Badger

Story context

Get ready for a breather chapter that is anything but restful. "The Retreat" picks up with Li Huowang a charred, oozing mess, trying to put distance between himself and a mysterious fat woman who wants his "untainted yang-life." The chapter trades spectacular combat for the grind of survival: raw wounds sewn with thread, badger oil slathered on burns, and the simple act of eating soup turned into a negotiation with a monster-daughter. More than a chase scene, this is a quiet, somber study of Li Huowang's shifting role from survivor to caretaker—and of the daughter who is slowly learning what it means to be a person, not a weapon.

Why it matters

This chapter is a masterclass in using exhaustion as a narrative tool. Li Huowang is not tested by a new monster but by the mundane weight of his own wounds and the terrifying reality that his resources—yang-life, time, trust—are finite. The real horror here is the psychology of the chase: being so injured that the simplest act of eating becomes a negotiation, and discovering that your stalker has found you again despite your best efforts. Note how Li Huowang's paternal instincts have sharpened: he teaches Li Sui to think of herself as a daughter, not a pet, and he prioritizes Bai Lingmiao's vision over his own rest. His body may be failing, but his role as a protector has never been clearer. The fat woman's reappearance closes the chapter on a perfect note of cold dread: no action, just a threat, patiently waiting.

Quick facts

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Source novel

Dao Gui Yi Xian