Chapter Summaries

Chu Qingjiu and Qi Wu fought a Fiend Ghost in Ghost City, and Qi Wu used talismans to trap it. They escaped before the Underworld Soldiers arrived, leaving the ghost to be arrested.

• The Fiend Ghost threatened to eat Chu Qingjiu and Qi Wu, but Qi Wu used a paper talisman to set it ablaze.
• When the Fiend Ghost charged again, Qi Wu formed a seal and used several talismans to stop it.
• Chu Qingjiu warned Qi Wu that the Underworld Soldiers were approaching, accidentally calling him by his real name before quickly covering his slip.
• Qi Wu and Chu Qingjiu fled together, leaving the trapped Fiend Ghost behind.
• The Underworld Soldiers arrived and sentenced the Fiend Ghost to Knife Mountain Hell.

Qi Wu saved Chu Qingjiu by giving him yang energy, while Chu Qingjiu concealed that his near-death state had been an act and used his puppet to capture Wang Peiling. The chapter left Chu Qingjiu holding Wang Peiling as Qi Wu ran off to lure away the Underworld Walker’s group.

• Qi Wu stopped to let the exhausted Chu Qingjiu rest, then gave him yang energy when he began coughing up blood and seemed near death.
• Chu Qingjiu recovered and revealed that he had faked his collapse to manipulate Qi Wu, who admitted that blood—not mouth-to-mouth contact—provided yang energy.
• After Wang Peiling screamed while fleeing the Underworld Walker’s group, Chu Qingjiu sent Qi Wu to lure the group away and went after her himself.
• Chu Qingjiu used the Red-Robed Vengeful Ghost to restrain Wang Peiling and bring her to him.

Chu Qingjiu captured Wang Peiling and headed for the city gates while deciding whether to kill Qi Wu or turn him into a puppet. When Qi Wu admitted he had secretly placed a tracking talisman on him, Chu Qingjiu ordered the Red-Robed Vengeful Ghost to attack.

• Chu Qingjiu had the Red-Robed Vengeful Ghost silence Wang Peiling and carry her toward the city gates as he considered making Qi Wu his puppet.
• Qi Wu appeared ahead of Chu Qingjiu and claimed he had followed a talisman he had placed on him.
• Chu Qingjiu grew angry when Qi Wu would not explain when he had placed the talisman and walked away with Wang Peiling.
• Qi Wu grabbed Chu Qingjiu's wrist, and Chu Qingjiu sent the Red-Robed Vengeful Ghost to attack him.
• The Red-Robed Vengeful Ghost pierced Qi Wu's shoulder, and its yin energy made him spit blood.

After the Red-Robed Vengeful Ghost injured Qi Wu, Chu Qingjiu confronted him and demanded to know why he had approached. Qi Wu tried to charm him and confirm whether they had met before, but Chu Qingjiu distrusted his professed affection and left him alive only because he wanted Qi Wu’s blood.

• The Red-Robed Vengeful Ghost attacked Qi Wu, leaving him badly hurt and kneeling before Chu Qingjiu.
• Chu Qingjiu coldly asked Qi Wu why he had approached him, and Qi Wu claimed he liked him and wanted to be with him.
• Qi Wu said Chu Qingjiu seemed familiar and asked whether he had been pretending to be weak.
• Chu Qingjiu touched Qi Wu’s bloodied lips and offered a kiss as a reward, but Qi Wu asked him to kiss him of his own accord.
• Chu Qingjiu withdrew his hand and summoned the Red-Robed Vengeful Ghost, while Qi Wu continued to insist that his feelings were genuine.
• Chu Qingjiu kissed Qi Wu between the brows and decided to spare him for now, intending to make him a puppet who would provide blood and obey.

Chu Qingjiu used Qi Wu, the Red-Robed Vengeful Ghost, and Lin Xueru to take Wang Peiling from the Underworld Walker and complete the dungeon mission. As the players prepared to leave, Chu Qingjiu chose to return to the room where he had killed himself two years earlier.

• Chu Qingjiu explained that he was controlling the Red-Robed Vengeful Ghost with a paper effigy and said the Underworld Walker had likely captured Wang Peiling.
• Chu Qingjiu and Qi Wu left the Ghost Capital and found the Underworld Walker holding Wang Peiling inside a Soul-Locking Bottle.
• Chu Qingjiu sent Qi Wu to fetch the other players and Xu Zhijie, then used talismans and Lin Xueru to help the Red-Robed Vengeful Ghost defeat the Underworld Walker.
• Chu Qingjiu took the bottle, released Wang Peiling, and forced her toward Xu Zhijie until the system announced that the mission was complete.
• The Red-Robed Vengeful Ghost devoured Wang Peiling, and Chu Qingjiu withdrew his control of the two female ghosts.
• Chu Qingjiu decided to leave the dungeon for the room where he had killed himself two years earlier.

Chu Qingjiu woke in his old home after leaving the dungeon game, where he had been forced to control ghosts from a Throne and torment players. Back in his frail, cancer-ridden body, he cleaned the abandoned house and faced the return of a life he expected would soon be disrupted again.

• Chu Qingjiu woke in his dusty home after two years away and opened the curtains and window to let in moonlight and fresh air.
• Chu Qingjiu used Puppet Threads to make two wooden puppets clean the room, then examined the healed cuts on his wrist.
• Chu Qingjiu remembered his late-stage lung cancer, his suicide, and how the person in charge had trapped him on a Throne to control dungeon ghosts and trouble players.
• Chu Qingjiu recalled his master's death and the grim commissions he had taken to house ghosts in puppets.
• Chu Qingjiu reflected that players feared his cruel dungeon and that the Closed Beta had made him its first guinea pig, leaving him weak and expecting turmoil to return.

After discovering that his utilities had been cut off and he had no money, Chu Qingjiu was found by Qi Wu, who used a talisman to track him down. Qi Wu invited him to stay with his organization and insisted that their meeting was fate, while Chu Qingjiu remained wary of his clingy attention.

• Chu Qingjiu discovered his water and electricity had been cut off and regretted donating all his money before his death.
• Qi Wu climbed through Chu Qingjiu's window and admitted that a talisman had helped him find him.
• Chu Qingjiu asked about Qi Wu's name, and Qi Wu revealed that Wu Qi had been his alias before introducing himself by his real name.
• Qi Wu invited Chu Qingjiu to stay with his specialized organization, where the residents had running water and electricity.
• Qi Wu said he had gone into Zhang Yaoyao's instance after a teammate predicted he would meet his true love there, and he told Chu Qingjiu he believed their meeting was fate.

Chu Qingjiu agreed to go with Qi Wu to his organization, where he hoped to find a way to support himself. During the drive, Qi Wu kept him warm and used a Calming Talisman to help him sleep, while his possessiveness grew as he worried the others at the base might covet Chu Qingjiu.

• Chu Qingjiu avoided answering Qi Wu’s feelings, but agreed to go with him and asked him to bring the two wooden puppets.
• Qi Wu carried Chu Qingjiu to the car, covered him with his jacket, and had the puppets loaded into the trunk.
• Qi Wu blocked the driver’s view of Chu Qingjiu, then pulled the cold, coughing man into his arms for warmth.
• Chu Qingjiu asked Qi Wu for blood, but Qi Wu said he wanted to hold him and asked if he could kiss him.
• As Chu Qingjiu grew drowsy, Qi Wu used a Calming Talisman to help him sleep and worried that someone at the base might steal him away.

Chu Qingjiu woke in Qi Wu’s room feeling warm after Qi Wu had fed him blood, then confronted him about biting his lips. Qi Wu soothed him and invited him to shower and sleep together, leaving Chu Qingjiu to consider Qi Wu’s habit of making himself appear submissive.

• Chu Qingjiu woke on an armchair while Qi Wu watched him from beside the bed.
• Chu Qingjiu noticed his swollen, stinging lips, and Qi Wu said he had fed him blood because he seemed low on yang energy.
• Chu Qingjiu choked on warm water and accused Qi Wu of biting him.
• Qi Wu apologized, moved close, and soothed Chu Qingjiu by holding his hand.
• Chu Qingjiu observed that Qi Wu seemed to like looking up at him, and Qi Wu invited him to shower and sleep together.

Chu Qingjiu and Qi Wu shared a bed, and Chu Qingjiu woke up in Qi Wu’s arms after seeking his warmth during the night. Their morning closeness left Chu Qingjiu flustered as Qi Wu teased him, and the chapter ended with Chu Qingjiu telling him he was touching him.

• Chu Qingjiu accepted Qi Wu’s bed after suggesting that the small sofa was too dirty for Qi Wu to sleep on.
• Chu Qingjiu showered and put on Qi Wu’s unworn shirt before joining him in bed.
• Chu Qingjiu woke up wrapped in Qi Wu’s arms, while Qi Wu recalled spending the night awake and trying to calm himself.
• Qi Wu greeted Chu Qingjiu and hugged him again when Chu Qingjiu pretended to be asleep.
• Chu Qingjiu told Qi Wu not to speak beside his ear, then said, “You’re touching me,” as Qi Wu nuzzled his neck.

Chu Qingjiu moved into a room beside Qi Wu’s and met the lively players in Qi Wu’s organization. After they jokingly competed to claim Chu Qingjiu as their wife, he began coughing, prompting Qi Wu and the others to worry about his health.

• Qi Wu prepared a room beside his own for Chu Qingjiu, who admitted that sharing a bed with Qi Wu had been uncomfortable.
• Qi Wu told Chu Qingjiu that he had introduced him to the organization as family so he could stay there.
• Qi Wu’s fellow players crowded around Chu Qingjiu, jokingly proposing to him and calling him their wife.
• Qi Wu pulled Chu Qingjiu close and claimed him as his own, while the players lamented that Qi Wu had found such a beautiful wife.
• Chu Qingjiu began coughing, and Qi Wu and the other players asked if he was unwell.
• A cute boy explained that the players acted this way to vent their frustration about entering dangerous instances and Qi Wu finding a wife first.

After Chu Qingjiu suffered a painful coughing fit, Qi Wu kissed him and gave him his blood, easing his symptoms. Chu Qingjiu admitted he had fallen for Qi Wu and agreed to give their relationship a chance, while keeping his past as the Puppeteer secret.

• Chu Qingjiu learned more about Han Xi and went shopping with Qi Wu, who bought him supplies and a cat-ear headband.
• Chu Qingjiu began coughing badly in the car, and Qi Wu asked if he needed blood.
• Qi Wu kissed Chu Qingjiu and fed him his blood, soothing his pain as Chu Qingjiu returned the embrace despite knowing they had been enemies.
• After Chu Qingjiu told Qi Wu to get off, Qi Wu pleaded with him to try liking him and began to cry.
• Chu Qingjiu wiped Qi Wu's tears, hugged him, and agreed to give their relationship a chance while deciding to conceal that he was the Puppeteer.

Chu Qingjiu learned about the Mutual Aid Society and prepared for a two-star instance called Heart-Losing Gu. Distrustful of Qi Wu despite his affection, Chu Qingjiu secretly made a puppet that could protect and monitor him, then waited for Qi Wu to return with information about the instance.

• Chu Qingjiu learned that players cleared instances to earn new lives, and that Qi Wu used the alias Wu Qi to enter low-star instances despite being restricted to four stars and above.
• A bloody warning announced that Chu Qingjiu's next instance, Xiangxi: Heart-Losing Gu, was a two-star instance themed around Miao gu and love.
• Qi Wu suggested asking a member who knew about Miao gu to join them, but Chu Qingjiu told him to ask her what Heart-Losing Gu was instead.
• After Qi Wu left, Chu Qingjiu took out a wooden doll marked with Qi Wu's Birth Eight Characters, intending to use it as an Empathic Puppet if Qi Wu deceived him.
• Chu Qingjiu packed supplies for the instance, and Qi Wu returned and began telling him what he had learned about Heart-Losing Gu.

Chu Qingjiu entered the Xiangxi: Heart-Losing Gu instance with Qi Wu, but treated him coldly after believing their half-month relationship had been a deception. The players learned they had three days to obtain an antidote or kill the Gu Ghost Woman, while Qi Wu feared Chu Qingjiu was slipping away from him.

• Chu Qingjiu woke in the safe house, pulled away from Qi Wu, and rejected his attempts to comfort him.
• Chu Qingjiu introduced himself to the other six players and began speaking with Gu Yanze, whose affection score toward him was 50.
• The system revealed the instance’s rules: players had to find the Miao woman who planted the Mind-Losing Gu and get its antidote within three days, or kill the Gu Ghost Woman.
• Wu Zhong suggested killing all the Miao women, but Qi Wu warned that killing the woman who planted the gu before obtaining the antidote would doom them.
• Chu Qingjiu ignored Qi Wu, and Qi Wu realized he might be about to lose him.

Chu Qingjiu and Qi Wu entered a locked room after being infected with Mind-Losing Gu, where Chu Qingjiu tried to keep his distance from Qi Wu. When Qi Wu demanded to know why, Chu Qingjiu confronted him with the possibility that they were enemies, leaving their relationship unresolved.

• Chu Qingjiu left the safe house with Qi Wu trailing after him in tears, while the others assumed the brothers had quarreled.
• The group found themselves trapped in a sparsely furnished room, and Chu Qingjiu suggested they wait for the Miao women keeping them as husbands.
• Qi Wu took Chu Qingjiu's cup and pressed him to explain why he was ignoring him, so Chu Qingjiu pulled him aside to talk.
• Chu Qingjiu told Qi Wu they were not right for each other, but Qi Wu demanded a proper reason and accused him of hiding something.
• Chu Qingjiu asked what Qi Wu would do if they were enemies and revealed that he might be someone who had killed many players, including members of the Mutual Aid Society.

Qi Wu reassured Chu Qingjiu that he mattered more than anyone else, then kissed him while demanding that he stop doubting and ignoring him. The other players saw Qi Wu blocking their view and assumed the brothers were arguing, while Chu Qingjiu remained weak-kneed and wary of being discovered.

• Qi Wu told Chu Qingjiu that everyone else was dispensable and that Chu Qingjiu had become his first priority.
• Qi Wu demanded that Chu Qingjiu not doubt his feelings or shut him out, then kissed him when he tried to respond.
• Chu Qingjiu struggled briefly but stopped when Qi Wu warned that the others might notice them.
• Wu Zhong, Zhang Shan, and Lin Chi watched Qi Wu's back and discussed whether the brothers' quarrels might cause trouble.
• Qi Wu softened and murmured for Chu Qingjiu not to ignore him, while Chu Qingjiu admitted his legs were weak and worried about being seen.

Chu Qingjiu confronted Qi Wu about his unchanging affection level of 0 and accused him of lying, but ultimately chose to resume their relationship as before. After Chu Qingjiu coughed up blood, Qi Wu held him and begged him not to be angry, and Chu Qingjiu comforted him instead.

• While Qi Wu kissed him, Chu Qingjiu cried and asked whether Qi Wu had ever truly felt anything for him.
• Qi Wu insisted that he loved Chu Qingjiu, but Chu Qingjiu revealed that he could see Qi Wu's affection level was always 0 and said he did not believe him.
• Chu Qingjiu decided to pretend nothing had happened and return to the way things were, even if only he was serious about their relationship.
• Chu Qingjiu coughed up blood, and Qi Wu supported him, wiped his tears, and held him while crying and begging him not to be angry.
• Chu Qingjiu embraced Qi Wu and gently patted his back, telling him he would not be angry.

Chu Qingjiu reconsidered his reliance on affection scores and acknowledged that he could feel Qi Wu’s love, though he asked to rest before discussing their relationship further. The eight players left their confinement with eight Miao girls to meet the clan chief, finding themselves surrounded by a village with no men and no clear escape.

• Chu Qingjiu realized that his trust in affection scores had clouded his judgment about Qi Wu and told him he already knew of his sincerity.
• Chu Qingjiu and Qi Wu held hands and agreed to talk after they cleared the instance.
• Eight Miao girls arrived and told the players to accompany them to meet the clan chief; one introduced herself as A Feng.
• A Feng introduced the other girls, whose names followed the pattern of wind, flowers, snow, moon, spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
• The players saw that women watched them throughout the village, where no men were visible and escape seemed difficult.

Chu Qingjiu and Qi Wu arrived at the Gu Miao Tribe chief’s home, where Chu Qingjiu suspected the Miao women used gu to drain men’s vitality and preserve their youth. He planned to raise A Xue’s affinity to obtain an antidote, while he and Qi Wu continued to flirt as they sought to identify who had planted Qi Wu’s gu.

• Wu Zhong noticed Chu Qingjiu’s swollen lips, and Chu Qingjiu blamed a poisonous mosquito for them after kissing Qi Wu.
• A Feng brought the eight players to the chief’s home, where they were surprised to find a beautiful young woman leading the Gu Miao Tribe.
• Chu Qingjiu stumbled at the chief’s doorway, and Qi Wu caught him and offered his hand; the Miao women’s reactions to Chu Qingjiu’s poor health lowered their affinity toward him.
• Chu Qingjiu suspected the Miao women drained men’s vitality with gu and resolved to raise A Xue’s affinity to 30 so he could control her and demand an antidote.
• Qi Wu asked what Chu Qingjiu was thinking, and Chu Qingjiu answered that he was thinking about him before tracing “okay” on Qi Wu’s palm.

Chu Qingjiu and the other players learned the Gu Miao Tribe’s marriage rules and began spending time with the girls to identify who had planted their Gu. Chu Qingjiu chose A Xue, while her warning about the Scorpion Ghost left his sincerity in question.

• The chief of the Gu Miao Tribe told the players they had to remain faithful to their chosen girl, endure pain if they chose the wrong one, and stay until they made a choice.
• Chu Qingjiu asked to live with the chief, then chose A Xue after recognizing her as the girl who had planted his Gu.
• The other players each chose a Miao girl to spend time with, while the chief watched them.
• A Xue asked Chu Qingjiu why he had chosen her and warned that insincere people were eaten by the Scorpion Ghost.
• Li Yunlong told A Feng he had chosen her because she was pretty, and she warned him that unfaithful people were eaten by the Scorpion Ghost.