Chapter Summaries

Chapter Summary: “The Drowning Victim”

Key plot points and events

• Chen Miao packs for a trip, bringing his Talisman Seals and two Polluted Objects—the Pinwheel and Tobacco Pipe. Before leaving, he briefs Shi Manman on running the Funeral Home and considers preparing Mystic Arts for her if she opens her Aperture, though he does not want her to rely on the risky Corpse-Embracing method.
• Chen travels with Yang Jiuhua and Ji Mo, a fan who has asked for help with his cousin. The cousin’s friend drowned in a reservoir after the cousin tried repeatedly to rescue him. Though surveillance footage cleared the cousin of accusations that he had abandoned his friend, the dead boy began appearing in recurring nightmares, leaving the cousin physically weak.
• A Yin-Dispelling Talisman temporarily restored the cousin’s health, but the nightmares returned. A Peachwood Talisman now keeps his condition stable, so Chen judges that the underlying source—not the cousin himself—must be addressed.
• Chen identifies the likely source as the drowned boy, possibly now a Ghost. He learns the body remains unburied because the boy’s parents are seeking compensation. The body has been kept in a refrigerated coffin.
• To enter the family’s home, Chen gives the man guarding the door a customary condolence envelope. He then goes inside alone to investigate, while Ji Mo and Yang wait outside.

Character developments

• Chen Miao shows growing confidence and practical judgment: he delegates the Funeral Home to Shi Manman, assesses the cousin without unnecessary ritual, and recognizes that the problem must be dealt with at its source.
• Shi Manman is trusted with more responsibility. Chen is increasingly comfortable leaving the Funeral Home in her care, while remaining concerned about how she might open her Aperture.
• Yang Jiuhua acts cautiously, first testing the talismans and keeping a Peachwood Talisman with the cousin. He trusts Chen’s expertise and lets him take the lead.
• Ji Mo moves from skepticism and hesitation to seeking help after witnessing the talisman’s effect. He is impressed by Chen’s composure and wonders what other abilities he possesses.
• The drowned boy’s parents are portrayed as confrontational and focused on compensation, refusing to bury their son while pursuing claims against others.

Significant themes

• The supernatural beneath ordinary life: A drowning and its aftermath become a haunting that conventional medical care cannot resolve.
• Responsibility, guilt, and blame: The cousin tried to save his friend, yet is haunted by accusations—both from the family and in his dreams.
• Practicality and expertise: Chen distinguishes temporary relief from a lasting solution and focuses on finding the actual cause.
• Custom and human motives: Funeral rituals, compensation disputes, and community reputation shape how people respond to death.

Character interactions

• Chen gives Shi Manman instructions and entrusts her with the Funeral Home during his absence.
• Ji Mo recounts his cousin’s ordeal to Chen and Yang; Yang explains what he has already tried.
• Chen reassures the cousin’s family that the boy is stable, then redirects the investigation toward the drowned friend.
• Ji Mo and Yang wait outside while Chen uses the condolence envelope to gain entry, with Yang hinting that Chen’s abilities go beyond talismans.

Key plot points and events

• At the funeral hall, Chen Miao senses a sinister presence around the drowned child’s coffin. Rather than identify himself, he quietly performs Six Jiangzhen Secrets: Dissolve Resentment, using ordinary incense. The sinister chill disappears, and he leaves.
• Ji Mo’s cousin confirms the video shows only the drowned child involved in the earlier attack. Yet Chen Miao’s notebook produces no new chapter, suggesting the matter may not be finished.
• To find out whether his conclusion was wrong, Chen Miao returns and keeps watch overnight in the cousin’s room. He hides himself with Hide-and-Seek and places the Scorpion Corpse beneath the bed.
• During the quiet night, he reviews the notebook and his growing list of abilities, reflecting on how far he has come in the year since he first obtained it. He studies ways to combine his statuses.
• No new chapter appears before dawn. Chen Miao suppresses his yang energy, conceals himself, and enters the Mortal World—where, the chapter hints, the missing answer may be waiting.

Character developments

• Chen Miao demonstrates confidence and restraint: he resolves the child’s resentment without drawing attention or using valuable incense. But the notebook’s silence unsettles him, so he chooses to investigate rather than assume the danger is over.
• His reflection on his progress—from being haunted by Old Wang to possessing many abilities—shows increased power and self-assurance, though he remains cautious.
• Ji Mo is awed after witnessing Chen Miao’s rite and eagerly wants to stay with him, revealing his admiration and trust.
• Yang Jiuhua remains curious about what Chen Miao has done, though the earlier incident he recalls still embarrasses him.

Significant themes

• Uncertainty and vigilance: Apparent success does not guarantee a threat has ended; Chen Miao trusts evidence but keeps watch when the notebook contradicts his expectations.
• Growth through experience: Chen Miao’s expanding abilities and reflection on his first encounter with resentment mark a year of dramatic development.
• Quiet responsibility: He helps the family without seeking recognition or payment.
• The boundary between worlds: The unresolved mystery shifts from ordinary reality toward the supernatural Mortal World.

Character interactions

• Chen Miao answers Yang Jiuhua’s questions about the child and acknowledges that the spirit was weaker than earlier entities.
• Ji Mo shares the video with Chen Miao, then offers to keep watch beside him; Chen Miao refuses to protect him from possible danger.
• Chen Miao asks Ji Mo’s family to keep everyone away from the room overnight, and they accept his plan.

Key plot points and events

• While crafting bamboo splints in the Mortal World, Chen Miao tries to understand why the supernatural threat tied to Ji Mo’s cousin did not return after Chen performed a Transcendence Rite. The Roll Book has produced no new chapter, suggesting the matter remains unresolved.
• Chen shares a disguised version of the incident with Ge Feng. Ge Feng reasons that the drowned child’s death was likely caused by something in the river, not an ordinary accident. Chen realizes his real-world assumptions have kept him from recognizing how common supernatural causes are in the Mortal World. He plans to investigate the reservoir when he returns.
• Ge Feng explains the work of Corpse Retrievers, who recover drowned bodies and deal with dangers in the water. He recounts a past case in which a family retrieved a drowned child themselves; the child’s body later vanished, and the entire household drowned in places as unlikely as a water vat, washbasin, and puddle. The body eventually surfaced feet-first, with a hole in its belly. A Corpse Retriever had refused to retrieve it until seven days later, when it could be recovered safely.
• Cao Xiu mocks Chen and Ge Feng as ignorant peasants, boasting that boats and the Demon-Suppressing Bureau’s Calamity-Guarding Objects offer protection. The two ignore him and leave, further fueling his resentment.
• That night, Chen finds no new Roll Book chapter. He reflects on the world’s many unknown dangers and possibilities, but decides not to rush beyond Qingjiang Town before he is capable of doing more. He then returns to reality as Yang Energy rises.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao learns to question his real-world assumptions and recognizes Ge Feng’s practical knowledge as valuable. His curiosity about the wider Mortal World grows, but he restrains his urge to explore prematurely.
• Ge Feng acts as an experienced guide, explaining river dangers and sharing a frightening childhood memory. His account shows both the community’s vulnerability and its willingness to risk supernatural threats when poverty leaves few alternatives.
• Cao Xiu continues to harbor hostility toward Chen. When Chen and Ge Feng refuse to engage with his insults, Cao’s anger deepens.

Significant themes

• Different ways of understanding the supernatural: Chen’s outsider perspective contrasts with Ge Feng’s everyday familiarity with a world where accidents may have supernatural causes.
• Poverty and risk: People may return to dangerous waters despite the threat because hunger and hardship can feel more immediate than the supernatural.
• Knowledge, ambition, and restraint: Chen is eager to discover the world beyond his town, yet understands that curiosity without strength could be dangerous.
• Neglect and unequal protection: The Demon-Suppressing Bureau’s limited response to a poor community suggests that safety and attention are not equally available to everyone.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Miao wakes Ji Mo and Yang Jiuhua and asks about the reservoir where Ji Mo’s cousin and a friend drowned. He suspects a supernatural cause—and possibly more than one ghost—since both victims were capable swimmers.
• The three go to the reservoir at dawn. Chen Miao finds that the water is far more yin-charged and unnaturally cold than the surrounding area, suggesting something inside it.
• Unable to safely enter the water or use his usual methods, Chen Miao sends the Scorpion Corpse Orb to search. It returns an hour later without finding the ghost.
• Searching his inherited manuals for another solution, Chen Miao spots a technique in Paper-Cutting Deity Invocation and identifies a water-dwelling creature called a River Child as a possible way to address the problem.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao remains methodical and cautious: he investigates the reservoir’s conditions, tests the water, and weighs the risks before choosing a tactic. When his first search fails, he turns to his books rather than rushing into the water.
• Ji Mo realizes that his cousin’s and friend’s swimming ability makes an ordinary drowning less convincing. He offers to ask locals about the reservoir, though he has little knowledge of it himself.
• Yang Jiuhua is especially anxious about the possibility of multiple ghosts, reflecting how strongly past supernatural encounters have affected him. He also teases Ji Mo for his lack of athleticism; Ji Mo calmly replies that he is not interested in dating, leaving Yang Jiuhua unable to answer.
• Yang Jiuhua’s view of Ji Mo has shifted: he had expected the irreverent online “Silence of Thusness” to be a clown, but finds Ji Mo composed and levelheaded in person.

Significant themes

• Supernatural explanations behind tragedy: The victims’ swimming skill raises doubts about an accidental drowning and points toward a hidden presence.
• Caution and problem-solving: Chen Miao recognizes the danger of confronting an entity in its own environment and searches for a safer, more suitable method.
• Contrasts between appearances and reality: The reservoir seems ordinary but conceals an eerie force; likewise, Ji Mo’s refined, steady demeanor contrasts with his goofy online persona.

Chapter summary

Key events

• To investigate the reservoir’s unusually powerful water ghost, Chen Miao uses the Island-Nation technique Paper-Cutting Deity Invocation to create a River Child from talisman paper, cinnabar, yin energy, and a small amount of his blood.
• The River Child manifests as a small, turtle-shelled humanoid and gives Chen Miao a live view of its surroundings underwater. It finds the water ghost, whose body is covered in water weeds, and initially wounds it—but the ghost binds and crushes the River Child.
• Chen Miao sends in the Scorpion Corpse, but the ghost reacts to its presence. Chen Miao recalls it and concludes the ghost is far stronger and more perceptive than expected.
• Yang Jiuhua and Ji Mo report that six months earlier, an adult drowned while rescuing a child at the reservoir. The child survived but disappeared afterward, and the child’s family denied the incident.
• Chen Miao suspects the rescuer became the water ghost, whose resentment is tied to the child who survived. Rather than spend more resources making a stronger River Child, he decides to find the child and bring them to the reservoir.
• Yang Jiuhua also mentions that a family connected to Ji Mo’s cousin has been suffering nightmares. Chen Miao suspects the ghost may have targeted them because their treatment of someone who saved them resembles the original injustice, but he prioritizes finding the child.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao experiments with a new technique and recognizes that the River Child could be valuable for scouting, even if it proves weak in combat. Its failure makes him cautious about further investment.
• Yang Jiuhua and Ji Mo act as investigators, gathering the reservoir’s history and helping Chen identify the ghost’s likely source of resentment.
• Chen Miao and Ji Mo discuss locating and luring the child back; Ji Mo warns that the parents may resist, apparently fearing blame or compensation.
• The River Child’s brief fight reveals both its potential and its limits, while the ghost’s response suggests it can sense threats and may be unusually strong on its own territory.

Significant themes

• Resentment and injustice: The ghost’s power appears rooted in a rescuer’s death and the survivor’s disappearance and denial.
• Responsibility and moral cowardice: The child’s family’s refusal to acknowledge what happened contrasts with the rescuer’s self-sacrifice.
• Experimentation and cost: Chen Miao weighs blood, materials, and risk against the uncertain value of stronger supernatural creations.
• Tools with unexpected utility: Though the River Child cannot defeat the ghost, its live underwater vision reveals a powerful scouting application.

Chapter summary

Plot points and events

• Chen Miao, Ji Mo, and Yang Jiuhua arrive at Gao Yang’s home, hoping to persuade him to help draw Zhao Jun’s water ghost out of the Reservoir so the group can perform a Transcendence Rite and prevent further deaths.
• They decide to approach Gao Yang directly rather than his parents, whom they expect would refuse to believe them. Ji Mo is chosen to speak with the boy.
• Chen Miao explains the danger and gives Ji Mo a Peachwood Talisman for protection, promising further talismans afterward. Ji Mo and Yang Jiuhua exchange contact details with Chen Miao.
• After waiting for Gao Yang to return, Ji Mo tells him that Zhao Jun—who drowned saving him—has become a water ghost and recently dragged another person underwater. He explains that Zhao Jun’s lingering resentment stems partly from Gao Yang’s family’s response after the rescue.
• Gao Yang is shaken but agrees to help, driven by years of guilt and the belief that he owes Zhao Jun the same courage Zhao Jun once showed him.
• As Ji Mo leads him toward the car, Gao Yang’s mother intervenes, accuses Ji Mo of being suspicious, and threatens to call the police. The group leaves without Gao Yang.
• Chen Miao redirects the group to investigate another family whose member has also been having nightmares.

Character developments

• Gao Yang moves from hesitation to firm resolve. His enduring guilt over Zhao Jun’s sacrifice makes him willing to take the risk, even without proof.
• Ji Mo takes on the role of mediator, speaking carefully to Gao Yang and offering reassurance and practical safeguards.
• Chen Miao remains measured and pragmatic: he avoids using coercive methods, provides protection to his companions, and adapts when their plan is blocked.
• Yang Jiuhua supports the plan and recognizes that Ji Mo is best suited to approach the child.

Themes

• Guilt and responsibility: Gao Yang is still haunted by his actions after Zhao Jun saved him.
• Sacrifice and reciprocity: Gao Yang’s decision is shaped by the belief that he should not hesitate when Zhao Jun once risked his life for him.
• Unresolved grief and resentment: Zhao Jun’s transformation into a water ghost is linked to the way his death was handled.
• Trust and protection: The group must persuade Gao Yang to trust them, while his mother’s intervention highlights the difficulty of acting without family cooperation.

Character interactions

• Ji Mo’s direct but empathetic conversation helps Gao Yang confront memories he has avoided.
• Chen Miao’s calm authority makes Yang Jiuhua uneasy, while Ji Mo appears approachable enough to speak with a child.
• Gao Yang and his mother clash implicitly over his willingness to help: she pulls him away before he can join the group.

Plot points and events

• Gao Yang tells his parents that Zhao Jun, the boy who drowned six months earlier, has become a water ghost. He says a group plans to perform a Transcendence Rite and needs him to lure Zhao Jun out.
• His father initially fears Gao Yang may be losing his grip on reality, but listens as Gao Yang admits how deeply he has suffered over his past cowardice and his family’s role in what happened.
• Gao Yang reveals that he has repeatedly visited Zhao Jun’s family to help them, and asks to care for them in the future. His father agrees to apologize to the family with Gao Yang the next day.
• That evening, Gao Yang’s father goes alone to the reservoir, burns offerings, and apologizes to Zhao Jun, promising that Gao Yang will treat Zhao Jun’s parents as family. Fog closes in, the fire goes out, and a pair of waterlogged, weed-entangled feet appears before him.
• The next morning, Chen Miao reflects on his unsuccessful vigil at the drowned child’s home. He had treated the deceased’s parents for yin energy, but nothing appeared that night.
• Ji Mo then reports that Gao Yang’s father has died in the reservoir. A video shows his body floating feet-down, with aquatic weeds around his feet. Chen Miao recognizes the clue and rushes to Gao Yang’s home.

Character developments and interactions

• Gao Yang moves from guilt and avoidance toward openly acknowledging his responsibility and seeking to make amends. He stands firm against his mother’s attempts to stop him, but speaks honestly and emotionally with his father.
• Gao Yang’s father shifts from disbelief and concern for his son’s mental state to remorse and action. He accepts that the family wronged Zhao Jun, agrees to apologize, and personally makes a final plea at the reservoir.
• Gao Yang’s mother tries to control him through tears and then physically restrains him, but the chapter gives little indication that she accepts his explanation.
• Chen Miao and Ji Mo continue investigating the supernatural deaths. Chen Miao’s brief account shows his confidence in his abilities, while Ji Mo brings him the news that links the latest death to the reservoir.

Significant themes

• Guilt and responsibility: The family’s attempt to avoid blame has prolonged Gao Yang’s suffering and denied Zhao Jun’s family a public acknowledgment of their son’s good deeds.
• Making amends too late: Gao Yang’s father acts only after recognizing the harm of the family’s earlier choices, and his apology may come too late to save him.
• Grief and family bonds: Gao Yang’s wish to care for Zhao Jun’s parents reflects a desire to turn remorse into lasting responsibility.
• The supernatural as unresolved wrongdoing: The ghostly presence at the reservoir appears tied to the past injustice, while Chen Miao’s failed vigil suggests the danger is not yet understood.

Plot points and events

• Gao Yang’s father is found dead in the Reservoir. Chen Miao decides against another stakeout and sends Ji Mo to give Gao Yang a Mind-Clearing Talisman and a Spirit-Sealing Talisman, instructing him to place the latter beneath his father’s body.
• Ji Mo, shaken by the death, wonders whether he should withdraw from the dangerous supernatural investigations. Yang Jiuhua explains that learning from Chen Miao is a way to prepare for future encounters—and stresses that knowing one’s limits and calling Chen Miao for help matters.
• That night, Chen Miao tells Gao Yang that Zhao Jun—the person who saved him—was not responsible for his father’s death. He takes Gao Yang’s hair, fingernails, clothing, and blood to make a Paper Effigy Double, intending to lure the water ghost without exposing Gao Yang himself.
• Chen Miao sends Ji Mo, Yang Jiuhua, and Gao Yang to safety behind a Soul-Calming Wood barrier, then uses the paper boat and double as bait. A supernatural fog envelops the Reservoir. Chen Miao burns it back briefly with heavenly heart fire, spots the ghost’s weed-covered hand, and retrieves the double.
• The fog spreads to the others. Weeds seize Gao Yang and drag all three toward the water. Yang Jiuhua’s Peachwood Talisman breaks the weeds’ hold, but the ghost then attacks. Chen Miao’s General Effigy and warhorse intervene, cutting the weeds and knocking the ghost out of an invisible boundary.

Character developments and interactions

• Ji Mo confronts his fear of dying and considers leaving. Yang Jiuhua’s practical explanation helps steady him; despite panic later, Ji Mo follows Chen Miao’s instructions and stays put.
• Yang Jiuhua shows both caution and courage: he calls for Chen Miao, then uses his talisman effectively when the group is in immediate danger.
• Gao Yang is grief-stricken and initially dazed, but agrees to cooperate with Chen Miao’s plan. Chen Miao protects him by using a double rather than making him bait.
• Chen Miao demonstrates both strength and restraint. He prepares carefully, keeps others behind a safety boundary, and relies on his summoned allies rather than assuming he can handle everything alone.

Significant themes

• Caution and limits: The characters survive by following safety rules, using protective tools, and recognizing when to call for help.
• Fear versus responsibility: Ji Mo’s doubts and Yang Jiuhua’s resolve show different ways of coping with danger.
• Preparation and protection: Chen Miao’s decoy plan and layered defenses reflect the value of planning rather than risking lives unnecessarily.
• Grief and justice: Gao Yang’s loss drives the confrontation, while Chen Miao’s assurance that Zhao Jun was not the culprit redirects the search for responsibility.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Miao returns to the water ghost after the paper General Effigy’s slash. The ghost has been split apart, but its waterweed body begins re-forming.
• Chen Miao tries the Grievance-Resolving Mantra and other rites, hoping to release the ghost, but only the Fiend-Subduing Mantra affects it. The failed rite reveals that this is no ordinary ghost.
• Old Ghost identifies it as a seamless resentment body: a rare ghost whose soul and deep resentment are fused. It can recover from damage unless destroyed in one blow, and it continues growing stronger over time.
• Old Ghost explains that release may be possible if someone discovers and fulfills the ghost’s human obsession, then helps it understand what has been done. That is difficult without spirit-medium abilities.
• Chen Miao decides to preserve the ghost rather than destroy it. He uses the ice prison mark to halt its growth and contain it.
• Once sealed, the waterweed falls away, revealing Zhao Jun’s soul body. Gao Yang recognizes him and breaks down, apologizing for his death. Chen Miao prevents Gao from rushing forward, then stores Zhao Jun in the Ghost Cube.
• Chen Miao retrieves the General Effigy and prepares to leave. The chapter tracking his progress has not appeared, and he gains no yin virtue for the incident, but accepts the cost of choosing compassion.
• On the drive home, Gao Yang falls asleep, while Ji Mo silently reconsiders everything he thought he knew about Chen Miao.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao persists in seeking release for Zhao Jun despite the failure of his usual rites and the risk of letting the ghost remain. His decision shows both compassion and resolve; he accepts that helping Zhao Jun may bring no immediate reward.
• Old Ghost provides crucial knowledge about seamless resentment bodies. He also hints at an ulterior motive: containing the water ghost in the ice prison could free him from his own confinement. Chen Miao recognizes this but does not confront him.
• Gao Yang is overwhelmed by grief when Zhao Jun’s soul is revealed. His apology reflects his unresolved guilt and attachment to his old friend.
• Ji Mo shifts from underestimating Chen Miao to recognizing his extraordinary power and the reason Yang Jiuhua trusts him. The night leaves him questioning how much of his familiar world he understands.
• Yang Jiuhua remains largely focused on driving, while his earlier deference to Chen Miao becomes newly understandable to Ji Mo.

Significant themes

• Compassion over expedience: Chen Miao refuses to destroy the ghost simply because it would be easier.
• The limits of knowledge and power: Even Chen Miao’s varied techniques cannot solve every supernatural problem, and the ghost’s release may require abilities he lacks.
• Grief, guilt, and unresolved attachment: Zhao Jun’s return confronts Gao Yang with his loss and regret.
• Choice and consequence: Chen Miao accepts the cost of his decision rather than dwelling on what might have been.
• A world beyond ordinary understanding: Ji Mo’s final disbelief underscores how radically the events have unsettled his view of reality.

Plot points and events

• Chen Miao brings Gao Yang home safely, then plans to return the next day to check on Gao Yang’s father and perform a transcendence rite. He and his companions stay with Ji Mo’s cousin.
• In the Mortal World, Chen Miao notices Cao Xiu watching him with apparent ill intent. He decides to create a Smoke Wraith: a stealthy, black-smoke yōkai suited to covert nighttime work.
• Chen Miao performs the creation ritual in a rented room, spending two qian of cinnabar and leaving himself with limited Yin Virtue. He also agrees to accompany Gao Yang to Zhao Jun’s family.
• At the funeral hall, Chen Miao performs a rite for Gao Yang’s father. Later, he brings Zhao Jun’s frozen soul to his parents so they can say goodbye, warning them that Zhao Jun cannot remember or respond to them.
• Chen Miao releases Zhao Jun from the ice and restrains him when he lunges at Gao Yang. Zhao Jun’s parents share their grief, and his father tells him he is proud of him. Gao Yang promises to care for Zhao Jun’s parents and asks Zhao Jun’s father to become his father.
• Chen Miao uses the Resolving Grievances with Jiangzhen Incantation to disperse Zhao Jun’s black qi. Zhao Jun’s soul becomes peaceful and insubstantial, then kneels behind Gao Yang. Zhao Jun’s father embraces Gao Yang and his son’s soul, recognizing both as his sons.

Character developments

• Chen Miao continues developing his yōkai-making skills and acts with care and control during an emotionally volatile farewell. He also notices Zhao Jun has weakened, possibly from being away from water.
• Gao Yang confronts his grief over his father and Zhao Jun, then makes a heartfelt commitment to support Zhao Jun’s parents.
• Zhao Jun’s parents move from shock and desperation to a final, painful acceptance, expressing their love and pride.
• Zhao Jun shifts from a hostile, agitated state to a peaceful farewell after Chen Miao’s rite.

Themes

• Grief, remembrance, and the difficulty of letting go.
• Family as a bond of care that can extend beyond blood relations.
• Compassionate rites as a way to resolve lingering suffering.
• The contrast between supernatural danger and deeply human love.

Character interactions

• Ji Mo supports Chen Miao by arranging lodging and coordinating the visit to Zhao Jun’s family.
• Chen Miao manages Zhao Jun’s parents’ shock with talismans and clear explanations, then gives them space to speak to their son.
• Gao Yang honors Zhao Jun and comforts his parents through his promise to care for them.
• Zhao Jun’s father embraces Gao Yang and Zhao Jun together, affirming their place in his family.

Summary

After the successful rites for Zhao Jun and Li Xiang, Chen Miao leaves Zhao Jun’s family with Ji Mo and Yang Jiuhua. Ji Mo impulsively asks to follow Chen Miao, but Chen Miao gently refuses, warning that the dangerous reality of his life is nothing like the heroic adventure Ji Mo imagines. At the airport, Chen Miao gives Ji Mo a few Talisman Seals and leaves the rest with Yang Jiuhua to sell. Yang encourages Ji Mo to work with him instead; Ji Mo quickly turns the idea into a serious business plan, offering to invest in Yang’s livestreaming operation.
Chen Miao’s book records the completed chapter, rewarding him with one tael and two qian of yin virtue, memory fragments from Zhao Jun and Li Xiang, and mastery of swimming. Chen Miao suspects Zhao Jun’s unusual resentment body accounts for much of the reward. He also realizes his “ah” status can communicate meaningful information to ghosts: using it, he had broken Zhao Jun’s resentment state and made the transcendence rite possible. The swimming reward reminds him of a childhood near-drowning incident that frightened both Xiang Shang and Chen Miao’s uncle.
Chen Miao’s flight is canceled because of a supposed natural disaster, so he books a train for the following day and stays overnight near the airport. After confirming that things at the Funeral Home are normal, he studies Zhao Jun’s memory fragment. It reveals that a rune-carved stone disk at the bottom of the reservoir held a strange, seven-stranded aquatic plant. The water ghost had been bound to the plant, whose growths covered his body and apparently gave him control over them. Chen Miao heads to the reservoir to investigate.
The new Mist Condensation status lets Chen Miao turn yin energy into controllable mist. By combining it with Yin Absorption, he creates a dense fog that obscures visibility, though sustaining it consumes yin energy and limits how dense it can become. He discovers he can shift the fog around and concentrate it enough to extinguish a flame. This suggests it might counter the Paper Offerings used by the Paper Effigy Shop, making him feel better prepared for a possible confrontation.
Meanwhile, Scorpion Corpse searches underwater and finds the plant. Chen Miao receives its memories and sees that uprooting the plant also cracked the stone disk, releasing a powerful surge of yin energy. The resulting fog suddenly thickens, leaving Chen Miao to wonder what the plant is and why it was connected to such a large reserve of yin energy.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao shows restraint by refusing Ji Mo’s emotional request, while continuing to grow more inventive and confident in using his statuses. He turns Zhao Jun’s memories into practical discoveries and begins considering how his new ability could protect him against future enemies.
• Ji Mo shifts from wanting to follow Chen Miao into danger to committing to a partnership with Yang Jiuhua, showing initiative and a more grounded direction.
• Yang Jiuhua acts as Ji Mo’s friend and informal guide, steering him toward a venture they can build together.
• Xiang Shang and Chen Miao’s uncle appear in Chen Miao’s recollection: Xiang Shang was shaken by Chen Miao’s near-drowning, while the uncle feared losing the last surviving member of the Chen family.
• Scorpion Corpse helps Chen Miao investigate the reservoir, ultimately uncovering the plant and triggering the surge of yin energy.

Significant themes

The chapter emphasizes that powers and abilities may have unexpected uses: Chen Miao’s overlooked “ah” status works on a ghost, while Mist Condensation may serve as a tactical counter to Paper Offerings. It also contrasts romanticized adventure with the real risks of Chen Miao’s life, and highlights how memories can reveal hidden causes behind supernatural events. The ending introduces a new mystery, suggesting the reservoir’s plant and stone are sources—or regulators—of powerful yin energy.

Key plot points

• Chen Miao discovers that the plant held by the Scorpion Corpse is Soul-Binding Grass, an artificial Yin Object. The book’s completed afterword rewards him with one tael of yin virtue and reveals the grass’s cultivation method.
• Soul-Binding Grass binds nearby soul bodies, keeping them from dissipating until they can become ghosts. It also gathers and stores yin energy, which it can share with a ghost or release into its surroundings.
• The seven-leaf plant is at least seventy years old, but Chen Miao doubts it has been in the reservoir that long. He suspects a yin cultivator planted it to harvest its leaves, then abandoned or forgot it. Because it was moved, it could not have spent the century needed to cultivate a lasting yin ground.
• Chen Miao reasons that removing it may have earned him yin virtue by preventing it from binding more souls and causing future trouble.
• He considers planting it in the pond at the Funeral Home. There, it could reduce excess yin energy, provide useful leaves, and act as a trap for ghosts that enter the courtyard. He stores it in his Yin-Sealing Pouch for now.
• As he considers using Mist Condensation to clear the lingering yin energy at the reservoir, two people arrive and vault the fence. Chen Miao recognizes them as likely Emergency Affairs Administration investigators, probably above Grade-D; one radiates an unusually strong golden aura of yang energy.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao continues to investigate cautiously, consulting his book before touching an unfamiliar object. He uses its information to deduce the grass’s history, purpose, and potential value, then turns the discovery into a possible defensive asset for the Funeral Home.
• The Soul-Binding Grass has a mutually beneficial relationship with ghosts: it shelters and nourishes them with yin energy, while they protect it.
• The two investigators are introduced through their confident, agile entrance. Their arrival interrupts Chen Miao’s plans, setting up a likely encounter.

Significant themes

• Knowledge and practical judgment: Chen Miao combines supernatural insight with careful reasoning rather than acting on impulse.
• Life, death, and containment: The grass changes the fate of souls by preventing them from dissipating, blurring the boundary between a soul body and a ghost.
• Turning danger into protection: A potentially harmful object may become a tool for managing yin energy and defending the Funeral Home.
• Consequences of neglect: The grass’s presence suggests someone’s abandoned cultivation project may have affected the souls around the reservoir.

Key plot points

• Chen Miao tells Investigators Xi Sheng and Jiang Shu that a water ghost had haunted the reservoir and that he found a cracked stone at its bottom, which may be connected to the area’s yin energy.
• Xi Sheng’s team uses a mechanical spider to locate and retrieve the stone, then plants spherical devices around the reservoir. The devices draw away the surrounding yin energy, reducing its concentration to normal levels, though the reservoir itself remains saturated.
• Impressed by Chen Miao’s strength and physical training, Xi Sheng invites him to join a group mission against an organization from the Island Nation. The mission may begin within a week and should take about a day. Chen Miao is tentatively willing, provided it does not interfere with his responsibilities in the Mortal World.
• Xi Sheng asks Chen Miao to stay nearby in case the team moves quickly. After checking into an inn, Chen Miao uses a Memory Fragment to enter Li Xiang’s memory dream. It yields a new status, “Give Me a Hand,” which makes a target instinctively help when he says the phrase, depending on their will. He then prepares to enter the Mortal World.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao’s growing abilities are evident in his casual confidence, his ability to vault the fence, and the fact that he now handles supernatural incidents without first seeking the Administration’s help.
• Xi Sheng treats Chen Miao respectfully because he has reviewed footage of his previous battle and checked his record. Chen Miao mistakes this courtesy for a difference in how higher-ranked Investigators behave.
• Xi Sheng offers Chen Miao a place on the mission, citing both his supernatural strength and physical conditioning. Chen Miao is open to cooperating but keeps his own priorities firm.
• Chen Miao observes the Investigation Bureau’s specialized technology with curiosity, contrasting its systematic equipment and methods with the more direct, talisman-based approaches he has previously seen.

Significant themes

• Strength and recognition: Chen Miao’s increased power changes how others perceive and recruit him.
• Adaptation and independence: As his abilities grow, he becomes less reliant on official support and more selective about commitments.
• Technology and supernatural threats: The Bureau combines mechanical tools and yin-energy detection to manage dangers efficiently.
• Balancing worlds: Chen Miao weighs Bureau work against his obligations in the Mortal World.

Plot points and events

• Chen Miao prepares to leave the Paper Effigy Shop, taking the booklet and the small amount of silver he took from Xia Lang.
• Ge Feng asks him to investigate Crow-Crying Town and Blind Wang, a fortune-teller who may know about protective items. Chen Miao agrees and also hopes to learn more about the roads outside Qingjiang Town.
• After signing the Roll Book and leaving at dawn, Chen Miao senses several hostile people waiting nearby. He suspects they work for Cao Xiu, not Yizhuang.
• Rather than return to the shop or head east, Chen Miao walks west at an unusually fast pace. Three men—led by Brother Kui—follow him, trying not to attract attention.
• Chen Miao reaches wooded hills and a nearby village. For ten copper coins, he questions an armed hunter about the area. The hunter explains that the Old Forest forms a crescent, is extensive and dangerous, and contains a particularly dense stretch farther east.
• Chen Miao concludes the forest borders the town to the west and north, so he need not scout north separately. He turns back toward town, still followed by the three men, and heads for the eastern road.

Character developments

• Chen Miao is increasingly cautious and strategic: he checks the booklet, assesses who might be pursuing him, and uses the trip to map potential escape routes. He also shows confidence, refusing to be hurried or visibly alarmed by his followers.
• Ge Feng remains friendly and practical, sharing information and offering Chen money for food. He trusts Chen enough to ask him for help.
• The hunter is wary of strangers but willing to exchange limited information for payment. His warnings reveal hard-earned knowledge of the forest’s dangers.
• Brother Kui and his men are revealed as clumsy, inexperienced followers hired by the Cao Family; they struggle to keep pace without drawing attention.

Character interactions

• Chen and Ge Feng part on warm terms, with Chen agreeing to investigate Blind Wang and declining Ge Feng’s offer of money.
• Chen avoids confronting the men following him, instead observing them while using his journey to gather useful information.
• He earns the hunter’s cooperation with copper coins, keeps a safe distance, and listens to the man’s warning rather than pressing him for more.

Significant themes

• Caution and survival: Chen evaluates threats before acting and treats knowledge of the surrounding terrain as essential preparation.
• Information as a resource: He pays for local knowledge and accepts that even limited information can guide future decisions.
• A hostile, precarious world: The hunter’s account of the Old Forest reflects a setting where opportunity and danger are closely linked.
• Appearance and concealment: Chen’s “walking” speed and the followers’ efforts to remain unnoticed highlight the value of controlling what others perceive.

Key plot points and events

• On his way back from Qingjiang Town’s eastern gate, Chen Miao reflects on how quickly ordinary deaths are forgotten in the Mortal World—and wonders whether anyone would care if he died.
• At a fork in the road, he recognizes that three men behind him are hostile. Rather than confront them immediately, he approaches them, pays them for directions, and pretends to accept their offer to travel together.
• The men lead him toward Grave Mountain, a burial ground outside town, intending to kill him and hide his body there. Chen Miao reveals his strength, using intimidating cold snorts and martial-arts strikes to defeat all three.
• He interrogates their leader, Brother Kui, and learns that Cao Xiuying hired them to keep Chen Miao from returning to the Paper Effigy Shop before midnight. Brother Kui also describes the Cao Family’s influence, the roads beyond Qingjiang Town, and abandoned villages where a traveler once encountered a ghost.
• Chen Miao discovers the gang’s real plan was to murder him and bury him on Grave Mountain. Although he briefly lets Brother Kui go, he senses the man’s renewed hostility and kills him, then kills the other two and considers hiding their bodies.
• Before he can drag a body onto the mountain, an unfamiliar child appears with an enormous black dog and tells him that Grave Mountain’s entrance is not on that side.

Character developments

• Chen Miao proves observant and calculating: he identifies the ambush early, plays along to learn more, and stays composed while interrogating the gang. His formidable fighting ability contrasts with his outwardly ordinary appearance.
• His brief offer to spare Brother Kui suggests a willingness to show mercy, but he ultimately trusts his perception of the man’s malice over his promise.
• Brother Kui shifts from a feigned helpful guide to a frightened captive, then confirms that he remains dangerous despite begging for mercy.
• The child and black dog are introduced as mysterious figures, setting up a new encounter.

Significant themes

• The disposability of ordinary lives: the rebuilt shop and the town’s indifference to death reinforce Chen Miao’s fear that people can vanish without consequence.
• Deception and self-preservation: both sides disguise their intentions—Chen Miao pretends to need help, while the gang pretends to be fellow travelers.
• Mercy versus caution: Chen Miao tests whether Brother Kui has truly changed, then acts when he detects renewed hostility.
• The supernatural beneath everyday life: ordinary roads and abandoned villages conceal ghostly dangers, while Grave Mountain hints at further mysteries.

Character interactions

• Chen Miao manipulates the gang’s apparent hospitality to travel with them and gather information.
• He defeats the three men, threatens Brother Kui into revealing Cao Xiuying’s involvement, and probes him about the region.
• Chen Miao’s attempted mercy ends in violence when Brother Kui’s hostility returns.
• The chapter closes with the child calmly addressing Chen Miao as the black dog stands beside them.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Miao encounters a child and an enormous black dog while transporting three corpses to Grave Mountain. The child offers help, and the dog carries two corpses, leaving Chen Miao to carry the third.
• On the way, Chen Miao notices several other large black dogs watching him with hostility. The child’s opened Yin-Yang Eyes Aperture and the dogs’ behavior suggest Grave Mountain is guarded and its residents may be powerful.
• At the mountain’s foot, Chen Miao finds a courtyard and wooden huts surrounded by dense yin energy, apparently concentrated by a feng shui formation. He leaves the corpses in a hut.
• The child pays Chen Miao three taels of silver—one tael per corpse—and warns him not to linger. Puzzled by the unusual transaction, Chen Miao leaves without asking questions.
• Back in Qingjiang Town, Chen Miao spends one tael at the Demon-Suppressing Bureau to buy a dog-shaped Calamity-Guarding Object.
• He travels to an abandoned village beside a dried riverbed and examines the object, wondering what it is.

Character developments

• Chen Miao remains cautious and observant, assessing potential threats before acting. Though Grave Mountain unsettles him, he accepts the payment and decides to investigate later by asking Ge Feng.
• His curiosity grows: rather than simply acquiring the Calamity-Guarding Object, he takes it to the abandoned village to learn more about it.
• The child appears calm, practical, and familiar with the mountain’s rules, while the enormous dog is obedient and helpful.

Significant themes

• The uncanny made ordinary: Grave Mountain’s strange guardians and dense yin energy coexist with a mundane exchange of silver for corpses.
• Uncertainty and hidden knowledge: Chen Miao encounters institutions and objects whose purpose remains unclear, and must rely on observation and cautious inquiry.
• Danger and boundaries: The child’s warning not to linger, the hostile dogs, and the deserted village all suggest that entering unfamiliar places carries risk.

Character interactions

• The child initiates a friendly, matter-of-fact exchange with Chen Miao and directs the dog to help him.
• The dogs’ mixed reactions—Brother Black’s cooperation and the others’ hostility—make Chen Miao wary.
• The child pays Chen Miao for the corpses, but Chen Miao chooses not to question the arrangement.
• At the chapter’s end, Chen Miao addresses the Calamity-Guarding Object directly, setting up his investigation into its nature.

Plot points and events

• Chen Miao examines a small Calamity-Guarding Object bought from the Demon-Suppressing Bureau. Its material blocks his perception, and neither his Fiend-Subduing Mantra nor incense smoke affects it, so he concludes it cannot be used for a Transcendence Rite.
• Hoping to test the object’s protective power, he carries it into an abandoned village. It releases a large household-spirit dog, which leads him to a cellar where the dog is attacking a child ghost. Chen throws the object out of the courtyard, making the dog disappear, then performs a rite to resolve the child’s grievance and earn yin virtue.
• The object breaks on impact. Examining its fragments, Chen discovers intricate internal passages that form a three-dimensional rune-like pattern. He suspects this may be the secret behind the Bureau’s objects, though he cannot explain how the pattern works without cinnabar or other visible materials.
• After returning to Qingjiang Town, Chen searches for ghosts at night but finds none. He suspects they may appear closer to midnight, so he heads back to the abandoned village before that time.
• To travel quickly, Chen rides the General Effigy, continually absorbing yin energy to offset the effigy’s consumption. Uneasy about riding with his back exposed to the darkness, he switches places and sits in front of the effigy, secured by its armored arms.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen is resourceful and experimental, testing the object through several methods and drawing practical conclusions from its behavior. He is also increasingly curious about the Demon-Suppressing Bureau’s techniques.
• His encounter with the child ghost shows a willingness to intervene once he recognizes its plight, while his decision to remove the object also tests whether he will receive credit for a ghost subdued by it.
• Chen’s confidence in his abilities is balanced by unease about unseen dangers at night. He adapts by changing his position on the horse rather than abandoning the journey.
• The General Effigy acts as Chen’s mount and support, helping him travel quickly and physically securing him as he rides. Meanwhile, the townspeople hear mysterious hoofbeats but follow the rule of staying indoors and minding their own business.

Significant themes

• Knowledge through experimentation: Chen investigates supernatural objects by testing their limits and studying their construction.
• The hidden structure of the supernatural: The object’s concealed rune-like interior suggests that powerful effects may depend on complex designs rather than visible ingredients.
• Life and death sharing the world: The town’s ordinary human life gives way to a separate nocturnal world of spirits and danger.
• Practical courage and vulnerability: Chen is capable and prepared, yet still wary of what he cannot perceive or anticipate.

Plot points and events

• Chen Miao returns to the fork in the road and considers investigating the burial hill, but decides against it until he can learn more from Ge Feng. He suspects the Demon-Suppressing Bureau controls the public burial ground and wants to understand why delivering corpses there earns money before risking entry.
• On the road, a middle-aged man offers silver for a ride. Chen Miao recognizes him as a ghost trying to approach under false pretenses and kills him with the General Effigy, earning a reward from his booklet.
• A figure resembling Xiao Bai runs up calling Chen Miao “Uncle.” Chen Miao sees through the disguise, uses incense and the Fiend-Subduing Mantra to reveal that the apparent Xiao Bai was actually a bone hidden as a stone, then continues onward.
• Chen Miao is caught in a Ghostly Wall illusion that makes the road seem to stretch endlessly. His usual protections do not detect it, so he compares his third-eye vision with his eyes-closed perception, identifies a discrepancy, and has the General Effigy strike the hidden creature.
• The incense smoke injures the creature but does not stop it. Chen Miao calls for help, briefly freezing it, then uses the effigy’s whip to pull it back. A flash of white light cuts the creature in two. Chen Miao is surprised to discover it had a physical body.

Character development

• Chen Miao remains cautious and analytical: he resists the temptation to investigate the burial hill until he understands its risks and ownership.
• He shows growing confidence and resourcefulness in dealing with ghosts, quickly recognizing disguises and combining his perception, incense, mantra, and the General Effigy’s weapons.
• He also displays a pragmatic, wry sense of humor, treating the first ghost encounter as a welcome source of rewards.

Significant themes

• Caution versus ambition: Chen Miao wants access to the burial hill’s ghosts, but recognizes that acting without information could endanger his future.
• Deception and uncertain perception: Ghosts imitate people and manipulate what travelers see, forcing Chen Miao to question appearances and rely on careful comparison.
• Preparation and adaptability: Chen Miao’s tools and quick decisions let him respond to threats even when his normal defenses fail.
• The blurred boundary between ghost and physical: The final creature’s bodily form challenges Chen Miao’s assumptions about what he is fighting.

Character interactions

• Chen Miao questions the disguised middle-aged ghost, accepts its silver, then kills it once its intent becomes clear.
• He rejects the counterfeit Xiao Bai without engaging in conversation, immediately exposing and destroying the disguise.
• During the Ghostly Wall encounter, Chen Miao works in tandem with the General Effigy—using its whip and his own command to immobilize and capture the creature before it is killed.

Key events

• While traveling, Chen Miao finds a bloodless, human-faced ape with stitch marks that suggest it was made with the Corpse-Sewing Art. He suspects it was a corpse experiment that escaped—or was discarded—and continues on.
• In an abandoned village, Chen uses his mist-condensation state to survey courtyards for concentrated yin energy. The readings seem uniform, so he investigates a house and finds a corpse buried beneath the floor, preserved with chemicals.
• He discovers similarly buried corpses throughout the village, including in houses that had been normal earlier that day. The victims include men, women, elders, and children, and appear to have died recently. He suspects the village is being used for mass corpse nurturing, possibly by the nearby Yizhuang, but cannot establish who is responsible or why.
• Chen performs transcendence rites for the corpses. The incense smoke confirms that they died unnatural deaths and were at risk of becoming ghosts. Afterward, the Notes records a completed side story, “Human Hearts Are Like Ghosts,” and awards him two taels and eight mace of yin virtue, along with a new state.
• On the return journey, Chen finds a ghost blinding a traveler. He sends the General Effigy to kill it. The rescued man is so frightened by the Effigy that he faints, forcing Chen to have it carry him back.
• The new reward raises Chen’s yin absorption by two levels, ultimately to Yin Absorption III, and grants a new ability he calls the Yin-Energy Vortex. The improved capacity lets him support the General Effigy while it carries the unconscious man.

Character development and interactions

• Chen grows more systematic in his investigations, using mist condensation to search efficiently and then revising his theory when the village’s uniform yin readings fail to reveal the source.
• He remains cautious about drawing conclusions: although the Yizhuang is a plausible suspect, he recognizes that the evidence is insufficient.
• Chen treats the dead with compassion, spending much of his incense supply to perform rites, and intervenes to save a stranger from a ghost.
• The General Effigy remains Chen’s dependable tool in combat and rescue, though its high energy cost exposes the limits of his previous abilities. The rescued traveler, meanwhile, reacts to the Effigy with terror rather than gratitude.

Significant themes

• Human wrongdoing and supernatural horror: the chapter’s central mystery suggests that ghosts and monsters may be symptoms of deliberate human violence.
• The uncertainty of investigation: Chen uncovers evidence of a large crime but cannot yet identify its perpetrators or purpose.
• Compassion and responsibility: despite the risks and expense, Chen gives the dead proper rites and saves a stranger.
• Progress through hardship: the disturbing discovery yields a major advancement, showing how dangerous encounters can also strengthen Chen.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Miao discovers that his new Yin-Energy Vortex can draw nearby yin energy to a chosen spot, functioning like a powerful Yin-Gathering Talisman. He uses it to replenish the General Effigy’s energy.
• Before midnight, Chen Miao and the General Effigy patrol town and encounter seven wandering ghosts. Chen Miao deals with five; household spirits destroy the other two before he can perform Transcendence Rites.
• The patrol reinforces Chen Miao’s respect for the Demon-Suppressing Bureau’s Calamity-Guarding Objects: even diligent patrols cannot catch every ghost, while these objects give ordinary households a chance to survive.
• Back at the Paper Effigy Shop, Chen Miao talks with Ge Feng over food and wine. He invents a story about robbers near Grave Mountain to lead the conversation toward the mountain.
• Ge Feng explains that Grave Mountains have Corpse Keepers and Corpse-Guarding Dogs, who answer to the Demon-Suppressing Bureau. He reveals that people receive one tael of silver for delivering a body—the exact price of the Bureau’s cheapest Calamity-Guarding Object.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao puts his new ability to practical use and becomes more alert to the strengths and limitations of the Bureau’s protections.
• Ge Feng recounts abandoning his ambition to learn martial arts after seeing shop owner Mr. Kong defeat an unclean thing. He chose the Paper Effigy Shop because yin cultivation could protect his whole family, not just himself.
• Chen Miao listens closely and questions Ge Feng, using a fabricated robbery story to draw out information about Grave Mountain and its payment system.

Significant themes

• Protection and its limits: Calamity-Guarding Objects defend homes from ghosts but may not help against hauntings or curses that target someone away from home.
• Unequal forms of safety: Martial arts protect an individual, while yin cultivation and protective objects can safeguard families and communities.
• The value of the dead: The payment for bodies is tied directly to the cost of basic supernatural protection, hinting at a practical exchange between Grave Mountain and public safety.