Chapter Summaries

Bell and his family were guided through the Cultivator Alliance headquarters, where Ma Lan explained how China’s cultivator authorities worked. They met Wang Yuechun, who welcomed the Menethil Family and hoped to secure their cooperation.

• Bell entered a reception room and asked Ma Lan to guide his family to the International Exchange and Cooperation Department.
• Ma Lan led the family through the quiet headquarters and explained the role of the Bureau of Extraordinary Events and its relationship with the Cultivator Alliance.
• Ma Lan brought Bell and his family to the International Exchange and Cooperation Department, then left them there.
• Wang Yuechun introduced himself as the department’s minister and welcomed the Menethil Family to China.
• Wang Yuechun praised Bell and Shanna as he began receiving the family.

William bribed Little Fina for information about Bell, but misunderstood Fina’s account of a battle in the Forbidden Forest as proof that Bell planned to set it on fire. Bell noticed Zhao Youde among Director Wang’s tense subordinates and wondered how his magical injuries had healed so quickly.

• William and Elena privately disagreed with Director Wang’s praise of their children as well-behaved.
• William used food to persuade Little Fina to tell him about Bell’s school life, and Fina recounted Bell’s battle against spiders in the Forbidden Forest.
• Fina’s dramatic howls and gestures led William to believe Bell had intended to burn down the Forbidden Forest.
• Bell noticed Zhao Youde among Director Wang’s subordinates and wondered how his Thunderclap injuries had healed so quickly.

Zhao Youde returned to work despite his injuries and was assigned to accompany Bell and Shanna on their sightseeing trip, much to Shanna’s annoyance. Bell took his sister to the Forbidden City and told her about the Great Wall and Qin Shi Huang, whose achievements he deeply admired.

• Zhao Youde returned to work injured and learned Director Wang had assigned him to escort Bell and Shanna around Beijing.
• Director Wang introduced Zhao Youde to William and Elena as the department’s finest Cultivator, while Shanna nearly reached for her Wand in protest.
• Bell led Shanna around the Forbidden City as Zhao Youde followed, and he redirected her attention toward visiting the Badaling Great Wall.
• Bell explained the Great Wall’s history and its role as the foundation of the Nine Provinces Guardian Array.
• Shanna asked whether Qin Shi Huang had been a Cultivator, and Bell said he did not know but admired him as the greatest emperor of all time.

Bell and Shanna visited the Badaling Great Wall with Zhao Youde, where Bell learned that his entry token protected him from the Nine Provinces Guardian Array. After a week of sightseeing and sampling local food, their trip to China ended.

• Zhao Youde brought Bell and Shanna to the Badaling Great Wall, whose power left them frightened and speechless.
• Bell hesitated to approach the Great Wall, and Zhao Youde explained that their entry tokens let them pass through the Nine Provinces Guardian Array safely.
• Bell put a token on Shanna and kept the other, after which the dread he felt near the Great Wall vanished.
• Bell and Shanna visited Beijing's historic sites and sampled its local cuisine.
• A week passed, and Bell and Shanna's trip to China came to an end.

Bell's family finished their business in China and prepared to leave for Japan, while Bell revealed that Lim had secretly come along to learn Chinese cooking. William let Bell off for bringing Lim and admitted he had given away some of Bell's practice-made magical items to Cultivator Alliance officials.

• William and Elena told Bell that their negotiations had gone well and that the family was ready to travel to Japan.
• Bell called Lim, learned he had recorded the essentials of China's Eight Cuisines, and told him to rest before their departure.
• William was shocked to discover Bell had brought Lim to China, and Bell explained that he had wanted Lim to learn authentic Chinese cuisine.
• William forgave Bell and revealed that he had given some of Bell's magical items to Cultivator Alliance officials.
• Bell agreed William could take the practice-made items and noted that Shanna carried his more exceptional creations in her enchanted shoulder bag.

Zhao Youde gave Bell a Personal Terminal as Bell’s family prepared to leave China for Japan, then warned him about the country’s evil spirits and recounted Lord Wu Shijie’s wartime campaign. Zhao Youde was about to explain what happened after the Onmyoji lost many of their fighters when Shanna nearly attacked him for scolding Bell.

• Bell told Zhao Youde that his family had finished their business in China and would leave the next day, then gave him a Personal Terminal and showed him how to use it.
• Bell asked Zhao Youde about Japan because his family planned to travel there, and Zhao Youde warned that the country was dangerous because of its many evil spirits.
• Zhao Youde explained that evil spirits multiplied as technology drove monstrous beasts toward extinction, then recalled how Lord Wu Shijie led ten Champions into Japan during World War II and lost an arm.
• Bell asked whether the Onmyoji could no longer control Japan’s evil spirits, and Zhao Youde told him not to interrupt as he continued his explanation.
• Shanna nearly blasted Zhao Youde with a Curse for scolding Bell, but Bell used Legilimency to calm her and held her hand.

Bell learned that the dangerous Killing Stones had drawn evil spirits to Japan, but he remained eager to visit. Before leaving China, he asked Zhao Youde to relay a proposal for an exchange-study program between the British Wizarding World and the Chinese Cultivator World, then spent his last night reflecting on his ties to China.

• Zhao Youde explained that Killing Stones had formed from Lord Wu Shijie's blood and accumulated resentment, and warned Bell that one had recently been taken back to Japan.
• Bell dismissed Zhao Youde's warning and said he was even more interested in visiting Japan and learning about its Onmyoji and evil spirits.
• Bell asked Zhao Youde to pass a proposal for an exchange-study program to Director Wang, and Zhao Youde agreed to report it.
• Bell's family treated Zhao Youde to lunch, then Bell, William, and Elena said goodbye to the Cultivator Alliance leaders they had met.
• On his last night in China, Bell watched the dark city from his bedroom window and wondered when he would return, deciding to focus on spending time with his family.

Bell and his family arrived in Japan by cruise ship and met Yomi, the young Onmyoji assigned to receive them. Yomi could not understand William’s English, so Bell stepped in to handle the awkward introduction.

• Bell and his family completed their two-day cruise from Tianjin Port to Tokyo Port, where Shanna enjoyed the ship’s facilities.
• After customs, Bell recalled confirming with Zhao Youde that Japan lacked China’s Nine Provinces Guardian Array.
• The family found a sign welcoming the Menethils, and William introduced himself to Yomi in English.
• William asked Yomi several questions she could not understand, and she nervously admitted in Japanese that she did not speak English.
• Bell moved William aside and prepared to speak with Yomi.

Bell Menethil and his family met Isayama Yomi, their Japanese-speaking contact from the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Office, after arriving in Japan. Yomi agreed to guide them to lunch, and the chapter ended with Shanna defending Bell when Yomi doubted that he was thirteen.

• Bell surprised William by speaking Japanese fluently enough to communicate with their hosts.
• Bell introduced himself to Isayama Yomi, who explained that she worked for the Supernatural Disaster Countermeasures Office and was the Isayama Family heir.
• Bell questioned whether Yomi was a child employee, and she clarified her role in the office and her work exterminating evil spirits.
• After Yomi's stomach growled, Bell invited her to find lunch with his family, and she agreed despite not knowing the area.
• Yomi doubted Bell was thirteen, so Shanna insisted that he was and explained that she was eleven.

Bell’s family met Isayama Yomi, who explained how Japan trained Onmyoji and shared how she had been adopted after her parents died. After lunch, the family learned the Countermeasures Office could not provide transportation, and Bell discovered his father had no idea which Japanese organization he had contacted.

• Bell introduced Shanna to Isayama Yomi, and the two bonded over their younger sisters.
• Bell asked Yomi about Onmyoji education, and she explained the different paths for children with cursed power and her own adoption by Isayama Naraku.
• Bell’s family decided to rest after lunch, but Yomi apologized that the Countermeasures Office could not lend them its only car.
• Bell asked William which Japanese organization he had contacted, and William admitted that meetings with several groups had left him confused.
• William compared Japan’s transportation problems with the Ministry of Magic’s lack of Flying Cars and recalled Arthur Weasley searching his shop for Dark Magic Items.

Bell and his family waited in vain for a taxi until Yomi offered to take them on the spirit beast housed in her sword. The beast appeared, leaving William frightened while Bell eagerly watched.

• Bell reflected that he carried his family's Dark Magic Items to study and improve them, and felt embarrassed after hearing about Arthur Weasley's difficulties.
• Bell's family waited more than half an hour for a taxi, and Yomi led them to a quiet corner to offer another way to travel.
• Yomi drew her sword, prompting William and Elena to tense up and Bell to stop Shanna from casting an Explosion Curse.
• Yomi apologized and explained that her treasured sword, the Lion King, housed a spirit beast named Ran Honglian that could carry them.
• Yomi summoned Ran Honglian, a huge red beast with twelve eyes and python-like tails, and William nervously suggested they find a taxi instead.

Bell and his family rode Ran Honglian to Yomi’s home, where she explained that the Countermeasures Office had arranged their stay there for safety. Yomi privately knew she was also supposed to monitor them because the Onmyoji suspected their visit amid a surge in evil spirit attacks.

• Bell and Shanna excitedly admired Ran Honglian while William complained inwardly, and Yomi reassured the parents that the spirit beast would not harm them.
• Yomi had Ran Honglian leap off with Bell’s family aboard, and Bell judged the ride slower, bumpier, and less spacious than their Flying Car.
• Bell asked whether ordinary people could see Ran Honglian, and Yomi explained that people without spiritual sight could not.
• Yomi brought Bell’s family to her home and said the Countermeasures Office had chosen it to protect them from evil spirits.
• Yomi felt guilty because the Office had actually assigned her to watch Bell’s family, whose visit had raised suspicions after the Tsuchimiya Family head died in an evil spirit attack.

Bell and his family stayed at the Isayama residence, where Yomi explained how the Curse World handled trade and arranged plans for the next day. After a day out with Shanna, Yomi returned exhausted by the siblings’ dangerous antics, including a snowball fight that triggered an avalanche on Mount Fuji.

• Yomi welcomed Bell’s family to the Isayama residence and explained that her father was away because he was busy following the Tsuchimiya Family head’s murder.
• Yomi told Bell’s family that Onmyoji traded through major families, missions, and a monthly gathering rather than a commercial district.
• Bell planned for William and Elena to discuss business with the Countermeasures Office while he took Shanna to see cherry blossoms.
• Bell indulged Shanna’s requests during their outing, making cherry trees bloom, taking her to Mount Fuji’s summit, and roasting bear paws.
• Bell and Shanna had a snowball fight on Mount Fuji that caused a massive avalanche and led scenic-area staff to close the mountain road.
• Yomi dragged Bell and Shanna back to the residence, exhausted by their troublesome behavior.

Exhausted by chasing Bell and Shanna around, Yomi tried to set rules for their leisure time, but Bell repeatedly challenged her. The chapter ended with Yomi struggling to keep the siblings in line as Bell denied that they had caused trouble.

• Yomi chased after Bell and Shanna with Ran Honglian after their Flying Shoes left her exhausted.
• Yomi gathered the siblings and announced that they needed three rules for their outings.
• Bell objected to Yomi's rule against using magic power, comparing it to forbidding superpowered people from using their abilities.
• Shanna offered to execute Plan C, which meant taking their opponents out, but Bell told her to wait for his signal.
• Yomi proposed that they stop causing trouble for other people, and Bell objected while claiming they had done nothing wrong.

Yomi tried to impose rules on Bell and Shanna after their mischief, but their teasing pushed her to the brink. After a bizarre dream in which she fought Bell, Yomi woke and abandoned her plan, deciding to let the siblings continue their antics.

• Yomi accused Bell and Shanna of causing trouble, and Bell denied responsibility for the Mount Fuji avalanche.
• Yomi announced two rules, while Shanna pointed out that Yomi had called them three rules; Bell stepped in when Yomi went looking for a knife.
• Yomi chased Bell, who grabbed Lion King and ran, then turned back and pinned her after she insulted him.
• Yomi dreamed that Bell transformed and wrapped around her, and she bit his shoulder before waking up biting his finger.
• Bell told Yomi she had fallen asleep mid-conversation, and Yomi abandoned her plan to impose rules.

Bell and his family stayed with Yomi while William struggled through chaotic negotiations with Japan’s divided Curse World groups. After Isayama Naraku introduced himself as the head of the Isayama Family, Bell learned that Naraku was busy taking control of Tokyo’s Curse World following the Tsuchimiya Family head’s death.

• Yomi offered to prepare dinner, but Bell said he had already arranged it and kept Lim’s presence secret.
• William told Bell that negotiations had fallen into chaos as rival Japanese groups argued over who represented the Curse World.
• Yomi asked Bell and his parents to meet her father, Isayama Naraku, who apologized for the late introduction and welcomed them.
• After the meeting, Yomi explained that Isayama Naraku was occupied with calming the Curse World in Tokyo after the Tsuchimiya Family head’s death.
• Bell learned that the Isayama Family held high status, though he wondered why their residence had no butlers or maids.

After learning about the Onmyoji families and their struggles against evil spirits, Bell shared what he had discovered with his father and took Shanna to see Tokyo Tower at night. The visit ended with Bell and Shanna using Earth Escape to pass through the tower, while Yomi demanded they take her along.

• Bell learned from Yomi that Onmyoji families cooperated against evil spirits while exploiting wandering Onmyoji and competing among themselves.
• Bell told his father what he had learned about the Curse World.
• Bell took Shanna to the top of Tokyo Tower to see the night view, with Yomi accompanying them.
• Bell and Shanna left the tower by using Bell's Earth Escape Technique to sink through its wall.
• Yomi called for Bell to take her with them, and Bell teased her by claiming he could not carry her without physical contact.

Bell and Shanna rushed to a Tokyo fire after Yomi identified the rampaging giant as the B-Rank Evil Spirit Train. Yomi tried to drive a path through the flames with Ran Honglian, while Bell questioned her costly choice of attack.

• Yomi recognized the giant beast as the B-Rank Evil Spirit Train and rushed toward it on Ran Honglian.
• Bell and Shanna followed, eager to see an Evil Spirit, and arrived at the edge of the fire.
• Yomi found Bell and Shanna there and angrily told them to leave, but they said they had come because they were worried about her.
• Yomi used Ran Honglian's Roaring Wave to blast a path through the flames toward Train.
• Bell observed that Yomi had spent a great deal of spiritual power on an attack he believed could have been done more efficiently.

Bell watched Yomi fight the B-Rank Evil Spirit known as the “Train,” holding back so he could protect Shanna and let her join the action later. Yomi used the darkness to approach the Train from behind, while Bell and Shanna continued observing.

• Bell confirmed his suspicion that Yomi rarely used spells and relied on Ran Honglian to solve problems, then judged that the Onmyoji's focus on combat might limit their development.
• Bell chose to watch the battle before acting because Shanna was with him and he did not know how strong the B-Rank Evil Spirit was.
• Yomi avoided lesser Evil Spirits and confronted the Train, but exhaustion made her stumble when its attack shook the ground, forcing her to dodge its flames and take cover among the ruins.
• The Train rolled through the ruins in its flaming wheel form, then lost track of Yomi and stopped to search for her.
• Yomi used the shadows to approach the Train from behind as Shanna watched through Bell's Enchantment Glasses and Bell promised to let her join the fight.

Bell watched Yomi fight Train for his own amusement, then intervened to stop her lethal strike and asked her to let him keep the evil spirit for research. Yomi remained alive but faced the revelation that Bell could overpower Train and had blocked her attack.

• Bell watched Yomi struggle against Train and declined to help, while Shanna stayed focused on the fight.
• Yomi seized an opening and swung Lion King at Train's neck, but Bell blocked her strike with a Shield Charm.
• Yomi accused Bell of betraying her and fell toward Train's flames, but Bell knocked Train down and slowed her fall with magic.
• Bell explained that he wanted to study Train and asked Yomi to give the evil spirit to him.
• Bell repeatedly struck Train with Magic Power Impacts and stomped its head into the ground when it kept resisting.