Chapter 113: On the Discussion of Certain Earlier Plot Points

On the discussion of certain earlier plot points

First, the book has been posted—thank you to all readers for your subscriptions and support.

Re Gan Mian, many thanks!!

Now let’s address the questions readers have raised most often in the comments recently.

1. Should Xiao Yu lick Da Qin?

No.

She calls herself “Yu Fengxian”—to expect her loyalty to anyone is an outright joke.

She answers only to her own feelings and conscience.

Her closeness to Da Qin stems purely from the Battle of Feixian Ferry, where she had no choice.

If Da Qin harms her or threatens her, unless she’s powerless, she’ll cut them down with a single blade.

2. Did Lieyang Hou harm Xiao Yu?

No.

His feelings toward her are complicated—a kind of reluctance to entangle himself, a desire to keep his distance.

The ones who spread Xiao Yu’s name in the Huoyao Army are Gao Xianjue and Cai Sima.

Their target isn’t Xiao Yu—it’s Hu Chen and the Guan family.

Though Guan Hu Chen brought his own death upon himself, no one can deny that Gao Xianjue caused it; Hu Chen has every reason to hate him.

During the Battle of Feixian Ferry, Cai Sima incited the Iron Cavalry to raid the wine cellar and seize Hu Chen’s Yi Gu Dan—this too is a deep grievance.

If Hu Chen had died outright, they wouldn’t have cared anymore.

But Hu Chen didn’t die—he still harbors ambitions to rise in Da Qin.

So they spread the rumor that Xiao Yu killed Kong Zan and crippled Zhou Lang, inciting the Western Eight Immortals to seek revenge on the Guan family—back then, Xiao Yu was still “Guan Yu”!

Guan Chenghuang’s concerns were not without merit.

Why didn’t Lieyang Hou stop them?

Let me rephrase: why should Lieyang Hou have stopped them?

Guan Hu Chen had utterly offended him; he disliked every single member of the Guan family. Knowing Gao Xianjue and Cai Sima were targeting the Guans, not adding fuel to the fire was already due to his pride.

Then why didn’t Lieyang Hou reward Xiao Yu for her achievements in the Battle of Feixian Ferry with a Da Qin title or other honors?

Have you noticed that the three officials dispatched by Da Qin to the Xisha Region are: Lieyang Hou, Qingsong Dao Tong, and the Eastern Imperial Envoy?

Each has their own duties, each their own sphere of authority.

Lieyang Hou is a military commander, not the “Supreme Emperor” of the West.

He can report military merits to the court, but appointments and rewards fall outside his jurisdiction.

More directly: Lieyang Hou reported Xiao Yu’s achievements to the Da Qin court; only after the Eastern Envoy crosses westward will rewards be granted and punishments meted out.

I’ll give a slight spoiler: according to the current plot, likely the day after tomorrow—that is, Chapter 116, titled “The Investiture of the Gods”—you’ll learn exactly what Lieyang Hou did behind the scenes.

I’ve emphasized several times that Da Qin operates on a merit-based system.

It’s impossible for Xiao Yu to earn merit and receive no reward—that would be slapping myself in the face.

Why doesn’t Lieyang Hou care that Xiao Yu was sent to the Jiaosifang?

To him, it truly doesn’t matter.

Whether he cares for this girl who resembles his mother or not, he doesn’t need to care what Shu does—Da Qin’s reward for Xiao Yu is exceptional; Lieyang Hou ranked her as “Top Merit of the Battle of Feixian Ferry,” a feat so great it overrides Shu’s opinions entirely.

I can state outright: Lieyang Hou acted strictly by the book, with minor personal inclinations, but never let them interfere with official duty—he neither pitied Xiao Yu nor ever deliberately harmed her.

3. Why did the Qinghe Prince send Xiao Yu to the Jiaosifang?

Why not keep her close and cultivate her carefully? After all, Xiao Yu is naturally gifted, capable of nurturing dragon veins?

First, the Shamu Yu in the Sands is the real threat to Shu—if captured... at least the Qinghe Prince is confident he can fully control her life and future.

The text has hinted several times that the Qinghe Prince has deep connections—he’s tied to Wanshou Mountain.

As later plotlines unfold... for now, his son Li Xianzhi is a cultivator whose combat strength surpasses that of a Human Immortal—so what about the Qinghe Prince himself?

Guan Hu Chen once complained that the Li family refused to use their connections to ask Wanshou Mountain’s immortals to refine the Nine-Turn Yi Gu Dan for him; otherwise, he would have been a Human Immortal twenty years ago.

Guan Chenghuang said: using one connection costs the Li family one immortal fate—the price the Li family refuses to bear...

The Li family controls “immortal fates”!

Over so many generations, how deep is their foundation?

From our perspective, the Qinghe Prince’s dismissal of Xiao Yu is suicide.

But from the Qinghe Prince’s perspective, a Xiao Yu with shattered sword bones and endless troubles isn’t worth his attention.

He assigned Li Hu and Li Bao to shadow her, entrusted Guan Chenghuang to monitor her movements—he’s already been cautious enough.

Second, before meeting Xiao Yu, the Qinghe Prince captured Dou Gengyan.

He sent Dou Gengyan to Hongxiu Fang.

The purpose was simple: how could Dou Yilin’s relatives and old friends tolerate the daughter of a noblewoman falling into prostitution?

Sending Dou Gengyan to Hongxiu Fang wasn’t the goal.

The goal was to provoke those surviving remnants, forcing them to reveal themselves so Lieyang Hou could crush them alive.

Having already decided to send Dou Gengyan to Hongxiu Fang, he then encountered Guan Yu—her sword bones shattered, burdened with troubles—and simply dumped them both there, a buy-one-get-one-free bait plan, more perfect than ever.

Hongxiu Fang isn’t just his business—it’s also a government office.

Even Madam Liu is the boss of Qingshuiwan and the leader of the Tianmen Society.

Hongxiu Fang’s responsibilities extend far beyond prostitution.

Moreover, Hongxiu Fang lies in Tianmen Town—right in Guan Chenghuang’s territory.

No matter what, the Qinghe Prince refuses to entangle himself with the true immortals behind the Western Eight Immortals—he would never house Xiao Yu in his own mansion.

At that time, he never imagined Xiao Yu might rise again.

When Xiao Yu truly becomes powerful, he’ll move to recruit her—and he’s confident she won’t refuse.

Just as in the chapter “Qinghe Prince,” he smiled at Li Dan and said: if she truly becomes a second Five-Extreme Sword Maiden, he’ll adopt her as his daughter and grant her the Li surname.

We readers find his thinking absurd—but he believes himself magnanimous.

Extra note: Li Manman is also an important supporting character, highly talented, with greater potential than Dou Gengyan—not a Human Immortal, but a true cultivator of the Immortal Dao—yet she suffers terribly.

The text hints: no matter how high a courtesan rises, there’s always a higher-ranking client.

4. Xiao Yu’s time at Hongxiu Fang is deeply oppressive.

If summed up in one phrase—“the protagonist falls into a brothel”—it does feel oppressive.

But I designed this plot not for oppression—it’s preparation for Da Mie Ba.

Once she enters the brothel, whether Human Immortal, Divine Immortal, Buddha, or True Immortal, Xiao Yu cries “Dad,” and no one doubts it—Da Mie Ba triggers immediately.

Do you remember an earlier passage: Xiao Yu took Hu Chen as her adoptive father, yet felt deep sorrow—having taken Hu Chen as father, she could no longer easily take others... she was still pondering how to adopt countless fathers without suspicion or rejection?

The answer is Hongxiu Fang.

I promise readers two things: first, life in Hongxiu Fang will be bold, decisive, and violent—and Xiao Yu’s strength will rise rapidly.

Second, Hongxiu Fang is the beginner's village experience room—Xiao Yu will certainly leave it; you all know this, but her experiences there will be profoundly “fantastical.”

Before I started this book, I discussed it with friends in the group and even bet them: they’d never guess Xiao Yu’s Hongxiu Fang arc—but when it unfolds, it’ll feel utterly inevitable.

Xiao Yu... ah, because of this Hongxiu Fang arc, she’ll one day kill a Buddha—and claim a “Buddha” position.

I mean, the inspiration for Hongxiu Fang came from Liu Yifei’s film, but the plot’s development has nothing to do with it.

I can only say: when Xiao Yu one day stands atop Hongxiu Fang’s rooftop and shouts, “Who else?”, your expressions will twist—there’s foreshadowing, but the outcome will surprise you.

Finally, thank you all for your tips—I feel deeply moved seeing familiar names on the tip leaderboard. But you don’t need to tip so much; just subscribing is enough to fill me with gratitude.