I'm a little confused about the timeline though. Her parents died three years ago, but she's only now returning to the ancestral home? And she hasn't visited any graves in three years? That feels like a long time to just abandon family plots, especially in a village where everyone knows everyone's business.
The constant chat notifications during his journey provide a running commentary from the outside. The crowd's guesses about the "survivor trial" and the seven-day time limit build suspense. The writer's note about needing teammates early is a clue for readers about future plot lines.
The pacing of this section is really good. We go from the initial setup with the phone call, to the awkward live stream, to the tension with the customer, and then to the quiet home scene. It’s not too fast or too slow. The shift in tone between the public live stream and the private family moments feels natural. It keeps you engaged without feeling like you’re being rushed. I never felt bored or like the story was dragging on.
The world-building for the original ancient world is sparse but effective. We know it's corrupt, people are suffering, there are righteous factions trying to wipe out the demon cult. The cult only has 15 members plus Miao Yunyou, so it's more like a found family than an actual cult. The mystery of why they're being attacked isn't fully explained yet. I'm curious about the bigger picture – what made them form, why they're seen as demonic. But maybe that's for later chapters.