Ye Xiaolian

Biodata

Background / History

Imperial Background and the Treasure Map

Ye Xiaolian is a princess of the Chu Yun Empire whose father rules under the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect's control. The sect dictates even imperial succession, leaving the Imperial Family with authority largely in name alone 46.

She obtains a treasure map from a Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect disciple and intends to take it to her father. Although she knows it concerns the Great Beast Den, a burial ground for powerful magical beasts with special bloodlines, she cannot identify the depicted terrain. Sect members discover her possession of the map and pursue her 43 44 45.

Capture and Interrogation

After Xiao Yan kills her pursuers and their young sect master, he prevents Ye Xiaolian from leaving and questions her about the map. She initially conceals its destination, but his Interrogation Secret Art forces her to disclose it. He lowers her guard through numerous trivial questions before returning to the treasure 43 44.

Ye Xiaolian then hands over a rolled map containing a concealed blade. Xiao Yan detects the weapon, breaks her wrist, and holds the blade against her neck. She bites a hidden poison sac to kill herself rather than risk sexual violation, but he extracts the poison with his netherworld poison flame. Under further threats of sexual violence, she surrenders the genuine map 44 45.

Xiao Yan verifies the map through another interrogation and recognizes its route through the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Despite receiving it, he refuses to release her 45.

Agreement with Xiao Yan

Xiao Yan offers to strengthen the Chu Yun Imperial Family until it can rival the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect, demanding unconditional obedience in return. Ye Xiaolian objects that this would merely replace one controlling power with another. He claims that he will leave imperial governance alone and require only assistance when requested 46.

She accepts on the additional condition that he make her empress of the Chu Yun Empire, promising him the empire's obedience once she holds the throne. Xiao Yan agrees 46.

Three days later, she attempts to enter the newly opened Heavenly Scorpion Tomb Mansion. Xiao Yan stops her from rushing into its poisonous entrance and advises her to leave before the other treasure hunters turn their anger on her. Recognizing the danger, she promptly flees 47.

Pills and the Imperial Succession Crisis

After escaping the Heavenly Scorpion Tomb Mansion and making arrangements involving the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect, Xiao Yan seeks out Ye Xiaolian and gives her the pills he promised. He secretly adulterates every pill with ingredients capable of killing the entire army she is expected to build if she later attempts to betray him. Meanwhile, his manipulation of the tomb affair leaves the sect too preoccupied to attend to the Imperial Family, creating an opportunity for its rise 51.

To clear her path to the throne, Xiao Yan massacres the other current princes, princesses, vassal kings, and related imperial claimants. He also administers sterilizing drugs to the reigning emperor, empress, and consorts to prevent further heirs, and kills their relatives to prevent the consorts' families from seizing control of the court 51.

Xiao Yan conceals his own involvement and writes “The killer was Ye Xiaolian” at the murder scenes, framing her for the slaughter. He also places treasure plundered from other imperial family members' homes in her residence. The killings throw the Chu Yun Empire into chaos, while the narration anticipates her discovery of both the wealth and the reputation imposed upon her 51.

Xiao Yan then leaves the empire for the Tagor Desert. Although he has promised to help her deal with the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect, he expects her to prove her worth by making the Imperial Family rise before his return. He intends to discontinue their cooperation if she fails 51.

Historical Reputation

The narration states that Ye Xiaolian later becomes notorious in the history of the Chu Yun Empire, to the point that her name alone can stop children from crying. This reputation follows Xiao Yan's decision to attribute the imperial massacres to her; the killings are his actions, not a demonstrated act of violence by Ye Xiaolian herself 51.

Later Use of Her Treasure Map

The map taken from Ye Xiaolian remains in Xiao Yan's possession. He later intends to investigate the Great Beast Den but postpones the expedition while staying with Xiao Yi Xian. When he eventually returns to the Magical Beast Mountain Range, he follows the map, though changes to the terrain since its creation complicate his search 155 160.

Using the map together with repeated Soul Force scans, Xiao Yan locates the Great Beast Den beneath a lake and uncovers a Spatial Vortex under the lakebed. He questions how dying magical beasts could find such a concealed entrance and how a human could have produced the detailed map of their supposed resting place 162.

Appearance

• Clothing: Described as a green-clothed girl 44.
• Looks: Xiao Yan considers her reasonably pretty 45.

Personality

Ye Xiaolian is guarded and willing to use deception to protect her interests. She hides information about the map and attempts to deceive Xiao Yan with a concealed weapon. Her resistance is fierce: when disarmed, she chooses poison over the prospect of violation and looks at him with hatred 43 44 45.

Her ambition extends beyond freeing her family from the sect's dominance. She explicitly seeks the imperial throne for herself. Though initially distrustful of Xiao Yan's offer, she weighs its benefits, challenges his demand for obedience, and negotiates a condition before accepting 46.

She can also retreat decisively when she recognizes a danger beyond her ability to handle. At the tomb mansion, she promptly acts on Xiao Yan's warning that other powerful treasure hunters may turn against her 47.

Abilities & Skills

Movement Dou Techniques

Ye Xiaolian has cultivated unnamed, profound movement Dou Techniques despite her limited overall strength 43.

• They allow her to nearly escape the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect pursuers 43.
• They offer no reliable escape from Xiao Yan, whose demonstrated speed convinces her that he could kill her instantly 43.

Soul Force and Vulnerability

• Her soul force is weaker than that of alchemist apprentices, leaving her unable to resist Xiao Yan's Interrogation Secret Art 43.
• While controlled, she answers questions about her identity, personal habits, background, and treasure map 44 45.

Recognition of Alchemical Power

• Despite her meager strength, she recognizes that Xiao Yan's purple-black flame is much stronger than the flames of the alchemists retained by her family. This leads her to consider that his alchemy rank may far exceed theirs and that his offer to strengthen the Imperial Family may be feasible 46.

Power Progression

Equipment / Items

• Storage Ring — Holds her possessions, including the map she initially refuses to surrender 44.
• Great Beast Den treasure map — Obtained from a Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect disciple; seized by Xiao Yan after he confirms its authenticity 45. Exceptionally detailed but old enough that some marked routes have changed; later helps him locate a Spatial Vortex beneath a lake in the Magical Beast Mountain Range 160 162.
• Concealed map blade — Hidden inside a rolled map; discovered and confiscated by Xiao Yan 44 46.
• Poison sac — Concealed in her mouth and used in an unsuccessful suicide attempt 45.
• Pills supplied by Xiao Yan — Delivered as promised support for the Imperial Family's rise. All contain concealed adulterants intended to allow him to kill her future army if she turns against him 51.
• Plundered imperial treasure — Xiao Yan places wealth taken from the homes of other imperial family members in her residence after massacring them 51.

Relationships

• Xiao Yan — Kills her pursuers, then coerces and interrogates her. Their encounter ends in an agreement exchanging his support for her accession and the empire's obedience 43 44 45 46. He subsequently supplies adulterated pills, removes rival claimants through murder, and frames her for the killings. His continued support is conditional on her successfully strengthening the Imperial Family before his return 51.
• Her father — Emperor of Chu Yun and the intended recipient of the treasure map; constrained by the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect 45 46. Xiao Yan later sterilizes him and his empress and consorts to prevent the birth of further heirs competing with Ye Xiaolian 51.
• Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect — Controls her family's imperial authority and hunts her over the stolen map 43 45 46. Xiao Yan's arrangements surrounding the Heavenly Scorpion Tomb Mansion distract the sect, giving her an opportunity to strengthen the Imperial Family without its immediate interference 51.
• Other imperial family members and consorts' relatives — Xiao Yan massacres rival princes, princesses, vassal kings, and relatives to facilitate her succession, then publicly attributes the killings to her 51.

Notable Quotes

“How does that make you any different from a second Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect?” 46

“I want to become the empress of the Chu Yun Empire.” 46

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