A young boy named Gan Nian finds a black bead by the river and accidentally swallows it while desperately trying to keep it from being snatched by his companions. From that moment on, he unexpectedly forms a pact with Xuanming, a flood dragon whose tribulation cultivation had failed, and gains the ability of 'Pact Hearing'—the power to hear insects, ants, plants, trees, livestock, and supernatural creatures speak. However, this extraordinary opportunity also brings trouble. An ancient locust tree that has lived for three hundred years in the eastern part of the village senses something unusual about him, while a loach spirit that has cultivated beneath the river for a hundred years also sets its sights on him. Both spirits want to use him to pass messages, test the waters, and play matchmaker. As Gan Nian learns from Xuanming how to control his ability to 'hear spirits,' he also discovers that his own family is far from ordinary: a protective contract seal lies buried beneath his courtyard, and the old yellow ox in his cowshed can talk!