Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Ye Qianfan arrives early at the Demon-Quelling Office to take its recruitment assessment. A crowd of unusual candidates has gathered, including a blind beggar and a Daoist.
• Eunuch He announces the first trial: candidates must reach a Passage Gate twenty li south of Fog City within the time it takes three sticks of incense to burn. The first to arrive earns a reward.
• Most candidates rush off using martial skills or sheer speed. Ye Qianfan proceeds slowly because he fears his delicate skin may be injured.
• A candidate rides away in a carriage, prompting Ye Qianfan to wonder whether that counts as cheating. The Daoist explains that speed is not the main challenge: evil entities may attack along the way, and many candidates will not survive to the checkpoint.
• At the city gate, Ye Qianfan finds most of the candidates waiting for him rather than continuing alone. They have followed the blind beggar’s divination, which warned that traveling in a group is safer.
• The beggar performs another reading and draws the ominous “Blocked” hexagram. He notes that there are twenty-seven people present, sighs at the result, and urges them to set off.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan is cautious and physically vulnerable, moving at a deliberate pace despite the urgency. He dislikes being touched and slips away when a carefree young man throws an arm around him.
• The blind beggar shifts from being mocked as an unlikely candidate to a respected guide after his predictions appear to have saved lives. His latest reading, however, troubles him.
• The young man in the blue-green robe is easygoing and socially bold. He explains why the group is waiting and appears unfazed by Ye Qianfan’s rejection of his friendly gesture.
• The Daoist offers a practical correction to Ye Qianfan’s assumptions: surviving the journey matters more than simply being fast.
• Eunuch He conducts the trial with detached amusement, treating the candidates’ struggle as entertainment.

Significant themes

• Survival over raw ability: The trial tests judgment and resilience as much as speed.
• Trust and cooperation: Candidates who once mocked the beggar now rely on his divination and choose the safety of traveling together.
• Appearance versus reality: Ye Qianfan looks like a pampered weakling, but the beggar’s unusual powers—and the dangers of the route—show that appearances can be misleading.
• Fate and uncertainty: The beggar’s ominous hexagram leaves the group facing the possibility that cooperation may not be enough to avert danger.

Plot and key events

• Ye Qianfan joins the group entering the Fog Forest, despite wishing he could travel alone. The Daoist warns that nobody can navigate the dense mist without a compass, so Ye stays with the others.
• The group passes abandoned belongings and bloodstains, evidence that previous travelers have died. When the old beggar warns of danger ahead, everyone changes course.
• Shen Lang, a playful rake, befriends Ye. He thinks Ye is unusually capable because he remains expressionless and has no detectable heartbeat; Ye dismisses this as simply how his face looks and gives a false name, “Ye Sheng.”
• A hidden attacker snatches a traveler. A second attack is briefly checked by a swordsman, revealing the attacker to be a vine. The old beggar divines that a Tree Demon is stalking them.
• With the group badly reduced and panic rising, the old beggar proposes leading those of seventh rank or higher out of the forest. He argues that they can use advanced footwork and speed to evade the demon, while those below seventh rank lack the necessary abilities. Many protest that splitting up will leave them helpless, and the chapter ends before the group decides what to do.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan remains outwardly calm because he is no longer human and believes evil entities have little interest in him. He is also cautious about revealing his identity, using an alias after recalling Fu Lao’s actions.
• Shen Lang becomes attached to Ye, interpreting his stillness as evidence of hidden strength. His usually carefree demeanor turns grim after the Tree Demon’s attacks.
• The old beggar shifts from guiding the whole group to proposing a survival-based split, prompting anger and distrust from weaker participants.
• The group moves from casual confidence to fear and division as the danger becomes clear. A swordsman shows quick courage by striking at the vine, though he cannot save its victim.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Ye’s expressionless face and absent heartbeat are mistaken for deliberate signs of competence.
• Survival and cooperation: The group’s unity is tested when the leader can no longer protect everyone.
• Hidden danger and uncertainty: The fog conceals both the Tree Demon and the fate of those who disappear.
• Hierarchy and unequal chances: Rank determines who may have the skills to escape, forcing a harsh choice about whom to save.

Key plot points

• A group led by an old beggar and a monk abandons the weaker candidates after using them to probe the Fog Forest’s dangers. Ye Qianfan calls out the beggar for treating them as disposable rivals.
• The monk claims the Demon-Quelling Office deliberately placed Tree Demons in the forest to keep anyone below seventh rank from advancing. He urges the weaker candidates to retreat, then leaves with the old beggar and other high-ranking contestants.
• The remaining candidates debate whether to turn back or press on. Shen Lang warns that even if they pass this stage, they may not survive later rounds against stronger contestants.
• Many choose to continue rather than retreat in shame. Ye Qianfan would prefer to leave, but lacks a compass. A wealthy merchant offers his gold abacus, which he says can determine direction.
• Shen Lang, secretly at the peak of seventh rank, stays with Ye Qianfan. The two decide to set off together, mindful that time is running out.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan is perceptive and blunt: he recognizes the old beggar’s self-serving strategy and challenges the monk’s harsh, judgmental advice. Despite his reluctance to risk the forest, he remains practical and prepares to move forward.
• Shen Lang reveals more of his strength by choosing not to join the high-ranking group. He aligns himself with Ye Qianfan, joking that he dislikes the others too.
• The old beggar and monk prioritize their own survival and advancement, leaving the weaker contestants behind. The monk frames the danger as the candidates’ own responsibility.
• The wealthy merchant offers his abacus as a substitute for a compass and voices a defiant preference for risking death over returning in disgrace.

Significant themes

• Self-interest and rivalry: The assessment encourages contestants to treat one another as competitors, and the stronger candidates abandon the weaker once they are no longer useful.
• Unequal power and survival: Rank determines who can advance safely, leaving lower-ranked participants with grim choices.
• Pride versus prudence: Some candidates would rather face danger than admit defeat, while Shen Lang argues that courage alone cannot overcome the risks ahead.

Plot points and events

• Ye Qianfan leads the group aboveground rather than through a cave. Shen Lang explains that underground routes might expose them to other monsters, and the group accepts the reasoning—though Ye Qianfan’s real motive is that his Bagua Mirror can protect him from Tree Demons.
• Ye Qianfan’s group travels without incident, while the old beggar and monk’s group is relentlessly attacked. Their numbers dwindle as Tree Demons hang victims from trees and drain their blood and vitality.
• The old beggar and monk reach what appears to be the Tree Demon’s lair, a barrier of intertwined vines covered with corpses. The old beggar divines an escape route to the southeast, then uses his coin-filled bowl to blast the Tree Demon and help them flee.
• The pair encounters Ye Qianfan’s group, who are unharmed. Realizing they must possess a magical treasure, the monk demands it. Shen Lang objects, pointing out that the monk abandoned them earlier.
• Ye Qianfan senses that the Tree Demon may be approaching, but the old beggar identifies the Bagua Mirror as the treasure. The monk moves to seize it, threatening to spare Ye Qianfan only if he hands it over.

Character developments

• Ye Qianfan remains guarded and practical, concealing the Bagua Mirror and refusing to take unnecessary risks. His apparent foresight earns the group’s respect, though it was based on private knowledge rather than Shen Lang’s strategic reasoning.
• Shen Lang shows persuasive judgment and loyalty, defending the decision to stay aboveground and calling out the monk’s hypocrisy.
• The old beggar demonstrates sharp hearing, divination skill, and combat resourcefulness, but ultimately betrays Ye Qianfan’s possession of the treasure.
• The monk shifts from a cooperative survivor into a desperate, aggressive opportunist, willing to threaten others to pass the trial.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: The group credits Ye Qianfan with wisdom he did not consciously display.
• Survival and betrayal: The monk abandons the weaker group, then demands their protection once he suspects they have a valuable artifact.
• Power and vulnerability: The Bagua Mirror offers protection, but possessing it makes Ye Qianfan a target.
• Trust and moral choice: The contrast between Shen Lang’s loyalty and the monk’s self-interest highlights the cost of cooperation in a deadly trial.

Character interactions

• The group follows Ye Qianfan, admiring him after Shen Lang supplies a convincing rationale for his choice.
• The old beggar and monk work effectively together against the Tree Demons, relying on the old beggar’s hearing and attacks and the monk’s speed.
• Shen Lang confronts the monk over abandoning the group; the monk ignores the objection and focuses on taking the Bagua Mirror.
• The old beggar points out Ye Qianfan as the treasure’s owner, setting up the monk’s imminent attack.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Lang stops the monk from grabbing Ye Qianfan, striking the monk’s hand with his Long Flute. The monk attacks, but abandons the fight when the Tree Demon catches up.
• The Tree Demon charges after the group. Ye uses the Mountain God Hag’s roar, summoned through his Bagua Mirror, to frighten it away. It retreats in the same direction as the monk and old beggar.
• The group praises Ye, believing he has formidable abilities. Ye conceals his weak cultivation behind a confident, enigmatic response, and the party continues toward the Passage Gate.
• At the site, they find no visible gate—only a huge uprooted pit and a stone well. Ye consults his divination blocks, which indicate the well.
• A Hair Demon is discovered inside. The group suspects defeating it is the second trial and realizes they have only half a stick of incense left to complete it.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan protects his secret vulnerability: he avoids fighting the monk directly, uses the Bagua Mirror to repel the Tree Demon, and lets others mistake this for personal strength. His paper body makes the proposed solution of sending a puppet into the well especially relevant—and inconvenient.
• Shen Lang intervenes when the monk threatens Ye, then helps inspect the well and identifies the danger. He had believed it was a safe route, making the Hair Demon’s presence a surprise.
• The monk and the old beggar flee when the Tree Demon approaches; the monk leaves with a final boast rather than settling his dispute with Shen.
• The Daoist explains Hair Demons and boasts that the Puppet Sect can handle them with wooden puppets, but Ye’s paper body exposes a practical problem with that suggestion.
• The survivors praise and thank Ye, strengthening his standing with the group, while their contempt for the monk grows.

Significant themes

• Appearances versus reality: The group mistakes Ye’s resourcefulness for great strength, while his true limitations remain hidden.
• Cooperation under pressure: Facing the Tree Demon and the timed trial forces the travelers to rely on one another.
• Ingenuity and peril: Divination offers a possible route forward, but the well leads to a dangerous supernatural obstacle with no obvious safe solution.

Key plot points and events

• The wealthy merchant lights a strange incense stick, signaling that the group has limited time to complete the trial.
• Shen Lang plays his flute, drawing a Hair Demon from the well. The group attacks it, but their blows seem ineffective, and the demon does not retaliate.
• The Daoist explains that a real Hair Demon would normally react violently: its hair embodies resentment, and even a weak one should outmatch everyone present. He suspects the creature is a decoy.
• Ye Qianfan reasons that the Demon-Quelling Office is testing discernment and courage, not combat ability. The well is likely the real Passage Gate, and entrants must dare to jump in.
• Ye tests the idea by sending a paper crane into the well. It passes through the Hair Demon unharmed, finds no water inside, and vanishes at the bottom—strong evidence that the well hides a passage.
• The others remain skeptical and debate further tests. Ye, mindful of the dwindling time, jumps into the well despite their objections.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan demonstrates sharp reasoning and decisive courage. He relies on observation and divination rather than waiting for the group’s approval.
• Shen Lang is genuinely concerned for Ye and urges him not to take an unnecessary risk, even though his own earlier divination suggested the well was a gate of life.
• The Daoist supplies the key knowledge about Hair Demons, helping Ye interpret the creature’s unnatural calm.
• The martial artist and wealthy merchant resist Ye’s conclusion, citing the apparent hair and damage as evidence that the demon is real; the martial artist is especially reluctant to stop attacking after investing so much effort.
• The group’s disagreement highlights a contrast between Ye’s willingness to act and the others’ caution, skepticism, or reliance on proof.

Significant themes

• Discernment over brute strength: The trial appears designed to reward recognizing the true nature of the challenge rather than defeating an enemy.
• Courage under uncertainty: Ye acts despite incomplete proof and the group’s doubts.
• Trust and risk: Shen’s sincere concern contrasts with the group’s reluctance to take the first step; Ye must decide whether to trust his own judgment and divination.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qianfan jumps into the well to test his claim that it is the Passage Gate. Shen Lang follows, then the Rich Merchant works out that they must act before time runs out and jumps in too.
• Seeing the three experienced candidates go, the Martial Artist assumes the well is safe. He shoves a scholar aside and jumps after them—but the incense has already gone out. The abandoned stick is destroyed by the Hair Demon, and the demon attacks the people still above the well.
• Inside the Passage Gate, Ye arrives in a ruined village and finds a strange, newly built temple atop a low hill. He also discovers a cryptic rhyme hinting at a god, an altar, and a temple ritual.
• Eunuch He explains the third trial: candidates must obtain a Demon-Quelling Office waist token from a powerful evil entity. They may fight alone or cooperate, and must hold the token to use the well as their exit.
• The candidates realize they do not know where the entity is.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan acts decisively and trusts his judgment, even when others doubt him. His example persuades Shen Lang and the Rich Merchant to follow.
• Shen Lang recognizes that fear has made him hesitate, then overcomes it by backing Ye.
• The Rich Merchant uses calculation rather than impulse to decide the well is likely the exit, but barely makes it in time.
• The Martial Artist acts from jealousy and urgency, bullying a scholar to reach the well. His failure to notice the incense has gone out leaves him trapped with the Hair Demon, and he regrets dismissing Ye’s warning.
• Eunuch He lays out the trial’s rules bluntly, while the candidates are left to solve the mystery of the village and temple together.

Significant themes

• Judgment versus fear: hesitation can be as dangerous as reckless action, while sound reasoning and timely decisions matter.
• Competition and cooperation: the candidates race one another, but the new trial explicitly permits teamwork.
• Consequences of arrogance and haste: the Martial Artist’s selfishness and failure to observe the deadline lead to disaster.
• Mystery and ritual: the poem, temple, and hidden evil entity set up an investigation as well as a test of combat ability.

Plot points and events

• The examinees reach a village and focus on its central temple, suspecting an evil spirit is inside. Rather than enter at night, they split into small groups to find shelter.
• Ye Qianfan, Shen Lang, and a wealthy merchant take refuge in a damaged stone house. Ye notices that night has fallen far sooner than expected.
• The merchant suggests they are inside a special barrier, likely entered through the well. Such barriers can have their own time and space, explaining the sudden darkness.
• A little girl’s voice announces that she is Nini, invites everyone to play hide-and-seek, and promises a death-warding talisman to whoever finds her first.
• When many examinees stay indoors, Nini threatens that anyone who has not left their room within half an incense stick’s time will die.
• Ye advises using the allotted time rather than rushing out. Shen agrees, and the merchant lights incense to track the deadline. He introduces himself as Qian.
• Screams erupt outside as examinees encounter what may be multiple evil spirits. Ye looks through a window and sees a huge, bloodshot eye staring back.

Character development and interactions

• Ye Qianfan is observant and cautious: he questions the strange passage of time and recognizes that Nini’s urgency may be a trap.
• Shen Lang supports Ye’s reasoning and reinforces the value of waiting before acting.
• Qian, initially anxious to leave, accepts their advice and introduces himself more personally.
• The group’s trust develops through shared caution, while the other examinees’ panic highlights the danger outside.

Significant themes

• Deception and manipulation: Nini disguises a deadly threat as a children’s game and uses a promised reward to lure people out.
• Caution versus panic: Ye and Shen resist pressure and look for meaning in the spirit’s rules.
• Uncertain reality: The special barrier disrupts ordinary expectations of time and place.
• The innocence of evil: Nini’s cheerful childlike voice shifts abruptly into cruelty, showing that appearances offer no safety.

Plot points and events

• Ye Qianfan, disguised as a paper figure with his soul inside, survives a close encounter with a wandering ghost. She ignores him, but attacks a passing trial participant dressed as an old Daoist.
• The Daoist uses a bronze Soul-Snatching Bell, whose sound nearly pulls Ye Qianfan’s soul from his body. Ye Fu catches him while the Daoist inside him recites a Soul-Stabilizing Charm.
• Before the Daoist can strike again, a ghost infant bites his neck and makes him drop the bell. The old woman then stabs him through the heart. The two ghosts kill him and feed on his soul power.
• Back with the group, the wealthy merchant and Shen Lang mistakenly believe Ye Qianfan frightened the old woman away by glaring at her. Ye Qianfan lets their misunderstanding pass.
• Shen Lang explains that his music can distract wandering ghosts, but only briefly. The group agrees they need to locate the evil entity, Nini, before attempting to cross the village.
• Ye Qianfan performs a divination, asking the Patriarch to reveal Nini’s hiding place. The chapter ends as the talisman ashes form two characters in water; their meaning is not yet revealed.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan is frightened and inexperienced with the dangers confronting his unusual paper-puppet body, but he remains practical, proposes divination, and takes initiative. His companions overestimate his abilities after misreading his fear as supernatural prowess.
• The old Daoist participant proves vulnerable despite carrying a powerful spiritual weapon; the ghosts exploit the moment he drops it.
• Shen Lang reveals a useful but time-limited ability and emphasizes the need for a careful plan.
• The group responds to danger by coordinating around Ye Qianfan’s divination and Shen Lang’s music.

Significant themes

• Appearance versus reality: Ye Qianfan’s apparent courage is only fear-induced stillness, while the group mistakes it for mastery.
• The limits of power: Even a potent weapon is useless if its wielder is caught off guard, and Shen Lang’s ability comes with a strict time limit.
• Survival through planning and cooperation: The group seeks information and a coordinated route rather than rushing into a village full of ghosts.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qianfan’s divination reveals that the evil entity is hiding in the village temple, so he, Shen Lang, and Rich Merchant head there.
• Shen Lang plays his flute as they travel. Its mournful music overwhelms nearby ghosts with memories of their deaths, distracting them from the humans. Ye Qianfan learns that a ghost’s tears are droplets of soul power, and crying too much can make a ghost disappear.
• At the temple, Ye offers to scout ahead, but Rich Merchant insists on entering first, hoping to find the Death-Exemption Talisman. He does not return, and ghosts begin gathering outside as the flute’s effect fades.
• Ye and Shen Lang enter and discover that the “temple” is actually an abandoned courtyard containing a bare pagoda tree hung with human heads. Rich Merchant and other assessment participants are trapped in its branches.
• Shen Lang uses a piercing flute note to break the vine around Rich Merchant’s neck, allowing him to fall free and scramble back to the others.
• The group notices they are safe beneath the eaves; the courtyard itself appears to trigger the attacks. Ye sees a red-clad girl perched in the tree and suspects she is the evil entity. Shen Lang instead thinks the entity is in the main hall—until the girl looks at Ye and asks, “Can you see me?”

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan continues to rely on divination and takes responsibility for scouting, but his lack of offensive abilities limits what he can do in a fight. His encounter with the ghosts’ tears also makes him feel sympathy for their suffering.
• Shen Lang uses his flute both to pacify ghosts and to rescue Rich Merchant. He teases Rich Merchant for rushing ahead, while Ye defends the choice as useful reconnaissance.
• Rich Merchant tries to prove he can contribute rather than hide behind his companions, but his greed for the reward leads him into danger. After being rescued, he is humbled and avoids arguing with Shen Lang.
• Ye’s ability to see the girl sets him apart from Shen Lang, who initially mistakes the tree for a distraction and expects the real threat to be inside the hall.

Significant themes

• Greed and risk: Rich Merchant’s eagerness to find the talisman puts him in immediate danger.
• Compassion for the dead: The ghosts’ sorrow and the cost of their tears reveal their lingering pain and fragile existence.
• Uneven power and teamwork: Ye’s insight, Shen Lang’s supernatural music, and Rich Merchant’s resourcefulness each matter, even as they depend on one another.
• Perception and hidden threats: The temple is not what it seems, and Ye may perceive an entity that others cannot.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qianfan sees a little-girl evil spirit perched on the Evil Tree, while Shen Lang cannot see her. The spirit threatens to eat Ye and recognizes that he smells like a Human-Skin Lantern.
• The Daoist explains that the girl is an avatar of a powerful ghost whose true body lies inside the tree. Even her avatar is far beyond Ye’s ability to fight.
• Rich Merchant warns that weapons cannot pierce the tree. The girl also says ordinary fire cannot harm her; only samadhi true fire could.
• The spirit begins forcing Ye’s eyes open so he will be able to see her—and, apparently, become vulnerable to her. Ye shuts his eyes and tells Shen Lang to play his flute while he and Rich Merchant block their senses and rush for the temple.
• Before Shen Lang can act, a group of sword-cultivator examinees enters. The spirit disappears from Ye’s shoulder and stops covering his eyes, apparently wary of them.
• The girl returns to the tree, realizes Ye had been pretending not to see her, and promises to kill the newcomers before coming back to play with him.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan struggles to hide his fear while keeping the spirit from realizing he can see her. He improvises a plan to escape by shutting his eyes, though his deception is eventually exposed.
• Shen Lang remains unaware of the girl and interprets Ye’s words as tactical instructions about the tree. He is willing to follow Ye’s plan despite not understanding it.
• Rich Merchant contributes practical information about the tree’s resistance to weapons, but his coughing initially prevents him from speaking.
• The Daoist warns Ye about the spirit’s strength and helps him understand the danger and the apparent rules governing its attacks.
• The little girl is playful and taunting, but her threats are serious. She fixates on Ye, senses his unusual nature, and reacts angrily when she realizes he has been lying.

Significant themes

• Survival through deception: Ye’s best defense is pretending not to see the spirit, rather than fighting it.
• Hidden rules and unequal knowledge: The characters face a challenge whose dangers are understood unevenly; Ye sees the ghost, while Shen Lang does not.
• A shift from danger to greater danger: The sword cultivators’ arrival temporarily distracts the spirit, but her promise to kill them suggests the threat has merely moved onto the newcomers.

Plot points and events

• Ye Qianfan hopes the arriving Purple Sun Sword Sect cultivators will kill the evil spirit haunting him—the terrifying red-clad child—so he won’t have to face her again.
• The sect’s boastful senior brother charges the old locust tree but is immediately caught by a branch. His fellow disciples rush to save him, only to discover that the tree’s vines are unnaturally hard and deadly.
• An old monk arrives and tries to capture the child spirit with a golden bowl. She vanishes into the tree, which then unleashes a broader attack.
• The monk is pierced through the chest, and the sword cultivators are killed and hung from the branches. As the tree absorbs their flesh, blood, and karmic energy, its resentful power grows sharply.
• Trapped between the tree and pursuing ghosts, the survivors fear they may not escape. Ye Qianfan realizes the tree is becoming stronger and urges the group to act.
• The Daoist inside Ye Qianfan explains that the tree’s attacks are manifestations of yin energy, and that the Bagua Mirror may protect against them. Through the mirror, Ye sees the tree as dead wood and its attacking vines as black, insubstantial shadows.
• When an energy-vine strikes the mirror, it fails to penetrate its protection. Ye volunteers to confront the tree and asks Shen Lang to play music to support him—but panics when the ghost child starts floating toward him.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan shifts from hoping others will solve the danger to cautiously taking action once the Bagua Mirror proves effective. His fear of the ghost child remains acute.
• The Daoist demonstrates knowledge of the Bagua Mirror’s abilities and persuades Ye to test it.
• Shen Lang shows concern for Ye, questioning whether he can handle the tree; Ye insists on his help with the flute.
• The Purple Sun Sword Sect senior brother is revealed as more boastful than capable, and the sect’s confidence proves misplaced.
• The old monk makes a direct attempt to subdue the child spirit but is overwhelmed by the awakened tree.
• The red-clad ghost child remains a terrifying, elusive presence and seems to be drawing near Ye again.

Significant themes

• Overconfidence and vulnerability: Skilled-looking fighters and spiritual experts alike fall quickly when they underestimate the threat.
• Escalating danger: The tree grows stronger by absorbing its victims, making delay increasingly perilous.
• Perception versus reality: The Bagua Mirror reveals that the tree’s apparent physical attacks are actually yin-energy manifestations—and offers a way to resist them.
• Fear alongside courage: Ye acts despite his terror, though the ghost child still threatens to overwhelm his resolve.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qianfan uses the Bagua Mirror to see the Evil Tree’s true form and discovers Nini’s small red Flesh-and-Gold Body embedded in its trunk—the “god” nurtured by the withered tree.
• He charges toward the trunk to remove it. Nini realizes his goal and unleashes the tree’s vines, while Shen Lang’s mournful flute seems to restrain the attacks.
• Ye Fu helps support Ye Qianfan and the Bagua Mirror, and the Rich Merchant uses his golden abacus to knock vines aside. The Daoist warns Ye Qianfan of an incoming strike.
• Ye Qianfan notices that one vine pierces the tree’s trunk. He deliberately leaves an opening in his defense, tricking the tree into striking the spot where Nini’s body is hidden.
• The vine appears to impale Ye Qianfan, but his body is hollow and he is unharmed. He pulls Nini’s Flesh-and-Gold Body from the hole, revealing that the apparent attack was his plan.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan shows quick thinking and willingness to risk his body, using the Evil Tree’s own attack to reach its hidden core.
• Nini shifts from playful and affectionate to furious and threatening, then is left shocked when her body is taken.
• Shen Lang, Ye Fu, the Rich Merchant, and the Daoist each support Ye Qianfan: through music, physical assistance, distraction, or warning.
• Nini mocks Ye Qianfan after he is pierced, while his allies cry out in alarm—only for him to reveal that the apparent injury was a deception.

Significant themes

• Cunning over strength: Ye Qianfan turns the tree’s force against it rather than trying to overpower it.
• Appearances and hidden truths: The Bagua Mirror reveals the body within the tree, while Ye Qianfan’s hollow construction deceives Nini.
• Cooperation under pressure: The group’s combined efforts help Ye Qianfan reach the trunk and carry out his plan.

Key plot points and events

• After Ye Qianfan tricks Nini in the first game, Nini turns the golden idol in his hand into a red headscarf and announces the second game.
• The headscarf is now the only protection from death. Nini tells the villagers to take it from Ye Qianfan, who is in the central temple, and warns that those who fail will remain in the Ghost Village forever.
• Nini sends human-skin lanterns into the sky. Their faces slowly change to resemble individual villagers; when a lantern flickers, it signals that its person is close to death.
• One lantern gradually takes on the appearance of the examinee Guangsheng. When it opens its eyes, Guangsheng’s eyes have vanished, leaving bloody sockets. His head then swells in time with the lantern until both burst.
• The other examinees realize the lanterns are death timers and rush toward the temple, hoping to seize the headscarf.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan hides that his injury is fake and appeals to Nini’s promise to secure the headscarf, but Nini resents his trickery and makes him the focus of the next game.
• Nini shifts from playful game-maker to openly vindictive threat, using fear and competition to drive the villagers toward Ye.
• Guangsheng goes from puzzled observer to the first victim of the lanterns. His companions notice the lantern’s resemblance to him, but cannot prevent his gruesome death.
• The examinees’ shock turns into panic and a desperate scramble for the temple.

Significant themes

• Betrayal and consequences: Ye’s deception provokes Nini’s retaliation.
• Fear as control: Nini turns survival into a contest, encouraging the villagers to attack one another.
• Identity and bodily horror: The lanterns copy people’s faces and inflict matching, horrific harm.
• Desperation and survival: Once the lanterns’ purpose becomes clear, the examinees abandon caution and race for the only apparent protection.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qianfan chains and bars the temple doors, choosing not to flee. He argues that hiding until the lantern game ends may not save anyone: the rules do not define victory, and the survivors could be forced into a final bloody struggle over the red headscarf.
• He reveals that, as the first person through Fog City’s Passage Gate, he received a stage-clearing clue: “Withered Wood Conceals a God, Blood Wine offered to the high altar. With no veil upon the Joy God, who would dare come worship? One person enters the temple, to send the god home to the Yin Residence.”
• Shen Lang interprets the rhyme as a sequence of tasks: find the hidden god, obtain Blood Wine as an offering, and then place the red veil on the Joy God. Ye Qianfan agrees that locating the wine is the immediate priority.
• The group realizes that each city likely has at least one clue, but people may keep clues to themselves, making cooperation—and clearing the stage—harder.
• Ye Qianfan asks Shen Lang and Rich Merchant to hold the temple doors while he searches the side hall, where he suspects the wine is kept. He also gives Shen Lang secret instructions that unsettle Rich Merchant, who calls the plan cruel; Shen Lang insists the rules, not Ye Qianfan, are cruel.
• As attackers batter the doors, Ye Qianfan searches for the wine. His divination blocks land on a Laughing Cup, leaving him unable to tell whether the wine is in the side hall.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan shows strategic judgment, prioritizing a way to clear the stage over merely surviving the current round. He shares his valuable clue and takes responsibility for pursuing the next objective.
• Shen Lang proves perceptive by interpreting the clue and willingly accepts the task of holding the doors—and carrying out Ye Qianfan’s undisclosed plan.
• Rich Merchant is frightened by the prospect of the game’s end and by Ye Qianfan’s secret instructions, but remains allied with the others.
• The three form a practical, uneasy team: Ye Qianfan searches, while Shen Lang and Rich Merchant defend the temple from the attackers outside.

Significant themes

• Survival versus escape: Staying alive temporarily may only postpone a more violent reckoning; the characters need a way to end the game.
• Trust and cooperation: Sharing clues and coordinating actions can improve their chances, but the game’s design encourages secrecy and competition.
• Cruel systems and moral compromise: The characters may need to take harsh measures because the rules themselves are brutal.
• Uncertainty: The cryptic clue and inconclusive divination leave the characters without certainty even as danger closes in.

Key plot points

• Guided by the Daoist’s hint, Ye Qianfan discovers a concealed cellar beneath a wooden platform in an alley behind the side hall.
• He finds five intact wine jars among the cellar’s supplies. Unable to lift even one with his fragile skeletal body, he orders Ye Fu to carry four using its tentacles.
• Meanwhile, Shen Lang and Rich Merchant struggle to keep the temple’s attackers out. They are exhausted, outnumbered, and increasingly unable to cover every entrance.
• The Human-Skin Lanterns in the sky rapidly begin taking on human features. One resembles Rich Merchant, and another attacker is killed when a lantern goes out and falls.
• The attackers realize that the red headscarf Ye Qianfan holds may be their only chance to avoid death, and their desperation to seize it grows.
• Rich Merchant’s lantern becomes strikingly like him. As his vision blurs, he fears that his death is imminent.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan finds a practical solution to the cellar search, but his inability to carry a jar reinforces his determination to regain a flesh-and-blood body. He relies on Ye Fu’s unusual strength.
• Shen Lang remains loyal to Ye Qianfan, insisting that he will wait and trust him despite the danger.
• Rich Merchant shifts from supporting Ye Qianfan’s plan to feeling genuine panic as the lantern takes on his likeness. He asks Shen Lang whether he would still trust Ye Qianfan in the same situation.
• Shen Lang and Rich Merchant defend the temple together, while trying to persuade the attackers that fighting over the headscarf will doom them all.
• The attackers’ fear turns them against one another’s interests: their priority becomes saving themselves, even if others die.

Significant themes

• Trust versus self-preservation: Shen Lang chooses faith in Ye Qianfan, while the attackers’ terror drives them to seize the headscarf for themselves.
• Mortality and escalating dread: The changing lanterns make death feel immediate and personal, especially for Rich Merchant.
• Physical vulnerability and dependence: Ye Qianfan’s fragile body limits him, making Ye Fu’s help essential and sharpening his desire to recover his human form.
• Pressure and moral collapse: As the defenders weaken and death draws closer, cooperation gives way to panic and selfishness.

Key plot points and events

• Shen Lang tricks Rich Merchant into throwing his Golden Abacus at an apparent climber. The distraction leaves Rich Merchant believing he has gone blind and fearing that the human-head lanterns will kill him next.
• A mysterious hand gives Rich Merchant the real Red Headscarf. When he recovers his sight, the lantern bearing his face has disappeared, suggesting the scarf has saved him.
• Ye Qianfan returns with wine and prepares for the group’s plan. Shen Lang has collected blood from the hanging corpses, and Ye Qianfan suspects that Blood Wine can intoxicate the Evil God, allowing him to approach and return the scarf.
• To keep the flies outside the temple occupied, Ye Qianfan dyes strips of corpse clothing with blood to make decoy red veils. Shen Lang and Rich Merchant are assigned to draw the crowd away while Yeanfan acts alone.
• The three stage a bitter quarrel over the Red Headscarf. Shen Lang flees with a fake, and the crowd outside takes the bait and chases him. Rich Merchant follows, pretending to track him with his Flower-Seeking Art, leaving Ye Qianfan free to carry out the offering.

Character developments

• Ye Qianfan shows resourcefulness and resolve, piecing together the clues and coordinating a risky plan. He trusts Shen Lang and Rich Merchant to protect his chance to act.
• Shen Lang proves a loyal, quick-thinking accomplice, helping gather blood and convincingly playing his part in the deception.
• Rich Merchant is frightened by the lantern threat but survives with the Red Headscarf. He joins the staged conflict despite his earlier panic, helping divert the crowd.

Significant themes

• Trust and teamwork: The plan depends on the three cooperating and trusting one another, even while pretending to fall out.
• Deception as survival: Fake veils, staged accusations, and a false chase turn the crowd’s greed and desperation to the group’s advantage.
• Fear and self-preservation: The Red Headscarf makes Rich Merchant’s terror immediate, while the outsiders’ urgency leaves them vulnerable to manipulation.
• Clues and calculated risk: Ye Qianfan acts on his interpretation of the Blood Wine and the scarf, risking the plan on uncertain but actionable evidence.

Character interactions

• Shen Lang’s warning prompts Rich Merchant to throw his abacus; afterward, Shen Lang and an unseen helper enable Rich Merchant to receive the scarf.
• Ye Qianfan thanks Shen Lang, then relies on him and Rich Merchant to stage a public feud and lure away the outsiders.
• Rich Merchant returns the real scarf to Ye Qianfan, while the two men’s mock fight and Shen Lang’s false escape convince the crowd that the group has split.
• Ye Qianfan watches his companions draw the pursuers away, grateful that their cooperation prevents a bloody fight at the temple.

Key plot points and events

• Ye Qianfan offers the evil god Blood Wine made from the blood of recently killed people, hoping to get her drunk so he can complete the trial by returning the red headscarf to its owner.
• The statue initially appears to reject the offering, smashing the jar and pinning Ye in place. It turns out she has merely opened another jar to drink; the wine’s scent has won her over, and she quickly becomes intoxicated.
• As Ye waits for her to pass out, several cultivators enter, suspecting he has been distracting them. Ye offers them the headscarf and urges them to stay quiet, but Junior Brother Yan ignores him.
• Ye throws the headscarf down and leaves the hall. Yan reaches for it, provoking the evil god, who seizes and swallows him. The scholar’s attempt to make her release Yan fails, and the other two cultivators flee.

Character developments

• Ye is resourceful and cautious, but his plan depends on keeping the evil god undisturbed. Once the intruders threaten that, he abandons the headscarf to protect himself and preserve the plan.
• The Daoist remains Ye’s adviser, explaining the evil god’s reaction and helping him judge how much wine she needs.
• Junior Brother Yan’s greed and refusal to heed warnings lead directly to his death. The scholar shows loyalty by trying to save him, but is badly injured; the remaining cultivators choose flight over rescue.
• The evil god shifts from apparently serene and displeased to an unpredictable, dangerous drinker whose power overwhelms the cultivators.

Significant themes

• Greed and consequences: Yan’s eagerness to seize the headscarf costs him his life.
• Caution and miscommunication: Ye understands the danger of making noise, but the newcomers’ suspicion and refusal to listen ruin his attempt to avoid conflict.
• Powerlessness before the supernatural: The cultivators’ techniques and strength are ineffective against the evil god.
• Risk and improvisation: Ye’s use of blood wine is a gamble, and even its apparent success leaves him vulnerable to others’ interference.

Character interactions

• Ye negotiates with the evil god through an offering, then silently urges the intruding cultivators to keep quiet.
• The Daoist advises Ye about the wine and warns him when the evil god is becoming drunk.
• Ye offers the headscarf to the cultivators, but Yan dismisses his warning and reaches for it.
• The scholar tries to save Yan with a spell, only to be thrown aside; the remaining cultivators abandon the temple.

Plot points and events

• Junior Brother Yan is eaten by the Evil God, which sobers up and grows ravenously hungry. The hall doors close, trapping the remaining people; their screams soon stop.
• Ye Qianfan escapes. He sees more Human-Skin Lanterns fall, and one now resembles his face—suggesting he may be next. His Red Headscarf is left behind in the hall.
• On the Daoist’s advice, Ye makes a paper pig as bait. The Daoist guides him through the Puppet Sect technique of Painted Skin, which transforms it into a convincing, golden-brown roast pig—but it has no smell.
• To create an aroma, Ye and Ye Fu use the withered Evil Tree as firewood and burn the hanging corpses. The smell draws the Evil God out of the hall.
• As the Evil God leaves to seek the food, Ye slips into the hall behind it.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan shifts from panic to quick, resourceful action. Though uneasy about burning the corpses, he accepts the Daoist’s argument that cremating them will let their souls rest. He also gets his first practical experience with Painted Skin.
• The Daoist acts as Ye’s instructor and guide, directing both the paper-pig trick and the corpse-burning plan. Their connection briefly deepens as Ye follows his movements and incantation almost in unison.
• Ye Fu helps Ye move the bodies.
• Junior Brother Yan and the others become victims of the Evil God’s hunger.

Significant themes

• Survival through ingenuity: Ye uses a handmade decoy and the Evil God’s hunger to create an opening.
• Appearances versus reality: The paper pig looks real but needs an added scent to work; the lantern resembling Ye also foreshadows danger.
• Death and respect for the dead: Ye’s reluctance to burn the corpses contrasts with the Daoist’s view that cremation can free their trapped souls.
• Learning under pressure: Ye begins acquiring supernatural skills in the middle of an immediate crisis.

Key plot points and events

• In the first, illusory trial, Ye Qianfan retrieves the Red Headscarf while the Evil God is distracted by a fake roast pig. He drops the scarf over the Evil God’s head, freezing it and ending the illusion.
• Everyone reappears near the Passage Well. Eunuch He explains that those who died in the illusion are eliminated, though they are alive in reality.
• The real assessment begins: Eunuch He warns that the actual Evil God will be released and allows candidates to withdraw. About a third leave; fifteen remain, including Ye Qianfan, Shen Lang, and Rich Merchant.
• The remaining candidates travel to the temple through crowds of ghosts, using their varied abilities. Shen Lang plays his bone flute; the Soul-Snatching Bell lineage’s bells cause Ye Qianfan intense pain, which he hides.
• At the temple, everyone hesitates to enter. Ye Qianfan opens the door first, knowing the clue says that one person must enter to “send the god back to the Yin Residence.” Shen Lang offers to accompany him, but Ye Qianfan points out that the instruction permits only one entrant.

Character developments and interactions

• Ye Qianfan demonstrates resourcefulness in the illusion and takes initiative again at the temple. He conceals his pain and carefully follows the clue’s rules.
• Shen Lang remains willing to help Ye Qianfan, offering to enter with him and watch his back, though this conflicts with the one-person restriction.
• Rich Merchant’s decision to stay surprises Ye Qianfan, who wonders why someone seemingly wealthy would risk his life.
• The other candidates are wary and reluctant to lead, but cooperate in fighting through the ghosts.

Significant themes

• Illusion versus reality: The candidates’ apparent deaths were part of a test, but the real trial now carries genuine danger.
• Courage and self-preservation: Candidates choose whether to withdraw or face the actual Evil God.
• Rules and trust: The clue’s wording makes the temple a solitary task, complicating Shen Lang’s protective offer.
• Ingenuity and composure: Ye Qianfan succeeds by exploiting the Evil God’s distraction and keeps his discomfort hidden during the group’s journey.