Hollow Bamboo

Qingyu was a bamboo stalk, hollow inside.

After accidentally drinking immortal dew, he gained sentience and took human form. From then on, he embarked on an endless journey of cultivation.

Obsessed with cultivation and longing to become an immortal, he hit a wall when it came time to break through. No matter what he tried, he couldn't free himself from the impasse. Confused, Qingyu sought out the Hundred-Knowing Bird, said to know everything there was to know about the mountain.

To his surprise, after hearing him out, the bird burst into laughter and mocked him for thinking a heartless bamboo stalk could become immortal.

Without a heart, he couldn't overcome emotional trials or sever his ties to the mortal world, let alone prove the Great Way. How could Heaven ever recognize him and let him ascend?

“Is there really no other way?” Qingyu refused to give up.

“There is,” the Hundred-Knowing Bird joked. “There's a saying in the mortal world: You are what you eat.”

“Why not dig up a heart and swallow it? Then you'd grow one of your own, wouldn't you?”

“But Heaven sees all. If you don't want to be struck by lightning, you'll have to get that person to willingly cut out their heart and give it to you!” The bird cackled and flew away.

It was only teasing Qingyu for fun, with nothing better to do.

But it didn't know that a stubborn bamboo stalk like him had no idea what a joke was. He was wholeheartedly devoted to the Way.

Much, much later, after swallowing several hearts and steadily increasing his cultivation, Qingyu found the Hundred-Knowing Bird and sincerely thanked it.

The bird tumbled head over heels off a branch and screamed in horror: “Those were the hearts of cultivators and immortals! You drained all their cultivation, damn it!!!”

Warnings:

1. The protagonist is adored by everyone and is beautiful. It's hard to pin down his personality; perhaps he's cute in a deadpan way. He's so innocent he's almost cruel. The author loves this adorable little bamboo so much and doesn't want to see anyone say anything bad about him.

2. This story is very melodramatic, outrageous, and shameless.

3. People really do get their hearts cut out, and some love interests die for real. There are love rivals, but the overall structure is one-on-one romances in distinct phases.

3. The protagonist is the focus of the whole story and the most beautiful person in it. All love interests are pure in body and mind, and the same goes for the minor love interests by default. They're all devoted puppy-dog lovers who would keep loving him even after death.

Theme: A spirit steadfast in the bitter frost, a body pure as jade and snow.