Xu Qingxiao

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Xu Qingxiao (许清宵)
Alias(es)	Xu Shouren 144; Xu Wangu 60; Master Xu 88
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Great Wei; Shouren Academy; School of the Mind 88 97 311
Occupation/Role	Former Ping’an County constable; scholar, educator, and reformer; Ministry of Punishment section chief and Censorate member; later Vice Minister of Revenue 21 94 95 144
Titles	Marquis of Pacification; later King of Pacification; Buddhist Order’s World-Honored One 201 257 269
Cultivation	Second Sage in Confucianism; First Rank in the Martial, Immortal, and Buddhist Daos 273 284 311
Status	Deceased in the main-story finale 311
Origin	Transmigrator with memories of a previous life; begins his new life in Ping’an County 31 250 311

Power Progression

Ranks descend numerically as cultivation advances. Entries marked confirmed establish his attained level without showing the original breakthrough.

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Martial Dao — Tenth Rank, Body Nurturing	5	Practices the Golden Crow Body Tempering Art for fifteen minutes, nearly completing the rank. His inner Literary Palace destroys the resulting Golden Crow killing intent.
Confucian Dao — Tenth Rank, Qi-Nurturing	14	Attains the rank after reading sixteen books; Zhou Ling confirms his literary qi.
Confucian foundation — expanded Literary Pool	19	Engraving Song of Righteousness expands his pool from three feet to 360 feet, produces supreme purple Haoran qi, and creates a Sage Artifact embryo and the innate “Speech” ability.
Confucian Dao — Ninth Rank	38	Confirmed to have advanced through literary qi received after composing Man Jiang Hong at Li Xin’s banquet.
Confucian Dao — Eighth Rank	254	Retrospectively described as attained within one month of beginning Confucian cultivation.
Great Sun Sacred Body	74 75	Absorbs the defeated Golden Crow’s divinity after a dangerous breakthrough guided by Zhaoge. Gains greatly improved cultivation speed and senses.
Martial Dao — Ninth Rank, Meridian Condensation	76	Uses the completed Taiyin Meridian Condensation Art to form a flood-dragon qi meridian. Golden Crow and flood-dragon power combine into yin-yang inner qi extending ten feet.
Confucian Dao — Seventh Rank; Establishing One’s Words	88	Establishes the School of the Mind and his interpretation of unity of knowledge and action. Heaven and earth acknowledge him as their student.
Martial Dao — second qi vein perfected	96	Opens and perfects his second qi vein over three days after Prince Huaiping’s attack.
Martial Dao — peak Ninth Rank	112	Completes three qi veins. Delays opening his dantian because he lacks a suitable Eighth-Rank method and wants to stabilize his foundation.
Confucian Dao — Sixth Rank, confirmed	121	His stronger Confucian cultivation suppresses his Ninth-Rank martial cultivation, making ordinary training almost ineffective.
Martial Dao — Eighth Rank, Dantian	121	Uses the Great Luo Elixir Origin Art and the people’s faith to form an eighteen-hundred-zhang dantian.
Confucian Dao — Grand Confucian	155 157	Recognized as having reached Grand Confucian standing within approximately half a year.
Martial Dao — Seventh Rank	157	Takes a Seventh-Rank Realm-Breaking Pill and undergoes a profound physical transformation.
Immortal Dao — Tenth Rank, Qi Guidance	159	Completes qi sensing, guidance, circulation, and absorption in two hours under Lu Ziying’s supervision.
Confucian milestone — understanding the Heavenly Mandate	196	Publicly declares his understanding of the Heavenly Mandate during the confrontation over his alleged unorthodox cultivation.
Confucian Dao — Fourth Rank, confirmed	201	Already holds this rank when he prepares to strengthen his Martial Dao.
Martial Dao — Sixth Rank, Body Shedding	201	Advances using a Sixth-Rank Realm-Breaking Pill before immediately pursuing the next rank.
Martial Dao — Fifth Rank, Divine Ability	201	Uses Realm-Breaking and Foundation Establishment Pills; spends seven days completing a perfect breakthrough.
Martial Dao — Fourth Rank, King Realm	204	Boundless vital energy and his true-dragon meridian transform his power into king dao true qi. Conceals the breakthrough as a reserve advantage.
Confucian Dao — Third Rank, Half-Saint	218	Attains Half-Saint standing during the Literary Palace conflict and faces tribulation lightning.
Martial Dao — Third Rank	218	Uses the tribulation lightning to repair deficiencies and perfect his body. Martial power can now combine with heaven-and-earth power and Haoran qi.
Immortal Dao — Eighth Rank, Spirit Building, confirmed	234	Reveals his attained level to disciples of the Immortal Sects.
Immortal Dao — Third Rank, Jade Clarity	242 254	Inscribes the Heaven and Earth Ancient Scripture, identified with the Dao De Jing, and advances five ranks.
Buddhist Dao — Third Rank, Bodhi	257	Tathagata’s True Form names him World-Honored One and grants immense Buddhist power.
Four paths — Third-Rank perfection	257	Buddhist collective thought-power brings his Martial and Immortal cultivation to perfection, matching his Confucian and Buddhist paths. Deliberately postpones Second Rank.
Martial, Immortal, and Buddhist Daos — Second Rank	270	Releases accumulated popular will, faith, and Daoist energy; reaches Martial Dao Supremacy, Taiqing, and Awakening respectively. Further efforts bring his realms to their Second-Rank limits, but not First Rank.
Confucian Dao — Second Sage	273	His Second Sage Mark fully forms. Great Sage intent and heaven-and-earth power seal, but cannot eradicate, the Three Demon Mark.
Buddhist Dao — First Rank, Right Awakening	284	Makes forty-eight great vows and first advances through his strongest foundation, Buddhist Dharma. Gains the Seal of Ten Thousand Buddhas.
Martial Dao — First Rank, Martial Emperor	284	Golden dragons transform his meridians, blood, and body, completing his martial breakthrough.
Immortal Dao — First Rank, Void Immortal	284	The Dao De Jing brands itself within him; he crosses an immortal gate and transforms his primordial spirit and flesh.
Sage path — incomplete	298 311	Deepens his understanding but never becomes a Sage. Ultimately concludes that borrowed ideas and sayings cannot substitute for the required transformation of his own thought.

Background / History

Xu Qingxiao arrives in this world with memories of a previous life. His earlier experience accompanying superiors on business trips gives him practiced social skills, while his knowledge of classical poetry later supplies works that strengthen his cultivation and reputation 19 31.

His early survival is tied to Wu Yan’s attack and a cold poison expected to kill him within twenty-four hours. He turns to the forbidden Golden Crow Body Tempering Art, discovering that the Heaven and Earth Literary Palace within him can counter its murderous influence. The circumstances surrounding his survival and the people who directed him toward unorthodox cultivation later become central to his investigation 5 152 250.

Appearance

Xu is repeatedly described as exceptionally handsome, with a warm, approachable Confucian bearing. Fine scholarly clothing noticeably enhances his elegance and changes how others perceive him 31 132.

• Approachable presence: Unlike Hua Xingyun’s more imposing beauty, Xu’s appearance makes admirers feel comfortable approaching him 132.
• Heaven-bestowed attire: Receives a Confucian robe and jade crown when heaven and earth acknowledge his new teaching 88.
• Golden blood: His faintly golden blood destroys one hundred Spirit-Testing Talismans, preventing a conventional assessment of his immortal aptitude 159.

Personality

Xu combines a strong sense of justice with practical calculation. He pays ordinary citizens for damage caused during an investigation, defends constables threatened by scholarly authority, and treats the injured clerk Zhou Nan’s welfare as an official responsibility rather than a favor. His written principles emphasize restraint, punishment of wrongdoing, and fair judgment 21 30 83 101.

He understands that alliances often involve mutual benefit. His compliments, educational arrangements, merchant negotiations, and cultivation of Li Xian’s loyalty all serve strategic purposes. Nevertheless, he does not regard self-interest as incompatible with genuine friendship or respectful treatment 31 61 93 96 150.

His caution has limits. When convinced that a fundamental injustice must be answered, he may risk his career and safety rather than compromise. After executing Prince Huaiping, he maintains that the killing was right but acknowledges his impulsiveness and resolves to consider consequences more carefully 109 110.

Privately, Xu is humorous, appreciative of beauty, and capable of playful deception. He teases the Female Emperor through an unfinished note and impersonates a trapped ancient scholar when testing the Heavenly Speech Register. His affection for Luo Baiyi and Ji Ling also reveals a desire for companionship beneath his public responsibilities 111 124 221 311.

Abilities & Skills

Confucian Cultivation and Literary Power

Xu’s Haoran qi strengthens his writing, harms demons and evil spirits, and counters the corrupting effects of his unorthodox arts 14 20.

• Engraves peerless poetry to reshape his Literary Pool and generate literary artifacts 19.
• Produces words capable of affecting national fortune; his maxim about small good and evil deeds restores and increases Great Wei’s fortune 101.
• Possesses an innate divine ability represented by the character “Speech”; its exact effects are not established when it first appears 19.
• Uses a powerful primordial spirit to absorb formation knowledge and simulate technical processes mentally 247.

School of the Mind

Xu establishes his own Confucian school around unity of knowledge and action: genuine understanding must be expressed through conduct. His personal interpretation joins “Inner Sage and Outer King” with action against injustice 88.

• Presents sagehood as a path open to all, rather than the exclusive preserve of an established lineage 88.
• Refuses to abandon his convictions and join Sage Zhu’s school despite pressure from sympathetic Grand Confucians 96.
• Spreads his teaching through manifestations during his final months 311.

Heaven and Earth Literary Palace

The palace within Xu first manifests as a star-surrounded refuge whose righteous power destroys Golden Crow killing intent. Its inhabitants, including Zhaoge, become advisers and protectors 5 19 74.

• Suppresses unorthodox demonic influences and contains them through the Demon and Monster Compendium 76.
• Helps conceal his martial strength alongside popular will and Haoran qi 204.
• Can resist a Sage Artifact, but doing so exhausts Zhaoge and Evil-Breaker and leaves them asleep 150.
• Does not provide a permanent solution to the Three Demon Mark 273.

Martial Cultivation and Sacred Physique

Xu develops a flawless martial foundation through unorthodox arts, Foundation Establishment Pills, and tribulation tempering. Wu Ming identifies him as possessing the legendary flawless physique 201 202 218.

• Great Sun Sacred Body: Greatly accelerates cultivation and improves all six senses; he can hear activity within three hundred meters after its formation 75.
• Yin-yang inner qi: Combines Golden Crow sharpness with flood-dragon force, initially extending ten feet at Ninth Rank 76.
• Golden Crow Dragon-Slaying Divine Ability: Emphasizes speed, ruthlessness, and precision 76.
• Great sun golden flame and true-dragon transformation: Further strengthen his body, heart, and meridians before his King Realm breakthrough 204.
• Limit: His practical combat experience initially lags far behind his cultivation, even when he reaches First Rank 204 285.

Cultivation Across Multiple Systems

Xu cultivates the Confucian, Martial, Immortal, and Buddhist Daos, eventually reaching First Rank in the latter three 257 284.

• Combines Third-Rank martial power with Haoran qi for a major increase in strength 218.
• Uses Buddhist thought-power to strengthen other cultivation paths 257.
• Draws Martial Dao energy directly from the people’s faith 121.
• Limit: Stronger Confucian cultivation can suppress his weaker Martial Dao and stall ordinary training 121.

Three Demon Mark

The Three Demon Mark grants Xu authority over terrifying demonic beings but threatens his consciousness and survival 269 293 311.

• Compels the seven Demon Gods to return to the Sea Eye 269.
• Causes Nine-Headed Fiend Beasts to submit, allowing him to command them 293.
• Absorbs the demonic qi afflicting Wu Ming 288.
• Becomes fused with his spirit; Second Sage power can isolate it but cannot remove it 273.
• Its eventual awakening leaves him with only months to live 311.

Other Techniques

• Dream-Entering Art: Uses the technique at least once and resolves to improve his handling of dreams for future use against enemies 60.
• Hair-Gazing Qi Reading: Plans to examine Cheng Lidong’s hair to determine whether he practices unorthodox arts 60.
• Rapid study: Reads tens of thousands of books at Bailu Academy and later studies extensive formation and medicinal collections 40 124 238.

Investigation and Political Strategy

Xu identifies inconsistencies in official accounts, evaluates factional interests, and uses carefully framed rhetoric to gain room to act 90 97 102.

• Recognizes that the first Pingqiu investigators’ deaths and madness suggest intimidation or deliberate silencing 102.
• Uses a seemingly apologetic letter to expose the Confucian faction’s hypocrisy without openly defying the sovereign 90.
• Builds educational ties with military families while setting firm limits on their interference 93 94.
• Uses competing merchant ambitions and inspector positions to secure waterwheel supplies and political support 150.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Golden Crow Body Tempering Art — Forbidden yang cultivation manual; his initial route into the Martial Dao and the basis of his Great Sun Sacred Body 5 74.
• Taiyin Meridian Condensation Art — Forbidden yin art completed with Zhaoge’s help; produces his flood-dragon meridian 76.
• Great Luo Elixir Origin Art — Eighth-Rank unorthodox method used to open his enormous dantian 121.
• Pill Deity Ancient Scripture — Sentient Immortal Dao Artifact taking the form of a three-legged furnace; refines pills and advises him on materials, ancient history, and dangerous creatures 77 292.
• Spring and Autumn Brush, Exhortation Ruler, Eight Desolations Bell, Heavenly Speech Register, and Gentleman’s Sword — Five literary artifacts brought out for tempering by tribulation lightning 218.
• Heavenly Speech Register — Sends messages to a random person within one hundred li, or a chosen person if Xu possesses their hair or blood 124.
• Haoran Literary Bell — Protects him during breakthroughs and exploration of the Central Continent Immortal Treasury 204 292.
• Central Continent Dragon Cauldron — National divine artifact that disperses demonic qi and enables him to survive Daoist Qingjing’s lethal strike 285 292.
• Realm-Breaking and Foundation Establishment Pills — Support rapid advancement while preserving the quality of his cultivation foundation 157 201.
• Heavenly Edicts — Granted after his punishment over Prince Huaiping, providing direct access to the Female Emperor 110.
• Protective talisman from Luo Baiyi — Accepted before leaving Great Wei to address his unorthodox cultivation 263.

Reforms and Inventions

Project	Contribution and documented results
Waterwheels	Designs irrigation waterwheels and asks Li Xin to test them. Southern Yu’s initial trial increases harvests by 40 percent; later reports include a quadrupled first-season harvest in one poor prefecture 90 123 202.
Agricultural development	Proposes seeds and tools supplied on credit, reclamation of unused land, improved crops, and eventual fertilizer production. Requests reports on unusual rice varieties 90 123 159 202.
Great Wei Money House	Treats improved agricultural productivity as the foundation for a broader financial proposal 90.
Shouren Academy	Establishes a school in the capital, initially teaches noble children, and later opens the academy to all citizens 94 97 311.
Divine Martial Cannons	Pursues Chen Shu’s flawed Heavenly Thunder Boom as a practical weapon, studying how to combine otherwise incompatible formations 234 238 247.
Treasury armaments	Completes 1,500 Divine Martial Cannons, 200 Immortal Gold Cannons, and ten Celestial God Cannons; strengthens the latter with Sage power against demons 298.
Spirit rice	Harvests seed-bearing ears from more than ten thousand mu in the Immortal Treasury to improve Great Wei’s future food supply 298.
Final institutional reforms	Great Wei introduces standardized Treasure Notes and uses the Grace Extension Edict to bring regional princes under imperial control during his final months 311.

Relationships

• Zhou Ling — Confucian teacher and early protector. Supplies examination books, recruits Chen Xinghe to guide him, and later provides historical clues for the true Martial Emperor’s treasury 20 23 224.
• Chen Xinghe — Senior fellow disciple, loyal companion, and affectionate rival. Protects him from Cheng Lidong, rushes to defend him in the capital, and struggles with being overshadowed by his achievements 23 110 111 130.
• Zhaoge — Adviser within the Heaven and Earth Literary Palace. Guides dangerous breakthroughs and repeatedly helps restrain demonic influences 74 76 269.
• Evil-Breaker — Literary Palace ally willing to exhaust his strength defending Xu against a Sage Artifact 150.
• Wu Ming — First-Rank martial master. Protects Xu from the Literary Palace, teaches him about cultivation systems, and remains with him for his final sacrifice 206 311.
• Ji Ling / Female Emperor — Sovereign, political patron, and mutual romantic interest. Their conflict over Huaiping gives way to reconciliation and growing attachment; Xu avoids a final meeting because of his impending death 110 123 259 311.
• Luo Baiyi / Miss White Robe — Close companion who offers him peace and affection. He names her and arranges her freedom; their bond collapses during the Three Demon Mark investigation, after which she dies by suicide. The finale overturns the belief that she planted the mark 144 201 288 311.
• Li Xin — Close friend and intermediary. Helps investigate Cheng Lidong, supports him through scholarly controversy, and oversees the initial waterwheel tests 60 61 82 90.
• Wang Ru — Scholarly friend and social guide. Introduces him to influential acquaintances and defends him against distorted rumors 30 31 132.
• Yang Bao and Yang Hu — Officers who become trusted friends and subordinates. Their loyalty grows from his integrity and willingness to defend them 30 97 98.
• Duke of An — Military patron and ally. Defends Xu at court and entrusts his grandson Li Fan to Xu’s teaching 87 93 94.
• Chen Zhengru — Chancellor and respected Confucian teacher. Initially wary of Xu’s presumed military politics, later defends him; Xu acts against Ji Yuan after the prince severely injures Chen 101 261 262.
• Chen Xin — Sympathetic Grand Confucian of Sage Zhu’s lineage. Advises Xu to moderate his conduct and protects him from Huaiping, despite disagreeing with his independent school 94 96.
• Li Xian — Palace eunuch whose loyalty Xu earns through respectful treatment. Xu considers him a foundation for a force supporting imperial authority 95 96.
• Zhao Wan’er — Imperial attendant and friendly intermediary. Exchanges teasing compliments with Xu; he declines the Emperor’s proposed marriage between them 95 111 123.
• Shui Yunyan — Immortal Sect holy maiden contacted through the Heavenly Speech Register. Believes his invented story about a trapped ancient scholar and searches for rare ingredients to help him 124.
• Lu Ziying — Immortal Dao instructor, initially skeptical of Xu’s aptitude. Later treats him with respect and introduces him to other sect disciples 157 159 234.
• Daoist Wuchen and Huixin — Trusted allies who help restore Xu during his demonic loss of control and assist in guarding the Sea Eye 269.
• Cheng Lidong — Persistent pursuer who suspects Xu’s forbidden cultivation, seeks cooperation, and ultimately submits an accusation against him 21 38 150.
• Prince Huaining — Political adversary who obstructs the waterwheel project and exploits allegations of unorthodox cultivation 130 152 269.
• Xunzi — Apparent adviser ultimately revealed as the mastermind who planted the Three Demon Mark and sought to revive the Fierce Gods 250 311.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Survival and the Prefectural Examination

• Survives his first forbidden-art practice through the Literary Palace’s intervention, then begins balancing martial training with Confucian study 5 14.
• Investigates Wu Yan’s booklet, whose hidden message names Ping’an County, while Cheng Lidong keeps him under suspicion 20 21.
• Travels to Southern Yu with Chen Xinghe, builds friendships, and gains widespread fame through Man Jiang Hong 30 31 37 38.
• Places first in the Prefectural Examination but becomes preoccupied with the punishment of ordinary people connected to the scholarly dispute surrounding him 83.

Founding the School of the Mind

• His clash with Yan Lei becomes a national court controversy. The Female Emperor gives him three days to clarify his guiding doctrine 87.
• Establishes unity of knowledge and action as his own teaching, receives heaven-and-earth recognition, and earns the public salute “Master Xu” 88.
• Returns to Ping’an County in celebration, thanks Zhou Ling, funds local development, and leaves for the capital 90.

The Pingqiu Relief Case

• Enters the Ministry of Punishment and receives a politically dangerous case involving twenty million missing taels and the deaths of Prefect Zhang Nantian’s family 95 97.
• Counters institutional obstruction, protects his subordinates, and discovers that early investigators were killed, driven mad, or intimidated 98 100 101 102.
• Executes Prince Huaiping despite the court’s preference for a political settlement involving the Qilin Military Tally 109 110.
• Is removed from office, demoted to a clerk, and placed under house arrest for a month, but retains imperial favor and receives Heavenly Edicts 110.

Reform and Conflict with the Literary Palace

• Reconciles with Ji Ling after her apology and develops the waterwheel rollout into a national agricultural project 123 130.
• Faces coordinated attempts to expose his unorthodox cultivation, including Prince Huaining’s public accusation and the use of a Sage Artifact against him 150 152 195.
• Accepts Wu Ming as his martial master and gains access to Sage Zhu’s handwritten volumes through the master’s intervention 206.
• Survives tribulation lightning, strengthens both his Confucian and Martial Daos, and continues searching for a remedy to the demonic danger within him 218 224.

Buddhist Debate and the Returning Prince

• Develops the Divine Martial Cannon while preparing for a major doctrinal debate with the Buddhist Order 247 252.
• Wins recognition as World-Honored One, advances across four cultivation paths, and helps initiate the Dragon Cauldron’s transformation 256 257.
• Proposes receiving and verifying the Former Emperor’s surviving son while granting him a territorial title away from the capital 259.
• Defeats Ji Yuan after the prince injures Chen Zhengru, forces a public apology, and confines him at the Court of Judicial Review 261 262 263.

Demon Domain Exposure and First Rank

• His attempt to resolve his unorthodox cultivation leads to a demonic manifestation that exposes his condition to the world 263 269.
• Regains control with help from Huixin, Wuchen, and Zhaoge; commands the Demon Gods back into the Sea Eye and supplies scriptures to maintain its defenses 269.
• Reaches Second Rank, seals the Three Demon Mark through Second Sage power, and later attains First Rank in three cultivation systems 270 273 284.
• Destroys the Seven Stars Dao Sect’s defenses and kills Daoist Qingjing. Spares the disciples’ lives on the condition that they abandon their cultivation and sect identity 285.

Luo Baiyi and the Hidden Conspiracy

• Suspects Luo Baiyi of planting the Three Demon Mark and confronts her. She admits acting under orders but refuses to identify the people who raised her; Xu spares her and leaves 287 288.
• Learns of her suicide before departing Great Wei and returns to the Peach Blossom Nunnery in grief 288 289.
• The finale reveals that the belief about Luo planting the mark was false: Xunzi was its true source 311.

Central Continent Immortal Treasury

• Enters a hidden treasury containing spirit gold, immortal gold, rare beasts, and abundant pill ingredients 292.
• Uses the Three Demon Mark to command pursuing Nine-Headed Fiend Beasts, turning a lethal chase into a large-scale collection of resources 293.
• Produces pills, cannons, and rice supplies for Great Wei, then chooses the dangerous Calamity Road rather than wait ten years for safe passage 298.

Final Sacrifice

• Eliminates the Prince of Yongping and confronts Xunzi, who admits planning civilization’s destruction to secure recognition as a Sage in a future age 311.
• With the Three Demon Mark awakening, spends his remaining months supporting Great Wei and spreading his school rather than deepening his relationship with Ji Ling 311.
• On the third anniversary of his arrival, returns to Ping’an County, severs his heart meridians, and asks Wu Ming to take his body to the Demon Domain 311.
• Disperses his Second Sage power and literary qi throughout the world, hoping to make possible the appearance of two Sages five hundred years later, and dies beneath the moon 311.
• His voice appears in the Dust Realm in the subsequent side story; the supplied passage does not establish the circumstances of that appearance 312.

Notable Quotes

“Had heaven not brought forth me, Xu Qingxiao, the Confucian Dao would be an endless night.” 40

“Do not commit an evil merely because it is small; do not neglect a good merely because it is small.” 101

“Where there is a will, there is a way.” 196

“Today, I attain the First Rank.” 284