The story opens in 2019, with brilliant occult specialist Teng Ruiyu confined to a wheelchair—mute, unresponsive, and emptied of thought, as if his mind has been stolen. Beside him stands Qian Cuo, the hot-blooded detective captain who refuses to accept this hollowed-out version of the man he once trusted—and loved.

Through a series of unfolding flashbacks, the story returns to 2017, when Qian and Teng first met while investigating a string of brutal murders in Binjiang. What began as friction between skeptic and “charlatan” grew into a lethal, atmospheric partnership as the two, along with their small team, uncovered clues pointing toward a shadowy mastermind…

As the past reveals a deepening bond and an ever-widening conspiracy, the present poses the ultimate question: what happened to Teng—and why did he become an occultist in the first place?