Dongfang Minghui

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Dongfang Minghui (东方明惠)
Alias(es)	Qian Minghui; Tong Yao; Jian Tong Yao; Ninth Sister; Ninth Young Miss; Jiu’er; Little Nine 5 22 93 307 550
Species/Race	Bears the Longevity Tribe’s last surviving bloodline in her original host body; later possesses a Dragonfolk body 285 555
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Dongfang Family; Royal Academy’s Medicine Department, also called the Pharmacy Division; later welcomed into Qian Wanyu’s family 25 26 93 365
Occupation/Role	Herb attendant turned junior pharmacist/potionist; potion-maker and healer; student of Thieving Hands; addressed as “Shaman” by Beastfolk and Dragonfolk 26 32 46 73 366 436
Spiritual Attribute	Wood 153 235 436
Partner	Qian Wanyu; their relationship receives Qian Yiling’s acceptance, and they discuss marriage 108 365 518
Status	Alive in the supplied later chapters 550 555

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Level-One Spirit Practitioner	4	Her starting cultivation had stagnated through years of inferiority and resistance toward her plant affinity.
Level-Two Spirit Practitioner	4	Breaks through using plant essence obtained by bargaining with a peony for its stamens.
Level-Three Spirit Practitioner	14	Advances shortly before losing consciousness in the magical plant’s cave; the plant’s nourishing presence completes her pending breakthrough without using the red peony’s flower core.
Level-One Spirit Master	14	Wakes healed after the lightning-injured magical plant forms a blood contract with her.
Level-Two Spirit Master	32	An insight into balancing ingredients with strong and weak Spiritual Power triggers a breakthrough during her junior pharmacist assessment.
Ninth-Level Spirit Master	73	Combines needle practice with Thieving Hands’ training, opens twenty-eight hand acupoints, and masters the First Essential Formula of Goddess Scatters Flowers. The passage describes her starting rank as first-level despite the earlier second-level breakthrough.
Great Spirit Master	74	Attributes her recent advancement to insight gained from the Thieving Hands Skill; the exact level is not stated.
Further advancement; level unspecified	103	Her Spiritual Power advances during intimacy with Qian Wanyu.
Fifth-Level Great Spirit Master	105	Abundant Spiritual Power pushes her up another level despite repeated attempts to compress and suppress it. Blood begins seeping from her body.
Ninth-Level Great Spirit Master	147	Reaches this level while suppressing her cultivation. Wanyu confirms that her unusually pure Spiritual Power makes another advancement possible.
Advancement; resulting level unspecified	271	Pure Wood-type energy in elven territory circulates naturally through her body, widens her meridians, and produces green light across dozens of miles.
First-Level Spirit King	272	Advances from Spirit Warrior after a little over a month cultivating beneath the Tree of Life. The supplied context does not date her earlier entry into Spirit Warrior.
Fifth-Level Spirit King	329	Repeated advancements result from the mutual nourishment between her Spiritual Power and the Dragon-Trapping Seal during three years in Dragon-Trapping Valley.
Advancement; resulting level unspecified	332	Occurs while she consciously confronts Little Color’s powerful sealing energy in the Deep Pool.

Background / History

Transmigration and the original Ninth Miss

Minghui is a transmigrator occupying the body of the Dongfang Family’s Ninth Young Miss. She knows the world as a book and recognizes Wanyu as its heroine, along with several men connected to Wanyu’s expected future. She had studied medicine before arriving, but must learn the unfamiliar medicinal plants of this world 5 12 50 285 533.

The body’s former owner was the daughter of Qin Qin, Father Dongfang’s favored Second Concubine. Initially regarded as a prodigy, the Ninth Miss changed temperament after returning from a Spiritual Power test at the main family. She subsequently played cruel tricks on Wanyu and other sisters while remaining favored within the household 93.

The transmigrated Minghui inherits the consequences of that behavior. Her early priority is to survive Wanyu’s anticipated revenge by changing the heroine’s opinion of her and eventually accompanying her outside the estate 2 5.

Longevity Tribe heritage

Minghui learns from inherited white silk that her host body carries the Longevity Tribe’s last bloodline, together with a duty to punish the tribe’s betrayers. She struggles with whether occupying the body obliges her to fulfill the original owner’s responsibilities 285.

She later tells Wanyu that the tribe began when a spirit herb assumed humanoid form, married a human man, and bore a child whose true form remained a spirit herb. The family left their homeland and founded the Longevity Tribe, named for the spirit herb’s extraordinary lifespan 293.

Appearance

• Cultivation makes her complexion fairer and her skin smoother; she notices the change herself and begins practicing more enthusiastically 40.
• A power backlash temporarily returns her to an eight-year-old appearance. After recovering, she regains her older form 307 352.
• Wanyu considers both pale and bright clothing suitable for her lively appearance; Minghui herself pays little attention to clothing 87.
• By the later Jian Tong Yao chapters, she has wide, innocent eyes and a Dragonfolk body 550 555.

Personality

Minghui is anxious, talkative, and quick to imagine disastrous consequences. Early encounters with Wanyu leave her trembling, apologizing, or crouching dejectedly in corners. She frequently interprets their interactions through the language of a story, worrying about the heroine’s “affection score” and the consequences of disrupting the expected plot 3 11 27 50.

Her fear does not prevent defiance. She protects Wanyu’s concealed abilities, refuses the magical plant’s demand that she become its cultivation vessel, and challenges Xu Lian’s accusations by demanding evidence. She can also be calculating: her apparent obedience to Lizhu conceals a retaliatory scheme 2 3 14 30.

Compassion increasingly overrides self-preservation. She insists on rescuing Nan Nan, shields the hostile Bai Lu from a whip strike, returns for the dying Lü Xing, and frees captive spirit herbs even while needing one for medicine. Her treatment of sentient plants emphasizes negotiation and care rather than treating them solely as ingredients 22 54 183 235.

She is persistent but cautious about cultivation. Repeatedly suppressing breakthroughs becomes a habit, partly because she fears an unstable foundation or conflict with sealed power. In practical training, losing to Thieving Hands’ young pupils motivates her to work harder rather than dismiss their abilities 73 147 153 271 551.

Abilities & Skills

Plant Communication and Wood-Type Power

• Communicates emotions and simple requests to plants, initially with only limited success among lower-level species 12 13.
• Negotiates for ingredients without uprooting or destroying the entire plant, including peony stamens, medicinal leaves, and rubber-tree sap 4 24 52.
• Learns local history from wild grass and receives information through trees 24 50 179.
• Calms hostile vines with a green sphere of Spiritual Power; spirit herbs sometimes regard her as one of their own 237 417.
• Uses Wood-type power and spirit companions in combat, notably while freeing captive child immortal bodies at Luno Swamp 235.

Medicine and Potion Refining

• Identifies all ten herbs perfectly in the first stage of her junior pharmacist assessment 30.
• Learns through experimentation that strong and weak Spiritual Power must be balanced when combining medicinal ingredients 32.
• Diagnoses poisoning by questioning patients carefully; defeats Xu Lian in a practical medical assessment by treating the actual cause rather than assuming it 32.
• Produces Marrow-Cleansing Pills that ease Li Yunan’s lingering lightning injuries and stir his previously stagnant Spiritual Power 48 50.
• Uses Love Blossom’s knowledge to counter Three-Day Drunk with its natural enemy, a Swallowing Silkworm 60.
• Develops treatments for living-dead poison and investigates a sixteen-plant Cold Condensation Incense formula that may control the Living Dead 460 473.
• Her black-mist experiments initially yield a successful treatment for Toothless, but later failures expose a likely mixed-sample problem rather than a reliable cure based on Little Color’s vine juice alone 103.

*Goddess Scatters Flowers*

• Practices leaf-projectile attacks under Wanyu’s supervision; controlling fewer leaves increases striking force 48.
• Uses the Flying Leaf technique for practical tasks, including cutting wood for Toothless’s nest 52.
• Applies Thieving Hands’ hand-speed and eyesight exercises to Flying Needles, triggering an enlightenment 73.
• Opens all twenty-eight acupoints in her hands and masters the First Essential Formula; her strengthened needles can pierce a wall at a distance 73.
• Later combines poisoned needles, vines, and her umbrella against dangerous opponents 152 179 288.

Thieving Hands Training

• Trains in obstacle courses and exercises targeting hand speed, eyesight, and escape ability 73.
• Leaves recognizable Thief-Hand marks around Dream Capital to guide Wanyu’s search party 130.
• Uses deception and disguises during infiltration; she steals likely Heaven-Mixing Pills and their formula from the Cheng Residence 83 94.
• Her formal discipleship is discussed separately from her training: she calls Thieving Hands “Master,” while he still proposes arranging the acceptance formalities 95.

Restorative Blood and Life Force

• Heals unusually rapidly, drawing Wanyu’s attention to her physical recovery and heightened perception 152.
• Lü Xing identifies extraordinary restorative vitality in her blood and suggests it helped restore Blockhead’s sanity 183.
• Cuts her wrist and feeds Lü Xing her blood after he burns his life force protecting her 183.
• Nourishes Little Sprout with blood essence 179.
• Uses blood, life force, and plant companions to resist Meng Yixiao’s occupation of Wanyu’s soul sea 189.
• Treats the Dragon God using medicinal baths containing her blood, Qian Ziyan’s blood, and spirit herbs 436.
• Using herself as medicine is dangerous enough that Wanyu explicitly forbids it when Aunt Mo needs treatment 235.

Soul-Sea Practice and Dual Cultivation

• Discovers that she can practice a skill within her Soul Sea 40.
• Possesses exceptionally pure Spiritual Power that can mingle harmoniously with Wanyu’s power during dual cultivation 85 147 153.
• Merges Spiritual Power and soul seas with Wanyu to expel Meng Yixiao’s invading soul 189.
• Later practices dual cultivation through the soul sea while sitting beside Wanyu and holding hands 371.

Practical and Communication Skills

• Improves her cooking while living in the Purple Demon Mountains and learns magic-beast anatomy through butchering 12.
• Makes medicines and food for traveling companions; her dried fish becomes especially popular with Sister-in-law Hua’s household and Ding Ding 34 52 299 464.
• Communicates through blinking while unable to speak and becomes an effective interpreter of Little Mute’s gestures during her deafness 78 285.
• Sketches fleeting terrain maps revealed by the Eye of Truth, preserving essential route information before the images disappear 364 365.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Heart-Guarding Mirror — Automatically protects her by reflecting incoming force. Its rebound is described as twice the applied force; it shields her during cultivation, a medical examination of Situ Hao, and the underwater spider battle 105 153 288.
• Silver needles and poisoned needles — Used for Flying Needles practice and combat 73 152 179.
• Plum Blossom Nails — Recognized as connected to Thieving Hands; used to crack the cylinder imprisoning a defective passion-flower seed 91 95.
• Umbrella — A combat tool used against disguised attackers and the many-eyed spider 179 288.
• Spatial Ring and separate storage spaces — Hold medicines, herbs, and companions. She separates Toothless and Love Blossom to keep them from fighting 24 60.
• Love Entwined — An accessory worn at her waist 103.
• Jade Token — Records her Spirit Stone balance and identifies her as a junior potionist with a medicinal-herb emblem 46.
• Heavenly Sound Helmet — Used as Little Sprout’s planter. Little Color suspects its tempering in the Soul Refining Furnace contributed to Little Sprout developing two souls 179 233 272.
• Inherited white silk — Preserves images concerning her ancestry; she learns fabric identification and Revealing Water preparation from the Elf Empress to uncover them 285 293.
• Dragon-Trapping Seal — Located in her palm; its mutual nourishment with her power contributes to repeated advancement 307 329.
• Lü Xing’s Brocade Box — Entrusted to her with a Tree of Life root fragment. She later discovers that the Empress has replaced its contents 183 272.
• Heaven-Mixing Pills and formula — Stolen to help Wanyu conceal her dark-type power; the formula may be incomplete 79 83 85.
• Light-Soul Bell — Given to her by Chu Lingge, whom she also asks to help cleanse Little Sprout’s baleful energy 480.

Relationships

Family, Partner, and Teachers

• Qian Wanyu / Dongfang Wanyu — Initially her hostile Seventh Sister within the Dongfang household, later her lover. Wanyu is not a Dongfang by birth. Minghui explicitly confesses that she likes Wanyu alone, and both remain committed despite family objections 5 108 365.
• Qin Qin — The original body’s mother and Father Dongfang’s favored Second Concubine. She cares deeply about Minghui’s injuries; Minghui later distinguishes her own attachment from that of the former owner 2 93 366 489.
• Father Dongfang — Favors the Ninth Miss and praises “Jiu’er” for proposing escorts for Wanyu’s academy journey 5 93.
• Dongfang Lizhu — Fourth Sister and early manipulator. Minghui turns Lizhu’s scheme against her, but later learns that Lizhu was a hidden pawn whose apparent defeat was more complicated than it seemed 3 4 126 584.
• Cui’er — Trusted attendant who assists with errands, guards Minghui’s breakthrough, and helps carry out the counterplot against Lizhu 2 3 4.
• Situ Hongying — Medicine Department dean, demanding potion mentor, and protector. Recognizes her ability, recruits her as an assistant, and defends her against accusations of dark-type conspiracy 30 34 79.
• Thieving Hands / Thief-Hand — Teacher whose training sharpens her speed, precision, and escape skills. Minghui wants to repay his guidance with hospitality and continue studying under him 73 74 95.
• Qian Yiling — Wanyu’s birth mother. Initially unsettled by their marriage plans, then accepts Minghui as family; Minghui shyly begins calling her “Mother” 354 365.
• Lance — Wanyu’s father, whom Minghui comes to address as “Father.” His limited lifespan adds urgency to the family’s wish to see the couple married 489 505 518.

Friends and Allies

• Lü Xing — Elf prince, fellow plant communicator, and loyal friend. Sacrifices his life force to protect her, reveals her blood’s vitality, and entrusts her with the Tree of Life fragment. She repeatedly seeks a way to save him 52 183 272.
• Qian Ziyan / Blockhead — Wanyu’s uncle, whom Minghui cares for while he is one of the Living Dead. She protects his secret and researches treatment; he later recovers his memories and supports the couple 130 134 344 365.
• Wei Junlan — Close friend and fellow transmigrator. Their teasing and apparent intimacy sometimes provoke Wanyu’s jealousy; Minghui also helps investigate Wei’s transformation and bloodline 108 237 293 533.
• Xuanzhu — Friend and fellow student under Thieving Hands. Watches over Minghui’s advancement, considers her a junior sister, and later requests her help obtaining plants for refining king-level undead 71 73 526.
• Nan Nan and Nan Fei — Siblings she helps despite the risk of offending Lu Peng. Minghui supports Nan Fei’s recovery and Nan Nan’s participation in the tournament 22 40 52.
• Li Yunan — Customer, ally, and unwanted romantic pursuer. Her pills ease his injuries; he supports her business and helps Wanyu enter the Qian residence to find her 48 50 106 134.
• Mu Sheng — Fellow Wood-type cultivator and dependable companion. Learns from her potion-making insights despite believing he lacks talent for the profession 69 153 460.
• Yong Xing — Helpful senior at White Angelica Garden whom she openly treats as a friend rather than merely a superior 32.
• Lien — Wounded Beastfolk boy she rescues and treats despite their initial language barrier. Later addresses her as “Shaman” and warns her about Mei Wu’s enchantment 189 366.

Spirit Companions

• Little Color — Powerful demon plant bound to her by a life-linked blood contract. Their relationship begins with captivity and coercion but develops into argumentative cooperation, cultivation guidance, and mutual protection 14 21 189 342.
• Toothless — Affectionate companion who calls her “Mommy.” Minghui investigates its origins, treats its black-mist-damaged forepaws, and remains distressed when it fights Wanyu 48 50 103 364.
• Love Blossom — Knowledgeable plant companion who advises her about poisons, disguises, and other spirit herbs. Eventually remains beside the Tree of Life to flower and produce seeds 60 85 235 272.
• Little Sprout — Ghost-Face Fruit she plants and nourishes. Later develops a red flower and yellow bud with two souls; Minghui seeks the Radiant Sword to cleanse its violent baleful energy 179 272 480.
• Pig Immortal Grass — Cunning plant companion with whom she bargains and bickers. Helps expel Meng Yixiao and rescues her from Mei Wu’s enchanted tea 103 189 366.
• Ding Ding — Weapon spirit associated with the Longevity Cauldron. Follows her herb gathering and learns by watching her refine pills; she often motivates it with dried fish 396 415 424 555.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Arc	Minghui’s role
Dongfang household conflicts	Protects Wanyu’s secret abilities, reverses Lizhu’s plot, begins developing plant affinity, and supports Wanyu’s departure for the Royal Academy 2 3 4 5.
Purple Demon Mountains	Encourages Mu Qing and Wang Fei’s wedding, becomes Wanyu’s cook and healer, and survives the magical plant’s coercion to acquire a blood contract and Spirit Master cultivation 11 12 14.
Royal Academy pharmacy	Starts as a herb attendant, disproves Xu Lian’s sabotage accusation, qualifies as a junior pharmacist, and begins living with Wanyu 26 30 32.
Nan Fei and Undead Valley	Accepts a dangerous medicinal-ingredient mission for Nan Fei’s paralysis and follows Wanyu into the valley despite her fear 40.
New Student Selection Tournament	Leads the Medicine Department students, handles Bai Lu’s hostility, and uses an unconventional antidote to salvage the medical round 52 54 60.
Thieving Hands training and recovery	Builds precision and escape skills, undergoes major advancement, then recovers movement and Spiritual Power after a severe backlash by studying star patterns and reopening foot acupoints 73 74 79.
Romance and Blood Fiend Alliance investigation	Accepts intimacy with Wanyu, reveals the stolen Heaven-Mixing Pills and formula, and helps infiltrate the Alliance to investigate its captive spirit herb 83 85 88 91.
Qian Family and Blade Mountain	Treats Qian Ziyan, reunites with Wanyu, refuses to abandon her during a monster attack, and guards her cultivation while they are trapped underground 134 152 153.
Inheritance conflict	Battles Qian Zhuoqian’s puppet body, returns to save Lü Xing, and enters Wanyu’s soul sea to help expel Meng Yixiao. Waits a year for Wanyu’s cultivation before a teleportation separates them again 183 189.
Beastfolk and spirit-herb rescue	Rescues Lien, earns acceptance through healing, seeks medicine for Aunt Mo, and frees more than a hundred captive spirit herbs 189 219 235.
Elf Homeland and ancestry	Cultivates beneath the Tree of Life, seeks help for Lü Xing, uncovers her Longevity Tribe heritage, and confides its history to Wanyu 272 285 293.
Dragon-Trapping Valley and marriage plans	Advances through nourishment from the seal, reunites with companions after years away, and receives Qian Yiling’s acceptance of her relationship with Wanyu 329 344 354 365.
Dragonfolk treatment and later potion research	Helps awaken the Dragon God, treats living-dead poison, and negotiates with Chu Lingge for help cleansing Little Sprout 436 460 480.
Qian Family threats	Faces Mo Lu’s warning and Wenren Liangzhi’s interest in the Elf Heart while assisting with herb cultivation and family investigations 507 514 537.
Later return as Jian Tong Yao	Returns to elven territory under this name, learns her former name from Wei Junlan, and resumes rapid cultivation with a Dragonfolk body 550 551 555.

Notable Quotes

“No. I did all this for myself. I don't want to keep foolishly letting her order me around.” 3

“But that isn't entirely true. Aren't I changing my own fate right now?” 11

“Life is unpredictable. No one knows what will happen in the next moment, so why not seize happiness while they can?” 11

“Don't leave me behind.” 20