Chapter Summaries

Key plot points and events

• Xu Feng, a former overworked office worker who now prefers a quiet life, works alone as a forest ranger in Cloud Rack Mountain Nature Reserve. He completes his mandatory evening clock-in, unaware that the system is also checking whether he is dead or infected and reporting on the safety of nearby sealed objects.
• Back home, he plays a newly purchased game cartridge. The console displays an unusual, elaborate opening sequence, then automatically loads a game called Corpse Sewer on Ominous difficulty—despite Xu Feng’s attempts to exit.
• The television becomes a mirror connecting two worlds. An old man named Zhao San appears and laments the disasters caused by his failures to master corpse-stitching: his master’s death, a village transformed into living corpses, and a future massacre by the Yellow River Demon Corpse.
• Zhao San smashes the mirror, breaking Xu Feng’s television and pulling Xu Feng into the game.
• A voice assigns Xu Feng the task of giving Zhao San the “flawless life” he never had. Xu Feng must learn the craft in youth, build a career and master a powerful stitching method in middle age, and become a respected elder who defeats the Demon Corpse in old age. Only then can he return to his own life.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Feng is content with solitude and routine, but his relaxed evening is abruptly overturned by the game’s supernatural force. He goes from skeptical irritation to helplessly being drawn into the game.
• Zhao San is introduced through a tragic confession. He believes his incompetence and past mistakes condemned others, and his despair drives him to destroy the mirror.
• Xu Feng and Zhao San never meet in person, but the screen acts as a mirror between them: Zhao San’s confession becomes the force that pulls Xu Feng into his unfinished life.

Significant themes

• Regret and redemption: Xu Feng is tasked with correcting the failures that define Zhao San’s life.
• Fate and the possibility of change: The game offers a chance to transform a life marked by calamity into one of achievement and fulfillment.
• The ordinary colliding with the supernatural: Routine clock-ins and gaming give way to secret containment systems, a haunted console, and a dangerous alternate world.
• Perfection and fulfillment: The game’s promise of a “flawless life” frames the mission as a search for completeness, not merely survival.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Feng is transported from darkness into a vivid, apparently game-like world, where he finds himself at a public execution in Luoyin County. The crowd celebrates as prisoners are beheaded, while Xu Feng is horrified by the violence and the suffering of those who take several blows to die.
• Text prompts identify the location and prologue, and Xu Feng discovers that he cannot quit or skip the opening. After the executions, the crowd disperses, leaving him alone near the grounds.
• An old man beckons to Xu Feng from behind a willow tree, but an executioner strikes Xu Feng on the head; when he looks back, the old man has vanished. The executioner, Uncle Liu, carries him away, saying he has kept a ghost from luring him off.
• The game announces that the prologue is over and unlocks the main quest: under his Master’s guidance, Xu Feng must complete a corpse-stitching job rated better than “Disappointing.” Completing it will unlock saving, a character panel, and a map.
• At a small Earth God Shrine, Xu Feng’s Master gives him talisman water. He explains that he arranged the execution visit to prepare Xu Feng for work in the corpse-handling trade. That night, Xu Feng is to begin his first job and learn corpse stitching.

Character developments

• Xu Feng moves from confused disbelief to shock and fear as he experiences the executions and realizes he is trapped in a game-like world. He also notices that the body he occupies—apparently Zhao San’s—is much thinner than his own.
• Xu Feng’s Master is practical but not wholly callous: he believes Xu Feng should feel sick at death, and sees that reaction as a sign of his humanity. Nonetheless, he deliberately exposes the boy to executions as preparation for his trade.
• Uncle Liu, an executioner and the Master’s friend, acts as Xu Feng’s escort and rescues him from both the crush of the crowd and the mysterious figure near the tree.

Significant themes

• Death and human feeling: The crowd treats executions as entertainment, sharply contrasting with Xu Feng’s distress and his Master’s insistence that grief and revulsion are natural.
• Initiation into a disturbing craft: The execution is presented as preparation for corpse stitching, foreshadowing the grim work Xu Feng must undertake.
• A game-like world with real stakes: Menus and quests frame Xu Feng’s experience as a game, but he cannot exit, and the violence and physical danger feel entirely real.
• Mystery and supernatural danger: The beckoning old man disappears abruptly, leaving open whether Xu Feng encountered a ghost or another threat.

Character interactions

• Xu Feng is pushed and nearly crushed by the excited execution crowd before constables drive them back.
• Uncle Liu carries Xu Feng away from the execution ground and warns him that a ghost might have lured him off.
• At the shrine, Xu Feng’s Master questions his reaction, validates his sickness at witnessing death, and then tells him he will begin corpse-stitching that very night.

Plot and events

• Xu Feng is eager to complete his Corpse Stitching training so he can save and quit the game. His master warns that tonight’s performance will determine whether he remains an apprentice, though even the lowest passing grade would count as success.
• After resting, Xu Feng joins his master for the first stages of the ritual. His master stresses that the trade’s rules protect the living, and that every step must be remembered.
• They ask the Earth God of Luoyin County for permission and protection. Xu Feng follows his master’s actions: offering incense, bowing, presenting food and wine, and burning a written prayer while his master chants and makes ritual gestures.
• The offering is accepted, and the game reports that the Land Spirit has granted Xu Feng temporary protection from sinister or inauspicious entities no stronger than itself.
• They then burn paper at the four corners outside the shrine, drawing wine circles but leaving gaps. With these preliminaries complete, they head to the West Room, where the corpse awaits.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Feng is anxious about the consequences of failure but stays focused, carefully copying his master rather than pretending to understand the ritual.
• The master is stern and experienced. He tests Xu Feng’s attention and emphasizes that obedience and precision matter more than merely saying the right things. He keeps the deeper dangers of the trade to himself.
• Their relationship remains hierarchical: Xu Feng listens and imitates, while his master leads each step and judges his readiness.

Significant themes

• Ritual and survival: The customs are presented not as courtesies to the dead but as safeguards for the living.
• Learning through attention and repetition: A single forgotten detail may prove fatal, making careful observation essential.
• Faith, authority, and supernatural rules: The ritual’s success is confirmed through visible signs and the game’s status messages, linking traditional practice to the game’s mechanics.
• Fear of the unknown: Xu Feng’s urgency and his master’s warnings build suspense as they approach the actual corpse-stitching work.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Feng enters the shrine’s blood-soaked West Room, where his master reveals a makeshift morgue containing several bodies.
• After checking that the body count is correct, the master lets Xu Feng choose a corpse. He explains that this one died quickly by Uncle Liu’s hand, making it a comparatively safe choice for a beginner.
• Before teaching corpse stitching, the master passes on one practical secret: how to read the Minor Ominous Sign in three incense sticks. It warns that danger or an evil presence is nearby, though there may still be a chance to avert it.
• The master demonstrates corpse-stitching tools and techniques. Xu Feng follows his instructions with unusually steady hands and successfully completes his first job.
• Xu Feng immediately quits the game without checking his score, locks away the console, and tries to calm himself. Though only five minutes have passed, the experience feels like a distant dream.
• A Character Panel appears, listing his new skills: Corpse Stitching, Incense Manual Omen Reading (Part One), and Invoking the Gods’ Protection. He remains a novice, with no items or unlocked privileges.

Character developments

• Xu Feng pushes through his fear by focusing on finishing the task and escaping. His composure and natural steadiness let him complete the grisly work, though he is deeply shaken afterward.
• His master is stern and cautious, but shows affection and concern for Xu Feng. Believing the apprentice might fail, he gives him the omen-reading lesson partly as a useful skill and parting gift.

Significant themes

• Fear and perseverance: Xu Feng succeeds by holding to his resolve despite revulsion and terror.
• Careful practice and survival: The master stresses counting, checking, and caution in a trade where mistakes can be dangerous.
• Inheritance and compassion: The secret technique represents a dwindling tradition, while the master’s decision to teach it reflects his care for his disciple.
• The uncanny beside the practical: Grim supernatural work is presented through concrete procedures, tools, and rules.

Character interactions

• The master guides Xu Feng through selecting and examining a body, explains why it is a safer first assignment, and patiently teaches the incense omen and stitching methods.
• Xu Feng responds obediently and gratefully, concentrating on each instruction; their exchange reveals both the master’s authority and his underlying affection.

Key plot points and events

• After escaping the Corpse-Sewing Game, Xu Feng accepts that he cannot yet explain or control it. He decides to keep the console and cartridge, sleep, and avoid playing again unless forced.
• Before settling down, he reconsiders whether his new world is purely technological or also supernatural. His isolated ranger station and patrol route suddenly seem ominous.
• The route includes the Ancient People’s Tomb, the ruins of the Dragon-Locking Temple, Cloudframe Mountain’s Heaven Gate, and Liu Family Village. Xu Feng realizes these names—and the unexplained places themselves—could conceal more than he once thought.
• The next morning, he buys incense in the village and sets out to confront his doubts. At the Ancient People’s Tomb, he checks in as required and burns three sticks before an archway marked “Life-and-Death Mystery Gate.”
• The incense behaves normally, and Xu Feng leaves relieved, though not entirely certain that the place is harmless.

Character development

• Xu Feng shifts from trying to rationalize the game to admitting that some events may be beyond his control.
• His fear makes him reinterpret familiar surroundings as potentially dangerous, but he chooses to investigate rather than let suspicion consume him.
• He remains practical: he keeps his work routine, checks in on patrol, and uses a small test—burning incense—to seek reassurance.

Character interactions

• There are no direct conversations in the chapter. Xu Feng’s main interaction is with the game’s lingering threat and with the locations along his patrol route, especially the tomb’s mysterious archway.

Significant themes

• Uncertainty between science and the supernatural: Xu Feng cannot tell whether his experiences have a technological or supernatural explanation.
• Fear and perception: Once he suspects danger, ordinary place names and familiar sites take on a sinister meaning.
• Confronting doubt: Xu Feng believes he must face his suspicions rather than endlessly dwell on them, even if his test offers only temporary reassurance.

Key plot points and events

• After leaving the Life-and-Death Mystery Gate, Xu Feng looks back and sees incense smoke form a human-like face beneath the arch. The smoke vanishes in the wind, and the three incense sticks are completely burned away.
• Though frightened, he decides to continue investigating the mountain. He suspects his work unit may know more than it admits: his repetitive patrol route and unusually thorough annual medical exams might mean he is being used to detect supernatural activity.
• At the Dragon-Locking Temple, Xu Feng’s incense repeatedly fails to light. A gust blows out his lighter just as an incense stick catches. After retreating downhill, he can light the incense normally, convincing him that something at the temple is preventing him from making contact.
• He reasons that Incense Divination is a way of questioning local spirits. The entity at the Ancient People’s Tomb answered him, but the presence at the Dragon-Locking Temple seems hostile or unwilling to respond.
• Xu Feng checks in at the Heavenly Gate and descends through Desolate Village. He avoids testing the village with incense, though its buildings strike him as resembling a living centipede.
• Back in the village, he finds a small shrine to the local Earth God. Wanting to learn whether gods exist as well as ghosts, he buys incense and offerings and arranges them according to the ritual he learned in the game. The shopkeeper watches and remarks that the setup looks convincing.

Character developments

• Xu Feng shifts from trying to dismiss his fear to deliberately investigating it. He remains cautious, but his curiosity and determination outweigh his instinct to flee.
• He becomes more suspicious of his work unit, reconsidering routine patrols and medical exams as possible surveillance or supernatural-detection measures.
• Though still a novice Corpse Sewer, he applies what he learned about Incense Divination and begins testing the limits of his new knowledge.

Significant themes

• The supernatural intrudes on ordinary life: familiar roads, patrols, and village shrines become dangerous or uncanny.
• Knowledge through ritual and interaction: Xu Feng treats incense as a way to question spirits, but learns that some entities may refuse—or prevent—contact.
• Distrust and uncertainty: he cannot tell whether his suspicions about his work unit are justified, and the mountain’s strange behavior offers few clear answers.
• Curiosity versus self-preservation: despite repeated warnings, Xu Feng keeps probing the mystery.

Character interactions

• Xu Feng’s encounters with the unseen presences are mostly indirect: the face at the Mystery Gate watches him, while the entity at Dragon-Locking Temple blows out his lighter and blocks his ritual.
• At the Ancient People’s Tomb, a spirit previously answered Xu Feng’s question, giving him a contrast with the hostile or unresponsive temple presence.
• The village shopkeeper observes Xu Feng’s offering to the Earth God and comments on how authentic it looks, providing a mundane counterpoint to Xu Feng’s supernatural experiment.

• Xu Feng discovers something wrong with the Earth God shrine. While lighting incense, he sees the smoke enter the shrine niche but not the statue’s nostrils. The Earth God appears to smile at him, filling him with uncanny dread. An elderly shopkeeper explains that the shrine was moved after a vehicle struck it, following advice from a Yin-Yang master. Xu Feng leaves without investigating further, convinced the statue is not what a true god should be.
• He prepares to re-enter the game. Back at his lodging, Xu Feng decides the game may help him understand the supernatural events in the real world. He downloads books on medicine and anatomy, recognizing that his work as a Corpse Sewer requires far more systematic knowledge than he currently has. He recalls his master’s warning that future cases may involve badly decomposed or fragmented bodies.
• The game gives him control over entering. The console loads Corpse Sewer at the Earth God Shrine in Luoyin County, but this time it does not pull him in automatically. Xu Feng chooses to enter, arriving inside the shrine near dawn. He knows that leaving safely requires completing an act and reaching the niche of a true god; death may be the only alternative, and he refuses to risk it.
• Xu Feng takes a more deliberate approach. He reviews his previous “Better Than Expected” evaluation and studies the game map. It reveals Luoyin County, the nearby Yellow River, and Third Grandpa Temple Village southwest of the shrine. As the first act is complete, new text appears, signaling the start of the second.
  Character development and interactions: Xu Feng shifts from anxious avoidance toward purposeful investigation, using both study and the game to prepare. The shopkeeper provides local history but remains unaware of the supernatural danger Xu Feng perceives. Xu Feng’s recollection of his master’s advice reinforces his commitment to mastering his craft.
  Themes: The chapter contrasts genuine divinity with uncanny, potentially false manifestations; emphasizes knowledge as a means of survival; and builds suspense around the boundary between the real world and the game.

Chapter Summary

Key plot points and events

• Xu Feng reviews the requirements for Act Two, “Master Qian’s Troubles.” The tasks involve completing a corpse-stitching job and dealing with a strange, possibly supernatural incident alongside his master. Xu Feng suspects several objectives may be completed during the same job.
• He infers that “Ominous” is likely a rating for ghosts or spirits, suggesting corpse sewers have methods for handling the supernatural.
• The game reports that Xu Feng exceeded the requirements in a previous stitching task, increasing his master Zhao Er’s affinity. The exact value is hidden until the task is complete, but Xu Feng understands that greater affinity may mean better instruction.
• After the funeral rites, Zhao Er teaches Xu Feng to treat the dead with respect: they were once living people, and they now provide the corpse sewers’ livelihood. He also demonstrates ritual practices for protection and purification.
• Xu Feng rests while Zhao Er prepares breakfast. At the meal, Xu Feng accurately recounts the previous night’s lessons. Impressed by his memory and understanding, Zhao Er gives him extra food and is visibly pleased.

Character developments

• Xu Feng is methodical and eager to learn. He studies the game’s objectives, recognizes how affinity could affect his apprenticeship, and deliberately commits his master’s teachings to memory.
• Zhao Er grows warmer toward Xu Feng after the apprentice’s successful work. His pride becomes especially clear when Xu Feng recites the lessons in order, though he tries to conceal his delight.

Character interactions

• Zhao Er instructs Xu Feng in corpse-stitching ethics and ritual practices, then encourages him to rest.
• At breakfast, Xu Feng’s attentive gaze prompts Zhao Er to ask what is on his mind. Xu Feng’s thoughtful answer leads him to demonstrate what he learned.
• Zhao Er responds to Xu Feng’s performance with affection and approval, offering him more food and enjoying a quiet moment of satisfaction.

Significant themes

• Apprenticeship and earned trust: Skill, attentiveness, and a master’s goodwill shape how much knowledge an apprentice receives.
• Respect for the dead: The work may be practical, but the dead must still be treated with dignity.
• Learning as an advantage: Xu Feng’s strong memory and organized thinking set him apart and help him build his relationship with Zhao Er.
• Ritual and the supernatural: Everyday corpse-sewing practices are intertwined with protective rites and hints of a wider world of spirits.

Plot points and events

• After eating, Xu Feng cautiously asks Zhao Er whether an unusually large incense flame would be an omen. Zhao Er dismisses the idea as beyond their knowledge, warns him not to tempt fate, and stresses that he must master the basics first.
• Xu Feng realizes that asking about the Earth God Shrine might expose his suspicions. He also concludes that the Inquiry method is unlikely to explain his situation in the real world, making the Ancient People’s Tomb seem increasingly troublesome.
• After completing chores, Xu Feng studies an illustrated anatomy and coroner’s manual. He quickly memorizes its contents, including several techniques involving plants and animals.
• When someone arrives at the courtyard, Zhao Er orders Xu Feng to stay inside and not look out. Xu Feng later notices evidence that the corpses have been carted away and that the carving at the West Room’s entrance had been covered.
• Xu Feng asks for more reading material. Zhao Er tests him, and Xu Feng answers both basic and advanced questions, including ones requiring him to apply what he has learned.
• Impressed, Zhao Er gives him several more books and explains that a qualified Corpse Sewer must master four methods: needlework, the Filling Method, the Depiction Method, and the Medicinal Bath Method. He assigns Xu Feng three medical books to study, promising to teach him another incense sign if he passes a test within three to five days.

Character development

• Xu Feng remains cautious about revealing what he knows, but his curiosity and remarkable ability to learn are increasingly evident. He values knowledge and training far more than Zhao Er’s promised meal.
• Zhao Er softens toward Xu Feng. Though initially suspicious of his claim to have finished the manual, he is impressed by the apprentice’s memory and reasoning, and begins sharing more of the profession’s teachings.

Significant themes

• Learning through discipline: Zhao Er insists that Xu Feng master foundational skills before attempting advanced knowledge.
• Secrecy and guarded knowledge: The profession’s methods are kept from outsiders, and Xu Feng must conceal his questions about the shrine and the real world.
• Knowledge as reward and opportunity: Xu Feng sees books and instruction as more valuable than food or other ordinary incentives.
• Hidden dangers: The unexplained removal of the corpses and the covered beast carving hint at risks surrounding the work and the wider mystery.

Character interactions

• Xu Feng probes Zhao Er about incense omens, but accepts his rebuke rather than pressing the subject.
• Zhao Er protects Xu Feng from witnessing the courtyard visitor’s business by ordering him to stay inside.
• Their relationship grows warmer through study: Zhao Er tests Xu Feng, praises his answers, supplies additional books, and offers further instruction in return for his success.

Xu Feng immerses himself in the handwritten books on corpse-sewing, medicine, Zhu You Art, and related practices. He pieces them together into a broader system: a Corpse Sewer’s work is not only preparing bodies for burial, but also comforting both the dead and the living while navigating matters of death, mystery, and taboo. The texts are incomplete and difficult to decipher, but his study advances his Corpse Stitching from Initial Exposure to Familiarity. He also discovers that an indistinct new skill is forming on his Character Panel, suggesting that reading can spark skill comprehension.
His master is impressed by Xu Feng’s diligence and growing love of learning, though he still has duties of his own and cannot supervise him constantly. He notes that corpse-sewing work is usually sporadic, with dangerous exceptions that he prefers to avoid.
Meanwhile, trouble brews at the Qian family mansion. After a doctor treats Master Qian’s mother, he says her fright may have caused her to “lose her soul” and recommends having it summoned back. Qian Dayou thanks and rewards the doctor, then reveals his anger: he suspects someone is exploiting his family’s grief. His steward says the Third Master is questioning the local Beggar Chief, and Qian warns that whoever is responsible will face severe consequences.
Character developments and interactions: Xu Feng becomes more absorbed and capable, while his master’s confidence in him grows. The doctor is cautious but candid with Qian Dayou, who shifts from courteous host to threatening patriarch once the medical visit ends. The chapter contrasts Xu Feng’s sincere pursuit of knowledge with Qian’s suspicion that someone is making a profit from suffering.
Themes: Learning through patient study; the boundary between medicine and the supernatural; respect for dangerous work; and the exploitation of grief.

Plot points and events

• Master Qian realizes the corpse incident in his rear courtyard was likely an attempted extortion scheme, though its perpetrators have not appeared. Suspecting outsiders, he orders a search for unfamiliar monks or Daoists and recognizes that whoever staged the incident knew the layout of his courtyard—suggesting a household traitor.
• He asks for a ritual master to help his frightened mother, believing her soul may have been startled away. Later, a strange scent returns to the Main Hall. Recognizing it as the smell of the corpse that was burned, Qian panics and orders his guards to fetch ritual materials and a blade.
• Meanwhile, Xu Feng is examined by Zhao Er on his knowledge of corpse-stitching. After only three days of study, Xu Feng gives an impressive, mostly accurate recitation of the rules and procedures.
• Pleased with Xu Feng’s progress and honoring his promise, Zhao Er gives him the complete Corpse-Sewing Incense Manual, containing all nine Incense Divination methods he learned from his own master.

Character developments

• Master Qian shifts from anger and suspicion to fear when the corpse’s scent reappears, suggesting the incident may be more than a straightforward extortion plot.
• Xu Feng demonstrates exceptional memory and dedication, earning Zhao Er’s approval and a major opportunity to advance his studies.
• Zhao Er reveals a generous, affectionate side: impressed by Xu Feng’s effort, he gives him the full manual rather than teaching its methods gradually.

Character interactions

• Qian gives his steward and guards urgent orders, while the steward complies without question and the guards rush to gather the requested items.
• Xu Feng answers Zhao Er’s examination questions; Zhao Er praises him, promises to take him into the city for a meal, and rewards him with the manual.

Significant themes

• Fear and the supernatural: The unexplained return of the corpse’s scent unsettles Qian and raises doubts about whether the event is merely a human scheme.
• Trust and betrayal: Qian’s knowledge of the courtyard’s layout points to a possible insider helping the perpetrators.
• Learning and mentorship: Xu Feng’s effort is rewarded by Zhao Er’s trust and generous transmission of knowledge.
• Consequences of past wrongdoing: Qian recognizes that the corpse-extortion trick being used against him is one he himself once employed.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Feng studies the illustrated Corpse-Sewing Incense Manual, written and annotated by his master, Zhao Er. He finds the manual intriguing but its system of nine incense omens confusing.
• Zhao Er explains that, in practice, only two omens matter most: Minor Ominous Sign and Something Sought. Both warn of danger and help a corpse-sewer avoid disaster.
• The two offer incense at the Earth God Shrine, lock up, and travel toward Luoyin County. On the road, Xu Feng spots a feral wolf-dog that has eaten corpses. Zhao Er describes how dangerous the lawless countryside has become, especially because wild animals that acquire a taste for human flesh can turn on people.
• Xu Feng asks whether corpse-sewers can fight ghosts and spirits. Zhao Er says they can, but Xu Feng must first master corpse-stitching. He hints that the craft involves deeper principles than sewing and that methods for subduing ghosts are only its surface.
• In Luoyin County, they eat at a simple restaurant. Zhao Er notices a local Householder Daoist—a ritual practitioner—walking behind another man and wonders why the Qian family has summoned him.

Character developments

• Xu Feng is intensely eager to learn, studying with renewed urgency and asking increasingly ambitious questions. His curiosity about supernatural defense grows after hearing that ghosts can appear in daylight.
• Zhao Er is warmer and more encouraging than before, pleased by Xu Feng’s diligence. He offers practical instruction and reassurance, while insisting that his apprentice build a proper foundation before learning advanced arts.

Significant themes

• Knowledge requires foundations: Mastery of corpse-stitching must come before learning to confront spirits.
• Practical wisdom over appearances: The incense manual’s many signs narrow down to two useful warnings; Zhao Er values what helps keep a practitioner alive.
• A perilous, deteriorating world: Ghosts in daylight and man-eating animals suggest that ordinary travel has become dangerous and social order is weakening.
• Urgency and discipline: Xu Feng’s desire to advance is powerful, but Zhao Er emphasizes patience and deeper understanding.

Character interactions

• Xu Feng respectfully questions Zhao Er about the manual and supernatural combat; Zhao Er answers candidly, teases him for wanting to advance too quickly, and promises further teaching once he is ready.
• Zhao Er looks after Xu Feng during the meal, encouraging him to eat slowly while quietly keeping watch.
• Zhao Er’s attention shifts to the Householder Daoist, setting up concern about the Qian family’s intentions.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Feng and Master Zhao Er tour the strangely quiet County Town, where the map reveals a divide between poorer, scattered western and northern housing and wealthier, orderly neighborhoods.
• They buy medicine, food, and wine, rent a Rooster Cart, and head west to visit Uncle Liu. Zhao Er refuses to let Xu Feng pull the cart and warns him to be wary of everyone—especially anyone who seems unusually friendly.
• On the road, Xu Feng notices the abundance of trees and lack of people, concluding that the region is severely underpopulated. Wolves howl in daylight, and travelers move in groups.
• At Uncle Liu’s isolated home, Xu Feng sees another blood-lipped stone carving like the one at the Earth God Shrine. A huge, unsettling shape called Wangcai lurks in a side room, but Zhao Er reassures Xu Feng that it recognizes him as one of their own.
• Uncle Liu welcomes them warmly and learns that Xu Feng has entered the trade as Zhao Er’s apprentice. He gives Xu Feng a cloth pouch, which the system identifies as an equippable Protective Talisman.

Character developments

• Xu Feng shows growing attentiveness and insight: he uses his map to interpret the town and reasons that the scarcity of firewood demand points to a shortage of people.
• He takes Zhao Er’s warnings seriously and reacts instinctively to the frightening presence of Wangcai, but accepts his master’s reassurance.
• Zhao Er is protective and authoritative, refusing to let Xu Feng shoulder the cart and guiding him through an increasingly dangerous world.
• Uncle Liu treats Xu Feng with affection and respect, welcoming him into the profession and offering him a gift.

Character interactions

• Zhao Er cautions Xu Feng about suspiciously friendly strangers and insists on looking after him.
• Zhao Er teases Uncle Liu by threatening to take his children, making them cry; the scene gives Xu Feng a glimpse of his master’s mischievous side.
• Zhao Er introduces Xu Feng as his apprentice and possible successor. Uncle Liu responds enthusiastically and gives him the talisman.

Significant themes

• Isolation and danger: The nearly empty town, deserted roads, daylight wolf howls, and remote homes create a sense of pervasive threat.
• Social stigma and hierarchy: Corpse-related work is despised, and people in these trades are pushed away from ordinary communities.
• Supernatural unease and belonging: The blood-lipped carvings and Wangcai suggest strange forces surrounding the Yinmen trades, while Zhao Er’s claim that Xu Feng is “one of us” hints that belonging may offer protection.
• Apprenticeship and inheritance: Xu Feng’s entry into the trade is formally recognized, and the talisman marks a new step in his preparation.

Plot points and events

• Xu Feng inspects the Protective Talisman, learning it is an unranked charm made from old peachwood that can deter certain inauspicious entities. Its protection lasts only until it cracks.
• Two grimy children visit with an enormous, intelligent black hunting dog. The dog carries a bone and stays outside to reassure Xu Feng that it is not a threat.
• Xu Feng befriends the children and learns about Uncle Liu’s family and the hereditary executioner trade, as well as the social network linking people in trades considered lowly.
• Xu Feng’s master and Uncle Liu prepare to leave. They load sixteen sealed, talisman-covered bottles onto the Rooster Cart, and Uncle Liu gives Xu Feng a water gourd.
• As they travel toward the Earth God Shrine, wolves howl more often beyond the city walls. Xu Feng puts on the talisman. His usually silent master eventually tells him to stop pushing the cart and walk beside him, saying he has something to share.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Feng is cautious but practical: he examines the talisman before using it, then equips it when the road seems dangerous. He quickly earns the children’s trust and shows concern for his withdrawn master.
• The children are initially shy, but warm to Xu Feng and become reluctant to see him leave. Their dog’s considerate behavior suggests unusual intelligence.
• The master remains quiet after leaving Uncle Liu, then turns to Xu Feng for companionship and prepares to speak openly.
• Uncle Liu is generous and attentive, helping secure the cargo, giving them water, and watching them depart.

Significant themes

• Protection amid supernatural danger: Even a modest charm may offer meaningful safety, while the sealed bottles and rising wolf howls hint at greater threats.
• Inherited trades and social hierarchy: Executioners and corpse workers form established networks, and their crafts pass through families despite being regarded as lowly.
• Trust and companionship: Xu Feng’s easy bond with the children, Uncle Liu’s care, and his master’s request for company all emphasize human connection in an unsettling world.

Key events

• Xu Feng and his master, Zhao Er, travel with the Rooster Cart to an Earth God Shrine, carrying Soul Bottles to bury. Along the way, Zhao Er explains that Uncle Liu’s fierce dog is an Executioner’s Ghost-Eating Servant, able to read people’s hearts and repel evil, and warns that child snatchers are a serious danger.
• Zhao Er hints that digging is part of the groundwork Xu Feng needs before learning how to “keep ghosts and gods in check.”
• At the shrine, they offer incense. Zhao Er writes a letter on Yellow Prayer Paper, performs a ritual, and burns it as an offering to the Earth God. Xu Feng senses that his master is under pressure but chooses not to question him.
• Xu Feng studies the Incense Divination manual. He considers the omen at the Ancient People’s Tomb and wonders whether something there was trying to communicate with him. His understanding improves, though he does not notice the manual’s status entry advance to Part Nine.
• After dark, master and disciple dig beneath the shrine and bury the Soul Bottles. Zhao Er says Xu Feng may one day be responsible for burying such bottles himself.
• Exhausted and aching, Xu Feng rests while Zhao Er massages him. Zhao Er warns that the next day’s labor will be harder: they will dig at a mass grave, supposedly to do good deeds.

Character development and interactions

• Xu Feng shows growing trust and discipline. He accepts Zhao Er’s instructions without suspicion, works through painful blisters without complaint, and applies his energy to studying and improving his skills. He also recognizes that he is not yet someone his master can lean on.
• Zhao Er remains protective but guarded. He offers Xu Feng hints about future training and quietly works harder to spare his disciple some labor. His ritual and urgency suggest that he is dealing with serious concerns he has not shared.
• Their relationship is affectionate but unequal: Zhao Er gives instructions and withholds explanations, while Xu Feng trusts him and tries not to become a burden. Zhao Er’s massage and Xu Feng’s unquestioning effort reinforce their mutual care.

Significant themes

• Trust and mentorship: Xu Feng follows his master despite not knowing the full purpose of their work.
• Training through hardship: Physical labor is presented as preparation for deeper supernatural knowledge.
• Mystery and communication: Xu Feng searches for meaning in omen patterns and wonders whether the dead—or something at the tomb—can send messages.
• Duty and inheritance: Zhao Er’s suggestion that Xu Feng may someday bury Soul Bottles points toward the responsibilities he may inherit.

Key plot points and events

• After grueling training, Xu Feng wakes in Zhao San’s frail body, badly aching and bruised.
• Master gives him genuine Dragon-Tiger Plaster, a medicinal patch made through Zhu You Art. Xu Feng’s unusual interface identifies it as an equippable, single-use item, and the patch rapidly eases his pain.
• Master says they are leaving to “lay a foundation” for Xu Feng. Before setting out, they pay respects at the Earth God Shrine, but the incense divination gives no sign.
• On the journey, Master warns Xu Feng about Doctor Qi, the traveling medicine seller: he mixes real remedies with fakes, and seeking him out may be dangerous.
• They leave the main road and enter rough, wooded terrain. At a grove, Master uncovers ritual supplies, a shovel, and a bundle containing a broken Ghost-Head Saber stained with what may be dried blood.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Feng is exhausted and in pain, but remains observant and curious. The Dragon-Tiger Plaster reveals that useful objects in this world can interact with his interface.
• Master shows practical care by treating Xu Feng and preparing food and supplies, while remaining secretive about their destination and purpose. His dry humor and unsettling warnings make him hard to read.
• Xu Feng and Master discuss Zhu You Art and Doctor Qi as they travel; Xu Feng’s questions meet with Master’s mix of instruction, teasing, and caution.

Significant themes

• The supernatural intertwined with everyday life: a street doctor’s patch is backed by ritual magic.
• Trust and deception: genuine medicine exists alongside convincing fakes, and Master’s warnings suggest that help can carry risks.
• Uncertainty and ominous foreshadowing: the shrine offers no guidance, the wilderness feels uncanny, and the bloodied broken saber hints at a dangerous task ahead.

Key plot points and events

• Xu Feng’s master opens the Broken Blade, releasing a fierce wind and revealing the destination on Xu Feng’s map: the Lost-Trace Forest.
• The master explains that the blade is a broken heirloom whose baleful energy will help them enter the forest. He warns Xu Feng to stay close, hold his Iron Shovel, and remain brave.
• The forest contains the bodies of people who died over many years, whose trapped souls have become dangerous. Xu Feng is tasked with digging up the bodies so they can be buried or burned, earning Yin Virtue that may help his future as a Corpse Stitcher.
• Xu Feng admits he is nervous. His master encourages him, stressing that fear can weaken the spirit and assuring him that he will provide protection. He also gives Xu Feng packets of Earth God Shrine incense ash to throw at evil spirits.
• Meanwhile, at the Qian estate in Luoyin County, Daoist Zhou prepares a ritual to draw back and question a soul. He suspects that someone may be targeting Qian Dayou, though Qian denies having offended anyone.
• Daoist Zhou orders the coffins of recently appeared bodies placed outside the gate. When his bell rings, the coffin that makes a sound is to be brought inside.
• He tells his disciple that the previous night’s attempt to summon the Qian family matriarch may have brought back a ghost instead—and that something frightening appeared on a wall during the rite.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Feng shows cautious resolve: he feels nervous but follows his master’s instructions and accepts the dangerous task.
• Xu Feng’s master acts as both mentor and protector, teaching him how to face supernatural threats while framing the work as a way to accumulate merit.
• Daoist Zhou appears resourceful and increasingly wary. His informal background and lack of lineage contrast with his valuable ritual garments and equipment; he now suspects the events at the Qian estate are more complicated than a simple lost-soul case.
• Qian Dayou eagerly complies with Daoist Zhou’s instructions but denies any recent dispute, particularly with a craftsman.
• Daoist Zhou and his disciple discuss the failed or dangerous summoning, revealing that Zhou is worried about what answered his ritual.

Significant themes

• Courage in the face of the supernatural: Fear is portrayed as a threat to one’s inner strength; experience and resolve are essential.
• Duty, merit, and spiritual reward: Helping the dead brings Yin Virtue, linking dangerous work with moral and spiritual benefit.
• Tradition and inheritance: The Broken Blade’s rules reflect the weight attached to an executioner’s inherited tools.
• Uncertainty and hidden threats: Both the haunted forest and the Qian estate conceal dangers that the characters do not yet understand.

Key plot points

• Daoist Zhou prepares a Spirit Rice Divination at the Qian residence, convinced the family’s troubles may involve a real ghost. He carefully seals the ritual space with an unbroken circle and has disciples guard him, knowing his own methods leave him vulnerable.
• Qian Dayou oversees the delivery of cheap “dog-food coffins,” revealing his callous attitude toward the dead. His brother, Third Master—a powerful and feared county clerk—reports that the trouble likely was not caused by local criminals, but that Earth-Fire Cult members have appeared nearby. Their past crimes include grave-robbing, making elixirs from people, and stealing infants. Third Master warns Qian Dayou to strengthen security, especially around their mother.
• Daoist Zhou later asks Qian Dayou to come see the ritual and suggests they may need a Corpse Sewer, leaving Qian baffled about why such a specialist would be needed.
• Elsewhere, Xu Feng and his master emerge from the dangerous Lost-Trace Forest. His master explains that many deaths have made it sinister and uses a burning brazier to drive away bad luck.
• Xu Feng recalls a game notification: rescuing innocent, wronged souls in the forest has slightly increased his favor with the county’s Land Spirit, Day Patrol God, and Night Patrol God. He is astonished that divine beings are taking notice of him.

Character developments and interactions

• Daoist Zhou is cautious and methodical, repeatedly checking the ritual preparations because he fears the consequences of a mistake.
• Qian Dayou shifts from confident authority to anxiety when he learns the Earth-Fire Cult may be nearby. He relies on Third Master’s investigation and warnings.
• Third Master acts as both family fixer and protector, sharing intelligence and urging caution. His fearsome reputation contrasts with the practical concern he shows for their mother.
• Xu Feng remains curious and unsettled, while his master calmly guides and protects him. Xu Feng’s rescue of the forest’s wronged souls brings unexpected supernatural recognition.

Significant themes

• Fear of the supernatural: The Qian family’s troubles may be caused by a ghost rather than human revenge.
• Powerlessness and insecurity: Even wealth and local influence cannot guarantee safety from the Earth-Fire Cult or spiritual dangers.
• Moral consequences and recognition: Xu Feng’s act of helping the dead earns favor from local divine powers.
• Unequal regard for life: The contrast between the poor’s lack of options for burying their dead and Qian Dayou’s deliberate use of the cheapest coffins highlights his callousness.

Key plot points and events

• After leaving the dangerous woods, Xu Feng reflects on the Earth God and the Day and Night Wandering Gods. Their favor—and the Yin Virtue he gained by rescuing remains—may help him protect himself and eventually give Zhao San a better life through Corpse Stitching.
• He recalls the woods’ hazards: hostile trees and roots, unseen Yin Wraiths, and the risk of digging deeper. Protected by Master and several safeguards, Xu Feng nevertheless worked fiercely to free many remains. When removed, the seemingly lifelike corpses rapidly rotted and crumbled; Master treated this as a welcome liberation.
• The exertion catches up with Xu Feng on the journey home. Master applies Dragon-Tiger Plaster, but Xu Feng is so exhausted that he falls asleep on the moving cart. Master catches him and carries him back to the Earth God Shrine.
• While pulling the cart, Master recalls that the Earth-Fire Cult has returned. He had taken Xu Feng into danger early to help him accumulate Yin Virtue, despite the apprentice’s inexperience, and recognizes the decision as a gamble amid growing disorder.
• Xu Feng wakes in the shrine to Master beside the fire and realizes that, before waking, he felt someone pushing him and heard a crowd of voices calling him “benefactor.” He cannot tell who was there.

Character developments

• Xu Feng becomes more confident in the gods’ protection and in the potential rewards of accumulating Yin Virtue, though the ordeal exposes his physical weakness and inexperience.
• Master shows both care and confidence in Xu Feng: he treats his injuries, catches him when he collapses, and plans to build up his apprentice’s strength. Privately, however, he is wary of the returning Earth-Fire Cult and knows he placed Xu Feng at risk.
• Xu Feng’s relationship with the gods appears to be strengthening; he hopes the Wandering Gods may bless him as the Earth God did.

Significant themes

• Danger and opportunity: The dangerous rescue mission brings spiritual benefits, but Master’s decision to involve Xu Feng is a risky gamble.
• Protection and vulnerability: Divine favor and protective tools help Xu Feng survive, while his exhaustion reveals the limits of his body.
• Liberation and death: The remains’ collapse after being freed is framed by Master as release.
• Growing disorder: The Earth-Fire Cult’s return signals wider turmoil and looming threats.

Character interactions

• Master and Xu Feng work together in the woods, with Master supervising and later treating Xu Feng’s injuries.
• Master’s practical care contrasts with his unspoken concern about the dangers facing his apprentice.
• At the end, unseen visitors address Xu Feng as a “benefactor,” introducing a mystery about who came to the shrine while he slept.

Key plot points and events

• After recovering from his injuries, Xu Feng checks his Character Panel and discovers a new one-day Hidden Virtue Blessing, granted for a good deed. It should improve his luck and may produce other positive effects.
• Master tells Xu Feng they have difficult Corpse Stitching work that night and uses the opportunity to teach him trade rules. Nighttime knocks have different meanings: urgent, loud knocking signals trouble, while three soft, measured knocks usually announce a corpse delivery. A delivery arranged for an exact time is a warning sign.
• Master says the coming job involves six problems. He takes Xu Feng to a previously unexplored loft above the entrance, where cabinets hold herbs and other supplies. He teaches Xu Feng to identify ingredients for the six Righteousness Formulae and plans to teach him incense-offering gestures.
• Master’s accelerated lessons make Xu Feng suspect that something is pressuring him to prepare quickly.
• Three soft knocks interrupt the lesson. Master checks the sky and remarks that the timing—and whether the six corpses are women—could change the situation. He orders Xu Feng to stay in the loft, even if he hears Master call, until Master comes back to fetch him.

Character developments and interactions

• Xu Feng remains observant and eager to learn: he investigates the blessing, listens closely to Master’s advice, and notices that Master’s urgency is unusual.
• Master acts as a protective mentor, providing medicine, preparing food and tea, teaching professional rules and practical skills, and insisting Xu Feng remain hidden during the delivery.
• Their trust is tested when Master gives Xu Feng strict instructions not to come out, even if called.

Significant themes

• Tradition and practical knowledge: Corpse Stitching depends on rules, timing, ritual, and recognizing ingredients—not just memorized formulas.
• Preparation amid danger: Master’s rushed training suggests the coming work may demand skills Xu Feng has not yet mastered.
• Luck and moral consequence: Xu Feng’s blessing links good deeds to temporary fortune, while its limits suggest virtue must be earned over time.
• Suspense and ominous signs: The unusual six-corpse job, exact timing, and possible significance of the corpses’ sex foreshadow danger.