Qiao Jiaxin

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Qiao Jiaxin (乔嘉欣)
Alias(es)	Miss Qiao; Faceless Ghost (posthumous manifestation)
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Hongfu Escort Agency
Occupation/Role	Daughter of Qiao Duanhong, chief of the Hongfu Escort Agency
Status	Deceased; her soul later manifests as a Faceless Ghost 17 36
First Appearance	Chapter 8

Background / History

Qiao Jiaxin travels with the Hongfu Escort Agency after insisting on accompanying her father’s escort job. Though the journey grows tedious, she remains entertained by small sights along the road and by teasing Liu Laodao about his fraudulent airs as the sole member of the “Dongxuan Sect.” 8

She meets Li Yunxin when he joins the caravan for one tael of silver. Struck by his appearance, she watches him with open curiosity; his lack of embarrassment and fascination with the outside world make him even more intriguing to her. 8

During the journey, Jiaxin becomes concerned that Liu Laodao is misleading Li Yunxin. After Li claims to be alone, she sympathizes with him and tries to dissuade him from joining Liu’s temple. She offers him shelter and work at the Hongfu Escort Agency instead, but Li declines because of his poor health. 9 10

The caravan is captured by the Six Ghosts of Hezhong and their associates. Jiaxin initially mistakes Li’s strategic surrender for cowardice, though she remains conflicted because he had pulled her behind him when the first swordsman attacked. 10 11

When Jiaxin and Qiao Sifu flee through the forest, she throws herself at their pursuer to save her brother. Qiao Sifu is killed in the attempt, while Li Yunxin uses painted phantoms and an ambush to kill the swordsman pursuing them. Jiaxin regains her composure, follows Li deeper into the forest, and resolves to help save the remaining escorts. 17

A second assassin kills Jiaxin with a thrust between her brows shortly afterward. 17

Posthumous Events

• A cat demon possesses Jiaxin’s corpse shortly after her death, finding the body unusually suitable because it retains spiritual energy. The demon moves and speaks through the corpse, though its behavior is childish and erratic. 21
• Li Yunxin brings the possessed body toward Weicheng and has the demon pass itself off as Jiaxin, who was supposedly frightened into mental instability by the massacre. 21 26 28
• Her corpse is severely damaged, with pierced organs and a torn abdomen; it is expected to decay unless Li finds a way to preserve or repair it. 27
• At the Qiao Household, the cat demon’s conduct causes Jiaxin’s relatives to suspect possession. It obeys Li Yunxin immediately when he calls Jiaxin’s name, despite behaving wildly in his absence. 30 31
• Jiaxin’s actual soul later appears at the Dragon King Temple as a blood-covered, faceless ghost bearing the same red forehead wound that killed her. When Li addresses the ghost by name, it flees north at unnatural speed. 36

Appearance

Qiao Jiaxin is a pretty, slender young woman with large eyes and a graceful figure. Her appearance immediately attracts Li Yunxin’s notice, while his own looks catch her attention when they first meet. 8 10

• Lovely facial features and a slender figure 21
• Large, jet-black eyes 21
• A distinctive girlish scent that allows Li Yunxin to recognize her in the forest 16
• Carries a slim sword concealed in her sleeve while traveling 10

Personality

Jiaxin is energetic, outspoken, and unrestrained by the reserved manners expected of a conventional young lady. Raised around martial artists and escort-agency personnel, she openly stares at boys her age, teases Liu Laodao, and says what she thinks. 8

Her boldness is tempered by consideration for others. She tries to keep Qiao Sifu from exposing Liu Laodao’s deception because she fears Li Yunxin would be embarrassed, then privately warns Li about the old Daoist instead. Her offer of work at the escort agency comes from genuine sympathy, even if she presents it as pity. 10

Jiaxin initially judges Li harshly for surrendering to the swordsmen and wishes he would show more outward courage. However, when confronted with genuine danger, she proves capable of controlling her fear. She follows Li’s instructions after Qiao Sifu’s death and accepts that surviving may help protect her father and the remaining escorts. 11 17

Abilities & Skills

Escort-Agency Training

Jiaxin has practical awareness of escort work and its dangers, having been taught that avoiding violence is preferable when submission can resolve a conflict. 10

• Carries a hidden sleeve sword for self-defense. 10
• Attempts to confront an armed swordsman despite being easily disarmed. 10
• Physically intervenes against a superior opponent to save Qiao Sifu. 17
• Has no demonstrated ability to match trained adult swordsmen in direct combat. 10 17

Equipment

• Concealed sleeve sword — A slim blade hidden in her right sleeve; it is knocked away by a swordsman during the caravan’s capture. 10

Relationships

• Qiao Duanhong — Her father and the chief of the Hongfu Escort Agency. He orders Jiaxin and Qiao Sifu to flee when the Six Ghosts prepare to massacre the captives. 8 14
• Qiao Sifu — Her fourth brother. He teases her over her interest in Li Yunxin, then dies while trying to escape with and protect her. 10 17
• Li Yunxin — A young traveler who joins her father’s caravan. Jiaxin is immediately attracted to him, worries that Liu Laodao is deceiving him, and offers him a place with her family. She later relies on him during their escape, shortly before her death. 8 10 17
• Liu Laodao — A familiar older painter whom Jiaxin openly mocks for his pretensions as head of the Dongxuan Sect. She distrusts his recruitment of Li Yunxin. 8 9
• Cat demon / Three-Flower Madam — Possesses Jiaxin’s corpse after her death and later uses it as a temporary body. The demon is compelled by Li Yunxin to imitate Jiaxin and remain under control. 21 24 31
• Qiao Jiaming — A hostile relative who covets Jiaxin, her inheritance, and the prospect of marrying her. He interprets her altered behavior and closeness to Li Yunxin as evidence of scandal. 31 32
• Qiao Wangshi and Qiao Liushi — Women of the Qiao Household who become frightened by the possessed Jiaxin’s abnormal behavior. 31 32

Story Role / Major Arcs

Hongfu Escort Agency Journey

Jiaxin provides Li Yunxin with his first personal connection to the Hongfu Escort Agency. Her interest in him breaks up the caravan’s routine and gives Li an ordinary human concern amid his efforts to evade cultivators and assassins. 8 10 11

Six Ghosts of Hezhong Attack

Captured alongside her family and the escorts, Jiaxin witnesses Li Yunxin’s apparent passivity before learning that the danger around him is far greater than she understood. Her courage during the forest escape contrasts with her earlier disappointment in him. 10 11 17

Death and Disrupted Reincarnation

Jiaxin’s murder becomes evidence that souls connected to Li Yunxin may not follow ordinary reincarnation. Her corpse is possessed by a cat demon, while her own spirit later appears independently as a Faceless Ghost, leaving her ultimate fate unresolved. 21 29 36

Trivia

• Jiaxin initially regrets joining the escort mission and thinks she would have enjoyed staying home to catch small fish and shrimp instead. 8
• She considers Li Yunxin handsome from their first meeting and becomes flustered whenever he calmly returns her attention. 8 10
• Her red forehead wound remains the key feature by which Li Yunxin identifies her Faceless Ghost after her death. 17 36