Chapter Summaries

Luo Bin learned from Zhang Yunxi about the four fiends, supernatural affliction, and the dangers of ascended malevolent corpses. He considered telling Zhang Yunxi about Mo Digong and the corpse worms, but their discussion ended when Hu Jin noticed Huang Ying had not returned.

• Luo Bin showed Zhang Yunxi and Hu Jin his fourfold refinement toad Gu, and Zhang Yunxi recognized how he had refined it.
• Hu Jin wondered what the black-gold toad could do, while Zhang Yunxi explained the four fiends and various kinds of vicious corpses.
• Zhang Yunxi warned Luo Bin that ascended malevolent corpses were extraordinarily dangerous and could mean certain death.
• Luo Bin considered revealing that Mo Digong was an ascended malevolent corpse on Sanwei Mountain and that three corpse worms were involved.
• Hu Jin noticed Huang Ying had not returned.

Huang Ying failed to return from an herb-gathering trip, and Luo Bin joined the search as worry grew in Thousand Miao Village. Granny Li warned him that Miao Na had also disappeared and the Spirit-Transfer Cave’s silence was suspicious.

• Miao Lu told Zhang Yunxi and Luo Bin that Huang Ying had become separated from her group, and Granny Li had already sent ten groups to search for her.
• Luo Bin hurried to Granny Li’s Courtyard, while Zhang Yunxi cautioned Hu Jin against looking for someone to blame before knowing what had happened.
• Granny Li ordered Miao Yi to send a third of the village to search the outer mountain after all ten groups returned without finding Huang Ying.
• Luo Bin offered to use the Yin-Yang Arts to find Huang Ying, but Granny Li warned him that Miao Na had disappeared, the Spirit-Transfer Cave had been unusually quiet, and Miao Lan had visited Huang Ying.

Miao Lan lured Luo Bin away from Thousand Miao Village by claiming he had to come alone over Huang Ying’s disappearance. Luo Bin followed him, while Miao Na and the Spirit-Transfer Cave prepared an ambush in the woods.

• Granny Li connected Luo Bin’s return to the Spirit-Transfer Cave’s possible involvement in Miao Na’s disappearance and Huang Ying’s abduction.
• Miao Lan entered the Courtyard, demanded that Luo Bin come with him alone, and drew Miao Miao’s accusation that he was siding with the Spirit-Transfer Cave.
• Luo Bin confronted Miao Lan about his jealousy and past actions, then agreed to go and ordered everyone else to stay behind.
• Miao Na told Huang Shuang and the Spirit-Transfer Cave’s other leaders that Miao Lan’s claim was meant to provoke Luo Bin into coming alone.
• Miao Na’s group prepared to ambush Luo Bin with vicious corpses and Sui Xie, hoping to kill him in one strike.

Kong An confronted Miao Na and Huang Shuang while seeking Luo Bin, but they trapped him with a Plague-God Living Corpse. Meanwhile, Miao Lan led Luo Bin through the dark with plans to mutilate him and use him to force Miao Miao to appear.

• Kong An introduced himself to Miao Na and offered to mediate the conflict with Luo Bin.
• Huang Shuang and Miao Na ambushed Kong An with Blood-Fiend Living Corpses, but Kong An repelled them with a mantra and his Axe-Vajra.
• Huang Shuang activated a Plague-God Living Corpse and trapped Kong An in a corpse prison, where he saw a bandaged figure approach.
• The people outside the prison saw visions of young women, and Huang Shuang and the others began walking toward them despite Miao Na's warning.
• Miao Lan led Luo Bin through the night while privately planning to mutilate him and use him to draw out Miao Miao.

Kong An used the Lotus Tower to overwhelm Huang Shuang and the Spirit-Transfer Cave group with visions of old age, then fled Miao Na and flayed Huang Shuang for an offering to his deity. Luo Bin and Miao Lan found the group’s corpses and a skinned, boneless person, while Huang Ying and Miao Na remained missing; Fourth Master Gray then reacted in terror to a scent.

• Kong An’s Lotus Tower trapped Huang Shuang and more than twenty Spirit-Transfer Cave members in visions of extreme old age, and they collapsed as Miao Na fled.
• Kong An revealed his ambitions to establish a Black City Monastery and make offerings to his deity, then carved open Huang Shuang’s chest.
• Fourth Master Gray led Luo Bin and Miao Lan to a clearing where more than twenty Spirit-Transfer Cave members lay dead beneath a skinned, boneless person.
• Miao Lan searched the bodies, found that Miao Na was missing, and grew frightened as Luo Bin realized Huang Ying was not among the dead.
• Fourth Master Gray sniffed the clearing, bristled, and arched his body as if terrified.

Luo Bin discovered that Miao Lan had lied about holding Huang Ying and spared his life after crippling his feet. Fourth Master Gray led Luo Bin toward Huang Ying’s trail, where he found her small footprints and learned she had left alone.

• Luo Bin realized Miao Lan was lying and forced him to admit that he did not have Huang Ying.
• Luo Bin let Miao Lan go, then cut his ankle tendons and left him behind.
• Fourth Master Gray indicated that Huang Ying was outside and led Luo Bin onward, despite also showing that he wanted to flee.
• Luo Bin followed Fourth Master Gray through the mountains to the summit, where they found small footprints belonging to one person.
• Fourth Master Gray confirmed that Huang Ying had left alone.

Luo Bin returned to Thousand Miao Village after confirming Huang Ying had left and learned that the Spirit-Transfer Cave party had died in a manner resembling old age. After revealing Lord Mo Di’s escape and the broken coffin talismans, he realized the feathered evil corpse could return, while his own panic grew stronger.

• Luo Bin accepted that Huang Ying had left, then Fourth Master Gray drew a Spirit-Inviting Talisman in the dirt at the cost of a little blood.
• Luo Bin returned to Thousand Miao Village, where Eighth Uncle told him the village had gone into lockdown after Miao Lan was found nearly hollowed out and the Spirit-Transfer Cave party’s corpses were discovered.
• Luo Bin told Granny Li, Zhang Xiyun, Jin Hu, and Miao Miao that Huang Ying had left and explained what Miao Lan had admitted about the corpses.
• Luo Bin used Rewind to inspect the Spirit-Transfer Cave corpses and saw signs that they had died of old age, despite not being old enough for that to make sense.
• Luo Bin revealed what he knew about Lord Mo Di, the Rainbow Pill, and the three corpse worms; Zhang Xiyun concluded that Mo Di had escaped because the coffin talismans were destroyed and would return.
• Luo Bin felt his heartbeat grow erratic and wondered whether Mo Di’s return would put his life in danger.

After the Miao King’s warning, Zhang Yunxi tried to divine Thousand Miao Village’s fate but found himself unable to cast a hexagram. He explained the risks of changing fate with a first hexagram, then abruptly realized that something may already have seen them.

• Miao Miao urged Zhang Yunxi and Luo Bin to find a way to protect themselves, but Luo Bin refused Hu Jin’s suggestion that they flee.
• At the stilt house, Zhang Yunxi cut his palm on a bamboo splinter, and his copper coins and Jade Coins stood on edge in the table gaps.
• Zhang Yunxi said he could not cast a hexagram and warned that Three Miao Village was headed into chaos.
• Zhang Yunxi explained that a practitioner could use a first hexagram to change fate, but would bear the consequences of the change.
• Zhang Yunxi said the danger might involve Lord Mo Di or Cave Spirit Transfer, then stopped speaking when terror appeared in his eyes and asked whether they had already been seen.

Luo Bin considered Zhang Yunxi’s warning that his divination abilities could attract Heaven’s attention and decided to accept fate for now. After an odd encounter with Fourth Master Gray and an awkward visit from Miao Miao, he asked Zhang Yunxi for supplies to draw talismans.

• Zhang Yunxi warned Luo Bin to keep a low profile and find somewhere safe before casting his first divination, and Luo Bin agreed to leave things to fate.
• Luo Bin woke with Fourth Master Gray on his chest and reflected on whether accepting Heaven’s will was better than defying it.
• Luo Bin accidentally moved his finger as he replayed Fourth Master Gray’s talisman-drawing motions, startling Gray, who fled under the bed.
• Miao Miao brought Luo Bin a meal and tidied his bedding, while Fourth Master Gray later tried to communicate with her and rode away in her arms.
• Luo Bin took his dishes downstairs and asked Zhang Yunxi for an inkstone, brush, ink, and blank talisman paper.

Luo Bin learned to draw Gray Immortal Spirit-Inviting Talismans and shared talismans with Zhang Yunxi and Hu Jin. Meanwhile, Huang Jiang planned to unleash Blood Corpses against Thousand Miao Village, while Kong An secretly watched the Spirit-Transfer Cave wearing Huang Shuang’s skin and bones.

• Luo Bin struggled to copy Fourth Master Gray’s movements, then used Rewind to study Hu Xing’s talisman and successfully drew several Gray Immortal Spirit-Inviting Talismans.
• Luo Bin showed Zhang Yunxi a Feng Shui talisman and a Gray Immortal Spirit-Inviting Talisman, and Zhang Yunxi urged him to test the latter before deciding how to use it.
• Zhang Yunxi told Luo Bin to give Hu Jin the Feng Shui talismans, and Luo Bin handed them over when Hu Jin emerged.
• Miao Na told Huang Jiang and the Spirit-Transfer Cave’s people that Thousand Miao Village had set a trap involving Luo Bin and Kong An, and warned that the cave was already at a disadvantage.
• Huang Jiang ordered thirteen people to open a blood channel in Crimson Corpse King Valley and release a hundred Blood Corpses into nearby underground caves.
• Kong An watched the Spirit-Transfer Cave from hiding while wearing Huang Shuang’s skin and bones, and remarked that there were so many bodies to strip.

Luo Bin followed the black-gold toad to Thousand Miao Village’s main well and discovered that the water was poisoned. He found Granny Li showing signs of poisoning and sent Miao Miao to warn the village and fetch help, but Granny Li suddenly opened her eyes.

• Kong An watched people leave the Spirit-Transfer Cave, believing that something was about to happen.
• Luo Bin spent the day studying the Yin-Yang Arts of Primordial Calculation, then followed the black-gold toad to the village’s main well.
• Luo Bin spotted a fly dead on the well water and used a flashlight to reveal faint bloodlike threads in it.
• Luo Bin rushed to Granny Li’s courtyard and recognized signs of poisoning on her face.
• Luo Bin ordered Miao Miao to warn Miao Yi and the villagers not to drink the well water, and to bring Zhang Yunxi and Fourth Master Gray.
• Granny Li slowly turned toward Luo Bin and opened her eyes with an eerie look.

Luo Bin discovered that Granny Li had been infected with corpse poison and was undergoing corpse reanimation, then concluded the poison came from Cave Spirit Transfer. As Zhang Yunxi and Hu Jin arrived, two red-fuzz-covered figures approached the main room.

• Granny Li sprang at Luo Bin, who struck her arm with Lightning-Struck Chestnut Heartwood and knocked her down.
• Luo Bin determined that the wood had suppressed Granny Li’s corpse nature but had not neutralized the poison, and he feared everyone infected would undergo corpse reanimation.
• Luo Bin tried to use a Gray Immortal Spirit-Inviting Talisman with Fourth Master Gray, but the talisman had no effect.
• Zhang Yunxi and Hu Jin arrived, and Luo Bin explained Granny Li’s condition before identifying Cave Spirit Transfer as the likely cause.
• Two soaked figures covered in fine red fuzz entered the courtyard as the temperature dropped and the stench of rotting corpses spread.

Luo Bin and Zhang Yunxi discovered that numerous Living Corpses had entered Thousand Miao Village and realized the Spirit-Transfer Cave had cultivated them somewhere. The chapter left Luo Bin convinced the enemy had gone mad, with the source of the corpses still unknown.

• Hu Jin and Zhang Yunxi tried to stop two Blood-Fiend Living Corpses, but Luo Bin knocked both down with his lightning-struck chestnut heartwood.
• Luo Bin, Zhang Yunxi, and Hu Jin saw countless Living Corpses moving through the village and shut the courtyard gate behind talismans.
• Luo Bin concluded the corpses needed to be stopped at the village well, while Zhang Yunxi questioned whether the Spirit-Transfer Cave could control so many Blood Fiends.
• Luo Bin and Zhang Yunxi reasoned that the corpses had been cultivated somewhere rather than sent through the well, and Luo Bin declared that the Spirit-Transfer Cave had gone mad.

Luo Bin and Zhang Yunxi realized the Spirit-Transfer Cave had unleashed Blood-Fiend Living Corpses into Thousand Miao Village and feared a Corpse King would follow. They reached the village well, where Luo Bin prepared to suppress the source of the danger before they acted against the Spirit-Transfer Cave.

• Luo Bin concluded that the Spirit-Transfer Cave had connected a Corpse King Valley to Thousand Miao Village and warned that a Corpse King could be more dangerous than an Ascended Malevolent Corpse.
• Zhang Yunxi argued that they should wait until dawn, but rain and the threat of a Corpse Prison convinced Luo Bin they had to seal the opening before the Corpse King arrived.
• Fourth Master Gray led Luo Bin, Zhang Yunxi, and Hu Jin through a secluded route, helping them avoid most of the living corpses.
• Luo Bin swiftly dispatched three stray corpses with lightning-struck chestnut heartwood as the group made their way through the village.
• Zhang Yunxi explained that the Spirit-Transfer Cave had cut off the village's life-sustaining well and vowed they would act after Luo Bin suppressed it.

Luo Bin, Zhang Yunxi, and Hu Jin discovered that the well and their surroundings were distorted by the Corpse King's power, then became trapped in a deadly mist. Luo Bin was left pinned beneath an unseen presence as it began draining him.

• Luo Bin arranged the Jade Turtle Talismans around the well, but Zhang Yunxi warned that everything was going too smoothly.
• Luo Bin and Zhang Yunxi noticed that the wind and rain made no ripples on the well water, and they used talismans to break through the illusion.
• Luo Bin saw the Corpse King at the well mouth and urged Zhang Yunxi and Hu Jin to run east as the mist engulfed them.
• Luo Bin mistook Hu Jin's grasp for the Corpse King's attack and struck Hu Jin with the lightning-struck chestnut heartwood, knocking him down.
• Luo Bin sensed someone behind him, but the figure pinned his shoulders and began sucking the energy from his body.

Luo Bin escaped the Corpse King’s attack with Fourth Master Gray, rescued Hu Jin, and returned to Granny Li’s courtyard, where he realized that Miao Na may have escaped and manipulated Spirit-Transfer Cave and Thousand Miao Village into conflict. Granny Li warned that Huang Jiang might be outside the village, and Luo Bin concluded that someone was watching the two sides fight.

• Fourth Master Gray distracted the Corpse King, allowing Luo Bin to strike it with Lightning-Struck Chestnut Heartwood and escape with the unconscious Hu Jin.
• Luo Bin and Zhang Yunxi returned to Granny Li’s courtyard, where Miao Yi accused Luo Bin of provoking Spirit-Transfer Cave and bringing the Corpse King into the village.
• Luo Bin denied killing Spirit-Transfer Cave’s people and realized that Miao Na was missing from the bodies and might have escaped to frame Thousand Miao Village.
• Granny Li agreed that Luo Bin was right and warned Miao Yi that Huang Jiang might be outside Thousand Miao Village.
• Luo Bin concluded that someone was sitting back and watching Thousand Miao Village and Spirit-Transfer Cave fight.

Luo Bin and Zhang Yunxi convinced Miao Yi that Miao Na had turned the Spirit-Transfer Cave against Thousand Miao Village, and they set out to meet Huang Hang. Outside the village, they encountered Huang Hang and the Spirit-Transfer Cave People, and Luo Bin tried to negotiate before the conflict escalated further.

• Luo Bin explained that Miao Na had diverted the Spirit-Transfer Cave's anger onto Thousand Miao Village, while Zhang Yunxi urged the villagers to prepare for the Corpse King and seek help from Huang Hang.
• Luo Bin and Miao Yi left the village, following a flower-backed centipede and the Spirit-Transfer Cave People's bells through the Corpse Prison.
• Luo Bin and Miao Yi emerged from the mist and found Huang Hang waiting with Spirit-Transfer Cave People and their living corpses.
• Miao Yi accused Huang Hang of unleashing the Corpse King and threatening Thousand Miao Village, but Luo Bin stepped forward to deny responsibility and ask Huang Hang to withdraw the Corpse King and cure the villagers' poison.

Luo Bin was cornered as Miao Na swore that he was connected to the killer, and Huang Hang demanded that he prove his innocence. When the supposedly dead Miao Sang attacked Spirit-Transfer Cave, Luo Bin recognized Kong An’s hand in the chaos, but Huang Hang’s people closed in and killed Miao Yi.

• Luo Bin and Miao Yi argued that Miao Na had misled Huang Hang and that Spirit-Transfer Cave had brought its troubles upon itself.
• Miao Na swore on his life Gu that Luo Bin knew the person who had killed more than twenty Spirit-Transfer Cave people and dismembered Huang Shuang, then challenged Luo Bin to swear on his Golden Silkworm Gu.
• Huang Hang demanded that Luo Bin swear to prove his innocence, while his people blocked the village entrance and surrounded Luo Bin and Miao Yi.
• Miao Sang appeared alive and attacked Spirit-Transfer Cave, leading Miao Yi to accuse Luo Bin and Miao Miao of deceiving Granny Li.
• Huang Hang’s living corpses killed Miao Yi as he tried to stop the attack, and Huang Hang ordered his people to seize Luo Bin.
• Luo Bin realized that Kong An had caused the sudden chaos and exposed part of his scheme, while Huang Hang’s people rushed in to capture or kill him.

Luo Bin tried to escape Lord Mo Di’s Corpse Prison while the Spirit-Transfer Cave People were attacked by Lord Mo Di and the disguised Kong An. After the Black Di Water Corpse ambushed Luo Bin, an unknown attacker struck it with a lightning-charged talisman.

• Luo Bin recognized Lord Mo Di’s retching as an illusion in the Corpse Prison and followed Fourth Master Gray through the woods, hoping to find a way out.
• Lord Mo Di released the Spirit-Transfer Cave People he had restrained, and Huang Hang ordered them to attack Miao Sang.
• Kong An revealed that Miao Sang was a disguise made from Huang Shuang’s skin and bones, then sent a plague god living corpse against the Spirit-Transfer Cave People.
• Luo Bin encountered the Black Di Water Corpse and tried to strike it with the Compass, but sank into mud and nearly had his throat seized.
• An unseen attacker blasted the Black Di Water Corpse with a lightning-charged paper talisman, giving Luo Bin a chance to run.

Luo Bin escaped the Black Di Water Corpse with help from three red-robed Taoists, then learned they were led by Bai Guanli and included Bai Su and Bai Xian. He declined their invitation to travel together and left to assess their motives, while still worrying about the danger to Thousand Miao Village and his companions.

• Luo Bin fled the Black Di Water Corpse as three strangers used talismans to drive it back, and he escaped with them until dawn.
• Luo Bin identified the strangers as Taoists, and they introduced themselves as Bai Guanli, Bai Su, and Bai Xian.
• Bai Guanli asked why Luo Bin had entered Three Perils Mountain and invited him to travel with them, but Luo Bin questioned their intentions and warned them to leave the mountain.
• Luo Bin walked away from the Taoists and considered returning to Thousand Miao Village, but decided to investigate their motives first.