The Ferry Man 10th Anniversary (灵魂摆渡·十年)

In the bustling city of Huanhai, Xia Dongqing and his wife, Ya (the Nine Heaven Mysterious Lady), run the infamous Convenience Store No. 444—a mysterious shop that serves as a bridge between the living and the dead. A decade after their initial journey, the landscape of both worlds has drastically shifted. Following the disappearance of the original Soul Ferryman, Zhao Li, a mysterious new partner named "Zhao Hengzhi" joins them. Known as the Night Watcher, he bears an uncanny, chilling resemblance to their lost friend. Together, this renewed trio continues to safeguard the fragile equilibrium between the human realm and the underworld by resolving supernatural incidents woven into the fabric of modern everyday life. However, a looming cosmic threat begins to stir. Under the ominous glow of a prophetic Blood-Red Moon, an ancient, sinister conspiracy threatens to collapse reality itself. To save the three realms, Dongqing, Ya, and the Night Watcher must confront old debts, hidden identities, and a ultimate dark force, proving that love and human connection remain the ultimate redemption.

The 24-episode season is structured around three major interlocking narrative arcs, balancing episodic urban ghost stories with an overarching cosmic mystery:

Arc 1: The Return & Ghostly Echoes (Episodes 1–8)

• Focus: World-building update, the introduction of the Night Watchman, and episodic urban lore.
• Description: This arc re-establishes the "Iron Triangle" under a new dynamic. While running the convenience store (now also operating as a café), Dongqing and Ya investigate a series of poignant and eerie supernatural phenomena in the city. The central emotional hook is the mystery surrounding Zhao Hengzhi. Operating as a university teacher by day and a supernatural guardian by night, his resemblance to Zhao Li creates massive tension. Episodes like the "Repeating Prep-School Student" (a boy trapped in an endless exam-hell loop) explore modern anxieties through a spiritual lens, while the team slowly pieces together clues about the shifting rules of the Underworld.

Arc 2: The Spark Conspiracy & Past Rebirth (Episodes 9–16)

• Focus: Corporate occultism, character lore expansion, and the return of iconic figures.
• Description: The narrative scales up as the supernatural elements bleed into the corporate world through the mysterious Xinghuo (Spark) Company, where Ya works as a director. The arc delves into cyber-occultism and urban legends, modernizing the franchise's classic folklore. A major highlight of this arc is the return of Yan Yuzhen (the "Maid in the Painting" / 画中仙 from Season 1), tying the 10-year mythology together. Dongqing begins to realize that the supernatural cases are not random isolated incidents, but rather deliberate chess moves orchestrated by an unseen puppet master aiming to breach the barrier between realms.

Arc 3: The Blood-Red Moon & Final Judgment (Episodes 17–24)

• Focus: The overarching conspiracy revealed, high-stakes battle, and the ultimate resolution.
• Description: The overarching plot reaches its boiling point as the apocalyptic Blood-Red Moon ascends over Huanhai City. The true identity of the Night Watcher, the underlying motives of the Underworld rulers (including remnants of the King of the Underworld's legacy), and Dongqing’s ultimate destiny collide. The trio is forced to make immense personal sacrifices to stop a spiritual cataclysm that would merge the living and the dead. The season concludes with peace being restored to Huanhai City; Convenience Store No. 444 remains open for business, but as the final frame teases, new mysteries are already quietly brewing along the ancient cobblestone streets.