Oxheart

Story context

Home is supposed to be the end of the journey. For Bai Lingmiao, after countless miles of hardship and danger, reaching Oxheart Village should have meant reunion and relief. Instead, she finds a ghost town: every house intact, every pig starving in its pen, clothes still on the line—but every single person gone without a trace. The chapter is a masterclass in grief without a monster, where the heaviest horror is not a clawed beast but a silent, empty home. Li Huowang, who has learned to read the world’s dread through practical observation, methodically searches for answers while trying to hold together a woman whose entire world has just been erased.

Why it matters

Alright, fellow Daoist grief-walkers, welcome to the episode where we learn that sometimes the scariest thing isn’t a monster—it’s a silent village with the kettle still warm. This chapter is a gut-punch for anyone who’s been following Bai Lingmiao’s journey. Her hope was the fuel that kept her going, and now it’s been replaced by an unbearable absence. But here’s the beautiful part: Li Huowang, that emotionally constipated little Daoist, actually steps up in the quietest way possible. He doesn’t make promises he can’t keep. He just investigates, plans, and then tells her he’s *already* going to fix it. That’s his love language: cold logic deployed for hot emotional problems. So grab a tissue, pay attention to the drums, and remember—when the immortals go silent, that’s when the real work begins.

Quick facts

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Source novel

Dao Gui Yi Xian