The Seven Relics of ill Omen Recap, Plot, Synopsis

The Seven Relics of ill Omen Synopsis

In ancient times, a meteorite carrying extraterrestrial creatures crashed into Fengzi Ridge, bringing with it seven strange and dangerous beings. These beings could possess human bodies, disturb their minds, and cause them to commit evil deeds.

To prevent this, the great sage and his disciples used divine wood to create seven wooden tablets to imprison the creatures, naming them the "The Seven Relics of Omen." The tablets were then sealed with a special Phoenix-Luan buckle made from fallen meteors. Over generations, heroes passed down the methods for sealing the "Xin Jian", keeping them alive in folklore. A hundred years ago, one of these tablets was accidentally unearthed, and the souls returned to the world.

As strange deaths and incidents unfold, five unlikely heroes are drawn together to form the "Phoenix Team" and set out on a mission to capture the "Xin Jian" and prevent further chaos.

The Seven Relics of ill Omen Recap

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In ancient times, a meteor fell from the sky, bringing with it a terrifying and mysterious power that wreaked havoc on the human world. Although it was eventually sealed away, it was said to have always been seeking a chance to escape. On a winter night twenty-two years ago, Zhang Guanghua climbed up a residential building. The woman inside the room had no idea someone was outside the window.

In the next scene, Li Yaqing was hiding in a closet, so terrified that she covered her mouth tightly, not daring to make a sound. Zhang Guanghua hung each corpse in the air using fishing lines, sitting alone in the center, admiring the masterpiece above his head. Twenty-two years later in Lixi, Huo Zihong smiled when she received news about the Luomahu case she was investigating.

She opened the cabinet housing a statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva and began playing with the knife inside. Mu Dai, entrusted by her adoptive mother Huo Zihong, went alone to find the informant Wan Fenghuo. In the private room of Lao Jiu Hotpot, Mu Dai met Wan Fenghuo, along with Li Tan and Ma Tuwen. According to the rules, no recording or video was allowed inside, but in a car outside, Luo Ren was remotely monitoring everything.

Ma Tuwen urgently notified Luo Ren that the signal needed to be blocked. Luo Ren told him to comply with Wan Fenghuo’s request and then used technical means to activate a hidden pinhole camera in the room, continuing to monitor every move inside. Wan Fenghuo brought out the informant Cen Chunjiao. Cen Chunjiao said the killer of the fishing line murders, Liu Shuhai, had died five years ago.

She explained that when she worked night shifts at a low-end motel, Liu Shuhai, a guest, once asked for hot water at night. As instructed, she brought the water upstairs. After entering the room and helping Liu Shuhai up from the sofa, he collapsed to the ground after only a few steps and died.

Just as she was banging on the door for help, Liu Shuhai suddenly became possessed, looked upward, and, as if making a report, stated information about two victims of the fishing line murder cases. Cen Chunjiao told them that Liu Shuhai was indeed dead, and his body had been found, but a large piece of skin on his back had been cut away. Everyone was skeptical of her information, and Li Tan bluntly accused her of lying.

He told Wan Fenghuo that as the buyer, he was only interested in real information about the Luomahu case. Luo Ren told Ma Tuwen to pay. Although Huo Zihong also doubted the information, she still instructed Mu Dai to pay, reasoning that even if Wan Fenghuo didn’t contribute much, he had at least made an effort. After paying, Li Tan stormed out. Mu Dai quickly followed. Suddenly, the restaurant lost power. Moments later, the surveillance feed resumed.

Luo Ren instructed Ma Tuwen not to return to the car but to enter the mall and run as per his guidance. Luo Ren himself went to deal with the group of people tailing them. While Li Tan was buying liquor, his wallet was stolen. Mu Dai apprehended the thief, Cao Yanhua, and returned the wallet to Li Tan. Li Tan said the money wasn’t important—what mattered was the photo inside.

Mu Dai said the reason she was investigating was because Huo Zihong had been Professor Li’s student. Li Tan showed the photo in the wallet to Mu Dai, explaining that he did it all because of Professor Li’s daughter, Li Yaqing—his fiancée. Mu Dai noticed that the woman in the photo looked a lot like Huo Zihong and reminded Li Tan that perhaps she wasn’t dead. Li Tan became emotional.

He said that back then, he was still a police officer and had been among the first to arrive at the scene. It was horrific—Li Yaqing’s body had been entangled in fishing lines. Before leaving, Li Tan told Mu Dai that the fishing line murders had resurfaced two years ago, and he had seen the perpetrator face-to-face. So Liu Shuhai, who had died five years ago, couldn’t possibly be the killer.

Cao Yanhua told Mu Dai that Luo Ren was monitoring her. Mu Dai boldly walked up to Luo Ren and asked why he was following her. Luo Ren wrote down his number and handed it to her. After looking into Liu Shuhai’s records, they found he had never even been to Luomahu, and they all returned disappointed. Wan Fenghuo handed Mu Dai the information Huo Zihong had asked him to investigate on Zhang Guanghua. Only then did Huo Zihong realize Zhang Guanghua wasn’t dead.

Mu Dai accidentally saw Ma Tuwen getting into Luo Ren’s car and realized that Luo Ren was the man behind Ma Tuwen. She and Cao Yanhua tracked down Luo Ren’s residence. Just as they arrived, Mu Dai saw Cen Chunjiao heading upstairs. To gather intel, Mu Dai used her superb martial arts to scale the wall and climb to Luo Ren’s window. This sight left Cao Yanhua in utter awe.

Luo Ren repeatedly confirmed with Cen Chunjiao about Xiaoshang River, but Cen Chunjiao was certain Liu Shuhai never mentioned it. Cao Yanhua accidentally bumped into an electric scooter at the door, alerting Luo Ren. When Luo Ren looked out the window, he noticed Mu Dai’s shadow clinging to the wall through the glass. He lit a cigarette and quietly left. Only when the cigarette burned out did Mu Dai realize she had been tricked—the room was already empty.

On her way back to Bashu Bieyuan, Mu Dai ran into Li Tan, who was also heading home. She invited him for a drink and asked about the case from two years ago. On the 20th anniversary of the Luoma Lake case, Li Tan unexpectedly saw a strange man enter Li Yaqing’s house.

Since he couldn’t get too close, he only vaguely saw the man feeling around the chiseled holes on the wall, as if reliving past memories—with a somewhat indulgent expression. No longer a policeman and without solid evidence, Li Tan could only keep watch. Eventually, he found the man at a shop near Xiaoshang River. To his shock, the whole family there had been killed, and the man was tying up the corpses with fishing line.

Li Tan struck the man’s head hard, but the man seemed unhurt and was incredibly strong. Just as Li Tan was about to subdue him, someone attacked him from behind, knocking him unconscious. To this day, Li Tan doesn’t know who took him to the hospital. Later, he learned that the shop had burned down, leaving almost no trace of the corpses. Mu Dai suggested Li Tan try hypnosis and asked how many daughters Professor Li had.

Li Tan said Li Yaqing had a twin sister who was abducted in childhood and has been missing ever since. Mu Dai shared this information with Huo Zihong and also told her the killer wasn’t dead. Huo Zihong froze in the middle of the road upon hearing it. Thirteen-Thousand was flirting with girls at the bar when Mu Dai interrupted. She kept calling him “husband” while roughing him up.

Luckily, Huo Zihong came down and told Mu Dai to let go. The name Thirteen-Thousand was given by Mu Dai because Huo Zihong helped him pay off a debt of thirteen thousand yuan. Huo Zihong asked Mu Dai to tell her everything she had learned from Li Tan. Mu Dai received a package with no information on it—inside was a box of strawberries. She remembered the strawberries at Luo Ren’s home. Li Tan underwent hypnosis and produced a sketch.

Upon seeing it, Mu Dai immediately recognized the person as Luo Ren and informed Huo Zihong. Huo Zihong calculated the timeline and said Luo Ren couldn’t be the killer. Mu Dai pointed out that Huo Zihong was the daughter who had been abducted from Professor Li. Huo Zihong tacitly acknowledged it. That night, Mu Dai checked the bar, worried Luo Ren might tamper with it.

But Luo Ren called directly and told her he wouldn't be coming that night—see you tomorrow. Cao Yanhua came to the bar looking for Mu Dai. Huo Zihong arranged for him to stay in the bunk above Thirteen-Thousand. Sure enough, Luo Ren showed up at the bar that night. He greeted Huo Zihong, speaking in a way full of probing hints.

Huo Zihong led him aside, and Luo Ren realized she wasn’t the real Huo Zihong and that she knew who the Luoma Lake killer was. Upon hearing Huo Zihong scream, Mu Dai immediately engaged Luo Ren and chased after him. In the end, Luo Ren held a knife to her throat and told her that what she believed might not be the truth—Huo Zihong was not the real Huo Zihong.

Luo Pingtin went mad because of the case and was kept locked up by Zheng Bobo under Luo Ren’s orders. At night, Luo Pingtin suddenly looked at the camera in her room and smiled eerily. Zhang Guanghua appeared outside the building, all surveillance went dead. Luo Pingtin walked to the window and exchanged a smile with Zhang Guanghua as they looked at each other.

Luo Ren asked Mu Dai out for a talk, and Mu Dai chose a café that had surveillance all around and a large flow of people. Luo Ren admired Mu Dai—she was skilled in martial arts and had a strong sense of judgment. Mu Dai was curious about Luo Ren’s identity, and Luo Ren no longer hid it. He directly showed her the pendant on his necklace, which contained a photo—his uncle Luo Wenmiao’s family portrait.

Due to work reasons, Luo Wenmiao moved with his daughter Luo Paiting to Xiaoshanghe after his wife passed away. Two years ago, Luo Wenmiao suddenly lost contact and took a trip to Luomahu. After returning, one night, Luo Wenmiao, with red eyes, begged Luo Ren to lock him up—he didn’t want to kill anyone. But when Luo Ren pressed further, Luo Wenmiao acted as if he had never said those words.

Later, one day, Luo Ren saw Luo Wenmiao fiddling with fishing line in the study. A few days after that, Luo Wenmiao disappeared over the wall. Luo Ren ran after him and discovered a house in the alley was on fire, with people fighting inside. Hearing this, Mu Dai recalled what Li Tan had said: that person had silver hair but incredible strength.

Luo Ren rushed in and saw Li Tan, mistook him for the murderer, knocked him out, and then chased after Luo Wenmiao. Luo Wenmiao’s speed and strength made Luo Ren doubt that he was still his uncle. Back home, Luo Ren saw the blood on Luo Wenmiao’s hands. After tying him up, he returned to find Li Tan, but Li Tan was too seriously injured to answer any questions.

After sending Li Tan to the hospital, Luo Ren rushed home, only to find that Luo Wenmiao was dead and Luo Paiting had gone mad. Later, Luo Ren began investigating the entire matter, learning about the Luomahu case, and discovering Huo Zihong’s involvement. Now, the key to the whole incident was Huo Zihong. From Huo Zihong’s reaction, Luo Ren judged that she must know who the real killer was.

Mu Dai told Luo Ren that the second case Huo Zihong filed with Wan Fenghuo involved Zhang Guanghua. Including the Darrentel case, there were three cases in total. Luo Ren firmly believed there must be a hidden thread connecting them all and invited Mu Dai to his home to sort through the details. Zhang Guanghua lived next door to Li Yaqing’s home at Luomahu. His belongings were found in Datong.

Liu Shuhai fell into the water in Datong and died in Jiquan, while Luo Wenmiao had once been on a business trip to Jiquan and stayed at Cen Chunjiao’s small inn. When Liu Shuhai died, a piece of skin was missing from his back—the same with Luo Wenmiao. Luo Ren realized the entire incident seemed like a relay race: after Liu Shuhai died, Luo Wenmiao took the baton, and when Luo Wenmiao died, Luo Paiting happened to be nearby.

Cao Yanhua wanted to take Mu Dai as his master, but she told him to drop the idea early. Thirteen-Thousand said his dream was to be kept by a gentle and lovely rich woman. Mu Dai decided to start her investigation with Huo Zihong, so she deliberately mentioned Li Tan in front of her and said Luo Ren was also a victim. She advised Huo Zihong not to hide the truth if she knew who the killer was.

Upon hearing this, Huo Zihong immediately exploded in anger and stormed off. Luo Ren arranged to meet Li Tan but ended up getting tied up. Li Tan told Mu Dai that he had found the killer. Mu Dai and Huo Zihong rushed to Luo Ren’s home. Huo Zihong admitted that she was Li Yaqing. It turned out this was a setup planned by Luo Ren and Li Tan because Luo Paiting’s condition had worsened.

Mu Dai guessed that they were being controlled by supernatural forces, which made Luo Ren burst into laughter. Huo Zihong apologized to Li Tan for what had happened between her and Zhang Guanghua in the past. Li Tan left with a bitter smile and tossed away the thermos cup he had been holding.

Huo Zihong explained her identity to Luo Ren and Mu Dai—she was actually Li Yaqing, and Huo Zihong was her twin sister who had been abducted. Behind the statue of the Bodhisattva, in a hidden compartment, were the memorial tablets of their parents and Huo Zihong. When she was young, Li Yaqing had fallen in love with Zhang Guanghua, a married man, and even became pregnant. In their small town, gossip ran rampant.

Her parents took her to another place for an abortion and later arranged for her to date Li Tan. After learning about her true background, Huo Zihong found Li Yaqing. The two got along instantly and became very close. Li Yaqing wanted to surprise their parents on her birthday, so she asked Huo Zihong to impersonate her while she hid in the wardrobe. Unexpectedly, Zhang Guanghua suddenly showed up, killed their parents, and then stabbed Huo Zihong to death.

Li Yaqing witnessed everything from the wardrobe. When she finally regained her senses and crawled out, she saw the bodies of her parents and sister hanging in the middle of the room, strung up with fishing line. After composing herself, she picked up a knife from the floor and ran after Zhang Guanghua. Li Yaqing didn’t choose to call the police because she wanted an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

After the murders, Zhang Guanghua took a bus to Datong, and Li Yaqing followed him. She stole his wallet and lured him to the reservoir, which was about to release floodwater in three minutes, with warnings blaring everywhere. She ambushed him, knocked him unconscious, and tied his hands. Zhang Guanghua claimed he didn’t want to kill anyone, but Li Yaqing, in a frenzy, pulled out a dagger and stabbed him.

During the struggle, Zhang Guanghua suddenly mutated—his eyes filled with a bloodthirsty red glow, and he viciously grabbed Li Yaqing by the neck. Just as she was about to suffocate, the water was released from the reservoir. As the droplets splashed onto Zhang Guanghua, he abruptly returned to his senses and loosened his grip. Seizing the opportunity, Li Yaqing dragged Zhang Guanghua into the water while clinging tightly to the bridge.

Later, she climbed up along the railing and sat there all night. Although Li Yaqing hadn’t directly killed anyone, Zhang Guanghua died because of her. If she reported it, their entire story would come to light. Since revenge had already been taken, she chose to start over under the identity of Huo Zihong—and so she became Huo Zihong. The reason she sought out Wan Fenghuo for information on Zhang Guanghua was because she needed proof—whether alive or dead.

As for her relationship with Li Tan, she said it was all for show. Over all these years, she never truly thought about Li Tan. With the truth revealed, Luo Ren decided to return to Xiaoshanghe, while Li Yaqing went back to Luomahu alone. One night, Luo Ren discovered Luo Pingting trying to pry open the window bars, so the next day he quickly reinforced all the doors and windows.

Meanwhile, Mu Dai learned from Wan Fenghuo about a supernatural phenomena expert named Shen Mukun and called him to describe the strange occurrences surrounding Luo Pingting and the others. She also provided the information about the human skin. Upon hearing the dimensions of the skin, Shen Mukun immediately associated it with the size of a bamboo slip.

Based on the characteristic of changing people's hearts and forcing them to commit evil against their will, Shen Mukun checked his notes and concluded it was a relic of ill omen. Mu Dai relayed the information to Luo Ren. Just as he was about to ask more, Uncle Zheng shouted from upstairs that something had happened to Luo Pingting. Luo Pingting had injured herself in an attempt to escape, and Luo Ren was wounded in the abdomen while subduing her. After learning that Luo Ren was hurt, Mu Dai took the initiative to care for Luo Pingting, and Luo Ren was deeply grateful.

While giving Luo Pingting a bath, Mu Dai discovered a patch of skin on her back that seemed to be moving, with strange patterns on it. Mu Dai informed the Mystic about it, and he speculated that it might be a parasitic organism. He sent Mu Dai a video, and Luo Ren recognized the melody in the background as the tune Luo Pingting often hummed.

The Mystic only knew that the tune was used in the rituals of the Qi deity in the Lengquan region, and promised to look into more detailed information. Cao Yanhua was constantly sighing at the bar because Mu Dai was not around. Thirteen-Thousand didn’t want to continue being exploited at the bar either, so he tricked Uncle Zhang, claiming he was going to Xiaoshanghe to protect Mu Dai, and brought Cao Yanhua along with him.

Mu Dai was feeding Luo Pingting in the room, and when Luo Ren came in to take over, he noticed her lips were dry. So he gave her his lip balm and even shaved off a bit of the tip before handing it to her. Uncle Zheng was very grateful for Mu Dai’s help, and from him, Mu Dai learned that Luo Ren and Luo Pingting were not blood-related siblings. In fact, people had once tried to set them up.

So Mu Dai reminded herself to stay focused on helping and not develop inappropriate thoughts. Thirteen-Thousand and Cao Yanhua arrived at Luo Ren’s house and were peeking through the main gate when Luo Ren spotted them on the surveillance camera and let them in. Mu Dai asked them to leave, but they refused. Just then, Uncle Zheng returned with groceries and suggested they all have a barbecue together.

While going up the stairs, Uncle Zheng twisted his waist, so Thirteen-Thousand helped deliver food to Luo Pingting. Luo Pingting looked at Thirteen-Thousand and softly pleaded for help. That night, Mu Dai was sitting in the courtyard, lost in thought, when Luo Ren came over and sat beside her to thank her. Thirteen-Thousand sneaked to the door of Luo Pingting’s room and opened the password lock.

From behind the security gate, he confirmed her identity and told her he would help call the police. Luo Pingting deliberately spoke in a low voice, and when Thirteen-Thousand leaned in closer, she suddenly grabbed his hand. Hearing the commotion, Luo Ren rushed upstairs and saw Luo Pingting choking Cao Yanhua. Luo Ren immediately gave chase as Luo Pingting tried to jump out of the building to escape. Luo Ren held onto her tightly, but Luo Pingting scratched his hand.

Just as she was falling, Mu Dai arrived and knocked her out. Mu Dai sent the photo of the pattern on the human skin to the Mystic, who said it was an ancient character—the ancient form of the word for “blade.” Every time the pattern appeared, Luo Pingting would have an episode and go crazy, trying to escape and kill someone.

The Mystic discovered a pattern with the relic of ill omen: each time someone dies, the relic transfers to another person. If Luo Pingting remained locked up, the relic of ill omen might deem her useless and could even drive her to suicide. Luo Ren arranged for Mu Dai and the others to stay at a hotel and called a doctor himself, specifically instructing them to bring a full set of emergency medical equipment.

That night, Luo Ren took Mu Dai to the desert to help her relax, using visual illusions to give her a brush with death. The desert night sky was filled with stars. Luo Ren shared his family story with Mu Dai: his father had an affair, the mistress took over, and after Luo Ren’s car accident and poisoning, he was sent to live with his uncle Luo Wenmiao, who became more of a father figure to him. Now, Luo Pingting was the person dearest to him. Luo Ren gave Mu Dai a small knife—the same one he had once held to her the first time they met.

Luo Ren faked Luo Pingting’s death so that the relic of ill omen would need to find a new host, causing it to leave Luo Pingting’s back. Just as Luo Ren carried Luo Pingting out, the relic flew onto Luo Ren’s shoulder. Luo Ren told Mu Dai, Thirteen-Thousand, and the others to shut the door. Worried about Luo Ren, Mu Dai rushed in and tried to grab the relic, but she couldn’t control it.

Luo Ren took the opportunity to slap it against the wall. As the relic tried to escape, Thirteen-Thousand kicked it aside, and Luo Ren swiftly pinned it to the wall with his dagger. Luo Pingting was taken away by ambulance, with Uncle Zheng accompanying her. The relic of ill omen escaped from the dagger and flew toward Cao Yanhua. Luckily, Thirteen-Thousand entered with an oil basin and managed to trap it under the basin.

He then lit the oil on the basin, but the relic didn’t burn to death and kept attacking them. By accident, they discovered that the bamboo Slip feared water, so they forced the relic into a basin of water until it stopped moving. Mu Dai was angry that Luo Ren kept his plan from her. Luo Ren tried to explain, and Mu Dai tearfully scolded him for risking himself without telling her.

She asked Cao Yanhua and Thirteen-Thousand what it meant when a guy touches a girl’s hair. Thirteen-Thousand immediately guessed the guy was Luo Ren. Embarrassed, Mu Dai had Cao Yanhua give Thirteen-Thousand a beating. Luo Ren wanted to record the relic of ill omen with a camera. Thirteen-Thousand noticed a flash of light, and after they turned off the lights, Mu Dai and the others saw it too.

Thirteen-Thousand spent the whole night sketching the pattern but secretly kept one copy for himself. Luo Ren trapped the relic in a bulletproof water tank and set up a camera beside it. Hearing that Mu Dai was leaving, Luo Ren invited her to the desert for some fun. With the matter of the relic resolved, Luo Ren felt much more at ease.

Since Pingting needed treatment at a major hospital, Luo Ren couldn’t see Mu Dai off, which made her a little disappointed. Luo Ren said that Pingting would later go to the south for recuperation, and since he had rented a place in Lixi, if Mu Dai wanted to meet again, she could come along with Pingting. Hearing this, Mu Dai immediately brightened up.

That night, after finishing a painting of mussels on the seashore, Thirteen-Thousand took out the sketch he had hidden earlier. The illusion shown by the relic was of a corner of a shrine roof in his hometown. Mu Dai took Cao Yanhua as her apprentice. While training, Cao Yanhua saw the same roof corner illusion on the ground but thought he was hallucinating.

Luo Ren took the Mystic to see Mu Dai, but the Mystic couldn’t see the water-like reflections flashing on the relic. That night, Mu Dai accidentally saw five totems flashing from her wooden bracelet. But as soon as she reached out to touch them, they vanished. Meanwhile, Luo Ren saw four totems reflected on the metallic globe at his bedside. They reported this to the Mystic, but Thirteen-Thousand lied and said he hadn’t seen anything.

Pingting called Thirteen-Thousand “Little Knife Brother,” leaving him totally confused. Mu Dai left Luo Ren’s house alone and was splashed with soup by a woman downstairs. Luo Ren wanted to stand up for her, but Mu Dai stopped him. After showering, Mu Dai hid in the wardrobe. Luo Ren talked to her about himself, and Mu Dai gradually opened up, sharing stories from her childhood. Thirteen-Thousand patiently took care of Pingting and kept buying her dolls as she asked.

Eventually, he saw her hanging the dolls in the air with red thread. The Mystic realized that the human skin wasn’t the relic of ill omen itself—it was only its detached form. The Mystic said their only clue now was the illusions they had seen. Mu Dai thought they looked like the roof cat tiles used to ward off evil and bring blessings. The Mystic suddenly understood—horned divine beasts, the "Immortal Pointing the Way."

Worried Pingting might harm others if she went out, Luo Ren sorrowfully restrained her on the bed and injected her with a sedative. After much hesitation, Thirteen-Thousand finally admitted he knew where the “Immortal Pointing the Way” was.

Thirteen-Thousand confessed that he had seen the illusion but didn’t say anything earlier because he was too shocked. He was certain it was in their village because he was the one who smashed Xing Shen’s hand, and the “Immortal Pointing the Way” Luo Ren was looking for was in their Wuzhu Village. So, Luo Ren set off with Thirteen-Thousand by car. Mu Dai’s senior brother arrived and took her to the Yan family in Huacheng.

As soon as they stepped in, Yan Hongsha tried to assert dominance, but Mu Dai swiftly put her in her place by dunking her into a water vat. Elder Yan offered Mu Dai a high-paying job to act as Yan Hongsha’s bodyguard on a trip to Wuzhu Village. The Yan family business involved treasure-seeking, mainly relying on visual judgment to detect treasure energy and pinpoint locations. This time, they were heading to Wuzhu Village to find Elder Yan’s son.

The GPS showed that the tunnel leading to Wuzhu Village was blocked, but Thirteen-Thousand insisted it was a mistake. When they reached the tunnel, it was indeed sealed with rocks. Thirteen-Thousand asked some nearby campers about Wuzhu Village, and everyone said the village had long been abandoned. One year on Mid-Autumn night, an old mussel surfaced under the moonlight, and the lakeshore was full of pearl mussels.

But a child burned them all, and ever since, no more pearls had appeared in the area, and it was now rumored to be haunted. Yan Hongsha was awakened by a call from her second uncle, but there was no sound on the other end. When she tried to call back, the line never connected again. Uneasy, Yan Hongsha woke Mu Dai, and Mu Dai comforted her, telling her not to overthink.

That night, Zhang Guanghua stood by the lake in Wuzhu Village and threw something into the water. Luo Ren and Thirteen-Thousand entered Wuzhu Village to find it completely deserted. Thirteen-Thousand returned to his home, now dilapidated. He said his father drowned during a conflict with a neighboring village, after which his mother lost her sanity. One rainy night, she went out alone on a boat to search for his father.

Because of the storm, the clan leader and others didn’t help, and the next day, when they went looking for her, she was never found. After losing both parents, Thirteen-Thousand was devastated and often sneaked into the ancestral shrine to question the water god. One day, he accidentally overheard the clan leader and several villagers talking and learned that during the conflict, they had seen his father fall into the water but chose not to save him.

Though the village later gained rich mussel grounds, Thirteen-Thousand believed they didn’t deserve a good harvest. So, he poured diesel over the mussels and burned them, then climbed onto the shrine roof, tore off the tiles, smashed Xing Shen’s hand, and left. Thirteen-Thousand took Luo Ren to the shrine. Inside, everything was spotless, and there were blood-written words on the wall. As they were examining the place, they heard something outside.

When they went out, someone had burned something nearby, and they caught a glimpse of a shadow. Luo Ren and Thirteen-Thousand immediately gave chase. Meanwhile, the tricycle Yan Hongsha found dropped them off in the desert, forcing them to walk the rest of the way to Wuzhu Village. Thirteen-Thousand chased the figure to the lake but found it completely dried up. Heartbroken, he cried by the empty lakebed.

Luo Ren drove with Thirteen-Thousand to a mussel-collecting boat in the lake, where there were signs that someone had recently been living. Luo Ren then received a call from Mu Dai—Yan Hongsha had fallen into the lake. He rushed over immediately, but it was too late. Although Mu Dai managed to pull Yan Hongsha out of the swamp, the two of them were still dragged under by something from the lakebed.

Luo Ren and Thirteen-Thousand rescued Mu Dai and Yan Hongsha. Thirteen-Thousand tricked Mu Dai by saying Yan Hongsha had undergone an amputation, giving Mu Dai quite a scare. As for the thing that attacked them from underground, Thirteen-Thousand said it was something similar to a mussel. With the great lake dried up, the only places left that could still produce pearls were the lake center and the lake eye.

In an old boat nearby, there were a lot of supplies, which Luo Ren suspected had been stockpiled by Yan Hongsha's uncle, Yan Jiuxiao, when he was living there. Luo Ren gave Mu Dai a sailor whistle, saying it had a very strong penetrating sound and she should blow it if she ever found herself in danger again.

Mu Dai's arrival made Luo Ren start to reconsider what the illusions were truly guiding him toward; he began to suspect it might not be coincidence. Yan Hongsha was deeply grateful to Mu Dai for saving her life and said she'd ask her grandfather to give Mu Dai a raise when they returned, which made Mu Dai’s eyes light up.

When she learned that Luo Ren was not Mu Dai’s boyfriend, Yan Hongsha let out a sigh of relief, thinking that meant she could go after Luo Ren herself. Mu Dai was stunned, but Yan Hongsha quickly said she was joking and added that it was obvious Luo Ren and Mu Dai shared something unusual.

Cao Yanhua envied the close-knit group that Luo Ren was a part of and feared being left out, so he made up his mind to follow them. Luo Ren prepared some equipment, including drones and soil detectors. The intertidal zone was too vast and needed preliminary detection. Mu Dai studied the sailor whistle closely. Thirteen-Thousand gave her a direct warning: Luo Ren wasn’t someone ordinary—they were not from the same world.

He told her not to waste more time on Luo Ren, because their relationship would never go beyond mutual fondness. Yan Hongsha, hearing this, threw an apple straight at Thirteen-Thousand, calling him a scheming troublemaker trying to sow discord. Mu Dai told Yan Hongsha that Thirteen-Thousand wasn’t entirely wrong. Luo Ren did treat her better than just a friend, but sometimes he could be very distant. Every time she tried to get closer, Luo Ren would deliberately keep his distance.

Yan Hongsha encouraged her to be direct, and Mu Dai felt she had a point. Luo Ren and Thirteen-Thousand went to investigate the village. Luo Ren suspected that the mysterious person and the old mussel they had encountered in the village were connected to the relics of ill omen. At the old clan leader’s house, they found signs of recent habitation.

Yan Jiuxiao’s daily-use items were on the mussel-collecting boat, while his personal belongings were scattered around the old clan leader’s house. Luo Ren opened Yan Jiuxiao’s tablet, which contained several video clips recorded by him—one of a giant mussel, and one of the old clan leader. Yan Hongsha heard the sound of a treasure-finding bell. Mu Dai pulled her aside to be cautious. By accident, they spotted an old man on the mussel-collecting boat—he was the old clan leader.

Thirteen-Thousand identified him as Jiang Zhao. The old clan leader recognized Thirteen-Thousand and blamed him for the water god’s retribution, saying it all started when he set fire to the mussels. Luo Ren watched Yan Jiuxiao’s video—he had also encountered the old clan leader and had arrived by car. The last video, recorded a few days ago, showed Yan Jiuxiao saying he was going into the lake to catch mussels.

That night, Thirteen-Thousand picked up a wooden stick and walked toward the sleeping old clan leader, but in the end, he couldn’t bring himself to strike. Luo Ren asked if he regretted setting the fire. Thirteen-Thousand said he didn’t. There were only a few truly evil people, but his revenge had been against the whole village. He admitted he hadn’t wanted it to go that far.

Based on the data returned from the equipment, Luo Ren parked the car in a safe area and split up with Thirteen-Thousand and Mu Dai to search for Yan Jiuxiao, while Yan Hongsha monitored the data and guided them. Thirteen-Thousand discovered a rear-view mirror. Luo Ren found a car stuck in the swamp and checked it—there was no one inside. Cao Yanhua arrived in a small vehicle. Upon seeing him, Thirteen-Thousand and the others rushed toward him, but Cao Yanhua had already stepped out of the car, and a mussel began running toward him.

Cao Yanhua was stuck in the mud. Luo Ren, with a rope tied around his waist and attached to the back of the Hummer, coordinated with Thirteen-Thousand and leapt forward to rescue Cao Yanhua. The old mussel pursued them relentlessly from behind. Thirteen-Thousand floored the gas pedal and sped ahead. Luo Ren secured the rope to shield Cao Yanhua. Just as the old mussel was chasing them closely, it suddenly went quiet.

Thirteen-Thousand stopped the car, but as Luo Ren got in, a tentacle from the old mussel wrapped around him. His arm was injured and bleeding. Only then did the old mussel release him, allowing them to escape. Luo Ren reported the situation to the mystic, who speculated that the old mussel was related to the heart relic. Mu Dai treated Luo Ren’s wound. During dinner, Thirteen-Thousand told Luo Ren he wouldn’t be involved in capturing the mussel—it was too dangerous.

Luo Ren said he hadn’t decided yet; safety came first. The top priority was still finding Yan Jiuxiao. Luo Ren talked about barbecuing back in Heisha and his friends there. When Mu Dai asked how they were doing now, Luo Ren said they hadn’t stayed in touch much after he returned to the country. Luo Ren and Mu Dai played a question game. Mu Dai directly asked Luo Ren if he liked her.

Luo Ren hesitated and said he had many serious and deadly problems. Mu Dai said she wouldn’t wait. She believed the best time for two people to be together was when they liked each other. Luo Ren wanted to say more, but Mu Dai interrupted him, smiling as she said to just pretend she hadn’t asked tonight. Thirteen-Thousand suspected the old clan leader hadn’t really gone mad—after all, a madman couldn’t grow vegetables.

The old clan leader cried and said he deeply regretted not saving Thirteen-Thousand’s father back then and believed everything now was his punishment. Yan Hongsha and Mu Dai both couldn’t sleep. Mu Dai said she had asked already, and now she had thousands of saplings again. Yan Hongsha comforted her, saying it was fine—she knew all kinds and would introduce more to Mu Dai. Luo Ren operated the lake-eye equipment to conduct a remote underwater scan.

There were no fish or shrimp in the water, but many livestock bones at the bottom—and a person. Yan Hongsha recognized the person as her second uncle, Yan Jiuxiao. Thirteen-Thousand operated a mechanical arm to retrieve Yan Jiuxiao from the lake, while Luo Ren observed the area underwater. The old mussel appeared and rammed the mechanical arm. Thirteen-Thousand accidentally saw his father’s remains. To recover the body, they had to deal with the mussel first. Everyone agreed to join in.

Luo Ren made a plan and assigned everyone tasks. Mu Dai said she could be the bait to lure the mussel out. The plan began. Mu Dai sat on a small boat and waited for a long time. Finally, the old mussel was lured out. Mu Dai had good agility and jumped out in time, but the mussel had many tentacles and still caught her. Luo Ren used a net to trap the mussel and told Thirteen-Thousand to drive.

He then stabbed the mussel with a steel pipe, but it was too strong. At the critical moment, Mu Dai blackened—her alternate personality emerged. She pushed Luo Ren aside with a palm strike and stabbed the steel pipe in herself. The mussel burrowed into the mud. Thirteen-Thousand reversed the vehicle, dragging the mussel back. When the mussel almost overturned the car with its strength, it got pinned underneath. Everyone got out and pried it open.

Luo Ren realized there was a water relic inside. The mussel extended its tentacles and wrapped around all of them. Luo Ren’s arm was crushed and bled. As the tentacles retracted, Luo Ren realized that blood was effective. Thirteen-Thousand used blood to save Cao Yanhua. Luo Ren took the opportunity to extract the water relic and placed it into a box to soak in water.

Luo Ren told Thirteen-Thousand that the disappearance of the lake was due to geological structure issues. After the old clan leader left the village, he lost his mind. Thirteen-Thousand returned home holding the ashes. Yan Hongsha was burning paper for her second uncle. Luo Ren asked Mu Dai what happened when she was caught by the mussel. Mu Dai said she didn’t know either and was surprised that the sailor whistle ended up with Luo Ren.

The mystic was conducting tests and told them all to return. The old clan leader knelt to Thirteen-Thousand and begged for forgiveness. Thirteen-Thousand told him that the lack of pearls in the past was because the ecosystem had been destroyed. Now everything was recovering, and as long as the water came back, the mussels and fish and shrimp would return too.

The mystic said that the heart relics might be connected, and water alone couldn’t contain them. Thirteen-Thousand suddenly recalled that when subduing the old mussel, it had recoiled the moment it touched his and Luo Ren’s blood. So the mystic extracted blood from all five of them and added it to the water tank one after another. The heart relic produced an illusion of a phoenix, a feng, and a luan flying.

Then the three birds merged into one, revealing a water image. Thirteen-Thousand quickly took out his drawing board. The mystic told them that through experiments, he had discovered that as long as one of the five shared the same blood type as Pingting, and that blood was transfused into her body, the heart relic could be forced out. They injected the blood into Pingting, and sure enough, the heart relic detached from her back.

Mu Dai took the opportunity to trap it in water. Uncle Zhang noticed Mu Dai was in low spirits after returning from Hepu. Luo Ren asked about her memory lapses. Uncle Zhang was evasive and claimed that Mu Dai just tended to forget things after drinking. Mu Dai dreamed of being abandoned by her mother in childhood. Remembering Luo Ren’s suspicions during the mussel incident, she searched for information about multiple personalities on her computer.

Yan Jiuxiao had racked up massive gambling debts, and the debt collectors came knocking. Old Man Yan promised to repay everything within half a month. The mystic said all of his earliest records on the heart relics were collected from the Lengquan region, and they had to go there. Before leaving, he warned Luo Ren and the others not to act alone, since no one could say for sure how many heart relics there really were.

Yan Hongsha comforted Mu Dai, telling her not to worry about the dual personality issue. Mu Dai began to feel relieved—thankfully, she hadn’t started anything with Luo Ren. If he found out, it would be bad. Luo Ren wanted to start a restaurant business. Cao Yanhua proposed using the pearls from the old mussel as his investment share. Luo Ren didn’t say yes or no, but told Thirteen-Thousand he admired Cao Yanhua—he was inspiring and had great initiative.

Luo Ren decided to pick a gift to apologize to Mu Dai and walked into a store called Lianyan. The shopkeeper, Lian Shu, recommended their prized item: two pairs of embroidered three-inch lotus shoes. Luo Ren scoffed at her treasured feudal relics and left after criticizing them bluntly. Cao Yanhua urgently called Luo Ren back for a shareholders’ meeting, where they confirmed the restaurant name as "Phoenix Tower," which was suggested by Mu Dai.

Mu Dai took on a job from Old Man Yan and was set to open a hidden treasure well with Yan Hongsha. She didn’t disclose the specific location. Luo Ren was worried and asked Mu Dai to set her phone to send her location automatically every hour. Before she left, Mu Dai gave Luo Ren a dagger. Lian Shu came by to say hello and brought pastries, making the atmosphere a bit awkward.

At night, Thirteen-Thousand heard thunder, but Cao Yanhua didn’t. Another new illusion appeared, indicating a new heart relic. Luo Ren informed Mu Dai and told her to alert him immediately if anything happened. He also asked her to change her phone setting to send her location every thirty minutes. As their vehicle entered Puzhai, Mu Dai saw an illusion of someone standing with a broom.

Luo Ren recalled seeing a doll like that at Lianyan—it matched the person in Mu Dai’s vision. Lian Shu told Luo Ren that it was called a "sunshine doll," used in ancient times to pray for the rain to stop and for sunshine to return. Mu Dai guessed that this heart relic might be in a rainy mountain region. Both Luo Ren and Cao Yanhua saw illusions—each of a well, though not the same one.

Old Man Yan led Yan Hongsha and Mu Dai through the mountains, with the rain falling continuously. Luo Ren reminded Mu Dai that there was a heart relic in the well and said he was heading over to find them. Old Man Yan was attacked and scolded Mu Dai for being unprofessional as a bodyguard.

Old Man Yan and his group encountered Zha Ma, who was driving a mule cart back to Qiju Village, and hitched a ride with him. Zha Ma told them that the crazy old man they had run into earlier was Uncle Suonan from the neighboring village. Since there was no signal in the village, Mu Dai paid Zha Ma to go to a place with reception the next morning to help her contact a friend.

When Zha Ma learned that Old Man Yan and the others were heading into Moonlight Mountain, he was startled and warned them that there were wild men in the mountains and that it had been raining a lot lately. Old Man Yan didn’t care and insisted they had to go. Zha Ma’s mother gave Mu Dai a colorful string, saying it was for blessing relationships.

Zha Ma explained that his mother came from a line of powerful shamans, so Mu Dai asked her to do a reading. After the reading, Zha Ma’s mother looked very serious. Zha Ma told Mu Dai that his mother had seen two versions of her, but the one who would remain in the end was somewhat different from who she was now.

When they arrived at a village in Moonlight Mountain, Yan Hongsha noticed that every household had a sunshine doll hanging outside, and she immediately realized it was a sign of the heart relic. That night, while Mu Dai was drawing water from the well, a sunshine doll floated up in the bucket, startling her. Zha Ma had just called Luo Ren, and Luo Ren arrived shortly afterward.

Zha Ma told him that Mu Dai and the others were fine and reassured him. When Zha Ma’s mother saw Luo Ren, she froze for a moment and stared at him for a while with a meaningful expression but said nothing. They fished a sunshine doll out of the well, and Yan Hongsha, curious, brought it inside. Old Man Yan took Yan Hongsha aside to talk about family matters.

He said that when hiding treasures, to avoid discovery, they would use human blood and energy to suppress the treasure's aura, ensuring it was sealed tightly. The next morning, Mu Dai found that the sunshine doll on the ground had disappeared. Old Man Yan was in a hurry, so they quickly set off, unaware that the sunshine doll had returned to the well.

Old Man Yan found the treasure site and, excited, asked Yan Hongsha to dig while Mu Dai climbed a tree to stand guard. After a while, Yan Hongsha refused to dig any further. When Mu Dai offered to help, Yan Hongsha said there was a dead body below. Old Man Yan confessed the truth about an expedition from years ago: he had wanted to keep the treasure for himself.

Coincidentally, someone from the team had died, and to suppress the treasure's aura, he had buried the teammate's corpse over the treasure. While he was speaking, they heard noises nearby. Mu Dai used binoculars and saw someone in the area. Luo Ren and the other two followed the trail of signs left by Mu Dai but unexpectedly discovered a mark that wasn't hers. Luo Ren speculated that someone else was in the mountain.

Yan Hongsha and Mu Dai worked together to open the well cover. When Old Man Yan saw that the bones inside were gone, he was about to lower a rope into the well when something attacked. Mu Dai quickly shielded him and the others, drawing the hairy creature away herself. It was large and covered in long hair. Yan Hongsha guessed it was a wild man. Old Man Yan, however, was fixated on the missing corpse.

Agitated, he accidentally let slip that the teammate hadn’t just died—he had slit his throat and thrown the body into the well. Yan Hongsha couldn’t accept that her grandfather was a murderer. Suddenly, there was another disturbance. The sunshine doll appeared out of nowhere, and Old Man Yan was dragged away by the wild man. Mu Dai chased after them and fought the wild man, but the strength gap was too great.

Just as she was about to be strangled, Luo Ren arrived in time. In the end, the wild man was frightened off by Thirteen-Thousand’s torch. Luo Ren bandaged Mu Dai’s wounds while Thirteen-Thousand and Cao Yanhua cooked instant noodles nearby.

Luo Ren took Yan Hongsha aside to ask what had happened. After learning the details, Luo Ren questioned Old Man Yan about what he was hiding, because he realized that the wild man’s target was Old Man Yan. Under pressure, Old Man Yan finally confessed what happened years ago. Back then, when he wanted to claim the treasure well for himself but lacked the blood and energy needed to suppress its aura, a woman happened to show up.

He slit her throat and buried her body in the well. Based on the timeline, they deduced that the wild man was likely that woman’s child. That night, Luo Ren stood watch while Mu Dai couldn’t sleep. She asked him, if one day she completely turned into someone else, would he still recognize her. Luo Ren told her that, physiologically speaking, after seven years, every person becomes entirely new.

Everyone changes, but if you truly care about someone, no matter how they change, you’ll still recognize them. As the group made their way out, they were suddenly attacked by a swarm of bees and scattered in all directions. Old Man Yan was captured by the wild man, while Cao Yanhua and Thirteen-Thousand fell into the wild man’s territory. The cave entrance was a cliff, and the two of them panicked.

When self-rescue failed, they simply lay on the ground and played dead. The wild man, seeing they hadn’t moved, left them alone and went to the side to start a fire by rubbing sticks together and began roasting bones. The power gap was too wide—they didn’t dare to make a move. Cao Yanhua’s eyes had swollen from bee stings, and the wild man applied herbal medicine to his eyes. But the two were so terrified that they kept shrieking.

Luo Ren guessed that the wild man would take Old Man Yan to the treasure well, so he headed there with Yan Hongsha and Mu Dai. Thirteen-Thousand and Cao Yanhua realized the wild man meant no harm and ended up sitting beside him, eating the apples he gave them. At the treasure well, Luo Ren found Old Man Yan hanged inside the well. Luo Ren went down to check, and Mu Dai held the rope at the well’s edge.

Suddenly, a white-haired woman cut the rope, and Mu Dai fell into the well—fortunately, Luo Ren caught her, and the two of them fell to the bottom together. The white-haired woman then attacked Yan Hongsha, who was wounded and passed out. After a while, the wild man checked the well. Luo Ren threw a flying knife up, and Mu Dai used the moment to leap out of the well and fought the wild man.

Luo Ren climbed out and targeted the wild man, wounding his leg with another flying knife. The wild man fled, and Luo Ren told Mu Dai to stay and take care of Yan Hongsha while he went after him. Upon discovering a cave entrance, Luo Ren quietly entered with a dagger and found the wild man communicating with something. Not daring to barge in, he waited until the wild man left the cave, then snuck inside.

Yan Hongsha told Mu Dai she had seen a ghost—white hair, a pale face, and her neck looked as if it had been slashed and fused back together with amber. While Luo Ren was inspecting the cave, he was attacked by the white-haired woman. He had grabbed her by the neck, but the amber on her neck retaliated. The woman emitted an unbearable sound that made Luo Ren feel like his head was about to explode.

Just as she attacked him again, the wild man came to his rescue, and Luo Ren escaped the cave. Luo Ren suspected the woman had been parasitized by the Heart Relic. As for the amber on her neck, it might have melted when the Heart Relic activated, fusing into the amber she wore. Yan Hongsha suspected the amber pendant Mu Dai had torn from the woman back then also contained a Heart Relic.

So they placed the pendant in water, but no characters like the ones Luo Ren had seen appeared. Luo Ren wrote out the character he had seen—it was 吊 (hang). Luo Ren realized that what the spiritual medium said was true: each Heart Relic bears a character that signifies its method of killing.

Through the murals at the cold spring, the spiritual medium learned that in ancient times, demons wreaked havoc on the mortal world. A virtuous sage named Bo Yangzi wielded a scripture scroll made of wooden slips to battle the demons. His actions moved the heavens, and amid wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, three divine birds—Feng, Huang, and Luan—descended upon the world. They transformed themselves into a ring to lock the scroll, sealing away the demons.

After hearing the guide's story, the spiritual medium deliberately bought five bracelets shaped like the Feng, Huang, and Luan birds. Thirteen-Thousand felt that the wild man meant no harm, so he suggested they show some friendliness. When the wild man returned, Cao Yanhua immediately offered him an apple as a gesture of goodwill, while Thirteen-Thousand began drawing comics on the wall. The wild man also picked up a stick and started drawing.

Thirteen-Thousand speculated that Luo Ren and the others had already escaped. Yan Hongsha had no relatives left. Mu Dai comforted her by sharing her own background. Luo Ren had lost the dagger Mu Dai had given him, which made her a bit disappointed. Luo Ren assured her that he would definitely retrieve it. He devised a plan to rescue Thirteen-Thousand and the others.

Yan Hongsha took the lead by using thick smoke to lure them out, but after a long wait, there was still no movement. So Mu Dai and Yan Hongsha entered the cave to investigate, while Luo Ren stood guard at the entrance to prevent a surprise attack from the wild man. The white-haired woman was weakened by the smoke, and Mu Dai took her down with one move. Luo Ren’s first action upon entering was to look for the dagger.

Mu Dai said she had found it and handed it to him. The white-haired woman let out a piercing scream. Upon hearing it, the wild man rushed down the mountain. But shortly after, he returned and took Cao Yanhua away to find the white-haired woman. Cao Yanhua escaped midway, running and shouting for help. Luo Ren heard him and followed the voice, and Yan Hongsha also joined to help, leaving Mu Dai alone to watch over the white-haired woman.

The wild man threw a flying knife at Luo Ren and Cao Yanhua, but Yan Hongsha arrived just in time to save Cao Yanhua. When they came back to their senses, the wild man had already disappeared. The white-haired woman twisted her arm to the front and grabbed Mu Dai’s neck. On the brink of death, Mu Dai’s second personality emerged and tore off the Heart Relic from the woman’s neck, throwing it into the fire.

The woman instantly turned into a pile of white bones. Luo Ren asked Mu Dai what had happened, but she had blacked out again and couldn’t remember a thing. In response to the illusion seen by Cao Yanhua, Luo Ren speculated that the original Heart Relic had been on the skeleton in the well and later attached itself to the woman who was throat-slit. The woman thought the amber was a treasure and gave a piece to her child.

After Mu Dai ripped off the amber, the wild man reverted to his true nature and became friendly. The wild man returned to the cave. Thirteen-Thousand, thinking that Cao Yanhua was dead, picked up a rock to ambush the wild man. But overwhelmed with grief, he suffered stomach pain and dry-heaved. The wild man, seeing this, carried him out of the cave. Mu Dai used her qinggong to fly to the cave and check—there was no one inside.

Based on the murals inside the cave, Mu Dai deduced that there was more than one wild man. With food and water gone, Luo Ren suggested they go down the mountain first, resupply, and then return to look for Thirteen-Thousand. The wild man carried Thirteen-Thousand to the village, but the villagers thought he was trying to capture him, so they all joined in and beat the wild man to death.

When Luo Ren and the others returned to the village, Thirteen-Thousand saw that Cao Yanhua was alive and broke down in tears of guilt. Thirteen-Thousand explained everything to the group. He had originally planned to play dead and escape and never expected the wild man to carry him into the village. The wild man created a disturbance to draw out Zhama. When Zhama spotted him, he gave chase.

Thirteen-Thousand tried his best to stop the villagers, but someone still picked up a hunting rifle, and the wild man fell off a cliff. Thirteen-Thousand was filled with guilt, and everyone tried to comfort him, saying perhaps the wild man wasn’t really dead. Just then, the villagers returned, beating drums and gongs as they carried the wild man's corpse into the village. Thirteen-Thousand collapsed.

The matter with Old Yan was rather tricky, and Yan Hongsha needed to stay behind to assist with the investigation. Thirteen-Thousand also wanted to stay—he couldn’t get over the emotional hurdle in his heart. The Heart Relic matter couldn’t be delayed, so Luo Ren and the others had to return to Lixi with the relic first.

Before leaving, Zhama gave Luo Ren a small pouch, saying his mother could tell Luo Ren had something on his mind, but hoped he could let it go and bravely pursue the person he liked. Thirteen-Thousand took a red apple to the cliffside to mourn the wild man, and Yan Hongsha picked a bouquet of small white flowers. Thirteen-Thousand told Yan Hongsha that if she missed her grandfather, she should just cry it out.

Looking at the candle, Thirteen-Thousand couldn’t hold back his tears either. Mu Dai noticed the small pouch—it contained a bracelet woven by Zhama’s mother, identical to the one she had given Mu Dai. Mu Dai told Luo Ren that it was meant to aid romantic fate. While resting on the road, Luo Ren finally gathered the courage to confess to Mu Dai. Mu Dai personally put the bracelet on him, and the two embraced.

Tears of happiness streamed down Mu Dai’s face. After the Heart Relic was thrown into the water tank, it began behaving abnormally. Luo Ren confirmed their previous suspicion—there must be another wild man, and another piece of amber. The amber they currently had wasn’t complete. The spiritual medium’s findings were similar to Luo Ren’s. As for how many Heart Relics existed, the spiritual medium didn’t know either.

Uncle Zhang, upon learning that Cao Yanhua had returned, called him over and gave him a scolding. Uncle Zheng also berated Luo Ren from the side, while Mu Dai sat upstairs, eating melon seeds and watching. After Luo Ren found out that Lian Shu had helped look after Pingting, he warned Uncle Zheng not to associate with Lian Shu anymore. After sending Yan Hongsha home, Thirteen-Thousand listed all the preparations needed for the funeral.

Just then, a debt collector showed up. Yan Hongsha immediately wanted to fight, but Thirteen-Thousand quickly stopped her. After figuring out the situation, Yan Hongsha learned that the house already pledged as collateral wasn’t enough to cover the debt her second uncle owed—there was still 1. 2 million left. She immediately promised that she would repay the remaining amount. Thirteen-Thousand comforted Yan Hongsha, saying she wasn’t alone—she still had all of them as friends.

The restaurant was being renovated, and Uncle Zheng had Lian Shu watch over Pingting. Luo Ren got straight to the point and asked Lian Shu what her intentions were. Lian Shu claimed she was simply being kind. Seeing Luo Ren didn’t trust Lian Shu, Mu Dai said she would spend more time looking after Pingting and pay more attention to the restaurant matters.

Mu Dai went with Lian Shu to pick out wallpaper, when Pingting suddenly stood up and said, “Sister, go upstairs,” and then even made a “shhh” sound. Zhama called Luo Ren and told him that the one who died was an ape, not a wild man.

As for the vanished village in Moonlight Mountain, he recently overheard elderly villagers chatting about how twenty years ago, a woman had been assaulted by a wild man and was rumored to have given birth to a half-wild child. Although her husband warned her against it, the woman ultimately abandoned her family and entered the mountains, never to return. Pingting had been repeating “Sister, go upstairs” all day.

Luo Ren saw from the surveillance that when Lian Shu approached the Heart Relic’s room, the relic began to show abnormal fluctuations. Luo Ren called Thirteen-Thousand and Cao Yanhua to go find Mu Dai. She had already been knocked out and taken away by Lian Shu. Since they couldn’t report it to the police, Luo Ren had no choice but to check the surveillance cameras one by one.

Lian Shu had tied up Mu Dai and showed her the piece of amber hanging from her neck. Lian Shu resented her mother for disregarding her reputation and entering the mountains to care for the wild man, leaving her and her father behind. Although her father later killed the wild man, her mother still went into the mountains without hesitation. Later, her mother returned once and left her a piece of amber.

Luo Ren found Lian Shu’s car, and the three of them split up to search for Mu Dai. In the end, they found Lian Shu sitting on the ground, badly injured. Luo Ren instructed Cao Yanhua to take the amber back, while he and Thirteen-Thousand stayed behind to continue looking for Mu Dai. Lian Shu said that the first time she met Luo Ren, she had a strange feeling—one that made her afraid.

Later, when she met his friends, she felt the same. She took the initiative to approach Uncle Zheng and the others, and somehow, she found herself drawn to the room on the second floor. After that, an idea suddenly formed in her mind: to hang Mu Dai. Lian Shu said with a bit of fear that when she hung Mu Dai up, Mu Dai suddenly changed, broke free from the ropes, and rushed at her to attack.

After the Heart Relic merged, the water image reappeared—it was the plantain courtyard that had been set on fire. Thirteen-Thousand said he had seen many paintings in the cave, depicting scenes of Lian Shu’s mother playing with her and the little wild man. Lian Shu said she was the one who had taught the little wild man to paint. Only when she acted friendly would her mother let her play with the wild child alone.

Later, Lian Shu faked poisoning so the little wild man would take her into the village. As soon as she entered, she started screaming, causing the villagers to drive the wild child out. This was exactly like Thirteen-Thousand’s experience with the wild man. Thirteen-Thousand broke down emotionally. He let go of Lian Shu and said she didn’t deserve to have such a good mother and sister.

Luo Ren frantically searched for Mu Dai and got into a serious car accident on the way. On the ground was Mu Dai’s cat hair tie. Mu Dai was wheeled into the ICU after being discharged from the emergency room. After she woke up, she checked herself out of the hospital. Luo Ren quickly called Thirteen-Thousand, who told him that Uncle Zhang had left a note saying he and the landlady were going on a trip.

Luo Ren found Huo Zihong at a psychological clinic in Huacheng. Huo Zihong said that when Mu Dai was fifteen, she once skipped class with her best friend Shen Wen to watch a movie. On the way, they encountered some thugs. Eventually, Huo Zihong and Shen Wen’s mother found Shen Wen’s body at an abandoned construction site, and Mu Dai had fallen from a building and was unconscious.

Although the thugs were sentenced, the Shen family was relentless and blamed everything on Mu Dai. Since Mu Dai had suffered a head injury, her memory of what happened was vague, and she couldn’t defend herself. Later, Huo Zihong and Mu Dai moved, and for eight years they sought medical treatment everywhere. Mu Dai’s case was rather unique. Following a doctor’s advice, Huo Zihong installed surveillance in Mu Dai’s room.

Luo Ren saw footage of Mu Dai switching between personalities and then recovering. The doctor explained that this wasn’t a case of multiple personalities, but a personality split triggered by trauma. To adapt to society, White Mu Dai remained dominant in daily life. But when her body faced extreme danger and pain, Black Mu Dai would awaken for self-preservation. Now, Black Mu Dai was back. Cao Yanhua began seeing visions again—a dark red cave filled with threads of blood.

After discussing with Thirteen-Thousand, they shared the situation with Luo Ren. Black Mu Dai could access White Mu Dai’s memories, but emotionally, the reactions were different. Once prepared, Luo Ren went to see Mu Dai. Mu Dai was cold this time. Luo Ren became the one offering comfort. He said that watching the movie and taking the shortcut weren’t her ideas.

She covered for Shen Wen during their escape, and Shen Wen had come back to save her, which is why she died. Mu Dai denied Luo Ren’s version of events, insisting that she had deliberately provoked those thugs. White Mu Dai might not remember clearly, but Black Mu Dai remembered everything. Luo Ren was shocked—Black Mu Dai hadn’t emerged only after the incident. Black Mu Dai scorned Luo Ren’s talk of opening up and facing things together.

She pointed out that he was full of secrets himself and had already noticed something was wrong with her but chose to ignore it. Seeing that Luo Ren was still wearing the bracelet, Black Mu Dai said she had long thrown hers away. White Mu Dai would never return, and she could do just fine on her own.

Huo Zihong felt deeply guilty seeing Mu Dai like this, but Mu Dai told her she had already done very well and there was no need to blame herself. As for whether she was sick or not, Mu Dai felt it didn’t matter. On the way back, Luo Ren kept thinking about everything that had happened between him and Mu Dai. If the road ahead didn’t have Mu Dai, it couldn’t possibly be beautiful.

With that thought, Luo Ren turned the car around and returned to the psychological clinic. Huo Zihong told Luo Ren that Mu Dai had run away and left a note asking everyone not to look for her. On the train, Mu Dai stepped in to help a girl named Zheng Li who was being harassed by thugs. Grateful, Zheng Li invited her to help out at her aunt’s hot pot restaurant after learning Mu Dai had nowhere to stay.

When given the choice between chopping vegetables, serving dishes, or washing dishes, Mu Dai chose washing. Huo Zihong had no leads on Mu Dai’s whereabouts, and Luo Ren, putting aside the opening of his restaurant, stayed behind to search for clues. A mystic appeared at Phoenix Tower. After a full meal, he gave them the bracelet. Zheng Li arranged lodging for Mu Dai, and the environment was quite decent.

As Luo Ren looked through Mu Dai’s childhood belongings, he found a drawing hidden inside a toy bear—it was of her and her mother. Luo Ren realized that Mu Dai’s emotional knot might be related to her mother. Mu Dai asked Zheng Li to help her look up a round-shaped building, saying she used to live there. After Zheng Li found it, she gave Mu Dai the address.

Upon learning that Mu Dai had grown up in the Lingui City Welfare Institute, Luo Ren immediately called Wan Fenghuo for help in gathering information. Thirteen-Thousand mobilized internet bloggers to help post messages searching for her in Lingui, and Yan Hongsha was also incredibly anxious about Mu Dai’s disappearance. While pouring water for Yan Hongsha, Thirteen-Thousand also saw a vision.

Zheng Li’s aunt’s hot pot restaurant was bustling with customers, but one table of guests was especially troublesome—they kept making unwanted advances toward Zheng Li, and she was too afraid to continue serving them. Mu Dai volunteered. The ringleader, Chao Ge, provoked Mu Dai, but she didn’t waste words. With a few swift moves, she held a dagger to Chao Ge’s carotid artery.

Zheng Li’s aunt was very grateful to Mu Dai, and Mu Dai said she could handle security even while washing dishes. The fourth Heart Relic was stirring restlessly, and with Mu Dai missing again, Luo Ren was very worried. Zheng Li helped Mu Dai search online for red high heels and only found horror stories, especially about Tengma Sculpture Terrace.

When Mu Dai saw the red heels in one of the pictures, they looked exactly like the pair her mother had worn in her memories, so she went alone late at night to the area near Tengma Sculpture Terrace. As soon as she arrived, Mu Dai felt a strong sense of familiarity, and memories from her childhood kept resurfacing.

From a pancake vendor auntie, Mu Dai learned that her mother had suffered from a disease that caused her body to rot. After stabbing a doctor, she jumped off the bridge at Tengma Sculpture Terrace. Later, people felt it was inauspicious and avoided mentioning her. Mu Dai went to check the building where she had lived as a child—it had been abandoned for many years.

Cao Yanhua found out that Mu Dai had gone to Nantian, so he asked Yan Hongsha to inform Luo Ren. At Tengma Sculpture Terrace, Mu Dai saw Zhang Tong, one of Chao Ge’s lackeys. He was leaning close to the terrace wall, listening to his heartbeat. In the distance, a woman in high heels was watching them. Mu Dai dreamed of herself wearing a red leather jacket and red high heels, standing on the bridge. Then her personality split, and she watched herself push Zhang Tong off the edge.

The police searched Zheng Li’s aunt’s hot pot restaurant. Zheng Li told Mu Dai that she had killed someone. Upon hearing this, Mu Dai immediately climbed over the wall and escaped. The police gave chase relentlessly. While hiding at an intersection, Mu Dai unexpectedly saw Luo Ren’s car pass by. Luo Ren went to the hot pot restaurant to look for Mu Dai and learned that she had become a murder suspect.

That night, Mu Dai knocked on Luo Ren’s door and said she wanted to use his trunk to get out of Nantian. Zhang Guanghua went up to the rooftop, where Mu Dai’s mother, Xiang Silan, stood wearing a red leather jacket and red high heels. Zhang Guanghua greeted her, saying it had been a long time.

Xiang Silan talked about how she had once suffered from a skin disease that later spread across her entire body, causing everyone to scorn her. Eventually, she became the blemish of Nantian and merged with the city itself. Now, she said, she was doing quite well. Xiang Silan said she had waited twenty years for Zhang Guanghua and asked if the game could now begin. Zhang Guanghua looked at her with a smile but said nothing.

Luo Ren prepared dinner for Mu Dai. After eating, Luo Ren asked if she had really killed someone. Mu Dai wasn’t sure either. Luo Ren advised her not to run away—running would only make things worse. Black Mu Dai said that in the part of her memory she controlled, she hadn’t killed anyone, but as for White Mu Dai, she didn’t know. Luo Ren firmly stated that he believed White Mu Dai wouldn’t kill.

After a pause, Luo Ren said there was no need to distinguish between Black and White—she was Mu Dai. Luo Ren and Mu Dai played a game. After two rounds, Mu Dai began to learn how to defend herself, and Luo Ren was pleased. Luo Ren told Mu Dai that he had found out there were two witnesses: Chao Ge, Ma Chao, and Song Tie. Zhang Tong had been murdered, and the killer likely wanted to frame someone.

The next morning, Thirteen-Thousand and the others arrived. Mu Dai was cold toward them and took sharp verbal jabs at each of them. Luo Ren arranged for Thirteen-Thousand and Cao Yanhua to find Ma Chao, while he went to see Song Tie. Yan Hongsha stayed behind to look after Mu Dai. To meet Ma Chao, Cao Yanhua showed off his tattoos, slicked back his hair, wore a big gold chain, and returned to his former gangster look, shocking Thirteen-Thousand.

After getting ready, Cao Yanhua boldly went to find Ma Chao but was quickly surrounded by Ma Chao’s underlings. In a moment of danger, Thirteen-Thousand, hair disheveled, smashed a bottle on Cao Yanhua’s head and told him to get lost. Ma Chao instantly became interested in Thirteen-Thousand. It turned out the bottle was made of sugar, and Thirteen-Thousand hadn’t expected Ma Chao to have so many lackeys.

Ma Chao told Thirteen-Thousand that after a night of eating and drinking, they walked to the bridge. Zhang Tong needed to pee, so Ma Chao urged him to stand on the railing. As soon as Zhang Tong stood up, Mu Dai pushed him off. Song Tie had been passing by the east side of the bridge when he heard a scream and saw a dazed Ma Chao and a pretty girl—Mu Dai.

As for the person who nearly ran into Ma Chao, Luo Ren thought that person was crucial. Luo Ren told Mu Dai that fundamentally, there was no difference between Black and White Mu Dai. She shouldn’t always be hostile toward White Mu Dai. After all, they were the same person, and they clearly cared most about each other. Everyone has duality; there’s no need to be too hard on oneself.

The third witness, Wu Yuping, clearly identified Mu Dai, leaving everyone disheartened. During their discussion, Luo Ren suddenly realized there were no streetlights on the old bridge. Zhang Tong had fallen in the center of the bridge, so the three witnesses should have had poor visibility or at least some uncertainty, but they had all identified Mu Dai without hesitation. Something was definitely off. Mu Dai told them about the urban legends of Nantian City.

At Tengma Sculpture Terrace, Luo Ren and the others discovered that Ma Chao had burned paper offerings for Zhang Tong. Thirteen-Thousand tried to extract the truth from Ma Chao. Under intense psychological pressure, Ma Chao broke down. He ran out of the restaurant in a frenzy. When Thirteen-Thousand chased him, he injured his hand. By accident, he touched Ma Chao’s face, which immediately showed burn marks. Later, Ma Chao got into a car accident. When Thirteen-Thousand approached to check on him, he was accused by the crowd of being responsible and couldn’t defend himself.

Thirteen-Thousand was falsely accused of murder. After coming out of the police station, Yan Hongsha spoke up for him. Thirteen-Thousand was secretly pleased and stood protectively in front of Yan Hongsha when she was threatened. He told Luo Ren and the others what had happened—when he touched Ma Chao’s face, Ma Chao’s skin seemed to burn, and a ring of blisters formed the ancient character “口.”

Mu Dai suspected the Heart Brand was on Ma Chao, but if that were the case, it wouldn't explain the other two witnesses. Not everyone could be carrying the Heart Brand. Luo Ren snuck into Ma Chao’s hospital room at night and dripped his own blood onto Ma Chao’s face, but there was no reaction. Luo Ren speculated that the Heart Brand wasn’t on Ma Chao.

Mu Dai saw pedestrians showing affection to their children on the street, while her own mother had rejected her. She felt deeply saddened. Luo Ren comforted her, saying that love comes in different amounts, but to someone who truly loves you, no matter how much trouble you are, you’re still their treasure. Mu Dai wanted to find her mother. Luo Ren asked why she was so determined.

Mu Dai replied she just wanted to see the place she came from and where it all started. Luo Ren, feeling distressed, tried to pat her head, but Mu Dai pushed his hand away. Luo Ren took responsibility for one of the two witnesses who had testified against Mu Dai, and Cao Yanhua took the other. After coming into contact with Luo Ren and the others’ blood, both witnesses retracted their previous statements.

Mu Dai’s name was cleared, and everyone was overjoyed. Thirteen-Thousand checked the surveillance footage from shops near the street. When Ma Chao had his car accident, a woman in a red leather jacket and red high heels had acted very strangely. Mu Dai said her instinct told her that woman might be her mother. Zhang Guanghua told Xiang Silan to stop, saying the game couldn’t be played by her alone—there were many others involved.

The doctor injured by Xiang Silan was named Ding Guohua. After the incident, he changed careers and opened a bookstore. Luo Ren took Mu Dai to visit him. Upon hearing Xiang Silan’s name, Ding Guohua lost control. He brought out her medical file, saying he had already cured her, then covered his own nose and mouth and almost suffocated himself. Ding Guohua’s daughter explained that he had been mentally ill for years.

His episodes began twenty years ago, when he felt a compulsion to lie every time he saw a medical record, leading to many misdiagnoses—including Xiang Silan. One day, Ding Guohua went to her and said he had found another doctor who could still treat her condition. But Xiang Silan had already been driven to mental collapse by the neighbors and ended up attacking Ding Guohua with a kitchen knife.

Ding Guohua’s daughter said the hospital found a large section of flesh missing from his back, even though he was only cut once. Later, a woman who looked like Xiang Silan was seen at Tengma Sculpture Terrace. Upon hearing the name Tengma Sculpture Terrace, Ding Guohua suddenly became alert and began muttering the words over and over.

The Phoenix Task Force investigated Tengma Sculpture Terrace at night and discovered that all the people who had falsely accused them had been there. Luo Ren deduced that they had all been implanted with Heart Brand Hairs. He set a trap and lured out an illusion. During the chase, he unexpectedly found a pair of red high heels. Luo Ren said Xiang Silan influenced others through wind or by releasing a virus, but thankfully, their task force was immune.

Luo Ren and the others waited at Tengma Sculpture Terrace, lying in wait. Xiang Silan appeared again, and Mu Dai gave chase. She saw that Xiang Silan’s chest was hollow. At the moment Xiang Silan jumped off the building, Mu Dai rushed forward to save her. But as she leapt, she realized it was a trap and barely managed to cling to the wall. Xiang Silan picked up a piece of glass and lunged at Mu Dai. In the next second, Luo Ren appeared, and the two of them subdued Xiang Silan together.

Xiang Silan was tied to the bed. Mu Dai and Yan Hongsha pulled open her clothes and removed the Heart Brand from her body. Xiang Silan’s body suddenly lost support, becoming extremely weak, and her hair turned white. Mu Dai was heartbroken that Xiang Silan didn’t remember her at all, not even the fact that she had abandoned her at the orphanage. Luo Ren knew this was a knot in Mu Dai’s heart.

He told her that family wasn’t only defined by blood. Huo Zihong had tried to be a mother to her for twenty years, caring for her and loving her. Mu Dai was unfortunate, yet also fortunate. That night, Mu Dai called Huo Zihong to let her know she was safe. Huo Zihong was overjoyed, asking if she was warm and had eaten, finally bringing a smile to Mu Dai’s face. Xiang Silan guessed that Mu Dai was her daughter.

She told Luo Ren that the Heart Brand had been a good thing for her. Over the years, she had achieved things she’d never dared imagine. Luo Ren was unimpressed by her baseless and slanderous talk, unwilling to comment further. As for why she had targeted Luo Ren and the others, Xiang Silan said it was a man who instructed her to do so. She couldn’t remember his name, only that he once said: “This game isn’t just for you.

There are others waiting to take the stage.” Mu Dai met Xiang Silan alone. Xiang Silan not only felt no guilt toward Mu Dai but even wanted Mu Dai to support her, believing that by abandoning Mu Dai, she had enabled her to be adopted by a wealthy foster mother and to find a rich boyfriend like Luo Ren. Mu Dai said she wouldn’t give her a single cent.

Xiang Silan claimed Mu Dai wasn’t her biological daughter but a child she picked up at the old bridge, and asking for a little compensation wasn’t unreasonable. Luo Ren handed Xiang Silan a stack of cash and warned her not to harass Mu Dai again. After learning she wasn’t biologically related, Mu Dai actually felt relieved. Luo Ren told her to save her love for those who deserved it. Mu Dai nodded with a smile.

Luo Ren returned the bracelet to Mu Dai, and she asked him to put it on her himself. Pressed against Luo Ren’s chest, wrapped in his strong arms, Mu Dai felt happy. Seeing that the white Mu Dai was loved and capable of loving, the black Mu Dai felt at peace and left, allowing the white Mu Dai to return. Xiang Silan recalled her past—Mu Dai was her biological daughter.

She had abandoned Mu Dai to keep her from suffering with her and to protect her from her boyfriend’s harm. The condition for Luo Ren giving her money was that she must never bother Mu Dai again. The mystic went to the Star Viewing Terrace to look for clues. He told Luo Ren and the others that the mysterious man might be the same kind of being as the Heart Brand—or perhaps even of a higher rank.

Cao Yanhua lied that Luo Ren was drunk. Mu Dai wanted to make him some hangover tea, but accidentally cut her hand. The moment Luo Ren saw this, he got out of bed to check. Seeing Mu Dai back to her old self made him very happy. Cao Yanhua was invited to a wedding but kept hesitating, unsure whether to return. After being pressed by Thirteen-Thousand, he finally admitted he had run away from his own wedding.

After some gentle persuasion, Cao Yanhua decided to return home. The mystic brought some items to consult Mr. Yin, asking him about the connection between the Star Viewing Terrace and the Heart Brand. Mr. Yin said there were seven Heart Brands.

After calling Thirteen-Thousand from the entrance of the village to let him know he was safe, Cao Yanhua entered the village. Just as he arrived, Cao Jinhua also returned—only moments apart. Cao Jinhua said she had changed her name to Cao Jianni and made a point of emphasizing it to Old Master Shi. Cao Yanhua went to find his cousin Cao Qingshan and asked him to keep his return to the village a secret.

Cao Qingshan was about to marry a girl named Yafeng. After settling Cao Yanhua in, he went off to attend the wedding banquet. Cao Yanhua found it odd that both the front and back doors of Cao Qingshan’s house were locked. Cao Qingshan explained that it was because there were now valuable items in the house. Cao Yanhua remembered the strange handwriting he saw on the letter he’d received earlier: “Cousin, save me. I was abducted.”

So he secretly pried open the locked room door. Inside, he saw Yafeng curled up on the bed, trembling. Thirteen-Thousand told Luo Ren and Mu Dai about the situation. Luo Ren decided to have Wan Fenghuo investigate the situation in Caojia Village first. When he picked up the letter, Luo Ren unexpectedly noticed a long string of numbers and a drawing of a tiger descending the mountain on the wall. His expression instantly turned tense and alarmed.

Luo Ren decoded the numbers using the messaging cipher—it turned out to be a phone number. When he called, it was Qingmu who answered and arranged to meet him. Luo Ren sent Mu Dai and Thirteen-Thousand to the airport, saying he had urgent matters to handle and asking them to go ahead. He told Mu Dai to call once a day. Before leaving, Mu Dai told Luo Ren that if he was hiding something to protect her, it wasn't necessary.

She didn’t want to hide under his wings all the time—she wanted to face the storms with him. Luo Ren said nothing, simply pulled her into his arms. The mystic learned from Mr. Yin that back then, the great sage carried wood of immortality—it couldn’t be burned or soaked. As for its origin, Mr. Yin said it was from a place called Feng-something Ridge. After collecting the Heart Brands, the sage carved ancient symbols into each one.

The three divine birds represented the Phoenix-Luan clasp; once clasped, the Heart Brands could no longer escape. The mystic wanted to confirm the full name of Feng-something Ridge, but Mr. Yin had already passed out drunk. Thirteen-Thousand and Mu Dai arrived at Caojia Village. Cao Qingshan brought them to his home and said he hadn’t seen Cao Yanhua. Thirteen-Thousand suspected that Cao Yanhua never made it back to the village and might have gone missing on the way.

Old Master Shi at the village entrance said Cao Yanhua and Cao Jinhua had arrived one after the other. Thirteen-Thousand guessed that Cao Jinhua might have done something to Cao Yanhua. Hearing that Thirteen-Thousand and Mu Dai had arrived, Cao Jinhua, driven by the instincts of a salesperson, started pitching insurance products to them.

Seeing how enthusiastic she was, Mu Dai wrote down Luo Ren’s number and gave it to her, telling her to call that number if anything came up. Thirteen-Thousand ruled out Cao Jinhua as a suspect and didn’t think there was anything wrong with Cao Qingshan either. So together with Mu Dai, he requested to meet Yafeng. Mu Dai was taken to see Yafeng. Cao Yanhua’s mother opened door after door, each with a lock, which made Mu Dai uneasy.

Her suspicions grew stronger after seeing the injuries on Yafeng’s head. Mr. Yin brought the mystic to the Star Viewing Terrace, saying that the stone in the middle had fallen from the sky. The mystic observed only five reflective points on the stone. Mr. Yin said there were dimmer ones too. Looking closer, the mystic indeed found seven reflective points in the shape of the Tian Kui constellation. Each star corresponded to a Heart Brand. As for why only five were glowing, the mystic couldn’t figure it out.

Luo Ren drove to the old street near the border, a place teeming with all sorts of shady characters. He finally sat down at a quiet barbecue stall. As he poured himself a drink, Qingmu arrived. Qingmu said he hadn’t returned home in the past two years, because his brothers would never return again, so he didn’t deserve to either.

Even though they hadn’t kept in touch, Qingmu had always been keeping tabs on Luo Ren—he knew everything about Luo Ren’s life. He was angry that Luo Ren had left the past behind and forgotten them. Luo Ren passionately refuted this—he hadn’t forgotten, especially not his daughter, Tasha. In those years of gunfire and chaos, Luo Ren had lost so much.

When he was shot and on the verge of death, it was Qingmu who placed him near the old street, fulfilling his wish to return to his roots. Qingmu said he had gone back to the old lair of the Leopard. The scene of the battle was still intact. The Leopard had taken several bullets, and one of her eyes had been wounded by Luo Ren, but Qingmu never found her body. Without a corpse, he couldn’t live in peace.

He kept asking around afterward, but never got any news. Luo Ren said he had also looked into it and found nothing. The reason Qingmu asked to meet this time was that he believed the Leopard was still alive. If the Leopard truly was alive, she would definitely come for Luo Ren. Qingmu told Luo Ren he had already decided to take revenge, and Luo Ren agreed to join him.

If they didn’t kill the Leopard, then Luo Ren and everyone around him—his friends, his loved ones—would become her targets. Mu Dai wanted to call Luo Ren to let him know she was safe, but Thirteen-Thousand stayed behind and didn’t want to go with her. As Mu Dai was walking toward the edge of the village, she heard a strange noise. Following the sound, she discovered a cave where Cao Yanhua was tied up.

As she cautiously approached, a shadow suddenly flashed past her, and the ground beneath her feet gave way—she fell in. The mystic informed Luo Ren that the Star Viewing Terrace could track the movements of all seven Heart Brands. One star corresponded to one Heart Brand. The brightness indicated whether a Heart Brand had emerged into the world. Since five stars were lit, it meant five Heart Brands had already appeared.

When Thirteen-Thousand got tired of waiting for Mu Dai, he climbed into bed alone—just as he lay down, the door suddenly opened, and Yafeng entered. She pleaded with Thirteen-Thousand to help her escape, then left the room herself. Thirteen-Thousand went out to look for Mu Dai but was suddenly kicked into a pit. Mu Dai carefully bandaged her fingers one by one. While investigating the area, she found skeletal remains and a pile of silver coins.

The locations where the Tian Kui Seven Stars aligned with the Heart Brands confirmed that the fifth one had appeared in Caojia Village. Luo Ren rushed there, but the road was blocked. He parked the car, marked the location, and sent it to Yan Hongsha before entering the village on foot. Luo Ren went to Cao Qingshan’s home to ask about Mu Dai and Thirteen-Thousand’s whereabouts. Cao Qingshan claimed they had left early in the morning.

It was still raining, and night had fallen. Cao Qingshan arranged a place for Luo Ren to stay. Luo Ren asked why Cao Yanhua still hadn’t been seen. Luo Ren brushed it off, saying Cao Yanhua wanted to surprise him. The next morning, Luo Ren went to look for Cao Jinhua, who said she only talked with Mu Dai and the others about insurance. Then Luo Ren went to see Yafeng and asked about Mu Dai and Thirteen-Thousand.

Yafeng didn’t speak, just cried continuously. Luo Ren picked up a hair clip from the ground, pricked his finger with it until it bled, and handed it to Yafeng. She had no reaction. Eventually, Yafeng told him the people he was looking for were in a cave halfway up the mountain.

Luo Ren discovered a cave in the mountains. Following the steps down and feeling his way through, he found Cao Yanhua tied up. Just as he rushed over to rescue him, Cao Qingshan appeared, holding Yafeng hostage. In the standoff, Luo Ren seized an opportunity and managed to save Yafeng. She clung to Luo Ren’s arm in fear, while Cao Qingshan, hiding nearby, claimed that Mu Dai and the others were already dead.

Luo Ren became agitated and was about to charge forward with a knife when the trap beneath his feet suddenly opened. Yafeng gave him a shove, and he fell in. Mu Dai, who had been climbing up inside the cave, saw this and quickly used her lightness skills to catch Luo Ren. Luo Ren, seeing what she had done, stabbed a dagger into the cave wall to slow his fall and grabbed Mu Dai.

He then told Mu Dai to tie the rope in his bag around his waist, and Mu Dai slid down the rope to the bottom of the cave. Meanwhile, in the van, Yan Hongsha overheard a group of girls discussing how it was Yafeng who had pursued Cao Qingshan, which made her suspect something was off. Luo Ren carefully bandaged Mu Dai’s injured fingers and sincerely thanked her for saving his life.

After learning how Mu Dai got trapped in the cave, Luo Ren suspected that Cao Qingshan was the mastermind and Yafeng his accomplice. He believed the Heart Brand was behind all of it. Due to the continuous rain, the roads were blocked. To save time, Yan Hongsha found a raincoat in Luo Ren’s car and decided to climb over the mountain to the village. Along the way, she accidentally found Thirteen-Thousand buried in the mud.

She performed CPR to resuscitate him and tied him to her back with a rope, carrying him back to Luo Ren’s car. Yan Hongsha gently washed Thirteen-Thousand’s face and dressed his wounds. When Thirteen-Thousand woke up the next morning and realized he wasn’t wearing any clothes, he was so startled that he instantly sobered up. Thirteen-Thousand told Yan Hongsha that there was something wrong with Cao Qingshan and that the Heart Brand might be on him.

That night, when he went out to look for Mu Dai, he was ambushed by Cao Qingshan. After sustaining serious injuries, he played dead, clutching a rock to keep an air pocket, and was then buried in the mud by Cao Qingshan. As Yan Hongsha carried him with great difficulty, Thirteen-Thousand could feel it. Although he was deeply grateful, he stubbornly refused to admit it and started mocking Yan Hongsha’s bandaging skills, nearly earning himself a slap in the face.

Thirteen-Thousand analyzed the situation, saying it all felt like a setup—they were being taken out one by one. Luo Ren set an alarm and snuggled up with Mu Dai to sleep. Mu Dai was hungry, but since they didn’t know how long they’d be trapped in the cave, Luo Ren didn’t take out the only chocolate bar he had. Instead, he told her to sleep and save her energy.

Mu Dai found the woven rope bed too uncomfortable, so Luo Ren let her rest her head on his arm. When the alarm rang, Luo Ren woke Mu Dai up and broke off a piece of chocolate to feed her. Based on Mu Dai’s account and their assessment of the cave, Luo Ren guessed that it might be possible to dig a way out from the bottom. Yan Hongsha, in disguise, went to Caojia Village to gather information.

Instead of approaching Cao Qingshan, she sought out Cao Jinhua, claiming to be a supervisor from Cao Jinhua’s company and that she was there regarding the insurance Cao Jinhua had bought for her and her brother through Henry. Cao Jinhua was thrilled and invited Yan Hongsha to stay for the wedding banquet. The wedding began, but Cao Qingshan was nowhere to be found. When Cao Jinhua went looking for him, she accidentally discovered him talking to Cao Yanhua.

Luo Ren’s digging uncovered that the stones below were deliberately piled. He told Mu Dai to rest while he dug alone. When the alarm went off, he fed Mu Dai another piece of chocolate, keeping none for himself. Mu Dai, touched, insisted on digging herself. But the ground gave way—thankfully, Luo Ren caught her just in time.

A pit had collapsed at the bottom of the cave, and since the air hadn’t circulated in a long time, Luo Ren told Mu Dai to wait by the side for a while. Yan Hongsha secretly took a photo of the memorial tablet set up at the wedding but noticed that Cao Jinhua seemed distracted. The character on the tablet was the ancient symbol for "earth." Before the wedding ceremony began, everyone had to pay their respects to the tablet.

Cao Jinhua explained to Yan Hongsha that the village used to make pottery for a living, and this was a tradition to thank the earth for nurturing them. Although Yafeng had clearly been abducted, she was smiling happily during the wedding, which made Yan Hongsha feel something was seriously wrong. Luo Ren told Mu Dai that he left Black Sand Island because he had offended a local bigwig.

He thought the matter had passed, but recently he received word that the man was planning revenge and might target the people around him, which was why he had been so on edge. Mu Dai comforted Luo Ren, saying she could protect him too—and besides, she had her master and senior brother behind her. Once the air in the pit normalized, Luo Ren went down first to investigate.

During the banquet, Yan Hongsha secretly added a drop of her own blood into a bottle of liquor. When Yafeng came to toast, she noticed something unusual in the wine’s smell, so she pretended to be drunk and deliberately spilled Cao Qingshan’s wine as well. Cao Jinhua slipped away to the spot where Cao Qingshan had been talking earlier and found Cao Yanhua, who was bruised and tied up.

As she was about to untie him, Yan Hongsha knocked her out. Cao Yanhua brought Cao Jinhua to the mill at the foot of the mountain, where they met up with Yan Hongsha and went together to the mountainside to find Luo Ren and the others. In the pit, Luo Ren found two skeletons and several clay figurines kneeling in a circle. After examining them, he realized it was a tomb chamber.

Luo Ren said the people inside had been buried alive in ancient times. On the wall was carved “Seven Stars Returning to Position,” which he speculated was connected to the Heart Brand. As for the sacrificial items and figurines, Luo Ren guessed that someone had escaped, dug a tunnel, planted the offerings and the kneeling figures, and set up a trapdoor mechanism.

Cao Yanhua explained to Yan Hongsha how he had been framed and revealed that Yafeng was actually the true host of the Heart Brand. As Yan Hongsha and Cao Yanhua were figuring out how to rescue people from the cave, Cao Jinhua woke up. Cao Yanhua calmed her down, and thanks to her offhand remark, they actually found the trapdoor switch on the ground.

Yan Hongsha secured the rope, and after Cao Yanhua stepped on the switch, she dropped into the trap. Once Luo Ren learned everyone was safe, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Yafeng and Cao Qingshan arrived. Yafeng handled Cao Yanhua, while Cao Qingshan moved to untie the rope. Though Cao Jinhua was still dazed, she followed Cao Yanhua’s instructions, held onto the rope, and kept her foot on the trapdoor to prevent it from closing.

Cao Qingshan appeared to be under some kind of control, and in a moment of crisis, Cao Jinhua kicked him unconscious. Luo Ren tied a dagger to the rope and hooked it onto Yan Hongsha’s backpack. Sensing the cue, Yan Hongsha tied the rope around her waist. Mu Dai then used her lightness skills to fly up the rope, just in time to rescue Cao Jinhua and kick Yafeng aside.

Cao Yanhua confirmed that the Heart Brand was on Yafeng, so Mu Dai went to confront her, while Cao Yanhua gave Cao Qingshan a thorough beating. Yafeng couldn’t overpower Mu Dai and tried to flee. Luo Ren arrived just in time, and the two of them subdued Yafeng. Luo Ren noticed that Yafeng’s hand was burned—turns out, when he had handed back the blood-stained hairpin earlier, Yafeng hadn’t shown any reaction because she had endured the pain in silence.

Cao Qingshan escaped in the chaos. As he passed by Luo Ren’s car, Thirteen-Thousand spotted him. Startled, Thirteen-Thousand reflexively dove into the car and slammed the door shut. Luo Ren and the others escorted Yafeng down the mountain. Suddenly, Yafeng began screaming for help, crying that she didn’t know what had happened. Only then did everyone notice a bloody patch on her back—the Heart Brand was no longer on her.

Mu Dai recalled that when she fought Yafeng, Yafeng had been extremely powerful in combat, but once Luo Ren arrived, the two of them had quickly subdued her. That might have been the moment when the Heart Brand transferred to Cao Qingshan, who then took advantage of the chaos to escape. Luo Ren saw through Yafeng’s act—she had been deliberately buying time for Cao Qingshan. She was far from the innocent persona she put on.

Realizing her intentions had been exposed, Yafeng stopped pretending and said they shouldn't expect to get anything out of her. Thirteen-Thousand thought Yan Hongsha had been harmed, so he grabbed an entrenching tool and went after Cao Qingshan. When Luo Ren and the others returned to the car and noticed Thirteen-Thousand was missing, they grew concerned—until Thirteen-Thousand sent a message with his location. Thirteen-Thousand followed Cao Qingshan to a lakeside but lost track of him.

While searching around, Cao Qingshan suddenly appeared behind him. Thirteen-Thousand ran, but when he saw the water, he remembered the Heart Brand feared water—so he grabbed Cao Qingshan and tackled him into the lake. Luo Ren drove to the location and arrived just in time to see Thirteen-Thousand and Cao Qingshan struggling in the water. Luo Ren removed the Heart Brand from Cao Qingshan.

After Yafeng learned this, she kept chanting the number “seven-seven” and ranted that someone would eventually come for them. Everyone placed their hands into the water tank holding the Heart Brand and were instantly pulled into a water vision, where they saw a woman feeding a dog named Coco.

Luo Ren recalled seeing the same woman in a previous water vision in Nantian, where she was getting married while the dog watched her bridal sedan fade into the distance—meaning this scene must have taken place before the wedding, reversing the timeline. Luo Ren speculated that the seven Heart Brands might correspond to seven water visions, which together formed a complete story that took place over a hundred years ago. Yafeng was different from the other Heart Brand hosts.

Luo Ren couldn’t get her to explain the meaning of “seven-seven,” so Mu Dai volunteered to try. Luo Ren and Mu Dai performed a double act to hypnotize Yafeng. Under hypnosis, Yafeng said that only the Immortal Wood and the Phoenix-Luan Lock could restrain them. The meaning of “seven-seven” was that the blood of the five of them could only restrain the Heart Brand for forty-nine days.

However, if a new Heart Brand was trapped during that period, the forty-nine-day countdown would start over. Now that the Heart Brand had been sealed, Luo Ren released Yafeng and Cao Qingshan. Yafeng refused to return to the village and left on her own. Everyone chipped in so that Cao Yanhua could buy gifts to take home to his parents. When Cao Yanhua reunited with them, all the past misunderstandings melted away into tears and pure joy.

The group returned to the cave to examine the tomb. Luo Ren speculated that the kneeling figures were enemies of the Heart Brand, while the coffin contained a Star Lord who had been parasitized by it. Cao Sanbao had been the one who escaped, and was likely the founder of Caojia Village. Cao Yanhua solemnly apologized to Cao Jinhua, who said she had long since let go of it all and was now focused on her career.

After the group emerged from the cave, they chatted on the way about the Star Lord. Hiding nearby, Cao Yanhua overheard everything, as he was planning to prank them. Zhang Guanghua confronted Yafeng and reminded her that he had warned her not to take things too far. Luo Ren and the others only wanted the Heart Brand, but now people had nearly died. He furiously blamed her for crossing the line and swore he wouldn’t forgive her.

Yafeng attacked Zhang Guanghua, trying to take the Heart Brand from him, but he retaliated and fatally impaled her against a pillar with his staff. After learning that he was a descendant of the villains, Cao Yanhua became sensitive and began to feel that everyone disliked him. Feeling lonely, he bought a chicken to keep as a pet for companionship. The mystic told Luo Ren that when the Seven Stars shine constantly, the Heart Brand will persist—but as for the details, even Mr. Yin didn’t know.

Mu Dai, having learned that her master was seriously ill, took Cao Yanhua to the train station. Since live poultry wasn’t allowed on board, Cao Yanhua threw the chicken to Thirteen-Thousand. Luo Ren had to make a trip to Heisha and could only part ways with Mu Dai for the time being. Upon learning how dangerous the trip to Heisha would be, Mu Dai’s eyes immediately reddened. She urged Luo Ren to be extremely cautious and take care of himself.

Luo Ren wiped away her tears, lovingly agreeing to all her instructions, and watched as she and Cao Yanhua entered the train station. Cao Yanhua said he was very glad Mu Dai brought him back to her sect. Given his background, he no longer dared to hope he could be formally accepted as a disciple. Mu Dai comforted him, saying that background didn’t matter anymore, and what happened with his ancestors had nothing to do with him.

The reason they had kept it from him was to prevent him from overthinking. With the misunderstanding cleared up, Cao Yanhua returned to his usual self. Mu Dai said her master chose disciples based on fate. Back then, because of her friend Wenwen, she went to a temple to listen to Buddhist chants. There, she happened to meet Master Meihua Jiuniang, who was traveling in Lixi.

Seeing that Mu Dai wanted to learn martial arts, Meihua Jiuniang approached her, and after learning about Mu Dai’s experiences, she accepted her on the spot as her last disciple. Luo Ren received a call from Qingmu—the Leopard had crossed the border. Qingmu said he would help Luo Ren take care of Uncle Zheng and Pingting. Luo Ren had once injured one of the Leopard’s eyes, and Qingmu warned that the Leopard would never let him go.

He also urged Luo Ren to protect Mu Dai at all costs. Qingmu didn’t want Mu Dai to become a bargaining chip for the Leopard. Luo Ren called Mu Dai and asked her to get off the train early so he could personally drive her back to the sect. Yan Hongsha and Thirteen-Thousand returned to Lixi. Luo Ren confided in Mu Dai about his experience in Heisha. Back then, he had fallen out with his family and wandered to Heisha.

He was unfamiliar with the place, did the most grueling jobs, and was constantly mistreated by his boss until his body gave out and he fell ill. Out of pride, he never returned home. Later, someone introduced him to underground fighting. Because he refused to fight to the death, he offended the organizers. During one match, they drugged him.

As he was on the verge of being beaten to death in the ring, Qingmu and Eurys, who happened to be recruiting security guards at the fight, saw him and rescued him. They invited him to join their security firm. Once Luo Ren settled in, he lived happily, often going to their jungle base for combat training, and he made many close friends. During a meal break on the road, a child was selling roses.

Luo Ren gave the child money but didn’t take a flower, leaving Mu Dai feeling a little disappointed. As they continued on, Luo Ren explained why he hadn’t taken the rose. Near the base where he used to live was a bar called “Tipsy.” They often went there for drinks. One time, a beautiful woman approached him at the bar. Because she was dressed formally, she had swapped clothes with a dancer named Nina.

The woman bought Luo Ren a drink, and in return, he gave her a red rose. Later, to help redeem that woman’s jewelry, Luo Ren went to find Nina—only to discover she was dead. The one who killed Nina was the Leopard. As the heir of Heisha’s criminal underworld, the Leopard never needed to make trades—she simply took what she wanted. Luo Ren had blamed himself ever since, especially for leaving Nina’s daughter alone in the world.

That night, sitting outside the car, Luo Ren told Mu Dai that the Leopard had great ambitions. She had wanted to buy out their hotel, but after being refused, she held a grudge and sent thugs to attack it. Amid the chaos, Luo Ren rescued a little girl named Tasha, who called him “Dad.”

The hotel was destroyed, and when Luo Ren and his team refused to work for the Leopard, she used Tasha as leverage and forced Luo Ren into a match. After he won, Luo Ren got close to the Leopard and tried to kidnap her in exchange for Tasha’s release—only to realize too late that he had taken a decoy. The Leopard later let Luo Ren go and sent him a bloodstained hairclip of Tasha’s. Luo Ren vowed to seek revenge.

Qingmu, Eurys, and the others volunteered to go with him. But when they arrived, they were ambushed. Luo Ren was gravely injured and watched helplessly as his companions died one after another. At this point in the story, Luo Ren was sobbing uncontrollably, trembling all over. Mu Dai hugged him, heartbroken. After arriving at Yunling, Cao Yanhua reunited with Luo Ren and the others.

In order to earn a place in the sect, he had spent the journey doing acts of chivalry and even caught two thieves. He named the chicken “Cao Fangfang.” Luo Ren thought it was a good name.

The mystic asked Mr. Yin to introduce the Stargazing Terrace, as he planned to use it as material for his future book. When Mr. Yin went to check the Divine Eye, he suddenly discovered that one more reflection point had lit up—now there were six glowing spots. Mu Dai introduced Cao Yanhua to her senior brother Zheng Mingshan. Zheng Mingshan said she should first make a name for herself before establishing her own sect and taking in disciples.

Mu Dai just smiled. He then asked who Luo Ren was, and when Mu Dai replied that he was her boyfriend, Zheng Mingshan immediately perked up, circled around Luo Ren once, and then told Mu Dai, “Not bad.” He then gave them a test—if they wanted to be accepted, they had to kick over his bowl. Cao Yanhua tried with all his might but couldn’t overturn it.

When it was Luo Ren’s turn, he picked up the bowl from the ground and respectfully presented it to the senior brother. Zheng Mingshan was very pleased and felt Luo Ren was polite and disciplined. He then led them inside, arranged their lodgings, and left with Mu Dai. Luo Ren was startled awake by a dream, just as Mu Dai came to bring him a blanket.

Luo Ren told her the Leopard had entered the country—she had once killed the person dearest to him, and now she was coming for him again. He was terrified. Mu Dai comforted him, saying that since it was an inner demon, breaking through it would set him free. After paying respects to the founder, Mu Dai invited her master to have tea. Luo Ren and Cao Yanhua followed behind.

Cao Yanhua greeted Meihua Jiuniang and openly confessed that he used to be a thief. He also shared the story of his brave act on the train and said his encounter with Mu Dai felt like fate. Meihua Jiuniang tested Cao Yanhua and found he had no martial skills at all. She scolded Mu Dai, saying that as a teacher, she should take responsibility.

Cao Yanhua quickly defended Mu Dai, which made Meihua Jiuniang very pleased, saying she had taken in a good disciple. She then asked Mu Dai what was so good about Luo Ren. Mu Dai shyly said there was nothing particularly good—she just liked him. Meihua Jiuniang turned to Luo Ren and asked what was good about Mu Dai. Luo Ren replied that there didn’t seem to be anything bad about her.

Seeing them stand together, Meihua Jiuniang sighed and said, “You’re well matched.” Meihua Jiuniang, gravely ill, knew she no longer had time to get to know or approve of Luo Ren, so she told Mu Dai that in her eyes, no matter who she married in the future, she must always remember that being true to herself was the most important. She must never become dependent on anyone and must never wrong herself.

The sect would always be her strongest support. Qingmu told Luo Ren that the Leopard’s confidant had entered the country over a year ago and had stayed in Xiacheng Town for several months. Other than a murder case, nothing major had happened there. The mystic persistently questioned Mr. Yin about the Immortal Wood, the Phoenix-Luan Clasp, and the seven stars in the Divine Eye, but Mr. Yin seemed to have something he couldn’t say and remained silent.

Zhang Guanghua glanced at them from a distance and walked away. The mystic told Luo Ren that the locations where the Heart Slips had appeared perfectly matched the alignment of the Tiankui Seven Stars. This meant they could use the stars’ positions to predict where the remaining two Heart Slips might be. The sixth Heart Slip was in Xiacheng Town.

According to the mystic, the sixth star in the Divine Eye lit up over a year ago, then dimmed, and lit up again just a few days ago—it was very strange. Looking at the map and recalling what Qingmu said, Luo Ren began to suspect a connection between the Leopard and the Heart Slips. Late at night, Meihua Jiuniang told Mu Dai that when their sect was first founded, it was called the Meihua Sect.

Later, the founder changed the name to Guan Si Pailou. She then asked Mu Dai to open a hidden compartment by the bedside and take out a wooden bat. The bat was called the Silver-Eyed Bat and was handcrafted by the sect’s woodworking founder. Legend says that the great master Boyangzi was friends with the woodworking founder.

The Silver-Eyed Bat could fly and served as half of a map and half of a key—the other half was in someone else’s hands. Only by combining the two could the gate of Guan Si Pailou be opened. Meihua Jiuniang had waited her whole life for someone to bring her the other half, but they never came. So she asked Mu Dai to guard it and wait for news from the south, carried by a wild goose.

After giving these instructions, Meihua Jiuniang had Mu Dai press the activation button. The Silver-Eyed Bat flew out, and following it, they arrived at the back mountain of Youwu Town. Upon sensing someone nearby, Meihua Jiuniang told Mu Dai to continue following the bat while she stayed behind. When Luo Ren discovered the rose placed by Mu Dai’s pillow, he hurried to find the master, but she was not in her room.

In a panic, he asked where they had gone. Zheng Mingshan told him that the master was passing down her mantle to Mu Dai tonight and was avoiding outsiders on purpose. With Luo Ren’s current equipment, he wouldn’t be able to go far anyway. But the back mountain was shrouded in thick fog and had strange magnetic fields. Ignoring all that, Luo Ren grabbed his gear and rushed out.

Zheng Mingshan examined the roof tiles and suspected the intruder must have climbed over the wall into the courtyard. Cao Yanhua urged him to take it seriously. When Luo Ren mentioned the name Leopard, Zheng Mingshan said that although he had spent time in Heisha, he’d never heard that name. At the moment, there was nothing he could do—the fog in the back mountain was too thick.

Early the next morning, Zheng Mingshan and the others went into the back mountain. Cao Yanhua fell behind and ended up discovering Meihua Jiuniang’s blood-soaked corpse. Luo Ren and the others heard him shouting and rushed over, only to find that Mu Dai was nowhere to be seen. Leopard called Luo Ren and said Mu Dai was with her, and that she had already visited Luo Ren’s home.

She knew the bar diagonally across was Mu Dai’s and that Luo Ren’s friends were inside. At the end of the call, she told Luo Ren to come back. Luo Ren panicked and insisted on returning to Lixi immediately. Zheng Mingshan told Luo Ren and the others to go ahead—he would join them after arranging their master’s funeral.

Luo Ren asked Qingmu to watch over the bar, then called Wan Fenghuo, demanding that he investigate every detail about Leopard at any cost. Luo Ren explained the situation to Thirteen-Thousand and Yan Hongsha. Qingmu would guard the bar, and he himself would watch over his home—after all, the Heart Slip was there. On the way to Lixi, Zheng Mingshan told Luo Ren that their master had died of natural causes, and the wounds on the body were inflicted postmortem.

That night, Mu Dai returned to the sect only to find it completely deserted and pitch dark. She called Luo Ren, but during their conversation, footsteps approached. With nowhere to hide, Luo Ren told her not to hang up and to strike first—and strike hard. Leopard was incredibly strong, and Mu Dai was no match for her. Leopard told Luo Ren that due to the thick fog in the back mountain, she hadn’t found Mu Dai at the time.

It was thanks to Luo Ren helping evacuate everyone that she found an opening. Hearing that, Luo Ren’s fury exploded, and he punched a nearby cabinet in frustration and guilt. Leopard loaded Mu Dai into a logistics truck and told her that Meihua Jiuniang was already dead. A day earlier, Meihua Jiuniang had instructed Mu Dai to wait at the gate of Guan Si Pailou with the Silver-Eyed Bat for one day.

If no messenger brought the other half of the key and map, she was to pass it on to a reliable disciple. Mr. Yin went into town to shop, and the mystic bid him farewell. Just after parting ways, Mr. Yin was hit by Zhang Guanghua’s car. The mystic tried to call an ambulance, but there was no cell signal—and no one else had signal either. Before losing consciousness, Mr. Yin told the mystic to deliver the message.

Half of the map was burned in the war, and half the key was hidden in the family genealogy. Back home, while helping to tidy up, the mystic found a box containing the Yin family genealogy. Wan Fenghuo called Luo Ren and reported that Leopard’s ancestral home was in Xiacheng Town. Mu Dai wanted to know how her master died.

Leopard explained that she had fought Meihua Jiuniang that night, but the master’s skills were deep, and she was no match. Unfortunately, Meihua Jiuniang exhausted her strength while releasing her final move and passed away from old age. Out of spite, Leopard slashed the corpse nine times. Luo Ren had once made Leopard lose an eye. Leopard said she wouldn’t kill him—she would pull out his claws and teeth and keep him as her pet dog.

Mu Dai knelt toward the direction of her sect, poured a cup of tea for her master, and tearfully bowed three times. Fearing he might lose control, Luo Ren asked Qingmu to take charge of the operation, saying he would follow his lead. Qingmu deliberately provoked Luo Ren, and in his plan, as long as Leopard died, Mu Dai could be sacrificed. The seven Heart Slips combined into one—only the last one held the leadership role.

Zhang Guanghua was the host of the seventh Heart Slip and was the one who had assigned tasks to Leopard, though she was deeply displeased. Wan Fenghuo discovered that Leopard’s ancestors had committed a major crime in Xiacheng Town and were later captured by five heroes of the Meihua Sect. Coincidentally, it was also five people—matching the number of kneeling clay figures in the Cao family tomb.

Luo Ren deduced that someone back then had also chased after the Heart Slips, just like they were doing now. Leopard arranged to meet Luo Ren alone and even video-called him to show the surrounding area—she planned to bury Mu Dai alive. Perched in a distant tree, Cao Fangfang witnessed the entire scene.

Luo Ren frantically searched for Mu Dai. Cao Fangfang swooped down from the tree, scratching Luo Ren’s back before landing in an open clearing. Luo Ren instantly understood and began digging furiously at that spot. Just as he unearthed Mu Dai, Leopard appeared. She had no intention of letting Mu Dai go. Luo Ren pulled out his dagger and engaged Leopard in a fight. But Leopard had a Heart Slip within her, making her too strong for him.

Fortunately, Luo Ren and Qingmu had planned in advance: Luo Ren would deal with Leopard while Qingmu rescued Mu Dai. When Luo Ren pressed the dagger to Leopard’s throat, he hesitated. In that moment of indecision, Tasha called out “Dad” from behind him. Luo Ren whipped around and was stunned to see Tasha standing there alive and well. . . Before Qingmu could get far carrying Mu Dai, four gunshots rang out.

When he rushed back, he found Luo Ren unconscious on the ground. Leopard had only allowed one person to be taken. Qingmu chose to save Luo Ren. According to the medical report, there were no bullets found in Luo Ren’s body, and the wounds didn’t match gunshot injuries, but they were still severe. Leopard told Mu Dai that Luo Ren had survived, but that his expression when he saw Tasha was priceless.

Shocked, Mu Dai was then confronted by Tasha, who followed Leopard’s orders like she’d been brainwashed. Leopard took Mu Dai’s sailor whistle and brought it to Luo Ren, demanding that he bring the Phoenix Luan Buckle to Heisha within ten days for an exchange. Luo Ren informed the others of the situation and said he had to leave the hospital to find the Phoenix Luan Buckle.

Upon hearing the news, the mystic rushed over, stating that the Phoenix Luan Buckle and the Immortal Wood might be located in a place Mr. Yin had mentioned—somewhere called Feng X Ridge. Cao Yanhua was also worried—his Cao Fangfang had disappeared. Mu Dai was taken to Heisha, with Cao Fangfang quietly staying by her side. Leopard reminisced about the past: her ancestors were notorious in Xiacheng Town, committing multiple murders. After going abroad, Heisha became their new home.

When something happened to her, her grandfather returned to Xiacheng Town based on ancestral records to search for the Heart Slip. They found someone already possessed by it, killed that person, and transferred the Heart Slip to her. Leopard wasn’t satisfied with just one Heart Slip—she wanted them all to become their destined master.

The mystic’s study of the Yin family genealogy revealed that the names and generations aligned into a phrase: “Northern geese fly south, beneath Yunling, at Guan Si Pailou.” Zheng Mingshan told them that the name “Guan Si Pailou” was carved on the main gate of his master’s sect. Their analysis revealed that Mu Dai’s sect had always been connected to the Heart Slip. The group returned to the Meihua Sect. Thirteen-Thousand found the Silver-Eyed Bat in Mu Dai’s room.

In order to save Mu Dai, Zheng Mingshan revealed the secret of the Silver-Eyed Bat. Since he was bound by his master’s command, Zheng Mingshan couldn’t enter the mountain, so he volunteered to guard the entrance. Following the Silver-Eyed Bat, the mystic and the Phoenix task force arrived at the gate of Guan Si Pailou. Inside, they found several stone buttons. Based on their analysis, Luo Ren guessed the password was “beneath Yunling, at Guan Si Pailou.”

The password was correct. The gate opened. Inside, they discovered murals that recounted the origins of the Heart Slips and the Stargazing Platform. Both originated from the Tian Kui Seven Stars. Once the Heart Slips entered the world, terrible events began occurring. A great master and his disciples rose up to resist them. According to the murals, the Immortal Wood was the original host of the Heart Slip, while the Phoenix Luan Buckle was forged from meteoric iron.

Deeper inside was a vast space with a towering pillar carved with five stone statues. The mystic speculated that these were the five heroes from the Dongxue Red Plum Case in Xiacheng Town—also the five kneeling clay figures in the Cao family tomb. All five pushed the statues simultaneously, and a hidden doorway opened. Meanwhile, Mu Dai reminded herself over and over to remember who she was. Using the light on the wall, she successfully hypnotized herself—Black Mu Dai emerged.

Leopard subjected Mu Dai to special training that caused her to develop a physiological aversion toward Luo Ren. Inside the pillar were various antiques and books. The mystic discovered a record in one of the books stating that Master Dade subdued the Heart Slip beneath an ancient tree at Fengzi Ridge, guarded by five disciples. Originally, their lives were in danger, but seven days later, they all recovered without harm. As for the reason, even Master Dade didn’t know.

Based on everyone’s analysis, Luo Ren believed the Immortal Wood functioned like a container to trap the Heart Slip, and the Phoenix Luan Buckle was the lock used to seal it. While the mystic continued researching the materials, the rest of the Phoenix task force headed to Fengzi Ridge. Ding Laojiu, a lifelong local, came to act as a guide, and Luo Ren agreed.

Leopard received news that Luo Ren was offering a million yuan at antique shops near Xiagu Pass to acquire the Phoenix Luan Buckle and had even provided a diagram of the buckle. She showed the diagram to Mu Dai for confirmation, but Mu Dai said she had never seen it and didn’t know.

Combining the mystic’s information with his own investigation, Luo Ren analyzed that every 280 years, Earth is briefly exposed to the radiation range of the Tian Kui Seven Stars (also known as the constellation Ilta). The previous three times the Heart Slip was subdued occurred during this exposure period. He speculated that the close-range high-energy radiation recharged the Heart Slip—this might be what was meant by it “growing up.”

The last time the Heart Slip was subdued by Meihua Zhao was exactly 280 years ago. Luo Ren and his group visited many antique shops and finally found one buckle that matched the diagram. From afar, Leopard’s people were monitoring their every move. After learning Luo Ren had obtained the Phoenix Luan Buckle, Leopard threw Cao Fangfang into the kitchen, ordering them to fatten him up to serve as a treat for Luo Ren and the others.

Zheng Mingshan had already arrived at Heisha, and Qingmu was also there. Luo Ren originally wanted Thirteen-Thousand and the others to return to Lixi, but they insisted on going with him. Mu Dai was completely brainwashed. Once Leopard learned the Phoenix Luan Buckle was in Qingmu’s hands, she ordered an ambush to seize the bag. After meeting up with Zheng Mingshan, Luo Ren saw that Qingmu was injured.

Qingmu said, “If you don’t commit to the act, how will the audience believe it?” Realizing she had been tricked, Leopard sought out Luo Ren directly for a deal. Knowing the risks, Luo Ren drugged Qingmu to keep him from intervening, then dressed his own wounds and took a powerful stimulant to heighten his senses. He coordinated with Zheng Mingshan for an inside-outside strategy—he planned to face Leopard alone.

Zheng Mingshan informed Thirteen-Thousand and the others, who refused to let Luo Ren take the risk by himself, so they all went together. Luo Ren arrived at Leopard’s base and handed over the Phoenix Luan Buckle. Leopard didn’t believe it was real, because a genuine Phoenix Luan Buckle would suppress the Heart Slip. Luo Ren insisted it was authentic and already there, but Leopard had no intention of releasing anyone. She resorted to a dirty trick and drugged Luo Ren.

Zheng Mingshan had Thirteen-Thousand and Qingmu guard the rear while he entered with Cao Yanhua and Yan Hongsha. Leopard disguised Mu Dai’s face to look like her own and sent her to fight Luo Ren. Under the influence of the drug, Luo Ren’s vision was blurred, and he ended up fighting Mu Dai. Mu Dai, brainwashed, didn’t recognize Luo Ren and attacked him ruthlessly with deadly intent.

The door was locked, so Zheng Mingshan used qinggong to climb up to the ventilation window. During the fight, Luo Ren recognized Mu Dai’s martial arts techniques and took the chance to tear off the human-skin mask on her face, revealing that his opponent was indeed Mu Dai. But Mu Dai still didn’t recognize him. Following Leopard’s orders, Mu Dai continued her attack.

Unwilling to hurt her, Luo Ren left himself vulnerable, and Mu Dai took the opportunity to stab him. Leopard then ordered her men to kill Mu Dai, but Luo Ren shielded her from the bullet. Seeing Luo Ren too weak to fight back, Mu Dai stepped forward and stabbed him again.

Luo Ren blew the sailor’s whistle, and Mu Dai’s consciousness gradually began to awaken. Leopard told Luo Ren that she had fed Mu Dai a micro-bomb, and the detonator was in her possession. Luo Ren was about to explode with rage when he heard this. Leopard kicked Luo Ren aside, and Mu Dai pointed a knife at her. Zheng Mingshan stormed in with Cao Yanhua, both armed. In the kitchen, Cao Fangfang sensed something and fluttered back and forth.

Inside, a fight broke out. Thirteen-Thousand urgently woke up Qingmu, who was still groggy from the heavy dose of drugs. After subduing Mu Dai, Leopard swaggered out, only to run into Yan Hongsha, who fired several shots at her. Leopard narrowly dodged and turned to flee. Mu Dai was heartbroken seeing Luo Ren seriously injured. She pressed on his wound and held him tightly in her arms.

Zheng Mingshan killed Leopard’s right-hand man and saved Yan Hongsha just in time from being strangled. With the Heart Slip inside her, Leopard could teleport. Though Zheng Mingshan was highly skilled, he was still at a disadvantage in the fight. Seeing this, Cao Yanhua rushed forward and hugged Leopard from behind, only to be flung away by her. Using all his remaining strength, Luo Ren pushed Mu Dai away and told her to help.

Mu Dai and Zheng Mingshan coordinated seamlessly and beat Leopard to the point she couldn’t fight back. Leopard tried to activate the bomb, only to discover the detonator was no longer in her pocket. It turned out that when Cao Yanhua hugged her, he had secretly taken everything from her. Leopard fled on a motorcycle, spotted by Thirteen-Thousand and Qingmu. Qingmu instantly sobered up and gave chase by car. He rammed into Leopard, sending her flying.

As he stepped forward to check on her, Leopard grabbed him by the neck and flung him away. Thirteen-Thousand tackled Leopard into a nearby pond, and Qingmu quickly joined to help. The two of them pinned her underwater. At the crucial moment, Cao Fangfang appeared, flew over, pecked Leopard’s eye, and snatched the Heart Slip from her. Luo Ren’s condition was critical. Everyone carefully decorated the hospital room, hoping he would wake soon.

Days passed, business at the Phoenix Pavilion flourished, and Mu Dai devotedly cared for Luo Ren. A month flew by, and Luo Ren finally woke up. Qingmu said his goodbyes to return to chase his wife and entrusted Luo Ren to Mu Dai’s care. Seeing the scar on Mu Dai’s collarbone, Luo Ren felt deep pain and held her, apologizing. Mu Dai said that when she was imprisoned, she had summoned Black Mu Dai.

Since someone had to undergo Leopard’s brainwashing, Black Mu Dai chose to take it. Luo Ren’s sailor whistle was the key to breaking the hypnosis. Luo Ren told her that Black Mu Dai had never disappeared—she had simply chosen not to come out anymore. The five of them simultaneously reached into the water tank. In the illusion, a dog was performing a literacy show, and among the audience stood Miss Wei, daughter of Elder Wei.

Combining it with previous visions, Luo Ren pieced together the story: Miss Wei adopted a literate dog. Later, when the young lady married, the dog grew resentful of the husband due to its attachment to her. A fire then claimed the lives of both the bride and groom. Luo Ren speculated that after its owner died, the literate dog wandered until it opened the Phoenix Luan Buckle at Fengzi Ridge and released the Heart Slip.

The time of the seventy-seventh cycle was approaching, and judging by the location, it pointed to the Xiagu Pass area. As Mu Dai wheeled her suitcase out the door, she saw a hallucination—an image of a tree. The others saw it too. Thirteen-Thousand sketched the tree, and Luo Ren guessed it was the origin point: Fengzi Ridge. Led by Ding Laojiu, they entered Fengzi Ridge.

On Ding Laojiu’s phone, Luo Ren found a photo with Zhang Guanghua—Zhang Guanghua was the one who killed the literate dog. Ding Laojiu added that the dog was strange, with many bald patches on its body, as if the fur had been stripped off strip by strip with tape.

As soon as they reached the ancient tree, Cao Fangfang flew out and began pecking at the tree incessantly. Mu Dai guessed that the seventh Heart Slip was inside a burl on the tree, so she cut it down and placed it into the water. The Heart Slip did emerge, but the colors of the previous six remained faint. Luo Ren instinctively felt that something was wrong. Zheng Mingshan brought the six previous Heart Slips to Fengzi Ridge.

When all seven Heart Slips were reunited, Luo Ren and the others simultaneously squeezed their blood into the tank and reached in together. This time, the watery vision before them was different—it showed five people in ancient robes performing a death sacrifice to seal the Heart Slip. The Mystic explained that the Heart Slip would grow, and with each growth its energy would strengthen. Correspondingly, the method to subdue it would change.

In Master Dade’s time, the Immortal Wood and Phoenix Luan Buckle were sufficient to seal it. But by the time of Meihua Zhao, only a death sacrifice worked. Upon hearing this, everyone grew heavy-hearted, and Cao Yanhua completely broke down. Back then, there was still the Immortal Wood and the Phoenix Luan Buckle. Now, they had nothing. Thirteen-Thousand said they weren’t even qualified to perform a death sacrifice.

Yan Hongsha went to another room and made herself a cup of instant noodles. She stuck a match in it and wished herself a happy birthday when it failed to light. Thirteen-Thousand, seeing this, prepared a birthday cake and celebrated with everyone. Seeing how discouraged everyone looked, the Mystic bought them a family-sized fried chicken bucket to lift morale.

While watching a maze drawing on the street, Luo Ren had a flash of insight—when trapped in a dead end, sticking to the rules only leads to death. Only by breaking out of the trap can one find a new path. The Mystic told everyone that although they no longer had the Immortal Wood or Phoenix Luan Buckle, they could still succeed by finding something with equivalent properties. Luo Ren shared his idea with everyone.

He wanted to become a living lock, to draw the Heart Slip into his body and act as a living version of the Immortal Wood and Phoenix Luan Buckle. Although the chance of success was fifty-fifty, everyone agreed to his plan. Everyone began making final arrangements with family or friends. Yan Hongsha could only look at a photo of her grandfather. Mu Dai refrained from calling Huo Zihong to avoid making him worry.

Together, they returned to the ancient tree, where it unexpectedly began to snow. Luo Ren told Mu Dai that if they survived this, they should get married. Mu Dai smiled and said yes. Everyone injected the Heart Slip into their bodies. Luo Ren handed the Mystic a dagger, telling him not to hesitate if anything went wrong. Ten minutes passed with no signs or symptoms.

The Mystic started to panic, so the group deliberately entrusted him with various tasks to ease the tension. Finally, they prepared to take a group photo. But as soon as the picture was taken, everyone froze in place. They had fallen into an illusion created by the seventh Heart Slip. Zhang Guanghua appeared—he was the seventh Heart Slip. With the reunion of all seven, the seventh had been activated.

The seventh Heart Slip revealed that everything had been part of his plan. The person who inspired Luo Ren at the maze art stand had been him. He said he existed inside the minds of the five of them. The seven Heart Slips were originally one entity. The five of them were link vessels. When the seven Heart Slips were broken apart and sealed by Master Dade, five of the links were planted into his five disciples.

That’s why those five had fallen unconscious for days before fully recovering. The five members of the Phoenix Squad were their descendants—carefully selected, and their internal link vessels were the most intact, stored deep in the recesses of their consciousness. Everything had been orchestrated by the seventh Heart Slip to achieve the complete reunification. The Heart Slips' ultimate goal was to destroy Earth. The seventh Heart Slip offered Mu Dai the chance to return to where everything began.

Mu Dai saw the moment of her own birth—she was not adopted. The Mystic dragged all five of them into a tent. Cao Fangfang was missing. Suddenly, Yan Hongsha began moving toward Thirteen-Thousand.

Ever since Mu Dai was born, Xiang Silan disliked her, and later on only cared about drinking, not even bothering to cook meals. The seventh Heart Slip told Mu Dai that Luo Ren had given Xiang Silan a large sum of money just so she would stop bothering her. Mu Dai was furious.

The seventh Heart Slip said it could rewrite her life, and she should learn to seize the opportunity—just like when she was adopted by Huo Zihong as a child. The timeline shifted to the night Wenwen was harmed. Mu Dai personally witnessed the gangsters beating and humiliating Wenwen. She finally couldn’t bear it anymore and stepped forward to block them. The Heart Slip was activated, and Mu Dai’s fate was rewritten.

In this new version of life, there was no Thirteen-Thousand in the bar, she had never trained in martial arts with Meihua Jiuniang, and she had never met Luo Ren on the cable car. Mu Dai felt she had forgotten someone extremely important. In her panic, she blurted out the name “Luo Xiaodao.” Suddenly, an old man—the manifestation of the seventh Heart Slip—appeared in the cable car to stop her.

The figure said she was Mu Dai herself, that she came to ride this cable car every day and had waited for decades, but never met Cao Yanhua or Luo Ren again, because they had chosen different lives. Their fates no longer intertwined. Mu Dai cried, saying she would not forget, that she would definitely find them.

By using her strong willpower to resist the Heart Slip within her, Mu Dai finally broke free from the seventh Heart Slip’s manipulation and entered the illusion realm of the Fourfold Mirage. The seventh Heart Slip revealed that 280 years ago, it tried its best to open the illusion but encountered a bug—Meihua Zhao and the others kept slipping back into reality from time to time.

Mu Dai, quick-witted, immediately deduced the logic: the five elders had not performed a death sacrifice. The link vessels existed in the brain and were tied to consciousness, which in turn depended on the physical body. Once the body was destroyed, consciousness ceased to exist, and the link vessel would naturally disappear. In the world of the Heart Slip, consciousness was composed of choices. Once those choices diverged from the original self, that self would begin to dissolve.

The more it dissolved, the easier it became to extract the link vessel. The seventh Heart Slip declared that this illusion was unbreakable, and that even if Mu Dai stayed conscious, she would still be trapped. But Mu Dai wanted to help the others escape. The Phoenix Squad needed all five members to unite. The Mystic couldn’t do it alone and shouted for Cao Fangfang. Mu Dai entered Luo Ren’s illusion, where he was happily living in Heisha.

She called out “Luo Xiaodao,” and Luo Ren seemed to sense it. Mu Dai realized that illusions were not immune to interference—if Luo Ren could remember more about reality, the illusion would destabilize, and she might find a way in. Mu Dai blew the sailor’s whistle, and Luo Ren recalled her and the real world. He broke out of the illusion and tightly embraced Mu Dai.

Cao Yanhua also emerged, and the three of them went to find Thirteen-Thousand and Yan Hongsha. In the illusion, Thirteen-Thousand had become a famous painter with his own exhibition. Yan Hongsha shouted his name at a press conference, but he didn’t hear—still acting on his instincts to flirt. Cao Yanhua was frantic. Yan Hongsha walked right up and kissed Thirteen-Thousand, snapping him out of it. The illusion collapsed. The five huddled together, gripping each other tightly.

As the link vessels cracked and the Heart Slips dissipated, the five of them slowly drifted apart. The Mystic covered each of them with blankets and then lay down himself. At that moment, Cao Fangfang slipped into the tent. The Mystic hugged it, and soon after, pheasants began crawling in, helping to keep Luo Ren and the others warm. Ding Laojiu drove them down the mountain. On the way, they all woke up.

Yan Hongsha looked at Thirteen-Thousand, Luo Ren looked at Mu Dai—both with happiness. Zhang Guanghua, as the host of the seventh Heart Slip, had gone completely white-haired overnight and looked aged beyond his years. Laughing madly, he collapsed into the snow. The Mystic collected the imitation bracelets and gave each person a Phoenix Luan Buckle made of meteoric iron. As for the Immortal Wood, there was still no news.

He told everyone that since they had sealed the Heart Slip with their own bodies, the Phoenix Luan Buckles were enough. At a hotpot gathering, the Mystic started talking about fourth-dimensional consciousness. Everyone was thoroughly confused, so they focused on eating instead. With everything over, Yan Hongsha suggested they go on a team-building trip, and the others all eagerly agreed. After taking a group photo, something felt off—Cao Fangfang was missing. So, everyone began searching together…