Xie Yu

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Xie Yu (谢玉)
Alias(es)	Yu’er; Daoist Master Yusu
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Xie Household; formerly studied at Returning Dragon Abbey
Occupation/Role	Eldest daughter of the Xie Household; supernatural investigator; instructor to Xie An
Status	Alive; believes she has little time left to live 30
First Appearance	Ch. 29 as “Yu’er”; identified as Xie Yu in Ch. 30

Background

Xie Yu is Xie Zhengtang’s first child and Xie An’s full-blooded elder sister. Before her separation from the family, their mother entrusted Yu’er with caring for her younger brother. 30

People from Returning Dragon Abbey skinned her alive and used the Beast-Making Art on her, leaving her forced to hide in a jar for ten years. Her father blames himself for the decision that led to her suffering. 30

Despite this, Xie Yu studied methods for dealing with demons and evil spirits at Returning Dragon Abbey. When the Yin Cloth Doll plot and the Li Family Village crisis threaten Xie An, she dons an artificial skin and returns under the identity of the wandering female Daoist Yusu. 30

She conceals that she is Xie An’s sister because she expects to die soon and does not want him to suffer another loss. Instead, she intends to teach him everything she can during her remaining time. 30

Appearance

After receiving an artificial skin, Xie Yu presents herself as a valiant wandering Daoist in her mid-twenties. 30

• Previously existed as a grotesque, skinless woman concealed in a jar. 29 30
• Emerges with an artificial face, powder, and a black hooded cloak. 30
• Uses the identity and appearance of Daoist Master Yusu to move freely without exposing her connection to the Xie family. 30 34
• Her concealed supernatural presence appears as murky darkness to Xie An’s Qi-Gazing. 31

Personality

Xie Yu is fiercely protective of Xie An. Her first reaction after learning that he has been targeted is concern for his safety, and she willingly exposes herself to danger to protect and prepare him. 29 30

As Yusu, she is calm, aloof, and highly observant. She prefers to guide Xie An toward conclusions through questions rather than merely supply answers, especially when teaching him about ghosts, nightmares, and Cocoon Force. 31 32

She is also emotionally restrained but deeply sentimental. Being called “Sis” by Xie An moves her to tears, while her private approval of his judgment and growth reveals how proud she is of him. 34 38

Abilities & Skills

Supernatural Investigation

Xie Yu possesses extensive practical knowledge of ghosts, fiends, cursed objects, and the methods used to manipulate them.

• Correctly concludes that Li Family Village’s deaths alone could not have produced the dream-killing threat, identifying signs of deliberate interference. 30
• Reconstructs the events at Zhao Hu’s residence by examining blood and drawing a talismanic mark. 31
• Identifies the Yin Cloth Dolls as vessels of the Malevolent Nightmare Suppression Art and explains their connection to the Monster Strain, nightmares, and Cocoon Force. 33
• Detects the danger of the doll immediately and suppresses it back into an inert object with a strike. 33

Spiritual Perception

Xie Yu can perceive powers that evade Xie An’s Spirit Sight.

• Notices Xie An observing her with Qi-Gazing, despite no one else previously detecting his use of the talent. 31
• Her presence cannot be read by his Qi-Gazing; he sees only a mass of obscuring darkness. 31
• Explains that Cocoon Force distorts the six consciousnesses and creates a Six-Sense Cocoon Chamber that traps victims within fear and false perceptions. 32 42

Martial and Supernatural Power

Her exact cultivation is undisclosed, but her strength vastly surpasses Uncle Shui’s Dark Force.

• Uncle Shui states that even ten versions of himself would not equal a single poke of her finger. 31
• Xie An regards her as exceptionally dangerous after witnessing her perception and investigating ability. 31
• She is capable of acting as Xie An’s safety net during his confrontation with A Shan, though she deliberately allows him to handle the battle himself. 36 39

Illuminating Spirit Scripture Knowledge

Xie Yu teaches Xie An the principles required to combat ghosts and specters.

• Explains that Manifest Force martial artists can extend Yang-based Inner Force beyond the body, while Dark Force can disperse Yin energy from possessed victims but cannot directly destroy the possessing entity. 42
• Introduces the Spirit Preservation Method, the foundational practice of the Illuminating Spirit Scripture. 42
• Explains that practitioners preserve the spiritual bearing of an enshrined entity in their minds to break Cocoon Force and see through supernatural illusions. 42
• Warns that even exceptional disciples generally require two or three years of continuous visualization, with a low success rate. 44

Relationships

• Xie An / Xie Mingxi — Her full-blooded younger brother. She protects him under the identity of Daoist Master Yusu and becomes his instructor while keeping their true relationship secret from him. 30 34 42
• Xie Zhengtang — Her father. Both carry deep grief and guilt over her suffering, but Xie Yu reassures him that he remains the best father in her heart. 30 34
• Uncle Shui — A trusted elder of the Xie Household who recognizes her as the Eldest Miss and assists her return to the family’s affairs. 30
• Returning Dragon Abbey — The organization whose people subjected her to the Beast-Making Art; she nevertheless gained much of her supernatural knowledge through its teachings. 30 42
• A Shan — Xie Yu permits Xie An to confront A Shan independently, then praises his combat judgment and plan to use her sword as bait. 36 38

Story Role

Return to the Xie Household

When Xie An becomes the target of the nightmare conspiracy, Xie Yu returns from seclusion with a new skin and adopts the name Daoist Master Yusu. She decides that investigating Zhao Hu’s death will serve as Xie An’s first practical lesson. 29 30

Li Family Village and Zhao Residence Investigation

At the Zhao Residence, Xie Yu reconstructs the Monster Strain’s birth and attack through blood evidence. She then explains that the Li Family Village entity itself could not have entered dreams and killed people, directing Xie An toward the hidden mechanism behind the murders. 31 32

She discovers the Yin Cloth Doll beneath Xie An’s bed and establishes that it would have activated during his next nightmare, likely killing him by tearing out his organs. 33

Mentor and Protector

Xie Yu supports Xie An’s proposal to expose Zhou Yun’s superior by frightening Zhou Yun into making contact. She persuades Xie Zhengtang to let Xie An participate in the investigation and accepts responsibility for teaching him. 34

During the confrontation with A Shan, she remains nearby but does not intervene, allowing Xie An to experience a genuine life-or-death battle. Afterward, she openly praises his composure, combat ability, and strategy. 36 38

Spiritual Instruction

Xie Yu begins teaching Xie An why ordinary martial arts are insufficient against ghosts. She introduces the Illuminating Spirit Scripture, the Spirit Preservation Method, Cocoon Force, and the dangerous truth that Qingwu County’s great powers worship powerful evil entities as gods. 42 43

After Xie An accepts responsibility for the Xie Household’s secret, she brings him to the White Goddess Shrine and begins guiding him through the family’s method of cultivating the Spirit Preservation Method. 43 44

Notable Quotes

“I only have this one brother. If anything were to happen to him, how could I explain myself to Mother when I met her in the underworld...?” 30

“Precisely because he is my only little brother, because the same blood flows through us, I do not want him to be sad.” 30