Chapter Summaries

Su Bai faced the Brides of the West and North Courtyards in the Back Courtyard and suspected the West Courtyard Bride was the residence’s true malevolent ghost. He gave Wen Wen a black Peace Knot to use as a test, and she ran to present it to the West Courtyard Bride.

• Su Bai drew on A Xi’s power and held the sludge-covered Old Steward back as the gates to the West and North Courtyards opened.
• The West Courtyard Bride and North Courtyard Bride appeared, and Su Bai sensed the West Courtyard Bride had greater, more complex power.
• Su Bai removed the black Peace Knot from his wrist and offered it to Wen Wen, telling her to take the protective charm to the West Courtyard.
• Wen Wen realized the cord could reveal whether the figure at the West Courtyard gate was the real Bride and ran over, claiming she had found the Bride’s missing protective charm.

Wen Wen confirmed that the West Courtyard Bride had been possessed by the Ghost Madam, who revealed her resentment toward the Brides and attacked the Players. As the Ghost Madam lunged at them, a cat cried nearby.

• Wen Wen showed the West Courtyard Bride a fake protective charm and realized the original Bride was gone and a Ghost Creature had taken her body.
• The Ghost Madam appeared before the Players, and Sha Linghai and Huang Qi tried to carry Wen Wen back toward the East Courtyard.
• The North Courtyard Bride attacked the Ghost Madam with scissors, but the Ghost Madam threw her aside and claimed her resentment was greater than the Brides'.
• Wen Wen angrily said the Brides should not have died, prompting the Ghost Madam to lunge at the Players.
• A cat cried nearby as the Ghost Madam attacked.

The Players escaped Ghost Madam with help from the protective charm that became a black cat, then reached the Eastern Courtyard. Ghost Madam broke free as the Red Moon's power surged, leaving the Players' safety uncertain.

• The protective charm turned into a black cat, while translucent Cat Spirits restrained Ghost Madam and gave the Players a chance to flee.
• Sha Linghai led the escape toward the Eastern Courtyard, Huang Qi carried Wen Wen, and Lin Wenhua picked up the Scissors Ghost Madam had dropped.
• Su Bai realized the charm had belonged to the West Courtyard Bride's grandmother, who had meant it to protect her granddaughter.
• Su Bai let the Players enter the Eastern Courtyard while he stayed outside its gate.
• Ghost Madam wailed as the Cat Spirits held her, and the Red Moon's power surged wildly.

As the Ghost Madam’s power surged, it shattered the estate’s illusion and exposed the ruined grounds. She questioned who had truly persuaded the brides to drink the meat soup, then pointed at the East Courtyard’s bride and began revealing the past.

• The Ghost Madam’s sobs unleashed power that spread through the estate and extinguished its candlelight.
• Su Bai saw the blood-red moon return as the Pond, lanterns, bridge, pavilion, and paths were revealed as ruins.
• The sludge-covered Old Steward wandered through the courtyard, confused by the vanished illusion.
• The Ghost Madam stopped short of attacking the Players and asked who had persuaded the brides to drink the meat soup when no outsiders were present.
• The Ghost Madam pointed at the East Courtyard’s bride, then covered the estate in an illusion and invited the Players to see what had really happened.

Su Bai watched Ghost Madam’s illusion reveal how Steward Zhao had drugged and tried to extort Master Wang over the fortune Master Wang had taken after murdering his wife. The scene ended with Master Wang mysteriously gone and Steward Zhao searching the house for the hidden money.

• Su Bai saw Master Wang bound beside the Pavilion as Steward Zhao demanded a share of the fortune he had hidden after murdering his wife.
• Master Wang refused to tell Steward Zhao where the money was, and Steward Zhao warned that his wife’s family was searching for him.
• A crowd at the Front Courtyard demanded that the gate be opened to welcome the brides, interrupting Steward Zhao’s interrogation.
• Steward Zhao forced Master Wang to drink more drugged meat soup, then hid him before welcoming three brides into separate courtyards.
• Steward Zhao returned to the Pavilion and discovered that Master Wang had vanished, so he began searching for the hidden fortune.

Ghost Madam’s visions revealed that Steward Zhao drugged the Brides while searching for Master Wang’s missing fortune, and that all three Brides eventually drowned in the Pond. The visions left the Players facing two unanswered questions: where Master Wang and his treasure went, and what the Bride helping them really was.

• Steward Zhao let the three Brides into the estate as villagers gathered outside, then discovered Master Wang had vanished from the Back Courtyard.
• The vision showed the East Courtyard Bride meeting Steward Zhao and agreeing to help him in exchange for aid for her family.
• Ghost Madam condemned everyone’s greed as the vision showed Steward Zhao drugging the Brides and searching the estate for Master Wang’s treasure.
• Steward Zhao dug through the Back Courtyard and the drained Pond until he collapsed and drowned in the mud, while the three Ghost Brides watched.
• The visions revealed that all three Brides had drowned, then shattered as Ghost Madam’s weeping returned and the Players were left wondering about Master Wang and the Bride among them.

Su Bai, disguised as the East Courtyard bride, fought the Ghost Madam and the Old Steward as the players feared they would be left defenseless. Sha Linghai ended the game early, triggering an accusation round with rules that left the newcomers blind and unable to move, forcing them to identify the killer by questioning and listening.

• The Ghost Madam attacked the East Courtyard bride, who blocked her claws with chains while the Old Steward’s filth crept toward them.
• The bride dodged the filth, and her Wedding Veil fell to reveal a beautiful face unfamiliar to the players.
• Sha Linghai called for the game to end early so the players could identify the killer.
• The Administrator announced that the accusation round would immobilize participants and temporarily blind newcomers, who would have to find the killer through questioning and listening.
• Su Bai wondered how the newcomers could identify the killer if the killer disguised their voice.

Wen Wen and the other Players began the identification phase, where they had twenty minutes to question four indistinguishable silhouettes and identify the murderer. When Ghost Madam imitated Su Bai’s voice, the Players were left unsure which nearby silhouette was her and which was the East Courtyard’s Bride.

• Sha Linghai’s suggestion led the Administrator to start the identification phase early and give the Players twenty minutes to identify the murderer.
• Dense fog surrounded the Players, obscuring the Strange Creatures while leaving the Players able to see one another nearby.
• Wen Wen called out to the East Courtyard’s Bride, and a silhouette beside the Players answered in the Bride’s voice.
• Su Bai recognized that Ghost Madam was imitating his voice and warned the Players not to trust the answer.
• Ghost Madam’s imitation left the Players uncertain which of the two nearby silhouettes was her and which was the East Courtyard’s Bride.

Su Bai and the ghostly shadow each urged the players to identify the real Ghost Madam, while Su Bai realized the East Courtyard Bride might have been devoured after he and Little Fire entered the estate. He began to suspect that he himself had caused her disappearance and might be the killer.

• Su Bai urged the players to ask questions that could reveal which figure was the real Ghost Madam.
• Sha Linghai questioned why the East Courtyard Bride would help them, and Su Bai said he wanted them to escape because he had already died once.
• Wen Wen asked where the East Courtyard Bride had gone, and the shadow claimed she had vanished or been devoured because she was weak.
• Su Bai recalled that the blue flame had fled into the Eastern Courtyard before the East Courtyard Bride and the flame disappeared.
• Su Bai suspected that Little Fire or the blue flame had devoured the East Courtyard Bride and wondered whether he had caused her disappearance.

Su Bai realized his arrival may have made the Beginner Game harder by disrupting the Players’ clues, so he revealed that the Bride was a man. He left the Players stunned and asked them to owe him a favor once the game ended.

• Su Bai considered whether he could be blamed for the East Courtyard Bride’s disappearance, then decided the hungry blue flame was more likely responsible.
• Huang Qi and Lin Wenhua admitted they lacked enough information to identify the East Courtyard Bride or Ghost Madam.
• Sha Linghai asked where Master Wang had gone, but neither Su Bai nor the Ghost Madam could give the Players useful clues.
• Su Bai concluded that his arrival had made the game harder for Wen Wen and the others, and said they would owe him a favor after it ended.
• Su Bai spoke in his natural voice, revealing that the Bride was a man and correcting the Players when they called him a young woman.

Su Bai revealed his identity as a player to Sha Linghai and helped him identify the Ghost Madam, causing Su Bai’s mission to fail. The Administrator trapped Su Bai in the Manor, but he remained calm and hinted that he had not yet used his hidden trump cards.

• Su Bai told Sha Linghai to pass his regards to Qin Ge from Number 888, leading Sha Linghai to realize the Bride was a human player.
• Sha Linghai and the others identified the figure on their left as the Ghost Madam, the murderer who drowned the brides in the Pond.
• Wen Wen worried that Su Bai would be punished for failing his mission, and Su Bai said the Administrator would keep him in the Manor.
• The Administrator declared Su Bai unable to leave the game setting and called it his final game.
• Su Bai showed no regret and thought that he still had not revealed any of his trump cards.

Su Bai questioned the Administrators’ limits and realized that failing a game left Players exposed to rampaging Strange Creatures. After the fog lifted, he faced the Ghost Madam in her true form, ready to survive by killing her.

• Su Bai concluded that the Administrators could control scenarios and use external forces but might be unable to alter Players directly.
• Wen Wen, Sha Linghai, and the other novice Players vanished into the fog after apparently clearing the Beginner Game.
• The fog dissipated, Su Bai’s restraints lifted, and the ruined Back Courtyard appeared beneath the Red Moon.
• Su Bai recalled that Players who survived failed games had to kill the Strange Creature that rampaged after the game ended.
• The Ghost Madam appeared in a tattered wedding dress, revealing her aged, distorted face and murderous intent.

After the Accusation Round, Su Bai fought Ghost Madam, whose illusions and hidden true body let her evade his attacks. A Xi protected him from a surprise strike, and Little Fire emerged from the Vengeful Ghost Puzzle, complaining that Yao had tried to tear it apart over Su Bai becoming another creature’s Bride.

• Su Bai attacked Ghost Madam with A Xi’s power after the Accusation Round ended, but she vanished from his iron chains.
• Ghost Madam appeared behind Su Bai and attacked, but A Xi emerged from his shadow and took the strike for him.
• Su Bai realized Ghost Madam might be hiding her true body elsewhere in the Manor and using illusions to imitate teleportation.
• Little Fire emerged from the Vengeful Ghost Puzzle, saying Yao had blamed it for Su Bai becoming another thing’s Bride and tried to tear it into eight pieces.

Su Bai and A Xi used Little Fire to burn away the corrupted Manor and destroy Ghost Madam. As the flames consumed the estate, Su Bai wondered whether the world beneath the Red Moon was what had gone wrong.

• Su Bai reassured Little Fire that he had done nothing wrong and asked him to help deal with Ghost Madam.
• Little Fire burned Ghost Madam’s latest illusion, and Su Bai realized that destroying illusions would not stop the attacks.
• Su Bai let Little Fire draw on his power, and Little Fire’s flames swept through the Manor, consuming its corruption and the creatures within it.
• Little Fire found Ghost Madam’s hiding place, and her agonized screams faded as the flames reached her.
• Watching the Manor burn, Su Bai questioned what the brides and players had done wrong and wondered if the world itself was at fault.

Su Bai discovered a hidden basement beneath the collapsed Pavilion and found Master Wang’s skeleton among the counterfeit riches he had received after selling his wife’s family assets. The discovery revealed that Master Wang had died in the Manor, leaving his fate exposed at last.

• Little Fire consumed the filth in the Back Courtyard, and the Pavilion over the Pond collapsed.
• A Xi pointed Su Bai toward the Pavilion’s ruins, where he found a hidden chamber beneath them.
• Su Bai recalled that Master Wang had disappeared after being left bound in the Pavilion.
• Su Bai entered the basement and found Master Wang’s skeleton beside a pile of fake gold, silver, and jewels.
• Su Bai realized that the merchants who bought the family assets had swindled Master Wang with counterfeit treasure.

Su Bai left the Manor after the Ghost Madam’s death and the collapse of the underground chamber, but the Administrator warned him that surviving a game he had failed to clear could attract the attention of terrifying beings. In the Real World, four new players learned that a veteran had died saving them.

• Su Bai found evidence that Master Wang had died trapped beside fake treasure, then left the underground chamber with Little Fire and A Xi.
• The Pavilion collapsed and buried Master Wang’s skeleton and the fake treasure as Su Bai headed for the Manor’s open gate.
• Su Bai left the Manor after its fog and supernatural power disappeared, and the Administrator warned him that breaking too many rules could draw the attention of terrifying beings.
• The Administrator said he had covered up Su Bai’s escape and asked him to repay the favor when needed before ending their conversation.
• In the Real World, four newcomers learned that a veteran player had died to save them.

After surviving the Nightmare Game, Lin Wenhua, Huang Qi, and Wen Wen returned to the Real World, grieving the Player who sacrificed his mission to help them. Sha Linghai went back to the Relevant Authorities' Training Base, where his experience had changed his enthusiasm for becoming a Player.

• Lin Wenhua and Huang Qi returned to Huang Qi's bedroom and wondered what would happen to the Bride Player who had failed his mission to help them.
• Wen Wen mourned the Brides and blamed herself for the mysterious Player's sacrifice, then sobbed in fear at home with her parents nearby.
• Sha Linghai arrived early at the Relevant Authorities' Training Base, where the other trainees teased him about his eagerness to learn about Player abilities.
• After entering the Sealed Space warehouse, Sha Linghai told the trainees that becoming a Player was not necessarily a good thing.

Sha Linghai admitted he had become a Player and asked to meet Qin Ge after a terrifying beginner mission. Qin Ge, still shaken by his own Nightmare Game, asked what Sha Linghai needed, and Sha Linghai began explaining that he had met an unusual Player.

• Sha Linghai told the trainees that becoming a Player was not necessarily a good thing, and Senior Chen recognized that he had become one.
• Sha Linghai asked Senior Chen to arrange a meeting with Captain Qin Ge about unusual circumstances in his beginner mission.
• An assistant described how Qin Ge had survived a Nightmare Game that swapped Players' and Ghost Creatures' identities and memories, becoming the only surviving Player.
• Sha Linghai met Qin Ge in his office and saw that he was still exhausted from the game.
• Qin Ge asked Sha Linghai why he had insisted on meeting, and Sha Linghai said he had encountered a very unusual Player.

Sha Linghai told Qin Ge how Player Number 888 had saved his group during their beginner mission and asked what would happen to him after he failed to clear the game. Qin Ge recognized Number 888 as someone he knew, but his concern turned to why an experienced player had appeared in a beginner mission, leaving Sha Linghai stunned by Qin Ge’s description of the man’s strength.

• Sha Linghai recounted his beginner mission, including the Ghost Brides, the terrifying Ghost Madam, and the Bride who helped his group.
• Sha Linghai explained that he had started the Accusation Round early, and that dense fog later forced the Bride to sacrifice herself to save the newcomers.
• Sha Linghai told Qin Ge that the Bride had said Number 888 sent his regards, and asked whether Number 888 was Qin Ge’s friend.
• Qin Ge focused on how an experienced player had entered a beginner mission and wondered if it was like the time they had met Number 888 on the Route 444 Bus.
• Qin Ge confirmed that Number 888 was someone he knew, then described him as the strongest player he had met and exceptionally skilled at understanding and breaking rules.

Qin Ge reassured Sha Linghai that Su Bai was probably still alive and encouraged him to become stronger, then began discussing his new talent. After the Player Forum launched an exchange plan, the self-service machine outside Su Bai’s Mist Shop unexpectedly became popular.

• Qin Ge told Sha Linghai that Su Bai was mysterious and terrifyingly powerful, and said he believed Su Bai had survived saving him.
• Qin Ge urged Sha Linghai to grow stronger so he could prove Su Bai had made the right choice, and offered to help him use the Player Forum and learn about his talent.
• Sha Linghai registered on the Player Forum, whose administrators soon launched a new exchange plan.
• Su Bai prepared self-service machines that let players trade items for points and browse goods at the Mist Shop.
• The new exchange plan unexpectedly drew attention to the Mist Shop’s self-service machine, which quickly became popular.