Qin Ziyan

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Qin Ziyan (秦子嫣)
Alias(es)	Little Witch; Aunt-Master Qin
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Sword-Imperial Pavilion of Swordcry Mountain
Occupation/Role	Inner-court disciple; personal disciple of the Pavilion’s First Elder
Status	Active 48
First Appearance	Chapter 9

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Internal Qi: Second Level; External Force: Third Level	9	Her Internal Qi is below Chen Fan’s peak second level, but her formidable swordsmanship has reached the third level.
Internal Qi: Third Level; combat power comparable to Fourth Level	23	Emerges from seclusion without reaching the fourth Internal Qi level; her sword arts and divine abilities nevertheless let her contend with fourth-level cultivators.
Soaring Art: Second Realm	41	Her movement cultivation remains comparatively weak; she can only barely keep pace at night with the enhancement of her Starforce Formula.

Background

Qin Ziyan is the treasured granddaughter of Qin Jian, the Sword Fanatic, and holds an unusually privileged position in the Sword-Imperial Pavilion. She became the First Elder’s personal disciple directly and addresses senior elders as Martial Uncles despite being the youngest among her generation. Her seniors and elders habitually indulge her mischief while worrying over the trouble it causes. 12 27

She is known throughout Swordcry Mountain as the “Little Witch,” a reputation earned through her unruly behavior, frequent rule-breaking, and talent for escaping supervision. Beneath that reputation, she is a gifted cultivator with a rare Stellar Art and a serious dedication to swordsmanship. 10 13 41

Appearance

Qin Ziyan is described as a beautiful girl of roughly fifteen or sixteen when she first meets Chen Fan, with thick brows, large eyes, a high nose bridge, and a delicate, moving beauty distinct from Ye Wan’s colder demeanor. 10

• Long hair, at one point worn in two long braids. 23
• Wears a long red dress following her emergence from seclusion. 23
• Possesses a mature charm by the time she reunites with Chen Fan after more than a year apart. 23
• Her Stellar Art surrounds her with conspicuous, dazzling starlight during nighttime cultivation. 10

Personality

Qin Ziyan is playful, impulsive, and openly defiant of restrictions. She secretly enters forbidden places, schemes to escape her elders’ supervision, and drags Chen Fan into dangerous excursions with little regard for sect rules. 13 24 41

Her recklessness is balanced by sharp perception and practical judgment. She recognizes Chen Fan’s hidden strength, notices abnormalities in his poison resistance, and knows when an opponent—such as Ye Wan—is too strong to challenge directly. 23 26 40

She is fiercely loyal to those she accepts as friends. After Chen Fan saves her life, she repeatedly shields his secrets, defends him before the sect leadership, and declares that accusations against him should apply to her as well. 11 26 28

Abilities & Skills

Stellar Art / Starforce Formula

Qin Ziyan cultivates a rare, high-level Internal Qi art that manifests as starlight.

• Nighttime meditation is several times more effective for recovery and cultivation. 10
• The art can enhance her movement and allows her to barely sustain her pace during nighttime travel despite her weaker Soaring Art. 41
• Its heightened perception lets her detect Chen Fan’s cultivation regression. 23
• She remains at the third Internal Qi level after seclusion, though the art and her other skills grant her fourth-level combat capability. 23

Wind Listening Art

A Sword-Imperial Pavilion sword technique personally taught by the Grand Elder.

• Heightens perception enough for Qin Ziyan to detect Chen Fan watching from the darkness. 9
• At profound mastery, it can permit combat with closed eyes. 9
• Requires strong foundations in Internal Qi, External Force, and Soaring. 9

Swordsmanship

Qin Ziyan is an accomplished swordswoman whose External Force already exceeded her Internal Qi realm at her introduction.

• Initially overwhelms Chen Fan in their first exchange and forces him to defend with his battered sword. 9
• Takes the lead against the third-tier venomous python before its poisonous gas incapacitates her. 9
• Uses the Moon God Sword when prepared to defend Chen Fan against Ye Wan. 27
• Her sword arts and divine abilities later make her effectively comparable to a fourth-level cultivator. 23

Soaring Art

• Her Soaring Art is only at the second realm. 41
• This is a relative weakness: she struggles to match Ye Wan and cannot catch Chen Fan during their journey toward Black Dragon Pool. 41

Equipment

• Moon God Sword — Qin Ziyan’s drawn weapon when she prepares to confront Ye Wan over Chen Fan. 27
• Treasured sword — Used in her battle against the venomous python and in her early clash with Chen Fan. 9

Relationships

• Chen Fan — Lifesaver, friend, and the focus of her fierce loyalty. She assists his library access, protects his secrets, and repeatedly risks suspicion to defend him; her insistence that they are “only friends” is undermined by her embarrassment and possessiveness. 10 14 26 28
• Ye Wan — Initially a romantic rival and frequent source of jealousy, but later a traveling companion and ally in protecting Chen Fan. Qin recognizes Ye Wan’s superior strength and authority. 27 40 41 45
• Qin Jian — Her grandfather, known as the Sword Fanatic; he is protective of her but deeply apprehensive whenever her involvement creates trouble. 27 28
• Sword-Imperial Pavilion First Elder — Her master and the elder who accepts her directly as a personal disciple. 12
• Luo Gang — Chief of Black Dragon Pool; Qin accompanies Chen Fan in meeting him and witnessing his plea for aid for his poisoned son. 43 44

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Back Mountain encounter — Qin mistakes Chen Fan for someone secretly learning the Wind Listening Art, attacks him, and attempts to take him for questioning. Their confrontation is interrupted by the pursuit of a third-tier venomous python. 9
• Poisoning and rescue — Poisoned by the python’s gas and left near death, she survives because Chen Fan uses a poison-against-poison remedy and supports her Internal Qi. Her distrust of him changes into gratitude and respect. 10
• Return to Swordcry Mountain — She vouches for Chen Fan after Swordheart Hall disciples accuse him of illicitly learning their sword art, later acknowledging that he saved her life. 11 12
• Scripture Pavilion scheme — She brings Chen Fan into the inner-court library, stands watch for him, and secretly borrows the Blood-Coagulation Technique and Rejuvenation Formula on his behalf. 13 14
• Seclusion and reunion — After secretly sending Chen Fan copied manuals through Ye Wan, Qin enters seclusion to seek a breakthrough. She later returns at the third level, learns of Chen Fan’s regression, and urgently offers to take him to her master for treatment. 15 23
• Hundred Herbs Garden incident — She accompanies Chen Fan into the forbidden main peak and garden, follows his instructions amid Spirit-Drunken Incense, and helps conceal his involvement from the sect investigation. 24 25 26
• Defense of Chen Fan — Qin gives misleading testimony to protect Chen Fan and openly stakes her own reputation on his innocence when he is suspected of espionage. 28
• Journey to Black Dragon Pool — Escaping sect supervision, she travels with Chen Fan and Ye Wan to Black Dragon Pool, where she helps support Chen Fan’s role as the Black Dragon Envoy and remains with the group during Young Master Luo’s treatment. 41 43 44
• Inner-court selection — She eagerly expects Chen Fan to join the Sword-Imperial Pavilion as her junior brother, only for Yun Zhongjun to place him in Soaring Heavens Palace instead. 47 48

Notable Quotes

“If you say he is a spy, then I am one as well.” 28

Trivia

• Qin Ziyan initially dislikes studying and cannot remain in the Scripture Pavilion for long, but Chen Fan’s focus inspires her to read alongside him. 14
• Her elders tolerate her library rule-breaking partly because her interest in study is so unusual. 14
• She dislikes Chen Fan calling her “Aunt-Master Qin” and asks him to simply call her Ziyan. 23