Chapter Summaries

Luo Bin revealed the prophecy that seemed to require Gu Yiren’s death, but Luo Feng refused to force his son to sacrifice her and promised they would find another way. The group headed north toward the Tomb, while Luo Bin considered what the prophecy meant for his heart, the nightmare poison, and Cabinet Mountain.

• Luo Bin reasoned that Si had likely manipulated Chen Xianxian and delayed her and Gu Yiren rather than harming them, then assured Zhang Li that Gu Yiren was probably safe.
• Luo Bin took Luo Feng aside, showed him the prophecy, and explained why he would not kill Gu Yiren to escape Cabinet Mountain.
• Luo Feng accepted Luo Bin as his son despite his being an Evil Spirit and vowed to help him find another solution rather than force him to follow the prophecy.
• Luo Feng and Luo Bin returned to the car, and the group followed Zhang Li north toward the Tomb to find Gu Yiren and Chen Xianxian.
• As they walked, Luo Bin wondered whether an Evil Spirit was the nightmare poison and whether lamp oil or blood could serve as its antidote.

Luo Bin realized that he and Gu Yiren might be unusual pawns in a struggle against the people controlling Cabinet Mountain. Meanwhile, Chen Xianxian and Gu Yiren followed Si into a mountain tomb, where the Fen Shan abruptly withdrew.

• Luo Bin reasoned that Gu Yiren's blood could counteract the poison because she was different from the villagers, and wondered whether someone had deliberately brought them to Cabinet Mountain.
• An old man and a woman discussed the pawns on their board, but the old man swept the black pieces away after learning they were going into the mountain.
• Chen Xianxian and Gu Yiren reached a reinforced opening while surrounded by human-faced, dog-bodied Fen Shan, and Si urged them to enter.
• Gu Yiren followed Chen Xianxian into the tomb, despite suspecting that Si wanted all six people to enter the mountain's heart before leaving.
• The Fen Shan approached the tomb entrance, but Si retreated inside and the creatures suddenly fled into the forest.

Luo Bin realized the Old Tortoise was essential to surviving the dangers around the Tomb Passage and led his family inside to rescue Gu Yiren. As they disappeared into the passage, supernatural creatures gathered outside the cave.

• Luo Bin reasoned that the yellow stone and the Old Tortoise were meant to protect them from the Hunter, then urgently told Luo Feng to take the tortoise.
• Luo Feng uncovered the tortoise beneath the yellow stone, but Luo Bin recoiled in pain when he touched it, so Luo Feng carried it instead.
• Luo Bin learned from Zhang Li that a coffin and corpse lay inside the tomb and warned that Gu Yiren was in danger.
• Luo Bin instructed Luo Feng to throw the Old Tortoise in whichever direction he pointed when they found Gu Yiren and Chen Xianxian.
• Zhang Li led Luo Feng, Luo Bin, and Gu Ya into the Tomb Passage as Shanfen, Two-Legged Sheep, and scattered women's heads appeared outside the cave.

Luo Bin and his companions reached the collapsed tomb entrance, where he found a scrap of Gu Yiren’s clothing and a narrow crack that offered another way inside. He crawled into the cramped passage to search for Gu Yiren and Chen Xianxian.

• Zhang Li explained that the collapsed Sacred Way blocked access to the tomb and its coffin.
• Luo Bin led the group through the damaged passage to the mountain fissure and the shattered tomb entrance.
• When Zhang Li could not find Gu Yiren or Chen Xianxian, Luo Bin searched the surrounding rock and spotted a scrap of Gu Yiren’s clothing.
• Luo Bin climbed the mountain wall toward a narrow crack, with Luo Feng following close behind to protect him.
• Luo Bin squeezed into the crack and crawled forward through the extremely tight passage.

Gu Yiren and Chen Xianxian reached a burial chamber and found an opened coffin containing a Python-Robed Corpse marked with talismans bearing their companions’ faces. An unseen corpse attacked Chen Xianxian, while Gu Yiren remained unable to see it; the chapter ended with Luo Shan squeezing through a crevice and Gu Yiren rushing to escape with him.

• Luo Feng crawled into the unstable crevice after warning Zhang Li and Gu Ya to stay outside, but they began climbing after him.
• Gu Yiren and Chen Xianxian entered a burial chamber where a stone coffin stood open, and Gu Yiren recalled dreams that had foretold the team’s deaths and misfortune.
• Si climbed onto the coffin and looked inside, where Gu Yiren and Chen Xianxian saw a Python-Robed Corpse with talismans bearing faces, including theirs and Luo Feng’s.
• Chen Xianxian briefly saw the corpse standing behind Gu Yiren, then watched it lie back inside the coffin before an unseen attacker drove a Jade Scepter through her head.
• Gu Yiren failed to lift the coffin lid and started toward the crevice, where she recognized the bloodied Luo Shan and urged him to hurry out with her.

Luo Bin and Luo Feng found Gu Yiren and Chen Xianxian in a crevice, where Si revealed that Gu Yiren’s heart was meant to replace Nightmare’s and break Cabinet Mountain’s scheme. After Luo Feng struck the Hunter with the Old Tortoise, Gu Yiren still took a dagger and approached the coffin to sacrifice herself.

• Luo Bin crawled through the dark crevice and found Gu Yiren beside the collapsed Chen Xianxian.
• Si appeared and explained Nightmare, Cabinet Mountain’s scheme, and that Gu Yiren’s heart could free its trapped souls.
• Si urged Luo Bin to kill Gu Yiren, while Gu Yiren silently agreed that he should kill her.
• The Hunter began devouring Si, but Luo Bin pointed him out and Luo Feng threw the Old Tortoise, striking the Hunter’s talisman and freezing him.
• Luo Bin called for Gu Yiren to retreat, but she took Chen Xianxian’s dagger and raised it over her chest beside the coffin.

Luo Bin stopped Gu Yiren from sacrificing herself, but after Chen Xianxian tore out Luo Feng’s fingernail, Luo Feng attacked his son. Luo Bin was strangled into unconsciousness as the burial chamber’s danger escalated.

• Luo Bin burst through the fissure, snatched the knife from Gu Yiren, and told her that the people trapped in Cabinet Mountain Village were not worth dying for.
• Luo Bin and Gu Yiren saw the Nightmare Corpse in its coffin, with talismans bearing the faces of Zhang Li, Luo Feng, Gu Ya, and Chen Xianxian.
• Chen Xianxian rose from the ground and tore out Luo Feng’s left little fingernail, prompting Luo Bin to urge his father to run.
• Luo Feng answered Luo Bin, then grabbed him by the neck and slammed him to the floor.
• Luo Bin struggled to stay conscious and thought of calling on the old turtle, but darkness overtook him.

After Zhang Li and Gu Ya were thrown from the cliff and left for dead, Luo Bin and Gu Yiren awoke in an unfamiliar forest, separated from the others. Luo Bin erupted in grief over his parents and their situation, while Gu Yiren blamed herself and began convulsing.

• Zhang Li and Gu Ya encountered snake-bodied women, Two-Legged Sheep, and Mountain Fens as they climbed toward the crevice, then fell from the cliff.
• An old man and Xingyue arrived and decided to turn Zhang Li and Gu Ya into evil spirits in Cabinet Mountain Village while throwing them away.
• Luo Bin woke in a forest with Gu Yiren lying across his legs, and the two realized they were alone without Gu Ya or Zhang Li.
• Luo Bin wondered whether Luo Feng had sent them somewhere safe before demanding to know what had happened to his parents and where they were.
• Gu Yiren apologized and blamed herself, then stiffened, fell to the ground, and began convulsing.

Huang Jialin let Luo Feng and Gu Ya into his home, only for them and Yu Mingxin to reveal themselves as evil spirits and kill him. Meanwhile, Luo Bin and Gu Yiren sheltered in a Mountain God Temple outside the village, where Luo Bin vowed to return and rescue his parents.

• Huang Jialin opened his gate to Luo Feng and Gu Ya as a crowd of evil spirits approached, but they stopped him from shutting it and attacked him alongside Yu Mingxin.
• Yu Mingxin told Huang Jialin he could take him to Yu Xi, then the evil spirits tortured him to death.
• Zhang Yunling reassured the frightened people gathered in You Jiang's courtyard that she planned to leave the village and that Zhong Zhicheng would soon die.
• You Jiang watched his occupied home from a hiding place, but a towering figure in a python robe seized him while a woman condemned him for eating people.
• Luo Bin and Gu Yiren took shelter in a Mountain God Temple, where Luo Bin struggled to understand why they had been brought outside the village.
• Luo Bin vowed to return for his parents, and his tears and blood fell as the bonfire flared higher.

Luo Bin and Gu Yiren spent the night in the Mountain God Temple, where expressionless evil spirits surrounded them before retreating at dawn. After resolving to learn more about Cabinet Mountain and find the person behind its traps, they encountered You Jiang at the temple door.

• Luo Bin stayed calm as evil spirits gathered outside the Mountain God Temple and watched him through the night.
• Gu Yiren woke beside Luo Bin, and he reassured her that they would find a way to rescue the captured people.
• Luo Bin rejected the idea of sacrificing Gu Yiren and decided they should investigate Cabinet Mountain and identify the person behind its horrors.
• Luo Bin recounted Si's explanation of Nightmare, the evil spirits, and the Radiant Flower to Gu Yiren.
• You Jiang entered the temple with a knife attached to his left forearm, and Luo Bin moved Gu Yiren behind him and began drawing his blade.

Luo Bin and Gu Yiren encountered You Jiang near the Mountain God Temple, but You Jiang fled instead of fighting. Luo Bin decided to head toward Qiang Village to learn more about Cabinet Mountain and find ways to turn its dangers against whoever controlled it.

• You Jiang woke in a hollow tree after being moved from Cabinet Mountain Village and wandered through unfamiliar surroundings, hoping to find food and a way back.
• You Jiang spotted Luo Shan near the Mountain God Temple, sensed his killing intent, and ran away after shouting that Luo Shan should wait.
• Luo Bin and Gu Yiren waited for You Jiang to return, then Luo Bin concluded that he had fled and proposed going to Qiang Village.
• Luo Bin explained that they needed to find other Si and useful forces like the old turtle, then suggested making the people behind Cabinet Mountain afraid instead.
• Gu Yiren understood Luo Bin's plan and told him earnestly that he really had a brain.

Luo Bin and Gu Yiren discovered they were lost in an unfamiliar forest after leaving the Mountain God Temple and spent the day searching for a way back. As night approached, they found an unknown village, but Luo Bin feared they would be treated as outsiders if they entered.

• Luo Bin told Gu Yiren his real name and explained that he occupied Luo Shan’s body, and they awkwardly shook hands before leaving the Mountain God Temple.
• Luo Bin realized the unfamiliar terrain and towering firs meant they were far from both Qiang Village and Cabinet Mountain Village.
• Luo Bin and Gu Yiren walked all day, shared their food and water, and failed to find their way back or determine the mountain’s direction.
• Luo Bin concluded they had been dumped far away and proposed finding You Jiang, who might know how to return.
• As darkness neared, Gu Yiren spotted a village, but Luo Bin warned that it was not Cabinet Mountain Village and that its people might treat them as outsiders.

Luo Bin and Gu Yiren entered Cabinet Mountain Town and were taken in by two residents after they claimed to be archaeological survivors. The goat-faced man warned them about the evil entities that would appear at night, leaving Luo Bin chilled by the town’s rules.

• Luo Bin told Gu Yiren to conceal their connection to Cabinet Mountain Village and stick to their cover story about the archaeological team.
• Luo Bin and Gu Yiren reached Cabinet Mountain Town, where the residents watched them warily and retreated when approached.
• A goat-faced man and a stocky man questioned Luo Bin, recognized his wound as a bite from a Mountain Fen, and brought the pair to a house.
• The goat-faced man told Luo Bin and Gu Yiren to stay inside and explained that they must remain calm, avoid eye contact, and act as if they did not see the evil entities that might enter at night.

Luo Bin and Gu Yiren settled into a house in Cabinet Mountain Town, where the Evil Spirits followed different rules than the ones in Cabinet Mountain Village. As Luo Bin began to fall asleep beside Gu Yiren, he discovered an Evil Spirit had slipped into his arms.

• Li Yuan and Yu Hao told Luo Bin that the Evil Spirits could be seen and that fear could trigger them to take people away, then warned him to survive until tomorrow.
• Luo Bin lit his Oil Lamp and counted thirty-two remaining Oil Pouches, realizing his supplies would last only sixteen days if he used them to burn and stay lucid.
• Luo Bin reassured Gu Yiren and agreed to sleep in her room when he noticed her trembling with fear.
• Luo Bin saw fabric behind the front door and realized an Evil Spirit had entered the house, then reminded himself that eye contact and fear were the danger triggers.
• As Luo Bin drifted off beside Gu Yiren, an ice-cold body entered his arms, and he saw that it was not Gu Yiren.

Luo Bin endured a night of evil spirits crowding around him, then discovered they had entered despite every window being shut and the oil lamp still burning. Elsewhere, Yun Yi and his martial uncle watched Luo Bin’s face grow inside a flower, while Xingyue was left to observe him.

• Luo Bin stayed still as a woman and at least seven other evil spirits gathered around his bed, then watched them leave without harming him or the sleeping Gu Yiren.
• Luo Bin checked the house and found the bathroom and kitchen windows shut and rusted, leaving him uncertain how the evil spirits had entered.
• Yun Yi showed his martial uncle a flower growing in his garden, with Luo Bin’s original face reflected in a dewdrop on one of its leaves.
• Yun Yi admitted that Luo Bin’s fear was becoming obvious, and his martial uncle praised Yun Yi for exposing Luo Bin’s emotions in two days.
• Yun Yi invited his martial uncle to return when Luo Bin’s emotions had ripened, and suggested leaving Xingyue to observe him.

Luo Bin and Gu Yiren settled into Cabinet Mountain Town, where Li Yuan and Yu Hao explained the dangers of its evil spirits and treated Luo Bin’s wound. On the way to the herbal shop, Luo Bin spotted the supposedly dead Mo Qian, then recognized the doctor, Zhang Baijiao, from an earlier encounter.

• Luo Bin told Li Yuan and Yu Hao that a woman and seven other people had entered his room during the night, and Li Yuan said they could drag people away or turn them into evil spirits.
• Li Yuan told Luo Bin and Gu Yiren that nobody had escaped the Cedar Forest and took them to get Luo Bin’s infected shoulder treated.
• Luo Bin saw the scarred Mo Qian on the road, though Chen Xianxian had said she killed him, and Yu Hao warned him not to look at Mo Qian.
• Li Yuan explained that the town’s only rule was not to kill anyone and that he and Yu Hao maintained order as constables.
• At the herbal medicine shop, Luo Bin recognized the doctor, Zhang Baijiao, from an earlier encounter in his life.

Luo Bin and Gu Yiren brought his infected shoulder wound to Zhang Baijiao for treatment in Cabinet Mountain Town. As Zhang Baijiao scraped and drained the wound, Luo Bin recognized his resemblance and medical technique as evidence that he was related to Zhang Yunling, but chose not to reveal that Zhang Yunling was alive.

• Zhang Baijiao examined Luo Bin's badly infected shoulder and began treating it in his wooden building.
• Luo Bin told Zhang Baijiao and Yu Hao that the Mountain Fen had released him after he grabbed wildly while trapped in its jaws.
• Yu Hao and Li Yuan held Luo Bin down as Zhang Baijiao scraped away the scabs and drained the pus from his wound.
• Zhang Baijiao noticed the stitched scar near Luo Bin's shoulder while scraping the wound and warned him to endure the pain without too much medicine.
• Luo Bin recognized Zhang Baijiao's resemblance to Zhang Yunling and his matching medical techniques, then decided not to mention that Zhang Yunling was alive.

Luo Bin and Gu Yiren settled into a house in Cabinet Mountain Town, where they discussed the town’s dangers and their chances of escape. Gu Yiren began to reveal a way to fend off evil spirits, but Luo Bin spotted Mo Qian watching them and stopped her from speaking.

• Zhang Baijiao treated Luo Bin’s shoulder wound and told him to return daily for dressing changes for seven days.
• Li Yuan and Yu Hao settled Luo Bin and Gu Yiren in a small house and warned them to avoid the Cedar Forest.
• Luo Bin and Gu Yiren discussed the evil spirits, the dangers outside town, and how they might find their way back to the village.
• Luo Bin asked Gu Yiren why he could not get close to Zhong Zhicheng, while Gu Yiren said she might know a way to fend off evil spirits.
• Luo Bin noticed a shadowy figure watching from behind nearby trees, silenced Gu Yiren, and identified the figure as Mo Qian.

Mo Qian struggled to escape Cabinet Mountain Town and believed Gu Yiren could help him, while Luo Bin sought a way to protect the town from evil spirits. Gu Yiren revealed the village chief and Feng Ji had refined oil from human bodies and evil spirits, leaving Luo Bin violently sick after realizing he had been drinking evil spirit oil.

• Mo Qian recalled being driven from Cabinet Mountain Village to Cabinet Mountain Town by a monstrous being and decided Gu Yiren was still essential to his escape plan.
• Mo Qian saw Luo Shan and Gu Yiren arrive in town and believed Gu Yiren would tell him another way out of the village.
• Luo Bin concluded that Mo Qian’s presence proved a road connected the village and town, and considered using rules to weaken the fear controlling the town.
• Luo Bin asked Gu Yiren about Zhong Zhicheng, and she revealed that the village chief had refined oil from living people while Feng Ji had produced human oil.
• Luo Bin realized he had been drinking evil spirit oil every night and rushed to vomit.

After learning that lamp oil came from rendered evil spirits, Luo Bin struggled with the revelation but accepted that drinking it had kept him alive. He set goals to find a way to make protective oil for Cabinet Mountain Town and discover how to leave, then studied the evil spirit using Rewind.

• Gu Yiren comforted Luo Bin as he vomited and explained that the evil spirits’ oil represented the hope they had wanted people to carry.
• Luo Bin asked whether rendering the local evil spirits into oil could ward them off, and Gu Yiren said it might if they used spirits from that place.
• Luo Bin recalled Gu Yiren’s tools and the tune she had hummed, then resolved to catch an evil spirit and make oil that could protect Cabinet Mountain Town.
• Luo Bin also resolved to confront Mo Qian about the route to Cabinet Mountain Village and seek a way to leave the village.
• After Gu Yiren went downstairs to find food, Luo Bin checked a television that had no power and used Rewind to study the previous night’s evil spirit for weaknesses.