Xiahou Xuan

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Xiahou Xuan (夏侯轩)
Alias(es)	Young Master Xiahou 27
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Xiahou family of Jiangdong; one of the Four Great Families 29
Occupation/Role	Noble-family scion; participant in the Phoenix Banquet 27 31
First Appearance	Chapter 25

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Internal Force broadened	40	Liu Wuqiu's final martial insights cause Xiahou Xuan's Inner Qi to circulate on its own; his aura expands and his understanding becomes broader and more profound. 40

Background

Xiahou Xuan is a scion of the Xiahou family, a Jiangdong pillar among the Four Great Families. The family suppresses the Divine Weapon Zhu Xie and bases its martial inheritance on qin music. His father, the current patriarch, is an Upper Three Ranks martial artist who wields the renowned qin Jiao Wei. 29

He was naturally frail in childhood and reportedly coughed blood after even brief cultivation, causing his family to forbid him from learning martial arts. His illness eased after he composed new melodies for courtesans to sing, but his conduct and reputation alarmed the family enough that they began arranging a marriage for him. 25

Appearance

Xiahou Xuan carries himself as a refined gentleman: gentle-browed, polished, and outwardly courteous, with an aloof elegance likened to snow and frost. 26

• Usually carries and gestures with a folding fan bearing sharp, elegant calligraphy. 25 26
• Wears a dark-red overcoat over long robes, adding to his scholarly bearing. 27
• Rides a white horse when departing Wangxian County. 41
• Though physically frail by nature, he possesses cultivated Inner Qi. 25 29

Personality

Xiahou Xuan is articulate, observant, and deeply conscious of refinement, taste, and social conduct. He immediately recognizes Willow Catkin Villa's lavish construction as rushed and tasteless, and he is quick to mock both Old Master Liu's pretensions and Huangfu Xiong's lack of restraint. 28 30 37

Behind his graceful manners lies considerable pride. He initially provokes Wang Anfeng over the Mad Lion Treading Cloud Steed and reacts internally with frustration after losing their debate. Rather than holding a grudge, however, he openly concedes Wang Anfeng's superior argument and treats the exchange as the beginning of a friendship. 26

He values conscience and personal principles. When Wang Anfeng asks whether he would betray his conscience for another person, Xiahou Xuan answers unequivocally that he would not. 26 His concern for Wang Anfeng becomes especially clear during the Willow Catkin Villa crisis, when he questions Wang Anfeng's dangerous plan to create an escape route by burning the stables. 38

Abilities & Skills

Internal Force

Xiahou Xuan possesses enough Inner Qi to impress Wang Anfeng, despite his history of physical frailty. 29

• His Inner Qi broadens after receiving Liu Wuqiu's final teachings. 40
• He is vulnerable to Liu Wuqiu's medicinal poison and spends much of the crisis unable to fight. 37 39

Musical and Literary Accomplishment

The Xiahou family’s martial tradition is founded on qin music, and Xiahou Xuan is associated with refined artistic learning. 29 37

• Composed melodies during his youth. 25
• Possesses the best calligraphy among Wang Anfeng, Huangfu Xiong, and himself. 41
• Carves Liu Wuqiu's tomb inscription with the Dragon Roaming Moon Gazing Sword. 41

Insight and Deduction

Xiahou Xuan is quick to identify hidden motives and interpret evidence.

• Helps Wang Anfeng confirm that wine is the antidote to Liu Wuqiu's poison. 39
• Recognizes that Liu Wuqiu deliberately cultivated a false reputation for cowardice, greed, and incompetence over decades. 39
• Understands that Liu Wuqiu's coded antidote message was intended to be concealed from the Four Symbols Pavilion. 39

Equipment

• Folding fan — His usual accessory; decorated with elegant calligraphy and used both for emphasis and playful taps. 25 26 30
• White horse — His mount when he leaves Wangxian County after Liu Wuqiu's burial. 41

Relationships

• Wang Anfeng — Begins as a verbally adversarial acquaintance after challenging Wang Anfeng's decision to return Wang Bai's horse. Their debate ends in mutual respect; they later escape Willow Catkin Villa together and jointly honor Liu Wuqiu as a master. 26 37 41
• Huangfu Xiong — Childhood friend who has known Xiahou Xuan since they were seven. Xiahou Xuan frequently mocks him, but the two support Wang Anfeng and later receive Liu Wuqiu's teachings together. 30 31 40
• Xue Thirteen / Xue Qinshuang — An old friend Xiahou Xuan specifically travels to Wangxian County to meet. He recognizes Xue Thirteen's overwhelming ability and considers her effectively invincible among their generation. 28 29
• Liu Wuqiu — Initially regarded with disdain as Willow Catkin Villa's seemingly vulgar master. After surviving Liu's scheme and receiving his martial insights, Xiahou Xuan recognizes him as a true master and helps bury him as a disciple would. 39 41
• Xiahou family patriarch — His father and the current head of the Xiahou family, an Upper Three Ranks martial artist who was defeated by Xue Thirteen. 29
• Xiahou Lian — Xiahou Xuan's loyal guard, who arrives at dawn after Liu Wuqiu's final battle. 40

Story Role / Major Arcs

Phoenix Banquet

Xiahou Xuan first appears at Willow Catkin Villa while Wang Bai abuses Xue'er. He invokes Great Qin law to condemn Wang Bai's claim that noble birth excuses murder, then personally assists the injured girl. 25

He meets Wang Anfeng shortly afterward. Their argument over Wang Bai's horse tests both youths’ principles, ending with Xiahou Xuan admitting Wang Anfeng's reasoning is sound. 26

At the Phoenix Banquet, he introduces Wang Anfeng to Huangfu Xiong and Xue Thirteen, encourages Wang Anfeng to present himself properly, and supports his decision to enter the arena. 28 30 31

Willow Catkin Villa Incident

Xiahou Xuan is poisoned during Liu Wuqiu's banquet trap but remains conscious long enough to recognize the danger. Wang Anfeng rescues him and Huangfu Xiong from the hall. 37

While hiding in Liu Wuqiu's residence, Xiahou Xuan aids Wang Anfeng's search for an antidote, interprets the clues surrounding the medicinal wine, and realizes that Liu Wuqiu’s public persona was a decades-long disguise. 38 39

Liu Wuqiu's Legacy

After Liu Wuqiu returns mortally wounded, Xiahou Xuan listens closely to his martial insights. The teachings expand Xiahou Xuan's aura and deepen his Internal Force. 40

He joins Wang Anfeng and Huangfu Xiong in burying Liu Wuqiu beside Mei Chuxue. Xiahou Xuan writes the tomb inscription and declares that, though the three never formally became Liu's disciples, they received the reality of his teachings. He then leaves Wangxian County to cultivate those teachings. 41

Notable Quotes

“Brother Wang's wit is sharp, I am extremely impressed. Please don't take my earlier jest to heart.” 26

“Although the three of us have no formal master-disciple relationship with Master Liu, we have the reality of one.” 41