Chapter Summaries

Zhong Xueran realized that the Vengeful Ghost’s ancient clothing concealed the clue to escaping the Ghost Story and identified Meat Slope as Moon Slope. After the ghost vanished into an untended grave, Zhong Xueran returned to normal and reunited with Xia Nan.

• Zhong Xueran searched the graves as the Vengeful Ghost approached, then discovered that her own bones were cracking and her body was shrinking.
• Zhong Xueran recognized the ghost’s ancient clothes and recalled her father’s warning about Taoist priests who could control Vengeful Ghosts.
• Zhong Xueran reasoned that the black paper clothes hid the ghost’s ancient origin because that detail mattered to escaping the Ghost Story.
• Zhong Xueran interpreted “Meat Slope” as “Moon Slope” and found the crescent-shaped slope the ghost sought.
• The Vengeful Ghost entered an untended grave and disappeared, restoring Zhong Xueran’s body; she left candy at the grave and returned to Xia Nan.

Qin Manjiang discovered that Abyss wore Xu Yi’s face and learned that Yi Lianhai had created him. After Abyss suffered pain while trying to reveal more, Qin Manjiang gave him the name Yi Yu, leaving Qin Manjiang to fear that Yan Xiao had entrusted Xu Yi’s body to the wrong person.

• Qin Manjiang followed Abyss to his hotel and agreed to meet Yan Xiao at the Riverside tearoom the next morning.
• Abyss peeled off a human-skin mask, revealing Xu Yi’s face, and told Qin Manjiang that Yi Lianhai had made him.
• Abyss began suffering severe pain when he tried to explain more about Yi Lianhai, so Qin Manjiang stopped him.
• Abyss wondered why he had no home, and Qin Manjiang asked what he liked and learned that he wanted to stand in the rain.
• Qin Manjiang named him Yi Yu, and Yi Yu smiled as Qin Manjiang worried that Yan Xiao had given Xu Yi’s body to the wrong person.

Qin Manjiang learned that Yu Zeming and the Returning Soul Ghost Story were tied to Yi Lianhai, who had deceived Yan Xiao and used Xu Yi’s body to create Yi Yu. Before Qin Manjiang could confront Yi Yu about the other bodies in the Eye Realm phone, a new Ghost Story Game began and announced “Hide-and-Seek.”

• Yan Xiao told Qin Manjiang that the Returning Soul Ghost Story was a setup, and Xia Nan and Shen Hai connected Yu Zeming and Zhao Fengchuan to the Paleontology Research Association.
• Qin Manjiang revealed that the association was run by Yi Lianhai, who was also Zhao Fengchuan.
• Yan Xiao admitted that the Doctor had once helped him revive a dead patient and that he had handed Xu Yi’s body over to him.
• Zhong Xueran demanded to know whether Xu Yi had come back to life, while Shen Hai realized that Yi Lianhai might have taken his, Mei Sijun’s, and Qiao Ziruo’s backup bodies.
• A new Ghost Story Game began, and Qin Manjiang and the others were drawn into the Eye Realm.
• The eighth spirit pupil displayed the new Ghost Story: “Hide-and-Seek.”

The eighth Ultimate Game, [Hide-and-Seek], began and selected six players, including several members of the Ten Seats. Qin Manjiang was chosen last, as the Eye Realm’s largest pupil singled him out.

• The eyes selected Liu Jingqing and Nie Yunzhen as the first two players while Qin Manjiang reflected on the dwindling survivors and their danger in the real world.
• Qin Manjiang saw that the Ten Seats rankings had changed, with himself at Second Seat, Shen Hai at Third Seat, Zhong Xueran at Sixth Seat, Su Yu at Seventh Seat, Yu Ruoli at Eighth Seat, Liu Jingqing at Ninth Seat, and Mayfly at Tenth Seat.
• Chen Zhiyuan was selected despite his fading ability to think, which had been damaged by using his Permanent Item.
• Shen Hai and Mayfly were selected next, leaving the players startled that nearly every chosen player belonged to the Ten Seats.
• The largest pupil fixed its gaze on Qin Manjiang, and blood-red light marked him as selected under the name [Professor].

A new three-stage hide-and-seek game selected Qin Manjiang and Shen Hai, and the group suspected Yi Lianhai had influenced the sudden ghost story. Qin Manjiang learned that Yi Yu could check in for him because the game treated them as the same player, leaving their identities intertwined as the game approached.

• The [Eye Realm] announced a three-stage game beginning at midnight in Snake Mouth District, then expelled the players from its space.
• Qin Manjiang, Shen Hai, and the others questioned the game’s unusual wording and suspected the warning had come from Yi Lianhai rather than the [Eye Realm].
• Shen Hai argued that [Abyss] should be eliminated and urged Yan Xiao to lure Yi Lianhai out; Yan Xiao agreed to investigate and planned a trip to Moon City.
• Qin Manjiang hurried away, remembering his personal challenge task, while Shen Hai told the others not to tell him about the plan against [Abyss].
• Yi Yu told Qin Manjiang he could check in for him because the program identified Yi Yu as [Abyss] and Qin Manjiang as [Professor], and their combined spirit pupil points made the game treat them as one.

Qin Manjiang and Shen Hai traveled to Snake Mouth District after Nie Yunzhen asked the six players to gather for the upcoming Hide-and-Seek Ghost Story. The group met in a café, where Nie Yunzhen said the location seemed randomly chosen and they would need to work out the game’s rules and identify the ghost.

• Shen Hai warned Qin Manjiang that trusting Yi Yu and saving Yu Ruoli were naive choices, while Qin Manjiang explained he wanted to avoid making the choices Jiang Du would make.
• Shen Hai told Qin Manjiang that he had been abandoned as a child and had changed his name after turning eighteen.
• Nie Yunzhen called Qin Manjiang and asked him to bring Shen Hai to Snake Mouth District for the six players’ Hide-and-Seek Ghost Story.
• Qin Manjiang and Shen Hai arrived in Snake Mouth District and met Nie Yunzhen, Chen Zhiyuan, Mayfly, Zheng Jun, and Liu Jingqing.
• Nie Yunzhen said Snake Mouth District had no strange rumors and that the players needed to determine the game’s rules and identify the ghost.

The eighth Ultimate Game, the Hide-and-Seek Ghost Story, selected players in the Eye Realm as the Ten Seats rankings shifted. Qin Manjiang was selected as the sixth player, leaving the others to face a game that had already chosen several prominent players.

• The Hide-and-Seek Ghost Story appeared, and the eyes across the Eye Realm selected Liu Jingqing as its first player.
• Nie Yunzhen was selected second as Qin Manjiang reviewed the changed Ten Seats rankings, including his rise to Second Seat.
• Chen Zhiyuan was selected third, prompting concern because his Permanent Item had severely diminished his ability to think.
• Shen Hai and Mayfly were selected fourth and fifth, leading the survivors to notice that nearly every chosen player belonged to the Ten Seats.
• The eyes selected Qin Manjiang as the sixth player and marked him with the name [Professor].

The players suspected Yi Lianhai had influenced the sudden three-stage Hide-and-Seek Ghost Story, while Shen Hai urged Yan Xiao to lure him out. Qin Manjiang then learned that Yi Yu could check in for the story in his place because the Ghost Story treated their combined Spirit Pupil Points as belonging to both [Abyss] and [Professor].

• The players returned from the [Eye Realm] and noted that its new instructions called the Hide-and-Seek round a game and warned them not to get found.
• Yan Xiao suggested the warning sounded like Doctor, and the group connected the Ghost Story’s sudden arrival to their discussion of Yi Lianhai.
• Qin Manjiang left to handle an urgent matter, while Shen Hai told the others he suspected [Abyss] had informed Doctor and wanted Yan Xiao to lure him out.
• Yan Xiao agreed to investigate Doctor and announced that he planned to go to Moon City.
• Yi Yu told Qin Manjiang he could check in for him as [Abyss], explaining that their Spirit Pupil Points had been counted together since the Snow Mountain Ghost Story.

Qin Manjiang and Shen Hai traveled to Snake Mouth District to join four other players for the upcoming Hide-and-Seek ghost story. They gathered in a café, where Nie Yunzhen said the district had no unusual rumors, so they would need to focus on the game’s rules and identify the ghost.

• Shen Hai challenged Qin Manjiang for trusting Yi Yu, and Qin Manjiang explained that he did not want to make the choices Jiang Du would have made.
• Shen Hai told Qin Manjiang that he had been abandoned as a child and had changed his name after turning eighteen.
• Nie Yunzhen called Qin Manjiang and asked him to bring Shen Hai to Snake Mouth District for the Hide-and-Seek game.
• Qin Manjiang and Shen Hai met Nie Yunzhen, Chen Zhiyuan, Zheng Jun, and Liu Jingqing in the commercial district and went with them to a café.
• Nie Yunzhen said Snake Mouth District had no strange rumors and that the group needed to determine the game rules and find out who the ghost was.

Qin Manjiang questioned Nie Yunzhen about how she recognized him, and she warned him that Li Xijiu had traded information about him. As the players prepared for the Hide-and-Seek ghost story in Snake Mouth District, Shen Hai challenged Nie Yunzhen’s plan and began choosing a partner to explore with.

• Qin Manjiang asked Nie Yunzhen how she recognized him, and she warned him to be wary of Li Xijiu, who had traded information about him for information from her.
• Qin Manjiang reflected on Li Xijiu’s suspicious behavior and Nie Yunzhen’s unexplained connection to Moon City’s [Eye Realm].
• Nie Yunzhen introduced Zheng Jun, who recounted surviving the [Cat-and-Mouse] ghost story by hiding in the sewer where a dead child believed no one could find him.
• Shen Hai argued that the players could not identify the ghost from Snake Mouth District’s history and suggested scouting hiding places instead.
• Nie Yunzhen agreed that the group should familiarize themselves with the area, while Shen Hai urged them not to travel alone.
• Shen Hai chose Chen Zhiyuan as his partner, and Chen Zhiyuan went with him despite his uncertainty about their shared past.

Qin Manjiang and Liu Jingqing searched Snake Mouth District for hiding places before a game, but a malfunctioning Sheep Doll announced that it had found them and every person and object with eyes seemed to watch them. They fled the mall, while the staff who passed them also turned to look.

• Shen Hai told Chen Zhiyuan to follow him during the game, claiming they would be safer working together, and privately considered using him as bait.
• Shen Hai wondered how Yi Yu had entered Fu City's [Eye Realm] during lockdown and whether Qin Manjiang's identity had made it possible.
• Qin Manjiang and Liu Jingqing explored the malls in Snake Mouth District and discussed his White Mask, which Liu Jingqing feared might make him seem replaced by a ghost.
• A Sheep Doll beside a ball pit repeatedly cried, "Found you!" as children gathered around it.
• Qin Manjiang and Liu Jingqing realized that everyone and everything with eyes seemed to glance at them, so they hurried out of the mall.
• The staff inspecting the Sheep Doll also turned their heads to look at Qin Manjiang and Liu Jingqing as they passed.

Qin Manjiang and Liu Jingqing realized the Vengeful Ghost might be watching them through the eyes of people around [Snake Mouth District], and the players explored the shopping area under constant observation. Shen Hai suggested their tour may have taught the ghost to enter every part of the district, potentially eliminating their safest hiding places.

• Qin Manjiang and Liu Jingqing left the mall and hid in Central Park after passersby repeatedly gave them eerie glances.
• Qin Manjiang suspected the ghost was using the players’ exploration to learn the district and might be watching them through other people’s eyes.
• Qin Manjiang and Liu Jingqing explored the Underground Garage, while the other groups surveyed quieter areas and encountered the same strange stares.
• As crowds increased in the evening, the players checked the malls’ elevators, stairs, and walkways before gathering in Central Park.
• Shen Hai proposed that the ghost might avoid places it did not know, but their exploration may have taught it to enter the entire district.

Qin Manjiang and the other five players waited in Snake Mouth District for a ghostly hide-and-seek game to begin, while Yi Yu reported escaping water ghosts on a jet ski. A red map appeared before them, and the rules announced that one of the six would be randomly chosen as the ghost, prompting everyone to run in different directions.

• Qin Manjiang completed his check-in at Guanyin Flat Lake and texted Yi Yu, who said he had escaped water ghosts on a jet ski.
• Qin Manjiang and Xia Nan searched the police system but found no record of incidents in Snake Mouth District.
• As midnight approached, Qin Manjiang, Zheng Jun, Liu Jingqing, Nie Yunzhen, Shen Hai, and Chen Zhiyuan gathered on the pedestrian street to await the game.
• A glowing red map of Snake Mouth District appeared in the six players' vision, followed by rules stating that the game would begin in ten minutes and one player would be selected as the ghost.
• Shen Hai and Chen Zhiyuan ran in separate directions along with the other players.

Qin Manjiang was chosen as the ghost in the Hide-and-Seek game, and the red map revealed seven points of light despite there being only six Players. When the points suddenly shifted, he realized the map showed delayed positions, leaving him unsure how to locate the real ghost among them.

• Qin Manjiang and Shen Hai questioned how the game could avoid guaranteeing a death, while the Players spread out and hid across Snake Mouth District.
• The game began, and Qin Manjiang received the notice that he had been chosen as the ghost with a two-hour time limit.
• Qin Manjiang saw six other points of light on the map, making seven in total when he counted his own position.
• Qin Manjiang watched a point of light appear near the parking garage and initially suspected it belonged to a teleporting ghost.
• Qin Manjiang fled as every other point of light shifted at once, then concluded that the map displayed Players' positions with a delay of several minutes.

Qin Manjiang and Liu Jingqing realized a real ghost was hunting among the Players, while the Red Map showed their locations with a three-minute delay. Liu Jingqing fled toward the Shopping Malls, but the ghost caught sight of her near the Musical Fountain.

• Qin Manjiang deduced that one of the Red Map's seven dots represented a real ghost and rushed toward the Shopping Malls to find the other Players first.
• Liu Jingqing saw a ghostly white figure descend the steps by the Musical Fountain and realized she was a hider rather than the designated ghost.
• Liu Jingqing watched the Red Map's dots shift, then ran from the Street Garden toward the Shopping Malls when two dots appeared nearby.
• Liu Jingqing discovered that a dot overlapping her position marked where the ghost had been three minutes earlier.
• Liu Jingqing spotted the ghost staring at her through a gap in the Musical Fountain.

Liu Jingqing was trapped between two Vengeful Ghosts while hiding in the street garden, but a sudden realization made her sprint toward the ghost by the fountain. The chapter ends before revealing what she remembered or whether her gamble would save her.

• Liu Jingqing fled from a Vengeful Ghost approaching the musical fountain and hid in bushes in the street garden.
• Liu Jingqing realized the ghosts tracked players through delayed points of light rather than sensing their exact locations.
• A second Vengeful Ghost appeared in the middle of the street garden, leaving Liu Jingqing trapped between both ghosts.
• As the ghosts closed in, Liu Jingqing remembered something, scrambled out of the bushes, and ran toward the Vengeful Ghost by the fountain.

Liu Jingqing recognized Qin Manjiang as the player posing as the Vengeful Ghost and escaped the real ghost by letting Qin find her. As Qin raced to locate the remaining players, Shen Hai devised a way to reveal his location to him without alerting the real ghost.

• Liu Jingqing inferred from Qin Manjiang's choice to go around the fountain that he was human, ran into his arms, and was marked as found by him.
• Qin Manjiang told Liu Jingqing to hide, learned how she had distinguished him from the real ghost, and hurried toward the mall to find the others.
• Qin Manjiang noticed three player markers clustered in Building Two and suspected they were still hiding in the Shopping Square.
• Shen Hai realized the map's markers were delayed and decided to make the human player playing the ghost discover his location.
• Shen Hai left the Covered Bridge after coming up with a plan based on the players sharing a memory.

Zheng Jun studied the delayed map dots and reasoned that a real ghost had joined the game, then left his hiding place to seek safety in the Street Garden. At the third-floor elevator, he saw its display changing floors and realized someone was inside.

• Zheng Jun confirmed that the map dots updated at intervals and deduced that one dot had vanished after someone was found in the Street Garden.
• Zheng Jun concluded that a seventh dot represented a real ghost threatening the player acting as the seeker.
• Zheng Jun decided to leave the seventh-floor fire escape and head for the Street Garden, which he thought the ghost had already left.
• Zheng Jun considered taking the elevator to the basement and circling to the Street Garden through the parking lot.
• Zheng Jun reached the third-floor elevator and watched its display change from Floor 1 to Floor 2.

Zheng Jun fled a real Vengeful Ghost through the mall stairwell after hanging up on Liu Jingqing, while Qin Manjiang rushed in as the player acting as the ghost. Just as the Vengeful Ghost reached Zheng Jun, someone grabbed his long hair from below.

• Zheng Jun ignored Liu Jingqing’s call, then saw a real ghost emerge from the elevator and realized it had located him.
• Zheng Jun crept down the stairs, but spotted the ghost’s pale feet at the landing and ran.
• Qin Manjiang heard someone rushing down the stairs and charged in, hoping to find players before the real ghost did.
• The Vengeful Ghost leaped down the stairwell after Zheng Jun, who stumbled and fell onto the landing between the second and first floors.
• As the Vengeful Ghost reached for Zheng Jun, someone grabbed his hair and panted that his long hair had come in handy.

Qin Manjiang rescued Zheng Jun from the real ghost, while Shen Hai used the mall speakers to direct the players toward the Coffee Shop. As Qin Manjiang rushed to the Broadcast Room and Chen Zhiyuan tried to leave for the Coffee Shop, the ghost’s approach put both plans in danger.

• Qin Manjiang saved Zheng Jun from the real ghost, and Zheng Jun told him that Shen Hai and Chen Zhiyuan were hiding in the mall.
• Shen Hai broadcast a message telling everyone to meet at the usual place, which Zheng Jun realized meant the Coffee Shop.
• Qin Manjiang understood Shen Hai’s plan but ran toward the Broadcast Room, fearing the real ghost would reach Shen Hai first.
• Chen Zhiyuan heard Shen Hai’s message and decided to head to the Coffee Shop, but Nie Yunzhen grabbed him and warned that the ghost had come upstairs.
• Nie Yunzhen told Chen Zhiyuan to stay hidden.