The Holy Maiden of Miaojiang

(Childhood friends, younger man: a future clan elder who can be both wolfish and sweet x a cool-headed, self-possessed holy maiden of Miaojiang)

Qingyue inherited the position of holy maiden because of her unusual fate. From the time she could remember, she studied every kind of secret art and subject, with no respite from day to day.

She was extraordinarily gifted and mastered anything she studied in no time. She was especially blessed when it came to witchcraft and sorcery, and even came up with new ideas as she studied.

In the hearts of the Miaojiang people, their holy maiden was confident and radiant, as dazzling as the moon.

But her ancestors had made an agreement with the royal family. If their descendants received a summons, they could not refuse. With no other choice, she answered the emperor's decree, left the mountain, shouldered the weight of her people, and set out for an uncertain future.

On the night before she left, the young man seemed to make up his mind. With flowers in his hands and hope in his heart, he confessed to her. His words, "I like you," left the usually composed Qingyue stunned and, for the first time, flustered.

"I spoke to the three grandfathers about this. They don't object, and the choice is entirely yours. You don't have to give me an answer right away. There's plenty of time. We're leaving the mountain together tomorrow, anyway."

The young man's eyes shone with warmth and laughter. Qingyue hesitated. She couldn't make sense of her own feelings, but still nodded.

The capital was far more complicated than they had imagined. Political feuds at court, schemes in the inner households, and the war against foreign invaders on the northern frontier: none of it had anything to do with them, yet they were forced into the fray time and time again.

Behind her stood the towering, rolling peaks of Cangluo Mountain, the countless creatures living there, hundreds of clanspeople who loved, cherished, and respected her, and the young man who still wouldn't call her "Sister Yue" no matter how many times she taught him.

Yan Lang: "Yue'er."

Qingyue: "Call me Sister."

Only after she had experienced all the twists and turns of life and learned to take death in stride could she better understand the meaning of life.

Bonus scene:

Yan Lang: "Yue'er, why don't you scold me?"

Qingyue: "???"

Yan Lang: "I've gone so long without being scolded that I'm not used to it."

Qingyue: "Should I scold you a little, then?"

Yan Lang: "Never mind, never mind."

Qingzhi: "Holy Maiden, I think he's itching for a beating."

(Description written on March 21, 2023)

Note: This story is entirely fictional and contains many elements of my own invention. Don't overanalyze it. The romance starts out with the easy familiarity of childhood friends and gradually develops.

Coming up next: The Young Lady's Judge's Brush

(A loyal, wolf-in-sheep's-clothing male lead x a coldly elegant, sharp-tongued exorcist heroine)

Cui Zhao was originally a brush in Judge Cui's hand. During a trial among the ghosts and gods of Fengdu, she unexpectedly gained an opportunity, developed a mind of her own, and turned into an adorable little girl as white as jade.

She was exceptionally intelligent, but her origins meant she knew nothing of the world. She saw things as either black or white, acted with impartial justice, and showed no mercy. After a while, the whole ghost realm was up in arms, and the petitions filed with the Judge's Office piled up like a mountain.

Judge Cui had no choice but to discuss the matter with the Great Emperor of Fengdu, who granted Cui Zhao a new destiny.

"Zhaozhao! Take good care of yourself in the human world. Think carefully before you act, learn all you can, and come home to your father when you're done."

As Judge Cui went on and on with his advice, Cui Zhao rolled her eyes and stepped onto the path of reincarnation without hesitation, forgetting everything from her former life.

She entered the Dao at three and mastered her skills by fifteen. When her master calculated that the time was right, he sent her down the mountain to return to the marquis's estate and resume her life as a young lady.

At the estate, she had troublesome relatives who couldn't stand her, parents who doted on her, a gentle and refined elder brother, and an idiot little brother who'd climb onto the roof if no one beat him for a day.

Outside, there was also a clingy man who insisted on repaying her life-saving kindness by "offering himself to her."

Living a life as a human, she would experience the seven emotions and six desires, right the wrongs of the world, and judge its crimes.

When Cui Zhao returned to the underworld, her heart was full. Looking at Judge Cui, who was waiting for her by the Bridge of Helplessness, she smiled brightly and said, "Father, your daughter is home."

Before Judge Cui could react, the young man behind her shamelessly introduced himself. "Father, I'm your son-in-law. I came back with Zhaozhao."

Cui Zhao and Judge Cui: ...

Notes:

1. This story is entirely fictional, and the author has taken many liberties. The underworld system draws on different Taoist and Buddhist traditions, leans toward Taoism, and has been greatly simplified. Don't overanalyze it. Some forms of address are based on Taoist usage, such as how senior and junior brothers address each other. The heroine is also addressed according to those conventions.

2. The story mainly focuses on her experiences in the human world. The male lead appears around chapter twelve or thirteen, and the romance develops later.

3. I haven't decided on any other notes yet. I'll add them if anything comes up while writing.

Theme: Hold fast to your principles and bottom lines.