The Demon Hunter's Romance Recap, Plot, Synopsis

The Demon Hunter's Romance Synopsis

A mysterious demon hunter named Xuan Ye and a clever, lovable girl named Ban Xia embark on a fantastical journey to protect their homeland. Ever since Ban Xia met Xuan Ye, the two have experienced strange and thrilling cases together in a world where humans and demons coexist. As they investigate one eerie incident after another, their bond grows stronger. However, due to the secrets Xuan Ye carries, they are repeatedly forced apart. In the end, they discover that Ban Xia is the key to unlocking the mystery behind Xuan Ye’s past.

The Demon Hunter's Romance Recap

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It suddenly started pouring rain in the sky, and the villagers ran in all directions. A child sat in front of a restaurant, and the owner warned him not to run around, then got busy with the work inside. At this time, Jiu Xuanye was sitting in the restaurant, having eaten all afternoon, and people were gossiping about him, never having seen someone eat so much. At that moment, a woman dressed in extravagant clothes entered the restaurant, holding an umbrella.

She was the one who sang here. Jiu Xuanye furrowed his brow, feeling that something was off. The owner suddenly realized that his son, who had been squatting by the door, was gone. He rushed to chase after him. The child was chasing a paper-folded frog and had reached a puddle. Just as he was about to pick it up, a hand reached out from the ground, aiming to grab the child.

Jiu Xuanye sensed this and rushed over, severing the strange arm in time to save the child. However, the demon vanished without a trace. Jiu Xuanye was about to chase after it when he heard that something had happened in the restaurant. He quickly returned, only to find that the woman in extravagant clothes had been killed, with a hole in her neck. Duan Yanqiu, the county magistrate of Chengyang City, received a report and came over.

This was already several cases of throat-slashing murders, but they couldn’t catch sight of the culprit. When he questioned the villagers, no one had seen the thief's face. At this moment, in the Duan household, Duan Ban Xia had returned with her father from Yunzhou. Her grandmother and her aunt, Duan Tian, asked her many questions, worrying about her health and whether she could still see those strange things.

Duan Ban Xia hesitated for a moment before replying that she was much better after taking the medicine and could no longer see them. This made her grandmother happy, thinking that the doctor was indeed useful. Her grandmother then reminded her to take her medicine and not worry her father. At this time, Duan Yingheng stood behind them, his expression somewhat unnatural. Her uncle, Duan Heming, chatted briefly with Duan Yingheng before Duan Yanqiu returned.

Although his wedding was approaching, he had been busy recently. Upon hearing that Duan Yingheng and his daughter had returned, he rushed back early and also advised the frail Duan Ban Xia not to believe in demons and ghosts and to focus on her health. Duan Ban Xia returned to her room and started sewing a worn-out purse for her father. The maid, Ting Zhou, returned from outside and shared the gossip she had overheard with Duan Ban Xia.

She had heard that Duan Yanqiu’s bride-to-be was an actress. The family had initially opposed the marriage, but Duan Yanqiu caused a scene, and they were eventually forced to accept the match. Ting Zhou lamented that this actress had essentially made a leap from a carp to a dragon. As soon as she finished speaking, Duan Ban Xia saw a carp jumping in the lotus pond, which startled her.

She quickly applied some medicine to her hands and reminded Ting Zhou not to meddle in others’ gossip. Chi Xue, exhausted, couldn’t resist and fell asleep. Jiu Xuanye came to find Chi Xue, and from him, he learned the whereabouts of the human-faced owl. It was in the Duan residence. Jiu Xuanye planned to head over there and asked Chi Xue to handle the tail that Youhuang had brought along. Outside, it suddenly started raining heavily.

Duan Ban Xia saw her father returning with a heavy heart. She noticed that her father had been coming and going early and late recently, which made her worry that something might happen. Duan Yingheng explained that he had just returned and needed to sort things out. Duan Ban Xia didn’t like the marriage her grandmother had arranged, and Duan Yingheng knew that, but he thought it was a good match.

Duan Ban Xia didn’t argue and gave her father the purse. Duan Yingheng liked it very much. Though it wasn’t as exquisite as those sold outside, it carried a different sentiment. On the day of Duan Yanqiu’s wedding, the house was bustling. A child’s rattle fell to the ground, and Duan Ban Xia picked it up but suddenly noticed the shadow of a bird on the ground. She hurriedly looked up, only to see the bride, Man Niang, pass by.

She stopped, glanced at Duan Ban Xia, and Duan Ban Xia, frightened, dared not look her in the eye. At that moment, Jiu Xuanye, who was sitting on the roof, witnessed everything. On the wedding night, Duan Yanqiu lifted the bridal veil of Man Niang. They were flirting and kissing in the room, while Duan Ban Xia kept staring inside, afraid something might happen. Just as she was about to leave, the woman inside revealed a pair of wings.

In a critical moment, Jiu Xuanye and Chi Xue arrived, interrupting the couple’s wedding night. Jiu Xuanye pointed out that Duan Yanqiu had married a demon, but Duan Yanqiu didn’t believe it and led people to chase after Jiu Xuanye. Duan Ban Xia saw all of this. Duan Yanqiu didn’t believe that his wife was a demon, and Duan Ban Xia, filled with fear, reminded him that Man Niang might be a demon.

But Duan Yanqiu didn’t believe her and told Duan Ban Xia not to speak nonsense. He also told her not to meet Man Niang today. After the events of yesterday, Man Niang had been frightened, and Duan Ban Xia reluctantly agreed. Back in her room, Duan Ban Xia saw a spotted ray fish floating in the room. She was so frightened that she was about to leave when Jiu Xuanye appeared inside the room.

He told Duan Ban Xia that he was a demon hunter and knew that she could see things others couldn’t. He hoped she would tell Duan Yanqiu the truth: his wife, Man Niang, was a demon. He also asked her to bring some food after leaving. Duan Ban Xia agreed on the surface, but once outside, she shouted and exposed the matter of the thief hiding in the room. Helpless, Jiu Xuanye had to leave.

But on the street, Jiu Xuanye reappeared around Duan Ban Xia. She felt uneasy and learned from Ting Zhou that Duan Yanqiu had fallen in love with Man Niang at first sight after hearing her vocal imitation performance. To understand the situation, Duan Ban Xia decided to meet Man Niang. Man Niang expressed her sorrow, saying that she had never known warmth until she met Duan Yanqiu, who gave her a home.

She knew everyone disliked her, but she truly wanted to spend her life with Duan Yanqiu. Man Niang deliberately got close to Duan Ban Xia and spoke with great fondness for her, caressing her face and throat. She thought such a woman would be acceptable to any man, but her eyes revealed a greedy desire for the throat. Scared, Duan Ban Xia quickly stood up to leave, but accidentally pushed the window open.

As sunlight streamed in, Duan Ban Xia saw a pair of huge wings, and in fear, she rushed out of the room. Afterward, Duan Ban Xia went to find Jiu Xuanye. He told her that she had an extraordinary gift, able to see things that others could not. He also noticed a fragrance on her, which, while temporarily calming, could make one’s mind dull.

Jiu Xuanye informed Duan Ban Xia that there was another wedding in the forest today, but because she had used the calming fragrance, she couldn’t see it. He felt this was wasting her senses, so he used a potion to help her see, and she was able to spot a group of people in red clothes approaching.

Today is the wedding day of the Mountain Demon. After the Mountain Demon arrived, she saw two people by the roadside and specifically handed a bowl of wine to Duan Ban Xia. Under pressure, Duan Ban Xia didn’t dare to refuse and drank it. Jiu Xuanye, fearing that Duan Ban Xia might feel uncomfortable, specially told her that this wine could prolong life.

Duan Ban Xia suggested using the potion for Duan Yanqiu, but since Duan Yanqiu didn’t have a special constitution, the potion wouldn’t be effective for him. Jiu Xuanye told Duan Ban Xia that the woman in the house, Man Niang, was a human-faced owl who specialized in taking beautiful voices for herself. She had chosen Duan Yanqiu because she coveted his voice and had married him for that reason.

Jiu Xuanye could only give Duan Ban Xia a potion to temporarily protect Duan Yanqiu. Duan Ban Xia, out of concern for her brother, specially brewed medicine to strengthen his health. Duan Yanqiu, not wanting to disappoint Duan Ban Xia, drank the medicine. That night, when they returned to their room, Man Niang had planned to act, but upon smelling the medicine, her anger flared. The next day, Man Niang came to see Duan Ban Xia’s grandmother.

When she saw Duan Ban Xia, she realized the medicine had been brewed by her. She specially invited Duan Ban Xia to her room, but Duan Ban Xia refused. The Guangxi constable, Chu Youhuang, still found Jiu Xuanye and made it clear that he wasn’t following Jiu Xuanye this time, but was chasing a group of notorious bandits.

Chu Youhuang had never believed in demons and ghosts, and every time there had been a murder case, Jiu Xuanye had been nearby. He had started to have doubts about Jiu Xuanye, but without evidence, he had been forced to follow him. That evening, Man Niang was singing in the yard, and wherever her song reached, people fell into a deep sleep. Ting Zhou had just entered the room and hadn’t spoken to Duan Ban Xia before she fainted.

Man Niang appeared in the room and stated that she truly wanted to spend her life with Duan Yanqiu and didn’t want to be disturbed. Now that Duan Ban Xia had exposed her, she couldn’t be allowed to live. Man Niang revealed her true form and attempted to kill Duan Ban Xia, but Jiu Xuanye arrived in time to save her. Man Niang had no choice but to flee.

When Duan Yanqiu returned, he was worried about Man Niang’s whereabouts and questioned Duan Ban Xia about the whole process. He believed that Duan Ban Xia must have known the thief, which led to Man Niang being kidnapped. Duan Ban Xia lowered her head, unsure of how to explain. Her grandmother scolded Duan Yanqiu, saying that Man Niang’s behavior was improper, and since she had arrived, the thief had come as well.

There was no need to question Duan Ban Xia. Duan Yanqiu had no choice but to leave. Jiu Xuanye and Man Niang fought fiercely in the forest, and in the end, Jiu Xuanye severed her. Man Niang disappeared before his eyes but left a warning that she would return. Ting Zhou brought something to Duan Ban Xia. The person had specifically sent medicine for her. Duan Ban Xia, thinking it was a letter from her father, hurriedly opened it.

Black smoke entered her eyes, and she lost control, finding herself in an unfamiliar place. When she regained consciousness, she realized that it was Man Niang’s bird form, which had come to hunt her down. Duan Ban Xia was terrified and ran for her life, but Man Niang relentlessly pursued her. In a critical moment, Jiu Xuanye arrived again to save Duan Ban Xia, striking Man Niang’s soul.

Before Man Niang disappeared, she told Duan Ban Xia that although she had harmed many people, she never intended to harm Duan Yanqiu. When Duan Ban Xia learned that Man Niang would never return, she felt a great sense of relief before fainting. The next day, Jiu Xuanye came to find Duan Ban Xia after hearing that she had fainted outside. He apologized for questioning her earlier and expressed his concerns about Man Niang.

Duan Ban Xia asked Duan Yanqiu how he would feel if Man Niang were dead. Duan Yanqiu was visibly sorrowful, but he didn’t believe his wife was truly dead. Duan Ban Xia came to see Jiu Xuanye and asked if there was any chance that Man Niang could revive. Jiu Xuanye saw that Duan Ban Xia felt pity and advised her not to easily believe in demons, as they were skilled at deceiving people’s hearts.

Duan Ban Xia, who had always carried calming incense, only wished to be an ordinary person and didn’t want to see these demons. Jiu Xuanye took her hand and wrote a protective charm on her palm, assuring her that no matter how powerful the demon, it wouldn’t be able to harm her. He also reminded Duan Ban Xia that if she needed help, she could come to Guangping to find him.

Chi Xue noticed that Duan Ban Xia actually had a lot of courage, as she had traveled through the forest at midnight. Jiu Xuanye then realized he had overlooked this aspect and signaled Chi Xue to turn into a rabbit. He created a circle of fireflies around Duan Ban Xia to guide her. When Duan Ban Xia saw Jiu Xuanye in the distance, she smiled.

Duan Ban Xia returned to her doorstep, and the fireflies had vanished. Jiu Xuanye and Chi Xue had just left. Duan Ban Xia entered the yard and discovered that her father had returned. There was also a strange sound coming from inside the house. She hurriedly knocked on the door, only to find the room in disarray. Duan Yingheng lied, claiming that he had accidentally fallen.

Duan Ban Xia wanted to go in and talk to Duan Yingheng about Man Niang, but Duan Yingheng stopped her from entering. Watching Duan Ban Xia leave, Duan Yingheng reminded her to be careful and not to walk on dark roads at night. That night, Duan Ban Xia had a strange dream that disturbed her. In the dream, a boy kept pulling her hand and running forward, while behind them were a bat spirit and a black panther demon.

Terrified, Duan Ban Xia woke up suddenly. This boy had been troubling her for many years, and she wasn’t sure what was real and what wasn’t. Remembering that her father had returned, Duan Ban Xia quickly got ready to visit him, but when she arrived, she discovered that her father had been burned to death in a house.

According to Duan Yanqiu’s investigation, Duan Yingheng had rented the place a few days ago and had been staying there for several days. Last night, during the second watch, the firewood shed caught fire, quickly spreading to the yard. Duan Yingheng had sought refuge in the study but had been suffocated to death inside. Duan Ban Xia couldn’t believe this was true.

She had seen Duan Yingheng the previous night, but Duan Yanqiu believed this was just Duan Ban Xia’s grief manifesting into wild thoughts. Duan Ban Xia firmly believed that her father was not dead and that something had gone wrong somewhere. The Yin Eel was naturally poor-sighted but loved music.

Jiu Xuanye knew that once Man Niang died, the Yin Eel would surely seek revenge for her, so he didn’t return to Guangping but stayed in the forest with Chi Xue to wait for the Yin Eel. Chi Xue deliberately played a flute to lure the Yin Eel, but the melody sounded terrible. Jiu Xuanye advised Chi Xue that if he stopped playing, the Yin Eel might arrive faster. Just as the music stopped, the Yin Eel arrived.

Jiu Xuanye and Chi Xue were about to subdue the Yin Eel when Chu Youhuang arrived and disrupted their capture, deciding that they were up to no good. He kept a close eye on every move Jiu Xuanye made. Duan Ban Xia and Ting Zhou went to check the room where her father had stayed, finding books scattered on the floor, which proved that her father had indeed been there.

The mirror on the table, however, did not reflect any figure. They found this strange and hurried to the place where Duan Yingheng had been burned. There, they also discovered a mirror that didn’t reflect any figure. This made Duan Ban Xia realize that perhaps a demon was at work and that her father might not be dead. She told her grandmother and the others about her findings, but no one believed her.

They thought she was simply overthinking and imagining things. Duan Ban Xia also mentioned that Man Niang was a demon, but Duan Yanqiu scolded her. Duan Ban Xia wanted to prove that the mirror couldn’t reflect any figures, so she took out the mirror to show everyone, only to find that it now reflected a figure. This made everyone doubt her even more. The Yin Eel, in order to heal, went to a flower house to listen to music.

She found that listening to beautiful music made her wounds feel better. The woman playing the piano, even if her fingers bled, refused to stop. Chu Youhuang, still following Jiu Xuanye, arrived at the flower house where the Yin Eel was. However, when he burst into the room, he couldn’t see the Yin Eel’s face as she was wearing a black hat.

He only managed to rescue the woman playing the piano and ended up fighting the Yin Eel, nearly losing his life. Fortunately, Jiu Xuanye arrived in time, subdued the Yin Eel, and saved Chu Youhuang. Unfortunately, Chu Youhuang had already fainted and couldn’t witness the event. After capturing the Yin Eel, Jiu Xuanye and Chi Xue returned to their previous lodging, a place filled with too many memories and family ties.

Drinking wine, it felt as though they were chatting with their loved ones, who seemed so close. The Yin Eel, confined in a bag, used magic to draw water from a jar. The next morning, when Jiu Xuanye went to find Chi Xue, he discovered that the bag had been opened and the Yin Eel was gone. Jiu Xuanye hurried to search for Chi Xue, but Chi Xue was on the street eating.

Jiu Xuanye didn’t say much, asking Chi Xue to leave with him. Just then, Duan Ban Xia and Ting Zhou appeared in front of them.

Duan Ban Xia came to find Jiu Xuanye and explained the whole situation to him, hoping that he could personally go to Canyang City to investigate the truth. She believed her father was not dead, but Jiu Xuanye refused, citing that he had something else to attend to. Duan Ban Xia kept insisting, and in the end, Jiu Xuanye reluctantly agreed, but only if she paid for his demon hunting.

Duan Ban Xia agreed, but because the amount was too little, Jiu Xuanye once again refused. Duan Ban Xia left, disappointed, but she didn’t plan to leave right away. Instead, she saw a place for rent and decided to lease it, as it was near Jiu Xuanye’s location. Just as she left, Chu Youhuang chased after her and started questioning Jiu Xuanye, but Jiu Xuanye wasn’t in the mood to answer.

He was actually anxious to find Duan Ban Xia, knowing that the Yin Eel would seek revenge for Man Niang. If it couldn’t kill Jiu Xuanye, it would definitely go after Duan Ban Xia. That was why he had deliberately driven her away, in hopes of capturing the Yin Eel. However, after searching for a long time, they still couldn’t find her.

Just as Jiu Xuanye was worrying, Duan Ban Xia brought him some snacks and told him she was staying next door. Jiu Xuanye could see her courtyard from his window because Duan Ban Xia believed that Jiu Xuanye was not a greedy person, and that there must be another reason for him to drive her away. A few days ago, Madam Zhang of Guangping City had been radiant, and many people saw her.

When the Zhang family hosted a banquet, Madam Zhang personally received the guests. However, during the banquet, she suddenly became dizzy and went to rest in her room, never to leave again. The next day, she was missing, and in her place was a corpse of an elderly person, around seventy to eighty years old, dressed exactly like Madam Zhang. The constables Wen Jian and Li Mao, along with Chu Youhuang, rushed over to investigate.

Chu Youhuang believed that someone had kidnapped Madam Zhang and left a fake body behind. The county official demanded that the case be solved quickly due to Madam Zhang’s high status. It suddenly began to rain, and Duan Ban Xia went to the temple to take shelter. She also wrote a letter to her grandmother, asking for two hundred taels of silver to pay Jiu Xuanye.

While Duan Ban Xia and Ting Zhou were discussing this, two women entered the temple. They were both dancers from Yunmen Dance Troupe—one named Ji Li, and the other Xu Zhizhi. They had come to pray in the rain. From them, Duan Ban Xia learned that if incense was kept burning in the Buddha hall for three days and nights without going out, wishes would be granted.

Duan Ban Xia intended to share the pears she had picked with the two women, but they refused to eat, as they both wanted to lose weight. Xu Zhizhi hoped that next time she would become very slim. When Xu Zhizhi heard where Duan Ban Xia was staying, she advised her to leave. She said the house next door used to be a pharmacy, which was rumored to be very wealthy.

The parents had decided to leave their property to the eldest son, but the younger son, in a fit of rage, killed everyone in the family. This incident had shaken the whole city, and the pharmacy was now the place where Jiu Xuanye lived. However, Duan Ban Xia refused to believe it.

That night, the Yin Eel intended to kill Duan Ban Xia, but Jiu Xuanye had already moved her to a different location and disguised himself as her, lying on the bed. The Yin Eel took the bait and was captured. However, Jiu Xuanye did not want to kill the Yin Eel outright. Instead, he took the Yin Eel’s Yuan Dan and threw it into the river, turning it into an ordinary fish.

The next morning, Duan Ban Xia, feeling slightly ill, came to Jiu Xuanye for treatment. She also mentioned what she had heard the day before and wanted to clarify that she didn’t believe it was Jiu Xuanye. However, Jiu Xuanye admitted that it was indeed him. Duan Ban Xia felt that the world was not as people saw it. Many things couldn’t be judged by appearances alone. If Jiu Xuanye was indeed the one, he wouldn’t have remained uninvolved.

Since the first time she met him, she had believed he was a good person, and even though Chi Xue was a demon, anyone following Jiu Xuanye must also be a good person. Jiu Xuanye took Duan Ban Xia to an attic on the street and asked her to carefully observe the people walking on the road, to distinguish who were humans and who were demons. Before she had a chance to examine closely, they heard someone scream for help.

Jiu Xuanye immediately ran toward the sound, and Duan Ban Xia, worried, followed. They found that Jiu Xuanye had saved two children who almost drowned. Jiu Xuanye warned them not to wander near the river, as there was an underground city beneath it, where humans and demons were mixed, and anyone who fell in would never return. Duan Ban Xia, having heard this, bravely decided to enter the underground city to see if her father was truly dead.

Jiu Xuanye originally intended to scare her into backing down, but she insisted on going. She even agreed to his demand of one thousand taels of silver and took him to Yanlai Tower for a big meal. The Yunmen Dance Troupe was performing there, and many people had come to see Tian Rui. Ji Li and Xu Zhizhi both envied how beautiful Tian Rui had become. When the dance performance began, Tian Rui, who was the center of attention, suddenly collapsed onto the ground.

Duan Ban Xia kept adding food to Jiu Xuanye’s plate, trying to make conversation with him, thanking him for saving her life previously. However, at that moment, Tian Rui, who had been dancing perfectly, suddenly fell and died. Chu Youhuang quickly brought people over and asked the head of the troupe, but didn’t gain any useful information. Wen Jian, while checking in the dressing room, was informed that everything needed to be brought back for examination.

County Magistrate Shi had seen Tian Rui before, but after ten years, she hadn’t changed at all, which surprised him. Wen Jian suspected it might have been the work of a demon, but Chu Youhuang didn’t believe it and argued with Wen Jian. However, when he turned to look at Tian Rui, he was shocked to see that she had transformed into an elderly woman.

Since Jiu Xuanye had also been at Yanlai Tower the previous night and this incident was strange, Magistrate Shi called him over and briefly explained the situation. Duan Ban Xia, who had been waiting outside, happened to see the guards carrying things when a box fell and scattered small particles. When she helped pick them up, she found a mirror that didn’t reflect anyone.

But when she tried to take a closer look, the guards refused and placed it back in the box. Jiu Xuanye, following Wen Jian, went to the scene to investigate. In Tian Rui’s room, he found pear skin from a Biyu Pear.

It was rumored that if you faced a mirror at midnight, lit two candles, and peeled the Biyu Pear without breaking the skin, the pear would appear, and eating it would bring a person back to their youth overnight. Duan Ban Xia had been trying to find that mirror. She secretly went to the yamen, only to see Chi Xue using a hypnosis spell to put the gatekeeper to sleep.

She followed him inside and found the copper mirror in the box. When she came out, she was seen by Chi Xue, who mistakenly thought Duan Ban Xia was following him. Chu Youhuang had been reading ancient books, speculating that Tian Rui might have taken an immortality pill, which caused her transformation. However, he didn’t believe in the existence of a magical elixir, or else the emperor would have changed.

He thought Tian Rui might have used a temporary youth-preserving pill, but it poisoned her and led to her death. He decided to take Li Mao to perform an autopsy. Meanwhile, Jiu Xuanye and Chi Xue secretly took Tian Rui’s body and returned it. Chi Xue told Jiu Xuanye that he had encountered Duan Ban Xia today and thought she was following him to scare him. He had deliberately locked her in the autopsy room to frighten her.

Jiu Xuanye hurriedly went to the autopsy room to find Duan Ban Xia. At that moment, Chu Youhuang arrived at the yamen and saw the guards sleeping. Enraged, he woke them up and took Li Mao inside to check the body. However, he didn’t realize that the person lying on the table covered with a white cloth was Duan Ban Xia. Li Mao had just cut the clothes to begin the autopsy when they heard a noise outside.

The two of them rushed out to investigate. When they returned, the body was gone. Li Mao panicked and began searching for the body. Jiu Xuanye quickly draped his clothes over Duan Ban Xia and escorted her home. Duan Ban Xia was in tears, and Jiu Xuanye hurriedly apologized, only to be slapped by Duan Ban Xia. After returning, Jiu Xuanye saw Chi Xue sitting in the courtyard. In his anger, he slapped Chi Xue as well.

After Duan Ban Xia cried for a while, she suddenly shouted at Jiu Xuanye’s courtyard. Jiu Xuanye rushed over, and Duan Ban Xia handed him the mirror, telling him that it couldn’t reflect anyone. She explained everything to Jiu Xuanye and said that if it had anything to do with her father, he should investigate it. Jiu Xuanye agreed to look into it. Later that evening, Chi Wangchuan came to find Ji Li and specially brought a Biyu Pear for her.

Ji Li was displeased with Chi Wangchuan’s actions. A Biyu Pear could maintain a person’s beauty for a year, but Chi Wangchuan had promised not to kill anyone for a pear within a year. Yet, before the year had passed, he had killed someone, and that person was Tian Rui. Chi Wangchuan believed that Tian Rui, jealous of Ji Li’s beauty, deserved to die.

Ji Li, though angry, still ate the pear, and Chi Wangchuan promised not to kill anyone until the deadline was up. Wen Jian told Jiu Xuanye about Madam Zhang’s case, combining it with the current Tian Rui case. He suspected that it might be the same case. Initially, they had thought Madam Zhang had been kidnapped, but it now seemed it was the work of demons.

Jiu Xuanye, after considering the situation with the mirror and the information he had, had already deduced a theory. In fact, demons could travel freely through mirrors. Once a mirror had been used by a demon, it would no longer reflect anyone, but after some time, it would return to normal. Both Tian Rui and Madam Zhang had consumed Zi Pears. When eaten, the Zi Pear could maintain a person’s appearance for seven days.

After seven days, the pear would dissolve in the stomach and be replaced with a Mu Pear, which could preserve youth forever, but only for one year. After one year, a person would have to kill someone to get another pear. To lure out this demon, one could mimic the dead by peeling the pear at midnight, but another woman was needed. Wen Jian’s gaze shifted to Duan Ban Xia.

Head of the troupe came to find Ji Li, explaining that Ji Li could regain her freedom today, but the head had lost Tian Rui and had no one to replace her. He begged Ji Li to stay for another two years.

Ji Li showed an expression of displeasure, as she had signed a five-year contract upon arriving. After five years, she was supposed to be free to come and go, but now it seemed like they wanted to back out of that agreement. The head of the troupe also felt that he was in the wrong, but he didn’t give Ji Li a chance to speak, instead making it clear that she had to stay, or else she would sabotage everything.

That evening, Duan Ban Xia, alone, lit two candles and began reciting the incantation while nervously peeling the pear in her hand. However, she accidentally broke the skin of the pear. Just then, the room was plunged into darkness, and in the mirror, Duan Ban Xia’s reflection appeared, with a hand reaching out. At this critical moment, Jiu Xuanye appeared and fought with the demon. The demon, however, escaped by using the lotus pond water to hide.

Ji Li had a lover named Zhou Jingyuan. Ji Li had originally thought she was too lowly-born for Zhou Jingyuan to marry her, but to her surprise, Zhou Jingyuan not only spoke to her mother about their relationship but also received her mother’s approval. Her mother, having been a singer herself, didn’t care about social standing, only that Zhou Jingyuan wasn’t the legitimate heir to his family, which meant he couldn’t inherit the family business.

Zhou Jingyuan promised that he would proudly marry Ji Li. When Ji Li returned home, she found that the mirror demon, Chi Wangchuan, was injured and sitting in her room. Chi Wangchuan swore to take revenge and promised that after the revenge, he and Ji Li would leave together. However, he also needed to tie up all loose ends. Since that day, Duan Ban Xia had been too scared to touch anything related to mirrors or pears.

She asked Ting Zhou to have all the mirrors sold, but unexpectedly, the person who came to collect the mirrors had a pear in hand, urging Duan Ban Xia to eat it. Terrified, Duan Ban Xia ran away, intending to seek help from Jiu Xuanye. However, after knocking for a long time, no one answered, and someone followed her, forcing her to eat the pear. Duan Ban Xia stumbled and fell.

A mother and daughter helped her up, but before she could thank them, they handed her the pear and insisted that she eat it. Duan Ban Xia pushed them away and fled in a hurry, only to find herself in an alley where pears were scattered everywhere. Chi Wangchuan appeared and tried to kill her, but she was protected by a talisman in her palm. Duan Ban Xia got up and fled, with Chi Wangchuan in hot pursuit.

Just then, Jiu Xuanye, who was eating on the street, noticed Duan Ban Xia looking disoriented and rushed to her. When Chi Wangchuan saw this, he quietly retreated. Jiu Xuanye escorted Duan Ban Xia back to her room. When she woke up, she saw Ting Zhou in front of her and was so startled that she backed away, not daring to drink the medicine. Seeing Duan Ban Xia in a panic, Ting Zhou quickly embraced her to calm her down.

However, when Duan Ban Xia saw the bowl of medicine Ting Zhou had brought, she screamed and knocked it to the ground. Jiu Xuanye, who had been guarding outside the door, rushed in when he heard the noise and asked Duan Ban Xia to recount everything. He learned that the mirror demon could not only appear in mirrors, but anything that could reflect a person’s image could allow the demon to move freely.

He instructed to get rid of anything in the room that could reflect a person’s image, including sealing the windows and using a gourd to hold the medicine. That night, Duan Ban Xia couldn’t sleep. She chatted with Jiu Xuanye through the door. When Duan Ban Xia was little, she couldn’t see demons. Once, she was abducted to a dark place, though she didn’t know where it was.

She was very scared, but she managed to escape and fell into a pond. Miraculously, she didn’t die and ended up in a strange place where everything was turned upside down, surrounded by mist, and deserted. Later, a fierce beast chased her, but a young man saved her. However, that person came after them with a gun, intending to kill Duan Ban Xia.

The young man fell with her off a cliff, and when she woke up, three days had passed. Her parents had found her, but when she told them about the experience, they didn’t believe her. They couldn’t resist her persistent pleading to find the young man, but the place and the young man were gone. Her parents then thought it was all a dream.

Since that day, Duan Ban Xia had been able to see demons, though she had always thought they were just dreams. Now, however, she began to doubt that. Duan Ban Xia asked Jiu Xuanye if her dream was real. Jiu Xuanye remained silent for a long time before gently suggesting that her eyes weren’t born this way but had probably changed due to some traumatic experience.

Jiu Xuanye himself could not see demons, and if he wanted to, he would need the help of Wuxiang Water. Fearing that Duan Ban Xia might be scared, Jiu Xuanye came to the window and taught her a prayer. Only then did Duan Ban Xia manage to fall asleep. Chu Youhuang arrived with his men to demand the body of Tian Rui. Duan Ban Xia, hearing the noise from the room, anxiously inquired about the situation outside.

Jiu Xuanye reassured her and set up a protective barrier around the room before heading to the yamen with Chu Youhuang. Although Chu Youhuang couldn’t find any evidence immediately, he sent people to search Jiu Xuanye’s residence, hoping to find something. Wen Jian, upon hearing of the situation, arrived to mediate the conflict. That night, as lightning and thunder raged outside, Duan Ban Xia was awoken by the storm, while Ting Zhou remained soundly asleep beside her.

Earlier in the day, Ting Zhou had placed the water Duan Ban Xia needed in a gourd, but at night, the gourd shook violently. When Duan Ban Xia noticed, the water was gone. In a hurry, Duan Ban Xia wiped away the water stains and planned to leave. But recalling Jiu Xuanye’s words that nothing would happen as long as she stayed inside, she hesitated and didn’t dare go out.

Yet, the storm continued relentlessly, with raindrops seeping through the door cracks. Duan Ban Xia had no choice but to use her clothes and sheets to wipe it up, but despite her efforts, Chi Wangchuan still managed to enter the room through the rain.

Chi Wangchuan appeared in the room. Although Duan Ban Xia was terrified, she still mustered the courage to grab a stick and attempt to fight back. At that moment, Jiu Xuanye suddenly appeared, shielding Duan Ban Xia and urging her to take Ting Zhou and leave the room first. The battle inside the room was intense. Chu Youhuang, hearing the commotion, rushed in to help.

Jiu Xuanye was about to capture Chi Wangchuan, but because Chu Youhuang was using a sword, which could reflect a person’s image, Chi Wangchuan managed to escape through the sword's reflection. Jiu Xuanye was left speechless. Suddenly, Jiu Xuanye became overwhelmingly exhausted and pulled Duan Ban Xia into the room to sleep, as the backlash from the Han Mountain Sword required him to rest.

Before sleeping, he handed a needle to Duan Ban Xia, reminding her that if the mirror demon came, she should use the needle to wake him up. Duan Ban Xia’s hands were tied and she couldn’t move. When she wanted to drink water, she had to drag herself to it, but accidentally spilled the water on Jiu Xuanye. She hurriedly wiped the water off, only to discover the wounds on Jiu Xuanye’s body.

When Ji Li returned home, she found Chi Wangchuan severely injured in her room. She suggested they leave as soon as possible. Ji Li agreed on the surface, but while Chi Wangchuan was deeply asleep due to his injuries, she secretly went to meet Zhou Jingyuan, proposing they leave together and not stay there. Zhou Jingyuan agreed and went home that night to pack. However, their relationship was discovered by Chi Wangchuan.

Chi Wangchuan killed Zhou Jingyuan, took a pear, and gave it to Ji Li to eat. Ji Li noticed something was off with the taste. Chi Wangchuan deliberately told her that the deceased was a scholar, and Ji Li immediately understood what had happened, feeling an overwhelming sadness. Duan Ban Xia made breakfast and brought it to Jiu Xuanye, asking about the wounds on his body and when they had occurred.

Jiu Xuanye actually couldn’t remember the events from his childhood. Duan Ban Xia stared at him for a long time, looking deep in thought, but Jiu Xuanye didn’t suspect anything. Zhou Jingyuan suddenly died at home. Chu Youhuang, upon hearing the news, rushed over. Unlike other victims, Zhou Jingyuan had not turned into a dried corpse, but his body appeared slightly older. At the scene, Chu Youhuang found Ji Li wearing a conical hat, mourning beside Zhou Jingyuan’s body.

He quietly followed her, and Ji Li went to the place where she had spent time with Zhou Jingyuan, reminiscing about him. Duan Ban Xia remembered her dream, where the boy who saved her had been pierced through by a sword, the same way Jiu Xuanye’s wounds were. Before catching the mirror demon, Jiu Xuanye, worried for Duan Ban Xia’s safety, insisted she stay close to him.

Chu Youhuang came to find Jiu Xuanye, telling him what he had observed about Zhou Jingyuan. They were both puzzled as to why the jade pear was taken before its time. Jiu Xuanye speculated that the demon couldn’t wait any longer to take Zhou Jingyuan’s life. Chu Youhuang, Jiu Xuanye, and the others went to Yunmen Dance Hall to find Ji Li, but they were informed that Ji Li had already left.

At that time, Ji Li met with Chi Wangchuan, tearfully apologizing to him. She confessed her dissatisfaction, having been pampered by Chi Wangchuan yet still feeling unfulfilled, and said she had seen through everything. She intended to follow him to a secluded place, where there was both mountain and water, to live away from the world and never have to care about others’ opinions. Chi Wangchuan had long desired such a life and had invested many feelings in Ji Li.

However, Ji Li suddenly attempted to kill Chi Wangchuan, but he noticed her intentions, subdued her, and pulled her into the mirror to leave. Upon entering the world within the mirror, Ji Li forgot everything about it. Chi Wangchuan told her this was the place she had lived before, where she had always been bullied, crying every day in her room, facing the mirror.

Chi Wangchuan had appeared then to help her, killing those who bullied her, and made her the jade pears to preserve her youth. Although Ji Li hadn’t killed anyone directly, all those who died had done so because of her. Chi Wangchuan believed the path was his own to walk, and Ji Li should admit she was a cruel person.

Ji Li, however, felt she had been deceived by Chi Wangchuan into eating the pear, and now, she only wanted freedom. She reminded Chi Wangchuan that he was someone who no longer understood love, nor was he worthy to speak of it. Ji Li cursed herself repeatedly, calling herself a lowly person willing to be with anyone, except for Chi Wangchuan.

Chi Wangchuan slapped Ji Li angrily and reminded her that they had been together for more than twenty years and that they had feelings for each other. Ji Li didn’t want to hear any more and pushed him away, running into another room. But the other room was filled with mirrors. Jiu Xuanye, Chu Youhuang, and the others also arrived, discovering a large mirror. Jiu Xuanye reached out to touch it, only to be pulled into it by a powerful force.

Duan Ban Xia entered the mirror as well. Chu Youhuang, hearing the sound, rushed over but only saw a mirror. Ji Li looked at herself in the mirror, recalling how she had been bullied by customers due to her old age and loss of beauty. Her forehead was smashed, and she cried alone in her room.

It was then that Chi Wangchuan appeared in the mirror, promising to keep her young forever, but in exchange, she had to stay by his side forever. Ji Li agreed. After that, Ji Li spent her time in the pleasure houses, being with all kinds of men. She once thought of resisting Chi Wangchuan but gave up when she saw her aging appearance.

Chi Wangchuan appeared before her, and Ji Li's heart ached as she realized those men had all been killed by him. Even the pears they ate were hers to consume. Chi Wangchuan begged Ji Li never to leave him. At this moment, a noise came from outside. Chi Wangchuan rushed out and found Duan Ban Xia strangling her. Jiu Xuanye rushed over to save Duan Ban Xia but realized he could not draw the Han Mountain Sword.

He had no choice but to let Chi Wangchuan attack, though he stubbornly claimed he was merely letting Chi Wangchuan win. Duan Ban Xia noticed something was off. After Chi Wangchuan’s reminder, she realized that Jiu Xuanye had come into contact with the mirror, which had sealed part of him, causing him to be unable to fight Chi Wangchuan. Duan Ban Xia immediately smashed the mirror, and one by one, Jiu Xuanye broke through the mirrors, merging back into one.

He stood before Chi Wangchuan, and the Han Mountain Sword was drawn with immense power. Chi Wangchuan was no match for him and suddenly vanished. Jiu Xuanye used a tracking artifact to find Chi Wangchuan, who was severely injured. Despite his wounds, Chi Wangchuan still tried to take Ji Li, but when Jiu Xuanye arrived, he saw Ji Li in a dazed state. Chi Wangchuan, unable to defeat Jiu Xuanye, answered a few of Duan Ban Xia's questions to buy time.

Duan Ban Xia learned that her father had been captured by Chi Wangchuan. Chi Wangchuan was ordered by a demon to kill Duan Yingheng, but unexpectedly, another demon had transformed into Duan Yingheng's appearance and was willing to die in his place by being burned alive. Duan Yingheng returned home, and Chi Wangchuan chased him, intending to capture him. Just as he was about to take Duan Yingheng, Duan Ban Xia knocked on the door.

Duan Yingheng, fearing his daughter would be implicated, begged Chi Wangchuan to let him meet her first and promised to leave afterward. However, when Duan Ban Xia asked who the demon was, Chi Wangchuan refused to answer and instead released countless birds to attack Duan Ban Xia and Jiu Xuanye. Seeing Chi Wangchuan about to take Ji Li, Duan Ban Xia grabbed her hand. Jiu Xuanye seized the opportunity and stabbed Chi Wangchuan with a sword.

The mirror suddenly shattered, and Ji Li, who had been trapped at various times in the mirror, broke free. Together, they attacked Chi Wangchuan with their weapons. Chi Wangchuan died, but Ji Li, overwhelmed with sorrow, refused to leave. As the mirror collapsed, Jiu Xuanye took Duan Ban Xia and fled.

Duan Ban Xia took the initiative to meet Chu Youhuang to inquire about the case from six years ago—the massacre at the Ban Mountain Hall, which was the tragic incident at Jiu Xuanye's home. Chu Youhuang recalled that everyone had thought Jiu Xuanye had killed everyone, and he had even believed it himself. The crime scene was the most horrifying one Chu Youhuang had ever witnessed.

When he arrived, Jiu Xuanye was holding the knife that had killed his father, and there was blood everywhere. Jiu Xuanye admitted to being the killer and was thrown into prison without offering any explanation, intending to die for his crimes. However, later, a band of robbers caused chaos, and Jiu Xuanye was released without charge. The true cause of the chaos was a demon, which Jiu Xuanye had been sent to hunt and eliminate.

But Chu Youhuang had never believed this and had kept a close watch on Jiu Xuanye all these years. Only now did he realize that demons were indeed involved. At this time, Jiu Xuanye sat alone in the yard, repeatedly thinking about the past. On that stormy night, everyone had been infected by the deer demon poison and attacked each other. Jiu Xuanye's family was in the medical profession, but they were also demon hunters.

Jiu Xuanye blamed himself, believing he had angered the deer demon and caused the death of his family. His father had comforted him, urging him not to feel guilty and even giving him last instructions, warning him where he should and should not go, and what he needed to protect. Jiu Xuanye sensed something was wrong and found that his father had also been infected with the virus. His father, in a rare moment of clarity, committed suicide.

Before he died, he told Jiu Xuanye that only he could decide who he truly was. On her way home, Duan Ban Xia saw a man walking his bird. However, there was actually a bird on his shoulder that others couldn’t see, which made Duan Ban Xia pause in confusion. Duan Ban Xia went to find Jiu Xuanye, claiming she was there to get some medicine, but in truth, she was worried about his health. He had been sleeping for six consecutive days, and she feared he might not survive the hunger.

Ban Xia saw that Jiu Xuanye was quite busy, so she took the initiative to help him prepare the medicine. When Jiu Xuanye mentioned her name, Ban Xia was a little surprised, but then suddenly realized that “Ban Xia” wasn’t referring to her, but to a medicinal herb. As Ban Xia picked herbs, she analyzed the current situation, hoping to find the demon who had captured her father.

However, Jiu Xuanye was unwilling to discuss the matter with her and reminded her once again that demon hunters charge for their work. Ban Xia argued that she had saved Jiu Xuanye’s life before. Without her help, he wouldn’t have been able to catch the Mirror Demon so easily. While speaking, she accidentally broke a jar, causing some bugs to fly out. Frightened, Ban Xia screamed, and Jiu Xuanye rushed over to carry her down from the stool.

He explained that the bugs were moon beetles, specifically used to fight demons. Ban Xia then asked to borrow a copy of the "Compendium of a Hundred Demons" so she wouldn’t be so afraid when encountering demons. At that moment, Aunt Song came running, calling Jiu Xuanye to go see that Madam Cui had fainted again in her courtyard. Jiu Xuanye rushed over and revived Madam Cui, also giving her some medicine.

Madam Cui was the family of a former pharmacy assistant, and Jiu Xuanye had always looked after them. He reminded Ban Xia that it was important to pay promptly because he had more than just himself to support. As Ban Xia and Jiu Xuanye walked and talked, they suddenly saw a man with a bird perched on his shoulder. Just then, Gao Sheng rode in swiftly on horseback and killed the man. The bird flew away.

It wasn’t the first time Gao Sheng had done something like this, so he was quickly apprehended. Ban Xia was also very interested in the life-exchanging demon matter and hoped Jiu Xuanye would tell her more. He refused to say much but promised to let her know if there was any progress. Duan Yanqiu found Ban Xia and saw her together with Jiu Xuanye. He followed her home and gave her a harsh scolding.

He blamed her for trusting an outsider like Jiu Xuanye so easily and insisted she should not be associating with him. Ban Xia insisted on continuing to investigate her father’s case and believed that he was still alive. But Duan Yanqiu didn’t believe in demons and spirits at all and insisted on taking Ban Xia back home. At that moment, Jiu Xuanye arrived, bringing with him the case files of the throat-slashing murders.

All the victims had died under similar circumstances, and Qu Man Niang was indeed a demon. However, Duan Yanqiu refused to believe it. He accused Jiu Xuanye of insulting his wife and now trying to corrupt Ban Xia. Claiming his grandmother was sick, Duan Yanqiu insisted on taking Ban Xia away. Jiu Xuanye believed seeing is believing and asked Duan Yanqiu to experience it for himself. He then called Chi Xue inside.

Chi Xue revealed his true form—a rabbit—which terrified Duan Yanqiu. Ban Xia was very grateful to Jiu Xuanye for his help. Jiu Xuanye consoled her, saying that it wasn’t that Duan Yanqiu didn’t trust her, but that if he believed her, it would mean admitting his wife was a demon—something too painful to accept. Ban Xia suddenly realized Jiu Xuanye was comforting her and was touched. Duan Yanqiu got drunk and reminisced about his happy times with Qu Man Niang.

No one in his family drank with him, only Qu Man Niang did. She could drink far more than he could. When he married her, his family objected, thinking she was unworthy. But Duan Yanqiu believed only he could determine what was worthy. He had earned his scholarly title at sixteen and built his life on his own. He didn’t want a noblewoman; he wanted someone who understood and cared about him.

But in the end, he had failed to protect Qu Man Niang. Ban Xia reminded him that Qu Man Niang was a demon, but Duan Yanqiu said that no matter how many people she had hurt, she never hurt him. The most important thing in a relationship was happiness. Duan Yanqiu asked Ban Xia whether Qu Man Niang had suffered when she died.

Ban Xia guessed probably not and told him that Qu Man Niang had said before dying that she truly wanted to be with him and never meant to harm him. Duan Yanqiu knew that deep down but regretted not meeting her earlier—perhaps then he could have stopped her from killing. Ban Xia comforted him, saying what’s done is done and urged him not to be too sad. But Duan Yanqiu broke down in grief and collapsed to the ground.

Ban Xia asked Ting Zhou to help lift him up, but the two of them couldn’t do it. Ting Zhou had no choice but to find Chi Xue for help. Ban Xia was very grateful to Jiu Xuanye. Jiu Xuanye gave her a medicine, and Ban Xia suddenly noticed a strand of white hair on his head. She offered to dye it for him. Her father had white hair when he was alive, and she always helped dye it.

As Jiu Xuanye turned to leave, he overheard Ting Zhou and Ban Xia talking—Ting Zhou believed that Jiu Xuanye liked Ban Xia. Ban Xia had originally gone to ask Chi Xue for help, but Jiu Xuanye had lied that Chi Xue wasn’t home and insisted on helping himself. Yet Ting Zhou had clearly seen a rabbit in the courtyard. Jiu Xuanye returned home, only to discover that Chi Xue really was home—and had raised a rabbit as a pet.

He was so angry he didn’t know what to say. In court, Gao Sheng refused to confess, relying on the fact that his sister would return in three days to threaten Lord Shi. But Lord Shi announced the execution would proceed the next day—no need to wait.

After seeing Duan Yanqiu off, Jiu Xuanye called Ban Xia into his room, bringing out some pastries Chi Xue had bought and a rabbit from the room, trying to explain that he hadn’t helped Ban Xia out of any ulterior motive. But Ban Xia didn’t understand what he meant at all. Jiu Xuanye had no choice but to give her the rabbit to take home.

That night, while Gao Sheng was snoring in his cell, a cat suddenly appeared and transformed into Gao Sheng’s appearance, opening the cell door. Gao Sheng escaped in a panic. The next day, at the execution, many people came to watch. The executioner raised the blade and beheaded Gao Sheng. This time, Gao Sheng did not scream and was quietly killed.

In the morgue, the person collecting the body suddenly saw a cat’s shadow reattach the head to the body, then revert to a black cat and leave. Screams echoed from the room. Ban Xia and Ting Zhou discussed hiring a demon hunter. A nearby tea drinker overheard and recommended the fortune teller Kongtongzi, saying he was the most skilled among demon hunters.

Ban Xia immediately went to Kongtongzi’s home and saw him practicing martial arts, with a white crow perched on his shoulder. She couldn’t help but praise his skill, saying he had mastered the “Bird Does Not Fly” technique, and pointed out the white crow on his shoulder. Her words startled Kongtongzi so much that he immediately refused to take the job. His subordinates tried to persuade him not to turn away such a wealthy client, but Kongtongzi felt something was off.

As Ban Xia passed by Jiu Xuanye’s house, she tried to sneak past without being seen. But Jiu Xuanye spotted her and called out. Ban Xia kept her hands behind her back, and Jiu Xuanye, sensing something was wrong, asked her to show what she was hiding. It turned out to be Kongtongzi’s token. He warned Ban Xia that Kongtongzi was a fraud and that she might get swindled out of everything she had.

Ting Zhou was worried that Jiu Xuanye would get angry and refuse to help anymore, so Ban Xia had no choice but to make some hair dye and bring it over to curry favor with Jiu Xuanye—she absolutely couldn't let him leave. She came to explain that she went to expose Kongtongzi’s true face, to prevent immoral peers from ruining the reputation of demon hunters. Ban Xia said she planned to investigate and find flaws to expose him.

Jiu Xuanye didn’t believe her at all and ignored her in anger. Ban Xia quickly tied a cloth around Jiu Xuanye and started helping him dye his hair. Jiu Xuanye also explained that he had a plan and told Ban Xia not to worry—he had promised to help and would definitely keep that promise. Ban Xia untied Jiu Xuanye’s hair and began dyeing his white strands black. But she applied too much force, causing the liquid to drip everywhere.

She hurriedly helped wipe it off, which made Jiu Xuanye feel a bit embarrassed. In her nervousness, Ban Xia almost fell. Jiu Xuanye quickly reached out to catch her, but pulled too hard and brought her into his arms. His hair happened to brush against Ban Xia’s lips, making it look like a mustache, which made Jiu Xuanye burst out laughing.

After returning, Ban Xia told Ting Zhou about the scar she saw on Jiu Xuanye’s chest, suspecting that he might be the same person as Man Ying from her dream. Ting Zhou, however, was more concerned that Ban Xia had seen Jiu Xuanye’s chest, reminding her that she was already married and shouldn’t be physically close to another man. Someone saw Gao Sheng leave through the city gate, and on the same day, Kongtongzi died from merely falling down.

Jiu Xuanye suspected it was a case of life-swapping, just like with Duan Yingheng. Ban Xia also remembered seeing a white crow on Kongtongzi’s shoulder and rushed to find Jiu Xuanye, just in time to see Wen Jian leaving—and there was a white crow circling above Wen Jian’s head. Frightened, Wen Jian didn’t dare return home. Jiu Xuanye analyzed that the white crow was the companion spirit beast of Chi Wangchuan.

In the mirror illusion back then, Chi Wangchuan had released many white crows. Jiu Xuanye speculated that the white crow was merely a harbinger of death, not something that could kill. If someone was destined to die, then the white crow would appear. Jiu Xuanye advised Wen Jian to go home and say everything he needed to, just in case he really did die—though that wasn’t certain. Wen Jian reluctantly returned.

His wife had originally intended to scold him for gambling, but this time, Wen Jian didn’t argue. He explained that he had never gambled, only hidden some private savings, and even revealed where he kept the money. His wife didn’t believe his claims. That night, after Wen Jian fell asleep, his wife managed to dig out the hidden money and was surprised to find that Wen Jian had been telling the truth.

At that moment, a black cat appeared on the roof, meowing, and entered Wen Jian’s room, sticking out its tongue as it watched him sleep. Duan Yanqiu arrived at an inn and wanted to stay there. Feng Wuniang received him and, after seeing his travel documents, realized he was an outsider and specially arranged a room for him. Yet there were no other guests at the inn, despite its large courtyard and abundant staff.

Feng Wuniang also prepared food for Duan Yanqiu. Feeling uneasy, Duan Yanqiu tested it with a silver needle, and only after confirming it was not poisoned did he eat. Unknowingly, Duan Yanqiu drank too much and went out looking for the innkeeper, only to see Man Niang walking toward him with a pipa. The two shared a deep, affectionate gaze, and Man Niang gently took his hand and led him back to the room.

Chu Youhuang brought people to the gambling den to search for someone connected to Gao Sheng, and that was when they learned Gao Sheng was still alive. It turned out his mother had used a special method to help him swap lives and even revealed Gao Sheng’s hiding place. Early the next morning, Ban Xia went to find Jiu Xuanye and asked whether he had found a solution. Jiu Xuanye remained silent and suggested they go see Wen Jian.

But Wen Jian had already left home and was walking in the street when a signboard suddenly fell on him, killing him instantly. Just as Jiu Xuanye and Wen Jian’s wife were about to arrange his funeral, Wen Jian walked out of the room—under the white cloth was actually a black cat. Ban Xia also noticed that the white crow had flown away when Wen Jian died.

Wen Jian’s wife recounted her encounter with the black cat and said that when she heard about the life-swapping tale, she gave all their money to the cat. In the end, it really did save Wen Jian’s life. She also told Ban Xia how the life swap was done. That night, Ban Xia followed the instructions from Wen Jian’s wife and found the black cat, hoping to ask about her father. But the black cat suddenly ran away.

Chu Youhuang led several officers to search for Gao Sheng. During a rest on the way, Old Li felt like there was a bug on his back, but when he opened his clothes, he found nothing. Yanzi’s child had just turned one month old, and Chu Youhuang had specially prepared a gift.

He also felt guilty for not allowing Yanzi to stay home and prepare a proper celebration for the baby, but now they were tracking Gao Sheng, and Yanzi was skilled in this, so he had no choice but to call him back. Yanzi didn’t mind and instead felt it was an honor, a sign of Chu Youhuang’s attachment to him. The cat demon suddenly returned the previous money pouches to Jiu Xuanye.

Not only was Wen Jian’s pouch among them, but also the one Ban Xia had given for her father, which confirmed that her father had indeed exchanged his life with the cat demon. However, it was strange—the cat demon had nine lives, and each life only cost two hundred taels of silver, which seemed rather cheap.

Jiu Xuanye figured the cat demon must want something from him, which was why it brought back so much money, and he decided to go find it. Ban Xia insisted on accompanying Jiu Xuanye to search for her father’s trail, leaving Ting Zhou to look after the house. Ting Zhou, worried for her lady, repeatedly reminded Jiu Xuanye to take good care of Ban Xia.

Meanwhile, Chu Youhuang and his group also found Gao Sheng, but he had already turned into a corpse. His eyes had been gouged out, and his hair cut off, which puzzled Chu Youhuang. That night, while resting, Ban Xia said she didn’t think the cat was necessarily evil. But Jiu Xuanye believed that exchanging lives was inherently wicked. They suddenly heard some eerie children’s rhymes that scared Ban Xia.

Sensing her fear from outside the carriage, Jiu Xuanye pretended it was cold and said he’d stay in the carriage—just to accompany her. Ban Xia asked him to draw a protective talisman on her hand, as her previous life-saving charm had been destroyed when the mirror demon’s mirror was shattered. Jiu Xuanye drew one right away, surprising Ban Xia with how readily he agreed. Jiu Xuanye said the place they were going was more dangerous than usual.

The next day, they continued on their way but got lost. Jiu Xuanye used a potion to help him see two ginseng spirits and asked them for directions. Ban Xia, covering one eye, also saw the ginseng spirits and thought they were cute. When Jiu Xuanye returned to the carriage, Ban Xia told him that she hadn’t been able to see demons before.

But after being chased by a powerful demon once, a young man saved her, and his blood accidentally dripped into one of her eyes. Since then, she could see demons. Ban Xia hoped to hear about Jiu Xuanye’s past as well, but he said he couldn’t remember anything before the age of twelve. He had a high fever at twelve and lost all earlier memories. As it got dark, Ban Xia and Jiu Xuanye arrived at Feng Wuniang’s place.

Initially, her father Feng Tian refused them entry, saying the place was under renovation. But Feng Wuniang said fate had brought them together and arranged their stay, even giving a detailed introduction to the courtyard. She invited them to stay for a few more days, to enjoy the scenery and eat loquats. As soon as Jiu Xuanye entered the room, he smelled something. Ban Xia discovered it was calming incense and found it odd since there were no other guests.

Why burn incense during renovations? Chi Xue reminded Feng Wuniang to feed the horses and also wanted something to eat. Feng Wuniang suggested resting near the hot springs where there was food, and Chi Xue agreed. Feng Wuniang immediately had the hot springs cleaned up. Feng Tian scolded Feng Wuniang for letting the guests stay, feeling something was off about them. But Feng Wuniang said opening the door was part of doing business and keeping them wouldn’t be a problem.

Feng Tian didn’t say more. Ban Xia pulled out the incense, but Jiu Xuanye said it was no use—even the candles were infused with the same scent, and even his neutralizing water would eventually lose effect. Just then, Feng Wuniang came to invite them to the hot springs. Ban Xia wanted to decline, but Jiu Xuanye accepted and didn’t correct the misunderstanding that they were husband and wife. On the way, Ban Xia thought she saw a cat run past.

Jiu Xuanye took the chance to ask Feng Wuniang if there were any cats around, saying Ban Xia was afraid of them. Feng Wuniang shook her head and denied it. As the maids helped Ban Xia change, they praised her floral forehead decoration and her beautiful skin. Feng Wuniang, annoyed by the chatter, shooed them all out, though she couldn’t help but praise Ban Xia’s beauty herself.

Jiu Xuanye had no interest in soaking and left Chi Xue there, wandering around instead. He overheard some maids gossiping about how the last young man who came here was also very handsome—just like the current guests. While lost in thought, Jiu Xuanye accidentally bumped into someone. That person seemed to have dropped something, which got kicked away. Strangely, even though the person was covering his eye, he insisted he was fine.

After he left, Jiu Xuanye spotted the black cat and followed it. Jiu Xuanye followed the black cat to a certain place, about to enter when Feng Tian stopped him, saying it was a storage room. Meanwhile, Ban Xia was in the hot spring, remembering a dream and guessing that the mysterious man, Man Ying, might be Jiu Xuanye. Suddenly, she spotted something that looked like an eyeball and screamed.

Jiu Xuanye, abandoning the storage room, rushed over to rescue her. Feng Wuniang brought herbal soup as an apology and offered to take care of Ban Xia personally, but Jiu Xuanye drove her out. Ban Xia suddenly felt everyone here was being overly friendly. Jiu Xuanye asked what she had seen, and Ban Xia took out what looked like an eyeball, but it turned out to be just a smooth wooden ball—nothing special.

Jiu Xuanye returned with ginger tea and overheard Ban Xia in her room reciting the incantations he had taught her. Just as he was about to leave, a servant came by, claiming the master had sent him to check if Ban Xia needed more charcoal. Jiu Xuanye realized someone was secretly monitoring them and stayed in the room to continue pretending to be a couple, guessing that the servant wouldn’t have shown up unless he’d been discovered. Jiu Xuanye also guessed, from hearing Ban Xia recite those words, that without Ting Zhou around, she was probably feeling unsettled.

Duan Banxia and Jiu Xuanye were alone in a room. She confided her thoughts to Jiu Xuanye, saying that ever since she could see spirits, her mind had become unsettled. She always felt like she could see things. Duan Banxia asked Jiu Xuanye if he had ever felt fear. Jiu Xuanye recalled that when he was about thirteen or fourteen, he once wanted to kill a tiger but found that the tiger had cubs.

His father did not kill the tiger, and at the time, Jiu Xuanye felt very upset, feeling like he had lost his tiger pelt. Later, his father would always go out under the guise of practicing medicine, but in truth, he was hunting demons. After learning the truth about his father, Jiu Xuanye began to feel fear—fear of loss. But now, he no longer feared anything. His home was bare, and he had nothing left to lose.

Duan Banxia, however, reminded Jiu Xuanye that he still had Chi Xue—and her. She extended her hand for him to feel the warmth of her palm, and she also hoped Jiu Xuanye would draw a talisman on his own hand too. Every time she felt afraid, the talisman would grow warm, and then she wouldn't be scared anymore. But Jiu Xuanye smiled and said he didn’t need it at all.

Duan Banxia was dissatisfied with Jiu Xuanye’s arrogant attitude and thought he was unwilling to talk to her. Jiu Xuanye immediately admitted it, which made Duan Banxia turn around and go to sleep in frustration. Jiu Xuanye, however, didn’t return to his room until after Duan Banxia had fallen asleep. Early the next morning, Jiu Xuanye found Feng Tian practicing in the courtyard and praised his skill.

Feng Tian proactively sparred with Jiu Xuanye, who remarked that the innkeeper’s abilities must have taken at least twenty years to cultivate. Feng Wuniang told Duan Banxia that she had never been able to taste flavor since childhood and felt guilty about the poor taste of what she had made for Duan Banxia. But Duan Banxia didn’t mind and reminded her that she could just use fewer ingredients next time.

Feng Wuniang said others had told her the same, but since she couldn’t taste, she could only satisfy the sense of sight. Duan Banxia didn’t say much more after that. Feng Tian recounted his past stationed at Guima Fort. The rotation was supposed to happen every five years, but due to the chaos in court caused by the princes contending for the throne, remote places like theirs were neglected. Eventually, everyone wanted to flee.

The junior flag officer tried to stop them, but he couldn’t stop them all. Even Feng Tian wanted to flee, but at that moment, the officer fell ill. Feng Tian couldn’t leave him and stayed to care for him, helping raise the flag every day. But eventually, the officer still died. Because of the trust the officer placed in him, Feng Tian remained there for twenty years.

Later, a passing army reported the situation to the court, and only then did someone come to take over, finally setting him free. Jiu Xuanye was deeply moved by Feng Tian’s words and praised his actions. The innkeeper, however, commented that Jiu Xuanye just idled around in the mountains every day. Jiu Xuanye countered by asking if the innkeeper had ever seen a spirit.

He bluntly stated that there were spirits here and released a moon bug to test if Feng Tian was a spirit. But Feng Tian was able to catch the bug, proving he was not a spirit, which surprised Jiu Xuanye. Feng Wuniang noticed in Duan Banxia’s room that it seemed to be lived in by only one person and guessed that maybe her relationship with Jiu Xuanye wasn’t good.

Duan Banxia didn’t explain much, only saying she didn’t understand why they were running an inn in such a place. Feng Wuniang didn’t understand either—her father only said it was very safe here, as long as they didn’t go outside. There were many mountain demons outside that could harm people. If they really encountered them, they wouldn’t be able to fend them off with just the few of them.

But there were no mountain demons in the inn because none dared to enter her family’s inn. Suddenly, they heard the cry of a mountain demon outside. Duan Banxia and Feng Wuniang hurried out, only to find that Chu Youhuang had caught a cat. Chu Youhuang told Jiu Xuanye that Gao Sheng had been killed. He also found the inn suspicious. He had sent one of his comrades back to report, while he and another stayed behind to continue investigating.

Just then, the cat ran off. Chi Xue immediately turned into a rabbit to chase it, which surprised Chu Youhuang—he couldn’t understand why a demon hunter would keep a spirit as a pet. But the whole conversation was seen by an eyeball hiding in a bag. Feng Tian went to see Feng Wuniang and urged her to get Jiu Xuanye and the others to leave quickly.

He felt they were too powerful and also advised Feng Wuniang not to hang around them so much. But Feng Wuniang liked Duan Banxia and refused to back down. That night, after settling Duan Banxia in to rest, Jiu Xuanye returned to his room. The eyeball started moving again, and a black cat silently appeared outside Duan Banxia’s window. When Duan Banxia saw the cat, she shouted Jiu Xuanye’s name.

Jiu Xuanye and Duan Banxia immediately chased after the black cat. They returned to the courtyard where the cat had previously vanished. Jiu Xuanye felt the cat was deliberately luring them there. As Duan Banxia continued searching for the cat, a door opened, and out came Duan Yanqiu. Duan Yanqiu said he had been living there for a long time because he found the scenery beautiful and the innkeeper kind.

Jiu Xuanye noticed that Duan Yanqiu looked pale and offered to take his pulse and prescribe some medicine. But Duan Yanqiu avoided it and bluntly told them to leave. Jiu Xuanye didn’t push the matter and pulled Duan Banxia away. Both of them realized there was something wrong with Duan Yanqiu. He didn’t even care about Duan Banxia being alone with a man, which was completely different from how he had behaved in the past.

Jiu Xuanye also smelled alcohol on him, though it was masked by incense. Duan Banxia didn’t understand why Duan Yanqiu had gotten involved like this. She didn’t understand why these things kept happening in her family. Her father had been taken by a spirit, and now her brother had fallen in love with one. She even blamed herself, feeling guilty and responsible.

Jiu Xuanye praised Duan Banxia for already being very brave—when she first discovered Chi Wangchuan, she was terrified, but now she could face everything calmly. She had become brave. But Duan Banxia still felt she wasn’t brave enough. Suddenly, something got into Duan Banxia’s eye, and she kept rubbing it. Jiu Xuanye helped check and take care of it, which was seen by Chi Xue, who mistook it as a kiss.

Duan Banxia was happy that Jiu Xuanye cared for her. Chi Xue waited for Jiu Xuanye to return and questioned him about whether he had kissed Duan Banxia. Jiu Xuanye denied it, but Chi Xue said he could already see through Jiu Xuanye’s heart—every time he looked at Duan Banxia, it was like how his father used to look at his mother. Duan Banxia brought some snacks to Feng Wuniang and asked about Duan Yanqiu.

Feng Wuniang remembered him and said that once he came, he didn’t want to leave. Many people were like that—coming here to escape something. Feng Wuniang praised Duan Banxia’s good fortune: she had a husband and a brother, unlike her, who only had a father and a brother, and the brother had already run away. She said she would have to run away eventually too, and asked Duan Banxia if she would come find her when that time came.

Chu Youhuang had once investigated this inn and discovered that Gao Sheng had stayed here for four days. However, when he asked the owner, the owner denied it. Jiu Xuanye also analyzed the current situation based on his own encounter with Duan Yanqiu, and was certain that Duan Yanqiu knew something but refused to speak.

Chu Youhuang suggested going to ask Duan Yanqiu, but before they could see him, someone came from the mountain to deliver a letter to Chu Youhuang. From the letter, Chu Youhuang realized it was the one he had asked Yan Li to bring to Lord Shi. Following the villager to the place where the body was found, he was shocked to discover that the corpse was Yan Li.

Feng Tian overheard the conversation between the villager and Chu Youhuang and rushed to find Feng Wuniang, asking if she was the one who killed someone. But Feng Wuniang denied it, saying she only wanted not to disgrace her father. Feng Tian wished his daughter could live peacefully without causing trouble. Feng Wuniang impatiently agreed. Ban Xia entered Duan Yanqiu’s room only to find him listening to music and watching Man Niang dance. However, Ban Xia couldn’t see anyone.

Duan Yanqiu was still singing and dancing on his own, acting as if someone was really there. He sang along, while Ban Xia looked around in panic, seeing nothing, which made her uneasy. The villager explained that he discovered the body while chopping wood nearby. Chu Youhuang had no choice but to let him go.

Based on Yan Li’s injuries, it was clear the killer had great strength, but in this remote mountainous area, there was no trace of the murderer—unless Yan Li himself could speak. Feng Wuniang purposely brought wine to Duan Yanqiu, only to find Ban Xia also present. The wine was supposed to let them see the person they most wished to see.

Previously, Feng Wuniang had denied that anyone was here, but now that she came to deliver wine, it aroused Ban Xia’s suspicions. Feng Wuniang explained she had forgotten about Duan Yanqiu and only came to care for him again because of Ban Xia. Ban Xia angrily demanded that Feng Wuniang never bring wine again. Feng Wuniang had no choice but to leave. Jiu Xuanye examined the scene of the fight and deduced that the person had been stabbed.

However, there was no trace of blood, and the attacker had torn the skin off Yan Li’s back with bare hands, showing no fear of Yan Li’s resistance—as if he were a toy. From the torn flesh, Jiu Xuanye concluded the killer was missing a finger. The killer was likely still in the inn, and he had also found a wooden sphere at the scene.

Back at the inn, Jiu Xuanye asked Chi Xue if he had seen someone missing a finger. Chi Xue immediately thought of the servant who was always with Feng Wuniang. But when they went to look, Feng Wuniang had already reattached the missing finger, making it appear like there were five again. Jiu Xuanye tried to inspect it, but Feng Tian hurriedly stopped him.

Jiu Xuanye had grown suspicious of Feng Wuniang and warned Feng Tian to watch his people closely, or it might be too late when the truth was revealed. After Jiu Xuanye left, Feng Tian asked Feng Wuniang about the servant’s finger. Both the servant and Feng Wuniang remained silent, which angered Feng Tian, and he drove the servant out.

Feng Wuniang was furious that Feng Tian always blamed her for everything and said he didn’t take her to see their grandmother because he feared she would harm the family. They began arguing. Feng Wuniang suddenly asked Feng Tian to let her go free like her brother had, but Feng Tian reminded her that this was her home and she couldn’t leave. Feng Wuniang threatened him, saying that if anything happened again, she wouldn’t be the one to blame.

Enraged, Feng Tian slapped her. Feng Wuniang’s expression turned vicious as she watched Feng Tian leave. Ban Xia went to find Duan Yanqiu again. He admitted that he always needed to drink in order to see the person he missed. The feeling was so real, as if Man Niang had never left. Duan Yanqiu urged Ban Xia to try it too, but Ban Xia reminded him that there were still family members waiting for him at home.

Duan Yanqiu, however, was unwilling to leave and kept murmuring Man Niang’s name. After leaving Duan Yanqiu’s room, Ban Xia couldn’t find Chi Xue outside and had to leave alone, unaware that Feng Wuniang was secretly following her. But every time Ban Xia turned around, she saw no one. Just as Feng Wuniang was about to strike and kill Ban Xia, a black cat suddenly appeared. Ban Xia recognized it as Jiuming and chased after it.

Along the way, she ran into Jiu Xuanye, who had come looking for her. The black cat vanished. Ban Xia believed that the cat demon wasn’t in league with the others here and that it had actually saved her when she got lost. Chu Youhuang looked at Yan Li’s body and swore vengeance for him. Jiuming appeared in front of Jiu Xuanye voluntarily. Jiu Xuanye then instructed Chi Xue to follow Ban Xia closely and protect her.

Jiu Xuanye went to visit Duan Yanqiu and drank wine with him. After killing his parents and brothers back then, it was this wine that helped him get through it. Whenever he drank it, he seemed to see his whole family again. He even knew how to brew it himself and offered to give Duan Yanqiu the recipe, urging him to return home.

He warned that if he waited until no one was left, it would be too late for regrets. Their conversation was secretly observed by two eyeballs released by Feng Wuniang. After drinking the wine, Duan Yanqiu saw Man Niang appear before him. He said farewell to her, telling her that he was about to leave. Man Niang then vanished from his sight.

Jiu Xuanye returned drunk, muttering to himself that he knew everything and that what he had seen was all fake. Ban Xia, seeing that he was drunk, hurried over to care for him. The cat demon had been watching Feng Tian from the roof but was suddenly chased by a small wooden puppet sent by Feng Wuniang.

She warned the black cat never to come near him again or appear in front of her, or she would take its remaining lives. Frightened, the cat demon fled in panic.

Ban Xia took care of Jiu Xuanye as he fell asleep, listening to him mumbling about people being around. This made her realize that Jiu Xuanye had drunk Fubai Wine and guessed that he must really miss his family. Jiu Xuanye continued to run a fever. Chi Xue rushed to find Chu Youhuang for help, but Chu Youhuang wasn’t in the room—only Old Li was watching over Yan Li’s body.

At that moment, Chu Youhuang was investigating the matter of the servant boy, but was ambushed by several of them. He slashed at them with his sword, clearly severing their legs, but the limbs quickly regenerated. Chu Youhuang was ultimately captured by the group’s joint attack. Feng Tian came to Feng Wuniang, saying he planned to close the inn and take her away since she didn’t like the place. They could live a quiet life as father and daughter.

Feng Wuniang suddenly laughed, praising his idea and saying she had long grown tired of the inn. Feng Tian gave her another puppet and went to pack up. Feng Wuniang pretended to be pleased but casually tossed the puppet into a drawer, which was already full of similar puppets. As soon as Feng Tian left, a servant came to report that Chu Youhuang had been captured. With Ban Xia’s care, Jiu Xuanye eventually woke up.

Grateful for her attention, he told her that once he recovered, he planned to take her away from this place. That night, Ban Xia, Duan Yanqiu, Chu Youhuang, Feng Tian, and others were all captured and brought to a room, blindfolded. When everyone came to, they found themselves tightly bound and seated. One by one they regained consciousness, except Jiu Xuanye, who never opened his eyes.

Feng Tian tried to persuade Feng Wuniang to let everyone go, but she said that today was her birthday. Since only her father was with her, it felt lonely, so she brought everyone here. She wasn’t even sure when her actual birthday was—it was just a day she picked herself. Feng Wuniang wanted a bowl of longevity noodles, but found them tasteless and couldn’t swallow them. Feng Wuniang demanded gifts from everyone.

Chu Youhuang offered that she let them all go so they could go out and buy gifts, but Feng Wuniang didn’t fall for it. Instead, she asked everyone to tell a story as their gift. Chu Youhuang, afraid of others getting hurt, told a personal story. But in Feng Wuniang’s eyes, it was just a hypocritical tale about the strong preying on the weak. Feng Wuniang then asked Duan Yanqiu to tell a story too, mocking him for not understanding love.

Duan Yanqiu shared his love story with Man Niang, but Feng Wuniang criticized it—saying that in the end, Man Niang still died at the hands of the demon hunters. Though she could’ve fled when she was discovered, she couldn’t bear to leave Duan Yanqiu, and so stayed, only to die. Yet Duan Yanqiu still feigned sorrow while drinking and laughing with his enemy. When Feng Tian was stationed at the desert frontier, life was lonely.

That was when he created Feng Wuniang to accompany him. Back then, he spoke of a sweet fruit tree back home. Though Feng Wuniang couldn’t taste anything, she still wanted to try it. They had traveled thousands of miles, yet never went home, which made her believe that Feng Tian was afraid she’d hurt his family and never truly considered her part of it.

To her, this place was a prison of affection crafted by a woman’s hands, confining her for life. She believed Feng Tian was too hypocritical—calling her his daughter while treating her like a venomous snake. Hearing this, Feng Tian couldn’t help but weep. Seeing his tears, Feng Wuniang leaned on his shoulder, savoring the warmth. Ban Xia realized all Feng Wuniang truly wanted was affection. Feng Wuniang liked Ban Xia—her looks and her family.

She planned to kill Ban Xia and take her place, just as her brother had escaped and taken someone else’s place in another family. Suddenly, Jiu Xuanye spoke, breaking free from the ropes binding him. This allowed Feng Tian to see Feng Wuniang’s true nature. Jiu Xuanye had never drunk the wine—he only pretended to be drunk to draw out Feng Wuniang and reveal her real face. Seeing her plan exposed, Feng Wuniang attacked Jiu Xuanye. They began to fight.

Feng Wuniang was skilled at commanding puppet constructs—the servant boys were all her controlled puppets. As the puppet servants fought Jiu Xuanye, Feng Wuniang sought out Ban Xia. Ban Xia discovered a puppet crafted in her likeness. Before her eyes, Feng Wuniang transformed herself into Ban Xia’s appearance. From the moment they first met, she had wanted to become Ban Xia. But now she realized Ban Xia wasn’t truly happy. Feng Wuniang intended to live as Ban Xia—and live brilliantly.

Ban Xia accused Feng Wuniang of being selfish. Even if she killed her, she could never become her. It was a fake image that could be seen through at a glance. Feng Tian had given up going home just to stay with Feng Wuniang, yet she still believed others were controlling her. In truth, no one had control over her—it was her own heart. Feng Wuniang grabbed Ban Xia by the neck, trying to kill her. Ban Xia struck her away with a talisman-imbued palm, grabbed Jiu Xuanye’s sword, and attempted to escape.

Ban Xia took Jiu Xuanye's greatsword and escaped. When she saw several puppet servants approaching, she quickly hid. Soon after, she found Chu Youhuang and the others. Jiu Xuanye also arrived and urged everyone to leave together. However, just as they stepped outside, they ran into Feng Tian. Feng Wuniang looked at Feng Tian in a daze, seemingly reluctant.

Jiu Xuanye suggested that Feng Tian come with them, but Ban Xia thought Feng Tian, as Feng Wuniang’s father, would never hurt her. This remark caught Jiu Xuanye's attention. He checked Ban Xia’s palm and discovered that the protective charm he had drawn there was gone. Realizing she had been exposed, Feng Wuniang swiftly attacked Jiu Xuanye and fled. Feng Tian anxiously looked for Feng Wuniang but found her collapsed in the room, having turned into a puppet.

Just as Feng Tian grieved, Feng Wuniang returned. Feng Tian scolded her for killing too many innocent people and, in a fit of rage, tried to hit her but couldn’t bring himself to do it. He explained that he had kept her here to protect her, but Feng Wuniang felt she could never become the daughter Feng Tian wanted. Feng Tian promised to leave with her, as long as she didn’t hurt anyone.

However, Feng Wuniang became cold, declaring that Feng Tian was no longer her father. She would now live her own life. Watching her leave, Feng Tian was overwhelmed with sorrow. Jiu Xuanye came to find Ban Xia, but Feng Wuniang appeared at the same time. With just a simple gesture of Ban Xia covering her eyes, Jiu Xuanye instantly recognized the real Ban Xia and attacked Feng Wuniang.

Feng Wuniang claimed she and Jiu Xuanye were a perfect match and even said if one day he didn’t like this face, she could change into another. Jiu Xuanye rebuked her, saying that no matter how fake pretends to be real, it will never be true, and she didn’t understand emotions. Ban Xia also accused her of having an evil heart no matter how her appearance changed. In the room, Feng Tian, overwhelmed with grief, attempted to take his own life.

The black cat rushed in and stopped him from cutting himself with the shard. Feng Wuniang and Jiu Xuanye fought fiercely, but she was no match. She played her flute to summon numerous puppets to attack Jiu Xuanye. He shielded Ban Xia behind him and activated the Li Fire within his sword, striking at the puppets’ weak points with each move. One puppet suddenly shot a spear at Ban Xia.

Jiu Xuanye protected her in his arms and cut the spear down, and in that moment, Ban Xia seemed to see the boy who once saved her. Just as Jiu Xuanye was about to kill Feng Wuniang, Feng Tian arrived and knelt, begging for her life. He then suggested taking her home to visit their grandfather and promised to stay by her side forever. Feng Wuniang was overjoyed but said they must first deal with Jiu Xuanye and the others.

Feng Tian suddenly plunged a sharp blade into Feng Wuniang’s body, reminding her she could no longer kill. Feng Wuniang felt betrayed again and tried to attack Feng Tian, but he pushed her into the sea of flames. Then, he stabbed himself with a blade and tried to jump in to follow her, but Jiu Xuanye stopped him. Feng Tian watched helplessly as Feng Wuniang burned to ashes and collapsed to the ground in despair.

At that moment, the black cat came over and spat out its final life to save Feng Tian. When Feng Tian woke up, he saw the black cat's lifeless body slumped against the box. Jiu Xuanye believed it was an act of repayment. Feng Tian recalled that during his time guarding the border, there was a severe plague one year, and no one had food.

He caught a black kitten to eat, but upon seeing its pitiful state, he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Instead, he shared his rations, took care of it every day, confided in it, and named it Jiu Ming. Later, a strange man arrived at the border. Feeling sorry for Feng Tian, he taught him the art of puppet-making. Feng Tian then created Qingshan and Feng Wuniang. After they gained human consciousness, the black cat was never seen again.

He thought it had left. But Jiu Xuanye told him the black cat never truly left. Feng Tian had children and neglected it. The black cat was driven away by Feng Wuniang when it tried to get close. It saw Feng Tian’s decline and intentionally risked itself to catch Jiu Xuanye’s attention, bringing him here and using its final life to save Feng Tian. Feng Tian was deeply saddened.

Jiu Xuanye had long suspected the wooden eyeballs were suspicious and realized Feng Wuniang was spying on them. So he went along with it and pretended to drink the Fubai Brew. In truth, Fubai Brew only muddled the mind slightly—it didn’t completely confuse one’s senses, allowing people to distinguish reality from illusion. Duan Yanqiu had been lost in it because nothing more important came up.

Later, Jiu Xuanye pretended to drink with Duan Yanqiu and secretly wrote words on his hand, telling him Ban Xia was in danger and needed help. They faked being drunk and deliberately let Feng Wuniang hear, forcing her to act. Ban Xia asked Jiu Xuanye if it was true that he used to drink Fubai Brew often. Jiu Xuanye didn’t answer directly and quickly changed the subject.

On their way home together, Ban Xia’s shoes and socks got wet, so Jiu Xuanye carried her on his back. Ban Xia told him that if he ever wanted to drink again, he should drink with her instead of drinking alone. Jiu Xuanye said nothing, but felt warmth in his heart. Ban Xia asked Jiu Xuanye to draw another protective charm. He reminded her that protective charms consume vital energy and can’t be used often.

Ban Xia noticed how cold Jiu Xuanye’s fingers were and quickly rubbed his hands to warm them up. Jiu Xuanye was deeply moved and left. Suddenly, Ban Xia saw white hair appear on Jiu Xuanye’s head again. Jiu Xuanye went to the courtyard alone and drank. When he drank too much, he could see his long-lost loved ones, each of them talking to him.

Feeling sorrowful, Jiu Xuanye returned to his room, laid out the memorial tablets of his family, and knelt before them for a long time. Only after pouring a cup of wine for them did he leave the room. The next morning, Chi Xue shouted early, looking for Jiu Xuanye. He had gone to Wen Jian’s house. The food Wen Jian’s wife made was awful. Chi Xue didn’t feel full and asked Jiu Xuanye for money.

Jiu Xuanye refused, saying he had none. Chi Xue didn’t believe him and searched the room, finding some money in a box. He only took one tael of scattered silver and put the rest back, but he accidentally left a letter outside.

Two demon hunters arrived on the street—Jiang Shangyun and Xue Qiao. The two saw a child bump into a street vendor’s carrying pole. As the child was about to fall and the vendor’s goods were on the verge of spilling, they worked together: one caught the child, and the other skillfully caught the goods, preventing a small mishap. Duan Banxia and Xu Zhizhi were strolling through the streets when they saw Jiu Xuanye fishing.

They took the initiative to talk to him. When the two left together, Xu Zhizhi greeted Jiu Xuanye and introduced herself. Jiu Xuanye was planning to go to the underground city, but Chi Xue warned him against it, saying his father had forbidden him to go there when he was alive. However, Jiu Xuanye paid no attention to Chi Xue’s words. Chu Youhuang also arrived at the Dali Temple.

Lord Song Zhilian asked him to deliver a letter to Geng Zhen and praised him highly. After all, Chu Youhuang had once served at the Dali Temple. If not for that incident back then, Geng Zhen wouldn’t have benefited so much. Song Zhilian hoped that since Chu Youhuang had returned, he could stay a few days longer. As Chu Youhuang came out, he ran into two former colleagues who dragged him along for a drink.

Coincidentally, they encountered the duty officer, Sima Lingying. She immediately offered to treat everyone to a meal, using the excuse of Captain Yue having a joyous occasion at home, and purposely invited Chu Youhuang to join the fun. During the meal, Sima Lingying arrived late. Everyone tried to persuade Chu Youhuang to mend his relationship with her. After all, returning to his post wouldn’t be hard.

The two had once been seen as a perfect pair, yet they had never ended up together. As everyone joked around, Sima Lingying appeared dressed in women’s attire, making the atmosphere suddenly more reserved. Aware of everyone’s discomfort, she announced she would drink three cups and leave.

She toasted the first to the Emperor, the second to Captain Yue in celebration of his new home, and the third to Chu Youhuang, acknowledging his rising career in Guangping and wishing him even greater success. However, her tone held underlying reproach for him abandoning her back then. When Captain Yue saw Sima Lingying was leaving, he immediately told Chu Youhuang to escort her.

On the way, Sima Lingying reproached Chu Youhuang for abandoning her despite their engagement and fleeing to another region, making her a laughingstock in the capital. In truth, Chu Youhuang had only saved her older brother and never knew that Sima Lingying had made a vow to marry whoever saved her brother. Chu Youhuang also had no intention of clinging to the powerful—he and Sima Lingying were not from the same world.

He hoped she would stop bringing it up, as their paths were simply different and they couldn’t end up together. Just as they were talking, two people suddenly started fighting nearby. Chu Youhuang and Sima Lingying stepped in simultaneously to subdue them. Sima Lingying noticed that although one of the wounded had fallen, there was no blood on the blade. As she was puzzled, the injured person suddenly ran a few steps and turned into a humanoid paper figure.

The people on the street panicked and fled, thinking it was a demon. Chi Xue guessed that Jiu Xuanye wanted to go to the underground city because the demon who had saved Duan Banxia’s father was there. Jiu Xuanye didn’t confirm it, only noting that the path to the underground city was flooded and he would wait for it to recede. Chi Xue warned him not to go even then. Jiu Xuanye impatiently pushed Chi Xue’s hand away.

The paper crane Chi Xue had just folded flew out and landed in Duan Banxia’s hands. Looking up, she saw only Jiu Xuanye sitting at the window opposite, mistakenly thinking it was a love letter. Upon opening it, she indeed found writing—but it was her mother’s name: Tang Ruyun.

Duan Banxia immediately went to Jiu Xuanye, guessing that her mother might still be alive, which would explain why her father, since returning, was often not home—he must be out looking for her. Jiu Xuanye speculated that the letter might have been obtained by the cat demon from Duan Yingheng and was mistakenly placed among the silver notes. Chu Youhuang suspected that the paper-figure demon came from the underground city and went with Sima Lingying to report to Song Zhilian.

Song Zhilian believed demon trouble was not unique and such incidents happened across the world. As they left together, Sima Lingying, invoking her mother’s name, insisted Chu Youhuang come to her home. She wouldn’t take no for an answer and told him to pack up—she’d pick him up at the inn. Chi Xue hoped Duan Banxia could stop Jiu Xuanye from going to the underground city, saying it was his father’s dying wish, and surely there was a reason.

Duan Banxia agreed and planned to find other demon hunters, but she didn’t know where to look. Chi Xue, alone on the street buying something, was spotted and chased by Jiang Shangyun and Xue Qiao, who mistook him for a demon. Chi Xue barely escaped but didn’t know who they were.

Soon after, Jiang Shangyun and Xue Qiao caught up and fought with Jiu Xuanye, only to discover he was a more skilled demon hunter than they were, and so they respectfully took their leave. Just as they left, they ran into Duan Banxia. After learning from Jiu Xuanye that the two were demon hunters, she became interested. Jiu Xuanye gave her the clearance document to enter the underground city and promised to go with her in a few days.

Chi Xue hinted to Duan Banxia that she must stop Jiu Xuanye. Every time he used the Lihuo Sword, it shortened his lifespan by a year, which was why his hair was turning white. Duan Banxia went to dye Jiu Xuanye’s hair, feeling a deep sadness. Jiu Xuanye sensed her emotions and tried to comfort her, saying his father’s warning stemmed from worry, but he couldn't always live in fear.

Duan Banxia brought up the toll the Lihuo Sword took on him and begged him not to go again. Jiu Xuanye countered by asking—if he didn’t go, how could he save the people she wanted to save? Duan Banxia suddenly began to cry, feeling it was all her fault that he was suffering. Jiu Xuanye reassured her not to overthink it—then suddenly realized that the dye on Duan Banxia’s face wouldn’t come off.

Chu Youhuang was drinking tea on the official road when Sima Lingying caught up to him. Chu Youhuang repeatedly emphasized that he would not go back with her to see her mother—no matter how long she followed him, it would be useless. Unexpectedly, Sima Lingying took out Lord Song's token. Now that Prince Xin'an was missing, the matter had been entrusted to her. Sima Lingying requested Chu Youhuang to accompany her.

Helpless, Chu Youhuang had no choice but to return to the Divine Capital with her to question an elder first. What surprised Chu Youhuang was that the person turned out to be Sima Lingying’s mother. Jiang Shangyun had already expected an honored guest today, and just as he finished speaking, Duan Banxia arrived.

At this time, Jiu Xuanye was kneeling before his father's memorial tablet, earnestly begging for forgiveness for breaking his promise, because no matter what, he had to follow Duan Banxia to the Underground City. The next day, when Jiu Xuanye brought Chi Xue to find Duan Banxia, they found her door locked. A neighbor told them that Duan Banxia had left early with her bundle on her back.

Jiu Xuanye grew worried and immediately set off with Chi Xue in pursuit. They proposed entering the Underground City, and after showing a pass token, someone guided them by boat into the water-filled Underground City. Duan Banxia and Jiang Shangyun arrived at the Underground City and rested together. Jiang Shangyun settled both Duan Banxia and Ting Zhou, then went out to gather information.

Duan Banxia wanted to go with him, but Jiang Shangyun thought she would only be in the way, so she had to give up. As Duan Banxia looked around, she felt the place was familiar—it was where she had been brought after being abducted as a child. Chi Xue had just reached the entrance of the Small Grotto-Heaven when he smelled the scent of a snake demon and was too frightened to enter.

Lü Chunmian inside the grotto stepped forward to guide them. Together, they entered a passage lined on both sides with colorful murals, still vibrant despite the humidity. It felt like the artist was someone who refused to admit defeat. Although the Underground City appeared prosperous, it was actually a den of debauchery. After bringing Jiu Xuanye and Chi Xue inside, Lü Chunmian initially wanted to share a drink with them, but Jiu Xuanye declined.

Lü Chunmian then respectfully greeted a man, seemingly with the intent to lure Jiu Xuanye there. City patrolman Song Qi noticed that Chi Xue was clutching a large bundle and assumed it contained valuables. He took the initiative to bring Jiu Xuanye to the Small Grotto-Heaven and informed them that all transactions in the Underground City had to go through the grotto—silver had to be exchanged for vouchers.

After using Wuxiang Water, Jiu Xuanye realized the person who brought him was a demon. When the little demon mentioned the voucher again, Chi Xue opened the bundle only to find it full of radishes, leaving him disappointed. Swordsmen Xiang Shan and Xiang Feng had been searching the Underground City for Prince Xin’an but hadn’t seen a trace of him.

The three of them had moved from the third floor to the basement, indicating they were running out of money and might soon be forced to live there. Chu Youhuang and Sima Lingying also arrived at the Underground City, looking for the patrolman. Song Qi approached them, volunteering to help Sima Lingying. She handed over a portrait of Prince Xin’an and briefly explained some features, giving a generous deposit and promising double the reward for any information within three days.

Chu Youhuang complained that Sima Lingying was too extravagant, just like her mother. Then another person claiming to be a patrolman approached Sima Lingying. She again handed over some money and the portrait, casting the net even wider with no restraint in spending. Ting Zhou, feeling that Jiang Shangyun and Xue Qiao had been gone too long and seemed unreliable, decided to search for them herself. Duan Banxia planned to go look as well.

Song Qi quickly discovered that Prince Xin’an had come here looking for Huangfu Bai, who only saw three people a day. Song Qi had even queued up to get an entry token. Sima Lingying generously paid again. Chu Youhuang once again criticized her for blindly trusting people, but before he could finish, the door behind them opened on its own. Chu Youhuang then explained Prince Xin’an’s identity and asked if Huangfu Bai had seen him.

Huangfu Bai told them that Prince Xin’an had an incurable illness and had come to see him for help, but he had arrived too late and couldn’t save him. Now, he was likely nothing but bones. Song Qi happened to see that Duan Banxia and Ting Zhou had been robbed and helped retrieve their wallets. He offered to help them find someone. Ting Zhou, speaking too freely, mentioned they were looking for the Ti Hu Book House.

But Duan Banxia didn’t trust Song Qi and pulled Ting Zhou away. Xiang Shan opened the door and bumped into the passing Jiu Xuanye. Not only did he not apologize, he also scolded Jiu Xuanye for being blind. A conflict broke out. Xiang Feng came out to remind Jiu Xuanye that in the martial world, recognizing one’s place was important and that calling someone “brother” wasn’t shameful.

Jiu Xuanye ignored them and walked away, enraging Xiang Shan, who tried to chase him but was stopped by Xiang Feng. Jiang Shangyun and Xue Qiao realized Duan Banxia had gone missing and went to look for her. They ran into Song Qi and quickly sensed that he was a demon. They chased him down and cornered him. Duan Banxia had fled earlier because she had seen that Song Qi was a demon.

She happened to return and saw the two demon hunters attacking Song Qi. A stack of barrels fell and was about to crush her, but the already injured Song Qi protected her. Realizing Song Qi was kind, Duan Banxia deliberately knocked over a bamboo pole to block the two demon hunters, allowing Song Qi to escape. Jiang Shangyun scolded Duan Banxia for letting a demon go, but Duan Banxia insisted that even demons could be good.

Jiang Shangyun accused her of failing to distinguish between humans and demons. While the two were at a standoff, Jiu Xuanye arrived, scolded the two demon hunters away, and then took Duan Banxia into a room to lecture her. He blamed her for coming here with two strangers. Duan Banxia snapped that he was using her and now abandoning her, despite all the effort she put in.

With her head lowered, she angrily said her affairs had nothing to do with him. Jiu Xuanye turned to leave but was stopped by her. He initially wanted to scold her again but, seeing her injured, couldn’t bring himself to and helped bandage her wound instead. Duan Banxia blamed Jiu Xuanye for being disobedient and coming here, while both of them criticized each other for being impulsive, for coming here, and for getting into conflicts.

Yet in their words, there was deep concern for one another. Duan Banxia explained the conflict with Jiang Shangyun and his disciple, saying Jiang Shangyun was unable to tell good from evil. When Jiu Xuanye learned Duan Banxia hadn’t found any useful clues, he decided to accompany her the next day to continue searching. He also reminded her that in the future, they must discuss everything together before acting. Chu Youhuang and Sima Lingying analyzed Prince Xin’an’s situation.

They believed that if Prince Xin’an knew he had only a hundred days left, he wouldn’t choose to end things in some random place—instead, he should’ve gone home to prepare for his end. On the surface, Chu Youhuang was gruff with Sima Lingying, but he gave her the demon-slaying dagger and bug oil that Jiu Xuanye had given him. Though he said it was to avoid being dragged down, he was actually full of concern for her.

Lü Chunmian came to find Jiu Xuanye and brought him to meet Shen Tunan, the master of the Small Grotto-Heaven and also Jiu Xuanye’s martial uncle.

Chu Youhuang’s entire family was killed, and he ended up in prison. Fortunately, Shen Tunan ensured his safety. However, when Shen Tunan returned to the capital after running around to help Chu Youhuang, Chu Youhuang was already gone. The two did not meet, but Chu Youhuang knew it was Shen Tunan who had helped him and cared deeply about him.

He had also heard from his father that this senior martial uncle was very gifted but was expelled from the sect. Shen Tunan shared that he had fallen in love with a fox demon. He struggled for a long time but ultimately couldn’t let go of the woman. The sect’s rules forbade any relationship with demons, so he had no choice but to leave. Though the woman loved Shen Tunan, her demon nature was hard to suppress.

One time, she accidentally hurt Shen Tunan while drunk. Since then, she left out of fear of hurting him again. Shen Tunan came to the underground city to find her and had been searching for twenty years without success. Mr. Pu saw Sima Lingying and Chu Youhuang passing by on the roadside and could tell they were looking for someone.

He offered to help and recommended a “Celestial Guide Compass” to Sima Lingying, saying it could point to the person in her heart. Chu Youhuang didn’t believe it at all and walked away, but Sima Lingying closed her eyes and tested it. To her surprise, the compass really pointed to Chu Youhuang’s location. Excited, she bought it. Jiu Xuanye asked Shen Tunan to help find Dihu Book House.

Shen Tunan agreed right away and sent his subordinate Lü Chunmian to assist. Shen Tunan also specifically told Duan Banxia to call him “Shishu” (senior martial uncle), just like Jiu Xuanye. Duan Banxia complained to Jiu Xuanye that Jiang Shangyun and the others kept asking about Jiu Xuanye and Chi Xue. When they heard that she and Jiu Xuanye weren’t close, they became disrespectful and even spent many of Duan Banxia’s exchange tickets.

The more she talked, the guiltier she felt toward Jiu Xuanye. In a rush, she wanted to buy him some food, but then noticed a snake demon standing next to her. Terrified, Duan Banxia didn’t dare to move. The snake demon hissed at her, making her even more frightened. Sensing this, Jiu Xuanye quickly came over and held Duan Banxia in his arms, glaring fiercely at the snake demon, who was so frightened that it fled.

Lü Chunmian soon found Dihu Book House. Duan Banxia and Jiu Xuanye went there. The shop owner, Sha Man, thought they were there to audit accounts and immediately brought out all his certificates to show his compliance. But Jiu Xuanye said they were looking for someone. Duan Banxia then explained her family background. Sha Man cried upon hearing her story. Though he didn’t know Tang Ruyun, he recognized the letter’s paper and seal as being from his shop.

He agreed to help inquire about the person and asked for their address, claiming he’d notify them if he found the person. But as soon as they left, Sha Man’s eyes turned sinister. He immediately ordered his subordinate to bring a hammer. He struck the subordinate to death with one blow, turning him into a producer, then cursed that they were all useless—one had escaped, and now this one was trash too—forcing him to redraw everything. Mr.

Pu tried to sell his Celestial Guide Compass to Duan Banxia and Jiu Xuanye again, but Jiu Xuanye saw through it, pointing out that it was just a low-level tracking technique, extremely hard to refine, with barely one in a thousand being accurate. Duan Banxia spotted a conch shell and liked it. Mr.

Pu initially tried to bluff, calling it a “Bihai Chaosheng Shell,” but one glance from Jiu Xuanye made him confess it was just an “Echo Shell” that could retain sound for a long time. Duan Banxia was very interested, and Jiu Xuanye quickly helped her buy it at a low price. Chi Xue deliberately acted lazy and greedy, transforming into a rabbit so that Ting Zhou would carry him back.

Jiu Xuanye got angry and tossed him onto the bed, accusing him of taking advantage. Chi Xue, however, said Jiu Xuanye was the same—obviously in love but not saying anything. That day, Chi Xue overheard Duan Banxia telling Ting Zhou she planned to break off her engagement after returning home and be with Jiu Xuanye, but Jiu Xuanye was too afraid to face his feelings.

Chi Xue suddenly remembered Shen Tunan and told Jiu Xuanye he didn’t like Shen Tunan because he sensed a smell—a smell of someone who didn’t like Chi Xue. Jiu Xuanye thought Chi Xue was overthinking. Duan Banxia saw Jiu Xuanye chasing after her and immediately stopped him, demanding sternly that he sit down. Jiu Xuanye obediently sat beside her. Duan Banxia asked if he would kill her if she were a demon.

Jiu Xuanye replied that the question was meaningless because she wasn’t a demon. Duan Banxia was disappointed—because if Jiu Xuanye were a demon, she wouldn’t care. That night, back home, Duan Banxia spoke her feelings into the Echo Shell, confessing her love for Jiu Xuanye. While Song Qi was resting, Jiang Shangyun and Xue Qiao suddenly ambushed him. Song Qi was severely injured during the chase.

At the same time, Xiang Shan and others finally found the entrance to Dihu Book House. Once inside, they split up to investigate but were suddenly attacked and sucked into a painting. Jiu Xuanye found Song Qi seriously injured and remembered that Duan Banxia had said Song Qi had helped her. Plus, not all demons were evil. He took the initiative to bring Song Qi back for treatment. Song Qi didn’t understand why Jiu Xuanye was helping him.

Jiu Xuanye didn’t answer, only advised him to hide for a while and brought him to Shen Tunan for safety. Shen Tunan was pleased that Jiu Xuanye didn’t hold prejudice against demons and even brewed a cup of tea for him. Sima Lingying couldn’t find anyone using the Celestial Guide Compass and assumed it was useless. She casually gave it to Chu Youhuang and went off to ask someone else. But Chu Youhuang found the compass needle trembling continuously.

Following its direction, he entered Dihu Book House. Inside, there was no one, only a painting that seemed to move. Chu Youhuang picked up a magnifying glass from the table and saw people moving inside the painting. Curious, he reached out to touch it and was sucked in by a powerful force. Sha Man came to find Duan Banxia, claiming he had found the person she was looking for and presented a piece of handwriting that matched Duan Yingheng’s.

Duan Banxia wanted to wait for Jiu Xuanye to return, but Sha Man warned her that the person would escape if they didn’t hurry. Sensing something was wrong, Duan Banxia pretended to go change her clothes, secretly hiding the teapot and Echo Shell in the cabinet before following Sha Man. Just at the door, she threw her clothes over Sha Man’s head and tried to escape but was caught. Sha Man touched her forehead with a brush, and she fainted.

When Jiu Xuanye returned and found Duan Banxia missing, Ting Zhou had also just come back with pastries. Jiu Xuanye noticed something off with the teacup and found the teapot hanging in the wardrobe. Realizing it was a message referring to Dihu, he rushed to the bookstore. Some figures from the paintings came out and attacked Jiu Xuanye, but he defeated them all. Sha Man revealed himself and fought Jiu Xuanye, who cut off his arms.

However, Sha Man quickly reformed them with sand and grew two new ones. During the fight, both he and Jiu Xuanye were pulled into the painting.

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