Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: Little Mute Is a Bit Strange

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin attempts to flirt with Shi Hongyu using romantic lines taught by “Rascal Uncle,” including a cheesy metaphor about finding the road to her heart.
• After Yao Jinying becomes heavily intoxicated, Fu Junlin bribes Fu Junting to take her to bed, allowing him to speak privately with Shi Hongyu.
• Fu Junlin delivers another suggestive line, asking what clothing Shi Hongyu dislikes seeing her wear. When he answers “clothes,” she kicks him in the face and sends him under the table.
• Shi Hongyu is led to Yao Jinying’s room, while Fu Junting mocks Fu Junlin and points out the footprint and blood on his face.
• Big Black criticizes Fu Junlin’s failed flirting attempt, explaining that successful seduction depends on timing, setting, atmosphere, and mutual mood. Fu Junlin defends the advice he received but is forced to admit the method went badly.
• Later that night, Xiao Yunfei unexpectedly brings Little Mute to Fu Junlin’s home. This fulfills Mo Wufeng’s request that Little Mute stay with Fu Junlin temporarily.
• Xiao Yunfei leaves quickly, joking that he needs to recover after ruining several cloaks. Fu Junlin is left awkwardly alone with Little Mute, whom he barely knows.
• Little Mute immediately begins cleaning Fu Junlin’s messy home. Fu Junlin stops him and arranges for him to sleep in the room while he takes the floor, though Little Mute ultimately sleeps on the floor instead.
• Before dawn, Fu Junlin wakes to discover Little Mute missing from the bedding. He finds him silently cleaning the living room and mopping the floor.
• Big Black senses that something about Little Mute’s internal energy is unusual, ending the chapter on a note of suspicion and mystery.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin: Remains impulsive, flirtatious, and easily embarrassed. His confidence in Rascal Uncle’s “practical” romantic advice is undermined by Shi Hongyu’s violent rejection. Despite his comedic behavior, he shows responsibility by accommodating Little Mute and remaining alert to the newcomer’s presence.
• Fu Junting: Continues acting as Fu Junlin’s sarcastic younger brother. He exploits Fu Junlin for money, helps care for their intoxicated mother, and openly mocks Fu Junlin’s romantic failure.
• Shi Hongyu: Reveals a sharp temper and playful but forceful resistance to Fu Junlin’s advances. Even while drunk, she is observant enough to react instantly to his inappropriate teasing.
• Xiao Yunfei: Acts as the messenger responsible for bringing Little Mute to Fu Junlin. His carefree, irreverent personality is shown through his jokes about damaged cloaks and his disregard for Fu Junlin’s threats.
• Little Mute: Appears quiet, cheerful, obedient, and unusually diligent. His instinctive need to clean the house contrasts with his mysterious background. His strange energy suggests that he may possess hidden abilities or a concealed identity.
• Big Black: Serves as a perceptive commentator, criticizing Fu Junlin’s romantic tactics and detecting the abnormal energy within Little Mute.

Significant Themes

• Comedy and failed romance: Fu Junlin’s attempts at seduction repeatedly backfire, turning romantic confidence into physical humiliation.
• Brotherly relationships: The interaction between Fu Junlin and Fu Junting combines teasing, bribery, mutual dependence, and family responsibility.
• Hospitality and responsibility: Fu Junlin accepts Little Mute into his home despite knowing little about him and tries to ensure he is comfortable and safe.
• Hidden danger and mystery: Little Mute’s unusual behavior and strange internal energy imply that his harmless appearance may conceal something important.
• Appearance versus reality: Characters who seem foolish, drunken, or harmless may possess unexpected sharpness, power, or significance.

Important Character Interactions

• Fu Junlin and Fu Junting: Their exchange highlights their comedic sibling rivalry, especially when Fu Junting demands payment before helping their mother.
• Fu Junlin and Shi Hongyu: Their flirtatious conversation ends with Shi Hongyu kicking Fu Junlin, establishing that his advances are unwelcome—or at least badly timed and poorly executed.
• Fu Junlin and Big Black: Big Black acts as a critical adviser, challenging Fu Junlin’s reliance on scripted flirting and later warning him about Little Mute.
• Fu Junlin and Xiao Yunfei: Xiao Yunfei delivers Little Mute and casually treats the situation as routine, while Fu Junlin is confused and unprepared.
• Fu Junlin and Little Mute: Their first extended interaction is awkward but considerate. Little Mute’s silent helpfulness and strange energy leave Fu Junlin uncertain whether he is merely unusual or potentially dangerous.

Chapter Summary

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Big Black senses an unstable, unusual energy emanating from Little Mute. Although he cannot explain it or determine whether Little Mute is dangerous, he believes the boy does not intend Fu Junlin harm.
• Fu Junlin decides not to restrain Little Mute while at home, hoping that allowing him freedom will reveal his true nature.
• Early the next morning, Fu Junting encounters Little Mute unexpectedly in the bathroom. Frightened at first, he quickly realizes the boy is harmless and introduces himself. Little Mute, who cannot speak, responds through gestures and eagerly shakes Fu Junting’s hand—even though Fu Junting’s hand has just been contaminated with urine.
• Fu Junlin explains that Little Mute is the nephew of a friend and will be staying with the family. When Fu Junlin slips and falls because of the wet bathroom floor, Fu Junting immediately flees, leaving Little Mute surprised by his speed.
• During breakfast, the family formally meets Little Mute. Fu Junting attempts to communicate with him through exaggerated hand gestures, while Shi Hongyu and Fu Junlin point out that being mute does not mean being deaf.
• Shi Hongyu reveals that the serum curing Secondary Infection has arrived, but the third distribution batch has been corrupted by officials. Some Superior Humans have allegedly been given free serum slots that should have gone to poor Subspecies.
• Fu Junlin recognizes the seriousness of the abuse. Since disadvantaged Subspecies may wait unknowingly for treatment until they die, he resolves to investigate, collect evidence, and contact the Judgment Tribunal if necessary.
• Fu Junting secretly listens to the entire discussion, suggesting that he may become involved or already be paying close attention to the political situation.

2. Character Developments

• Fu Junlin demonstrates caution and patience regarding Little Mute, choosing observation over immediate suspicion. He also shows a strong sense of justice and responsibility by deciding to personally investigate the serum corruption.
• Little Mute is portrayed as quiet, friendly, and innocent-seeming. Despite being unable to speak, he communicates through gestures and displays no hostility toward the family. His mysterious unstable energy, however, leaves his true nature uncertain.
• Fu Junting initially reacts with fear to Little Mute but quickly becomes friendly and curious. His humorous, impulsive behavior contrasts with his sharp awareness, as he secretly listens to the adults’ conversation.
• Yao Jinying is warm and compassionate toward Little Mute and immediately worries about the Subspecies who may lose access to treatment. She also tries to restrain Fu Junlin from acting recklessly.
• Shi Hongyu serves as the one who brings the serum scandal to the family’s attention and provides the key details about the distribution regulations.
• Big Black remains suspicious and sarcastic, unable to determine whether Little Mute is good or dangerous, but ultimately offers Fu Junlin practical advice.

3. Significant Themes

• Uncertainty and hidden identity: Little Mute appears harmless, yet his unstable energy suggests that he may possess dangerous or unexplained abilities.
• Justice versus corruption: The misuse of medical resources exposes inequality and abuse of authority within the Federation.
• Social inequality: The serum system is designed to protect poor Subspecies, but wealthy or privileged Superior Humans are exploiting it, potentially costing vulnerable people their lives.
• Trust and observation: Fu Junlin chooses to judge Little Mute through his actions rather than assumptions, while also planning to verify the serum scandal through evidence.
• Family and inclusion: Despite Little Mute’s inability to speak and mysterious background, the family treats him as a guest and attempts to communicate with him.

4. Character Interactions

• Big Black and Fu Junlin discuss whether Little Mute is dangerous, revealing both their mutual distrust and their reliance on one another.
• Fu Junting and Little Mute form an immediate, comedic connection after their frightening bathroom encounter.
• The family teases Fu Junting’s awkward attempt at sign language, while Fu Junlin clarifies the difference between being unable to speak and being unable to hear.
• Yao Jinying urges Fu Junlin not to act impulsively, but he reassures her that he will investigate carefully.
• Fu Junting appears occupied with Little Mute at breakfast, yet secretly follows Fu Junlin and the others’ discussion, adding a layer of hidden awareness to the family dynamic.

Chapter Summary: Holmes Ting Goes to Investigate a Case

Key Plot Points and Events

• After breakfast, Shi Hongyu takes Fu Junlin to school, while Yao Jinying leaves for work and tells both Fu Junting and Little Mute to clean the house.
• Little Mute is deeply moved that Yao Jinying includes him in the household responsibilities, interpreting it as a sign that he is being accepted as part of the family.
• Fu Junting makes Little Mute do most of the cleaning, then gives him clean clothes and takes him out.
• Fu Junting buys Little Mute fried chicken and toys, treating him like a younger brother despite his natural stinginess. The two bond by sharing the food.
• Fu Junting takes Little Mute to a hospital office distributing Secondary Infection Serum. The area is crowded with Subspecies waiting to be tested and ranked for treatment.
• Wearing Silent One Masks, the two enter the area to investigate suspected corruption. Fu Junting explains that his brother helped develop the serum and is collecting evidence against officials who are exploiting the distribution system.
• Fu Junting observes that the inner office is poorly guarded and plans to sneak inside.
• The chapter shifts to the second floor, where Director Li, a corrupt official, accepts an expensive bribe from a Superior Human couple. In exchange, he promises to move the wife’s serum appointment forward to the day after tomorrow.

Character Developments

• Little Mute experiences a growing sense of belonging. Yao Jinying’s simple instruction makes him feel recognized as a member of the household, and his eager work reflects his desire to be useful and accepted.
• Fu Junting begins treating Little Mute as a genuine younger brother. He shares food, lends him clothes, protects him, and proudly promises to help if anyone bullies him.
• Fu Junting also shows a rebellious, mischievous side by taking Little Mute undercover to expose corruption, motivated partly by loyalty to his brother and partly by a desire to achieve something himself.
• Director Li is revealed as greedy and corrupt, exploiting desperate patients by accepting bribes to manipulate access to limited medical treatment.
• Little Mute’s silent, trusting behavior contrasts with Fu Junting’s energetic confidence, strengthening their sibling-like dynamic.

Significant Themes

• Belonging and family: Little Mute’s emotional response to being included in chores and Fu Junting’s decision to call him his little brother emphasize his gradual integration into the family.
• Childlike innocence and affection: Their shared fried chicken and playful outing show genuine companionship, even though Fu Junting teases and takes advantage of Little Mute’s trusting nature.
• Corruption and inequality: The limited serum is supposed to be distributed according to medical need, but officials exploit the system, forcing desperate patients to pay for faster treatment.
• Justice and resistance: Fu Junting’s investigation reflects the broader effort to expose those abusing their authority and denying vulnerable people fair access to life-saving medicine.
• Power and vulnerability: The infected Subspecies waiting in line are dependent on an opaque system, while officials such as Director Li use their positions to profit from their desperation.

Important Character Interactions

• Yao Jinying’s practical instructions unintentionally reassure Little Mute that he is accepted in the home.
• Fu Junting orders Little Mute to work but quickly shifts into a protective, affectionate older-brother role.
• Their shared fried chicken becomes a bonding moment: Little Mute willingly offers his food, while Fu Junting casually shares it without hesitation.
• Fu Junting equips and guides Little Mute during the investigation, though Little Mute does not fully understand the plan and simply trusts him.
• Director Li’s interaction with the Superior Human couple exposes the bribery system: their payment buys the wife an appointment that should likely have gone to someone else based on need.

Chapter Summary: “A Fine Business of Cheating and Killing”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Laohu, director of the Secondary Infection Serum Office, fraudulently sells serum collection slots to desperate families of critically ill Subspecies patients.
• He and his accomplice accept bribes, issue official-looking information forms, and plan to replace the real serum with deadly fake serum. The victims would die within a day, eliminating witnesses.
• The men believe the scheme is protected by their connections, particularly Li Laohu’s influential family, despite the Federation’s severe punishment for serum-related crimes.
• Fu Junting and Little Mute secretly record the conversation from the neighboring room. Although the recording may not be admissible as direct courtroom evidence, Fu Junting hopes his brother can use it to begin an investigation.
• Their presence is discovered through a hidden camera. Li Laohu destroys part of the wall, seals the escape route with Ultra-Energy Control, and confronts them.
• Li Laohu demands the phone and attacks Fu Junting with a broadsword. Fu Junting prepares to use a Little Seven-Eight weapon but is overwhelmed by Li Laohu’s superior strength.
• Little Mute unexpectedly reveals extraordinary combat ability. He deflects Li Laohu’s weapon, closes the distance instantly, and attacks him with a ballpoint pen.
• Little Mute repeatedly stabs Li Laohu in the neck, causing massive bleeding and leaving his fate apparently sealed.

Character Developments

• Li Laohu is established as a corrupt, greedy, and ruthless official. His confidence comes from both his accumulated wealth and his family’s political influence. He views murder as a practical method of covering up his fraud.
• The tall accomplice is more morally hesitant and fears the consequences of their crimes, but greed overcomes his guilt. He remains complicit by helping conceal the money.
• Fu Junting demonstrates courage and determination despite being badly outmatched. He protects the recording and Little Mute, using threats and moral accusations to stall Li Laohu.
• Little Mute undergoes the chapter’s major reveal. Previously quiet and underestimated, he displays powerful energy and highly efficient, brutal combat instincts, saving Fu Junting from certain death.
• Fu Junting’s brother is mentioned as someone capable of understanding and investigating the evidence, suggesting that the corruption may soon be exposed.

Significant Themes

• Corruption and abuse of power: Li Laohu exploits a government position to profit from the suffering of critically ill people.
• Greed versus conscience: The accomplice recognizes the enormity of their crimes but continues because of the money.
• Justice and accountability: Fu Junting invokes the Silent One and hopes the recording will help bring the criminals to justice.
• Deception and murder: The villains’ scheme depends on forged legitimacy, manipulated records, and eliminating victims as witnesses.
• Hidden strength: Little Mute’s sudden transformation emphasizes that appearances can conceal immense power and danger.

Character Interactions

• Li Laohu and his accomplice discuss their serum scam, with Li Laohu reassuring him through arrogance, money, and promises of protection.
• Fu Junting and Little Mute cooperate in secretly gathering evidence, with Fu Junting taking responsibility for preserving the recording.
• Li Laohu confronts the masked intruders and attempts to intimidate Fu Junting into surrendering the phone.
• Fu Junting shields Little Mute and challenges Li Laohu morally, while Little Mute ultimately reverses the power dynamic by attacking and apparently killing Li Laohu.

Chapter Summary: “Holmes Ting Captured”

1. Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Laohu is killed when his body crashes to the ground, startling Fu Junting and Little Mute.
• Little Mute, overwhelmed by fear and bloodshed, nearly attacks Fu Junting with a ballpoint pen empowered by terrifying energy. He regains control before seriously injuring him.
• Realizing that people will soon discover the murder, Fu Junting decides not to flee immediately. He enters Li Laohu’s office, destroys the surveillance monitor, and retrieves a miniature hard drive that may contain important evidence.
• The two boys escape through a window, but their blood-covered appearance draws attention and triggers a citywide pursuit.
• Fu Junting messages his brother, Fu Junlin, instructing him to locate his phone, implying that they are in danger and cannot communicate openly.
• To prevent the pursuers from finding the evidence, Fu Junting hides both his phone and the hard drive behind a trash can in an alley.
• Patrol officers corner the boys and aim Magnetic Storm Guns at them. Little Mute begins losing control again, but Fu Junting restrains him and forces them to surrender rather than fight.
• The patrol captain protects the boys from a suspicious middle-aged man connected to Li Laohu, ordering him and his men to stand back. Fu Junting and Little Mute are arrested and fitted with Energy-Blocking Handcuffs.
• Fu Junlin receives Fu Junting’s message. Understanding that his brother would not normally ask him to locate the phone, he realizes Fu Junting must be in serious danger and returns to the functional building to use advanced technology to track him.
• Meanwhile, a homeless man notices the trash can where the phone and hard drive are hidden trembling mysteriously, but he becomes frightened and flees without investigating.

2. Character Developments

• Fu Junting demonstrates quick thinking and composure under pressure. He prioritizes preserving evidence, recognizes the danger of fighting law enforcement, and chooses surrender to protect himself, Little Mute, and his family.
• Little Mute is shown to possess frightening, uncontrolled power triggered by fear and extreme emotion. Despite his violent potential, he still recognizes Fu Junting and responds to his guidance, revealing a bond and an underlying capacity for restraint.
• Fu Junlin proves perceptive and protective. He immediately understands the hidden meaning behind Fu Junting’s unusual message and acts cautiously rather than attempting a risky phone call.
• The patrol captain appears disciplined and impartial, refusing to let Li Laohu’s associates interfere with the arrest or potentially silence the witnesses.
• The middle-aged man is revealed to have a personal stake in the incident. His concern is less about justice than preventing the boys from exposing his connection to Li Laohu.

3. Significant Themes

• Survival through intelligence rather than force: Fu Junting realizes that even powerful individuals cannot openly resist the city’s law-enforcement system.
• The danger of uncontrolled power: Little Mute’s strength makes him extremely dangerous, but his fear threatens both enemies and allies.
• Evidence and corruption: The miniature hard drive may expose wrongdoing connected to Li Laohu and the middle-aged man, making it central to the conflict.
• Trust and family loyalty: Fu Junting relies on Fu Junlin to understand his coded request, while Fu Junlin immediately risks himself to help.
• Moral restraint: Fu Junting refuses to kill patrol officers, recognizing that doing so would transform the situation and destroy his brother’s ability to protect the family.

4. Character Interactions

• Fu Junting calms and physically restrains Little Mute when the latter nearly attacks him and later begins losing control again.
• Fu Junting takes command during their escape, directing Little Mute, recovering the hard drive, hiding the evidence, and deciding when to surrender.
• The patrol captain confronts the middle-aged man, preventing him from approaching or harming the captured boys.
• Fu Junlin interprets Fu Junting’s brief message and prepares a technological rescue attempt.
• The homeless man’s accidental discovery of the hidden items introduces uncertainty over whether the evidence will remain concealed.

Chapter Summary: “Junting Had a Head for Business”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin tracks his younger brother, Fu Junting, to a garbage-filled alley in West City District and discovers Junting’s vibrating phone and miniature hard drive, both covered in blood.
• The phone contains numerous provocative photographs and videos of female classmates, many labeled with prices, revealing that Junting had been secretly selling such material. Despite the shocking discovery, Fu Junlin focuses on finding his missing brother.
• Fu Junlin locates a suspicious recording made shortly before Junting’s final message. It reveals an important conversation and suggests that Junting had been caught eavesdropping.
• He investigates a sealed office where Subspecies are protesting the death of Li Laohu, the official responsible for distributing serum. Fu Junlin learns that Li Laohu was reportedly killed by two masked boys, who have been arrested.
• From this, Fu Junlin deduces that Junting and Little Mute were arrested by the Security Management Office rather than the serum office. Because they are suspected of murder, the authorities have not yet contacted the family.
• Using an authorized school computer, Fu Junlin opens the hard drive and views security footage of the confrontation. Li Laohu attacks Junting and Little Mute, but Little Mute enters a violent, uncontrolled state and kills Li Laohu by repeatedly stabbing him in the neck with a ballpoint pen.
• The footage proves that Li Laohu attacked first and that the boys acted in self-defense. However, Fu Junlin decides not to immediately submit the evidence, fearing that doing so could alert hidden enemies or prevent him from securing Junting’s release.
• Little Mute’s mysterious energy closely resembles the dangerous power previously displayed by Ba Dawang. Fu Junlin and Big Black recognize that this unstable energy is extremely destructive, raising questions about its origin and connection to both characters.
• Fu Junlin disguises himself with a Silent One Mask and visits Lu Eryou in the Red Carpet District. Lu Eryou immediately recognizes him from his voice, build, and mannerisms, becomes overwhelmed with emotion, and embraces him.
• Rather than comforting Lu Eryou, Fu Junlin impatiently asks him to help handle the situation.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin: Remains focused, practical, and protective despite discovering Junting’s embarrassing side business and the apparent murder charge against him. He quickly pieces together the authorities’ actions, carefully evaluates the risks of revealing the evidence, and seeks outside assistance.
• Fu Junting: Is revealed to be entrepreneurial but morally questionable, secretly selling suggestive images and recordings of female classmates. Nevertheless, his actions during the confrontation suggest he was acting under threat and was likely defending himself.
• Little Mute: Displays terrifying physical strength and an unstable, berserk energy. His reaction is so violent that he nearly harms Junting as well, making him both a powerful asset and a potential danger.
• Big Black: Provides serious analysis of Little Mute’s energy and recognizes its similarity to Ba Dawang’s power.
• Lu Eryou: Shows deep loyalty and affection toward Fu Junlin. His emotional reaction confirms that he recognizes and greatly missed him despite Fu Junlin’s disguise.
• Li Laohu: Is exposed as a corrupt official who took bribes and sold serum distribution slots. His attack on Junting and Little Mute ultimately leads to his death.

Significant Themes

• Truth versus appearances: Junting appears to be a criminal because of the incriminating circumstances, but the recording reveals the larger truth of Li Laohu’s corruption and the boys’ self-defense.
• Family loyalty: Fu Junlin prioritizes rescuing Junting even after learning about his disturbing business activities.
• Power and loss of control: Little Mute’s violent transformation highlights the danger of unstable abilities and foreshadows deeper questions about the shared energy between him and Ba Dawang.
• Corruption and injustice: Li Laohu exploits vulnerable Subspecies by selling access to life-saving serum, while the authorities initially treat the victims as murder suspects.
• Strategic secrecy: Fu Junlin understands that possessing evidence is not enough; revealing it at the wrong moment could worsen the situation.

Important Character Interactions

• Fu Junlin and Big Black discuss the disturbing contents of Junting’s phone, though Fu Junlin refuses to be distracted from the rescue.
• Fu Junlin questions a protesting Subspecies and learns the official version of Li Laohu’s death and the arrests.
• The security footage shows Junting and Little Mute cornered by Li Laohu, with Little Mute killing him while defending them.
• Fu Junlin and Lu Eryou reunite emotionally, though Fu Junlin quickly turns the reunion into a request for practical help.

Summary of “You’re Safer in Here”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junting and Little Mute have been detained for four hours in the Second Security Management Office’s detention center. They are still wearing bloodstained clothes and have not been interrogated or allowed to contact family.
• A large, intimidating Subspecies with a fleshy face is placed in their cell. He is treated respectfully by a group of roughly ten prisoners and appears to have entered specifically to harm the two boys.
• The man taunts Fu Junting, then slaps him and grabs him by the hair. Little Mute is unable to fight effectively because both boys are wearing Energy-Blocking Handcuffs.
• Before the attackers can continue, a muscular prisoner intervenes, striking the fleshy-faced man and warning him not to touch Fu Junting again.
• The fleshy-faced man orders his followers to attack. However, more than twenty prisoners suddenly join the burly man, overpowering the attackers and throwing them into the cell bars.
• The fleshy-faced man threatens that his people outside will retaliate. Prisoners in neighboring cells initially support him, but several of them are immediately confronted and beaten by another group, silencing the threats.
• The burly man explains that the fleshy-faced prisoner lost because the person who hired him is less powerful than Fu Junting’s brother. He warns that the attacker should be grateful to be inside the detention center, because he would already be dead outside.

Character Developments

• Fu Junting is frightened and helpless at first, realizing that his usual abilities cannot protect him while he is wearing Energy-Blocking Handcuffs. His fear highlights his vulnerability and dependence on others.
• Little Mute remains physically and emotionally distressed but continues to cling to Fu Junting and share his anxiety, showing their mutual loyalty.
• The fleshy-faced man is revealed to be a hired aggressor who has accepted money to attack or kill the two boys. His confidence collapses when he discovers that the other prisoners greatly outnumber him.
• The burly prisoner emerges as a powerful and authoritative protector. He is calm, fearless, and willing to use extreme violence to defend Fu Junting and Little Mute.
• The broader prisoner population unexpectedly demonstrates solidarity. Even prisoners who do not personally know one another join the fight, partly to avoid appearing weak or isolated.

Significant Themes

• Protection through unexpected alliances: Fu Junting and Little Mute are saved not by official authorities but by prisoners who choose to defend them.
• Power and influence: The confrontation shows that status outside the detention center does not guarantee control inside it. Numbers, reputation, and immediate physical strength matter more.
• Safety in confinement: The chapter reverses expectations by presenting the detention center as safer than the outside world. The burly man suggests that Fu Junting’s enemies could kill him outside, while the prison’s social order temporarily protects him.
• Loyalty and collective action: The prisoners’ willingness to act together transforms the balance of power and prevents the attackers from exploiting the boys’ weakness.
• Hidden consequences of family influence: The attackers were hired because of Fu Junting’s connection to his brother, implying that his family’s power creates both danger and protection.

Character Interactions

• Fu Junting and Little Mute comfort one another while waiting helplessly in the cell.
• The fleshy-faced man intimidates and assaults Fu Junting, treating the two boys as targets of a paid attack.
• The burly prisoner intervenes, threatens the attacker, and organizes or inspires the other prisoners to defend the boys.
• The fleshy-faced man’s gang clashes with the burly prisoner’s supporters and is decisively defeated.
• Prisoners from neighboring cells threaten the burly man’s group, but they are quickly confronted and beaten, reinforcing the dominance of the protective group.
• The burly man privately warns the fleshy-faced man that his employer lacks the power of Fu Junting’s brother, making clear that the attack was a serious miscalculation.

Chapter Summary: “This Uniform Doesn’t Suit You”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A burly prisoner overpowers the fleshy-faced gang leader, slaps him, and forces him and his lackeys to kneel.
• The burly man’s group—over thirty prisoners—then surrounds and protects Fu Junting and Little Mute.
• Corrupt police officers, who have been bribed to deal with the two children before trial, attempt to remove them from their cell.
• The prisoners form a human barrier and refuse to let the officers pass. When the officers draw their guns, the confrontation escalates.
• A young police officer, enraged by his colleagues’ bribery and abuse of authority, openly denounces them and points his gun at them, declaring them under arrest.
• He accuses the corrupt officers of accepting bribes and perverting the law, insisting that even criminals must be judged through legal procedures.
• Initially reluctant to intervene, the young officer’s senior brother is shamed by his courage. He ultimately joins him, followed by eight or nine other officers.
• Eleven honest officers face the five corrupt ones. Outnumbered, the squad leader and his allies surrender, though he threatens retaliation.
• The young officer orders the corrupt men to remove their uniforms, declaring that they are unworthy of wearing them.

Character Developments

• The burly man establishes himself as a dominant and protective figure, humiliating the fleshy-faced gang leader and defending Fu Junting and Little Mute.
• Fu Junting reacts nervously to the sudden show of force but instinctively holds Little Mute’s hand, emphasizing his protective bond with the child.
• The young police officer emerges as courageous, idealistic, and deeply committed to justice. Despite fear and tears, he refuses to remain silent or become complicit.
• The senior brother shifts from cautious passivity to moral action. His shame at failing to uphold his ideals pushes him to stand with the young officer.
• The corrupt squad leader and officers are exposed as greedy, coercive, and willing to misuse police authority for money.
• The prisoners move from passive observers to an imposing collective force, while also serving as witnesses to the police corruption.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus corruption: The chapter contrasts the legal duty of the police with their bribery and abuse of power.
• Moral courage: The young officer demonstrates that integrity requires action, even when standing up to colleagues may result in death or career ruin.
• Complicity and cowardice: The older officers’ initial unwillingness to intervene shows how silence allows corruption to continue.
• The meaning of authority and uniforms: The corrupt officers possess official power but have betrayed the principles represented by their uniforms; the final demand that they remove them symbolizes their loss of moral legitimacy.
• Collective resistance: The prisoners and honest officers both unite against stronger or more powerful opponents, showing that courage can shift the balance of power.
• Law in a violent world: The young officer argues that even amid widespread death and external threats, society cannot abandon internal justice.

Character Interactions

• The burly man dominates and humiliates the fleshy-faced man, then joins the prisoners in shielding Fu Junting and Little Mute.
• The prisoners directly confront the bribed officers by blocking their path, creating a tense standoff.
• The young officer challenges the squad leader and corrupt police, accusing them publicly of criminal behavior.
• His senior brother initially restrains him but is later inspired—and embarrassed—into supporting him.
• The honest officers unite behind the young officer, turning the confrontation against the corrupt squad leader and his allies.
• The prisoners watch the police turn against one another, recognizing the moment as both entertaining and an exposure of institutional corruption.

Chapter Summary: “Today, Fu Junting’s Trial”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Li Lan, Li Laohu’s older sister and head of the Drug Administration Bureau, angrily blames her associates for failing to eliminate Fu Junting and Little Mute. She decides to contact Chief Judge Chang and pursue their execution through the legal system.
• On October 28, public attention focuses on the trial at Flying Cloud City’s Supreme Court. Reporter Shui Yanghua presents the case as a major public controversy, highlighting both the victims of delayed serum distribution and rumors that Li Laohu sold free serum allocations.
• The courtroom is filled with spectators, including Fu Junting’s friends and allies. Li Lan sits with the prosecution, while Fu Junlin and Yao Jinying attend in support of the defendants.
• Fu Junlin deliberately avoids using political connections to force an acquittal. Instead, he wants the court and the public to witness his younger brother’s formal vindication: two Subspecies defeating a powerful Mighty-Species official and still being acquitted.
• Fu Junting and Little Mute enter the courtroom in prison uniforms. Contrary to expectations, both appear healthy and well-fed because Fu Junlin arranged for allies to protect and secretly supply them with snacks in detention.
• The prosecution reads the indictment: Fu Junting and Little Mute entered Li Laohu’s office to investigate suspected corruption, were confronted by Li Laohu, and became involved in a physical struggle. Li Laohu died after being stabbed repeatedly in the artery with a ballpoint pen.
• The investigation identified Little Mute as the killer through bloodstains and fingerprints. Fu Junting claimed self-defense, but the missing surveillance drive, phones, and hard drive prevented the claim from being verified.
• The chapter ends when the plaintiff’s lawyer angrily interrupts, calling the prosecution’s account “complete nonsense” and preparing to challenge the defendants’ version.

Character Developments

• Li Lan: Revealed as vindictive and ruthless. Her primary concern is revenge rather than protecting her associates from the investigation, though she also uses her political position to influence the trial.
• Fu Junlin: Demonstrates confidence, strategic patience, and a desire for public justice rather than a private political settlement. He wants the trial to establish a clear precedent and publicly prove his brother’s innocence.
• Yao Jinying: Remains angry but composed and confident because of Fu Junlin’s preparations. Her fear for her son is eased when she sees that he has not been mistreated.
• Fu Junting: Shows surprising calm and resilience. Despite facing a possible death sentence, he appears healthy and unshaken, while carefully withholding information about the hard drive to protect the evidence.
• Little Mute: Continues to rely on Fu Junting, who gives him the name “Fu Little Mute.” He is identified as the person who physically killed Li Laohu but has apparently endured detention without difficulty.
• Shui Yanghua: Presents herself as an objective reporter but is also portrayed as calculating and theatrical, using sensational language to attract public attention.
• The tall middle-aged associate and others: Their resentment toward Li Lan reveals that her revenge campaign endangers everyone involved in Li Laohu’s corruption.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus political influence: The trial tests whether the legal system can function independently despite Li Lan’s authority and connections.
• Public truth and accountability: Fu Junlin wants the proceedings witnessed openly, making the case a public confrontation over the truth rather than a behind-the-scenes settlement.
• Corruption and retribution: The conflicting public interpretations—murder as revenge for delayed serum distribution or punishment for Li Laohu’s alleged profiteering—frame the case as either criminal violence or deserved retaliation.
• Evidence and uncertainty: Missing surveillance footage and digital evidence leave the central question of self-defense unresolved, while Fu Junting’s restraint suggests that hidden evidence may later change the case.
• Power and social hierarchy: The fact that Subspecies defendants killed a Mighty-Species official makes the trial politically and socially significant beyond the individual murder.

Character Interactions

• Li Lan intimidates and berates her associates, while they privately resent her indifference to their safety.
• Fu Junlin and Yao Jinying sit together in support of Fu Junting and Little Mute, contrasting with Li Lan’s hostile presence.
• Li Lan repeatedly glares at the defendants, but Fu Junlin refuses to acknowledge her threats.
• Fu Junting and Little Mute appear united and protected, their calm behavior undermining the prosecution’s attempt to portray them as desperate criminals.
• The plaintiff’s lawyer directly confronts the defendants at the end of the chapter, signaling the beginning of an aggressive courtroom battle.

Chapter Summary: “What Are You Supposed to Be?”

Key Plot Points and Events

• In court, the prosecution argues that Fu Junting and Fu Little Mute murdered Li Laohu rather than acting in self-defense. The lawyer emphasizes Li Laohu’s status as a powerful Level-Three Mighty-Species warrior and claims the boys must have ambushed him with a ballpoint pen.
• The prosecution also argues that the destruction of the scene’s hard drive proves the defendants were hiding incriminating evidence.
• Yao Jinying unexpectedly takes the defense stand as her sons’ lawyer, declaring that evidence will prove their innocence.
• Fu Junlin presents a phone, a miniature hard drive, and official authenticity reports from the Federal Military Science Academy. The evidence is played publicly in court.
• The recordings and surveillance footage reveal that Li Laohu was a corrupt official who had stolen serum quotas and attempted to silence the witnesses. Fu Little Mute killed him during the attack to protect himself and the others.
• Li Lan, Li Laohu’s relative, attempts to shift attention toward his achievements and contributions to the Federation, arguing that his accomplishments should have outweighed his crimes.
• Yao Jinying fiercely rebukes her, exposing the human cost of Li Laohu’s corruption. She describes Subspecies People dying after receiving fake serum, with their bodies abandoned in the Red Carpet District.
• Chief Judge Chang Tanwu considers compromising by sentencing the boys to mining labor, despite the evidence proving self-defense, in order to appease Li Lan and protect his career.
• Judge Zhu Nanyi of the Petrel Military District interrupts the proceedings, criticizes Chang’s handling of the case, confirms the evidence and investigation, and officially declares both boys innocent.
• Judge Zhu announces that the boys will be rewarded for exposing a corrupt official and promises renewed efforts to reform serum distribution and investigate the corruption.
• Fu Junting and Fu Little Mute are acquitted and released.

Character Developments

• Yao Jinying emerges as a powerful, courageous, and commanding defender of her sons. Her emotional speech transforms the courtroom by forcing everyone to confront the suffering caused by Li Laohu’s corruption.
• Fu Junlin demonstrates careful planning and strategic judgment by preserving the evidence until it could be presented openly in court, preventing officials from suppressing or manipulating it.
• Fu Little Mute is vindicated: his killing of Li Laohu is officially recognized as genuine self-defense rather than murder.
• Fu Junting is likewise cleared of wrongdoing and recognized as having helped expose corruption.
• Li Lan becomes increasingly desperate and enraged when the evidence destroys her argument. Her appeal to Li Laohu’s status and achievements fails to obscure his crimes.
• Chang Tanwu is revealed as weak and politically motivated. Although he recognizes the truth, he considers sacrificing the boys to preserve his career.
• Judge Zhu Nanyi acts as an authoritative corrective force, restoring justice when Chang hesitates.
• Big Black provides brief comic relief through his inappropriate singing and banter with Fu Junlin.

Significant Themes

• Justice versus social status: Li Laohu’s rank, military achievements, and value to the Federation cannot excuse corruption, murder, or abuse of power.
• Truth and evidence: The authentic recordings overturn a carefully constructed false narrative and demonstrate the importance of preserving evidence.
• Institutional corruption: The chapter exposes how officials can manipulate investigations, suppress evidence, and protect powerful figures.
• The unequal value placed on lives: Yao Jinying challenges the court’s concern for Li Laohu’s achievements by asking why the deaths of Subspecies People were ignored.
• Courage and resistance: The family refuses to submit to intimidation, while Judge Zhu intervenes to prevent an unjust verdict.
• Public accountability: Fu Junlin reveals the evidence before the media and public, making behind-the-scenes interference more difficult.

Important Character Interactions

• The prosecution lawyer presents the murder accusation as logical self-defense denial, but Yao Jinying counters it by introducing real evidence.
• Fu Junlin’s evidence directly undermines the lawyer’s claims and exposes Li Laohu’s attempted cover-up.
• Li Lan confronts the defendants, insisting that Li Laohu’s contributions should have protected him; Yao Jinying answers by condemning his corruption and the deaths it caused.
• Yao Jinying’s confrontation with Li Lan becomes the emotional centerpiece of the trial, shifting public sympathy toward the defendants.
• Chang Tanwu privately wrestles with whether to uphold justice or protect his career, until Judge Zhu publicly overrules the compromised proceedings.
• Fu Junlin and Big Black exchange comic mental banter, contrasting with the otherwise tense and serious courtroom confrontation.

Chapter Summary: “Mysterious Energy Hangs in the Sky”

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Tribunal Hall publicly orders a full investigation into the case, frightening Li Lan and the middle-aged man involved.
• The military district apologizes to The Silent One, and the court recognizes the actions of the Subspecies characters:
  • A Subspecies youth killed a corrupt official to reveal the truth.
  • Yao Jinying openly condemned Mighty-Species officials.
  • The court’s decision to release the accused becomes a symbolic victory for the oppressed Subspecies population.
• Outside the tribunal, Yao Jinying scolds Fu Junting and Little Mute for their dangerous actions, though she now accepts Little Mute as part of the family because he saved her son’s life.
• Fu Junlin separates from the group and deliberately keeps Little Mute with him.
• Ba Dawang and Ba Xiaomei arrive. When they see Little Mute, all three react with obvious shock and recognition, despite denying that they know one another. Fu Junlin notices the deception and decides to investigate Ba Xiaomei later.
• The scene shifts to the Illuminated Tower in Flying Cloud City, the headquarters-like central structure controlled by Thousand Energy Group.
• Liu Zhiyin and a sinister, lotus-marked young man enter the tower. Without warning, they attack the security guards using ice spikes and severed limbs.
• The young man unleashes a bizarre skeletal Black Cat armed with a silver sickle. The creature massacres the remaining guards while the two attackers ascend in the elevator.
• Ten minutes later, an immense black sphere of energy rises from the tower’s rooftop, dispersing the Electromagnetic Interference Clouds and expanding until it is roughly the size of a football field. It hangs above the city like an unidentified object.

Character Developments

• Yao Jinying becomes more emotionally connected to Little Mute, treating him as one of her own after recognizing his role in saving Fu Junting.
• Little Mute remains outwardly obedient and harmless, but his apparent connection to Ba Dawang and Ba Xiaomei suggests a hidden identity or past.
• Fu Junlin demonstrates strong observational skills and strategic caution. He recognizes the trio’s familiarity and chooses not to expose them immediately, planning to use Ba Xiaomei to uncover the truth.
• Fu Junting acts playfully and affectionately toward his mother, revealing a softer, immature side despite his age.
• Liu Zhiyin appears colder and more intimidating than before, suggesting a major change in his attitude or allegiance.
• The lotus-marked young man is established as cruel, sadistic, and destructive. He treats the massacre as entertainment and seems willing to sacrifice Flying Cloud City.
• Ba Dawang and Ba Xiaomei display fear and surprise upon seeing Little Mute, strongly implying a concealed relationship.

Significant Themes

• Subspecies resistance and social inequality: The tribunal’s decision represents a small but meaningful step toward dignity and recognition for the oppressed Subspecies population.
• Justice versus institutional corruption: The case exposes the wrongdoing of powerful officials and challenges the long-standing hierarchy between Superior Humans, Mighty-Species People, and Subspecies people.
• Hidden identities and secrets: Little Mute’s connection with the Ba siblings and Fu Junlin’s decision to investigate create an atmosphere of mystery.
• Terror and power: The attack on Illuminated Tower shows the overwhelming force of the enemies and their willingness to cause mass casualties.
• Symbolism of energy and disruption: The black sphere’s emergence above the city signals a major threat and possibly the beginning of a large-scale plan.

Character Interactions

• Yao Jinying reprimands Fu Junting and Little Mute but does so from a place of affection and gratitude.
• Fu Junting responds by acting spoiled, causing the surrounding group to laugh and easing the tension after the trial.
• Fu Junlin privately directs Little Mute away from the others, showing both trust and suspicion.
• The silent exchange between Little Mute and the Ba siblings reveals more than their spoken denials.
• Fu Junlin subtly questions Ba Dawang and observes their reactions without forcing a confrontation.
• Liu Zhiyin and the lotus-marked young man have a tense partnership: the latter taunts Liu Zhiyin about destroying his former city, while Liu Zhiyin remains cold and unresponsive.
• The attackers’ violence toward the tower guards establishes them as enemies willing to terrorize civilians and openly challenge Thousand Energy Group.

Chapter Summary: “This City Must Rely on Itself”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Fu Junlin is taking Ba Dawang, the other “little tyrant,” and Little Mute to find food when he notices a massive, unprecedented energy anomaly in the sky.
• Shangguan Mengzhi urgently summons him back to Flying Cloud Vine School. Fu Junlin sends the three companions to his home to protect his mother and younger brother before rushing to the school.
• Big Black senses the anomaly’s terrifying gravitational pull on the energy beneath the ground and warns Fu Junlin to hold on.
• Across Flying Cloud City, civilians stop to watch and record the enormous black orb, while others begin to realize that a disaster may be imminent.
• At the school, teachers, students, Federation soldiers, and military personnel gather. The city’s strongest available forces are concentrated there, including Hunter Army soldiers, powerful teachers and students, and members of the Security Management Office equipped with magnetic storm and laser weapons.
• The Hunter Army Captain explains that the black orb is a gigantic Energy Core above the Illuminated Tower. Its unstable outer energy makes direct interference dangerous because an explosion could devastate the entire city.
• The Energy Core is absorbing all forms of energy from the surface, especially Phase-Change Energy. If that energy is depleted, Flying Cloud City could revert to a Life-Cycle Arena—or even become a place where monsters spawn during the daytime.
• The likely cause is connected to the recent appearance of one Phase-Change Energy Core and two Black-Eyed Energy Cores near the city. Someone appears to be extracting these valuable energies for personal gain.
• Evacuation is impossible: the extraction will finish within roughly a day, teleportation has been disrupted, and outside military reinforcements cannot arrive in time. Flying Cloud City must defend itself.

Character Developments

• Fu Junlin demonstrates responsibility and leadership by prioritizing the safety of his family and companions before reporting to the school.
• Although he remains wary of Ba Dawang, the other tyrant, and Little Mute because of their mysterious energy, he chooses to trust them temporarily, recognizing their strength and Little Mute’s past act of saving Fu Junting.
• Big Black reveals his sensitivity to the anomaly and its effect on subterranean energy, emphasizing the danger of the phenomenon.
• Shangguan Mengzhi takes an active command role by summoning Fu Junlin and organizing the response at the school.
• The Hunter Army Captain emerges as a central authority figure, providing the gathered leaders with crucial information and outlining the city’s desperate situation.
• The school’s students and teachers are shown as an increasingly powerful generation, with many students already approaching or surpassing ordinary teachers in strength.

Significant Themes

• Collective responsibility and self-reliance: With evacuation and outside assistance impossible, the city’s survival depends on its own people and defenders.
• The danger of exploitation: An unknown party is extracting the city’s energy without concern for the massive loss of life that may follow.
• Power versus ordinary civilians: Although Flying Cloud City has many capable fighters, most of its population is weak and vulnerable, making the potential disaster especially catastrophic.
• Rapidly changing times: Younger fighters are becoming stronger than previous generations, suggesting a world undergoing accelerated transformation.
• Human paralysis in the face of disaster: Civilians’ inaction is presented not as stupidity, but as the result of having no clear way to respond to an overwhelming threat.

Character Interactions

• Shangguan Mengzhi urgently contacts Fu Junlin and directs him to return to the school.
• Fu Junlin asks Ba Dawang, the other companion, and Little Mute to protect his family, placing temporary trust in them despite his suspicions.
• Big Black warns Fu Junlin about the anomaly’s pull and urges him to remain physically close.
• Shi Hongyu seizes Fu Junlin when he arrives at the conference room, helping bring him into the emergency leadership gathering.
• The Hunter Army Captain briefs the principal, teachers, and military personnel, explaining the Energy Core’s nature and the consequences of its energy extraction.
• The chapter ends with the assembled leaders realizing that no outside rescue is coming: the city must defend itself.

Chapter Summary: “Life and Death in an Instant”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A citywide air-raid alarm signals that the black Energy Cores above Flying Cloud City have begun producing monsters. Schools, factories, transportation systems, and businesses shut down as the population attempts to evacuate into fortified buildings.
• The Hunter Army Captain organizes the response, assigning communication channels for general use, emergency support, and reporting Energy Core locations. Shangguan Mengzhi, Principal Bai, and Director Niu take charge of the monitoring center, while students and combat teams deploy throughout the city.
• Flying Cloud Vine School mobilizes its students. Classmates become battlefield comrades as they spread through the city to fight monsters and protect civilians.
• Evacuation quickly turns chaotic. Elevators and emergency airships cannot accommodate everyone, causing crowds to gather at building entrances and stairwells.
• A Composite Monster attacks a family waiting outside a tower. It bites off the father’s shoulder and arm despite his protective shield. Two Flying Cloud Vine students kill the monster and tell the wounded man to seek a War Banner Master for treatment.
• Although the father reaches the entrance and is nearly reunited with his wife and children, another monster suddenly kills and carries him away. His severed arm falls at the door, symbolizing the abrupt separation between the living and the dead.
• The entire city descends into widespread panic, with monsters attacking civilians and people fighting desperately to escape or survive.
• At Renhe Hospital, hundreds of medical workers, children, and patients shelter inside while monsters surround and break into the building. The hospital’s defenders form a protective ring, but casualties mount rapidly.
• A terrified medical worker repeatedly broadcasts distress calls over different channels, eventually receiving a response from the Flying Cloud Vine Rescue Team. The chapter ends as a young responder asks for the hospital’s location and situation.

Character Developments

• The Hunter Army Captain demonstrates leadership and decisiveness by coordinating the city’s emergency response and personally preparing to enter combat.
• Shangguan Mengzhi, Principal Bai, and Director Niu are entrusted with major command responsibilities, showing their authority and importance during the crisis.
• The Flying Cloud Vine students shift from ordinary classmates into organized fighters. Their quick intervention saves the wounded father temporarily, and their willingness to continue toward other cries for help emphasizes their courage and sense of duty.
• The wounded father displays self-sacrifice by throwing his daughter to his wife and ordering them to run. His brief hope of survival makes his sudden death especially tragic.
• The hospital workers move from fear to desperate resistance. Even medical personnel take up weapons—or surgical instruments—to defend the trapped civilians and children.
• The distressed radio operator becomes overwhelmed by the deaths around her but continues seeking help until the rescue team finally answers.

Significant Themes

• Life and death can change in an instant: The title is reflected in the father’s sudden death just as he reaches safety and in the unpredictable attacks throughout the city.
• Heroism amid catastrophe: Students and civilians risk themselves to rescue others despite overwhelming danger.
• The fragility of civilization: Transportation, communication, public order, and evacuation systems rapidly collapse under the monster assault.
• Selflessness versus selfishness: Some people hold doors open and help the wounded, while others try to shut survivors out to protect themselves.
• Hope amid despair: The rescue team’s radio response offers a small but meaningful sign that organized aid and human solidarity still exist.

Character Interactions

• The Hunter Army Captain gives orders to the school leadership and combat teams, establishing the emergency chain of command.
• Students work together as comrades, rescuing civilians and rushing toward new battles.
• The wounded father sacrifices himself to protect his wife and children, while his family attempts to reach safety without him.
• Bystanders divide between those who help keep the building doors open and those who try to seal them shut.
• Hospital staff cooperate to defend the sheltering civilians, while one worker desperately contacts outside forces.
• The final exchange between the hospital operator and the Flying Cloud Vine Rescue Team introduces the possibility of an imminent rescue.

Chapter Summary: “Flying Cloud Vine Warriors Arrive”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Renhe Hospital sends an emergency distress call. Around five hundred people are trapped inside, including more than two hundred middle school students, teachers, and medical staff.
• Flying Cloud Vine’s command center responds. A senior girl in black coordinates seven nearby student teams using drones and radio channels.
• She devises a tactical plan to divide and distract the monster horde:
  • Teams One and Two draw enemies toward the southeast.
  • Teams Three through Six spread out the pressure around the hospital.
  • Team Seven leads the civilians out through the east gate.
• The plan succeeds. The hospital is temporarily cleared, allowing the civilians to evacuate toward an airship point at Jimao Building, 1.5 kilometers away.
• Flying Cloud Vine teams escort the group while civilian teams join the defense through shared radio channels.
• During the evacuation, a Level-Four Boss and hundreds of monsters pursue them, forcing the teams to hurry.
• The senior commander identifies the threat as overwhelming, but Kong Yiming announces that the teachers’ team has arrived and stopped the horde. Encouraged, the evacuees continue forward.
• Once the civilians reach safety, the teams discover that no teachers’ team ever came. Team One—Kong Yiming, Zhang Chao, Lin Man, and Liu Nan—had turned back alone to hold off the monsters.
• The other teams race back to Renhe Hospital and find a battlefield covered in corpses and blood. Team One has been destroyed, though civilian teams apparently arrived too late to help.
• Lin Man survives but is psychologically shattered. She repeatedly tries to reattach Kong Yiming’s severed head while using Healing Technique, refusing to accept his death.

Character Developments

• The senior girl in black demonstrates exceptional composure, strategic intelligence, and leadership under pressure. She coordinates multiple teams and successfully organizes the hospital evacuation.
• Kong Yiming, Zhang Chao, Lin Man, and Liu Nan emerge as heroic protectors. They sacrifice themselves by turning back to delay the monster horde after ensuring the civilians’ escape.
• Lin Man undergoes the most devastating emotional change. Her inability to accept the deaths of her teammates reveals severe trauma and grief.
• The other Flying Cloud Vine teams mature from organized students into determined combatants willing to risk themselves for civilians and their fallen comrades.
• The nurse and medical workers show courage and responsibility, helping control the evacuation and carrying vulnerable children when necessary.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and heroism: Team One knowingly gives up its chance to escape so hundreds of civilians can survive.
• Leadership and teamwork: Effective communication, coordinated positioning, and trust in command allow the students to accomplish what isolated fighters could not.
• The value of medical personnel and civilians: The rescue emphasizes that doctors, children, and trained students are vital resources in a collapsing society.
• The brutality of war: Healing abilities cannot undo every injury, and battlefield medicine has severe limitations.
• Hope and deception: The false belief that the teachers have arrived briefly inspires the fleeing teams, but the truth makes Team One’s sacrifice even more tragic.
• Trauma and denial: Lin Man’s attempt to restore Kong Yiming’s body symbolizes her inability to process the loss.

Character Interactions

• The nurse communicates with the arriving Flying Cloud Vine warriors and rallies the people inside the hospital.
• The senior commander gives precise orders to seven teams through the radio, directing their movements and evacuation strategy.
• Team members encourage and support one another as the monster horde approaches.
• Kong Yiming’s false report about the teachers’ arrival gives the fleeing teams hope and conceals Team One’s sacrifice until the civilians are safe.
• After learning the truth, the surviving teams immediately turn back, showing their loyalty and emotional bond with Team One.
• Lin Man’s final interaction with Kong Yiming is tragically one-sided: she speaks to his corpse as if he can still respond, revealing her complete psychological collapse.

Chapter Summary: White-Clad Organization Makes Its First Appearance

Key Plot Points and Events

• After First Squad’s deaths, the surviving teams have no time to mourn because the battle across the city continues. Lin Man breaks down upon learning that Kong Yiming and the others are dead, and she must be forcibly removed from the battlefield. Before leaving, she covers their bodies with monster corpses so they can be recovered later.
• The senior in black preserves First Squad’s final radio transmission, renaming it “First Squad’s Final Words Recording.” She had unknowingly remained on their private channel and heard their last words.
• Elsewhere in the Red Carpet District, Qiao Zishu and Cheng Xiaoyu establish a defensive position in an alley. Cheng’s mech blocks the entrance like a shield while Qiao provides sniper support from above.
• Several teams lure monsters toward them, allowing Qiao to kill each one with a single sniper shot. Their efficient teamwork earns them the joking nickname “Spear-and-Shield Combo,” with Qiao as the spear and Cheng as the shield.
• Qiao detects strange energy gathering in a nearby alley and reports the possible formation of an Energy Core to command.
• A massive Level Four Mutant BOSS arrives, apparently drawn toward the forming Energy Core. At the same time, a mysterious young man in a white coat appears, carrying a rare silver single-shot rifle.
• The white-clad man kills the BOSS with one shot by violently twisting and compressing its neck through an unknown power. He then fires again at a group of monsters, creating a devastating ice storm that pierces the monsters, nearby buildings, and the surrounding ground.
• Qiao and Cheng are left stunned by the overwhelming power of the mysterious gunman.

Character Developments

• Lin Man is shown collapsing under the emotional weight of First Squad’s deaths. Her grief demonstrates how deeply she was connected to Kong Yiming and the others, while the team’s decision to remove her highlights the brutal necessity of survival during wartime.
• The senior in black reveals a quiet sense of responsibility and respect for the fallen by preserving their final message. She also shows emotional restraint, wiping away tears while continuing to coordinate the battlefield.
• Qiao Zishu proves herself to be an exceptionally skilled and disciplined sniper, consistently killing monsters with single shots. Her attention to the white-clad man’s rifle also reveals her strong interest and expertise in firearms.
• Cheng Xiaoyu continues to provide dependable defensive support through his mech, though his joking personality contrasts with the seriousness of the battle. His “Spear-and-Shield Combo” remark reflects the growing ease and coordination between him and Qiao.
• The mysterious white-clad young man makes a striking entrance as an immensely powerful and emotionless fighter. His scarred eye, unusual weapon, and unexplained abilities establish him as a dangerous and significant new figure.

Significant Themes

• The cost of war: The characters are forced to continue fighting despite the deaths of friends and comrades, emphasizing how war leaves little room for mourning.
• Sacrifice and remembrance: First Squad’s final words and the effort to preserve their bodies ensure that their deaths are not forgotten.
• Teamwork and complementary strengths: Qiao’s ranged firepower and Cheng’s defensive mech form an effective partnership, showing how different abilities can combine to survive overwhelming situations.
• The emergence of greater powers: The Energy Core and the white-clad gunman introduce new, mysterious forces that appear far beyond the ordinary battlefield threats.
• Mystery and escalation: The young man’s rifle and ice-based attacks dramatically raise the story’s power scale and suggest the arrival of a new organization or faction.

Important Character Interactions

• Lin Man is pulled away from Kong Yiming’s body by a Second Squad captain, who tries to protect her from dying alongside the others.
• The senior in black silently records and preserves First Squad’s final transmission, creating an emotional connection between the survivors and the fallen.
• Qiao and Cheng work together in a highly effective “spear-and-shield” formation, with Cheng defending the alley and Qiao eliminating monsters.
• Other student and civilian teams cooperate with Qiao and Cheng by luring monsters into their firing zone.
• Qiao reports the Energy Core formation to command, establishing her role as both combatant and battlefield observer.
• Qiao and Cheng witness the white-clad man’s overwhelming attacks and react with disbelief, marking their first encounter with this mysterious new force.

Chapter Summary: “A Single Shot Shatters Cheng Xiaoyu’s Spine”

Key Plot Points and Events

• A group responsible for destroying Flying Cloud City begins collecting a newly formed Black-Eyed Energy Core, which helped transform the city into a deadly Life-Cycle Arena.
• Jie, a powerful young man armed with a silver handgun and possessing Ultra-Energy Control, is assigned to retrieve the core.
• Qiao Zishu and Cheng Xiaoyu confront him, demanding that he abandon it.
• Jie fires a devastating black bullet. Cheng Xiaoyu activates an expensive defensive force field, but the shot overwhelms it, destroys his mech, and crushes parts of the surrounding buildings.
• Qiao Zishu launches a barrage from her half-mech, but Jie effortlessly redirects the bullets and fires back with a highly precise shot.
• Cheng Xiaoyu throws himself in front of Qiao Zishu, using both his mech and his body to intercept the bullet. The shot destroys his mech and tears through his chest and spine, while also injuring Qiao Zishu.
• Jie fires again, but the bullet misses the pair and kills a monster attacking them from behind. Jie then disappears, leaving the outcome of Qiao Zishu’s counterattack uncertain.
• Cheng Xiaoyu remains conscious long enough to tell Qiao Zishu that he is in pain and has lost feeling in his legs. He asks her to share a meal with him someday.
• Rescue forces and drones arrive under the War Banner Master’s support, but Qiao Zishu continues sobbing while holding the gravely wounded Cheng Xiaoyu.

Character Developments

• Cheng Xiaoyu demonstrates profound courage and loyalty by sacrificing his body to save Qiao Zishu. His injuries leave him paralyzed or near death, making his sacrifice especially tragic.
• Qiao Zishu, normally a determined and combat-focused sniper, becomes emotionally devastated and helpless as she watches Cheng Xiaoyu suffer. Her instinct shifts from attacking Jie to protecting and comforting Cheng Xiaoyu.
• Jie is established as an overwhelmingly skilled and composed opponent. He remains calm throughout the battle, displaying superior marksmanship, control, and confidence.
• The unnamed white-coated young man appears to be part of Jie’s group and entrusts him with retrieving the energy core, suggesting an organized and powerful faction behind Flying Cloud City’s destruction.

Significant Themes

• Sacrifice and loyalty: Cheng Xiaoyu’s willingness to take a fatal shot for Qiao Zishu reveals the depth of their bond.
• The brutality of war: The ruined city, disposable technology, monsters, and indiscriminate destruction emphasize the cruelty of the conflict.
• Human vulnerability versus overwhelming power: Advanced weapons and force fields are rendered nearly useless against Jie’s bullets, while Cheng Xiaoyu’s physical sacrifice remains the only thing preventing Qiao Zishu’s death.
• Hope amid tragedy: Their promise to eat together offers a small, intimate expression of hope, even as Cheng Xiaoyu’s condition suggests he may not survive.
• Emotional cost of survival: Qiao Zishu survives, but only because Cheng Xiaoyu suffers the injury intended for her, leaving her overwhelmed by grief and guilt.

Important Character Interactions

• Jie dismisses Qiao Zishu and Cheng Xiaoyu before engaging them, treating them as obstacles rather than serious threats.
• Qiao Zishu challenges Jie and attempts to suppress him with heavy machine-gun fire.
• Cheng Xiaoyu repeatedly protects Qiao Zishu—first through the mech’s shield, then by physically intercepting the fatal bullet.
• Qiao Zishu comforts Cheng Xiaoyu, uses him as support for her sniper rifle, and promises that they will eat together.
• Their final exchange highlights their emotional closeness: Cheng Xiaoyu weakly reaches for an ordinary future, while Qiao Zishu desperately reassures him despite fearing he will die.

Key plot points and events

• With the city overwhelmed by monsters, civilians are evacuated through Light Gates to Life-Cycle Arenas on the outskirts. The route is dangerous: defenders must hold narrow approaches while civilians move through, and death is now permanent.
• Ling Xiaobing leads an evacuation effort with help from her pets, Poka Poka and the giant wolf Salt-Crisp Peanut. When a summoned horde threatens a wall sheltering thousands of people, she rides Peanut to reinforce the defense.
• The defenders initially hold two narrow gaps, but a horned BOSS summons a massive wave of monsters. At the same time, more giant creatures break through from the Arena Zone behind them, trapping the defenders between two threats.
• Director Niu Shoucheng orders everyone to retreat into a building, accepting that the evacuation may have to stop to preserve lives.
• Ling recognizes one of the approaching monsters as Peanut’s mother—the powerful Pregnant Beast she encountered in the Black Cloud Realm. The beast and a group of similarly formidable Pregnant Beasts protect Peanut, then charge into the monster horde and tear through it.

Character developments

• Ling Xiaobing proves braver and more capable than her cute appearance suggests. Though her fireball is weak, her pets make her an effective defender, and her trust in Peanut’s mother keeps her calm when everyone else retreats.
• Salt-Crisp Peanut and Poka Poka show their growing strength: Poka kills a Level-Four Elite Monster, while Peanut carries Ling swiftly to the front line.
• Niu Shoucheng acts as a pragmatic commander, making the painful decision to retreat rather than sacrifice everyone in an unwinnable fight.

Character interactions

• Ling works alongside the civilian and Flying Cloud Vine teams, whose initial doubts about her combat ability vanish after Poka takes down an elite monster.
• Niu repeatedly directs Ling to safety, while she responds to the crisis by rushing to support the defenders.
• Peanut’s mother demonstrates a strong bond with her offspring, attacking the monster that injures Peanut and leading the other Pregnant Beasts into battle.

Significant themes

• The cost of leadership: commanders must choose whom and what they can save when resources and reinforcements are stretched thin.
• Courage and appearance: Ling’s gentle, childlike image conceals resolve, while unexpected allies can overturn seemingly hopeless odds.
• Family and loyalty: Peanut’s mother’s immediate defense of her offspring turns a terrifying arrival into a rescue.
• Survival under changed rules: with no resurrection, every retreat, defense, and rescue carries irreversible consequences.

Chapter Summary: “Shrimping the Heart: Ling Xiaobing”

Key Plot Points and Events

• At the Flying Cloud Vine Command Center, drone feeds capture fourteen Pregnant Beasts charging into a horde of hundreds of monsters.
• Salt-Crisp Peanut’s mother kills the humanoid ram-horn Boss Monster by breaking off its horns and impaling it with one. Her roar terrifies the remaining monsters, causing them to flee.
• The Pregnant Beasts rapidly slaughter the leaderless horde, astonishing the humans watching.
• Shangguan Mengzhi explains that the Pregnant Beasts’ unusual behavior and strength are connected to Ling Xiaobing.
• The Beasts can sense human emotions and intentions. Pregnant Beast Cubs die when exposed to greed, hostility, or desires to exploit them, but they survive when cared for by someone genuinely kind and compassionate.
• Ling Xiaobing’s unusually pure and benevolent nature makes her uniquely trusted by the Pregnant Beasts.
• The Beasts have grown extraordinarily powerful because they continually cross Arena Zones in search of people like Ling Xiaobing. Each crossing forces them to fight surrounding monsters, making the survivors exceptionally battle-hardened.
• After the battle, Salt-Crisp Peanut recognizes its mother and embraces her, while Poka Poka chooses another Pregnant Beast for comfort because it cannot find its biological parent.
• The Pregnant Beasts communicate among themselves and begin giving Ling Xiaobing meatballs—likely Pregnant Beast Cubs—one after another. Thirteen meatballs accumulate.
• Unsure how to transport them, Ling Xiaobing receives help from the Flying Cloud Vine students, who throw down clothing to wrap and carry the precious meatballs.
• She then demands their pants as well, jokingly pointing out that pants can hold two at a time.

Character Developments

• Ling Xiaobing: Her compassion and innocence are confirmed as the reason the Pregnant Beasts trust her. She accepts their babies without hesitation, though she becomes comically overwhelmed by the number entrusted to her.
• Salt-Crisp Peanut’s mother: She is established as a fiercely protective and powerful parent. After eliminating the Boss Monster, she proudly introduces Ling Xiaobing to the other Pregnant Beasts as someone worthy of receiving their children.
• Salt-Crisp Peanut: It recognizes its mother despite never having met her and openly expresses its emotions by rushing into her embrace.
• Poka Poka: Displays a childlike need for affection, seeking comfort from another Pregnant Beast when it cannot find its own mother.
• Shangguan Mengzhi: Provides the crucial explanation behind the Pregnant Beasts’ behavior and helps organize practical assistance for Ling Xiaobing.
• The students and civilians: Their initial fear and uncertainty shift into awe, envy, and reluctant cooperation as they watch Ling Xiaobing receive the Cubs.

Significant Themes

• Compassion versus exploitation: The survival of Pregnant Beast Cubs depends on sincere kindness rather than ownership, experimentation, or selfish motives.
• Maternal protection and sacrifice: The Pregnant Beasts endure repeated battles and cross dangerous zones to save their children from the Black Hand Rules.
• Trust and emotional purity: Ling Xiaobing’s lack of malice allows her to form a bond that others, even well-intentioned people, might be unable to create.
• The reversal of predator and prey: Normally terrifying monsters flee in fear from the stronger Pregnant Beasts, emphasizing the shifting balance of power.
• Humor amid danger: The grim battle is followed by an absurd and lighthearted scene in which students are forced to surrender their clothes so Ling Xiaobing can carry the meatballs.

Character Interactions

• Salt-Crisp Peanut’s mother confronts and kills the ram-horn Boss Monster, then reunites emotionally with Salt-Crisp Peanut.
• The Pregnant Beasts communicate through growls and collectively entrust their children to Ling Xiaobing.
• Ling Xiaobing accepts each meatball and interacts affectionately, if awkwardly, with the Beasts.
• Shangguan Mengzhi explains the situation to the teachers and orders the students to provide clothing.
• The students reluctantly throw down their coats and prepare to give up their pants, creating the chapter’s comedic closing moment.

Chapter Summary: Sweeping the Battlefield with the Pregnant Beast Squad

Key Plot Points and Events

• Ling Xiaobing helps Poka Poka carry the “little meatballs” by wrapping them in discarded clothing and tying the bundles to its fur. The surrounding Pregnant Beasts remain nearby because they are protecting her.
• Following Shangguan Mengzhi’s instructions, Ling Xiaobing leads the beasts toward a monster horde attacking Flying Cloud Vine School students near a skyscraper.
• The group moves slowly because Poka Poka is carrying the bundled meatballs. Ling Xiaobing considers riding Salted Peanut but hesitates out of embarrassment in front of Salted Peanut’s mother.
• At the building, several student teams are nearly overwhelmed by hundreds of monsters and request evacuation. They are confused when command announces that Ling Xiaobing is arriving with the “mom squad.”
• The Pregnant Beasts suddenly charge into battle and annihilate the monster horde within minutes. The students are left stunned by the squad’s overwhelming strength as Ling Xiaobing runs after the beasts.
• Near Illuminated Tower, a powerful monster attempts to seize a forming Energy Core, but Liu Zhiyin kills it with an icy attack.
• Tan Tianze uses a tiny insect to reanimate the monster’s headless corpse, revealing his disturbing abilities. He also stands beside a black cat carrying a scythe, confirming the dangerous nature of the mysterious organization.
• Sun Jianqing arrives with several teachers and discovers that Liu Zhiyin is affiliated with the organization. Furious and devastated, he rejects Liu as his student and prepares to fight him.
• Liu Zhiyin remains emotionally restrained and begins gathering energy, while Sun Jianqing unleashes freezing winds and frost toward him.

Character Developments

• Ling Xiaobing: Demonstrates cleverness and resourcefulness by securing the meatballs to Poka Poka. Though inexperienced in combat and exhausted from running, she acts as the catalyst directing the Pregnant Beasts where they are needed.
• Poka Poka and the Pregnant Beasts: Their protective relationship with Ling Xiaobing becomes clear. They function as a coordinated, extremely powerful combat force capable of wiping out large monster hordes almost instantly.
• Salted Peanut’s mother: Her presence makes Ling Xiaobing self-conscious, suggesting an amusing but familiar dynamic between the girl and the beasts.
• Liu Zhiyin: Revealed as a member of the mysterious organization. His calm betrayal contrasts sharply with Sun Jianqing’s emotional reaction, though his brief emotional response suggests he may still feel conflicted about his former teacher.
• Tan Tianze: Shows a cruel, irreverent personality and grotesque abilities, including controlling insects and reanimating corpses. He treats the confrontation between Liu Zhiyin and Sun Jianqing as entertaining.
• Sun Jianqing: Experiences intense anger, grief, and self-blame after learning of Liu Zhiyin’s allegiance. His fury comes partly from believing he failed as a teacher.

Significant Themes

• Protection and loyalty: The Pregnant Beasts protect Ling Xiaobing, while Sun Jianqing’s anger reveals how deeply he cared for Liu Zhiyin as a student.
• Power amid chaos: The battlefield shifts rapidly, with students barely surviving until the Pregnant Beasts decisively reverse the situation.
• Betrayal and failed mentorship: Liu Zhiyin’s affiliation with the enemy forces Sun Jianqing to confront both his student’s choices and his own perceived failure.
• Contrasts between innocence and horror: Ling Xiaobing’s humorous “watermelon” bundles and the absurd “mom squad” contrast with the brutal slaughter and Tan Tianze’s corpse manipulation.
• Energy and evolution: The forming Energy Core attracts monsters because it offers immense power, emphasizing the ongoing struggle over resources that can rapidly strengthen supernatural beings.

Important Character Interactions

• Shangguan Mengzhi guides Ling Xiaobing by radio and explains that the Pregnant Beasts are protecting her.
• Ling Xiaobing interacts awkwardly with Salted Peanut’s mother, avoiding riding Salted Peanut in front of her.
• The student captain mocks the idea of the “mom squad,” only to witness the beasts effortlessly save the battlefield.
• Tan Tianze and Liu Zhiyin argue over killing monsters and preserving corpses, showing their conflicting abilities and personalities.
• Sun Jianqing confronts Liu Zhiyin emotionally, disowning him as a student, while Liu responds with restrained calm and prepares to fight.

Chapter Summary: “Liu Zhiyin, Betrayer of Master and Ancestors”

Key Plot Points and Events

• Liu Zhiyin confronts his former teacher, Sun Jianqing, and orders him and the other teachers to leave. Despite their past relationship, he immediately attacks them with powerful ice magic.
• The teachers retaliate. Zhao Qingshan attacks Liu Zhiyin, while Tan Tianze uses a headless corpse and black insects to control numerous corpses as hex warriors.
• Tan Tianze’s corpse army proves extremely dangerous because the corpses are stronger, faster, tougher, and fearless in death. The controlling insects can also transfer into other corpses, continually expanding the threat.
• Sun Jianqing attacks Liu Zhiyin with his golden sword and Ice Blades, but Liu Zhiyin reveals a terrifying black-and-red energy resembling the power of a Black-Eyed Energy Core. His enhanced energy blocks the attack and shatters Sun Jianqing’s treasured sword.
• Liu Zhiyin unleashes a massive storm of Ice Blades, overwhelming the teachers’ defenses and severely injuring several of them. Although all the teachers are above Tier-Three Master, they are nearly helpless against Liu Zhiyin and Tan Tianze.
• Tan Tianze orders Liu Zhiyin to kill the teachers. Liu Zhiyin shows a moment of hesitation, but the Black Cat attacks anyway, forcing the exhausted teachers to prepare for death.
• Fu Junlin arrives at the last moment, destroys the Black Cat, and angrily condemns Liu Zhiyin as a traitor who betrayed his master and ancestors.
• Fu Junlin also attacks Tan Tianze, destroying his hex insects and forcing him to retreat. He then engages Liu Zhiyin in close combat.
• Fu Junlin’s spear techniques overpower Liu Zhiyin at close range. Despite suffering a deep shoulder wound, Fu Junlin breaks through Liu Zhiyin’s defenses and impales him through the chest, pinning him against a building.
• Rather than expressing fear, Liu Zhiyin mocks Fu Junlin for holding back and suggests that he should have pierced his heart. He then hints that the world conceals a terrible truth that would destroy Fu Junlin’s compassion for life.

Character Developments

• Liu Zhiyin: His transformation into a powerful, black-eyed, black-and-red energy wielder becomes clear. He is now vastly stronger than expected and capable of overwhelming elite teachers. However, his hesitation before killing Sun Jianqing’s group suggests that he retains some emotional connection to his former master. His final remarks imply that his betrayal may be connected to a deeper understanding of the world rather than simple ambition or malice.
• Sun Jianqing: The confrontation reveals both his strength and his emotional attachment to Liu Zhiyin. Seeing Liu Zhiyin’s energy reminds him of Liang Huimin’s death, turning his shock and grief into fury. Despite leading an experienced group of powerful teachers, he is forced into a defensive and desperate position.
• Tan Tianze: He demonstrates ruthless control over corpse magic and becomes enraged when Fu Junlin destroys his Black Cat and hex insects. His dependence on disposable corpses contrasts with Fu Junlin’s direct martial strength, and he wisely withdraws after realizing he cannot safely confront Fu Junlin.
• Fu Junlin: He arrives as a powerful protector and avenger. His fury over the Black Cat’s death and Liu Zhiyin’s betrayal drives him into a relentless attack. Though he defeats Liu Zhiyin, his refusal to deliver a fatal blow reveals lingering compassion or emotional conflict.
• The teachers: Their confidence is badly shaken. They recognize that their experience and numerical advantage are insufficient against the younger Liu Zhiyin and Tan Tianze.

Significant Themes

• Betrayal and broken loyalty: Liu Zhiyin’s attack on his own teacher and ancestors forms the chapter’s central conflict. His betrayal is made more painful by the implication that he once belonged to and was valued by the teacher group.
• Corruption and transformation: Liu Zhiyin’s black-and-red energy resembles the power of Black-Eyed Energy Cores, suggesting that he has been altered or corrupted by dangerous forces.
• Life, death, and monstrosity: Tan Tianze’s corpses are stronger in death than in life and fight without fear, raising the idea that abandoning mortality can create terrifying power. The chapter also contrasts the teachers’ concern for life with the corpse warriors’ total disregard for it.
• Compassion versus ruthlessness: Fu Junlin’s anger demands punishment, but his hesitation to kill Liu Zhiyin shows that emotional bonds and mercy still remain. Liu Zhiyin mocks this compassion as weakness.
• Hidden truth and moral disillusionment: Liu Zhiyin claims that understanding the world’s true nature would make Fu Junlin stop pitying others. This introduces a larger mystery and suggests that Liu Zhiyin may believe his actions are justified by a revelation about reality.

Important Character Interactions

• Liu Zhiyin and Sun Jianqing: Their teacher-student relationship has turned into a deadly confrontation. Sun Jianqing attacks Liu Zhiyin with shock and grief, while Liu Zhiyin remains outwardly calm but briefly hesitates when ordered to kill him.
• Zhao Qingshan and Tan Tianze’s hex corpse: Zhao’s attacks reveal the corpse’s unnatural resilience. Even after its chest is destroyed, it continues fighting, demonstrating the danger of Tan Tianze’s control.
• Tan Tianze and Liu Zhiyin: Tan Tianze treats Liu Zhiyin as a weapon and commands him to finish off the teachers. Liu Zhiyin’s subtle hesitation suggests that their alliance may not be completely secure.
• Fu Junlin and the Black Cat: Fu Junlin destroys the Black Cat after it attacks the teachers, provoking Tan Tianze’s intense rage.
• Fu Junlin and Liu Zhiyin: Their battle exposes both men’s strength and unresolved emotions. Fu Junlin overwhelms Liu Zhiyin physically but does not immediately kill him, while Liu Zhiyin responds with mockery and cryptic warnings about the world’s true nature.