Definition
The novel’s term for a type of earth-dwelling evil spirit; they move through mud and can only be caught one at a time.
Mud-devils
The novel’s term for a type of earth-dwelling evil spirit; they move through mud and can only be caught one at a time.
Story context
Li Huowang arrives at a new village, hot on the trail of Zuowandao activity, only to find himself doubting his own senses before the tricksters even show up. While investigating a temple, a chance sound—real or hallucinated?—throws him into fresh paranoia. But the real twist comes when a blind old man from the Supervisory Heavenly Office grabs him mid-stride, seeing through his invisibility without eyes. What follows is a tense dance of mutual suspicion: two agents, both hiding something, feeling each other out under the cover of darkness and politeness.
Why it matters
This chapter is a masterclass in slow-burn horror. No monsters leap out; no Zuowandao cackle in the shadows. The terror is atmospheric and social, built on a single, not-quite-verified sound, a lock that won’t open, and the empty silence of a village that feels *too* ordinary. The real hook is Blind Chen. Is he what he claims to be? His confident boast—“gong against gong, drum against drum”—feels like a test. Li Huowang is the blind one here: he can see perfectly but cannot trust a word or a sound. Pay attention to every pause in their conversation. The lie is layered inside a truth, and the truth is already a trap.
Quick facts
Source novel
Dao Gui Yi Xian
First appearance
The Blind Man
Chapter references
1
Type hints
Li Huowang, Blind Chen, Supervisory Heavenly Office
Guide tags
horror, mystery, supernatural
Appears in chapters
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