Chapter Summaries

Xu Zhihan learned more about Xu An’s disappearance and Lin Wan’s death while Lu Wenchuan uncovered Xu Chengyuan’s plan to portray him as mentally unstable. Lu Wenchuan helped stop a psychiatrist from issuing a dubious assessment, and Xu Zhihan left Xu Chengyuan warning that the tactic would not work.

• Lu Wenchuan told Xu Zhihan that Xu An had lived with Xu Zhihan’s mother, Lin Wan, before disappearing, and that Lin Wan had died shortly beforehand.
• Lu Wenchuan revealed that Xu Chengyuan planned to use Xu Zhihan’s hospital records and a psychiatrist’s opinion to label him mentally unstable, and promised to find the complete records and a real doctor.
• Xu Zhihan went downstairs with Lu Wenchuan when Xu Chengyuan arrived with Dr. Chen and an assistant to assess him.
• Xu Zhihan challenged Dr. Chen about being paid, and Lu Wenchuan warned that the assessment required proper procedures and could bring Dr. Chen to the Special Investigation Bureau.
• Dr. Chen abandoned the assessment and left, while Xu Zhihan warned Xu Chengyuan that the mental-instability tactic would fail.

Lu Wenchuan took Xu Zhihan to eat hot pot and shared a new lead about Xu An. The chapter ended with Xu Zhihan learning that Xu An had originally been named Lin An and had entered the Xu Family to take something in his place.

• Lu Wenchuan persuaded Xu Zhihan to leave the Xu household for a meal by saying he had a new lead about Xu An.
• Xu Zhihan left with Lu Wenchuan despite Zhou Man and Xu Mingji trying to stop him.
• Lu Wenchuan ordered a mild hot pot meal, and Xu Zhihan ate more than usual while they talked.
• After the meal, Lu Wenchuan told Xu Zhihan that Xu An's original name was Lin An and that he came from Xu Zhihan's mother's family.
• Lu Wenchuan explained that the Xu Family had changed Lin An's name because it needed a child to take something in Xu Zhihan's place.

After learning that Xu An had taken the misfortune meant for him and died, Xu Zhihan investigated his fate and shared a quiet moment with Lu Wenchuan over candy. Lu Wenchuan uncovered Xu Chengyuan’s surveillance and moved to investigate, while Xu Zhihan returned to the Xu Family home carrying candy for Xu An.

• Xu Zhihan learned from Lu Wenchuan that Xu An had taken his place and died, and asked where Xu An was; Lu Wenchuan said he was being guarded in the basement.
• Lu Wenchuan bought candy and gave Xu Zhihan a piece, which reminded Xu Zhihan of a childhood memory of someone sharing candy with him.
• Lu Wenchuan spotted a car following them, confronted its occupants, and took their phone, discovering Xu Chengyuan’s people had photographed them.
• Xu Zhihan warned Lu Wenchuan not to visit again so he would not be drawn into trouble, but Lu Wenchuan said he could handle the attention and gave him the candy box for Xu An.
• After Xu Zhihan entered the Xu Family home, Lu Wenchuan reviewed the surveillance photos and messaged his team to investigate Xu Chengyuan’s contacts and watch clickbait accounts.

Xu Zhihan let Xu Chengyuan publish misleading photos of him and Lu Wenchuan, then watched Lu expose the Xu Family’s staged smear campaign. Xu Chengyuan baited Xu Zhihan into attending the next night’s reception with news of someone who knew Lin Wan, and Xu Zhihan planned to bring Xu An and make the Xu Family answer for its past.

• Xu Zhihan agreed to let Xu Chengyuan release the secretly taken photos and said he would counter with the full record.
• Xu Chengyuan ordered the photos released to divert attention from Xu Mingji’s recording and cast suspicion on Lu Wenchuan’s involvement in the investigation.
• After the photos spread online, Lu Wenchuan released restaurant surveillance footage and the photographer’s messages with Xu Chengyuan’s assistant, exposing the Xu Family’s setup.
• Lu Wenchuan’s Seventh Team issued a statement identifying Xu Zhihan as a key witness and warning that rumor-spreaders would face legal consequences, while Xu Chengyuan’s smear campaign backfired.
• Xu Chengyuan announced a reception and used news of Lin Wan’s old acquaintance to lure Xu Zhihan into attending; Lu Wenchuan said he would go too.
• Xu Zhihan offered Xu An a piece of candy and promised to take him to the reception to watch the Xu Family pay for what it had done.

Xu Zhihan attended the Xu Family reception to investigate Lin Wan and Xu An, despite suspecting Xu Chengyuan had set a trap. He publicly hinted at the Xu Family’s basement and confronted business partner Zhao Huaide about Xu An, leaving Zhao Huaide’s smile frozen.

• Xu Chengyuan persuaded Xu Zhihan to attend the reception by promising that someone who knew Lin Wan and Xu An would be there.
• Lu Wenchuan arrived with an invitation from the Chu Family and accompanied Xu Zhihan to the reception.
• Xu Zhihan told reporters that his family was a little cleaner than the basement, prompting them to question Xu Chengyuan about it.
• Xu Zhihan spotted Zhao Huaide, whose sin lines connected to a nursing home, and learned from Lu Wenchuan about his ties to Jiang Ren’s nursing center.
• Zhao Huaide approached Xu Zhihan and claimed he had held him as a child, so Xu Zhihan asked whether he had held Xu An too.

At the Xu Family reception, Xu Zhihan confronted Zhao Huaide over his dead wife’s forged share transfer and exposed his role in her death, causing Zhao to confess and collapse to his knees. Xu Zhihan left the chaotic banquet with Lu Wenchuan, while the Xu Family’s respectable image suffered another blow.

• Xu Zhihan confronted Zhao Huaide about Jiang Ren, a jade ring, and Zhao’s late wife, while Xu Chengyuan tried to silence him and Lu Wenchuan stood between them.
• Xu Zhihan accused Zhao Huaide of forcing his wife’s fingerprint onto a share transfer agreement and taking the ring from her hand.
• Lu Wenchuan restrained Zhao Huaide as Xu Zhihan summoned the dead woman’s spectral presence, and Zhao’s jade ring cracked and fell apart.
• Zhao Huaide fell to his knees and blurted out that he had wanted the company back and had moved his wife’s death forward, while bystanders recorded his confession.
• Xu Zhihan rebuked Xu Chengyuan over his guests and left the banquet hall with Lu Wenchuan, who gave him candy when he looked unsteady.

After Zhao Huaide’s public confession, Lu Wenchuan arranged protection for Xu Zhihan and confronted the Xu Family over the investigation. Xu Zhihan chose to leave with Lu Wenchuan, and they drove away from the Xu Family.

• Lu Wenchuan’s Seventh Team secured Zhao Huaide and stopped people from deleting their recordings while Xu Chengyuan challenged Lu Wenchuan’s involvement.
• Lu Wenchuan revealed that Zhao Huaide had invested in Jiang Ren’s sanatorium, linking it to the Xu Family basement formation and the Special Investigation Bureau’s case.
• Xu Zhihan rejected Xu Chengyuan’s and Zhou Man’s appeals to return home, then chose to go with Lu Wenchuan under temporary witness protection.
• Lu Wenchuan protected Xu Zhihan from reporters and warned them against spreading rumors or manipulating public opinion.
• Xu Zhihan grew weaker on the way to the car, and Lu Wenchuan gave him candy before driving them away from the Xu Family.

Xu Zhihan underwent medical examinations and ability tests at the Special Investigation Bureau after Lu Wenchuan brought him there. When the test equipment restrained him and an external force activated the room’s formations, Xu Zhihan’s readings surged into the red as the lights went out.

• Lu Wenchuan brought Xu Zhihan to the Special Investigation Bureau, where Song Zhixia ordered a physical examination despite Xu Zhihan’s objections.
• Song Zhixia found Xu Zhihan’s physical condition dangerously poor but his mental fluctuations unusually stable and impossible to measure fully.
• Lu Wenchuan explained that the ability tests could help place Xu Zhihan on the Bureau’s protection list and counter Xu Chengyuan’s claim that he was mentally unstable.
• The testing chair unexpectedly restrained Xu Zhihan, and Lu Wenchuan cut the metal bands after Xu Zhihan challenged the Bureau’s treatment of him.
• An external interference triggered the testing room’s formations and directed every instrument at Xu Zhihan to extract his mental fluctuations.
• Xu Zhihan remained still as the lights went out, and every reading on the control room screens surged into the red.

Xu Zhihan destroyed an entity tied to the Old Gods Society after it recognized his divine spark, but the effort left him badly injured and unconscious. A cryptic message announced that the god had returned, prompting Lu Wenchuan to order an investigation of everyone in the Special Investigation Bureau.

• The testing array turned against Xu Zhihan, and Song Zhixia identified the Old Gods Society as the source of the intrusion.
• A black-faced entity called Xu Zhihan an awakened god and said he belonged on the altar, while Lu Wenchuan tried to shield him from its attack.
• Xu Zhihan forced the entity to kneel and shattered it, collapsing the array and destroying the testing equipment.
• Xu Zhihan collapsed and told Lu Wenchuan that the entity knew about his divine spark before passing out.
• A screen displayed the words "The God Has Returned," and Lu Wenchuan ordered an investigation of everyone in the Special Investigation Bureau.

Xu Zhihan woke in the Special Investigation Bureau’s medical room and learned that the Old Gods Society’s attack was connected to his past and the Divine Spark. Lu Wenchuan discovered that Deputy Director Shen Cheng had authorized the testing-room program changes and went to confront him.

• Xu Zhihan woke early despite Song Zhixia’s warning that his overloaded mental state should have kept him unconscious for three days.
• Xu Zhihan said the intruder’s aura resembled the entity in the Xu Family basement, and Lu Wenchuan identified the Old Gods Society as a likely link.
• Song Zhixia warned Xu Zhihan that some Bureau officials wanted to detain and study him, and he took his bitter medicine before asking Lu Wenchuan to leave the candy behind.
• A team member told Lu Wenchuan that the testing-room program had been altered internally with Deputy Director Shen Cheng’s authorization.
• Lu Wenchuan went to meet Shen Cheng and said he would ask him how he wanted to die.

Lu Wenchuan challenged Deputy Director Shen over the testing room incident and opposed Headquarters’ order to isolate Xu Zhihan. Xu Zhihan stopped the enforcement officers from taking him away and left with Lu Wenchuan to investigate a series of disappearances on the Old South City night bus route.

• Lu Wenchuan confronted Shen Cheng, who blamed an anomalous login for the testing room breach and proposed isolating Xu Zhihan for a seventy-two-hour evaluation.
• Lu Wenchuan rejected Shen Cheng’s plan and demanded an explanation for the Old Gods Society’s device entering the testing room.
• At the medical ward, Lu Wenchuan found Song Zhixia blocking two Headquarters officers sent to transfer Xu Zhihan to the Isolation Zone.
• Xu Zhihan came out of his room and used his power to release the officers’ Restraint Devices when they threatened to use force.
• Xu Zhihan asked to take a case to prove his usefulness, and Lu Wenchuan agreed to bring him to investigate seven disappearances linked to the Old South City route.

Lu Wenchuan and Xu Zhihan boarded the anomalous night bus to investigate the disappearances and found the missing passengers trapped among the spirits. After Xu Zhihan silenced the driver, he ordered the bus to continue to its final stop, the Place of No Return.

• Lu Wenchuan and Xu Zhihan waited at the abandoned bus stop and boarded the green bus that appeared in the fog.
• Xu Zhihan identified three living missing passengers among the spirits and saw that their souls were bound by black energy.
• The driver threatened that no one could leave before the final stop, but Xu Zhihan silenced him with a command.
• Xu Zhihan ordered the bus to drive to the Place of No Return as the three trapped passengers began to stir.
• Lu Wenchuan charged his blade with Thunderlight and prepared to face whatever awaited them at the end of the route.

Xu Zhihan and Lu Wenchuan fought the supernatural bus, discovering it used living passengers as fares and stored named tickets in its fare box. As Lu Wenchuan steered the bus away from a collapsed bridge, Xu Zhihan declared that it was time to stop it.

• Xu Zhihan found black threads binding the high school boy and realized the bus was using living people to make up its fares.
• The bus issued black tickets to its dead passengers, while its driver claimed that anyone without a ticket could not leave.
• Lu Wenchuan attacked the driver with lightning fire as Xu Zhihan opened the fare box and found tickets bearing names, including three blank ones for the living passengers.
• The driver sent the bus speeding toward a collapsed bridge, and Lu Wenchuan took the wheel and forced it away from the edge, reopening an old wound on his wrist.
• Xu Zhihan noticed Lu Wenchuan's injury and told him to move, declaring that the bus had to stop.

Xu Zhihan destroyed the bus’s tickets to free the dead souls and save the living passengers while Lu Wenchuan fought the driver. The passengers escaped, but the driver remained, and Xu Zhihan forced it to kneel as he ran out of strength.

• Lu Wenchuan held off the bus’s spirits while Xu Zhihan discovered that destroying the tickets would free the dead souls.
• Xu Zhihan tore up the tickets one by one, then burned the remaining stack despite the memories overwhelming him.
• Lu Wenchuan stopped the driver from devouring the three living passengers, and Xu Zhihan destroyed their tickets to free them.
• Lu Wenchuan shattered the bus door and ordered the passengers to run into the path to reality.
• The driver lunged at Xu Zhihan, who commanded it to kneel before collapsing from exhaustion.

Xu Zhihan separated the trapped souls from the Old Gods Society’s influence inside the night bus and recovered a damaged mark as a clue. He collapsed from the effort, and Lu Wenchuan carried him away as the bus vanished.

• Xu Zhihan and Lu Wenchuan forced the driver to reveal that it served the Old Gods Society, but its mark began trying to destroy it.
• When Lu Wenchuan stopped Xu Zhihan from touching the mark, Xu Zhihan instead drew the resentment from the bus and separated the trapped souls from the black vapor.
• Xu Zhihan stripped the driver’s black vapor away, freed the souls, and sealed half of the damaged mark inside a charred bus ticket while Lu Wenchuan pinned it down.
• Xu Zhihan collapsed and coughed up blood; Lu Wenchuan carried him off the bus after confirming that the survivors had escaped and the souls could leave.
• Lu Wenchuan took Xu Zhihan to the car with the ticket in hand as the night bus turned to ash and disappeared.

After Xu Zhihan helped rescue three people and release the night bus’s trapped souls, he returned to the medical room in critical condition. Lu Wenchuan and Song Zhixia discovered that the Old Gods Society’s mark might share a drug source with the medication Xu Zhihan had taken from the Xu Family, while Xu Zhihan secretly heard enough to blame his family.

• Lu Wenchuan brought the badly weakened Xu Zhihan back to the medical room, and Xu Zhihan first asked whether the three people and the bus’s souls had survived.
• Song Zhixia warned that Xu Zhihan’s body could not withstand many more uses of his ability, while Lu Wenchuan admitted that he had taken him on the mission because his help had saved lives.
• Song Zhixia told Lu Wenchuan that the remaining Old Gods Society mark contained traces of a drug similar to an ingredient in Xu Zhihan’s long-term medication.
• Song Zhixia asked Lu Wenchuan not to tell Xu Zhihan about the possible connection, but Xu Zhihan overheard their conversation and decided the Xu Family owed him another debt.

Xu Zhihan accepted a paper flower from the boy he had rescued and reflected on the boy’s promise to live well. After reviewing evidence linking the bus mark’s drug traces to his stepmother’s family, Xu Zhihan planned to make Zhou Man fear the dead.

• A rescued high school student thanked Xu Zhihan with a handmade paper flower and promised to live well.
• Xu Zhihan accepted the flower, and Lu Wenchuan returned the mint candy to the bedside table for him.
• Lu Wenchuan gave Xu Zhihan test results linking the drug traces in the bus mark to a supplier connected to Zhou Man’s distant cousin.
• Xu Zhihan said they should first make Zhou Man unable to sleep, then let the dead come to collect their debts.

Xu Chengyuan confronted Zhou Man about her connection to Xu An’s death, and Zhou Man revealed that Zhou Qiliang had taken money to send He Xiaoyun away. After the Special Investigation Bureau found He Xiaoyun alive, Xu Zhihan asked Lu Wenchuan to bring her back gently.

• Xu Chengyuan questioned Zhou Man about Zhou Qiliang and Xu An, and she admitted she knew Xu An would die but refused to identify who ordered it.
• He Guilan’s ghost appeared in the study, and Zhou Man confessed that Zhou Qiliang had taken money and sent He Xiaoyun away.
• Xu Mingji overheard Zhou Man’s confession and began to consider separating himself from her.
• Xu Chengyuan told his assistant to investigate Zhou Qiliang and He Xiaoyun, while Zhou Man collapsed after He Guilan vanished.
• At the Special Investigation Bureau, Xu Zhihan explained that he had borrowed He Guilan’s resentment to make Zhou Man reveal the truth.
• Lu Wenchuan received word that He Xiaoyun was alive at the Neighboring City Psychiatric Sanatorium, and Xu Zhihan told him to bring her back without disturbing her.

Lu Wenchuan rescued He Xiaoyun from a psychiatric facility and brought her under Special Investigation Bureau protection. On the way back, He Xiaoyun revealed that her mother had visited Zhou Man before Xu Zhihan’s medicine was switched, leaving her afraid of what Xu Zhihan would learn.

• Lu Wenchuan confronted Director Huang and discovered that Zhou Qiliang had placed He Xiaoyun in the facility.
• Lu Wenchuan told He Xiaoyun that Xu Zhihan had sent him, and she asked in disbelief whether Xu Zhihan was still alive.
• He Xiaoyun agreed to leave with Lu Wenchuan but begged him not to let Zhou Man know she was alive.
• Lu Wenchuan secured the facility’s records and drove He Xiaoyun toward the Special Investigation Bureau.
• He Xiaoyun told Lu Wenchuan that her mother had visited Zhou Man before Xu Zhihan’s medicine was switched, and agreed to tell Xu Zhihan herself.

He Xiaoyun told Xu Zhihan that Lin Wan and He Guilan had uncovered the Xu family’s plans to use him as a vessel, and that Xu An had been taken into the basement. After Lin Wan’s jade clasp stirred a painful memory in Xu Zhihan, he decided to let Zhou Man learn that He Xiaoyun was alive so she could be made to reveal the truth.

• Lu Wenchuan brought He Xiaoyun to see Xu Zhihan, and she showed him an old photograph of Lin Wan, He Guilan, herself, Xu Zhihan, and Xu An.
• He Xiaoyun explained that the Xu family planned to use Xu Zhihan as a vessel, and that Lin Wan had tried to take him away before becoming ill.
• He Xiaoyun said her mother traced Lin Wan’s suspicious medicine to Zhou Man and Zhou Qiliang, then died after warning her to hide.
• He Xiaoyun revealed that Xu An disappeared after Lin Wan’s death and that she had seen someone take him into the basement with a red string tied around his hand.
• He Xiaoyun gave Xu Zhihan Lin Wan’s jade clasp, which brought him a brief memory of his mother promising to take him away and warning him not to trust Xu Chengyuan.
• Xu Zhihan asked Lu Wenchuan to let Zhou Man know He Xiaoyun was alive so they could make Zhou Man reveal what she knew.