Chapter Summaries

Key events

• After Aunt Mei leaves, Zhong Fa smokes, speaks to his deceased master’s spirit tablet, and declares that he is a genius who will soon reveal a “masterpiece.”
• He tells Li Weiguo that Li Shirui’s soul has been released and sends her home, saying the matter is finished without bringing the second child, Xiao Lei, from the funeral home. Li Weiguo accepts this without question.
• Zhong Fa visits Du Rui at the funeral center and demands blood from a boy under twelve within seven days. Du Rui cannot promise fresh blood, but agrees to look for some. After Zhong Fa leaves, Du Rui checks on the funeral home, finds no apparent change, and grows angry and suspicious.
• Zhong Fa then visits Aunt Mei and checks on Uncle Dong, who has been dead for over a month. Following Zhong Fa’s instructions, Aunt Mei has preserved his body in medicinal soil and added crow’s blood to build up its yin energy.
• Zhong Fa moves Uncle Dong into a cypress coffin, removes the Spirit-Sealing Talisman, and covers his face with a copper-coin mask. He instructs Aunt Mei to pour crow’s blood into the coffin nightly for seven days, warning that Uncle Dong’s return to life depends on it.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhong Fa appears increasingly driven and self-assured, even as his trembling hands and heavy smoking suggest strain. He speaks reverently but reproachfully to his master, then pursues increasingly disturbing preparations. He is protective and reassuring toward Aunt Mei, whom he treats as a trusted ally.
• Aunt Mei has followed Zhong Fa’s instructions carefully and remains devoted to him. Though she doubts whether Uncle Dong can truly return, she ultimately trusts Zhong Fa.
• Li Weiguo is confused by Zhong Fa’s claim that the matter is over, but defers to him and takes Li Shirui home.
• Du Rui is reluctant to provide the requested blood and suspects Zhong Fa is making demands without delivering results. He considers calling someone but decides against it.
• The chapter’s central relationships are marked by unequal trust: Aunt Mei’s faith in Zhong Fa contrasts with Du Rui’s growing distrust and Li Weiguo’s cautious deference.

Significant themes

• Life, death, and resurrection: Zhong Fa’s work blurs the boundary between preserving a corpse and attempting to bring someone back.
• Trust and obedience: Aunt Mei follows instructions despite uncertainty, while Du Rui begins to resist Zhong Fa’s authority.
• Ambition and secrecy: Zhong Fa’s “masterpiece,” unexplained claim that the ritual is complete, and urgent demand for a child’s blood suggest a larger, morally troubling plan.

Plot points and events

• After the previous night’s supernatural danger, Chen Miao spends four of his six qian of yin virtue: two on century-old peach wood and two on Jiangzhen Incense, keeping two in reserve.
• He initially takes the peach wood to a carpenter, but becomes uneasy at the man’s interest and learns the material is rare and valuable. Worried it could be stolen or misused, Chen decides to make the swords himself, using online instructions to create only rough blanks for now.
• The younger twin, Li Shirui, is returned to the funeral home, and the twins’ memorial service is moved back to its original time: two o’clock. Chen checks his supernatural book and the cold-storage compartment, but neither gives any sign of danger. He wonders whether the triangular-eyed man has abandoned his plans, yet stays prepared.
• Before the service, Chen practices woodworking, then makes a portable sword blank from the century-old peach wood, along with five talisman blanks. His Iceheart state greatly improves his focus and craftsmanship. He discovers that the finished pieces and even the wood scraps can be stored in his inventory.
• Chen attends the twins’ memorial service. He sees the old man from the earlier incident and learns he is the twins’ grandfather, but avoids approaching him so he won’t reveal that he is investigating. Information from the hearse drivers has already linked Li Shirui’s pickup to Sever Yin and Yang and the triangular-eyed man.
• The service begins without anything unusual happening. Chen treats the twins with respect as the deceased, despite their earlier involvement in nearly killing him, and starts the eulogy.

Character development

• Chen Miao becomes more cautious and self-reliant. He recognizes that rare supernatural materials attract risk and chooses to protect himself by making his own equipment.
• He shows practical resourcefulness by learning the craft, testing his skills, and preparing both a weapon and possible talismans.
• His use of Iceheart reveals how much discipline and concentration can improve his abilities.
• Chen also maintains professional compassion: he separates the twins’ actions from their status as the dead and insists they deserve respect.

Significant themes

• Preparation and self-reliance: Chen responds to uncertainty by making tools and keeping resources in reserve.
• Secrecy and suspicion: He avoids revealing his investigation and remains wary of the triangular-eyed man and the twins’ grandfather.
• Respect for the dead: Chen performs the memorial service honorably despite his personal history with the twins.
• Human skill alongside supernatural power: Chen uses modern tools and online knowledge while relying on supernatural resources and abilities.

Character interactions

• Chen’s encounter with the carpenter makes him distrustful of outsiders handling the rare peach wood.
• He quietly gathers information from the hearse drivers rather than confronting the twins’ grandfather.
• At the memorial service, Chen addresses the mourners as host and eulogist, setting aside his suspicions to honor the twins.

Plot points and events

• After the twins’ memorial service and cremation pass without incident, Chen Miao remains wary of Triangle Eyes, who might attack again. He prepares by carving two more Peach Wood Swords and making additional wooden plaques, while deciding not to investigate the man’s shop in person for fear of being recognized or facing a physical attack.
• Several quiet days follow. Chen Miao keeps up his precautions and wonders whether his use of powerful incantations and Jiangzhen Incense frightened Triangle Eyes into stopping.
• Rather than wait idly, Chen Miao trains: he practices drawing a Spirit-Sealing Talisman and carves two simple Peachwood Talismans, one marked with “Edict” and the other with an auspicious cloud. He also considers acquiring ingredients for talismans but lacks the yin virtue to redeem them.
• Chen Miao eventually heads toward North City Pedestrian Street, intending to buy supplies and learn the location of Triangle Eyes’ shop. Disguised with a hat and sunglasses, he plans to travel by shared bicycle.
• His childhood friend Xiang Shang unexpectedly offers him a ride on a new motorcycle. Chen Miao recognizes him through Heart-to-Heart, which lets him hear people’s thoughts, and rides with him toward the street.

Character developments

• Chen Miao is cautious but increasingly proactive: he avoids a risky confrontation, yet uses the lull to improve his protective skills and prepare for future threats.
• His new Heart-to-Heart ability gives him unexpected insight into people. He learns that Elder Uncle’s main reason for wanting to retire is to enjoy life, not simply to arrange his daughter’s marriage.
• Xiang Shang is revealed to be unaware that Chen Miao can hear his thoughts; he is surprised when Chen Miao recognizes him despite the helmet and new motorcycle.

Character interactions

• Chen Miao weighs the danger of confronting Triangle Eyes against the advantage of staying hidden, choosing patience for now.
• Chen Miao and Xiang Shang share a casual, teasing exchange: Xiang Shang challenges him to race, Chen Miao identifies him through his thoughts, and then playfully shuts his visor before accepting the ride.
• Chen Miao’s observations of Elder Uncle’s recurring thoughts add a humorous glimpse into their relationship and Elder Uncle’s priorities.

Significant themes

• Vigilance and preparation: A period of calm does not convince Chen Miao to let down his guard.
• Caution versus action: He avoids exposing himself to a potentially physical threat but continues gathering skills and planning his next move.
• Hidden thoughts and intimacy: Heart-to-Heart offers Chen Miao private insight into others, while creating comic contrasts between what people say and what they think.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Miao travels by motorcycle with his wealthy friend Xiang Shang to the town’s pedestrian shopping street. Xiang Shang’s family made its fortune by shifting from sand mining to regulated river dredging, and he can fall back on the family business if he does not build a career by age thirty-five.
• Chen Miao reflects on his Heart-to-Heart ability: it reveals only brief thoughts when someone’s emotions rise. He wonders whether it could work differently when combined with a Heart-Linked Talisman.
• Looking for supplies for his talisman-making hobby, Chen buys premium incense and red cord. Xiang Shang pays, assuming Chen will repay him with a meal; instead, Chen gives him a Peachwood Talisman as compensation. Xiang Shang grumbles but accepts it.
• Xiang Shang leaves to pursue a girl, allowing Chen to continue alone. Disguised with a cap and sunglasses, Chen heads to a secluded shop called “Sever Yin and Yang,” but finds it closed.
• While getting duplicate keys made nearby, Chen sees a bespectacled middle-aged man inquire about the shop’s owner. The locksmith says the owner, Zhong Fa, offers divination and spiritual consultations and is usually there in the evening.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao is resourceful and increasingly focused on talisman-making, while discreetly investigating the spiritual shop. He uses Heart-to-Heart to infer Xiang Shang’s thoughts and intentions.
• Xiang Shang is carefree and impulsive, but remains close to Chen and pays for his purchases despite being lightly duped. His family wealth gives him security, though his father expects him to establish himself before taking over the business.
• Chen and Xiang Shang trade familiar teasing: Chen scolds him for reckless riding, and Xiang Shang jokingly accuses him of being shameless over the talisman.
• The bespectacled man is introduced as a new, calm-seeming figure who is also looking for Zhong Fa.

Significant themes

• Family wealth and personal ambition: Xiang Shang has a safety net, but faces pressure to prove himself before inheriting the family business.
• Friendship and playful trust: Chen and Xiang Shang’s banter and casual generosity show their ease with one another.
• The supernatural and hidden knowledge: Chen’s developing ability, talisman work, and search for Zhong Fa point toward deeper spiritual mysteries.
• Discretion and secrecy: Chen disguises himself and avoids involving Xiang Shang in his investigation.

Key plot points and events

• Still recovering from the twins’ incident, Zhong Fa is burning through the children’s ashes he uses to roll cigarettes and feed his supernatural practices. He believes his corpse, Uncle Dong, will be fully refined in two days.
• Zhong Cai, Zhong Fa’s junior fellow disciple, visits and warns him that keeping a little ghost is worsening his health. He invites Zhong Fa to the ceremony for his new disciple, Xiao Bai, a white-haired child with yin-yang eyes. Zhong Fa refuses.
• Xiao Bai senses something horrifying inside Zhong Fa’s shop. Zhong Cai reassures him that his martial uncle’s ghost will not hurt anyone, but Xiao Bai silently thinks, “So many children. In his mouth.”
• At the Fushou Funeral Center, Zhong Fa pressures Du Rui to provide fresh blood for Uncle Dong’s refinement. He warns Du Rui that Tianmen Funeral Home has someone from their supernatural line and could retaliate for Du Rui’s role in an earlier scheme.
• Du Rui supplies the blood and agrees to gather ten times Zhong Fa’s usual quantity of ashes. Zhong Fa promises to leave Tianmen County once his work is done.
• In the early hours, Zhong Fa prepares talismans, blood, a bell, and a lamp beside Uncle Dong’s coffin, telling Aunt Mei that Uncle Dong is about to awaken.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhong Fa remains ruthless and driven by revenge against the elders who cast him out. He is willing to risk his failing health and exploit Du Rui to finish refining Uncle Dong.
• Zhong Cai shows concern for his senior brother but cannot get through to him. He is preparing to take Xiao Bai away after the boy spends two more days with his family.
• Xiao Bai displays a disturbing awareness of the children’s remains or spirits associated with Zhong Fa, hinting at the danger surrounding the shop.
• Du Rui is frightened by the prospect of supernatural retaliation. Though resentful, he complies because Zhong Fa still has leverage over him.
• Aunt Mei is present as Zhong Fa begins the final preparations for Uncle Dong’s awakening.

Significant themes

• Corruption and moral contrast: Zhong Fa’s cruel practices are contrasted with Zhong Cai’s more restrained approach to their shared supernatural discipline.
• Power, revenge, and obsession: Zhong Fa’s plan to revive Uncle Dong is tied to his determination to prove himself to the elders.
• Hidden horror and innocence: Xiao Bai’s perception suggests that children and spirits may be suffering unseen consequences of Zhong Fa’s methods.
• Coercion and self-preservation: Du Rui’s cooperation reflects how fear and self-interest sustain the story’s web of wrongdoing.

Key plot points and events

• Aunt Mei is told by Zhong Fa that she will soon be reunited with her dead husband, Uncle Dong. She waits anxiously while Zhong Fa prepares the corpse.
• Zhong Fa removes the protective mask and talisman, pours crow’s blood into the coffin, and secretly inserts a Corpse-Control Talisman into Uncle Dong’s chest. He then uses a corpse-oil lamp and a Yin-Gathering Talisman to build the corpse’s yin energy and prepare it to move.
• After the room’s chill disappears, Zhong Fa brings in a drugged black goat and drains its blood. He uses a tube to feed the blood to Uncle Dong, who begins sucking.
• As Uncle Dong’s hair turns black and his eyelids begin to move, Aunt Mei speaks to him tenderly about their life together and their daughter. She touches his face, and he starts to wake.
• Aunt Mei leans over the coffin, causing its supports to collapse. The coffin falls and traps her arms beneath its lid. Uncle Dong eventually pushes the lid away and reaches for her—but the scene ends with him sucking at her.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhong Fa is methodical but nervous, relying on knowledge he secretly memorized from his clan’s corpse-driving manual. He tries to reassure Aunt Mei while carrying out the dangerous ritual, then watches without intervening when she is trapped.
• Aunt Mei shifts from excited anticipation to anxious concern, then becomes absorbed in memories of Uncle Dong and their shared life. Her longing makes her reach into the coffin despite the danger.
• Uncle Dong changes from a cold, rigid corpse into a moving, black-haired being with clouded eyes. His first apparent act after waking is to reach for Aunt Mei, but the final sounds suggest a horrifying, possibly predatory reunion.
• Aunt Mei and Zhong Fa share a quiet vigil; she trusts his assurances, while her intimate memories of Uncle Dong contrast with the ritual’s gruesome mechanics.

Significant themes

• Love and grief: Aunt Mei’s devotion persists through death, expressed in ordinary memories and her desire to see her husband again.
• The cost of resurrection: Zhong Fa’s ritual restores movement, but not necessarily the person Aunt Mei longs for.
• Secrecy and risk: Zhong Fa’s incomplete, self-taught knowledge and the unstable coffin setup make the ritual dangerous.
• Hope turning to horror: The reunion Aunt Mei anticipates becomes ominous as Uncle Dong awakens in an altered, unsettling state.

Plot points

• Zhong Fa succeeds in transforming Uncle Dong from a Black Jiangshi into a Leaping Hopping Corpse by feeding him pure-yang boy’s blood. The corpse qi hardens into a black shell, while Uncle Dong’s nails and fangs grow.
• Zhong Fa celebrates the breakthrough, explaining that he spent twenty years devising the method. He believes it will restore his reputation as “Corpse-Driving Zhong” and prove his old master and peers wrong.
• Uncle Dong suddenly attacks. His claws tear open Zhong Fa’s chest, and he appears to break free of the Corpse-Control Talisman.
• Zhong Fa uses glutinous rice to treat his wound, then restrains Uncle Dong with a Spirit-Sealing Talisman. When the talisman begins to fade, Zhong Fa abandons the attempt and flees with the Lotus Lantern.
• The talisman fails completely. Uncle Dong escapes the apartment and pursues Zhong Fa through the residential complex, frightening a neighbor and waking residents.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhong Fa shifts from triumphant pride to panic. His ambition and confidence in his experimental technique give way to fear when his creation proves uncontrollable. Even while fleeing, he tries to preserve the corpse rather than simply abandon it.
• Uncle Dong becomes far more powerful, but also breaks through Zhong Fa’s control. His escalating resistance turns him from Zhong Fa’s achievement into a direct threat.
• Zhong Fa addresses his former master, claiming both to have surpassed the old teachings and to intend to pass on his new method. His defiant monologue reveals deep resentment over having been denied the complete legacy.
• The neighbor’s brief encounter with the hopping corpse shows the danger spilling beyond the apartment and into the wider community.

Significant themes

• Ambition and hubris: Zhong Fa’s desire for recognition drives him to push beyond safe limits.
• Innovation versus tradition: He sees his technique as an advance over his master’s inherited teachings, but his success lacks reliable control.
• The cost of mastery: His breakthrough brings immediate physical danger, suggesting that power gained through experimentation may carry consequences the creator cannot manage.

Plot and events

• Xiao Bai wakes Zhong Cai after sensing danger near their residential complex. They glimpse a figure capable of leaping more than two meters, and Zhong Cai recognizes that something unnatural may be nearby. He equips himself with talismans and a Peach Wood Sword, leaves Xiao Bai with a protective talisman, and follows the threat.
• At Tianmen Funeral Home, guard Old Wu listens to a radio program discussing a cold-storage attendant’s death. He dismisses talk of ghosts and insists the death was natural—until a figure vaults into the grounds and another dark-eyed creature makes him flee in terror.
• Zhong Cai enters the funeral home and tracks the intruders with a compass. He sees the first figure’s face and recognizes him as Zhong Fa, then watches him escape over the wall.
• The uncontrolled hopping corpse turns toward the cold-storage room, where Tang Rui has come outside. It tears through the iron door and enters, prompting a cry from inside.
• Zhong Cai realizes the creature is a far more dangerous Leaping Hopping Corpse, beyond his ability to handle alone. A young man rushes past with incense and a sword, and Zhong Cai follows, activating his talisman and preparing to fight.

Character developments and interactions

• Zhong Cai moves quickly from protecting Xiao Bai to confronting the threat. Though shaken by the creature’s strength—and confused that Zhong Fa may be involved—he chooses to fight rather than retreat.
• Xiao Bai senses danger before Zhong Cai does and obediently accepts the talisman meant to protect him.
• Old Wu shifts from confident skepticism about ghosts to panic after witnessing the creature. His fear is sharpened by thoughts of his family and modest livelihood.
• Zhong Fa is revealed as the figure leading the corpse, but his exact role and how he acquired it remain uncertain.
• Tang Rui is caught near the cold-storage room as the corpse approaches; the young man who charges in becomes a potential ally to Zhong Cai.

Significant themes

• Skepticism versus supernatural reality: Old Wu’s radio discussion mocks ghost stories, but his own encounter overturns his confidence.
• Danger and responsibility: Zhong Cai risks himself to stop the corpse and protect those inside the cold-storage room.
• The fragility of ordinary life: Old Wu’s thoughts about his grandson and limited income make the danger personal and emphasize the value of survival.
• Escalating threat and uncertainty: Zhong Fa’s appearance and the corpse’s unexpected power raise questions about who created it and how it can be stopped.

Plot points

• Chen Miao wakes at 3:40 a.m. to a new passage in his book predicting that he will be “bitten to death” by a zombie at four. He suspects Zhong Fa, whose corpse-control talismans could be behind the attack.
• Seeing flames at the cold-storage building, Chen Miao rushes to investigate, fearing for Tang Rui. A small but powerful zombie is attacking the refrigerated room’s security door, where Tang Rui appears to be hiding.
• Chen Miao uses Jiangzhen Incense and recites its incantation. Zhong Cai joins him, first drawing the zombie’s attention and then using a Spirit-Sealing Talisman to immobilize it.
• Chen Miao enters the Iceheart State, reads the fight more clearly, and drives his sword into the zombie. The incense energy enters the wound, burning through its defenses; Zhong Cai follows with another strike.
• When the zombie’s freezing black vapor nearly overwhelms Chen Miao, the Peachwood Talisman at his waist cracks and releases warmth, saving him. Chen Miao then burns more incense, igniting the zombie from within. The two men retrieve their swords as the zombie collapses and burns to ash.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao moves from fear and inexperience toward focused action. He improvises with the incense, overcomes his paralysis by hurting himself, and uses the Iceheart State to anticipate the zombie’s movements. He still relies on protective tools and Zhong Cai’s help.
• Zhong Cai begins as a stunned bystander but proves capable and experienced in combat. He recognizes Chen Miao’s Incense-Burning Method, risks drawing the zombie’s attacks, and coordinates with him using the Spirit-Sealing Talisman.
• Their cooperation develops quickly: Zhong Cai creates openings and restrains the zombie, while Chen Miao delivers the decisive attacks. Both show concern for surviving rather than claiming credit.
• Tang Rui remains behind the security door during the fight, making her rescue a central concern, though the chapter does not confirm her condition afterward.

Significant themes

• Knowledge versus experience: Chen Miao’s book gives him warning, but knowing what is coming does not make him prepared to face it.
• Courage under fear: Chen Miao remains terrified, yet acts to protect others; courage comes through deliberate action rather than fearlessness.
• Cooperation and trust: The men’s complementary skills make it possible to defeat a threat neither could handle as effectively alone.
• The cost and limits of protection: Chen Miao’s talisman saves his life but nearly breaks, while the incense and swords work only through coordinated timing and effort.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Miao and Zhong Cai defeat the Leaping Hopping Corpse, burning it to ashes. Zhong Cai identifies himself and reveals that the corpse was likely created by his senior fellow disciple, Zhong Fa.
• Zhong Cai admits he visited Zhong Fa only days earlier, though they had been estranged for over twenty years. Suspicious that Zhong Fa deliberately brought the corpse to the funeral home, Zhong Cai feels ashamed of his fellow disciple’s actions.
• Tang Rui remains terrified inside the refrigeration room and refuses to come out, despite Chen Miao assuring him the danger has passed.
• Chen worries that rumors or camera footage of a hopping corpse could ruin the Tianmen Funeral Home. Zhong Cai explains that the Emergency Affairs Administration handles supernatural incidents and promises to help arrange a cover story: the public will be told the funeral home was broken into. Chen may later need to register with the agency.
• Zhong Cai and Chen exchange contact details, and Zhong Cai leaves. Chen retrieves his book and realizes he needs a shoulder bag to keep it with him during future fights.
• The book’s afterword recounts the battle from Wang Dong’s perspective, describing how he joined Chen in fighting the corpse and used incense, an incantation, and his unfinished peach-wood sword.
• Completing the afterword grants Chen five qian of Yin Virtue, a memory fragment belonging to Wang Dong, and “Zhong Clan’s Secret Manual of Corpse Driving.”

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao shows resourcefulness and caution: he questions Zhong Cai’s connection to Zhong Fa, protects the funeral home’s reputation, and openly admits he is a novice. He is receptive to learning about the supernatural world but is chiefly concerned with keeping the business operating.
• Zhong Cai acts as an experienced guide, explaining the Emergency Affairs Administration and offering practical help. His shame over Zhong Fa suggests he feels some responsibility for his fellow disciple’s conduct.
• Tang Rui is shaken by the attack and remains too frightened to leave the refrigeration room.
• The book’s account presents Wang Dong as frightened but ultimately brave: he recovers his nerve, assists Chen, and risks himself to create an opening against the corpse.
• Chen and Zhong Cai develop a cordial relationship, exchanging contact information and addressing each other as brothers. Chen’s attempts to reassure Tang Rui contrast with Tang Rui’s panic.

Significant themes

• The hidden supernatural world becomes more visible: Chen’s recent run-ins with supernatural events lead him toward the wider community of practitioners and official responders.
• Responsibility and consequences: A supernatural fight can threaten ordinary people and the funeral home’s livelihood, not just the fighters themselves.
• Courage under pressure: Wang Dong’s account emphasizes that fear does not prevent someone from choosing to act.
• Knowledge and progression: The book turns experience into rewards and new material, suggesting Chen’s encounters are part of an ongoing process of learning and advancement.

Key events

• After the Funeral Home attack, Chen Miao reviews surveillance footage and confirms that Zhong Fa personally brought the Lotus Lamp and set the fire. He also notices that Zhong Fa appeared injured.
• Chen tells Tang Rui to direct the police to Zhong Fa’s shop, then leaves despite Tang’s warning that a Zombie may still be dangerous.
• Finding the gatekeeper, Old Wu, missing, Chen calls his Elder Uncle to keep him from spreading information and asks him to cooperate with the police.
• On the drive to Zhong Fa’s shop, Chen spends some of his increased yin virtue on eight incense sticks, prepares replacement peach-wood plaques, and takes scraps of century-old peach wood as possible weapons.
• Chen studies the newly acquired Zhong Clan’s Secret Manual of Corpse Driving. It describes four Zombie ranks: White Jiangshi, Black Jiangshi, Leaping Hopping Corpse, and Flying Jiangshi, with each successive rank more dangerous and harder to kill.
• He identifies the creature from the cold storage room as a Leaping Hopping Corpse. Though the attack could have killed him, Chen decides to pursue Zhong Fa while the man may be weakened by losing his Zombie.

Character development and interactions

• Chen grows more cautious and strategic: he checks evidence, prepares equipment, and studies his enemy’s abilities before confronting him.
• Despite his fear and awareness of the risk, he becomes resolute, believing he must stop Zhong Fa before another Zombie can be created.
• Tang Rui panics and begs Chen not to leave, but Chen ignores him and gives him instructions.
• Chen’s Elder Uncle responds quickly and firmly, agreeing to handle Old Wu and cooperate with the police.

Significant themes

• Preparation and knowledge: Chen relies on surveillance, research, and practical precautions rather than rushing in blindly.
• Risk and responsibility: He accepts danger to prevent a greater future threat to the Funeral Home.
• Secrecy and containment: Chen tries to limit who learns what happened, fearing rumors could endanger the institution.
• Escalating supernatural danger: The Zombie ranks reveal how much more powerful the creatures can become—and how urgent it is to stop Zhong Fa.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Miao approaches the Yin-Yang Breaker Shop prepared for a fight, carrying his book, an unfinished Peach Wood Sword, and four lit incense sticks. The book shows no warning as he nears the door.
• The door opens unexpectedly, and Chen Miao nearly attacks Zhong Cai, who has arrived at the shop before him. Zhong Cai says he found the door open and Zhong Fa’s body inside.
• Zhong Fa lies dead beneath an overturned altar. His chest bears claw wounds filled with corpse poison, suggesting the Leaping Hopping Corpse killed him.
• Zhong Cai suspects Zhong Fa lost control of the corpse he had refined, then deliberately lured it to Chen Miao’s funeral home and smashed the lotus lamp in the cold storage. He believes Zhong Fa must have had a specific motive or been following someone’s orders.
• Chen Miao suspects the rival Fushou Funeral Center, though he has no proof.
• Chen Miao’s remaining incense smoke suddenly rushes beneath a bed and draws out an inhuman scream. Zhong Cai prepares to investigate, but the bed appears to be secured by a mechanism.
• Chen Miao notices that his book has changed to “Chapter Two · Afterword · Little Ghost.”

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao shows caution and resolve, preparing to fight despite the risk of looking foolish. His readiness to use the Peach Wood Sword also leads to a tense near-mistake when he almost strikes Zhong Cai.
• Zhong Cai is not there to help Zhong Fa; he shares what he knows, offers a theory about the corpse’s origins, and follows Chen Miao’s lead when the incense reveals something hidden.
• Chen Miao and Zhong Cai cooperate in investigating the shop, though Chen Miao has access to supernatural clues Zhong Cai does not understand.

Significant themes

• Uncertainty and hidden motives: Zhong Fa’s death does not explain why he targeted Chen Miao’s funeral home, leaving open the possibility of outside instructions.
• Consequences of reckless ambition: Zhong Fa may have created a powerful corpse he could not control, and it ultimately killed him.
• Supernatural knowledge as an advantage: Chen Miao’s book and incense expose a threat that ordinary investigation would miss.
• The dead may leave unfinished business: The new “Afterword” chapter and the presence beneath the bed suggest Zhong Fa’s death is not the end of the mystery.

Plot points and events

• After destroying a zombie at the Tianmen Funeral Home, Chen Miao’s notes reveal that it came from Zhong Fa, who had targeted the funeral home. Chen Miao and Zhong Cai find Zhong Fa dead, apparently killed by the zombie.
• Chen Miao uses an incantation to help Zhong Fa’s soul pass on, but the incense smoke leads them to a hidden chamber. There, they discover that Zhong Fa’s “little ghost” is missing.
• In the present, Chen Miao and Zhong Cai enter the chamber. A jar contains a child’s desiccated corpse, making the cruelty behind Zhong Fa’s practices clear.
• Zhong Cai finds finely ground cremation ashes, which Chen Miao suspects came from the modern Fushou Funeral Center, possibly explaining Zhong Fa’s attack on Tianmen.
• Zhong Cai also finds a Corpse-Control Bell that should have been buried with their deceased master. Realizing Zhong Fa robbed his master’s grave, he condemns him as a traitor to his master and ancestors.
• Hearing someone approach, Chen Miao and Zhong Cai prepare to defend the chamber. The newcomer calls Zhong Cai by name, and the two emerge to meet him. Chen Miao is about to meet someone from the Special Department for the first time.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao gains another memory fragment and Yin Virtue, but remains uncertain about the source of his powerful incantation. Seeing the child’s corpse forces him to confront the horrors his book has shielded him from and recognize that, despite his progress, he still lacks the experience of seasoned practitioners.
• Zhong Cai grows increasingly furious as he uncovers evidence of Zhong Fa’s wrongdoing, especially the stolen Corpse-Control Bell. He and Chen Miao cooperate cautiously, guarding the chamber together and trusting the voice outside once Zhong Cai recognizes it.
• Zhong Fa, though dead, is further revealed as having pursued forbidden practices and betrayed his master’s legacy.

Significant themes

• Moral corruption and betrayal: Zhong Fa’s treatment of the child’s corpse and theft from his master mark his descent into disgrace.
• The limits of knowledge: Chen Miao’s book gives him an advantage, but firsthand experience exposes how much he has yet to understand.
• Consequences and uncertainty: Zhong Fa’s death suggests a form of karmic reckoning, while the missing little ghost, unexplained ashes, and mysterious incantation leave important questions unresolved.

Plot points and events

• Investigator Chen Guokun arrives after Zhong Cai reports the supernatural events at Happiness Residential Complex, Tianmen Funeral Home, and the hidden room containing jars. He sends someone to investigate the residential complex and takes Zhong Cai and Chen Miao in for questioning.
• Zhong Cai suggests Chen Miao register with the Emergency Affairs Administration and be assigned directly to Guokun. Guokun declines, wary of taking responsibility for someone young and inexperienced.
• In a private interview, Guokun asks Chen Miao about earlier incidents at the Funeral Home, including the death of cold-storage attendant Wang Tao and the cases involving twins Li Shilei and Qian Xiaomei.
• Chen Miao admits he has no proof that Zhong Fa caused the twins’ incident, only that he saw Zhong Fa shortly before the twins’ bodies became abnormal. He explains that he did not use his ability before Wang Tao died because he did not yet know it worked; he only began monitoring the bodies closely after discovering his skill during the later incident with Qian Xiaomei.
• Guokun accepts his explanation, thanks him for helping the county, and gives him his contact card. After Chen Miao leaves, colleague Tong Yu confirms that Chen Miao appeared wary but truthful.
• Chen Miao returns to the Funeral Home. Before he can rest, his Elder Uncle calls.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao cooperates with the investigation but is guarded when Guokun’s questions suggest he may have been responsible for Wang Tao’s death. He explains his actions calmly and earns Guokun’s trust, though not a formal assignment under him.
• Chen Guokun is cautious and pragmatic. He probes Chen Miao’s account, then offers practical support and a way to contact the Administration when ordinary means are insufficient. He remains reluctant to personally supervise Chen Miao because of his youth.
• Zhong Cai advocates for Chen Miao’s registration and direct assignment to Guokun, showing confidence in him and a desire to help him navigate official procedures.
• Tong Yu uses his ability to assess Chen Miao’s sincerity and confirms Guokun’s impression that he was guarded but not deceptive.

Significant themes

• Trust and accountability: Direct assignment creates shared credit and shared liability, so Guokun avoids accepting responsibility for someone he barely knows.
• Experience and suspicion: Chen Miao’s youth makes officials wary, while the circumstances around Wang Tao’s death invite scrutiny even without evidence of wrongdoing.
• Learning through crisis: Chen Miao only recognized and developed his supernatural ability after a dangerous incident, changing how carefully he approached later cases.
• Cooperation between individuals and institutions: Chen Miao gains an official contact and support, but remains independent rather than being formally placed under Guokun’s supervision.

Plot points and events

• Chen Miao tells his uncle, Chen Weiyi, that Old Wu and Tang Rui were taken away after encountering the zombie. Chen Weiyi has seen the surveillance footage and asks whether the zombie was real and what is happening to Chen Miao.
• Chen Miao recounts the previous night’s events and gives his uncle an embellished version of the story about the old man who taught him his unusual skills. He withholds information about other supernatural figures to avoid worrying Chen Weiyi.
• Chen Miao gives his uncle Chen Guokun’s business card and explains that the man handles supernatural incidents. After checking that the damaged Cold Storage area has been covered, he returns to his dormitory.
• Reflecting on the Emergency Affairs Administration, Chen Miao concludes that it cares less about a death itself than whether someone deliberately caused it. He decides the agency is neutral and can be contacted if future trouble arises.
• Chen Miao opens the memory fragments he collected and chooses Wang Dong’s. Touching it makes him suddenly drowsy, and he falls asleep.
• In Wang Dong’s memory, he goes out late at night to buy liquor and pastries. On his way home, he sees a boy fall into a shallow pond and tries to rescue him. The boy’s pale face and green eyes reveal that he is supernatural; he drags Wang Dong underwater and drowns him. Mei Fang’s grief-stricken cry is heard afterward.

Character developments

• Chen Miao is cautious and increasingly strategic: he hides details from his uncle, assesses the risks posed by the Administration, and seeks to understand the memory-fragment book.
• Chen Weiyi is shaken by the supernatural evidence but trusts his nephew, deciding to accept Chen Miao’s account. He also reflects on the old teacher’s kindness and the traditional duty Chen Miao might have owed him.
• Wang Dong is shown as an ordinary, somewhat stubborn man whose attempt to save a child becomes fatal.
• The boy is revealed as a sinister supernatural being, using the appearance of a child to lure Wang Dong into danger.

Significant themes

• Trust and secrecy: Chen Miao relies on his uncle’s faith while concealing some of what he knows.
• Supernatural danger in ordinary life: A routine late-night errand turns into a deadly encounter.
• Responsibility and intent: Chen Miao’s thoughts highlight how authorities distinguish between causing a death and merely being connected to it.
• Memory as discovery: The fragments let Chen Miao experience past events directly, but the first one exposes him to a vivid and disturbing death.

Character interactions

• Chen Miao explains the zombie incident to Chen Weiyi, who listens, questions him, and ultimately trusts him.
• Chen Miao equips his uncle with Chen Guokun’s contact information as a safeguard.
• Wang Dong briefly calls out to the boy, then risks himself to rescue him; the boy turns on him and kills him.
• Mei Fang’s unseen grief closes Wang Dong’s memory.

Plot points and events

• In a prolonged, dreamlike state, Wang Dong experiences medicinal warmth, then repeated waves of intense cold that eventually penetrate his body and soul. His body begins absorbing the cold.
• Afterward, he becomes desperately hungry and drinks a warm liquid, then follows the scent of his favorite liquor. He wakes enough to seize and swallow it. A familiar voice says, “Dong, I miss you so much,” before a fierce aura combines with the cold inside him and his awareness fades.
• Chen Miao awakens from the memory fragment, shaken by the strong emotions he experienced. He uses his iceheart state to keep them under control and wonders whether the green-eyed boy was Zhong Fa.
• A new state, yin gathering, appears. Chen tests it by drawing nearby yin energy into his palm; the energy creates a chill but disperses when he stops gathering it.
• Chen theorizes that yin and yang energies exist throughout the environment in varying concentrations, and that shifting their balance may affect temperature.
• He turns to the Zhong family talisman instructions, which explain that talismans can be infused with yin force while being drawn—or made in places rich in yin energy.

Character developments

• Wang Dong endures an ordeal that changes his body and leaves him with unfamiliar energy, though he remains unaware of what is happening.
• Chen Miao grows more cautious about viewing emotionally intense memories and recognizes that his expanding abilities may overturn his established understanding of the world.

Character interactions

• Wang Dong’s treatment appears to be overseen by Mei Fang, whom he associates with the medicinal bath. Later, an unidentified person gives him liquid and speaks affectionately, saying they miss him.
• Chen has no direct interaction with Wang Dong, but the memory leaves him investigating the people and events it depicts, especially the possible connection to Zhong Fa.

Significant themes

• Transformation through suffering: Wang Dong’s repeated exposure to cold seems to prepare his body for a profound change.
• Emotion and control: Chen’s iceheart state helps him resist being overwhelmed by another person’s memories.
• A changing worldview: Chen begins connecting yin-yang theory to observable energy and temperature, accepting that his understanding of reality may be reshaped.
• Knowledge put to use: Chen links his new ability to the practical craft of talisman-making.

Plot and events

• Chen Miao experiments with Yin Gathering, discovering that he can keep collecting yin energy by walking through new areas rather than staying in one place. After circling the Funeral Home, he gathers a palm-sized cluster.
• The concentrated energy feels cold but has little immediate effect. It disperses gradually, leaving some yin energy in his dorm room. Larger, denser gatherings last longer.
• Chen Miao sleeps for ten hours, then finds the room’s yin energy has nearly returned to normal. He suspects it fades faster during the day, when yang energy is stronger.
• He checks on the Funeral Home: aside from concerns about the broken cold storage, things are quiet. Old Wu has taken time off, and Elder Uncle has decided to hire a replacement cold storage attendant.
• Chen Miao posts the opening in his classmates’ group chat. Friends joke about his apparent status as a “boss,” while Du Jun’an privately considers the job but finds the compensation too low.
• At 10 p.m., Chen Miao gathers more than twice as much yin energy as he did in the morning, confirming that nighttime conditions are more favorable. He plans to buy talisman-making materials himself and practice before spending valuable yin virtue on supplies.
• He returns to his book and prepares to use the remaining Lin Ziyang’s Memory Fragment.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao is methodical and resourceful: he tests how movement, time of day, and concentration affect Yin Gathering, while avoiding unnecessary expense as he learns talisman-making.
• His friends tease him about being a manager, and Fang Lingxiu guesses correctly that the Funeral Home belongs to his uncle. Chen Miao plays along, joking with the group and offering to help with future work.
• Chen Miao and Du Jun’an discuss the attendant position candidly; Chen understands that the low local pay is the obstacle, despite the job’s demanding duties.

Significant themes

• Experimentation and gradual mastery: Chen Miao learns by testing his abilities and observing results.
• Practical limits and resourcefulness: He balances ambition with the cost of supplies and the realities of local wages.
• Day and night, yin and yang: The chapter establishes that yin energy gathers more readily at night and dissipates more quickly during daylight.

Plot points and events

• Young Lin Ziyang learns from his friend Li Lei that a surprise gift might cheer up his parents, who are divorcing. He spends all his savings on a cosmetics set for his mother and a razor for his father.
• When his father demands that he choose which parent to live with, Lin insists he wants both. His father’s angry shout frightens him, and Lin runs away.
• Lin hides in his parents’ wardrobe with the gifts, planning to surprise them and persuade them not to separate. While he waits, his parents return and argue. Though he hears his mother worrying about him, Lin stays hidden.
• A fire fills the room with smoke. Lin could call for help, but believes that emerging would ruin the surprise and lead to his parents splitting up. He dies in the wardrobe without opening the door.
• Lin later awakens under the control of a triangular-eyed man, who binds him in a jar and forces him to frighten people and carry out other tasks. The man promises to fulfill Lin’s wish if he obeys.
• When smoke again engulfs Lin, his memories return: he is once more facing the wardrobe door, but cannot bring himself to open it. His body vanishes before he acts.
• Chen Miao wakes the next day and, through Lin’s memories, confirms that Zhong Fa killed Wang Dong and turned him into a zombie. He reflects that the Evil-Suppressing Incantation may be risky, and that more specific rites might be preferable when circumstances allow.
• Chen’s status list gains Hide-and-Seek, which makes his presence diminish when he wants to hide.

Character developments and interactions

• Lin Ziyang is a loving, frightened child who clings to the hope that he can keep his family together. His innocent logic—waiting for his parents to discover the gifts—becomes fatal, and even after death he remains trapped by that unfinished wish.
• Li Lei tries to comfort Lin with a child’s understanding of his own parents’ arguments and suggests the surprise-gift plan. He offers money, but Lin insists on going alone.
• Lin’s parents are in conflict, and their separation deeply distresses him. His father’s demand that Lin choose between them and his shout intensify Lin’s fear; later, his mother’s concern shows that she is trying to protect him.
• The triangular-eyed man exploits Lin’s wish, using punishment and promises to control him.
• Chen Miao responds to Lin’s memories with greater caution about how he handles ghosts, weighing compassion and effective rites against the danger of using a general-purpose destructive incantation.

Significant themes

• A child’s limited understanding of adult conflict: Lin mistakes a complex divorce for something a gift and surprise can fix.
• Love, fear, and tragic self-sacrifice: His desire to preserve his family keeps him silent even as he faces deadly danger.
• Unfinished wishes and exploitation: Lin’s lingering purpose leaves him vulnerable to the man who controls him.
• Responsibility and restraint: Chen considers the risks of treating every ghost the same way, recognizing that careless action could make a dangerous situation worse.

Key plot points and events

• Chen Miao tests his new Hide-and-Seek ability and learns that “reduced presence” makes people likely to overlook him when he is not directly in their view. Once someone notices him, the effect fades for them until he leaves their sight briefly. People vary in how easily they notice him.
• Searching news reports, Chen Miao discovers the fate of Lin Ziyang, a child who died in a house fire after his parents fled during an argument. Lin had hidden in a cabinet with gifts and a letter for them. His parents learned of his loving gesture but divorced a month later, unable to live with their guilt. Chen Miao concludes that Lin’s fixation on the unopened cabinet has been resolved, though he still cannot explain how Lin’s body came into Zhong Fa’s possession.
• The Funeral Home’s cold storage is repaired. Chen Miao temporarily resumes the attendant’s duties until Elder Uncle hires Li Fu, an experienced, older mausoleum guard chosen partly for his strong birth chart.
• During a quiet stretch, Chen Miao trains: carving more peachwood talismans, practicing talisman strokes and incantations, studying folklore and the Zhong clan’s secret manual, and inspecting the Funeral Home daily.
• After a month, Elder Uncle summons Chen Miao to tell him that he is finally becoming the Funeral Home’s director.

Character developments and interactions

• Chen Miao becomes more methodical about understanding and preparing for supernatural threats. The zombie encounter has shown him the need to recite spells faster, while his growing study of folk traditions helps him interpret the mystical knowledge he has acquired.
• He gives three peachwood talismans to Elder Uncle, who accepts them. Chen Miao avoids asking Zhong Cai about finishing his peachwood sword because Zhong Fa’s involvement has made him wary of Zhong Cai.
• Chen Miao remains compassionate toward Lin Ziyang, reflecting on the child’s tragic story and the limits of his final effort to keep his parents together.
• Elder Uncle responds to the cold-storage staffing problems by raising pay and hiring Li Fu, prioritizing protection against supernatural danger.

Significant themes

• Grief, guilt, and unresolved wishes: Lin’s parents discover his final message, but their remorse cannot undo his death or preserve their marriage.
• Preparation through knowledge and practice: Chen Miao treats training, research, and routine inspections as essential to surviving future dangers.
• The limits of supernatural abilities: Chen Miao’s new power depends on how others perceive him and is not uniformly effective.
• A transition in responsibility: Chen Miao’s impending appointment as director marks a shift from learning and assisting toward leadership.

Plot points and events

• Chen Weiyi appoints Chen Miao to lead Tianmen Funeral Home, formally naming him deputy director but giving him the Director’s authority. He plans to keep the title himself for now, partly to reassure employees who might otherwise leave.
• Before announcing the change, the two visit the columbarium to pay respects to Chen Miao’s parents. Chen Miao reflects on how remembrance preserves the dead, then accidentally reaches for four incense sticks and gets a smack from his uncle.
• Chen Weiyi announces the handover to the staff and soon leaves. Chen Miao moves into the Director’s Office, which includes a bedroom, and decides not to hire another Funeral Rites Specialist until the business grows.
• Chen Miao begins preparing to draw talismans with supplies from his friend Xiang Shang: high-quality cinnabar, talisman paper, and other tools. He pays Xiang Shang 30,000 yuan, a substantial expense from his savings.
• After practicing with ink, preparing talisman sheets and rooster blood, and gathering yin energy in his office, Chen Miao follows the instructions in Zhong Family Talismans to mix the blood and cinnabar. He steadies himself in Iceheart State and is ready to begin.

Character developments

• Chen Miao accepts responsibility for the Funeral Home, showing confidence and ambition, while remaining practical about costs, staffing, and the business’s current workload.
• Chen Weiyi expresses pride in his nephew and affection for his deceased brother and sister-in-law. His teasing, hands-on manner remains evident even during the solemn visit.
• Xiang Shang is shown as a trusted friend who helps Chen Miao obtain costly materials and understands that Chen Miao will insist on paying him back.

Significant themes

• Duty and inheritance: Chen Miao takes on both the family business and the responsibility of honoring his parents.
• Memory and mortality: The reflection on the “three deaths” suggests that people endure through the memories and traces they leave behind.
• Ambition tempered by practicality: Chen Miao wants to restore the Funeral Home’s fortunes, but recognizes that growth requires money, staff, and careful planning.
• The cost of pursuing skill: His talisman-making effort requires expensive materials, preparation, and disciplined practice, with no guarantee of success.

Character interactions

• Chen Weiyi and Chen Miao share a warm but teasing uncle-nephew relationship: the uncle praises him, entrusts him with the Funeral Home, and scolds him over the incense.
• Chen Weiyi speaks lovingly to his late brother and sister-in-law, promising that Chen Miao will be safe and eventually find a good wife.
• The Funeral Home staff respond supportively to Chen Miao’s promotion and help him move into his new office.
• Chen Miao and Xiang Shang’s friendship is marked by practical help and mutual understanding, though Chen Miao insists on paying for the materials.