Qu Xuanqing

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Qu Xuanqing (曲衔青)
Alias(es)	Witch, Witch of Qu, Great Demoness; persona mask: Calamity 76 553
Species/Race	Human 380
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Broken Mirror team 425 532
Occupation/Role	Deducer; combatant and investigator
Status	Active 1168
First Appearance	Chapter 76, “Let's Fight”

Background

As a teenager, Qu Xuanqing investigated a kidnapping case through small clues and located twenty-four abducted children, including Zhu Yan. Yu Xing ultimately rescued the children, and Qu Xuanqing became acquainted with him and Zhu Yan in the aftermath. 378 553

She frequently stayed at Yu Xing's residence, where she learned combat alongside Zhu Yan. Her own household was deeply unsettling: she observed her parents behaving strangely at night for years, yet endured without breaking down. 553

At seventeen, Qu Xuanqing resolved the problems in her home herself before her parents moved her to another city. She entered the Absurd Deduction game soon afterward, driven by a desire for strength and an increasingly distorted temperament. Her reputation as the “Witch” began during this period. 553

By her early twenties, she had settled in Mijin City as an independent deducer. Having begun with neither Sacrifices nor teammates, she developed her combat and deduction abilities to avoid leaving any weakness that could get her killed. 77

Appearance

Qu Xuanqing is a striking young woman with long, soft black hair, commonly tied in a low ponytail. She favors sharp, restrained clothing such as pantsuits and black trench coats, giving her a cool and detached presence. 771 1122

• Her most conspicuous feature is her exceptional eyesight; she has invested heavily in visual perception. 379
• In her full Wicked Grace state, a blood-red spectral woman identical to her manifests behind her. 379
• The spectral form wears a red dress, has paper-pale skin, black hair extending into darkness, and blood-red markings at the corners of its eyes. 379
• Her spectral hair can spread through an area and is adorned with masks bearing different expressions. 380 425

Personality

Qu Xuanqing is calm, terse, and exceptionally self-reliant. She approaches investigations analytically, keeps her composure around gruesome scenes, and can remain courteous even toward the dead. 77 378 1100

Her public reputation is far harsher. Known for ferocity and bloodlust, she rejected recruitment attempts from the fallen line, called them scum, and killed several who continued to approach her. She generally disregards public opinion as long as she is strong enough to survive it. 378

Despite this image, she is dependable toward people she accepts. She shields teammates in combat, follows through on plans, and grows gentler with those she knows well. 420 566 Her bond with Yu Xing is particularly deep: he was her teacher, brother-like guardian, and primary source of family affection during her childhood. 553

Abilities & Skills

Wicked Grace

Wicked Grace is Qu Xuanqing's core Sacrifice. It is not the blood-red sword commonly associated with her; the sword is only energy overflowing from the Sacrifice's empowered state. 380 425

• Her consciousness is normally divided between her physical body and an unseen ghostly form; the body functions as a puppet controlled by the soul. 380 532
• When she transfers her consciousness fully into the ghostly form, her body can endure otherwise crippling damage without pain or loss of mobility. 380 382
• If the ghostly form survives, she can restore her body through puppet strings and deactivate the state. 382
• Restoring herself comes at a cost: Wicked Grace cannot be used again until her mental state recovers through external assistance. 382
• Her full ghost form grants greatly enhanced perception, including hearing heartbeats, sensing blood droplets, and detecting targets from an unusual perspective. 380
• The form is also her greatest vulnerability; unlike her puppet body, the exposed soul can be injured or killed. 771
• Wicked Grace's power is severe enough that the system restricts her to four Sacrifice slots. 425
• Her injuries can absorb ghostly energy, making self-inflicted harm a possible—though costly—method of addressing ghostly-energy problems. 557

Blood Sword and Swordsmanship

Qu Xuanqing is a highly trained swordswoman whose close-range lethality is feared throughout the deduction system. Yu Xing considers her Sacrifice sword dangerous enough that, in his weakened state, he must keep his distance from it. 77

• She can condense a blood-red longsword that can strike spiritual entities. 425
• The manifested sword has an attack range of 12.74 meters. 425
• Her spectral form can create a more elaborate true blood sword, marked with flowing blood patterns and an eye set into its hilt. 379
• Wicked Grace improves her reaction speed and bodily control enough to use walls and windows as footholds, including leaping to a fourth-floor window. 421 425
• She can continue fighting after catastrophic bodily wounds, including losing half a shoulder while protecting Zhao Mou. 420

Sensory Profile

Qu Xuanqing's abilities are built around an extreme specialization in sight.

• Her eyesight is exceptionally sharp, while her hearing and other ordinary senses are severely weak when she is operating through her body. 379
• Night blindness can nearly neutralize her ordinary perception, as she relies overwhelmingly on vision. 378 379
• Because her soul is protected in another dimension, she struggles to sense the auras of people at her own level or above in crowded areas. 771
• Fully revealing her soul greatly increases her perception, but exposes her to genuine harm. 771

Other Sacrifices

• Disguise Sacrifice — Changes her appearance and voice, though major body-shape changes require preparation and have limits. 425
• Tracking Sacrifice — By obtaining an item used by a target, she can locate them and determine their life status. 425
• Golden Bell — During the Fear Hospital deduction, ringing a small golden bell dispelled Han Yan's invisible restraint. 379
• Paper Figure — After Sister Tia stabbed and abandoned her, Qu Xuanqing's paper figure emerged; Qu Xuanqing was unharmed and calmly bandaged her neck. 1168

Investigation and Stealth

Qu Xuanqing is a capable independent investigator, combining conventional detective work with deduction-game experience.

• She investigated crime scenes, questioned neighbors, and reconstructed victims' social connections while avoiding police surveillance. 78
• She accurately inferred that Ling Heng's actions were connected to his girlfriend's death and a possible soul-capturing Sacrifice. 77
• She infiltrated a Secret Cult gathering place beneath the slums, mapped its routes and exits, and reported the existence of two strongholds to her team. 1100 1101
• She can quietly eliminate low-to-mid-level monsters during reconnaissance operations. 1101

Relationships

• Yu Xing — Former guardian, teacher, and brother-like figure. Qu Xuanqing holds profound reverence and affection for him, though their interactions are often teasing and confrontational. 77 553 771
• Zhu Yan — Childhood acquaintance and one of Qu Xuanqing's few early companions. Their relationship shifted into a quieter mutual understanding after Zhu Yan's revival. 553
• Zhao Mou — Broken Mirror teammate. Their initial relationship was shaped by mutual caution, but Qu Xuanqing has protected him in battle and developed respect for his planning ability. 382 420 450
• Zhao Yijiu — Teammate initially wary of her fearsome reputation. They later cooperate closely, particularly in dangerous deduction instances. 362 425 473
• Carlos — Fellow teammate and frequent target of mutual teasing; Carlos habitually flirts with her, while Qu Xuanqing responds with threats she does not seriously act upon. 450 1093
• Zeng Lai — Investigation partner during the Yorikof Town Secret Cult case; they were assigned to investigate the Harvest Church together. 1101

Story Role / Major Arcs

Fuhua City and Single Prism

Qu Xuanqing first serves as an important source of guidance for Yu Xing, explaining persona-mask naming conventions, major deducer factions, and the threat posed by Ghoul and Single Prism. 76 She later joins Yu Xing in Fuhua City to pursue the remaining Single Prism members, using investigation and deduction to trace their activities. 77 78

Fear Hospital

During the Fear Hospital deduction, Qu Xuanqing cooperates with Yu Xing and Zhao Mou to frame Han Yan publicly. She appears to act on impulse, but her confrontation with Han Yan is part of a larger plan. 369

After Han Yan advances to Despair level and exploits her night blindness, Qu Xuanqing reveals Wicked Grace's true nature. She transfers her consciousness into her spectral form, breaks Han Yan's control, and confronts him with power capable of making a Despair-level deducer fear her. 379 380

She later feigns mental distortion to hide her true condition, explains Wicked Grace to Zhao Mou, and continues working with the team to expose Han Yan. 382 She is assigned to destroy the Dean's Rotten Heart and protects Zhao Mou from the Dean's attack despite suffering severe injury. 413 420

Dead Silent Island

On Dead Silent Island, Qu Xuanqing confronts Granny Daisy after the entity removes her tongue for interfering. She remains composed, while Yu Xing steps in to challenge Granny Daisy directly. 463

She continues to work with Yu Xing and Zhao Yijiu against the island's ghostly creatures, following Yu Xing's unconventional instructions and remaining observant during attacks. 472 473

School Undercover Operation

Qu Xuanqing operates separately from the rest of Broken Mirror during the school instance, deliberately imitating the Red Armbands to infiltrate their ranks. Her teammates keep the full mechanics of Wicked Grace secret to avoid exposing her soul-body separation to outsiders. 532 566

Reunion at Qiongdeng Snow Mountain

After Yu Xing disappears for a year, Qu Xuanqing is among those most worried about him. When they reunite, she expresses distress over his disappearance and agrees to remain with him at Qiongdeng Snow Mountain. 677 771

Yorikof Town Secret Cult Investigation

Qu Xuanqing investigates a terrifying head-separation curse in the slums, infiltrates the Secret Cult's underground meeting point, and discovers multiple strongholds. 1100 1101

While investigating the Secret Cult and Church, she fights the Gatekeeper's mirror image and later confronts the false Archbishop. Recognizing the Archbishop's links to several evil gods, she deliberately restrains her strength and acts as if she is losing rather than killing him outright. 1142 1167 The false Archbishop later stabs her and leaves her body behind, only for her paper figure to emerge and reveal that she survived. 1168

Notable Quotes

“You haven't seen a true witch yet...” 379

“I really want to kill you and make you into a specimen to keep in my room. At least a specimen wouldn't disappear.” 771