Chapter Summaries

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zofia and Chen Ran use Skadi's Time Stop ability to travel across the city instantly.
• They arrive at Skadi's old, abandoned rental room, where she's been hiding in plain sight.
• Zofia finds Skadi lounging on her bed, eating potato chips while watching a drama.

Character Developments

• Zofia: Shows concern for Skadi's well-being and habits, indicating a caring, maternal side.
• Skadi: Reveals a more relaxed, carefree side, contrasting her usual serious demeanor.

Significant Themes

• The theme of time and its manipulation is emphasized through Skadi's Time Stop ability.
• The contrast between appearances and reality is highlighted, as Skadi's hiding place is mundane despite her extraordinary abilities.

Character Interactions

• Zofia and Chen Ran: Work together to find Skadi, showcasing their teamwork and mutual respect.
• Zofia and Skadi: Their reunion is tense yet familiar, highlighting their complex mistress-servant relationship. Zofia's scolding suggests a caring, maternal bond despite Skadi's independent nature.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zofia, misunderstanding Skadi's attire as lewd, runs away from the mansion due to fear and misunderstanding about a potential deal with an 'Evil God.'
• Zofia returns to Skadi's room after hours of waiting during a time stop, only to catch Skadi in a compromising position, causing her to flee in embarrassment.

Character Developments

• Zofia: Realizes her misunderstanding about Skadi's attire and the potential deal. Her pure and traditional values lead her to overreact, but she eventually gains the courage to confront Skadi.
• Skadi: Not directly developed in this chapter, but her actions (or lack thereof) lead to Zofia's misunderstanding and subsequent return to her room.

Significant Themes

• Misunderstandings and their consequences
• Purity and traditional values (Zofia's perspective)
• Courage and initiative (Zofia's decision to confront Skadi)

Character Interactions

• Zofia and Skadi: Zofia's misunderstanding about Skadi's attire and potential deal leads her to run away. When she returns, she catches Skadi in a compromising position, causing her to flee in embarrassment.
• Zofia and Servants: Zofia dismisses the servants and later realizes she can't find any to help her with simple tasks, leading her to confront Skadi herself.

• Key Plot Points: Zofia, a former debutante and now a single mother, struggles with her past life's temptations and responsibilities. She observes nobles' wild games and feels conflicted about her own desires.

Character Developments

• Zofia: Struggles with her past life's temptations and her current responsibilities as a single mother and head of the Lumen Family. She feels guilty about her actions.
• Skadi: Shows unusual talkativeness and confidence, expressing her disapproval of Zofia's behavior and asserting her role as the maid.
• Significant Themes: The struggle between past desires and current responsibilities, the contrast between Zofia's former life and her current one, and the power dynamics between Zofia and Skadi.
• Character Interactions: Zofia and Skadi's roles reverse as Skadi scolds Zofia for her behavior. Chen Ran laughs at the situation, highlighting the contrast between Zofia's past and present.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Ran threatens Zofia with memory erasure and manipulation, but she remains resolute.
• Chen Ran offers to restore Zofia's strength and help the Lumen Family, but she refuses.
• Zofia learns that her niece, Maria, has signed up for the Knight Championship, a competition controlled by the Commercial Federation, which has previously targeted the Lumen Family.

Character Developments

• Zofia shows determination and resilience in the face of Chen Ran's threats, but her resolve wavers when Maria's safety is at risk.
• Chen Ran displays a playful and manipulative side, enjoying toying with Zofia's emotions and memories.

Significant Themes

• Power and manipulation: Chen Ran uses his abilities to exert control over others, while Zofia struggles to maintain her autonomy.
• Family and responsibility: Zofia's primary concern is the safety and well-being of her niece, Maria, and the Lumen Family's legacy.

Character Interactions

• Chen Ran and Zofia engage in a tense exchange, with Chen Ran attempting to manipulate Zofia and Zofia refusing to be swayed by his offers.
• Zofia's concern for Maria leads her to prioritize her niece's safety over her own desires and the Lumen Family's reputation.

Chapter Summary

Key Plot Points and Events

• Centaurea and Chen Ran engage in a domestic, comedic toothbrushing scene while Zofia reveals that she spoke with Chen Ran the previous night.
• Zofia announces that she has accepted Chen Ran’s proposal to work with Centaurea against enemies who threaten them.
• Chen Ran invents the team name “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” assigning Zofia the role of the White Horse/Plague Knight and Centaurea the Black Horse/Famine Knight. The title is deliberately arbitrary, and Centaurea questions why she is “Famine” despite her white hair.
• Chen Ran explains that the group’s immediate target is likely the Unarmored Alliance, an organization that has become corrupt and serves wealthy clients.
• Centaurea asks Chen Ran for a divine weapon to help fight them. After jokingly attempting to bargain through flirtation and exaggerated pleading, she receives a makeshift spear made from twisted iron wires.
• Chen Ran names the weapon Gungnir, referencing Odin’s legendary spear that never misses its target.
• Centaurea immediately hands Gungnir to Zofia in exchange for a year’s salary, assigning Zofia the job of eliminating the Unarmored Alliance. She then tries to avoid further involvement.
• The chapter concludes with Chen Ran explaining the Unarmored Alliance’s bizarre hierarchy and dangerous working conditions, then suggesting that Mane, an uncle of the Lumen family, may secretly be one of its three powerful Ironblood members.

Character Developments

• Centaurea becomes increasingly comfortable and dependent on Chen Ran’s indulgence. Her irreverent humor, shameless bargaining, and willingness to exploit her favored status show that she feels secure around him.
• She also demonstrates her characteristic opportunism by immediately transferring the dangerous Gungnir mission to Zofia once she realizes the weapon and task can be exchanged for money.
• Chen Ran continues to act as a manipulative but playful organizer. He gives people grand titles, invents dramatic names, and produces “divine weapons” from ordinary materials, while clearly understanding and exploiting everyone’s personalities.
• Zofia moves from skeptical observer to active participant in Chen Ran’s plan. Though bewildered by the absurdity surrounding her, she agrees to cooperate and is left holding both the weapon and the responsibility for attacking the Unarmored Alliance.
• Zofia’s relationship with Centaurea remains affectionate but complicated: Centaurea still calls her “my former young lady,” yet casually pressures her into taking on dangerous work.

Significant Themes

• Comedy through contrast: Grand mythological concepts such as the Four Horsemen and Gungnir are reduced to improvised names, twisted wires, salary negotiations, and toothbrushing.
• Manipulation and persuasion: Chen Ran reshapes alliances by appealing to personal motives, while Centaurea and Zofia also manipulate one another through money, familiarity, and emotional pressure.
• Corruption of ideals: The Unarmored Alliance began as a force for justice but gradually became a mercenary organization serving capitalism, illustrating how institutions founded to oppose evil can become evil themselves.
• Exploitation and disposable labor: The Alliance’s hierarchy places the weakest Platinum Seat under the greatest workload, with little protection or reward. Its structure satirizes organizations that exploit workers while preserving the privileges of those at the top.
• Found family and informal loyalty: Despite the violence and scheming, the characters’ casual intimacy suggests that trust and companionship are developing beneath the jokes.

Character Interactions

• Centaurea and Chen Ran share a teasing, familiar dynamic, with Centaurea openly joking about seduction and Chen Ran responding with mock criticism.
• Zofia is repeatedly dragged into their banter, especially when Chen Ran interprets her relaxed posture as flirtation and when Centaurea treats her as a convenient “horse” and mission recipient.
• Centaurea’s decision to give Zofia Gungnir humorously reverses the expected heroic arrangement: the supposed warrior avoids the mission, while the former young lady receives the legendary weapon and responsibility.
• Chen Ran’s final revelation about Mane shifts the chapter from comedy toward a potentially serious political and conspiratorial conflict involving the Lumen family and the Unarmored Alliance.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zofia is on a rooftop, planning to assassinate the Unarmored Alliance.
• Chen Ran informs her that Mane might be the Ironblood Grand Position.
• Zofia is shocked and questions the credibility of the information.
• Chen Ran reveals that he tricked Zofia into wearing a tight, uncomfortable leather outfit for stealth.
• Zofia struggles with the outfit's discomfort in the cold night.
• Chen Ran taunts Zofia about her lack of kills compared to Skadi, who is nearby.

Character Developments

• Zofia: Struggles with her loyalty to Mane and her mission. Shows discomfort and frustration with her outfit.
• Chen Ran: Proves manipulative and enjoys teasing Zofia. Reveals Skadi's grudges against the Commercial Federation and Unarmored Alliance.

Significant Themes

• Loyalty vs. Duty: Zofia's conflict between her loyalty to Mane and her duty as an assassin.
• Manipulation: Chen Ran's manipulation of Zofia and Skadi, highlighting the theme of trust and deception.

Character Interactions

• Zofia and Chen Ran: Chen Ran teases and manipulates Zofia, causing her discomfort and frustration.
• Zofia and Mane: Zofia's loyalty to Mane is tested when she learns he might be the Ironblood Grand Position.
• Zofia and Skadi: Zofia is surprised to learn that Skadi is also present, highlighting their different approaches to the situation.

Centaurea continued killing Unarmored Alliance assassins while Zofia used Gungnir to strike a rooftop attacker across the city. After the Commercial Federation collapsed, the Supervision Committee moved in, but the Knight Championship’s profitability left officials unsure whether to shut it down.

• Centaurea used time stop to kill hidden Unarmored Alliance assassins and identified a sniper who had shot an arrow at her.
• Centaurea ordered Zofia to attack the rooftop sniper, and Zofia hurled Gungnir across the city, blasting through the buildings and pinning him to the ground.
• Zofia recalled Gungnir and wondered whether the sniper had survived, while Chen Ran remarked that the authorities had entered the conflict.
• The Supervision Committee deployed military forces to suppress and oversee the city after the Commercial Federation collapsed.
• The Supervision Committee faced a dilemma over whether to close the Knight Championship, which had been backed by the Commercial Federation but remained highly profitable.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Skadi's actions draw the attention of the Supervision Committee.
• The Supervision Committee dispatches the Silver Spear Pegasus, a top combat Knight order, to secure the scene and confront Skadi.
• Iolayeta Rosso, the Grand Knight Commander and head of state, personally meets Skadi, inviting her for afternoon tea to discuss matters.

Character Developments

• Skadi demonstrates her combat prowess and remains calm and collected even when faced with a powerful military force.
• Iolayeta Rosso shows political acumen and diplomacy by personally engaging Skadi, aiming to co-opt her rather than confront her directly.

Significant Themes

• Power dynamics and the struggle for control between individuals and institutions (Skadi vs. the Supervision Committee).
• The potential for redemption and co-option, as seen in the Supervision Committee's approach to Skadi.
• The role of wandering heroes in society and their potential to influence or even overthrow regimes.

Character Interactions

• Skadi and Iolayeta Rosso meet for the first time, with Skadi initially surprised and sarcastic, but ultimately willing to engage in discussion.
• The Silver Spear Pegasus members show unwavering loyalty and discipline, dispersing onlookers and suppressing the Unarmored Alliance members on command.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Skadi returns from her mission, surprising everyone with her speed.
• Zofia and Skadi return home, leaving the cleanup to the Silver Spear Pegasus Knights.
• Zofia struggles to remove her tight leather outfit at home, with Chen Ran's large hand (a manifestation of the author's presence) watching.

Character Developments

• Skadi: Shows her time-stopping ability, revealing she can accelerate or decelerate time for herself and others. She also expresses her feelings about Zofia being like a mother figure to her.
• Zofia: Becomes increasingly uncomfortable with Skadi's comments and actions, leading to a moment of anger and embarrassment when she struggles to remove her leather outfit.
• Chen Ran: Continues to observe and interact with the characters, providing commentary and assistance.

Significant Themes

• The power of time manipulation (Skadi's ability).
• The dynamics of a mentor-mentee relationship (Zofia and Skadi).
• Embarrassment and discomfort in social situations (Zofia's reaction to Skadi's comments and her struggle with the leather outfit).

Character Interactions

• Skadi and Zofia: Their relationship continues to evolve, with Skadi seeing Zofia as a mother figure and Zofia growing increasingly exasperated with Skadi's behavior.
• Zofia and Chen Ran: Zofia interacts with Chen Ran's large hand, expressing her discomfort and embarrassment, while Chen Ran provides assistance and commentary.
• Zofia and the Silver Spear Pegasus Knights: Though not present, their involvement in cleaning up the scene after Skadi's mission is mentioned, highlighting their role in maintaining order.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Skadi and Chen Ran engage in a lewd conversation, shocking Zofia.
• Skadi announces her intention to leave but decides to stay to give Zofia and Chen Ran time to develop feelings.
• Chen Ran takes Zofia and Skadi into space, revealing his true form to Zofia.
• They encounter Heart of the Corrupted Skadi (Red T), who seems to live a carefree life in space.

Character Developments

• Zofia: Shows naivety and shock at Skadi and Chen Ran's conversation, and awe at Chen Ran's true form.
• Skadi: Reveals her lazy and nonchalant nature, even in matters of relationships and work.
• Chen Ran: Shows his powerful and majestic form, and his casual attitude towards Red T's lack of responsibility.

Significant Themes

• The contrast between Skadi's and Zofia's attitudes towards intimacy and openness.
• The revelation of Chen Ran's true power and form.
• The carefree and irresponsible lifestyle of Red T.

Character Interactions

• Skadi and Chen Ran: Engage in a playful and inappropriate conversation, showing their familiarity and comfort with each other.
• Zofia and Skadi: Zofia is shocked and appalled by Skadi's conversation with Chen Ran, highlighting their differing attitudes.
• Zofia and Chen Ran: Zofia is awestruck by Chen Ran's true form, showing her respect and admiration for him.
• Chen Ran and Red T: Chen Ran shows a casual and almost indifferent attitude towards Red T's lack of responsibility, while Red T seems content with her carefree life.

In Chapter 151 of "Arknights, but Raising Terra," Zofia misses her chance to explain her actions to Margaret, who returns home in a panic after receiving a supposed suicide note from Zofia. Chen Ran, the god of mischief, puts Zofia back into the planet model, causing an awkward reunion between Zofia and Margaret. Margaret, concerned for Zofia's safety, examines her thoroughly. Zofia then explains the recent events to Margaret, including hiring a new maid with an unusual identity and their nighttime crime-fighting escapades, which Margaret summarizes as a superhero-like alliance. Key points include:

Plot Points

• Zofia's failed attempt to explain her actions to Margaret.
• Margaret's return and concern for Zofia's safety.
• Zofia's explanation of her recent activities.

Character Developments

• Margaret shows concern and protectiveness towards Zofia.
• Zofia's relationship with her nieces deepens.

Significant Themes

• Family dynamics and communication.
• The consequences of keeping secrets.

Character Interactions

• Zofia and Margaret's reunion is awkward but ultimately leads to open communication.
• Margaret's protectiveness towards Zofia is evident in her actions.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Ran continues to deny Skadi's accusations of being a slave owner.
• Skadi expresses hunger and Chen Ran assures her of regular meals.
• Skadi suggests living on a planet for more space, but Chen Ran explains the inconvenience for non-flyers.
• Skadi adapts quickly to her new living situation and requests a phone and snacks.

Character Developments

• Skadi: Shows adaptability and a lack of concern for her living situation, as long as she doesn't have to work. She's also comfortable with making demands.
• Chen Ran: Demonstrates thoughtfulness in considering the needs of his guests, including those who can't fly. He's also patient and understanding with Skadi's demands.

Significant Themes

• Freedom vs. Captivity: Skadi's initial accusations and Chen Ran's denials highlight the theme of freedom and captivity.
• Adaptability: Skadi's quick adaptation to her new living situation emphasizes her resilience and ability to adjust to new circumstances.
• Responsibility and Care: Chen Ran's consideration for his guests' needs, including their ability to visit him, shows his sense of responsibility and care.

Character Interactions

• Chen Ran and Skadi: Their interaction is playful and lighthearted, with Skadi making demands and Chen Ran patiently accommodating them. Despite their initial tension, they seem to have developed a comfortable dynamic.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Zofia, after completing her work, returns home and visits Skadi's old room, reminiscing about her.
• Zofia tries to summon Chen Ran using a spell Skadi taught her, which she had previously hesitated to recite completely.
• Chen Ran appears in response to Zofia's successful summoning, leading to a misunderstanding about the spell's purpose.

Character Developments

• Zofia: Struggles with her feelings for Skadi and Chen Ran, showing vulnerability and determination to connect with them.
• Chen Ran: Shows amusement and confusion at Zofia's summoning, hinting at his growing awareness of his connection to her and Skadi.

Significant Themes

• Connection and longing: Zofia's desire to reconnect with Skadi and Chen Ran highlights the theme of longing for lost connections and the struggle to maintain them.
• Misunderstandings and communication: The spell's unexpected outcome emphasizes the theme of misunderstandings and the importance of clear communication.

Character Interactions

• Zofia and Chen Ran: Their interaction is brief but humorous, with Zofia's embarrassment and Chen Ran's teasing highlighting their dynamic and hinting at deeper feelings.
• Zofia and Skadi (implied): Zofia's reminiscence about Skadi shows their close bond and Zofia's desire to maintain it, despite Skadi's absence.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Ran plans to make new clothes for Zofia and Wishdale.
• Zofia leaves Skadi's house, acting strangely.
• Chen Ran invites Zofia to stay for a few days.
• Chen Ran expands the miniature model landscape into a seaside resort town.

Character Developments

• Chen Ran: Shows care and consideration for Zofia and Wishdale, expanding his "world" to accommodate them.
• Zofia: Struggles with the idea of staying in Chen Ran's "world," eventually deciding to stay for a few days.
• Wishdale: Teases Chen Ran about his interactions with Zofia, but shows happiness when Chen Ran mentions making her new clothes.

Significant Themes

• The concept of "rent" and its implications, as understood by Zofia.
• The expansion of Chen Ran's "world" and his desire to make it more livable for its inhabitants.

Character Interactions

• Chen Ran and Wishdale: Bicker playfully, with Wishdale teasing Chen Ran about his interactions with Zofia.
• Chen Ran and Zofia: Chen Ran shows concern for Zofia's well-being, inviting her to stay. Zofia is initially hesitant but eventually agrees.
• Zofia and Skadi: Zofia visits Skadi, but the details of their conversation are not revealed.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Chen Ran discovers Xi, a fairy-like figure, bound in a traditional Chinese courtyard house.
• Xi is bound by silk, giving an appearance of being partially veiled and vulnerable.
• Chen Ran observes Xi through a hole in the paper window, causing her to look up and notice him.

Character Developments

• Chen Ran: Shows caution and consideration, not barging in rashly upon seeing Xi's situation.
• Xi: Exhibits vulnerability and weariness, unlike her usual aloof demeanor. She expresses her desire to be released or killed, indicating her distress.

Significant Themes

• Power Imbalance: Xi's captivity highlights the power imbalance between her and Chen Ran.
• Humiliation and Resilience: Xi's words suggest she feels humiliated and is struggling to maintain her dignity.
• Unspoken Feelings: Xi's emotional state reveals unspoken feelings and regrets, challenging her stoic facade.

Character Interactions

• Chen Ran and Xi: Their interaction is minimal but intense. Chen Ran observes Xi's distress, while Xi expresses her desire to be freed from his control. Their dynamic shifts from one of power to one of potential empathy and understanding.

Key Plot Points and Events

• Xi and Chen Ran's interaction reveals Xi's past and current situation.
• Chen Ran teasingly calls Xi 'little watermelon,' causing her discomfort.
• Xi explains her worldline: she was swallowed by the Year Beast, leaving her consciousness intact but trapped in a cabin.
• Chen Ran confirms that rescue efforts are underway, but they're being intercepted to prevent the Year Beast from gaining more authority.

Character Developments

• Xi shows timidity and defensiveness when faced with the unknown (Chen Ran).
• Xi demonstrates tsundere tendencies, being touched by Nian's concern but quickly hiding it.
• Chen Ran exhibits a playful, teasing personality, using nicknames like 'little watermelon' to provoke Xi.

Significant Themes

• The power dynamics between Xi, the Year Beast, and other characters.
• The theme of rescue and interception, highlighting the stakes involved in saving Xi.
• The exploration of Xi's worldline and her relationship with her sisters.

Character Interactions

• Xi and Chen Ran's interaction is filled with tension and discomfort, with Xi struggling to maintain her composure.
• Chen Ran's teasing provokes Xi, but his softening attitude later calms her down.
• Xi's thoughts reveal her affection for her sister Nian, despite her initial denial.

Chen Ran proposed crude tests to expose NPC mimics in the painted world, and Zofia and Centaurea reluctantly prepared to use one. As someone approached Xi’s cabin, Chen Ran sent them to check whether the newcomers were real people or NPCs.

• Chen Ran explained that NPCs could be identified by provoking reactions their underlying logic could not understand, but said the test had to confuse even Sui.
• After Zofia and Xi rejected several outrageous suggestions, Xi chose Chen Ran’s dildo-swinging test.
• Zofia and Centaurea descended into the worldline and went to identify its residents, while Xi stayed in her cabin to keep Sui from suspecting she had escaped house arrest.
• Chen Ran warned that someone was approaching and told Zofia and Centaurea to test whether the newcomers were NPCs or real people.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The protagonist, now immersed in the painted world, lives a mundane life, believing it to be real.
• He encounters a blonde foreign woman holding a fake penis, who chases him while brandishing it.
• The man, terrified, flees and screams for help, accusing the woman of being a murderer.

Character Developments

• The protagonist has fully accepted the painted world as reality and is now living a simple, working-class life with future aspirations.
• The blonde foreign woman is introduced as a mysterious, aggressive figure, potentially indicating a shift in the protagonist's reality.

Significant Themes

• Perception of Reality: The protagonist's inability to distinguish the painted world from reality is emphasized.
• Illusion vs. Truth: The absurd situation with the blonde woman highlights the stark contrast between the protagonist's perceived reality and the truth.

Character Interactions

• The protagonist and the blonde foreign woman have a brief, chaotic interaction, with the woman pursuing the protagonist while wielding a fake penis, causing the protagonist to panic and flee.

Key Plot Points and Events

• A county magistrate examines a wanted poster, noticing similarities between the depicted woman and 'Lin Qingyan' (alias 'Jingzhe'), an official under Yan Country's Dali Temple.
• The magistrate, fearing repercussions, has the painter alter the portrait to avoid resemblance to Jingzhe.
• Zofia and Skadi hide in a small hut, watching for guards. Zofia believes they might be pursued by the Cavalry Corps, but Skadi assures her no one is coming.
• Zofia decides to confront Xi about her inaction but hesitates upon seeing Xi's creation, Ayao, bound in silk ribbons, resembling a bondage scene.

Character Developments

• The magistrate shows fear and caution when dealing with potential connections to powerful figures like Jingzhe.
• Zofia demonstrates concern for her safety and Xi's inaction, showing initiative but also hesitation due to her upbringing.
• Skadi displays a mix of nonchalance and concern, showing discomfort with certain situations (like the perceived bondage scene) but also responsibility towards Zofia.

Significant Themes

• Fear of authority and power, as seen in the magistrate's reaction to the potential connection with Jingzhe.
• The impact of one's upbringing on behavior, as seen in Zofia's hesitation to confront Xi.
• The blurring of lines between reality and fantasy, as seen in the world within the painting and Xi's creation of Ayao.

Character Interactions

• The magistrate and the painter interact, with the magistrate instructing the painter to alter the portrait to avoid trouble.
• Zofia and Skadi interact, with Zofia showing concern for their safety and Skadi providing reassurance and information.
• Zofia and Xi do not interact directly in this chapter, but Zofia's intention to confront Xi and her reaction upon seeing Ayao bound imply a potential interaction.

Key Plot Points and Events

• The Old Heavenly Master, a powerful and ancient figure, is introduced.
• A giant eye and hand appear in the sky, seemingly observing the world and taking Xi (in Ayiao form) away.
• The Old Heavenly Master retrieves Ayiao and flees, with the Year Beast in pursuit, leading to a battle.

Character Developments

• The Old Heavenly Master demonstrates her strength and strategic thinking, prioritizing the safety of Higashi over the Year Beast's revival.
• Xi, in Ayiao form, is rescued but remains unaware of the situation.

Significant Themes

• The revelation of the 'truth' about the world and humans' place in it.
• The consequences of the Deity's intervention and the potential value it places on Xi.
• The Old Heavenly Master's gamble on the Deity's perception of humans.

Character Interactions

• The Old Heavenly Master and the Year Beast: A tense chase ensues as the Old Heavenly Master uses Ayiao to lure the Year Beast out of the World within a painting.
• The Higashi army and the Old Heavenly Master: They follow her orders, attacking the Year Beast to buy time.
• The Deity (Chen Ran) and Xi: The Deity intervenes to save Xi, but she remains unaware of his actions.