Hallucination

In the novel, the boundary between real and fake is constantly contested; events like bank robberies become “too contrived” for the protagonist to accept as real.

Definition

In the novel, the boundary between real and fake is constantly contested; events like bank robberies become “too contrived” for the protagonist to accept as real.

Story context

Home. It's a word that shouldn't be complicated—a place, a feeling, a promise of warmth. But for Li Huowang, "home" has become the most terrifying concept of all. He can't go back to his old one, he refuses to accept a new one, and he's not even sure the one he remembers is real. This chapter is the quiet storm after the bloodshed of Qingfeng Temple. No ritual sacrifices. No flesh Buddhas. Just a broken young man standing in a dark cave, being gently, stubbornly pulled back from the edge by a girl who refuses to let him disappear. Li Huowang hits his lowest point here, but more importantly, he makes a choice that will define his journey: to survive, not for the sake of reaching some certain truth, but despite the fact that he may never have one.

Why it matters

Get ready, because this chapter is where the protagonist's emotional spine snaps back into place—not through a power-up or a clever trick, but through sheer, stubborn human connection. The "morphing faces" sequence is a brutal visual: everyone he's ever cared about, stacked on top of each other like a collapsing deck of cards. It tells you everything about how Li Huowang sees the world now: a blurry mess of overlapping faces, all shouting at him not to die. Pay close attention to his shift in tone the moment he agrees to leave. He goes from catatonic to commanding in the span of a few sentences. He's not cured, not even close. But he's *decided*. He's going to hoard knowledge, supplies, and even the Black Tai Sui itself like a resource. This is the birth of Li Huowang the opportunist. The boy who had nothing but a lantern and a song is about to become a man who will use everything.