Ballad of the Mountains and Seas

My new novel, *The Twelve Witches*, is now underway. Chu Mingjiao and Jiang Chenghan are the most infamous estranged couple in the Shanhai Realm. They separated as soon as they married: one is always heading into secret realms to face tribulations, while the other has spent a century living carefree as the divine lord of Chaolan River. Everyone knows they’re a couple in name only, at odds with each other at every turn. In recent years, Chu Mingjiao has kept Song Wei, a young prodigy renowned for his looks and talent, constantly at her side and under her protection. Rumors that she and Jiang Chenghan are about to “divorce” and “dissolve their bond” have grown more and more convincing. Just as their relationship reached its coldest, most strained point, the young man trespassed into a restricted area. The Divine Lord’s Hall accused him of suspected treason and, acting on orders, moved to arrest him. Chu Mingjiao intervened, going so far as to cross swords with the Divine Lord’s Hall. The clash eventually set off a great formation, leaving her briefly unconscious. Rumors flew thick and fast, growing louder by the hour. When Chu Mingjiao woke, Jiang Chenghan had just left the Realm Lord’s Palace and arrived at the Chu residence in person. At her bedside stood Song Wei, head bowed and silent. Across from him sat Jiang Chenghan, cold as frost and snow, as aloof as an immortal exiled from the heavens. That day, Jiang Chenghan lost his temper in public for the first time. A vast crowd knelt before him, as if under divine punishment. The god who dwelt high above the clouds lowered his eyes to Chu Mingjiao. Ancient markings between his brows flickered in and out as he spoke, each word deliberate: “Mingjiao, think carefully. Who is the husband who married you and bonded with you?” “Today, ” “You trust him rather than me?” Afterword: In those days of suspicion and bitter clashes, only a handful of people could faintly remember. Once, everyone said they were made for each other. Here’s the next xianxia novel I’m planning. If you’re interested, please add it to your collection. Love you all~ Title: *After He Betrayed Me, My Ex-Husband and I Rekindled Our Love* Synopsis: Wen Mingran is a fallen immortal, notorious and reviled by all. Born into one of the most powerful clans in the Celestial Capital of the Ninth Heaven, she was once a force to be reckoned with. The first half of her life went smoothly, with only a few bumps in the road when it came to love. She was once married. Her partner came from a family of the highest standing, and was equally exceptional in looks and strength. They were both famous figures, and their bond was a powerful alliance between two clans, with no love involved. That marriage ended peacefully enough, too. Having learned her lesson, Wen Mingran took her time choosing someone this time, picking the kind of man she liked and keeping him by her side. He was a hostage prince of the Demon Clan: gentle and well-behaved, with a naturally winsome, charming air. He spoke softly and knew just how to make her happy. For a brief time, she let herself become thoroughly infatuated with him. Unfortunately, it turned out that his gentle manners and charming demeanor were all an act. A lamb was never going to survive among wolves. At the most crucial moment, the Demon Clan’s hostage prince won over Wen Mingran’s followers, joined forces with her formidable rival, and pinned the damning evidence of her attempted coup on her. The price of failing to seize power was public disgrace, the loss of her status, and exile to the Guixu to await death. When she washed up in the Guixu, the local inhabitants could hardly imagine that she had once come from such an extraordinary background. Wen Mingran thought she had no chance of rising again. A short scene: It was the dead of winter, the bitter cold of year’s end. One morning, Wen Mingran bundled herself up from head to toe and trudged back to her shabby little shack with medicine in hand, like a walking corpse. To her surprise, two or three white-robed Immortal Painters were waiting outside. Heads bowed, they silently nodded to her, their familiar faces enough to make her heart skip a beat. She pushed open the door. Lu Yuran was inside. Even in the Celestial Capital of the Ninth Heaven, where powerful figures were everywhere, Lu Yuran’s name stood out like the purest snow of Yingzhong. He was the heir to the throne, the one everyone had pinned their hopes on, and a peak-ranked name on the Hundred Battles List. His spirit and brilliance were unstoppable. He was truly flawless, an unparalleled prodigy. If anyone could find a single stain on him now, that stain was Wen Mingran. His former Dao companion, joined to him in a powerful marriage alliance. “I came here today because I wanted to ask you something.” On that snowy day, Lu Yuran stood before the broken window in lavish robes and a feather-lined cloak. The snow lent a touch of weariness to his striking features, and his words carried a cool, distant frost. “Do you still love him?” “If you don’t…” He watched her from a dozen paces away. A faint, lazy cruelty seeped from beneath his drooping lashes. “Do you want to come with me?” “Go back and take them down.” Theme: Love and being loved.