Xue Mu

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Xue Mu (薛牧)
Alias(es)	Three-Good Scholar Xue; “Mu-mu” 13 39
Species/Race	Human; transmigrated from another world 3 4
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Star Moon Sect; consultant to the Six Fan Gates 29 45
Occupation/Role	Sect accountant and strategist; writer, media planner, and poison-arts cultivator 6 25 33 39
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Chapter 2

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Sea of Qi — Great Completion	38 40	Under Xue Qingqiu’s guidance, he forms a qi vortex, absorbs an enormous amount of spiritual qi, skips two realms, and reaches the Sea of Qi stage; by Mu Jianli’s arrival later that day, he is recognized as having reached its Great Completion. His foundation is the Hundred Herbs Poison Technique.

Background / History

Xue Mu awakens injured in a carriage after arriving in the Great Zhou dynasty, carrying toxins and plagues severe enough that the Star Moon Sect initially regards him as both a danger and a potential tool. He quickly establishes his value by calculating the sect’s losses without counting rods and maneuvering to avoid being treated as expendable. 2 3

Yue Xiaochan brings him to Hundred Flowers Garden and introduces him as the sect’s accountant. Though he begins without cultivation, he resists the Star Moon Sect’s Charm Technique, gains Yue Xiaochan’s trust, and steadily proves his usefulness through commercial ideas, political deductions, and an understanding of the sect’s financial needs. 6 7 19

His plans revive Hundred Flowers Garden through provocative uniforms, serialized erotic fiction, and the cultivation of Qianqian as a prominent courtesan. His writing reaches even the imperial court, establishing his influence beyond the sect. 11 13 27 32

After negotiating Yin Ye’s release, Xue Mu becomes central to the Star Moon Sect’s cooperation with the Six Fan Gates. He proposes media ventures intended to shape public opinion, gather intelligence, and influence the martial world; later, he accepts a consultant role and receives a Six Fan Gates golden token. 24 25 43 45

Xue Qingqiu ultimately grants him access to the sect’s assets and supports his cultivation through the Hundred Herbs Poison Technique. Although he gains real martial power, Xue Mu states that his primary aim is self-protection rather than the pursuit of the martial Dao. 29 38 39

Personality

Xue Mu is observant, pragmatic, and highly adaptive. Having arrived in a world where martial strength dictates status, he compensates for his initial weakness through calculation, negotiation, historical analogies, and an instinct for identifying what people and institutions desire. 2 16 19

He treats entertainment and reputation as instruments of power. Rather than relying on direct conflict, he repeatedly turns stories, fashion, publications, and celebrity into tools for commercial recovery, intelligence gathering, and factional influence. 13 24 25 43

Despite his lecherous humor and open attraction to women, he shows restraint when consequences are serious. He refuses Xue Qingqiu’s proposal to use Yue Xiaochan as a reward for becoming indispensable to the sect, objecting to treating her as a recruitment tool. 18 21

Abilities & Skills

Palm-Bound Bronze Fragment

A mysterious pattern in Xue Mu’s palm contains a Bronze Fragment whose full origin and functions remain unclear.

• Alleviates the oppressive pressure he experiences upon entering the Heavenly Capital. 4
• Grants exceptional resistance to Charm Techniques, mental erosion, and illusions; even Xue Qingqiu cannot successfully enthrall him with her charm arts. 7 30 32
• Its protection is not absolute: Yin Ye’s indiscriminate aura can break through his mental defenses. 30 32
• Xue Mu initially cannot activate or properly sense the fragment. 4

Innate Toxicity

Before cultivating, Xue Mu’s body is already saturated with unfamiliar poisons and plagues.

• Requires red medicine pills to suppress poisonous leakage; each dose lasts twelve hours. 3
• A Mysterious Heaven Sect Daoist dies when Xue Mu’s poison manifests as the man attempts to strike him. 15
• His toxins have reached the marrow, preventing ordinary cultivation methods from establishing a foundation. 22 27

Hundred Herbs Poison Technique

Xue Mu cultivates a poison art based on Young Master Zhao’s Hundred Herbs Record.

• Forms a qi vortex and advances to the Great Completion of the Sea of Qi with Xue Qingqiu’s direct guidance. 38 40
• Fuses true qi and poison into attacks capable of shattering stone and splitting monuments. 39
• Greatly enhances his sight, hearing, and general perception. 39
• Requires intense focus; distraction during practice can cause poison energy to spiral out of control and kill the practitioner. 29
• Is primarily offensive and is considered ineffective against high-level experts, with weak defensive value. 27 39

Strategy, Commerce, and Media

Xue Mu’s principal strength is his ability to convert modern concepts into influence within the Great Zhou.

• Calculates financial losses instantly and is appointed as the Star Moon Sect’s accountant. 2 6
• Proposes using imitation Righteous Path uniforms to attract customers and provoke rival sects. 11
• Writes stories as “soft advertising” to elevate Hundred Flowers Garden and make Qianqian famous. 13 27
• Designs publications such as the Jianghu New Talent Register to create fame, steer public opinion, and insert allied figures into the martial world’s public consciousness. 24 43
• Uses political analysis to identify the imperial court’s tacit support for the Star Moon Sect as a counterweight to the Righteous Path. 19
• Negotiates with Xiahou Di by targeting her ambition to restore the Six Fan Gates’ authority. 19 24 25

Equipment / Items

• Bronze Fragment — concealed within the pattern on his palm; protects his mind from enchantment and illusion. 4 32
• Red poison-suppression pills — temporarily prevent the toxins in his body from leaking out. 3
• Hundred Herbs Record — poison compendium acquired from Young Master Zhao; provides the basis for his poison-arts cultivation. 27 29
• Six Fan Gates golden token — identifies him as a consultant and grants him official convenience. 45

Relationships

• Xue Qingqiu — Sect Master, protector, cultivation mentor, and publicly acknowledged “sister.” She grows to trust his judgment, grants him access to sect assets, and repeatedly protects him from threats. 19 27 29 38
• Yue Xiaochan — Xue Qingqiu’s disciple and prospective Sect Master. She first advocates for Xue Mu, collaborates on his business schemes, and develops complicated feelings toward him. 14 18 27
• Meng Lan — Star Moon Sect disciple who initially attempts to charm him; later becomes his assigned assistant and wishes to support his work. 6 32
• Xiahou Di — Chief Constable of the Six Fan Gates. Xue Mu negotiates a cooperation arrangement with her and becomes her consultant, though she once considers assassinating him because of the threat posed by his intellect. 25 26 45
• Yin Ye — Xue Qingqiu’s junior sister and Star Moon Sect formation expert. She senses an unusual purity in Xue Mu’s aura, while her own aura exposes limits in his mental protection. 31 32
• Qianqian — Hundred Flowers Garden courtesan elevated through Xue Mu’s stories and marketing strategy; she later has an intimate encounter with him. 13 27 28
• Mu Jianli — Sword Inquiry Sect prodigy. Her sword heart reacts strangely to Xue Mu despite his lack of cultivation, and she later notices his sudden advancement to the Great Completion of the Sea of Qi. 35 40
• Zhu Chenyao — Seven Profound Valley assassin captured after failing to bypass Yin Ye’s illusionary formation; Xue Mu interrogates her regarding her motives. 49 50

Story Role / Major Arcs

Arrival and Acceptance into the Star Moon Sect

• Awakens injured and poison-ridden among Star Moon Sect members, then secures a provisional role by demonstrating mental arithmetic and usefulness. 2 3
• Arrives at Hundred Flowers Garden, becomes the sect’s accountant, and earns notice by resisting Charm Techniques. 6 7
• Gains Xue Qingqiu’s respect by deducing the Star Moon Sect’s political relationship with the imperial court. 19

Hundred Flowers Garden Revival

• Creates the Righteous Path uniform scheme, drawing customers and provoking rival factions. 11 14
• Writes the Qianqian story and uses melodrama, discussion, and controversy to market the garden. 13 27
• Publishes further erotic fiction, turning the garden’s literature into a sensation that reaches the imperial court. 32 33

Six Fan Gates Cooperation

• Negotiates for Yin Ye’s release by offering Xiahou Di a strategy for strengthening the Six Fan Gates through media and public influence. 24 25 29
• Proposes the Jianghu New Talent Register, using rankings and profiles to shape martial-world reputation. 43
• Declines a formal libationer post in favor of serving as a consultant, preserving his connection to the Star Moon Sect while gaining official access. 45

Cultivation and Rising Threats

• Learns that his lack of cultivation makes his intelligence dangerous to him, as stronger figures can easily consider killing him. 27
• Begins the Hundred Herbs Poison Technique and reaches the Great Completion of the Sea of Qi in a single guided session. 38 40
• Becomes a recognized target for rival factions, including the Seven Profound Valley, whose assassin Zhu Chenyao infiltrates his residence. 41 49 50

Notable Quotes

“In the martial world, I am known as Three-Good Scholar Xue.” 13

“I cannot guarantee the former, but I can guarantee it will never be the latter.” 39