The Heiress's Judge's Brush

[Black on the Inside, White on the Outside Male Lead vs. Cold, Sharp-Tongued Female Heavenly Master; Ensemble Cast; Metaphysics; Strong Female Lead]

Cui Zhao was originally a brush in the hands of Judge Cui. During a trial among the ghosts and gods of Fengdu City, she unexpectedly chanced upon a fortune, awakened to consciousness, and became a lovely little girl with skin as white as jade.

She was exceptionally clever, but her origins left her inexperienced in worldly affairs. She saw everything in black and white and showed no mercy. Before long, the entire ghost realm was up in arms, and complaints piled up at the Judge's Office like mountains.

With no other choice, Judge Cui consulted the Great Emperor of Fengdu and arranged a new destiny for Cui Zhao.

"Zhaozhao! Take good care of yourself in the human world. Think twice before you act, learn from your experiences, and come home soon. Your father will be waiting for you."

Faced with Judge Cui's endless reminders, Cui Zhao rolled her eyes and stepped onto the path of reincarnation without hesitation, forgetting everything from her past life.

She began cultivating the Dao at three and mastered her skills by fifteen. Fortune-telling and catching ghosts and demons were child's play to her. When her master divined that the time had come, he sent her down the mountain to find her family and experience life among ordinary people.

At home, she had troublesome relatives who couldn't stand her, parents who doted on her, a refined and gentle eldest brother, and a stupid younger brother who would climb onto the roof if nobody beat him for a day.

Cui Zhao took charge of everything at home and beyond. Over the next several years, meeting all kinds of people and facing all kinds of events made her path richer and more colorful, and gave her a deeper understanding of the Dao.

In one lifetime as a human, she experienced every joy and sorrow, cleared the world's injustices, and judged the sins of the living.

When Cui Zhao returned to the underworld, her heart was full of conflicting emotions. Seeing Judge Cui waiting for her at 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: ...

Please note:

1. This story is entirely fictional, and the author has taken many creative liberties. The underworld system draws on different Taoist and Buddhist traditions, but leans toward Taoism and has been greatly simplified. Please don't take it too seriously. Some forms of address are based on Taoism. For example, disciples address one another as senior and junior brothers, and the female lead is addressed the same way.

2. The main story follows the female lead's experiences in the human world. The plot takes priority. The male lead appears around a dozen chapters in, and plays a minor background role early on. The romance comes later and adds depth to the female lead's emotional life.

3. Other notes are still undecided. I'll add them if anything comes up while writing.

(2025-5-12)

Up next: The Live-In Son-in-Law

[A Scholar with Many Secret Identities and His Young Lady; Sweet 1v1 Romance; Married First, Fall in Love Later; The Couple Have Two Faces, One at Home and Another in Public]

Chu Yunxue was the youngest daughter of Chu Wenjun, the prime minister of Qi. Beautiful and bright, she was both proud and lively, and cherished by her parents and older siblings.

When she turned fifteen, her parents had barely finished marveling at how grown-up their daughter had become when the suitors began flocking to their door. Even the ladies of the imperial palace wanted a hand in finding her a match.

The prime minister was troubled. To keep his daughter out of factional politics and ensure she could live freely after marriage, he made a decision: they would recruit a husband!

He turned his attention to this year's imperial examinations. After considering candidate after candidate, he settled on a nineteen-year-old named Xu Lingshan.

The young man was handsome and proper. Orphaned young, he had made his way to the capital through sheer perseverance and extraordinary talent for study, becoming the youngest candidate in this year's spring examinations.

Whether or not he passed the exams was beside the point. A nineteen-year-old provincial graduate was already remarkable. The prime minister thought highly of him, secretly sent people to make contact and observe him, then swiftly settled on him as his future son-in-law.

Ten years of hard study, and at last the results were posted.

At the parade celebrating the successful candidates, Chu Yunxue saw her betrothed. He was a spirited young man, basking in the attention of the crowd, and she couldn't have been more pleased.

Their wedding took place as planned. Afterward, her husband treated her wonderfully, always considerate and indulgent of her little moods. Whenever he went out, he thought of her and brought back delicious food and fun things. Yet she always felt that something was missing.

The women of the capital envied her attentive, handsome husband and their loving marriage. But late at night, she would toss and turn, gazing at his indistinct profile beside her and sighing softly.

Her husband didn't seem as simple as he acted. He had plenty of secrets and was tangled up in plenty of trouble.

What should she do? Throw him out and find another?

She couldn't quite bring herself to. But if she kept him, would the trouble he was involved in drag down the Prime Minister's residence?

Xu Lingshan had no idea there was a "hole in his backyard," nor that the woman he constantly thought about was debating whether to trade him in. He devoted himself to planning and scheming, doing whatever it took to clear his family's name and reveal the truth behind the wrongful case from more than ten years ago.

Once it was all over and he had set down his burden, he would take his beloved wife to the Xu family ancestral hall to pay respects to their ancestors. Then he would settle down with the Chu family, fulfill his duties as a live-in son-in-law, and enjoy a shamelessly happy life with his wife.

A little scene:

Xu Lingshan: Who did you see today, my lady?

Chu Yunxue, looking guilty: An old friend.

Xu Lingshan: Oh, an old friend?

He stepped closer and pulled her into his arms, muttering, "Hmph. I'll take your word for it this time."

Theme: Let things happen as they will