Mu Xiangu

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Mu Xiangu (慕仙骨)
Alias(es)	Painted Skin; Fu Qingge; Gao Yinxia (impersonated identity) 279 351 374
Species/Race	Evil Omen; Painted Skin 279
Gender	Female 283
Affiliation	Underworld; Chaste Embrace Elegant Gathering 218 279
Occupation/Role	Master of the Elegant Gathering; Soul-Hooking Envoy of the Underworld; Zheng Que's Ghost Servant 218 360
Place of Origin	Jade Terrace Mountain, Great Li Dynasty 279
Yin Lifespan	285 years, 6 months, and 3 days when recorded in the Life and Death Book 279
Status	Active 606
First Appearance	Chapter 218

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Peak Scissor Hell	283	Her cultivation is identified as the peak of Scissor Hell after she awakens beside Zheng Que.
Iron Tree Hell, Level One	315	Zheng Que channels Yin Energy through the “Command” character, allowing her to break through from peak Scissor Hell. Her attire changes into formal pale-yellow ceremonial robes.
Iron Tree Hell, Level Two	339	Zheng Que removes the Nine Nether Relic's abnormality from her and raises her cultivation by one level.
Iron Tree Hell, Level One (reduced)	342	Contact with the Nine Nether Relic drains her cultivation; further contact threatens to reduce her back to Scissor Hell.
Iron Tree Hell, Level Two	360	Zheng Que restores her cultivation using Yin Energy remaining from the Nine Nether Relic.
Iron Tree Hell, Level Three	532	Yin Energy gained from two Iron Tree Hell ghosts pushes her through the bottleneck. She later remains at this level despite absorbing additional Yin Energy. 532 558

Background

Mu Xiangu presided over the Chaste Embrace Elegant Gathering, where she used a brush to alter paintings of cultivators into grotesque ghostly forms. She judged the works by her own severe aesthetic standards: Diao Jinsong's portrait was elaborately transformed, Yuan Zhi was turned into a monster, and a painting of an unattractive cultivator was simply torn apart. 218

The Underworld's Life and Death Book later identifies her as an Evil Omen of the Painted Skin kind, originating from Jade Terrace Mountain. Zheng Que recognizes her as the Painted Skin ghost connected to the Elegant Gathering and summons her into the Underworld, where the terrifying authority of the hall forces her from anger into submission. 279 280

Initially, Mu Xiangu attempts to protect herself by claiming that she and Zheng Que are mutually in love. She soon concludes that Zheng Que is an important piece in the Underworld's plans, especially after believing that a mysterious Underworld existence personally removed the Law Ghost from his body. 282 299

After accepting Zheng Que's Imperial Conferment, she becomes one of his principal Ghost Servants. She reluctantly carries out tasks such as retrieving the Soul-Calling Banner, removing the restrictions on the Three Talents Storage Bag, protecting Zheng Que during his tribulation, and confronting powerful ghost creatures. 300 315 325

Following her promotion to Soul-Hooking Envoy, Mu Xiangu operates in Qingrao Prefecture under the identity of Heavenly Artifact Sect disciple Fu Qingge. Her disguises deceive both Gao Yinxia and the Burning Sound Anomaly-Detecting Formation at the city gate. She later replaces Gao Yinxia with Rouge Baleful Intent, using the latter to maintain the false identity and serve Zheng Que. 351 353 394 401

Mu Xiangu continues to function as Zheng Que's enforcer, scout, and intermediary during the Immortal Examination and the struggle over Blood Pass resources. She defeats Iron Tree Hell ghost creatures, protects Zheng Que from hostile divine senses, oversees Ghost Servants, and helps repel rogue cultivators attacking Zheng Clan Market. 538 541 564 606

Appearance

In her original form, Mu Xiangu is an exquisitely featured female ghost in pale-yellow or ivory-yellow robes, carrying the antique elegance of a figure stepped out of an old painting. Her appearance can change completely through human skins and painted alteration. 299 315 360

• Original attire — Pale-yellow robes, later transformed into heavy ceremonial garments with dark cloud-and-thunder embroidery and curled-scroll trim after reaching Iron Tree Hell. 315
• Original features — Delicate brows and eyes, a touch of crimson on her lips, and a dignified, painting-like presence. 360
• Fu Qingge disguise — Sharp slanting brows, phoenix eyes, blood-red lips, a flame-shaped brow mark, yellow blouse, emerald skirt, and the aura of a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator. 351
• Gao Yinxia disguise — Can reproduce Gao Yinxia's face, voice, cultivation aura, mannerisms, Dharma robes, and Storage Bag. 374
• Combat manifestation — Her back can split open to reveal a fan of enormous pale feminine arms, resembling both a peacock's tail and an ancient godlike being. 329

Personality

Mu Xiangu is proud, cold, and deeply concerned with beauty. She calls herself “this immortal,” treats unattractive paintings with contempt, and pursues flawless human skin for her disguises. Her fixation on Gao Yinxia's skin becomes intense enough that she considers stealing skin from other ghosts to avoid Underworld punishment. 218 368 372

She is also highly adaptable and manipulative. Mu Xiangu fabricates elaborate identities, lies convincingly to cultivators, alters appearances and auras, and turns Rouge Baleful Intent into a substitute for Gao Yinxia. She frequently pursues her own interests beneath the appearance of serving Zheng Que's plans. 352 373 394 401

Despite her self-interest, Mu Xiangu is capable of pragmatism and loyalty. She protects Zheng Que against Iron Tree Hell threats, brings the Nine Nether Relic into the Underworld despite the cost to her cultivation, and assists him in dangerous situations without abandoning him. 325 342 443

Abilities & Skills

Painted Skin Transformation

Mu Xiangu's nature as a Painted Skin allows her to replace her appearance with complete human skins and imitate living cultivators almost perfectly.

• Can conceal Yin Energy and generate the Yang Energy of a living person. 351
• Can copy a target's face, voice, clothing, cultivation aura, and mannerisms. 351 374
• Her [Skin-Shedding Shadow Substitute] racial talent allows her to evade ghost-detection measures, including Qingrao Prefecture's Burning Sound Anomaly-Detecting Formation. 353 359
• Requires high-quality human skins for the disguises she considers satisfactory. 368 372

Painting and Soul-Eating Ink

Mu Xiangu wields the [Soul-Eating Ink Soldier], using ink and painting to alter bodies, appearances, and ghostly forms.

• Reworked Diao Jinsong's portrait into a horned, many-mouthed monster and transformed Yuan Zhi's image within the Elegant Gathering. 218
• Can repaint her own face, body, clothing, aura, and apparent cultivation through the ink brush. 351
• Can store living people in painted human skins and release them later. 351
• Ink left on ordinary paper fades quickly in areas lacking Yin Energy; ink placed on ghosts becomes part of their bodies, while marks on cultivators persist until removed. 564
• Other documented painting-related methods include [Heavenly Bone Painting], [Refine Molts into Skin], [Paint Falsehood into Truth], and [Depict Ghosts as Living]. 359

Soul-Hooking Envoy Authorities

Zheng Que promotes Mu Xiangu from Yin Messenger to Soul-Hooking Envoy with an Imperial Edict. 360

• Soul Sight — An authority of her former Yin Messenger position. 359
• Nether Ban — An authority of her former Yin Messenger position. 359
• Yin Return — An authority of her former Yin Messenger position. 359
• Soul Seizing — Acquired upon becoming a Soul-Hooking Envoy. 360
• Dream Binding — Acquired upon becoming a Soul-Hooking Envoy; she uses it on Gao Yinxia and helps disperse Yin Energy from her body. 360 362
• Can receive Imperial Edicts from Zheng Que and use them to recruit subordinate Yin Messengers. 373

Combat and Perception

Mu Xiangu is a formidable Iron Tree Hell combatant whose foundation exceeds that of ordinary ghosts at the same realm.

• Uses ink-based powers against Iron Tree Hell threats and sends allies away from danger while remaining to fight. 325
• Can manifest enormous arms from her back for battle. 329
• Easily destroys an Iron Tree Hell Level Two Azure Eye Spirit without injury. 538
• Can sense hidden enemies, spiritual-energy-rich locations, cultivation levels, and the presence of powerful ghosts through divine sense. 520 538
• Shielded Zheng Que from the divine senses of two Golden Core cultivators with her Yin Energy. 541
• Cannot quickly break a Golden Core cultivator's earth-vein-linked grand array alone. 571

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• [Soul-Eating Ink Soldier] — Ink-laden brush used for painting, alteration, marking, and disguise. 351 564
• Human skins — Used to disguise herself or others as living cultivators; some also function as painted containers. 351 374 394
• Soul-Hooking Envoy token — Her waist token changes from the “Service” character to the “Envoy” character after her promotion. 360
• Flower Path cave-abode jade pendant — A carriage-shaped pendant linked to Zheng Que's own jade carriage through spiritual resonance. 373

Relationships

• Zheng Que — Her Underworld superior and the source of her Imperial Conferments. Their relationship shifts from fear and reluctant service to a tense, mutually useful alliance; a Fate Thread later appears between them. 280 315 360 401
• Luo Fuyu / Ghost Bride — Fellow high-ranking Ghost Servant and occasional collaborator. They jointly handle the Nine Nether Relic but compete for credit and distrust one another. 341 342
• Gao Yinxia — A Heavenly Artifact Sect disciple whose identity Mu Xiangu impersonates and whose skin she covets. Mu Xiangu later replaces her with Rouge Baleful Intent. 351 368 394
• Xue Shuangzi / Rouge Baleful Intent — Her recruited Yin Messenger and subordinate. Mu Xiangu gives her Gao Yinxia's identity and repeatedly assigns her deception-related tasks. 394 401 564
• Evil Shadow Play — A powerful but unruly Ghost Servant whom Mu Xiangu attempts to make into her mount; the two clash over authority. 533 558
• Ku Lan, Qing Li, Nian Nu, and Shu Yunying — Fellow Ghost Servants under Zheng Que. Mu Xiangu works alongside them but also punishes them and uses Linghu Yuniang to spread favorable accounts of her actions. 325 562

Notable Quotes

“This Immortal needs several sheets of skin from female Foundation Establishment cultivators.” 372

“Do not compare this immortal with an unremarkable Resentful Soul like the Ghost Bride.” 351

“The gap between minor realms can be bridged with foundations.” 538