Chapter Summaries

After leaving the cave, the narrator and Seventh Master exposed Shen Dong as a villager who had lured his classmates into the village and planned to lead them into an ambush. Bound and threatened, Shen Dong revealed that he had sent the Village Chief photos of Gao Jianxue, but he did not know whether she was still in the village.

• The narrator and Seventh Master caught Shen Dong when he pointed toward the Village Chief's house, then beat him until he admitted he was from the village.
• Shen Dong confessed that he had brought Hong Tao and the others there because the Village Chief paid for his schooling and his family depended on the villagers.
• The narrator tied Shen Dong up and made him show them a shortcut into the village, then asked him about Gao Jianxue.
• Shen Dong said a bachelor from another village had paid the Village Chief a deposit for Gao Jianxue, and admitted that he had sent the Village Chief her photos over the New Year.

The narrator and Seventh Master entered the village and confronted the village chief to learn where Gao Jianxue and Liang Qianqian were being held. The narrator took the chief’s family hostage and demanded that he tie up his son and an accomplice, escalating the standoff by slapping the chief’s elderly mother.

• The narrator forced Shen Dong to lead him and Seventh Master into the village, then Seventh Master knocked Shen Dong unconscious.
• The narrator and Seventh Master entered the village chief’s house and found the chief waiting upstairs with his son and another man.
• The chief and the two men forced the narrator downstairs, but Seventh Master emerged with the chief’s grandson as a hostage.
• Seventh Master took the baby downstairs while the narrator brought the chief’s elderly mother into the living room.
• The narrator demanded that the village chief fetch rope and tie up the two men, then slapped the chief’s mother twice when he refused.

After forcing the village chief to reveal how the village trapped its victims, Lü Zhengxian disabled the signal jammer and called the police. He then went to rescue Gao Jianxue and Liang Qianqian while Seventh Master stayed behind, leaving the chief with a chance to flee if he cooperated.

• Lü Zhengxian beat the village chief's mother until the chief agreed to tie up his son and another young man and answer questions.
• The village chief explained that Granny He trapped the dead in a cave, whose resentful spirits helped block communications throughout the village.
• The village chief revealed that dozens of people had died in the cave, including men killed to prevent them from calling the police.
• The village chief led Lü Zhengxian to the signal jammer, where Lü switched it off and called the police for help.
• Lü Zhengxian left with the village chief to rescue Gao Jianxue and Liang Qianqian while Seventh Master remained behind with the baby.
• Near the house holding the two girls, Lü Zhengxian told the village chief to deal with the guards and let him take the girls while the chief and his son escaped.

After discovering that Gao Jianxue had been killed and Liang Qianqian had been assaulted, the narrator escaped the house with Liang Qianqian and Seventh Master. Surrounded by armed villagers and Granny He, he wounded the Village Chief and fled as Granny He began casting a spell.

• The narrator found Liang Qianqian in distress and Gao Jianxue dead, then beat the Village Chief for sending people to alert the villagers.
• The narrator dressed Liang Qianqian, took the Village Chief hostage, and met up with Seventh Master outside.
• Armed villagers arrived with Granny He, and the narrator sent Seventh Master and Liang Qianqian to escape while he held off the crowd.
• The narrator stabbed the Village Chief in the thigh when the villagers challenged him to prove he would use the knife.
• The narrator distracted Granny He as he slowly backed away, then stabbed the Village Chief in the backside and ran when Granny He began casting a spell.

The narrator, Seventh Master, and Liang Qianqian fled the villagers and returned to the cave, where they found the dead woman in labor and Qin Yuhang and Su Li possessed by spirits. After discovering the cave was filled with wronged souls, the narrator released them to confront the villagers.

• The narrator escaped the Village Chief and used a lightning spell with Seventh Master to block the mountain trail with fallen trees.
• The narrator, Seventh Master, and Liang Qianqian returned to the cave and heard strange sounds inside.
• Seventh Master found the dead woman writhing in labor, while the narrator went deeper into the cave to search for Qin Yuhang and Su Li.
• Qin Yuhang and Su Li turned toward the narrator and Liang Qianqian with white, pupil-less eyes as spirits spoke through them.
• The narrator used the Soul-Illuminating Mirror and saw the cave filled with wronged souls, bones, and decaying bodies.
• The narrator cut his palm, commanded the wronged souls with the Malevolent Ghost Curse, and sent them out of the cave.

After the survivors escaped the Yin Souls, they helped a dead woman give birth to a healthy girl. The narrator recognized the girl’s birthmark as Xiuzhu’s and was left wondering why Xiuzhu had been reborn into another difficult life.

• Liang Qianqian returned to Qin Yuhang and Su Li, and the narrator told them Shen Dong had betrayed them and that Gao Jianxue had died.
• The dead woman went into labor, so Su Li delivered her baby while Liang Qianqian held the flashlight.
• The narrator spotted Xiuzhu’s distinctive birthmark on the baby’s left arm and concluded she was Xiuzhu’s reincarnation.
• The Seventh Master told the woman her baby was healthy and urged her to let go; she looked at her child, nodded, and died.
• The narrator told the Seventh Master about Xiuzhu’s promise to leave the same birthmark, then cursed Heaven for giving her another miserable life.
• Thunder and lightning struck outside the cave, and the narrator dropped to his knees and apologized to God.

After the police rescued Chen Mo, Seventh Master, and the others, they cared for newborn Xiuzhu while investigators identified her dead mother, Zhao Huimin. Zhao Huimin’s family refused to take Xiuzhu, and Seventh Master suggested Chen Mo adopt her; Chen Mo realized Seventh Master could adopt her instead.

• The police brought Chen Mo, Seventh Master, the others, and newborn Xiuzhu down the mountain and took them to the county hospital for treatment and examinations.
• Chen Mo and Seventh Master told the police about Zhao Huimin’s corpse reanimating but concealed the magical battle.
• The police identified Zhao Huimin as a missing twenty-six-year-old graduate student who had disappeared while traveling alone.
• Zhao Huimin’s family claimed her body but refused to take Xiuzhu, so the police asked Chen Mo and Seventh Master to care for the baby temporarily.
• Seventh Master urged Chen Mo to adopt Xiuzhu, and Chen Mo suggested that Seventh Master adopt her because Chen Mo was too young.

The narrator urged Seventh Master to adopt Xiuzhu so she would have a safe home, and he agreed. After learning that Seventh Master was wealthy despite having no pension, the officer said the adoption appeared suitable and promised to verify his circumstances.

• The narrator persuaded Seventh Master to consider adopting Xiuzhu, and he decided that fate had brought them together.
• Seventh Master asked the officer to help him adopt Xiuzhu, and the officer began assessing his eligibility.
• Seventh Master told the officer he had no pension but owned six homes, two storefronts, a car, and two million yuan in the bank.
• The officer said Seventh Master appeared able to adopt Xiuzhu and promised to verify his circumstances before issuing a statement.

Seventh Master prepared to adopt Xiuzhu after his wealth was verified, while the survivors of the village tragedy said their farewells. Before returning to Lanjiang City, the narrator and Seventh Master met Mr. Cui, who revealed that many villagers had died before the police arrived and warned them to keep the events confidential.

• Seventh Master explained that he had bought properties while traveling when he was young and planned to leave his remaining wealth to Xiuzhu.
• The narrator and Seventh Master gave further statements to the police, who verified Seventh Master's assets and provided documentation for his adoption application.
• Qin Yuhang and Su Li thanked the narrator and Seventh Master before leaving, and Qin Yuhang reflected on his friends' deaths and the importance of family.
• The narrator and Seventh Master hired a caregiver for Xiuzhu and went to meet Mr. Cui, a Chuma Immortal possessed by a Willow Immortal.
• Mr. Cui warned that the mountain events would be kept confidential and said nearly a third of the villagers had died before the police arrived.
• The narrator and Seventh Master denied killing anyone, and the narrator asked Mr. Cui how the villagers had died.

Mr. Cui described the village’s crimes and how Liu Yan had secretly tried to protect outsiders before being rescued. A Willow Immortal possessed Mr. Cui and revealed that Granny He led the trafficking village and belonged to a revived sect marked by an Evil Buddha statue.

• Mr. Cui told Chen Mo and Seventh Master that wronged souls had driven the villagers to suicide, and that most survivors would face punishment for their crimes.
• Mr. Cui explained that Liu Yan had pretended to be mad to frighten outsiders away, but the villagers had her tongue cut out; the police rescued her and reunited her with her family.
• When Chen Mo asked about Granny He, Mr. Cui shuddered, ate several pork hocks, and revealed that a Willow Immortal had possessed him.
• The Willow Immortal said Granny He had belonged to a religious sect that revived around a decade earlier and was involved in shady fundraising.
• The Willow Immortal identified Granny He as the village’s real mastermind and said her sect used an Evil Buddha statue as its symbol.

After learning more about Granny He’s role in the organization, the narrator and the Seventh Master returned to Lanjiang City with Xiuzhu. Their friends met Xiuzhu and marveled that she seemed to recognize them, while the Seventh Master explained that their souls’ magnetic fields could preserve a sense of familiarity.

• The Willow Immortal explained that Granny He supervised the village’s work for the organization, then left after warning the narrator and the Seventh Master that immortals could not interfere in human affairs without being invited.
• The next morning, the police made the narrator and the Seventh Master sign confidentiality agreements before they flew back to Lanjiang City with Xiuzhu.
• Song Xiaotian, Meng Yifan, and An Ning visited with baby supplies and were astonished to hear that Xiuzhu was the reincarnation of the ghost they had helped pass on.
• Xiuzhu woke without crying and smiled at them, prompting the Seventh Master to explain that her soul’s magnetic field could make her feel familiar and safe around people from her previous life.
• Meng Yifan suggested giving Xiuzhu a new name, and Song Xiaotian proposed Zhao Shufen, which made the Seventh Master glare at him.

After Du Yunting’s extravagant birthday delivery enraged An Ning, Chen Mo and the others celebrated her birthday with her. The evening ended in a horrific crash that left Du Yunting unconscious and badly injured.

• Meng Yifan’s real estate business boomed, the Seventh Master formally adopted Xiuzhu as his disciple, and An Ning’s birthday arrived.
• Du Yunting sent An Ning gifts and a company-wide birthday video, prompting her to chase his bodyguards with a broadsword.
• Chen Mo and the others calmed An Ning, then celebrated her birthday at a restaurant with the Seventh Master and Xiuzhu.
• After dinner, Chen Mo saw a speeding BMW crash into a taxi and a Hummer, killing the taxi’s driver and passenger.
• Chen Mo discovered Du Yunting was the Hummer’s passenger and had been pulled from the wreck unconscious and covered in blood.

After a deadly crash, Du Yunting survived but was attacked in the hospital and disappeared with one of his bodyguards. The Storefront crew suspected the attacks were connected to the organization, and the chapter ended with them asking why Du Yunting’s bodyguard had come to them.

• Du Yunting’s Hummer crashed downtown, killing the taxi driver, his student passenger, and the BMW driver while Du Yunting and his driver were taken to the hospital.
• Song Xiaotian and the others wondered whether the crash had been an intentional attack, possibly by the organization seeking revenge.
• Du Yunting’s bodyguard arrived at the Storefront and said Du Yunting had been attacked in the hospital and could no longer be reached.
• The bodyguard explained that two men had entered Du Yunting’s hospital room, stabbed one guard, and escaped with Du Yunting and another bodyguard.
• The bodyguard said the crash driver had a terminal illness and was already dead when the collision happened, prompting the narrator to recall Du Yunting’s earlier use of a terminally ill driver to kill Fang Man.
• The narrator asked the bodyguard why he had come to them if something had happened to Du Yunting.

After Du Yunting was targeted in two apparent assassination attempts, the narrator and Song Xiaotian investigated but found no clear lead and feared the organization was behind them. Seventh Master advised keeping Du Yunting alive as a deterrent, and Song Xiaotian realized that without Du Yunting, the organization might target his wife.

• Du Yunting's bodyguard asked the narrator, Song Xiaotian, and An Ning to save Du Yunting for five million, but they refused because of their longstanding hatred of him.
• The narrator and Song Xiaotian agreed to investigate whether the organization had attacked Du Yunting, and Song Xiaotian found that a cancer-stricken driver had deliberately crashed into him for money left to the driver's family.
• Song Xiaotian reported that two hired criminals had also attacked Du Yunting in the hospital and remained at large, while Du Yunting was still out of contact.
• The narrator called Seventh Master, who arrived with Xiuzhu and advised them that keeping Du Yunting alive could deter the organization from retaliating against them.
• Seventh Master asked who would become Lanjiang City's leading business owner if Du Yunting died, and Song Xiaotian realized the organization might target his wife.

The narrator, Song Xiaotian, and An Ning agreed to rescue Du Yunting because doing so could deter the organization from targeting them, while putting their own safety first. They met Du Yunting’s father, Du Rushan, who revealed that Du Yunting had angered a criminal organization and driven Huang Wenhui and his family to their deaths.

• Seventh Master persuaded the narrator, Song Xiaotian, and An Ning that rescuing Du Yunting could show the organization they stood together and discourage it from entering Lanjiang City.
• The bodyguard returned the next morning and offered a deposit of five hundred thousand and at least a million in total payment for bringing Du Yunting back.
• The narrator, Song Xiaotian, and An Ning agreed to help while prioritizing their safety, then went with the bodyguard to meet Du Rushan.
• Du Rushan said Du Yunting had offended a criminal organization late last year and had driven Huang Wenhui, his wife, and his daughter to their deaths.

The narrator learned that Huang Wenlong had kidnapped Du Yunting to avenge his brother Huang Wenhui and demanded twenty million in ransom. Song Xiaotian judged Du Yunting’s chances of surviving to be very low, while Du Rushan insisted they do everything possible to save him.

• Du Rushan explained that Du Yunting had driven Huang Wenhui to suicide, then submitted evidence that led to the collapse of Huang Wenhui’s company and the deaths of his wife and daughter.
• Du Rushan revealed that Huang Wenlong, recently returned from overseas, had paid the wife of the driver involved in Du Yunting’s crash and was suspected of seeking revenge.
• Du Rushan showed a ransom text demanding twenty million for Du Yunting’s life and warning him not to call the police.
• Song Xiaotian analyzed the kidnapper’s plan and warned Du Rushan that Huang Wenlong could kill Du Yunting even after receiving the money.
• Du Rushan asked the narrator and Song Xiaotian to do everything possible to save his son, and promised a reward.
• After leaving the Weihai Group, Song Xiaotian told the narrator that Du Yunting had only a one-in-ten chance of returning alive because Huang Wenlong wanted revenge more than money.

After Huang Wenlong demanded more ransom and arranged a hostage exchange in Chongqing, the narrator and the bodyguards set out to rescue Du Yunting. The narrator suspected the exchange would take place at the Huang family old residence and decided to inspect it before daybreak.

• Du Rushan showed the narrator and Song Xiaotian a video confirming that Du Yunting was alive but badly injured and tortured.
• Song Xiaotian suspected Huang Wenlong had chosen Chongqing for a trap, while Du Rushan explained that Chongqing was tied to Huang Wenlong’s dead family.
• Du Rushan hired the narrator’s group to rescue Du Yunting and sent them to Chongqing with more than fifty bodyguards, led by Wang Jun and Jiang Dalei.
• On the highway, the narrator reasoned that Huang Wenlong wanted to kill Du Yunting as revenge and might choose the Huang family old residence for the exchange.
• After learning the old residence had been abandoned since Huang Wenhui’s family died there, the narrator proposed inspecting it before daybreak.

After arriving in Chongqing, Chen and his companions searched the Huang Family House for clues about Du Yunting’s captivity and the planned exchange. They found grenades hidden beneath the family offering table, suggesting Huang Wenlong intended to use the house as the exchange site and threaten the rescue party.

• Chen suspected the Huang Family House was a likely exchange location and took An Ning, Wang Jun, and Jiang Dalei to scout it while Song Xiaotian stayed outside.
• Chen reasoned that Du Yunting was probably being held in the mountains and warned the others about the house’s ghosts before they climbed inside.
• The group searched the basement and living room, where they found memorial portraits of Huang Wenhui and his family on an offering table.
• Chen noticed that the incense burner was dust-free and concluded Huang Wenlong had recently visited to pay his respects.
• An Ning smelled gunpowder, crawled beneath the offering table, and found two grenades hidden there.

Chen and his companions discovered that Huang Wenlong had hidden grenades beneath the offering table and planned to replace them, but Yin Souls cut off their phone signal. As they searched the old house for Huang Wenhui’s family, Chen captured the daughter’s ghost, only to be seized by unseen hands at the end.

• An Ning found two grenades hidden beneath the offering table, and Wang Jun proposed replacing them with empty fakes before Huang Wenlong arrived.
• The group lost their phone signal and realized Yin Souls were watching them in the old house.
• Chen led everyone upstairs to find and capture Huang Wenhui’s family, while Wang Jun and Jiang Dalei panicked at the prospect of ghosts.
• Chen pulled Huang Wenhui’s daughter’s ghost down, subdued her, and sealed her in a talisman that An Ning placed in a bottle.
• A chill swept over Chen’s neck, and a pair of hands suddenly grabbed his ankles.

Chen Mo survived the Huang Family House’s noose illusion and sent the husband and wife Yin Souls away, then returned to the hotel while Wang Jun arranged the grenade swap. Huang Wenlong called that night and ordered exactly three people to arrive at the house by 10:30, threatening to kill Du Yunting if anyone else came within two kilometers.

• Jiang Dalei knocked Chen Mo aside, and Chen Mo became trapped in a noose hallucination until An Ning cut through it with the Broadsword.
• Chen Mo used the Spirit-Invoking Art to summon and seize the husband and wife Yin Souls, forcing them to disappear.
• Chen Mo, An Ning, and Wang Jun returned to the hotel while Wang Jun arranged for identical empty grenades to be brought in and swapped.
• After resting, Chen Mo learned that Huang Wenlong had entered the Huang Family House with three masked people and that the grenades had been swapped.
• Huang Wenlong called Wang Jun and demanded that only three people reach the front gate by 10:30, warning that he would kill Du Yunting if anyone else came within two kilometers.