Praise of Death

*I may revise this irregularly, so I can give it a proper edit. (Saved June 2026)

Blurb

One day, you will grasp the edge of the blade and achieve what your heart desires.

You will stand atop the summit of the Boundless, looking down upon all living beings beneath heaven.

You will become the supreme bearer of glory, invincible and beyond compare.

Before that, you must complete Soul Gamble, advance to From Death Comes Life, the Praise of Death, and Rebirth from Nirvana.

Heir to a prominent family VS descendant of a corpse-driving clan

The male lead is gloomy, cunning, ruthless, and cold both inside and out VS the female lead is untamed, a beautiful madwoman with a deeply calculating mind.

Before you dive in: This is a romance about two people saving each other. Two cold-faced, cold-hearted people find warmth in one another. They are struck by love at first sight amid schemes, and come to know and stay by each other through the treachery of human nature. A grounded story, one-on-one romance. The career storyline is primary, with romance as a secondary thread.

[Bonus Scene]

She is the last inheritor of the Xiang family's corpse-driving craft in western Hunan. Dull-witted by nature, she has only learned her family's signature skills halfway, with poor technique and no ability to shoulder great responsibilities. Her cousins from a collateral branch have even surpassed her.

The clan elders beat their chests in frustration: "If only we'd known, we should have had more children! This one lone sapling can't be beaten or scolded. Our Xiang family is doomed! This is a misfortune for our house. We have no face to meet our ancestors..."

With their family on the verge of being wiped out, they have no choice but to recommend that she go to Wuzhou to study, in hopes of sharpening her mind and opening her understanding.

The Xie family of Wuchuan descends from the Duke of Zhou of the great northern and southern clans. For a hundred years, they have nurtured people with gentle guidance, established themselves through virtue and integrity, and made their mark through words and deeds.

The moment they meet, they gaze at one another. One casual glance across a crowd marks the beginning of a fall from the mortal world...

Theme: Universal values