Chai Ying

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Chai Ying (柴莹)
Alias(es)	Eldest Miss; Young Miss
Species/Race	Human
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Firewood Gang; Chai Family
Occupation/Role	Daughter of Firewood Gang Leader Chai Song; Shen Mu's wife
Status	Alive 248
First Appearance	Chapter 68

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Boiling Blood, Fifth Level	68–69	Publicly introduced as a fifth-level cultivator; secured the fifth-level tournament qualification with the Dustless Sword Technique. 68 69
Boiling Blood, Sixth Level	70	Fought Zhou Xingyuan of the Money Gang; her Dustless Sword Technique gained the advantage and she killed him. 70
Boiling Blood, Seventh Level	76	Reached the seventh level shortly after the tournament against the Money Gang. 76
Ninth Grade Tendon-Changing / First Tendon-Changing	110	Broke through after roughly a month and a half of seclusion; challenged Shen Mu to a spar upon her return. 110

Background / History

Chai Ying is Chai Song's only daughter and the granddaughter of former Cloud Dragon County Firewood Gang Leader Chai Yingtong. Her mother, Hua Yurong, belongs to the Hua Family of Xuanning Prefecture. As the Firewood Gang's Eldest Miss, Chai Ying grew up with core members serving as her guards and with access to cultivation resources beyond those available to ordinary gang members. 68 102 120 145

She entered the Firewood Gang's selection tournament at the fifth level of Boiling Blood. Her Dustless Sword Technique, a simplified form of the Yellow-tier intermediate Lingyan Sword Art, naturally restrained the gang's widespread Army-Breaking Saber Technique. She won the fifth-level qualification and later defeated Money Gang fighter Zhou Xingyuan at the sixth level of Boiling Blood. 69 70

Her confidence was shaken at General Ridge, where Pang Zhijie of the Golden Snake Stronghold defeated her with a perfected Army-Breaking Saber Technique. Chai Ying struggled not to cry after realizing that her superior resources and technique had not compensated for her opponent's greater combat experience and martial proficiency. The defeat left her determined to improve. 77

While attempting to escape her arranged marriage to Tie Lanjiang, Chai Ying was kidnapped by the Golden Snake Stronghold. Chai Song ultimately paid five thousand Low-Grade Origin Crystals for her release. The ordeal, including Zhao Lan's death during her rescue, matured her greatly; she mourned him at Dark Night Lake and blamed herself for his sacrifice. 95 102 107

After her release, Chai Ying confessed her feelings to Shen Mu and was willing to elope if Chai Song refused their relationship. Shen Mu publicly declared that she was the woman he loved despite pressure to marry Lin Shuying, while Chai Ying insisted that she would marry no one but him. 102 122 123

Chai Song later announced their wedding, and Chai Ying married Shen Mu shortly afterward. When chaos threatened Cloud Dragon County following Long Xiao's death, she left with Shen Mu for Copper Mountain County. 145 146 149

Appearance

Chai Ying is a young woman with a graceful, slender figure, a slightly baby-fat oval face, and peach-blossom eyes. She usually wears fitted white martial attire, though she also appears in formal pink and red dresses. 110 145

• Carries herself with the poise expected of the Firewood Gang's Eldest Miss. 68
• Wore a pink court-style long dress when visiting Shen Mu after reaching Tendon-Changing. 110
• Her red, waist-cinching dress for Chai Jin's full-month celebration emphasized her graceful figure. 145

Personality

Chai Ying was initially proud of her talent and privileged upbringing. Her loss to Pang Zhijie exposed how sheltered she had been, forcing her to confront the limits of her swordsmanship and experience. Rather than abandoning cultivation, she resolved to work harder. 77

She is affectionate, direct, and fiercely devoted to Shen Mu. She confessed first, offered to elope with him, and remained unwavering when Chai Song opposed their relationship. 102 123 She is also protective of him, worrying over his participation in dangerous missions and trying to devise excuses for him to serve as her personal guard instead. 107

Chai Ying can be jealous and perceptive in romantic matters. She quickly recognized Lin Shuying's interest in Shen Mu and tried to limit opportunities for the two to spend time together. 120 Despite this insecurity, she later accepted the possibility of Shen Mu taking Lin Shuying as a second wife, provided Chai Ying remained the principal wife and her children the legitimate heirs. 205

Abilities & Skills

Swordsmanship

Chai Ying is a trained swordswoman whose technique lets her contend with opponents of similar cultivation.

• Dustless Sword Technique — A simplified derivative of the Yellow-tier intermediate Lingyan Sword Art. It uses softness to deflect and counter the broad, forceful attacks of the Army-Breaking Saber Technique. 69
• Her Dustless Sword Technique was at Minor Completion during her bout with Pang Zhijie; this proved insufficient against his perfected saber art. 77
• Misty Smoke Sword Art — A Yellow-grade mid-tier sword skill cultivated to Major Accomplishment by the time she reached Tendon-Changing. Its dense sword light held off Shen Mu's Demon-Subduing Saber Art during their spar. 110
• Her swordsmanship is constrained by practical combat experience; Pang Zhijie's life-or-death background and superior mastery overcame her technical advantage. 77

Phantom Lost Trace

Shen Mu gave Chai Ying the beast hide recording the Ancient Martial Technique Phantom Lost Trace and agreed to teach her its principles. 110

• She learned to gather vital energy in her legs and leave behind a lingering phantom after stepping several feet away. 120
• Her phantom initially dissipated before she could turn back or control it reliably. 120
• The technique is exceptionally demanding; Shen Mu stated that ordinary practitioners could require five years merely to get started. 110

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Autumn Water — A longsword that emits silvery-white light when infused with primordial qi. 110
• Emerald jade hairpin — Delivered anonymously in a brocade box by a child acting for an unknown sender. 141

Relationships

• Shen Mu — Husband. Chai Ying confessed her feelings after her rescue, stood by him when her father opposed their relationship, and married him after Chai Song approved the match. 102 123 146
• Chai Song — Father and leader of the Firewood Gang. He initially intended for her to marry Tie Lanjiang for political reasons, but later accepted Shen Mu as his son-in-law. 68 123 145
• Hua Yurong — Mother and a member of the Hua Family. Her unexpected pregnancy raised the prospect that Chai Ying would gain a younger brother. 120
• Chai Yingtong — Paternal grandfather and former Firewood Gang leader in Cloud Dragon County. He approved of Shen Mu as Chai Ying's husband. 145 176
• Tie Lanjiang — Former fiancé. Chai Ying fled their arranged marriage; his later disappearance removed the principal obstacle to her relationship with Shen Mu. 95 103 123
• Lin Shuying — Initially a romantic rival for Shen Mu's affection. Chai Ying distrusted her intentions, but the two later shared Chai Ying's pregnancy secret and discussed Shen Mu's departure together. 120 213
• Zhao Lan — Elder who died during the effort to rescue her from the Golden Snake Stronghold. Chai Ying deeply mourned him and felt responsible for his death. 102
• Qin Yuanbai — Used a Gu insect to control Chai Ying and lure her toward him; Shen Mu intercepted and captured him. 142

Notable Quotes

“In this life, I will marry no one but him.” 123

“If... if you like her a little too, then... then marry her. But let's make this clear beforehand. I must be the principal wife, and our children must be the legitimate heirs.” 205