Liu Zongyuan

A fellow operative of the Supervisory Heavenly Office; the wooden-masked survivor of the same doomed mission to hunt the Heart-Turbid that killed the Chief Recorder and trapped Tuoba Danqing.

Definition

A fellow operative of the Supervisory Heavenly Office; the wooden-masked survivor of the same doomed mission to hunt the Heart-Turbid that killed the Chief Recorder and trapped Tuoba Danqing.

Story context

Welcome back to the quiet (and not-so-quiet) rhythms of Niuxin Village! This chapter is a wonderful breather after all the mountain-hopping body-horror—a chance to see how Li Huowang’s motley crew has settled into their new home. But even as morning dawns with roosters crowing and breakfast porridge steaming, some things never change: Lü Zhuangyuan is still shouting at his family, Lü Xiucai is still seething with resentment, and Li Huowang is still covered in blood scabs at the breakfast table. Yet beneath the domestic comedy lurks a genuine surprise—an old acquaintance from the Supervisory Heavenly Office has tracked him down, bringing a fleeting moment of camaraderie from a shared, bloody past. Get ready for a chapter that’s equal parts slice-of-life, simmering tension, and a very familiar face in a wooden mask.

Why it matters

This is a classic “calm before the storm” chapter. The tone shifts from domestic comedy (Lü Zhuangyuan banging on doors, Gouwa bragging about his son, Bai Lingmiao’s affectionate nagging) to a quiet but pointed reunion with an old ally. Keep an eye on the subtle power dynamics: Lü Xiucai’s growing resentment and his purchased wife’s silent thoughts suggest future trouble. And the appearance of Liu Zongyuan—a survivor of the same doomed mission—reminds us that the Office’s eyes are always watching, even when there’s no formal assignment. The chapter’s real value lies in establishing that Niuxin Village is becoming a known node in the supernatural world’s web. Li Huowang’s cover is not as clean as he’d like to think.