Cui Yunqi

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Cui Yunqi (崔云麒)
Alias(es)	Young Master Cui 14
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Cui Clan of Yunjiang Prefecture 14
Occupation/Role	Scholar and contender in Mr. Zhou's Star Array trial 14 18
Status	Alive; recovered consciousness after a two-day coma following the Star Array trial 46 47
First Appearance	Chapter 14

Background / History

Cui Yunqi arrived at Little Peak Mountain from Yunjiang Prefecture with Wen Zicheng, Peng Xuan, and other companions to seek an audience with the renowned scholar Mr. Zhou. Speaking on behalf of his father, Cui Heng, he conveyed greetings from the Cui Clan and invoked Mr. Zhou's connection to Inkstone Cottage. When Mr. Zhou did not respond, Cui Yunqi entered the Star Array rather than relying on his family background. 14

Before the journey, Cui Heng had impressed upon him that the Cui family needed him to meet Mr. Zhou amid growing unrest, evil-path activity, and a possible prophecy of chaos. Cui Yunqi nevertheless left confident that no younger scholar in Jichuan could rival him. 19

Appearance

Cui Yunqi is a young man who travels on horseback in bright, luxurious clothing. During the Moon Lake portion of the Star Array, he wears deep-green brocade; after his defeat, he is described as deathly pale, bloodied around the mouth and nose, and severely weakened. 14 18 24

• Arrived riding a green-maned horse with snow-white hoof markings. 14
• Wore brocade robes and carried himself with conspicuous confidence. 14 18
• Required Wen Zicheng and Peng Xuan to carry him from the Star Array after his collapse. 24

Personality

Cui Yunqi initially presents himself as proud, socially assured, and dismissive of those he considers less talented. He publicly challenges Xu Wenyuan's belief in a first-come, first-served order for the Star Array, arguing that sufficiently talented people can enter together. He also assumes that Jichuan's scholars are beneath his notice. 14 20

His confidence is tied closely to being recognized as an exceptional member of the Cui Clan. Falling behind Chen Xu unsettles him, and his inability to comprehend the Yin Yang Twin Pendants problem drives him into terror, hallucinations, and physical collapse. 19 20

After recovering, Cui Yunqi refuses his father's suggestion that he kill Chen Xu in revenge. He recognizes that murdering someone over a single defeat would mean his life had stopped at that defeat, though he remains shaken and uncertain whether he can overcome Chen Xu fairly. 47

Abilities & Skills

Scholarly Knowledge

Cui Yunqi possesses broad literary and academic knowledge, allowing him to answer a series of Star Array questions involving arithmetic, classical interpretation, couplets, poetry, the Book of Changes, numerology, and topology. 19 20

• Answered twelve consecutive Moon Lake questions correctly. 20
• Correctly identified an abbreviated passage from the Great Learning after using a pill to sharpen his thinking. 19
• Was capable of solving numerology questions quickly enough to advance through the trial. 19
• Could not comprehend the final Yin Yang Twin Pendants topology problem, despite recognizing every individual character in its text. 20

Cultivated Energy

During his struggle against the final Star Array question, Cui Yunqi draws upon a surge of pure energy from his dantian to briefly dispel the illusion overtaking him. 20

• His exact cultivation method and realm are not stated.
• The exertion does not let him solve the final problem or prevent his subsequent collapse. 20 24

Items

• Unidentified pill — swallowed during the Moon Lake trial; it heightened Cui Yunqi's mental agility but later produced an intensely painful reaction while he faced the final question. 19 20
• Horse — ridden to Little Peak Mountain; he abandons it when urgently fleeing after the trial. 14 24

Relationships

• Cui Heng — father and head of the family relationship shown on-page; he sends Cui Yunqi to seek Mr. Zhou, then forces him to confront the defeat and counsels him against becoming ruled by emotion. 19 47
• Chen Xu — rival in Mr. Zhou's Star Array. Chen Xu overtakes him at Moon Lake and solves the Yin Yang Twin Pendants problem that Cui Yunqi cannot understand, becoming a lingering inner obstacle for him. 18 20 47
• Wen Zicheng — companion who helps carry Cui Yunqi out of the Star Array and attempts to dissuade him from immediate travel while he is gravely injured. 18 24
• Peng Xuan — companion who assists in carrying Cui Yunqi from the Star Array and places him on a horse when he demands to leave. 18 24
• Mr. Zhou — renowned scholar Cui Yunqi seeks to meet on behalf of the Cui Clan; Cui Yunqi fails to reach him through the Star Array. 14 20
• Xu Wenyuan — scholar Cui Yunqi embarrasses when he corrects Xu's misunderstanding of how the Star Array admits candidates. 14

Story Role / Major Arcs

Arrival at Little Peak Mountain

Cui Yunqi makes a dramatic arrival with his companions, announces his Cui Clan affiliation, and attempts to establish familiarity with Mr. Zhou before entering the Star Array. He dismisses the local scholars' assumptions about entry order and leads his group into the bamboo grove. 14

Moon Lake Competition

Within the Star Array, Cui Yunqi encounters Chen Xu at Moon Lake. Initially ahead of most candidates, he watches Chen Xu answer difficult couplets and becomes determined to surpass him. After taking a pill, he closes the distance by answering twelve questions in succession. 18 19 20

Defeat and Collapse

Cui Yunqi receives the same final Yin Yang Twin Pendants question as Chen Xu. Unable to understand it, he suffers hallucinations of Yunjiang falling into war and the Cui residence being overrun. Chen Xu solves the problem, and Cui Yunqi vomits blood, later emerging from the array critically injured. 20 24

Recovery at the Cui Residence

Cui Yunqi remains unconscious for two days after returning to Yunjiang Prefecture. Once awake, he kneels before Cui Heng to request punishment, but his father instead makes him recount the defeat and urges him not to become a slave to victory, defeat, or resentment. 46 47

Notable Quotes

“Cui Yunqi of the Cui Clan of Yunjiang Prefecture, along with my brothers, has come to pay respects to Mr. Zhou!” 14

“I am Cui Yunqi, the favored son of the Cui family, a talent of Yunjiang, an outstanding figure of this generation.” 20

“If I were to take revenge by killing someone just because I lost once, then I'm afraid my entire life would stop here.” 47