Wildfire Never Dies

(Please read the author's note at the end of Chapter 1 for content warnings before reading.)

After Qin Zhen lived through a royal power struggle, she couldn't get past it and decided to be reborn in another life.

But not only did she fail to die, she somehow ended up on the path of cultivation, with a chance to extend her life.

There was so much to love about life as a cultivator, especially since she had a master like an immortal crane among the clouds, who protected, cherished, and loved her.

She always thought that her master was so gentle and serene, with no worldly desires and a cultivation base at its peak. The only reason he hadn't ascended was probably that he couldn't bear to leave his little disciple behind.

So she solemnly promised Su Zhu, "Don't worry, Master. I'll improve my cultivation as quickly as I can, so I won't hold you back from ascending."

*

When Su Zhu first took Qin Zhen as his disciple, he thought she was cold and lifeless, even more so than he had once been.

Later, divination revealed that the two of them had shared a past connection. Her fate line was strange, and her memories incomplete, so he decided to do his best to protect his little disciple until she ascended.

His little disciple was quite diligent, too. She seriously promised that she would work hard at cultivating and wouldn't delay his ascension.

Yet Su Zhu felt a jumble of emotions when he heard her say that.

He really couldn't bear to leave Qin Zhen, but not because of her cultivation. It was because there was a group of people outside coveting his disciple.

The genius sword cultivator from the neighboring sect used to be pretty well-behaved. He only sought Qin Zhen out every day to spar and practice swordsmanship, which was tolerable.

But after he fell to demonic cultivation, who knew what had gotten into him? He kept acting heartbroken and pitiful to coax Qin Zhen into going to the Demon Realm to keep him company. Unacceptable.

The Ghost King they met during a sect mission used to be busy reorganizing the Underworld. He'd only asked Qin Zhen a few times if she wanted to cultivate dual cultivation with him, which was barely tolerable.

But once he had some free time, he traveled a great distance to ask to accompany Qin Zhen on her training journey. Unacceptable.

The resurrected, unhinged Demon Venerable schemed to wreak havoc on the world. When Qin Zhen beat him half to death, he threatened that the two of them would fight to the death. Su Zhu went to the Demon Realm and beat him half to death again, and that was just barely tolerable.

But after reconstructing his body, the man plotted to capture Qin Zhen and take her to the demon palace, intending to formally install her as his Demon Queen. Unacceptable.

Su Zhu was somewhat troubled, and repeatedly reminded his little disciple to take care of herself whenever she went out.

But then someone came knocking at his door.

The trouble-loving young master of a certain sect arrived with most of his possessions, solely to ask for Qin Zhen's hand in marriage.

And when Qin Zhen went out into the world to train, she unexpectedly reunited with a young general and a prince from a neighboring kingdom, both of whom had once been close to her. One wanted to give her a token of love, while the other said she was his destined match.

Su Zhu could take it no longer.

"I think no one else can compare to me."

*

A few notes:

1. This is my own take on xianxia cultivation, with a somewhat traditional feel and some original worldbuilding. (Content warnings are in the author's note at the end of Chapter 1. Please be sure to read it before starting, qwq.)

2. The heroine grows throughout the story. It's an ensemble cast, serious in tone, long, and slow-burn. This is a story about an ongoing pursuit of the Dao. There are chapters from supporting characters' points of view, and they get their moments in the spotlight, too.

3. The romance features a heroine adored by many, but I'm not asking readers to pick a male lead. The master is the official love interest. All the male characters who have romantic feelings for her are completely pure in both body and heart.

4. Important supporting characters will be added to the character list as they appear in the story.

5. The characters' worldviews do not represent the author's, and their experiences do not represent the author's. Please don't apply the story to real life. Some characterizations are there to serve the plot.

6. This is a new author's first story. I write slowly and update irregularly, but I will finish it properly.

Theme: Stay true to your convictions