Chapter Summaries

Li Yunlong found a scarlet-eyed, white-haired woman in a guarded stilt house and believed she was the Gu Ghost Woman the players had been tasked with killing. After he and a biker admitted giving definite answers to the Miao women, they feared they had triggered a death condition and planned to act that night, while Chu Qingjiu noticed a plum-blossom-shaped mark behind the chief’s ear.

• A Feng told Li Yunlong that she had not put a Gu on him, then led him to a stilt house where a scarlet-eyed old woman sat.
• Li Yunlong identified the woman as a likely Gu Ghost Woman and reported his discovery to the other players at noon.
• Chu Qingjiu learned that Li Yunlong and a biker had given definite answers, which might have put them in danger.
• The biker proposed killing the Gu Ghost Woman and escaping that night, and Li Yunlong promised to take him to the stilt house.
• The Miao women brought the players to the chief’s house, where Chu Qingjiu noticed a plum-blossom-shaped black mark behind the chief’s ear.

The clan chief offered one gu worm to protect a player from the Scorpion Ghost, leaving six players to compete for it. After Chu Qingjiu kissed Qi Wu to soothe his jealousy, Gu Yanze won the worm, while Li Yunlong and the biker planned to kill the white-haired old man that night.

• The clan chief warned that the Scorpion Ghost would target those without the gu worm, and the biker and Li Yunlong both wanted it.
• Chu Qingjiu and Qi Wu declined to compete, leaving the other six players to decide who would eat the worm.
• Chu Qingjiu tucked A Xue’s hair behind her ear, prompting Qi Wu to act jealous and the Miao women to tease them.
• Chu Qingjiu kissed Qi Wu and promised to make it up to him after the instance, leaving Qi Wu flustered.
• Gu Yanze won the competition and ate the gu worm, while Li Yunlong and the biker planned to kill the white-haired old man that night.

Chu Qingjiu refused A Xue’s food and spent the night thinking about Qi Wu, whose absence unsettled him. When A Xue came to his room claiming to have the Mind-Losing Gu antidote, she revealed that she herself was the antidote, and Chu Qingjiu slammed the door in her face.

• Chu Qingjiu refused to eat A Xue’s cooking and went to his room with compressed biscuits instead.
• Chu Qingjiu took out the wooden puppet and thought about Qi Wu, growing flustered as he remembered their intimate moments.
• A Xue knocked on Chu Qingjiu’s door and said she had brought the Mind-Losing Gu antidote.
• Chu Qingjiu opened the door after questioning A Xue, who claimed she was the antidote.
• Chu Qingjiu slammed the door shut, leaving A Xue standing outside in confusion.

Chu Qingjiu rejected A Xue’s offer of an antidote and reflected on gu poisons and his feelings for Qi Wu, while Qi Wu searched for him in secret. Elsewhere, Li Yunlong and the biker killed a white-haired woman but received no mission completion notice, as the Scorpion Ghost approached them.

• A Xue warned Chu Qingjiu that the gu would attack his heart before nightfall unless he obtained her antidote, but he refused to let her in.
• Chu Qingjiu considered how intimacy could cure certain gu poisons and wondered whether forcing Qi Wu to become his Puppet would drive him away.
• Qi Wu sneaked into Chu Qingjiu’s room to meet him, found him gone, and left feeling that Chu Qingjiu cared more about escaping the instance than about him.
• A white-haired woman transformed into a beautiful young woman beneath the full moon, but Li Yunlong and the biker slit her throat and watched her fall into a chasm.
• Li Yunlong and the biker wondered why they had not received a mission completion notice as the Scorpion Ghost appeared behind them.

Chu Qingjiu recovered his Puppet Thread and discovered that the apparent clan chief was a sentient gu insect controlling the real chief’s body. After learning the Mind-Losing Gu’s origins, he saw Qi Wu captured by the Miao women and prepared to act.

• The Scorpion Ghost killed Li Yunlong and approached the terrified biker.
• Chu Qingjiu searched the clan chief’s room, opened a rosewood box, and reunited with his Puppet Thread.
• Chu Qingjiu found the real clan chief’s diary and learned how the sentient gu insect became the false clan chief and spread its offspring through the village.
• Chu Qingjiu identified the Gu Ghost Woman as the sentient gu insect and concluded that killing her would end the danger.
• Chu Qingjiu saw Qi Wu surrounded by eight Miao women and realized he had been captured.

Qi Wu discovered that the Miao women and villagers revealed aged, inhuman forms at night, then confronted the chief and learned that the white-haired old man had been the only one capable of restraining her. The chief’s control over the Gu insects strengthened, and she captured Qi Wu and the other players, planning to use him to lure out Chu Qingjiu.

• Qi Wu followed the Miao women escorting Wu Zhong and three other players, and overheard A Xue say they planned to use Chu Qingjiu’s body and skin.
• Qi Wu entered the chief’s house and cut off her hand, but Gu insects emerged from the stump and reattached it; he used burning talisman paper to keep the insects back.
• The chief told Qi Wu that he had lost his chance to restrain her, and he realized Li Yunlong and the others had likely killed the white-haired old man who had been the real chief.
• The Miao women brought Wu Zhong and the other players to the chief’s house, and Qi Wu discovered that a Gu insect had already entered his body.
• The chief ordered the Miao women to surround Qi Wu and threatened to use his body to lure Chu Qingjiu out.

The clan leader threatened to use Qi Wu’s skin to lure Chu Qingjiu out, but Chu Qingjiu made Qi Wu his puppet through their Empathic Puppet connection and endured the pain alongside him. The clan leader discovered Chu Qingjiu hiding nearby when he revealed himself, bloodied and in pain.

• The clan leader kept Qi Wu and the other four captives alive while she waited for Chu Qingjiu, threatening to take Qi Wu’s skin if he did not appear.
• Chu Qingjiu decided to turn Qi Wu into his puppet to keep him alive and held the Empathic Puppet as it took on Qi Wu’s appearance.
• The puppet’s transformation caused Qi Wu intense soul-deep pain, which Chu Qingjiu chose to feel through their connection.
• Chu Qingjiu’s suffering made him spit blood, alerting the clan leader to someone behind the half-open door.
• Chu Qingjiu appeared at the door and told the clan leader that her sickly older brother had arrived.

Chu Qingjiu used Soul Puppet Threads to kill the Gu Ghost Woman and clear the Xiangxi instance, while taking control of Qi Wu. The chapter left Qi Wu as Chu Qingjiu’s puppet as the players prepared to leave.

• The clan leader ordered A Xue and A Dong to bring Chu Qingjiu to her so she could take his skin, while Qi Wu begged her to use his instead.
• Chu Qingjiu revealed that his wooden puppet had eased his pain and used Soul Puppet Threads to locate and pierce the gu insect inside the clan leader.
• The clan leader’s gu insects died, her skin collapsed, and the system announced that the quest was complete and the instance was cleared.
• Chu Qingjiu controlled Qi Wu and called him his puppet, while Zhang Shan noticed the Puppet Thread extending from Chu Qingjiu’s fingertip.

Chu Qingjiu hid the wooden puppet bearing Qi Wu’s features, then welcomed the awakened Qi Wu back with an affectionate embrace and declared, “You’re mine.” Qi Wu realized the words might be a confession and begged Chu Qingjiu to repeat them, but Chu Qingjiu said he was sleepy.

• Chu Qingjiu woke in bed beside Qi Wu and hid the wooden puppet with Qi Wu’s features beneath the bed.
• Qi Wu woke with a gap in his memory and saw Chu Qingjiu standing by the window.
• Chu Qingjiu hugged Qi Wu and welcomed him back, leaving Qi Wu confused and flustered.
• Chu Qingjiu told Qi Wu, “You’re mine,” and Qi Wu asked him to say it again.
• Chu Qingjiu said he was sleepy, while Qi Wu pleaded for him to repeat the words.

After reflecting on his feelings for Qi Wu, Chu Qingjiu invited him to talk and asked whether loving him hurt. Qi Wu reassured him that he expected nothing in return, and Chu Qingjiu confessed his love, leaving them both certain their feelings were mutual.

• Chu Qingjiu questioned whether choosing Qi Wu was right and resolved to take the final step toward him.
• Chu Qingjiu invited Qi Wu to his room to talk after they had left the dungeon.
• Qi Wu told Chu Qingjiu that he treated him well because he loved him, not because he expected anything back.
• Qi Wu declared that Chu Qingjiu was his, and Chu Qingjiu sincerely agreed.
• Chu Qingjiu told Qi Wu, "I love you," and both of them felt their wishes had come true.

During a moonlit blackout, Qi Wu grew increasingly bold with Chu Qingjiu, who finally allowed him to kiss and touch him. The chapter ended with Qi Wu asking Chu Qingjiu, “May I?”

• The lights went out as Qi Wu and Chu Qingjiu sat close together, and Qi Wu claimed he was scared of the dark before pushing Chu Qingjiu onto the bed.
• Qi Wu laced his fingers with Chu Qingjiu’s and tried to kiss him, but Chu Qingjiu stopped him by covering his lips.
• Qi Wu confessed that he wanted to be close to Chu Qingjiu, and Chu Qingjiu blushed as Qi Wu leaned toward him again.
• Chu Qingjiu did not stop Qi Wu from kissing him, and Qi Wu removed the hairpin from his hair.
• Qi Wu explored Chu Qingjiu’s reactions as Chu Qingjiu trembled and clutched the bedsheet, then Qi Wu nuzzled him and asked, “May I?”

After waking from an exhausting night with Qi Wu, Chu Qingjiu reflected on his own willingness to indulge him and worried about their uncertain future. When Qi Wu feared being abandoned, Chu Qingjiu reassured him while privately admitting he wanted to possess Qi Wu’s love even if they were separated.

• Qi Wu cared for the exhausted Chu Qingjiu and fed him congee, while Chu Qingjiu told him to show more restraint next time.
• Chu Qingjiu asked Qi Wu what he would do if circumstances forced them apart, making Qi Wu panic and vow not to let him leave.
• Chu Qingjiu reassured Qi Wu that he would not leave of his own accord, though he knew his return to the Throne might separate them.
• Chu Qingjiu acknowledged that he controlled Qi Wu’s fate and wanted to remain the person Qi Wu loved and hated most.

Chu Qingjiu and Qi Wu reunited after a month-long cold war, and Qi Wu said he would join Chu Qingjiu in his next Five-Star Instance. Chu Qingjiu kept his impending separation secret and ended the night by telling Qi Wu he loved him.

• Chu Qingjiu learned from Zhang Yaoyao that Qi Wu had entered a Five-Star Instance after consulting the Fortune Teller about something concerning Chu Qingjiu.
• Chu Qingjiu confronted Qi Wu, then kept him at a distance for a month after Qi Wu refused to explain himself.
• Chu Qingjiu received details for the Five-Star Instance Happy Community, and Qi Wu asked to accompany him.
• Qi Wu explained that the Fortune Teller had warned he would regret not going with Chu Qingjiu, and the two reconciled and shared the night together.
• Chu Qingjiu decided to keep the Person in Charge and his search for the remaining Puppet Threads secret, believing they would soon have to part.
• Chu Qingjiu curled into Qi Wu's embrace and whispered, "Good night, I love you."

Chu Qingjiu dreamed that Qi Wu revealed he knew Chu Qingjiu was the Dungeon Boss and begged him to return, then woke to Qi Wu comforting him. Chu Qingjiu hid his fears about his identity and the Person in Charge, while Qi Wu vowed he would never let them be parted.

• Chu Qingjiu dreamed that Qi Wu came to kill him, then removed his mask, confessed his love, and asked him to come back.
• Qi Wu soothed Chu Qingjiu as he cried in his sleep and repeated that he loved him until Chu Qingjiu woke.
• Chu Qingjiu concealed his fears about being the Dungeon Boss and becoming the Person in Charge's subordinate again, and told Qi Wu that he loved him.
• Chu Qingjiu and Qi Wu shared an intimate moment, but Qi Wu stopped because they had to enter a dungeon the next day.
• Chu Qingjiu fell asleep against Qi Wu's chest, while Qi Wu resolved to find him and bring him back if anything separated them.

Chu Qingjiu and Qi Wu reunited with former teammates in the five-star Happy Community instance, where residents suffered constant deaths and unhappiness. After discovering that his apartment had deeply inauspicious feng shui, Chu Qingjiu suspected someone had designed the complex to make its residents miserable and began searching for the reason.

• Chu Qingjiu reunited with Qi Wu and recognized Lin Ran, Zhao Yang, Yu Nian, Wu Zhong, Gu Yanze, and Zhang Shan in the safe house.
• The system sent the eight players into Happy Community, where they could survive ten days or try to find the source of the unhappiness.
• Chu Qingjiu questioned a resident, who said people died in the complex every few days, and noticed its deliberately inauspicious layout.
• Chu Qingjiu found that his assigned apartment, 404 in Building E, had missing corners and heavy yin energy, and learned from a neighbor that its previous occupant had died by suicide.
• Chu Qingjiu rearranged the apartment's furniture to improve its feng shui and suspected the complex's designer had intentionally caused the residents' misery.

Chu Qingjiu confronted an upstairs neighbor whose worsening temper and bad luck had led him to beat his wife. After Chu warned that the community’s feng shui was bad, the man tried to convince his wife to move, but his anger flared again and he killed her.

• Chu Qingjiu heard a man upstairs beating his wife and went to confront him.
• The man apologized to his badly injured wife, who demanded a divorce.
• Chu told the man that the community’s feng shui was bad and warned him that the violence would happen more often if he stayed.
• The man blamed the community for his misfortunes and urged his wife to move with him, but she refused to trust him.
• The wife scratched the man while struggling to get away, and he killed her with an ashtray.

Chu Qingjiu watched police take away the husband who had killed his wife, then visited Auntie Wang and met her bedridden son, Li Zihao. After noticing Li Zihao’s twisted legs and extensive book collection, Chu Qingjiu discovered that he had been reading a book about ghosts and ghost control.

• Police officers entered apartment 504 and took away the man who had killed his wife while Chu Qingjiu watched.
• Chu Qingjiu questioned Auntie Wang about her long life in Happy Community and learned that her husband had died after their move and her son had been bedridden since childhood.
• Chu Qingjiu remembered how his master had comforted him and promised to protect him, then accepted Auntie Wang’s invitation to visit her home.
• Chu Qingjiu met Li Zihao, learned that his legs had been twisted since birth, and saw the many books he read while confined to bed.
• Chu Qingjiu picked up Li Zihao’s book and noticed its title was A Complete Guide to the Hundred Ghosts and Ghost Control.

Li Zihao told Chu Qingjiu how Chu Zhi, his childhood friend who had become a ghost, secretly warned him that Happy Community was dangerous. Chu Zhi urged him to leave, but Li Zihao stayed because moving would burden his parents and nothing had harmed him yet.

• Li Zihao showed Chu Qingjiu his ghost-story manuscript and recounted his first nighttime encounter with a female ghost who told him to leave.
• After repeatedly meeting the ghost, Li Zihao learned she had written the character “Zhi” on his palm and recognized her as Chu Zhi.
• Chu Zhi finally spoke after Li Zihao said her name, warning him that he had to leave Happy Community.
• Chu Zhi revealed that she had died in a hit-and-run after Li Zihao moved away, and her bloodstained shoes had led her to Happy Community.
• Chu Zhi explained that the community was dangerous and that a watching presence would destroy her soul if she said more, but Li Zihao decided not to move away.

Chu Qingjiu questioned Li Zihao about ghosts and learned why he wanted to control them, then sensed a malicious presence watching him at Auntie Wang’s home. After it vanished when he refused to sleep with Qi Wu, Qi Wu became possessive and intimate with him.

• Li Zihao told Chu Qingjiu that he wanted to learn ghost control so he could find Chu Zhi, whom he had not seen in a long time.
• Auntie Wang invited Chu Qingjiu and Li Zihao to wash their hands and eat, and Chu Qingjiu had his first lunch at her home.
• Qi Wu asked Chu Qingjiu to sleep with him, but Chu Qingjiu refused because he sensed something watching them.
• Qi Wu saw nothing unusual and kissed and touched Chu Qingjiu until the menacing gaze disappeared.
• Chu Qingjiu noticed the marks Qi Wu had left on him, and Qi Wu professed his affection while continuing to seduce him.
• Chu Qingjiu admitted that he liked Qi Wu’s advances and decided to keep spoiling him.

After spending the day with Qi Wu, Chu Qingjiu was attacked in his dreams by a Dream Ghost that wore Qi Wu’s face and killed him repeatedly. He woke shaken and freezing, realizing the Dream Ghost had drained nearly all his yang energy.

• Qi Wu stayed with Chu Qingjiu until night, then made him dinner and left after cuddling with him.
• Chu Qingjiu dreamed he was trapped in a misty forest, where a figure with a familiar voice stabbed him and said goodbye forever.
• Chu Qingjiu woke in a hospital and confronted a black-haired youth wearing Qi Wu’s face, who strangled him and killed him repeatedly in further nightmares.
• Chu Qingjiu finally woke from the nightmares, panicked by how real the deaths had felt and afraid of the pain they might foreshadow.
• Chu Qingjiu realized a Dream Ghost had entered his dreams and drained his yang energy, leaving him shivering despite the heating.