Before Ling Qinggui got his name back, he was Li Yuyao, the most doted-on young marquis among the upper ranks of Chu.
Whether they were the son of a general, the son of a minister, or even the crown prince and the emperor himself, everyone was willing to indulge and coddle him.
He lost his parents when he was young, yet grew up surrounded by boundless love.
That is, until he turned twelve. The Imperial Astronomical Bureau observed the heavens one night and was horrified by what it saw. They hurriedly petitioned the emperor to send Li Yuyao to the Taiqing Sect, because the celestial signs foretold that he would face a calamity at eighteen, and cultivating the Dao was his only chance of survival.
And the Taiqing Sect was the greatest sect under heaven.
--
After being sent to the Taiqing Sect, his royal connections earned him a place as a disciple of "Xuanxiaozi," hailed as the greatest Sword Venerable. He was given the name Ling Qinggui.
From then on, he became the youngest disciple under Xuanxiaozi. Though his talent was unremarkable, the entire Taiqing Sect genuinely doted on their little junior brother. Even Xuanxiaozi himself, renowned for his "heart of stone," was unusually patient with his young disciple.
If the demon clan hadn't come knocking under the command of its newly appointed Demon Lord, Ling Qinggui might have lived out his days carefree.
To humiliate the righteous sects, the demon clan deliberately made one of its terms for withdrawing: "Send Ling Qinggui back to the Demon Realm as our 'guest.'"
Seeing his fellow disciples still bleeding from their wounds, yet furious at this demand and ready to fight the demon clan to the death, Ling Qinggui made up his mind. He wanted to protect the people around him, too.
For once, he found the courage to act.
That one act meant he could never return to the way things were.
--
Qinggui has no way home.
Be sure to read this before starting!
1. This is not a one-on-one romance. I haven't decided whether the demons will get involved romantically. I have an outline, but this detail isn't settled yet. I'll see how it feels as I write. But the Taiqing Sect disciples will absolutely not be forgiven.
2. This is melodramatic! There will be a groveling arc! Extremely melodramatic! But I probably won't torment the protagonist for too long. I just can't bring myself to, QAQ.
3. There are reasons the protagonist is loved: he deserves it. His talent is merely ordinary compared to the sect's prodigies. Among the younger generation as a whole, he's still one of the best.
4. Some love interests are bad, some are good. Feel free to discuss them rationally, but don't get carried away. (Though maybe no one will read this.)
5. This is my take on cultivation. The main focus is still the romance.
The cultivation realms are roughly:
Cultivation world: Qi Refining -> Foundation Establishment -> Golden Core -> Nascent Soul -> Deity Transformation -> Body Integration -> Great Ascension -> Tribulation Transcendence
Demon Realm: Demon Awakening -> Demon Mind -> Hidden Demon -> Spirit Demon -> Heavenly Demon -> Tribulation Transcendence
The official ranks in Chu are based on those of the Ming dynasty.
A no-brain, melodramatic story.
Theme: There will always be someone who loves you
