Notes from a Corpse Driver

Lin Shen, a forensic examiner from the provincial capital, returns to Yuanling in western Hunan after his uncle falls to his death from a cliff. While sorting through his uncle’s belongings, he finds half a copy of the Soul-Suppressing Manual and clues to his father’s disappearance, drawing him into the secrets of corpse-driving. He joins forces with A Xiu, an inheritor of Miao embroidery; Lao Zhou, a corpse driver; and criminal investigator Chen Mo. Together, they venture deep into King Pan Cave and uncover the century-old feud between the Soul-Suppressing Sect and the transnational cult known as the Xuanyin Society. The Society uses the living to make corpse poison in its quest for immortality, and even plans to unleash the corpse king of King Pan Cave. As corpse poison ravages him and he struggles against hallucinations, Lin Shen gradually learns the truth: his father was “willingly” captured to protect him. In the end, he awakens the Soul-Suppressing Cauldron with his ancestral bloodline and joins his companions to destroy the evil forces. After the battle, he gives up his job in the provincial capital and stays in Yuanling to protect his hometown as a forensic examiner. A Xiu carries on the Miao embroidery tradition, while Chen Mo devotes himself to education in the mountains. Together, they uphold the true meaning of “soul-suppression” through their quiet perseverance.