Da Shen

A major spirit entity that resides within Bai Lingmiao. It has three mouths under its red veil and displays moments of surprising humanity, such as recalling a 'father.'

Definition

A major spirit entity that resides within Bai Lingmiao. It has three mouths under its red veil and displays moments of surprising humanity, such as recalling a 'father.'

Story context

Get ready, fellow readers—this chapter is a knife to the heart, delivered with the coldest possible hand. Our focus shifts entirely to Bai Lingmiao on the night of the Moon Festival. She returns to her family’s ancestral hall, distributes mooncakes to the spirit tablets of her slaughtered kin, and tries to summon them through the Bei School’s *Crying Smoke-Soul Tune*. The ritual works—briefly, devastatingly—before the silence confirms the worst: they are gone, and she believes they blame her. This chapter isn't about monsters or cultivators; it’s about a grief so bottomless that a woman makes a terrible, quiet choice, with the Da Shen as her sole, unnervingly passive witness. Brace yourself for a masterclass in atmosphere and emotional horror.

Why it matters

This chapter is pure, heartbreaking atmosphere. Pay close attention to the sensory details: the taste of the mooncake, the distant glow of the kiln fire, the smell of burnt silk on the Da Shen’s robes, and the final, chilling creak of the rope. The horror here is not jump-scares; it’s the slow, relentless pressure of grief. Bai Lingmiao’s decision to break down only *after* completing the ritual, and the Da Shen’s silent assistance, is one of the most devastating moments in the entire arc. The message is clear: in the Dao-Twisted World, even the gods of comfort are indifferent to your pain. If you’ve been following Bai Lingmiao’s journey from the timid girl of the early chapters, this is the tragic culmination of her growth. It’s not a battle loss; it’s a soul loss.