The Blood Swallow Returns to the Eaves

Even a swallow that roams the martial world will eventually nest beneath the eaves.

When she first meets him, he is a scholar traveling to take the imperial examinations, stopped on the road by bandits.

Pale-faced, dressed in blue, unable to lift a finger or carry a load, he doesn't even know how to run.

She squats in a tree, cracking melon seeds as she watches him for a while, thinking, How can someone be this clueless?

Later, she rescues him. She expects nothing from him, and then turns away. Ten years pass.

When they meet again, he is seated in the main hall of the Huzhou County Office, wearing an official's robe.

She is squatting by the street, planing wood, shavings scattered across her lapel.

He changes into plain clothes, tucks a stack of old case files under his arm, and walks over to her stall.

Bending down, he calls softly, "Miss Qin."

She looks up at him. Her amber eyes reflect the dusk.

The scholar who couldn't move when bandits grabbed him by the collar ten years ago now has a long beard and a composed expression.

But his ears still turn red.

She thinks, How can he still be this clueless?

Yet she doesn't push away the cup of tea he offers her.

[Character Introductions]

Qin Shuo | Blood Swallow

Born to a merchant family, she began martial arts training at thirteen. At eighteen, she set a fire to avenge a friend, then disappeared under an assumed name and wandered for ten years.

She has peerless lightness skills, a sharp tongue and a soft heart, loves money and hates spending it, and suffers from a chronic stomach ailment.

She gave herself the name Blood Swallow, thinking she would spend her whole life flying through the sky.

Then someone set out a bamboo chair for her under the eaves and laid a thick quilt over it.

So she settled down.

Zeng Tai | Magistrate of Huzhou

Top scorer in the imperial examinations in the first year of the Tianshou era. Born to a poor family, he endured a decade of frustration in his official career.

Kind and upright, he is not skilled at solving cases but diligent in practical affairs, not eloquent but steadfast in action.

He once strayed from the right path in pursuit of advancement, but was fortunately set straight by Judge Di. From then on, he made the words "mentor's kindness" the guiding principle of his life.

When he married her, he was a seventh-rank county magistrate. By the time she had borne him two children, he was a fourth-rank regional governor.

But the way he looks at her is exactly the same as when she rescued him outside Luoyang all those years ago.

[In a Nutshell]

One is a bookish county magistrate who can't find his way without case files; the other is a Blood Swallow of the martial world who can't fly once she has a taste of domestic life.

They meet when each is at their most wretched, and stay together when each has found their greatest peace.

[Reading Guide]

✓ Complete character growth arcs for both leads | A slow-burn romance, proceed with caution (the sweetness comes later)

✓ Everyday family life | Courtly intrigue and dangers of the martial world

✓ Di Renjie, Li Yuanfang, and Di Ruyan make appearances | Characters from the Di Renjie universe together

✓ Everyday life with children | Bickering spouses | Some angst, but a happy ending

[About the Title]

Blood Swallow Returns to the Eaves.

She was once a swallow carrying a blade, flying through the sky for ten years, afraid to land, unable to land.

Then someone repaired her drafty eaves, replaced the bedding with a thick quilt, and warmed a bowl of porridge on the stove.

So she folded her wings and settled down.

Not because she could no longer fly, but because at last she had somewhere to land.

Once, a stunning figure crossed the nine provinces. In the end, she returned beneath the eaves to spend the seasons listening to spring and autumn.

Tags: #HistoricalRomance #Mystery #Officialdom #EverydayFamilyLife #MutualSalvation #DiRenjieFanfiction #FromFirstMeetingToOldAge

One-line recommendation: A swallow that cannot fly and a tree that cannot blossom come together and spend a lifetime side by side.

Written by Yun Shan

Theme: One is a bookish county magistrate who can't find his way without case files; the other is a Blood Swallow of the martial world who can't fly once she has a taste of domestic life.