Qi Huansu

Biodata

Name	Qi Huansu
Original Name	齐浣苏
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Imperial Capital Academy
Occupation/Role	Instructor; deputy chief instructor of the outer academy; special inspector; leader of the academy group/special patrol team
Status	Alive
First Appearance	Appears as Qin Yao's academy instructor when arranging his departure for the Imperial Capital 352

Power Progression

Chapter	Cultivation / Development	Details
359	Combat strength displayed	Kills Golden Frost Barbarian general Krudaha with a single sword strike, cutting through his spiked club and beheading him before he can react 358 359
376	Eighth-layer Mystic Gathering Realm	Her cultivation is identified as the eighth layer of the Mystic Gathering Realm during the direct-entry examination 376

Background / History

Qi Huansu first appears when Qin Yao is preparing for the Imperial Capital Academy direct-entry examination. She identifies herself as the deputy chief instructor of Imperial Capital Academy's outer academy, delivers Qin Yao's Direct Examination notice, and informs him that the exam will be held in half a month, that the journey from Nine Suns Commandery to the Imperial Capital takes about ten days, and that family members are allowed to accompany him 352.

Before departure, she notices Qin Yao respectfully referring to his coachman's elderly mother. In a society with strict class distinctions, his unfeigned consideration for someone beneath his station strikes her as unusually rare 353.

During the journey, she acts as the group's authority figure. When Zhao Wuji complains about Qin Yao's wooden shelters, Qi Huansu approves of Qin Yao's consideration for others and assigns Zhao Wuji to night watch duty 356. She continues assigning Zhao Wuji to keep watch during later wilderness camps, framing it as granting his desire to temper himself in the cold 360. Qin Yao later entrusts his grandfather and sister to her care while he leaves to continue logging, showing trust in her reliability 357.

She initiates this arrangement after pointing out that logging would be difficult for Qin Dashan, who needs a cane, and the young Qin Lan. She personally promises that no one will bully them during Qin Yao's absence and directs a pointed, cold warning toward Zhao Wuji 357.

When the group is ambushed by around two hundred Golden Frost Barbarian cavalry, Qi Huansu identifies the danger, orders the students to prepare for battle, and swiftly kills the barbarian general Krudaha 358 359. Her one-strike victory shocks the barbarians into chaos and establishes her overwhelming combat strength 359.

At the Imperial Capital, Qi Huansu leads the group through the General's Gate, a restricted entrance reserved for officials and specially authorized people 361. When Qin Yao is stopped by a junior officer, she intervenes as a special inspector and reveals Qin Yao's identity as the Foreign Repelling Spearhead, forcing the officer to apologize 362. She later has Qin Yao lead the procession after publicly revealing his status 364. Upon reaching the academy, she writes Qin Dashan and Qin Lan a recommendation letter that allows them to receive free lodging and meals at the designated inn during the examination period 365.

At Imperial Capital Academy, older students recognize and salute her as “Teacher Qi,” indicating her standing among the academy's students 366. She gives the prospective students a tour, introducing the library's collection of at least eighteen thousand cultivation and martial-technique volumes, explaining borrowing privileges for admitted students, and pointing out the Alchemy Pavilion 367. During the direct-entry examination, she presides over the practical-combat assessments, provides guidance to Liu Qingqing after her loss by informing her of the possibility of becoming an alchemy apprentice, and clarifies that even applicants for alchemy and talisman apprenticeships require at least Blood Aperture Realm cultivation 375 376. She and Han Yongshi also intervene during Lu Ciwu and Wang Luohua's dangerous match to prevent serious injury 377.

Before the matches, she questions Han Yongshi's unusually generous credit rewards because they lack precedent, but he insists that he will personally secure the promised rewards if anyone wins five consecutive matches 373. After Qin Yao's examination victory, she becomes visibly embarrassed when she realizes she has been staring distractedly at him, then regains enough composure to announce his victory and the award of one hundred and fifty academic credits for the match 403.

During the alchemist selection, Zhang Xiaoqi asks her to make an exception for Qin Yuwei, who has missed the assessment. Qi Huansu refuses, explaining that neither the academy nor the Alchemy Pavilion will make a special exception unless the applicant is already a Qi Activation Realm martial artist with the potential to become a Mystic Alchemist 411.

Qi Huansu later supports Qin Yao more personally. At Ten Thousand Schools Plaza, she shows concern for his well-being, offers him qi- and vitality-restoring medicine, treats him to a meal before the academy-wide commendation ceremony, and accompanies him to the inner academy 418. During the public dispute surrounding Qin Yao's family's murder, she watches Qin Yuwei's confrontation with concern for Qin Yao 423. When Qin Yao brings his grandfather and sister to the academy for safety before the literary duel, she agrees to vouch for them and allows them inside on the condition that they remain by her side 448.

Her empathy toward Qin Yao's family is connected to her own past. Qin Yao's protectiveness toward Qin Lan reminds Qi Huansu of her elder brother, who similarly protected her before dying on the battlefield 448. She was thirteen or fourteen at the time of these memories, while her brother was just over twenty; she also recalls that he shared Qin Yao's stubborn streak 448. She remains with Qin Dashan and Qin Lan during the literary duel and shares their relief when Qin Yao clears his name 455 468. While they wait outside Flame Heaven Hall, she gently pats Qin Lan's head to comfort her and later silently recalls Qin Yao's wish to share the clearing of his name with his family 453 455. Following the duel, she learns that Qin Yao has broken through to the first layer of the Mystic Gathering Realm and reacts with delighted surprise 471.

After Qin Yao's rise to the Innate Realm, Qi Huansu participates in a gathering with his former academy companions. When Murong Qingquan struggles to speak about an important matter, Qi Huansu prompts her to tell Qin Yao herself 503.

The gathering takes place on the night before Qin Yao's departure for the Northern Expedition. Qi Huansu declines his offer of a celebratory mystic-food feast, suggesting that it wait until his victorious return so that he can rest before setting out. The matter she raises concerns Murong Qingquan's parents arranging an unwanted marriage: her companions ask Qin Yao to make a public gesture of familiarity that will encourage her parents to believe the two are romantically involved. Once Qin Yao agrees to help, Qi Huansu ends the visit and again reminds the group that he needs a good night's rest 503 504.

Qi Huansu remains active at Imperial Capital Academy after Qin Yao departs for the Northern Frontier. A distant female relative studying in the outer academy asks her whether she truly escorted Qin Yao into the academy and seeks to know what kind of person he is; Qi Huansu reflects quietly on Qin Yao's transformation from the youth she once escorted into a commander who has repeatedly led the Flame Lion Legion to victory 613.

The relative is described as her distant niece and brings her first-rate blade, sword, and movement-technique manuals at her request. Qi Huansu notices the girl's shy interest in Qin Yao and inwardly recognizes it as a young girl's budding admiration 613.

Appearance

Qi Huansu is an elegant, mature woman with exquisite features, a high straight nose, and lightly pursed lips. Her bearing is compared to an ink-wash painting: refined and graceful while retaining the charm of maturity 441.

She is usually dressed in practical academy attire suited to travel and combat. During the journey to the Imperial Capital, she rides on horseback with her arms folded and a composed expression; when attending the commendation ceremony, she wears a neat fitted outfit with her hair tied in a ponytail, giving her the appearance of a valiant heroine 353 418. At the academy gates before the literary duel, she wears a cyan robe with a silver belt 448.

Distinguishing presentation:

• Recognized by older students as “Teacher Qi” 366.
• Carries enough authority for guards and officers to defer to her status 361 362.
• Her normally calm demeanor can give way to visible embarrassment when she is caught staring at Qin Yao after his examination victory 403.
• Qin Lan refers to her admiringly as a “beautiful and kind big sister” in the chapter framing around Qi Huansu helping Qin Yao's family 448.
• Her valiant bearing leaves a favorable impression on the freshmen during their first-day orientation 411.

Personality

Qi Huansu is calm, disciplined, and impartial. She does not indulge Zhao Wuji's arrogance, assigning him night watch after his disdainful reaction to Qin Yao's shelters 356. When Zhao Wuji grows resentful, she maintains her role as instructor rather than favoring him 357. She is equally restrained after the barbarian ambush, neither praising nor criticizing the students' reported kill counts before instructing them to collect their spoils and continue the journey 359.

Her commitment to institutional rules also appears when she refuses to arrange a replacement alchemist assessment for Qin Yuwei. She states that missing the selection means forfeiting it, while explaining the specific higher-cultivation exception for potential Mystic Alchemists 411.

She values practical judgment over empty displays of strength. After Qin Yao does not join the pursuit of fleeing barbarians, she approves of his composure and his decision to prioritize the safety of his grandfather and sister over personal glory 359.

She also appreciates humility and genuine respect across social ranks. Qin Yao's natural courtesy toward his coachman's mother earns her interest because it lacks the arrogance she associates with masters who wield power over their servants 353.

Qi Huansu is observant and takes a genuine interest in promising students. She notices Qin Yao's nervousness before the direct-entry examination, expects much of his combat performance after seeing his cultivation result, and later worries that he may overextend himself in battle 371 374 381.

Qi Huansu also has an empathetic side. She is moved by Qin Yao's request to protect his family and agrees to vouch for them at the academy, with their situation reminding her of her own past and deceased elder brother 448. Her concern is practical as well as emotional: she repeatedly ensures that Qin Dashan and Qin Lan remain under her protection during the literary duel 448 450.

Her enthusiasm for swordsmanship can overcome her usual reserve. When observing the unknown practitioner in Training Ground No. 11, she chooses not to interrupt because she admires his control, then becomes increasingly astonished by his rapid progress 441.

She remains attentive to Qin Yao's practical needs even after his advancement to the Innate Realm, postponing a celebration and ending a late-night visit so that he can rest before his military departure 503 504.

Her continued reflections on Qin Yao's later achievements show that she remains attentive to the development of the student she originally escorted to the Imperial Capital 613.

Abilities & Skills

Martial Strength

Qi Huansu is an eighth-layer Mystic Gathering Realm martial artist and is strong enough to single-handedly kill Lord Krudaha, a powerful Golden Frost Barbarian leader, in a single strike 359 376.

Applications:

• Identifies battlefield threats quickly 358.
• Issues concise combat orders to students under pressure 358.
• Draws a snow-bright sword, cleaves Krudaha's spiked club apart, and beheads him before he can react 358.
• Eliminates a barbarian general fast enough to break enemy morale 359.
• Moves with sufficient lightness skill to clear a wall more than ten feet high soundlessly 441.
• Possesses sufficiently sharp senses to immediately notice Zhou Yuanqing's resentful gaze during the examination 376.

Leadership

Qi Huansu leads the Imperial Capital Academy group from Nine Suns Commandery to the Imperial Capital 352 360 361.

Applications:

• Organizes travel timing for the direct-entry examination 352.
• Maintains discipline among students during wilderness travel 356 357.
• Repeatedly assigns Zhao Wuji to night watch as a corrective punishment for his attitude 356 360.
• Uses the academy's status to pass through the General's Gate 361.
• Intervenes when Qin Yao is wrongly stopped at the gate 362.
• Arranges free designated-inn lodging for Qin Yao's immediate family during the examination period 365.
• Signs a formal guarantee permitting Qin Dashan and Qin Lan to enter the academy and takes responsibility for keeping them beside her during the palace visit 448 450.
• Organizes the conclusion of the companions' visit before Qin Yao's Northern Expedition departure so that he can rest 503 504.

Instruction

Qi Huansu serves as an academy instructor and is later identified as deputy chief instructor of the outer academy 352 366 441.

Known teaching-related actions:

• Introduces prospective students to the academy's library, borrowing system, and Alchemy Pavilion 367.
• Presides over the direct-entry practical-combat examination on Han Yongshi's orders 375.
• Guides Liu Qingqing toward the alchemy apprentice path after her defeat 376.
• Explains that Blood Aperture Realm cultivation is the minimum requirement even for alchemy- and talisman-apprentice assessments 376.
• Previously used Willow Breeze Bamboo Shadow Sword as an example in class, explaining that perfecting it may allow comprehension of “hardness and softness in harmony” 386.
• Helps prevent serious injury during examination combat alongside Han Yongshi 377.
• Reminds Qin Yao that admitting defeat allows the instructors to intervene and protect both combatants, cautioning him against risking his life unnecessarily 381.
• Explains the academy's refusal to repeat a missed alchemist selection and the exception for Qi Activation Realm candidates with Mystic Alchemist potential 411.
• Continues overseeing outer academy students after Qin Yao's departure, including a distant relative studying at the academy 613.

Swordsmanship Insight

Qi Huansu specializes in the sword path and recognizes high-grade technique practice when she discovers an unknown cultivator using the Falling Sunset Sword Art in Training Ground No. 11 441.

Applications:

• Recognizes the Falling Sunset Sword Art as a high-grade Profound-rank sword art at a glance 441.
• Appraises the unknown cultivator's steady sword control, grounded qi, and rapidly improving execution of the technique 441.
• Identifies Mountain-Crossing Flowing Clouds as a high-grade Profound-rank movement technique 441.
• Pursues the unknown cultivator, later revealed to be Qin Yao, but cannot catch him 441.
• Recognizes the concluding sword principle, “Withdrawing the sword like twilight,” and is stunned by the practitioner's harmonious execution 441.
• Understands the rarity of learning two high-grade Profound-rank arts, noting that many inner academy students fail to bring even one to the entry level before graduation 441.

Relationships

• Qin Yao — Student under her guidance. She allows his family to travel with him, approves of his composure, supports him at the academy, and later vouches for his family 352 359 418 448. She appreciates his lack of social arrogance and remains concerned for his rest and well-being even after he becomes an Innate Realm Grandmaster 353 503 504.
• Qin Dashan — Qin Yao's grandfather. Qi Huansu permits him to accompany Qin Yao, arranges his lodging during the examination period, and later allows him into the academy under her responsibility 352 365 448.
• Qin Lan — Qin Yao's younger sister. Qi Huansu permits her to accompany Qin Yao and later protects her by vouching for her entry into the academy. Qin Lan affectionately calls her “beautiful and kind big sister” 352 448. Qi Huansu comforts her with a gentle pat on the head while they await news of the literary duel 453.
• Zhao Wuji — Arrogant student under her supervision. She punishes his disdain for Qin Yao's shelters with night watch duty and continues using the duty to curb his behavior, worsening his resentment 356 357 360.
• Liu Qingqing — Student she advises after a match loss, informing her about the possibility of becoming an alchemy apprentice 376.
• Han Yongshi — Outer academy dean who directs Qi Huansu to preside over the direct-entry combat assessment and intervenes with her to stop Lu Ciwu and Wang Luohua's match before serious injury occurs 375 377. She questions his unprecedented credit rewards before he reaffirms his commitment to securing them 373.
• Murong Qingquan — Student in Qi Huansu's group; Qi Huansu later prompts her to speak to Qin Yao about an important matter 503. She helps introduce Murong's request for assistance in avoiding an unwanted arranged marriage and concludes the visit after Qin Yao agrees to help 503 504.
• Zhang Xiaoqi — Qin Yuwei's friend, whose request for a special alchemist-selection exception Qi Huansu rejects 411.
• Qi Huansu's elder brother — Her deceased older brother protected her when she was young and later died on the battlefield. Qin Yao's care for Qin Lan reminds her of him 448.
• Unnamed distant relative — A female outer academy student and distant relative of Qi Huansu who asks her about Qin Yao and his connection to the academy 613. Described as Qi Huansu's distant niece, she also delivers requested first-rate martial-technique manuals; Qi Huansu recognizes her shy admiration for Qin Yao 613.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Direct-Entry Journey

Qi Huansu escorts the students from Nine Suns Commandery toward the Imperial Capital for the academy's direct-entry examination. She permits Qin Yao to bring his family, manages student discipline, and becomes a stabilizing authority during the group's travel 352 356 357.

Her favorable impression of Qin Yao begins with his sincere courtesy toward a coachman's mother and develops as she observes his care for his own family. She personally offers to protect Qin Dashan and Qin Lan while he leaves camp to log trees 353 357.

Golden Frost Barbarian Ambush

During the ambush outside Kamen County, Qi Huansu acts as commander and strongest combatant. She identifies the enemy force, orders preparation, and kills Krudaha in one strike, turning the battle in the academy group's favor 358 359.

Imperial Capital Entry

Qi Huansu uses her academy and special inspector status to lead the group through the General's Gate. When Qin Yao is delayed and challenged by a junior officer, she reveals his identity and resolves the conflict 361 362.

Academy Examination

Within Imperial Capital Academy, Qi Huansu functions as both instructor and examiner-side authority. She is recognized by older students, presides over the direct-entry combat examination, advises Liu Qingqing after her defeat, and helps prevent a dangerous match from escalating too far 366 375 376 377.

She cautions Qin Yao that he may surrender if outmatched and that the instructors will ensure the combatants' safety. His eventual success leaves her distracted enough to become embarrassed before announcing the match result 381 403.

Support for Qin Yao

Qi Huansu's relationship with Qin Yao develops beyond routine instruction. She supports him during the pressure surrounding his family's murder investigation and later helps protect Qin Dashan and Qin Lan by vouching for their academy entry 418 448.

Literary Duel

Before Qin Yao's literary duel with Qin Yuwei, Qi Huansu takes responsibility for Qin Dashan and Qin Lan so that they can safely attend the proceedings. Qin Yao's devotion to them reminds her of her own elder brother, strengthening her resolve to protect them 448 450. She remains with the family as Qin Yao clears his name and shares their relief at his victory 455 468.

While waiting outside Flame Heaven Hall, she comforts the anxious Qin Lan. As praise for Qin Yao's poem spreads, she reflects that he has fulfilled his wish to let his grandfather and sister share in the clearing of his name 453 455.

Training Ground No. 11 Incident

Qi Huansu discovers an unknown black-clad cultivator secretly practicing in Training Ground No. 11. Her swordsmanship expertise lets her identify both the Falling Sunset Sword Art and Mountain-Crossing Flowing Clouds, but Qin Yao escapes before she can identify him 441.

Although the man's back seems familiar, the dim light prevents recognition. She silently watches his rapid improvement rather than interrupting, then attempts to reassure him that he will not be punished when he notices her presence. His flight and disappearance leave her puzzled: his newly learned movement technique alone should not account for how completely he evades pursuit. Unknown to her, Qin Yao also uses perfected Stealth and the darkness before dawn to conceal himself 441.

Northern Expedition Farewell

On the eve of Qin Yao's military departure, Qi Huansu accompanies his academy friends on a late-night visit. She postpones his proposed celebratory feast until after a victorious return and introduces Murong Qingquan's need for help escaping pressure to accept an arranged marriage. Once Qin Yao accepts the plan to imply a romantic connection through a public gesture, she leads the group in ending the visit so that he can rest 503 504.

Qin Yao's Later Reputation

Qi Huansu remains at Imperial Capital Academy as Qin Yao's accomplishments on the Northern Frontier become widely known. When her distant relative asks about the legendary former academy student, Qi Huansu reflects on the great changes in the youth she once escorted from Nine Suns Commandery 613.

Trivia

• Older students immediately recognize her as “Teacher Qi” and salute her when she enters the academy 366.
• She once used Willow Breeze Bamboo Shadow Sword in class as an example of a lower-ranked sword technique that can reveal deeper sword principles when perfected 386.
• Qin Yao briefly escapes her pursuit after secretly cultivating in Training Ground No. 11, leaving her astonished at the unknown cultivator's talent 441.
• She calls Qin Yao a “little brat” when she finds him absent from his dormitory on the morning of the literary duel, reflecting her increasing familiarity and concern for him 448.
• A distant relative of hers enrolls late in the outer academy due to poor health and has heard of Qin Yao only through his growing legend 613.
• Qin Lan's address of “beautiful and kind big sister” briefly surprises her and draws an involuntary smile before she resumes her stern demeanor 448.
• During Qin Yao's early academy days, he judges that he would not last three exchanges against her, considering her far stronger than the Mystic Gathering Realm opponents he had previously encountered 359.