After the Vicious Beauty Faked His Death to Escape the Love Triangle

In his previous life, Zhe Ying was a divine phoenix personally enlightened by the Heavenly Dao and guided to ascension. After falling, he was reborn as a pretty face in the cultivation world, with mediocre cultivation and a spoiled, overbearing personality. Zhe Ying has no understanding of love. Whoever stays by his side is the one his heart favors. His childhood friend, who has been by his side for years, is insecure because of a facial disfigurement, with a sharp tongue and a soft heart. “Zhe Ying, if I were whole, would you… look at me a little more?” The ghost cultivator who followed him in his previous life is obsessive and loyal, having long since made Zhe Ying his faith. “Zhe Ying, no one is worthy of you.” The Daoist sect leader he shared a brief affair with, the Heavenly Dao official who won’t stop pursuing him… Zhe Ying has never taken any of them seriously. He accepts their devotion as his due, never returns their love, and keeps taking from them, innocent and cruel. When Zhe Ying finally wants to explore love, he falls for a swordsmanship prodigy who appears out of nowhere. The prodigy is powerful and dependable, almost like a father to him, and willing to retreat with Zhe Ying to a secluded paradise. “I swear by my sword intent, my sword heart, and my way of the sword: in this life and every life, I will love only you, Zhe Ying.” Experiencing love for the first time, Zhe Ying is passionate and direct. He thinks he can have his happy ending, but what awaits him is the revelation of his phoenix bloodline. Overnight, Zhe Ying becomes the target of everyone’s desire. After enduring pain and loss, Zhe Ying turns dark and sets out on a path of vengeance, determined to undergo nirvana and become a phoenix. His childhood friend parts ways with him. Zhe Ying’s heart is hard as iron. “Either die by my side, or never see me again.” The Daoist sect leader also takes a stand against him. Zhe Ying shows no mercy. “They can’t stop me. What makes you think you can?” Even the otherworldly official, who has no interest in worldly affairs, urges him not to court death. But Zhe Ying refuses! After his first failed attempt at nirvana, Zhe Ying opens his eyes to find himself a pet bird in someone’s hand. “Chirp?” It turns out someone reversed the cycle of reincarnation, trading their life for his. After he vanished, someone else went mad, guarding the ashes and weeping blood night after night. And another person exhausted his own cultivation to gather spiritual energy and summon his soul. … Tch. Why do these lovers’ debts keep piling up? Zhe Ying: “Let me owe you! I can never repay it all! I just want to be a useless bird now!” [Additional Notes] 0. Long, slow burn! Romance-focused and plot-driven. 1. One-on-one ending. The protagonist grows over time: spoiled and vicious early on, mature, cold, and single-minded later. The true love interest appears late, and his real identity is a spoiler, so I won’t reveal it. 2. The supporting love interests have no prior partners. There’s a melodramatic rivalry with everyone competing and trying to climb over the others; no mutual flirting, just men competing for the protagonist. There’s no promise of equal attention: no guarantees about when characters appear or how much page time they get. 3. The blurb doesn’t cover the whole plot. It isn’t strictly one-on-one at every stage: feelings might not be returned, relationships might not go all the way or become official, and some connections may be severed or remain purely casual. 4. The author’s tastes are tragic love and melodrama, so there will inevitably be plenty of love, hate, and heartbreak. 5. Please add this to your favorites, follow the author, comment, and leave a review. Thank you so much! (Bows) [Next book up for pre-order in the author’s collection: Master, Can Two People Be in a Love Triangle?] A stunning, aloof beauty with maxed-out combat power and solemn divinity X a hardworking, puppy-like younger man who turns dark after being deceived three times Shi Fuzhen x Wen Li Shi Fuzhen is one of the few geniuses in formation cultivation in a thousand years, the youngest sect leader in Chongjun Sect’s history, and the undisputed greatest cultivator in the world. He single-handedly repelled the demons and sealed the Demon Realm. After emerging from seclusion, someone reminded him that he still had a disciple. “The child you saved in the Demon Realm. He’s nineteen now, and his name is Wen Li.” Shi Fuzhen remembered. The child was not only the son of an old friend, but also half demon. Shi Fuzhen had sealed his demonic blood, but it had left Wen Li unable to cultivate for the rest of his life, destined for an ordinary existence. After looking into it, he learned that his disciple had a reputation for being “uneducated, unambitious, disobedient, idle, grinning all day, and exceptionally untalented.” Shi Fuzhen: “…Let him be.” Unexpectedly, Wen Li, who had always been content to lie flat, began practicing in earnest, declaring that he absolutely couldn’t let his master down. He even insisted on joining one secret realm and trial after another, vowing to break through and ascend within ten years! Wen Li was brimming with enthusiasm. “Master, I really want to improve.” Shi Fuzhen saw right through him. “No, you don’t.” Unable to stop him, Shi Fuzhen assumed another identity, calling himself Shi Chengxue, and followed Wen Li. The seal suppressing the demons was weakening, and a child of mixed human and demon blood was needed to power the formation. Wen Li was the only one who fit the requirements. As Shi Fuzhen hesitated, Wen Li boldly confessed his feelings. “Chengxue, would you be my cultivation partner?” In front of Shi Fuzhen, Wen Li asked tentatively, “Master… do you think he could like me?” Shi Fuzhen was silent for a long while. “If that’s what you wish, he will.” A wish should be pretty much the same as a dying wish, right? I’ll grant it. - Before meeting Shi Fuzhen, Wen Li had no memory of his master and no interest in cultivation. He only wanted to save up enough for a wife and retire to a secluded paradise. But when he saw that celestial beauty, as lovely as the moon goddess descended to earth, his mind short-circuited, and he swore to become his most prized disciple. And so began a cultivation career of trying hard and getting nowhere. He suffered plenty but learned no real skills. Shi Fuzhen never looked down on him for his poor talent, and even arranged for someone to accompany him on his travels. Wen Li couldn’t say it, but that person looked exactly like Shi Fuzhen. After falling for him, Wen Li was even less able to say it. Only when his background was exposed and he was forced to power the formation did Wen Li finally speak up. “Master, I actually figured it out.” Without hesitation, he drew his sword and stabbed himself. “Master, if you want my life, I can give it to you directly. Why did you have to deceive me?” 1. Both are each other’s only ones. Mutual feelings. No swapping or role reversal. 2. Melodrama, melodrama, melodrama. It’s not about a replacement. They both know what’s going on, and it’s a test. Theme: The vast affairs of life, all surrendered to the muddy current.