qin Fen insists he did not deliberately cause trouble, but his blunt honesty effectively makes the situation worse for Jed.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen: Remains playful, shamelessly relaxed, and skilled at using others’ attempts to appease him. Although he pretends indifference, he still cares about representing Yan-Huang civilization and ultimately becomes willing to return.
• Heavenly Dao: Becomes increasingly frustrated and fearful of Qin Fen’s unpredictable behavior, especially his ability to disrupt serious matters while treating them like games.
• Director Liu: Is embarrassed and anxious, knowing that Qin Fen’s withdrawal threatens the entire production. He is forced to accept criticism from his superior.
• Jed: Revealed as Qin Fen’s rival but also one of the people most eager for Qin Fen to return. Despite this, he becomes the scapegoat for the organizers’ mishandling of Qin Fen.
• The senior Magic City official: Demonstrates political tact, apologizing personally, flattering Qin Fen, and appealing to both his pride and patriotism.
• The European businessman: Shows that his priority is not only the competition but also obtaining Qin Fen’s cooking, since he wants to help his son Frank’s anorexia. His eagerness leads him to punish Jed without understanding the full situation.
• Queen Mother and her sister: Continue observing Qin Fen’s strange behavior with curiosity and amusement, with the sister-in-law recognizing his talent for causing trouble indirectly.

Significant Themes

• Qin Fen’s unpredictability: His casual, game-like attitude contrasts sharply with the seriousness others attach to him and his abilities.
• Face and diplomacy: The official succeeds by apologizing and giving Qin Fen an honorable way to return instead of directly pressuring him.
• National pride and cultural preservation: Qin Fen is persuaded by the opportunity to showcase Yan-Huang civilization and traditional crafts internationally.
• Miscommunication and scapegoating: Jed is blamed because Qin Fen’s incomplete explanation is interpreted in the worst possible way.
• Powerful people catering to Qin Fen: Authorities, competitors, and foreign businessmen all accommodate him because the Robot Wars project depends heavily on his participation.
• Humor through unintended consequences: Qin Fen’s truthful remarks and apparent innocence repeatedly create chaos, especially for Jed and Heavenly Dao.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen’s irreverent behavior frustrates Heavenly Dao, who sees him as an uncontrollable variable.
• The senior official politely negotiates with Qin Fen, apologizing for Director Liu and persuading him through respect and patriotism.
• Director Liu and Jed anxiously await Qin Fen’s decision, while Qin Fen deliberately withholds a clear answer to maintain leverage.
• The European businessman greets the official, recognizes Qin Fen, and angrily confronts Jed.
• Qin Fen attempts to defend Jed by clarifying the facts, but his honesty causes the businessman to criticize Jed even more severely.
• The sister-in-law silently recognizes Qin Fen’s ability to “fire shots from the shadows,” highlighting how effortlessly he manipulates situations without appearing to do so.

Chapter Summary: “Combat Chamber! Turmoil in the Underworld Again”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A middle-aged leader decides that Qin Fen will return to the robotics exhibition, ordering Director Liu to accompany him. Director Liu is frustrated because he dislikes Qin Fen but cannot oppose the leader’s decision.
• Jed is relieved by Qin Fen’s return, though he still hopes to use the situation to gain influence by undermining Big Chef.
• Little Frank, impressed that Qin Fen is both a chef and a Robot Wars competitor, volunteers to guide him through the Combat Chamber and introduce him to the competing teams.
• The group visits the enormous Combat Chamber, a glass arena filled with electric saws, pneumatic hammers, cutting belts, rising blades, flame jets, ramps, and other hazards. Robots earn or lose points depending on their performance and how they trigger the arena’s traps.
• Qin Fen is fascinated by the scale and violence of the competition. Unlike the small, harmless robots he remembers from childhood, these machines are heavily armored weapons designed for direct combat.
• Frank introduces Qin Fen to several powerful foreign teams:
  • Blue Sword, a tracked robot with lifting prongs and a powerful spike capable of piercing enemy machinery.
  • Storm, a flat, blade-equipped robot famous for brutally tearing opponents apart.
  • Other designs include shoveling robots, rotating weapons, hammers, axes, and even fire-spraying drones.
• Frank explains that modern combat robots favor low, heavy, stable wheeled or tracked designs over humanoid robots, which are slower, taller, less stable, and easier to disable.
• Little Huang happily reunites with Qin Fen and brings him to see their own team’s robot. Their machine is a crude, oversized, trash-can-like vehicle with a circular blade and a possible flamethrower, making Qin Fen immediately doubt its practicality.
• Before Qin Fen can comment, his phone receives an urgent message: “Amitabha, Teacher, something huge has happened in the Underworld!” This creates a cliffhanger and signals a return to the chapter’s larger supernatural conflict.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen becomes increasingly interested in Robot Wars. His childhood admiration for robot knights returns, though he recognizes that modern engineering has moved toward practical, low-profile combat machines. His technical awareness also allows him to immediately notice the weaknesses in his own team’s robot.
• Director Liu remains resentful toward Qin Fen but is forced to cooperate with him. His irritation is mixed with helplessness, since he must obey the leader while anticipating that others will misunderstand his role.
• Jed continues to pursue personal advancement through political maneuvering. Although unhappy with Qin Fen’s return, he remains patient and hopes to benefit from future conflict.
• Little Frank shows great enthusiasm, confidence, and technical knowledge. He acts as Qin Fen’s guide and treats him as a respected older brother and fellow competitor.
• Little Huang is relieved and excited by Qin Fen’s return, viewing him as the team’s backbone and a source of hope after struggling near the bottom of the rankings.
• Qin Fen’s domestic team is revealed to be inexperienced and poorly equipped compared with the foreign competitors, emphasizing the gap between their preparation and that of established teams.

Significant Themes

• Technology as national strength: Qin Fen recognizes that robotics reflects not merely entertainment or engineering skill, but a country’s industrial capacity, innovation, materials, and overall technological power.
• Practicality versus nostalgia: Qin Fen admires the humanoid robot knights of his childhood, but modern competition favors efficient, stable, and destructive designs rather than impressive appearances.
• Competition and hidden power struggles: The robotics tournament is presented as both a literal battle between machines and a political contest involving sponsors, reputations, and personal ambitions.
• Inadequacy versus expertise: The contrast between sophisticated foreign robots and the domestic team’s crude machine highlights the importance of preparation, resources, and technical knowledge.
• Sudden disruption: The final message about trouble in the Underworld shifts the story from technological competition back toward supernatural danger, reinforcing the chapter’s recurring blend of ordinary events and larger crises.

Character Interactions

• The leader forces Director Liu and Qin Fen into cooperation, while Jed observes the situation and privately calculates how to benefit.
• Frank enthusiastically bonds with Qin Fen, leading him through the arena and explaining the strengths of the various robots.
• Qin Fen responds warmly to Frank, encouraging the boy while absorbing his knowledge.
• Frank and Qin Fen discuss the evolution of robot design, with Qin Fen expressing fondness for humanoid machines and Frank explaining why they have become obsolete.
• Little Huang greets Qin Fen excitedly and presents the team’s poorly designed robot, setting up Qin Fen’s likely intervention.
• The urgent Underworld message interrupts the tour just as Qin Fen is about to assess or criticize the team’s machine.

Qin Fen was summoned to an Underworld leadership meeting after departed souls rioted across the Eighteen Levels of Hell, overwhelming the officials. The Eastern Ghost Emperor arrived with Zhang Tianshi to boast of reinforcements, but Qin Fen’s deliberate-sounding mishearing left the meeting in awkward silence.

• Ksitigarbha told Qin Fen that agitated departed souls were demanding better food, entertainment, and more reincarnation slots, so Qin Fen called a meeting.
• Qin Fen appeared at Yin Mountain Palace and heard Lu Pan and the Ten Yama Kings report that they lacked the manpower to control the unrest.
• Three Ghost Emperors arrived late, and Qin Fen grew frustrated when they offered no immediate help.
• The Eastern Ghost Emperor arrived with Zhang Tianshi, claiming he had brought reinforcements and introducing the celestial master as his newly intimate friend.
• Qin Fen joked that the Eastern Ghost Emperor and Zhang Tianshi had an indecent relationship, leaving the officials speechless and Zhang Tianshi moving away from the Ghost Emperor.

Chapter Summary: “Who Was Giving Whom a Show of Force?”

Key plot points and events

The Four Great Ghost Emperors intend to use the Eastern Ghost Emperor’s prestigious reinforcement—Celestial Master Zhang Tianshi—to intimidate Qin Fen. Instead, Qin Fen makes a crude remark implying that the Eastern Ghost Emperor and Zhang Tianshi have a sexual relationship. The remark completely derails the planned show of force, drawing everyone’s attention to the supposed relationship rather than the Celestial Master’s arrival.
Zhang Tianshi and the Eastern Ghost Emperor attempt to clarify that they are merely long-standing associates who once conducted official transactions between the Celestial Master lineage and the Underworld. Qin Fen innocently rephrases their explanations, repeatedly creating even more suggestive interpretations. When Zhang Tianshi explains that their exchanges were infrequent but involved large quantities, and the Eastern Ghost Emperor confirms that his “demand was great,” the entire hall becomes convinced of the scandalous interpretation.

Character developments

• Qin Fen/Dongwang Gong appears calm, harmless, and genuinely confused, but demonstrates an extraordinary talent for manipulating conversations and embarrassing powerful figures without seeming to do so intentionally. Even Zhang Tianshi recognizes that Qin Fen is far more dangerous and difficult to deal with than expected.
• The Eastern Ghost Emperor becomes humiliated and furious after being placed at the center of gossip. His attempt to defend himself only worsens the situation.
• Zhang Tianshi begins confidently, believing he can explain the truth, but gradually realizes that every clarification sounds incriminating. He develops a new respect—and fear—for Qin Fen’s cunning.
• Ksitigarbha and the surrounding officials observe the exchange with amusement and disbelief, while the jailer eventually bursts out laughing.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes the contrast between intention and outcome: the Ghost Emperors’ carefully planned intimidation succeeds only in attracting attention, but for an entirely different reason. It also highlights miscommunication, double meanings, and social embarrassment, showing how easily factual statements can become damaging when framed suggestively. Another important theme is Qin Fen’s unpredictable power: his apparent innocence makes him nearly impossible to defend against.

Character interactions

Qin Fen verbally spars with the Eastern Ghost Emperor and Zhang Tianshi, repeatedly forcing them to explain their past dealings. Zhang Tianshi and the Eastern Ghost Emperor confirm that the Celestial Master lineage and the Underworld once exchanged talismans and Underworld products, especially before the Immortal-Mortal Separation. Their sincere explanations—particularly references to large transactions and the Eastern Emperor’s considerable “demand”—are misinterpreted by everyone present. Ksitigarbha’s Buddhist School is indirectly blamed for ending the old cooperation, while the assembled officials silently judge the two embarrassed men.

The Four Great Ghost Emperors tried to use Zhang Daoling and the other Celestial Masters to pressure Qin Fen into welcoming Huang Feihu back, but their plan collapsed amid public embarrassment. Zhang Daoling instead pledged his help directly to Qin Fen, leaving the Ghost Emperors without the leverage they had sought.

• The Four Great Ghost Emperors’ attempt to showcase the Mount Tai Lineage’s importance backfired, and Zhang Tianshi reconsidered whether he should stand with them.
• The Eastern Ghost Emperor confronted Qin Fen for treating the meeting as a joke, and the other three Ghost Emperors joined in demanding that he address serious matters.
• Zhang Daoling, unsettled by Qin Fen’s attention, urged the Ghost Emperors to calm down and bowed to Qin Fen.
• Zhang Daoling promised to gather his disciples and contact the other two Celestial Masters so they could help the Underworld.
• Qin Fen thanked Zhang Daoling, while the Four Great Ghost Emperors realized their supposed reinforcement had come to serve Qin Fen instead.

Qin Fen gained the Underworld reinforcements Zhang Daoling had recruited, and the Underworld’s leaders pledged themselves to his command. The Four Great Ghost Emperors realized their attempt to undermine him had strengthened his position, but resolved to keep fighting for Huang Feihu.

• Qin Fen politely acknowledged the trouble Zhang Daoling had gone to, while Zhang Daoling declared himself eager to serve him.
• Zhang Daoling promised to bring in the other celestial masters, and Ksitigarbha thanked him for helping ease the Underworld’s manpower shortage.
• Lu Pan asked Zhang Daoling about the remaining reinforcements, and Zhang Daoling assured him there would be no problems.
• The Ten Yama Kings, Ksitigarbha, and crowds gathered outside the palace bowed to Qin Fen and asked for his instructions.
• The Four Great Ghost Emperors recognized that Qin Fen’s authority had grown and that their first step had backfired.
• The Four Great Ghost Emperors resolved to keep opposing Qin Fen to save Huang Feihu, and the Eastern Ghost Emperor fixed his hostility on Big Chef.

Qin Fen tried to calm unrest among the Underworld’s souls by offering new games, sports, and self-service karaoke, then sought to keep the Four Great Ghost Emperors as extra staff. When they invoked the Heavenly Laws to refuse, Qin Fen unexpectedly agreed to follow them, leaving his next move unclear.

• Lu Pan listed the souls’ demands for more entertainment, better food, and more reincarnation slots, and Qin Fen proposed adding games, sports, karaoke, and work classes.
• The Eastern Ghost Emperor objected to karaoke, but Qin Fen explained it would be self-service singing to help souls vent their energy.
• Qin Fen said the Underworld needed more personnel and tried to stop the Four Great Ghost Emperors from leaving.
• The Four Great Ghost Emperors insisted that the Heavenly Laws restricted them to patrolling Mount Tai’s surroundings and said they could not serve permanently in the Underworld.
• Qin Fen calmly agreed to follow the Heavenly Laws, surprising everyone, then tossed away his cigarette butt and smiled.

Qin Fen challenged the Four Great Ghost Emperors over their claims to Mount Tai and refused to let the meeting end, while the Eastern Ghost Emperor struggled with severe diarrhea. The Eastern Ghost Emperor remained trapped in the meeting and urged Qin Fen to continue.

• Qin Fen asked whether Mount Tai still existed, reminding the Four Great Ghost Emperors that the original Mount Tai was in the Mortal Realm.
• The Eastern Ghost Emperor defended Mount Tai's remaining standing, but Qin Fen's skeptical response left the Ghost Emperors stung and unable to answer.
• The Eastern Ghost Emperor tried to leave because Qin Fen's stinky tofu had given him diarrhea, but Qin Fen insisted that he was still chairing the meeting.
• Zhang Tianshi suggested that everyone sit down and talk, but the Eastern Ghost Emperor feared sitting would make him lose control and told Qin Fen to get on with it.

Qin Fen called a meeting amid the Underworld’s turmoil and announced a new attendance and merit-tracking policy for its registered divine staff and imprisoned souls. The Eastern Ghost Emperor struggled to endure the meeting and his urgent need to use the toilet as Qin Fen explained the rules.

• Qin Fen said he had not decided what to do, frustrating the Ten Yama Kings and the Eastern Ghost Emperor, who urgently wanted the meeting to end.
• The Eastern Ghost Emperor challenged Qin Fen, while Zhang Tianshi offered to summon Celestial Masters Dao disciples to cover for him, but the Eastern Ghost Emperor rejected the offer.
• Qin Fen’s remark about the emperor not being worried enraged the Eastern Ghost Emperor, and his three brothers restrained him before he could confront Qin Fen.
• Qin Fen announced that all officially registered Underworld personnel would have to check in and clock in through the Sin Mirror Platform.
• Qin Fen said staff would take departed souls and imprisoned souls through the system, which would report merit to Heaven and increase punishments for troublemakers.

Chapter Summary: “Agreement, Despair! A Deadly Trap”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Qin Fen proposes introducing a check-in and post-responsibility system in the Underworld. The system is intended to improve supervision, encourage work, connect labor with Merit rewards, and identify troublemakers.
• Most Underworld officials—including the Ten Yama Kings, the Four Great Yin Spirits, the Judges, and Ksitigarbha—agree immediately. They see the policy as a natural extension of Qin Fen’s reforms, such as labor programs, entertainment, and reemployment.
• The three Ghost Emperors oppose the proposal because they fear that daily check-ins at Yin Mountain will effectively force the Mount Tai Lineage and its subordinates to relocate under Qin Fen’s control. They suspect the policy is a disguised attempt to absorb their forces.
• Qin Fen claims that permanent residence is unnecessary and that merely checking in will suffice. The Ghost Emperors remain suspicious and continue refusing.
• The Eastern Ghost Emperor unexpectedly agrees, hoping to end the argument and believing that checking in is only a minor inconvenience. His brothers misunderstand his intentions and continue resisting.
• The Eastern Ghost Emperor desperately tries to stop the Southern Ghost Emperor from rejecting the proposal, even physically covering his mouth. The other Ghost Emperors restrain him, creating a farcical conflict among the brothers.
• Before they can settle the matter, the Sin Mirror Platform activates its check-in function. Notifications announce that Ksitigarbha, Ox-Head, Horse-Face, the Yama Kings, Lu Pan, and countless other Yin Spirits have checked in.
• The activation triggers an enormous supernatural reaction. Golden light fills the Yin Mountain Ghost Domain, and the system announces that the check-in post responsibility system has begun.
• The heavens bestow Six Paths Merit upon all righteous Underworld gods and spirits, turning Qin Fen’s administrative reform into a massive, realm-wide Merit distribution.
• The event shocks the Celestial Realm, Spirit Mountain, and Heavenly Dao. Heavenly Dao is forced to revise the Heavenly Laws, while the Heavenly Court realizes that Qin Fen has created a powerful precedent for reforming other institutions.

Character Developments

• Qin Fen continues to demonstrate his impulsive but far-reaching style. What appears to be a simple administrative idea becomes a transformation of the Underworld and a challenge to the existing heavenly order.
• Ksitigarbha remains supportive of Qin Fen’s reforms. He recognizes the value of supervision and is astonished when Qin Fen’s “small” policy produces such enormous consequences.
• The three Ghost Emperors reveal their fear of losing authority and personnel. Their opposition is motivated less by principle than by the possibility of their forces being absorbed into Qin Fen’s system.
• The Eastern Ghost Emperor becomes increasingly desperate and frustrated. Unlike his brothers, he understands that prolonged resistance will only worsen the situation, but his attempts to secure agreement are repeatedly misunderstood.
• Lu Pan and the other Underworld officials benefit from and support the new system, reinforcing Qin Fen’s influence over the Underworld.
• The Jade Emperor, Tathagata, the Three Pure Ones, and other heavenly powers become anxious because Qin Fen’s reform could weaken traditional hierarchies and make him appear more capable of benefiting ordinary officials than the established rulers.
• Heavenly Dao is portrayed as exasperated and overworked, forced to alter the Heavenly Laws because of Qin Fen’s seemingly trivial innovations.

Significant Themes

• Reform through ordinary systems: A basic workplace check-in system becomes a tool for restructuring an entire supernatural bureaucracy.
• The power of Merit: By connecting work and responsibility with rewards, Qin Fen motivates the Underworld’s inhabitants while also gaining broad popular support.
• Institutional resistance: Established powers oppose reform because they fear losing control, even when the reform benefits the broader population.
• Unintended consequences and escalation: Qin Fen does not initially appear to be plotting a grand scheme, but his actions repeatedly create realm-shaking consequences.
• Authority versus popular legitimacy: The heavenly rulers fear that Qin Fen’s ability to distribute benefits to ordinary spirits and immortals will establish him as a more legitimate and effective leader than traditional authorities.
• Comedy amid political conflict: The Ghost Emperors’ argument, especially the Eastern Ghost Emperor’s frantic attempts to force agreement, contrasts with the enormous cosmic consequences of the decision.

Character Interactions

• Qin Fen calmly debates the Ghost Emperors and tries to reassure them that the system does not require permanent relocation.
• The three Ghost Emperors coordinate their refusal, using delay and polite excuses to resist without openly confronting Qin Fen.
• The Eastern Ghost Emperor breaks ranks by agreeing, then frantically tries to make his brothers understand that accepting the minor concession is safer than prolonging the argument.
• The Southern Ghost Emperor misreads his brother’s behavior as evidence of loyalty and continues declaring opposition, prompting the Eastern Ghost Emperor to physically silence him.
• Ksitigarbha supports Qin Fen but is bewildered by the scale of the resulting transformation.
• Heavenly figures react with alarm and disbelief as Qin Fen’s Underworld policy threatens to become a model for reform throughout the Celestial Realm.